< Don't be stupid this time, and hear me out. If you plan on having these girls around you and you don't want to become lunch while you sleep, you had better listen!>
Jeez, this guy was forceful, but I wasn't ignoring what he was saying. There was an excellent chance that he was right, and it would only be a matter of time until Jilly figured some way around Mary.
<Good. Now, My name Herotipanlopolis, Great God of Heavens Ninth Gate of Oberomian. You can call me Hero, but I am the ruling god of this world.>
You just made that up, didn't you?
<I can wait until they kill you if you would prefer. Then I can reopen the gate and hopefully find someone more willing to accept the gifts that are bestowed upon him!>
Fine, you're right. I am being a bit of a turd, and I do need your help. So, lay it on me; what is this fancy and unique System that you have for me?
[Ranching System] Activated!
[Level Up] Level 1 gained!
[Level Up] Level 2 gained!
<This System is built specifically as a support system for the ones that want a more relaxed life somewhat, but this will not give you any physical enhancements. The System will only give you ways to help care for monster girls. In your present situation, I think this is the best thing for you.>
I still wasn't sure precisely what Hero meant with the System, but if it would still let me keep my own personal restrictions on myself, then it couldn't hurt. Plus, it wouldn't be bad to do something that I was already going to do anyway.
<I will now open the menu screen for you to look over, but later, you can just summon the menu by thinking that you want to do that.>
A large white-bordered white-edged window with a black tinted background appeared in front of me. There was white writing, and it reminded me of an old MS-DOS screen on the old IBM computers.
{Kazz Foreman}
Level: 2
Title: N/A
Rank: {Poor and Ranchless Rancher)
Monster Girls: 2
System: Ranching System
System Abilities:
{Monster Girl Rancher}- Gain experience from taking care of your Monster Girls.
{Monster Girl Pacification}- The innate ability to calm Monster Girls.
{Monster Girl Care}- All things done to care for Monster Girls are 100% more effective.
{Jilly}
Level: 2
Title: N/A
Species: Oomukade
Unique Ability: Air Pressure Control
System: Builder System
System Abilities:
{Builder Bug}- Gain experience from completing Building Tasks.
{Pinsir Saw}- Activate to use Pinsirs as a saw.
{Spine Nailer}- Activate to fire fastening spines that grow out like razor vines, securing the spine.
---------------------
{Mary}
Level: 3
Title: N/A
Species: Gorgon Medusa/???
Unique Ability: ???
System: Saintly Survival System
System Abilities:
{In The Aid of Others}- Gain experience from helping party members.
{Helping Hand}- Twice per day, you can use this ability to help a party member that is in need, but the items used to help will disappear after use.
{??? Blessing}- Gives logic bending luck bonus to survival odds when put into harm's way.
I could feel two pairs of eyes looking over my shoulders as I looked over the menus. I had been distracted and hadn't noticed that Jilly had moved around behind me, but I no longer felt the same creepy-crawly feeling from before.
I guess this new System and seeing her when she was hurt had reminded me that she was still just a girl. I wasn't sure what Mary was doing because I could feel her staring just as intently at the screen.
"Can you both see the floating screen in front of me?" I asked the girls as I turned to the girls.
The screen moved around with me as I turned, and I noticed both girls following it as I did. That confirmed my question, but now I wanted to know how Mary could see it.
<Mary can see her screens and yours, but they are the only things that she can see right now. Along with the MP that you will earn from helping others, there will be other rewards along the way you will receive. Unfortunately, all quest rewards you receive that aren't MP will be for one of your party members.>
While that did suck, the idea of getting something good just because I moved some crates or killed a couple monsters was like getting free help. So, the items being for the girls didn't bother me, but what I was worried about was if the System would have any effect on the Items or other things that I found.
<Anything that you find or earn outside of quest will be rewarded to you.>
"What is a Rancher? Are you our Master or something now? I don't feel like I want to eat you now," Jilly said as she looked down at me.
"Mastersss? Mmm, what doesss my Master wantsss me to do for himsss," Mary hissed seductively in my ear, and then licked up the side of my neck, send a hot shiver through my body.
"No, I am not your Master; I am your caretaker, I guess. According to this page," I said, pointing to the screen. "I just need to make sure that you two are taken care of and stay out of trouble, I think. Honestly, I know about as much as you do at this point," I said while scratching my head, but then I heard something.
It was like the patter of feet, but soft like paws, almost like a pack of dogs or wolves. Of course, there would be monsters coming, and the fact that we had this much time without any was the more surprising thing with the dead Stinking Troll.
"I think we should get moving; this place is about to get more dangerous," I said while turning to figure out which was to go.
"What? You don't want to fight whatever is coming? I thought you wanted to get stronger?" Jilly asked, and that was about the time a pack of three head dogs charged into the clearing.
They each had weird glowing mouths with the glowing stuff leaking out, green, red, and blue. They weren't huge, and they went straight for the troll-like savages, but then I heard a high-pitched squeal come from Jilly, and she charged.
Great.
"Jilly! Stop!" I called out, but it was too late to stop her.Suddenly, as I ran, my vision was filled with what must have been at least fifty little white borders and black windowed messages. Each and every one of them read the same thing in rapid succession, and then the air was filled with yipping, then all hell broke loose.[Spine Nailer]x69Suddenly, balls of fire, ice, and green smoke-looking stuff that I could only assume were poison gas began firing off in all directions. I ran and tackled the tall Oomukade by her centipede body and knocked Jilly to the ground.Jilly's attack stopped, and she turned on me, but I was already crawling up her smooth body to pin her down. She had not been able to see the fireball that had just passed where her head had been seconds after I had tackled her."Oh, isss this more meatsss?!" Mary asked as I was now moving up Jilly's waist."No, and you can't go running into a fight like that!" I scolded Jilly
"I sssmell bloodsss! There mussst be meatsss" Mary and her snakes hissed, and one of the snakes tongues went in my ear, making my eyes go funny as I had a minor body spasm."BAH! Mary! Stop letting your snakes hiss in my ears!" I said to her as I caught my balance."Sssorry, I isss ssstill hungry. Feed me pleasesss!" Mary hissed excitedly, and I wiped the drool from her cute mouth, making her smile.I turned back to the three-headed dog and wiped Mary's spit on my pants. The dog looked in rough shape and would need to be cleaned up, and some of those wounds may be sewn up."So, are we going to eat it, or are you just going to stare at it?" Jilly asked as she leaned down to me."Can you go put more wood on the fire, and I will cut up some more of the troll when I am done here, okay?" I asked, and Jilly threw up her hands but then clicked off to tend to the fire, mumbling as she went."Stupid man, thinks I am his slave, just wait until he is s
I dropped off the girls on the rock I had been sitting on before to cook the meat. It wasn't cold, but the girls had been shivering, so I figured this would be the best spot for her while I cut more meat up."Are we going to cook her alive, Or do you want me to kill her?" Jilly asked me as two large twenty-centimeter golden curved blades shot out from under her hair.Bera and Cera were both burying their faces in my chest as they grabbed at me in fear, and I couldn't really blame them. Only Riez had the balls to look Jilly in the eyes and her face blades."Stop it! I am taking care of her, and you will go find something to do while I get this meat ready, or I'll…." I trailed off as I looked up at the sword face. "Just leave the girls alone. They have already been through enough, and I am going to get more meat to cook. Please go find some more…."[Monster Girl: Riez, Bera, and Cera] Is now in your care![New Title]: Monster Nanny
I looked at Riez's naturally green eyes because what other color would they be? They were pretty, but that wasn't what was important right now."Yes, I will make it taste much better, you can ask Mary her as she drools in excite...OwO!" I had been saying but then bit me harder this time, hitting a nerve and making my knees buckle."Sof merkin fun ov meh!" Mary said with my neck still in her mouth.I was barely able to stay on my feet, and I didn't dare try to pull her off. Mary was all but breaking skin right now, but if I moved, that might change.I suppose I really needed to start treating these women like ladies and not my pets. I deserved to get a bite for saying that after she had been so cute with me.I relaxed my neck, and Mary slowly let go, and I was able to stand back up straight. The other four had stayed perfectly quiet the entire time."Sorry, I know I said that I wouldn't do it again, and I do. So, I deserved that. I will start
I did get two of my Troll steaks after all the little snakes seemed full, and it was nice just to have a moment to relax. Mary was licking her fingers, and she had let me slide my arm around her waist.I was petting her snakes when Mary asked me something that surprised me."Whysss did you comesss here?" Mary hissed softly as I watched her stone-covered eyes close with content from my strokes."I didn't plan on coming here, but I had made some mistakes in my life, and I tried to cheat my way to the top. I thought that I could just take the easy way and no one would care, but I was wrong. I ended up losing everything and embarrassing myself, so I had decided to join a group of individuals that valued hard work and determination," I said, thinking about what I had been about to do.There was a lot of merit in joining the army, but I don't think it was for the right reason. What I had wanted was something that I could do to prove to myself that I was more th
I followed Jilly south, but I walked beside her so I could talk to her about the world. Now that things with the girls seemed to like it was straightening themselves out, I really needed to get on top of learning about the world."So, are there any other humans like me?" I asked."No, there are some that look close to you, but they are some of the worst monsters.All they do is latch onto you and drain your thoughts until you're left to drool and starve to death. I can't remember what they are called, but they have eyes in their hands and much sharper teeth, but that is about as close as it comes to looking like you," Jilly explained to me, but I was noticing that the canyon was starting to arch up."Hmm, that's fine, not like it would make a difference. As you can see with me, humans are just monsters without visible natural weapons," I said as we started to get higher, and I was able to start seeing treetops, which reminded me of the wood that had just be
It took us about an hour of walking to get to the giant castle surrounded by a ten-meter wall with guards standing on the tops. None of them looked like they were paying much attention to us as we approached a large river.A big bridge spanned across the water, and there was a pair of blue-skinned and winged guards standing at the entrance on the other side. I stopped our group before we went across the bridge; I wanted to ask a couple more questions that had just come to mind."Can you tell me a little about the demons, like do they have ranks? Are those guys like the one that came to see you?" I asked."Yes, they are the same, all lesser grunts, but they can still fight and use magic, so don't go thinking of trying to take the Keep. If we are nice, then Mex should be nice enough back to us. The biggest thing is to not let the grandmother get under your skin," Jilly explained, and I felt Mary stir on my back, and her snakes started to rustle around."Hmm
I found it strange that no one really seemed to care that a human and three monsters were waltzing right into the place. I looked around the castle grounds, but it was mostly grass, and there were even some flower beds being cared for by blue-skinned females who were wearing modest clothing.Not what I had expected from a self-proclaimed Demon Lord, but maybe I was holding on to my human world views of things that didn't really even exist. I am sure that if the monsters saw our people in our world, they would ask why we all look so much alike.The front door to the castle was unmanned, but It took all I had to even get the thing to budge. Of course, that was when Jilly decided that I might need help, and the door was opened with ease.This was just another reminder that even though I was in great shape and that I was an MMA fighter, The problem was that I had come from wrestling, and I had been a submission specialist.Sure, I had knocked a guy or two out