I gasp involuntarily, temptation gnaws my resolution to finish my current quest. I know she tries to use Charm in every chance she gets, but I'm immune to it. Ever since we faced down the knights in the forest, all she can do is try to seduce me. So far, I wasn't able to deny her. Not that I wanted to anyways. In fact, it's one of the things this body-avatar of mine longs for daily.
Despite arriving late, the city is alive and full of wide avenues and places to sit, drink, and eat. The merchants are still open and offer their merchandise to the passersby. For the first time in my life in this world, I see a sky tower at the center that most likely houses thousands of people. The rest of the city is full of parks and wild spaces, giving the folk a chance to admire nature and enjoy the trails. What amuses me is the river that flows throughout the city, splitting it in half. As I walk throughout the Agora, we cross several bridges and sometimes I pause to admire the view. There's no shortage of nice buildings and the crowds gather around performing bards listening to their songs and tails.
Tlos may have looked battered and weak from the outside, but the inner city is extraordinary.
My sexy ally is rather interested in shopping and this place is truly a utopia for devotees of prim and proper clothing with a twist in outrageous styles. Ambrosia always exaggerates with her ostentatious looks, the tight corsets, and gigantic hoop-skirts. It goes without saying that every dress she has an interest in, is provocative, stylish, and at the same time shows signs of respectability.
"This fantastic dress was made for your body," the middle-aged owner with a curved mustache of an expensive retail shop tells her, amazed when he sees her elusive figure. I can see he has a crush on her and Ambrosia plans to take full advantage. I get a feeling she won't need to Charm him to get what she wants.
"You want me to believe what a salesperson says? I'm sure this dress costs a fortune and all you're thinking right now is how you can make a huge profit off of me," she challenges him with a seductive smile.
The owner gulps and shakes his hand in denial. "This dress was made for your body type when I envisioned making it," he replies excited, ecstatic even.
She giggles in a way I've never heard before, then approaches a few steps the guy, then coils her hands below his neck, slightly grazing him. He moans slightly but doesn't respond. Ambrosia stares at him with her casual, snobbish look. "Then I say yes to the chic gown."
It's late and we're the only individuals here. To the surprise of the owner and me, she removes the dress she wears with a single move. Bare naked now, both pairs of eyes are on her back. My gaze trails even further, lower to her ass as she turns. Her pale and milky skin against the fiery red light of the shop makes me aroused and from the owner's look, I'm sure he's in the same state as me. With light, deliberate movements reminding me of a gazelle, she walks toward the display holder and takes the gown. With a single move, she wears it effortlessly, a perfect fit for her perfect body as the owner had said. Backless and with her cleavage exposed, it's both classy and sexy. Literally, our jaws drop and all we can do is perform a long exhale in unison.
"Well?" She demands with a cold look.
Demanding payment after such a performance of strength is impossible and the blushing owner gifts the gown to Ambrosia. As I hold the dress she wore a couple of moments ago from the floor, all the owner can say is, "Won't you thank me for the gift?" He gulps, hoping for a kiss.
"This gown was made for me, you were simply the tool," she replies mysteriously, leaving him there stunned.
"Thank you!" I tell him with an awkward grin as I follow Ambrosia, but he ignores me entirely.
After a long walk in Agora, I find myself loaded like a mule, carrying several bags of clothes. Eventually, we decide to stop and eat something, as my growling stomach protests. It's been hours since the last time I ate dried meat and bread, the kind of food I've been provided by my companion for days. I could eat a horse right now and Ambrosia notices that. To my surprise, she proposes we have dinner and we sit at the tavern Hey Kitty.
Inside we are greeted by several cat-girls, only none of them are real. Each waitress inside the Hey Kitty is wearing fake cat-ears, tails, and little else. A few of them are wearing mittens that look like cat paws that match their black and white wardrobe. Even the menu is decorated with cartoon drawings of catgirls sprawled across the pages, a few of them holding the tavern's best meals in their hands.
It makes me wonder about the name choices the owners of these taverns made. Every name is stranger than the last. Ambrosia said we would stay at the Crazy Shrimp earlier and it made me wonder if the concierge would be dressed similarly. That's something of little importance. My nostrils are bewitched by the aroma of fresh and well-cooked food. I can't believe my torturer brought me to a fancy place like this.
"I like my pets well-fed," she comments, licking her fleshy lips and smirks as I devour my first dish, a big wooden bowl of Tomato Fritters with sauce.
As I taste the first Tomato Fritter, I pause for a moment, my thoughts freezing entirely and both of my eyebrows cock. Ambrosia seems worried momentarily from my reaction, thinking that something has happened to me.
"Pet, have you been poisoned?" She asks with a wary look, ready to come to my aid.
"Holy shit! That tastes good!" I exclaim exhilarated and open my mouth as wide as I can and eat a huge Tomato Fritter in one massive chomp. I swear, if I could, I would eat everything in one massive bite. I gulp down my food without pausing to breathe, chewing and swinging bites at the rest of the dishes, leaving my vampire companion dumbfounded, now her mouth having an O shape.
Ambrosia's composure returns, smiles, and throws back her head laughing. "Well, you live only once, lick the bowl like a good pet," she teases me and without warning places her foot over my member, then runs it below my balls and rubs them lightly.
I choke and at the same time I feel my erection growing again. Immediately, I cover my mouth and flinch from my seat, coughing, somehow managing to catch my breath again. "Why did you do that?" I ask her and I see that I've grabbed the attention of several patrons around me.
All Ambrosia does is smirk lasciviously with a sexy shrug. My gaze falls on the cleavage of her ample breasts, both heaving up and down, making my cock throb, demanding immediate release, but I know all my torturer wants is to tease me.
Sitting back down at the table, I start eating again in a more reserved manner and Ambrosia tells me I can order anything I like. Momentarily I worry about the bill, but then I understand that the waitresses are Charmed and even the owner of Hey Kitty comes to greet us as if we are old friends. As expected, the owner wears the same attire as the rest of her staff. She has brown cat ears and a long tail. What parts of her body are not covered in fur are smooth, human. Unlike her staff, she is wearing attire that covers but does not completely hides her petite figure.
"Are you both enjoying your meal?" She asks holding her right arm up. She kneels down towards Ambrosia who for a moment I fear will bite her. Instead, Ambrosia pets her behind her ear and tells her how cute she is. The owner paws at Ambrosia playfully and laughs. I take a moment to wonder if they really are old friends.
Eventually, we leave without paying and I must admit that Charm and Dominate are two handy skills. A slight part of me regrets not choosing it as my second skill, but I'm sure as long as Ambrosia is by my side I won't have to want for anything.
Although I'm not full, Ambrosia tells me, "I like my pets well-fed, but not full, so that they can perform as I want them," she winks at me and smiles.
We walk for another full hour and I notice that the city changes every few minutes as we head towards the Crazy Shrimp, an inn located at the south-west side of the city, flicking between poverty and affluence. An ideal place for a vampiress and her companion to crash for the night.
The misery in these streets is present everywhere. The sidewalks are cracked and full of filth and the people who live here mostly trade with garbage rather than actual stuff. I hope we won't be attacked by anyone, but for their bad luck, we gather unnecessary attention and someone or some people are following us. It must have been our clothes and garments that drew their attention, and once more I curse the fact that my partner didn't want me to cast Disguise on us. I know what her response would be: My sweet pet Athanasios, if we disguise ourselves, then I wouldn't have been able to get that knockout gown. It was fate before anything else and neither I nor you can deny destiny!
Once more I wonder if I actually had an option to take this path. Seemingly, the Real-World Game provides the Players unlimited options and if there are several others like me, then the creators have taken the extra effort to personalize each Player's Quest, which is something I've never thought would be possible for Elysium's processing power. Probably the Supreme Administrator holds several pieces of the puzzle hidden from us, the common folk of the virtual realm, but I'm determined to find out what's happening. Finishing the Quest the Supreme Administrator has bestowed upon me is of secondary importance at the moment.
And here we are now, surrounded by mindless mobs, ready to rob us, if not kill us, and all we can do is fight for our lives. All I can do is hope this won't affect my Karma grievously, but I can't deny the benefits I'll get from leveling up from this battle. Despite my limited vision from the pile of clothing I'm forced to carry out, I see four stumps behind us and five at the front, all with Threat Levels ranging between 2 to 3. Their clothes are ragged, the complete antithesis as to what me and my vampire ally wear.
"What is a pretty lady doing here alone?" The leader of the mobsters asks Ambrosia with a sly smile, inspecting her from head to toes with his intense gaze.
"Em, I'm here as well," I tell them, but I'm completely ignored, my presence irrelevant before my sexy aide per usual. Not that I care much. I'm ready to reach down for Lush, my sword. On the other hand, I've leveled up a few times and there are plenty of new spells I haven't tried yet, such as Primal Savagery.
I access my NCI and check my list of available cantrip spells through my Spell Slot Inventory: Infestation, Fire Bolt, Booming Blade, and Primal Savagery. Most of them will come handy in the challenge to come. I'm not sure if Ambrosia plans to use her Charm or Dominate skill to bewitch them, but for peace of mind I cast my first spell: Primal Savagery. I'm not sure if she'll be able to charm nine people at once. Anyway, she can easily have them for supper.Primal Savagery is a transmutation cantrip that causes my teeth and fingernails to sharpen. It's an effective spell for melee attacks. Especially for me since I have Vampire Ancestry, this spell instead of causing a maximum damage of 10 Hitpoints, it can add up 50% more, causing a maximum damage of 15 Hitpoints.The effects of the spell take place immediately and I can sense my fangs inside my mouth sharpening and extending. My fingernails resemble that of a creature rather than that of a human. For the time being, m
Well, my HP bar has seen better days and I can't explain how useful a Save and Load option would be for the Real-World Game. The times I would Save before an incident, make a mock battle to see how things unravel, and then Load again were countless. For me this process was like second nature, although many Players like my friend Smeme considered this kind of play through as cheating, orboring... This game is different though and I have to abide by its rules... for now.I cast Mage Armor, and a protective magical field surrounds me. I feel my skin hardening, making it as tough as leather armor. Good, now time for the next spell in line: Infestation. It’s a conjuration cantrip spell that causes a cloud of parasitic insects to attack the target I wish. Admittedly, Infestation is a weak spell compared to others, only causing up to 6 Hit Points of poison damage, yet I can force my victims to move in the direction I want.My prey, a level-3 bald thug, is the unlu
I do as I'm commanded; her reassuring look puts me at partial ease. It’s certainly a plus to have someone senior in a new world who knows more, yet I am not entirely relieved. Who can trust a Vampire after all? Although not immediately as I'd expected, the Potion of Lesser Heal takes effect and a feeling of warmth engulfs me, healing my wounds and replenishing my HP Bar back to 80%. It would have taken some time for my passive regeneration to heal me this fast.Wow, having magic potions and items like these can really make a difference in a battle. We should buy some first thing in the morning."Well?" Zoe snaps her fingers, drawing my attention back to her."Well, what?" I gasp."Will you join us? The quest? You're level-headed and certainly we could use someone like you," her chest rises and falls with a rapid breath, drawing my attention to her hand-sized breasts."I would love
After the gathering, we split into several teams and begin our descent into the tunnels from different areas of town. The goal is to find the source of the infestation and remedy it, but first, we have been given a medial task to prove our worth. That way, they’ll decide if we are capable enough to take harder quests. From the tunnels, we are meant to gather underneath the Inn and meet in a great chamber. From there we will be given our official orders. One of the guild mistresses hands us a rough map that shows us the path we are meant to take. The path leads us back toward the Hey Kitty tavern. Ambrosia calls the whole thing a waste of time but I enjoy the chance for a trial run.Myself, Ambrosia, and three others venture down into the tunnels near one of the open canals. Inside, we light our torches and begin scouting the area. It feels like it will be a long night with nothing of any interest. The sewers smell, you guessed it, disgusting. We stay away from the water
As we head down the tunnel, I wonder if Ambrosia's offer is still on the table. Thinking of the pleasure I was offered a couple of moments ago, I fail to notice that we have already reached the chamber below the Commander’s Inn. There are a bunch of adventurers here. It feels like we are right back where we started, only far fewer of us. We climb up the stone staircase that leads to the main hall of the guild. There, we hear a ruckus taking place near the center of the main hall. This piques our interest and we decide to head there.While I do so, I ask myself what was the reason for this medial quest. Maybe to see who's capable enough to venture deeper into the tunnels, I guess. Yet, thining our forces doesn't make sense, no matter how useless some adventurers are. Well, as this optional quest progresses, I'll find out eventually.As reach the epicenter of turmoil, we see the leader of our previous party, Alexander, bullying and trying to hit a blonde girl that
I select yes.A newparty member has joined your party, my NCI informs me.Now, I can see her stats, level, and HP. She's about the same level as me and has the same HP, but as a wizard, she has a bigger Spell Inventory than me.After finishing with introductions we are gathered to the main hall where the leader of the expedition gives us a detailed briefing. The leader, to my surprise, isn't an Emissary or any other type of Player, but an NPC with an artificer class. This must be some kind of rare class for this world as I haven't seen anyone else so far. On the other hand, I haven't been long enough in the real world and it's the first time that I visit such an enormous city, so I might be wrong.The artificer demands the leaders of each party to come near him."Go!" Ambrosia orders me.I'm surprised at her reaction. Does she actually want me to be the leader or is this some kind of mocking of my previous actions?
"The zombies are already dead," Elektra tells me. "You have to slice them in pieces or incinerate them if you are to take them out for good."She turns andpowers up, then casts a Fire Bolt that incinerates the body of the zombie. The stench is unbearable, like burning rotten meat. If I didn't have Vampire Ancestry, I would probably vomit at the smell, the way several others around me already are.Alexander's team is doing great so far, each having killed at least two zombies, as they penetrate deeper into the dungeon in a bloody frenzy. I know I can do better. I have to if I want to give that son of a bitch a lesson.Ambrosia and I decide to charge out into the darkness, Elektra right behind us. My team and other adventurers attack the zombie mob en masse, my sword slashing rotten flesh again and again, leaving dismembered bodies behind us in a bloody trail. The place soon becomes a perfect pandemonium of death and I fail to notice a lurching zombie from t
It pisses me off having to work with Alexander. Besides Zoe, most of his team are low-level wizards who act like they have been born blessed. Half of them couldn't cast a Fire Bolt to save their lives. All in all, their Threat Levels are between 3 and 4 while the toughest oftheir group who looks like a tank masquerading as a wizard, has a Threat Level 5. I am pretty sure he too can't cast a Fire Bolt, given he is carrying around a cursed battle axe and a large wooden shield. I have to give a few of them credit though. Underneath their wizard robes, I notice a few of them have been holding what looks like powder bombs. Alchemic in origin, but I have the feeling they could do some heavy damage against the horde."Take this," Zoe insists, handing one of the bombs over to me."Won't this bring down the tunnels?" I say slightly worrying what ten, twenty, maybe even one hundred minor explosions would do to the old tunnels. It was bad enough the wizards were slinging Fi