161 – 163 Carnal Energy, Imp Inspection, Embers

Her body moved as if it had a mind of its own, lost in the feeling of creeping lust which slowly and surely dulled her senses. The bangle had already begun to activate by hijacking her mana lines and funneling the energy of pleasure throughout her body in small amounts. She had become used to this sensation, it was almost intoxicating, truth be told. It felt like getting a stimulating full body massage, one that caused both toe and finger to curl with delight.

Agni soon found herself sinking down onto the ground, her hands eagerly caressing her body. 

*I.. I can’t hold back anymore..* This was her final thought before she spiraled into the deepening seas of lust. It was like watching herself via an out of body experience at times. She could see her hands moving to cup her breasts. She tweaked them ever so gently, for they were taut and sensitive. She bowed her head, blowing a gentle breath against them and relishing in the sense of electricity that jolted through her body.

Her other free hand moved downward along her abdomen. She could keenly feel how soft and silky her own skin felt against her fingers. Her only thought was how much better it would be if someone else were doing the touching. As quickly as this thought formed it was gone, and her hands had fallen farther south. Her body was soaked. Her lips, labia and everything between -- dripping with lust juices which she delved into without restraint.

She was positioned on her knees, as if offering a prayer to the most sinful of deities, her hand busily working as her breath began to grow heavier. It wasn’t long before she began to quiver, her clit thumping furiously as she worked her fingers. Her lips bulged and squeezed together as she occasionally worked her finger inside her honey pot, further rubbing the juices into the folds of her clam-like lips.

The sensation of orgasm was upon her, and it would not be denied. Agni tossed her head back, remembering only to stifle her voice as the feeling struck. Like a bolt of lightning she felt a sense of overwhelming pleasure, one that caused her body to shake and seize up all at once. And then...silence , all save for her breathing which was melodic and measured.

It was beginning to grow dark, and for a moment she decided to pack it up. The only problem was…

“My body is still hot.”

She immediately realized that while her mind was saying no, her body was a different beast entirely. That’s when Agni noticed it -- a pink meter on her viewport. Just below the bars that represented mana and health, one that wasn’t usually present. Her mind raced as she examined it and less than a second later a new tooltip presented itself.

“Carnal Meter.” she mouthed. She did recall unlocking something like that, and if she remembered correctly -- it happened once she gained better control over her Succulust. She also noticed that the bar was almost full, at about 80%, judging by the looks of it.

“Is this...what I think it is?” Agni wondered aloud. She bit her lip for a moment before deciding on a test of sorts.

“Once more shouldn’t hurt…. I’ll make it really quick..” She said as she bit her lip and made herself comfortable.

She sat on the grass, her fingers dipping low once again. This time she had a better presence of mind, though not by much. Her senses were still abuzz and everything felt electric -- even the air surrounding her. Yet, this time she felt more grounded, as if she was now present in her own body. She watched the meter, as best she could given the circumstances, this time opting to take a different approach to self pleasure. She began by running her fingers between her thighs, the feeling was one Agni relished. The sensation was electric, and for the briefest of moments she could feel her inner thighs quiver. The Carnal Meter flashed momentarily and rose by a tiny amount.

“Interesting..” She remarked as she continued to play. She moved towards her lips, crossing her legs as she leaned on her free hand. Her head relaxed, moving backwards as she edged her own body -- gently rubbing her hands against her lips, slowly and deliberately. Though the temperature was rising for Agni she still kept a close eye on the meter -- indeed as she suspected it began to rise over time. Along with it, her senses heightened and slowly she came closer to losing her senses.

When the urge to cum became unbearable, Agni slipped her middle fingers inside of her body and began to work them, slowly at first then more furiously. The sound of her juices lubricating each thrust was enough to bring her to even new heights and finally, once again she came. This time, she noticed another dip in the Carnal Meter.

“75%..” She mouthed, even as she sucked the nectar from her own fingers. And still--she could go longer… so she decided to continue--

-------------------------------------------------------

“Sypha, what are you doing? You’re supposed to be helping me search.” Gates said as he made his way towards Sypha, the Lightweaver. The white haired man waved his hand, hushing Gates as he approached.

“What? Is something wrong?” Gates asked as he took up position next to Sypha, his gaze directed towards Sypha’s intense interest.

“Sypha! W-what are you doing? This is..private!” Gates' face turned beet red upon realizing the scene before him. The vermillion haired succubus was busy, intently focused on pleasing herself. What’s more, their vantage point allowed them the ultimate view. Even as Gates voiced his opinion, his eyes were transfixed. He watched Agni’s fingers slide in and out of her body several times in a row. His little brother twitched in response to the delightful sight, causing Gates to clench his fists. He stood for a long while, his eyes wide as he took in the sight of her, her nipples were fully erect and her body was flush in various places. The focus etched on the Succubus’ face spoke of her due diligence in exploring her own body.

Even though she was supremely wet, her fingers seemed to be swallowed, only to emerge with copious amounts of juices. Gates found himself licking his lips as a thought entered his brain for a split second.

*I wonder what her nectar tastes like..* He shook his head to dispel the sense of bewitchment he was slowly falling under.

“Sypha. We… we sound her. We shouldn’t be watching like this..” Gates said as he crouched and whispered his disapproval.

“Agni’s a succubus. Do you really think a sex demon would have a problem with...such a sakura situation?” Sypha posed the question without hesitation. It was clear to Gates that the Lightweaver had already considered the “privacy” question. Gates’ mind flashed back to all of the times he’d seen Agni practically naked and he couldn’t really muster a rebuttal, even if he wanted to.

“But still--”

“What are we looking at?” The voice seemed to come out of nowhere, but a split second later Gigi’s arm wrapped around Gates’ shoulders.

“Oh! She’s really going at it. Gates, you naughty boy. If you wanted a show like this….” Gigi smirked, a look of absolute devilishness filling her expression, “all you had to do was ask.”

Gigi had a habit of teasing Gates. It was irresistible to her. She simply couldn’t resist given his boyish charm and straight laced personality. She was aware that her words would have some kind of effect -- but she didn’t realize it would short circuit his brain.

Gates’ jaw dropped, his eyes widened and for a moment he seemed to stall out, like a computer caught in an endless loop. The sight of his face was enough to cause a ferocious giggle to escape from Gigi’s lips. She cupped her hand towards her mouth as quickly as she could--but the damage was done.

“You two..keep it down. She’s going to notice, then it really will be awkward..” Sypha admonished,he then turned back to the scene unfolding before him.

“What happened? Where did she go?” Sypha said suddenly, he could feel the pit of his stomach drop.

“Huh? That’s weird-- where is she--” Gigi said, even as a pink flash zoomed by. It took a moment for Gigi to process what happened. She looked to her left, where Gates had been standing until just a moment ago. Then towards the nearby ground. There, tangled in a mass of flailing limbs was Gates. He was currently pinned down by a lust-addled Agni, having over-excited herself a bit too much in her “experiments”.

“Gates, I’m so glad you came by. I...I don’t know what to do with all of this pent up energy.” The look on her face was one of sublime adoration, her appreciation and affection practically oozed from every pore. Gates on the other hand was fighting a fierce internal dilemma. Agni was on top of him, straddling him whilst pinning down both of his wrists. Her face loomed centimeters away, and her breasts all but covered his mouth and cheeks.

*It’s...so warm.* He thought, amongst a plethora of other thoughts as Agni’s mouth loomed ever closer to his face.

“W-wait!” He said, feeling a sudden surge of nervous energy. The motion of his mouth caused minute vibrations which in turn caused Agni’s breasts to jiggle. She bit her lip and went in for the kill.

“Nom.” She said as Agni latched onto the nape of his neck and began to suck.

“Ahem. Now that everyone is present,” Gates said as he rubbed the fresh passion mark on his neck, “we can sort out parties for tonight.”

The evening had already fallen, and with it a still silence. This was the Lull Forest, a place where sound and time seemed to halt after dark. In the distance, all around them were ethereal lights. To the unlearned, one would believe them to be spirits or wisps but all present knew the real source. Fulger Stag Grimlock, large deer-like monsters that had the ability to channel lightning through their antlers. The lights in the distance were the territorial creature’s way of signaling their location to other Grimlock. It was also a beacon for any adventurer skilled or foolish enough to engage.

After a few minutes of chatting, the parties were set. Two groups of four -- Agni, Shula, Sypha and Merri. The other group was composed of Gates, Ariadna, Katrin and Gigi.

“The plan is simple. We’ve done this quite a few times this week and tonight will be no different. A red shard, under normal conditions shouldn’t be too much for us gathered here to handle. The enemies are stronger, and they may activate unexpected abilities -- but I assure you everyone here is up to the task.”

Agni realized the speech was meant more for Ariadna and Merri than everyone else. After all, she couldn’t imagine anyone who survived their last ordeal being intimidated by Fulger Stag. To Agni this seemed like child’s play.

*No black tentacles of death. No stubby golems trying to take out our knees. This should be a breeze.* She thought inwardly.

“Take a moment to assign roles within your party, then let’s get a move on.” Gates said. His eyes met Agni’s for the briefest of moments, causing him to blush and turn away.

She sighed.

“I didn’t mean to..” Agni whispered as she pressed the tips of her pointer fingers together. All things considered, she didn’t really feel bad about the awkward misunderstanding. In the end it took Gigi to pull her away, but not before the damage was done. There was a huge passion mark on Gates’ neck, one that would be difficult to hide under just about any circumstance. Not that he could even conceal it--most everyone knew something happened.

“He’ll get over it. No worries.”  Sypha said  with a smile.

Agni studied his face for a moment, realizing that he’d probably seen the same sight as Gates.

*I guess only one of them is shy.*  She thought.

“Forcing yourself on others is a crime. Delinquent. Defective demon.” Shula taunted as she bumped into Agni-- hard.

“Hey. Watch it, chibi.” Agni said as she folded her arms.

“Try not to get in my way out there. I can’t be held responsible if you step into another--” Shula snapped her fingers and mimicked firing a pistol, “sleep mine.”

“Hey! I have questions.” Agni said as she proceeded to power walk towards Shula. In response Shula hid behind the nearest person and responded in a loud, clear voice.

“Ah! Scary, she’s going to mark me. Help, Gates help! Oh-- wait, she got you too.” Gates’ face went blank as he momentarily recalled the sight of Agni furiously fingering her pussy. Gigi smirked as the same blank expression flashed across his face.

This caused Agni to stop in her tracks and clench her fist.

“You always say too much, you know that?” She said as she ran towards the imp.

“Doze! Doze!” Shula shouted as she flicked her fingers outwards. Small sparkles floated forth from her fingertips and wafted towards Agni’s face. Almost immediately the Succubus began to get drowsy. Just moments later, the sleep induced stupor was shaken off.

“Tsk.” Shula said loudly upon seeing that her sleep technique had no effect. She attempted to run -- but it was no use. Agni clenched her in a headlock and began to thump her on the forehead.

“This is what you asked for. Whose face were you stepping on earlier? Huh?”

The two tussled for quite some time whilst the other members of their party looked on, thoroughly entertained by the exchange.

“Ok! Ok! I’ll stop!” Shula shouted as she rubbed her forehead. There was a bright red mark in the center.

“Dominance asserted. Bwa ha ha!” Agni said as she put her hand on her hips and mimicked Shula’s trademark tyrannical laugh.

“I know where you sleep too.” Shula muttered, almost too inaudible for anyone to hear, all as she rubbed her stinging forehead.

Minutes later the groups were huddled together discussing various things. 

“Sleep Daemon. I’ve never heard of that class before Shula. Could you tell me a bit about it? That way I can best determine the roles for our party.” Sypha said. He’d been appointed the party leader by Gates, under the notion that he had almost the same amount of practical experience.

“Mmmm. It’s a Specialist class that focuses on inflicting and manipulating status ailments.” Shula said as she folded her arms.

“Really? That sounds pretty interesting.” Merri added.

“I see. Can you give me a better idea of your skillset?” Sypha then asked.

“I can conceal my presence and inflict sleep ailment. The effectiveness is based on different factors. I recently got a new skill called ‘Sleep Mine’ that allows me to concentrate sleep element mana in a fixed place. Once I guide the mass and position it, I can no longer move it. I can also use my ability to cloak on my Sleep Mine ability -- making them invisible.”

Agni cut her eyes and folded her arms as she stared at Shula.

*How come you’re so compliant to him!? I asked you like seven times!* Agni transmitted via their mental link.

To this Shula simply gave a shrug. In response Agni thumped her forehead yet again.

“Stop it! You’re going to make me as dumb as you!” Shula grumbled, she clutched her forehead as it began to throb in pain once more.

“Crybaby.” Agni muttered.

“Ha ha.” Sypha could only chuckle to himself, after all he had no idea of the mental exchange between the two.

“So Shula.. Your abilities can be used in a flexible way. What range would you say you’re best suited to when it comes to combat?”

“I suppose that’s part of the problem. My Sleep Daemon abilities have a limited range. But I can also use fire magic, so it’s not a problem.”

“I see. In that case, I think you should act as a secondary striker along with Agni.” Sypha said as he rubbed his chin.

“My skills lend towards support and healing. Merri, you can focus on defending the strikers and interrupting the enemy with your abilities. And you two can deal with the enemies however you see fit. How does that sound?”

“No problems here.” Agni replied, almost instantly. Shula nodded in agreement leaving just Merri’s response.

“You’re asking me? I’m.. I’m fine with anything. I mean, yes!” Merri nearly stuttered as she responded to Sypha’s question. After hearing more about Merri’s past, Agni finally felt she understood more about why Merri seemed socially awkward at times.

*It’s almost like she expects to be an outsider in every situation.* At least this was Agni’s observation.

A few moments later they were done discussing roles and moved onto gear check.

“So what else aren’t you telling me missy?” Agni asked as she stood next to Shula and cast an inquisitive gaze.

“Mmm. Should I tell you? Hmmmmm.” Shula teased as she inspected Agni for any signs of annoyance.

“Well, you can find out for yourself. You *can* see my status you know. I am your familiar.”

“What? Really?” Agni asked as she opened her own status menu with a wave of her hand.

“Yep. Right there.” Shula said as she pointed at a fixed point in the air. Coincidentally, it was a part of Agni’s status screen that she’d somehow overlooked.

“Familiar Tab. Wait.. how can you see my status screen?” Agni asked as she cocked her head to the side slightly.

“I’ve always been able to see it. I was inside your head, remember. Though I doubt that’s the reason. I’m pretty sure it’s connected to being your thrall.” Shula remarked.

“I’m wounded. I would never consider you a thrall. A minion--maybe.” Agni responded, even as she opened the status window to take a peek.

*It’s been a while since I even looked at my own stats, honestly..* Agni thought to herself as she glanced at the screen.

[Agni Heartfyre]

[Age : 18]

[Class : Succubus Lvl : 34]

[Adv. Tier : 0 ]

[Health : 428/428]

[Mana : 603/603] 

[Carnal Meter : 3 / 100]

At this point Agni paused. She vaguely remembered the second number of her Carnal Meter being unreadable.

“So now there’s a maximum? I wonder what that means.”

[Strength : 51 (76)] 

[Agility : 75 (112)] 

[Speed : 38 

[Soul : 76 ] 

[Charm : 151]

**Growth**

HP - 8

MP - 13

Str - 2

Agl - 2

Spd - 1

Soul - 2

*Special*  - 4

**General Skills / Abilities**

[Mana Well (Passive) +30% Mana, scales with level.]

[Mana Spring (Passive) +50% Mana Regeneration speed.]

[Element Manipulation (Active) {71%} - Use mana to directly manipulate the properties of ambient magic particles and create elemental constructs.]

[Toughness - (Passive) {9%} +5% Natural Damage Reduction to Physical Attacks.]

[Resistance - (Passive) {2%} +5 Natural Damage Reduction to Magical Attacks. ]

[Whip Mastery - (Passive) {6%} Gain the ability to use and master whip-like weapons, with practice. ]

“My element manipulation mastery went up by quite a bit. Everything else is pretty minimal..” Agni remarked, upon seeing 

**Class Skills / Abilities**

[ Demonic Heritage (1) - Abnormal strength bestowed by your demonic bloodline. +50% to base strength and agility.]

[Succulust -(Passive) {36%} +5% Strength, Agility and Speed when activated. When the Carnal meter is full, +15 additional percent to Strength,Agility and Speed. ]

[Succubus Vision - (Passive)  {27%} - Use carnal energy to activate a special type of sight which reveals sensitive or erogenous zones on the body. Heightens your senses, allowing you to react more quickly. You can also toggle erogenous vision off and on at will. ]

[Whisper - (Active) {58%} By speaking to someone you can compel them to take action. May not work based on distance and willpower of the target. Range : Intimate/1 Meter]

[Iron Fangs, Iron Claws - (Passive) {29%}  Allows the user’s nails and teeth to become as hard as most metals at a whim. ]

[Extend - (Passive) {13%} The ability to use mana to cause your fingers or tail to extend. The greater your mastery the longer you can maintain the extension, as well as greater lengths.]

[Fusion - (Passive) {0%} Join with your familiar. The effectiveness and duration is largely determined by the mastery of the ability.]

[Potential : 0 / 50]

[Current Exp: 232 / 1,000]

[Level Points - 26]

[ Primary Modifier : Carnality - 300%]

[ Secondary Modifier: Mysticism - 200%]

“So Fusion unlocked as a passive ability. I wonder why it’s still at zero percent mastery? We practiced that with Vivian didn’t we? It should have gone up.” Agni said, her brow furrowing as she inspected the new ability.

“Who knows. Maybe we should use it more.” Shula said as she hovered over, taking up position just over Agni’s shoulder.

“Anyway….check out mine. Or don’t..whatever…” Shula said as she endeavored to play it cool. Agni smirked, the sense of anticipation behind Shula’s demeanor was pretty obvious.

“Okay. Let’s have a look then.” Agni said with a smile as she began to read aloud.

[Shula Heartfyre]

[Age : 18]

“You’re like my kid. You have my last name and everything. Oh! You really are an adult. I had my doubts-” Agni was silenced by a sharp twist of her ear.

“Oww! Oww it's ripping off!”

“Abusive familiar. I’m going to pawn you if you keep this up.” Agni muttered. Agni rubbed her ear tenderly before continuing.

[Class : Sleep Daemon Lvl : 23]

[Adv. Tier : 0 ]

[Health : 0.8x ]

[Mana : 2.0 x] 

[Strength : 1.0x ] 

[Agility : 1.0x ] 

[Speed : 1.25x ] 

[Soul : 1.5x ] 

[ Sovereignty  : 1.0x ]

“What do these numbers mean? Shula?” Agni asked in reference to the numbers next to Shula’s stats.

“Your guess is as good as mine. These numbers don’t show up on my status screen. Unless…” Shula took a moment to open her own status screen and take a look.

“Ah. I see now. These are modifiers.” Shula said as she pointed towards the decimal values on Agni’s display.

“See, here?” Shula asked as she pointed towards the health value.

“My maximum health is 80% of your health stat. For me, I can see the numerical value, 342 instead . I never noticed it before, it makes sense why I don’t get level points now.” Shula remarked.

“So your stats are dependent upon mine and based on the modifiers listed here. I guess that also explains why you don’t have a stat growth chart. I wonder if this is something exclusive to familiars?”

The two shrugged in unison as they continued viewing the information on Shula’s status screen.

**General Skills / Abilities**

[Well Spring (Passive) +50% faster Health regeneration.]

[Flame Mastery (Passive) {2%} Use mana to directly manipulate the properties of ambient flame energy and magic particles to create elemental constructs and advanced spells.]

[Spell Boost (Passive) {11%} Use extra mana to strengthen the effect of your spells.]

[Affliction Boost (Passive) {7%} Increases the likelihood that you can inflict status ailments on your target.]

**Class Skills / Abilities**

[ Demonic Heritage (1) - Abnormal strength bestowed by your demonic bloodline. +50% to base strength and agility.]

[Flame Dominion (Inactive) {2%} - The ability to control flame mana as an extension of yourself.]

[Shared Bond (1) - Gain a portion of your bond’s accumulated experience and in return you share a portion of your own accumulated experience. (5%).]

[Night Stalker (Active) - Turn invisible at will. The skill lasts as long as you can hold your breath. Physical movement makes you more noticeable.]

[Dream Dust (Active) - Create ‘sleep dust’ which can be used to deepen the sleep of any sleeping target. Infusing this skill with intent allows the user to guide the dreams of the target as well.]

[Sleep Mine (Active) - Create a mass of sleep inducing mana that can be positioned for up to ten seconds after creation. The lifespan of the mass is determined by the amount of mana condensed into the construct. Can be used with the Night Stalker skill to camouflage the mass.]

“Why do you have so many more active skills than I do?” Agni said with a frown.

[Fusion - (Active) {2%} Join with your bond. The effectiveness and duration is largely determined by the shared mastery of the ability.]

“Huh!? Why is your fusion ability higher than mine? That’s garbage! We’ve used the skill in the same amounts! Plus I’m the responsible one!” Agni protested.

“Obviously because I’m superior to you in every way.” Shula said , accompanied by a smirk.

“Pfft. The only thing you beat me in is height-- Ow ow ow. I’m sorry! No, noo please! It’s really coming off this time!”

[Potential : 4 / 50]

[Current Exp: 317 / 1,000]

[Level Points - N/A]

[Primary Modifier : Afflicter - 375%]

[Secondary Modifier: Groper - 125%]

“Ha. Ha ha. Ah-- now it makes sense.” Agni could barely contain her laughter as she read the final line of Shula’s status screen.

“Really? What’s so funny about being a groper?” Shula asked as she flexed her fingers in a highly suggestive way.

“Because everytime you’re asleep you practically latch yourself to my chest. And Katrin’s chest. And..well..any chest.” Agni said as she recalled the numerous instances of Shula’s groping incidents.

“It’s almost like my tail.” Agni said, causing her to pause for a moment.

“Wait a minute. Shula! Was that you!?” Agni asked. Shula turned and floated towards the other party members.

“What a shame, it’s time to go.” She replied as she floated away.

“It WAS you! All this time you let me think it was ME!” Agni said as she moved to catch up with her familiar.

“You can’t really prove it.” Shula said with a devilish smile as she joined the rest of the party so that they could embark upon their exploration of the red shard.

“Bring it!” Merri the Minotaur shouted as she brandished her large shield. Her Tower Guard adventurer’s class was designed to assume a defender’s role -- yet she seemed to master being aggressive all the same. Her posture sank low as she thrust her shield forward, knocking the nearby Fulger Stag back in the process.

She then swung her shield, catching the creature in the sternum. The monster seemed stunned and it was at this moment that Sypha chose to act. He clasped his hands together, resembling a prayer posture with interlaced fingers. Several strands of light flowed forth from his body and coiled around the creature’s neck, antlers and legs. With it’s balance thrown off the creature could do little else but fall to its knees.

As the Fulger Stag struggled to break the binding light magic, Shula stepped forward and lifted her right arm, her fingers outstretched. A translucent blue vapor began to roll outwards, like a contained stream of thunderclouds. The Fulger Stag struggled as best it could, but it was to no avail. The moment the sleep magic settled around the creature’s face, it’s movements slowed and a sleep induced stupor began to settle in.

This was also the exact moment that Agni struck. The hefty blade of her halberd lashed out, completely cleaving the Stag’s horns off with the first blow. She allowed the weight of the weapon to carry her momentum into a second, more powerful spinning strike. This blow beheaded the creature completely. It’s body turned black and ashy as black mist consumed the Fulger Stag and it floated away into nothingness.

Only the Stag’s antlers remained, winning an exclamation from Sypha.

“Yes! This is great.” Sypha said as she stepped forth to grab the fallen prize.

“Oh-- so it really is true.” Agni said as she squatted down to inspect the now glowing antler.

“Yes. There are key parts on just about all Grimlock that, if harvested correctly, will remain after battle. Of course, this doesn’t always work and the most reliable way is to get the Monster Drops ability. “ The bronze skinned, white haired Lightweaver said as he lifted up the Stag drop and further inspected it.

The group of four had been inside the shard for nearly an hour at this point, and it was safe to say nothing within could touch them. Granted, their only enemies were Fulger Stag, but Merri made sure to use her abilities as a Tower Guard to the fullest. Along with Shula’s ability to sleep and Sypha’s binding light beams, hunting Fulger Stag was exceedingly easy.

Seeing this Sypha suggested that they also collect Fulger drops while doing so, and he was surprised to learn that Agni knew very little on the subject.

“So by comparison, how effective is this Monster Drops ability?” Agni asked.

“Hmm. Well, I will put it this way. Monster Drops gives you a 100% chance to get a drop. However, you may not always obtain an item. It’s kind of difficult to explain but, basically you always have a chance to get something -- and those chances increase based on your ability to harvest correctly, rarity and luck.” Sypha further explained as Shula and Merri gathered around as well.

“For example, have you ever gotten a Fulger Stag Core?”

Each of the ladies shook their heads in response, causing Sypha to continue his explanation.

“A Fulger Stag core is a rare drop. In fact, all cores from Grimlock can be considered rare drops. I don’t know the exact probability -- but if you have Monster Drops you could consider it maybe a 0.5% chance of success. That means roughly 1 of every 200 Fulger Stag might drop a core--but ONLY if you’re using Monster Drops and ONLY if you’re lucky. The chances without that skill are abysmal.”

Indeed, Sypha’s words were true. Now that Agni thought back on it, the most she’d ever gotten from fighting hundreds of Fulger Stag were occasional drops which apparently were really common items like fur or antler pieces. At the time she was simply happy to make a few extra Gols, but according to Sypha there was real money to be had in acquiring monster drops.

So much so that it was the Lightweaver’s main source of income, aside from occasionally taking chapel quests. The group continued on in this way for quite some time. Due to the territorial nature of their foes, each battle was one on one and over within seconds. Even then oppressive miasma floating around within the shard was not enough to dampen their spirits.

Hours later, they stepped outside of the shard at the appointed time with over twenty different assorted drop items. They’d managed to collect drops from every two or three Grimlock they encountered, yet Sypha insisted the haul was quite lame in comparison to a party with Monster Drops.

“Here you go. It’s only fair that you all get some of the spoils.” Sypha said as the group huddled in a circle just outside the shard’s entrance. He swiped his hand and seemed to be pressing an imaginary display, this was an action that Agni had become well accustomed to seeing. It meant that Sypha was accessing his Systema menus for some reason or another.

“There you go.” He said as he looked around. Alerts began to roll in for each member of the party.

[Got 3 Fulger Antlers. 2 Stag Coats]

“What’s this?” Shula asked as she read the details of the exchange. “Leader’s Lotto.”

“Leader’s Lotto is a skill provided by the Systema to leaders of a party. It basically distributes items or resources in a randomized way.”

“Resources? Like what kind?” Merri asked.

“Gols. Experience. Items. It’s pretty useful.” Sypha responded.

“You can randomly distribute experience points?” Shula asked.

“Yea. Oh-- you two probably haven’t experienced it but under certain circumstances you can gain bonus experience within the party. This experience can then be distributed by the leader, or maybe it’s more accurate to say the party settings.”

“How come you never used this?” Shula asked as she cast a doubtful eye in Agni’s direction.

“I didn’t know it existed.” She said as she folded her arms.

“Defective.”

“Shorty.” Agni responded--almost automatically.

“So what can I do with these items? I mean besides selling them?” Merri asked as she materialized an antler drop. She lifted it so that she could inspect it further, the item still pulsed with faint charges of lightning mana.

“Oh, tons of things. Potions, O.T.U.’s, Katrin could use these items to make enchanted ink, you can use cores to modify your gear or weapons. It’s endless, really.” Sypha listed off a variety of things off the top of his head.

“O.T.U.’s?” Merri seemed puzzled.

“One Time Use items. They tend to be very powerful, but as the name suggests they have limited use. Although, there are some items that have multiple charges and some that can regenerate mana to be used infinitely with a cooldown period…”

Sypha continued to blow their minds with every word, there was so much more to the adventurer’s lifestyle that Agni had yet to be exposed to. As she listened to the man speak, Agni couldn’t help but curse Bracha in her forehead.

*Damn witch. She made me fight non-stop for weeks on end! I knew there was more to life than farming XP.*

Agni could almost imagine Bracha gleefully finishing off a bottle of spirits as she laughed drunkenly. The thought caused the succubus to grit her teeth.

It wasn’t long before the other party, comprised of Gates, Gigi, Katrin and Ariadna returned. Having completed their final day of their “training camp”, all eight returned to the campsite. There they gathered around the roaring campfire and enjoyed each other’s company. It was a sight that Agni simply had to take in. She looked from face to face as they went about their own tasks or shared conversations. This sort of experience was one that she never got to participate in, during her past life anyway.

Agni recalled how, back then, she’d been bullied to a point of being anti-social. She never once thought her mentality could have been considered trauma back then. Due to the actions of a few misguided fools, she allowed herself to become isolated and detached from everyone else. This mentality formed a life long complex that saw her past life dominated by stoic loneliness. And eventually a solitary death-- all alone, and full of regret.

Yet, at this campfire, watching the entrancing embers rise into the darkened sky --- for the first time in a long while Agni felt accepted.

As if these feelings were pouring out for all to see, Shula sat next to the succubus. She said nothing, which was quite rare, instead the imp hugged her knees and leaned her head onto Agni’s shoulder.

Yet again Agni was forced to realize just how distant she usually was with people. She could count on one hand the number of times she actually touched a person during a given day. Other than the odd, lust driven encounter -- there were rarely none at all. The sensation of Shula’s warmth against her was foreign, yet in many ways welcome. And yet, within that comfort there was also fear. A deeply rooted anxiety that welled up within the pit of her stomach. A hidden mass that caused an equal and opposite reaction -- one that practically screamed “get away”.

*This is the hidden monster that lurks within.* Agni thought as she tried to steady her emotions. She soon realized it wouldn’t be so simple. Being repulsed by normal touch, by simple intimacies -- it would require moment by moment reflection to conquer. Diligence to ‘live through the uncomfortable times’.

This was the answer formed by Agni’s intuition. It was apparently also the same answer Zura came to as well. Agni simply smiled as she gazed upwards into the clear night sky. She forced herself to confront that monster, closing her eyes momentarily as she allowed Shula’s small effort to infiltrate her tightly guarded interior.

In her mind’s eye, Agni felt a pin sized stream of light piercing the darkness and for a moment it caused her to quiver. She clenched her fists and continued to focus on the sensation until she could no longer be still. Her body was literally fighting against her mind, in a well trained, well practiced nuance that was deeply rooted in trauma. She could feel her shoulders quivering and tears beginning to well up from her tear ducts.

In that instant she was surprised at the depths of her own trauma. Who would have thought that years of living as a repressed human being would elicit such a strong response? And yet, she also sensed the solution within as a tiny crack managed to break, softening the dark within.

“It’s as simple as touching someone hmm?” She whispered, as she thought that perhaps Zura was right after all about her treatment methods.