Sunshine shone brightly overhead through the treetops as Jas's crew once again fard exp beyond the limit Lady Justine set.
'I'm going to level up to 3 in no ti at all at this pace.' Jas thought to himself as he recieced a few notifications after dealing with his newest goblin prey.
(40 exp gained)
(1170/2000 to level 3)
(Improvised Weapons in now level 5)
'Oh nice, I got enough skill points to level [Improvised Weapons] again. I think the bounds damage is up to 25% now..'
Pleased with the progress a sudden question ca to mind, "Hey, why does my skill gain levels so quickly compared to my actual level?"
Emily's voice ca from behind, "That's because skills are leveled through SP not exp. Most people level their skills through training in a safe area, then head out to test themselves against monsters. While it's safer to increase skill levels by training, defeating enemies provides way more SP. What we are doing is quite unorthodox."
"Oh I guess that makes sense.. but hasn't anyone thought of doing this before us? It's a pretty simple concept." Jas asked.
"Well that's because no one would willingly give soone else a helping hand, and in by doing so help the competition." Veronica said while retrieving her arrow.
"Competition? Is everyone competing for so grand prize I don't know about?" Jas was now thoroughly confused.
He heard the two won cough as Emily said, "Um Jas.. the 'prize' as you put it.. is you.. in a sense. Won and Ascendants strive for power not because they want to be the strongest, but because they have to be. The easiest way into a man's heart is by showing off how dependable you are.. and since males are so scarce, won are in a constant battle amongst one another to eventually catch a man's eye."
Shocked by the revelation Jas was prompted to ask, "Oh wow.. I didn't know that was such a big issue. Though I do have to ask just how rare n are? While I haven't seen any other guy besides yet, I can't quite wrap my head around it."
"The easiest way to explain would be in numbers I guess." Veronica said with a pause. "From the census conducted in our kingdom of Minthra 5 years ago, n make up 15% of the population. Won 35% and Ascendents make up the last half."
'What the hell! Am I actually so sort of specially ordered good, why else would Myen'tal send here...' While Jas was shocked, he wasn't actually that upset and was even a little happy at his predicant.
'I'm so lucky~~'
Jas shook himself and prepared to ask one last question that had been plaguing his mind recently.
"I know futa- A-Ahem.. Ascendants have uh.. other bits down there.. do they um.. not work right or sothing.." He said more than a little embarrassed by his forward question.
His two companions snapped their head to one another with guilty expressions.
'I've done it now.. I probably just asked about sothing really private and upsetting.' Jas cursed his own curiosity.
Veronica looked like she was about to faint so Jas was going to apologize and retract his question. Before he could, Emily started talking.
"Both parts of Ascendant genitalia function healthily.. actually they work a little too well.." Emily put her hands up to her face as she blushed. "Ascendants cannot procreate however.. their sen is actually a byproduct of the F-virus. While uh.. our ejaculate has so health benefits.. I couldn't impregnate Veronica and neither could she to ..."
Jas could have sworn he saw smoke exiting Emily's ears.
'This is a lot to take in, but I must know..'
With a straight face Jas asked. "Okay, last question I promise, since n are so rare do Ascendants you know... do stuff with each other to uhh.. practice or sothing."
Sputtering Emily replied, "I would say most do not engage in that activity. A virgin has a higher likelihood of getting a male's attention than soone who isn't. While most try to save themselves for a man, a large number of people tend to get raped by Ascendants. It's hard to bla the Ascendants for this though because if they don't um.. 'relieve' themselves often enough, they lose their mind to lust. Turning into an animal controlled by desire.."
'Good god! I think I need to start wearing a chasity belt to sleep.. just in case.'
After the conversation concluded, all three sat in an awkward silence. Jas, wanting to get rid of stuffy atmosphere, was about to ask Veronica to go find so more exp when a deep thudding reverberated all around.
He could feel the ground tremble and shake as he heard trees cracking in the distance.
His two protectors had an imdiate reaction and stated, "We need to leave, now."
Veronica dashed towards him, intending to scoop him up and flee.
Jas's balance felt unsteady as he tried to cope with the shaking ground. He heard a sharp crack echo from behind as Veronica pushed him out of the way.
His clothes rustled and hair whipped around crazily as an object flew just where he had been standing, clipping Veronica's side. Her body rag dolled into the distance.
The attack was so quick and violent that Jas was in a daze as he realized, 'That is a tree. An entire tree just flew through the air like a lawn dart.'
His head buzzed as flashbacks of dead friends flashed in his mind. Jas snapped out of his inner turmoil when he heard Emily yelling.
"...now! Hurry while I distract the ogre." Emily barked while springboarding off trees, dodging huge heavy fists.
Jas's head spun as he sat up and a tallic taste filled his mouth. His right eye couldn't focus as liquid from his forehead dripped into it. Wiping it clear, he noticed the back his hand was dyed red.
Blinking dust and blood out of his eye, he saw Veronica lying prone. Her left arm was twisted unnaturally.
Stress had forced Jas's mind to operate with cold and calculating view.
'Hmm Veronica might be dead. Broken elbow and dislocated shoulder. Wrist looks fractured as well.'
Turning his attention back towards the fight he studied Emily and her foe. The ogre had various lacerations covering its body as Emily danced around. She darted around in a flurry of movent but one of her arms was dangling useless at her side. One of her daggers had been stuck in its left eye but it didn't seem to do more than partially blind the monster.
The ogre swung wide and Emily leaped onto its forearm, holding on as the arm completed its motion. She then used the montum of the swing as she let go and flew towards the ogres throat, dagger thrust forward.
It seed like victory was in sight as she neared her target but the ogre brought up its hand just in ti. Her dagger was firmly lodged and as she went to pull it free, she noticed that Jas was still standing there and hadn't run away.
Her concentration faltered as she yelled, "Jas! Go! I have this under-"
Her lapse in concentration provided the ogre the opportunity to slap Emily away. She rocketed through the air until her body smacked into a tree leaving her large fra crumpled and broken.
Rage burned in Jas's heart as he finally snapped out of his clinical observation. The only two people he had made a connection with in years were dead, just like that.
'Everyone always dies around and nothing ever happens to ! Why am I the only one who has to keep living?!'
His plan of revenge ford instantly as he realized he still had a card to play.
(Entoxicating Scent is now active)
The ogre paused its violence as it fell to its knees and presented it's disgusting backside to Jas.
Clumps of slowly dampened hair moved as the ogre spread its glory for the world to see. It kneeled there unmoving, only a deep yearning groan filled the ravaged battlefield.
Jas walked up to the ogre in a blinding fury as he used [Identify].
———————————————————
[Na: Grakma] [Race: Ogre] [Age: 11 years] [Title: Ogre Champion]
Level: 32
Skills: Improvised Weapons, Unard Combat, Throwing, Tremor Step
———————————————————
'A title? That's new.'
Jas had walked around the ogre to look it in the eyes while he took his revenge. It's nasty wart covered face showed an expression of deep desire.
Staring at its face only served to piss him off even more. He hiked up his leg and brought it down on the dagger, making it pop the damaged eye into a soupy ss.
The ogre roared but didn't move, pain and thoughts of pleasure warring on its expression.
Jas stomped again, and again, and again, burying the dagger deep inside it's destroyed eye socket.
With a roar of his own, Jas brought his foot up again, screaming, "Die you goddamn bastard, just die!"
His foot crashed down again, piercing the weapon into the ogre's brains.
Jas looked up to the sky as tears fell, notifications assaulted his mind and alerted him of his 'victory'...
(31,110 exp gained)
(Increased exp bonus for defeating a monster 30 levels higher)
(Title: Champion Slayer aquired)
(Title: Fearless aquired)
(Title 'Fearless' has been upgraded twice to 'Dauntless')
(2000/2000 exp to level 3)
(You have leveled up)
(3000/3000 exp to level 4)
(You have leveled up)
(4000/4000 exp to level 5)
(You have leveled up)
(Inventory is now available for use)
(5000/5000 exp to level 6)
(You have leveled up)
(6000/6000 exp to level 7)
(You have leveled up)
(7000/7000 exp to level 8)
(You have leveled up)
(5280/8000 exp to level 9)
(Skill: Small Blades (Level 1) aquired)
(Small Blades is now level 7)
'What a joke.. does this even matter anymore now that my closest friends are dead. Once again I'm left all alone.'
His forehead was still bleeding as his feet swayed out from under him. He was slowly losing consciousness as he curled up into ball and cried.
Before he completely lost himself, Jas turn off [Entoxicating Scent].
'I hope so monster cos and eats , I can't keep losing everyone around ...'
As Jas's mind faded to black there were two, very uncomfortable, people groaning.
Veronica shot up to her feet, still thinking they were in the midst of battle. She studied the scene trying to comprehend what had happened.
She popped her arm back into place and retrieved a recovery potion from her inventory. Gulping it down she felt her bones start to knit back together in a painful tingle.
"What in the goddess's na... Jas!" Veronica panicked when she saw her masters bunched up body in front of the now dead ogre.
She sent out a quick [Identify] as she raced over.
"Thank the goddess your're alive.. and level 8 what the.." she sighed in relief.
Veronica saw an open gash on his head and retrieved another potion. Putting his head in her lap, she made him drink. Seeing the wound heal at a visible rate, she relaxed.
After taking the potion Jas had curled back up into a ball. He was shaking and weeping uncontrollably in his sleep.
He kept rambling to himself, "Why am I always left alive, it's always .." over and over.
Veronica's heart broke for Jas as she heard Emily, who was dragging her foot and holding an arm approach from behind.
"Thank the goddess you woke up after I went down, if not for you Nica, we would've been dead at." Emily said while grabbing a recovery potion of her own.
Veronica shook her head, "Don't thank . Thank our master, he saved us."
Noticing Emily's unbelieving look she said, "Use [Identify], you'll see his new title and level."
"Holy mother.." Emily whispered in disbelief.
Veronica reached out to Jas while saying, "I think he's hiding more than a few secrets from us."
Both looked at each other as their expressions turned into grins.
"Our master is so amazing."
"He's really one of a kind."
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