Akiko stares at the floating numbers in silence for a few monts, the drone's fluttering chanical wings the only sound around us as I walk up next to her. Her mouth opens and closes a few tis as her eyes stay wide, which I would usually find beyond cute, but right now it only adds to the bit of anxiety and unsettledness inside of . I reach out and grab her hand gently, weaving our fingers together as she reciprocates the touch and finally turns her attention away from Ios' projection.
"My Heavens, Alia. I knew your growth would be explosive after everything spirit Ios and I have discussed, or seen from your own experiences, but truly this is astounding. I think we should reconsider how we spend the next slew of points you shall receive from completing the bows and thrown Mastery quests. Truthfully, if you were to assign the rewarded boons evenly between Strength and Constitution... I think you would be ready to face the second tribulation." Akiko says out carefully, studying my reaction and Ios' once she pops back into view. For my part, I nearly begin dancing in joy, the thought of finally reaching the next stage and learning what I need to do to start healing Sandra again flowing through
like a sparkling gold river of warmth.
Ios, on the other hand, looks a bit conflicted about the idea, and says as much. "I know that it may seem like that's true, Akiko. Honestly, I have started considering it myself since Aims went on her point spending spree just a second ago, but... I don't know. I just have a very bad feeling about this next tribulation, after Alia smoked what Heaven had to offer her so thoroughly. Not to ntion the title. I just..." She starts to say as her holographic form looks over to
with concern, "I just want to make sure you're going to be safe, Aims. But I can't sit here and say we should keep holding you back from this next one. Not with the points you're putting up now. If you want to do as Akiko suggested, then I'll support you."
The somber reality puts a bit of a damper on my internal jubilee, but I do my best to really take in what Ios is saying. The care and love for
is evident in her hesitation, which makes
smile a bit, but her logic is... sound, if a bit too cautious. I ask them for a mont as I close my eyes and sit down, sorting through every emotion and thought I can. Would it be too soon? Maybe. Probably, in all actuality. But between my stats and [Moonlight Body Strengthening], I should be able to blow through whatever Heaven throws my way, right? I guess the question at that point would be how long I can keep the technique channeled, since it does consu a fair bit of stamina per second.
I open my eyes back up, seeing and hearing Ios and Akiko talking quietly off to the side so they didn't disrupt . I stand up and dust my butt off on habit, then saunter over to their little huddle, "I think I want to see just how long I can keep the body channeling technique up on a full stamina ter. If it can last ... I don't know, maybe a few minutes? That would surely be enough ti to deal with the number of bolts we're thinking is going to be coming up. I guess I'll have to also be moving around and fighting while it's going too, just to simulate the experience properly and get a good idea of if it'll work." I pause as I rub my chin in thought before turning back up to the two lovely won, "What do you guys think?"
Ios again seems thoughtful, but much more relaxed after I get done explaining what I want to do and my reasoning, and Akiko seems to just be ecstatic that I am possible about to be getting even stronger~. Cute, crazy, Berserker mommy that she is~. "I think that is a wise decision, my love. I am sure, spirit Ios, that provided we can discern those variables, we will have our answer as to whether Alia can advance into the next Rank or not. Unless you are still having doubts?"
Ios sighs as she rubs her temples, her tone much more leveled and neutral as she seems at least okay with the idea, "...Alright. We can see how long she can last with her stats buffed by the technique while she's sparring with you, Akiko. You're right about one thing for sure Aims, if you can keep that technique going while fighting for longer than a couple minutes, you should be more than able to deal with whatever cos next. But! We're still either going to set you up with pills and things to help you advance, or we are buying them from the store beforehand. No point in missing out on gains..." She ends in a huff.
I pump my fists in the air a couple tis in victory, smiling wide as I let out a joyous "Woo-hoo!" and dance around the two won a little bit, the first obstacle to Sandra's recovery now firmly within sight in my mind. They let
bounce around like a kid in a candy store for a second or two more, until finally Akiko's voice brings
back to reality, "You are simply too pure, my dear girl. Now then, we must discuss how to control that battle lust of yours. Co back and sit with , Alia."
I skip back over to Akiko after she calls for , plopping down happily on the comfy cushion as she sits down and gives
a smirk. "I am overjoyed for you as well, my love~. But let us focus now. I want you to ditate without falling into your soul space, Alia. Just focus on your thoughts, steady your breath, and bring calm to your mind."
I do as she asks, batting away any errant thoughts for now as I channel my breath into a grounding rhythm and relax my body. It's actually kind of difficult to not dive in further, my mind teetering on the edge of introspection and detachnt from the physical world, but I manage it after a few false starts. Once I get settled for real, calm and Zen with barely a thought going on in my empty head, I hear Akiko's voice pierce through the still waters like a gentle ripple, "Good~. Now then, focus on how it felt to gain all of that new power. Let those frantic and ravenous feelings co to the surface."
Once more I comply, going back to the recent mory of pure excitent at seeing the new stats for the first ti. I feel my blood begin to heat up, my heartbeat quickening as I recall the cotton of desire and ambition begin to stuff themselves in my mind, my breath becoming heavy in a mixture lust and greed. It's all broken by one word from Akiko, a single utterance that brings
back from the brink of sinking in to that all-consuming feeling yet again as she just simply says, "Sandra."
Like a waterfall crashing against jagged rocks, the heat and building fire of my burgeoning Berserker lust is quenched and doused as images of Sandra from Earth, her wounded soul shell, and her now recovered form all flash across my mind. I open my eyes and gasp out, my mind still reeling from the emotional whiplash that just took place. I feel my head get pressed into two wonderfully amazing pillows as Akiko's hands start to stroke my head again. "Excellent work, my dear~. I did not know if that would be enough to snap you out of a forming state, but it seems I have underestimated you and your sister's connection yet again, I apologize."
She stands us back up, looking to
with kind eyes and a smile as she continues, "We shall train more on different thoughts, phrases, and emotions to use in effort to regulate yourself during or before a Berserk state occurs, but for now this will have to suffice. When you feel those powerful, enticing emotions start to overco you, think back to what matters most. The reason you needto stay grounded and wholly in charge of your faculties. If you do not wish to turn loose on your enemies, of course~. Rember, love, there is nothing wrong with being a Berserker. And it is a valuable skill to have in combat, so long as you know when and where to apply it, as well as how to recede from it safely. You honestly may be more in tuned with it than I, going by how deeply you fall into it and also how quickly you are learning to adapt and control it."
I give her a nod, still trying to get back to even ground after that rapid turnabout of thoughts. She simple gives a small chuckle and gives
a peck on the lips, turning back to the training room as she walks over and picks up the bow I was gunning for. She plinks an arrow out of her ring and then walks back to hand
both, her tails listing lazily behind her. "What say we finish our tasks for the day and go enjoy so ti with the others, hmm~?"
I take the offered items, giving her a little sassy grin as I say out coyly, "What, getting tired of so personal ti with
already~? I'm hurt~." The rebuttal to my little flirt is an ice tipped tail dancing across my face, tickling
and making
burst into laughter as a few more co up to tickle my sides and under my arms, sohow getting under the battle dress to do so. I try to jump back and get away, laughing the whole ti, but another tail whips out to firmly hold my waist and make the torture continue.
"Ara~. So cheeky today, Alia~. I shall have to rember this when I co to collect what you owe ~." I hear from one ear as she apparently has moved up to whisper that to . I can't really tell because my eyes are closed shut in my reverie, the only thing that I can think to do is cry uncle and chalk up another W for Akiko. "Okay, okay!! You - Hahaha!! - you got ! I surr- I surrender!! Stoooop~!!" rcifully, the tails pull back and my shuddering quick breaths slowly calm down, a few more lingering giggles escaping
as I cross my arms across my stomach as best I can.
Ios gives a couple huffs of a laugh as she pops in to say, "Alright, girls. We'll be here all day if you two keep fooling around. C'mon Aims, let's wrap this up~." I nod, shooting Akiko a playful glare as she simply smiles and winks at
knowing she is free from any repercussions for her actions... for now~...
I shake my head and breathe deeply a few more tis, easing my mind back down from the malicious and for sure against the Geneva conventions tickle torture I just had to endure. Once back to calm, I raise up the bow and string the arrow, pulling it back as I line up a target a good distance away. I angle it up slightly to account for drop, my grip firm and steady as I repeat the mantra for the crossbow before finally letting the arrow lose. It flies free from my grip with a dull *twang* of the string, arcing quickly past the assorted dummies before landing smack in the center chest of its intended target and I get the notification from the system:
[Quest Completed! Gain Mastery Proficiency with Bows!
Beco a world leading master of the weapon class known as: Bows.
Reward: 2500 Ability Points, 3000 Shop Points, 150 Skill Points, 1000 points into Dexterity, Intelligence, and Wisdom.
Single ti effect of current Dexterity, Intelligence, and Wisdom x 50% (After previous increase applied).
Rewards increase for each level of proficiency.]
[Progress: 100%]
Dexterity is now 7,812!
Intelligence is now 6,933!
Wisdom is now 13,285!
Applying one-ti x 50% buff...
Dexterity is now 11,718!
Intelligence is now 10,399!
Wisdom is now 19,927!
Available Ability Points: 3,182
Available Shop Points: 23,400
Available Skill Points: 1,301
I shiver in delight at the growingly absurd numbers now populating my status screen, feeling the beating drum of battle lust echoing in the deep parts of my soul. A smile begins to crack across my face as I feel the mania about to reach it's whispering claws through the roots of my psyche, desperate to keep going, spend the points, get stronger and stronge-... I pause every thought and only think about Sandra, her dazzling smile lighting up the car on the way to the movies with our parents, or her sneaking
out of my room to drink cheap beer that she stole from a party she was at as we lay in the adow. Saying she was bored there and missed hanging out with , so she snuck off and drove back avoiding the cops to co watch the stars together. Her gentle hugs and whisper quiet words of comfort when the doctors said there wasn't anything they could do aside from switch the dications, again. Their tone making it sound like it was so lost cause, but Sandra never gave up on .
I feel a tear fall, stinging my eyes as I even hear it plop to the ground between my feet as the room lays deathly silent. Akiko walks over slowly and wraps
in a love filled hug as I weakly say out, "I miss her. Now that I'm looking back at things again, with all of these clear thoughts and realizations, I can see all the little ways she was trying to tell
sothing. Sothing that I just... I wasn't ready to hear. Couldn't even process. And she just... stayed silent about it, always coming to help
and pick up my shattered life, ti and ti again, while she suffered for it without a complaint."
"I know, my love." Akiko sings into my ear, nuzzling my cheek as she gives
a kiss on my head, "Your connection is unrivaled, and the feelings and emotions therein are sothing of a miracle to witness. We will get her back, Alia, and I cannot wait to et her. Just rember that love, her heart, and everything about her that you adore. Never forget that is what you're fighting for." I nod against her shoulder as I drop the bow and return the hug, swaying in her embrace for a little while before she breaks it off and gives
another soft kiss on the lips.
"Are you ready to continue?" She asks gently, a light smile coming to my face as I give her a thankful kiss in return. She sighs into it, and pats my head a few tis with a tail as she motions for
to keep going. I do as they asked earlier, and split up the bounty between Strength and Constitution.
You have used 1,250 Points on Strength! Strength is now 2,988!
You have used 1,250 Points on Constitution! Constitution is now 3,038!
Available Ability Points: 638
I look back to her letting her know I'm done which makes her toss one of the little inscription balls to , one with the explosion rune labeled all across it. I give her a questioning look, to which she replies cheekily, "I figure it would be more fun to end things on an exciting note, don't you agree~?" Her ears flick happily to the sides, sa for her tails as she must indeed think this is the best idea ever, and I can't really muster up any kind of rebuke to it. Explosions are kick ass~.
I look for a grouping of so of the dummies, finding three that are all huddled together and looking like pri targets for a little boom-boom~. I rear back and toss the tal ball, hearing a slight whistle from its spinning through the air before it makes contact with one of the targets and then explodes mightily, shaking the room around us as the shockwave nearly knocks
off my feet. I hold my hand up to block so of the whipping air from my eyes, which only get wide as I see a huge dust cloud and three thoroughly destroyed dummies in the beads wake.
[Quest Completed! Gain Mastery Proficiency with Thrown Weapons!
Beco a world leading master of the weapon class known as: Thrown Weapons.
Reward: 4000 Ability Points, 5000 Shop Points, 300 Skill Points, 2000 points into Dexterity, Intelligence, and Wisdom.
Single ti effect of current Dexterity, Intelligence, and Wisdom x 50% (After previous increase applied).
Rewards increase for each level of proficiency.]
[Progress: 100%]
Dexterity is now 13,718!
Intelligence is now 12,399!
Wisdom is now 21,927!
Applying one-ti x 50% buff...
Dexterity is now 20,577!
Intelligence is now 18,598!
Wisdom is now 32,890!
Available Ability Points: 4,682
Available Shop Points: 28,400
Available Skill Points: 1,601
Hoookay, keep it together Aims. I keep Sandra firmly in my mind and quell any pop-up fires that my Berserker mind wants to spring up, batting them away with ruthless efficiency. Plenty of ti to go hog wild on Akiko later, let's just get through this last bit and then rest. I'm more ntally exhausted than ever right now as I struggle to even co to terms with the fact that three of my stats are essentially at peak 4th Realm strength now. Or higher. Jesus. I go ahead and divey up the last little bit, eager to go clear my brain for a bit in a nice shower. Preferably with Akiko again~.
You have used 2,000 Points on Strength! Strength is now 4,988!
You have used 2,000 Points on Constitution! Constitution is now 5,038!
Health Pool is now: 103,894 / 103,894
Stamina Pool is now: 10,356 / 525,517
Health Recovery Rate: 934.5 pts per hour
Stamina Recovery Rate: 4,534.25 pts per hour
Available Ability Points: 682 Updates are released by nove??fire
Oh yeah. I think I'll be more than ready for the next rumble against the pissy sky~. I let the smile co forth this ti, since there isn't anything to rush or try to fight against as I laugh out loud and drop to my knees, Ios' drone coming over to once again show off my new stats for Akiko to see. I probably lay there cackling like a lunatic for quite so ti before I feel soone's arms slink undermine and lift
up into a princess carry, my giggles and chuckles of mania sounding out against their soft warm breasts as I just let the high ride through .
By the ti I finally start to get so clarity back in my senses, I look around and see that Akiko is crossing the threshold back into my room and is walking the both of us toward the bathroom as Ios' drone flits over and docks on her comms console. "Uhm... How long was I being crazy for?" I ask out in an embarrassed voice, sha evident on my face as Akiko smirks down to .
"Not too terribly long, given the rapid change you had to endure, my dear~. Just for the trip back to your abode, in essence." She sets
down and continues guiding us to the shower, fiddling with the controls until the steam starts to waft and wave between us. Mission accomplished, she turns back to
and places both hands delicately on my cheeks. "Alia. You are going to be a frightening force of nature faster than either spirit Ios or I could have predicted. Who knows how much power you will gain once you complete the second tribulation in your paths. It may be a very real possibility that soon, the only person or creatures on this planet that can contest with you will be myself or a few legendary monsters that still yet roam these lands.
Spirit Ios and I are still in agreent that we wish for you to reach Advanced on your other weapon and armor skills and begin practicing other crafting techniques. But... with how your progress is taking shape, the point in which it makes sense to keep you sequestered here is quickly coming to an end. At least, in my opinion. If you wish to remain isolated, that is fine as well, but seeing you already reach equivalent peaks of 4th Realm strength in one ability, and nearly so in two more, only further reinforces the concept for . Quite honestly, I am terrified of what will happen when you break into the 3rd Realms. It may seriously be the case that my efforts can no longer keep pace with you at that point, unless you remain committed to offering myself and the Sect Leader manuals for body and soul cultivation."
I swallow nervously, the sudden seriousness and reality of the situation that I hadn't considered sinking into
as I just reply back, "Of course I'm going to Akiko! And I'll make sure to talk with Ios and find so way for the girls to start training in body and soul too! We can get them better manuals once we're out of the no-Transcendent-items-allowed zone, right?"
She envelops
in a crushing hug, relief pouring off her entire being as she quietly says, "Thank you, my love. You are such an amazing creature, and I will always do my best to make sure myself and my lovers are worthy of your kindness. To answer your question, my sweet girl, it is very possible to change or adopt different manuals or techniques during one's life. Of course, that generally ans giving up what you have learned already, but the fundantals of the cultivation for the path remain the sa. At least, in spiritual paths. We may need to confer with spirit Ios on body and soul, just to be sure."
"Okay then~." I nod back with conviction, "That's what we'll do. There's no way in hell I'm leaving you guys behind like that, not after everything you've already done for , Sandra, Ilya, and Ios. Besides," I lean in and nibble her neck as I breathe out huskily, "You all are just too sexy to not have by my side~."
My efforts to try and lift her spirits are a complete success as I am bodily tossed into the rising steam of the shower, peals of delightful laughter and then erotic moans sounding out against the tiled walls around us.
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