Early the next morning, Bastion and the girls finally stopped having sex. It wasn't because the girls had finally managed to calm him down, but because they began suffering nosebleeds, much like Elyra, from an excess buildup of Vitality.
They soon realized that the four of them couldn't properly handle the lingering effects of the potion carried through Bastion's semen, as it was simply too much for their bodies to process safely. As a result, Seraphina decided it was better to stop and instead milk Bastion directly, storing the samples for later use.
In the worst case, the collected semen could serve as an extremely potent energy drink that provided a minor but noticeable enhancement to the body for a long duration. If Seraphina could isolate the specific component responsible for that effect, it could be refined into a small power-up potion that would temporarily replace stamina potions for a time.
Bastion ended up being milked like a stud for another full day before the effects of the potion finally diminished enough for him to turn flaccid. In his opinion, it was quite a new experience, even for his enhanced body. He could easily survive a week of continuous sex, but they were all still too human to consciously do something like that.
At most, he usually had a few rounds with the girls at their leisure, with several occasions lasting nearly an entire day. That typically only happened when Elyra was in heat, or when Elyra, Seraphina, and Lilia all happened to be horny at the same time.
"What now?" Lilia asked. "Should we meet up with James and see how the goblin tribe is doing?"
They had already packed up camp and were ready to move, but first, they needed to decide where to head next.
"First of all," Bastion said. "Status checks."
"Right," Lilia said, knocking her knuckles lightly against her own head. "I forgot we massacred thousands of goblins a few days ago. Our levels should be pretty close to max by now."
"Level 208," Seraphina said calmly. "Leveling at Rank 2 is going to require literal armies for us to reach max level."
"Level 177," Ariel shouted with glee. "I can't believe I gained 77 levels in just two months. Actually, scratch that, only a few days. We spent most of those two months crawling through tunnels. At this rate, we could probably reach max level with just a few more days of hunting in the Great Forest."
"Level 185, Master," Elyra answered quietly.
"Hey, no fair," Lilia complained. "I'm only level 180."
"That's because Elyra shares my experience, and I took down a Rank 3 goblin alone," Bastion said. "So, I'm also level 185."
[Name]: Bastion Diamondhart
[Age]: 36
[Class]: Armory Knight (Rank 2), Diamond Knight (Rank 3)
[Ability]: Space Node, Diamond Body
[Rank]: Rank 1
[Level]: 185
[Health]: 1105/1105
[Mana]: 745/745
[Strength]: 82
[Dexterity]: 75.5
[Vitality]: 110.5
[Intelligence]: 74.5
[Wisdom]: 110.5
[Charm]: 56
[Luck]: 90
[Status Points]: 0
[Arts]: Smithing 5, Enchanting 5, Earth Magic 5, Light Magic 5, Shield 5, Sword 5, Whip 4, Heavy Armor 4, Summoning 4, Unarmed 3, Fire Magic 3, Water Magic 3, Dark Magic 3, Wind Magic 3, Riding 3, Cannon 3, Taming 1, Cooking 1, Traps 1
[Skills]: Shield Bash 5, Block 5, Charge 5, Reinforce 5, Amplify 5, Slash 5, Parry 5, Stab 4, Smash 4, Dodge 4, Dash 4, Jump 4, Summon Familiar(Zephy, Pebbles) 4, Diamond Armor 4, Diamond Edge 4, Diamond Shatter 4, Diamond Rain 4, Diamond Steed(Steve) 4, Taunt 3, Inventory 3, Armor Slot 3, Weapon Slot 3, Quick Slot 3, Facility Slot 3, Tame 1
[Skill Points]: 135
Bastion added his spare stats into Dexterity and Intelligence to even them out, planning to match them with Strength once he reached max level.
The effects of his talents were becoming more apparent now that he had reached Rank 1. At Apprentice Rank, he had been able to push nearly all of his stats to 100, but now his Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence were beginning to lag behind. This issue would only worsen at Rank 2, where his stats would drop to just above those of commoners. By Rank 3, the difference would be only slight. At Rank 4, his talents would become almost negligible, making him virtually indistinguishable from most commoners.
Despite this, he had one major advantage. He was still young, which meant he could continue leveling up gradually over his lifespan, whereas others at his rank would have significantly less time to max their level out.
As for his mysterious Luck stat, it had increased by 50 points, a significant jump compared to the 100 points he had gained at Apprentice Rank when the Demon Lord was defeated. Converted up, that amounted to just 10 points at Rank 1 and only 1 point at Rank 2.
Perhaps it was because he had personally eliminated a future threat on his own, or maybe it was because he had fulfilled another person's destiny without their involvement. He didn't know for sure, but at least he now understood that the only way to increase his Luck was through rituals and by interacting with other heroes.
He could immediately surmise that he was, in a sense, parasitizing heroes, taking their Great Fate before they had a chance to fulfill it themselves. Then again, it might be a separate reward that didn't diminish the heroes' own. He would need to meet with James again to be sure. After all, he already had a baseline with Seraphina, whose fate had already begun to wane and continued to decline over time.
"So? Should we head back to the goblin camp?" Lilia asked again.
"No," Bastion said, his face tightening in a serious expression. "We need to go to the Shadow Wolfkin Village."
"Right… Elyra killed her father, the village chief," Lilia said, her enthusiasm deflating.
"Do you think they're going to rebel?" Seraphina asked.
"I don't know," Bastion replied. "Either way, we need to head there with the army to make sure we can safely assess the situation. Ely."
"Yes, Master."
"Inform Alexander of what happened here and tell him to prepare an army to contain the Shadow Wolfkin Village. Tell him we'll meet them there as soon as possible."
"Yes, Master," Elyra said, vanishing into the shadows and returning a minute later to report, "They are on their way."
"We'd better get going," Bastion said.
He summoned his diamond mount, swung onto its back with the girls, and raced southwest toward the Shadow Wolfkin Village. They rode hard for a full day, until they arrived at a scene brimming with tension.
The village itself was tightly sealed, its gates reinforced and boarded up, with wolfkin stationed along the walls, their eyes sharp and alert. Surrounding the village on the mountainside, soldiers in heavy armor formed a complete perimeter, undeterred by steep slopes or sheer cliffs. They had even dug out flat spaces on precarious ledges just to hold their positions, ensuring the village was entirely encircled and leaving no point of escape.
Bastion made his way to the command post at the base of the mountain, where Alexander and his women were waiting patiently.
"My lord," Alexander greeted, kneeling with his fist pressed to his chest.
"What's the situation?" Bastion asked.
Alexander rose and delivered his report.
"They've refused all forms of communication and have requested to speak only with you and your Shadow, in private."
"Very well," Bastion said. "I'll go and see for myself how they want this handled."
"Is it wise to enter potentially hostile territory alone, my lord?" Alexander asked.
"They are not enemies yet, brother," Bastion replied. "We will first see where their loyalties lie."
"And if they are enemies?"
"Burn their village to the ground, with me in it."
"Understood," Alexander replied solemnly.
His solemnity wasn't because he wanted to remain under Bastion or their contract, nor was it out of grief for losing a brother. It stemmed from the fact that if Bastion were to die, Alexander would be forced to step up as duke. With that role came the necessity to sire children until one of them could take his place.
He and his harem were already on the cusp of reaching Rank 2, a goal that would have taken less than a few centuries to achieve, accelerated by the flood they had defended together. But if Bastion died now, Alexander would be forced to stay even longer, ensuring he produced enough heirs to keep the responsibility from returning to him.
On top of that, there was always the risk that all of his children might die, forcing him to return to the kingdom to resume his duties. This made it crucial to have as many heirs as possible.
"Let's go, Ely," Bastion said, stepping forward, with Elyra following closely behind.
He made his way to the front of the gate and waited as the villagers removed the barricade. He could have jumped over it or burst through, but proper decorum was expected, so he waited patiently to be formally received.
Once the door opened, a little girl was pushed out before Bastion could step inside. The gates were promptly closed again, and the sounds of the barricade being restored echoed faintly behind it.
Bastion looked down at the adorable shadow wolfkin and greeted, "Hello there."
She looked up at him, eyes wide with fear.
"You need to follow me."
"Where to?" he asked.
"To the elder in the forest."
"Will you lead the way?"
"Yes."
"Alright then, I'll follow closely."
She nodded and took off at incredible speed for a normal human, Bastion and Elyra following at a measured distance behind her.
Alexander, the girls, and all the soldiers watched in confusion as the three ran southeast, plunging deep into the forest. They moved steadily for roughly an hour past the kingdom's border. Eventually, they arrived at an unassuming hut, its modest exterior contrasting with the rare and precious herbs growing around it, all of which were at least Rank 3 in potency.
"Seraphina would absolutely rob this place," Bastion muttered under his breath.
They followed the little girl to the entrance, where she knocked lightly on the door.
"Come in," a lovely woman's voice echoed from within.
Inside, the room was cloaked in near-complete darkness, save for the faint shapes of a modest apothecary table and shelves stacked with jars and dried plants. The air was thick with the rich, pungent scent of herbs, creating an atmosphere that was both earthy and mysterious.
Bastion's sight revealed nothing, but Elyra could make out a beautiful woman seated in a rocking chair, her piercing gaze fixed directly on her.
"So, you killed Varyn," she said, her tone cold and sharp.
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