*** Okay… Bad decision
I reappear in my apartment—still in my succubus form. Yeah, I figured out how to exit the realm without switching back to my human body. I would celebrate, if not for…
I step in front of the mirror to assess the damage my brilliant idea caused. My wounds are healed from the transfer, but my clothes… not so much. The hoodie's full of arrow holes, cuts, and scorch marks. The entire right shoulder is half-burned from that shaman's fire spell. The skirt isn't much better—it's ripped and frayed at the edges. Thankfully, the black underwear—the succubus armor—survived thanks to the self-repair enchantment.
Yeah… letting that shaman call for reinforcements was definitely a mistake. I spent the better part of two hours running from an entire army of goblins. Sure, I managed to pick them off with hit-and-run tactics, but I'm exhausted. Let's just hope it was worth the trouble.
I pull up my inventory screen: twelve goblin crystals, five poison vials, and two shaman staffs. Not bad at all. Should fetch a decent price. But first, I really need a change of clothes—my hoodie's practically falling off.
I peel off the ruined clothes and throw on a fresh set. Good thing I bought extras. Still, maybe it's time to invest in some proper enchanted gear instead of wearing normal clothes into a combat realm.
With that in mind, I switch back to my original body. I should go to the NAA building—sell my loot and check out their gear selection. But… food first. After all that running, I'm starving.
I prepare a quick meal and then head out.
The NAA is as lively as ever—Awakeners moving in every direction, some still in their avatar forms, all caught up in their own business. A few stand off to the side, waving their hands through the air as if scrolling through invisible menus—probably sorting their inventories.
"Jax!" Nolan's booming voice cuts through the noise of the crowd. Of course he spotted me—nothing ever slips past that guy. Guess that's why he landed a security job at the NAA despite not being an awakener.
I turn and grin. "Hey, Nolan. Didn't think I'd run into you again."
"Haha! Yeah, well, we're short-staffed, so I'm pulling double shifts," he says with a laugh that could shake the walls. "But enough about me—what brings you here?"
"Just here to sell some loot," I reply.
"Oh, perfect! Let me handle that for you." He strides toward an empty cashier.
I raise a brow. "Are you sure you're even allowed to do that?"
"Of course," he says with a grin. "Besides, I've got to see what kind of treasures the great Jax managed to haul in."
I sigh internally. Typical Nolan—probably hoping I brought back junk so he can tease me about it later. Fine. Let's see how he reacts when he sees what I actually found.
I sit at the counter and unload my loot—the goblin crystals, poison vials, and staffs. Nolan gathers them up and sets them on a scanner. I've heard of these things before. They're not as accurate as someone using an Analyze skill, but they're good enough for most standard items.
"Wait…" Nolan blurts out, staring at the display. "These are goblin drops. Don't tell me you went to the Goblin Forest?"
There it is again—that worried look. Seriously, why does everyone act like the Goblin Forest is some kind of death trap?
"Yeah. What's so bad about that?" I ask.
"What's so bad?" Nolan practically shouts. "For starters, the forest is so dense that barely any sunlight makes it to the ground!"
"Wait… It's actually dark in there?" I ask, blinking.
"Yeah! Pitch-black. You can barely see a thing," he says, like it's the most obvious fact in the world.
Is he serious? But it looked perfectly clear to me…
"Oh," I mutter as realization hits me. "I think my avatar has night vision." I feel pretty stupid for not noticing that sooner. I mean, the signs were all there—the way Bronn's group stayed tense, like they couldn't see their surroundings, and Ember keeping that flame going at all times.
"Night vision, huh? That'd help, but you'd still have to deal with the poison attacks," Nolan mumbles.
"Poison attacks?" I echo. I've been wondering about that—I picked up plenty of poison vials from goblin drops, but I've never actually been poisoned. Do they forget to use them? Or what?
"Yeah," Nolan says, nodding. "Those little bastards dip their arrows in poison. One scratch and you're down for the count."
Those arrows were poisoned? But… I've been hit by those multiple times and felt fine.
Nolan studies me, like I just strolled through a minefield untouched. "You ever had your avatar appraised?" he finally asks.
"Appraised? Why would I? I can just check my status screen," I reply.
"The status screen doesn't show everything," Nolan explains. "If you want, I can have one of our appraisal mages take a look."
That actually sounded like a good idea. After all, knowing my full capabilities would make planning ahead a lot easier.
"It won't take long," Nolan adds. "Just switch into your avatar form, and I'll get one of the new recruits—"
"Wait—you want me to transform now?" I ask, raising a brow.
"Yeah. Appraisal only works if you're in avatar form," he says matter-of-factly.
"I'm not transforming out here in the open," I reply firmly.
"Oh… right. That'd be kind of awkward for you." He tries to sound sympathetic, but I catch the smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Ugh. That smug bastard is enjoying this way too much. I'm about to snap back, but he stands before I can.
"Come on, we can use one of the private rooms," he says, motioning for me to follow.
I sigh. "Fine… But shouldn't you pay me for the loot first?" I ask, pointing at the pile still sitting on the counter.
"Oh, I already transferred the credits to your account," he says casually. "We've got your bank info on file." He waves it off like it's nothing. "Just leave the rest to one of the interns." With that, he turns and heads toward a small side room. I trail after him, make sure to close the door behind me, and then reluctantly shift into my succubus form.
"Uh… nice outfit," he says after a moment, and I can hear the amusement in his voice.
Yeah, okay, I'll admit it's a little girly—a pink hooded jacket and a short black skirt. "I—I just got whatever the sales lady recommended," I mutter defensively.
He doesn't say anything, but I catch his eyes darting toward the skirt.
"Hey! You try wearing pants when you've got a tail," I snap, flicking the tip of my tail toward his face.
"Alright, alright! I won't say anything," Nolan says quickly, hands raised in surrender. "Let's just call in the appraisal mage."
He opens the door and shouts, "Mika! Need you for a quick appraisal!"
A few seconds later, a young woman enters, dressed in a business suit. She's on the shorter side—though taller than me in this form—and has a cute, tidy look about her. With long bangs that partially hid a faintly glowing third eye. "Y—yes, how can I help?" she stammers, snapping into a stiff, military salute.
The poor thing was a bundle of nerves. Was this her first day or something? And… Why the salute?
"Mika! Need you to cast appraisal on this one here." Nolan instructs, gesturing at me.
"Y—yes, sir." Mika replies, turning towards me. "D—do I have permission to cast appraisal on you, miss?" She asks me.
I catch Nolan stifling a laugh when Mika calls me miss. I flick my tail against his leg to shut him up, then turn to her. "Yes, you have my permission."
Mika closes her eyes and lifts her hands toward me. Nothing visible happens, but I feel it—a strange pulse radiating from that third eye of hers, sweeping over me. It feels invasive—makes my skin crawl. So this is what being appraised feels like.
"Y–your class is… Succubus!" Mika blurts, clearly startled by the result.
I guess it really is a rare class, but Nolan and I just exchange a look. Like, seriously? With the tail and everything, it's not exactly subtle.
"Yeah, we figured that part out," Nolan says. "What else?"
"O–Oh! R-right," she stammers, fumbling to read a display that only she could see. "Um… Succubus class grants night vision, mind magic resistance, poison resistance, and magic attunement."
Poison resistance, huh? That explains why those arrows never did anything to me. And mind magic—that's stuff like charm and sleep spells. Yeah… solid resistances overall. But that last one—
"Magic attunement?" I ask.
"It—it means your avatar can sense magic, like a sixth sense," she explains.
So, magic senses then. I think back to that strange pulsing feeling earlier—was that it? That could actually be really useful. Not all magic can be seen. Being able to sense it… that could easily mean the difference between victory and defeat.
"Okay… yeah, you were right, Nolan. I actually learned a few new things," I admit.
"Haha! What did I tell you?" Nolan booms, grinning from ear to ear, way too pleased with himself.
Ugh. He's insufferable sometimes. Still… night vision and poison resistance? It's like I'm built to hunt goblins. Maybe being a succubus isn't the worst thing after all.
"So, anything else you need?" Nolan asks.
"Yeah, I want to check out the enchanted wares you've got for sale," I say.
"Oh, sure. The shop's just down the hall to the left," he explains. "I can show you around if you want."
I raise an eyebrow at him. "You sure about that? I'm going to shop for some clothes." I gesture to my succubus body for emphasis.
He freezes, realizing how awkward that would be. "Uh… on second thought, I'll leave you to that," he blurts out, already backing away.
I'm so tempted to tease him for it, but… Nah. There's no point in dragging it out. Besides, he did help me out today—I'll let him off easy.
With that, I thank Nolan and Mika, who's still standing by the door looking all nervous, and make my way toward the shopping area.
The place is impressive—rows of gleaming displays behind reinforced glass, enchanted armor, and weapons neatly arranged by rank. Most of what's here seems low-grade; the premium stuff is probably auctioned online. Still, I'm only after something simple—gear I can wear casually. My body-strengthening magic does the heavy lifting for defense anyway.
I browse through the armor section and spot a simple enchanted shirt—nothing special, just a low-tier durability enchantment. But when I check the price tag, my jaw nearly hits the floor. This is the cheapest one? No way I can afford that!
Fine. I'll deal with proper gear once I'm not broke. For now, regular clothes will have to do. Which means… ugh. Time to go shopping for replacements.
I head to the mall—in my succubus form, of course. I get a few catcalls on the way in. Seriously, do these people have nothing better to do? I ignore them, but one particularly persistent idiot doesn't take the hint. Some teen punk with way too much free time steps right in front of me.
"Hey, babe, you're pretty cute. How about we hang out?" he says, trying to sound smooth. Instant goosebumps—of the bad kind.
"No thanks," I reply flatly, already stepping aside, but he keeps pushing.
"Aw, come on, don't be shy. I'll show you a good time." His eyes keep drifting to my chest. Ugh, what a creep. I really want to punch him—but no, Jax, don't start a scene. He's just some civilian punk. Not worth it.
"Not interested," I snap and try to walk past, but he grabs my wrist.
"Hey, come on, don't be so cold," he insists.
That's it. I slam my tail against the floor with a sharp crack! The sound echoes through the corridor, making him flinch. "I said no!" I bark, putting every ounce of my old military authority into it. The kid stumbles back, eyes wide, and finally gets lost.
Good. Because—ow—that actually hurt. I hurry away, out of sight, then grab my tail and rub the sore spot. "Man, this thing's so weak," I mutter under my breath.
Once the sting in my tail fades, I head to the same clothing store as before. By chance, I run into the same saleslady—Jasmine, according to her nametag. She recognizes me immediately. Not surprising. This form tends to leave an impression.
"Hello, customer!" She greets brightly. "Was there a problem with the clothes I picked out for you last time?"
"Oh, no, nothing like that," I say quickly. "I just need a replacement."
"Replacement?" she asks, curious.
"Yeah… kind of ruined an outfit during a realm run," I admit.
Her eyes widen. "You went into a realm wearing normal clothes?"
"Enchanted gear's expensive," I explain with a shrug.
"Ah. Say no more." She nods with understanding.
She helps me pick out a few more outfits—still on the girly side, but at least a little more practical this time. I thank her, pay, and head home.
I spend the rest of the day in my human form, still stewing over that creep at the mall. Do all attractive women have to put up with that kind of garbage every day? Ugh. They have my sympathy. At least I can turn it off by switching forms.