When we reached the arena, it wasn’t a surprise that Cassia was already there, training, repeating complicated sword combinations on a wooden dummy.

  She had already prepared training swords for me and Zoe, and we immediately moved on to the training. Despite the fact that Zoe calmed me down, thoughts of my encounter with Mari were still clouding my mind. With each strike against the dummy, my anger spilled out and I was realizing that I had let my emotions take over.

  Mari irritated me with her attitude, constantly accusing me and acting like I was going to hurt her. But it would’ve been one thing to just tell her to get a grip and stop acting like a bitch. But shouting in her face that she was ugly and no one would ever want her? That was… childish.

  I shouldn’t have said that. I shouldn’t have lost my temper. She’d been through a lot, and I’d basically kicked someone who was already down. I snapped after she kept accusing me of things—things that came dangerously close to suggesting I wanted to rape her.

  Even though I hadn’t shown even the slightest interest in her that way. Still, that didn’t excuse what I said. I should’ve handled it differently. Calmer. Without the insults. But at the same time… I had tried to expin it before. It hadn’t worked.

  And that’s what frustrated me the most. No matter how many times I told her I didn’t want to have sex with her, that I just wanted to help and make money, she kept acting like a bitch and accused me of things.

  Maybe this time she’d finally understand. But still, I felt bad for not holding back. For shouting those things. She didn’t hold back with her comments either, but that didn’t mean I had to behave like her.

  I couldn’t turn back time—just like I couldn’t unsay the things I’d already said. I regretted them, but what was done was done. I made things worse and lowered the chances she’d want to stay longer around me.

  Still, I could talk to her again. Apologize for losing my temper. Try to have the conversation the way I should’ve had it the first time.

  After I finished my sword training with Cassia, I spent a bit more time practicing my aim with the spear. Meanwhile, Cassia focused on Zoe, brainstorming ways for her to attack using a sword—or a dagger and her tail at the same time. It was new for both of them, but together, they were figuring out what might work best.

  I could just forget about Mari completely. Demand money from Gemma as a reward. Free the kitsune the moment she repaid her debt. Just cut her out and be done with the problems she brought.

  But on the other hand… I felt like I owed her an apology. What I’d said was hurtful, and I shouldn’t have said it. And there was also the fact that Mari was responsible for protecting me. Sure, she didn’t want anything to happen to me because she didn’t want to end up back on the sve market again, but I would prefer if she wouldn't even consider letting something happen to me, because she was mad at me.

  I wasn’t sure if apologizing would help with any of that—but I could at least try. Try to expin. Try to make things right. It would mean another conversation where she’d probably act like a bitch again, but this time I wouldn’t lose control. I’d keep it together.

  By the time I finally finished training, I was tired and drenched in sweat. I leaned on my spear, breathing heavily. Zoe and Cassia were sparring, cshing with thin wooden swords.

  To my surprise, it actually looked like Zoe was winning. She wasn’t dominating, but she was nding more hits and doing noticeably better in the duel. And after a moment, I realized it made sense.

  She had the advantage of her tail, which she used well to add an extra threat. But that wasn’t most important. She was faster—thanks to her css—while Cassia didn’t even have one and that made a huge difference.

  Additionally, from time to time, Zoe was suddenly leaping forward or to the side much quicker, as she was using her skill. It made it obvious why Cassia’s previous team had dropped her once they reached higher levels.

  It didn’t matter that Cassia had more experience or better technique. She was losing because of the speed difference—and the fact that she had no skills. Maybe if Zoe hadn’t been using her tail, their chances would be more equal. But as it was, Zoe was clearly doing better.

  Maybe Zoe should take a more active role in our dungeon fights?

  But I had mixed feelings about that. Cassia, Tori, and Mari had been handling the monsters without trouble. Zoe could join to gain practical experience in fighting monsters, but she’d also be risking getting hurt.

  I realized that until we had a healer, it was better for her to avoid fighting and leave it to the women who already had more experience dealing with monsters.

  Eventually, they finished training, and Zoe ran up to me, throwing her arms around my neck and giving me a long kiss.

  “And what was that for?” I asked.

  Zoe just shrugged sweetly, looking up at me with her pink eyes. My hand slid down to her ass, giving it a firm squeeze as she pressed against my side.

  “Tomorrow morning here?” Cassia asked.

  “Yeah,” I said with a smile. “I’m already looking forward to it.”

  “See you,” Cassia said, walking toward the entrance to the arena building.

  I shrugged, ignoring her attitude, and turned toward Azura and Zoe.

  “We still need to visit the library and head to the forest for my training before going back to the inn. Which one do you want to do first?”

  “The forest,” Azura said. I was a little surprised she answered at all, but not surprised by her choice.

  “Sure,” I replied. It didn’t really matter which we did first, so we left the arena and headed out of the city. As soon as we passed through the gate, Azura shifted into her wolf form and padded alongside us as we left the road and moved deeper into the woods for my training.

  Just like st time, I practiced blocking stones Zoe threw into the trees. But now I also trained attacking with my mana—striking trees with condensed bursts of it. It took a lot of focus and mana for the hits to actually have any real impact, but hitting trees that had been standing in the same spot for decades wasn’t exactly difficult. A moving enemy would be much harder to hit—but then again, if they couldn’t sense mana, they wouldn’t even see the attack coming. That gave me a big advantage.

  Training with Cassia wore me out physically. Training my mana control drained me mentally. I had to stay constantly focused, pushing myself until my mana reserves were nearly empty.

  Once I was down to just enough mana to feed Zoe ter that day, we wrapped up and headed back to the city, this time toward the library.

  When we arrived, the librarian—the sea nymph—was once again seated behind the counter, absorbed in a book. She didn’t even look up until I was standing right in front of her.

  “Hey,” I said.

  She smiled brightly when she saw me. “You’re back again,” she said, slipping a bookmark into her book and setting it aside.

  “Yeah, and this time I’ve got a bit more time,” I said. “I’d like to read something.”

  “Sure. What are you interested in?” she asked.

  “Hmm… maybe something about dungeons or demons?”

  “Are you more interested in their history—like where they came from and how it all began—or more modern information?”

  I didn’t have much time, and I wasn’t even sure where to start. So I decided to go with the beginning. “History’s fine. Where the dungeons and demons came from. Do you have anything like that?”

  “Of course,” the librarian said, springing up from her chair and heading toward the shelves.

  She was tall—taller than Azura or Zoe, almost my height. Slender, with long legs, wide hips, and a slim waist that gave her a very feminine figure despite her lean build. Her dark green hair hung loose, all the way down to her waist.

  She stopped suddenly, just past the counter, and turned back toward us with a slight grimace. “I’m not really supposed to let you in here with weapons,” she said, eyeing my spear and Zoe’s dagger. “Bags and packs are okay, though technically I’m supposed to check them when you leave to make sure you’re not smuggling any books out. Library rules. I have to make sure nothing gets stolen. And since you’re not locals, I can’t let you borrow anything. You can only read them here.”

  “Can we leave our stuff somewhere?” I asked, gesturing toward our weapons and bags.

  She looked at me, then at the counter, and tilted her head. “Come with me. You can leave your things in the back room. It’s locked, and only I have the key. They’ll be safe there.”

  We followed her as she led us out of the main room and down a corridor.

  “It’s just a small storage room,” the librarian expined as we walked. “We keep extra books and other stuff in there. I’m the only one with access, so your things will be safe. Just let me know when you’re leaving, and I’ll get them for you.”

  I moved a little closer to Zoe. “Take the money with you. Hide it under your skirt,” I whispered.

  She nodded, pulled the coin pouch from her bag, and tucked it under her skirt, holding it with her tail.

  “What’s your name, anyway?” I asked the librarian. “I don’t think you ever introduced yourself.”

  “Oh!” the sea nymph gasped. “I might’ve forgotten. I’m Selira,” she said, smiling at me.

  “Tobias. This is Zoe and Azura.”

  “Nice to meet you,” she said, waving at them.

  “Hey,” Zoe replied with a smile.

  Azura just followed, staring at the ground silently.

  Selira opened one of the doors. “Put your things here. I promise they’ll be perfectly safe.”

  The room was small and dimly lit. It looked more like a pce to dump anything you didn’t know where else to put, but might need someday. We pced our things near the door, and Selira locked it.

  “Come on, I’ll show you to a reading table,” she said. “And I’ll go get that book on history. Azura, Zoe, do either of you want something to read?”

  Azura only hummed a quiet no.

  “Do you have anything on succubi? Or vampires? Or hybrids?” Zoe asked.

  I closed my eyes and sighed softly. At least her mixed races weren’t some huge secret. The fact that she’d just outed herself wasn’t a big problem.

  Maybe that was why she said it—rather than just being careless. At least, I hoped that was the case.

  “Hmm… there’s definitely something about vampires and hybrids,” Selira said. “But a full book about succubi? That’s unlikely. You might find mentions here and there, especially in historical texts, but I don’t know of any book solely focused on them.”

  “Then I’ll take the one about hybrids,” Zoe said.

  “Here, take a seat,” Selira said, pointing to a table. “I’ll be right back.”

  We sat down, and less than a minute ter, Selira returned. “Here you go. This one’s about hybrids. It’s not very long and well, there’s not much about them, considering how rare they are,” she expined, handing a thin book to Zoe.

  “And here’s the one on history,” Selira added, setting a much thicker volume down in front of her. “It’s a condensed version of the most important topics. It covers the origins of the dungeons and how the gods created demons. I can help you find it,” she said, opening the book.

  A bell rang from the front desk. An older woman was standing there.

  “Oh, I have to go help her. Can you manage on your own?” Selira asked, sliding the book toward me.

  “Sure, thanks. Oh, one more thing—do you have any maps?”

  “I’ll be right there!” Selira called to the woman, then turned back to me. “Maps of what, exactly?”

  “Torania, Riveth, Ortas… other major cities nearby.”

  “I’m sure we’ve got something,” Selira said. “I’ll take a look and bring them to you in a bit,” she added before heading off to the front desk.

  Zoe and I opened our books, but I gnced at Azura before I started reading.

  “You’re really sure you don’t want something to read?” I asked.

  She hummed yes.

  I looked down at the table of contents, but another thought occurred to me.

  “You can read, right?” I asked. She’d told me things from her status before, so she had to be able to read at least that much—but I wanted to make sure.

  “Yes,” Azura replied. “But not well,” she added. “Mom taught me, but it was long ago.”

  “Then maybe I’ll read it to you?” I offered, tapping the book in front of me. I probably should teach her how to read properly—or find someone to do it—but that was something to deal with ter.

  Azura gave a quiet grunt of agreement and scooted closer, her eyes fixed on the pages I flipped through. I found the chapter about the origins of the dungeons and started there.

  “In the very beginning, the gods descended into the world of men. Wandering the vast nds between human settlements, they searched for pces to cim as their own—pces where they could build their temples. As they spread across the world, they used their divine powers to conjure vast byrinths, sprawling domains, and underground caverns out of nothing, creating their sanctuaries.”

  “The gods did not come to aid mankind. They did not seek peace or harmony. Wherever they had come from, the gods arrived as conquerors—ciming as much nd as they could, including cities and the people within. They decred themselves rulers of nearby settlements, wielding magical powers and abilities the likes of which had never been seen before—and have never been seen again, not even after humans began receiving csses.”

  “With overwhelming might, they took control of the regions surrounding their temples, demanding tribute from the people. And when domination through fear became too burdensome to maintain directly, the gods once more reached for their divine powers and created something new: monsters. Mindless beasts, obedient to their masters, ready to throw themselves into battle without hesitation. Ugly, savage, merciless creatures—perfect tools to terrify and subjugate mankind.”

  “The people of the world had no choice but to submit. They offered the gods tributes of food, livestock, and even women and men whenever the deities demanded satisfaction for their lust.”

  “But if life under the gods was already harsh, it was about to become even worse. For in their vanity and greed, the gods turned on one another, waging war over territory, cities, and the mortals they ruled.”

  “To mankind’s misfortune, the gods did not csh directly. They fought by proxy using monsters and conscripted mortals from the nds they controlled. As the Divine Wars began, the gods realized something. While monsters were loyal, they were mindless. While humans were intelligent, they cked loyalty.”

  “So once again, the gods reached for their divine powers and shaped a new creation—wonders more terrifying than anything before: demons. It is not known whether they were made from nothing or crafted from stolen children taken from the vilges. But what is known is this: demons were as loyal, brutal, and relentless as monsters—but they possessed intelligence. And that intelligence made them far more cruel and fearsome.”

  “Pced at the head of divine armies, they followed their creators’ every command—forcing humans into war, razing cities, ying waste to the world—so the gods could resolve their petty disputes without ever lifting a hand. To them, mankind was nothing more than ants to be pyed with.”

  “The Divine Wars sted for decades, gradually destroying everything in their path. Cities burned, tens of thousands died, nds were ravaged. It seemed the world of men was coming to its end—that soon only gods, monsters, demons, and temples would remain, locked in endless war.”

  “Then, from among the gods, one rose—stronger than any other. Eronthar, future hero of humanity, saw the truth: that the Divine Wars would destroy the world the gods had cimed for themselves.”

  “Knowing the other gods could not be reasoned with, Eronthar undertook a mission. Accompanied only by his monsters and demons, he set out to end the Divine Wars. It was not an easy mission. It was not a short mission. And it was not a mission that saved mankind overnight.”

  “For many years, hundreds of thousands more perished. But thanks to Eronthar—the strongest of the divine—for the first time, the gods themselves began to fall. Sin by his hand.”

  “Decades ter, Eronthar killed the st living god besides himself, finally freeing the world from their rule. Then, he entered his own temple—and vanished. Never to appear again. He left the world to survive without divine interference, after all the suffering the gods had caused.”

  “But the world had changed too much. The remnants of divinity could not be erased and still seep into the nd. The divine temples, once symbols of tyranny, were renamed in rebellion against the gods. Their names were forgotten—and their temples became known as dungeons.”

  “Born of divine power, these dungeons still held vast reserves of magic. They continued to spawn monsters even after their creators’ deaths. And, as humanity soon discovered, they could awaken magic within people. The divine energy lingering in the dungeons had the power to unlock a person’s magical potential—granting them a css and skills. Though not as mighty as the gods’, these powers mimicked their strength.”

  “But the gods left behind one more legacy: demons. Freed by the deaths of their masters, no longer bound to divine will, they became autonomous and began seeking their pce in the world.”

  “The early days were difficult. Humans hated demons. And demons, stronger than any human, tried to continue the legacy of their creators. They cimed nds and ruled over them.”

  “Yet they were not immortal, nor all-powerful like the gods. Demons could not dominate mankind entirely. Though some—like the Greatest Mage—tried and were successful for decades, humanity resisted and took back control of their world. Now with dungeons, monsters, and csses of their own.”

  “Over time, demons began to integrate with humans. Hatred slowly faded over the millennia, and people and demons began to coexist—making use of what the gods had left behind. The dungeons, even after all this time, remain powered by divine energy and continue to spawn monsters. But now, humans and demons fight them together—growing stronger, and purging the st twisted remnants of the gods’ influence from the world.”

  I finished reading the chapter. The next one was about the rise of the Greatest Mage—who was mentioned briefly earlier.

  “You’ve got a nice voice,” Selira said suddenly.

  I looked up, only just then realizing she was sitting across from me, resting her chin in her hands, watching me. Zoe and Azura were also sitting quietly on either side of me, listening.

  “Oh, right. I brought the maps,” Selira said, gesturing toward a small stack of papers in front of her. “But you were reading, and I didn’t want to interrupt. I know that story well, but I wanted to hear you read it anyway. It’s just a summarized version, by the way. If you’re interested, there’s a much longer one that goes deeper into the Divine Wars. Though even that one stays pretty broad. After everything the gods did to people, most just tried to erase all traces of them. They burned a lot of the old books that worshipped them, renamed the temples as dungeons, and so on.”

  I nodded. “Maybe another time,” I said, closing the book and standing up to check out the maps she’d brought. Reading through all that had taken a while, and it was already getting te. I decided to go through the maps quickly, then head back to the inn.

  “Looking for something specific?” Selira asked as I started flipping through them.

  “I’m not from around here,” I replied. “Just trying to get a sense of the local geography.”

  One by one, I used my skill to take mental images of the maps. The one of Ortas, which showed important buildings, looked pretty accurate. I could even figure out where the inn we were staying at was.

  “Hmm,” Selira hummed. “There’s nothing particurly exciting on these,” she said, gncing over them. “But if you see something useful, that’s fine too. Maybe there’s value there I just don’t recognize. Oh—I’ve got to help someone, I’ll be right back,” she added, hurrying off to assist someone standing at the front desk again.

  There were maps of Caldwin and Atranth too, which I photographed, along with maps of several other cities marked on the Tenebre Guild map—the one I’d already gotten from Gemma. There was also a map of the region surrounding Ortas, with a few extra details.

  I even found a more detailed map of the Tenebre coastal region. I photographed it as well—it could be helpful in locating the boratory, assuming it really was somewhere in that deep stretch of forest.

  But I didn’t find any maps of Liraveth—the succubus territories. The only mention was on the Tenebre map, where it showed a border and a tiny bit of nd. Right at the edge of the map. No rivers, no forests, no details at all. As if the region was completely unknown.

  Maybe it was. If the two nations were really on such bad terms, that might expin it.

  After looking and saving all the maps, I restacked them the way they’d been and gathered the books Selira had given us earlier. I was left with even less mana, but it should still be enough for Zoe, especially that I was recharging it all the time.

  I walked over to the front desk. Zoe and Azura followed, and we waited as Selira helped an older man navigate the bookshelves.

  “Thank you,” I said, pcing everything on the counter.

  “Oh, no problem. Come on, let’s get your things,” the nymph said, leading us back to the small room where we’d stored our weapons and bags.

  “Did you find what you were looking for?” Selira asked.

  “Sort of,” I replied. “There wasn’t a map of Liraveth.”

  “Oh… hmm…” Selira murmured, staring at me for a moment, then leaning in closer. “The city forbids sharing those maps with almost anyone. Only local officials have access,” she whispered. “I’m not allowed to show you, sorry.”

  I nodded, wondering what could’ve led to such a restriction. “Thanks again for your help,” I said with a smile.

  “No problem—happy to help! I mean, it’s my job, so I’m always here, and—”

  “Excuse me,” the older man who had been browsing earlier said as he emerged from between the shelves, looking in Selira’s direction. “I’ll need some assistance.”

  “Busy day?” I asked with a grin.

  “Like every day here. If it’s not the visitors, it’s the thousands of books to catalog. I’ve got to go. Hope we meet again.”

  “I’m sure we will,” I said with a smile as she walked off to help the man.

  “Let’s head back to the inn,” I said to Zoe and Azura, who nodded in agreement.

  Zoe beamed at me, grinning wide. Returning to the inn meant sex—and both of us were already looking forward to it. Though first, we had dinner ahead of us.

  And I had a conversation with Mari.

  I’d calmed down by now, but I still felt guilty for yelling at her. I regretted the things I’d said. I hadn’t held myself back when I should’ve. Now, I wanted to apologize and try to expin everything again. This time, without losing control.