While heading toward the dungeon’s entrance, preparing mentally for the incoming exploration, I realized that I didn't know anything about Terra’s css, and not a lot about Marcy’s.

  Adding Terra as my sve hadn’t counted toward any achievements, but I tried to use the Demon’s Status skill on her anyway. As I suspected, the Demon Master’s skills worked only on sves who were bonded to me through the css.

  “Terra,” I said, catching the orc’s attention. “Can you tell us about your css?”

  “Of course,” she replied. “I have 250 mana, 6 Strength, 3 Dexterity, 6 Endurance, 6 Vitality, 1 Charisma, 1 Luck, 1 Arcane Power. I have one css, Battleborn Warrior, and two skills from it. Weapon Instinct, for which description is: Grants natural proficiency with melee weapons, and the second skill, Raging Blow, for which description is: Next melee attack deals double damage.”

  I didn't expect such details, but at least I knew everything about her css. She had almost as much mana as Zoe, only cking fifty compared to her. Compared to my amount, it was pretty low, but I was the one who was above the norm.

  Her css fit the needs of our team. While it wasn’t specifically a tank css, she still should be able to take a few hits and keep opponents busy while the rest of us dealt damage.

  “With that much mana, shouldn’t you have more than one css?” I asked.

  “I don't know,” Terra replied, a frown crossing her green face.

  “Not should, but can,” Cassia cut in. “I’m not an expert, but the second css is acquired, not something you're born with.”

  “Zoe, remind me to look into it more when we’re at the library,” I said, wondering if we could find some way to grant Terra a second css faster. Or at least impact what css she would get in the future.

  “Okay, Master,” Zoe replied. “Selira will be eager to help us,” she added, with a smile.

  “How does this Weapon Instinct skill work?” I asked, shifting my gaze back to the orc.

  Terra, holding her battle axe, locked her gaze on it, turning the weapon in her hands as she thought it over. “It’s like with a fork and knife. You use them your whole life, and you don't really think about it. You just know how they are supposed to be used for their basic purpose. I feel the same holding this axe. I bought it yesterday, but I feel that I know how to use it - how to attack, block, feint, or deflect attacks. And how to move my whole body during it. That’s the best way I can expin it.”

  I nodded, trying to understand it. I didn't even remember when I had been taught how to use a fork. Not that it was really hard to learn, but maybe because of her skill, she felt the same with weapons. It was just natural for her to use them.

  “You should still train, to fight even better,” I said, not wanting her to settle for what she already could do.

  “Of course, I’ll train and give my best.”

  I nodded before turning my gaze to Marcy. “How about your css?”

  “For now you just need to know that I have an archer css, and only one active skill that makes my shot stronger and deals a bit more damage.”

  I was okay with her not sharing more about her css, but thinking about it, I realized something. She had the shapeshifter css, the archer css, and the one that was letting her to read people’s emotions and intentions.

  Overall, three csses. More than Mari. The same number as me, a person brought from another world, because I had a lot of mana. And the same number as Zoe, who was a mutant.

  How strong was Marcy to have three csses? I could probably assume she had a few hundred mana points. Perhaps even an amount close to mine? Maybe more? She could be a really strong ally if she stuck around for longer.

  When Marcy asked about Azura’s and Zoe’s skills, I replied just as vaguely, only about the ones that were important in the dungeon, without mentioning anything else about their csses.

  After reaching the dungeon’s entrance building and going through the formalities of recording who was entering the dungeon, we stepped on the circur ptform that teleported us to Level 1 of the dungeon. That was the only option avaible for Terra and Marcy.

  “Cassia, can we pass Level 1 today?” I asked, realizing that with more time than we had initially pnned, we might actually be able to do it.

  “We’d need to focus more on progressing rather than searching for monsters, but yes, we can.”

  “Maybe that’s better anyway, without Mari around, and since it’s their first time here,” I replied.

  After everyone agreed that the best pn was to try to reach the checkpoint, we began traveling through the dark corridors of the byrinth that made up the first dungeon level.

  We also discussed the pn for the upcoming fights - or rather, that we would take them in pairs to practice, while Cassia and the others would secure those currently fighting.

  When we heard the first monsters ahead, Marcy and I were the first to deal with whatever was coming. Terra was supposed to watch the first fight to see how I handled a monster before taking part herself, while Marcy, keeping her distance, was supposed to deal some damage before it reached us.

  It was a skeleton, limping even before we started the fight.

  When Marcy was in range, she released an arrow. With how slowly the monster was moving, and being the size of an average human male, it wasn’t hard to hit. Her missile pierced its shoulder, shattering the bone, and the skeleton spun before colpsing to the ground.

  But it immediately started getting up again. Even with one arm remaining on the ground, it still managed to hold its sword. As it rose, Marcy released another arrow, but this time she missed, the arrow flying just a few inches past the monster’s head.

  It didn’t seem too bothered and started limping toward me again. I moved to meet it. When I got close, I slowed down, waiting for Marcy’s next shot. As her arrow struck somewhere between its ribs, I rushed forward.

  That arrow didn’t seem to do much damage. With nothing inside the ribcage, it only chipped the bones slightly. But as I dashed ahead, taking advantage of my longer reach, I managed to drive the tip of my spear straight into its skull just as the monster’s sword hit the shaft.

  The skeleton’s skull popped back, tumbling away from the body, which colpsed into a pile of bones. The first monster of this exploration was dead.

  Cassia simply nodded when I gnced at her, and with no loot or reason to comment on the fight, we continued through the dungeon.

  The next monster ahead was a small demon, so we decided it would be Zoe’s turn to fight, while Terra would wait for another skeleton - by far the easiest opponent here.

  “Master, should I save mana or go all in?” Zoe asked as the monster charged toward us. Marcy released an arrow, but the demon managed to block it, raising a short, wide axe in front of itself.

  “Go all in and be careful,” I replied. I could always restore her mana with a simple kiss, and someone else could fight afterward. The most important thing was that no one got hurt.

  Zoe rushed at the demon as dark shadows swirled in her hand, forming a dagger. When they closed in, the monster raised its axe overhead, but as it swung down, Zoe leapt to the side, her feet barely touching the ground as she changed direction mid-motion, almost gliding in front of the monster. Her bde cut deep across its chest, leaving a wide wound.

  As her foot touched the ground, her tail whipped forward, smacking the demon right in the wound and making it roar in pain. Before it could react, she jumped again, her dagger piercing through its exposed neck. When she nded a few feet away, the demon colpsed to the ground, nearly decapitated.

  Zoe moved like a blur around the monster and killed it before it even realized what was happening. I had worried for no reason, she was completely in control and far above its level.

  “Ew,” she groaned, staring at her tail covered in demon blood. She shook it, trying to get it off, as we approached.

  “Good job, Zoe,” I said.

  “Thanks, Master,” she murmured, still focused on her tail. When shaking didn’t help, she grabbed the bag from Azura and pulled out some cloth to clean it off.

  “Wait… is that my shirt?” I asked, recognizing the fabric.

  Zoe looked at me with her big pink eyes. “Umm… my clothes are too pretty to ruin them like that, Master,” she said softly. “And you look much better without clothes anyway.”

  I sighed, rolling my eyes, but couldn’t stop smiling at the same time. Not that the shirt was expensive. After spending so much money on her and Azura’s clothes, I’d chosen the cheapest options for myself. I didn't really care what it was as long as it was comfortable.

  As we continued through the dungeon, still early in the exploration, we eventually came across another skeleton. That one was Terra’s chance for her first fight, so we stopped Marcy from shooting and let the orc handle it herself.

  “Nervous?” I asked when Terra didn’t move, her eyes locked on the monster and her hands gripping her axe tightly.

  “No. I can do it,” she replied firmly, nodding before stepping toward it.

  Knowing how weak these monsters were, I didn’t expect any trouble, she should take it down easily. Still, Cassia followed close behind, ready to intervene if something went wrong.

  When Terra reached the skeleton, she swung her axe in a wide arc. The monster tried to block with its sword, but her strength was too much for it. The bde smmed into its body anyway, sending it rolling across the ground.

  It tried to rise again, but Terra reached it first and brought her axe down from above, finishing it off completely.

  With her massive weapon, fighting demons or wraiths would be harder for her, as they were much faster. But that was the point of having a team - everyone could deal with the enemies they were best against.

  “Good job, Terra,” I said as we approached. Unfortunately, there was no loot, and after she thanked me, we continued deeper into the dungeon.

  To reach the checkpoint after Level 1, we had to keep moving and avoid unnecessary stops. The exploration wasn’t particurly exciting outside of the fights, and even those, while they got my pulse up a bit, ended quickly and without anyone getting hurt.

  As we went on, we let Marcy shoot at enemies from a distance, taking advantage of her range, while we finished off the already-wounded ones with ease.

  When we finally reached the checkpoint a few hours ter, the loot we’d gathered was pretty poor, even for a Level 1 dungeon. But we hadn’t come here for that anyway. We were here to farm experience, and in that regard, we’d done much better.

  Everyone got a level-up somewhere during the exploration. Marcy managed to level up both her Shapeshifter and Archer csses, getting skills that granted her more Strength and Dexterity.

  Terra leveled up her Warrior css. After asking me, she added her stat point into Endurance to better fit the tank role, and she learned a skill that wasn’t anything special, but seemed to be a basic skill that every css had in some variant - Increased Vitality, which gave her three additional points to that stat.

  Zoe, who leveled up in her Illusionist css, didn’t gain any new skills. She had already expined to me before that some csses don’t grant a skill on every level - her Illusionist was one of those. But in that case, the css compensated with more stat points - she got three, which she split between Strength, Dexterity, and Charisma.

  Azura, leveling up her Shapeshifter css to level 5, used her stat point into Endurance, but only after asking me how to use it. In addition, she gained a new skill.

  [Iron Fur – Level 1 (Active) – Can only be activated in wolf form. The wolf’s fur hardens, protecting the body from incoming damage.]

  It was a defensive skill she could only use in wolf form. It seemed that if Azura were to join a fight, her css pushed her toward using her animal form rather than remaining human.

  During the exploration, she only trailed along, carrying our bags, and didn’t fight. I wondered, not for the first time, if I should consider training her in at least the basics in case the need ever arose.

  I got two level-ups, first to my Demon Master css. I used the stat point into Strength and got a new skill, which unfortunately was again a passive one and didn't seem like an especially useful one. At least not in a dungeon.

  [Demonic Sense Level 1 (Passive) – Allows the Demon Master to sense the presence of demons in his surroundings. The skill instinctively reveals nearby demonic beings. The closer the demon, the stronger the sensation, allowing the user to roughly determine direction and distance.]

  When I got the skill, I felt the change immediately. It was a weird sense of a presence around me that hadn’t been there before. The best way to describe it was like the feeling when you suddenly know someone’s watching you and you look around to check. Only this time I could tell where the attention came from. When I looked in that direction, it was Zoe, Azura, Terra, or Marcy.

  Fortunately, the sensation was easy to ignore after a moment. While I could focus on it and feel it again, it wasn’t distracting. At least I could tell when I was dealing with a demon - something obvious with demons like Selira or Terra.

  But Azura looked like a normal woman, maybe with a slightly unnatural hair color that could just be dyed. I wasn’t sure how useful that knowledge would be, but it was what it was. I didn’t have a choice about the skill.

  It was different with my Mage css, which also leveled up near the end of our exploration. I spent the stat point on Dexterity and received a skill choice with three options again.

  [Ice Shard Level 1 (Active) – Launches a sharp shard of ice that deals a small amount of damage.][Earth Shield Level 1 (Active) – Forms a protective shield made of earth, capable of blocking incoming attacks.][Fming Infusion Level 1 (Active) – Imbues the weapon with fmes for a single attack, dealing additional fire damage and scorching the struck surface.]

  It seemed all three of them were connected to elemental magic, and while they all seemed like viable options, each of them had a big downside. They were quite visual and would make it obvious to everyone around that I had a css.

  Not needing any of them during the exploration and wanting to ask Gemma for advice, I postponed the choice.

  Despite that, I wondered which one to choose. I excluded Ice Shard because Mari already had an identical skill, and I didn't really see myself as a ranged fighter.

  Then it was a choice between a defensive or offensive option. I was leaning more toward Earth Shield. If I would be able to stand longer in the fight, I would also be able to deal more damage and kill the opponent. I wouldn’t risk getting killed with a single random hit.

  Still, I waited on the decision until I could consult Gemma about it, as she had by far more knowledge about skills.

  Leaving the dungeon at the checkpoint between Levels 1 and 2, we wondered briefly if next time we should head straight into the second level, but decided to make that decision the next day.

  After reaching Ortas, we split from Cassia and Marcy, agreeing to meet up the next morning for another exploration. The rest of us headed toward Sage’s house, and as we entered, Azura’s mother came out to greet her daughter. She had prepared dinner for all of us.

  Despite how hungry I was, we really needed to take a bath first, so we headed for the stairs, but I barely managed a few steps before I was stopped.

  “Hey, handsome,” a voice said behind me that I recognized as Sage’s.

  “You’re here,” I replied dryly, turning toward her.

  “I told you we’d talk about you starting to pay off the debt,” she said.

  I wanted to accuse her of scamming me and say that she would’ve freed Amber anyway, but that would bring up Gemma. And too many people who didn’t know about her were listening at the moment, so it had to wait.

  “You finally know what you want?” I asked instead.

  “Let’s talk in here,” she said, nodding toward the living room. “And Zoe should join us.”

  “First we’ll wash, then we can talk,” I answered.

  “Sure, but don’t make me wait too long,” she said, going into the living room.

  I sighed and headed to the bathroom with Zoe and Azura, wondering what Sage would want from me. Whatever it was, she’d promised I could refuse, so I hoped she’d keep her word. Still, it would be good to clear that debt - maybe she’d ask something I could actually do.

  I’d find out in a few minutes, but I really needed the bath first. Even though it would be with two hot demonesses, I wasn’t in the mood for fooling around because of that old witch who liked to py games and was waiting for me in the living room. It’d feel good to fuck her and show her her pce, but for now, I had to get clean.