Selling Clothes to Transcend

The trinity of stars rose and burned. their golden shine reflected a fraction of their thermal heat towards the crimson lands. Beasts growled in delight as they welcomed the beginning of a new day. And in the middle of a small oasis, a conspicuous cave stood in the middle of a sandy soil. Encircled by transparent liquid and greenish plants, the cave was one of the most attractive spots for the inhabitants of the reddish lands.

The beasts' survival instinct always warned no to approach that place. A few creatures however, refused to listen to their voices of reason and began to infiltrate the oasis. Before any of them managed to take another step.

*PUCH* *PUCH* *PUCH*

Small holes appeared in the center of three beast's skulls, bodies dropped while three spikes began floating and quickly flew towards the cave.

"You want my help to grow stronger?"

An unexpected request left Blake's mouth, while a platine haired woman strangely looked at the man. Unfazed by her glare, he explained.

"I feel like the tower will be extremely hard to climb. I haven't entered the place yet, and I've already been roasted by some giant lizard."

Three spikes arrived towards the woman and stopped a few centimeters from her arms. Then, gently, they placed themselves on her palm.

"Learning from a transcendant would be a great opportunity for me."

Aelith observed the man before her; An iconic grey shirt and deep blue pants hid his previous naked status, while noticeable burn marks could be seen around his revealed skin. The female transcendant felt like Blake was abnormal. A mortal being able to recover the majorities of his injuries in one night is not something she was used to see very often.

"It is true that clearing his tower would not be an easy task, after all, Arcturus is known to be a very annoying transcendant."

As she squinted her eyes, she looked at the faraway, titanic tower piecing the clouds.

"I will help you, but there will be some conditions."

The woman stated, while an air of seriousness began to envelop the brightly lit cave. Blake's blackish eyes looked at Aelith's golden eyes, his gears rapidly spun as he tried to imagine what kind of conditions a transcendant would impose to a mere mortal.

"My first condition is that you will have to call me master, meaning that you will be my student."

"Secondly, you have to seriously practice what I will be teaching. My legacy will be passed upon you, therefore, I would rather give a part of myself to someone who will respect it instead of a neglecting fool."

'So far, nothing too big, and I think I have an idea about the last conditions.'

Blake's mind relaxed as he had already thought about what it meant to form a master teacher relationship with a transcendant.

"And thirdly..."

Aelith's smile turned a little more brighter and she asked.

"Give me your clothes."

"My what?"

Surprised by the woman's request, the man thought out loud while a dumb expression formed on his face.

"Your clothes."

'System, why didn't you tell me this woman was into those kind of things. She already saw me naked, and now she wants to taste me?'

[The character Aelith was barely mentioned in the book]

[Not much of her personality was known]

[However the System advices Host to accept the woman's offer]

[Coital exercices in exchange for transcendance is a good opportunity for Host]

"..."

The man looked at Aelith. A strong wind entered the cave and her platine hair slightly hovered. The harsh environment did not affect the transcendental beauty of the woman in the slightest. And her baggy clothes made out of animal skin could not fully hide her strong, yet appealing anatomy either. The latter gazed at Blake as if he was about to give her something she missed for a long time.

*Sigh* "I accept, if it means learning under you, I will willingly sacrifice my body."

"Hmm?"

The woman abruptly let out a questioning noise.

*Unzip* "Here I come"

Skillfully, he removed his pants, then his greyish shirt and as he was about to display his strongest asset.

"What are you doing?"

"Stripping off"

"I said I wanted your clothes, not the ones you are currently wearing. Don't you have an inventory? I want some of your unused clothes."

An awkward atmosphere engulfed the half naked Blake, while Aelith kept looking at him, unbothered by his simple apparel.

The man coughed, and with a terrifying speed... put on his clothes.

He then reached his hands towards empty air. Aelith scrutinized Blake's every movement. She saw a hand suddenly disappearing, and seconds later reappearing with a bunch of clothes.

"Six shirts, pants and underwear. Please don't lose them, it cost me a lot of ressources."

Slowly approaching the transcendant, he reached out his arms and presented grey and blue piece of clothing to the woman, which she happily snatched from the man's reluctant eyes.

"How interesting."

Aelith observed the attire, her eyes sparkled of curiosity towards a man's clothes. She quickly removed her beastly attire and put on fresh and unknown clothing.

While the woman was undergoing the whole process of removing and puting on new clothes, a black haired man was fully enjoying the view.

'Yep, enhanced memory for the win.'

As she finished her dressing, she exclaimed, slight surprise in her tone

"I feel slightly stronger, is it also one of your clothes' properties?"

"It is."

Not explaining further, he looked at an Aelith with clothes slightly larger than her. Noticing his gaze, she said.

"I like baggy clothes, it makes me feel... comfortable."

"If you say so, anyways. I am a little surprised, I thought you would ask me to help you get out of this place or something."

Momentarily stopping her examination of her new attire, Aelith answered.

"You may be strong, and you might even become stronger after your training, but hard work is not enough to face someone like the Wargod. I just hope you can steal his most prized valuables, I would be pleased if you did so."

A sad smile and Aelith reminisced about past events. Her thoughts was however quickly interrupted by Blake.

"I don't know much about what happened between you and the Wargod, but you saved my life. And this is enough to help you as much as I can. I might be weak right now, but one day, not even the Wargod would be able to stop me. I also want to make him pay for the jurtur's attack on my person."

'Weren't you the one who woke him up?'

Aelith thought while silently listening to Blake's words, she felt conviction and almost a trace of affirmation from the man. Smiling, she refocused on her clothes.

"I see, then I will give my all to teach you as well."

A mortal and a transcendant made a promise that day, a promise of saving, a promise of teaching, and a promise of facing a god alongside each other.

...