Chapter 23- Contain

In Frank's intense pleasure, time stopped. Besides the already learned skill "Carry," another set of runes meant "Contain."

Frank frowned and asked, "Vicky, do all of Ivanka's special skills have subsequent upgrades?"

"Almost all of them do."

"Can I know the subsequent skills?"

"Only the first subsequent skill that can be activated from the already learned skills."

"Alright, what is the subsequent upgrade for 'Carry'?"

"When 'Carry' reaches level 10, it allows the skill 'Soul Exchange' to enter a random sequence. After learning 'Soul Exchange,' you can enter your own soul while your body is asleep and meet with the carried Ivanka. More details can be consulted before choosing to learn it."

Although it didn't specify exactly what could be done, considering the meaning of the term 'Soul Exchange,' the answer seemed obvious. Moreover, this way, Ivanka's youthful, vibrant 18-year-old appearance in the carry state seemed to gain significant meaning.

Perhaps sensing Frank's inner joy, the consciousness added at an appropriate moment, "Every time you use the carry skill, Ivanka will return to that perfect state you have in mind, no matter what happened during that period."

Huh? Does this mean... she'll always be a virgin?

Before his will could succumb to this enormous temptation, Frank promptly asked about the meaning of another skill.

"'Contain' allows any non-living object to be virtualized and stored within Ivanka's soul. If the stored weight is too large, it will make her mentally fatigued. Each upgrade increases the storage capacity. Retrieving items will cause immense pleasure, but storing them will be extremely painful. Initially, it can store 100 pounds, with each upgrade increasing the capacity by 50 pounds."

Uh... not to mention the subsequent upgrade of this skill is hard to guess, just looking at the skill itself, it seems to turn Ivanka into his space ring.

"You could understand it that way."

"So, can this skill be used in the carry state?"

"Yes, it's actually more convenient compared to the non-carry state. After all, life instinctively avoids pain, and Ivanka's individual independence is very strong."

Frank suddenly found himself in a state of choice paralysis. While "Soul Exchange" was tempting, to be honest, Ivanka's new body already belonged to him. As long as they stayed together, he would eventually level up "Carry" and could visit her true self in the soul realm. The allure was considerable, but its importance was moderate.

In this dangerous, otherworldly place where a succubus could sneak in and overpower him even in the dead of night, quickly improving his survival skills was the top priority. Items like space rings remain popular in various novels because they're incredibly practical.

Right now, he could harvest ten pounds a day, which was inconvenient to carry around. So, he had to sell it nearby. Quality 2 materials were difficult to store, and if he acquired any valuable items, stuffing them in his pocket was practically suicidal.

Suddenly thinking of last night's succubus, he asked, "Do the objects contained have a shelf life?"

"The contained objects will be locked in their pre-storage state, just like the carried Ivanka, without any changes."

Oh, now he could collect and preserve the succubus's milk and love fluids. Tying up that sexy woman under the bed for a few days and storing a few pounds of it would be much more effective than laboriously concocting alchemical recipes himself.

Hmm... The appealing follow-up to "Soul Exchange" could wait.

"I choose 'Contain.'"

Time resumed, and the pulsing of his cock pumped the remaining pleasure into his mind. Frank panted with joy, slowly withdrawing from Ivanka. Sticky fluids immediately flowed from her swollen slit, soaking the sheets. That part of the sheets was already covered with the marks of repeated drying.

Considering the newly rebuilt relationship between them, he decided not to mention the "Contain" skill for now. Ivanka strongly disliked being treated as a tool... well, no one likes that. It would be better to wait until their relationship was more stable before attempting to get her to accept this role.

"Ivanka, how are you feeling now?"

"Frank, thank you so much for your hard work. I feel a lot better. I even had a small orgasm just now. I think I can move my feet a little. Your treatment is really effective."

"Then I'll keep at it. I'll make sure you wake up."

"You should rest first, Frank. If your body breaks down, I really won't wake up. I can tell how tired you are... How about this, lie down next to me and sleep, okay? Don't disconnect. I'll sing you a soothing song, and you'll definitely sleep very soundly."

His body was indeed at its limit. Spiritual resilience surpassing physical limits was something only a Saint Seiya could achieve, not Frank. He nodded, let Tiffany clean up a bit, and lay down in bed, listening to Ivanka's gentle humming in his mind, gradually relaxing.

It was one of Frank's favorite songs from his favorite singer's early work. He couldn't remember if he had ever mentioned it to Ivanka, but her singing it now, even just the lyrics, was enough to stir his emotions. Hearing the word "love" from Ivanka, even if sung, was like a heavenly melody to his ears. Immersed in the bliss of emotional fulfillment, Frank quickly fell into a deep sleep.

He didn't know how long he had slept when he vaguely heard some noises, like someone arguing. Then, there was a loud bang from somewhere in the room. He frowned, trying to open his eyes, but his body, too exhausted, refused to obey his mind's command.

"Master..."

He caught a faint, weak moan by his ear.

Tiffany? What's wrong with her?

"Master... I... it hurts... wake up... please wake up... save me... Master, save me..."

A jolt of adrenaline cleared Frank's mind, rejuvenated by sleep. He suddenly realized Ivanka's behavior had been quite unnatural. But at the time, exhausted from the intense physical activity, he was too tired to think clearly, like a programmer after weeks of late-night coding sessions.

He quickly opened his eyes and sat up, drenched in cold sweat. When he turned his head, he wasn't even that surprised deep down. Ivanka was gone. The other half of the bed was empty.

His loyal slave girl, Tiffany, lay on the floor beside the bed, clutching her stomach, curled up in a ball, her face pale as paper. Crimson blood was spreading across the floor. He hurriedly jumped out of bed, realizing his clothes and belongings were all missing. The succubus, Chris, under the bed was also gone.

Frank lifted the unconscious Tiffany, moving her hands aside to reveal a wound inflicted by a sharp object. Regret tore at his heart, making him despise his own weakness and naivety. All the sweet fantasies from before turned into a storm of anger and hatred. He knew he had been betrayed by Ivanka.

Ignoring everything else, he placed Tiffany on the bed, tore open his clothes to examine her wound, then secured the room door. Using his daily skill switch, he reverted to his alchemist class, quickly scanning his mind for any hemostatic salve recipe that didn't require high-quality materials or equipment.

The blood was still flowing; if it continued, Tiffany would die. He had no time to create a new formula.

Hemostatic salve, the highest grade that doesn't require any equipment... damn, the higher the recipe's grade, the better the materials it demands. He could only make a standard-grade salve, at least better than a low-quality one.

Frank organized his thoughts as he closed the drawer and activated his "Harvest" skill, producing a lump of beeswax and a bundle of honeycore reeds. These were all the materials needed for a standard-grade hemostatic salve. The beeswax was of quality 2, and the base quality of honeycore reeds was 1, but he generated a quality 2 variant to enhance the effect. For materials with a quality range, using higher-grade variants wasn't a waste.

The divine crafting skill returned to his body, and each enlightenment upgraded his production skills by one tier, increasing the chances of improved effects. In game terms, it was like a "+1" enhancement. At the saint level, there was a chance to produce "+5" tier items. With divine crafting, this chance was boosted to 100%. According to the consciousness, even a basic hemostatic salve, at "+1" enhancement, could rival higher-tier items, and at "+5," it would be as effective as the best non-enhanced salve.

Frank used all the one-pound batch of generated materials in one go, his hands covered in a mixture of plant sap and beeswax. He grabbed a handful of the salve and applied it to Tiffany's wound, layer by layer, until he had used up all 800 grams of the prepared salve. He wiped the sweat off his brow and sighed with relief as the bleeding stopped.

Now able to sit by the table, he slowly contemplated and adjusted the medicinal properties, creating a formula to save Tiffany's life. After painstakingly adjusting the recipe with available materials, he named it "Blood Replenishment No. 1." Using "Harvest," he generated the required materials in the drawer: tender leaves of the Springwell tree, giant earthworm mucus, and mimic ooze blood.

He mixed them directly in a cup, then lifted Tiffany and pried her mouth open to pour the mixture down her throat. Without equipment to purify the mixture, he had to rely on fabric to strain out the impurities. Trusting in his divine alchemy skill, he administered the entire 700-gram concoction to Tiffany.

After several tense seconds, the fast-acting medicine took effect. A blush returned to Tiffany's pale cheeks, and she opened her eyes, asking in confusion, "Master, am I... not dead?"

"No, you're not. I'm here, and I won't let you die." He held her tightly, his arms finally beginning to tremble uncontrollably.

Thank goodness he hadn't lost her, this steadfast girl who stood by his side.

Once her color improved slightly, Frank asked in a trembling voice, "Tiffany, what exactly happened?"

With a puzzled expression, Tiffany briefly recounted the events. "Shortly after you fell asleep, Ivanka woke up. She said you were very tired and asked me not to wake you. We talked for a while, and then she said she wanted to eat some fruit. I thought... you needed to replenish your energy too, so I went to buy some. I borrowed a peeling knife from the innkeeper, but when I returned to the room, I saw... Ivanka had somehow released the succubus you had captured."

"I argued with her. She said she could explain, but as I waited for her to speak, the succubus attacked me with some unknown method. I felt dizzy and collapsed by the bed. Ivanka picked up the peeling knife..." Tiffany's voice began to tremble, filled with both fear and confusion. "She actually tried to stab you with the knife. I... I desperately tried to shield you, and she accidentally stabbed me instead. When she saw the blood, she got scared, pulled out the knife, took our belongings, and helped the succubus escape."

Frank closed his eyes and leaned against the headboard. He had trusted Ivanka once more, and this was the result. He had lost all his wealth, even his clothes were gone, and he had nearly lost the only companion he could trust.

Vicky was right. This woman was only fit to be used as a tool!