Chapter 71

After a quick yet very fruitful last tumble with Helga that left her laying on the bed with the consistency of melted butter, I left my room, once again dressed as a servant, moving through the crowd invisibly. When I finally arrived at the Hall, I didn't immediately want to Oeyne's room, no matter how much I wanted to drag my hands over her caramel skin. I walked around for almost three hours, changing my disguise repeatedly as I moved from section to section, trying to ferret out some secrets.

Ultimately, it wasn't very fruitful in terms of material gain. I had managed to swipe several books across many different halls, from alchemists to enchanters, but none of the books were particularly secretive ---or at least, I assumed so, considering they were laying in the middle of the room, or abandoned in a corner. The real precious stuff was hidden behind the wards, and I was guessing that the top-secret items had never been brought to Silver Spires, instead kept in their exclusive guild residences.

Still, in terms of other benefits, it was extremely beneficial. I had to change my disguise several times as I slipped from one hall to another without arousing attention, and considering the dangers ---being hunted by several high-class organizations--- I had made incredible gains through the process.

\[Subterfuge +13\]

\[Speech +8\]

It was very useful before I was about to launch into another deal with Oeyne. I wanted her to use the earth gem I had acquired as a part of the sword she would ultimately forge, but the previous deal of providing her two sets of material for each finished product would not work. Before, I could be extravagant because the materials I had shared was ultimately not that hard to get, requiring just one hunting trip to collect.

The earth gem was not like that. It was a true treasure with a value that significantly eclipsed everything I had managed to collect. Luckily, I had the ability to renegotiate such a deal in excess.

After wasting some more time in the Hall, I finally slipped underground, toward Oeyne's room deep in the storage section, and knocked on the door with the pattern she had suggested to me the last time.

"Coming!" shouted Oeyne with a strained voice, suggesting that the previous hangover was not extraordinary. However, unlike the last time, the door didn't open immediately. She kept me waiting for a couple of minutes before opening the door, once again greeting me with a disheveled look, wearing only a dressing gown.

Still, I had to hold back a smirk. Someone less experienced might have missed the effort that had went to today's disheveled look. Her hair was a mess again, but this time, the mess was somehow arranged to put her face to the best benefit. Her face lacked any indicator of sleep, instead covered with a thin layer of makeup, enough to avoid the attention of a less careful man.

The dressing gown's messy state was equally engineered. Its front was slightly open, giving the perfect glimpse of her otherwise naked chest, and one side of the bottom had ridden high enough to reveal that she was wearing panties this time.

The dark and lacy kind...

Ultimately, combined with her request, it was clear that she was prepared to impress, while trying to hide that fact. If it wasn't for the cold, calculating glint in her eyes that was hidden for anyone but me thanks to my sharp eyes, I would have assumed that she was attracted to me. With the glint, I was inclined to believe that she had something to discuss, and wanted me to focus on her body during that talk.

Admittedly, it was a good strategy, as her body was excellent. She might be older, but her body was still at the height of her perkiness, not to mention her outrageous curves. Her caramel skin added a delicious diversity to the mix. Combined, she could have easily distracted me if it wasn't for the rather memorable evening I shared with Cornelia, followed by the heated morning assistance by Helga and Aviada.

"Good afternoon," I said cheerfully as I pulled the potion bottle filled with mineral solution.

"You're amazing," she said immediately in an honest relief as she grabbed my arm and dragged me with strength what would have left a weaker man broken. Despite her preparations, she was still hungover.

"Maybe I should pay you in hangover potions rather than materials for the next dagger," I suggested in amusement.

"Deal," she immediately answered without even blinking, leaving me amused, yet slightly shocked. I hadn't expected her to value my hangover treatment so much. Maybe I should have offered a higher price.

I was expecting her to lay on the couch we had used the last time. Instead, she continued to drag me, and soon, I found myself in her bedroom. Unlike her rough workshop, her living space was furnished expensively, filled with purple velvet curtains and some expensive-looking paintings. However, I was more interested in the occasional spots with thicker colors, suggesting that they were holding similar paintings until not too long ago.

Her gambling problem seemed to be even worse than Aviada had mentioned. Combined with her sudden lack of income after her fight with the Guilds, she must treat me as a godsend.

A nicer man might have reacted differently, but as I watched her lay on the bed before pushing her dressing gown down, giving me access to her beautiful shoulders, I had much dirtier things in mind. I could even get a glimpse of her boobs from the side, making my shaft twitch in enthusiasm.

\[+50 Experience\] 50% Penalty!

Taming her was suddenly sounded like a better idea.

"Hurry up," she ordered as she looked back, giving me a seductive gaze, convincing me that she wasn't just driven by her pain. She was intentionally trying to seduce me.

I smirked. I couldn't wait until I could teach her the length of her mistake.

I poured a generous amount of potion into my hands and rubbed them repeatedly to warm them. However, while doing so, I cast another spell, turning the potion into a strong aphrodisiac, but one that would only act after a significant delay, starting to effect in one hour, peaking the effect in three hours.

Only then I gently pressed my fingers to her neck, caressing gently. Her moan came immediately, sexy and arousing.

But also artificial.

I smirked coldly, knowing she couldn't see my face. She was trying to play with me, unaware of the beast she was challenging. I decided to teach her the lesson for trying to play me, especially in this particular arena.

Her moans started to have an echo of honesty even before I moved down to her shoulder. I had already used my healing abilities to completely cure her headache, but she made no mention of it, continuing to enjoy the massage.

I focused on her shoulders, once again unleashing the full range of my massage abilities, her moans turning more honest with each passing minute. I easily resolved the knots on her shoulders. The last time, I had stopped when I arrived at her shoulders, but this time I continued, slowly focusing on her upper back. "How does it feel?" I asked. "Any discomfort?"

"You have magical fingers," she answered lazily as she stretched under my touch, which caused her robe to slid even lower. She looked at me carefully, though tried to disguise it as an accidental one, giving me permission to be even more aggressive. However, that didn't tempt me, because it was still a rational decision. I wanted her to crawl in delirium, begging for me to take the next step.

\[+100 Experience\] 50% Penalty!

At first, she was clearly unhappy with my tame movements, trying to convince me nonverbally to go down by shrugging occasionally, which pushed her dressing gown even lower. And when that didn't work, she muttered. "Maybe you can go a bit lower, that part is giving me trouble."

"Understandable," I answered lazily. "After all, blacksmithing is not an easy job, no matter how strong you are." Still, even as I said so, I moved lower only a bit, and stayed strictly in the center, avoiding getting near her breasts. Her dissatisfaction was clear as a glacier, most of it hidden below the surface, but the visible part was more than enough to signal the inherent danger.

Like a glacier, it was impossible for her dissatisfaction to survive the warmth of my erotic massage. Soon, her moans quickened once more, and unlike the previous ones, they were completely genuine. She was finally under the effects of the wonderful sensation, captured by my skillful fingers, teasing her nerve endings to evoke her thrill. She was paradoxically relaxing and stiffening at the same time. Relaxing because her exhaustion and stress melted under my fingers, stiffening because of her growing arousal.

It was cute how she thought she could keep her sudden confused expression hidden behind her mask. She had not expected her ploy to turn into a genuine seduction, which was a big mistake. Just because I hadn't pushed the envelope the last time due to respect for her abilities, she thought that she was good enough to play in the same league.

I was more than happy to teach her the mistake she had stumbled upon.

As I moved lower, she stopped shrugging, recognizing the danger. Unfortunately for her, I had no intention of letting her passivity stop me. I pulled down her dressing gown without warning, revealing her back fully for my fingers. Unfortunately, her ass was still covered by the gown, as doing so would have been too much.

\[+250 Experience\] 50% Penalty!

It turned out to be the correct choice. She opened her mouth as if she was about to argue, but stopped when she realized her bottom was still covered. A strategic mistake on her part, but she was yet to realize that. "Your back doesn't look like I expect," I lazily commented.

"What do you mean?" she said, interrupting a moan, alarmed.

"I expected your back to be more rough and clumpy, filled with muscles. Swinging a hammer every day couldn't be easy. But instead, your back is shapely and curvy, with muscles hidden underneath. Much sexier than I imagined," I explained, starting normal, but turning seductive toward the end.

My soft, throaty tone made her shiver. "T-thanks," she stammered, interrupted when I pressed at her lower back, triggering another moan. I stayed silent, and she dedicated herself to moaning as I cut free across her back, assaulting and caressing repeatedly until her moans started to get louder and louder. She bit her lips desperately to contain them, but it only made her sexier.

Soon, she fell into a dichotomy---trying to convince herself to stop, but also desiring for me to go further. Her mind was slowly drifting into complacency while the very center of her being was so aroused that I could smell.

\[+200 Experience\] 50% Penalty!

She clearly realized that it was going further than she intended, in feeling if not in content. If she were of right mind, she would have stopped it, but she just moaned, even when my fingers traveling dangerously close to her ass, every pass revealing more of her back by pushing the gown. Soon, I could see the edge of her panties. At this moment, I was sure that if I pulled the gown down along with her panties and plunged my fingers inside her entrance, she would have accepted it.

Unfortunately, it would also ruin my aim to teach her a lesson, and wasting all that aphrodisiac. So, without a warning, I pulled back, but not before adding a nifty spell to prevent her from climaxing easily under her own effort. Thanks to my growing magical presence, I wasn't afraid of being found, especially with my unrestricted access to her body. "That's it," I said as I slapped her thigh softly and walked away.

\[-14 Mana\]

"W-what?" she stammered.

"That's it," I repeated as I stepped out of the room. "I'll wait for you in the forge," I said as I slammed the door close. Only then I started sniggering, imagining her ridiculous response.

Once again, I killed time by reading the old notes from the bookshelf. This time, assisted by the benefits of my scooping, I had learned quite a bit more from my adventures. Then, I felt a sound-blocking ward activate. I immediately cast a spell to tunnel a convenient access point inside, eavesdropping on her. Inside, I could hear her moan and gasps, starting enthusiastic, but soon turned desperate, tinged with frustration. She was clearly doing her best to finish it herself, only to fail spectacularly. And with me waiting outside, she didn't have enough time to waste.

Fifteen minutes later, Oeyne walked in, trying to look normal, though she could have succeeded better if it wasn't for her slightly damp hair, suggesting that she had to take a shower to quench her arousal, and the stiffness of her walk. She clearly wanted to climax after my arousing massage. Her clothing could be constituted as revenge. She was wearing a leather vest and leather pants, but both of them were considerably tighter than comfortable, revealing her curves perfectly. Especially her pants, which were tight enough to reveal the shape of her panties underneath.

She was clearly trying to get revenge by showing me such an arousing sight. I just nodded softly, acting like I missed the challenge she was proposing. "Shall we start?" I asked.

"Yes, let's start," she said, challengingly, unaware of the trap she had already fallen thanks to the aphrodisiac mixed in her massage oil...

---------------

\[Level: 27 Experience: 356600 / 378000

Strength: 31 Charisma: 46

Precision: 27 Perception: 30

Agility: 28 Manipulation: 33

Speed: 26 Intelligence: 37

Endurance: 25 Wisdom: 36

HP: 3699 / 3699 Mana: 4914 / 4914 \]

SKILLS

Master Melee \[100/100\]

Master Tantric \[100/100\]

Master Biomancy \[100/100\]

Master Elemental \[100/100\]

Master Subterfuge \[93/100\]

Master Arcana \[75/100\]

Advanced Speech \[50/50\]

PERKS

Mana Regeneration

Skill Share

Empowerment (1/1)

Teleportation

COMPANIONS

\[Cornelia - Level 17/25\]

\[Helga - Level 13/17\]