143-144

Standing on the porch, we all waved goodbye to the Empress' Carriage, which carried the Empress and Sultana back towards the Palace above.

Glancing up towards the sky, I pursed my lips at the sun that rested directly above us.

Returning my gaze to the women by my side, I said "Shall we go down to Zhu'Rong Caverns?"

Everyone nodded, likely for different reasons; Anput wanted to stretch, Leone wanted some more materials, and Jahi wanted the practice.

Though, I could also see the mild relief in each of their eyes as they likely thought that letting me have my own fun down in the Caverns would result in them having an easier time later tonight.

Sadly, that's not how it'll work…

Though, I let them have that small glimmer of hope as we returned inside, each going to our rooms to grab our gear.

As I changed into my armor, I could feel Jahi's palatable gaze on my skin, and after a coy smile to my towering lover, she flung herself forwards and took me before returning to strapping on her own armor.

Helping her suit up, I gave her a deep kiss before strapping on my dagger and stepping outside, where the other two were waiting.

Considering their flushed cheeks, I knew that they had heard, but…

Walking past them, I could tell, without even looking, that they were both pouting at my back.

Making our way down to the Adventuring District, we entered the Guild Hall and grabbed a Request each.

Like before, we had mainly Harvesting Requests, looking for specific monster parts down in Zhu'Rong Caverns, so it seemed like we would get a good opportunity to experiment again.

Thankfully, Jahi had relented and allowed us to return to our normal roles, meaning Leone and I were walking behind Jahi and Anput, where we would remain to provide support to the two women in front of us.

With easy Requests for each of us, we dived into the Obsidian Valley yet again and decimated a few hordes as we made our ways down to the Plains of Yama, where most of our Requests were located.

Jahi had selected a Request asking for a Firefang's skull, specifically an adult male Firefang's skull, which, while odd, did pay 7 Gold and 30 Silvers, so…

We would need to explore parts of the Plains that we haven't yet; specifically, the far left side that was home to these monsters.

With our packs already filling up from the always profitable Ghoul Cores and Crystals, we stepped onto the Plains and made our way over to the left, deciding to start with the Firefangs.

The habitat that the Firefangs lived in was covered in tall grasses that came up to my shoulders, while trees littered the landscape, towering way above our heads.

When we had seen that Elder Firefang during our first excursion into the Caverns, its size and power was impressive, but now…

Stalking through the grass, we cleared a path deeper into the savanna like area and glanced around, before Anput and I glanced towards the tree a dozen some odd feet in front of us.

Our ears twitched as we stopped, and we scanned the branches of the tree, before my eyes widened as I saw the giant cat monster creeping down the trunk, its ruby gaze locked on us as it quietly made its way down.

Jahi and Leone followed our gazes, and upon seeing all four of us staring at it, the Firefang jumped into the grass, standing at around 6 foot at its shoulders.

Which was double the size of an average tiger, so…

Warily staring at it, we cursed softly as it lowered its large frame, sinking into the grass with ease.

"Yeah, not fucking happening…"

Hearing Jahi mutter, we watched as she sent her Light Discs flickering out, cutting through the tall grasses around us and clearing a large circle, giving us room to fight.

When she was done, Anput and I nodded to one another and turned towards opposite directions, listening intently for the beast.

With such quiet movements, impeccable body control, and a frame that just barely fits under the grasses around us…

Paired with the slight breeze that made the grasses around us ruffle randomly, Anput and I had a hard time locating the monster.

Pursing my lips, I continued to rake my gaze over the grasses around us, before Anput let out a grunt, making me turn.

Seeing her hurl a spear into the grass, I furrowed my brow before hearing something cry out.

Sending her discs towards the cries, Jahi cleared the area, revealing the Firefang whimpering, Anput's spear embedded in its stomach, pinning it to the ground.

Nodding to one another, we approached the monster carefully, before Jahi snapped the monsters neck.

Drawing my dagger, I set to work hacking the monster apart, attempting to locate a core or something inside the mass of muscle in front of me.

While I worked on that, Jahi severed the beasts head and had Leone look at it, using her knowledge about Alchemical ingredients to locate anything valuable in its skull, before having her join me, directing my blade as I searched its body.

Sadly, the Firefang that we found was female; apparently, Female Firefang's have red fur with orange stripes, while the Males have black stripes.

So, she had taken the skull and retrieved the fangs, which had a venom stored inside them, before having me find the beasts heart and core.

With a mountain of flesh beside me, and blood soaking into the ground, I sighed as everything that remained of the beast slowly turned to dust, leaving only its blood and retrieved parts behind.

Imbedding my mana slightly into the core, I prevented its decay and stored it in one of my pouches, before getting up and cleaning my blood stained armor and skin off with a quick splash of water magic.

When we finished up we returned to our hunt, searching for another Firefang, preferably a male.

It took us some time, with us stumbling upon a tribe of Lava Goblins in the middle of the grasses, as well as a small group of Lizardmer, which we dispatched with extreme prejudice; none of us seemed happy about encountering the things that populated that city where we almost lost our lives, so…

When we did finally find the Male Firefang, we killed it in much the same way as the first, but this time Anput and I tried something slightly different.

Instead of waiting to find it, we sent out a flurry of smaller projectiles, which we could expand should they hit the Firefang.

When I felt one of my small spheres of ice impact a solid wall of muscle, I had it shatter and spread over the body of the monster, before rushing forwards and finishing it off.

It was after that kill that the system asked [Would Host like to wait until later for the System Update? Or would Host prefer to undergo the Update now?]

Slicing into the Firefang, I gently shook my head as I said 'No, wait till tonight. with no idea what it'll do to me physically or mentally, I would rather be alone, so that they don't notice a change…'

[Very well Host. Just be warned, all experience gained from this point forwards is null; there is no overflow until you undergo the Update.]

Nodding, I could feel the system grow quiet, and I returned to butchering the beast in front of me.

While I was excited at the idea of this Update, I curbed that joy and pushed it aside, focusing on the present.

We were still in a dangerous place, so I needed to be alert.

After debating who would transport an entire skull, we all watched as Jahi shrugged it over her shoulders, the spare cords we carried to fix any broken pouches allowing her to carry it.

With the harder of the Requests done, we exited the savanna like area and returned to the flat, rolling Plains, where I needed to harvest a bunch more Obsidian Grass and a new herb called Flaming Lavender, which grew near the Lava Lake, where Leone needed to harvest some of the black sand.

Anput harvested some herself, explaining that the sand was a good insulator and many smiths in the Capital wanted this black sand, as it retained more heat than normal sand.

When Anput finally got her own pouches of the sand, we then had to search the stalagmites that grew around the Plains, attempting to find a chunk of Charred Iron.

Finding the blackened metal in abundance near a Lava Goblin Tribe, we made our way back up to the surface, where we turned in our Requests and items, earning a good profit again.

[ Earnings:

Jahi: 7 Gold 30 Silver

Anput: 6 Gold 50 Silver

Leone: 6 Gold 50 Silver

Kat: 7 Gold

Party: 34 Gold 77 Silver 29 Copper

Personal Payout: 10 Gold 47 Silver ]

When we had turned in our excess materials and Requests, Jahi decided she wanted to eat out, dragging us into the city and towards a restaurant that she had heard of.

Entering, I sighed as, unsurprisingly, the place she brought us to was an all you can eat barbecue place, the tall Demoness dropping the required coins for the meal before guiding us towards our table.

Anput and Jahi instantly started grilling their own meals as soon as the plate of raw meats was available, and Leone glanced over to me, her eyes going wide as I offered her my wrist.

Watching them all eat with content faces, I sighed again as I slowly found myself calculating how many meals I could have made with the coin that Jahi used to pay for this, only to have to let that thought go as it grew to be more depressing then it was worth.

Especially when Anput decided that some of her coin was definitely worth spending on wines.

When I saw Jahi mirror Anput and purchase two bottles, I sighed again before grilling my own steak, staring at the subpar meat and placing it on pitiful greens…

Leone did the same, but she seemed to be enjoying the atmosphere that Jahi and Anput were creating, the two letting loose a little as they ate and drank.

The meal was long, and I helped guide the two tipsy women home, before pushing them into the bedroom, listening to how quickly Anput started to moan.

Giving Leone a tired smile, I shook my head and gestured for her to join them, which she did.

Going back to the couch, I sighed as I sank into the soft cushions, my body clean from a quick 'shower' of water magic.

'How long will this update take?'

Closing my eyes, I tuned out the sounds coming from the room behind me, instead focusing on the system as it spoke.

[Shouldn't be long, especially not with how much prep time the Host allowed. Shall I start the update now?]

'Please do.'

[Very well. Host may experience tiredness and mental strain during the update; Suggestion: Host should find an area that will amplify Mana regeneration so as to counteract these effects.]

Sighing, I nodded as I got up, making my way towards Leone's room and entering her bath.

Waving my hand, I dropped the temperature of the bath significantly, disrobing and lowering myself into the freezing water.

Surprisingly, the low temperature didn't bother me at all; instead, I felt comfortable as small patches of frost crystalized over the surface of the still water.

Closing my eyes again, I focused on pulling in the mana around me, gradually restoring my core to full.

[Update commencing. Expected time of completion: 10 Minutes, 23 seconds.]

Leaning back, I watched the timer slowly tick down, my mind going blank as my entire focus honed into the numbers.

My already tired body didn't seem different, but my head was slightly numb, like I had been reading in a dim room for too long.

There was no nervousness as the timer slowly ticked down to zero, and I simply let my mind wander as time passed, not thinking about… anything.

It was rather relaxing, not worrying about something, not thinking about anything; when the clock hit zero, I actually flinched when I heard something, the mini eternity I had created being snuffed from existence.

[Update Complete. 'Servant System' reinitiating…]

I could… 'feel' the system inside of my mind changing, the small shifts around creating an interesting effect as my body warmed up again, before returning to the temperature of the water around me.

[Hah~! This feels rather nice~! Like… moving from a cramped apartment into a real house~!]

Hearing the system's voice again, I asked 'So what's new? Surely you'll wish to display this… 'houses' new shiny bells and whistles, no?'

[Indeed, indeed~! Oh, but I must say it feels nice to be able to… 'move' around? Hmm, don't really know how to explain it… Anyways, yes, new features~! Here we go… Sending you a screen now.]

[Servant System: Lvl 25

Class: Servant

Xp: (0 / 1,000,000)

Stats: STR (40) , CON (42) , AGI (40) , DEX (40) , CHA (42) , WIS (42) , INT (40)

Skills: Chione's Blessing (N) , Frost of Despoina (N) , Hunter (N) , Enchanter (N) , Crucible (N) , Dagger Proficiency (Ad) , Stealth (Ad) , Growth (Ad) , Healing (Ex) , Housework (Ex) , Mana Control (Ex) , Hardworking (M) , Nymphomania (MAX)

[Skill Tiers: Novice (N) , Apprentice (Ap) , Adept (Ad) , Expert (Ex) , Master (M) , Legendary (L) , MAX (MAX)]

Skill Points: 15

Stat Points: 0

Shop Points (SP): 0

[Would Host like to Evolve Servant System? Y / N] ]

'Evolve..? So I was right in the sense that the previous version had become-'

[Outdated? Yes, I sadly was. Besides that, this 'update' will allow you to choose what you wish to do in the future. Will you remain JUST a maid, doing the household chores and sleeping with your Mistress', or do you wish to become a different type of Servant; a bodyguard, warrior, mage, enchantress, whatever it may be…]

Nodding, I opened my eyes and stared at the translucent screen before me, which was replaced.

[Here are the options, if you were curious. Remember though, this is not replacing the Servant System, simply making it something new. It is… expanding upon it; all the skills and progress you made will remain, as will the current quests and things of that nature. Alright, go ahead and look; if you have a question, ask.]

[Servant System Evolution Paths (As determined via Skills, Experience, and Desires):

<Housewife>

<Frost Mage>

<Frost Warrior>

<Frost Rogue>

<Shadow Guard>

<Retainer>

<Head Maid>

<Succubus>

<Enchantress>

<Soul-Bound Killer>

<Load More…>]

'That… is a lot of options…'

I scrolled through the long list, before returning to the top.

'Is this sorted via compatibility again?'

[Yes and no… it's hard to determine compatibility, so I grouped some together and placed the ones that you might be more interested in up top.]

'Housewife..?'

[Ahem… that one really is the most compatible, if you must know…]

Chuckling, I shook my head as I asked 'How many Evolutions or Classes could I have?'

[Two Classes, but the Evolution is technically unlimited. Something could always be improved, and your skills and experiences will always grow as well. For now though, just know that you don't have the ability to retain a Second Class; your body isn't entirely ready for that…]

'When would it be?'

[Each Class places… strain on one's soul, and if enough strain is felt, a soul could be torn… which usually results in death. Permanent death; no reincarnation, transmigration, regression… just… oblivion. As for when; likely by the time you reach Lvl 50, you would be capable of withstanding a Second Class.]

'So until then, I have whatever I choose here. Alright… explain the 'Frost' and 'Shadow' prefix please.'

[Due to your element, disposition, and skills, these variations on Mage, Warrior, Rogue, and Guard have been selected. For Frost, the system will focus entirely on your Ice Magic and how to improve upon it. Quests for learning how to implement and utilize your Ice correctly will be prioritized, and the rewards will stem off of items or 'ideas' based on Frost.

As for Shadow, due to the Stealth Skill and your desire to remain hidden, this altered the Guard Class to fit you better; since a Guard serves someone, this Class changed to become the Shadow Guard, and it will focus on you secretly protecting those you serve. The Quests will be based on your ability to remain hidden from prying eyes, fooling those around you, and the rewards will be item or 'ideas' based on Steath and remaining hidden.]

Nodding again, I pursed my lips as I asked 'That sounds more like me then the whole Frost line though?'

[Well, they were all tied; your love of your Ice, paired with the skill with a blade and magic created the 'Frost Line', as you call it. As for Shadow Guard, that was focused more on your beliefs and desires. You consciously act like a Shadow Guard, but your skills and personality fit those Frost Classes well.]

'Alright… I get that. So, whatever I choose here is somehow an 'Evolution' of the original Servant System?'

[Correct; each one relates to being a servant in someway; even Soul-Bound Killer is a servant class, since you are… well… Soul-Bound… Besides that, even the combat class', like the Frost Line, are 'servants', since you can be employed or bound to a person. Servant really was a broad label… Who came up with that? They must not think ahead…]

'I feel kinda offended; I mean, I chose the damn thing!'

[Oh, not you; it really did fit you well in the beginning, but- I think we should stop… I feel like I'm angering someone…]

'…same…'

? [A-Anyways, when you chose an evolution, you will be able to receive Daily Quests, which award small experience bundles, as well as larger, normal Quests, which could award experience, skills, skill points, stat points, items, Shop Points, or 'ideas', which you can think of as someone slamming a textbook of information into your brain…]

'Alright… weird, but I get that. So, when I choose a new… 'Class', will the change be immediate or..?'

[Kind of. The update preloaded most of these Classes, so when you choose one the System will update in a few minutes.]

Nodding, I stared at the screen ahead of me for a few more minutes, reading each option and weighing them carefully.

The entire Frost Line of Classes was tempting; I did love my Ice Magic, and with them I could further my magic even more, but…

With any of those choices, I bound myself towards one style; a Mage, Warrior, or Rogue.

Sure, I could still learn to fight however I wanted, but choosing a Mage Class and not using magic wouldn't get me the most experience, and if I chose Warrior and used magic, I would run into the same problem.

Which made me go down to Shadow Guard; the entire Class would revolve around me protecting Anput, Leone, and Jahi from the shadows, with no one knowing how strong I was besides them.

I didn't need to put myself out there; the attention for being a top talent seemed more of a detriment then anything else…

I was content letting them shine as I supported them, and a Guard was free to use whatever they pleased, as long as they protected the people they were meant to guard.

Nodding to myself, I double checked every other class, before saying 'Shadow Guard. I want to evolve into a Shadow Guard.'

[Are you sure? Once an Evolution is selected, you cannot reverse that change. Think this through first bef-]

'I have. Please evolve my Servant System into Shadow Guard.'

—

Alright, so I went with Classes, since there is such a broad definition for Servant.

And Guard was one of them.

This will alter her quests, which will now encompass her being an unseen, unknown power that protects the other three.

Which fits her.

Besides that, this allows more flexibility with the System, and I will go into detail next chapter about those changes.

What'd you all think of these changes though? I'm curious.