I nodded even if I was behind her. She jumped inside the house, her eyes looking for anyone, but it was empty. We walked around the place and climbed up the steps, but there was no one, nor civilian neither demon. She signaled with her head for us to leave the place once we reached the first floor. I was about to turn around when I caught sight of the movement from the back window.

  A demoness jumped over it, lithe as a cat, breaking the glass with a crashing sound. She stretched herself and landed over Brianna with such strength the two dropped straight to the ground, the demoness’ chest waving back and forth as she straddled the warrior.

  I sighed. I already loved this game.

  As much as I would’ve loved to watch those boobs swaying, I jumped over with a scream, sword in hand ready to swing and digitally behead her. She snapped at me, rolling away in the last moment as my sword swung where her head had been.

  Brianna jumped up, clutching her own sword. “Thanks,” she breathed, frowning. “Now let’s take that bitch down.”

  The demoness prepared to lunge at us, grinning. When she jumped, I had already started to swing my blade and it met her neck halfway through her movement, her smile melting into an astonished expression. There was only a thud as her body dropped to the ground.

  Smokey-numbers rose from her back but I did not feel the tingle up my spine this time, and there was no level up message by the corner of my vision. Guess I’d have to behead some more before I got another level up.

  Brianna sighed, striding to the door. “Good swing. That was a close one.”

  I followed her back to the square. “Thanks.” As we walked up to the next house, we stepped over a fallen villager. Apart from twisted limbs and the lack of blood, another thing caught my attention this time. Their bodies were untouched. “The demonesses are not eating the villagers.” I stated, feeling somewhat Captain Obvious.

  Brianna looked over her shoulder at me as she prepared to enter another house. “No. It’s just the regular killing spree. It’s been like this since the Necromancer took over.”

  I frowned. The Necromancer? Kick-ass name. I opened my mouth to ask who was that, but we entered the house before I could form the words.

  We killed another demon there, and this time the tingle up my spine came paired with the message of leveling up. As we left, I cleared my throat. “The Necromancer?”

  “Yeah. Up in the capital.” She slowed her steps so she walked beside me. “You know, she killed the whole royal family, took control of the kingdom and is letting all sort of other races attack villages, as long as they pay her taxes.” She frowned, her jaw clenched. “We pay her taxes but… I don’t know. That doesn’t seem to be enough. We’ve had all sorts of invasions. We survive and rise up, and then after some months, there’s another attack. It’s been like this for some three or four years.” She shrugged, clutching the hilt of her sword. “This succubus group alone has attacked us thrice up until now.”

  I gulped. “Succubus group?”

  “Yeah. Haven’t you noticed? Or did you think they were common demons, dressed like that?” She blew out a dry laughter. “The leader has taken residence up at the abandoned castle. She comes back every year or so, just for fun. Just because she knows no one can stop her.”

  “What? What a b- bastard.” I managed to stop the offense in the middle, and I looked up at her to see if she noticed. She didn’t seem to have minded, and I suddenly felt stupid for holding back insults. “So no one can beat her?”

  “We can, but that’s not all it takes. Every time we beat her, she leaves and then comes back later, you see? We’d have to make her our ally so she’d stop doing that.”

  “And what would it take for her to become your ally?”

  Brianna gave me an once-over again, tipping up her lips. “More levels than you currently have.”

  * * *

  I dropped myself on the first step of the Temple, sunrise bathing the square in warm, orange light. The buildings were in ruins around me, barely their skeletons standing as smoke rose in swirls to the skies. Brianna sat beside me, sipping from a bowl of soup.

  “Are you sure you don’t want any? It’s not much, but it’s warm.” She sipped again, her green eyes bright as she studied the square.

  “Nah, I’m good,” I reassured her. I could eat, but I loved the idea of not needing to. I spent the whole night running around and fighting and didn’t feel the need of sleeping too. “What’s the plan?”

  “They can’t walk in sunlight, so we’ll have the morning to try and organize ourselves. Bury our dead, rest.” She eyed me, bumping me with an elbow. “Will you stay for tonight’s attack? You’ve improved quite a lot.”

  I did. Of course, I was a level 7 now, the last level having been reached after killing a particularly nasty demoness. She showed up mid-square in the last hour of the evening, sporting not more than some leather straps over her nipples and between her thighs. I got a couple of scratches myself, glad they were not as painful as they would’ve been in real life, but managed to kill her just fine.

  “I will stay,” I nodded, watching her bronze skin in the light.

  “If you want to level up during the day,” she adjusted herself, her knee touching mine. “There’s going to be a bunch of quests for you in town. No heroic stuff though,” she side-smiled, and I couldn’t help but smile back. “But there’s going to be need for a strong pair of arms.”

  She pressed her arm against mine, her eyes glinting. My heart was beating as fast as when I first saw a demon. “Yeah, that sounds good,” I answered, gazing at her.

  “You’ll have to be stronger if you want to tackle the Lady up the castle.” She winked, then rose and left after a set of guards that called her.

  I watched her round ass walking away. I wondered if I could ever have a girl like that… Then I shook my head, frowning to myself. She was part of a game and it probably meant to make me feel like that. I had to get real and focus on the main goal of the game: beat it and get laid, nothing more, nothing less.

  I shot up to my feet and crossed the barricade to explore a new part of town. I needed to get stronger to beat the boss, and it would be all the better if I were some levels higher to make it easier. The faster I beat the boss, the faster I’d get some action.

  3

  At the beginning, I wandered around. Though the city was not exactly big, it seemed to be basically made of alleyways. Lost, I asked myself if there were enough survivors to give me any quest at all. But across town, it seemed a group of villagers managed through the night just enough.

  I helped retrieving lost pigs. I built a second barricade. I put cinders out and helped little girls finding their mothers and fetched herbs near the outer walls to produce healing potions. This last one was particularly interesting - it was just an herb, sitting by the edge of the forest, but everyone around me seemed to be wary of retrieving it. Something about the ones who lived in the woods.

  I got a healing potion myself as a reward, and free lunch from the owner of one of the pigs. My arms ached with the effort but I felt excellent - unlike what Brianna said, those people thanked me as if I was doing heroic stuff indeed. After lunch, leaning against one of the few porches still standing, my mind drifted away.

  Men and women alike had their sleeves rolled up their elbows as they worked hard to rebuild whatever they could. They made the porches again, they secured doors and boarded up windows. Kids weren’t spared - the ones I’ve met were helping their parents in minor duties. Even the ones with a small exclamation mark upon their heads, indicating the possibility of a quest, were not idle. Something told me they’d do their jobs with or without my interruption, and that was something else in video games. Usually, characters would stand, lost and confused, waiting for the player to come rescue them.

  I strolled around that part of town until the sun leaned to the west. Blinking against the red sunset, I wondered if the sky being painted in blood was a sign of what the night would bring.

  “Morning, sunshine,” a sweet voice called from behind me as I entered the square. I turned to see Brianna, wearing the very same clothes and with dirt smudged across her cheek, smiling up at me. “Managed some levels for tonight or you’re just going to rest your strength?” She reached up and pressed a finger against my strong biceps, smirking.

  I chortled. “For your information, I’m a level 10 now, my lady.”

  “Oh,” she pretended to be surprised, pausing a hand over her chest. “Good. And there’s still time for you if you’d like to try and level up a bit more. Are you taking on the demoness lady today?”

  “Yeah. As long as she isn’t taken down, this will keep on happening.”

  She nodded once, her eyes roaming over my body. The longer I watched, the longer it seemed her eyes studied me. “I guess you’ve already got some money, no? You should get something with higher defense.”

  My brows shot up. I overlooked that completely. Swiping my fingers to bring up the side menu, there was, indeed, a small gold coin right under my name and level, indicating the amount of money I owned.

  “Do you think anyone will be able to sell me anything?”

  She acquiesced, jutting her thumb behind her. “But you’ll have to go back the way you just came from. There is a store on the other end of town. Their building wasn’t hit at all.”

  * * *

  When I arrived back at the main square, the last rays of sunlight were coloring the rooftops of the lower houses. Between trying to find my way and doing more quests on the way back, it seemed the city was ready for another attack at any given moment.

  Some put on defensive clothes and strapped swords at their sides; others blocked their doors and windows after being sure their kids were safe. I passed a group on my way to the Temple that prayed on their knees by the fountain, led by a man in white that possibly was a sort of priest.

  “Finally,” Brianna greeted me from the top of the stairs, her face clean and her sword sharp. “Got lost or managed more quests?”

  “Both,” I smiled. She laughed, the sound reverberating around the stone buildings. I could hardly remember the last time I made a woman laugh - even if she was make-believe, so my heart swell with pride at the sound.

  “Awesome!” She jumped down the steps to where I was, pausing a hand over my new vest. “Nice vest. This will definitely help against the Big Bad.” She grinned, making my heart rate speed up. I watched her, green eyes sparkling up at me, her hand still over my vest. “If we live the night,” she started, biting her lip, looking sideways, “or if you manage to make the demoness your ally… Come find me. I’d love to reward your bravery.” She directed me a coy smile, letting her hand drop.

  My heart galloped. If I was intent of taking down the boss before, nothing could beat how crazy I was about it now.

  I assented. “I’ll be back before you can miss me,” I tried, internally celebrating as she smiled.

  “I’ll be waiting.” She took a step back, unsheathing her sword. “Killing some demons to pass the time.”

  I grinned to myself, turning to stride down the road that would take me out of the city. I couldn’t wait to get my reward.

  * * *

  I sighed as I looked out in the distance. I should have found a horse or a mule or something to carry me. It seemed I’ve left the city some fifteen minutes back, and still the road stretched, bordering the forest. The hill was an eternity away.

  Wondering if I had any kind of skills that would speed me up, I swiped the menu open, looking for info. A set of four grayed-out orbs indicated I still had to conquer any skill. I closed the menu, looking up at the castle.

  As the sun sank in the horizon, I could see the first glimpses of flying creatures rising from the stone walls and descending into the city. My heart rate picked up. Even if I had gained some levels since last night, no demon was all that easy to kill. It seemed they got better as I got better too, and last night I had Brianna by my side. Now I was alone by the border of a dark forest in the middle of the night.

  I picked up my pace, watching the forms flying against the light of the stars and the round moon that poked from behind the towers, stretched wings cut against the dark purple sky. I hoped none of them would mind a lone wanderer up the road…

  But as I completed the thought, one of the shadows distanced from the main group and pirouetted in my direction. I jogged, but it was inevitable - she would reach me any moment.

  I halted as she landed in front of me, distancing her legs and pausing her hands over round hips. She licked her plump bottom lip. “Well, well, what do we have here?” She stepped in my direction as I pulled my sword. “Oh, a knight? Are you the one who’s going to try to stop Mistress this time?” She chuckled, her voice a higher pitch than I took as comfortable.

  I roared. “You’re not disturbing this people any longer. I’m stopping her for real this time.”

  She opened a large smile. “Are you now? How cute.” She gave me an once-over. “I don’t know… You don’t seem able to battle her and live… Even less making her your ally…” She chuckled again, her breasts bouncing over her cleavage as she stepped around me. I followed her, stepping around, sword ready. “You don’t mind if I test you out, do you?”

  With that, she lunged at me. But she was not much better than any of her peers from the previous night. I ducked, avoiding a clawed hand to my shoulder and turned, using the opening she left to swing my blade under her arm. I felt the tip slashing through her ribs.

  She yelled, toppling to the ground with a hand pressing her side. The gaze she threw me was red with rage. “You damned human!” She bared her teeth, standing up. “You’re not disturbing Mistress! None of you deserve the reward of having her as an ally!”

  She lunged again and I dodged, my blade swinging in a beautiful, precise diagonal motion against her neck. My spine tingled as her eyes rolled up her head.

  You leveled up. 11 > 12

  Sheathing my sword back, I frowned, asking myself what the hell did she mean with the reward of making her lady an ally.

  Stepping away from the corpse, I turned back to the road, jogging up to the castle to take down this boss once and for all.

  * * *

  I was so angry at myself for not finding a horse or some shit. Luckily, my stamina was alright because if I had to trust the stamina I had in real life… I’d be totally screwed.

  The castle towered high up a hill overlooking both the city and the forest around. The road that left town led straight up the hill in a plain path that I climbed easily. Once, it was probably used by carriages, but now grass grew on its sides all the way up until I reached the entrance to the castle itself.

  The building was immense, covering the rising moon with one of its crooked, pointy towers. I couldn’t stop thinking about Castlevania, but this one seemed to be way less taken care of than Dracula’s. Windows were destroyed, one of the towers ravaged. Light spilled from its insides though.

  I approached the landing, looking over the battlement to see the city far in the distance. First, I congratulated myself. Who imagined I would’ve walked all the way here without dying out of breath. Next, my heart weighted - the city was already on fire and I could see the winged forms all the way from here. I hoped the citizens would hold alright.

  The door creaked for a moment, catching my eye. It was, as expected, huge - a classical wooden, double door with metal hinges, very medieval. I pressed a hand against it, impressed at the rough texture on my palm, and wondered if it would require some kind of magical word to open it. I shoved against it and it creaked, opening slowly, but without much effort.

  I was about to step inside when I heard the yell.

  A succubus flew to the castle, batting her wings in the air. I prepared my sword but she was not targeting me - she was actually carrying something towards the side of the castle. I ran back to the battlement, trying to see better in the somber night.

  She was carrying a woman, legs thrashing in the air, being held up by her wrists. The victim yelled, a string of curses on the tip of her tongue as she tried to throw her legs up and kick the demoness in an impressive effort.

  I’d be damned, but the light caught distinctly a red brownish hair.

  I gulped, diving inside as soon as the two entered through a side window. The main hall was brightly lit by candles and it made me blink until I was used to all the light. The long hall had tables and chairs with their legs up, ripped banners, and all sorts of destroyed relics that stood as sole survivors of an invasion. The stained-glassed window behind a throne was destroyed, its shards forgotten over the cold floor. I advanced, watching the side corridors as I studied a manner of approaching the boss.

  “Hello.”

  I jumped, snapping around. I swallowed twice to put my heart back on its place as I watched the demoness behind me. She laughed out loud.

  “Sorry, did I scare you?” Her smile would be sweet if there weren’t fangs protruding from under her lips and slitted yellow eyes, paired up with a clear murderous intent as her gaze roamed over me. “I’ve seen you at our front door as I flew up here. We were wondering when the next hero wannabe would show up…” She purred, taking a step in my direction and pausing, jutting her hip to a side. This one girl had smaller breasts, but they were perky, a pair of nipples standing up at attention as they pressed against the thin cloth of her mini dress. I gulped as I watched her - those demonesses seemed eager to wear the shortest thing they could put their clawed hands on. This one also ended inches below her crotch, and delineated her curves so well it pained me. Her hair was shorter than the other demonesses’ I’ve met, ending in large, dark ringlets over her chest. “I wonder,” she purred once more, biting a pointy nail. “Do you think Mistress would mind if I played with you before she kills you? It’s been a long, long time since I last fucked humans.”

 

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