When we woke up the next morning, I felt happy in a profound way.
Having a harem, with all kinds of women, was better than monogamy. It was like having different kinds of fruit on a plate. Variety had certainly spiced up my life.
Sherry had certainly taught me some new varieties of pleasure last night, too.
Sadly, our soulbond didn’t level up. But I could feel we were getting close. A little more effort was needed on the emotional front. Sherry wasn’t a very vulnerable person; rather, she exuded confidence. I would need to get through her walls.
Upon leaving the soul cottage, we stepped into the now clear valley. The mountains grew darker as we progressed. A few stray skeletons appeared out of the cave mouths, but we dispatched them with ease.
The ground turned glassy. Ahead, the peak of a spitting volcano appeared. It looked like the perfect place for a boss battle.
Luckily, there was a blue fast travel point just outside of the winding path that led up to the peak.
“I bet the others are worried,” I said.
“Let them worry.” Sherry giggled. “I like having you all to myself.”
“Oh? Then how about we don’t go back to the temple. How about we fast travel to the overworld.”
“What have you got in mind, handsome?”
“We’ve got quite a lot of goldcores and soulcores. I say we buy a new mount.”
“Oh, I see. Trying to spend your goldcores before Miranda get’s her grubby hands on them.”
I laughed. “Something like that. I’m still hopeful she’ll forgive part of my debt.”
“You mean without thrusting that huge cock in her mouth?”
The image her words painted in my head made me hard. “Let’s focus on getting a mount.”
“All right, handsome. I know just the place.”
“Perfect. I’ll let you take the lead, then.” I certainly enjoyed when she’d taken the lead last night.
We fast traveled to the overworld. We got in the rickshaw. Sherry went in a direction we’d never gone before.
“I know an old timer who collects broken mounts and repairs them,” she said. “He’ll give us a good deal.”
Half an hour later, we arrived at glyph-covered barrier. Within it was a big stone villa with a few adjoining smaller houses. Around the houses were all sorts of carriages, most of them as rickety and old as our rickshaw.
A short old man wearing spectacles trundled over to us. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite curseborn.”
“Ted.” Sherry beamed at him. “It’s been a little while, hasn’t it?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Four days. Four months. Four years. It’s all the same when you’re old.” He adjusted his spectacles to get a good look at me. “Who is this young fella?”
“I’m Remy.” I tried to shake his hand, but then remembered there was a barrier between us. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Ted tapped on one of the glyphs. “Come on in.” A hole appeared in the barrier for us to walk through. “Do you like tea, Remy?”
“I’m more of a coffee guy. But I could go for some tea.”
“Good. Good. I make a brutal purple tea.”
I had no idea what purple tea was, nor how or why it could be brutal. “Sounds wonderful.”
Sherry took my arm, and we walked into his house. To my surprise, it was rather neat, with all sorts of ornate vases spread about. Delicate, finely woven carpets hung across the walls. This Ted guy must’ve been earning a decent income.
We sat on the floor around a wooden table. Another surprise: the table itself was heated.
“How does this heated table work?” I asked.
“Made it myself. Very useful during cold nights.”
“You seem like a resourceful fellow.”
Ted poured the purple tea in small, clay mugs. Then he set them on the table.
Sherry wasted no time. She took a chug and let out a satisfied ah.
I was far more hesitant. The only purple drinks I enjoyed were Kool Aid and Tang. Although I hadn’t had either since I was a kid.
I sipped the purple liquid. It was sweet. It had a homely sort of taste, contrary to what I expected.
“I could get used to this,” I said.
Ted poured himself a cup and sat with us. “So what brings you two here, eh? Not simply visiting an old man, I take it.”
“We want one of your restored mounts,” Sherry said.
“Well if you’ve got the goldcores, then I’ve got a mount for you.”
I considered how many goldcores I was willing to part with. I still had to give the majority to Miranda. Also, as hospitable as he was being, I knew it was just a sales tactic. I’d never served anyone tea when trying to sell them a phone plan, but I’d done other things to seem like a friend.
“I want something that can fly.” I smiled.
“You must be a very rich man, then,” Ted said. “A thousand goldcores and you’ve got yourself a flying mount.”
I almost spat out my tea. “I’ll take it for ten.”
Ted laughed. “Oh, he’s a killer! Think I’m old and easy to hoodwink, eh?”
Sherry put a warm hand on my shoulder. “Remy is just being Remy. He’s taking care of five of us curseborn. Building us a little village, in fact. He prizes all the soulcores and goldcores he has because he uses them for the benefit of others.”
Sherry was cleverer than I realized. She was pulling at Ted’s heartstrings to get him to soften. Though I doubted the old man was unfamiliar with this negotiating tactic.
“He may be a charitable man, Sherry, but I’m not.” Ted grinned. “Old age hasn’t weakened my lust for goldcores, I’m afraid.”
I probably wasn’t getting a flying mount, no matter how well we bargained. Perhaps we could settle for a fast mount.
“Ten goldcores,” I said. “What’s the best you can give me?”
Ted let out a tired sigh. “It’s okay. Let’s stop playing this game.”
“What game?” I scratched my head.
“They’ve announced a three hundred goldcore bounty for your head,” Ted said. “I could turn you in, and make a whole lot more. So why would I settle for ten?”
I gazed at the walls around us. Technically, if Ted didn’t allow us to leave the barrier, we would be stuck here. We would be his prisoners.
“You wouldn’t do that,” Sherry said. “You hate those bastards from Port City as much as we do.”
“That’s why I’m not going to take your goldcores,” Ted said. “I’m going to give you a mount for free.”
I let out the breath I was holding.
“Follow me.” Ted got up and walked into the next room.
We followed. A bunch of brown orbs sat on a shelf next to a wide open space. He grabbed a brown orb with some sort of symbol on it, then threw it on the ground.
What appeared resembled the front of a roller coaster. It had three rows of seats with three seats per row. The front was angled sharply, probably to be aerodynamic. Fresh white and gold paint adorned the sides.
Sherry clapped and jumped up and down in delight.
“You can get from here to Port City in half an hour,” Ted said. “What do you think?”
“You’re giving this to me for free?” I almost felt bad. “Why?”
“I used to work as mount keeper for the prince. I made one mistake, and the asshole decided to exile me. That’s how little we matter to them. So if you’re fighting back, I’m all for it.” Ted gestured to the mount. “Besides, I got this one for free. The day before my exile was to begin, I snuck into the palace and stole it.”
“You mean this belongs to the prince?” My jaw dropped.
“Indeed. Which is why I can’t sell it to anyone around here — it’s stolen goods! I took it to get back at them. But now, by putting it in your hands, I can do more than just get back at them. I can help destroy them.”
I shook Ted’s hand. “Thank you.”
“You go and fight the good fight. And take care of Sherry.”
Sherry’s smile couldn’t be contained.
I drove our new mount back to the fast travel point. At maximum speed, it was four times faster than the rickshaw. It would make traversing this island a joke. The ride was much steadier, too; uneven terrain didn’t jolt it.
As soon as we arrived at the onsen, everyone ran up to us.
Esme seemed livid. “Where have you two been? We were all so worried!”
I wished we had some way to communicate over distance. Like a cell phone.
“We made a lot of progress in the Underground Forest,” I said. “Also, we have a new mount.”
I kissed Esme on the cheek.
Ayla hugged me. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” I gave her a kiss, as well.
Did the same for Maria and Tara.
Then I approached the Soulful Doll.
“It’s time for an upgrade,” I said to it.
“Good. I’ve been craving soulcores.” It let out a maniacal laugh.
I could never get over how creepy it was. “Well… open up.”
Soul Level: 11
Strength: 3
Intelligence: 1
Agility: 3
Endurance 1
Vigor: 1
Mind: 1
Luck: 1
Soulcores Required for Next Level: 300 (819)
I added another point to strength, then another to agility, taking my Soul Level to 13. My muscles bulged briefly, and I felt as if I’d grown wings. The points became a part of me.
Next, I was eager to check out Miranda’s progress with the onsen.
Announcement Hey there! Go up to 10 chapters ahead by joining my PATREON, and get clothed and nude art of the girls!
When we woke up the next morning, I felt happy in a profound way.
Having a harem, with all kinds of women, was better than monogamy. It was like having different kinds of fruit on a plate. Variety had certainly spiced up my life.
Sherry had certainly taught me some new varieties of pleasure last night, too.
Sadly, our soulbond didn’t level up. But I could feel we were getting close. A little more effort was needed on the emotional front. Sherry wasn’t a very vulnerable person; rather, she exuded confidence. I would need to get through her walls.
Upon leaving the soul cottage, we stepped into the now clear valley. The mountains grew darker as we progressed. A few stray skeletons appeared out of the cave mouths, but we dispatched them with ease.
The ground turned glassy. Ahead, the peak of a spitting volcano appeared. It looked like the perfect place for a boss battle.
Luckily, there was a blue fast travel point just outside of the winding path that led up to the peak.
“I bet the others are worried,” I said.
“Let them worry.” Sherry giggled. “I like having you all to myself.”
“Oh? Then how about we don’t go back to the temple. How about we fast travel to the overworld.”
“What have you got in mind, handsome?”
“We’ve got quite a lot of goldcores and soulcores. I say we buy a new mount.”
“Oh, I see. Trying to spend your goldcores before Miranda get’s her grubby hands on them.”
I laughed. “Something like that. I’m still hopeful she’ll forgive part of my debt.”
“You mean without thrusting that huge cock in her mouth?”
The image her words painted in my head made me hard. “Let’s focus on getting a mount.”
“All right, handsome. I know just the place.”
“Perfect. I’ll let you take the lead, then.” I certainly enjoyed when she’d taken the lead last night.
We fast traveled to the overworld. We got in the rickshaw. Sherry went in a direction we’d never gone before.
“I know an old timer who collects broken mounts and repairs them,” she said. “He’ll give us a good deal.”
Half an hour later, we arrived at glyph-covered barrier. Within it was a big stone villa with a few adjoining smaller houses. Around the houses were all sorts of carriages, most of them as rickety and old as our rickshaw.
A short old man wearing spectacles trundled over to us. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite curseborn.”
“Ted.” Sherry beamed at him. “It’s been a little while, hasn’t it?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Four days. Four months. Four years. It’s all the same when you’re old.” He adjusted his spectacles to get a good look at me. “Who is this young fella?”
“I’m Remy.” I tried to shake his hand, but then remembered there was a barrier between us. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Ted tapped on one of the glyphs. “Come on in.” A hole appeared in the barrier for us to walk through. “Do you like tea, Remy?”
“I’m more of a coffee guy. But I could go for some tea.”
“Good. Good. I make a brutal purple tea.”
I had no idea what purple tea was, nor how or why it could be brutal. “Sounds wonderful.”
Sherry took my arm, and we walked into his house. To my surprise, it was rather neat, with all sorts of ornate vases spread about. Delicate, finely woven carpets hung across the walls. This Ted guy must’ve been earning a decent income.
We sat on the floor around a wooden table. Another surprise: the table itself was heated.
“How does this heated table work?” I asked.
“Made it myself. Very useful during cold nights.”
“You seem like a resourceful fellow.”
Ted poured the purple tea in small, clay mugs. Then he set them on the table.
Sherry wasted no time. She took a chug and let out a satisfied ah.
I was far more hesitant. The only purple drinks I enjoyed were Kool Aid and Tang. Although I hadn’t had either since I was a kid.
I sipped the purple liquid. It was sweet. It had a homely sort of taste, contrary to what I expected.
“I could get used to this,” I said.
Ted poured himself a cup and sat with us. “So what brings you two here, eh? Not simply visiting an old man, I take it.”
“We want one of your restored mounts,” Sherry said.
“Well if you’ve got the goldcores, then I’ve got a mount for you.”
I considered how many goldcores I was willing to part with. I still had to give the majority to Miranda. Also, as hospitable as he was being, I knew it was just a sales tactic. I’d never served anyone tea when trying to sell them a phone plan, but I’d done other things to seem like a friend.
“I want something that can fly.” I smiled.
“You must be a very rich man, then,” Ted said. “A thousand goldcores and you’ve got yourself a flying mount.”
I almost spat out my tea. “I’ll take it for ten.”
Ted laughed. “Oh, he’s a killer! Think I’m old and easy to hoodwink, eh?”
Sherry put a warm hand on my shoulder. “Remy is just being Remy. He’s taking care of five of us curseborn. Building us a little village, in fact. He prizes all the soulcores and goldcores he has because he uses them for the benefit of others.”
Sherry was cleverer than I realized. She was pulling at Ted’s heartstrings to get him to soften. Though I doubted the old man was unfamiliar with this negotiating tactic.
“He may be a charitable man, Sherry, but I’m not.” Ted grinned. “Old age hasn’t weakened my lust for goldcores, I’m afraid.”
I probably wasn’t getting a flying mount, no matter how well we bargained. Perhaps we could settle for a fast mount.
“Ten goldcores,” I said. “What’s the best you can give me?”
Ted let out a tired sigh. “It’s okay. Let’s stop playing this game.”
“What game?” I scratched my head.
“They’ve announced a three hundred goldcore bounty for your head,” Ted said. “I could turn you in, and make a whole lot more. So why would I settle for ten?”
I gazed at the walls around us. Technically, if Ted didn’t allow us to leave the barrier, we would be stuck here. We would be his prisoners.
“You wouldn’t do that,” Sherry said. “You hate those bastards from Port City as much as we do.”
“That’s why I’m not going to take your goldcores,” Ted said. “I’m going to give you a mount for free.”
I let out the breath I was holding.
“Follow me.” Ted got up and walked into the next room.
We followed. A bunch of brown orbs sat on a shelf next to a wide open space. He grabbed a brown orb with some sort of symbol on it, then threw it on the ground.
What appeared resembled the front of a roller coaster. It had three rows of seats with three seats per row. The front was angled sharply, probably to be aerodynamic. Fresh white and gold paint adorned the sides.
Sherry clapped and jumped up and down in delight.
“You can get from here to Port City in half an hour,” Ted said. “What do you think?”
“You’re giving this to me for free?” I almost felt bad. “Why?”
“I used to work as mount keeper for the prince. I made one mistake, and the asshole decided to exile me. That’s how little we matter to them. So if you’re fighting back, I’m all for it.” Ted gestured to the mount. “Besides, I got this one for free. The day before my exile was to begin, I snuck into the palace and stole it.”
“You mean this belongs to the prince?” My jaw dropped.
“Indeed. Which is why I can’t sell it to anyone around here — it’s stolen goods! I took it to get back at them. But now, by putting it in your hands, I can do more than just get back at them. I can help destroy them.”
I shook Ted’s hand. “Thank you.”
“You go and fight the good fight. And take care of Sherry.”
Sherry’s smile couldn’t be contained.
I drove our new mount back to the fast travel point. At maximum speed, it was four times faster than the rickshaw. It would make traversing this island a joke. The ride was much steadier, too; uneven terrain didn’t jolt it.
As soon as we arrived at the onsen, everyone ran up to us.
Esme seemed livid. “Where have you two been? We were all so worried!”
I wished we had some way to communicate over distance. Like a cell phone.
“We made a lot of progress in the Underground Forest,” I said. “Also, we have a new mount.”
I kissed Esme on the cheek.
Ayla hugged me. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” I gave her a kiss, as well.
Did the same for Maria and Tara.
Then I approached the Soulful Doll.
“It’s time for an upgrade,” I said to it.
“Good. I’ve been craving soulcores.” It let out a maniacal laugh.
I could never get over how creepy it was. “Well… open up.”
Soul Level: 11
Strength: 3
Intelligence: 1
Agility: 3
Endurance 1
Vigor: 1
Mind: 1
Luck: 1
Soulcores Required for Next Level: 300 (819)
I added another point to strength, then another to agility, taking my Soul Level to 13. My muscles bulged briefly, and I felt as if I’d grown wings. The points became a part of me.
Next, I was eager to check out Miranda’s progress with the onsen.
Announcement Hey there! Go up to 10 chapters ahead by joining my PATREON, and get clothed and nude art of the girls!