Ch 216: Sometimes, losing a bet can be fun, too.

"I'd wish you luck, but I don't think you need it." smiled Jinah, looking at Akeno.

"It is going to be a breeze for Akeno." shrugged Alter, and Jeanne nodded in agreement.

"Yes, nya. Easy peasy." added Meilin, her tail twitching.

Akeno looked at them fondly. Off all the System users, she was actually the seventh one to reach level 50, due to spending a lot of her time training other people to be proper maids for Noah. But upon hearing that Jinah had fought a S-ranked boss, then immediately faced unending waves of enemies for ten minutes, Park Beom-Shik, Song Chi-Yul and Kim Sangshik had all decided to grind more levels before they would give it a try.

Jeanne and Alter had both undergone the trial together, as they were worried about running out of mana before the end if they tried it alone.

Jeanne had gotten the Mirage Knight class, with her defensive fighting style using Hardened light to supplement both offense and defense. The class gave her two new abilities.

Blade Volley, activated with a swing of her battle flag, would send a number of projectiles in a cone area. The higher the skill level, the more projectiles sent, and they would be more powerful as well.

Her second skill, Iron Curtain, was essentially a strong upgrade to the Magecraft barrier skill she could already use.

Alter had gotten the Berserker class, for obvious reasons. She had received a passive ability, Crush Armor, allowing her to weaken the enemy's defenses with some kind of curse, and an active one, Juggernaut, letting her drastically increase the inertia of her blows, with her weapons or limbs. When active, her strikes would be very hard to defend against, and would cause the opponent to stagger, be knocked off, or be crushed on the ground.

Meilin had gone with Joohee as well. They didn't have it easy, but they still managed.

Meilin got the Druid class, and used her new Shapeshifting skill to become a catgirl, with real cat tail and ears. She decided to make it her default form even in public, not caring about other people's looks, and her second ability reinforced her summoning magic, allowing her to manipulate not just water, but ice as well. The cat paws she summoned to fight monsters were now half made of ice, and the ice claws were sharp as swords.

Gone were the days where she could only assist other Hunters and was unable to kill monsters herself.

Joohee received the Empyrean Cleric class, allowing her to cast Greater Healing from a distance, as well as strengthening her strength buff, and allowing her to cast it on several people at once. She also had a new armor buff, that did exactly as the name implied.

And now, it was Akeno's turn to pass the trial and gain a class.

"I'll be back soon." smiled Akeno, before she crossed the gate.

…

Akeno found herself at the foot of a mountain, facing the huge entrance of a cave.

She knew that the trial was different for everyone. And aside from Jinah's experience, where Lilith and the other deities had decided to closely follow the original fiction, the trials and the classes they were rewarded with were entirely made up by the gods. The biggest proof of it was that the new abilities they received were all useful, and not inferior alternatives to things they already had.

A green, flying beast came out of the cave, and almost immediately dived toward Akeno.

[No arms. Must be a wyvern. And I'll make a wild guess and say that the boss is a S-rank dragon.]

[I won't take you up on that bet. I wonder if the theme has been chosen because I am inside your soul.] replied Albion.

[Even if I make the stakes interesting?] teased Akeno.

[Oh? What are you suggesting?]

[If you win, you decide what happens during our next session in my soul space. If I win, I'm going to have some fun with you.]

[Not much different from usual if I lose, then. But fine! I bet the boss isn't a dragon.]

As the green wyvern, four meters long from snout of tail and with a wingspan of six meters, came close to them, it opened its mouth, and Akeno jumped to the side to avoid a stream of green goo.

The wyvern screamed in frustration as it flew away before turning for a second strafing run. Akeno watched the green goo. It was corrosive, from the way it bubbled and sizzled on the ground.

Akeno created a light spear, and when the wyvern attacked again, sent it flying, piercing its chest so deep that the tip of the spear emerged from its back. The wyvern cry of agony was cut short as it collapsed headfirst against the rocky mountain.

In response to its cry, a whole flock of red, blue and green wyverns flew out of the cave, as well as light brown huge wingless lizards. Some were running on four legs like oversized iguanas, others looking like velociraptors.

Akeno held one Eclipse in each of her hands and cast Augment before the dozens of flying wyverns came into range. She guessed she was going to have to evade a lot until she cut them down.

…

The last enemy, a blue wyvern that could spit a blue goo crackling with static electricity, got beheaded by a light sword, and Akeno walked toward the cave.

The cave turned out to be just as huge as its giant opening suggested. Pools of lava dotting the ground illuminated it with a red light, and Akeno could see hundreds of meters deep, at which point the cave turned left, and she couldn't see its end.

Akeno shrugged and started walking inside, killing as she passed them by a handful of big lizards with a skin that changed color like chameleons and long barbed tongues. They tried to impale her, but she was simply too fast for them, and once the first was found, Akeno prodded with light swords anything that could even remotely be a disguised chameleon. She also avoided magma balls spit by big crimson worms emerging from the lava pool, and they, too, suffered the same fate.

As far as Akeno was concerned, the biggest danger of that case was that whenever a gutted worm trashed into the lava, the mix of the worm's movements and its body fluids vaporizing into the lava, turning into pressurized gases, tended to splatter molten rock all around, the path was ending up covered with lava bits. She had to bring out her wings and fly some of the distance, not forgetting to kill everything on the way.

Then she turned the corner, and sighed as she saw what was at the end of the cave.

[Fine, I lost.]

[Eheh, looks like you're going to be in my hands tonight, 'Mistress'.] laughed Albion.

[Looks like it.]

Some distance in front of Akeno, a huge hydra was waking up, some of its heads staring at her while others were yawning. It was about thirty meters long, and had two green heads, two blue ones and two red ones.

Akeno cast Shunpo, and decided to just be done with it.

"Balance break."

Her black and gold armor was instantly covered with the Divine Dividing Scale mail, and she pointed to the Hydra.

"Divide."

The Hydra roared in anger as it felt a wave of weakness fell upon it.

She felt enough resistance to know she wouldn't be able to stack more than one Divide, and wouldn't be able to maintain it for very long. But it would be enough.

As the Hydra was crawling toward Akeno, she created a black spike and engraved it with stop runes specifically meant to stop regeneration.

When the first fireballs and glops of blue goo were about to reach her, Akeno used Shunpo to appear on the ground near the hydra's left flank, aimed at one of the spots were ventral scales overlapped each other, and struck, lodging it between the scales. She then kicked the blunt end of the spike, driving it deeper. She jumped away to avoid streams of green and blue goo, but Akeno was smiling, already putting some distance as she created another spike.

One or two more, and she would get started on cutting the heads off.

…

"Welcome back." smiled Jeanne as Akeno came out of the gate, and it closed behind her.

"Thank you."

"So, how was it?" asked Jinah, grinning.

"Wyverns spitting acid, fireballs and electric goo, velociraptors, lava worms, and a big Hydra at the end."

"Sounds like your trial was harder than ours." frowned Jinah.

"I'm not sure." shrugged Akeno, before she grinned. "It was easy since I could neutralize the Hydra's regeneration by creating a few items with Stop runes. Anyway, the important part, I got the Phantom Mistress class."

"Phantom Mistress?" asked Alter. "What skills did you get?"

"Some kind of Assassin variant. The first skill is some enhanced stealth named 'Ghost Walker'. I could already make myself invisible with a cloak, but Ghost Walker doesn't just make me invisible. It hides my scent and sounds as well, and even my magic signature. And I can use it in the middle of battle."

"Very convenient." smiled Jinah. "And the other?"

"The other is called 'Aura of Domination', When I turn it on, those I recognize as allies will feel more motivated and forget their pain or fatigue to some extent, while those I recognize as enemies or want to enslave will be weakened and feel an urge to submit to me."

"Lilith-sama must have created this class." giggled Jeanne.

Akeno nodded, very satisfied with her haul. She also had gotten some nice, armored greaves, giving her a bonus in strength, agility, and 50% resistance to acid, fire and lightning attacks.

"Mistress." smiled Lee Joohee. "After the Jeju raid tomorrow, Cha Hae-In will join us. will you start training a man next?"

"…No." said Akeno. "After Hae-In, I'll devote my time to growing stronger. I want to at least be comparable in combat power to Jinah here, and I'll be left in her dust if I do not take my own training more seriously. My pride as a Mistress won't tolerate it!"

The girls laughed, as they knew that It wasn't really a matter of pride to Akeno.

"We have Monarchs to kill." said Akeno more seriously. "Against them, I think a small handful of very strong individuals will be better than a larger number of weaker ones."

"Yes, I understand, Mistress." smiled Joohee.

"We still have time to do to the Dungeon near Naeyu-Dong after lunch. It's an A-rank." said Alter.

The girls nodded, eager to gain more levels while they could.

…

Akeno dove under the covers, alone for once, and started meditating to enter her soul space.

When she opened her eyes, she stood near the tall tree in the grassy plain, and Albion appeared near her, smiling in anticipation. She looked every bit like Akeno, aside from her hair being silver, the dragon horns protruding from her skull, and the tail gently waving behind her. Albion was naked, save from the golden collar and cuffs around her wrists and ankles.

"So, what do you have planned, Albion?" smiled Akeno.

"First, you need to agree on two things. I have full control over what is going to happen, and it lasts until I am satisfied."

"Yes. Just don't go too far, or I'll take revenge later on." nodded Akeno.

"Good. Start stripping, slave." commanded Albion.

"Hmph!" cutely snorted Akeno, stripping slowly and exaggerating her movements to give the dragon a show.

The black and gold armor fell to the ground, followed by the t-shirt and shorts she wore under it, and her underwear. Akeno had done so much and trained so many slaves that she had already lost any objection to being seen naked, at least by people she knew.

Albion nodded and a pair of silver-colored latex stockings appeared in her hand. She gave them to Akeno, who started putting them on. Next came long opera gloves of the same color.

Akeno put them on with only a smile of anticipation, and the next item Albion produced was a web of thin black leather straps linked together by steel rings.

"Put this harness on, slave. And call me Mistress from now on."

"Only until the end of this session, 'Mistress'. And no special collars, only normal ones." said Akeno, and Albion nodded with a grin.

Akeno took a few seconds to sort out the harness and understand where each part was supposed to go, and put it on.

The thin straps were snug on her skin, giving her the pleasant feeling that her torso, waist, and hips were bound. It reminded her of her time with Noah.

"Do you know why I chose silver, slave?" asked Albion, creating a wide silver collar.

"I am not sure, but I get the feeling you're about to tell me." smiled Akeno.

"Yes." nodded Albion as she put the collar around Akeno's neck and fastened the two belts behind her nape. The collar wasn't quite a posture collar but covered her throat completely.

"It is my way of dying you in my colors, Akeno. Lean forward, legs slightly apart."

Akeno did as instructed, and her eyebrows rose when a medium-sized butt plug, already glistening with lubricants, appeared in Albion's hands. She relaxed her muscles as Albion slowly pushed the plug home, and it settled in place.

"Last thing. Lend me Corruption, slave." said Albion.

"What? No!" retorted Akeno, shaking her head.

"What are you fearing? Corruption is bound to you and Master. I can't use it to enslave you. Any dream you have of being dominated will only be a dream involving Master, not me. And that's assuming I make the Crest permanent, or that the Crest can even be put on you in the first place. Maybe only Master can brand you, or maybe you just can't."

Akeno frowned as she thought about it.

"…You actually have a point…"

Albion nodded, inwardly satisfied as she saw Akeno hesitate… Then Akeno suddenly blinked and looked sharply at Albion.

"I know what you're after, you slutty, lewd dragon. You want to get a Crest on my body in order for me to get increased pleasure from sex, so it will be more pleasant for you when you piggy-back on my senses. And the same for being dominated by Noah in my dreams."

"Damn. I've been found out." admitted Albion, her smile not faltering. "You forgot about the increased libido, too. But will that stop you?"

"…Promise me you won't put any curse on me." said Akeno.

"Yes, I promise. It's not like you need any." smirked Albion.

"Very well." said Akeno, manifesting Corruption and handing it to Albion. "But watch out, Albion. You are going to receive a Crest yourself in the near future."

"I'm fine with it." grinned Albion, setting corruption aside for now and creating a medium sized, vibrating dildo. It didn't need lubrification, and Akeno moaned slightly as it entered her wet pussy. Like with the butt plug, the dildo was slotted into the harness. It wouldn't fall out no matter how much Akeno tried to push it out.

"Get on all four, my enslaved pet." grinned Albion, and she connected a chain to the back of Akeno's collar.

Akeno reluctantly lowered herself to all fours, and Albion nodded with satisfaction as she started walking away from the tree. Akeno followed on her hands and knees.

"You do realize, slave, that It is not just for my benefit? I know you missed this."

"…Maybe." conceded Akeno, her long hair dangling on the ground. Albion gathered them and tied them with a rubber band.

"Not just maybe. I am in your head, so I know what you think, and what you feel at all times of the day. I know you just as well as you know yourself."

"…Fine. You're right. I'm getting off on this." nodded Akeno, slowly growing very horny from the humiliation of being treated as a pet and led on a leash.

"And I know why you haven't done anything about it so far. You trust the others, Chisato, Rin, Jinah, and so on. You trust them because they are good people, because you trained them, and they are bound by magic to serve Master. And yet, there's that little part of you that is wondering, 'What if they go too far?' 'What if they genuinely believe that you would be happier if you, too, were marked with Master's Crest?' It wouldn't be a betrayal, if they honestly believed they are doing you a favor... Hell is paved with good intentions, and all that… That is why you only stick with the role of the dominant in front of them."

Then she suddenly laughed.

"But don't worry. Before you wake up tomorrow in the real world, I will thoroughly scratch that masochistic itch of yours."

Both the butt plug and the dildo started vibrating, and Akeno stifled a moan.

"And I won't make the Crest permanent. Not now. There will always be other times." grinned Albion, pulling slightly on the leash and patting Akeno on the head.