Chapter 5: Abilities… and punishment?!

“Well, sadly, we can’t have both.”

I guess healing provides more immediate use? And it’s infinite outside of combat so… Strengthen is great too, although I don’t know if I want to be scared, but it’s fairly unlikely I even get scared while we’re in the academy, since there’s plenty of safeguards in its dungeon.

All around, healing is objectively more useful right now. “Healing?”

“That’s what I was thinking too,” Melody nodded. “Now while you read through the log of messages I’m sure will appear, I’m going to go cut myself.”

“Wait!” I said before Melody stood up, having already taken her legs out of her lap. “Yes, pet?”

“I—I, uh, I can heal myself, so, you-you c-can… cut me,” I stuttered out, blushing intensely, completely unaware of why I said it.

“As cute as you are, I can’t bear watching someone cut themselves.” Melody slid over to my side, hugging me, then whispered in my ear, “And there's far more interesting ways I want to hurt you, kitty.”

Then she stood and ran up to her room while system messages appeared in my view.

Submission Level Up!

Having reached submission score 1, you have unlocked the following two abilities.

Abilities can further be leveled up through use or future unlocks.

Core Ability: Heal (Level 1)

You can heal your mistress by sacrificing your vitality when inside a combat zone. Your health will be restored instantly upon exiting a combat zone.

When outside of a combat zone, you can heal yourself or your mistress, but mana will be used in place of health.

Ratio of health healed to health lost:

2 : 1

Static health loss speed:

0.1 health per second

Minimum health:

25% of your max or 50% of your mistress' current, whichever is lower.

Core Ability: Safe Word (Max Level)

Immediately cancels all of your abilities. Then, ensures your safety by creating an indestructible barrier. Only those you allow will be able to enter your barrier, including your mistress.

Barrier consumes mana at a rate of 0.05 per second per protectee.

If out of mana, lowers mana max at a rate of 0.01 per second per protectee.

This ability cannot be blocked by any form of mind control, system disturbance, spatial ability, zone effects, void catalyst, or artifact.

After I read through everything, Melody was back downstairs sitting beside me with a tiny needle. She pricked her finger, letting a small drop of blood seep out, then extended her finger out toward me, her wrist held high and her hand slowly curving downwards with her palm facing up, as if she was begging me to lick it.

“Heal,” Melody said, grinning.

I did so, mentally calling for the heal ability to activate, and felt a small pulse in my body as mana began to drain. Once a couple seconds had passed and my mana was 0.2 lower, the small pulsating feeling ended and the ability deactivated.

How much health does Melody have? If a finger prick is 0.4 health… I don’t think I can provide much help unless I level up my stats and ability.

Melody brought her finger back and looked at it intensely. The blood was still sitting on top of where the wound was so she extended her tongue, then, with her eyes staring at me, she slowly, sensually, rolled her tongue over her finger, licking all the blood up. She’s so…

She examined her finger again satisfied, then set her hand down and looked back up at me. “Try the barrier?”

I nodded, activating it, and a translucent pink… something appeared creating a small dome around me. Melody tapped on the dome. “Looks solid. I’d test my abilities, but…”

Melody’s eyes circled the room. “Don’t wanna destroy everything.”

I deactivated the barrier, my mana about 0.5 lower.

“Now!” Melody clapped her hands together. “I believe a punishment is in order.”

Eh?

“W-why?” I asked hesitantly.

Melody’s smile morphed into a sour glare. “I recall you saying, ‘I think it’s pet now, Mistress.’ Doesn’t that seem a little rude?”

“I… guess,” I replied. Why did I say something so stupid? I need a thicker filter.

“I guess?” Melody shook her head. “Yes or no. I need to make sure you fully understand your lesson.”

“Yes…” I struggled out, only for Melody to push for more. “Yes? Yes what?”

“Yes, Mistress…” I mumbled, before adding, “please punish me.”

“Good girl,” Melody said, patting my head, and filling me with warmth. She turned her body away from me and pointed at the ground in front of her, where I sat seconds ago. “Stand up.”

I stood up and turned to face her, looking downwards the whole time from embarrassment.

“Since you’re so fascinated by your legs,” Melody started, before extending her right leg and tapping each of my shins clothed in gray sweats, “take off your pants.”

“W-what?” I looked up at her, the few inches she had on me making a larger difference than expected. Completely horrified as a million different porn videos and smut stories raced through my mind, I was getting horny again, and now… I was probably a little wet. If I took off my pants… oh god. She’d see.

“Off,” Melo—Mistress commanded once more, crossing her arms.

Despite all my doubt, I was still compelled to obey. I stumbled out of my pants, sliding them down then slipping my feet dressed in short black socks out of them. As soon as they were off, I pulled down my hoodie as far as it would go, and covered as much of my small black undergarments as I could.

Mistress grabbed my pants and tossed them to the side, where her socks lay, and looked me over. Satisfied, she gave a final command. “You can only wear skirts from now on.”

Hesitating, I asked, “...why?”

“You shouldn’t be questioning me.” Mistress tsked, shaking her head in disapproval. “But since I’m so kind, I’ll explain. I only wear skirts, and how would it look if a pet was more decent than their Mistress?”

“Can’t have that…” I mumbled out unintentionally, ramping up my blush to a whole new degree.

“Exactly right.” Melody giggled, reclining back down on the couch. “Now go get dressed.”

I stood still. There was a slight problem in her command. As much as I wanted to get dressed right now… I didn’t bring any skirts to the Academy. “Um…”

“Come on, spit it out, Scarlet,” Melody said, lightly kicking me with her feet.

Fiddling with the edge of my sweater protecting my dignity, I wheezed out my words. “I don’t have any skirts.”

“Oh?” Melody stood back up in front of me, spinning once, causing her skirt to raise slightly, revealing a bit of her thighs before settling back down, hiding the gorgeous sights. “Looks like we need to go shopping, I’ll let you borrow mine for now.”

“Thanks…” I mumbled—

“But!” Melody raised her chest as if she had just conquered the world. “You need to trade me your panties.”

I can’t believe I’m about to say this… but…

“Fine,” I yielded and breathed a deep breath, hooked my fingers into the sides on either of my thighs, and slowly tugged downwards.

I met her ten minutes ago. I can't believe I’m doing this. I’m taking off my panties in front of pretty much a stranger… because she told me to. I can’t even use BDSysteM as an excuse anymore. There’s no reason to do this.

The first small tug downward met some resistance, but then it fell immediately. I let it drop, then reached down as best as I could while holding my sweater as tight to me as possible to preserve any last drop of humanity.

As I tilted my body back up, I caught a glimpse of the door. Imagine if someone walked through that door. It wasn’t locked. The main dorm building had a lock, and I’m sure this one does too, but I know I didn’t need to unlock it. I know I didn’t lock it. Anyone. Any one of the other three most powerful, influential people on this campus, hell, even the headmaster, could walk in right now… and see what they aspire to be, someone as powerful as an X tier... half naked… grabbing her panties off the ground.

Once my body was back upright, I held my panties in my left hand, and maintained the vestiges of dignity with my right. My scent wafted through the air as I felt the dampness in my palm, and I was about to hand them…

Mistress extended her right hand, palm up, and gestured for me to place the panties in them. I did. And she… why? Why Mistress? Why? Why? Why?! She… held them up to the light, stretched them out… “Quite damp.”

It felt like I had shattered, been turned into some object, being inspected, analyzed. Her little comment was enough to make me crazy. And now, without anything to catch the drips, I felt drops of arousal slide down my legs. The scent became more intense, it wasn't held in a private location anymore, it pervaded the room, spread to every inch, it would linger, both literally and metaphorically. I'd never be able to sit here without thinking about it... I've corrupted this place already.

“Alright, let's go and get you a skirt.” Mistress tossed my panties into the pile of clothes and walked away from the couch. I shuffled behind her and nearly bumped into her back as she stopped. “Lead the way, kitty.”

I’m insane. What am I doing? I walked around her, and… slowly… lifted my leg, placing my foot down on the first carpeted step upwards. I felt cold air touch my folds, now fully open to the room. Mistress’ staring shifted downwards, looking at my uncovered thigh, completely exposed. I felt her eyes creep along, closer and closer.

I moved my other leg forward, climbing another stair up… then another… another… another… I felt a rush of cold air, causing me to shiver instinctively, almost releasing my hands from my sweater. I looked back down at the origin, and saw Mistress standing at the bottom of the steps, smiling up at me. She could see everything. I was uncovered. She could see it all, all the layers, all my holes… I spun back around, pushing her out of my mind.

Taking a deep breath, I took yet another step… another… another… another another another… I rushed up the last few and nearly collapsed. So… intense. How? How was this so–so—so… I don’t know!

Mistress brushed past my frozen body and walked toward her room, right across from mine. I cleared my mind, and followed, arriving right after she placed her hand on the door then grabbed the handle, turned, and pushed it open. I stood right outside, unsure if I was allowed to go in… what the hell? She’s seen me naked, of course I can enter her room… but… no. She’s Mistress… I can’t unless… not without permission. Yea.

I continued standing outside, holding down my sweater, and after what felt like ten billion trillion years, she walked back out to me, carrying a black skirt.

“Lift your leg,” Mistress said, squatting down, and leading my eyes down with it. I could see her feet again, and remembered what had just happened. That already made me feel like a disgusting little slut and yet it feels like nothing more than a speck of dust—no, an atom, to right now.

I unsteadily raised my left leg, and she put the skirt under. Then I switched legs, and she finished. Instantly. She stood up, pulled the skirt up with her, flicked away my hands, zipped it up, and spun me around. I didn’t have time to process a single thing.

“Time for lunch, Scarlet,” Melody’s voice whispered into my ear.

Heh. I really don’t think I need food right now.