Ch166: Upgrades & Improvements

A subtle smile plays at Inanna’s lips, growing ever so slightly wider as she watches the Drakling’s expression shift from anticipated excitement to mildly frustrated annoyance. “Mm. The upgrade occurred instantaneously, did it not?”

“So it would seem...” Krvavy slowly states, scowling at herself. She should have bought that upgrade as soon as the skill hit level ten... What a waste of experience...

“Well, my dearest love,” a gentle touch trails down the barbarian’s back as Beryl reclaims her spot by Krvavy’s side. “Let’s see tha’ axe o’ yers. I wonder, ‘as it changed, or...?”

Before that tomboy can even finish speaking, Krvavy’s Soulbound Weapon has manifested in her hands, its slightly curving haft resting atop her upward facing palms. That long wood-handled weapon reaches far to either side of her, further to the right than the left, as its shaft stretches past both Were-Beast and Wood Elf.

That trusty and faithful weapon looks... the same as it always does.

“Right,” Beryl slowly bobs her head. “Tha’ was the upgrade tha’ll let it eat different materials ta get some bonuses, aye?”

“Yeah, it can take up to three at a time. And... it doesn’t seem to have any right now.” Which is quite the relief. Krvavy’s axe is exactly the same as it was earlier. It isn’t stronger just because she mentally clicked a button. It wouldn’t have helped her kill that crystalline golem any faster. Not without first giving it some materials to consume.

“Mm... Khalia.” Inanna reaches over and pokes the Were-Beast in the cheek, earning herself a harsh glare. “Would you be so kind as to fetch a bar of Tenebrine steel and one of the Rock Bear teeth from where they are stored up in our love’s hoard?”

“Rrgh...!” The growling Were-Beast refuses to move, cuddling closer to her Mate.

“Ugh...!” Thea abruptly rises to her feet. “Fine!” She groans, ignoring Beryl’s warning glance as her voice gets a little louder than it should. “I will get those stupid things...”

Krvavy’s emerald eyes follow after that brat for as long as they can, only turning towards her busty shortstack once the noble girl is no longer in sight. “Why’d you ask Khalia to do that?” Honestly, it should have been beyond obvious that Khalia, being in such a clingy and cuddly mood right now, would have refused such a request.

“She is fast and would quickly return with the materials.” The Dwarf plainly replies.

“Ach,” Beryl brushes aside both that question and its straightforward answer. “Ah get the metal, but why’d ya ask fer a tooth too?”

“It is expendable.” Inanna simply states, slightly shrugging her shoulders. “Plus, it could help us understand how this new ability functions. I can guess the effect that Tenebrine steel may have on her Soulbound weapon, but not that tooth. Will it be interpreted quite literally, with the bonus derived from physical qualities alone? Or will it be more figurative, with the bonus being something that would ‘fit’ the tooth of a dangerous beast?”

“Ah see. Runnin’ some tests, as ya are oft ta do~.” A teasing twinkle fills that tanned tomboy’s blue-green gaze.

“But...” Krvavy’s brow knits together. “That is still only two –”

“Hmph!” The silver-blonde brat returns with a huff, pressing the metal ingot and large fang into Inanna’s hands before dropping back down onto her soft, mossy seat. Her arms soon find themselves crossed beneath her breasts, pulling the smooth fabric of her sundress tight against those perfect handfuls. A pinkish hue colours her cheeks as she catches Krvavy looking her way.

“Thank you, Thea.” The Dwarf politely expresses her gratitude... before immediately turning her attention towards the Drakling. “My Ushumgal, have your weapon consume this first.”

With a weak shrug, Krvavy takes the bar of Tenebrine steel that is all but being pushed into her hands, fingers wrapping around cold metal. Her eyes drop down to her axe. She... isn’t actually sure how to make that weapon consume any materials... Maybe if she focused...?

“Huh.” Krvavy breathes out in surprise as, within a single second, the ingot goes transparent and then completely disappears from her hand. A soft light briefly emanates from the entirety of her Soulbound Weapon, fading just as quickly.

“Ooh!” Beryl’s long and pointed ears wiggle with excitement. “So it does change ‘ow it looks! At least a little bit.”

The dark, silvery metal holding that large weapon’s three heads together has blackened just a bit further, losing some of its gleam. If Beryl hadn’t brought that slight difference to Krvavy’s attention, then she may not have even noticed it at all.

“What bonus did that provide, my Ushumgal?”

“Uh...” The barbarian quickly brings up the skill description of Soulbound Weaponry, hoping that the buff will be listed there. And, thankfully, it is. “It says that it... increases ‘Magic Damage’ by twenty percent.”

“Mm...” Inanna furrows her thick brow. “In what way is that applied? Universally, increasing all ‘magic damage’ you may deal regardless of whether that weapon is used or not? Or is it limited to increasing the ‘magic damage’ that the weapon itself inflicts? And, if so, does that extend to spells channelled through it and then projected outwards, or does it require that the weapon be used in more a physical way...?”

“I... have no idea.” Krvavy honestly answers, glaring just a little at that incredibly vague line of text.

“No matter,” the Dwarf gives her head a single slow shake. “Perhaps the bonus that this provides may help to answer those questions.” She states, handing over the Rock Bear tooth next. “Assuming that each bonus functions in the same way, that is.”

“Lets hope they do.” The Drakling’s fingers wrap around that large and slightly yellowed fang, wasting no time in willing her weapon to consume it. As with the ingot, that tooth goes transparent for just a fraction of a second before fully disappearing, a soft flash of light radiating out from her Soulbound weapon a mere moment later. “Did that... change anything...?” She idly wonders, emerald eyes trailing from axe to hammer to spear, none of which appear to have changed.

“Aye, my dearest love, just not up ‘ere~.” Beryl’s voice drips with amusement as she squishes herself right up against her Draconic lover’s side, pert breasts pressing into pale skin. ““Look down there~.”

The rounded steel cap that previous sat at the other end of this large weapon’s shaft has been completely remodelled. The blackened steel has shifted into a fairly blocky shape, with a rather flat bottom. A large ivory spike juts out of the ‘front’ of that new cap, aligned with the axehead. While that spike still resembles the tooth that it was just moments ago, it isn’t exactly the same: it has grown a little bit bigger and has had its shape altered slightly.

“That doesn’t look to be purely decorative...” Inanna reaches towards that large spike, gently poking her finger against its point. “Mm. It is decently sharp. Not enough to draw blood at mere contact, but it should function fairly well as a pick.”

“It kinda makes the whole thing look a little... lopsided.” Krvavy idly comments, looking her Soulbound Weapon up and down... needing to turn her head back and forth to do so. “It’d feel a bit more balanced if it was facing the other way.”

“Balanced? Balanced?” Thea incredulously breathes out, staring intently at the Drakling. “Are you serious?! That thing is about as far as you can get from balanced! It is already top-heavy and front-heavy due to that ridiculously large axe! It –!”

“Shh!” Beryl silences the bratty girl with a harsh glare. “Just ‘ow many times do Ah need ta remind ya? Adeline is tryin’ ta sleep on the other side o’ the room!” She quietly scolds. “Be considerate o’ ‘er!”

“Mm. I understand what you mean, my Ushumgal.” Inanna plainly states, ignoring both noble brat and Wood Elf. “Aesthetically, at least. This positioning is far more practical. You could easily transition from a strike with the axe to swinging up with that pick, potentially getting beneath your opponents guard. Or at least encouraging them to retreat as you draw the axe back for another strike. Plus, you would not need to worry about accidentally stabbing yourself as you swing the axe around as long as it faces the same direction. Though that will be a concern when you use the hammerhead on the other side...”

Krvavy gently bites the inside of her cheek. “I do occasionally bonk the haft against myself as I swing it around...” She idly mutters, lifting the weapon up a little.

The Were-Beast grumbles as that movement disturbs her clingy cuddling. She wiggles and makes herself a bit more comfortable, letting her head fully come to rest in her Draconic Mate’s lap.

“It shouldn’t be too inconvenient...” Krvavy holds her Soulbound Weapon higher in the air, making sure she doesn’t accidentally hit any of her girls as she gets a fairly decent feel of it. “Especially since I don’t use the hammer quite as often...”

“Ugh, you can play around with that thing later...!” Thea quietly complains, throwing an annoyed glare towards the tomboyish Elf. “Just what sort of bonus has that tooth given it?”

“It is... increasing my Might by five percent.”

“Mm. That is helpful.” The grey-skinned shortstack nods, her lips curling into the faintest smile. “In determining how these bonuses apply, I mean. Is it currently having an effect on you, my Ushumgal? And does it continue to do so when you place your weapon down so that you are no longer in contact with it?”

“Yes and...” Krvavy briefly trails off as she does that quick test, bringing up her stat sheet to see if her Total Might changes. “Yes. I don’t need to be holding it to get that buff, apparently. Maybe it has some sort of range to it?”

“Perhaps. Let us test that later. Now, do you only benefit from the bonus when it is manifested?”

The Soulbound Weapon turns transparent and fades back into Krvavy’s soul. “Yes again.” The Drakling confirms, that weapon reappearing in her hands.

“Hopefully the previous bonus also functions in the same way.” Inanna simply states, before tilting her head and looking Krvavy in the eye. “Can those materials be removed?”

“Yeah, I...” A faint frowns finds its way onto Krvavy’s face. “It’s more of a gut feeling, but yeah. I could remove them right now. Except... I don’t think that I’d get anything back if I did that.”

Inanna slowly nods. “Mm. As I expected.”

“Those two give some decent bonuses, so ya may as well keep ‘em, my dearest love. Wha’ about the third material?” Beryl asks, her fingers gliding through Khalia’s black-brown hair, affectionately scritching the Were-Beast behind the ear. “Do we ‘ave anythin’ else tha’d be good fer yer axe?”

“I was about to suggest this.” As casually as can be, Inanna holds up the gleaming white prism that was found at the bottom of an ancient dungeon.

Krvavy just stares straight at her shortstack. “Why...? We don’t even know what that thing really is.”

“The uncertainty is a minor issue, I will admit, but even taking that into consideration... I do believe that having it as part of your Soulbound Weapon would be the best use for this crystal.” The Dwarf calmly explains, her intense copper-orange eyes looking right back into Krvavy’s emerald pair. “I am convinced that it’s main purpose is to hold large amounts of mana, regardless of what else it may be capable of. Thus, using it as an extension to your Total Mana would provide the most benefit.”

“Couldn’t I just –?”

“Carry it around? You could, yes.” That rather neutral Dwarf nods. “But doing so would pose its own risks. Namely that an opponent could take it from you, severely hampering the number of spells you could cast in combat while simultaneously increasing their own. And so, it is only logical to have it as part of the self-repairing weapon which is bound to your soul, and which you can recall at will.”

The Drakling gently nibbles on the tip of her tongue. “Are you sure that there isn’t a better use for this thing? A use that isn’t... irreversible? Like replacing some of the quartz crystals that we’re using to keep the water running and the lights on?”

“No.” The grey-skinned shortstack immediately replies. “If we require that system to hold more power, we would simply need to expand the number of quartz batteries connected to it. Additionally, I have ensured that all of the ones which we have used thus far have a roughly equivalent rate in which they transfer mana, which cannot be said for this particular crystal. I would be forced to severely throttle its capabilities lest the higher flow rate damage the, admittedly crude, channels and nodes. Which would be a complete waste. We would not be taking advantage of its vast potential, instead simply treating it as another mundane quartz crystal. That could be avoided by completely reworking the entire system, though that would introduce another set of issues. The most pertinent of which being the fact that it would become incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to expand the storage capacity using the quartz we are curren–”

“UGH! Enou-ghmmph!” Thea loudly groans, cutting Inanna off before she herself is silenced, a number of vines bursting up from her mossy seat and swiftly binding her mouth shut. Her soft-blue eyes narrow into an indignant glare.

“My dearest love.” Beryl’s steely voice doesn’t quite match the smile on her face. “If Inanna thinks tha’ this is best, then Ah’m inclined ta agree. She knows more about wha’ever other uses tha’ thing could ‘ave.” The Elf sighs quite deeply, her tone growing even more adoring as she speaks over the muffled muttering of that muzzled noble girl. “O’ course, Ah'd still feel like it is a good idea regardless o’ ‘er opinion. There can surely be no better use fer anythin’ than ta add it ta somethin’ tha’ is quite literally a part of yer soul. So, my dearest love, either do it or don’t. It is up ta ya.”

“Alright...” Rather reluctantly, Krvavy lets the beautiful white crystal get pushed into her hand. “And get those vines off Thea...” She idly adds, peering down at that perfectly sculpted prism.

It would be a real shame to waste this crystal on her Soulbound Weapon. What if they need it for something else later on...? But... If Inanna wouldn’t use it, then it’d just end up sitting alone and unwanted in her hoard for... who knows how long. That... And what about the buffs it could give her? Even just the thought that she might get another entire mana pool to draw on... That alone is worth adding it into her axe...

The more she stares down into that thing... into its cloudy surface, awash with swirling and sparkling streams of light... eddies blown about by an unseen breeze... The more that feels like the right thing to do. It would be a waste to not attach it to her axe. To not make it a part of herself. To not let it take root in her soul, to not let it –

With an unceremonious flash, that perfect prism vanishes from Krvavy’s hand.

“Oh?” Beryl tilts her head to the side.

Light gleams across the polished surface of a large and almost blade-like crystal as it juts out from the top of Krvavy’s Soulbound Weapon, in the same spot where a spearhead was just moments ago.

“Mm. Interesting.” Inanna raises a thick eyebrow and leans as far forward as she can. “I had expected it to simply add a crystal into the core between those three heads, not replace one entirely.”

Krvavy can’t help but glance at the two truly massive tits currently being squished flat against that Dwarf’s knees, though her attention quickly returns to the weapon in her hands. “Yeah,” she nods, her mind a little foggy and her cheeks a little red. “This feels like a pretty big change...” And she isn’t entirely talking about what they are all looking at.

While the previous spearhead did have a decent point, it was definitely more for slashing than for stabbing. This new crystalline one is almost the complete opposite of that. It is a long spike, the tip of which splits into with six sharp edges jutting out from between six concave faces as it travels down to its base. That pointy prism isn’t particularly narrow or thin, especially not when compared to a spear that is meant to pierce armour, but it definitely looks like getting stabbed with it would still leave a real nasty wound...

“Can it store Mana?” Curiosity fills Inanna’s copper-orange eyes, if not her fairly neutral tone.

“Uh...” Krvavy brings up the skill description of Soulbound Weaponry once again. “Oh, wow...!” Any lingering hesitation or regret that she may have had about her weapon consuming that prismatic crystal has been washed away. “Yeah, it can...! Quite a lot too...!”

“Mm?” The Dwarf’s lips curl into a faintly proud smile as her decision is so quickly vindicated. “Just how much can it store?”

“Almost as much as I can! It says that its Total Mana is six-hundred-and-thirty!” The Drakling struggles to keep her voice low as she bristles with excitement, not wanting to disturb Adeline from all the way across the room or the Were-Beast trying to nap in her lap. “And it even shows a calculation for that! One that uses its skill level, my level, and my total Willpower!”

“Remarkable...!” Inanna seems genuinely surprised, which further adds to the slightly smug expression that is gradually filling her face. “For it to grow and improve as you do...! That is far better than I expected!”

“But that isn’t all...! It also generates its own mana...!”

“Really!?” Inanna’s copper-orange eyes widen as her budding smugness is drowned in astonishment.

“Yeah, its calculation is a bit more complex, and uses Rationality instead of Willpower... But it says that it generates one-point-five mana per minute! That is way more than my mana regen!” Krvavy’s enthusiasm dampens just a tiny bit as she sees that there is a catch to that. “Oh, though it also says that this mana generation only works at twenty-five percent efficiency when my Soulbound Weapon is manifested... So it’s only generating twenty-two-point-five mana per hour right now, which is a bit less than my regen... But still, that’s amazing...! It has basically doubled my Total Mana and Mana Regen!”

“Tha’ is incredible, my dearest love~!” Beryl joyously coos, her arms wrapping around the barbarian’s still slightly bruised body, squeezing just tight enough to avoid causing any pain. Her caramel coloured cheek squishes into the side of a single pale tit, those beautiful blue-green eyes peering up her Draconic lover. “Does it still ‘ave the scryin’ protection too?” She asks, letting a peal of musical laughter escape past her parted lips. “Ah don’t exactly want ta test tha’ myself~...!”

“Yes, yes it does.” Krvavy quickly nods her head, captivated by the glimmering prism and the amazing buffs that it has given her weapon. “It says that, if it is manifested, anything near to it that ‘contains or is bound to’ my soul will be protected from ‘unauthorized scrying’.”

“Does that include me?” Thea skeptically asks, not bothering to hide her annoyance as she pulls a leaf out of her braided hair.

“Probably? You do have a part of my soul in you...” The Drakling idly replies, before suddenly laughing to herself. “Hah! I kind of feel like an idiot for not immediately going through with this.”

“My dearest love, ya were just bein’ cautious~.” Beryl so brightly beams, nuzzling into her barbaric lover’s bare breasts. “Which was completely understandable~.” One of her arms drops down a bit, nimble fingers tracing along the lines of that Drakling’s muscled abs. “None o’ us could’a guessed tha’ crystal’d be this amazin’~!”

“Indeed.” Inanna nods, reaching out and resting a hand atop one of Krvavy’s own. “Though the amount of mana it can hold has undoubtedly decreased, the fact that it will grow alongside your own reserves... It has exceeded even my greatest expectations. As you so often do, my Ushumgal.”

Whether by a desire to not be left out or by pure coincidence... Khalia gently grabs one of her Mate’s legs, pulling its calf close to her chest. “Rrhhhhhnh...” She shudders as if stifling a yawn, her head still resting atop the rather hard pillow that is Krvavy’s quite toned thigh.

Thea simply rolls her eyes at that sight. “How much favour do you have left?” She asks in tone that is almost nonchalant.

“Want me to buy you another gift~?” Already in such a good mood, Krvavy just can’t resist the urge to tease her brat. Her grin grows wider as that girl’s cheeks burn noticeably brighter.

“Ugh, no!” The noble girl scoffs and scowls. “I just want to know many of those points you are hoarding when you could instead be spending them on other more important or useful things. Such as upgrades and additional traits.”

“Oh, the girl ‘as a good point.” Slowly, Beryl pulls herself back from those big, pale-skinned tits. “Ah know ya’ve been savin’ up fer somethin’, but wha’ could ya get right now? Is any o’ it worth more than waitin’? Maybe somethin’ tha’d ‘elp ya get more favour?” Her expression darkens slightly. “Or avoid dyin’?”

It takes just a thought for Krvavy to bring her points shop back into focus. She still has thirty-five favour, which is a bit less than half of what she needs to get an Inventory. But her two girls might have a point. Krvavy has been doing fairly well without her own personal pocket dimension to store things in, so she doesn’t really need it... She still wants it, obviously, but it isn’t really the most important she could buy...

“Wha’ about yer Naturists Blessin’? Surely ya can afford ta upgrade it again?”

“Yeah, I can. It’ll cost me twenty-four favour though...” The Drakling’s fingers idly drum against the haft of her Soulbound Weapon. “But it is pretty good...”

“Ugh, that is boring!” Thea whines, crossing her arms beneath her breasts. “Can you not get something more interesting?”

“Why are ya complainin’? This was yer idea!” Beryl’s blue-green eyes narrow into thin slits as she glares at the brat. “And upgradin’ ‘er blessin’ again is interestin’!”

“Really?” The bratty girl meets that Wood Elf’s withering gaze with a bored scowl. “It is predictable and boring. Sure, getting more ‘True Defence’ and ‘Base Armour’ would be good and might prevent her from dying like an idiot, but it is not anything new.”

“So ya’d trade our dearest love’s life fer some entertainment?” The tanned tomboy so coldly asks.

“There are other things I can buy.” Krvavy interjects before those two truly start to argue. “Most of the stuff I’d want to get a bit too expensive right now, but I could still get Skilled Soul. It ‘only’ costs twenty-five points.”

“Is tha’ the one tha’ gives ya more attribute points each level?” Beryl curiously asks. A rather thoughtful expression fills her face as she gets an answer in the form of a quick nod. “Maybe it’d be best ta get tha’ sooner rather than later...”

“It also gives me the points for all my previous levels as well,” Krvavy clarifies, “so I won’t miss out on anything by not getting it right now.”

“Ach, still... One o’ the main reasons tha’ ya are puttin’ yerself in danger so often is ta level up, all so tha’ ya can get those milestone traits...” The Wood Elf woman mutters to herself, tapping a finger onto her chin as she thinks. “Maybe it would be worth gettin’? Ya’d grow stronger without needin’ ta risk yer life... Upgradin’ yer Naturists Blessin’ is still better, in my opinion, but this isn’t a bad idea either...”

“Hmph!” The silver-blonde brat huffs in such an adorably haughty way. “That is not much better, but maybe the milestone traits will be more interesting? So go on, buy it already.”

“My dearest love, it is yer choice.” Beryl smiles warmly, even as she glares at Thea out of the corner of her eyes.

Krvavy bites the inside of her cheek as she weighs her options. There are still other things that she could buy instead, but that just makes this decision even more complicated. So she is fine with it being between upgrading her Naturists Blessing and buying Skilled Soul.

Naturists Blessing IV: 24 Divine Favour. Upgrade Naturists Blessing III to gain increased True Defence from Physical Attributes, increases the base amount of True Defence to 25%, and increases Base Armour to 60. Upgradable.

That is definitely the safe option. In a literal way. It really doesn’t hurt to get something that will make her significantly tougher and much harder to kill. But... Maybe Thea is getting to her, as that feels kind of... boring? It is really good, no doubt. Kind of amazing, to be honest...

It’s just... Krvavy isn’t really planning on going out and fighting anything for... quite some time. The golem was more than enough excitement for her. So she doesn’t really need that extra defence right now. Not unless something unexpected happens. Like running into that golem...

Skilled Soul I: 25 Divine Favour. Increases attribute points gained per level to 6. Points for previous levels will be available for allocation upon purchase. Upgradable.

On the other hand, Skilled Soul is... it isn’t actually that interesting either. But it would let her get two more milestone traits right away, leaving just one left over. It’ll help Krvavy get all of her stats to twenty-five a lot faster, which... Well, that isn’t really important, but it is something that she wants, that she desires. And she gets divine favour for fulfilling her desires...

She definitely wants to get both of these at some point. And getting Skilled Soul first would, probably, mean that she wouldn’t have to wait quite as long to upgrade Naturists Blessing again... But is it worth it, or is she just being a bit impatient?

“Ugh! Make up your mind already!” Thea loudly groans, earning herself a stern glare from the Elf.

“Alright, alright...” The Drakling closes her eyes and slowly breathes out. “I... I don’t really want to go out on another ‘adventure’ any time soon. So... I’ll get Skilled Soul.”

“If tha’ is wha’ ya want, my dearest love.” Beryl gently smiles and supports her Draconic lover’s decision. “Bet Ah can guess wha’ attributes ya’ll be increasin’~!” She teases, leaning in and staring intently at Krvavy.

“Of course you can.” The barbarian idly replies as she spends her favour to buy the new trait before she can change her mind, getting twenty-four stat points in an instant. “I only have three more of the base milestone traits to unlock...”

“Huh. Didn’t notice ya gettin’ stronger or anythin’...” Beryl absentmindedly mutters, before shaking her head. “So... wha’d ya get from Allure~?” She playfully wonders, innocently batting her eyelashes.

Krvavy doesn’t immediately respond. She needs to put five points into that stat before she has the answer.

Alluring Aggression I: Increases Allure by 5%, strengthens the effect it has on Health & Stamina Regeneration, now affects Total Health, and reduces the chance of scarring. Associated attribute = Allure.

“That is not as degenerate as I expected.” Thea comments, having waited quite patiently for that trait to be read aloud. “It is... fairly normal, really.” The girl sounds almost suspicious as she she skeptically stares at the degenerate Dragon that she has agreed to marry. Let no one forget that little fact.

“And wha’ about... Rationality~?”

“See, it was obvious what I would go for...” A smile plays at Krvavy’s lips even as she softly shakes her head. With just a thought, the next thirteen points have been placed into Rationality, bringing it right up to twenty-five.

Ravishing Rationality I: Increases Rationality by 2.5%, greatly strengthens the effect it has on Total Mana, slightly strengthens the effect it has on Mana Regeneration, and improves instinctive knowledge on how to best pleasure sexual partners. Associated attribute = Rationality.

“Hmph! Now that is what I would expect from a pervert such as yourself!” Thea victoriously declares, pointing dramatically at the Drakling. “All thoughts inside that dense head of yours lead back to lewd acts!”

“Tha’ is a bit hypocritical comin’ from you o’ all people, loveslave~!” Beryl teases the brat before Krvavy can, earning herself a flustered glare in response.

“That is a title this degenerate Dragon gave me!”

Krvavy almost puts the final six points into Guile, but stops once it reaches fifteen. It will still take two more levels to get its milestone trait, even with this final point. So might as well put that somewhere else... How about... Endurance? It isn’t like Krvavy needs more stamina, unless she gets into another situation where her regen gets crippled, but maybe it’ll add to her health when its milestone trait gets upgraded? That would be pretty good. Even if it will be some time until that happens...

“Is tha’ all, my dearest love?” The Wood Elf turns her gaze back towards her Draconic lover, smiling playfully as she innocently rests her hand on the Krvavy’s thigh, the tips of her fingers so close to Khalia’s head. “Can’t afford ta get Guile up ta twenty-five yet~?”

“No, I still need two more levels for that...” Krvavy idly responds, looking over her stat sheet now that those points have been allocated. Her weapon fades back into her soul, so that she can see what her stats are like without its (singular) stat buff.

Honestly... She kind of regrets getting Skilled Soul over upgrading her Naturists Blessing. Her health didn’t increase by quite as much as she had hoped it would, and neither did her mana... Well, not directly. Increasing her Rationality like that did help to boost the amount of mana her Soulbound Weapon now generates. So, really, it wasn’t as regrettably rash a decision as it looks. And it is pretty satisfying to see all those twenty-fives lined up like that...

“Ah take it tha’ we’re done ‘ere now?” A rather wistful sigh follows those words, that sound tinged with sorrow. No one contradicts that question. “Which means...” Beryl’s exaggeratedly sad act cracks, an almost malicious grin spreading across her face. “It is time fer ya ta stop cuddling yer puppy and get up. Come on, ya’ll be ‘elpin’ me wit’ the dishes today, Ah’ve decided.”

“Rrgh!” A sharp and unhappy growl passes through Khalia’s plump lips as her pillow suddenly shifts, threatening to stand up. “Rrrrrrgh...!” Her grip tightens around Krvavy’s leg, struggling against the vines that are trying to peel her paw-like hands away. “Mate mine...!”

“Ach, just let –...!”

“Wait...!” Inanna hastily speaks up, “before you go...”