Chapter 244

Bella rocked me awake the next morning. "We're going to be stopping for a break soon." I sat up and looked around, a bit disoriented by falling asleep in the moving carriage.

I had slept in late enough that I was in my regular form again along with everyone else who had taken the potions. If there was any commotion about our features changing I had slept through it. I wasn't the only one who was still sleeping either, several of the people we rescued were just as tired after our trek from the city last afternoon.

I rubbed the crud out of my eyes and yawned. "Okay. Thanks, Bella. I'm awake."

As I usually do each morning, I pulled my status up before I even considered that I would need to choose which stats to allocate my new points to. I had gained a level after everything we had done yesterday and I hadn't had a chance to choose what stats I wanted. I was a little worried about spreading myself too thin, but a bit more endurance seems like a smart choice. The alternative would be putting more points into Strength or Magic Force but both were at one hundred, which means I've allocated nine levels of points to each of them already. I was noticing that I had allocated one hundred points to four different stats, which doesn't sound ideal. My class benefits from Strength, Magic Control, and Magic Force though so putting points into them seemed reasonable and I think getting Vitality to one hundred has saved my life a few times. I think part of me just wanted my stats to be round numbers but I knew that I shouldn't worry about that.

Okay, looking at my current spread, I got a lot of Magic Force from my class and I could improve my Strength and Speed with the new [Augment Strength] and [Augment Speed] spells I learned if I need it. Finesse I can get through [Blade Waltz] if I'm using a sword, which is probably the only thing I do that would benefit anyway. Luck and Charisma I get in massive amounts through [Being of Karma] so I don't need any additional help with that. Even though my Karma is now capped, it's still a one thousand bonus to both of them. The only things I can't improve through other means are Vitality and Endurance. Improvement to stats at lower levels is more noticeable so I would probably appreciate Endurance more but Vitality is an important stat that I shouldn't neglect either. Finishing a fight more quickly with stronger offensive stats might be more useful than going longer, but then again I am already spread thin enough that my strength is in my versatility. I might benefit the most from having the option to fight a battle of attrition. Ugh, fine. I've convinced myself. A little bit of Endurance now but I shouldn't spend too much on it. I feel bad that I wasted a level of stats on Luck early on...

[Status]Name: Lilith BaphometRace: Greater Succubus [Race Hidden - Displayed as Beastkin (Sheep)]Gender: FemaleClass: [Novice Magic Swordsman] Lv. 14Level: 52

Stat Spread:Strength: 100Vitality: 100Charisma: 10 (1010)Luck: 20 (1020)Finesse: 70Magic Control: 100Magic Force: 100 (170)Speed: 70 (90)Endurance: 30

Karmic Energy: 10000

Unallocated Stat points: 0

Skills:Haggling Lv. 15Swordsmanship Lv. 39Illusion Magic Lv. 6Light Magic Lv. 15Light Manipulation Lv. 12Uuna Riding Lv. 13Linguistics Lv. 10Ritual Magic Lv. 17Drawing Lv. 18Mana Sense Lv. 9Luck Magic Lv. 10Enhancement Magic lv. 10Flying lv. 7Intimidation lv. 1Internal Mana Manipulation lv. 5Cartography lv. 5

Class AbilitiesMerchant Skill - CalculationsProstitute Passive - Resist DiseaseProstitute Passive - Magic FingersProstitute Skill - Ease PainProstitute Skill - Freshen UpProstitute Passive - Tight FitProstitute Passive - Group DynamicsProstitute Passive - Go UnnoticedProstitute Passive - Resist SleepProstitute Skill - Center of AttentionProstitute Skill - Nightcap

Special Passives:Soulbound CompanionsSpecial drop rate upSightspeakDouble Down

Innate Abilities:Karmic RetributionBeing of Karma

Racial Traits:Succubus ConstitutionSexual Appetite Lv. 47Succubus BondGreater Succubus Shifting

Titles:[World Traveler - Hidden Title][Origin of Succubi - Hidden Title][Dungeon Destroyer][First Explorer][Early Intervention][Demon Hunter][Follower of Sorsette][Mother of the Succubi - Hidden Title]

Spells:Light Magic:Light OrbFirefliesLight BeamLight SignalLight Scribing]Light BurstLight WardLight Siphon

Illusion Magic:Zone of SilenceEchoMirage

Luck magic:Melee HexCoin FlipDie NudgeBlackjackA Touch of Good LuckWagerCarousel

Enhancement Magic:Flame ImbueBlade WaltzFocused PerceptionLight ImbueLightfootArmor of LightHasted PerceptionAugment StrengthAugment Speed

Arcane Magic:Arcane Variant Zone of Truth (Boon)

I've learned so many things now that my status is becoming a bit crazy to look at. It's no wonder I'm feeling a little spread thin. Still, I think my hybrid build has been good for me so far. I closed my status and pulled back the curtain to look through the window just as I felt the carriage pull off the road and onto the bumpy hillside where we were presumably about to take a break. I was getting some interested looks from the former slaves we had rescued but I wasn't the only one. Bella and the twins were also getting a good amount of attention as well. Mimi was back to her normal form again, but I never expected her to remain transformed throughout the night like we had been.

When the carriage finally rumbled to a stop I stood up and addressed everyone. "We're going to stop here for a while so that we can talk with each of you and see what we can do to help you. Right now we're heading for Goldenhearth where we have some friends that should be able to help you. All of you are free now but that doesn't quite mean you're safe yet. We still need to find out if what happened in the capital will be enough to destroy the slaver's guild or if we need to smuggle all of you somewhere else. We'll also see if we can rotate who's forced to ride on the floor for the next leg."

There were whispers and quiet chatter but I ignored it as I opened up the carriage door and stepped into the field Cecilia had chosen to be the spot we were going to take a break. Raya, Sibyl, and Silva were already standing up and stretching from the overnight carriage ride. Silva didn't look fatigued from staying up all night, but I suppose with [Succubus Constitution] she doesn't need as much sleep at the cost of needing more lust mana instead. Getting enough sustenance might get a little complicated with the number of people we've taken with us though.

"How are you doing?" I asked the three of them.

Raya yawned. "It was pretty boring riding in the front like that. All of us stayed on the lookout for monsters but we didn't run into anything."

Sibyl nodded. "I doubt we're the only ones who rode through the night after what happened in the capital. The people ahead of us might have dealt with any roaming monsters already."

"Are you holding up okay? Did you stay up all through the night?" I asked Silva.

"Yeah, I stayed up the entire time. It wouldn't be the first time I've had to stay up through the night but it's a lot easier since the change. I'm just glad that shimmerscale potion wore off. It was weird looking like a different person for so long," Silva said.

I looked out over the large group that had formed near the carriage. It was a bit awkward seeing all of them in their thin slave outfits but we couldn't do anything about that. I hoped Oceane would be able to help us once we reached Goldenhearth. I doubted many of the former slaves would want to work in a brothel after what they experienced, but she should still have the resources to help us with things like clothes and some basics. Hopefully, she wouldn't be against giving them a place to stay until they figured something else out. Then there was the kid...

"Hey, Raya?"

"Hm?"

"I don't know if you noticed but we found an orphaned kid when we were escaping the capital. Is there somewhere we could take her once we reach Goldenhearth?" I asked.

"The one hanging off the cowkin? There are a few orphanages in Goldenhearth but... I think it might be a challenge separating those two." She gestured toward Nelly and the kid who were sitting in the grass with Kal'Daeryn. The kid was sitting in the cowkin's lap resting back on the woman's large breasts. It would look more innocent if Nelly wasn't so attractive and wearing a skimpy maid outfit. Raya sighed. "The kid looks like she's attached to her already and the cowkin hasn't done anything to dissuade the girl from getting attached."

I hesitated. "Should we do something about that?"

Raya shook her head. "No, even if you say something I don't think it would change much. The cowkin doesn't look like she can help but take care of the kid and the kid would probably be in even worse shape if we try to keep them from attaching themselves to each other. I've seen stuff like that happen at the orphanage when I was growing up. It might get messy later but I don't think we can do much about it now. I can tell you turned the cowkin into a succubus already, are you planning on leaving her at the Ruby Vixen?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly. "She seems intent on following us and at the very least I still need to go over some of her changes with her."

Raya licked her lips. "I think I'm going to enjoy spending time with her."

I rolled my eyes and laughed. "I'd better talk with some of the newcomers. Especially those two about becoming succubi," I said while indicating the two disfigured ones. One was a guy so there would be that hurdle but the other was a woman. I wasn't sure where either of them were at yet mentally. I won't pressure them of course, but they would benefit the most from my transformation, so I'd like to offer it to them first.

"Good luck!" Raya said while waving me off.

When I started to approach the person with the bad burns all over her body, I saw her perk up and stand up to greet me. "Hello. One of your friends told me about the transformation you offered me... I'm not sure which one it was now that all of you have changed again..." Her voice was raspy and it sounded like it was painful for her to speak.

"Yes, I came to talk with you about it. Did my friends tell you all that it would entail?"

She hesitantly nodded. "I was told I would be joining your family as a new race of something called succubi, and that it would restore my body and improve it... I would like this boon but I do not have much to offer in return."

I shook my head. "It's not about what you can offer. As long as you help out other succubi when you are able to, that's good enough for me. Even if you take the transformation and leave to another city or country, I wouldn't mind. Are you okay with the sexual aspect of our new race?"

"I... was not well versed in sensuality before being enslaved, but it is an agreeable price to pay for what you are offering. I... do not want to stay as I am any longer..." she replied morosely.

"If you're sure then we can do it. Let me speak with a few others before we start but you can go first if you would like," I told her.

She bowed. "Of course! I thank you."

I found the scarred human man who was missing an arm and sat down in the grass across from him. He looked up at me with weary eyes. I frowned as I looked over him. He was a young adult, couldn't be more than twenty-five. A lot of the marks on his body looked man-made as if he had been tortured and branded repeatedly. Why would someone do this to him? His karma was a bit above 800 but he wasn't very high level and he hadn't been wearing a crime slave collar. The only conclusion I could come to was that it was some sick monster's idea of fun.

"Can you speak?" I asked.

He shook his head. I had thought not.

"Can you read or write?"

He paused and shook his head again.

I nodded. "Then I'll ask you yes or no questions and you'll have to answer me. Is that alright?"

He nodded. Good.

"My friends were talking about the transformation I can do when someone joins my family of Succubi. Were you listening to them when they were talking about it?

He nodded in reply.

"Are you interested in receiving the transformation?"

He nodded.

"Did they tell you that it would almost certainly turn you into a woman?"

He nodded.

"Did they tell you that you would have to have sex regularly to feed on lust aspect mana?"

He hesitated then nodded. It might be weird for him, but this would be a necessary cost of the transformation. I would normally be more cautious about offering the transformation to someone this hesitant but I got the impression that he was desperate for it.

"As far as I know, it won't affect your preferences in partners. Having sex with other women or other succubi will be enough to satiate you and you'd be able to keep your member if your ideal feminine form would include one. Hopefully that makes things a bit easier," I told him.

He nodded a bit more confidently in reply.

"Do you want the transformation, to join my family, despite all of that?"

He nodded.

"Good. Then we can do the transformation for you and the burned woman today, I think I'll offer it to the others later. Does that sound okay?"

He nodded.

"Go stand by her over there," I said pointing to the burned woman. "I need to talk to someone first before we get started."

He nodded and the two of us stood up. He started walking over to the woman while I headed over to Nelly.

"Nelly, can I talk to you for a moment?"

She smiled at me. "Of course dear. Maddie, please wait here with Kal'daeryn won't you?"

The young girl nodded and apprehensively stood up and sat next to the large white tiger woman.

I pulled her off to the side where we should be out of earshot of the young girl. "So, two things. The first is that I am planning on transforming those two over there and due to how sexual the whole thing can be, I'd like you to take the young girl away so she can't watch. I can send someone with you so don't worry about that, but I need you to keep her occupied while that's happening."

"That seems simple enough," She said, agreeing easily. "What was the other thing you needed?"

"Well... the other thing is that someone needs to keep her out of it at night, but you're going to need some sustenance yourself. Would you mind getting the girl introduced to one of my other friends who can keep track of her during the, um, orgy that will probably happen soon?" Man, the woman was so motherly that it felt a bit awkward talking to her about stuff like this. At least before I've seen her in a more sexual context.

She blushed at the request and cleared her throat. "Yes, that would be appropriate. Who did you have in mind?"

"The two pantharian twins over there, Morrigan and Torien, won't need to participate in the orgy and it would probably be best for her to get to know Bella, the deerkin over there, as well too," I told her while pointing all of them out. "You don't have to participate in the orgy, but if you read the [Sexual Appetite] trait, your ability to go between sessions without 'eating' increases with each unique partner you take. It would probably be best if you and Kal'daeryn mingle a little bit while you're in safe company. Only what you feel comfortable with though, of course."

"That makes sense. I'll take care of it." She was still blushing but it looked like she had mostly regained her composure.

"What was the young girl's name again? Maddie, you said?"

"She told me her name was Madeline, but she goes by Maddie with her friends... Speaking of names, what was your name? You never told any of us."

My eyebrows rose. Ah, I forgot about that. I had been purposefully not saying my name aloud while in the city but then I haven't introduced myself to anyone since. I would have to do that soon. "My name is Lilith. It's nice to meet you," I said taking her hand and shaking it.

"And... you'll be at the orgy too... right?" she asked with a blush.

I coughed. "Uh. I will be."

"Great!" she said with a smile.