Chapter 17: Homeward Bound

[Okay so first things first what kind of skills do you have?] - Rose[Actually now that I think of it I haven't opened my status screen in a while! Let me check!] - Karen[Sure, but before you do that concentrate on showing it to me too, that way I can see it.] - Rose

Nodding as she concentrated a panel suddenly appeared between the two of them.

[Oh! Those title's are new! Let me open them!] - Karen

[Well that's cool! Two of my title's merged! Didn't know they could...] - Karen

[Wait what! You can pull up more details on your titles? How come I didn't know about that?] - Rose

[I... don't know? Didn't you say you were going to some school? They didn't teach you about this?] - Karen

[I don't think so. I don't remember Legal Loli "Sens"ei saying anything about some kind of detail view. Although I wasn't really paying attention during that class because of my shock at my status so...] - Rose

[Well try it now! Maybe it'll work.] - Karen

Concentrating on the spell to pull up my status I didn't bother making a chant up as it was only Karen and I here anyway.

[Status!] - Rose

[Okay now touch a title and think about wanting to pull up more info, that's how I did it.] - Karen

[Got it! I'll try...] - Rose

[Huh?] - Both

[But I just saw you use it!] - Rose

[I have no idea, maybe you need to be a higher level?] - Karen

[I haven't seen a level indicator on my status though?] - Rose

[Maybe it's like that Skorim mod you liked before that makes stat growth natural.] - Karen

[So levels don't exist?] - Rose

Karen shrugged her petite shoulders and I sighed before deciding to focus on the things I could see and holy crap Karen's status was amazing! Her endurance especially was ridiculous but everything else was world's above mine, were humanoid slime's generally this strong? Or maybe it had to do with her Class? Martial God? Wait a second! Wasn't that what Master Lao Shi said he was?

[What's with this Martial God's Progeny Title and your class?] - Rose

[That's right! I forgot to tell you but the old man was actually the one that sent me here, can you believe it he was actually a real god!] - Karen

[Yeah he told me that right before I died but that still doesn't explain the Title and Class thing.] - Rose

[I don't know, maybe cause he sent me to this world he's now technically my dad? Ew old person dad...] - Karen

Shrugging her shoulder's again I decided to ignore it since neither of us knew anything anyway.

[Oh well moving on! It looks like you're build is leaning towards a close combat expert?] - Rose

[Yeah I didn't really have any weapons so hitting things with my fists as soon as I got them seemed to work. Oh and I can make tentacle thingies for extra "hands"!] - Karen

[Okay so here's what I think we should do...] - Rose

After explaining my plan to Karen we proceeded to make our way into the forest with the first goal making it back to where I fell. According to Karen I had apparently rolled down a huge hill and she had found me at the bottom of said hill missing half my scale's because of burn damage. Luckily the numbing effect from the medicine earlier hadn't worn off but my tail was also more difficult to move correctly so it was all good news.

We had been nervous at first that the hellhound would immediately attack us as soon as we entered the forest, but it seemed as if those concerns were unwarranted. So far the only thing to attack us so far had been various slimes. Unlike the outskirts of the forest some of these slimes were various shades of red and even a couple green ones. None of them had been a serious threat however and while their numbers were higher than I had faced previously Karen was apparently an expert at killing slimes and none of them stood a chance.

[Maybe we won't even have to worry about that dickhead... Oh there's the hill!] - Karen

[Holy shit that's enormous...] - Rose

[Hehe that's what she said.] - Karen

[S-Shut it!] - Rose

Sweeping my gaze upwards in awe at the sheer scale of the mound of dirt in front of me I couldn't help thinking that it was more like a mountain slope than a hill. I couldn't for the life of me imagine surviving a fall down it but apparently I had somehow done it. Because of all the tree's I couldn't see all the way to the top of the hill but going straight up it should be fine, if we found the burn marks from the previous day's battle I could guide us back to the academy.

[I fell down this?] - Rose

[I guess? From how you described the battle with that asshole I'm guessing you rolled down the whole thing. It's lucky you didn't hit any tree's on the way down though.] - Karen

[Yeah... lucky.] - Rose

[Well let's get moving! We don't want to be here after dark and we only have like 3 hours of daylight left.] - Karen

[Oh and while we're climbing why don't you tell me all about this academy you mentioned and those friends of yours!] - Karen

Nodding absentmindedly we started climbing upwards. We were in for a rough climb all things considered and talking about my life since I died would be a good distraction.

[Well it all started when...] - Rose

We'd been climbing for hours and the forest had been gradually getting darker as time went on. According to Karen the forest was far more dangerous at night as things other than slime's stalked the tree's when the sun went down. We needed to speed up. Luckily we were nearly to the top of the hill according to Karen so if we hurried we might make it out of the forest by sundown.

[So she molested you all in the bath and got away with only a couple bruises? Damn I gotta try that next time... See? Bruise Proof!] - Karen

I blushed at her comment while laughing slightly as she knocked her head causing it to jiggle. I couldn't say I wasn't interested in being intimate with Karen but my embarrassment at it being in my current body just made me turn into a tomato whenever it was brought up. I guess my mindset must have changed to that of a "not quite teenage" girl. Luckily because of my conversation with Karen earlier I was no longer as upset by the thought, remembering that even as Austin I had changed so drastically from childhood to adulthood that I had barely remembered what I was like before. And my memories as Austin were just as far away as those of Austin to his childhood.

Caught in thought I stopped talking for a long while and Karen nudged me out of my introspection with a worried look on her face.

[You okay?] - Karen

[Yeah I am. Thanks to you.] - Rose

Smiling warmly at Karen as she blushed purple I laughed at her reaction and was about to tease her but my laugh died in my throat as a familiar howl echoed through the forest.

[AWOOOOOOOOOOOO!] - Hellhound?

[Shit! Is that what I think it is?] - Rose

[Yeah, that shithead must have found our scent! Quick let's get as close to the gate you told me about as possible! Maybe one of those teacher's will hear what's going on and come help us!] - Karen

[Good idea!] - Rose

Slithering along as fast as I could I was still only barely able to keep up with Karen and worse than that I felt the first twinges of pain emanating from my burns. Shit! The pain killer was wearing off!

[Ow! Karen! Ssssss! The pain is back! Hah! I think we should stand our ground here!] - Rose

[Damn! I guess we'll have to! I'll take point! With my fire resistance levelled up maybe I can finally fight on equal ground!] - Karen

Getting into a combat stance Karen let me get behind her as we caught our breath while waiting. We didn't have to wait long however as, with the sound of cracking wood, the hellhound from before burst out of the undergrowth flinging twigs and leaves everywhere. It's eye's were burning a bright red and it seemed to recognize me as it growled in a threatening manner. Karen gestured in a "come at me bro" way but all it did was warily start to circle us.

[If you won't come to me then I'll come to you!] - Karen

Turning even more liquid than normal she rushed forward without any build up, taking the hellhound by surprise as she landed a heavy blow against the side of it's face with her fist. Quickly following up the blow with a jab from a tentacle that formed from her lower body she missed her second strike as it jumped out of range before lunging at her head.

Quickly turning completely into a liquid she dodged it's lunge and it landed in between the two of us. Not wasting the chance to strike while it was getting its bearings I wailed on it with my tail but it recovered faster than I could attack and it moved out of the way causing my tail to gouge out several feet of ground while flinging blood from reopening wounds. Biting back the pain I quickly followed up with a ice lance but it dodged that as well.

[Shit it's too fast! What do we do now?!?] - Rose

[I have an idea but you have to attack with everything you got when I do it. Just remember that I'll be okay and ignore everything else.] - Karen

Worried about what exactly she had in mind but trusting her to tell me the truth I nodded and continued watching the hellhound as it circled us from further away. Apparently it was now taking us more seriously as we had injured it slightly. Unfortunately that had also made it more determined to kill us as we probably wounded it's pride.

Quickly jumping to the right it rushed at Karen to deal with the bigger threat first and unlike before she didn't dodge this time. Trusting that she had a plan I started pooling all of my mana into a single attack, only leaving enough to keep from going unconscious. The hellhound, while suspicious of Karen's unmoving stance, still continued with it's lunge and a second later it completely took off her head.

[NOOOOOOOO!] - Rose

Releasing my spell that I had built up with a massive amount of mana I cast the largest ice lance I'd ever seen at the wolf-like creature as it turned to me with what looked like a grin only for that smile to turn to confusion as all of it's legs were wrapped around by blue slime. Hitting it directly in it's right eye as it was unable to dodge it howled in pain and blood was flung all around it. Breaking free from the slime pooling at it's feet it glared at us with it's remaining eye it took a deep breath.

[Karen... no....] - Rose

As a wall of flame emanated from the monster's mouth I just slumped to the ground only for a giant wall of blue slime to block the flames from reaching me.

[What. Did. I. Tell. You. Before? Shit this hurts!] - Karen

[You're okay?] - Rose

Noticeably smaller after the flame finally let up Karen slumped to the ground next to me with steam coming off her body.

[I told you I'd be fine. Although not for long the way it's going, I can't move at the moment. Sorry...] - Karen

[Neither can I actually, I used up almost all of my mana.] - Rose

[So this is it huh? Well damn at least we met each other before the end, still wish I could have rocked your world though.] - Karen

[D-Dammit now is not the time for that!] - Rose

Blushing at her comment even in this situation we watched as the severely injured hellhound cautiously kept it's distance from us. It had obviously not expected us to survive it's Flame Breath and the fact that we had was making it keep it's distance. Seeing that we didn't press the advantage it warily approached us while watching for any unexpected attacks and I felt a bit of pride at the fact that we'd driven it so far. Unfortunately we wouldn't be around long enough to celebrate that accomplishment for long as it decided that we weren't able to attack and lunged for my neck first.