Chapter 0 - Arc Four

4.01 - After

 
Sofia was waiting for them in the common area, sipping on a cup of tea while she scanned through one of the campus’s news letters. Emerging from their room after the events of last night and this morning felt, somehow, like emerging from a cave after weeks or months. She felt like a new person.
 
Natalie had been using her sound-dampening illusions to liberally protect her and Jordan’s relationship, since her dark-haired friend really didn’t know how to be quiet. Really, for all she’d insisted in earlier encounters that Natalie ‘control herself’, Jordan moaned loud enough to wake up the entire building. Not that that was a bad thing. Pretty much the opposite, as far as Natalie was concerned. But not great for subtlety.
 
Regardless, Sofia didn’t have a clue what was going on. Or, Natalie thought so. Certainly she didn’t have proof, at a minimum, and if she did know, she was a very good actor. Sofia spared a glanced toward them, then rose from her seat. 
 
“I was starting to wonder whether I should knock,” she said. “You two like cutting it close, I see.”
 
“No point in being early to self guided training,” Jordan said without missing a beat. “Not like it matters.”
 
Sofia hummed in response.
 
Natalie herself was slightly more flustered, for about a dozen reasons, but Sofia was already heading for the door, so it didn’t matter.
 
They set out into the campus together.
 
“Did you level?” Jordan asked.
 
“I did, yes,” Sofia said. “You two as well?”
 
“Both, yeah.”
 
“The dungeon must think our contribution is fairly close, then, for us all to hit it at the same time,” Sofia said.
 
“Or we just cleared the requirement by a wide margin,” Natalie pointed out.
 
“That’s possible too. I wonder if Liz and Ana made it.”
 
“I have to assume,” Natalie said. 
 
Since the dungeon gave experience based on contribution—to prevent higher levels from rocketing a low level through the ranks—then Liz was the person most likely to have leveled from today. Natalie would be shocked if their healer had somehow stayed at level one. Liz didn’t have a flashy class, but in their team, she was probably the most competent for her role.
 
She supposed it possible Ana hadn’t leveled, but while not as dominant in her archetype as Liz, Ana was no slack; Natalie found it more likely all five of them had breached level two. A chunk of the campus probably had—though certainly not all, or even most, since Natalie and her squad weren’t low-tier. Not elites, but probably up there. Likely, Elida and her group already had leveled, or at least some of them; Natalie didn’t think their enormously dominant performance had been their superior skill alone.
 
“Anything good?” Jordan asked.
 
“Yes,” Sofia said, but didn’t elaborate. She seemed to realize the response slightly rude, even considering that keeping class details a secret was standard, so she added, “Some personal bonuses and attack moves. Nothing truly incredible, at least from initial appraisal, but I suspect a decent power spike. I’ll need to experiment.”
 
Jordan bobbed her head. “I got a ranged skill,” she said, “so I might not be locked down to melee. Still the dominant theme, though.”
 
Sofia turned to Natalie, and Natalie groaned. “Don’t ask.”
 
“No intention to,” Sofia said, lips quirking. “I don’t even want to imagine what kind of upgrades a class like yours got.”
 
Natalie didn’t have a retort to that, since Sofia was right. There was one skill in particular that was going to be a disaster.
 
“Some normal stuff, too, though,” Natalie said. “Physically focused ones, too. No more spells.”
 
“And you prefer that?”
 
“Haven’t finished wrangling my illusions yet, so maybe it’s a good thing. However it ends up, I’ll deal with it.” Some paladins were almost entirely physical, and the opposite was also true—even to the point they could fill a healer-mage hybrid role. “Doesn’t seem like I’ll be turning down a healing path, though. Durable with some spell backup.”
 
“Well, that’s ideal for us, so that’s good.”
 
They chatted in vague terms about their new skills as they took a brisk pace for the training facility. They weren’t late, but as Sofia had said, they were cutting it close.
 
Reaching the building, they split off. Normally Natalie would head for Tess to keep practicing with her spellcasting abilities, but today had clear other priorities. She and Jordan found an unused room. The sparring rooms had glass windows, and no locks on the doors, so there wasn’t real privacy, but they could at least talk without people overhearing. And that would be important, considering Natalie’s newest skills.
 
“So?” Jordan asked, not sparing a moment. “I’ll admit, I’m dying of curiosity. What’d you get?”
 
Natalie sighed, then glanced at her skill list.
 
***
 
[Carnal Harvest] - PASSIVE. PROGRESSION 2. Extract carnal energy through {fondling} an aroused target. Harvested energy can be expended through [Empower] and [Advance].
 
[Empower] - ACTIVE. PROGRESSION 2. Amplify the potency of any ACTIVE or AURA skill by {2.0x}. Expend Carnal Energy equal to mana cost.
 
[Advance] - ACTIVE. PROGRESSION 1. MAXED. Expend Carnal Energy to progress skills. 
 
[Illusion] - ACTIVE. PROGRESSION 2. Conjure a {moderately} powerful audiovisual mirage to distract or confuse an opponent. 
 
[Heavy Weaponry] - PASSIVE. PROGRESSION 2. Class-bearer is granted a {8-inch} weapon to satisfy and harvest Carnal Energy from chosen targets. 
 
[Juggernaut] - PASSIVE. PROGRESSION 1. Class-bearer receives {1.3x} bonus to furor, applied after all other bonuses.
 
[Hunker Down] - ACTIVE. PROGRESSION 1. MAXED. Class-bearer becomes invulnerable to most physical attacks for 1.5 seconds, but also unable to move. Can be interrupted.
 
[Bigger Is Better] - PASSIVE. PROGRESSION 1. Oversized weapons receive {minor} bonuses to offensive power and are {slightly} easier to maneuver.
 
[Stylish] - PASSIVE. PROGRESSION 1. Party members receive a {minor} stat bonus to their primary stat appropriate to how much their gear arouses the class-bearer. Class-bearer receives a {minor} stat bonus to their primary stat appropriate how much their gear arouses their teammates.
 
***
 
“Where to even start?” Natalie muttered.
 
4.02 - New Skills
 
Natalie chose to talk about the normal abilities first. She’d work into the headache-inducing one afterward. And she supposed [Stylish] wasn’t even the strangest of her kit—that would go to [Carnal Harvest], the lewd skill that was a foundation to her class.
 
But still. [Stylish] dragged her teammates directly into the fray. The skill encouraged all five of them to … what? Dress provocatively? To the extent their outfits aroused each other? Now that would create a reputation at Tenet.
 
“I shouldn’t be complaining,” Natalie sighed. “I got a pretty good haul. Four more skills.”
 
“Four?” Jordan asked. “Nice. Only got three.”
 
Two or three skills for the early levels was the standard. Higher levels started providing fewer, but the one or two you did receive would be much stronger.
 
“Three of them make me a better fighter,” Natalie said. “There’s two passives, actually, clearly encouraging me to take up a new weapon path.”
 
“Oh?”
 
“I think you can guess what it is,” Natalie said dryly. “The dungeon was hinting at it yesterday.”
 
Jordan’s brow furrowed before she connected the dots. “The hammer?”
 
“[Bigger Is Better],” Natalie said. “That’s the skill name. It makes handling oversized weapons easier, and gives them an attack bonus.”
 
Jordan immediately started laughing, and though Natalie’s lips twitched, she mostly leveled a sour look at her friend. She was glad, in a way, they had their level ups to distract her, because the way her heart skipped about four or five beats watching Jordan laugh was something Natalie simply didn’t have the energy or mental space to deal with. That wall had been thoroughly torn down, but Natalie had other stuff she had to focus on. Or maybe that was an excuse. Actually, it definitely was an excuse.
 
“The exact wording is minor bonus to offensive power, slightly easier to maneuver. It’s upgradeable too. I could make it stronger.”
 
“Right,” Jordan said. “Almost forgot about that. Well, yeah, then, you don’t have a choice. You’d be insane not to go with a large weapon. What else?”
 
“This one’s more generalist, but it clearly helps offset the problem further,” Natalie said. “[Juggernaut]. Passive one-point-three bonus to furor, applied after all other bonuses.”
 
“Applied after?” Jordan asked. “Damn. That’s strong.”
 
Natalie nodded. The thirty percent boost alone was a great skill—if perhaps not the strongest—but the fact it applied afterward meant it was, even at the first progression, potent. Because any furor bonuses from any skill, buff, or item would likewise be amplified by thirty percent. That meant both Liz’s strength boost and Natalie’s armor would also be amplified. If the skill had affected only her base stats, then it would have been much weaker.
 
“And it grows,” Jordan said. “From one point three to what? Even if it’s small jumps each progression, you’re going to be a monster.”
 
“Also got a defensive skill, [Hunker Down]. Seems pretty interesting. Something that can be used cleverly.”
 
“Hunker down,” Jordan repeated. “Huge defense bonus for a brief moment?”
 
The skill’s name did give it away. “Invulnerable, actually.”
 
Jordan whistled.
 
“But I can’t move,” Natalie said. Then, a second later, she added, “And it actually says invulnerable to most physical attacks. I’m guessing truly insane stuff would break through it. And it’s only one and a half seconds.”
 
Jordan considered this. “It’ll save your ass in a trap, most likely,” she said. “And being able to hunker down and literally catch a boss attack is phenomenal. You really did come out with a good haul.”
 
“Makes up for my starting skills,” Natalie muttered. “Don’t get me wrong, they’re insane for the long term, but having so much related to … all that, meant I didn’t have skills that are actually functional.”
 
Jordan nodded. “What’s the last one?”
 
“Don’t sound so excited. It’s awful.”
 
“Awful?”
 
“Amazing,” Natalie begrudgingly admitted. “Just, ugh.”
 
“Spill it.”
 
“[Stylish]. Any of my teammates get stat bonuses if …” It took some effort to barrel forward, even if it was Jordan that she was explaining this to. “If I’m aroused by their outfit.”
 
Jordan blinked.
 
“And it works for me, too,” Natalie sighed. “If you all like my outfit, then I get stronger.”
 
“No way,” Jordan said.
 
“You are not allowed to laugh,” Natalie said.
 
Jordan started laughing, and Natalie glared at her. She crossed her arms.
 
Unfortunately, Jordan just laughed harder, then stepped up to Natalie and buried her forehead into her chest, hands slipping onto Natalie’s waist. Natalie melted basically immediately. She didn’t stand a chance.
 
“It’s awful,” Natalie insisted. “Stop laughing.” She tried to ignore how quickly Jordan could turn her stomach into a warm pile of goo. Oh, gods. She had it bad.
 
“Okay, okay,” Jordan said, finally pulling herself together. Sparkling eyes looked up at her, only withdrawing a few inches back. Her hands stayed on Natalie’s waist. Natalie realized her own had gone to Jordan’s. “Serious talk, then. Let’s see.”
 
Jordan finally stepped back, and she chewed her lip.
 
“We should tell the team,” she said after only a second of consideration. “I think we’re past the point of keeping secrets when it comes to your class. At least when it affects them—or could affect them.”
 
“Yeah,” Natalie said. “That’s probably the right thing to do.” At least it wouldn’t be as awkward as that first talk. They were more than familiar with Natalie’s class, so it wouldn’t be outright mortifying. “But, what? We’re going to use it?”
 
“A team wide stat boost?” Jordan asked. “We’d be crazy not to. What’s the full wording?”
 
Natalie repeated the skill’s description.
 
“Yeah,” Jordan said. “It sounds like it might scale based on how much it arouses you. So we’ll really need to put together some naughty outfits.”
 
“Jordan, please.”
 
“We’ll probably settle with mildly scandalizing, then,” Jordan amended. “The issue’s going to be finding armor that’s both good and turns you on.” She paused. “Like Ana’s robes,” she added dryly. “Still think that wasn’t your class?”
 
“Some dungeon loot is just lewd,” Natalie said. “It wasn’t necessarily me.” Revealing armor and clothing was, while not the standard, certainly not a first.
 
“Regardless,” Jordan said, making it clear what she thought of the coincidence. “It’s pretty obvious we should make use of it. But we’ll talk with the team.” She wrinkled her nose. “Might be an issue with Liz because of her family’s reputation. Maybe we’ll only put it on at the dungeon itself. Or something.”
 
“I can’t believe this is our life, now.”
 
Jordan rolled her eyes. “Oh, woe is you. You received an insanely powerful class, but it’s a little weird.”
 
“A little weird?”
 
“A lot weird,” Jordan conceded. “But also a lot strong. You can upgrade it. That means you’ll be giving out team-wide moderate primary stat boosts. And higher, once you start progressing each of these skills. Your class is good even before upgrades. You’re going to be a legitimate powerhouse as time passes.” She poked Natalie’s shoulder. “I just hope you don’t end up leaving us behind.”
 
Natalie frowned.
 
“That’s a joke,” Jordan said.
 
Natalie believed her, but she thought she’d also caught a hint of something else. Had she imagined it? That it was a real worry, if a subdued one? Jordan must be losing her mind if she thought Natalie would ever leave her behind, regardless of if her class snowballed into something incredible.
 
“Have you thought what you want to upgrade first?” Jordan asked. “You’ve been saving up your points for exactly this moment, right? What do you think’s best? And what’s it all cost?”
 
4.03 - New Skills II
 
Natalie hadn’t allocated any of her earned carnal energy in some time, and with consistent sessions with Jordan, and slightly less consistent ones with Sammy, she’d earned a sizable amount. One-off encounters like with Liz, and even her lewd adventures with the vines, had provided bonus harvests, too.
 
***
 
Carnal Energy: 442
 
***
 
“I’m at four forty two,” Natalie said. “I have to imagine that’s enough to take [Carnal Harvest] up another tier, though I’m not sure how much’ll be left over. I could also go all in on an immediate power spike, though.” That had been why Natalie had saved the points in the first place, instead of immediately allocating them to [Carnal Harvest], which would boost her rate of gain. Taking each of her level two skills up to second progression would be an enormous boost in her immediate strength. She’d probably go from a ‘decent but nothing truly amazing’ student to somewhere much closer to the top.
 
“Mm,” Jordan said. “Tough choice. Long term choice is obvious.”
 
“Keep upgrading Harvest.” Natalie chewed her lip. “Saved the points in case something truly insane came along with level two, but it didn’t.” Not that she was complaining; she very much appreciated her new abilities. But nothing demanded immediate upgrades.
 
Natalie hesitated over the choice for a few moments, but reluctantly decided to do what was smartest for her long term career. “Probably best to get harvest up to three,” she sighed. “Though it would have been nice to go all in, right now.”
 
Jordan patted Natalie on the shoulder in sympathy. But she clearly agreed. “Let’s see how much you have left over.”
 
Closing her eyes, Natalie funneled points into [Carnal Harvest] using [Empower].
 
***
 
[Carnal Harvest]: Progression advanced from 2 to 3.
 
***
 
***
 
[Carnal Harvest] - PASSIVE. PROGRESSION 3. Extract carnal energy through {performing or receiving oral on} an aroused target. Harvested energy can be expended through [Empower] and [Advance].
 
***
 
Natalie snorted.
 
“What’d it upgrade to?” Jordan asked.
 
“Oral. Giving or receiving.”
 
“It’s funny that’s how it rates them. Kissing, fondling, oral. What’s after that? Penetration? Does it differentiate between each hole, you think?”
 
Natalie paused, then coughed. “I guess we’ll find out.”
 
“How much do you have left?”
 
She checked. “Two forty two. So progression three took two hundred flat.”
 
“Wonder if we can count on that for the others.”
 
“There’s variance,” Natalie said. “Already found that out from the progression two upgrades. But only a little bit. They seem to stay in the same general range.”
 
“Might change with level two skills. Maybe those are more expensive.”
 
Natalie had considered that, but for obvious reasons, hoped not. If they were as cheap to upgrade as her level ones, then she could take all of her new skills up a notch. If not, then she’d have to pick and choose.
 
“What’s the most important?” Natalie asked. In the case they were more expensive, she would focus on the one most crucial to upgrade.
 
“That’s really up to you,” Jordan said. “You’ve got lots of choices, now. [Juggernaut] is great—a flat boost to furor. If you want to immediately pivot to large weapons, [Bigger Is Better] is smart. Could also go with a tier three upgrade to [Illusion]. But I think the clear winner is [Stylish], assuming we get the whole team on board.”
 
A team-wide stat buff was hard to beat, so, yeah, that made sense. Natalie hesitated, though.
 
“But you want a personal boost,” Jordan said, smiling. “That’s fine too. I say go for it. You don’t have to be strictly selfless. Besides, it really depends on how the skills upgrade. Maybe [Stylish] only gives a tiny boost, and [Juggernaut] a big one. I say go for whatever you want.”
 
“Yeah,” Natalie said. “I guess. I’m not sure.” She wrinkled her nose. “It’s a hard choice.”
 
“Better to be flooded with good options than bad ones. Don’t think you can go too wrong, here, no matter what you choose.”
 
“What would you do?”
 
“I’d go with [Heavy Weaponry],” Jordan said, “so I could plow my best friend with a ten inch cock instead of an eight inch one.” Jordan laughed at Natalie’s wide-eyed expression. “I’m afraid you have a bit of a size queen on your hands, now. Look what you’ve done to me.”
 
“Jordan. Be serious.” Natalie fought against the stiffening inside her skirt. The teasing was seriously unfair out in public.
 
“Oh, I’m completely serious. But fine, if you care more about being practical than stuffing me silly—let me think.” Jordan considered the question. “[Juggernaut]. The flat strength boost will help with a larger weapon by default, so it serves as [Bigger Is Better] in a way, but also helps in all other aspects of combat too. That it multiplies with other bonuses is just crazy. Let’s see how much it costs.”
 
That had been what Natalie had wanted to go for first, too. [Stylish] was probably the better team upgrade, but she wanted to get personally stronger—to stand out more at Tenet. She hadn’t made an embarrassment of herself, far from it, but she hadn’t astounded anyone, either.
 
She wondered whether Jordan knew what she was thinking, and had suggested the skill choice and purposefully not pushed for [Stylish]. That would be a very Jordan thing to do. Jordan was always looking out for her. Her heart squeezed, and she chased away her newfound feelings. Those were really going to be a problem in the following days.
 
“Alright. Let’s see,” Natalie said.
 
Closing her eyes, she started funneling points into [Juggernaut]. Slowly, as to test how much the enigmatic ‘orb’ filled up with pink liquid. Her skills only gave a vague measure of how much she was progressing them, rather than a concrete amount required. It made all of this guesswork, unfortunately.
 
She grimaced.
 
“Yeah, it’s more expensive,” Natalie said. “I’m pretty sure it starts out as effectively a tier higher. So from one to two, costs the same as two to three for my level one skills.”
 
“Kinda expected something like that,” Jordan said. “But still. You can upgrade [Juggernaut]. It’ll be around two hundred?”
 
“It’ll cost most of what I have, probably.”
 
“That’s fine, I’d say. It’s a good choice. Then [Stylish] next, after we talk to the team about it.” Jordan paused. “And … what are your thoughts on talking to them about helping, too?’
 
“Helping?”
 
“You know. With …” Jordan waved her hand up and down at Natalie, a vague gesture that took Natalie a second to understand.
 
“You can’t be serious.”
 
“Sounds like Liz might be interested,” Jordan said with a shrug. “Ana is a wildcard, but I don’t think she’d be mad if we just asked. Besides, it’s giving or receiving. I don’t think there’d be too many girls who would turn down daily oral from you.” Jordan’s lips quirked. “Or even giving. You’ve got something special down there, you know. It really is addicting.”
 
“Jordan.”
 
“Just a thought,” Jordan said. “I’m not telling you to do anything. But maximizing your harvest skill really should take priority.”
 
“I know. I know.” Natalie struggled for how to put it. “I just don’t like the idea of it.”
 
“You don’t like the idea of being serviced by a legion of girls every day?” Jordan asked.
 
“Not … so impersonally? I don’t know. I don’t have anything against something casual, obviously, but it should still …”
 
“Happen naturally.” Jordan nodded. “No, I get it. Pursuing relationships just for the energy would be weird. I was just checking in. Besides, I bet there’s some limitations to harvest we haven’t found yet. I don’t think if you somehow had twenty partners a day, you’d really get twenty times the energy. I bet there’s a cap per day, or maybe each successive partner gets less energy. Something of that sorts. Then again, maybe not. But the most important thing is to do what you’re comfortable with. Doesn’t matter what optimizes your class.”
 
Natalie both agreed and disagreed with the sentiment. A part of her wanted to rush as much carnal energy as possible. A part of her despised that kind view on sex and relationships, even purposefully casual. It was something she’d fretted over since she’d received her class, and hadn’t made too much headway on.
 
What she was really hoping for was to build up relationships naturally, and for having to pursue some sort of ‘optimization’ to become unnecessary through organic success.
 
“Anyway,” Jordan said. “Go ahead and finish advancing [Juggernaut]? Tell me what you get.”
 
***
 
[Juggernaut]: Progression advanced from 1 to 2.
 
***
 
***
 
[Juggernaut] - PASSIVE. PROGRESSION 2. Class-bearer receives {1.6x} bonus to furor, applied after all other bonuses.
 
***
 
Natalie eyes widened. “Damn,” she said. “Went to one point six. That’s insane.”
 
“A passive sixty percent boost? That stacks with buffs and items?” Jordan asked. “Yeah. No joke.” She shook her head. “Even with just that, today’s spars won’t know what hit them. You’re gonna be a nightmare. Wanna give it a test run?”
 
4.04 - Juggernaut
 
Skill progression wrapped up, with Natalie not having enough points to funnel into another advancement. Following that, Natalie set out for the armory with Jordan to test out her new abilities. First and foremost, she needed to find a new weapon. [Bigger Is Better] was clearly urging her toward a style that utilized oversized weapons, and Natalie was happy to follow down that path. Her shield and hammer had been reliable, but nothing inspiring, either.
 
“So what are you thinking?” Jordan asked. “Warhammer? Great axe? Two-handed sword?”
 
“With the strength bonuses, I’m honestly thinking warhammer.” Her thoughts flicked to Otto, wearing his heavy platemail. “It’ll be good against armor. Plus we have that hammer drop from earlier, so I’ll be able to equip myself right away.”
 
“Figured,” Jordan said.
 
The two of them looked around the armory. As expected of an institution like Tenet, all weapons were accounted for, every shape, size, and type a person could imagine. Even she couldn’t name some of them, and Natalie was a person who’d grown up learning the ins and outs of combat.
 
Finding the appropriate section where ridiculously sized weapons were stored, she perused her options. Giant polearms, swords, axes, and every other sort lined the racks in rows, or hung on display.
 
Some were ridiculously oversized. Bigger by a significant margin to the unwieldy warhammer they’d found down in the dungeon. Natalie saw how Jordan’s attention fell to those, and she turned to Natalie and quirked an eyebrow.
 
“Well,” she said. “Let’s start big?” She gestured to the largest warhammer of the set—one that was easily twice her height and had a hammer head the size of half her body.
 
“There’s a point where it becomes physically unreasonable,” Natalie said, amused. She approached the weapon nonetheless. “This thing would not work well in hallways.”
 
She gripped the weapon’s haft, then grunted as she dislodged it from its resting place. Even with her recently boosted stats, easily doubling her strength when combining [Juggernaut] and her passive level boosts, the weapon was a nightmare. With a block of metal the size of her chest for its head, that was completely understandable. Jordan whistled, impressed that Natalie could hold the thing at all.
 
“Yeah,” Natalie said, muscles straining to hold the thing. “This’s probably meant for some of the upperclassmen.”
 
“You don’t say,” Jordan replied dryly. She eyed the bulky thing with an appreciative look. “Probably where you’re headed, though, long term. Imagine swinging that thing around. Pretty sure you’d pulverize even bosses.”
 
With some difficulty, she placed the weapon back. She picked a more level-appropriate warhammer. Still as tall as she was, and with an impressive block of metal for its head too, the weapon would be devastating in its own right. This one had a pointed end, intended to further help dig into metal.
 
No longer handling something ridiculously oversized, the giant warhammer felt much more comfortable in her hands. She gave it a few test swings, then rested it on her shoulder.
 
“Yeah,” Natalie said. “I could work with this.”
 
Just the day before, that certainly wouldn’t have been true. But her strength boost with [Juggernaut], and explicit bonus with [Bigger Is Better], made the weapon more than maneuverable—if admittedly less so than her previous shield-and-hammer set up. But when accounting for her level up, new weapon, and offense-oriented skills, her offensive capabilities had probably tripled at a minimum, and without her defenses taking too massive of a hit either. A solid smack with this thing would crack a good portion of her opponent’s HP, if not outright break it. The problem, of course, would be actually getting a good smack in; maneuverability would be difficult. Even glancing blows would be devastating, though. 
 
But against other heavily armored opponents, that wouldn’t be as much of an issue. Natalie might have become a tank killer. She suspected her fight against Otto would go a vastly different route, this time.
 
Or, maybe. Natalie begrudgingly would admit he was one of the top freshmen tanks of Tenet, which meant he was one of the top talents in the world. Natalie had a competitive streak, but she recognized from a practical standpoint that losing to him said nothing about her personal skill—besides that she wasn’t one of the best in the world herself. And only as it stood. Plus, he probably had a level on her during their fight. Regardless, there was no shame in losing to world-class talent. Or so she told herself; rationality and emotions didn’t always play nice with each other.
 
“Let’s give it a test run,” Jordan said. “Your biggest problem will be with slippery targets, so I’m the ideal person to practice with. We’ll see if you need something lighter.”
 
Natalie nodded. All classes and fighting styles came with upsides and downsides, and where this weapon would excel against a heavily armored tank, or any other class not skilled at getting out of the way, someone like Jordan or Sofia would fare much better.
 
That said, if Natalie even caught a glancing blow on a rogue or lightweight fighter, she might win the fight outright. All it would take was a smart piece of misdirection, or somehow handling the fight to force an undodgable attack. Not easy, but not impossible.
 
And misdirection? Tricking an opponent for one devastating, fight-winning strike? Well, [Illusion] sounded quite useful there. There might be more coherence behind her class than she’d first thought.
 
She and Jordan headed for a practice room. They had a short amount of time to get a few spars in and for Natalie to familiarize herself to her new weapon before real combat classes began.
 
For the next while, she and Jordan sparred. As Natalie expected, the encounter was a clear demonstration of her biggest weakness—an inability to land clean strikes on a slippery target. That said, Natalie quickly picked up how to handle the warhammer, using her momentum to always be in motion and advancing on Jordan. Jordan’s strength wasn’t in a one-on-one either; she did best attacking from flanks, with her opponent focused on someone else.
 
She tested her illusions, trying exactly what she’d figured would be effective earlier—tricking her opponent into dodging one way, then landing a devastating blow. But Jordan knew to watch for her illusions, and so fared better than a dungeon monster or even another sparring opponent would.
 
The fight didn’t end with a clear winner or loser, since that wasn’t what the spars had been intended to be—they were just testing out Natalie’s new style.
 
That said, for these upcoming fights in today’s combat classes, she intended to be a lot more competitive. Her empowered stats were immediately noticeable, and she felt the improved power, speed, and constitution surging underneath her skin.
 
“And that’s before [Juggernaut] boosts your gear,” Jordan said. “You’ll be even more of a monster in the dungeon. Especially as we get stronger items.”
 
Natalie nodded in agreement. “It’s a shame we can’t use gear in spars.” For some other competitions and situations they could, but not everyday spars. The reasoning as far as Natalie understood it was to test their ‘base strength’, but certain abilities, like this recent strength boosting one of hers, did get overlooked in that case. But there were no perfect solutions, so Natalie understood.
 
With early morning self-training wrapping up, she and Jordan headed to class. Natalie found herself more excited than she had been in some time. She wanted to test herself in earnest against whoever their opponents were today.
 
4.05 - Rankings
 
Natalie’s first fight of the day ended up being a two on two. She received Ernest, an axe-based and somewhat competent all-around fighter, against two opponents from a different class: a fighter and a mage. Only the more diligent students had earned their level up this weekend, and it didn’t seem like their opponents were in that group—so Natalie was at a huge advantage. 
 
The spar turned out to be as satisfying as she had hoped it would be.
 
This new aggressive style of hers played far more to her strengths. [Juggernaut] was aptly named: though it didn’t provide her defensive boosts, she was a moving whirlwind as she carried her momentum forward, swinging a giant hunk of metal with terrifying speed, her recently boosted strength meaning she could overpower nearly anyone. Her opponent made the mistake of trying to eat the impact with his shield only once. Warhammer met reinforced wood, and his defenses crumpled immediately—he went tumbling across the arena, shield dented, and while not out of the fight entirely, it left his supporting mage wide and open.
 
Which meant, of course, that the fight didn’t last long after that.
 
Turning and seeing Sofia’s raised eyebrows, and Jordan’s smile, was even more liberating than the win itself.
 
She would need to learn how to work the aggressiveness into a proper tanking style, though. Thrilling as barreling forward and being an unstoppable tornado of heavy metal would be, their team already had offense in spades; she would have to focus on keeping attention through being an unstoppable nuisance, rather than trying to disable her opponent with her newfound strength. Though, the two were somewhat intertwined. She would certainly be seeing a higher kill-participation in the following dungeon run than she had with shield-and-hammer.
 
Hopefully, future levels would come with a taunt ability, or something similar. She intended to work on her [Illusions] to somehow help, too. If nothing else, she could leverage the ability to peel for her teammates—to provide distractions should she somehow lose her target’s focus.
 
The rest of the class went just as well. By the end, the fifteen classmates she’d spent two weeks with were all looking at her in an appreciative new light. That also held for Natalie and some of them—she hadn’t been the only one to level and receive powerful new abilities.
 
But of the class, Natalie’s jump upward in unofficial rankings was the most noticeable. As much because her new skills were strong, it was that they actually fit her this time—and her weapon choice, too. She’d seen several upgrades to her personal strength at once, both direct and indirect.
 
The only damper to her good mood was that, unfortunately, Sofia had also gotten much stronger. Natalie was itching for the day she could lay that woman flat on her back and dominate her—she wanted it more than just about anything, so bad her skin got hot thinking about it—but it might be some time yet. The white-haired girl flowed between her opponents with newfound grace, and her offensive power had also taken a sharp leap upward. One of her immediately noticeable skills was a movement ability. She seemed to be able to step through attacks, now.
 
Infuriatingly, that would be doubly effective against Natalie, with her slow-but-powerful style. So long as Sofia saw the attack coming, she had a mitigating ability. There was still the option to feint and catch Sofia off guard, but Natalie begrudgingly admitted that would be a herculean task. Sofia had always had a natural talent for reading her opponents—it was a foundational skill to her style. Natalie would have to pay attention to the ability’s limitation. Such a potent dodge skill had to have them. At first appraisal, Natalie suspected a long cooldown, and perhaps a charge-up time—she had to predict the attack, rather than simply react. Still, those weren’t easy limitations to exploit for Natalie herself.
 
At the end of class, Instructor Robin gathered them for a short announcement. She was sharp and punctual as usual, not wasting breath.
 
“As a reminder, with the start of the third week, student rankings have been posted. I suggest you peruse them at your leisure, either now or sometime during your lunch break. It’s important to know your competition, and where you stand. They’re posted at most student bulletins.” Cool eyes surveyed the collected students, and Instructor Robin nodded. “That will be all, class. Keep up the good work.” With a sharp turn, she exited the sparring room, leaving them to also disperse.
 
Natalie found herself surprised by the announcement; she had known student rankings existed, but that they would be coming out today had slipped her mind. She shared a look with Jordan, then Sofia. They hardly needed to discuss it; as soon as Instructor Robin dismissed them, they beelined for the nearest bulletin board.
 
Then, at seeing the absolute crowd packed around it, conceded defeat—they took a detour and found a less populated one on the way to the cafeteria.
 
Natalie wasn’t surprised to see Liz in the top twenty. Though not flashy, being a healer, her skill was obvious as day—as expected from a member of the literal royal family.
 
At space twenty-four, a tragedy lay in wait. Sofia. Sofia had made the first-page of rankings, and Natalie and Jordan had not. Natalie groaned, and Jordan patted her on the back. Sofia just stared at the listing, lips pursed.
 
“What? Expected to be first?” Natalie asked, more sourly than she intended. It was hard not to have her pride bruised with Sofia on top of her, obvious as the result was. She hated being topped by Sofia.
 
“I said no such thing,” Sofia said.
 
“You aren’t hard to read, princess.”
 
“Hm.”
 
They flipped through the pages, seeking out their names. Tenet was a big academy, so ending up on the second page—in the top fifty—wasn’t a mark against Natalie in the slightest; it still put her in the top ten percent of her year. Honestly, that was better than she’d expected; she really didn’t think she’d put up a good showing, considering everything that was going on with her class, and how it seem poised to be relatively weak early, but strong late. She would be shooting up the rankings as time passed. With her level-up, the current rankings were already inaccurate.
 
Jordan was also on the second page, though lower down, at space forty nine. Nobody in the group seemed especially happy with their placements, but they were all intensely competitive, hence how they’d ended up in Tenet in the first place.
 
Ana was a few spots above Natalie. That also made sense; she was no slouch.
 
“We’re just getting started,” Natalie declared. “I expect all of us to be in positions one to five by the end of the year. Anything less and we’re not trying hard enough.”
 
Sofia nodded, and Jordan seemed mildly amused at the statement, but didn’t disagree.
 
The looked through the other rankings. Combat wasn’t the only category Tenet graded their students in. Natalie obviously wasn’t that invested in the academic list, but she did wince at how she was near the bottom—it took some flipping through of pages to find her name. Also unsurprisingly, Jordan and Ana were both near the top, and in fact, were in the top ten, the highest among them of any individual list. To be fair, it wasn’t like Natalie was really trying in that regard. Who went to Tenet for the academics?
 
For the dungeon rankings—which Tenet appraised through the quality of loot and amount of monster cores teams brought back up—Natalie and her teammates were all on the second page. Again, that put them in the upper echelons of Tenet’s freshmen, and considering how they had literally been beaten and robbed during their most important dungeon run, that was quite good.
 
Elida and her team, unfortunately, were all on the first page for both combat-related rankings.
 
Even more annoyingly, Elida was the number one—for both. Even Johanna, the other major player, hadn’t claimed the spot for personal combat strength; she was number two. Otto was twelfth, Natalie noted.
 
Natalie recognized most of the other names, though not all of them. Tenet’s freshmen class had a lot of students.
 
Not ecstatic about their rankings, but also not devastated, the three of them finished looking through the pages, then headed off for lunch.
 
4.06 - Stylish
 
“Good news and bad news,” Liz said cheerfully, sliding her food tray onto the table across from Natalie. The bubbly royal was spending more and more of her lunches with Natalie’s group. Ana had also joined them. “Which do you want first?”
 
“Bad news?” Jordan suggested.
 
“It’s a trick question, they’re the same thing,” Liz said. “The good news is that Elida’s team has kitchen duty for literally the whole week. The bad news is they didn’t get any real punishment. I can’t say I’m completely surprised, but it’s still kind of …” she trailed off, trying to pick a word.
 
“Bullshit?” Natalie suggested. “Yeah. That’s kind of lame.” She still hadn’t made up her mind on how she wanted to handle Elida and that entire event. A big part of her wanted to concoct some glorious revenge, but at the same time, Jordan’s words sat in her mind—maybe instigating a rivalry with the prominent daughter of a major royal family wasn’t the best idea. Sometimes taking it on the chin was really the best move. Even if it pissed her off.
 
For now, she held the grudge to the side. She’d decide later.
 
“But I do mean all week,” Liz said. “Even the weekend. She messed up her own delving schedule because of it.”
 
Natalie blinked. “Oh.” That was better than she thought, then. “But not all day, right?”
 
“Yeah. So they can still go. But it messes up camping down in the dungeon; they need to be back each morning.”
 
“It’s something, I guess. And our gear?”
 
“We’re getting most of it back. Not all. Some ‘competition’,” Liz quoted the words with her fingers, “is encouraged at Tenet. But combined with our haul yesterday, and getting a decent chunk of our previous delve back, we’ve made out like bandits. We’re in a good position going into this week.”
 
“Especially with our upgrades,” Sofia said. “I mean, you saw Nat during practice today.”
 
Natalie paused, then turned a confused look at the white-haired girl. Had Sofia just complimented her?
 
“We’re all level two, I take it?” Liz asked, cutting off Natalie’s bafflement. “We didn’t actually bring it up. But me and Ana are. You three?”
 
“Then that makes all of us, yeah,” Jordan said.
 
“What’d you get?” Liz asked Natalie. “If I can ask. I saw you fight, but what skills?”
 
Jordan turned a significant look Natalie’s way, and Natalie wrinkled her nose. It was too perfect of a segue to not broach the subject. [Stylish] needed to be discussed with the team.
 
She’d start with the non-weird one. “One that makes large weapons handle easier,” Natalie said. “Hence the change.”
 
Liz made a noise of appreciation. “The dungeon must have known what you’d get, dropping that two-hander.”
 
The extent to which the dungeon was sentient or even prescient was up for debate, but Natalie herself doubted it had known. Just a coincidental lucky drop. Hardly worth arguing about, though. “Yeah, maybe. Anyway, I’ll probably take it down during our delve today.”
 
“Tomorrow,” Ana corrected. “We’re not delving today.”
 
“Sofia’s competition,” Jordan said, bumping an elbow into Natalie’s side.
 
“Oh. Right,” Natalie said. She’d forgotten. “Tomorrow then. Anyway, that was one skill I needed to mention. The other is, uh. Well.”
 
Liz paused, then blushed, putting two and two together. “Related to your class?” she joked.
 
“Yeah,” Natalie said. She looked around the cafeteria—no one was nearby—then lowered her voice. “So, uh, basically, if I’m attracted to what any of my teammates are wearing, they get a stat bonus. And the same in reverse, for me.”
 
The table paused.
 
“Excuse me?” Sofia asked.
 
“That’s, um, interesting,” Liz said.
 
“What if we wear nothing?” Ana asked. “Does that count?”
 
Everyone looked at the dark-haired mage, eyes wide.
 
Ana tilted her head. “Because I assume being naked would be the most arousing, wouldn’t it? Or near it. So is it the highest stat bonus?”
 
“How is that where your mind went?” Liz squeaked.
 
“It’s a good point,” Jordan said, amused. “Maybe we should be a rings, amulets, and accessories only team. And I mean only.”
 
Liz turned two shades redder. Natalie wondered why Jordan had to always instigate, these days. 
 
“We get bonuses if you’re aroused?” Sofia said, glaring at Natalie, her voice nearly a growl. “What is wrong with your class, Nat?”
 
“Think I asked for it?” Natalie shot back. “Not like I had a choice in the matter.”
 
Natalie paused.
 
Well, that was a lie. She’d actively been given a choice; she could have taken the default class options. But her point stood.
 
“I’m not delving naked,” Sofia said flatly. “There’s limits to how much I’ll deal with your class.”
 
“Didn’t ask you to, did I?” Natalie said. “It’s just a skill the team should know about.”
 
“Hmph.”
 
“Don’t even know how it works, anyway,” Natalie said. “It might just be, like, a minimum thing. That the outfit has to meet some basic requirement, then you get the full boost, and it doesn’t scale more for how crazy it is. I’ll figure it out later.”
 
“How? With who?” Sofia asked, then paused, realizing she probably shouldn’t have asked the question. Several eyes turned, naturally, to Jordan.
 
“The things I do for friends,” Jordan said wryly. “Unless someone else wants to volunteer?” Her eyes turned to Liz, who colored brightly.
 
“Anyway,” Natalie said. “Now you guys know. So there.”
 
“I was planning on finding something to wear under or over those new robes of mine,” Ana said, “but perhaps that’s not necessary.” She shrugged. “I don’t mind. Mage equipment is mostly magical protections. It’s more of an issue for Sofia and Jordan. Walking around scantily clad has real defense implications.”
 
“The sluttier stuff usually has shield effects built in,” Jordan said. “So the trick will be finding natural dungeon gear like that.”
 
“Won’t be that hard, I bet,” Sofia grumbled. “Somehow, I bet the dungeon’s going to be very accommodating over the following days.”
 
Nobody disagreed.
 
“We’re going to have such a reputation at Tenet,” Sofia said. “A team of five women, all dressed in slutty gear. Can you imagine?”
 
Natalie could imagine, and it was having unfortunate effects on her. She shifted in place, and Jordan’s lips quirked. Under the table, she patted Natalie on the thigh—unfortunately close to a growing problem. Really. Why was Jordan always causing problems these days? She’d always been the person to smooth things over, before.
 
“We’ll have back-up gear, I was saying,” Jordan said. “Something to wear around normally, and our real set of gear we’ll put on in the dungeon. Because yeah, I don’t mind making use of the skill when we have some privacy, but maybe not around campus.”
 
“And if someone bumps into us down there?” Sofia asked. “Or during school events where armor is allowed?”
 
Jordan shrugged. “Well, we’ll deal with that when we get to it. Depending on how strong the boost is, though, could definitely be worth it, embarrassing or not.”
 
“It was just a heads up,” Natalie said, wanting to move on. “We’ll talk more about it later.” It had just been for the best if they were told in advance. But detailed discussions were kind of pointless, since she still needed to experiment with the skill with Jordan, discover its limitations and such. Which would, of course, be an event in its own right.
 
4.07 - Competition
 
Dueling was the most popular extracurricular at Tenet for obvious reasons. While delving was the fundamental building block for gaining power—and thus status and wealth—fighting monsters, even the most clever of them, fundamentally wasn’t the same as fighting humans. And since humans were always in conflict in one way or another, small-scale or large, there was great interest in honing one’s abilities in one-on-one fights.
 
Beyond that, it held appeal purely as a sport. Naturally, there weren’t many people who attended Tenet who weren’t interested in combat for the sheer art of it. With infinite variance in weapon choice, styles, and skills, no two duels were the same—even in instances where the same two combatants were on stage. 
 
Natalie herself hadn’t picked up dueling as an extracurricular, but it had been on her list of possibilities. Maybe she would even change her schedule at some point. Just, with her current priorities, learning how to take down opponents in a one-on-one appealed to her ego, but not her sense of practicality. For Sofia, at least, the duelist-style fighter of the group, this sort of practice was more than a functional use of her time.
 
Tenet had world-class facilities in every category, and that was even more true for the dueling arena. As the most popular sport in the delving world, and with Tenet as the eminent academy in the country, no expenses were spared. The main arena could seat tens of thousands—for the big events of the year—and dozens of smaller ones could host hundreds each. The arena was even used occasionally for the larger dueling circuit, not just the collegiate one. Seeing how certain global political matters were settled through the use of dueling as a sport—as a display of military strength—that made the building political in nature, too. It was perhaps the single most extravagant structure across campus. Though not gaudy. That wasn’t Tenet’s style.
 
Of course, the first-year’s initial miniature dueling competition—more of an event to seed the freshmen talent than anything—wouldn’t be drawing any impressive numbers like the ‘real events’ would. Only friends, family, and a few interested people would be attending. Sofia had asked her team to come watch, and so, of course they had. It was a small waste of time, since they could easily pick up a temporary fighter and get a few hours of delving in after classes, but Natalie recognized perfect efficiency would drive a person insane. A few hours spent watching duels would be both interesting and practical too—studying the styles of her classmates was hardly a complete waste of time.
 
As the competition progressed, Sofia dominated the opposition. In the combat rankings that faculty put together, many factors were taken into account, not just one’s ability to face down a single opponent. Sofia’s style had many flaws, especially in a group setting, because she had few to no syngeristic abilities or tendencies, was weak to swarming enemies, and generally offered little to the team beyond her raw offensive output. The thing was—she provided a lot of offensive output, and needed very little support to do so.
 
And in the dueling ring, none of those downsides mattered. Natalie had spent her life watching this woman fight, but seeing her wreak havoc on even students of Tenet’s caliber recontextualized a few things. She felt slightly less bad about her own failures to handle Sofia over the years. She was an aberrant talent even by the standards of the premier academy in the country.
 
There were, of course, exceptions. Sofia wasn’t the best duelist of the year, only high up there. One such contender was the unfortunate obvious one: Elida, who had also chosen dueling as an extracurricular. Many of the other big names had as well.
 
Natalie, Jordan, Liz, and Ana watched from the sidelines as Sofia went about her matches. This wasn’t an official event as other dueling competitions might be, but there were still a decent amount of spectators—one or two hundred—and the convenience stands were open, selling snacks and drinks. Natalie was used to being one of the combatants in these kinds of events—she’d grown up attending them—so being on the sidelines felt a bit odd.
 
Something strange was happening between each of Sofia’s matches, too. With each of her inevitable victories, Sofia’s eyes would find their way to Natalie and her group. That wasn’t the odd part itself, of course, but rather—how they seemed to always land on Natalie first, before she gave a reluctant roll of her eyes and a thumbs up. That would bring a smile Sofia would try to hide, and her eyes would carry along to the rest of her team, nodding and playing humble. 
 
Natalie saw through it. Sofia wanted attention from Natalie so she could rub it in. ‘Look how good I am’. Still, Natalie continued encouraging her after each victory. In the dueling ring, the woman was really something else. And Sofia seemed so pleased by the thumbs-up each time that Natalie supposed she didn’t mind feeding her ego. She had an annoyingly cute smile. But more annoying than cute. It agitated Natalie in a way hard to describe.
 
An evening spent chatting with her team and watching spars was a nice break from the frantic pace of Tenet daily life. Even better, an unexpected guest showed up—Sammy. Accompanying her were her two friends, Evie and Dag, which Natalie had met at the party. Apparently Dag had a little brother who was a freshmen and was participating in today’s event. Their groups ended up mingling and watching the fights together, though Dag split off when his brother had a match in a different ring coming up. Sofia wasn’t always active, either, of course—there were a lot of dueling students, and Tenet was getting a wide spread of match ups to properly seed the students for future events. Hundreds or more matches were taking place, and there were only so many rings.
 
To Natalie’s bafflement, Sofia’s demeanor changed when she came out—again—the victor of her next round. She looked over, saw Natalie sitting next to Sammy, and rather than smiling at Natalie’s thumbs-up, she frowned. When the match finished, Sofia exited the ring and their group came up to properly congratulate her, but the shift in attitude held. She chatted perfectly normally with the rest of the group, but seemed to ignore Natalie. It wasn’t outright hostility or anything, and rather subdued—Sofia was hardly running to Natalie to chat with her to begin with—so Natalie wondered whether she was imagining it.
 
It continued that way for the rest of the event, even after their two separate groups split off, and Sammy said her goodbyes. Jordan noticed it too, and asked Natalie if she’d done something. If Natalie had, she had no clue what. It had started when Sammy arrived, but as far as Natalie knew, the two of them didn’t even know each other, so she couldn’t come up with a reason why Sammy sitting next to Natalie would matter in the slightest.
 
The irritable demeanor only grew. By the time all of Sofia’s matches came to a wrap, Sofia was all but glaring at Natalie, to Natalie’s complete confusion. Natalie and the rest of the group came up to Sofia, but Sofia made a few brief pleasantries and said she was going to get changed. Her shortness had carried over even to talking with Liz and Jordan by that point.
 
Jordan watched her go, then turned to Natalie. “You should go talk to her.”
 
“I didn’t do anything.”
 
“Still,” Jordan said. “You should go. Find out what’s happening.” Even Jordan seemed a bit perplexed by the situation.
 
Natalie considered whether she wanted to do that—a confrontation with Sofia was sure to be a disaster—but considering how Sofia had seemed almost friendly at the start of the event, she made her mind up.
 
“Okay, fine,” Natalie said. “I’ll go see what’s up.”
 
4.08 - Confrontation
 
Natalie trailed after Sofia. The locker rooms were a good distance away, so Sofia had plenty of time to notice. She was a competent delver, too, so was basically incapable of missing someone so plainly following her. Still, she ignored Natalie the whole way there. Natalie decided against jogging up and forcing the confrontation before reaching a somewhat private building.
 
When they arrived to the locker room, Natalie was pleased to find the space empty. It was one of many, with the locker rooms small and separated, so that wasn’t too odd—but it might not last long with matches starting to finish up. Sofa had completed hers earlier than most; the event was schedule to go for another half hour.
 
Sofia stalked to her locker, then agitatedly swung it open, the metal door clanking as it smacked into another.
 
“Okay,” Natalie said. “The hell is this? What’s going on?”
 
That was, admittedly, not the most conciliatory way to open the conversation, but Sofia’s attitude had gotten on Natalie’s nerves. She hadn’t done anything. All of this had come out of nowhere.
 
“Do you mind?” Sofia replied, not turning as she angrily rummaged around inside her locker. “I’m trying to get dressed.”
 
“No. You’re being weird. I want to know what’s up.”
 
“What do you mean? Nothing is ‘up’.” She almost growled the last word. Her rummaging-around became even more agitated. 
 
“Uh-huh,” Natalie said, which turned out to be all the prompting Sofia needed.
 
“I guess I just don’t get it,” Sofia said. “Not at all.”
 
“Get what?”
 
“You.”
 
“Me?”
 
“Or your hordes of lovers, I guess.”
 
Which hadn’t remotely been the response Natalie had been expecting. She paused, caught completely off foot, before finally responding with an ineloquent, “What?”
 
“Really. What’s the big deal?” Sofia asked. “Why is everyone always falling over you? It’s been like this forever.” She punctuated the statement with several aggressive bangs of metal inside her locker, violently moving items around.
 
“What are you talking about?” Natalie asked. So this had been about Sammy, as had been her only remote guess. Natalie just didn’t understand why.
 
“This is hardly new. But I honestly figured Tenet would at least be more resistant to your ‘charms’.” She scoffed the last word. “But no. Not even a week in and you were getting into everyone’s pants. Just like always. So like I said, I just don’t get it.”
 
“Get what?” Natalie asked. “And more than that, why would you care?” That was the even more confusing part, though Natalie was baffled from start to finish with this conversation, not just there.
 
“I don’t care,” Sofia growled, not doing a great job of selling the point. “I just said that I don’t get it. What, do you have magic fingers? How is it so easy for you?”
 
Natalie ignored the magic fingers comment, mostly because she didn’t know where to begin with it. “Easy?” she asked instead.
 
“You just have to look at a girl for her to fall for you. Or at least get into her pants. Just know that I’m not sold. Besides,” Sofia scoffed, “I doubt you’re even that good.”
 
“That … good?”
 
“I mean, it can’t be that hard, anyway. They’re probably just easy to impress.”
 
What was this woman going on about? Natalie knew what, since Sofia was all but spelling it out, but it was so baffling that Natalie second guessed herself. Was Sofia talking about sex? Specifically, Natalie’s skill in it? Why? Natalie stared at her, at a loss for words.
 
“I’m just saying,” Sofia said. “It wouldn’t matter how good you were. I certainly wouldn’t be tripping over my feet afterward, like these … these skanks.”
 
Natalie bristled at that, since the insult was clearly directed at Sammy, but she forcibly calmed herself. She could tell Sofia wasn’t exactly speaking with a clear mind. That didn’t mean the words didn’t piss her off, but she moderated herself. 
 
“Uh-huh,” Natalie said. “And how, exactly, would you know? Aren’t you a virgin?”
 
Which wasn’t a response that took the high ground. She was no expert at controlling her emotions, either—calming her annoyance at Sofia’s insult of Sammy had been the most she’d been capable of.
 
And Natalie didn’t actually know Sofia’s level of experience, but by the way Sofia huffed, then continued rummaging around angrily in her locker—and she was sure having a hard time finding whatever she was looking for—Natalie could tell she’d gotten it right.
 
She wracked her brain for an explanation. Why would Sofia care about how easily Natalie hooked up with other girls? And comment on her sex life in the first place?
 
“I get it,” Natalie said, the puzzle pieces finally clicking. “You’re mad that I’m better than you at something. That’s what this is.”
 
Sofia turned an incredulous look toward her. 
 
“That is the conclusion you would come to, isn’t it?” Sofia said. “Don’t think too hard. You’ll hurt yourself. No, listen to what I’m saying. I’m telling you that I’m just confused. It doesn’t make sense how easy it is for you. And, again, I seriously doubt you’re that good.”
 
Natalie knew from first hand experience Sofia could be annoying at the best of times, but this was a first. Insulting her ability in bed was, obviously, something Sofia had never done before. All of this in general had come out of nowhere.
 
But it was still doing a great job of getting under Natalie’s skin. Sofia was pretty exceptional at that.
 
“Three minutes,” Natalie said, crossing her arms. “If that.”
 
“Excuse me?”
 
“That’s how long it would take.”
 
“Take?” Sofia asked flatly. “For what? What are you saying?”
 
“Two, if I get to use my tongue.”
 
Sofia paused. 
 
Natalie advanced on Sofia, and with wide eyes, Sofia stepped back, pinning herself against the metal lockers as Natalie closed the gap. Natalie loomed over her, then placed one hand to the right of Sofia’s head, palm flat against the metal. She leaned in close enough she could feel Sofia’s breath. It had happened instinctively; Natalie hadn’t even meant to move. 
 
The way Sofia looked up at her, shocked, blue eyes wide, having gone still as a rabbit, was unexpectedly intoxicating. Natalie wasn’t exactly sure what had spurred her forward, but she liked Sofia’s response to the invasion of space. She liked seeing her off-foot, vulnerable. Sofia had the upper hand way too often.
 
“What?” Natalie teased, a hint of mocking in her voice. “Isn’t that what this is? A challenge? I’m not gonna just stand there while you insult me. If you ‘don’t get it’, then maybe I should show you.” She leaned forward and whispered into Sofia’s ear. “And like I said. Three minutes at most. Maybe less. I get the feeling you’d be easy to take apart. I mean, look at you.”
 
Sofia didn’t respond. She just gawked at Natalie, her chest rising and falling rapidly, face turning deeper shades of red by the moment. On her pale Theliosian skin, the effect was twice as noticeable.
 
“What?” Natalie asked. “All that talk, and you can’t even find your voice when a girl invades your space? That’s kind of sad, princess.”
 
Sofia swallowed. “Don’t be ridiculous. Is this a joke?”
 
“Not at all.”
 
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she repeated.
 
“Scared of being proved wrong? What if I am that good? Maybe you’d be hanging all over me afterward, too.”
 
“I r-really doubt that.”
 
“Was that a stutter?” Natalie asked, delighted. It might have been the first time she’d ever heard it from the ever-composed, ever-elegant Sofia. She brushed Sofia’s cheek with a thumb, and Sofia closed her eyes and leaned into the touch. She froze, realizing what she’d done, and her eyes shot back open. Natalie also froze at the telling response—then laughed.
 
“I haven’t even done anything, and you’re like this. You really would be easy to take apart.” Sofia didn’t even like Natalie, and she was responding in that way.
 
“I— I—“
 
“You what, princess?”
 
Sofia swallowed thickly, and the familiar defiant mask appeared—though its effect was rather diminished by her red face, and the way she was trembling under Natalie’s proximity. “You wouldn’t even get close. Three minutes? As if.”
 
“Oh? So it’s a challenge then?”
 
“Yes. It is.”
 
Natalie paused. She hadn’t expected Sofia to actually accept.
 
She placed her palm on Sofia’s stomach, fingers pointed down. Sofia let out a shaky breath.
 
“I take challenges seriously,” Natalie warned.
 
“I’m well aware you have an ego.”
 
“I have an ego?” Natalie asked incredulously. She slid her hand down an inch. “Sofia, I will take you up on this.”
 
“And what do I get if I win?”
 
“You won’t, so it doesn’t matter,” Natalie said flatly. “Are you kidding? I haven’t even started and you’re shaking.”
 
“No, I’m not,” Sofia denied, her entire body trembling. 
 
Natalie slid her hand down another inch. Her fingers tucked into Sofia’s waistband, starting to slide under her pants. “What do I get if I win?”
 
“You won’t, so it doesn’t matter,” Sofia replied, mockingly parroting Natalie’s own response.
 
Fine. A bet. Natalie considered. “If I win,” she said, “you’re mine for the week.”
 
“And what does that mean?”
 
“Whatever I want it to. And the same goes for you.”
 
Sofia hesitated.
 
“But you won’t lose,” Natalie said, “so who cares, right?”
 
Unsurprisingly, the hesitation wiped away. The glare came back. “You’re right. I won’t, so it doesn’t.”
 
“It’s a bet?”
 
“Yes.”
 
Natalie’s blood surged. 
 
Given permission, she didn’t waste time. She started fumbling open Sofia’s pants button.
 
4.09 - ❤ Overconfidence
 
Natalie wasn’t sure how she’d gotten herself into this situation, but she didn’t care. Or, rather, was currently unable to care. She couldn’t think abut anything besides Sofia. Always confident, always better-than-her Sofia, who stared up with vulnerable blue eyes and practically quaked where she stood.
 
“I’ve wanted this for so long,” Natalie growled, yanking Sofia’s pants down to her thighs, revealing her white panties. “So, so long.”
 
“You did?” the startled response came.
 
“Since forever, pretty much.”
 
Because Sofia had always had the upper-hand, and finally Natalie did. That had been something she’d been striving for since as long as she knew Sofia. And sure, this wasn’t exactly how she’d imagined ‘having the upper hand’ to be, but Natalie also wasn’t disappointed. Sofia might be better than her in the sparring ring, but here? In this arena? Natalie could dominate her rival without a problem.
 
“Oh,” Sofia said, eyes having gone oddly wide at the words.
 
Natalie wasn’t in the right mindset to analyze the reaction—or even notice the strange way Sofia had responded. An absolute disaster of emotions swirled around inside her. Part of her wanted to go easy on Sofia, to be caring and gentle, since Sofia had admitted this was her first time. Another part of her saw the perfect, unassailable confidence that Sofia always carried around finally broken, and she wanted to dig deeper and deeper into that vulnerability. Not with hostile intent, but instead, to more easily, and more completely, take her apart.
 
Because that was, at least, the one part of her desires that had no dissenting or confused voices. Every part of her wanted to take Sofia apart. To disassemble her and leave her a shaking, sweating, moaning mess. 
 
That was hardly a first for Natalie. That type of desire. But not with Sofia—and not in this particular way. The reasons she wanted to have Sofia as pliable putty in her hands was nothing like her usual. 
 
First, there was the obvious: Sofia had just spent several minutes insulting her, and insisting that Natalie couldn’t turn her into a quivering mess. She was still confused by much of that conversation—Sofia hadn’t been making sense—but she didn’t care right this moment. She’d been challenged, and so naturally, Natalie wanted to prove how wrong Sofia was. 
 
The second was getting to be in the dominant position against Sofia. Natalie enjoyed taking the lead in her encounters, but it had never been thrilling in this way. The flipping of dynamics. Sofia always came out on top, but here? Here, Natalie could excel to the point of embarrassing her partner—just like Sofia always did. Natalie wasn’t just confident she was better, but Sofia was a complete beginner. It would be comically easy.
 
It felt like someone else controlled her body as she pinned Sofia back into the lockers. She ran her hands up and down Sofia’s figure, feeling the curve of her waist, hips, and naked thighs, then further up, her stomach and finally her breasts. Underneath Sofia’s shirt and bra, Natalie cupped Sofia’s tits, squeezing and feeling her rival up. Her fingers brushed Sofia’s nipples, and the white-haired girl shivered under the assault, her breath hitching.
 
“I’m almost scared I’ll break you,” Natalie said. Sofia’s eyes were locked to Natalie’s, as they had been since the start. She seemed completely enthralled. Her breaths came rapidly. “I mean, look how you’re shaking. You sure you’ll make it?”
 
The question was half teasing but also half serious. Natalie was delighting in Sofia’s reactions, but at the same time, she seemed overwhelmed to put it lightly. 
 
Sofia swallowed. Natalie almost wondered whether she’d ask Natalie to slow down. Instead, she got the typical arrogance. “You’re not using your three minutes effectively, are you?”
 
“That’s because I won’t need the full time,” Natalie said, smirking, her hands not moving from Sofia’s tits. She leaned forward and whispered into her ear, “I just wanted to explore your tight, fuckable body first. You know it’s mine if you lose? Mine. A whole week. Whatever I want. And I promise I’ll be making good use of it.”
 
Sofia didn’t respond. Instead, the words washed through her, and she shook in place—a moan even escaping her. The next part was even more shocking. She closed her eyes and tilted her head up, lips parting. Natalie knew what the request meant—subconsciously produced or not. Sofia, asking to be kissed. It seemed, again, an instinctive reaction. Not at all on purpose.
 
And unfortunately, Natalie’s response was also instinctive.
 
She kissed Sofia.
 
The sensation of her soft lips crashed through her. Natalie had known she’d wanted this since forever—to have a vulnerable Sofia in her grasp—but the intensity of the want surging inside her surprised her nonetheless. And the intensity of Sofia’s reply, just as much. They kissed fervently, sloppily, tasting each other and moaning between each exchange.
 
Sofia grabbed Natalie’s hips and pulled her closer—though their bodies had already been inches away. Pressed into the other girl, Natalie’s cock slid up Sofia’s stomach, between the two of them, nowhere else to go, and the white-haired girl had to be aware of thick rod pressing into her, but she didn’t react; she kept kissing. In the back of Natalie’s head, she recognized that meant Sofia had found out some other way, but such thoughts were a long distance away.
 
Sofia’s hand slid down between them, her palm rubbing into Natalie’s cock, and Natalie moaned into her lips—but was also reminded of her circumstances.
 
She extricated herself from Sofia’s mouth, then grabbed each of her wrists and slammed them above her head, the metal lockers she was pinned against rattling. “Uh-uh,” Natalie chided. “I’m fucking you, not the other way around. But nice try.”
 
Sofia had, admittedly, done a great job distracting her. How long had it been? A minute and a half, at least. Natalie had burned through her reserves playing with Sofia’s body and basking in the taste of her mouth. Still, she wasn’t worried. Natalie was completely convinced she could take this woman apart in thirty seconds in her current state. She was shaking even more than at the start—the kiss had compromised her more than Natalie’s toying with her body.
 
Natalie finally got to the job at hand. She pressed her palm against Sofia’s stomach, fingers pointed down, then slid, teasingly slow. Inch by inch she closed the distance. Sofia moaned when Natalie’s fingers slipped into her panties—and when Natalie reached her destination, the white-hair girl bucked her hips, needing more pressure. She was, unsurprisingly, drenched. Natalie could have inferred that from her quivering, flushed body, but the proof was just as delightful.
 
“Look how wet you are. And for me,” Natalie murmured. She stepped to the side for better positioning, one hand pinning Sofia’s wrists above her head, the other buried into her panties—and with her mouth now whispering hot air into Sofia’s ear. “Look how needy you are. So much talk, but this tells the truth.” She pressed firmly into Sofia’s core, wrenching out another loud moan. “I could win whenever I want. But that’s too easy. I want you to ask for it.”
 
“Wh-What?”
 
“Beg. I know you want it. My fingers inside you. So ask. For your relief. You won’t get it unless you ask.”
 
“I—I won’t,” Sofia gasped.
 
“You don’t sound so sure about that,” Natalie said, lips quirking. “Come on. Give in. Just one word. ‘Please’.” Natalie rubbed tight circles around Sofia, and Sofia’s hips strained forward, desperately trying to get Natalie’s hand more firmly against her. She wiggled side to side, rubbing herself more against Natalie than the other way around. It made quite the sight, Sofia pinned there, flush and sweaty, back arching and hips shaking as Natalie teased her. “One word, and I’ll let you cum.” Natalie nibbled at Sofia’s ear. “And then your hot, fuckable body will be mine for the week. I promise I’ll put it to good use. So be a good girl.”
 
“I— I—“
 
“One word, princess.”
 
“Please,” Sofia gasped. “Please, fuck me.” She struggled against Natalie’s grip. “I need it. Please.”
 
Natalie obliged. She sank two fingers into Sofia and curled.
 
The loudest, most obscene noise yet wrenched from Sofia’s lips, and she whined and thrashed. Her pussy clenched against Natalie’s fingers, and the constant quivering turning into outright shaking as her climax ravaged her. She shook her head back and forth, gasping and whining, as Natalie thrust in and out, eagerly working her higher. She didn’t need any slow and coaxing motions; Sofia wanted to be fucked, and Natalie provided it. Even Natalie was impressed at just how right she’d been—the moment Natalie had entered her, she’d finished. Barely two full seconds. Incredible. And such a shaking, twitching climax, working higher and higher with each thrust of her fingers. This girl had really been pent up.
 
“That’s it, there you go,” Natalie murmured teasingly into her ear. “Let it out. That’s a good girl. Cum for me. You’re doing great.”
 
For what felt like a full minute, Sofia twitched and fell apart under Natalie’s thrusting fingers. When her body finally sagged down, completely drained, Natalie kept her dangling there by her wrists, pinned into the metal lockers. 
 
Seeing the wreck of a woman, Natalie kissed her on the neck and laughed gently into her. “See? Look how easy that was. You really shouldn’t have been so confident.”
 
Because now Sofia was hers for the week. 
 
That opened so many possibilities.
 
4.10 - Locker Room Chat
 
Natalie would give it to Sofia. For how catastrophically she’d come to her twitching climax, she recovered with admirable speed.
 
She still hung there, pinned by her wrists to the locker, red-faced and panting—shaking from the aftermath—but her eyes started to clear up after just a few moments. It looked like it took a coordinated effort. Something she managed through willpower only.
 
“Do you—do you mind?” Sofia finally asked. She wiggled her wrists pointedly, which Natalie still had pinned above her head. 
 
Smirking, Natalie released her. With some effort, Sofia pushed off the lockers and into a standing position. She swayed slightly, her legs unsteady, but recovered. She pulled up her clothes, then looked around the room.
 
“I can’t believe you did that,” she said, sounding vaguely dismayed as she peered around the room. “Here. In a public locker room.”
 
“I had illusions if I needed them,” Natalie said dismissively. “Besides, you were the one begging for it. How are you gonna blame me for that?”
 
“I did no such thing as beg,” Sofia said firmly. The flush on her cheeks hadn’t gone away, but her composure had at least returned—sort of. She looked down at herself one more time, then shook her head. Cool blue eyes returned to Natalie. Rather than confident, as usual, or even vulnerable and needy as a moment before, Natalie read hesitance. “So. About … what you said.”
 
“What I said?”
 
“At the star. About how you’ve wanted this. For so long. That’s something we should talk about, isn’t it?”
 
“Of course I’ve wanted this,” Natalie said, briefly confused. She paused as the implication finally set in—how Sofia had interpreted those statements. “Oh. You think I meant—“ Natalie laughed. “No, I just wanted to make you cum. That’s what I’ve been waiting for.” Natalie certainly didn’t want Sofia, not in that way. She paused a second time as she realized she hadn’t properly explained herself. “Er, and not even cum, specifically. Just to top you.” Okay, this was coming out wrong. “As a matter of speech,” she corrected hastily. “You know, because you’re always winning, so I wanted my own chance to dominate you. That’s all I meant.”
 
Sofia stared at her.
 
Natalie flushed, embarrassed for the first time in the interaction. Half because of what she’d admitted to—even when interpreted correctly it was an embarrassing admission—and half because of what Sofia had first assumed, that Natalie had somehow wanted her. Looking back on that initial exchange, Natalie could see how Sofia hadn’t understood properly.
 
Deflecting, Natalie said loudly, “Doesn’t matter. Anyway, you’re mine for the week. I’m not letting you go back on that.”
 
Sofia studied Natalie for a second more, then frowned as she accepted the change in topic. She crossed her arms. For having been a complete mess a minute prior, Natalie really was impressed at how quickly she’d pulled herself together—as if she hadn’t just been a twitching mess as Natalie worked her into a hot puddle of pleasure one minute prior.
 
Remembering that—and seeing Sofia pretend she was composed again—she was struck by a strange urge to pin the woman down and take her apart for a second time. Purely for the thrill of having the upper hand. Or to prove a point. That was the only reason.
 
“I’m a woman of my word,” Sofia said. “So, yes, a bet is a bet. But what does that mean? ‘Yours for a week’?”
 
“Means you’re mine to do what I want with.” She smirked, making it clear what that would include.
 
“You’re serious?”
 
“You were the one going on about how you ‘didn’t get it’. Well, I don’t think I’m done demonstrating.” Natalie laughed. “Even if I’m pretty sure you get the point.”
 
Sofia blushed, and she looked away. She sniffed. “It was … adequate. Better than I expected. But certainly not good enough to explain all of that.” She waved vaguely in the direction of the exit of the locker room, meaning Sammy—and Natalie’s other hook ups.
 
“Adequate?” Natalie asked. “You didn’t last two full seconds after I went inside you.”
 
“That’s because … I was unusually compromised. Because of … ” Sofia visibly searched out for an excuse, and Natalie would be amused if she wasn’t annoyed at her persistent denial. “Because we were in public. I was worried about being caught.”
 
“Uh-huh,” Natalie said. “You’re an exhibitionist? That’s what you came up with?”
 
Sofia scoffed. “I’m just saying that it was more that than you.”
 
Natalie stared at Sofia for a second, impressed at the denial and hoop-jumping this woman was going through, then, rather than being annoyed, found herself smiling.
 
“What?” Sofia demanded.
 
“Just looking forward to working out the truth. You’re mine for the week. By the time I’m finished, I’m pretty sure you’ll be ready to admit it.”
 
Sofia glared. “I need to get dressed. If you don’t mind?” She turned back to her locker and opened it.
 
“Sure,” Natalie said. She settled onto the bench across from Sofia and leaned back. “But go slow, yeah?”
 
Sofia paused, then looked back to see Natalie having sat down, rather than left. Her eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
 
“What part of ‘mine for the week’ don’t you get?” Natalie asked. “This is just the start. You’re gonna be doing a lot more than putting on a little show.”
 
Sofia gaped at her. For a second, Natalie wondered whether she’d refuse. Of course, she wouldn’t push Sofia into anything she actually seemed uncomfortable with—too much so, at least—but Natalie was getting the impression the protests were mostly, though not entirely, superficial in nature. Sofia obviously wasn’t interested in Natalie, and neither was she her, but that didn’t mean the white-haired girl hadn’t been impressed by how Natalie had taken her apart. Staunch refusals or not, Sofia wanted another taste. Natalie could read that much.
 
“Fine,” Sofia said. She turned to her locker and starting pulling out her regular clothes, prepping to change from her dueling uniform. “But since you’re insisting on using this reward of yours for perverted favors—and I’m really not surprised—then there’s some inappropriate topics I’ve been wanting to broach myself.”
 
“Oh?”
 
“Namely your class. And,” she paused, “you know. Your new equipment.” She gave a pointed look toward Natalie’s skirt.
 
Ah. Right—that. They had skipped over that whole discovery. She knew Sofia didn’t mind too much, seeing how she hadn’t reacted in the slightest—and even reached out to rub at her—but it was still something they should talk about.
 
4.11 - Locker Room Chat II
 
It was fair, she supposed, that Sofia wanted to discuss this outright. Natalie was more than happy to; she was curious about a few things herself. Namely Sofia’s enthusiasm. Of course, she planned to tease Sofia over that before they got to a more mature discussion. That took higher priority. 
 
“You were real eager to start rubbing,” Natalie commented. “What was up with that? Been waiting to get your hands on it?”
 
Sofia made an unsophisticated sputtering noise before cutting herself off. “Hmph. Like I said, I got caught up in the situation. I’m only human. It meant nothing.”
 
“Uh-huh,” Natalie said. The poor girl was clearly in denial. She really ought to learn to be more honest with herself. “Oh, and turn around,” she added. “Like I said, I wanna watch.”
 
Sofia had had her back turned as she pulled off her top, and she froze with the garment halfway up. She stayed that way for a moment, then faced Natalie with a glare. She finished taking off her dueling uniform shirt, leaving her standing in just a bra.
 
Sofia had less up top than most, but that obviously didn’t bother Natalie. Her figure was nothing short of stunning even without much to fill her bra out. As expected of a lithe, agility-based fighter, she wasn’t quite muscular, but she still had hints of abs and somewhat defined arms. Her build wasn’t all that dissimilar from Jordan’s, minus the difference in chest size.
 
“I can’t believe you were a virgin,” Natalie said, running her eyes across Sofia’s body with purposeful shamelessness. She’d won a week of Sofia and intended to make good use of it. “How’d that happen, anyway?”
 
Sofia glared at Natalie. Natalie got the feeling she was in for a lot of those in the coming week. She wasn’t bothered in the slightest at the hot looks—if anything, Natalie was quite enjoying them.
 
“Maybe someone was always scooping up everyone else,” Sofia said.
 
“Please, I hardly got around that much.”
 
“Certainly more than me. And there weren’t that many lesbians in the local dueling circuit, Nat.”
 
“I guess that’s fair,” Natalie said. “But only kind of. Still doesn’t explain it. I mean, really. With a body like yours, it doesn’t make sense.” For all Sofia was insufferable, she was also frustratingly attractive. As in, from an objective viewpoint. Natalie obviously had never thought much about it. 
 
Sofia huffed. “Well, I’m glad you think so.” She paused, then narrowed her eyes at Natalie. “What was it you called me, again? Tight and fuckable?”
 
She was obviously trying to embarrass Natalie, but Natalie just smirked at her. “Yeah. Tight and fuckable. A body meant to be played with. I’ll be making good use of it.”
 
Sofia held Natalie’s eyes for several moments, then blushed and was forced to look away, cheeks burning. It was really way too easy.
 
“Anyway,” Sofia said loudly. “As I was saying. That thing of yours—it came with your class, I assume?”
 
They’d gotten distracted from the topic. “Didn’t find it on a dungeon run, that’s for sure,” Natalie said. The aforementioned ‘thing’ was sticking her skirt up a few inches, which Natalie wasn’t keeping hidden at all—it was doing a wonderful job to fluster Sofia, especially when she was undressing right in front of her. “How’d you find out about it?”
 
“I slept right next to you for the first two weeks,” Sofia said dryly. “How couldn’t I? It was sticking up every morning.”
 
“That’s why I woke up early, though. Before everyone else.” Including Sofia.
 
“It wasn’t actually the mornings,” Sofia corrected. “More like the middle of the night. There was always so many noises I couldn’t get a full night sleep. I noticed it more than once by accident.” Sofia narrowed her eyes at Natalie. “For that matter, it was sticking up pretty much every time I looked over. I suppose you have an active imagination.”
 
Had it really been? She was pretty sure Sofia was exaggerating. Regardless, Natalie had recognized the risk of someone catching her with a night- or morning-time erection. Her secret might not have stayed as much on the down-low as she’d hoped. Then again, Liz hadn’t known, and possibly Ana didn’t. So it was hardly something everyone knew about either.
 
There wasn’t much more to say. She was glad Sofia didn’t seem put off. In fact, it had seemed like the opposite was true, based on how she hadn’t been able to keep her hands away.
 
“And you said you wanted to talk about my class too?” Natalie asked. “What about it?”
 
“There’s more, isn’t there?”
 
“More?”
 
“That you haven’t told us.”
 
“Why would I? It’s private.”
 
Sofia’s lips tugged down in a frown. “A paladin of lust. I’ve been thinking about it. There’s only a few paths that would really take, isn’t there? Especially when it gave you something like that.” She gestured at Natalie’s skirt. “You’re rewarded for intimacy, or something of the sort. To use that thing. That’s why you and Jordan are sleeping together.”
 
Natalie twitched in surprise. She’d really thought that particular tidbit had been kept under wraps. That had been way too hopeful, she guessed. She just hoped it hadn’t been her sound barrier illusions being too weak that had given it away. Beyond being mortifying, Natalie didn’t want to be a terrible roommate, and she and Jordan weren’t all that quiet.
 
“Ah,” Sofia said. “So you two are doing that. It was just a guess.”
 
Natalie internally groaned. Well, that had been an obvious trap. Though she supposed it wasn’t a top-secret piece of information. Back when Natalie had talked about experimenting with [Stylish], everyone’s eyes had turned to Jordan. Everyone knew something was going on between them.
 
“Are you leading to something?” Natalie asked, a bit annoyed at having been played. “And turn back around. Let me see your ass.”
 
Sofia’s hands had gone to her waistband to pull down her pants, and she paused, glared, but ultimately did as she’d been told. Natalie was given a great view as Sofia stripped off her lower layer. What Sofia lacked up top—and she really didn’t lack that much—she made up doubly lower down.
 
“It doesn’t make sense how fat that thing is,” Natalie said. “Seriously, what’s up with you? Some girls get all the luck.”
 
“Says you?”
 
“Says me?”
 
Sofia shook her head, exasperated. She stuffed her uniform into her locker and quickly got to dressing herself. Her shame was reaching its limits, it seemed—she couldn’t stand around in her undergarments and take Natalie’s teasing. Natalie considered telling her to slow down, but decided against it. 
 
“And yes,” Sofia said. “I was leading to something. I want to know if my theory is right. That your class works that way.”
 
“Being ‘rewarded for intimacy’?”
 
“Yes.”
 
Natalie considered refusing to tell her, but she said, “Yeah. It does. It was a good guess.”
 
Sofia seemed satisfied at having figured it out. She hadn’t had much to go on, so Natalie was impressed she’d pieced it together. 
 
“How does it work specifically, though?”
 
“It’s kind of a whole system. I gather energy and can spend it to upgrade skills.” 
 
Natalie watched with some amusement as Sofia struggled to fit herself inside her pants. Jordan had made a joke a while ago about how Sofia must need pulleys to get herself in, and it was nearly true. It made a pretty amazing show. Half because Sofia was so flustered with having a spectator, and the other half for the obvious reasons. 
 
“Upgrade skills,” Sofia said, finally stuffing herself in. “What do you mean? Temporary boosts?”
 
“No. Permanent ones. And they’re pretty large.”
 
Unsurprisingly, Sofia was stunned at the reveal—and interested enough she seemed to halfway forget her circumstances. She shrugged on her shirt, unfortunately ending the show, and faced Natalie. “You’re posed for an impressive future, if that’s true.”
 
“Hopefully.”
 
“I’m interested in the details, but I assume you don’t want to get into them. Not the exacts.”
 
 Natalie shrugged. She’d rather not. It simply didn’t involve Sofia.
 
“But thank you for telling me the basics,” Sofia said. “I was curious.” She sat on the bench and started pulling her shoes on. “I can’t believe nobody walked in on us. We really got lucky.”
 
They had, but it also wouldn’t have been a big deal. “Like I said, I had illusions if someone did.”
 
“I’ve seen you use those,” Sofia said dubiously. “They wouldn’t be nearly potent enough to fool someone.”
 
“They’re stronger when used for certain purposes,” Natalie said, her lips quirking. “So, yes, we would’ve been fine. I’ve gotten away with more.” Namely, pounding into Jordan hard enough to nearly break a bedframe—and it might have been Jordan that was louder than the creaking wood, there.
 
Sofia stared at her, then shook her head. “Of course they work that way. Your class is really unbelievable.”
 
4.12 - Confide
 
Sofia wasn’t sure how she’d ended up in such a disastrous situation, but she knew there were several things she needed to sort out—and fast. Not only for her own comfort, but everyone else involved.
 
“So,” a confused Jordan said. “You wanted to talk. What’s up?”
 
Sofia chewed her lip. This was a rather mortifying conversation to be having, but it needed to be done. She wasn’t sure what Natalie and Jordan’s relationship was, but she also wanted to clear up this ‘bet’ that she’d made with Natalie—and whether it would be a problem with Jordan. She doubted it, since Jordan seemed lackadaisical about Sammy and others, but that was definitely the sort of thing best talked about beforehand. Not only for the sake of her friendship with Jordan, but team cohesion. The party splitting up because of complicated interpersonal dynamics could easily happen, considering Natalie’s class. Not that it seemed likely to—just that it could.
 
“It’s about Natalie,” Sofia said.
 
Jordan kept a neutrally polite expression. “It is?” There wasn’t a hint of sarcasm, but Sofia could read it anyways. Jordan had always had a dry sort of humor.
 
She huffed. “Look, I know I was being kind of obvious back there. I’m sure you think I was jealous or something.”
 
Jordan’s eyebrows raised, as if she hadn’t thought Sofia would address what had happened so directly. “It wasn’t, then?” she asked carefully.
 
“Certainly not,” Sofia said. “Or … not exactly.” She rubbed her face with both hands. “Look, I’m still working it out myself. I can confidently assure you that I’m not in love with her or something absurd like that, or even pursuing a relationship. I might have been slightly jealous, though.”
 
“Uh-huh,” Jordan said. “And that makes sense to you?”
 
Sofia glared, but it was a reasonable contradiction. Why would she be jealous if she wasn’t interested in Natalie? “It’s childish,” Sofia said, “but this was supposed to be my event. I know how egocentric that sounds. And she was being—I don’t know, friendlier than usual. So when I saw her with Sammy, barely paying attention to me anymore, I got irritated. And it dragged up a few other annoyances.” 
 
Namely, how easily Natalie had always handled women. Sofia herself had always been rather terrible at it. Half because of disinterest—of the practical sort, wanting to focus on her career—and half because she simply wasn’t good at ‘wooing’. It seemed Natalie had always managed it effortlessly, which bugged Sofia for reasons she couldn’t entirely put her finger on. If she was completely honest with herself, Natalie’s appraisal that Sofia was ‘just mad that Natalie was better than her at something’ might have a hint of truth, even if it was decidedly not the whole, or even the majority of the explanation. Certainly, though, her decades-long competitive streak with Natalie complicated things.
 
“But that’s besides the point,” Sofia said. “I promise I’m not trying to pursue Nat—and I certainly don’t care she’s hooking up with Sammy. Or you, or anyone else.”
 
Jordan’s brow furrowed. “Me and Natalie? Sorry?” There was even a hint of amusement, as if she were whimsically perplexed by Sofia’s words. She was a far, far better liar than Natalie. If Sofia hadn’t received confirmation from Natalie herself, and hadn’t had her own major suspicions, then she might actually have thought Jordan and Natalie weren’t together in any way besides friends—because Jordan’s reaction was exceedingly convincing.
 
“She told me,” Sofia said. “Or, rather, I tricked her into telling me. It was a bit manipulative. I shouldn’t have.”
 
Jordan’s faked confusion disappeared, and she pursed her lips. “Well, I’m glad you recognize that. But I didn’t expect it to stay a secret forever. Especially not to our roommate. I get the feeling I’m missing a lot of context. Go ahead?”
 
Sofia breathed in. The full explanation, then; they’d gotten sidetracked. 
 
She hesitated, despite having just braced herself. She forced herself to barrel forward. 
 
“Natalie and I hooked up. In the locker room, just now.”
 
The absurd statement broke through Jordan’s collected demeanor. Her eyes widened. “Wait. What?”
 
“She kind of goaded me into it,” Sofia said. “Or maybe I did her. I’m not really sure. It was a mess. But that’s not the part that matters.”
 
“It’s not?” Jordan asked. “Then what is?”
 
“That we made a bet if she could—“ getting the next words out was difficult. “If she could … pleasure me fast enough, she would, um, ‘own me for the week’. And she did. So. There you go.”
 
Maybe the exact details hadn’t been necessary.
 
Jordan gaped at her. Sofia’s face burned red-hot. This was even more embarrassing than she had feared.
 
“I’m telling you this,” Sofia said, “because first, you and her are involved, and so I wanted to make me and her immediately clear. I don’t know the details of your relationship, but communication is obviously something that needs to happen, or else our team could go up in a fireball.”
 
Jordan collected herself. “Yes. That is something that could happen. It’s a mature perspective, and I agree.”
 
“But seeing how we have a confused, hopeless moron for our third—“ Sofia breathed in, then steadied herself. “I’m sorry. That was rude. I’m still kind of mad at her.” And there were a lot of other emotions swirling around inside her—both confusing and inciting—other than simply anger. “But I don’t think Natalie’s going to handle it properly, so I wanted to talk to you.”
 
“And what are you two? What is ‘us’?”
 
“I don’t know,” Sofia said flatly. “But she made it abundantly clear that she plans to use her reward, me, to the fullest.”
 
“So tell her that you changed your mind,” Jordan said flatly. “That’s a ridiculous bet you made. I’m guessing neither of you were thinking clearly. I have zero doubts Natalie would refuse to, or even be upset.”
 
“Well. Still. I’m a woman of my word.”
 
Jordan gave her an incredulous look. “So you want to serve your sentence.”
 
Sofia sputtered. “Absolutely not.”
 
“Sofia.”
 
She knew she was being hypocritical. She’d come to Jordan under the guise of clear communication and understanding everyone’s relationships as to avoid problems. Yet here she was being obviously delusional.
 
“Look,” Sofia groaned. “I’m not sure what I think about it all either, okay? But I made a bet, and I’m seeing it through.”
 
Jordan studied her for a long moment, then her expression softened. “Okay. That’s more than fair, if you don’t know how you feel yourself. You’ve said what you need to. And thank you for bringing me into the loop.”
 
“Natalie would have done so too,” Sofia said. “But I wanted to get to you first. She’ll misconstrue things.”
 
“On accident,” Jordan said wryly, “and she actually puts a lot of value in discretion, so she wouldn’t have given too many details. But yes, I think she would mix some things up.” Jordan turned serious. “But this brings up an important point. There’s something I have to ask, now. Or let you know.”
 
“Okay?”
 
“If you’re Natalie’s for the week, and me and her are together for a sense of the phrase,” Jordan said. “Well, then, aren’t you our pet, not just hers?”
 
Sofia stared.
 
“Just a thought,” Jordan said. “I’ll have to talk with Natalie first, of course.” She patted Sofia on the arm. “We’ll get back to you on that. Is that everything, Sofia?”
 
Sofia continued to stare. Was Jordan being serious? She’d always had a deadpan sort of humor, and Sofia did think it was halfway a joke, but more than that, she thought Jordan was testing the water in the guise of a joke.
 
“Great,” Jordan said. “Good talk. But we should head back now. We’ve been gone too long.” 
 
She gave a mischievous smile before turning away, and Sofia couldn’t help but feel she’d somehow made her situation worse, not better, by being so honest with Jordan.
 
Then again … maybe only worse in some ways.
 
In others, maybe she’d made things much, much better.
 
“Oh, heavens,” Sofia murmured, watching Jordan’s hips sway as she headed back to the group. “What have I gotten myself into?”
 
4.13 - Johanna
 
After the dueling competition, with Natalie’s head still spinning over the whole Sofia debacle, Liz pulled her to the side. She asked Natalie to head back with her to her dorm room, and since Natalie didn’t have anything else to do that night—besides Jordan—she accepted. The group split apart, with Sofia and Jordan heading for their shared dorm, and Natalie and Liz to Liz’s.
 
“So, what’s up?” Natalie asked as they plodded down the Tenet pathway. The sun was setting, though night hadn’t quite arrived.
 
“A few things,” Liz said. “And if there wasn’t, what, we can’t just hang out? I know we’ve got tight schedules, but that doesn’t mean we can’t relax. Good for team bonding. It’s actually bad to focus too hard on progress. Even my uncle says that—and he would know.”
 
“Uncle?”
 
“The King of Valhaur,” Liz said amusedly.
 
Natalie paused, having almost forgotten just who Liz was. The girl was so normal that her status as literal royalty, not even just ‘nobility’, slipped her mind sometimes. “Then yeah,” Natalie said. “He would know. But that wasn’t what I meant. Hanging out sounds fun—it just seemed like you had something you were worrying about.”
 
“Worrying? That’s not exactly the right word.” Liz rubbed her elbow, seeming hesitant, then shook her head, setting her short black hair—and its single lock of blue—bouncing. “Don’t rush me. We’ll get to that later.”
 
“Sure.” Though Natalie would admit some curiosity. What did Liz have to talk to her about? She could imagine several things, obviously—whether related to the team, Elida, the dungeon, or Natalie and her class.
 
“Oh, and just a warning,” Liz said. “I’m rooming with Johanna. She’ll probably be there.”
 
Johanna Valeria? The top fighter in their year? That was Liz’s roommate?
 
“Right,” Natalie said, slowly remembering. “You mentioned something about that, I think. Being friends with her.” House Beaumon, the royal family, and House Valeria, a house absolutely stuffing the upper ranks of the military, were famously interconnected. So it made sense Liz and Johanna were close.
 
“She can be a little intense,” Liz said. “I’ve got the feeling she’s gonna pull you aside to have a talk.”
 
“About?”
 
“Feel you out. She wasn’t super happy that I didn’t group with her.” Liz wrinkled her nose. “I feel kind of bad about that, still.”
 
Liz had originally joined up with them because she wanted to distance herself from the name Beaumon, in some part—to make her own legacy. Natalie hadn’t known Johanna, one of the top names of the year, had been one of her original planned teammates, though. Natalie and the rest of the team seriously had their work cut out for them if they wanted to surpass what Liz’s team could have been.
 
“But that’s not the point,” Liz said. “She’s protective. Like, a bit annoyingly so. She thinks she’s my older sister or something. And she is, in a way. Anyway, that’s why she’ll probably try to get a feel for you.”
 
“Sounds fun.” Honestly, she was a bit amused by the situation. Being scrutinized by the ‘older sister figure’ of Liz’s—as if the two of them were dating.
 
Though, after recent developments, Natalie wasn’t sure whether just friends was a perfectly accurate description. Especially with how things were shaping up in the future. Natalie had a suspicion that topic was one of the things Liz had pulled her aside for to talk about in the first place.
 
Arriving to Liz’s dorm complex—a different one than Natalie’s, more expensive looking—they climbed up to the second story then trekked down the hallways. Liz unlocked her dorm room, then ushered Natalie in.
 
“We’ve got a guest!” Liz called out.
 
The warning meant Johanna didn’t know in advance she had been coming, Natalie noted. And also that Liz hadn’t originally planned to bring her back to her dorm; it had been at least a somewhat spur of the moment invitation.
 
Walking into the dorm, she discovered that Liz and Johanna had chosen a much fancier room than her. The living room nearly doubled theirs in size, and was better decorated—and made of finer materials, with polished granite countertops and a nearly full-sized attached kitchen. Natalie wondered how many more credits Liz would be spending on the place each month. Natalie, Sofia, and Jordan had gone for one of the cheapest options, and had also split it three ways.
 
Her choice of room was another indicators of Liz’s status. She’d grown up as a member of the royal family, so her standards for ‘preferred living area’ was certainly far loftier than Natalie’s. Natalie wondered whether Liz even thought this extravagant two-bedroom was ‘enough’, so to say. Maybe even this didn’t meet her standards. 
 
Natalie didn’t comment on it. She would admit that the amount of nobility crawling around Tenet did bother her at times, but Liz was obviously an exception.
 
Sitting on the long, L-shaped couch in the middle of the living room was a somewhat familiar face. Johanna Valeria had one arm draped over the edge, and blue eyes surveyed Natalie as she came in. Johanna had her hair up in her usual long blonde ponytail, and while being at home, relaxing in her casual clothes, softened her serious demeanor somewhat, her hard edges were still plain as day. This woman came from a prestigious line of military leaders, the most prominent in the country, and the way she carried herself made that clear.
 
Johanna stood, setting aside the textbook she’d been picking through, then—unsmiling, though not in an unfriendly way—she approached Natalie, her hand held out. Natalie shook it. Johanna had a firm, calloused grip.
 
“Natalie,” Johanna said. “Liz has told me about you.”
 
“Good things, I hope?”
 
“Liz only says good things. About anyone.” Johanna somehow managed to make the statement sound—not like an insult—but at least bordering on reproachful.
 
“That’s not true,” Liz protested. “Elida’s a jerk. See. Not everyone.”
 
“Insulting the devil doesn’t count,” Johanna said. The words were delivered without the smallest shift in her serious tone. That made it funnier. A dry sense of humor. This woman wasn’t entirely a stiff piece of metal, then. Just acted like one.
 
Casual introductions took place. Johanna asked after the dueling competition, and they discussed it. Amusingly, before Liz could drag Natalie to her room for privacy, her prediction came true: Johanna asked for a moment to talk to Natalie alone.
 
Natalie underwent several minutes of what could only be called polite scrutiny. She didn’t mind; she even appreciated Johanna’s protectiveness over Liz. From what Natalie had seen of the bubbly black-haired royal, she would even agree that Liz might be too nice to everyone—and that she needed people looking out for her. Another part of Natalie said that was naive, taking Liz’s superficial presentation of herself at face value. Someone who’d grown up as a Beaumon couldn’t be ‘too trusting’—that just wouldn’t make sense. She was a member of the royal family, and one training to be a delver. She simply couldn’t be naive.
 
Shortly, though, the scrutiny ended, with Natalie not entirely sure whether she’d gained Johanna’s approval or not. She at least didn’t act unfriendly towards her. Natalie didn’t think the woman cared that they’d stolen one of the best healers of the year from her team, but rather, that Johanna only cared about Liz herself. So, despite having a bit of a hidden rivalry with the dominant fighter, Natalie found her opinion of Johanna raised by several notches—and, oddly, her desire to climb past her in the rankings.
 
With that done, and a somewhat exasperated Liz having been waiting patiently, Natalie ended up in Liz’s room, the two of them alone.
 
4.14 - ❤ Wand I
 
Looking around at Liz’s room, Natalie couldn’t quite keep the smile from her face.
 
“What?”
 
“It’s very you,” Natalie said diplomatically.
 
“Huh?” Liz looked around, then pouted. “What are you saying?”
 
“Nothing. Just that you really like the color pink, apparently. And fluffy things.”
 
“Who doesn’t?” She plopped down onto her bed and continued to pout. 
 
Natalie was mostly teasing, though Liz had definitely put a lot more effort into decorating than she had—and was more ‘girlish’ by several degrees, with pink bedsheets and a mountain of pillows, and even a few stuffed animals. Having only had the room for a day, she must have made it a priority to customize her room. Other than the bed, though, it was fairly standard—a plain desk, drawers, closet, and mostly unadorned walls. But Natalie suspected that was because Liz hadn’t gotten to the rest of it.
 
Natalie sat next to Liz and fell backward, stretching wide with a groan. It’d been a long day, like most days at Tenet—even if they hadn’t gone delving. 
 
“So. Think Johanna’s suspicious of anything?” Natalie asked.
 
“Sorry? Suspicious?”
 
“You know. Us. Alone, in your bedroom.”
 
Liz’s eyes widened, and she let out a single laugh, incredulous rather than embarrassed. “No, no chance. She knows I like girls, but hooking up with one while she’s here? And someone I’ve only known a few weeks? Like I said, she sees me as her innocent little sister. It wouldn’t even cross her mind.”
 
“So we can get away with whatever we want. She’ll stay oblivious.”
 
“What?” Liz protested. “That’s not why you’re here.” She hesitated, then corrected herself, “Well, kind of.”
 
“Kind of?” That was a promising clarifier.
 
“We do need to talk about, you know, all of that.”
 
“I figured.”
 
Liz rubbed her knee, not quite able to look at Natalie, who was still laying on her bed, rolled to the side with her head propped up on one hand. Liz stared down at her lap, cheeks quickly darkening.
 
“I can use [Illusion] to make sound barriers,” Natalie said. “Just by the way. You want me to?”
 
“You can?”
 
“Recent discovery.”
 
“Um. Yeah, then. That’s probably for the best.”
 
Natalie did so.
 
“Not that I think Johanna would listen in,” Natalie clarified.
 
“It’s done?”
 
Natalie nodded.
 
“Then yeah,” Liz said. “She wouldn’t, but it’s still nice to have.”
 
“And it’s helpful for if we get too loud.” Natalie waggled her eyebrows.
 
Liz huffed. “You’re frisky tonight, aren’t you?”
 
“Teasing you is just fun. You’re too cute about all this.”
 
Liz pouted for the third time that night, which didn’t help her case. “Anyway,” she said, “you’re right that the major topic is that stuff. Specifically my wand. I’ve been, um, thinking about it.”
 
“The special ability?”
 
Liz shifted in place, her gaze returning to her lap and her cheeks burning even hotter. “Yeah. The special ability. Someone needs to use it on me to find out what the effect is, and … I guess … well, maybe if you want to be the one?”
 
“Do I want to?” Natalie pushed herself up, then shuffled over and climbed onto Liz’s lap. She pushed the smaller girl down. Liz scooted up on the bed, and her eyes widened, as if shocked at Natalie’s boldness. Really, what had she thought Natalie would do?
 
“I more than want to,” Natalie said. “I’ve been waiting patiently.”
 
“R-Really?”
 
“Obviously. Because, I mean, the effect could be anything. I’m so curious. I’ve been dying to find out.”
 
Liz stared at her, mouth hanging open, then she frowned and crossed her arms. “Stop teasing! It’s mean.”
 
“You want the truth, then?” Natale leaned forward, bringing her face close to the other girl, breathing hot air onto her, their lips tantalizingly close. “Fine, Liz. I’ll be honest. I don’t care what the effect is. I just want to have you squirming and moaning. Is that what you wanted to hear?”
 
Natalie might have pushed a little too hard, because Liz just stared at her for a long moment, turning a brilliant shade of red, then covered her face with both hands.
 
Laughing, Natalie sat up. “Okay, okay. I’ll go easy on you.” She was afraid Liz might literally melt if she didn’t. 
 
“This is practical weapon testing for the sake of being better delvers,” Liz pronounced loudly, the words muffled as she still hid her face. “Okay? We’re not just having fun.”
 
“If you say so.”
 
“I do!” the insistence came.
 
Natalie pried Liz’s hands away, then savored the beet-red face for a moment. “So, where is it?”
 
“My wand?”
 
“Or whatever other toys you want to play with.”
 
“Natalie!”
 
Natalie laughed. It really was too easy. 
 
“It’s in my dresser,” Liz huffed. “Top drawer.”
 
“Your drawer? It’s a weapon, not a dildo.”
 
“It’s a weapon that turns into a dildo,” Liz growled. “So yes, of course I’m going to hide it.”
 
“It’s your weapon. It shouldn’t even work for someone else.”
 
“Still.”
 
Shaking her head in amusement, Natalie climbed off her healer, then went to the dresser. Rummaging around in the top drawer, she found the thin, smooth wand with a gold cap, then brought it back to Liz.
 
“Go ahead,” Natalie said, handing it to her.
 
Liz transformed the weapon, and soon, a flexible dildo—far thicker, but the same length, about twelve inches—rested in her hand. 
 
“It’s so embarrassing,” Liz said.
 
“I think it’s kind of cool.” She took the toy from Liz and turned into over. “And fancy looking. Kind of gaudy.” She laughed. “Seriously. A gold tip. Guess that’s fitting for a member of the royal family.”
 
“Sh-shut up.”
 
Natalie placed the dildo against Liz’s stomach, lining it up so the base was at her crotch. At twelve inches long, it obviously stuck a long way up—especially because Liz was a tiny, petite woman.
 
“Not sure if you can handle it,” Natalie murmured. “But I’ll have fun testing it out. Testing you out. Now, let’s get you out of those clothes, yeah? We have a magic wand to experiment with.”
 
4.15 - ❤ Wand II
 
Natalie tugged at the hem of Liz’s shirt, and the petite girl didn’t stop her. Her pants followed, and soon, Natalie had Liz laid out across her bed in just her underwear. She crawled back over her, briefly setting the toy to the side, and ran her hands across Liz’s body, her thighs first, then her stomach and chest. Liz had nearly no breasts to speak of, almost completely flat, but Natalie didn’t really care about that—she cared about the way Liz sucked in a breath of air when Natalie brushed her thumbs against her nipples, and the way she wiggled in place.
 
“This—this isn’t testing my wand,” Liz gasped.
 
“No,” Natalie agreed. “It isn’t.” 
 
She kept running her hands across her body, admiring her curves and the feel of her soft skin. Liz didn’t protest further; she lay beneath Natalie and let her have her way with her.
 
Finally, though, Natalie agreed she ought to focus. Not out of a sense of ‘practicality’, to discover the wand’s effect, but because Liz hadn’t given her a complete free pass—and while she knew this whole situation was an excuse for what she already wanted, Natalie wasn’t sure how much Liz was comfortable with when it came to them deviating from the masquerade.
 
Besides, getting to fill Liz up was more than enough for Natalie to have fun. Of course, the idea of pinning the other girl down and experimenting with how much real cock she could take would be even better, but Natalie had to temper that urge. She didn’t think Liz was there yet.
 
Grabbing the wand—the dildo—she slapped the twelve inches of soft, flexible toy back onto Liz’s stomach. It really was impressive how much bigger it looked against her small frame. Natalie wondered whether the effect would be similar if she slapped her own tool down on the girl, but she quickly reined those thoughts in—though it was hard. Having a half naked girl pinned beneath her wasn’t the easiest thing to resist.
 
“How do you wanna do this?” Natalie asked. “Need me to get you ready first?”
 
“R-Ready?”
 
“With my mouth?”
 
Her eyes widened, and she flushed. She looked away. “I think we should just stick with the toy.”
 
While disappointed, she wasn’t offended. It would take some easing-in for Liz to be comfortable with more, Natalie could tell. She was pretty inexperienced. She supposed a member of the royal family would be. They had reputations to protect. Some nobility could afford to be indiscretionary, but not Liz. And even more to the point—Liz herself was a bit shy in this kind of situation. Outgoing and friendly socially speaking, but not sexually.
 
Natalie played with the edges of her panties, then started tugging down. Liz didn’t stop her, so she finished undressing her bottom half, exposing her pussy.
 
Seeing it, Natalie confirmed she really would like to get a taste; it was such a shame Liz wanted to take things slow.
 
Liz covered herself up with a hand. “Don’t look at it like that, you pervert.”
 
Natalie sat down, then pulled Liz’s lower half into her lap, so Liz’s butt pressed into her stomach, and the petite girl was elevated for easier access. Either of Liz’s legs went to each side of Natalie, hooking around her. She tugged Liz’s hand away to re-expose her. Liz allowed it to happen, though her face burned furiously.
 
“This position is really embarrassing, you know,” she protested.
 
“That’s the point.” Natalie picked up the wand, then pressed it into Liz’s pussy. She rubbed back and forth. Liz didn’t seem like she needed much getting ready—she was already wet. So Natalie’s offer to use her mouth hadn’t been necessary in the first place. The white dildo quickly coated in Liz’s juices as she rubbed it around, lubricating the long, twelve-inch weapon. “Look how ready you are. Been looking forward to this?”
 
“O-Out of curiosity for the skill effect, yes.”
 
“Skill effects get you wet, now? That’s naughty.” 
 
Liz sputtered, and Natalie laughed at it. She pressed the gold tip into Liz and wiggled around, splitting her lower lips around the toy. She marveled at the sight. Her cock strained in her skirt, pushing into Liz’s backside through two layers of clothing. 
 
“Yeah, I’m sure it’s totally just curiosity.”
 
At her pussy being played with so blatantly, Liz could only respond with a shaky breath.
 
“Going in, then. Ready?”
 
“Y-Yeah.”
 
Natalie pushed, and Liz’s lower lips wrapped around the gold tip of the wand-dildo. She moaned as its thick girth slowly crept inside her, and her hips wiggled back and forth in Natalie’s lap as she struggled to accommodate the toy. It was about as thick as Natalie herself, so it was a good test for the future, should she ever be with Natalie—though she might be making too many assumptions there.
 
Either way, she was transfixed as she watched Liz’s pussy get spread open by the girthy toy. Natalie took it slow and gentle, letting the toy fill her up at a pace she could handle. When the tip finally slid in properly, Liz let out a moan, her back arching and her fingers digging into the bedsheets at her side.
 
“There you go,” Natalie murmured. “It’s in. Good girl. You’ve got it.”
 
When Liz settled back down, Natalie continued to press. Inch by inch of smooth shaft slid into her. The noises got louder. Natalie placed a hand on Liz’s stomach, leaving it there on smooth hot skin, then kept pressing. She wanted to play with Liz’s clit, and her nipples, and, well, the girl in general, but Liz had asked twice to keep it to the toy—so Natalie would.
 
“So … big,” Liz gasped.
 
“You’re doing great,” Natalie murmured. “Little bit more?”
 
“F-Full.” Liz sucked in a gasp of air. “Too deep. I’m—I’m full.”
 
“Seven inches,” Natalie said, telling by Liz’s tone she meant it; she was as stuffed as she was comfortable with. “Not bad. That means you’d almost be able to take me.”
 
At the words, Liz squeezed her eyes shut and shuddered. She reached down between her legs and grabbed Natalie’s hand, holding it around the dildo, then pulled out and pushed back in, urging Natalie to start thrusting. Natalie did so. She worked seven inches of dildo in and out of the moaning smaller girl, enjoying the sight and sound of her squirming and whining on her lap.
 
“You can—you can touch me. If you want.”
 
Obviously, Natalie wouldn’t turn down that offer. She’d been hoping it would come. With one hand slowly pumping, and the other rubbing at Liz’s clit, Liz started breaking down even faster. Natalie paid close attention to her movements, the hitches in her breath, what made her hips wiggle and jerk. When the moans started to also shake, Natalie picked up pace. She pumped in and out, fast, rubbing at Liz’s clit with her thumb, working her to her climax.
 
Liz scrambled at the bedsheets, and Natalie hiked her lower half even higher up, so Liz’s butt was sitting practically on her chest. She watched from close up as Liz’s pussy was stuffed full with her efforts. At the shifting in position—at Natalie so blatantly admiring her pussy being pumped into, in purposefully adjusting Liz so that she had a better sight, and bringing her closer to her face—Liz finally groaned and arched her back, the rising pleasure overtaking her. 
 
Natalie worked Liz through her climax, rubbing and thrusting, admiring how she fell apart in her lap. A full twitching minute later, Liz sagged down into Natalie, panting heavily, and still shaking from the aftershocks.
 
4.16 - ❤ Wand III
 
“Wow,” Liz said.
 
“You liked it?”
 
“You’re, like, unfairly good at that.”
 
“It would’ve been even more fun if you let me use my mouth.”
 
“I’m sure it would,” Liz said, flushing. She sat up. “So. Um, anyway. Let’s see what the effect is? That was why we did that.”
 
Natalie snorted, but didn’t comment. She looked inward. Not every status could be read through an [Inspect], but she assumed [Link] could—primarily because the wand itself didn’t explain what [Link] was, so surely once it had been applied, they would be able to figure it out.
 
And sure enough, it worked like that.
 
***
 
[Link] - Receive thirty percent bonus healing from the linked target.
 
***
 
“Oh,” Natalie said. “Shouldn’t be surprised, but wow. For a weapon bonus, that’s really something.”
 
Obviously, it wasn’t an earth-shattering effect, but Liz’s wand was already one of the more outrageously powerful level one weapons that Natalie had heard of. It came with a persistent moderate furor boost, along with a minor prowess increase—though that one required Liz to use it on herself. Throwing in [Link], where Natalie could get thirty percent extra heals from Liz, the wand was growing more and more insane.
 
“And there’s another effect, too. That’s not even it,” Natalie said. “It has the level two evolved form.”
 
“Yeah,” Liz said. “I hadn’t gotten to that yet. But thirty percent boosted heals. Seriously, why is it so good?”
 
Natalie shrugged. If it gave Liz a good excuse for Natalie to be over here each night, pumping Liz full of her wand, then Natalie was grateful for the incentive. The strangely powerful effect was just a bonus.
 
“Think you can only have one active link?”
 
“Not sure,” Liz said. “But, um, tank is most important, so I think for now, I’ll just stick with you.”
 
Liz wasn’t close enough to any of the others to want to use the wand in that way with them. Her encounter with Natalie down in the dungeon had broken a few walls between them. Natalie wondered if Liz’s reservations would hold as the weeks ticked by.
 
“The double-headed evolve, though,” Natalie said. “Can I see it?”
 
“I guess.” Seeming inordinately embarrassed about the item—as if its nature was her fault—she shifted the one-sided dildo into its level two form.
 
As promised, the resulting wand had two heads instead of one, and also seemed more flexible, to presumably allow more interesting positions. It also grew four inches or so, putting it at an impressive sixteen. Eight inches for each of them. Liz had handled seven, before, but Natalie figured with some effort they might be able to get all the way down. 
 
“Wow,” Natalie said, taking the toy from Liz and playing with it. The flexible material bounced as she wiggled the toy. “Now that’s something. Can I [Inspect] it?” The request wasn’t just to be polite; now that Liz had laid claim to the item, Natalie had to have permission to read the item’s stat page. Otherwise, everyone could just read everyone else’s armor. She was actually grateful for that, considering how Natalie suspected she and her team were in for some even more interesting loot.
 
“Yeah. Of course.”
 
***
 
Shifting Wand of Relief
 
Rare
 
Lv. 1
 
 
 
Effects
 
- Equipped with a [Form Shift].
 
- When used simultaneously on SELF and OTHER: Apply [Doubled Up] 
 
 
 
Description
 
A long, thick rod of soft, flexible white metal, capped with two golden tips. The craftsmanship is pristine. A comforting aura radiates from the weapon.
 
***
 
“[Doubled Up],” Natalie said. “Now, what does that do, I wonder?”
 
“Do you, um, want to find out?”
 
Natalie raised her eyebrows Liz’s way, who blushed furiously and stared down at her lap.
 
“Just an offer, obviously!” she squeaked. 
 
“You want to?” Natalie had thought Liz wouldn’t be up for it, yet; she still seemed pretty reserved.
 
“I mean, if you think about it, we aren’t really doing anything with each other. Nothing of ours important would be touching. So really, we’re doing less than before.”
 
Natalie was impressed at the nonsensicalness of the claim. Was everyone on her team insistent on jumping through hoops to explain away embarrassing situations? Natalie, fortunately, had never deluded herself in such a ridiculous way.
 
Then she remembered Jordan, and amended the statement: at least she was no longer delusional. Jordan had been a one time thing. Her relationships with Sofia, Liz, Ana, and the rest were at least clearly defined. No hoop-jumping required.
 
“That makes total sense,” Natale said. She grinned. “But what if I do want to touch you?” She flexed the long double-headed dildo. “I bet there’s some fun positions we could manage with this thing.”
 
“W-Well,” Liz said. “Um. I guess we’ll play it by feel.”
 
Natalie’s grin widened. She passed over the toy, then laid down. “Alright. Play it by feel. Go ahead, then.”
 
“Sorry?”
 
“I ravished you,” Natalie said. “Now you ravish me.”
 
Normally, Natalie would be more than happy to keep toying with Liz in the active role, but something about her shy embarrassment had Natalie wanting to force her into being a little more proactive. Plus, it let Liz choose how far to go; Natalie was worried about getting carried away.
 
And for a third reason—as expected, Liz’s reaction at being told to ‘ravish her’ was as cute as she hoped it would be.
 
“O-Oh,” Liz said, her eyes skittering nervously across Natalie’s body, then up to her eyes, then away again. “Okay. Yeah. Sure. Um. I can do that. I guess I’ll start with … taking your clothes off?”
 
“That’s usually a good first step,” Natalie said teasingly. 
 
Liz crossed her arms. “I’m new to this, okay? Stop bullying me.”
 
“I’m not bullying you,” Natalie said. “Believe me, when I do ‘bully you’, you’ll know.”
 
Liz paused, then blushed at the assertion. “Okay. Anyway. Shirt, first.” She set aside the toy and crawled over Natalie.
 
Natalie let Liz strip her down from the waist up. The smaller girl perched on Natalie’s lap, a rigid member pressing against her ass, which both of them ignored. Her bra followed. Liz stared down with wide eyes at her exposed chest. 
 
Natalie’s smirk grew. “You can touch, if you want. Don’t be scared.”
 
Liz tentatively reached out and grabbed Natalie’s tits. She squeezed them, then cupped them, then gently tweaked at her nipples, all with the same shy hesitance. Natalie put her hands over Liz’s and shivered, the contact more exciting than she’d expected—especially when joined with how Liz’s ass was pressed into her cock.
 
“W-We should focus,” Liz announced suddenly, pulling her hands away—though only after several moments of being transfixed by playing with Natalie’s tits. “Remember. Just testing the wand out.” She said it more to herself than Natalie.
 
Liz shuffled down Natalie’s legs, then wrangled off her skirt with Natalie’s help. That revealed, of course, Natalie’s fully erect cock pushing desperately against her panties—and that was a second sight that stunned Liz quiet, her face going new shades of red.
 
“You’ve already seen it once,” Natalie laughed. “Don’t be nervous now.”
 
Swallowing, Liz grabbed the edges of Natalie’s panties, then tugged them down. Natalie lifted her hips up, and Liz slid them off, tossing them aside. She was left naked, cock standing proudly upward, twitching and veiny.
 
“It’s … really a nice cock,” Liz breathed. She reached out as if to touch it, but, realizing what she was doing, withdrew. She shook her head to clear it, then grabbed the double headed dildo. “Okay. No more playing around. I’m going to … I’m gonna …“
 
“Ravish me?” Natalie suggested.
 
“Um. Yeah, that.” 
 
Liz took a deep breathe, then plastered on a determined expression.
 
4.17 - ❤ Wand IV
 
While generally shy, Liz also wasn’t afraid to rise up to the challenge. That was fitting of a delver, Natalie supposed. And it came to Natalie’s great benefit.
 
Liz lined up one end of the double-sided dildo to Natalie’s entrance. She rubbed the toy into Natalie, her eyes wide, her breathing hard, as if it was Liz herself the toy was about to penetrate. Natalie shivered at the sensation, her cock twitching in excitement. Precum beaded at the tip.
 
“You said … I can touch?” Liz asked.
 
Natalie might have teased Liz about changing her mind so quickly about ‘keeping it to just testing the wand’, but doing so might change her mind—so she just nodded. Liz reached out, then, still rubbing the toy at Natalie’s pussy, gripped her cock. 
 
Natalie had done some brief experimentation with being pleasured from both ends at once, but she’d never had someone else play with her in that way—and masturbation obviously didn’t hold up to the real deal. A moan escaped her at the contact of Liz’s hand, and to her amusement—which bubbled up even past her arousal—Liz nearly jumped in surprise.
 
“Oh. You, uh. Like that?”
 
“Yeah. You can. Um. Go in.”
 
Liz wiggled the head of the toy into Natalie’s lower lips, getting purchase rather than just teasing. Slowly, Natalie was spread apart, her pussy stretching to accommodate the girthy toy. For all she’d been teasing Liz, it really was thick enough to give any girl pause. Another moan escaped her, her hands clutching the bedsheets as she felt herself spread open. Liz held a firm grip on Natalie’s cock, stroking up and down even as she pushed the toy inside Natalie.
 
Bit by bit, she worked it in, and Natalie squirmed at the pressure. It was definitely the largest thing she’d ever had inside her, and she quickly found a newfound respect for Jordan, who took something even thicker with apparent delight. Honestly, Natalie struggled—though with hot waves of pleasure swirling around inside her at the incredible sensation of being so full.
 
When Liz had properly filled Natalie up, her half of the dildo inserted, Liz said tentatively, “Um. Okay, I guess it’s my turn, now.”
 
Natalie elbowed up to get a better sight. She had collapsed back in pleasure as Liz had gone at it, but obviously she wouldn’t miss the sight of Liz sharing the toy with her.
 
It unfortunately meant Liz had to stop stroking her cock, but Natalie was fine with that, considering what was to come. Besides, the two-pronged attack was difficult to resist, especially without much practice. It would be rather embarrassing if Natalie came first—or at least not with Liz—after so much teasing of the other girl.
 
Liz settled down, spreading her legs and draping them over Natalie’s. She lined up the dildo to her own pussy, then, letting out a little gasp, penetrated herself. Natalie gripped her side of the dildo while Liz worked her way down, helping stabilize the flexible shaft. Her cock throbbed painfully at seeing Liz impale herself.
 
“W-What’s the best way to go about this?” Liz asked. “How do we, uh, use it right?”
 
“Let’s see if we can—mm—get all the way, first,” Natalie said, the sentence interrupted by a moan. It had been some time since Natalie had been penetrated by anything other than fingers and tongues, since toys actually hadn’t been something she used much of. It was having an unexpectedly intoxicating effect, her cock throbbing in little twitches and leaking precum as it begged for its own relief.
 
“Okay,” Liz said, looking down with some apprehension. “But, all the way? It’s just, a lot.”
 
“We can do it.”
 
Natalie really wanted to see her pussy pressing into Liz’s, the two of them kissing with their lower halves, so she had good motivation to work her way down onto their thick shared toy. Liz draped her legs over Natalie’s to get into better position, and the two of them wiggled their way further down, moaning as they were filled up.
 
Liz apparently wanted it as badly as Natalie, because she worked just as hard. With a few whines, she scooted her lower half forward one last thrust, pulling Natalie’s thighs toward her, and the gap closed; their pussies kissed, all sixteen thick inches shared between the two of them. 
 
“That … wasn’t so bad,” Liz panted, gazing with wide, transfixed eyes down at their kissing pussies.
 
With Liz’s arrival, Natalie’s urges overtook her. She turned sideways, her cock sliding against Liz’s warm, soft thigh. A shaky breathe escaped her at the contact. Her hips bucked, a reaction she couldn’t stop, and a loud moan escaped her as her sensitive shaft slid across Liz’s skin. The motion also had the dildo stirring around inside both of them, adding to the cocktail of pleasure. She hugged Liz’s leg with both arms, who had also turned sideways to give them a better angle to share the toy with—and for Natalie to rub her cock into her leg.
 
“That’s nice,” Natalie groaned. “Fuck, that’s good. You don’t—you don’t mind?” 
 
Not that Natalie was even certain she could stop if Liz asked her to; her hips kept jerking back and forth, rubbing herself against Liz’s soft thigh even as she stirred around their shared dildo.
 
“I-It’s fine,” Liz said. “Go ahead.”
 
Liz’s thrusting hips, helping push the two of them against their shared toy, made it clear she didn’t mind how Natalie had appropriated her thigh to pleasure herself. If anything, by the way she watched with wide eyes, panting heavily, the sight—and sensation—was as intoxicating as the thick toy thrusting inside her with each jerk of both their hips. Liz’s hand went down to rub teasing circles at her clit.
 
“Is it embarrassing,” Liz gasped, “that I’m almost there, again? Why does it feel so good?” Her hand picked up speed to punctuate the point, her animalistic need to reach that quickly-approaching high showing plainly as day.
 
At hearing Liz was close, Natalie somehow conquered her own desire; she forced herself to stop thrusting against Liz’s thigh, pleasuring herself on soft skin, and instead focused on her partner. She turned back around so they were both lying mostly flat, and Natalie leaned up, pushing away Liz’s hand to take control of pleasuring her clit. Liz collapsed backward, happy to accept the assistance.
 
Both their lower halves gyrated and thrusted against each other, and Natalie rubbed tight circles as Liz started to come apart a second time. The smaller girl’s back arched, her eyes squeezing shut as a groan escaped her. Hands scrambled at bed sheets, and Natalie worked away at taking apart her healer.
 
“Come on, let it out,” she murmured. “Good girl. Cum for me. Everything you have. I want it.”
 
A long, twitching orgasm later, and Liz sagged down into the bed, seeming dizzy. Natalie watched her for a moment, amused—and honestly a bit proud at how easily she could take Liz apart. It was almost as bad as Sofia.
 
Resisting the urge to keep taking care of herself was hard, but like usual, Natalie was more interested in pleasuring her partner—and especially Liz, whose general ease to embarrass and quick fuse made her especially fun to play with.
 
“Okay,” Liz said, finally propping herself back up on her elbows. “You haven’t finished yet. I need to fix that. Lay back down.”
 
Without giving Natalie much chance to reply, the smaller girl shuffled over Natalie, perching on top—which was an awkward, but delightful, movement, seeing how they hadn’t taken the toy out. 
 
Soon, Liz had her pussy pressed back into Natalie’s, the two of them joined by the toy. She held onto Natalie’s legs, pushing them back, like they were in the missionary position—which wasn’t that far from the truth.
 
“Really taking charge, then?” Natalie teased. “I’m proud.”
 
Liz started bouncing, lifting her hips up then slapping them back down. The toy thrust into each of them, but Liz was stalwartly determined to not have her third orgasm before Natalie her first. The smaller girl fell forward and buried her face into Natalie’s chest, moaning even as she worked away with her hips, thrusting into Natalie missionary-style, either of her arms hooked around Natalie’s legs and pinning them back.
 
Natalie hugged the smaller girl tight and bounced her hips along with Liz. Each long stroke of Liz stuffed her full, and the size of the toy, the slaps of flesh of Liz thrusting into her, and the way her cock was squished between their bodies, being massaged with the jostling of their eager movements, meant Liz would see her goal through: Natalie didn’t have much resistance left in her. She didn’t have long. She closed her eyes and hugged Liz tighter, that hot surge of pleasure starting to course through her.
 
Liz slipped her hands down between their bodies and grabbed Natalie’s cock, jerking her off between their two sweat-slickened stomachs. It broke the last of Natalie’s composure. She moaned and cried out as ecstasy overtook her. Her pussy clenched around the thick shaft Liz was thrusting inside her with each bounce of her hips, and her cock swelled in Liz’s hand. Two waves of pleasure attacked her, radiating across her whole body, and her cock seized and then erupted. Cum coated between their stomachs and over Liz’s hands, who used it as lubricant to thrust her hand into Natalie’s cock even faster. Liz kissed Natalie’s neck and worked away, murmuring something that Natalie was too far gone to understand. Wave after wave of white-hot orgasm crashed through every part of her body. Liz bounced on top of her, eagerly filling Natalie up with their shared toy, and Natalie devolved into a hot puddle of pleasure.
 
Liz also came to her third twitching finish, the experience of Natalie coating the two of them in cum and orgasming right beneath her too much for the girl to handle, even despite just finishing a minute ago.
 
When Natalie returned to something resembling consciousness, the two of them just laid there and panted into each other, Natalie still hugging Liz close, their stomachs coated in sweat and cum. 
 
4.18 - Wand V
 
After a long break of simply panting into each other and basking in each other’s hot, sweaty skin contact, Liz leaned up and sat on Natalie’s lap, the toy still joining the two of them. She looked down at the mess coating their stomachs, the result of Liz’s frantic extraction of Natalie’s lower half.
 
“Um,” Liz said. “I kinda forgot about the clean up.”
 
“You really made a mess,” Natalie agreed.
 
“Well, no, you made the mess,” Liz said. “Just, I should’ve realized. It’s all in my sheets, too. Why do you cum so much?”
 
“I had a succubus riding me. That’s why.”
 
Liz blushed and looked away. “Sh-Shut up. Don’t say things like that.”
 
With a little groan from both of them, Liz finally unperched from Natalie, and they pulled the toy out of them. 
 
“I’ll go grab a towel,” Liz said. “Hold tight.”
 
She did just that, and soon, Natalie was wiping her stomach down, then her cock, with Liz doing the same. 
 
“Okay! Back to the point of all this!” Liz said, a bit louder than appropriate. Natalie could tell she’d gotten carried away—and had enjoyed the process—and it was starting to hit her. So, like usual, she corralled them back to the ‘practicality’ of the situation. “Skill testing. Remember, that’s all it was.” The words were directed entirely at herself, and Natalie couldn’t help but laugh—which Liz ignored.
 
Now clean, Liz plopped back down on the bed next to Natalie.
 
“So. The new effect.”
 
Admittedly, Natalie was interested herself—though she’d been far more interested in Liz than any potential bonus from the wand. 
 
She took a look.
 
***
 
[Joined] - Health and mana pools can be shared between targets.
 
***
 
“Oh,” Liz said. “Oh, wow. Share? Like, completely?”
 
Natalie shook her head in incredulity. “Again, we shouldn’t be surprised, with how strong the wand’s been so far, but—yeah, wow.”
 
That the benefits just kept stacking up was nearly unbelievable. The wand had already been a phenomenal piece of equipment before they’d discovered [Link] and [Joined], but now, it really might be one of the best pieces of level one loot—well, ever.
 
Was that the future of her class? And her adventures in the dungeon? If the trend held, she was really poised to be an insanely powerful adventurer—of the sort seen once in a generation. That was hard to come to terms with.
 
“I guess it depends on how it’s shared?” Liz said. “Automatically and evenly? Or can we like, funnel over health and mana to each other on will? Whenever we want?”
 
“Either way, it’s strong.”
 
“I mean, yeah. But it changes how we’d use it.” She rubbed her forehead. “Seriously though. I can send you my mana? That’s so good.”
 
“Or me to you,” Natalie said. “I don’t make as good use of it as you do, so that extra boost would be great. Let you cast more spells. Illusions are nice, but not crucial.”
 
“Eh, they’re becoming more and more relevant. You’re picking it up fast. Though I’m more interested in the health aspect. Making you even a bit more tanky by giving you my health would be amazing. Not just that, but regeneration effects are twice as useful. If we link health, then put a regen spell down on both of us, it’s effectively you getting two regen effects at once.”
 
“Huh,” Natalie said. She hadn’t even considered it from a healing perspective—it was natural that was where Liz’s mind had gone. She disagreed that health was more relevant, though; she felt like the boosted mana pool was the bigger game-changer. She paused as the obvious question popped into her head. “Wait, can it work on more than one of us?”
 
“If it does, only between me and them, I’d figure,” Liz said. “Can’t link all of us, to each of us.” Liz froze as she realized exactly what ‘linking all of them together’ would mean. How that would happen. Despite being naked and still sticky from what they’d just done, she blushed furiously at the lewd imagery. Of course, that drew a laugh from Natalie, and a resulting shove from Liz. “Oh, shut up. Stop making fun of me!”
 
That wasn’t likely to happen. “Might be good with Ana, though,” Natalie said. “Sharing your mana pool with her? Or even doubling your health pools? The back line has the biggest risk for getting seriously hurt by a single surprise hit, so I don’t even know if I’m the primary target for the ability. Might be Ana.”
 
“A-Ana?” Liz shook her head rapidly. “I mean, maybe you’re right, but—“ More rapid head shaking, Liz’s black hair bouncing as she flushed furiously at the idea.
 
 Natalie was tempted to tease her, but decided to let up.
 
“I’ll stick with you,” Liz finally said firmly. “It’s a good combo between us, anyway. Tank and healer.”
 
“Wonder what the duration is?”
 
“Hopefully at least a day.”
 
“I think I’d prefer just a few hours. Or less.”
 
“Huh? Why would you—?” Liz paused as she understood the implication. 
 
Natalie stated it out loud anyway. “So we get to use it more often,” she grinned. “Between every fight, maybe?”
 
Again, Liz’s face turned red. “You really are a pervert, aren’t you? Ugh, don’t talk to me.”
 
Natalie laughed.
 
“So, anyway,” Liz said. “We should get cleaned up?”
 
“Is that an invitation to your shower?”
 
“If you can keep your hands to yourself.”
 
“Definitely won’t.”
 
Liz huffed, then stood. “Well, just don’t get too carried away, then.”
 
“Still no promises.” Natalie’s eyes tracked Liz’s ass as she walked across the room, headed for the attached bathroom. “Actually, is there an opposite of a promise?”
 
Looking back and seeing Natalie blatantly ogling her, Liz flushed and covered her butt with a hand. “Seriously! It’s embarrassing. Don’t be so obvious!” She scurried off into the bathroom and out of view—as if Natalie hadn’t just been invited to join her. Natalie briefly hesitated, wondering if the teasing had changed Liz’s mind, but a second later, Liz asked, “You coming?”
 
“Coming? Hopefully a few more times,” Natalie said, smirking as she stood. “And you, let’s say, six or seven times, by the time I’m done with you?”
 
“N-Nat! Really!”
 
4.19 - Cuddle
 
Natalie did get one more round of playing with Liz in the shower, but that was far as the healer let it go; they didn’t spend all night together, and all Natalie got to do that second time was touch. Natalie wondered when Liz would be open for more, and especially without the pretend-excuse of ‘testing the wand’. Though she had no intentions of pressing her.
 
Afterward, she made it back to her dorm in time to catch Jordan settling down for the night. Immediately on seeing Natalie, a mischievous grin crossed Jordan’s lips, and Natalie barely got the door closed and a sound barrier up before Jordan had knelt down, flipped Natalie’s skirt over her head, and had her mouth around Natalie’s cock. It was a rather pleasant welcome-back, if an impractical one, seeing how she had a few things she wanted to talk to Jordan about.
 
The two of them went through their usual routine of ‘energy-gathering’, with Natalie bending her best friend over the bed and coating her womb white to finish things off. 
 
One of the best parts of sharing a room with Jordan, though, more even than the sex, was getting to snuggle up with her at the end, lights off and getting ready to sleep. Having Jordan tucked up into her was indescribably devastating to her current dilemma—her gigantic fat crush which she was trying desperately to ignore—and so Natalie had to forcibly not let herself get too caught up in the warm glow. She hadn’t made any progress on whether she thought Jordan returned her feelings, and in fact, any time she did let her thoughts wander in that direction, things just became more muddled inside her head. 
 
Because there were contradicting signals. The way Jordan behaved sometimes certainly indicated she wanted to be more than friends—but at the same time, Jordan was a direct person, who surely would have told Natalie. More than that, Natalie felt like she ought to be more certain about Jordan’s feelings if they existed. She should be able to tell. Jordan was her best friend, wasn’t she?
 
So as it stood, she was conflicted. With the possibility of rejection—and making their relationship awkward—Natalie shied away from forcing the issue, at least until she had more confidence. A big part of her derided her as being a giant coward for that, and she had no defense, beyond that she had so much going on that her disgustingly huge, but risky, crush on her best friend had to take the back seat, at least for a few days or weeks until she figured things out.
 
“So,” Jordan said, snuggled into her, her head resting on Natalie’s shoulder as Natalie stared up at the ceiling, wondering how she’d both gotten so lucky and unlucky to be in this situation. “There’s probably a few things we should talk about before we go to bed. I meant to earlier, but you distracted me.”
 
“I distracted you? You were under my skirt before I could say hi.”
 
“Fine,” Jordan said, “your cock distracted me. Same difference.”
 
Natalie shook her head.
 
“Anyway,” Jordan said. “Sofia.”
 
“Sofia?”
 
“You never told me what happened between you two. Did you make up?”
 
Make up? She wouldn’t call what had happened in the locker room ‘making up’. Not to mention Natalie hadn’t done anything wrong back at the tournament. Sofia had just been acting weird because of Sammy. Her explanations were still a bit nonsensical. Jealousy was the obvious answer, but too absurd to be true.
 
“I mean, kind of.”
 
“You kind of made up?”
 
A flash of that event passed through Natalie’s thoughts, Sofia pinned down by her wrists, hanging there as Natalie stroked her to a twitching orgasm. Horrifyingly, Natalie felt herself stir with excitement, and she desperately fought the memory away. How in the world would she explain getting hard when Sofia was the conversation topic?
 
Maybe Jordan sensed her dilemma, because she laughed. “Okay, I’ll just say it. Sofia told me.”
 
“Told you what?”
 
“That you pounded her brains into jelly.”
 
Natalie eyes shot open, and she immediately started sputtering out a rejection. That was not what had happened.
 
“No, I’m kidding,” Jordan laughed. “She just said you two hooked up. I don’t know what that included, exactly. She didn’t specify.”
 
“We didn’t even hook up,” Natalie protested, still flushed. “We just—I just. Well.” She coughed. “Fingered her, I guess?”
 
“Uh huh,” Jordan said. “And that’s not hooking up?”
 
“Hooking up implies, I don’t know. That it was … I guess …”
 
Jordan, unfortunately, waiting patiently for Natalie to finish her statement. Natalie wasn’t sure where she was going with it.
 
“It’s Sofia,” Natalie finally said. “We didn’t hook up.”
 
“So, you platonically fingered her? As friends?”
 
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
 
“Sorry,” Jordan said. “As rivals. You platonically fingered her as rivals.”
 
Natalie’s face burned. “Shut up. What do you want me to say?”
 
“That you ravished that poor young woman because your lusty impulses got the better of you.”
 
“Jordan.”
 
Jordan pressed her face into Natalie’s shoulder and laughed. Natalie was caught between a bout of gay panic and outrage at the accusations Jordan was throwing her way. In the end, she just lay there and pouted.
 
“Okay,” Jordan said. “Fine. You two didn’t hook up. But what else happened?”
 
“That’s between me and Sofia.”
 
“I told her you’d say that,” Jordan said, amused. “You really are such a gentleman. No kissing and telling.”
 
“I can’t believe she came to you about it.”
 
“Well, it involves you, so it involves me. Because she knows we’re sleeping together. Sofia takes a mature approach to relationships.” She snorted. “Okay, well, kind of. She’s also an idiot in some ways.”
 
Natalie ignored the ‘also’, most because her concern was growing. Sofia surely hadn’t give Jordan the full details behind that event, right? “What else did she tell you?” Natalie asked carefully.
 
“Oh,” Jordan said. “Some interesting things. A wager was mentioned.”
 
Natalie’s stomach sank. “A wager?”
 
“For the ownership of an innocent young woman and her dignity,” Jordan said. “I didn’t know you were thinking about getting a pet. You should really include me in those sorts of big decisions. We’re partners, aren’t we?”
 
“She told you,” Natalie groaned, ignoring the ridiculous way Jordan had phrased it. “Why? Why would she do that?”
 
“Because she’s considerate. She was worried I would mind.”
 
Natalie already had blanket permission from Jordan that she could be with who she wanted, but she supposed Sofia didn’t know that. Still, it was rather mortifying that Sofia had given their arrangement away. Especially because Natalie knew she was in for all sorts of teasing from Jordan, now. She groaned a second time.
 
Then, she quieted. She wondered if she ought to check in on that so-called ‘arrangement’. See if Jordan was still okay with it. Especially since it was Sofia—someone rather closer to Jordan than her typical fling. “And you still don’t mind, right?”
 
“I don’t,” Jordan said. “Sharing doesn’t bother me. You’re the possessive one.”
 
Natalie squeezed Jordan tighter into her. She would like to defend herself, but it was true. Jordan was hers. Natalie didn’t want to share. At least, not openly.
 
“You’re more than enough for me, don’t worry,” Jordan said, smiling. “Our arrangement can work one way. But I do want to bring something up.”
 
“What?” 
 
“What do you think of all three of us?”
 
“Sorry?”
 
“Can Sofia be our pet?”
 
“What?”
 
“How you feel about group stuff, I guess?” Jordan asked. “If you want me only to yourself, that’s fine too. But what about me, you, and Sofia?”
 
Natalie’s brain underwent a brief meltdown. Together? In that way? Sofia being a ‘pet’ to both of them?
 
Natalie was possessive of Jordan, unfair as the arrangement felt, and she absolutely did not want Jordan to be with anyone else in the same way she herself slept around. She knew that was hypocritical, especially when she and Jordan weren’t even an official thing, hence why she was endlessly relieved that Jordan wasn’t bothered by the situation. But did that possessiveness of Jordan extend to Sofia? Or even anyone else Natalie was interested in, in a serious manner?
 
Not that she was interested in Sofia.
 
Natalie found that the answer came easily. It didn’t bother her. In fact, the idea of sharing Sofia with Jordan was currently causing her significant problems—both mentally, and, unfortunately, physically.
 
“Well, we’ve got the answer from your lower half,” Jordan said amusedly. “But what’s upper Natalie say?”
 
“Sofia wouldn’t be okay with it.”
 
“Wouldn’t she?” Jordan said. “I wouldn’t be so sure. But that’s not the question. Are you?”
 
“I guess, I’m not against it?”
 
Jordan nodded, unsurprised by the answer. 
 
“Well, then it sounds like you just have to train your pet right,” Jordan said. “And when she’s nice and well behaved, you can bring her to me.” She patted Natalie’s stomach. “Now, get that thing under control. We really can’t go another round. How are you so insatiable?”
 
4.20 - Bet I
 
The next day arrived, and classes dragged on like they always did. While the first part of the day Natalie would even say she looked forward to—and post-class delves too—the few hours after lunch dedicated to academics were the slowest by far. 
 
Jordan had commented once that she ‘kind of enjoyed’ the lull between the more action packed segments of their schedule, but Natalie didn’t agree in the slightest. For all Jordan was her best friend, Natalie could easily admit that she was a bit of a nerd. Usually the words ‘adventurer’ and ‘nerd’ combined to make mages, like Ana, but Jordan, as a rogue, bucked that trend.
 
Her professors droned on, and Natalie fidgeted away in her seat, unable to pay attention. Her thoughts honed in on a few topics in particular. The obvious ones. Sofia, Liz, and Jordan—her shifting relationships with each of them. 
 
But, at least in this moment, one person in particular was dominating Natalie’s mind. Her white-haired rival, sitting to the left of her. Namely, Natalie was thinking about how she wanted to use her recently earned reward. Which was to say, how she wanted to use Sofia. For the next week—or around six days, now—Natalie could order her to do anything she wanted. 
 
There were limits to that, both in what Natalie would feel too much of a jerk for doing, and for what Sofia would tolerate herself, but Natalie got the feeling the limits were wide rather than thin. Like Natalie herself, Sofia took bets seriously. Since Natalie had won, Sofia would see her promised reward through to any reasonable length—and possibly some unreasonable ones. Natalie would have fulfilled the bet the same way, though it had been a pointless wager on her end, since she’d known with total certainty she’d never have lost to Sofia. Not in that challenge.
 
Her boredom peaking, Natalie made up her mind. She tore off a corner of paper from her notebook, then scribbled something down. She slid it over to Sofia discreetly. Jordan didn’t even seem to notice, sitting to Natalie’s right.
 
‘Meet me in the restroom. You go first. I’ll follow in a minute.’
 
Sofia stared at the paper for a moment, then scribble something back. She returned the note.
 
‘Are you serious? We’re in class.’
 
‘So? I’m not asking. I’m telling.’
 
Sofia’s expression soured at that, which made Natalie smirk. The white-haired girl obeyed, first tidying up her desk, then standing quietly and heading for the lecture hall door. Obviously, nobody thought twice of it; people came and went during lectures with fair regularity.
 
A minute later, Natalie followed.
 
She met Sofia in the restroom. The white-haired girl was standing there, arms crossed, looking annoyed. The restroom was fortunately empty.
 
“We don’t have time for this,” Sofia said. “We’re supposed to be in class.”
 
“I’ve got a week where you’re mine, and I plan to use it well,” Natalie said. “Plus, I think I was dying in there. Who actually cares about all that garbage?”
 
“And what is it, exactly, you have planned?” Sofia demanded.
 
Natalie smirked, then walked to the last stall in the set. She set the seat down and sat on it.
 
“I’m a bit pent up,” Natalie said. “I think it’s time you return last night’s favor.”
 
The words hung in the air.
 
“Favor?” Sofia finally asked, a hint of incredulity. She apparently disagreed whether it could be called that. Then, she shook her head. “Nat, we don’t have time for this. If we’re gone too long, people will notice.”
 
“Only if we’re gone too long,” Natalie said. “If it’s only a few minutes, then nobody’ll think twice of it. Ten, though? Fifteen? Twenty? They’ll really wonder what we were up to.” Natalie shrugged. “So, I guess it depends on how quickly you can finish me off. What was it you said? ‘It can’t be that hard’? So go ahead and prove it.”
 
“Nat.”
 
“Times ticking.”
 
“If we’re gone that long, they’ll know,” Sofia hissed.
 
Natalie didn’t think anyone would pay that close attention, but she didn’t contradict Sofia—the paranoia worked in her favor. 
 
“So you better get going. Again, ‘it can’t be that hard’, right?”
 
A grimace indicated that Sofia was probably regretting that claim, but she doubled down anyway. “I mean, it can’t be. Especially with … your thing. It’s even easier.”
 
“Okay. So let’s see it.” Natalie sat on the closed toilet seat and waited.
 
Sofia stared at her for a long moment, then visibly resigned herself—though with a punctuating glare. 
 
“So?” Sofia asked. “What do you want, then?”
 
Natalie shrugged. “I told you. To get off. But you’re taking the lead. Do whatever you want. Do me however you want.” She smirked. “That’s the whole point. We can be out of here slower or faster. But I don’t really care. It’s your call.”
 
Sofia crossed her arms. “If you think we’re doing anything more than me touching you, you’re insane.”
 
“Obviously,” Natalie said. “There’s no way you’d work up the nerve. You want to, but you’re too much of a coward.”
 
“Coward? What makes you think I want to do this?”
 
“You don’t?” Natalie asked. “Could’ve fooled me. I’ve been catching you looking a lot, ever since yesterday.” The smug look Natalie sent Sofia’s way said that she saw through her objections, and Sofia’s face burned even hotter.
 
“You’re insufferable,” Sofia said, finally getting down onto her knees in front of Natalie—an action that had her heart skipping a beat. “We were getting along better, for a bit there. Now you’re the most annoying woman to exist, again. What happened?”
 
“I’m the annoying one?” Natalie asked, amused rather than irritated. Normally Sofia could get under her skin without even trying, but with her on her knees? About to service her? Natalie was in a harder-to-irritate mood than usual. “And I think we’re getting along just fine like this,” Natalie said. “Having you on your knees is pretty endearing. I think it’s where you belong.”
 
“Don’t be gross,” Sofia said. “Don’t forget that I’m just holding up my end of the bet.” 
 
For a moment, Sofia eyed the tent pitched in Natalie’s skirt—not quite with apprehension, but maybe something close.
 
Natalie sensed she needed encouragement. Or maybe ‘goading’ was the better term. “Wasting time, princess. Our classmates are gonna wonder what’s up.”
 
Sofia gave her a disdainful look, which made Natalie’s heart flutter—she would analyze that reaction later—before Sofia’s expression resolved. She reached for the hem of Natalie’s skirt and flipped the fabric up, revealing Natalie’s cock, stiff and straining against her panties.
 
4.21 - ❤ Bet II
 
Wide blue eyes took in the monster trapped in the delicate fabric, and Natalie let the white-haired girl admire her weapon for a moment. Yesterday and today had been pretty great for her ego. Not just her increase in strength, but all the stuff with Sofia. The conscious part of Natalie would never admit it, but there wasn’t a person on the planet she wanted to impress more than Sofia.
 
And she was certainly impressed.
 
“It’s so big,” Sofia said, almost in disbelief. “Is this how they normally are?”
 
Natalie wouldn’t know, obviously, having only been with women, but she was pretty sure not. Her cock was definitely thicker, longer, and simply more intimidating than most.
 
“Girls do it best,” Natalie said sagely.
 
“You’re ridiculous.” Working up the nerve, Sofia reached out and grabbed Natalie’s cock.
 
Despite all of Natalie’s teasing, a shiver went through her, up and down her spine—a pleasurable trickle of electricity that heated her entire body up. 
 
Sofia. Sofia’s hand was on her cock, and soon she’d be jerking her off. The idea had her heart galloping in her chest. But she masked the reaction as best she could. She cared more about embarrassing Sofia and establishing her superiority in this arena than anything else. Obviously, she wasn’t interested in doing this with Sofia for any other reason. Just proving who was better.
 
The radiating heat that came with even a touch of Sofia’s delicate hand was entirely from Natalie’s competitive spirit, and not because seeing Sofia on her knees made her wild with desire.
 
“It’s … hot,” Sofia said. A second hand joined the first, burying underneath Natalie’s panties and wrapping around her length. “And seriously, so big. How would it even fit?”
 
“You could always find out.”
 
Sofia met Natalie’s eyes, then blushed furiously and looked away. “I couldn’t imagine a less pleasant task if I tried.”
 
“We’ll take it at your own pace,” Natalie said. “By the end of the week, I think you’ll be singing a different tune.”
 
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
 
“Obviously,” Natalie said. “Why wouldn’t I want your tight pussy squeezing around my cock?”
 
Sofia’s eyes widened, and she started sputtering. “Do you mind? Don’t be so crude.”
 
“I can’t help it, when your reactions are so cute. Look—you can’t even meet my eyes now.”
 
Sofia defiantly dragged her gaze up, only to last about one full second before they skittered back down to Natalie’s cock.
 
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
 
“Your ego is incredible.”
 
“Says you?”
 
“Just shut up and enjoy your handjob,” Sofia growled.
 
“And stop teasing you? Nah. The best part of this is you, princess, not your hands.” Natalie savored the flush that statement drew for a moment, then continued, “Besides, enjoy it? You’re really not that good. I think we’ll be here for a while.”
 
Sofia frowned, then, chewing her lip for a moment, finally flipped Natalie’s skirt higher up and reached for her panties. Tugging them down, she freed Natalie’s cock, then, with two hands, started really working her way up and down.
 
Natalie paid close attention to Sofia’s reaction to each of her statements, because as much as she wanted to tease Sofia, even insult her, she didn’t intend to dig into actual insecurities or go too far. But she knew Sofia; taunting would only encourage her, inspire a desire to do better. 
 
Though definitely embarrass her, too—but Natalie was getting the impression that being a bit rude turned Sofia on. It wasn’t hard to see that Sofia was a little repressed.
 
Also, the taunting over Sofia’s skill was half true; Sofia was, frankly, not very good at this, since she had obviously never jerked someone off before. And she didn’t have the natural talent Jordan did. That said, Natalie had to feign her unaffectedness. At the shivers of electricity going up and down her spine with each long stroke of Sofia’s two hands, moans and whines threatened to break out. Obviously, she wouldn’t give Sofia the satisfaction of that.
 
For a moment, the two of them sat in silence, Sofia stroking up and down Natalie’s cock. It was a bit surreal, getting to be here, having Sofia pleasure her. The sight was almost as good as the sensation. Sofia really, really looked good on her knees. Being her subservient cock-servicer.
 
“You did great at yesterday’s competition, by the way,” Natalie said suddenly, the words coming a bit out of nowhere. “I never got to say that. You really are incredible. Incredibly annoying, too, but also one of the best fighters I’ve ever known.”
 
Sofia’s stroking stilled, and she raised an incredulous look to Natalie. “Really? You’re saying this now?”
 
Natalie wasn’t sure why she had either. 
 
“It’s a consolation prize,” Natalie said. “I didn’t want to be too mean.”
 
“You’re unbelievable.”
 
Natalie laughed.
 
For nearly a minute, Sofia worked studiously away, stroking Natalie with two hands. Slowly, as the time passed, a frown appeared. She tried picking up speed. Natalie maintained a perfectly unaffected air—though it wasn’t the truth. Having Sofia’s hands on her was compromising. Natalie was, oddly, a bit thankful that Sofia really was inexperienced and not that good at jerking her off; she might not have lasted too long otherwise.
 
Finally, Sofia let out a frustrated growl.
 
“Does that really not feel good?” she asked. “How long will we be here?”
 
“A while, at this pace,” Natalie lied. “But I guess I can give you pointers, since you need them. But it’ll cost you.”
 
“Cost me? What does that mean?”
 
“Good question.” 
 
Natalie made a show of thinking about it. What could she extract from Sofia in exchange for helping her along? Something embarrassing. That was the whole point of—well, all of this.
 
An idea popped into her head, and Natalie grinned.
 
“What?” Sofia demanded.
 
“First, from now, you have to call me master.”
 
The statement hung in the air. Sofia’s stroking even stopped.
 
“You have to be kidding,” Sofia said.
 
“And I want your panties for the rest of the day,” Natalie tacked on.
 
Sofia stared at her.
 
“Though I think I would’ve taken those anyway,” Natalie mused. “You don’t really have a choice. It’s pretty great that you just gave yourself to me for a week. I get you’re repressed, but that’s a little desperate, Sofia.”
 
“Fine,” Sofia said.
 
Natalie blinked, briefly taken aback. She’d accepted? Natalie had expected more protesting. 
 
“Sorry?”
 
“Fine. I’ll do that. Now, tell me how to do better.” She frowned down at Natalie’s cock, which her hands were still wrapped around. “Because I’m obviously not doing more with you, and people are gonna start talking. I don’t get why this is taking so long.”
 
Natalie had at least expected Sofia to haggle, or at least showcase her outrage, but then again—obviously this poor, repressed woman wanted to be bossed around. Reading Sofia was hard in some ways, but here? Not at all.
 
“Hm,” Natalie. “Okay. But say please.”
 
Sofia glared at Natalie’s cock—pointedly not her eyes—and continued to stroke. “I just agreed to those—those ridiculous demands, and now you’re telling me to say please?”
 
“Yeah.”
 
A long moment passed.
 
“Please,” Sofia said—and the words sounded like they’d been dragged forcibly out of her.
 
“Please, what?”
 
Sofia stayed silent for a moment, then, tersely, said, “Please, master. Tell me how to pleasure you better.”
 
The words washed through Natalie, more potent than Natalie had expected. She shivered in pleasure, and Sofia nearly jumped in surprise as her cock twitched in her hands.
 
Instead of being satisfied at finally having gotten a visible reaction out of Natalie, Sofia’s face just turned a new shade of red.
 
“Why did you like that so much?” Sofia asked. “What’s wrong with you?”
 
That was a good question. Natalie wasn’t sure herself.
 
“So,” Natalie said, ignoring what had just happened. “Lessons. I’ll tell you what you’re doing wrong.”
 
4.22 - ❤ Bet III
 
“First,” Natalie said, “if you’re trying to make it better for me, you should use some lube. Sliding feels better than just jerking it up and down, dry.”
 
“That’s obvious,” Sofia said flatly. “But where am I supposed to get lube? I don’t see any exactly sitting around.”
 
“You could wrap your pretty little mouth around me,” Natalie suggested. “That’d do in a pinch.”
 
Sofia only glared. She was getting better at not blushing when Natalie teased her. That was disappointing. Natalie would have to try harder.
 
“No, but really,” Natalie said. “Spit can do the job. It dries up fast, but if you focus on the top, then you can get some mileage out of it. Just have to keep working it in.”
 
“Seriously?”
 
Natalie shrugged. “Make do with what you have.” A smile crept onto Natalie’s lips. “We can also use your natural lubricant, if you want.”
 
“My natural?” Her brow furrowed. Then her eyes widened, the confusion clearing up. She started sputtering. “Please. As if.”
 
“Then spit is the best we’ve got.”
 
Sofia huffed. She leaned close to Natalie’s cock, and Natalie’s heart jumped. Sofia hesitated there, only a few inches away. As if considering whether to spread her saliva in the easier way—by taking Natalie into her mouth.
 
The hesitation passed, and Sofia spat. She worked her spit into Natalie’s cock head, then slowed her pace down, letting her fingers slide up and down Natalie’s shaft. And as Natalie had told her it would be, the sensation of Sofia’s fingers slipping around her cock head was more compromising than the unskilled jerking prior. Natalie let out a little sigh of pleasure, leaning back and enjoying herself as Sofia worked away.
 
“Which segues into my second point,” Natalie said. “The head’s more sensitive. So giving it the attention it deserves is a good idea, if you’re going for a quick finish.”
 
“I noticed,” Sofia commented. “You’re squirming more.” 
 
Yeah. She was. Even while trying to stay composed. 
 
Sofia stroked away. A satisfied look appeared on her face, seeing how her motions were affecting Natalie.
 
While having had some time to acquaint herself with her new tool, Natalie was far from experienced with it. She was still weak to the sensations that crashed through her at Sofia’s touch. It was becoming harder to ignore by the second.
 
“Well?” Sofia asked, bringing her entrancing blue eyes up to meet Natalie’s. “That’s not it, right? What else can I do better, master?” 
 
And that wasn’t helping. Those words had no right to make Natalie shudder like they did. Even with Sofia speaking them more defiantly than submissively, the token effort of deference nearly took Natalie apart.
 
Which led to Natalie’s third suggestion.
 
“Finally,” Natalie said, “you shouldn’t focus so much on the mechanics of it all.”
 
“Sorry?”
 
“It’s not just technique that matters. It helps, obviously, but sex isn’t just about rubbing away.”
 
“Well, I know that.” Sofia paused, then reluctantly said, “But explain?”
 
Natalie found it amusing that Sofia needed her to. She ought to be able to pick up what she was getting at, especially if Sofia had been paying attention to what she had done that really drew reactions out of her. 
 
“The selling point,” Natalie said, “is you. Or us. That’s what affects me most. Can’t you tell?”
 
Sofia frowned.
 
She tilted her head, her eyebrows furrowing, finally picking up what Natalie was getting at.
 
Then, with a hand still on Natalie’s cock, stroking away and playing with her spit-lubricated cock tip, she climbed onto Natalie’s lap and kissed her. 
 
Natalie melted into the kiss, forgetting the scenario she was in, the sudden advance unexpected enough to white her mind out. Her hands settled onto Sofia’s hips. She explored Sofia’s mouth, squirming in place as Sofia’s hand jerked her off between their thighs. Sofia’s taste eradicated her ability to think. She basked in her mouth and the feeling of her body pressing into hers.
 
Sofia pulled back a half-inch, then laughed quietly into Natalie’s lips. Natalie’s thoughts had gone too hazy for her to be annoyed at the sudden confidence. 
 
“I think I understand, master,” she murmured into Natalie’s mouth. “It’s about us. You, on top of me. You like it when I’m submissive.”
 
By how quickly Natalie’s breathing came, and the color of her face, Sofia had her answer.  
 
“When I’m your little cum slut,” Sofia emphasized huskily.
 
Natalie shivered.
 
“Yes, I get it now,” Sofia murmured. “I think I can be that for you, master. But,” she said slowly, pressing a kiss into her lips between the words, “only if you promise to give me a big, hot load. And not soon—now. I want it now. We’re on a schedule. You can do that for me, master?”
 
Natalie didn’t even have a response, too lost in the proximity of Sofia’s body and the way Sofia’s hand worked up and down her cock. She chided herself for giving Sofia the tools she needed. She had always been a quick study.
 
A part of her tried to rally, to return to her unaffected demeanor and keep teasing Sofia, but Sofia recaptured her lips and stroked away faster. Those thoughts drifted away.
 
“Come on, master,” Sofia pleaded, holding begging eye contact. “Doesn’t my hand feel good? Just let go. I’ll even let you finish in my panties, if you want. They’re yours for the day, anyway. Does that excite you? Knowing I’ll be walking around like that? Exposed and embarrassed?” Sofia bit Natalie’s lower lip and tugged. “I’ll be thinking about you the whole time. How humiliating it is. But I’ll do anything for master. I’m her loyal cock sleeve.”
 
Natalie whined, her hips squirming as the heat built rapidly inside her. She never in her life would have thought words like that would come from Sofia’s mouth. And for her. The concept melted her down, turned her into a hot pile of sludge.
 
“There you go,” Sofia murmured. “I can feel you twitching. Go ahead. Give it to me.” She lifted her hips up, hovering over Natalie’s cock. “Straight onto my panties, like I promised. Get them nice and wet. Mark me as yours. You want that, don’t you?”
 
This so wasn’t fair.
 
Sofia’s stroking took one last frantic pace. Reaching down between her legs, jerking Natalie off, she aimed Natalie at her panties. “Come on, master. There you go. You’re close. Give it to me.”
 
Natalie’s hips strained upward, and—Sofia capturing Natalie’s mouth again, her last devastating attack—Natalie came. Thick, hot strings of girlcum seared up Natalie’s cock, coating Sofia’s panties with each spurt. She was lost in the taste of Sofia’s mouth, her eyes closed as she basked in her orgasm, pleasure coursing through her.
 
Finally, when Natalie had thoroughly emptied herself between Sofia’s legs, Sofia pulled away from Natalie’s mouth, her breaths coming out in heavy pants. Her face was flushed, and she smiled triumphantly at Natalie. Natalie couldn’t even be annoyed, half because her thoughts were still sluggish.
 
Natalie looked down to see her cum covering Sofia’s panties and thighs, dripping down onto her cock.
 
“You did it, master,” Sofia said, smirking. “Look how easy that was.”
 
Natalie looked back up. Sofia met her gaze, seeming extremely self-satisfied. Then, slowly, the expression started to morph. She sat on Natalie’s lap, then looked down at herself. Her wet panties. Natalie’s cock. 
 
Her face had already been flushed, but now it turned crimson. Natalie could see that realization across Sofia’s face, the triumph of her victory fading for mortification. She’d gotten lost in the moment. 
 
Natalie considered teasing, but figured Sofia didn’t need it. Not by the expression on her face.
 
“Come on,” Natalie said, patting her thighs. “We should clean up and head back.” As an afterthought, she added, “And give me your panties.”
 
“R-Right.” She climbed off Natalie’s lap, shaking her head to herself. She looked at the mess again, then down at her panties, and muttered, “I can’t believe I did that.”
 
“I can. You’re a natural cock servant. It just needed a little working out.”
 
“Shut up.” She blushed at the crudity, and Natalie laughed. “And look away.”
 
“Look away?”
 
“So I can take off my panties.”
 
Natalie considered protesting, but decided that she’d gotten plenty out of her rival already. She obliged. Sofia stripped off her panties with Natalie’s eyes closed, then said, “Here.”
 
Sofia handed a thoroughly cum-covered pair of panties to Natalie. Natalie smirked as she looked at them, and Sofia’s face reddened further. “What are you even going to do with them? They’re ruined.” Shaking her head, she opened the stall door and exited. Natalie started rolling down toilet paper to get cleaned up.
 
Just outside the stall, Natalie saw Sofia freeze, going stiff.
 
“Jordan?” Sofia shrilled. “What are you doing here?”
 
Natalie hastily got herself cleaned, wiping down most of the cum from Sofia’s panties, too, then stuffed them in her pocket. She pulled her clothes back in order, peeking out the stall while doing so. Sure enough, Jordan was there, leaning shoulder-first against a tiled wall, arms crossed and seeming amused.
 
“Oh, you know,” Jordan said. “You two disappeared, then were gone for a while, so I got worried. Decided to check in.”
 
“How long have you been there?” Sofia asked, the panic in her voice almost palpable. She looked back at Natalie, eyes wide, only for Natalie to start laughing.
 
“Long enough,” Jordan said, her lips curling. “Really, skipping class to hook up in the bathroom. I expected more of you, Sofia.”
 
“M-Me? That’s Natalie’s doing, obviously!”
 
“Is it? From the noises I heard coming from that stall, that’s not what I would’ve thought.”
 
Sofia swayed on her feet, seeming almost faint with embarrassment. She placed a hand on her forehead, then pointedly turned away from Jordan.
 
“No. I’m not doing this. Why did you follow us? You’re both perverts, aren’t you?” She stalked for the exit. “What has my life become? Come on. We need to get back to class. We’ve been gone long enough.”
 
4.23 - Outfit Testing
 
The day continued in the vein of most others and, soon enough, ended—meaning it was time for Natalie and her team to head down into the dungeon for a quick expedition.
 
Except, before that, Natalie had an errand to take care of. [Stylish] had yet to be tested, and the team didn’t mind starting the delve an hour late. The experiments shouldn’t take long. Maybe not the entire hour.
 
Initially, Natalie had planned to test [Stylish] with just Jordan. But Jordan had other plans. Seeing how Natalie had earned herself a pet for the week, Jordan explained, the testing might as well be done with all three of them. Experiments were best with as many subjects as possible.
 
So, Natalie, Jordan, and Sofia ended up at their dorm room with their delving gear—and other items Jordan had collected the night prior.
 
“What’s in there, anyway?” Natalie asked, trying to peek into the shopping bag. 
 
Jordan snapped it closed and tutted at her. “It’s a surprise,” she scolded. “Wait and see.”
 
“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Sofia groaned, sitting in the kitchen, her forehead planted on the table. “You’re going to dress me up? Really? Parade me around just to see how many stats it gives?”
 
“We’re both doing it,” Jordan corrected. “And don’t sound so enthusiastic. Natalie will get the wrong idea.”
 
Sofia glared at Jordan, who was, like usual, unaffected. If anything, she seemed delighted by Sofia’s embarrassment.
 
Natalie had mixed feelings. [Stylish] seemed like a headache and a half to deal with. It depended on the results of their tests today whether it would be worth using at all. It would almost certainly be when upgraded, but right now, maybe not. 
 
And with Jordan here to instigate Sofia, Natalie wasn’t sure what would happen. Bullying Sofia was fun when alone, but adding Jordan to the mix was—well, again, Natalie had mixed feelings. She didn’t have control over the situation when Jordan was there to egg them on.
 
“Okay,” Jordan said, setting the bag aside, then surveying the room. “Natalie, help me turn the couch so it’s pointed this way.”
 
“Why?”
 
“So you can lean back and enjoy the show,” Jordan said with a roll of her eyes. “Just do what I say.”
 
Natalie obliged. They rearranged the couch so that it was facing the kitchen. It gave them more space to work with. Made Jordan and Sofia’s ‘stage’ larger.
 
“Okay. Now, sit.”
 
Natalie did as she was told.
 
“And come here, Sofia,” Jordan instructed. “Stop moping.”
 
With a grumble, Sofia stood and came to Jordan. She pointedly didn’t look at Natalie. After her surge of confidence in the bathroom, Natalie would have thought Sofia would be less uncomfortable with all this. Testing out [Stylish] was definitely less lewd than the previous event. But instead, she was blushing as much as typical. 
 
Like with Natalie herself, it was probably Jordan’s presence that heated things up. That it wasn’t just the two of them. Especially with Jordan being so visibly delighted at how awkward she and Sofia were. Really, when had Jordan become such an instigator?
 
“So,” Jordan said. “I figure we’ll test it step by step. As far as I can tell, our current outfits don’t actually provide a bonus.”
 
“There’s probably a minimum sluttiness,” Sofia said, glaring at Natalie, blaming her for this event. Which was fair, to some degree. It was her class. “The outfit has to reach some level of … required lewdness.”
 
“Lewdness?” Jordan asked, lips quirking up. “Well, not necessarily, I don’t think. The skill says the outfit just has to arouse her. I assume she’s aroused by us pretty much all the time—we can hope, at least,”—Sofia protested the second half of that statement—“but it’s the outfit that actually matters. And our current gear is frankly not that flattering.”
 
“As it shouldn’t be,” Sofia growled.
 
“But not everything that’s arousing is lewd, is my point,” Jordan continued, ignoring Sofia.
 
“Isn’t it?”
 
“Not at all. For example.” Jordan scooped up her shopping bag, rummaged around, and withdrew something. “This.”
 
Sofia blinked at the item, and so did Natalie. She recognized it at the same moment Jordan stepped forward. She unclipped the black choker and secured it around Sofia’s neck before the white-haired girl could protest. Jordan stepped back and admired it, hands on hips, while Sofia frowned down at herself, hand going up to tug at the tight black loop around her neck.
 
“A choker?” Sofia said. “Why would that—“
 
Sofia paused.
 
“Did I just— I felt that!” Sofia’s eyes widened, and she turned a venomous look to Natalie. “Really? A choker? That’s all it takes?”
 
“I thought it would be,” Jordan laughed. “I know my girl well.” 
 
Natalie’s heart skipped about three times at the casual ‘my girl,’ and the choker around Sofia’s neck wasn’t helping her composure either. She shifted, folding her hands on her lap to hide a quickly growing problem.
 
“So, it worked?” Jordan asked, sending a smirking glance down at Natalie’s lap before facing Sofia. “I mean, of course it did, especially when it’s on you, but how much so? What’s it feel like?”
 
“Especially on me?” Sofia asked. “What’s that mean?”
 
Jordan raised her eyebrows, and Sofia glared at her—then at Natalie, as if Natalie had done something wrong.
 
“What?” Natalie defended herself. “Chokers are hot.”
 
She had to fake a level of nonchalance. Jordan, unfortunately, had a great read on her. Something about a choker, and specifically on Sofia, had her heart thumping surprisingly hard.
 
“Ugh,” Sofia said. “Whatever.”
 
“How strong does the boost feel?” Jordan repeated. “It goes to your primary stat. Is that furor or prowess?”
 
“Prowess,” Sofia said. “And it wasn’t much. Only just noticeable.” They’d gotten somewhat good at telling how potent stat increases were, since they could feel it happen every time they put on or took off a piece of gear. Sofia flexed her hands back and forth, frowning down at them as she made that appraisal. “But still noticeable. Not nothing.”
 
“Well, we’re just starting, so we can’t hope for too much right away.” Jordan smiled mischievously. “We’ve got a lot of options,, and if I had to guess, it scales up based on how far we go. So, to continue, how about—let’s say, your top.”
 
“My top?”
 
“Yeah,” Jordan said. “As in, take it off.”
 
“What?”
 
“Losing clothes is the easiest way to make an outfit sexy, don’t you think?”
 
“You’re serious?”
 
“Wait until you find out what I have you replace it with,” Jordan said.
 
Sofia stared at her, then turned an incredulous look at Natalie. Natalie wasn’t sure why Sofia thought she would find refuge in her. Natalie shrugged. “Jordan’s in charge. And we’ve got a delve coming up. Let’s not waste time.”
 
Sofia stood there for a moment. “Unbelievable,” she finally said. Deft fingers went to the buttons and straps that made up her lightweight leather armor and started working away. “Fine. But whatever you have planned, it better not be too ridiculous.”
 
“No promises,” Jordan said.
 
4.24 - Outfit Testing II
 
Reluctantly, and with her blush becoming more and more prominent, Sofia stripped off the top piece of her armor. And frankly, it was a big increase to the outfit’s attractiveness. Their delving gear wasn’t flattering. Their daily Tenet uniform was more so, to be honest, being thinner and clinging tighter to the body. But their equipment, not so much.
 
Sofia tossed the garment aside and crossed her arms, leaving her in her sports bra.
 
“Well?” Jordan asked.
 
“Yes,” Sofia said, glaring at Natalie, “the bonus went up. I felt it.”
 
“So removing clothes does work,” Jordan said with a grin. “But, is it a big increase?”
 
“Certainly doesn’t make up for losing an entire piece of gear.”
 
“For now,” Jordan said.
 
“Yes, for now. Natalie did mention she could upgrade skills.”
 
Jordan’s eyebrows went up in surprise. “She told you that?”
 
“I pestered her.”
 
“Even so. She must trust you, then.”
 
Both Sofia and Jordan looked at her, and Natalie coughed. “I mean, we are teammates.”
 
Jordan smiled at Sofia, conversing silently with her. Whatever they communicated, it left the pale girl blushing even harder than before.
 
“Whatever,” Sofia said.
 
“Sorry to break the news, though,” Jordan said, “But we’re not stopping with just your top. We’re seeing this test through.”
 
Jordan stepped closer and settled her hands onto Sofia’s waist, making blue eyes widen. Slowly, tentatively, waiting to see if Sofia would protest, Jordan slid her hands onto Sofia’s stomach. The duelist shivered and uncrossed her arms, glancing at Natalie. She didn’t tell Jordan to stop.
 
“I’m seriously jealous of these,” Jordan said, feeling Sofia up, running her fingers across her bumpy, toned abs. “If I were you, I’d show them off way more. Even without a good reason, like Nat’s skill.”
 
“W-Well,” Sofia said, flustered under Jordan’s sudden advances. “Thank you. But. There’s not exactly much armor that would let me do so. Even if I wanted to. And it’s rather indiscreet to just go ‘showing off’.”
 
“And it’s an important place to cover up,” Jordan said amusedly. “Hopefully less so in the future, though. You’ve got an amazing body. It deserves to be on display.”
 
Sofia didn’t seem sure whether to say thank you to that, or not.
 
Jordan’s hands slipped up her stomach, then played with the bottom of Sofia’s sports bra. “Now, let’s get this off, too?”
 
Sofia’s brain seemed to restart a few times at the question, and her eyes flicked between Jordan and Natalie. Natalie watched, heart hammering. Jordan was being even more assertive than Natalie had expected. Then again, why was Natalie surprised? Jordan had made several comments about sharing Sofia with her, and her stunt with sneaking into the bathroom and eavesdropping hadn’t been subtle either.
 
“We are testing her ability,” Sofia finally said. “But if you think I’m fighting topless in the dungeon, you’re insane.”
 
“No,” Jordan laughed. “Like you said, we’re just testing. I want to see how much stronger the effect gets with your tits out.” Her lips curled up. “I’m guessing a lot.”
 
Sofia hesitated, blushed, then peeled off the last piece of her upper outfit, leaving her standing in full delving gear from below the waist. And her top half naked, except for her choker.
 
Sofia shifted uncomfortably, flushing as Natalie drank in the sight of her bared tits. Small, pale, and perky, seeing Sofia exposed sent a thrill through her. She shifted in her seat, her cock throbbing inside her skirt, growing more difficult to hide by the second. The image was even more compromising with Jordan standing next to Sofia, her side pressed into Sofia’s, an arm wrapped around her waist. Looking at Natalie admire Sofia with a smirk.
 
“So?” Jordan asked Sofia conspiratorially. “Let me guess. A big increase?”
 
“Definitely more than before,” Sofia mumbled, looking down and away from Natalie’s eyes. “How far will it go? Is there a maximum?”
 
“I figure there is,” Jordan said. “But it does only say a ‘minor’ boost.”
 
“Hmph.” She faced Jordan. Some of her spirit returned. “And why am I the only one undressing? You can help test all of this too, you know. It shouldn’t be just me.”
 
“You want me to get my tits out, too?” Jordan asked. “Since you asked nicely, I guess that’s fine.”
 
“S-Shut up.”
 
“But you have to do it yourself.”
 
“Myself?”
 
“Take off whatever you want,” Jordan said. She stepped up to her, then waved up and down her body. “Feel free.”
 
“Oh,” Sofia said.
 
Sofia stood there, flushing. Then, her expression resolved, refusing to be taunted. Her hands ventured up and started working away Jordan’s armor.
 
Soon, Sofia had peeled off Jordan’s upper layer, then her bra, leaving two topless girls standing in front of Natalie. One smirking, satisfied with the whole situation, and the other stalwartly pretending Natalie didn’t exist, blue eyes skittering away.
 
“You’re right,” Jordan said. “It’s hard to tell how much the boost is, but it’s not small. More than most ‘minor’ boosts, I would think.” She tilted her head. “But not as good as what our gear would normally give us. We’ll have to find a compromise.”
 
“Like what Ana has,” Sofia muttered darkly.
 
Jordan nodded. “Skimpy gear. It comes with all the benefits of Natalie’s skill, while being decent armor in its own right. Finding full sets for each of us will be the hard part, though.”
 
“Unbelievable.” Sofia’s expression indicated the imagery of an entire team dressed in skimpy gear was something she was finding hard to digest.
 
“Alright,” Jordan said. “Your pants, now.” She didn’t give Sofia time to react to her words before Jordan had already reached out and undone her belt, then started pulling it from the loops. Her pants button followed, and Jordan yanked down, revealing Sofia’s panties. 
 
“J-Jordan,” Sofia protested. 
 
“Spin around,” Jordan said. “Come on. Show off that ass. It’s your secret weapon.”
 
Maybe as much because of Jordan’s authoritative tone as her embarrassment, Sofia hesitated for only a moment, then did as she was told. She turned, her pants around her ankles, ass on full display.
 
And Jordan was right. It was Sofia’s secret weapon.
 
Jordan gently slapped Sofia’s butt, making the pale girl yelp in surprise. 
 
“Jordan! Really?”
 
Jordan laughed in reply.
 
“That didn’t seem like skill testing,” Sofia growled. 
 
“No,” Jordan agreed. “I just wanted a feel.” She reached out and squeezed, getting another handful, and making Sofia jump even higher. “And maybe it affects Natalie’s skill?” Her curled lips suggested she didn’t think so; it was just an excuse.
 
“Jordan. Really,” Sofia huffed. “What’s gotten into you?”
 
“You,” Jordan said. “You’ve gotten into me. I mean, Gods, your ass is so unbelievable.” She blatantly admired it. “Whatever outfit we find for you, it has to show it off.”
 
Sofia just stared at the dark-haired girl, not sure what to make of her sudden boldness. Jordan laughed a second time.
 
“Here, finish getting your boots and pants off. I’ll do the same.”
 
Natalie watched silently as Jordan and Sofia finished stripping to their panties. She stayed quiet because this almost felt like more Jordan and Sofia’s event than her own. And she was loving it. Seeing Jordan play with and tease Sofia was doing things to her that Natalie hadn’t expected. The constant smirking Jordan was sending her way told Natalie that she was very much aware of that.
 
“Alright,” Jordan said. “Now, get these on.” She dug into the shopping bag and withdrew two long black slips of cloth.
 
Sofia’s brow furrowed as she took them, then her expression cleared up as she identified what they were. “Thigh highs?” Sofia asked. “I expected this test to be more … armor focused.”
 
“It’s not like we have skimpy armor on standby, so no. This is more to see how big of a boost we can get. What it caps out at.”
 
“And thigh highs will help with that?”
 
“Obviously. I mean, look.” Jordan gestured at Natalie.
 
Sofia glanced her way, then blushed at seeing Natalie’s own flushed face. “Really? Thigh highs and chokers? That’s what you’re into?”
 
“I mean, yeah,” Natalie said. In part, at least. “They’re hot.”
 
“Whatever.”
 
“And these too.” Jordan handed Sofia a small square box. “Actually,” Jordan said, taking it back. “Let me.” She opened the container up, then pulled out two red … stickers?
 
Jordan peeled the back off one, then stepped close to Sofia—and, grabbing her tit and gently squeezing, positioned the sticker then pressed it into Sofia’s nipple. Sofia, wide-eyed, let it happen, once again helpless under Jordan’s assertiveness. 
 
Jordan followed up the first with a second, gently sticking the second of the heart-shaped pasties onto Sofia. She ran her finger across the smooth sticker for longer than appropriate—obviously just playing with Sofia, and drawing a shiver and an exhalation from the white-haired girl as she traced her nipple through the pasty.
 
“There,” Jordan murmured. “Nice and covered up. Now, the thigh highs.”
 
Sofia did as she was told, slipping on the other article of clothing. Which left her in her panties, black thigh highs, red nipple pasties, and choker.
 
“Because this is totally functional delving gear,” Sofia muttered, seeming self-conscious in the lewd get-up. She shifted from foot to shoot, arms crossed, not meeting Natalie’s eyes. “And stop ogling me.”
 
“Isn’t that the point?” Natalie asked. 
 
“Something like this has to get close to [Stylish]’s max,” Jordan said, admiring Sofia’s perverted state of undress. “Barring maybe full lingerie, and a … few things you probably wouldn’t be comfortable with. So, how’s it feel? How much?”
 
“More than I’d expected,” Sofia said. “But again. Not enough to make up missing armor.” She struggled to sound professional while blushing furiously, her entire body on display. She didn’t seem to know what to do with her hands; she kept crossing her arms, then uncrossing them.
 
“We could also find equipment that naturally doesn’t cover much up,” Jordan said. “Boots and gloves, a crown, and another piece of jewelry, for example. Then wear whatever we want for our real outfit.”
 
“And lose out on the physical protection?”
 
“That’s a problem too,” Jordan agreed. “So maybe real gear’s necessary. But maybe not. Once Natalie upgrades [Stylish], it might become pretty strong. Make it worth changing what you wear.”
 
“What we wear,” Sofia corrected. “Stop acting like it’ll just be me.”
 
“You’re the one blushing about it,” Jordan said. “I’ve already decided to.”
 
Sofia huffed.
 
“Okay,” Jordan said. “Let’s test out a few more things, make sure there’s a cap, then we’ll go find Liz and Ana. We’ve got a delve to handle.” She sighed. “Though, if you two want to skip out today, and maybe have fun some other way …?”
 
Sofia stared at Jordan, eyes wide at the obvious suggestion, and Natalie just shook her head in exasperation. 
 
“Fine, fine,” Jordan said. “Clearly, Natalie has some more training to take care of.” She reached out and squeezed Sofia’s ass, making her jump. “Our pet is still way too reluctant.” She sighed. “But I’ll wait patiently. It’ll be worth it.”
 
4.25 - Glass
 
Jordan had Sofia—and Natalie—experiment with a few more outfits of varying degrees of lewdness. They found that the bonus did eventually cap out, though only when dressed in ways that could most forgivingly be called ‘obscene’. Like with Sofia in her thighs highs, panties, choker, and pasties. Natalie didn’t think anyone would want to dress that scandalously for a while, though. If they ever would.
 
Jordan also dragged Natalie up to the front, then sat on the couch and cozied up with Sofia—still scantily clad, with their tops off, and Jordan indulgingly pressing herself into Sofia’s side, their nearly naked curves hugging. Because [Stylish] worked both ways, Jordan bossed Natalie around, ordering her to strip this, strip that, and change out articles of clothing—because Natalie’s buffs needed to be tested, too.
 
It was more mortifying than she’d expected. Natalie didn’t behave that much differently than Sofia had. Which was to say, she blushed furiously throughout and did what Jordan told her to. Natalie could take control of a situation, but Jordan being so confident and egging on Sofia, making lewd comments about Natalie’s body and forcing Sofia to agree with her, had Natalie on fire. 
 
Especially when Jordan kept forcing Sofia to give her ‘honest thoughts’ on Natalie’s outfit. And body. Since what aroused her affected Natalie’s boosts—so, Jordan told Sofia, she shouldn’t be so embarrassed. It was only a practical discussion. She made sure to constantly mention Natalie’s cock. Natalie wasn’t sure who was blushing harder by the end of it—her or Sofia.
 
Their allotted testing hour burned away fast, though. Finishing up, they got dressed into their original delving gear and returned to the team. Sofia seemed grateful the debacle was over, and honestly, Natalie was too. Jordan had found it way too amusing to mess with them. Really, where had all the confidence come from? The ease with which she’d taken charge? 
 
Natalie would have to teach her a lesson tonight. Just to make sure she didn’t get the wrong idea.
 
As a squad of five, they headed for the dungeon. The upcoming delve was an event she’d been looking forward to. With her significant gains in power and her new weapon choice, she’d been restless to test herself. And even without accounting for the excitement of her new boosts, delves were her favorite part of the day. Favorite professional part, at least. Hard to beat nights with Jordan. Or leveraging her ownership of Sofia.
 
As they headed for the dungeon, Natalie explained [Joined] and [Link] to the team. She spared the details behind how she and Liz had acquired the buffs, but she was sure the team could infer a few things. And if they didn’t, Liz’s blushing gave it away. But it was a detail that the team needed to know. They were, ultimately, professionals—as Liz was always insisting—and [Joined] and [Link] changed the combat dynamic.
 
Resting her oversized hammer on her shoulder, Natalie and her team ventured into the dungeon entrance—that flat, shimmering black portal inlaid into a giant stone slab. She went first, the cold black substance making her shiver as she stepped through. Her team followed on her heels.
 
Now that they had delved past the first floor, the dungeon entrance didn’t drop them straight into the fray. Instead, they arrived to a small stone chamber with two shimmering black portals identical to the previous. Above each, respective numerals were inscribed: ‘I’ and ‘II’.
 
“Straight to the second floor, right?” Natalie asked, just to verify. It’d been what they discussed, but always better to check.
 
“Should be able to handle it,” Sofia said. “So yes. Second floor.”
 
Natalie stepped through the second of the black portals, and once again, she shivered as she passed through space.
 
Her footstep landed on the polished tile floor of a square chamber. Natalie oriented herself quickly, scanning her environment. No monsters came rushing out to meet them in a surprise attack, which wasn’t common when first entering but technically was possible.
 
She cataloged the room and the objects within. 
 
The chamber was large and square, with scattered glass sculptures and mirrors. In the center was a fountain made of clear crystal lit from below, illuminating the water inside and casting reflections on the ceiling and walls. Water tinkled down into the circular pool it sprouted from. The tiles were polished to a mirror finish.
 
There were four exits, each different. The one to the north—she chose the reference direction arbitrarily—was made from glossy black obsidian. Another exit, to the east, was a set of ornate double doors that gleamed gold. The third was smaller, made of glass and etched with intricate designs. She couldn't make out much of the hallway through it. The fourth was a simple, unassuming wooden door, its plain appearance jarring with the rest of the room.
 
Her team, having joined her less than a second after Natalie herself stepped through, also peered around at the space.
 
"Don't recognize it," Sofia said. "Do any of you?"
 
All negatives.
 
"An uncharted floor, then," Sofia said. "Hm."
 
That wasn't the rarest thing in the world, since the dungeon could hardly be mapped in its entirety, even after centuries of effort. For all they knew, some floors were created from scratch when delvers set foot inside. But it was more common for uncharted floors to appear deeper into the dungeon, not this early.
 
Natalie wondered whether her class was at fault. Probably not. Not everything could be ascribed to her strange class. Odd things happened to everyone when it came to the dungeon. Plus, nothing about the floor seemed lewd—probably the best indicator.
 
"What's with all the polish?" Natalie asked. "Nearly hurts my eyes."
 
Besides a few surfaces, the entire room gleamed. The mirrors, the tile, the glass fountain, the glass sculptures—even the doorways, besides the wooden one. It made the glare of the white lanterns obnoxious.
 
"Dunno. But these sculptures are really something," Jordan commented, peering at one of them. It was a young woman’s bust, her face severe and elegant. To its side was an abstract figure made from interlocked triangles. They rested on engraved plinths. Plaques were beneath each, filled with text, though the words were gibberish. "They're beautiful,” Jordan said.
 
Natalie agreed. Though, she wasn't here to admire the dungeon-created artwork. She spared a moment to appreciate the incredible nature of the dungeon, as did most of the team—Ana seemed more interested in the nonsensical text than the statues themselves—but then Natalie corralled them to the more practical matter: "So, which door?"
 
"Good question," Sofia said. "Think the designs mean anything?”
 
“Could. Could also not.”
 
“Helpful.”
 
“Perhaps difficulty?” Ana suggested. “Or they hint where they lead?”
 
“The golden doors, in that case, might be something dangerous, but with a reward,” Sofia said.
 
“A miniboss?” Liz suggested.
 
“Or a regular boss,” Jordan said.
 
“Let’s set it aside for now,” Sofia said. “We’ll come back and check later. How about we try the easiest? The wooden door.”
 
With how little information they had to go on, they collectively shrugged and agreed. The chamber was hardly going anywhere, and they could check out the rest of the doors later. Natalie supposed the wooden door could close behind them, locking them out of future choices, but without any reason to believe that would happen, there was little point worrying over it. Pretty much anything could happen in the dungeon.
 
Natalie led the team through the wooden door. It didn’t lock behind them. The hallway they entered was much the same as the entry chamber: all polished tiles, glass statues, and mirrors. Soft white lights glowed from above, reflected in the tiles below. Though the glare was annoying, she preferred it over dimly lit floors.
 
They picked across the hallway, watching for tripwires and other traps. None presented themselves. They turned a corner, and the first encounter of the evening came into view.
 
Natalie grinned, her grip tightening on her hefty two-handed hammer. It was time to test out her new fighting style.
 
4.26 - Steamroll
 
The [Lumin Golem - Lv. 2] was a humanoid monster about seven feet tall made of glass crystal—keeping with the theme of the floor. Like the floor itself, too, Natalie didn’t recognize the creature. She admittedly didn’t pay much attention in class, but monster manuals were one of the few things she had scoured cover to cover. If she didn’t know the beast, the rest of the team likely didn’t either.
 
That wasn’t ideal, since pre-warning of what types of abilities, strengths, and weaknesses a monster had could be pivotal to victory. That said, she and her team were strong for level twos, and this was just a single simple dungeon encounter.
 
With the monster having spotted them at the same time they had it, Natalie didn’t waste time. She charged forward with a shout, her massive two-handed hammer gripped in both hands. Liz’s empowering buff suffused her, even stronger than usual—and not just because of Liz’s level-up and improved stats, but because [Juggernaut] amplified buffs. It was a sixty percent flat boost for furor, applied after everything else.
 
Power thrummed through her muscles, and her feet hit the ground hard enough to crack tile as she charged. Adrenaline helped carry her forward—this being her first real chance to show off.
 
Forgoing subtlety entirely, Natalie arrived at her opponent, the glass golem raising its palm forward and pointing at her as if to summon some spell or skill. But she interrupted it. She heaved her gigantic weapon forward with everything she had, pivoting with her waist to get as much momentum as possible.
 
A hefty block of stone impacted the monster’s glass shoulder with the full might of Natalie’s newfound strength. The blow was even more devastating than she’d hoped. Dungeon monsters could engage entire groups of delvers and pose a challenge, but faced with Natalie’s strength, that didn’t matter. On impact, the [Lumin Golem] went flying, Natalie’s hammer hitting with a crunch of splintering glass that was satisfying on a visceral level. The humanoid creature went tumbling sideways, then slammed hard into the wall.
 
It didn’t die in a single hit, nor was it even crippled, but Natalie knew she’d just burned through its health pool. It lay stunned against the wall, having nearly embedded into it. Meaning Natalie was primed for a follow-up attack. She carried what momentum was left and pivoted with flawless footwork, swinging her hammer in a wide arc, cycloning herself to her stunned opponent—and smashing another full-strength strike straight into the creature’s skull.
 
One shot hadn’t finished the job, but the second did. The glass skull crumpled, resisting for a fraction of a second, before Natalie’s hammer punctured. Crystal exploded, and Natalie’s hammer slammed into the wall. The decapitated monster slumped to the ground, not having gotten a single retaliatory strike off.
 
Natalie grunted as she withdrew her hammer—embedded an inch into the wall—then wound up a finishing strike. It was always best to be sure, especially when it hadn’t started evaporating yet. She caved in the crystal creature’s chest next.
 
Black smoke finally rose from the monster, its form dissipating. A core plinked to the ground. Natalie rested her hammer on her shoulder. She turned a self-satisfied smile to her teammates.
 
Who were, reasonably, watching with raised eyebrows.
 
“Huh,” Liz said. 
 
“I appreciate the enthusiasm,” Sofia said dryly, “but that was reckless, Nat.”
 
“Yeah, but did you see how fast it died?”
 
At Natalie’s excitement, Sofia rolled her eyes. A smile tugged at her lips. She was exasperated, but also happy for Natalie. Natalie recognized she had been a little too eager to throw herself into the melee, but she had wanted to show off. Regardless, while her new style demanded a more aggressive style, maybe not to that extent.
 
“A creature made of crystal,” Ana said. “I can only assume it was weak to blunt damage, which is why it died so fast.”
 
“Or maybe I just hit that hard,” Natalie said. It was a joke; she recognized that three shots, even accounting for her new strength, was an insanely quick victory against an equal-level dungeon monster.
 
“Seeing how the floor’s theme is glass, I expect we’ll be seeing similar,” Sofia said. She raised an eyebrow at Natalie. “I guess the dungeon also wanted you to show off.”
 
Natalie laughed. Maybe it did. 
 
“What do you think that spell was going to be?” Liz asked. “When it raised its hand?”
 
“We should find out, if there’s another,” Sofia said. “In case any stronger encounters come up that have similar abilities. We need to gather information for future enemies.”
 
“So you’re telling me not to kill them so fast?” Natalie asked.
 
Sofia rolled her eyes. “Not every encounter will go that smoothly. We are on the second floor.”
 
“But yes,” Jordan said teasingly, more willing to feed Natalie’s ego. “Don’t kill them so fast, Nat.”
 
“No promises.”
 
In high spirits, Natalie ventured down the hallway. She scooped up and pocketed the earned monster core before going. 
 
Her brilliant first performance did prove itself to be an edge case. While Natalie had grown leaps and bounds from her level one self, she hadn’t become a literal juggernaut, capable of two-hitting every equivalent-level monster—which were designed for teams to handle. 
 
Still, as the team explored down the hallway, taking encounter after encounter, one fact did make itself clear: Natalie had been on roughly equal footing with her team in their level one delves, maybe even on the low end, but now, she might be their star player. She was simply impossible to deal with. Throwing herself forward, empowered by her new skills and Liz’s buff, Natalie could bully level two monsters around, not only doing as much damage as each of her three damage dealers, but at the same time, being a durable frontline. 
 
Even better, [Illusion] further disoriented her enemies, making her blows nearly undodgeable, and [Hunker Down] mitigated her biggest flaw—that the whirlwind two-handed style often left her exposed or put onto exploitable trajectories. Should she end up in that situation, she could activate her defensive skill and become invulnerable to whatever spell or attack had been flung her way.
 
In short, her level two upgrade was even stronger than she’d thought it would be. And that was before she upgraded everything. [Stylish] and [Bigger is Better], to name the two important boosts that would be coming.
 
Taking a break after their fifth fight, Natalie caught Liz studying her with a frown.
 
“What?” Natalie asked.
 
Liz chewed her lip, as if hesitant—which especially piqued Natalie’s interest. 
 
“What?” she repeated.
 
“I just …” Liz said. “Huh. Don’t take this the wrong way, but your class is really strong.”
 
“Thanks?” Natalie asked. How could she take that badly? The glow of excitement that came with her upgrades was hard to fight away; the giddiness still hadn’t faded at how well she was performing.
 
“Which means I’m worried you’ll outpace us,” Liz finished. “You’re probably getting more experience than us, now.”
 
Natalie paused. “I … guess that’s possible.” It hadn’t been something she’d thought about. “Should I take it easy, then?”
 
“What? No way. It’s still better for the team if we steamroll our way through. I just meant …” Liz hesitated for a second time.
 
“You might outgrow us in the long run,” Jordan said for her. “Especially if your class keeps improving at a similar pace. We don’t have broken abilities like you.”
 
Natalie’s brow furrowed. “I mean, maybe. I could’ve just gotten a really good level two.” She wasn’t sure if she believed that, though.
 
“I guess.”
 
“But even if that were the case,” Natalie said. “So what? Just means I can help the team more. I doubt I’ll have to, but if need be, I’ll drag you along with me.”
 
“Or maybe her perverted skills will give equal bonuses to us, too,” Sofia said dryly. “There’s already one, [Stylish]. Why not more?”
 
“Or that,” Natalie said. She waved her hand dismissively. “The point is, we’ll handle that when we get to it, and no matter what, I’m sticking with you. We’re a team. That’s not changing.”
 
Natalie would have thought it didn’t even need to be stated, but Jordan had joked about it once, and now Liz had shown concern.
 
Personally, she didn’t even think it would happen. Outpacing her team? Maybe mildly in the best case, a single-level lead, but not more than that. For that to happen, she would need to contribute an overwhelmingly larger portion to the fights than her teammates. The dungeon distributed experience mostly equally. Contribution mattered, but mostly when there were level gaps, to stop a high level from dragging a low level through the ranks. Delvers of equal level tended to stay in the same rough ballpark. 
 
Natalie would have to essentially do as much work as her whole team combined to outpace them at a meaningful rate. And while she’d seen some impressive upgrades, they weren’t that insane.
 
Still, maybe Natalie should focus on upgrading team skills. She’d been selfish in going straight for personal power, but she had no intention to leave her team behind. [Stylish] was probably her next goal, then. And whatever else came in the future.
 
Liz seemed reassured by Natalie’s promise. Her brief concern passed, and they continued deeper into the dungeon.
 
4.27 - Mining II
 
Despite having arrived at a seemingly man-made dungeon level, there were still opportunities to find resources. Plants and herbs for Jordan, or ores for Natalie. They were less common, though, and sometimes took some searching around.
 
In Natalie’s case, she found her first ore vein hidden behind a cracked mirror. Jordan was the one to spot it; she was the most attentive of the group and the person who also identified the most traps. As rogues tended to. Natalie wasn’t sure whether she had a skill explicitly for that, or whether she had a keen eye. She certainly had the latter—but the former might be helping her too.
 
Either way, Natalie used her hammer to smash out the rest of the tall, elegant eight-foot mirror, revealing the stone behind it. Streaks of vibrant pink snaked across the stone.
 
“Pink,” Liz said curiously. “What ore is pink?”
 
“Dunno,” Natalie said, intrigued. There was a period after classes each day dedicated to extracurriculars, and Natalie had been spending it learning more about mining—techniques for gathering and identifying the various resources that she might find in the dungeon. She suspected she was even coming up on level two of her resource-gathering subclass, since she had obviously been mining any ores that she came across. Subclasses tended to keep pace with one’s main class, or even progress faster.
 
Liz’s question was more of an idle comment than a genuine inquiry. Ore veins could be appraised in the same way as loot. Natalie, and probably the rest of the team, did so.
 
***
 
Ore Deposit - Erotite
 
Quantity - F
 
Yield - E-
 
Difficulty - F
 
***
 
“Erotite?” Liz asked. “What in the world is that?”
 
Natalie’s wrinkled her nose. She had a few suspicions about what was going on.
 
And so did Ana. “If I had to guess,” the mage said, “it’s Natalie’s class once again influencing the dungeon. I’m no expert on mining and ores, but I’ve never heard of erotite. And the prefix?”
 
“Ero,” Sofia huffed. “And it’s pink. Not hard to guess.”
 
“But what’s it do?” Natalie asked, eying the pink veins of ore. “Should we be worried?”
 
“Not sure,” Jordan said. “Probably not? It’s ore.”
 
“I’m interested to see what a blacksmith could do with it,” Ana commented. “What effects it would provide when turned into armor or weapons. It’s probably suited to your class.”
 
“What does that mean?”
 
“That’s for you and a blacksmith to figure out,” Ana said.
 
“I doubt the ore is trapped, somehow,” Liz said, answering Natalie’s earlier question. “Nothing to worry about from an immediate sense. Go ahead and try. We’ll clear the rest of the room.”
 
The team hung around briefly to see if Natalie’s first pickaxe impact caused anything worrying, but it didn’t. Rock splintered and clattered to the ground, and seeing it wasn’t trapped, her team wandered off to hunt down any other valuables. Natalie worked away at unearthing the material from the wall.
 
Quantity, F. Yield, E-. Difficulty, F.
 
Quantity represented how much ore was present in the vein, while yield indicated how much could be gathered from each so-called ‘unit’ of ore. So effectively they could be multiplied together to give an appraisal of how large of a payday Natalie had run into.
 
Quantity was random, but yield tended to increase the deeper into the dungeon one ventured. It was also the most important of the two indicators, since high-grade yield meant a lot more ore per minute of gathering. 
 
In the end, though, the total amount of ore collected was what mattered, because blacksmiths could condense bulk material down into powerful metal. Natalie wasn’t completely educated on the details of how armor- and weapon-smithing worked, but she knew even iron armor could be powerful if a blacksmith condensed enough of the material. Though ideally, a person would want a high-tier metal. Iron tended to be the metal of low-level delvers.
 
Erotite, though. Natalie wasn’t sure where that would fit into the dynamic. Assuming it was related to her class, then what kind of armor, gear, or accessories would it create? Was it a higher-tier metal than iron? Something she’d want to use in the future? What were its upsides and downsides?
 
How was she going to explain what it was? Natalie shook her head, not looking forward to that disastrous conversation. She might have to open up about her class—at least in a small way—to another person. Shara, the blacksmith she had commissioned previously, had seemed nice. Hopefully, she was open-minded, too.
 
Halfway through excavating the vein of erotite, Natalie’s earlier suspicion was confirmed: she had been close to a level-up.
 
***
 
[Mining - Lv. 1] progressed to [Mining - Lv. 2]
 
[Skill: Risky Excavation] earned.
 
***
 
Risky excavation?
 
Sub-class skills were rarely anything incredible, but they did help. Pausing to wipe the sweat from her brow, Natalie hefted her pickaxe out of the wall, then leaned against it as she appraised [Risky Excavation].
 
***
 
[Risky Excavation] - Class-bearer is granted bonus yield when excavating ore while naked.
 
***
 
Natalie stared blankly at the wall, letting the words wash through her.
 
“You’re fucking kidding me,” she said.
 
Seriously?
 
Just, why?
 
She looked around the room. The rest of her team was studiously going about clearing the large space. She looked back to the ore.
 
Well.
 
Efficiency mattered most. But she wasn’t happy about it.
 
Cheeks burning, she set her pickaxe aside and started stripping. Halfway through, Ana, who was closest to her, noticed.
 
“Natalie?” the dark-haired mage asked curiously. “What … are you doing?”
 
“Mining,” Natalie said, shimmying out of her top and setting it aside. “What does it look like?” She yanked off her gloves, then unhooked her bra.
 
Ana paused, then said. “It looks like you’re getting naked.”
 
“Yeah. Sorry if that’s awkward. Look away, if you want.”
 
Ana didn’t, despite Natalie tossing her bra aside. She didn’t look surprised in the slightest, either. Natalie’s skin tingled at exposing herself, but she didn’t stop peeling off armor and clothes. She was tired of blushing whenever the dungeon—or her class—messed with her. Besides, if things continued in this way, then she suspected everyone would have to get used to each other’s bodies—and perhaps intimately.
 
“But why?” Ana asked.
 
The rest of the team was looking over now, too. Natalie peeled off her boots, then pants.
 
“Got a new skill,” Natalie grunted.
 
“For your mining class?”
 
“Yeah.”
 
“What’s it do?”
 
“When I’m naked, I get more ore.”
 
Ana paused.
 
“That makes sense,” the mage said.
 
Natalie turned an incredulous look at her. “How? How does that ‘make sense’?”
 
“Because of your main class. And, I mean, look at the ore.” She gestured at the pink vein of metal. “Erotite. Clearly, your mining class is going in that direction.”
 
“Whatever,” Natalie grumbled. She was glad one of them thought it made sense. “Let me mine in peace, please.” She finally stripped her panties off. She kept her body facing away—her cock hidden. If Ana saw it, so be it. She’d have to learn at some point. That said, she wasn’t trying to completely flash her teammates. “Can’t you see I’m busy?”
 
Ana nodded seriously. “Yes, you are. I apologize.” She turned away. She didn’t seem to have noticed what was between Natalie’s legs. She had been keeping firm eye contact as Natalie looked over her shoulder. The mage wasn’t even blushing, a strict professional. The woman was really something. 
 
“Can I watch, at least?” Jordan called out, sounding amused at the situation. Troublesome woman.
 
“Shut up,” Natalie said, picking up her pickaxe.
 
The effects of [Stylish] coursed through her, embarrassingly making it obvious that her team appreciated her naked body, and Natalie tried to ignore it.
 
She felt extremely exposed, and not out of embarrassment alone—though only Jordan was watching her, the rest averting their eyes. Natalie was more literally exposed, too. Lacking her armor made her vulnerable, and this was the dungeon. Danger could come from anywhere, even in a seemingly calm room. 
 
In fact, with a skill name like [Risky Excavation], she wouldn’t be surprised if there was a hidden effect to make ambushes more likely. Or maybe it made other delving parties more likely to show up. Who knew what kind of ridiculous things her class would throw at her?
 
“You should get an oversized pickaxe,” Ana commented suddenly, an idea apparently popping into her head. “Wouldn’t it work with your new skill? Make you a better miner?”
 
Natalie paused, then shared a look with Jordan, who also had raised eyebrows. 
 
“Huh,” Natalie said. “I’m not sure. The skill says weapon, not tools, but maybe it would work.”
 
“Worth trying out,” Jordan agreed. “Good idea, Ana.”
 
Ana nodded, seeming pleased despite her blank expression, then turned back away. The mage was still hard to read, but Natalie was getting better at it by the day. She thought.
 
Natalie added the experiment to her ever-growing list of priorities. An oversized pickaxe. Maybe that was something she could commission from Shara, the blacksmith. For now, though, she was stuck with her regular-sized one. And she had a lot of ore remaining, so she got back to work.
 
4.28 - Prismatic Stalker
 
Fortunately, she wasn't ambushed. She collected her payload of erotite—given a decent bonus for utilizing [Risky Excavation]—then dressed herself without problem. The expedition continued.
 
Natalie and her team worked through the polished marble and glass hallways of the underground labyrinth, slowly racking up kills and monster cores. Eventually, they reached a dead end and backtracked to the original room.
 
"Should we try the golden door, now?" Sofia asked.
 
"Could be a boss," Jordan said. "Or a mini-boss. We're ready for that?"
 
Natalie adjusted her grip on her hammer, appraising the shining metallic doors. "Honestly, I'd say we're in better shape for this one than the others." Geared up and with significant power spikes from progressing to level two, the boss might be comparatively weaker than the ones they'd fought earlier. Though she doubted it would be trivial. No boss fight was easy.
 
The party looked at each other, then nodded.
 
"Gold door, then," Natalie said.
 
They climbed the staircase onto the platform where the doors stood. Resting her hammer on her shoulder, she eased it open and peeked in.
 
"That's definitely a boss room," Natalie said.
 
Inside was a grand chamber made of the same polished materials as the rest of the labyrinth. Notably, though, thirteen mirrors splayed out in a circle, surrounding the room. There didn't seem to be another exit. Not a series of hallways and rooms like the wooden door—this golden door led to a single encounter.
 
"Maybe a mini-boss," Natalie said. "But if I had to guess, a full one."
 
"Everyone's ready?" Sofia asked.
 
The party agreed.
 
Natalie entered first, with the others slipping in after her. Having the encounter seal itself off with only a portion of the team inside would be disastrous, so they didn't dawdle.
 
"The mirrors mean something," Liz murmured. "Keep that in mind."
 
Natalie nodded. It was obvious enough. Like the patches of dirt for the dryad, which had acted as safe zones. Boss rooms often had some environmental factor. Natalie wasn't sure how the mirrors would come into play, but she would keep an eye on them.
 
There wasn't much to say, so Natalie advanced, hammer held at the ready. In preparation, Liz suffused her with the empowering buff, and that familiar wash of energy surged through her.
 
Entering the room, a glimpse of movement in her peripheral caught her eye. She spun, but saw only a mirror reflecting back what it should: her, with her weapon held at the ready. She hesitated. Had she imagined it? And if she hadn't—then had it come from the mirror itself, or behind it? 
 
A second flash of movement made her spin the other way.
 
"Did you see that?" Sofia asked. 
 
"If I had to guess," Natalie said, eyes darting across the room, "it's the boss."
 
"Inside the mirrors?" Sofia asked.
 
"That's what it seems—"
 
The shadow reappeared, and Natalie's gaze snapped to it. A hulking beast ripped out of the furthest mirror from her—the one positioned in the back of the room, closest to Liz and Ana. Natalie reacted by instinct: grunting with exertion, she hurled her hammer.
 
Through some miracle—since Natalie didn't have the best aim, much less when the projectile was a giant warhammer—her weapon hit the crystalline beast lunging from the mirror square in the jaw, just as it arrived at Liz. The huge stone projectile smashed into it, and the sound of splintering glass filled the air, as did a loud yelp. 
 
The beast, deflected by the enormous projectile, veered away, momentum diverted. The bulk of the beast caught Liz on the shoulder as it passed, though, but its snapping jaws missed her. Liz, small and with little to no physical strength, went tumbling anyway. Her wand skittered across the floor, ripped from her hands.
 
[Prismatic Stalker - Lv. 2]
 
A wolf. Natalie spared a fraction of a second to identify what they were up against. A huge, six-foot- tall, twelve-foot-long, sleek, alien beast vaguely resembling a wolf. It was made up, like many of the creatures they'd found on this floor, of interlocking geometric shapes of glass, approximating a blocky sculpture. Where most of the monsters prior were clear and see-through, the wolf had glints of prismatic colors shimmering across its body. If she hadn't known the monster was a boss before, its elegant, sparkling composition made it clear. This thing was clearly stronger than the regular mobs they'd been fighting earlier.
 
Natalie's frantic hammer throw was enough to save Liz, but not stagger the beast. The wolf stood, shook its head to clear its disorientation, then faced Natalie and let loose a hair-raising growl. She had, at least, saved her healer and drawn the boss's attention—her job as the tank. But she also didn't have a weapon, now. Nor a shield. Her eyes flicked to her hammer, which lay a fair distance away, in the direction of the wolf.
 
Well.
 
Not a great start.
 
At least Liz was fine.
 
The wolf rushed forward, and the fight began in earnest. Natalie scrambled for her hammer, at the same time conjuring an [Illusion]—since, disarmed, magic was all she had. The rest of the team sprung into action too. Liz rushed for her wand, trying to re-arm herself just like Natalie.
 
Her illusion took hold, and it successfully distracted the [Prismatic Stalker]. It was one of Natalie's larger, but less elegant, creations, a mirage of her entire body scrambling toward her hammer, but placed several feet ahead of her. The wolf rushed for it, passing through the illusion, and Natalie skidded the last few feet, scooping up her two-handed hammer.
 
The wolf, realizing it had been fooled, kept its momentum—choosing to ignore Natalie rather than spin around. It went for easier prey. In this case, Jordan, who had been edging in from the side for a sneak attack.
 
Natalie cursed and scrambled forward, working up her hammer's momentum as she traveled, overriding her instinct to make a mad dash to save Jordan. That was the downside of delving with friends, much less—well, whatever she and Jordan were. Trusting that Jordan could take care of herself was difficult, regardless that she knew Jordan was more than competent.
 
Jordan weaved between rapid slashes of the beast's claws, then side-stepped a vicious lunge. Natalie arrived in the next moment, eager to take the monster's attention back through a vicious attack of her own. The gigantic stone block of her hammer crashed into crystal, and her arms reverberated with the impact, all of the momentum she had been gathering as she charged forward coming to an abrupt stop. The force behind the blow rattled both of them—Natalie, whose arms ached from the impact, and the wolf, who staggered away.
 
But this was a boss, so even a direct hit couldn't do that much damage. Shards of splintered prismatic glass flew away, leaving an indent in its rib cage, but the attack was far from a finisher. The beast snarled and turned on her, delivering a flurry of slashing claws. Lacking a shield, or an easy way to dodge, Natalie activated [Hunker Down]. The wolf's claws slammed into her, but instead of scoring gouges across her armor, came to an abrupt stop. She held [Hunker Down] for the full duration, the wolf growling in agitation as it failed to scratch her. With the opening her defensive ability brought, her teammate's own attacks finally crashed into the creature—daggers, a rapier, and ribbons of black energy.
 
Snarling, the wolf leaped backward, putting space between them. Then—to Natalie's surprise—turned and sprinted away, deeper into the arena.
 
Headed for one of the mirrors?
 
The monster had come out of one, Natalie realized. So why couldn't it go back in? 
 
And what else? 
 
The giant beast disappeared as it soared seamlessly into the glass, and Natalie understood at the same moment as Sofia. As the entirety of the team did.
 
"Behind us!" Sofia shouted, spinning to face their backline.
 
Exactly as the fight had begun, the wolf leaped through the mirror closest to Liz and Ana, having used the glass to teleport across the arena. Natalie finally understood the gimmick of the fight—the purpose of the mirrors. And it was devastating. Healers and mages oftentimes couldn't face off against even normal monsters. Jordan might be able to briefly hold her own, but Liz? Ana?
 
And this time, Natalie wasn't close enough to intervene—not even with a lucky hammer throw. Even with the team's quick reactions, nobody could save Liz as the giant beast crashed into her, gigantic crystal jaw latching around her torso.
 
4.29 - Prismatic Stalker II
 
One thing saved Liz from a serious maiming that even health potions would have struggled to heal. [Joined]. One of the two abilities tied to Liz’s wand, that she and Natalie had activated the night prior and which had remained active through the day. An effect that linked their health and mana pools, so that they could each draw on them as necessary.
 
A giant crystal jaw clamped down around Liz, shook viciously, then tossed the girl aside—and Natalie dropped to her knees, crumpling in agony. Her hammer clattered from her, and she gasped as she barely managed to stay on her knees and hands. Liz’s body went flying, but—in a shocking display—she scrambled to her feet, not looking worse for wear.
 
She and Liz hadn’t had the opportunity to test [Joined], and it seemed Liz had instinctively diverted all the damage done to her to Natalie—or at least the huge majority. Natalie’s vision swam as she desperately fought away unconsciousness. She wasn’t the most durable of tanks, with no skills that boosted tenacity, only gear and whatever natural fortitude came with her class. So a direct blow from a boss was something even she struggled with. Maybe even the damage was amplified since it was applied to Liz, then transferred to her—so what defenses Natalie did have might not even have applied.
 
Energy suffused her, and Natalie gasped as Liz’s first healing spell coursed through her. It staved off the immediate threat of passing out, but far from cured her.
 
The team, at least, acted as professionals ought to; they knew of [Joined] and [Link], and so despite being surprised at seeing their healer effortlessly shake off a direct boss attack, immediately returned to the fight. Sofia acted as the intermediary tank as Natalie dragged herself to her feet—nearly falling over again—and scooped up her hammer. 
 
The party of four tackled the wolf themselves, and as Liz’s healing spell settled—and a regeneration effect joined it—Natalie slowly worked her way into fighting order. She would be feeling that phantom bite for a while. Heals could only do so much; she would be waking up bruised tomorrow. Or, at least, should be. She didn’t know how attacks given through [Joined] worked. Did they leave physical marks?
 
Finally back in fighting order, Natalie re-entered the frenzy. The brawl continued. Her blows weren’t quite as powerful, flagging from the damage she had taken, but still plenty enough to draw the wolf’s attention. The beast was quickly weakening. The wolf itself wasn’t all that strong; its difficulty came from the mirrors. Against most teams, the ambush attack would have crippled their healer or mage. [Joined] had saved them, making the fight much easier than it would have been for most teams.
 
The wolf soared through the teleporting mirrors several more times, but the team naturally positioned themselves to mitigate the advantage the wolf could claim. A good delving team preferably made mistakes zero times, but never the same one more than once.
 
Natalie had the pleasure of landing the finishing blow, and it was a satisfying bit of retribution. The huge block of her war hammer caught the beast straight on the side of the head, and with its health whittled down over the past several minutes, the blow was actually lethal this time. Prismatic glass shattered, and the life of the beast went out all at once as its head exploded. Its sleek, crystalline body slumped down, skidded several feet, then started evaporating into strands of black smoke.
 
“Sorry!” Liz yelped immediately, rushing to Natalie. “I meant to split it more, but I gave it all to you. It’s weird to use.”
 
“Probably should've tested it before we needed to use it,” Natalie grunted. “Don’t worry about it. I'm fine. Better me than you.” That was the point of a tank—to take hits for her team. She rubbed her ribcage, where a set of phantom fangs burned.
 
Sofia walked up to the two of them. "It completely mitigated the attack? So our healer is invulnerable as long as our tank is alive?”
 
“Not invulnerable,” Liz said. “I felt the bond loosen. I couldn’t draw on Nat's health that much again. We’d have to—um, refresh the spell. And I’ve got the feeling we can’t, not for a bit. It has a cooldown. Though that’s just a guess. It really needs more testing."
 
Though they didn't have proof, Natalie assumed Liz was right. The wand’s effect couldn’t be that strong—turning Liz invulnerable as long as Natalie was standing. Likely, [Joined] could only be refreshed once a day, or even less, and had a maximum amount of health that could be shared between them.
 
“Either way, I’m glad you’re fine," Natalie said. "You can patch me up easier than you could yourself.” If Natalie had been knocked unconscious, Liz could heal her, but the reverse was obviously not true. Natalie looked Liz up and down, seeing that she really was almost unscratched. “Crazy to see you get shaken around like that, then just get up, though.”
 
“You can say that again,” Jordan said. “I thought that fight was about to go a lot worse than it did.”
 
“Yeah. It's a useful weapon,” Liz joked, waving her wand around—though still sending concerned glances toward Natalie. Natalie really was mostly fine, though again, a hit of that magnitude would be leaving bruises in the morning. But it was a boss. That was about all that could be expected. Even with their huge upgrades, they couldn't effortlessly handle such an encounter. For that matter, having come out with only Natalie aching, they had handled it nearly trivially.
 
“So,” Natalie said. “Boss loot. Any guesses where it is?” She looked around. The room was empty besides the large arena and the mirrors the wolf had been jumping through.
 
“Maybe it’s hidden somewhere," Sofia said. "Under a panel or tile, or some such.” She looked at Natalie. “You’re sure you're fine?”
 
"Yeah."
 
Sofia nodded, willing to take Natalie at her word. She set off to start looking for the boss chest. The rest of the party did the same, though Ana stopped by the boss’s corpse to pluck up the monster core. 
 
Rubbing her aching ribs, Natalie joined them in the search.
 
4.30 - Prismatic Stalker Rewards
 
The initial sweep of the room left Natalie and her team confused; they found no traces of the boss's loot chest. There was a possibility that the encounter didn't have one, since anything could happen in the dungeon, but she found that unlikely, as did the rest of the team. Odds were higher that they were missing something. But a second look-through of the arena unearthed nothing, either.
 
Ana, eventually, was the one to figure it out. "Jordan," she said. "Come look at this."
 
Natalie turned from her own inspection to see Ana peering inside one of the mirrors. Jordan, who had been nearest her, walked over to join her. Jordan's eyebrows furrowed as she tried to identify whatever Ana was pointing at, then they shot up. She turned around, looked at the roof of the arena, then back to the mirror.
 
"Wow. Good catch."
 
"What is it?" Natalie walked over to join them, as did the rest of the team. She peered inside the mirror, seeing only the room and themselves reflected back.
 
"There. On the ceiling." Jordan pointed through the glass.
 
Natalie scrutinized the reflection. It was awkward through the mirror; Jordan's finger didn't line up perfectly. But her eyes finally snagged on the object of interest.
 
A small box, nearly camouflaged, hung by a rope from the ceiling. Natalie, surprised, turned to look at it in the real world—but saw nothing where it should be.
 
"Huh?" Natalie said.
 
"Invisible," Ana replied. "Except through the mirror."
 
"Tricky," Sofia said.
 
"How do we get it down?" Liz asked. All five of them were crowded around the mirror, shooting glances between the reflection of the dangling loot chest and where it should be.
 
"I can," Ana said. Gauging the location of the chest for a second, she withdrew her crystal ball. Magic hummed to Natalie's sense, and a moment later, a giant black tendril of energy whipped out. It slashed the air where the rope would be.
 
On making contact, the entire assembly blinked into existence, the invisibility effect dispelling. The box hit the ground with a loud thump, locks rattling and sending a wave of dust rushing outward. Tile cracked around it.
 
The team approached, excited to see what they'd gotten. As was becoming custom, Sofia finagled the lock open and popped the top. She reached in and withdrew their first piece of equipment.
 
Natalie paused.
 
***
 
Pet Collar
 
Rare
 
Lv. 2
 
 
 
Effects
 
- Minor increase to physical Prowess.
 
- Minor increase to physical Tenacity.
 
- Submissive. Declare an Owner. When obeying Owner's commands, Collar will slowly evolve. Demeaning and uncomfortable commands provide more evolution points.
 
- Hindrance-Free. Leash cannot be tangled in combat and reactively grows or shrinks.
 
 
 
Description
 
A thin black collar with a gold loop for attaching a leash. A silver nameplate adorns the front, currently empty.
 
***
 
The group stared in silence at the item in Sofia's hands. Sofia's expression was suspiciously blank.
 
"Seems like a great fighter item," Jordan commented, her tone deliberately professional—to the point of being obviously mischievous. "All yours, Sofia. Who do you want as your owner?"
 
Sofia looked slowly up at Jordan. Her face remained neutral. "And what," she said, an edge in her voice that betrayed her controlled expression, "makes you think I would wear this?"
 
"A rare? With prowess and tenacity boosts? That evolves? mean, I would take it, but tenacity is a waste on me. It's perfect for a fighter."
 
"So, Nat could use it."
 
"Nat already has the overpowered class," Jordan said dismissively. "Besides, I don't think she'd do well with orders."
 
"And I would?" Sofia said, a hint of a growl appearing.
 
Jordan shrugged—but wisely didn't respond. Her smirk was answer enough.
 
Sofia turned the venomous look to Natalie. "This is your fault."
 
"My fault?"
 
"Your class's doing."
 
"Sorry it keeps giving us amazing loot," Natalie said. "I mean, sure. It's weird. But two minor boosts? It's a good item."
 
"And fashionable!" Liz piped up.
 
Sofia turned the glare to Liz. Liz, who had been biting back a grin, wiped the expression away. Her eyes went wide, and she frantically waved her hands. "Sorry! Sorry! But, I mean, it is kind of funny. Isn't it?"
 
"No. And if you think it is, why don't you wear it?"
 
Liz's eyes widened even more. "It's a fighter item," she stammered. "I can't."
 
Sofia eyed her scathingly, then said, "It's not funny."
 
"Right. Totally isn't." Liz took a long, steadying breath, not exactly selling the words. "It's not funny at all."
 
"Hm," Ana said. "But it is."
 
Everyone looked at her.
 
"From an objective standpoint, it's humorous," Ana said. "Beyond that it's simply an unusual item, it's clearly geared for a fighter. For you. Considering your rivalrous relationship with Natalie, it appears to me as if the dungeon is deliberately taunting you. Putting you in a difficult situation. That's amusing."
 
The two girls stared at each other. Ana with her blank expression, and Sofia, who wasn't sure how to react. Ana had stated it too matter-of-fact.
 
"I'm glad you think so," Sofia finally said. "But it's not."
 
"If you want my opinion, I believe Natalie is the best choice," Ana said, "but since I understand that might make you uncomfortable, I could also be your owner. I would treat you fairly." She paused. "Insofar as the item allows. It does say demeaning commands provide more evolution points."
 
Natalie had no idea if Ana was being genuine or just teasing Sofia, and that made the situation even funnier. She couldn't help herself—she started laughing. Liz and Jordan joined her, with Liz burying her face into Jordan's shoulder to hide her face. Sofia sputtered and growled at them until they finally calmed down. 
 
Even Ana's lips started twitching, though maybe Natalie imagined it. The girl really was hard to read. She had to be messing with Sofia. But Natalie couldn't tell.
 
"Oh, don't cry about it," Natalie said, wiping her eyes. "Here. I'll put it on for you." She stepped up to Sofia, then grabbed the collar out of Sofia's hands. Maybe from shock, the white-haired girl let Natalie do it. Natalie turned the collar around in her hands, figuring out how it worked. She unhooked it, then slipped it around Sofia's neck and clamped it shut. After situating it so the nameplate faced forward, she hooked the leash around the loop.
 
Smirking, Natalie patted Sofia on the shoulder, holding the leash in her left hand. "There. It looks good. Now, be a good girl and make me your owner. However that works. We're wasting time."
 
Natalie expected a storm of outrage from Sofia, but instead, the white-haired girl stared at Natalie, her face going a deeper and deeper shade of red. That, of course, made Natalie herself blush—especially with the collar around her neck, and Natalie holding the leash. She coughed and stepped back, then added, "Please."
 
"Fine," Sofia said, finally tearing her eyes away. "But only if the evolution makes it worth it. A minor prowess and tenacity boost is not enough for this … this ridiculousness."
 
"If it's anything like my wand, it'll be amazing," Liz said. "So I don't think that'll be a problem."
 
"Hmph," Sofia said.
 
Sofia's brow furrowed as she focused on figuring out how to 'declare' an owner. Slowly, words engraved themselves onto the silver plate on the front of the collar. When the writing finished, the group stared at the result.
 
"What?" Sofia demanded, fidgeting with the strap of leather, trying to look down at it. "What does it say?"
 
"Natalie's Pet," Jordan said.
 
"It is named [Pet Collar]," Liz said faintly.
 
Sofia had no response to that, and had also apparently run out of glares, because after a long pause, she simply turned back to the loot chest. 
 
Natalie still held the leash as Sofia closed the chest lid, then opened it a second time, seeking their second piece of loot. She clipped the long strip of leather to her belt, freeing her hands.
 
Her pet.
 
She liked the sound of that.
 
4.31 - Prismatic Stalker Rewards II
 
The next item confirmed some suspicions of Natalie and her team. The dungeon would be providing gear that worked with [Stylish].
 
Jordan was more than happy to try it on, since the top provided a prowess boost, and it had been a while since she’d gotten a piece of gear. She slipped off her current upper piece of gear, then her sports bra, and finally donned the item.
 
It wasn’t the most revealing top Natalie had ever seen, but it was far from modest—especially by the standards of armor. Two pieces of thin black cloth criss-crossed across her chest, not even fully covering her breasts—though, like Ana's robes, technically preserved her modesty. Jordan finished situating the garment, then turned around, letting Natalie—and the team—admire it. 
 
“Doesn’t really fit the rest of the ensemble,” Jordan said amusedly, looking down at herself, “but I think I’m fine with that. Though, I’ll miss my bra.” She frowned down at herself, then cupped her breasts. “Makes fighting trickier. The things I do to be [Stylish].”
 
The piece of armor was, at least, much better than her previous. Not only was it a level two uncommon, thus providing natural stats, it also benefited from Stylish]—something that would shortly become even more important, since it was Natalie's next upgrade goal.
 
So, now they had two party members dressed in revealing attire. Ana’s dress still beat Jordan by the sheer amount of skin being showed off, though that might not last for long, assuming the dungeon kept dropping inappropriate articles of clothing. Sofia and Liz seemed to be the holdouts, and Sofia more than Liz. Whether they would accept dressing scantily was something Natalie would find out in the future—probably when the appropriate items presented themselves.
 
Probably, they’d have alternate gear to put back on when they returned to the surface. Even Natalie would find it a bit awkward if they wore outfits like these around campus and town. Though, Ana clearly didn’t care; she had worn her revealing dress to the dungeon entrance without a worry in the world. 
 
Natalie admired that level of confidence—or maybe cluelessness? Either way, whether a pointed statement or her willingness to flaunt her body being just part of who she was, Ana truly didn’t seem to care what people thought—to an impressive degree. Only practicality mattered. Or was Natalie reading Ana at a surface level only?
 
A few more items came out of the boss chest, the usual assortment of dungeon loot. Jordan’s top was the only revealing piece of equipment. Natalie received a new pair of boots that were strong for a tank, though just a common. Liz got a new ring.
 
Having emptied the chest, they were ready to leave. Natalie was surprised to see that Ana had wandered away before finishing. She was looking into one of the mirrors, head tilted as she peered inside.
 
“Looking for more?” Natalie asked.
 
She glanced Natalie’s way, then gestured for her to come look. Natalie did.
 
“Do you see that?” Ana asked. “That other mirror. It’s not reflecting like it should.”
 
It took a few seconds for Natalie to understand. She blinked in surprise. Ana was right—the image inside the other mirror, when reflected through this one, seemed to be distorted. Twisted in a way hard to describe. It was also shining faintly. Had it been doing that before? Someone would've noticed, right?
 
Ana approached the offending mirror. Natalie followed. The rest of the team, intrigued, also did so.
 
On their way over, something odd happened.
 
Only a few feet away from the suspicious mirror, Ana tripped. Natalie caught a flash of stone embed itself back into the floor—it had raised in an instant and snagged Ana’s foot, silently and swiftly. Ana wasn’t clumsy; she was a delver as much as any of them, and didn’t trip on flat ground. 
 
The dungeon had summoned it. And not even as a reasonable trap; there’d been no indicators. It was pure chance, and proximity to Ana, that Natalie had even noticed.
 
Ana stumbled, trying to catch herself, but failed. Natalie tried to grab her, but also failed; it was just too unexpected of an event. 
 
Ana fell face-first into the mirror, unable to arrest her momentum. 
 
Except, she fell into the mirror. Literally. The dark-haired mage sank straight into glass, then disappeared as she passed through. Her form vanished entirely, the mirror rippling briefly before settling.
 
A portal?
 
It had happened too fast for anyone besides Natalie to react—and even then, Natalie hadn’t been able to do anything. The team froze. A half-second of shocked silence descended.
 
Natalie did something she recognized as reckless, but her feet carried her forward regardless. She rushed in after Ana. It wasn’t what an experienced delver ought to do. At a minimum, she should have talked with her team—decided whether following in after Ana, through a potential trap, was smart.
 
At the same time, there was no way Natalie wouldn’t try to help, dangerous or not. 
 
There was some logic supporting her, at least. It might be a trap, but it had been one offered in a completely unfair manner—the dungeon had deliberately and silently tripped Ana, with no indicators. The dungeon wasn't typically that unfair. So, it couldn’t be a lethal trap. Not that Natalie necessarily organized those thoughts before rushing in after Ana. She reacted more by emotion than logic. She’d always been reckless.
 
She hit the mirror, then, as Ana had, sank through the glass. The world went black, and then she was falling, air whistling across her as she plummeted.
 
She blacked out.
 
Consciousness returned in an instant, though she awoke groggily, confused, slumped on a tile floor. It took a second to take stock of herself mentally. Her body felt strange, her skin cold and bare. With some effort, she cracked her eyes open and pushed herself into a kneeling position. She'd been falling. Had she landed hard? Nothing hurt; she just felt groggy.
 
The sight that met her was … confusing.
 
At first, she thought she was looking into a mirror. After the room before, and the dungeon level in general, another mirror would hardly be surprising. But the Natalie that looked back at her, also groggily waking from her tumble through the mirror-portal, hadn’t raised to sit in the same position as her.
 
Natalie looked down at herself.
 
She saw Ana’s cleavage, exposed by her flimsy mage’s robes. She looked at her hands. Thin, delicate fingers, missing the callouses that came with constant heavy weapon training. With a sinking feeling—and the disorientation starting to make sense—she felt her face, then ran a hand through her hair. It was longer than it should be. She brought it forward to look at it. Silky black locks. Ana’s hair.
 
Ana’s body.
 
“This is unexpected,” Natalie’s clone said, voice flat but curious—familiar, but in a way hard to describe. Natalie understood a second later. Ana’s voice. Or, her voice, filtered through Natalie’s own mouth. 
 
“It seems,” Ana-Natalie said, “that we’ll be borrowing each other’s bodies for this challenge.”
 
4.32 - Swapped I
 
"What the hell?" Natalie said, the shock piercing through her grogginess. She stumbled to her feet, the motion feeling extremely odd. Not just because of her limbs, which were shorter than they should be, but all of it. Her breasts, which were smaller—though not by much—her hair, her general build, and most importantly, that she no longer had a cock.
 
She'd already gone through the experience of gaining it, so she wasn't quite as baffled by losing it, but the heavy weight of it sitting between her legs had definitely become familiar. So, no longer having the weapon squished into her panties was, again, odd. Disorienting.
 
Then, at seeing Ana—in Natalie's own body—staring down at her own crotch, frowning, Natalie realized the opposite was true.
 
Ana had a dick.
 
"This is strange," the mage commented idly. She adjusted her pants, then winced as never-before-felt sensations fired through her. "Oh. And it's getting hard. I didn't mean to do that."
 
What the hell was Natalie supposed to say to that?
 
"What the hell. Oh gods, what's happening?" 
 
The only reasonable response at a time like this.
 
Ana cleared her throat, seeming uncomfortable at whatever was going on between her legs. Even through Natalie's thick adventuring leather armor pants, she could see the bulge appearing. Her cock wasn't easy to hide—not even when soft, to be honest. Eight inches wasn't on the small end, and she was pretty thick, too.
 
And it was Ana's now.
 
And Ana's body was hers.
 
A headache appeared. She looked away from Ana, who was squirming in place, having to deal with new sensations firing through her. It was too much for Natalie's brain to handle. As much because Ana had a cock, as that Ana had her cock. She placed a hand on her forehead and tried to steady her spinning thoughts. 
 
"I guess I'll just ignore it? Hm. It's rather difficult."
 
"You knew?" Natalie asked.
 
"Knew?" 
 
"That I had one." That was another reason behind Natalie's discomposure. She'd thought Ana had been clueless about the addition between her legs. Instead, it seemed Liz had been the only one in the party not to figure it out.
 
"I suspected," Ana said. "Especially recently. I've caught you adjusting yourself once or twice." She frowned down at her crotch. "And I understand why you would need to. How big is this thing?" She tried to pull open her waistband to take a peek, but with her belt and gear on, she couldn't quite manage.
 
Of course, at Ana trying to catch a glimpse of her own cock, Natalie protested. "H-Hey. Don't do that. That's mine."
 
Ana paused. "Right." She stopped trying to peek in, though she did awkwardly try to adjust her erection for a second or third time. "I apologize. I'm not sure how to handle this."
 
That made two of them.
 
"Okay," Natalie said, trying to take control of the situation. "Okay. So. We're in each other's bodies."
 
Ana gave her an odd look. As if Natalie's discomposure was unwarranted. Of course Ana could take it mostly in stride. The never-ruffled, nearly expressionless practical woman. Natalie, herself, could not. Ana had Natalie's dick between her legs. And not in the good way.
 
"Yes," Ana said. "I assume we've entered a challenge room. I consider that fortuitous, considering the strength of Elizabeth's wand. Perhaps we'll get something of equal worth."
 
The implications of that sunk in. A challenge room. Like what had happened with Liz. 
 
So that meant—?
 
They would need to—do something?
 
While in each other's bodies?
 
Another wave of disorientation washed through Natalie. She wasn't against it, but the unexpectedness of this development—of wearing another person's body—was too much to handle. She swallowed.
 
"Nobody else followed us in?" Natalie asked faintly, forcing herself to focus on what was immediately relevant. The dungeoneering aspect of this misadventure. She looked up at the ceiling—since it had felt like they'd fallen in. But there was only smooth ceiling, no apparent hole.
 
"Perhaps they did, and the dungeon paired them up separately. Or perhaps they didn't." Ana shrugged. "It's irrelevant. We need to worry about ourselves." She tilted her head. "But that means you followed me in? It didn't force you?"
 
"Well. Yeah."
 
"Why?"
 
"Because you might've fallen into a trap. I wasn't going to let you handle it alone."
 
"That's impractical. And reckless."
 
Natalie grunted. "I know. Just happened." Natalie had recognized the stupidity of rushing into a potential trap even as she was doing it. "Would do it again, though."
 
"Hm." Ana studied her, and Natalie couldn't make out what the expression meant. It was even more difficult than usual, thanks to the fact it was Natalie's face. She'd only half learned to read Ana's subdued expressions, much less filtered through someone else's face. Her own face. "Anyway," Ana said. "We should figure out where we are."
 
Natalie shook off the last of her disorientation—or what she could of it—and moved to practical matters. Body-swap or not, they had fallen into a dungeon trap, or some kind of challenge room, and they needed to figure out what it was, and how to escape.
 
"And this is yours," Ana added.
 
Natalie looked over; Ana was struggling to drag along her warhammer. Natalie stepped forward and grabbed it. She hefted it up and rested it on her shoulder.
 
"We kept our skills and stats, then," Natalie said.
 
"Just our bodies are changed," Ana agreed. "That's probably a bigger deal for you. Casting doesn't require much coordination, but your new limbs might affect you. My crystal ball, please?"
 
Natalie handed it to her.
 
"Can you fight?" Ana asked. "How is it?"
 
"It's getting better," Natalie said. Initially, her new limbs had felt exceedingly odd. She was adjusting fast. The dungeon's work, smoothing things over. 
 
Giving her hammer a test swing, she checked her footwork and coordination. After appraising her new body for a moment, she said, "Yeah. I can fight. Feels weird, but not enough to mess me up."
 
"Good. Though," Ana said, "there might not be much fighting to do."
 
If it was anything like Liz's challenge room, they'd be getting tired and sweaty, but not from combat. Natalie might normally be excited for that, but this situation was—well, a bit much. Especially with Ana, who she knew the least well out of everyone in her party.
 
At least this might fix that. A great opportunity for getting to know each other. Bonding. If in a more intimate way than usual.
 
Oh, gods.
 
Finally, Natalie looked around at the room they were trapped in. It was time to determine what, exactly, the challenge was.
 
4.33 - Swapped II
 
The room she and Ana had fallen into matched the theme of the rest of the dungeon. Polished tiles for the floor, glass sculptures scattered around the edges, and a generally clean, elegant construction. Notably, there were no mirrors. Though the glass and tile were reflective enough they could serve as a makeshift one.
 
Peering into the crystalline bust of some chiseled man, Natalie inspected her new face, tracing her fingers across the contours of her nose, jawline, and lips. Ana's body. She'd really traded with her. No matter how hard she tried, that wasn't something she could simply move on about. She'd been through several weird situations in the dungeon by now, but this one took the cake.
 
To her side, Ana was inspecting her face, too. Though the dark-haired mage was stoic and able to take things in stride to a degree Natalie nearly didn't understand, she was at least curious. So, not wholly unaffected. Just not affected like she should be.
 
"Only one exit," Natalie said, tearing her eyes away from the reflection. "Suppose we should get going. See what's in store."
 
Ana nodded. "We don't have a healer. Nor Jordan to check for traps. So be careful."
 
"I know." Natalie wasn't happy about that. She'd grown to take Liz for granted—both her heals and the impressive strength boost. Jordan, too. At the same time, Natalie had trained to spot traps herself, as did any delver, for situations like this. Being split up wasn't the most common event, but hardly something that never happened.
 
And that was assuming this challenge included traps and combat. Liz's challenge hadn't, though generalizing from a single event might not be smart.
 
Lugging along her hammer—which felt much larger than usual, since Ana's body was noticeably shorter than her own—Natalie headed for the only door. She scanned for traps, but found nothing. She glanced at Ana, who had her crystal orb drawn and at the ready. Seeing her own face and red hair looking back made Natalie pause, then shake her head. She turned forward and opened the door.
 
It led into a hallway. At the end, another door stood: this one with pink trim. Natalie repressed a groan. The color pink couldn't herald anything good—not considering Natalie's class.
 
There was also a plaque of silver metal on the wall to the side of the door. Natalie couldn't make out the writing on it, not from this distance. There was a bin made out of white marble to its left. Lastly, on the door's right, a steel ladder led upward to a trap door on the ceiling. She eyed it warily. An exit?
 
Making sure to scan again for traps or threats, Natalie and Ana approached. Arriving, she peeked into the marble bin. It was empty, and large enough to fit both of them easily if they climbed inside. Natalie doubted it was some random piece of decoration, so she read the silver plaque, next. Ana stepped closer to also take a look.
 
It read:
 
'Armor, clothing, and consumables not permitted past this point. Place into the container. Items will be returned after exiting the challenge.'
 
"At least it's not being cryptic," Natalie said dryly. Liz's challenge room had also included instructions. 
 
"The ladder's an exit," Ana commented. "There's another plaque. Look."
 
Natalie did. Indeed, in a smaller silver plate to the left of the ladder, a few words were inscribed. 
 
'Exit. Forfeit future rewards.'
 
Like Liz's challenge, it seemed whether she and Ana wanted to pursue the challenge was entirely their own choice. That made sense not just because of Liz's precedent, but because Ana has been practically pushed into the mirror by the dungeon. Dangerous traps were avoidable, and there wasn't any way Ana could have stopped her entry. Natalie could have, of course, by not jumping in after her, but the original logic held.
 
Still, how they were consistently being given a choice by the dungeon felt strange to Natalie.
 
Natalie looked up at the ceiling. "You know," she said. "For a dungeon that's killed millions of people, you sure care about consent."
 
"I would think that's your influence, not the dungeon," Ana said.
 
Which was a fair point. Even so, that the dungeon gave them an option to interact with these lewd challenges felt out of character. The dungeon was absolutely brutal—more than happy to kill, maim, torture, and worse. Forcing them into lewd scenarios wouldn't have been anything egregiously worse. Gross, yes, but compared to being murdered? Not exactly on a different level from what the dungeon was already known for.
 
Nonetheless, she was grateful for how it responded to her class. All of this would be much more disturbing if Natalie didn't get to decide whether or not to participate.
 
"We going forward, then?" Natalie asked. "Or leaving?"
 
Ana tilted her head. "Forward. As long as you don't have any problems with it."
 
"We'll need to get naked."
 
Ana's brow furrowed. "Yes. That much is obvious."
 
Natalie stopped herself from an exasperated sigh. "And you're okay with that?"
 
"Seeing you naked? It's my body," Ana pointed out.
 
"I mean, yes, but …" Natalie wasn't sure where she was going with that.
 
"We can simply avoid looking down at ourselves, if you want modesty." Ana waved her hand dismissively. "But I believe that's the least of our worries. Nakedness is the start of the challenge, not the finale. What was your and Elizabeth's event? The entirety of it, I mean."
 
"That's between us."
 
"It was between you two," Ana disagreed. "Until the challenges spread to the rest of the team. Now it's a professional matter that we all deserve to be informed of."
 
Natalie hesitated. It was a good point. "Liz asked me not to talk about it. So I won't."
 
Ana frowned.
 
"But I'm sure you can make what inferences you need to," Natalie said. "If we walk through that door, who knows what's on the table?" She chewed her lip, glancing at the ladder. "But at the same time, it seems like we can quit at any time."
 
"Then there's not much of a risk." Ana shrugged, then looked down at herself. She fumbled around with all the straps, buckles, and connections to her armor. "Warrior gear is so complicated," she commented. "Can you help me with it?"
 
Help get Ana naked?
 
Even when it was Natalie's own body, the idea still made her feel faint. Especially when Ana remained completely unaffected by everything. Natalie wasn't sure she was up for this. 
 
At least when it had been Liz, they'd both been blushing. Natalie might not be able to survive Ana. 
 
Just how far would this woman go in the name of 'professionalism'?
 
4.34 - Swapped III
 
Natalie helped undress Ana. Or undress herself. Because it was her armor, and her body. But that didn't change the fact that, more than anything, it felt like she was stripping her teammate.
 
What a mess.
 
Sensing Natalie's awkwardness, Ana politely avoided looking down at her body—Natalie's body—as she undressed. It was clearly for Natalie's sake. 
 
Natalie sighed. "You don't have to do that. You can look. There's no point tip-toeing around each other."
 
Ana studied her for a moment. "I agree. But if you're uncomfortable with it, then you're uncomfortable."
 
"It's whatever."
 
Slowly, Ana nodded. "Then, it is rather difficult to avoid," she admitted. "Especially with how much you have up top. There's too much to not accidentally look." To emphasize the point, she cupped her breasts and bounced them, showcasing Natalie's unwieldy assets.
 
Natalie stared at her, disbelieving of what the clueless girl had so casually done. She shook her head in incredulity, then continued helping Ana unstrap her gear. This girl.
 
"Then again," Ana commented idly, "maybe you're just saying I can look so that you can look."
 
Natalie started to protest, but stopped before the words came out. Despite Ana's face—Natalie's face?—being passive, like it always was, Natalie detected a hint of sparkling eyes.
 
"You're messing with me," she said in realization. "Wait. All of it? The bouncing too?"
 
"Yes," Ana said. "I would think that was obvious, but I've been told it's difficult to tell when I'm joking. So I understand."
 
The words were delivered with a complete deadpan. Natalie stared at her, then gave a short, incredulous laugh. "Difficult. That's putting it lightly. Anyway," she said, happy to grab onto a conversational topic to distract from the fact she was helping peel armor off of Ana. "You do joke, then. What about that stuff with Sofia?" She hadn't been able to tell.
 
"My offer to be her owner?" Ana asked. "And my stating that the situation was humorous?" She hummed. "It depends what you define as a joke, I suppose."
 
It took Natalie a second to understand what she meant. "The offer was real, but you were also teasing."
 
"More or less."
 
"But, you meant it? You wanted Sofia as a pet?"
 
"Who wouldn't?"
 
That was fair. But Natalie was more than a bit shocked to hear Ana state it outright.
 
"After all, she's a proficient duelist," Ana said. "And an extra pair of hands never hurts. She'd make an excellent pet. One of the best familiars I could imagine, down in the dungeon."
 
Ana managed to make an impassive expression look tauntingly innocent. 
 
Natalie narrowed her eyes. "Stop messing with me." Disregarding the teasing, though, Natalie was still curious. "You're attracted to Sofia?"
 
"She's objectively an attractive woman."
 
"But you're serious about wanting her," Natalie pressed.
 
"I'm usually serious."
 
"You prefer women, then?" That much was obvious by this point, but she wanted to ask outright.
 
"Yes. Does that make all of this more or less awkward?" She quirked an eyebrow as she looked down at her body, which was losing piece of armor after piece of armor.
 
"Uh." Natalie wasn't sure. "Both."
 
Ana snorted. "Don't worry," she said dismissively. "I already know that Sofia is yours. I'm not infatuated with her—she's just plainly a beautiful woman. But I won't intrude. I have little interest in romance in general, for that matter."
 
There was a lot of revelations about Ana to take in there. Though, one tidbit felt more important than the rest. Something that needed immediate clarification.
 
"Sofia isn't mine. Why would you say that?"
 
Ana paused, giving Natalie an odd look. "I see."
 
"What? She isn't."
 
"Okay."
 
"She isn't."
 
Ana shrugged.
 
Natalie narrowed her eyes at Ana, then, after a brief internal debate, dropped the topic. She didn't want to venture down that path. Sofia was a sticky topic even with Jordan, who Natalie trusted with just about anything.
 
Soon enough, the two finished undressing. They placed their gear in the marble bin, but kept their weapons. Natalie stalwartly didn't look down at herself—at Ana's body—despite having told Ana it wasn't a big deal. Not that she could avoid everything, since Ana wasn't exactly flat. Natalie caught plenty in her periphery. 
 
Why were all four of her delving teammates drop-dead gorgeous? And two of them so generously bestowed? She'd known Ana had an amazing pair of tits, but getting to see them from a first-person perspective was something else.
 
At least she didn't have a cock to give her thoughts away. That would've been embarrassing.
 
Natalie's eyes also shied away from Ana—from her own body. Why Natalie would be awkward at seeing her own body naked, she had no idea. Ana's curious looks, and the way she was purposefully refraining from asking what Natalie's deal was, made it so much worse. 
 
It was as if Ana's complete disregard for the situation was making it worse for Natalie. That all of the embarrassment the mage should have been feeling was siphoning straight to Natalie, so that her cheeks were burning hot enough for the both of them.
 
"Ready?" Natalie asked, staring forward at the door, purposefully avoiding Ana. "Be ready for anything. It's letting us keep our weapons, which makes me suspicious."
 
"I'll be ready."
 
Nodding, Natalie pushed through the door, holding her hammer at the ready.
 
She'd been right to be concerned, because not two steps in, skittering and scratching noises appeared at the far end of the room. Her eyes latched to a small, shin-high opening, which a swarm of crystal spiders were scurrying out from.
 
She spared a moment to wonder at the ridiculousness of her life. In an instant, she was transitioning from blushing at Ana's nakedness to readying herself for a fight against a crowd of magical crystal spiders. Her life had really become so absurd.
 
At least they weren't real insects. These ones were just made of crystal.
 
Though, it wasn't all good news.
 
"Swarmers," Natalie grunted. "This is gonna be annoying."
 
Natalie smashed the first spider with a solid downward swing—it took the small beast out in a single hit. Unfortunately, there were at least two dozen of the things piling out of the opening. Of any encounter type, their team was worst against swarmers. Natalie, Sofia, and Jordan were all specialized in single-target damage, which was generally good for bosses—the most important encounter type—but that lopsidedness did create problems for situations like these.
 
Though, that was one of the major reasons Ana had fit well into their team. She had a suite of area-of-effect spells that shored up their primary weakness.
 
Ribbons of black light writhed up from the ground, then started slashing at the incoming horde. Natalie smacked down on a second spider, then slapped away a third that lunged for her. Its sharp, crystalline legs scraped her as she batted it, but it didn't draw blood. The spiders were far weaker than they normally would be—designed with a two-person, naked squad in mind.
 
Still, she wasn't happy about having to fend off dozens of quick, sharp-edged spiders while naked and swinging around a giant hammer. Another turned to dust as she slammed her weapon down, and she kicked two more. Several slipped past her, headed for Ana, and there unfortunately wasn't much Natalie could do to stop them. An [Illusion], maybe, but that didn't feel appropriate without a greater threat—she should save her mana.
 
The mage conjured black energy to defend herself, backtracking as she kited the persistent mini-mobs, but when they lunged and snuck in attacks, Ana wasn't durable enough that she could brush their attacks off like Natalie had; they drew blood. Natalie trailed after her and continued to do her best to clear them away. 
 
She really hated swarming monsters.
 
It was hardly a lethal encounter, though. Soon enough, all of the aggravating, vicious crystal monstrosities had been pulverized or slashed in half by black energy. 
 
The two girls panted in exertion, watching the last corpse dissipate into black smoke.
 
 A loud click rung through the room, making Natalie jump. An even louder crash followed right after, and Natalie spun to see a wooden treasure chest settling onto the tile floor. Had it dropped from the ceiling?
 
Not a second round of monsters, then, but their first reward. A progressing series of challenges? Maybe with better rewards after each room?
 
Regardless, Natalie hefted up her hammer and approached the chest, curious to see what they had earned.
 
4.35 - Swapped IV
 
The dungeon turned out to be considerate of their situation. The first reward Natalie pulled out was two vials of red liquid. Health potions. 
 
Seeing how the two of them didn't have a healer on standby, and the challenge had taken their consumables, the alchemical concoction would be their only way to patch themselves up. They'd both taken nicks and bites from the scurrying crystal spiders, though nothing serious. Natalie took a small sip, then handed the rest of the first potion to Ana. Cuts and scrapes cleared away on both of them.
 
The second vial, she would have to carry around. Another detriment to adventuring naked—no belts and pouches.
 
Next out was a bit more surprising. Not because it was an uncommon drop in the dungeon, but the disproportionate quantity of the item. Natalie hefted up a decently sized canvas pouch weighed down by a mass of clinking coins. Her eyes widened, seeing it. Even if the coins were made from a less valuable metal, it would be worth several times a normal loot chest's haul—more than they would earn in a boss fight, even.
 
"I think the dungeon's tempting us to continue," Ana said, a hint of amusement in her voice. "That weak of an encounter, for that many coins?"
 
Natalie undid the string holding the bag closed and peeked inside. Her surprise grew. "There's even some silver mixed in." She'd half expected it to be all bronze.
 
Ana leaned forward to peek inside, and her sudden proximity reminded Natalie of their nakedness—and swapped bodies. She did her best not to fidget as Ana's shoulder pressed into hers. 
 
Natalie wasn't used to being the shy one. The thing was, Natalie didn't even know whether Ana was being confident or clueless. It was honestly one of the reasons Natalie was so off-foot. She couldn't read her.
 
Plus, there was the elephant in the room. Or rather, the cock in the room. Ana's cock. Which would probably be used on Natalie. Because why else would the body swap have happened? Natalie was simultaneously coming to terms with that, and doing her best to ignore it.
 
Natalie cleared her throat, tied the bag up, and took a step sideways to get some space between them. She hoped her blush didn't show.
 
"Even if that's it," Natalie said, "it's a good haul. But I bet there's more."
 
Ana made a noise of agreement.
 
Natalie set the bag aside, along with the health potion. She closed the chest and opened it, peeking inside to see if the dungeon had anything else in store.
 
A vial of sparkling pink liquid sat at the bottom. Natalie nearly winced. The color pink rarely boded something good. Or, at least, boded something normal, and Natalie could use some normal right about now. 
 
***
 
Potion of Permanent Minor Furor
 
Rare
 
Lv. 2
 
 
 
Effects
 
- Permanently raises furor by a small amount.
 
 
 
Description
 
A potion imbued with the essence of a waking goddess.
 
***
 
Natalie read the effect in stunned silence. Even Ana's eyes widened in surprise.
 
"That's … interesting," Ana said. "The essence of a sleeping goddess? That might be the only concrete evidence for the Reverie that I've ever seen." She hesitated. "Though nothing says the dungeon needs to tell the truth. The description could mean nothing."
 
Natalie had nearly forgotten about 'the Reverie', the possible rising of a goddess of lust, and the implications behind her class and its bestowal. She was just trying to survive her first year at Tenet, and the complicated dynamics arising—both personal and professional. The 'big picture' stuff seemed oddly unimportant in the face of all that. But being slapped with a reminder was—well, startling.
 
"Is the dungeon trying to tell us something?" Natalie asked, sending a concerned glance to Ana.
 
"Who knows? Even if it isn't, it's still fascinating."
 
"I should probably look more into all of that. My class. The Reverie."
 
"Yes," Ana said. "You should. Given such a blatant piece of evidence, I certainly will be."
 
The two of them stared at the potion for a bit longer, digesting the surprising description. Finally, Natalie shook her head. The Reverie, and her class, didn't matter right now. They were still down in the dungeon inside a challenge room.
 
"The potion, though," Natalie said. "Its effect. A permanent minor boost? Have you heard of something like that?"
 
"No. I wouldn't be surprised if potions like it existed at higher levels, but level two?" Ana shook her head. "More unprecedented behavior tied to your class, undoubtedly." She gave Natalie a curious look. "I would love to know what is going on with you."
 
"That makes two of us." Natalie certainly wasn't hiding anything—she had no answers to give. Besides maybe the Bestower's odd comments, but that wasn't something Natalie should go blabbing about to anyone.
 
Ana nodded. "I don't think either of us should drink it. We'll need to discuss with the team. I can't imagine what a potion like that would sell for. Or whether selling it would even be smart."
 
Right. Because the appearance of such an item on Tenet's marketplace would draw attention Natalie might not want. It was fortunate that Ana was being considerate of that. 
 
Natalie wrinkled her nose at the vial of sparkling pink liquid. Why did the appearance of such a blessing give her a headache, rather than excite her?
 
She plucked out the item, then closed the chest and reopened it. An empty bottom met them; the loot had been expended. Natalie had expected more—but then again, for such an easy first encounter, maybe that had been too hopeful.
 
"So," Ana said. "Forge forward?"
 
"With rewards like that? There's no reason not to."
 
"I agree." 
 
Ana seemed more excited to continue than Natalie herself, if admittedly in her typical subdued way. Was that because of the profit to be made, the interesting and unnerving reminder of the Reverie, or … even something else?
 
Because Ana seemed remarkably unbothered by the potential of a lewd encounter. She wasn't literally emotionless—and had admitted she preferred girls. So Natalie could only assume she didn't have pure apathy for the possibility of something happening between the two of them. Maybe she was excited, and masking it behind her typical passive composure.
 
There was another reason Natalie suspected that. Natalie was doing her best to not look directly at Ana, since she was naked—even if it was her own body—but she could hardly avoid it entirely. And she'd seen in her peripheral some physical proof that Ana wasn't unaffected by their circumstances. Proof between her legs—something sticking up and at attention. Natalie had politely not commented, thus far, when it happened. What would she say? And considering their nakedness, it was only fair.
 
"Okay," Natalie said. "Moving forward." She picked up their earnings. The potions went into the coin bag—easier to carry around that way. Then she headed for the exit door.
 
Through it, they found another hallway like the one they'd come from. There was no second marble bin. A ladder led upward, though, with the same warning—that exiting the challenge would forfeit future rewards. But what they earned was theirs to keep.
 
A foreboding symbol hung above the next entrance. A heart made out of pink crystal, pulsing gently with light.
 
"I don't think the next challenge is going to be monsters," Ana said.
 
"Probably not," Natalie agreed, somewhat faintly. She swallowed, steeled her nerves, and pointedly didn't look back at Ana. "Let's go find out what."
 
4.36 - ❤ Swapped V
 
Inside the next challenge room was a bed, and a simple mural detailing their assigned task.
 
"I don't think I've ever seen dungeon imagery that's quite so … explicit," Ana commented. 
 
Natalie stared, feeling faint, at the picture engraved above the exit door.
 
"And at least it provided a bed," Ana added.
 
"Really," Natalie said. "That's what you have to say? 'At least there's a bed'?"
 
"It is a nice gesture."
 
Natalie glared at Ana, who shrugged back.
 
Natalie's eyes returned to the mural. She fought away a surge of dizziness. So. This was really happening, then?
 
Above the door, engraved in simple imagery without much detail, was a crude scene: one woman on her knees, her mouth wrapped around the cock of another woman. As Ana had said, it was quite explicit—making it clear what their task was. 
 
Or, more accurately, Natalie's task. Because she wasn't the one with the cock, anymore. Ana was.
 
"You realize that's my cock," Natalie said. "You expect me to do that?"
 
"You could think of it as mine, if you prefer," Ana said. "If that makes you more comfortable." She shrugged. "Or yours. Whichever feels better. Both are true, in a sense."
 
Natalie stared at her, and Ana cleared her throat.
 
"Of course, I expect nothing," Ana said. "We can leave at any time. But I would be remiss if I didn't point out just how incredible the potential rewards are. Is sucking your own cock that offputting?" Ana tilted her head. "Or sucking my cock. Like I said, whatever you feel more comfortable with."
 
Gods, but this woman was really still unaffected. She'd taken the mural, and their task, completely in stride. There might actually be nothing that phased her.
 
Well. She wasn't completely unaffected. Ana was unashamedly sprouting an eight-inch erection. Natalie's eyes flicked to it. Her cock. Her cock. And she was supposed to suck it? 
 
Off-putting, Ana had said. No, unfortunately, that wasn't what Natalie felt, right now. She was as embarrassed by the situation she was in—and Ana's matter-of-factness—as she was by just how much the idea excited her. Sucking her own cock shouldn't have her stomach squirming like it did. It was an obscenely lewd act.
 
So, she wouldn't be sucking her own. She would be sucking Ana's. That was the easier of the two options.
 
Ana's cock.
 
Oh, gods. Was it, though? The idea set her on fire just as much as the alternative—sucking her own. And her brain knew that she was doing both; her delusions could only comfort her so much. 
 
"Can't you have the grace to at least blush," Natalie groaned. "I'm about to suck your cock, and you're telling me how it's the practical decision?"
 
"I don't blush easily," Ana said. "But if it makes you feel better, I can assure you I'm looking forward to it for less practical reasons, too." She tilted her head. "Would you prefer for this to be more intimate? I assumed you would want to keep things professional."
 
Natalie buried her face in her hands. She couldn't do this. Ana was way too clueless.
 
Well, yes, she could, and would, but Ana wasn't making it easy.
 
"Okay," Natalie said. "Whatever. Let's just get through this." Squashing down her nervousness—the squirming in her stomach—she walked to Ana, then got down onto her knees.
 
Putting her face level with Ana's erect cock.
 
Her own erect cock.
 
It twitched in excitement.
 
"We do have a bed, you know," Ana said. "It'd be more comfortable."
 
Natalie ignored her. She stayed frozen, staring wide-eyed at the pulsing, veiny member sprouting from between Ana's legs. She shivered as the scent hit her. Musky and sweaty, a thick, heady smell from a day's worth of adventuring. Her stomach clenched in need. 
 
What would it taste like?
 
But it was her cock. She couldn't just … take it into her mouth. It was so obscene.
 
Natalie stayed that way, frozen, for a long moment.
 
Apparently, Ana took that as an indicator to act. "Now, don't be shy. Need some help? Let me get you started."
 
Ana grabbed the base of her cock, took a half-step forward, and slapped it down on Natalie's face. It hit with a meaty slap. Ana let it sit there, laid out across her face, pulsing heat into her cheek and onto her closed eyelid.
 
The action was as shocking as it was arousing. Natalie's lips parted as she started to pant loudly, a shiver thrilling through her. She looked up at Ana with wide eyes, the initiative the girl had shown taking her completely off guard.
 
"You're nervous," Ana explained. "That's understandable. And it sounds like you want this to be intimate, not professional. That's also understandable. So, I'll help."
 
Ana pulled her hips back, then slid her cock down Natalie's face. She stopped when her tip reached Natalie's lips. She let it rest there—precum lubricating her lips as Ana wiggled it side to side, rubbing her cocktip across Natalie's mouth.
 
"Come on, then," Ana murmured. "Open up. You want to see what it tastes like. I can tell. You're hungry for my cock. Or is it your cock?"
 
Natalie's body thrummed with heat. Her heart slammed so fast she could hear it in her ears. 
 
Where had this Ana come from? Was she putting on a show for Natalie's sake? Or was she actually into this?
 
It almost didn't matter. Her entire body pulsed with need. 
 
But she wasn't going to do this, was she?
 
Suck her own cock? 
 
She couldn't. Her own sweaty, smelly, throbbing cock. It was too perverted.
 
Ana pushed forward.
 
"Open," she ordered.
 
Natalie's lips parted, an action that wasn't entirely deliberate—half her subconscious need, and half how Ana forced her way in. 
 
Natalie relented. She opened.
 
Ana's cock, her own cock, slid into her mouth. 
 
Natalie groaned, desire blossoming in her stomach with such intensity that she nearly started shaking. Her hand went up to grab the base of Ana's cock. She opened her mouth fully, letting Ana's cock head push into her mouth. The salty tang of sweat and the musky aroma of arousal filled Natalie. Her tongue swirled around, licking up pre-cum and coating Ana's cock head with saliva. 
 
The release—giving in—was nearly orgasmic. Natalie felt like she was on fire.
 
"There you go," Ana murmured. "Good girl. How do you like it? The taste? Is it everything you expected?"
 
Natalie opened her eyes and met Ana's gaze. Seeing her own face looking down at her—while her own cock was in her mouth—was something else. Natalie went dizzy, and not just from disorientation, but sheer arousal. Why was this so erotic?
 
And though subdued, difficult to parse, she could read Ana's expressions. Her stoicism had melted. Having her cock in another girl's mouth was apparently enough to do the job. This might be partially an act—Ana's attempt to help Natalie enjoy their circumstances—but it definitely wasn't entirely one. The satisfaction on Ana's face was plain enough. 
 
And as much from pleasure, Natalie could tell it stemmed from Ana's dominant position. How easily Natalie was responding to her orders. How quickly she'd let Ana claim her mouth.
 
Ana liked that? Having Natalie on her knees? And why was Natalie being so submissive to her? Was it as simple as Ana's sheer disregard for the situation throwing her off-balance? Ana's strange brand of confidence?
 
At the moment, she couldn't really care why the usual dynamic had swapped—and why she liked it so much. 
 
Because she had a cock to suck.
 
4.37 - ❤ Swapped VI
 
Natalie felt like she was on fire, and there was more than one reason why. 
 
First, there was the obvious. She had her own cock in her mouth. It didn't matter that Ana was the one piloting her body. It was still her cock bulging her cheek outward, its sweaty scent filling her nostrils. 
 
Adding to that, making the situation even more overwhelming, was that this was her first time being intimate with Ana. The dark-haired mage had always been a bit of an enigma, and not someone Natalie had grown especially close to—though maybe that unfamiliarity only made this more exciting. Because she would hardly deny attraction to the woman, for all that they didn't know each other well.
 
Finally, adding to the sludge of arousal, was that this was Natalie's first cock. As in, from the receiving end. She'd always preferred girls, and while she had been magically granted a weapon, she'd never played around with one besides her own. Much less another girl's—which was, of course, even better. 
 
Her first experience with girlcock. It was more than she could have hoped for. And maybe this was egotistical, but it was a thick, veiny, amazing girl cock on top of that. Having it pulse heat and twitch inside her mouth as she ran her tongue across it was mind-melting. The way it so easily filled her mouth, stuffing her cheek outward.
 
"For how reserved you were a second ago, you're really getting into it," Ana murmured, a smirk teasing the edges of her lips. She slipped a hand onto the back of Natalie's head, into her hair, then pressed down, working Natalie deeper. "Who would've thought you'd be such a slut for your own cock?"
 
And there was that, too. The last factor turning Natalie into a puddle of hot arousal: Ana's suddenly confident demeanor. How easily she had fallen into a dominant role. Why did that do so much for her? Usually, Natalie preferred the opposite.
 
"Or is it my cock you're a slut for?" Ana asked. "I'd want an answer, but your mouth is full, and I don't want to distract my toy." She worked a second hand into Natalie's hair, then pushed harder, working her cock toward the back of Natalie's throat. "For that matter, I'm sure you can do better than this. Let's see how much you can take."
 
Timidity wouldn't have made much sense on Ana, Natalie was slowly realizing—though any kind of complex thought was difficult. Seeing Ana reciprocate in any capacity was strange after so many weeks of stoicism from her. Strange, but more erotic for the fact. Getting to see Ana's walls finally come down. Even if maybe Ana was doing it intentionally, making a show of dominating Natalie for Natalie's own sake. Ana had all but said she wanted to make it better for her. 
 
Intentional or not, honest reactions or not, it was working. And Natalie could tell Ana was being honest in some regard. The noises of pleasure made that much obvious. She liked the feeling of her cock in Natalie's mouth. 
 
And by how she was pushing Natalie, she wanted to go farther. To claim her throat and make it bulge outward. 
 
Natalie could do that for her. Relenting to Ana's pressure, she loosened her throat, relaxing as Ana urged her forward. The other girl's thick cock brushed against the back of her throat, and Natalie fought the reflex to gag. Her arousal made it easier than she'd have expected, despite her lack of experience. She wanted Ana's cock in her throat—her own cock in her throat—so badly that overriding other instincts wasn't much of a struggle.
 
Her throat strained as Ana's cock pushed into it. Ana was slow, but not gentle: she urged Natalie down with a firm pressure, pressing her hips forward to shove her cock in. When it finally slid down, popping into that restrictive tunnel, Natalie's entire body flashed with heat. In her throat. Ana was inside her throat.
 
It was a lot, both literally and figuratively. Natalie's cock was huge, and having it bend her throat outward was an intense experience. But the insane pressure, the way she gagged and struggled to make space, drove her wild with excitement. Her entire body pulsed with heat, her stomach squirming with so much arousal she felt like she might pass out.
 
Ana didn't stop there, and neither did Natalie. The two of them worked together to have Ana's cock sliding further and further, with Natalie wiggling her head and relaxing her throat muscles to make as much space as possible. Finally, Natalie buried her nose into Ana's soft pubic skin, kissing Ana around the base of her cock.
 
Ana sighed in satisfaction, both hands on the back of Natalie's head. Natalie looked up with watering eyes—then gagged, unable to help it. She had a lot of cock in her throat.
 
"Impressive," Ana murmured. "You really are a natural. But I'm not done, so be a good girl and keep it up. You don't need air that badly, right?"
 
Ana pulled her hips back, sliding thick eight inches from Natalie's throat, then slapped back forward, violently shoving Natalie down. The sensation of cock emptying then stuffing her in such quick succession renewed the fire burning across her skin—and also made her gag, which Ana ignored.
 
The other girl worked into a rhythm, rocking her hips back and forth, bulging Natalie's throat outward with each stroke. Natalie savored the sweaty taste of Ana's cock—her own cock—and the way it made her bulge wherever it traveled, even as she choked and struggled to accommodate Ana's eager motions. With a sort of ecstatic awe, Natalie placed one hand on her throat, feeling it distend with each thrust.
 
The feeling of having her throat used as a cocksleeve finally broke Natalie's resolve. Her other hand went between her legs, and she started rubbing at herself, needing her own physical relief. The pressure had grown too much to resist.
 
Ana smirked down at her, and Natalie's face burned with embarrassment at how blatantly she was enjoying this, but she ultimately didn't care. She wanted to feel good. Ana's violent use of her throat had broken down all of her barriers.
 
Natalie bobbed up and down on Ana's cock, Ana aiding her with a firm hold on the back of her head. The sight from down below was amazing—getting to look up at Ana's flushed face, the ecstasy that was so plain there, and her hips slapping into her face with each thrust.
 
Natalie approached climax with shameful speed. The cocktail of burning arousal, aided by her hand rubbing desperately between her legs, took her apart faster than she thought possible. Nearly no time passed before her climax started to wash through her, and the jolt of embarrassment didn't help fend off the imminent orgasm, but instead only drove her higher.
 
Ana, seeing Natalie start to fall apart, raised her eyebrows. "You're cumming before me?" she asked incredulously. "This is my first time with this thing, and I'm the one getting my cock sucked." She tutted even as she kept throat-fucking Natalie, seeming way too composed even now—if, at least, red-faced and panting. "That's pretty embarrassing, Natalie. You like the taste of your cock that much? So much that you're cumming just from being throat-fucked?"
 
The words pulsed through her, the taunting only taking her further apart, which was probably Ana's intention. Heat coursed through her veins as Natalie eagerly choked on Ana's cock, thrusting herself up and down, using her throat to massage the thick, pulsing member. Because she wanted Ana to finish. For Ana to stuff her stomach with cum. It was the only thing that would make this better—getting to feel her stomach fill up.
 
"You want it, don't you?" Ana asked in realization. "Me to finish inside?"
 
Natalie's begging eyes answered for her. For being clueless, Ana was apparently an empathetic partner. Who would have guessed? 
 
Natalie nodded rapidly, just to make it clear. She didn't care how shameful it was to give an affirmative. She was beyond embarrassment.
 
Ana gripped either side of Natalie's head, then started slapping her hips forward with renewed vigor.
 
"Since you've been a good girl," Ana said, "I'll indulge the request." Her mouth fell open as she started to pant in pleasure, face twisting as she approached ecstasy—clearly giving in to her desires, no longer holding off as she used Natalie's throat.
 
But, Natalie wondered, why had she been holding off? Taking it slow? Wasn't she all about practicality? Finishing as fast as possible? 
 
The thought only brushed her mind. She was too consumed with the twitching waves of pleasure washing through her, the scorching heat of orgasm, and the promise of Ana's climax. The way her cock twitched and swelled inside her throat, making it an even tighter fit.
 
Give it to me, Natalie begged. Fill me up. I want it. She couldn't speak the words, but she made it clear with her movements. Her vision started to blacken on the edges.
 
Ana groaned, then shoved Natalie's face down in one last violent smack, burying Natalie's nose into soft pelvic skin. Natalie closed her eyes as Ana's climax finally arrived.
 
Hot, sticky strings spurted into Natalie's throat, Ana's cock convulsing down her tight tunnel. Her legs shook as she kept Natalie's face squished into her, cock buried all the way in. Natalie's head swam as she ran out of air, but she didn't ask to pull off. She basked in the sensation of sticky ropes ejecting straight into her stomach. Her own cum. Ana was filling her stomach with her own cum. 
 
A second peak crashed into Natalie, her orgasm renewing, reaching even more scorching heights. She fell apart as Ana quaked in front of her, spilling her seed into Natalie's stomach, as she'd so desperately begged for. She felt herself filling with rope after rope of the hot liquid, to the point it started sloshing around inside her. She didn't know how long it took for Ana to empty herself, but it felt like forever—and also not nearly long enough. 
 
Natalie's vision went nearly entirely black before Ana finally slid out of Natalie's throat. Natalie fell backward, coughing and sputtering for air, her lower half still twitching from the aftershocks of her mind-erasing climax. The first breath of air was nearly as orgasmic as what she'd just been through. She'd been a hair's edge from passing out.
 
Laying on the ground, Natalie panted, coughed, and sputtered, coming down from her explosive high.
 
4.38 - Swapped VII
 
Intoxicating as the indulgence had been in the moment, coming down left Natalie in a bit of a situation. Pushing up and into a sitting position, she met eyes with Ana. 
 
What was she supposed to say after something like that?
 
She could swear she felt Ana's enormous load sitting in her stomach, warm and sticky, filling her up from the sheer amount she had eagerly squeezed out into her. The taste of Ana's cock—her own cock—lingered in Natalie's mouth. Her throat was sore. 
 
She did, at least, have a new appreciation for Jordan. Deepthroating an eight-inch cock wasn't an easy task, and that woman handled it like a champion.
 
For a moment, she and Ana simply looked at each other. Natalie, still on her knees, red-faced and panting, and Ana, with a softening cock that glistened with Natalie's saliva. Natalie could at least take solace that the stoic girl was panting too. Having her first cock-orgasm milked out had left the stoic girl wobbly-legged and unsteady. Natalie took some pride in that.
 
The dungeon saved them from having to say anything. As had happened with the first challenge room, a loud clicking made them both jump, followed by a cacophonous clattering of a chest onto the tile floor. They both spun in the direction, the noise startling them out of their post-deepthroat awkwardness. 
 
They stared at the chest, until finally, Natalie shakily stood. She wiped the stray saliva and cum from her lips, the result of Ana's sloppy throat-fucking. Cum sloshed around in her stomach as she stood. Just how much had Ana poured into her? She rested a hand on her stomach by instinct, almost expecting to feel it bulging. Of course, Ana hadn't cum that much, but it felt like she had.
 
"So. Let's see if all that was worth it," Natalie joked, getting her wobbly legs moving toward the loot chest.
 
The words felt ridiculous—how obviously she was brushing past the event. And emphasizing that she'd done it 'for a reward', instead of because she had desperately wanted to. But that delusion was the only way she could stop herself from melting into a puddle of embarrassment. By convincing Ana that she'd been eagerly stuffing her throat full as a matter of professionalism. And who knew? Maybe the socially clueless girl would believe her. Natalie didn't find that likely, since the noises Natalie had been making, and the desperation she'd been slapping her face into Ana's pelvis, made it rather clear. But for the sake of her shame, she would latch to the idea. It was her lifeline.
 
"I wonder if the rewards get progressively better," Ana commented. "Or if they'll be roughly the same as the ones before."
 
At the composure in her voice, Natalie spared a moment to internally curse Ana. Where Natalie's own voice had a tremble to it, and her entire body burned from the event that had just unfolded, Ana sounded actually neutral—and not like she was masking anything. To her, they'd taken care of a lewd challenge, and while she'd enjoyed it, she wasn't overly ruffled. Had her pleasure in the moment been a mask too? The dirty talk and dominant position she'd taken?
 
Honestly, Natalie was a bit miffed by the idea. Natalie had just used her throat to drain Ana like she was some kind of succubus, so didn't that merit some discomposure? Beyond what she had shown in the event itself?
 
Well, whatever.
 
"Guess we'll find out," Natalie said, unlatching the chest.  
 
Some apprehension swirled around inside her as she braced for what they would find. Amazing items were obviously welcome, but at the same time, her head was still spinning from what she'd done with Ana. To Ana. And to herself, for a meaning of the phrase.
 
Was this descent into depravity her future? And for that matter, would whatever loot reward was up next speed that up? Incite more lewd adventures with Ana? Which, while it had been amazing, Natalie wasn't sure she could handle. This whole event was all a bit much. She and Ana weren't even close, and while Natalie was down for some casual fun with strangers, it felt different with Ana. They were teammates. And clearly not a 'casual hookup' anyway. 
 
The chest cracked open, and Natalie took in their reward. 
 
Sitting at the bottom of the chest were ten vials of clear liquid, the potions looped together with a strap of leather. They seemed to be identical, all filled with the same liquid. 
 
Her last potion reward had been for reducing fertility. What would these be? Or were they normal dungeoneering potions? Natalie doubted that.
 
With some trepidation, she picked up the bundle, glass vials clinking together. She inspected one.
 
***
 
Replenishing Vials of Cleansing Solution
 
 
 
Description
 
A clear, durable, slippery liquid. When applied, will eliminate dirt, grime, and other filth. As long as the vial is not emptied, the solution will slowly refill. Serves as an excellent lubricant.
 
***
 
The clear liquid had the faintest of a sparkle to it, giving it a 'pristine' feeling. Cleansing solution. That was convenient, if less lewd than she'd imagined, considering all the hijinks they got up to in the dungeon. A way to freshen up would help with the dirtier realities of the dungeon. And since it replenished itself, it was basically infinite.
 
"Not really a show-stopper, but nice for utility," Natalie said. She tugged one of the vials out and handed it to Ana, who took it, then popped the top open. Natalie did the same.
 
After a brief test, they discovered the potion did as it promised. The liquid was thick and slippery, doubling as a lubricant. There was one downside—the solution lingered. It stuck around on their skin like a glistening oil, only the filth of what it touched disappearing.
 
To Natalie's dismay, Ana apparently wanted to get clean. Pouring more liquid out, she spread the solution all over her body. Natalie couldn't look away as Ana effectively put on a show, oiling up her body, hands running across her curves as she rubbed the material in.
 
Eventually, Ana was left standing with a nice coating of the liquid. Oiled from head to toe.
 
"I wonder how long the residue lasts," Ana said, poking at her arm and inspecting her finger. "I could see the slipperiness being inconvenient when it comes to keeping a grip on your weapon."
 
For a second, Natalie thought Ana meant weapon in the euphemistic sense. But no, she was talking practical dungeoneering. Natalie shouldn't be surprised. She didn't think the girl even realized she'd just oiled herself up—or how much that miniature show had done for Natalie. Again, Natalie was grateful that she didn't have a cock to give herself away.
 
Though, Ana did.
 
And Natalie wasn't entirely sure why, but she wanted to draw a reaction out of her. It wasn't fair how little she was responding to their lewd circumstances. Natalie would feel—she didn't know, exactly, but maybe vindicated if she could force an erection onto the girl.
 
"Still nice to be clean," Natalie said with deliberate neutralness. "And we can wipe our hands off, so it's not that big of a deal."
 
That said, she poured out a glob of her own cleaning liquid, then started working it into her body. She ran her hands up and down her breasts, stomach, hips, and thighs, working it in like Ana had. Though maybe with a bit more indulgence than the other girl. She oiled herself up until she was gleaming, making sure to squeeze her breasts, really working the liquid in.
 
And, to Natalie's delight—and subsequent embarrassment—Ana's cock did spring back up to its angry eight-inch mast. Natalie's eyes flicked to it, with Ana surely noticing, and the other girl shifted in place. She didn't seem know what to say. Which made two of them, except Natalie's cheeks—and her entire body—started to burn at what she'd just done.
 
She turned away. Once again, she had come out the more embarrassed between them, despite being the one to try to mess with Ana. Though at least Ana had seemed at a brief loss of words, not knowing what to say about her unfortunate erection. Or maybe how blatantly Natalie had just played with herself. 
 
A small victory? Natalie couldn't tell.
 
"Let's see what else we got," Natalie said, snapping the chest closed, then popping it back open. "Hopefully it's something more exciting."
 
4.39 - ❤ Swapped VIII & IX
 
It was, indeed, something flashier. Coincidentally, it was another weapon—a magical casting implement just like Liz had received, though in this case, not a wand. Nor a crystal ball, like what Ana would typically wield.
 
Nor, indeed, a weapon in any traditional sense.
 
"Oh," Ana said. "That is … quite strange."
 
"Strange," Natalie repeated flatly. "That's the understatement of the year."
 
Liz's wand, at least, had changed into lewd form through a 'form shift'. This spellcasting weapon, on the other hand, seemed to be an item with a more static presentation.
 
***
 
Expanding Nexus Gem
 
Rare
 
Lv. 2
 
 
 
Effects
 
- Arcane Reservoir. Mana can be stored inside the Expanding Nexus Gem and later drawn upon. When the Nexus Gem is overfilled, maximum capacity and physical size grow. 
 
- The Nexus Gem can only be used when inserted by someone other than the wearer. 
 
- Maximum capacity can only be increased while unequipped.
 
- Moderate increase to magical Furor.
 
 
 
Description
 
A hands-free primary weapon made of smooth steel and capped with a sparkling gemstone. When the gem is emptied of mana, it has a dull, clear appearance. Filled at maximum capacity, the gem will glow a pale, lustrous blue.
 
***
 
"This is absurd," Natalie said.
 
"I agree," Ana replied instantly. "An item that increases mana pool? With a persistent moderate Furor boost? That isn't a weapon that remotely deserves to be called a 'level two' weapon. How is it so strong?"
 
"Strong," Natalie said. "That's what you're focused on."
 
Ana paused. "The method of equipping is, admittedly, odd," she conceded. "But I already agreed with you there. And yes—it's strength is the more astounding feature. Plus, from a practical standpoint, that it can be wielded hands-free is objectively good."
 
Was Ana joking? Messing with her again?
 
"Though the fact I can't insert it myself does make it less convenient," Ana said. "The logistics could be an issue, especially in sudden spars or other events hosted at the Academy." She tilted her head. "Perhaps the solution is to always leave it in."
 
Natalie stared at her. There wasn't much else to do in a situation like this, with Ana delivering sentences like that.
 
"I wonder how much it grows, too," Ana continued, either oblivious or uncaring about Natalie's incredulity. Or maybe intentionally playing it up. Natalie really couldn't tell when it came to this girl. "I don't have any experience with that sort of insertion, so hopefully not too much. At least it looks manageable as it stands." She eyed the buttplug. "Somewhat. It's rather large, even for a starting point." She held a hand out. "Let me see?"
 
Natalie mutely handed it to her. Ana turned the item over, then held the buttplug up and inspected it closely. She chewed her lip. 
 
"Yes, it's going to be a tight fit. At least we were given lube. Think you can help?"
 
"Help?"
 
"I'm obviously going to equip it," Ana said matter-of-factly. "And the description says I can't put it in myself if I want its effects. So."
 
"You want me to plug you."
 
"Need you to plug me," Ana corrected. She paused. "Though 'want' would also be accurate. I realize these situations we're being put in are awkward, but I am having fun. Maybe that's worth making clear, considering our circumstances."
 
Natalie's head started to hurt. Why did she have to deliver that reassurance in such a monotone way?
 
As for the request itself. Plugging Ana. As a matter of necessity. Helping her equip her new weapon.
 
It was always one thing after the other with the dungeon, wasn't it?
 
"Okay. Yeah. Sure. Whatever. It's a good weapon, so let's get it in you." Ana had asked, after all, and who was Natalie to protest her unwavering resolve for practicality? "Do you want to fill it up with mana first? Since you can only do so while it's out."
 
"No. Better to see how I handle it at this size. And it doesn't say I can't fill it while it's in me—only overfill it, to make it stronger. If I had to guess, because each new upgrade should come with a challenge."
 
"Yeah. Right." Ana had paid more attention to the details than her. Natalie, personally, had been struggling to accept her new reality—no matter how often, and in how many ways, the dungeon shoved it in her face.
 
Ana unceremoniously handed the item back. "Okay. Then, thanks for the help."
 
"Just being a good teammate," Natalie said, feeling ridiculous. She sat down. "Here, get onto my lap. Easier."
 
Natalie patted her thigh, and without hesitation, Ana laid herself onto Natalie's lap, her butt sticking up. Ana's cock—obviously hard from anticipation—pulsed heat in Natalie's leg, sandwiched between her thigh and Ana's stomach. Natalie did her best to ignore it. 
 
And, at Ana's naked body being so close to her again, she tried not to think about how amazing Ana's cock had felt stuffed down her throat, the noises she'd made while spilling seed straight into her stomach. Seeing how the girl was naked on her lap, asking to be plugged, it wasn't easy. Natalie desperately fought away her temptations for a round two.
 
Accepting her fate, Natalie uncorked the potion of cleaning lubricant, then poured some of the thick, slippery liquid onto her fingers. She looked down at Ana's ass. Or, her own ass. Natalie had known in an abstract way that she had a nice butt, but getting to admire it from an outside perspective was … different. That, also, she tried not to think about—also to little success. How perverted was it that she couldn't stamp down arousal at seeing her own butt? Gods, this was all so weird.
 
She wondered what it would feel like. Despite having her cock stolen, a phantom urge to have her weapon wrapped around a hot, tight hole coursed through her, seeing Ana laid across her with her ass sticking up. Except, it was her ass. 
 
She seriously couldn't deal with this. Not that she had much of a choice.
 
Finally, Natalie brought her lubricated fingers to Ana's asshole. She rubbed the liquid around, teasing her entrance. Ana shivered at the cool sensation—or maybe more at Natalie's fingers caressing her. A sigh escaped the other girl, which Natalie ignored. She was already melting from this very unfortunate—or very fortunate—encounter, and she couldn't admit, even to herself, just how aroused she was.
 
Slowly, Natalie worked the lubricant around Ana's asshole, then slid a finger in, expanding the tight hole. Another noise of either pleasure and surprise escaped Ana, this time joined with a wiggle of her hips. Natalie felt nearly dizzy with her mounting arousal. Her reservations started to melt away—or any conscious thought at all. She had a cute girl—wearing her body, sure, but a cute girl nonetheless—on her lap, about to be filled up with a buttplug, and Natalie's brain was determined to enjoy the experience despite all of the oddities surrounding it.
 
She toyed around with Ana, wiggling her finger in, coating her insides with cleaning lubricant. A second finger joined the first, drawing another noise and another little wiggle of her hips. Natalie swirled around, then tugged her fingers apart, stretching the other girl in preparation. Moment by moment, Ana relaxed into the invasion.
 
Natalie replaced her fingers with two thumbs, then pulled gently in either direction, intensifying the stretch. She marveled at the noises Ana made, the reactions drawn by her arousal. It didn't matter how stoic the girl was—she couldn't sit silently through having her asshole played with. Just like she'd gone red-faced and panting while having her cock sucked. Even Ana had her limits.
 
"Taking your time, aren't you?" Ana groaned.
 
Natalie twitched in surprise. She'd almost forgotten where she was. She'd been playing around with Ana out of sheer enjoyment—enraptured by the way she could make her squirm.
 
"Just getting you ready," Natalie lied—though it was also the truth. "Better you're relaxed and stretched out. Like you said, it's gonna be a tight fit."
 
Natalie grabbed the buttplug and lined it up to Ana's hole. It tapered into a point, making it easy to insert, but at its widest, it had to be between two and three fingers wide—not an easy goal, seeing how Natalie's body wasn't exactly used to this sort of thing. She had to assume Ana wasn't experienced either, so the mental resistance of having something so large pushed up her butt would take some conquering. And Natalie was looking forward to that. Getting to help Ana push through. 
 
"Ready?" she murmured.
 
With Ana's face buried into her forearm, she mutely nodded.
 
Natalie rubbed the plug around, working the lubricant into the cold metal, teasing the tip across Ana's rim. She pushed, and the loosened-up hole slowly spread as her backdoor accepted the tip of metal. Ana groaned at the sensation, and Natalie's heart slammed in her chest, despite not being stimulated in any way herself.
 
Bit by bit, Natalie pushed deeper into Ana. The plug was too much for the poor girl, that much was obvious right away. But Ana was up to the challenge. Natalie wondered how much was her arousal helping her push through, and how much was her persistent 'sense of practicality'—her desire to equip her new weapon.
 
"There you go," Natalie murmured. The words slipped out without much conscious input. "You've got this. Easy does it. How you holding up?"
 
"It's tight," Ana gasped. "Just get it over with. Push."
 
"I don't think that's smart," Natalie said. Better to work it in slowly.
 
Though, admittedly, Natalie was enjoying the way Ana was squirming. As much because it was the better way to handle this, Natalie wanted to take her time for her own enjoyment.
 
Natalie wiggled the plug in deeper, inching closer to the most bulbous portion. She met resistance, and Ana squirmed even more fervently than before, but she didn't tell Natalie to stop. She pressed her forehead into her arm, grit her teeth, and made noises of pleasure mixed with pain—her stoicism breaking in face of the slow, mounting pressure.
 
Finally, they reached the summit. Natalie gave one last push, and Ana's asshole spread to accommodate the entire plug—and her ass swallowed the toy. Ana made her loudest groan yet, her back arching as the toy slipped in. 
 
But she'd taken it. A dull gemstone accessory—empty of mana—now adorned her back door. Apparently, Ana would be wearing it for the rest of the dungeon. And maybe to class, too.
 
"There we go," Natalie said, patting Ana's butt. "All situated. How's it feel?"
 
"Better than I expected, now that it's in," Ana said, surprising Natalie with her casual tone. She rolled off her lap. "And, admittedly, more painful going in. But not so bad, all things considered." She stood, then shook her hips side to side, as if getting herself, and her new toy, situated. Her cock wiggled around with the motion, hard and with precum glistening at the tip. 
 
Ana frowned. "It's very … noticeable." She took a few test steps, walking around the room, then shivered, her back arching. "Even just moving around is a lot. Dungeoneering will be interesting, like this." 
 
Interesting. Natalie snorted at the phrasing. It would definitely be 'interesting'.
 
"How visible is it?" Ana asked, turning around and displaying her butt—and the gemstone.
 
"Very," Natalie said plainly.
 
"Hm." She shrugged. "Oh well. It's an incredible item. I would be idiotic not to use it."
 
Idiotic might not be the word Natalie would use, but she didn't argue the point.
 
"So, that's it?" Ana asked. "The loot chest is empty?"
 
"I'm not sure I could handle another item," Natalie muttered. She stood, walked over to the chest, then closed and opened it. No new item materialized, so their loot was indeed expended. "Empty."
 
"Excellent. Shall we keep moving?"
 
Already composed again. Natalie might be able to extract physical reactions from the girl in the heat of the moment, but it seemed Ana would always regain her calmness not long after. It might actually be impossible to make her blush outside of actively pleasuring her. And if not so, then at least plugging the girl up hadn't done the job.
 
So unfair. Because Natalie herself was definitely burning scarlet from the encounter—as she had been since the start of these challenges.
 
"Keep it moving," Natalie agreed. She headed for the door.
 
"Should we talk about it?" Ana asked suddenly.
 
Natalie froze, then turned slowly to face the girl. "What do you mean?"
 
"Us," Ana said. "And all of this." She chewed her lip, her brow furrowing the smallest amount in what Natalie could only assume was concern. "What we just did. Because you seem—"
 
"There's nothing to talk about," Natalie announced loudly, cutting off that topic of discussion. "We're just doing what we need to. Right?"
 
Ana didn't reply right away, instead choosing to study Natalie. She didn't seem to know what to make of her response. Natalie appreciated the concern, the acknowledgment that what was going on was strange, and embarrassing—to her, at least—but Natalie cleared her throat loudly, again interrupting the girl's incoming response. She would rather not 'talk about it'.
 
"Seriously," Natalie said. "Let's just keep going. All of … that … doesn't matter. Or at least, no need to have a conversation about it. It's not a big deal."
 
"If you say so," Ana said slowly.
 
"I do."
 
Ana hesitated, but eventually nodded. Though she didn't seem satisfied leaving it there. After a moment, she opened her mouth, but seemed to rethink whatever she'd been about to say. Finally, words came out. 
 
"Then, for the record, let me just say that I thought you did a great job."
 
"A great job?"
 
"Earlier." Ana gestured down at her crotch. Her cock, which was still glistening from the oil-like lubricant she'd covered her body with—and previously, Natalie's saliva.
 
Natalie stared at her. "A great job?"
 
"You're very skilled."
 
Like she was congratulating her on a good performance in a spar. 
 
Somehow, despite Natalie's total lack of composure, she might be the one who knew how to handle this situation better. 
 
Ana had shown a surprising amount of emotion during Natalie's pleasuring of her, but outside sex, it seemed that the girl returned to her previous unreadability—and also, her social cluelessness. Because she thought Natalie had 'done a great job' sucking her dick? That was what she felt like she should make clear? 
 
Heavens Above.
 
She wished she could know what was going on inside Ana's head. What did she really think of all this? Knowing Ana, she might tell Natalie if she asked—in explicit detail. Though Natalie wasn't sure she was ready to hear the answer, delivered in the girl's stony monotone.
 
And, bizarre as the words had been, Natalie admittedly did appreciate the compliment. Not that she wanted to go further down that conversational path.
 
"Thanks," Natalie said dryly. "But, seriously, let's continue? We've got a dungeon to clear."
 
Ana nodded, also eager to move on. She gestured for Natalie to continue.
 
"And if I had to guess," Natalie said, "the next room's gonna be combat. We only have a pattern of two so far, but I bet it alternates. Fighting, then … other stuff." She hefted up her hammer. "Though, who knows what bullshit the dungeon will throw at us? Like always, be ready."
 
4.40 - Ana I
 
The downsides of Ana's new weapon became apparent rather quickly. 
 
Not her metaphorical new weapon, but her literal one, drawn from the most recent loot chest. She'd known walking around with a plug of metal inside her would pose more than a few difficulties, but even the short trip to the next hallway door emphasized just how much so.
 
Ana was a mage, and so the buttplug's effect on her physical coordination wouldn't matter much, but the mental distraction would. The sensation of a thick plug stirring around inside her with each step meant staying focused was going to be a challenge in both the immediate future, and her foreseeable delving career, so long as the gemstone accessory stayed her best available weapon.
 
Ana wouldn't call herself the most distractible woman, finding it quite easy to focus on the task at hand, but the particular concoction of distractions she was faced with overruled her natural proclivities: her new cock, Natalie's nakedness, and a thick new buttplug meant that she wasn't particularly paying attention to her surroundings as Natalie swung open the door, headed for the next intermediary hallway to the series of challenge rooms. Ana's cock stood proudly at attention, twitching, feeling hot, and bobbing side to side with her movements. The thick, pulsing member was still disorienting; she had far from gotten used to it. Ana didn't think that would change any time soon, especially with constant stimulation. She'd barely been managing to keep the thing under control even before having her ass plugged.
 
She just hoped that during combat the sensation would be easier to ignore. That was the one thing that would make her retire the weapon—if it proved itself impractical.
 
Even as she and Natalie advanced to the next hallway, Ana idly tested the plug's mana-storage capabilities. It was as seamless to activate as she hoped. A simple thought filled the gem, and just as easily, she could withdraw the stored mana, returning it to her natural mana pool. She'd been worried that moving that enigmatic power around would come with downsides—difficulty, or perhaps conversion losses—but that didn't seem to be the case.
 
The storage size was impressive even at the plug's base tier, too: almost half of Ana's entire pool. That was a phenomenal boon to take into any given fight. A fifty percent bonus to her mana was genuinely an unbelievable level-two tool, and it more than made up for the distracting sensations associated with equipping it. And while the plug didn't provide a means to regenerate mana faster, and so over the course of a long dungeon run, its usefulness waned, being able to recharge fully and enter a boss fight—or any other important encounter—with so much more starting mana was incredible.
 
Ana intended to make good use of the [Expanding Nexus Gem]. Inserting it had been challenging to begin with, though, and so progress might not come quickly. She wasn't sure just how large the accessory would grow, but if Ana had to guess, fairly large. The good news was that walking around with it stretching out her ass out all day ought to be good training—it shouldn't be too long before she was accustomed to taking an impressive amount of metal up her ass. 
 
Which wasn't a delving proficiency Ana had ever thought she would acquire, but these were strange times.
 
Perhaps, even, she should wear it around campus. She would have to come up with explanations for where her weapon had gone, and learning to not walk suspiciously could be a problem too. But she would handle that when she got to it. Plus, the requirement to have a teammate insert the gem was its own roadblock. It was only fair such an amazing piece of equipment came with burdensome downsides. Ana was still quite pleased with the item.
 
Before swinging open the door and entering the next hallway, Natalie glanced back at her. Her eyes flicked down to Ana's cock, though quickly, like she hadn't meant to. Her cheeks colored, and she looked back forward. Ana didn't comment, though her skin tingled at being so obviously admired. 
 
Despite all the absurdity of the past hour, Natalie stayed aware of the potential for danger. She peeked through the door cautiously, scouting for enemies or traps. Ana had expected the upcoming hallway to be the same as the previous two, but by how Natalie paused, Ana knew something was up.
 
"What is it?"
 
"There's a mirror."
 
"There is?"
 
"Near the ladder." Natalie frowned at whatever she could see inside the hallway—Ana kept a safe distance. "It doesn't look dangerous, but we should be ready for something."
 
Ana pushed aside her previous musings, and the awkwardness and excitement of her and Natalie's lewd adventures and loot. Once again, they were dealing with the dungeon proper, and a lack of focus could mean injury or death. It was more than a bit jarring having to swap between the two vastly different contexts, but they didn't have much choice. And in an odd way, the contrast highlighted the events, made them more potent for their strangeness.
 
Ana followed after Natalie. As Natalie had said, there was a mirror to the right of the exit ladder, though the joining hallway was otherwise the same as the earlier ones. Ana scanned the walls, floor, and ceiling, looking for traps, but found nothing. 
 
They approached the mirror cautiously. After their last encounter with a mirror throwing them into this trap to begin with, and the boss utilizing them as a key mechanic, Ana chose to have an abundance of wariness—as did Natalie.
 
"It's … not a mirror?" Natalie said. "Just glass. It's not reflecting anything. I can see through it." 
 
Natalie held her hammer up, prepping herself for something that might fling itself through—since that was how the last boss fight had gone. Ana didn't find that likely, though. The hallways seemed to be safe zones. Something else was up.
 
They finished approaching the suspicious furnishing. Natalie's muscles tensed, being the first to arrive, with Ana keeping a safe distance, as any mage should. Natalie got a full vantage of what was inside the mirror, and her eyes widened. Ana, out of curiosity, edged in too, wanting to see.
 
Inside the mirror, a form became visible. White-haired, in full delving gear, and with a rapier at her hip, the sight was familiar, though highly unexpected.
 
"Sofia?" Natalie exclaimed.
 
"Ana?" Sofia's reply came, just as surprised. More so, even, probably because they were naked—not something Sofia had expected to see.
 
Ana finished coming to Natalie's side, assuming by this point that a monster wouldn't come hurling through the mirror. Their team's white-haired rapier-wielding fighter stood there—staring at them with wide eyes, a blush quickly growing on her cheeks. Sofia looked relieved despite her embarrassment, though. Ana covered herself up with her arms and hands, following Natalie's lead. She wasn't nearly as perturbed by nakedness as most people—whether it was her own or others'—but that didn't mean she wouldn't follow basic rules for modesty. Even if it felt like it was becoming rather pointless, considering Natalie's class.
 
"And Nat," Sofia said, eyes turning to her next. "You're fine too. That's good." She sounded relieved—Ana supposed disappearing into a trap was something worth worrying about.
 
"Jordan?" a new voice interjected. "Did you found something?"
 
Ana paused. It was Jordan's voice who had asked the question—something that made Ana instantly suspicious of what was going on. 
 
"Who are you talking to?" Jordan's voice continued from out of sight. The dark-haired rogue arrived at Sofia's shoulder a moment later. Liz, the last unaccounted-for member of their party, also joined them, crowding around the mirror. 
 
"It's them," Sofia answered Jordan. "The mirrors are linked, I guess?" Sofia frowned at Natalie and Ana. "And why are you two naked?" The white-haired girl studied Ana, as if sensing something was off. If Ana had to guess, she and Natalie were easy to tell apart, even if they were in each other's bodies. Natalie was much more expressive than Ana, and she looked plainly relieved to see the rest of the party. Ana, on her part, kept her usual neutral mask, which had to look out of place while wearing Natalie's face. 
 
"Actually, that's a dumb question," Sofia said. "Let me guess, something to do with Natalie's class."
 
Ana could also sense that something was off with the three women crowded around the mirror. Sofia, Jordan, and Liz's mannerisms were all wrong, in a hard-to-place but nonetheless obvious way. Joined with the earlier hint—Jordan calling Sofia by her own name—Ana suspected what was going on. And Sofia confirmed the theory in short order.
 
"Oh, and I'm not Sofia," Sofia said. "She is." Sofia—or, correctly put, Jordan in Sofia's body—gestured at Liz. "And that's Liz." She pointed at Jordan. Sofia frowned, her eyes flicking between Ana and Natalie. "You two also swapped, didn't you?"
 
4.41 - Ana II
 
"We did," Natalie confirmed. "I didn't think you three would, though. And why aren't you naked, then?"
 
"Why would we be?" Jordan asked. "That's your class."
 
Ana tilted her head. It was a fair point. The three seemed to have been caught up in the same trap, seeing how they had swapped bodies, but since they weren't with Natalie, the dungeon had given them a less sex-oriented debacle.
 
"But what's the point, then?" Natalie asked, confused. "What's even the challenge?"
 
"What's the challenge?" Jordan asked, eyebrows going up. "Our classes and bodies are swapped. What do you mean, what's the challenge?"
 
Ah. Ana and Natalie had gotten to keep their classes, but that was because they had lewder activities to undergo—the combat was peripheral. Not so for the rest of the party, who had been split off into a similar, but different, adventure.
 
Ana had only just gotten used to seeing Natalie talk in a different body. The rest of her team also having been scrambled was difficult to adjust to. She needed to constantly remind herself who was speaking. Not Sofia, but Jordan wearing Sofia's body.
 
"You didn't keep your classes?"
 
"You did?"
 
"Yeah."
 
Jordan's brow scrunched down. "Well, then, what's the point for you? What's the trap?" She paused, and her lips curled up mischievously. "Actually, another dumb question. Let me guess. You two are handling some other difficulties from swapping bodies." Her eyes flicked to Ana—wearing Natalie's body—who was covering herself with both hands. 
 
Natalie was more embarrassed by the implication than Ana, like usual. Her face went red, and she shifted side to side as she struggled to come up with a deflection. Ana sympathized with her plight, even if she wasn't as embarrassed.
 
"No, there's been plenty of fighting, too," Natalie said. "I'm not sure what you're implying."
 
Jordan's smirk deepened, and she opened her mouth, ready to press Natalie's obvious lie. Ana interjected before she could. Half for Natalie's sake, and half because there were more important things to be talking about. Jordan could tease Natalie on her own time. 
 
"You three followed in after us?" Ana asked. "Or did the dungeon force you to?"
 
Jordan paused, then turned to her, her teasing remark drying up. She gave Ana an odd look. "Of course we followed. It's not like we'd sit around and wait." She frowned at Natalie. "Though, just rushing in like you did was nothing short of idiotic, Nat."
 
"That's putting it politely," Liz muttered—and Ana had to remind herself it was Sofia in her body. The blatant insult had taken Ana aback, coming from the persistently friendly girl.
 
"Yeah, yeah," Natalie said, brushing it off. "I just kinda acted. I know I shouldn't have. But how are you three holding up?" Her brow furrowed. "And what's up with this mirror? Why is the dungeon letting us talk to each other?"
 
"Good question," Jordan said. "I've got no idea. And we're doing fine. Sort of. We're surviving. Swapping classes is kind of rough. Liz isn't the greatest with bladed weapons, and Sofia is …" Jordan hesitated, searching for a way to put it politely.
 
"Not a mage," Sofia grumbled, wearing a dark expression that was odd to see on Liz's face. "It's given me a newfound respect for your situation. Having a casting class just dumped onto my lap and being forced to cope."
 
"It was a struggle," Natalie agreed. "So, you three are having to learn each other's skills?"
 
That was an interesting concept, but also violating. Being forced to share the details of their classes with each other just so that they could survive. Honestly, Ana would have been more upset by that situation than the one she and Natalie had ended up in. Sharing the details of one's class was highly intimate, much more so than being naked, in Ana's frank opinion. Her class was written into her soul, but being stuck naked, or even encouraged into intimacy—well, it was just smashing genitals together. Ana didn't get what the big deal was.
 
The other three didn't seem too upset by the swap, though. Then again, they'd already had time to adjust to their situation, and even more to the point, Ana was hardly the best at reading people. Maybe they were uncomfortable with it, and she just couldn't tell.
 
"But yeah, we're doing fine. Jordan's carrying us," Liz piped in, her tone sounding too cheerful for using Sofia's voice. "She barely had to adjust, since Sofia's class is nearly rogue-like as it stands."
 
"And lucky for her," Sofia said sourly. It was rather clear the competitive girl didn't like being the deadweight of the team, having to struggle with spell-casting for the first time.
 
"The dungeon adjusted its difficulty with the swap in mind," Jordan said. "It's not throwing anything impossible at us. It's seriously weird, though. And definitely not easy. What about you two? It's not looking bad?"
 
"We're pushing through."
 
"Having a good bonding experience?" Jordan asked slyly. "You still didn't tell me what you've been up to."
 
Again, Natalie's face reddened at the obvious implication. And at how easily Natalie was reacting, Jordan's delight grew.
 
Before she could get something out, though, Ana again came to Natalie's rescue. Natalie wasn't typically a girl who needed to be rescued, but it was clear she was embarrassed by the situation—and especially by the details. She probably didn't want the details of their misadventures getting out. How she'd so eagerly sucked Ana's—or her own—cock.
 
"How are the rewards for you three?" Ana cut in.
 
Jordan paused, her teasing cut off for a second time, then narrowed her eyes at Ana. Ana knew the other girl was socially insightful—certainly ten times more so than Ana—and Ana wasn't particularly subtle even when she was trying her hardest. Seeing how Ana had done it twice now, Jordan had probably picked up how Ana was intervening for Natalie's sake. Added with how quickly Natalie was blushing, Jordan could tell something was up.
 
"Good, but nothing special," Jordan said after a brief pause. She studied Ana, then nodded at her—though Ana hadn't a clue what the gesture implied. "Let me guess. You two have been getting crazy loot."
 
"Some of the most interesting yet, even accounting for Elizabeth's wand."
 
Liz's eyes widened at that, for good reason. Her wand had already been one of the strangest—and strongest—items Ana had heard of, considering its low level. 
 
"Oh, wow," Liz said. "I don't know if I even wanna guess."
 
"It's best we save explanations for our reunion," Ana said. "It'll take time to go through it all." There was the stat-boosting potions, and Ana's new weapon as well. Probably more to come.
 
"Can't wait to see the haul," Jordan said, her lips curling up—and with a sparkle in her eye that said she meant the words. She knew that loot coming from a challenge that was forcing her and Natalie into nakedness would involve something lewd, and she was excited to see what. Amusingly, Jordan seemed to be the most at ease with Natalie's class than anyone besides possibly Ana herself. 
 
Sofia, unsurprisingly, just shook her head in disapproval, incredulity, or something similar.
 
"But really," Jordan said. "Stop deflecting. What challenges are you two getting, if you weren't forced to swap classes? Have you—"
 
A sudden crashing made all five of them jump. Jordan's head snapped to the side, looking at something Ana and Natalie couldn't see. Her eyes widened, hand shooting to her belt and drawing Sofia's rapier in an instant. Then, just as suddenly as the interruption had come, the mirror shattered, spraying Ana and Natalie with a shower of glass shards.
 
Which was, Ana would admit, a convenient way to cut Jordan's interrogation off.
 
After spinning side to side, scanning to clear the room and look for any threats on their end, Natalie turned to Ana. 
 
"Shit. What was that?"
 
Ana shrugged. "They'll be fine." She didn't have a clue, but she also had faith in her teammates. Danger was a given in the dungeon, and she wasn't going to panic every time something unexpected happened. Jordan, Sofia, and Liz knew how to handle themselves. Even Natalie, the more emotional—and certainly more attached—wasn't too bothered, though she did send several concerned looks at the broken mirror, chewing her lip as if trying to puzzle out a way to help them.
 
"I wanted to ask if they had optional ways out, like we do," Natalie said, gesturing at the ladder. "And what's up with the dungeon letting the five of us talk in the first place? What's the point? Was there something we should have told them?"
 
"Maybe," Ana said. It hadn't crossed her mind that there was anything urgent they needed to convey. "Maybe the dungeon just wanted to let us know they were fine. Unharmed."
 
Natalie gave her a doubtful look.
 
"More likely, though, it just wanted to embarrass us further," Ana said. "By showing off our circumstances."
 
"Why would it want to do that?"
 
"Why would it want me to shove my cock down your throat?" Ana countered. Clearly, the theme of the challenge was to mortify Natalie—to push her boundaries. So her explanation for the mirror made some sense, in that context.
 
And, apparently, Ana had just helped the dungeon with that goal. Because the question was too direct; Natalie flushed and turned away. 
 
She hadn't been trying to tease Natalie. That was part of the reason why she was oftentimes absurdly direct, to the point of obviously messing with people. To mask when she was doing so accidentally. Ana was entirely aware she could be clueless. Thus, the practical solution was to mask that weakness behind a cool face and dry humor—it made it less obvious when she was floundering unintentionally.
 
"Questioning the dungeon is pointless," Ana said, brushing past Natalie's reaction. "It does what it does. In the best of cases, an entity like it will behave enigmatically. So, we worry about ourselves, not its indecipherable motives. As for the mirror—what happened, happened. No point in fretting. They'll be fine."
 
"Right." 
 
Natalie glanced at the next door, the entrance into the next challenge room. If following the same pattern, it would be combat, not a lewd encounter. They still had a brief reprieve before their next event, whatever it would turn out to be.
 
Ana hesitated. They 'needed to worry about themselves', as she'd just said, but maybe not just in the sense of danger. By Natalie's continued blushing, Ana was honestly worried whether Natalie was okay with all of this. Perhaps the excellent rewards were coercing her into things she didn't want. 
 
Then again, Ana doubted that was the case. Natalie had been too enthusiastic to get her mouth around Ana's cock. At the same time, this series of encounters wasn't the most organic of situations. In Ana's opinion, that was even what made it so exciting—or at least so titillating. Certainly, they weren't being forced into anything, but they were being encouraged into plenty.
 
Regardless, Natalie's constant blushing and less-than-typical non-confidence made it clear she had been put on the back foot. Uncomfortable, in a way, despite her enthusiasm when the sticky situation had started. And despite Natalie's insistent that they shouldn't talk about it, Ana thought they should. 
 
Just, how to go about it? Ana wasn't exactly a social savant. She didn't know how to navigate a conversation that obviously required tact. 
 
But better to talk than to not, Ana decided. It was time to put her foot down. 
 
For both of their sakes, she needed Natalie to admit that she wanted more of her cock.
 
4.42 - Ana III
 
It was unfortunate that she, of all people, had to initiate a genuine conversation. Of her talents, heart-to-heart discussions were most definitely not a specialty. Ana knew she thought, acted, and perceived things differently than most people—and so, naturally, social matters had always been a weak point. In fact, she suspected Natalie's awkwardness and uncomfortableness stemmed, at least in part, from Ana herself.
 
Though, maybe uncomfortable was too strong of a word. Natalie didn't seem to dislike her, or feel ill at ease around her. Ana didn't think Natalie wanted to exit the challenge but couldn't work up the nerve—it wasn't that extreme. But their unfamiliarity, and her aloof and analytical behavior, certainly didn't mesh with Natalie's passionate and direct nature.
 
That had been part of the reason Ana had taken up a dominating personality, earlier. It had been an intuitive response to Natalie's reactions, an attempt to give the woman some stability. Maybe if Ana acted confident, then Natalie would find comfort in that—Ana could be her anchor.
 
And it had worked, so she kept on with it. She considered herself practical above all else. She could be a leader, or a follower, or whoever else was needed for any given situation, so long as it worked toward her current goal. Hence, she had been fine with taking a dominant role over Natalie—with the intent Natalie drew strength from her. 
 
Then things had escalated. Ana wouldn't have guessed that demeaning Natalie, man-handling her, and dirty-talking would be what the girl needed to 'be more comfortable' with the bizarre challenge of sucking her own cock, but it seemed to have done the job. 
 
At least in the moment. Long term, it might have backfired. Ana's total lack of embarrassment might be making Natalie's even more prominent—her confidence siphoning Natalie's, rather than giving the other girl something to draw on. 
 
But Ana wasn't sure. She didn't trust her theories on other people's behavior—she was far from a people person. And there was another more obvious reason for Natalie's embarrassment: the intrinsically mortifying nature of the event. It was more than plausible that Natalie was embarrassed simply because she had sucked her own cock. Ana personally didn't think it was that big of a deal, but Natalie's opinion obviously differed.
 
Again, Ana mused on how poorly fit she was to handle this situation. She could, at least, tell that her blank expression was making it harder for Natalie. Ana wasn't completely clueless as to what other people were thinking … only more than most. She even liked to play up that cluelessness for comical effect, because it gave her an excuse when she really did fail to notice something obvious. When she'd been younger, people had told her she looked confused a lot—which had oftentimes been true. She didn't understand why most people acted like they did. Only through scrutiny over the years had she even begun to understand. And since it was better to be aloof and analytical than confused, especially in political circles, Ana kept careful control of her reactions.
 
But she wondered whether showing some embarrassment, here, would be good for Natalie. Then again, her confidence had encouraged Natalie to complete the last challenge—and Natalie had seemed to quite like it, even. Plus, Ana's irreverence for the lewdness of the event might be one of the reasons Natalie wanted to keep pushing forward.
 
In short, Ana had no idea. This whole event was a mess, and she was terrible at reading people, so she didn't know how to continue. That said, in her opinion, they should press forward. This encounter was worth seeing through to any length—possibly even extreme ones. Their career already included slaughtering monsters, wading around in filth, and risking their lives, so while it was weird to suddenly have sexual encounters mixed into that, it didn't faze Ana much. She didn't really understand the big deal. People had always put way more importance on smashing their genitals together than Ana thought it deserved.
 
But, she acknowledged that her opinion—or even she in general—wasn't 'the normal one'. And she cared about what other people thought, especially her teammates. So she didn't want to state those opinions outright to Natalie, who was clearly hesitant about how far she wanted to pursue their bizarre circumstances. It might influence her to go farther than she would otherwise, and Ana didn't want that to happen. She would help Natalie work through any hesitance, but she had no intention of forcing her past any hard boundaries. 
 
The swapped bodies made things even messier. Even Ana's own emotions had gotten a bit twisted up, seeing Natalie wear her own face to suck her newly-acquired cock dry. Ana had never expected to know what her own mouth and tongue would feel like against her cock, and she also hadn't expected to like it so much. Seeing how she knew she was rather indifferent on many sexual matters that others found mortifying, that even she felt a few confusing emotions swirling around indicated that a normal person—like Natalie—would be a complete mess.
 
Ana shook her thoughts clear. Despite this being a disaster, and Natalie's clear aversion to talking it out, they needed to have a conversation. Ana didn't trust her social judgment enough to hope things worked out. This was too important for that.
 
So, it was up to her to draw Natalie's honest thoughts out. Get more than her implied permission—and have her state outright that she was enjoying herself. That she wanted more of her—or Ana's, if she wanted to think of it that way—cock, and that she wasn't simply trudging along because Ana herself insisted on doing so.
 
Ahead of her, Natalie had advanced to the door, grabbing the handle as she was about to move to the next room. With no more time to muse over her unfortunately perplexing circumstances, Ana interrupted her.
 
"We should talk."
 
Natalie paused, then turned back with a curious look. "About what?"
 
"Us. And what's coming up."
 
Natalie's expression shifted into something she couldn't entirely decipher. Not for the first time, Ana wished people weren't so difficult to read. She acknowledged the irony there. She was often told she was the hard one to read. But that had been a defense mechanism developed because she herself found people confusing.
 
"I already said that there's no point," Natalie said. "We'll deal with it when we get there." She twisted the handle, making to continue.
 
"I disagree," Ana said firmly. "And I'm not moving to the next room until I'm comfortable that we've worked something out."
 
That, oddly, drew a stronger reaction from Natalie than Ana would have expected. She stiffened, then faced Ana, brow furrowing in concern. 
 
"You're … not comfortable with this?" Natalie asked slowly.
 
It took Ana a second to understand the sudden worry, but she eventually did. Natalie was more concerned about Ana than herself—as soon as there'd been an implication Ana didn't want to continue, she'd taken the situation deadly serious. Never mind her own obvious internal conflict. If Ana had even the slightest hesitations, then this was suddenly a serious situation. It was a sweet, if frustrating, trait.
 
But maybe that was how Ana should phrase all of this, then. Focus the discussion on herself, not Natalie.
 
"Not without knowing where you stand, I'm not," Ana said. "I'm perfectly fine abandoning this series of challenges, but I'm not fine with damaging a relationship with a teammate—or inadvertently coercing you into something you don't want."
 
The first half of that statement was a lie. Ana was most decidedly not okay with abandoning such an absurdly lucrative venture. But the second half was firmly true; if Natalie didn't want to continue, then Ana didn't. It would cause far worse damage to their team in the long term than taking things slow and easing into Natalie's class. 
 
And more than that, she did care about Natalie's well-being. Ana knew she could be coldly analytical about things, but she wasn't heartless. She cared about her teammates. Especially ones who had been so friendly to her. Ana had frankly not expected to make friends at Tenet—and she likely wouldn't have, if not for Elizabeth. So she would rather not mess that up, amazing loot or not.
 
Irritation appeared on Natalie's face. "You're not coercing me into anything," she said hotly. "I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions, and if I don't want to do something, I can say so."
 
The heat behind the words assuaged the worst of Ana's worries. But not all of them.
 
"Nonetheless, I won't be comfortable until we talk about what happened, and what's coming up deeper into the dungeon. I need to know what you're okay with. Your boundaries."
 
"We'll figure it out when—"
 
"We'll figure it out now," Ana said firmly. "Or I'm climbing up that ladder."
 
At the lack of give in her voice, Natalie's eyebrows went up. She didn't seem pleased. She stepped away from the door, hand thankfully leaving the door handle, but only for her to cross her arms—body language plainly displaying irritation. Ana was bad at reading people, but not that bad. 
 
"Fine," Natalie said shortly. "But if you want to do this so badly, then you start. What are you okay with? How far are you willing to go?" She narrowed her eyes. "And why aren't you reacting to any of this? I mean, really! None of this is the least bit disorienting?"
 
Outrage was a good first step, Ana supposed.
 
But her boundaries? They didn't really exist, or at least were far, far above Natalie's, to the point of not being worth talking about. Certainly, the idea of outright sex—which Ana expected to be coming soon, or if not soon, then eventually—didn't faze her in the slightest. 
 
But how did Ana say that tactfully, without putting Natalie off?
 
4.43 - Ana IV
 
Apparently, Ana's expression joined with her hesitation gave her answer away—because Natalie's face morphed into incredulity. 
 
"Really," Natalie said. "You've got no problem at all with fucking yourself. With sticking my cock into your pussy. That's not something you have the least bit of feelings about?"
 
"That's not true," Ana calmly defended herself. "I have plenty of thoughts on the possibility. Primarily, that I'm looking forward to it."
 
Natalie stared at her.
 
Perhaps that had been too blunt. 
 
"And not for the rewards," Ana clarified. "This is an opportunity we might only get once. Thus, I'm more than willing to discover what it's like." 
 
She wouldn't consider herself a thrill-seeker, always looking for new experiences, but growing a cock, and getting to play around with her own body? Ana would admit interest—and the practical benefits granted by the dungeon just made it better. 
 
Because of how little it bothered her, Ana could tell that this was a challenge focused more on Natalie than Ana herself. As fitting, seeing how it was Natalie's class influencing the dungeon.
 
"And that it's with you makes it even better," Ana tacked on. 
 
That part, she wasn't sure whether she should include, but she did anyway. Ana couldn't decide whether approaching this from a personal or impersonal perspective was smarter, so she would just be honest. That was probably for the best anyway.
 
Natalie flushed, some of the heat taken from her posture. "Well, I'm glad you can take it all in stride, but seriously? Having sex with your own body is a bit much, isn't it?"
 
Ana shrugged.
 
"I'm allowed to be flustered by the idea, okay?"
 
"But is it too much?" Ana asked.
 
"No. It's not too much," Natalie growled, looking away. "I'm fine, and I said I was. If that changes, I'll say something. You don't need to do all of this."
 
"Yes, I do."
 
"Why?" Natalie shot back. "Is this some kind of power play? You just have to make sure I embarrass myself as much as humanly possible? Drag as many mortifying statements out of me as you can?"
 
Ana tilted her head. She studied Natalie. Seeing the woman stand there, blushing, annoyed, and most importantly, vulnerable, something unexpected stirred inside Ana. Something that had reared up earlier, when she'd been playing dominant during their first encounter.
 
Maybe it hadn't been 'playing'.
 
Ana's feet carried her forward, not entirely by active intent. She stalked toward the other girl, and at the sudden advance, Natalie's eyes widened. She took an instinctive step away, but her back pressed into the wall, with nowhere to escape to. Ana closed the gap and used her newfound height to tower over Natalie, pushing the shorter girl by her waist and pinning her into the wall.
 
"Maybe that is what I want," Ana murmured, drawing her face close. "Maybe I do like seeing you squirm. Is that so bad?"
 
"W-What?"
 
"But even if that wasn't true," Ana said, "I think it's best if you just admit what you want. It'll put both of us at ease."
 
Natalie stayed frozen, eyes wide, breathing heavily as Ana towered over her. Ana could get used to the height difference—it was unfortunate she wouldn't keep it forever.
 
"Go ahead," Ana insisted, getting her face even closer. "Tell me the truth. You can be honest with me. It's just us here."
 
"I …"
 
The other girl was at a complete loss for words, which satisfied Ana. Her angry confidence from earlier drained so fast Ana would almost think she was always this wide-eyed and blushing.
 
"Come on, then. Say it." Ana leaned closer. "You want to find out what my cock feels like, don't you? What your cock feels like. Stop dancing around it. Just tell me the truth."
 
Natalie finally stammered something in response. "Are you—are you serious?"
 
"Yes or no, Nat? Do you want my cock? I could give it to you here. Get the ceremony out of the way, so the dungeon can't hold it over us." Ana's hands wandered lower down onto her hips, and she tugged the other girl into her. "Would you like that?"
 
With wide eyes, Natalie panted as she stayed frozen solid. Seeing the expression on her face, Ana couldn't help herself—that same feeling from earlier surged inside her, forcing her body to move. She leaned forward, closing the last of the distance, and captured Natalie's mouth. The other girl reciprocated instantly, opening her mouth and letting Ana's tongue slip inside.
 
They stayed that way, kissing hungrily, Ana's hands exploring Natalie's body, and the other girl doing the same. It hadn't been the way Ana had intended this conversation to go, but something had overwhelmed her, her body acting of its own volition.
 
But at how easily Natalie had kissed back, she had received a straightforward answer.
 
Ana broke away, gasping for air, her eyes dilated with excitement. Natalie was the same, her chest rising and falling like she'd been sprinting.
 
"I still want an answer," Ana murmured. Obvious as the kiss had been. Though at this point, it might be because she really did want to embarrass Natalie.
 
Natalie swallowed. Ana let her find her words; the poor girl was obviously overwhelmed, if in a different way than Ana.
 
"It's just … weird," Natalie mumbled.
 
"But not bad?"
 
"Not bad."
 
"And you're fine with what's happening? What's coming up?"
 
"Y-Yes."
 
Ana wasn't satisfied with the one-word response. She pressed back into Natalie, kissing her again. When she pulled away, leaving Natalie panting even louder than before, she nearly growled her next words. 
 
"I want a real answer. Tell me. Do you want me to fuck you? Say it."
 
"A-Ana—"
 
Ana shoved Natalie back into the wall, then pressed herself into her. Her cock pulsed against Natalie's stomach, their faces an inch apart. "Say it, Natalie."
 
Natalie swallowed.
 
Ana waited intently, staring into the other girl's eyes. She would have her answer, one way or another. And there was something endlessly intoxicating about a vulnerable Natalie, her burning cheeks giving away her thoughts so easily. Maybe because she was so normally confident? And because she was so easy to read, like this—her trembling body giving her away.
 
Finally, Natalie cracked. 
 
"F-Fine," Natalie mumbled. "Yes. I do. I—I can't wait for it."
 
"Can't wait for what?"
 
"For you to fuck me, okay?" Natalie growled back—some of her heat finally showing. "There. Are you happy? I want you inside me. I want you to pin me down and fuck me until until I cant think straight and I'm screaming your name. I want to know what my cock feels like. I want to know what your cock feels like, Ana." She started slowly, but soon the words tumbled from her, like she was trying to get them out before she could stop herself. "That's the truth. All of this is weird as fuck, but I want you inside me, I want myself inside of me, and this dungeon bullshit was giving me an excuse to hide behind—but you couldn't let me have that. So thanks. Are you happy now?"
 
Ana smiled. She was. She patted Natalie gently on the cheek and pulled away. "Thank you for the honesty."
 
Natalie watched her, breathing heavily, and visibly dazed at the words that had come from her mouth. They'd been surprisingly easy to get from her.
 
"Okay. I'm confident I know where we stand, now," Ana said, returning to her professional tone—and this time, not because she was actually calm, but to tease Natalie, because it was just too much fun. 
 
If Ana didn't know a challenge was coming up, and that she would get to indulge then, she would have pinned Natalie against the wall and taken her right there, just as the girl had all but begged for her to do. But, there was combat coming up, and other challenges. So it was best to save all of that for later. And it was best to let Natalie stew. It would make it even better when the time came.
 
Seeing Natalie panting against the wall, scarlet-faced and unable to form words, Ana just laughed. She grabbed Natalie by the hand, pulled her forward, then spun her around. The forceful manhandling of the other girl did something for Ana—and something for Natalie too, from what she'd seen earlier.
 
"Go ahead, then. Let's keep going. We've got a dungeon to clear." She smirked, then, another impulse taking her over, she slapped the other girl on the ass to get her going—who jumped and covered herself, spinning to look at her with wide eyes. Ana laughed, then made a shooing motion. "And the sooner we get to the next challenge, the sooner you can find out what your cock feels like. Isn't that a great motivator?"
 
4.44 - Swapped X
 
Natalie was fucked.
 
And not even in the good way. Though, by all indicators, that would be happening soon. But for the moment, Natalie meant in how thoroughly she'd been compromised. How easily Ana had extracted those admissions from her. The complete and total embarrassment she'd made of herself, just because another girl had gotten up close and teased her.
 
How was she supposed to look Ana in the eye, now? She'd already been struggling to be normal around her, and now she'd been forced to explain just how badly she wanted the other girl to pin her down and fuck her senseless. And honestly, even Natalie hadn't known how much she did, until five minutes ago. She'd been trying to fight it, because what a shameful situation to be in, wanting to be fucked by her own cock. 
 
There was one saving grace keeping Natalie from melting into a puddle: The bloodthirsty monsters trying to kill the two of them. 
 
Continuing the pattern, the next room opened with combat. It was hard to be blushing and tripping over her feet while focused on survival. It was a good, if intense, palate cleanser. And Natalie knew it only delayed the inevitable. A brief distraction before the real shenanigans of the dungeon began again. Before … whatever happened next, between her and Ana.
 
Hell, a second ago, Natalie had been ready to be pinned down without the intervention of the dungeon. For Ana to take her right there in the hallway. What had gotten into her? What had gotten into Ana? Seriously. The cool, aloof, academic she knew Ana as did not seem to fit with how she could just switch into another mode. One that would pin Natalie against a wall and force her to admit some of the most mortifying things that had ever come from her mouth. 
 
And why was Natalie so weak to it? Why did it turn her on so much? 
 
In short, Natalie was a mess, and very much appreciated the reprieve granted to her in the form of a vicious monster.
 
The second combat challenge of this bizarre series wasn't a swarm, but rather, a single strong opponent—which was, on paper, her and Ana's more preferred fight. But that didn't mean it was easier than the crystal spider swarm. The difficulty had been ramped up by several tiers, so despite them being better suited to single-target combat, they were pressed far harder. The [Animated Shard Knight] was a cyclone wielding a massive two-handed sword, and [Hunker Down] could only save Natalie once in a while—and she was lacking armor, and also still adjusting to Ana's new body.
 
By the time Natalie and Ana put the creature down, she was panting, bleeding, and had thankfully had her mind cleared from earlier embarrassments. She much appreciated the fight, considering that. 
 
But it had been a real challenge, enough to make Natalie fear what the third combat room would be. Whether they could even handle it. They didn't have a healer on standby to save them from serious injuries.
 
For minor ones, though, they had the health potions from earlier. Natalie drank one, then used the cleaning solution to freshen up. She appreciated the slippery liquid's ability to clear away just about anything, bringing her back to a more presentable state—especially since the gruesomeness of dungeoneering had apparently been combined with lovemaking. It would be rather unpleasant to get into anything intimate while actively wounded.
 
Like usual, a loot chest clattered into the ground after the [Animated Shard Knight]'s defeat. After cleaning up and healing, she picked up the materializing monster core from the creature's now-disintegrated corpse, then headed over to see what they'd gotten. As always, she felt a mix of trepidation and excitement at what might be inside the chest. Sure, Natalie appreciated how their team seemed to receive much better loot than most teams, but the bizarre items that came out certainly caused problems for her heart—and occasionally, her sense of shame. 
 
But this was a combat encounter, so thankfully—or maybe disappointingly?—nothing lewd came out. Instead, it was more of the stat potions from earlier.
 
"Potions that give permanent stat bonuses," Ana said, shaking her head. "And we're not getting just one of them, but multiple, now. It's unbelievable."
 
Natalie agreed. Before, they'd received a single potion that granted furor. This time, they'd gotten three more: two that boosted prowess, and one for tenacity.
 
"Guess it depends on how much of a boost it gives, but yeah," Natalie said. "It's basically a mini level-up." Gear could also improve stats, but there were only four equipment slots and two weapon slots—so there were hard limitations there. Potions, however, could simply be consumed, and the user would see permanent boosts forever. 
 
"I figure it's roughly the same as a minor equipment boost," Natalie said. It would make sense if the wording was so similar because they gave similar effects. So, in a way, it was like having an extra level-two item equipped at all times. Put like that, she became even more incredulous at just how fantastic the items were. Maybe not their most immediately game-changing loot, but still pretty crazy.
 
"Only have four total now," Ana said. "One more and we could split them evenly."
 
"Challenges aren't over yet. This chest isn't over. Might get more." Natalie tucked the potions in with the health potions, which were stored in the coin bag they'd gotten in the first room. She handled them delicately since they had to be worth a fortune. How much so, she wasn't sure, but if a price was put on them, it would probably be enough to make her eyes water. 
 
Having secured the vials of glass, Natalie closed and popped open the chest. A second bag of coins followed, this one just as heavy, but with more silver mixed into the bronze than the last. For a second time, Natalie found herself disbelieving at the sheer lucrativeness of dungeon delving—and especially her brand of dungeon delving. Even Ana, who as far as Natalie knew, was a minor noble or perhaps someone of even greater importance, was impressed at the sums they were drawing out. Though maybe that was just at the disproportionate payout compared to what they should be receiving. An academic interest. Ana hadn't ever seemed especially invested in their delving rewards in a financial sense, only how they could be used for their progression.
 
A third open-and-close of the chest revealed an empty bottom. Natalie could hardly be disappointed by three stat-boosters and a hefty coin payout, and a part of her was even relieved that they didn't have to deal with another fiasco item.
 
At the last distraction being handled, Natalie was forced to confront the looming event. The second lewd challenge, coming up shortly. The first had been to suck Ana's cock, and seeing how the theme seemed to be progressively more intense situations, Natalie needed to be ready for anything.
 
She swallowed. Her intuition told her it wouldn't be some slightly more lewd event. If using combat as a guide, the swarm had been easy, and the combat of this room had nearly been too much to handle. Following that pattern, it was likely time that Natalie would be getting what she'd begged Ana for. 
 
Her own cock, inside her.
 
Oh, heavens. Was she ready for that?
 
4.45 - Swapped XI
 
"How did last challenge even make sense?" Natalie blurted out. The question had been on her mind, but other developing events had taken priority. With the two of them about to venture into the next—likely lewd—challenge, she found herself needing to ask.
 
"What do you mean?"
 
"It was literally just sucking your cock. How is that a challenge? Something worth rewarding? At least with Liz, she had needed to—" Natalie bit her lip to cut herself off, remembering that Liz had asked for her to be discreet about that event.
 
Ana, and the rest of the party, had seen the initial description of the rules, and the saddle device, though. "It required her not to climax," Ana finished for her. "So there was an aspect of imposed difficulty. A challenge in the more traditional sense."
 
"Exactly." Whereas the blowjob room—and the fact that Natalie referred to a dungeon challenge in that way kind of broke her brain—had just been for Natalie to get on her knees and pleasure Ana.
 
"I've been wondering about that too. The nature of your class," Ana said, sounding way too academically interested for both the topic at hand, and what was coming up. "If we consider a typical delver, their class urges them to become a better combatant—and that's what the dungeon does as well. Throws powerful monsters at them until they grow in skill and competence. If viewed under that light, then the dungeon offering a sex-based class any type of lewd challenge is reasonable, since the class-bearer would become more proficient in sex. An artificial constraint like Elizabeth's is unnecessary. I could liken it to how the dungeon often throws a simple monster at us, without any complicated scenario accompanying it. The goal is to make you grow in matters related to sex, perhaps by pushing boundaries or simply giving you opportunities to refine your skill set. So, it makes perfect sense."
 
Wow. Ana had actually thought about it, then. Natalie had mostly shrugged and dealt with the practical results of her class, but here was an explanation. Though it missed the why behind being given a class that urged her to 'grow in matters of sex'. It at least explained why the dungeon acted like it did, and also why the blowjob room had been so straightforward.
 
"Huh," Natalie said. "So, what's the end result? It wants to turn me into some complete degenerate?"
 
"Not necessarily. High-level delvers are hardly all violence-addicted sadists. They're simply very, very good at killing. Which I suppose means the dungeon wants you to be very, very good at fucking."
 
Natalie stared at her. "How do you do that?"
 
"Do what?"
 
"Say something so ridiculous with a straight face."
 
"Years of practice," Ana said coolly. "And, fascinating as I find this discussion, I do believe you're stalling. Didn't you promise me I'd get to put this thing inside you?" She grabbed her cock and wiggled it at Natalie. "I'm getting impatient."
 
Natalie's face instantly started burning, and she bashfully looked away. Why did Ana's impassionate delivery of such lewd requests turn her on so much? Ana's whole personality was a strangely effective enigma.
 
"We don't even know if that's what's coming up," Natalie mumbled.
 
"Combat, fucking, combat. Three makes a pattern. I find it a safe assumption."
 
"And you're really looking forward to it, are you?" Natalie shot back.
 
"As much as you are, if I had to guess." Ana's lips twitched. "Which is to say, very much. I'm itching to get going. Now, hurry up." She made a shooing motion. "Staring at your ass all day has me pent up."
 
Natalie didn't have a retort for that—she never had a retort to Ana's complete lack of shame—so, red-faced, she swung open the hallway door and advanced. The two girls passed by a familiar ladder, and sure enough, above the next doorway was the same pink gemstone they'd seen heralding the first lewd challenge. It really was alternating combat and fucking, then. Three suggested a pattern, but four confirmed it.
 
Having all but known this was coming, she refused to hesitate. She already didn't like how much of a blushing mess this had turned her into, so she could at least face her fate with squared shoulders. 
 
And no, it wasn't because she was itching to get started, like Ana had implied. Ana might have bullied an admittance like that out of her by getting up in her face, but Natalie wasn't such a massive pervert that she was squirming to have her own cock inside her. She had some dignity. 
 
She did. 
 
Or, at least, she was going to keep telling herself that.
 
Regardless, she swung open the door and strode in, hammer held at the ready. Inside, a familiar aesthetic met them: polished tiles, statues, and, making her stomach clench in either nervousness or something Natalie didn't look closely at, there was a bed in the center of the room. The last confirmation they needed.
 
Worse, even, was that a large plaque inscribed with instructions laid on a plinth, offset from the bed. Instructions couldn't bode anything good, not when Liz's challenge had set the standard.
 
The last objects of note were the three doorways leading out—all locked. The first had a single circular gemstone above it, glowing a dull, faint pink. The second had two, and the third had three. Natalie didn't know what that meant, but she assumed the instructions would explain it to them.
 
"It gave us a bed again," Ana commented. "We should use it, this time. Spurning a gracious host is rude, Natalie."
 
Natalie ignored her. She scanned the room for traps, then approached the plinth holding the challenge's instructions.
 
***
 
Inscribe the Mark of Carnal Absorption by pressing the formation stone into one's pubic region. The bearer of this mark, upon climax, will shatter a Seal, unlocking passages to higher-tier rewards.
 
The mark will fade ten minutes after entry. All surviving Seals past the mark's dissolution will become impossible to break.
 
***
 
"Tiered rewards," Ana said. "Interesting. And there's six total—that's a lot of cumming." She plucked up the small stone sitting on the plinth and turned it side to side. Red-violet lines covered it in an intricate magical diagram. "A formation stone." Ana hummed as she peered at the novel item. "We shouldn't wait. The timer started when we came in. The question is, which of us will come to climax easiest? And most often?" Her lips curled up in vague amusement as she turned to Natalie. "No need to answer." She placed the cold stone against Natalie's pubic area, a few inches above her pussy, then pushed. "We both know it'll be you." The stone sank into her, and glowing violet-red lines scrawled across her skin, forming an intricate tattoo in the shape of a stylized womb.
 
Ana pushed Natalie, and the action was so surprising, she stumbled and fell onto the bed. Ana pursued, crawling over her.
 
"Six times," Ana said. "That seems easy enough. I wonder if there's a bonus for going above and beyond." She brought her face close to Natalie, mumbling her next words—tickling Natalie with hot air. "And it's about time. I'm so tired of waiting."
 
"I-It just says climax," Natalie replied, heart slamming at Ana's sudden proximity—and the way Ana's cock pressed against her stomach. "We don't have to go too far. We don't have to do anything rash."
 
"How else will I make you climax six times?" She leaned forward, bit Natalie's lower lip, and tugged back gently. "For the next ten minutes, you're mine. And I promise—I'm going to be thorough."
 
4.46 - ❤ Swapped XII & XIII
 
Natalie's head spun at how quickly this was advancing, but Ana had a point—they were literally on a timer. 
 
A timer. That measured how many times Natalie came to climax. And unlocked stronger rewards the more she did?
 
What an absurd challenge. Maybe even something as straightforward as the blowjob room was preferable.
 
As for Ana's implications: that she would be claiming Natalie however she wanted. She didn't know how to feel about that. A part of her had been clinging to the excuse that she was working her way through the dungeon, doing what it told her. Now, though, it just said she had to cum. They could definitely arrange that without Ana fucking her. Without Ana doing anything. Nothing said masturbation was off the table. Natalie could take care of herself.
 
But Ana didn't seem to care about that possibility. Natalie was forced to confront the fact that the stoic mage really did just want to fuck her. That all her lewd words and her domineering attitude hadn't been for show.
 
And Natalie was going to let her. Because she wanted it too. She wanted to be fucked by her own cock. She was going to lose her cock-virginity to herself—and Ana at the same time. The idea made her dizzy.
 
"You're so red," Ana said, cupping her cheek, which Natalie couldn't help but crane into. "It's cute. I can't wait to see how you react when I stuff you. When I'm so deep inside you, I'm kissing your womb. I bet you'll really be blushing, then."
 
Natalie shivered at the mental image, then shivered again as Ana leaned up and placed a hand against her pubic region. She examined the designs of the glowing symbol there, tracing lines with a finger.
 
"I wonder how much you can take?" Ana mused. "Before you break. You're so pent-up, it's adorable. You need this. Badly. How quickly can I turn you into a whimpering mess?"
 
Ana gripped her cock, then slapped it against Natalie's pussy. She wiggled her hips, grinding her member side to side, then up and down, and the contact made Natalie's toes curl. It felt good. Way too good. Even just having her lips spread apart as Ana's cock rubbed between them nearly drove her insane. 
 
'Pent up'. Yeah, that was an understatement.
 
"You're soaking already. You're that eager for my cock?" Ana pressed harder, digging her shaft deeper between her lips, and Natalie gasped, her back involuntarily arching. "Or is it because it's your cock?" Ana murmured. "Are you this much of a slut for yourself?"
 
Natalie's face burned. She wanted to deny it, but the only thing that escaped her mouth was breathless panting as Ana continued to grind against her.
 
"That's right," Ana said. "I've got your own cock pressed against you. Soon, I'll shove it inside. Isn't that so dirty? Naughty? Degenerate?" She smirked down at Natalie. "What if Jordan saw you? Sofia? Elizabeth? What if they saw how desperately you're squirming, your body begging to take your own cock? How do you think they'd react?"
 
Ana pulled her hips back and pressed the tip of her member against Natalie's opening. She didn't push, just left it resting there, pulsing heat into her. Leaking precum.
 
Natalie stared down her body. Ana's cock looked even bigger from this perspective, the image cradled between her breasts—Ana's breasts—and poised at her pussy, about to enter. Could she even handle something that huge? It didn't look like it would fit. 
 
And why did cock look so good on a girl? Ana's meaty length, resting just a few inches from her pussy, situated so perfectly between thick, curvy thighs, was a sight that made Natalie's body heat up in ways she'd never expected. 
 
Girl cock was just so … amazing.
 
"H-Hurry up, already," Natalie mumbled. "We're on a timer, aren't we?"
 
"Is that it?" Ana said, sounding amused. "We're on a timer? Natalie, we both know you're just impatient. You want your cock. Admit it."
 
Natalie squirmed under the accusation. It wasn't like it was the first time she'd heard it, but with Ana so close to thrusting inside, the taunting was hitting her harder than before.
 
"And there's not that much of a rush," Ana continued. "Because with you like this, six times will be easy." Ana shifted her cock around, digging the tip of it into Natalie's lower lips. She pushed a half-inch forward, the thick member slowly sinking inside, stretching Natalie but not enough to penetrate her. "But if you want me to hurry, I can. You'll just have to beg."
 
"Beg?" Natalie asked dizzily, unable to tear her eyes away from Ana's cock, so close to sliding in. Why hadn't she shoved inside her yet? What was taking so long?
 
"Beg," Ana repeated. "If you want my cock that bad, then you'll have to beg me for it. Or I'll sit like this until you do." She wiggled her hips, squirming her cocktip around Natalie's pussy lips.
 
She couldn't be serious. Wasn't this situation mortifying enough? Ana knew how embarrassed she was by it all—she had forcibly extracted those admissions. 
 
She could feel the heat of her own cock pressing against her pussy, and Ana was about to claim her—to take her cock virginity, despite that the challenge didn't even require it. 
 
And she had to beg for it?
 
"Well?" Ana asked.
 
Natalie hesitated, but Ana made no move to penetrate her. Just kept her hips hovering, her cock poised to slam in and claim her pussy.
 
She … needed it.
 
"Please," Natalie mumbled.
 
"What was that?"
 
"Put it in."
 
"Put what in?"
 
"My … cock."
 
"Where should I put it?"
 
"Ana. Please."
 
"Say it."
 
"Please," Natalie said, face burning. "Put my cock inside my pussy." Her breathing came in loud pants. "I need it." Her hips squirmed side to side, helping Ana rub against her. "I need you to fuck my pussy."
 
Ana's lips curled up. 
 
"Since you asked so nicely."
 
She pulled her hips back, then slapped forward, sliding her shaft deep in one smooth, hard motion. Her cock parted Natalie's lips, spreading them open as it stretched her unbelievably wide. Ana's hips slapped all the way down into her own—claiming Natalie. Her back arched as white-hot pleasure flashed through her, completely erasing her thoughts.
 
Ana was inside her. 
 
Her own cock was inside her. 
 
The realization, combined with the overwhelming feeling of Ana spreading her apart, was a potent cocktail. Natalie felt like she was drowning.
 
"Look at that," Ana breathed, staring down at where their lower halves were joined. "You took it so well. Or maybe I did? It's my pussy, after all. My body." She chuckled softly. "Maybe I'm the one made for taking big, fat girl dick." Ana leaned forward and kissed Natalie's neck. She pulled back an inch, then slid back in, kissing Natalie's cervix for a second time, gently, but still sending sparks of electricity up her spine. "Now, I'm going to fuck you until you break. Are you ready for that, Natalie?"
 
In one quick motion, she withdrew her cock, then slammed back down, driving her cock deep in a single hard motion. Then again, and again, quickly establishing a steady rhythm.
 
Natalie's mind went white, and lewd moans escaped her, noises she couldn't stop if she tried. Ana fucked her as she had promised: hard and mercilessly. Not working into it, but claiming Natalie, her thrusts quick and brutal. Pleasure wracked Natalie at the long-awaited relief, the intense stimulation, and it left her dazed, breathless, a moaning mess as soon as it started.
 
Ana grunted as she worked her cock in and out of Natalie with loud slaps of flesh. Natalie could only cling to her and cry out, overwhelmed as Ana's lower half worked like a piston, each stroke kissing her cocktip to Natalie's womb. It was unbelievable how amazing it was. Unfairly so. Turning Natalie's brain to mush.
 
"Fuck," Ana gasped. "This feels so good. Your pussy is gripping my cock so tightly." She panted as she went faster and faster, burying her forehead into Natalie's neck. "And my pussy feels so good. Fuck, I'm so tight." She leaned back up, then gripped Natalie's hips and hiked them up. The new position allowed her to drive her cock even deeper, and her thrusts became faster, harder, rougher.
 
"Do you like your cock?" Ana asked, holding scalding eye contact with Natalie—something Natalie could barely return, since it felt like her brain was being stirred around with each thrust of Ana's cock. "Do you like it splitting you open? Stretching your pussy wide? I know I do. Fuck, I love it. Your pussy is perfect. My pussy is perfect. When we swap back, do you want to try it out? See how good it feels wrapped around your cock? Because I'll let you, you know. Fair is fair."
 
How could she so shamelessly taunt Natalie about this mortifying body swap? Sound so genuinely excited by it? 
 
And how did she know it would drive Natalie so crazy? Was she that easy to read?
 
Ana laughed as she saw how quickly Natalie was falling apart. "You really are a slut for your own cock. You like it that much? You're close, aren't you?"
 
Natalie shook her head weakly, but the denial was half-hearted, instinctual—trying to save her dignity. But the taunting words weren't helping the heat building in her core. Her head was a mess. 
 
Why did she love being fucked by her own cock so much?
 
Why did Ana's taunting make her burn like it did?
 
Ana pounded into her relentlessly, each thrust making Natalie gasp, each hard impact making her more and more aware of how full she was, how Ana's cock seemed to reach places she didn't know could be reached. How was she so skilled at this? Ana's hips were a relentless piston, joining their lower halves with precision and strength that took Natalie apart faster than she could believe.
 
"You're so fucking tight," Ana groaned. "So, so fucking tight. It's not fair."
 
Not fair? She was talking about 'unfair'? Natalie could barely believe it, but a tsunami approached that she couldn't resist. Ana had teased her, built her up, and now her body was reaching its limit—in less than a minute after she had entered her. Embarrassingly fast. As if all of this wasn't bad enough, Natalie was going to cum in less than a minute.
 
Ana fucked her faster, grunting with exertion. "I can feel you squeezing. Go ahead. Cum for me, Nat. Cum all over your own cock. Milk me with your fucktoy. With my fucktoy."
 
Natalie … couldn't hold on. She tried to, despite it being against the purpose of this challenge, but Ana's command, the pleasure, the degeneracy of the whole situation came crashing down onto her. She was being fucked by her own cock. Being made a mess of. Taken apart by her teammate, who had no right to be as good at this as she was.
 
Natalie cried out, a high, keening whine, hands scrambling against bedsheets. Despite her best efforts, her traitorous orgasm crashed into her. Her muscles spasmed, and her pussy clamped down, squeezing Ana's shaft as pleasure wracked her, wringing her insides with heat. 
 
It was overwhelming. All she could do was cling to Ana as she rode the mind-erasing pleasure out. Ana groaned, her rhythm stuttering as she was squeezed by Natalie's pussy, but she kept fucking her, only building her higher.
 
Then, finally, Natalie's climax petered out, leaving her breathless and gasping. She sagged into the bed, and Ana slowed her relentless pace. She set Natalie's lower half down, then leaned over her, getting her face close—while staying inside.
 
"See?" Ana whispered. "Look how easy the first one was. Number two is going to be even easier. Wanna know why?"
 
Her head spinning, Natalie couldn't even begin to guess where Ana was going. So she just dizzily stared at her.
 
"Because I'm getting close, too," Ana murmured. "And who knows how that fertility potion works? I didn't take any, so maybe I'm still potent." She nibbled Natalie's ear. "So, Natalie. Are you ready for me to fill you up? To pump my fertile seed into your womb? To breed you like the little cock-slut you are?"
 
"A-Ah—" 
 
The lewd groan escaped her, an instant indictment of what she thought of the words. Her body responded, and her hips arched up to press Ana's cock deeper into her, an instant and shameful truth making it clear: she did want to be bred. She wanted Ana to empty herself into her womb.
 
The other girl laughed into Natalie's neck. "You're clamping down on me," she murmured. "Your body knows, even if you don't. You want it so badly. You want to breed yourself."
 
Natalie moaned. All of this was too much. And Ana's taunting was too close to the mark. She couldn't deny how badly she wanted Ana to finish inside her, even knowing what it could lead to. Her rational thoughts had fled entirely. Even the idea of another girl claiming her in that way had Natalie teetering on the edge of a second climax.
 
Which had been Ana's point. That was why she'd said the second would be even easier. Because she was holding her own climax over Natalie.
 
"I'll take that as a yes," Ana said, then pulled back, slipping her cock out of Natalie. She flipped her over onto her stomach, then pulled her hips up, lifting Natalie's ass. Natalie's face pressed into the cool sheets, her legs spread for the woman behind her. Face down, ass up. A demeaning position.
 
Then Ana entered her again, her cock gliding into her already well-fucked pussy. Natalie gasped, holding on to the bedsheets as the other girl began thrusting into her—furiously, no work-up, just raw desire in the way hips met ass with loud smacks.
 
"Your pussy is so perfect," Ana grunted. "I love it." Ana hunched over her, fucking her from behind with her body weight bearing down on her. "Cock-slut," she grunted. "Pussy-whore. Fertile little breeding cow. You like those words, don't you? I can feel it. The way your pussy is squeezing me, milking me every time I insult you. You're practically begging for my load. And I'll give it to you."
 
The words made her dizzy. The steady stream of degrading, humiliating filth—why did she love it so much? The dominance Ana was showing. Making it clear Natalie was her subby slut. Nothing more. Her toy. A vessel to pump her cum into. Natalie found her lower half working on its own: slapping her hips back to meet each thrust of Ana's.
 
Her face burned with shame, and she was just glad she could bury it in the sheets as Ana used her from behind. She shouldn't be turned on by the words, but her body didn't care. And Ana knew how much they affected her, from the way Natalie was bucking back into her, trying to force her cock deeper.
 
She was right. 
 
Natalie was a slut for her own cock.
 
Ana fucked her harder, deeper, her hips smacking against Natalie's ass. It felt so good. Mind-erasing. White-hot. Natalie whimpered, and she could feel her second climax rising, threatening to sweep her away. Her second, before Ana even had her first?
 
"I can feel it," Ana said, her breath coming in gasps. "You're getting close. I am too. Your pussy is amazing. It's squeezing down so hard."
 
Natalie couldn't hold on. The heat was too intense. Ana's body pressed against her, and her thick cock filling her was all it took.
 
Her orgasm hit like a sledgehammer.
 
"A-Ah," Natalie cried out, voice muffled by the bedsheets. Her muscles locked up, and her body was wracked with shudders as her muscles seized. Her pussy squeezed down on Ana's cock as waves of pleasure crashed through her, and she couldn't think. Couldn't speak. Only bask in the ecstasy of Ana stretching her out.
 
She waited for Ana to let go, to finally get her reward, but the other girl didn't. Natalie whined and thrust into her, desperately trying to force her over the edge, but Ana held on. She kept her rhythm, plowing Natalie through her second orgasm.
 
Her climax faded with dismay. She had wanted to be filled up. It wasn't fair. 
 
"There's two," Ana grunted. "Now, give me three."
 
Ana renewed her pace. Natalie's body was still hypersensitive, but she didn't care—because she understood what Ana's game was. She had held off, knowing that cumming inside Natalie would throw her over the edge—draw an instant back-to-back third climax. Natalie whimpered, her face pressed into the mattress, and she tried to push her hips back against Ana's, meeting her thrusts. Natalie was exhausted from her two climaxes, but she couldn't stop. She needed more. Needed Ana to finish inside. So badly she couldn't believe it. That she'd already cum twice didn't matter.
 
"That's right," Ana cooed. "Good slut. Take my cock. I know how much you want it. To have your fertile womb stuffed full." Ana's breathing came faster. "And … here it is. Here it comes. Just for you, Natalie. For being a good girl. My good girl."
 
Ana groaned, and Natalie's eyes widened as she felt Ana's cock throbbing inside her. The other girl's hips jerked forward, slapping hard into Natalie's ass. She froze there, gripping hard on Natalie's waist as her cock swelled, her hot girl dick somehow filling Natalie even further—in an imminent warning. 
 
Then Ana came. Ana whined, back arching and hips straining forward as she splashed her thick load straight into Natalie's unprotected pussy. Natalie's eyes rolled back, and her body spasmed. It was happening. Ana was pumping her full. Breeding her. She could feel the cum splashing into her, coating her womb, and her pathetic body reacted: a third and final orgasm swept through her, milking out Ana's cock, wanting more. Natalie cried out, her toes curling, her hands scrambling at the bedsheets.
 
"There you go," Ana gasped. "Milk my cock. Take it all, like a good breeding slut. Take your fucking cock!"
 
Natalie writhed beneath Ana. She was lost, swept away in a torrent of pleasure. The heat, the sensations, the feeling of Ana's cum filling her. It was too much. She felt like she was going crazy—the pleasure erasing who she was.
 
Finally, when her climax left her, Natalie sagged into the bed, unable to form coherent thoughts.
 
Ana stayed on top of her for a good minute, breasts pressed into Natalie's back, her cock pulsing inside her pussy. Then she withdrew, her cock slipping out of Natalie, and rolled over, panting hard as she came down from her own peak.
 
The two of them lay there.
 
Then, panting, Ana forced herself to prop up onto an elbow. "Don't think we're done," she grunted. "We're only halfway there. Three of six. Get over here. It's your turn to be on top."
 
4.47 - ❤ Swapped XIV & XV
 
Despite having her brain turned to mush, Natalie wasn't finished. She hadn't had enough of Ana's cock. She could hide behind the excuse that they were on a time limit, and that the challenge called for them to be as frantic and indulgent in their lust as possible, but Natalie was past that. The truth was that she was barely paying attention to the challenge. She just wanted to be fucked. Over and over. Until she'd had her fill, which might be never.
 
She shakily pushed herself up, then climbed onto Ana and straddled the other girl's thighs. Ana's cock, slick with lewd juices, stuck up in the air, her earlier climax doing nothing to quell its stiffness.
 
Why did the sight make her so dizzy? A throbbing, eight-inch shaft, jutting out from between Ana's thighs, glistening with wetness. Natalie bit her lip. It wasn't the obscenity of seeing a cock covered in sex juices that made it such a striking sight. It was the cock itself. Something about its hard, angry features surrounded by plush curves drove her wild. Natalie was starting to understand Jordan's enthusiasm. Girl cock was just too enticing.
 
"It's a little egotistical," Ana murmured, gripping herself at the base and wiggling her thick member, "to look at yourself like that, Natalie."
 
"S-Shut up."
 
She scooted up Ana's thighs, then grabbed Ana's cock and pushed it against her stomach. It pulsed, hot and sticky, against her skin. She swallowed and shifted her hips side to side, rubbing the other girl's slick-coated shaft against herself.
 
It felt lewder, somehow, being on top. Taking control. Before, Ana had used her, taking pleasure from Natalie's body. But now, Natalie was using Ana. Using her own cock. The last excuse she could possibly have—the last line to cross—would be penetrating herself. Pulling her hips up, lining Ana's cock, then sliding down. There would be no excuses if Natalie did everything herself.
 
And yet, Natalie lifted her hips. She positioned herself above Ana's length. Ana's slick cock-tip pressed into her pussy. Cum covered both their thighs, providing a lewd lubricant. She wiggled back and forth, digging Ana a half-inch in, spreading herself.
 
She ... shouldn't. 
 
Right?
 
There was a difference between letting Ana slap into her, letting the other girl use her, and doing it herself. Any last shreds of her dignity would be lost.
 
But she couldn't stop. 
 
She wanted to feel Ana's cock spread her apart. She wanted it so badly. She almost didn't have a choice in the matter.
 
Natalie lowered her hips.
 
Ana's cock spread her open, slowly, and the instant, overwhelming pressure of it sliding in made her groan. Her head spun as she sank further and further, stretching her pussy wide as Ana's huge cock spread her apart.
 
It was almost too much. She hadn't recovered from her earlier climaxes, and her body was still sensitive. But she couldn't resist. She wanted this. Needed it.
 
She lowered herself until she was fully sitting in Ana's lap, the other girl's hard cock pulsing inside her. She placed a hand against her stomach and imagined she could feel Ana's shaft bulging her outward. She certainly felt big enough for it. It was unbelievable how full she felt.
 
Her hips started to move of their own accord, rocking up and down, sliding Ana's weapon around inside her. Ana moaned, and she grabbed two handfuls of Natalie's ass as Natalie started to move faster, bouncing into her lap with loud smacks. In a lust-filled haze, Natalie rode her teammate's cock, being filled, and stretched, and pleasured in ways she didn't know was possible. Her hypersensitivity from her earlier climaxes left her a shuddering mess, but she couldn't stop.
 
Natalie rode her. Rode Ana, rode herself. Both. Neither. It didn't matter. She fucked the girl beneath her, motions becoming frantic, caring only about the cock inside her. Soon, she fell forward, burying her face in the other girl's neck, brain quickly turning back to mush.
 
"That's it," Ana breathed, hugging Natalie as she humped atop her. "It feels good, doesn't it? Really good. So go ahead. Give in. It's what you're made for. Taking this cock. There's no shame in admitting it."
 
Natalie nodded into Ana's neck, hips still bouncing.
 
"It feels good for me, too. Your tight little pussy gripping my cock. My pussy," she emphasized, "gripping my cock. I can feel every inch of you. Of me. Of my tight, fuckable body. And you're doing so well with it. Look at my hips, working up and down. Fucking yourself. You couldn't stop if you wanted to, could you?"
 
Natalie moaned, her eyes shut tight as she bounced in Ana's lap, her hips rising and falling, Ana's slick, sticky cock thrusting in and out. It was too much. The words, the sensations, the heat of Ana's skin and the bucking hips of the girl beneath her.
 
"Do you wanna know why you can't stop?" Ana whispered, lips brushing Natalie's ear. "Do you wanna know why your hips are moving on their own?"
 
Natalie mutely shook her head. She didn't want to hear, even if she knew the answer.
 
"Because you're a horny, slutty cock-whore," Ana answered anyway. "A dirty, depraved girl. You can't stop fucking me because you love this. Love having your own cock inside you. Love riding me. Love the way your cock stretches your pussy out, the way my cum is dripping out, even now, as you fuck me. This is what you were made for. Getting your slutty holes filled."
 
Natalie trembled atop Ana, incapable of responding, both of them thrusting into each other.
 
"You're not gonna deny it?" Ana murmured into her ear. "You gave up faster than I thought." She laughed. "Not that denying it would help. Your body doesn't lie like your mouth does. I can feel the truth. The way you're clenching down on me. Trying to milk your next load out. Even if you won't admit it, your body will. You're a whore begging to be bred, and that's all you are, Natalie."
 
"A-Ah-"
 
"And you're about to cum for me," Ana groaned, grabbing Natalie's waist and thrusting up to meet her, her cock sinking in, the tip hitting her cervix and sending jolts of electricity up her spine. "Already. You're gonna cum all over your cock. Again."
 
"I'm—" Natalie tried to get the words out, but failed. She felt her fourth orgasm rising. It was too much. The sensation washing her thoughts away. She was helpless, a slave to her needs.
 
"Go ahead. Cum for me, Natalie. Cum all over your fucking cock. Fill yourself up. Make a mess of yourself. You have my permission."
 
She sagged into Ana, quickly losing herself to the pleasure. Her movements became jerky as she drowned in the sensation. Ana took over where Natalie started to falter, gripping Natalie's waist and slamming her down onto her thick, pulsing cock, the tip burying in her deepest parts, electrifying Natalie with each impact—driving her higher and higher. The bed beneath them rocked, mattress springs creaking with their frantic rutting.
 
"Come on, Nat. I can feel it. You're ready to breed yourself, aren't you?"
 
"Y-Yes," Natalie gasped, the words coming out unheeded. "Gonna fill myself up." It was the only thought left in her head as she humped into Ana. "I'm gonna pump my pussy full." She didn't care anymore—not about her words or her actions. Only that Ana didn't stop.
 
"You are. Like a good girl. We'll gonna make sure it takes, this time."
 
"I-It will," Natalie whined into Ana's neck, gasping with each thrust. "I can feel it. It'll take."
 
"Then let's be sure," Ana said, moving faster, slapping her hips into Natalie, the sound echoing through the room. "Fill your pussy up. Do it. Cum inside yourself. Pump your tight little pussy full of cum."
 
Natalie whined into Ana's shoulder, brain going fuzzy.
 
"I can't do it for you," Ana grunted. "This is your cock. You'll need to do it. So go ahead. Finish for yourself."
 
"I-It's..." She wanted to join in the lewd talk, to encourage Ana and play into the situation like her partner so enthusiastically was, but she couldn't string words together. She tried and failed to surface a coherent thought.
 
"I-I-" Natalie gasped.
 
"You want it, don't you?"
 
"I-I…I…"
 
"Make it happen. It's so close."
 
Natalie could feel the truth of that statement. Ana's own climax, rapidly approaching, her words starting to come out in gasps. 
 
Feeling Ana start to swell, that imminent arrival she'd been desperately waiting for, Natalie forced her hips up, until Ana's cock nearly slipped out—then slapped back down, hard, sheathing Ana. Her ass slapped against the other girl's hips, and her thick, cum-covered cock speared into her, sinking all the way in. 
 
The feeling was, finally, too much. She cried out, her pussy clamping down. Her climax rushed through her, and her arms and legs locked up, fingers and toes curling in ecstasy. She clenched in place and buried her face into Ana's neck. She couldn't speak. Couldn't think. Only writhe and tremble, her pussy milking Ana's cock, urging the other girl to fill her. 
 
Was it enough? For her reward? It had to be.
 
It was. With her cock being milked by Natalie's orgasm, Ana's climax followed: she whined, her back arching upward, their breasts pressing together as Ana hugged her close.
 
She was dimly aware of the warmth, deep inside her. Pulsing. Throbbing. Splashing. Ana's hot, sticky cum filling her, adding to the load before it. Pleasure coursed through Natalie, mind-erasing in its intensity.
 
Ana's hands slid up her back, pulling her in tighter, trapping her there, keeping her impaled as she pumped Natalie full. Spurt after spurt. More and more.
 
"Filling you up," Ana moaned, her breath hot. "Filling your dirty pussy. Every drop. Won't waste a single bit." The words seemed to be more for Ana's own sake, now, no longer taunting Natalie as she basked in her own pleasure. "Good, good girl. Good, slutty girl. That's it. Keep fucking yourself. Milking me. Don't stop. It's so good."
 
Natalie was glad, at least, that she wasn't the only one lost in the sensation. She clung to Ana just as Ana did her, their bodies shaking against each other, both of them struggling not to drift away in ecstasy.
 
Then, finally, they came down. 
 
The two of them lay there for a time. Ana's arms stayed around her, holding her tight.
 
"So … good," Ana murmured.
 
Natalie was spent, exhausted, her entire body sore, and her mind a puddle.
 
"But not done," Ana groaned. "Two more. We've got two more."
 
Ana rolled over, spinning both of them around so that Natalie, previously mounting the other girl, was now pinned into the bed. Her legs instinctively wrapped around Ana's waist, tugging the other girl in, keeping her still-twitching cock inside. She didn't want it to leave. Maybe ever.
 
"Two more," Ana muttered, lifting herself up—sliding her cock through Natalie's sensitive reaches—then slapping back down with a loud smack. Ana's hips started to move. 
 
Already?
 
No rest. Ana wasn't done with her. And while Natalie was tired and sore, her body didn't care; it was ecstatic, even, to be going already. She wanted more. Her own hips joined Ana's in their eager motions, thrusting back into her, stirring Ana's cock around.
 
Natalie clung to Ana, her hips lifting, rocking, and grinding as Ana started to pump. Started fucking Natalie's pussy through two loads of her own cum. 
 
There were still two more?
 
There were only two more?
 
Two more, without losing her mind. Could she, even?
 
She guessed she would find out.
 
4.48 - Challenge Complete
 
Natalie lay in a sweaty mess, panting, reeling, and shaking. Ana gasped to her side, equally out of breath, her hand resting against her forehead, red hair damp and sticking to her skin.
 
Six times. Ana had coaxed out six mind-blowing orgasms from her, and now, just in time, they were done. Which was good. Because Natalie couldn't take any more. She was spent, a used, sweat-soaked mess, her thighs sticky with her own juices.
 
It was a haze. She remembered the white-hot pleasure, and her own mindless need, but it had all melted into a sludge. She could barely remember what she'd said and done, beyond her pathetic begging, and the overwhelming need for Ana to finish inside. To be bred.
 
The reality of that was starting to crash down. Both the words given in her moments of pleasure, but also the real reality. Pregnancy. Would the potion work? Natalie had drank a dose, of course, earlier, but with them having swapped bodies, who knew how the potion would interact? And if something did happen, was it Ana's body that had been impregnated? It was her body that had a womb full of cum, not Natalie's.
 
What a mess.
 
"We did it," Ana groaned. "Look." She gestured limply to the side, where the six faded gemstones had turned bright pink. Filled with orgasmic energy—or however the hell this challenge worked. Natalie's tattoo glowed softly, a similar color. Fading as time passed. It had been brightest when she'd been cumming.
 
"It better have been worth it," Natalie panted back. 
 
Yeah. Right. As if she hadn't been thrusting herself up and down because she had needed to filled, and rather, they'd simply been finishing the challenge. After the eagerness she'd begged Ana to degrade her with, she really ought not to be clinging to that excuse anymore. Then again, maybe it was because of that submission that Natalie needed to reclaim what shreds of dignity she could.
 
Ana groaned, then pushed herself into a sitting position. Natalie envied her resolve. She tried to do the same, then fell back into the bed, head spinning. She was as exhausted as back during that first session with Jordan—except receiving that monster took a lot more than giving it. Again, she had a newfound respect for Jordan. She was one tough girl.
 
Ana held a hand out, and she helped tug Natalie so she was sitting cross-legged. Slowly, her physical faculties returned. 
 
The two of them shared a look.
 
Ana leaned forward and kissed Natalie's cheek. "You did great," she murmured. "You were amazing. But did I go too far?"
 
Of anything Ana could have done or said at that moment, nothing would have mortified Natalie more. She might have blushed less furiously if Ana had deliberately kept degrading her, even after the moment had passed.
 
Natalie hastily climbed off the bed, face scarlet. Ana watched her, her look of concern only deepening Natalie's—Natalie's what? Her mortification? Whatever the squirming mess of emotions inside her was. She had said some things, and been spoken to, in a way that she hadn't fully come to terms with. Had Ana gone too far? Natalie had hardly asked her to stop—and the words had been very effective. And Natalie herself liked to get a little rude during the act, even carried away at times, so she didn't blame Ana for that, either. 
 
But 'fertile breeding cow'? That was … a lot. To be called. Especially when Natalie preferred being in control.
 
"I'm good," Natalie said, preempting Ana's next words. "I promise." Whatever was going on with her, it was firmly her own issue—something she needed to think about. "We should, uh, get cleaned up, right?"
 
Ana gave her a doubtful look, but decided not to press. She stood, and at the mess of cum and sticky juices covering her lap, thighs, and cock, Natalie glanced away. It was a bit of a comically bashful reaction, considering what they'd just done.
 
Since when was Natalie such a disaster around girls? It wasn't fair how Ana could do this to her. Cluelessness, shamelessness, and the persistent embarrassment of a bodyswap—that was what it took, apparently.
 
Natalie forcefully—if wobbly-legged—strode over to their belongings, then pulled out two vials of cleaning liquid. She tossed one to Ana, and the two of them popped their respective containers open. A quick freshening-up later, the filth of their encounter was mostly scrubbed away. The bedsheets, though, were ruined: a dark stain surrounded the entire center, their copious sweat, juices, and cum drenching it. Even by her standards, the stark imprint of their wild session was enough to make her face turn red.
 
"I need to apologize," Ana started—but Natalie cut her off.
 
"No, seriously. Don't."
 
Ana paused. "Not for calling you a fertile breeding cow," she said smoothly, some amusement in her voice. "For something else."
 
"Uh."
 
"Finishing inside."
 
"I didn't say no to that, either," Natalie mumbled. They were really having this discussion? "And maybe you should have thought about that during? It's a bit late."
 
"I did think of it in the moment," Ana said. "But your pussy felt too good. It compromised my judgment."
 
How could she say things like that with a straight face?
 
"Specifically, I mean that we need to end this challenge early," Ana continued. "I got carried away and disregarded the consequences, and so I apologize for that. But we can't actually risk pregnancy, low as the odds are."
 
Oh. 
 
That was what she meant? 
 
And it was a valid concern. Or, somewhat of one. The potion was probably still active. But who knew?
 
End the challenge early, though? Even if not for the concern Ana had brought up, Natalie wasn't all that against the idea.
 
"That's fine with me," Natalie said. "I'm worried about the next combat, anyway. I'm feeling a bit … wobbly-legged, and the second fight was closer than I'd like. So maybe it's for the best if we call it."
 
She was also worried about the next sex challenge, too. The dungeon was offering progressively more difficult rooms, and if it had gone from blowjob to six-orgasm fuck marathon, Natalie was a bit terrified to see what the third would be—if there was indeed a third. 
 
And, truthfully, her head was a bit jumbled. She didn't think going farther with Ana—if there even was 'going farther' compared to what they'd done—was smart. They were already going way too fast, even if they were aiming for a casual relationship. 
 
And Natalie didn't know what the two of them were. Was it a casual relationship? Teammates with benefits? The two of them were still a huge question mark. They hardly knew each other. That was, again, one of the reasons Natalie had been so out-of-sorts.
 
So, in short, Natalie was more than okay with leaving, even if not for the pregnancy issue.
 
"So," Ana said. "Raid the three reward rooms as fast as we can, then leave? I'm not sure if there's a grace period on the potion, but it's better we get to it as soon as possible."
 
"It's probably not an issue," Natalie said. "I took it, and I doubt swapping bodies cleared potion effects from both of us. At worst, it swapped the potion. So one of us has it active, whether it's you or me, which means we're both safe." Never mind how willingly she'd believed otherwise while begging for Ana to fill her up. And, to be fair, she wasn't completely certain it worked like that. It was the dungeon. Anything could happen. Maybe it had revoked the effect entirely. "But better safe than sorry," she amended. "So that sounds like a plan."
 
Ana nodded. "This whole thing was a lot of work," she said musingly. "I almost thought we wouldn't make it. There were only seconds left before we got you to your sixth. Something that took that much effort, I'm expecting our best reward yet."
 
"I don't even want to guess." This had been the most intense challenge they'd gotten, including Liz's ride, so did that mean they'd get something even more insane than usual? The odds seemed high, but Natalie's heart couldn't take much more. The last item had been a spellcasting mana-boosting buttplug. What was 'up' from there?
 
But they didn't have any time to dawdle. Natalie—Ana's body—had four hot loads stuffed inside her womb, and they ought to solve that as quickly as possible. Even if it likely didn't need solving. 
 
So, scooping up her items, Natalie set off for the first of the loot doors.
 
4.49 - Reunion
 
Their rewards didn't come out of a chest. Instead, in each room, a single item was laid atop a pedestal. Since she and Ana were on a time limit—and this time, of their own irresponsible creation—they scanned the area for traps, grabbed their loot, and moved to the next room. There would be time to identify the items after they'd returned to the dungeon proper, and more importantly, taken a dose of the infertility potion. 
 
So despite her curiosity, she purposefully didn't inspect the items, knowing they would distract her, sure to be the typical brand of ridiculousness. Though she couldn't help but note their appearances: an ink vial, a necklace, and an arrow with a pink metal tip.
 
The third reward room had an exit into a familiar-looking hallway, which hosted a ladder up and a door leading deeper into the series of challenges. Which meant the event wasn't over; they could go deeper if they wanted. That revelation made her resolve waver. Maybe they should continue. The rewards were amazing. She had hoped the challenge would conclude naturally, so the decision would be out of her hands.
 
But the two of them had laid out their reasoning for wanting to leave early, and a fundamental rule of dungeoneering was to not get too greedy. There was always more loot to dig up, more challenges to take on. Greedy delvers rarely made it to the higher levels. Oftentimes, they didn't make it back to the surface. Good judgment needed to prevail.
 
So, sharing a look with Ana, Natalie nodded, then ascended the exit ladder. It was awkward with all their recently gained loot, and especially with her enormous two-handed hammer, but not so tricky she couldn't manage it.
 
The ladder led into an opening in the ceiling, and the light from below faded as she, with difficulty, climbed higher and higher. Ana followed beneath her.
 
It took a while, with Natalie even working up a sweat, before something happened—though it wasn't them reaching the top. Instead, without warning, the entire wall, ladder included, bucked, as if something gigantic had hit the stone and rattled the ascension shaft. Natalie was sent tumbling backwards, and instead of hitting the other side of the wall, she passed through open air, then started plummeting down a smooth, angled passageway. 
 
She cursed as she tumbled downward, losing grip on her items as she went head-over-heels in the darkness. Her elbows, knees, and head banged every available surface. For a long minute—probably faster, but the aggravating descent didn't feel like it—Natalie simply tumbled, desperately trying to get her bearings as she unceremoniously barreled through the exit chute.
 
The rude passageway spat her out from the ceiling, and Natalie slammed into the ground—and not gently, either. She was a level-two tank, so a mundane fall from that height wasn't incapacitating, but that said, it wasn't pleasant. Tougher than most people or not, hurtling from the ceiling into hard tiles would leave a few bruises, come morning. 
 
Scrambling to her feet—there was no time to lie on the floor and groan in displeasure—Natalie realized something felt strange about her body. Something had changed while she'd been falling. She was too disoriented, and worried about her immediate safety, to make the obvious conclusion why.
 
Natalie scanned the room to make sure there weren't monsters, then, hearing Ana tumbling down above her, rushed over to catch her. Their team's mage didn't have the physical durability she did. Hitting the ground at that speed might actually hurt her.
 
Natalie got in position just in time, catching Ana as she barreled from the ceiling. The thin woman landed in her arms with an 'oof', her breath taken as she slammed into Natalie's grip. It wasn't a perfect catch, but much better than hitting the ground at full speed.
 
For a moment, Ana blinked up at her—and Natalie at the mage, also caught off guard. Because it was Ana, cradled inside her arms. As in, Ana. In her own body. And just as oddly, wearing her flimsy mage's robes, barely concealing her modesty. She'd come out of the shaft fully dressed. 
 
And so was she herself, Natalie realized. Their descent had not only given them their bodies back, but their armor and items, too.
 
Then, with the frantic exit from the challenge room calming down, Natalie was able to focus on another thing that felt strange.
 
She stiffened in realization.
 
"It's still inside me," Natalie hissed at the woman in her arms. "You didn't take it out?!"
 
Ana tilted her head. It took her a second to understand.
 
"Oh," Ana said. "My weapon."
 
"Don't call it that," Natalie growled. "And you left it inside me. Seriously?"
 
"We were in a rush," Ana said matter-of-factly. "And I forgot. You could have remembered, too."
 
"How do you forget this thing is inside you? It's huge." 
 
And that was while it was just sitting there. Now that Natalie had enough of her bearings to understand what she was feeling, she couldn't focus on anything besides the way she was being stretched around the toy. Ana's squirming and pained moans while it had been going in made a lot more sense, now: it felt even bigger than it looked. She'd been walking around with this the entire time? Even during combat?
 
"You'd be surprised what you can adapt to," Ana said simply. "And, thank you for the catch, but please set me down."
 
Natalie set the smaller woman on her feet. It was weird looking down at her again; she had grown used to being shorter than she was.
 
Ana adjusted her robes, reclaiming some of her modesty. It really was a revealing piece of equipment. "And, I will need my weapon back," she commented. "Sooner than later. So …"
 
Oh, heavens. She did, didn't she? The plug felt huge just sitting there, much less when she would have to pull it out. At least, Natalie supposed, she had the advantage of being stretched out in advance. Ana hadn't had any such preparation.
 
Natalie started to mentally brace for that, but crashing noises coming from above interrupted them. Both their heads snapped up.
 
"A quick reunion with our team?" Ana asked, looking in vague interest at the exit chute. "Or monsters?"
 
Natalie scooped up her hammer, ready for the worst—but it turned out to be the former. A blur of white hair rocketed out of the tunnel. Sofia. 
 
Annoyingly, the woman twisted in the air, then landed feet-first in a crouch. She uncoiled herself in the next instant, rapier drawn, aimed at Natalie and Ana in a deadly pose. She didn't look perturbed by the violent tumble in the slightest.
 
This woman just always had to be perfect, didn't she? Natalie eyed her, oddly aggravated at the elegant landing. At least she hadn't seen Natalie slam nearly face-first into the ground during her exit. 
 
"Oh," Sofia said, orienting herself. "It's you two."
 
Sofia's collar was still around her neck, with the leash attached to her own belt. It had broken off Natalie's when she'd jumped through the portal. Natalie had almost forgotten about that. And her heart did a little jump, seeing the accessory. 
 
In just as smooth of a motion as her landing, Sofia sheathed her rapier, then took one step sideways and caught Liz as she crashed down from the ceiling. She set the healer on her feet, gave her a once-over, then nodded in approval before Liz even seemed to know what was going on. 
 
Jordan came next, but Sofia didn't bother to try and catch her—their rogue landed the most smoothly out of all of them, not even seeming to try to orient herself. Like a cat, perfectly unruffled by the violent, disconcerting arrival. She was their prowess-based class, to be fair. Even more than Sofia.
 
Jordan brushed herself off, then glanced at Natalie and Ana.
 
"Nat-Nat?" she asked. "Or Ana-Nat, still?"
 
"It's me," Natalie said. 
 
And thank the heavens that all of that confusing nonsense was over. 
 
"Good to see you two made it out fine," Jordan said with a nod. She looked around the room. "Now, what's going on here?"
 
4.50 - Reunion II
 
"I don't think anything," Natalie said, looking around. "A rest stop, I guess. A safe room." There weren't any visible indicators of danger, and a single door on the wall nearest to them led out. 
 
The rest of the team peered around to make sure of that, but they found nothing worrying. 
 
"Okay, then," Jordan said. "A chance to reconvene. What's all that?" Jordan gestured at the items littered around the floor—Natalie had lost her grip on them as she tumbled down, and they'd been spat out alongside her. At least the bags hadn't popped open and spilled coins everywhere. 
 
"Our loot," Natalie said. "Lost my grip." 
 
She collected them from the ground and stored them, to be looked at later. Scooping up one of the bags and peeking inside, she breathed a sigh of relief—the stat-boosting potions hadn't broken during the tumble. That wouldn't have been exactly fair if the dungeon had thrown them into an angled stone slide through the darkness and broken their delicate belongings in the process, but nobody ever said the dungeon strove to be fair.
 
 "We'll look through them in a second," Natalie said. "We don't even know what they are. But first, what happened with you three? Anything important we need to know?"
 
"Not really. We were just, you know, fighting for our lives." She snorted. "While you two were out frolicking and fornicating. And I bet you two got better loot than us, too. How is that fair?"
 
"Be serious," Natalie said, though her heart rate picked up at the accusation. 'Fornicating'? That had just been a guess, right? Jordan didn't actually know she and Ana had done—well, everything they had, right?
 
"I am serious," Jordan said. "There's not much to say. Nothing special happened, not besides the class and body swaps." She wrinkled her nose. "I will admit that I like being back, though."
 
Sofia grunted in agreement. She rested a hand on her rapier, finding comfort in her weapon's familiarity. She'd been the worst off from the body swaps, Natalie knew, having to take up Liz's mantle. Sofia was many things, but a competent spellcaster wasn't one. There wasn't a much bigger paradigm shift needed than going from a one-on-one physical duelist to the team's support mage.
 
"Speak for yourselves," Liz complained loudly. "I kinda liked being tall, for once."
 
"I'm not tall," Jordan corrected. "I'm just not tiny."
 
"And have boobs, too." Liz glared at Jordan's chest, then down at her own, and Jordan laughed, patting her on the shoulder—which only made Liz pout harder, though her lips were twitching in amusement.
 
Sofia spared a quirked eyebrow for the interaction, then faced Natalie. "And you?" she asked. "Is there anything we need to know about your …" her nose wrinkled, "adventures?"
 
To Natalie's side, Ana twitched, as if she'd remembered something. 
 
"Oh," Ana said. "Yes, actually. I need some of that infertility potion."
 
Natalie winced. 
 
Right. 
 
That had been the entire reason they'd fled the challenge early.
 
But had Ana really needed to blurt it out for everyone to hear?
 
Face coloring, Natalie murmured at her, "Some subtlety would be nice, you know." She dug around her pouch to pull the monster core out.
 
"And you're still wearing my weapon," Ana said. "I'd rather we didn't get ambushed without having it equipped."
 
Natalie groaned. 
 
"You found a new weapon?" Liz asked innocently.
 
"Yes."
 
"Where is it?"
 
"Inside Natalie."
 
Everyone paused.
 
"It's a buttplug," Ana said calmly.
 
"Oh, fuck off," Natalie said. She passed over the infertility potion core—which Ana took, then drank a dose from. If there was one upside to being subjected to that challenge with Ana, it was that she had learned a lot about the girl. She could tell when she was being screwed with. Or, with more reliability than before. Ana wouldn't ever be 'easy' to read, with that stony mask of hers.
 
The team took Ana's two announcements—the need for the infertility potion, and the buttplug—in varying ways. Liz, with wide eyes and a flush, as if wondering whether Ana was joking. Sofia was likewise flustered, though masking it with a vague disdain directed entirely at Natalie. And finally Jordan, with that aggravating smirk she wore so often these days, as if she wasn't surprised at all. 
 
Natalie eyed her in return, giving her a warning look that promised she would be taking out the day's frustrations on her if she kept teasing. The smirk deepened, and Jordan wiggled her eyebrows, suggesting something along the lines of, 'I can't wait for you to try'. Her best friend was really too much of a trouble-maker, recently. Shameless woman.
 
"A buttplug," Sofia said flatly. "You found a buttplug. And it's a weapon. That you're wearing."
 
"It didn't swap with our bodies," Natalie defended herself.
 
"At least it's hands-free," Jordan said. "That seems useful, for a casting weapon."
 
"That's what I said," Ana agreed, giving Jordan an approving look, as if pleased to have finally found a kindred spirit—someone who was focused on what was important.
 
"I'll give it back in a second," Natalie interrupted, cutting off any further discussion on the topic. "When we have some privacy. I'm pretty sure we won't be ambushed. This is a safe room."
 
"We think it's a safe room," Ana pointed out.
 
"Nat just wants an excuse to keep wearing it, I bet," Jordan said.
 
"I would much rather it wasn't inside me," Natalie growled at her. "It's distracting. And I've had enough of all of that from the challenge room."
 
"You? Have had enough?" Sofia asked, crossing her arms disdainfully. "You realize that we know you, right? A pervert like you will never 'have enough'."
 
Natalie couldn't help but feel like she was being teamed up on. "Anyway," she said, "if there's nothing else important, then we should talk about our loot, shouldn't we? Then get moving. It's getting late. We need to get back to campus."
 
Jordan gave her an amused look, making it clear she'd seen through Natalie's desperate deflection, but she ended up agreeing, anyway. "She's right. Let's get up to speed, then get going. Starting with Ana's weapon, actually. I'd love to know more."
 
Natalie glared at her, but it did need to be discussed. The team deserved to know every item that they earned, so it could be doled out appropriately. Not that she thought Liz would be contesting Ana for ownership of the buttplug—even if she didn't already have her wand. 
 
So, it was time to have the item talk. And beyond just what they'd already found, there was the ink vial, the necklace, and the arrow. The last one especially concerned her. It had come from completing all three tiers of their last challenge—probably the most intense encounter Natalie had faced. So just what would it do?
 
4.51 - Three Rewards
 
Before they got to the new items, Natalie had to catch the team up on what she and Ana had earned in the previous rooms: the stat-boosting potions, the cleaning liquid, and, of course, Ana's buttplug. The latter Natalie outlined herself, rather than showing the item off for them to inspect—for obvious reasons. 
 
The team was happy to have gotten an infinite supply of magical cleaning liquid. Any delver would be. Fighting monsters was gory business, and a material that instantly freshened them up was much appreciated. And it would be convenient to have for day-to-day life, too. Especially for Natalie. 
 
Since the vials were self-replenishing, everyone got one, which they would ration out as needed. There was a single downside to the potion, though—it left behind residue. Using the cleansing liquid left them looking like they'd deliberately oiled themselves up. A glossy sheen on their skin. It stuck around for a decent amount of time, too. Nearly a half-hour before it faded naturally—though it could be wiped off, if with some difficulty. 
 
Seeing her teammates oil themselves up, even mostly clothed and in a non-sexual way, was an unexpectedly erotic sight, to Natalie's dismay. She doubted that was a coincidence. The dungeon obviously liked screwing with her.
 
Finally, there were the stat-boosting potions. The team was getting used to finding unbelievably good items, but that didn't mean they could shrug their shoulders and be unsurprised by them. Permanent stat boosts were incredible, no matter how small. Even more than that, there was the implication they might get stronger ones. In lower levels of the dungeon, that 'minor' boost might become a 'greater' one. It was a form of passive stat scaling that most delvers simply didn't have access to. All else equal, that meant they would outpace their classmates. How long before they were the strongest in their year, if their fortunes kept like this?
 
The mentions of deities awakening from their slumber was, of course, troubling, but for all they knew, it was the dungeon messing with them—no proof had ever been provided. Natalie was starting to doubt that, though. She really ought to look more into those implications. But where to even start? And her schedule was packed enough as it stood. Maybe leaving it to Ana was best: she was clearly far more educated on the topic. She'd been the one to describe the Reverie to them in the first place. She would be much more effective at digging up information on the topic than Natalie.
 
Sofia, Jordan, and Liz also displayed their earnings. They'd been through their own ringer, though of a completely different type than her and Ana's. They'd found several pieces of pretty decent gear during their adventure. Nothing as broken as the lewd equipment that Natalie's class influenced to drop, but still an impressive haul.
 
Finally, they got to what everyone was most interested in: the final rewards from her and Ana's misadventures. Even Sofia, despite all her disdain for Natalie's class, couldn't hide her interest. She'd always been the most invested in loot, the first to scurry over to a treasure chest, and that intrigue extended to the lewd equipment too. Even if she found it—or pretended to find it—offputting.
 
Natalie pulled out the first of the three items, and the team all peered at it, eager to read the description.
 
***
 
Vial of Lesser Carnal Ink
 
 
 
Description
 
An ornate glass container filled with dark violet ink. Can be used to refresh and modify existing carnal markings.
 
***
 
"Wait," Natalie said. "Carnal markings. Like—?"
 
"Like from the challenge room," Ana agreed, sounding interested. She took the item from Natalie, turned it side to side, then looked down at her stomach. "It's nearly faded, but I can still see it." She traced the womb-like tattoo scrawled on her lower stomach. The ink had indeed almost disappeared, despite only twenty or so minutes having passed. But it could be renewed, with this?
 
"Sorry?" Jordan said. "Carnal markings? Ana has a tattoo? Catch us up?"
 
"The last room required us to—" Ana started.
 
"Don't worry about it," Natalie said loudly. "It doesn't matter."
 
Ana gave her an odd look, but didn't continue. Natalie scrambled for a way to explain the situation without revealing … all of that.
 
"Oh, please," Sofia said. "We all know you two fucked, so just tell us what happened. Or at least what's relevant. What is that thing?" She gestured at Ana's fading tattoo.
 
Ana gave her a questioning look, and Natalie hesitated.
 
"Okay," Natalie said. "Whatever." She waved her hand for Ana to speak.
 
The mage turned to Sofia. "The last challenge required us to repeatedly bring the mark-bearer," she gestured at the tattoo, "to orgasm."
 
Everyone looked at Natalie, who admired a particularly interesting part of the ceiling. 
 
"It captured and funneled that energy to break open seals that held rewards. This item, it seems," Ana wiggled the ink vial, "allows us to refresh the mark. And modify it. Though what that means, specifically, I have no idea."
 
"But not create new ones?" Jordan asked.
 
"It says refresh and modify. So I assume no." Ana studied the marking on her lower stomach, moving aside her flimsy strips of mage robes to get a better view—and also nearly flashing her teammates in the process, which Ana didn't seem to care about at all. "So perhaps there's future markings to come?"
 
"But what will that one do, then? The one you're wearing?" Liz asked. "If it 'broke seals' earlier, what now?"
 
"That's the question. I have no idea. Regardless, it's worth refreshing before it disappears."
 
She held the ink vial out.
 
"So, can anyone assist?" Ana asked. Her attention gravitated to Liz, the last to speak. "It's easier than doing it myself. If you don't mind?"
 
"M-Me?" Liz asked.
 
"Or anyone," Ana said with a nonchalant shrug.
 
"Uh. Sure." Liz swallowed, then stepped forward and took the ink from Ana. "There's no pen, though."
 
"Your finger is fine."
 
"It's, um, in a pretty intimate place. You're sure?"
 
"I trust you won't take advantage of me," Ana said solemnly.
 
Delivered in that stony monotone, Natalie snorted—because she knew Ana was teasing Liz. Liz just seemed panicked about the request, or at least that Ana didn't seem aware of what she was asking, which was equally funny. 
 
Natalie appreciated that the attention was off of her, too. The whole, 'Ana had needed to bring her to repeated orgasm' was still flustering her. At least Ana hadn't shamelessly given out the exact details, which was why Natalie had been worried in the first place. 
 
"Of course I wouldn't," Liz stammered. "So, yeah, okay, if you're fine with it, then … I guess there's no problem …" She twisted off the ink vial's cap. "I'll just trace it?"
 
"Here." Ana hooked her thumbs into her panties, then slid them down so they were out of the way—so they were sitting maybe a quarter-inch from exposing her entirely. Then she tugged her robes to the side, giving Liz a clear workspace to paint on. The shamelessness, and lack of hesitation, was demolishing the poor, easy-to-blush healer: Liz's face was flaming red in an instant. She swallowed visibly before dipping a pointer finger into the ink vial and getting down on her knees—putting her face-level to Ana's crotch. 
 
"I'm not ticklish," Ana assured her. "So don't worry about that."
 
"Right," Liz said, sounding a bit strangled.
 
It was vindicating that Ana's behavior was as effective on Liz as it had been on Natalie, if not more so. Though, making Liz blush wasn't particularly difficult. Still, Natalie took her wins where she could get them. Ana was simply skilled at putting people off-foot—which was only sometimes intentional, Natalie had learned. 
 
Whether this was intentional? Natalie couldn't actually tell. Probably half and half.
 
"It collects orgasmic energy," Jordan said. "Maybe without seals to break, it'll use that energy to do something else."
 
"That's my hope," Ana agreed. "Or perhaps it'll do nothing. Experimentation is needed. And if it's inert, then we can try modifying it, using the ink. We'll need to find an expert on arcane markings, though."
 
"Shouldn't be hard. Not in Aradon."
 
Ana nodded in agreement. She shivered as Liz, down between her legs, traced her finger across the faded lines, quickly bringing the womb-like tattoo back to prominence.
 
"That's gonna be awkward to explain," Jordan said dryly. "Still planning to wear your robes out around town?"
 
"Perhaps I'll need to cover up," Ana said. "The tattoo does turn this outfit rather scandalous."
 
"It wasn't already?" Sofia muttered. She shook her head, then turned to Natalie. "And the next item, then? Let's see it. While they're finishing up all of that."
 
4.52 - Three Rewards II
 
As Natalie pulled out the second piece of loot, she tried to ignore how Liz was on her knees, sensually finger-painting Ana's pubic region. 
 
Maybe Ana found it a strictly practical encounter to be in, not worth embarrassment in the slightest, but she was alone in that. The rest of them were blushing with various intensities, seeing Liz down on her knees, tracing a finger around Ana's lower half. Especially since the mage was holding her robes out of the way, panties pulled down so they could see the mound of her pussy—and a quarter-inch more would expose her entirely. 
 
Natalie wondered whether this was one of those intentional or unintentional bouts of cluelessness. Probably a bit of both, but she expected more the first than the second. Jordan might not be the only instigator of the group, just the one who was more direct about it. There was no way Ana wasn't doing this to mess with everyone.
 
Digging out the necklace, Natalie held it up for the team to see. Liz looked over and identified the item too, pausing as she digested the description.
 
***
 
Treasure Hunter's Necklace
 
Rare
 
Lv. 2
 
 
 
Effects
 
- Rarity Boost. Item-bearer has increased odds of finding items of higher quality.
 
 
 
Description
 
A delicate silver chain adorned with a radiant gemstone pendant.
 
***
 
"Oh. That's … surprisingly not disgusting," Sofia said. "It came from the challenge room?"
 
"Yeah." Natalie was also surprised by the non-lewd nature of the item. And, obviously, the effect. "Boosted loot rarity? We're already finding rares almost every day."
 
"We'll have our first epic in no time," Liz said. She shook her head in incredulity. "A level-two epic. Really, Nat really must be blessed by a goddess. That's the only way all of this makes sense."
 
Natalie was still coming to terms with that ridiculous possibility, so she ignored the comment. 
 
"It does take up an equipment slot, though," Jordan commented. "That's a pretty big downside."
 
"We should still equip it," Natalie said. "Better loot is worth being a bit weaker. But who?"
 
"Whoever benefits from items least, probably," Sofia said.
 
"And that is?"
 
Sofia hesitated. "I'm … not sure." 
 
Items were crucial to all delvers, so it was a tough question. Natalie wasn't sure, either.
 
"Either you or me, Nat," Jordan said. "I have the worst gear right now, so would lose the least in the immediate term. But you could also wear it, because you're the strongest, and already at risk of outpacing us. One less gear slot isn't that big of a deal. Maybe even a good thing, to keep us nearer in level in the long run." Jordan shrugged. "That said, tanks might be the most gear-reliant class, so maybe not. Dunno."
 
Natalie chewed her lip as she thought it over. "No, I think that's fair," she said slowly. Of course, she didn't want to reduce her effectiveness in combat, but someone had to, and Jordan had made a great point—that Natalie was the strongest, or was certainly approaching that point, thanks to her class's unusual nature. "We can figure it out later, anyway. Don't have to pick now."
 
"We'll decide tomorrow," Jordan agreed.
 
Natalie deposited the necklace into a monster core. Back in the series of challenge rooms, she and Ana hadn't had enough cores to do so—but they had their old loot back, now.
 
"The grand finale, then?" Jordan asked. "Your last reward?"
 
"Yeah." 
 
Natalie pulled out the arrow, holding the shaft between two fingers as she inspected its glinting pink metal tip.
 
***
 
Arrow of Lustful Transmutation
 
 
 
Description
 
An arrow with a head of forged erotite. Upon embedding into a Boss monster, converts the target into a Carnal Boss, which only a single attacker can engage. Arrow tip is brittle and will shatter when impacting a hard, non-monster surface.
 
***
 
"Oh," Jordan said. "What does that mean?"
 
"Carnal Boss," Sofia said flatly. "You're kidding. You found an arrow that makes monsters … what, want to fuck us?"
 
Her cheeks coloring, Natalie's mind flickered to that writhing mass of vines she'd encountered in their first delve. Had that been a monster, technically? The vines had certainly seemed alive. Would this arrow create a similar encounter?
 
"We'll probably want to use it carefully," Jordan said dryly. "Some monsters, it doesn't sound so bad. But most, I don't think so."
 
That was obvious. Natalie was still balking at the whole concept, but there were definite tiers between what monsters she would be okay with turning into a 'Carnal Boss'. For example—that dryad they'd found would be a prime candidate. Something like that would be more tolerable than, say, the wolf boss. Unless it turned the boss into some kind of … wolf girl? 
 
Natalie didn't know what exactly the transmutation would do—if it would create an encounter palatable to her senses, or kept the boss mostly the same—but if she had to choose between a tall, attractive plant woman and a literal wolf, well, it wasn't much of a choice. She might be approaching degeneracy the longer she spent in the dungeon, honing her class, but something like that was very much a no-thank-you. Human-like monsters only, please.
 
Or something like those vines. That hadn't been so bad. But definitely no 'real' monsters.
 
"We'll keep this in our back pocket," Natalie said, her cheeks burning. "See what comes our way."
 
"You're going to use it?" Sofia asked. "Seriously?"
 
"If she doesn't, I will," Ana interjected. "I understand your reservations, but I think you're forgetting how lucrative the rewards are. Especially since this came as the ultimate reward for our challenge room. That it requires a follow-up must mean whatever we get from it is going to be even more phenomenal." She shrugged. "Besides—it could be fun just on its own merit."
 
"Fun."
 
The dark-haired mage shrugged, unashamed as always.
 
Sofia stared at her, then squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, as if mentally resetting herself—and holding back whatever her reply would have been. Piercing blue eyes refocused on Natalie. "Well, whatever," she said. "That's your choice. And only one person can engage it, the arrow says, so it's not like it will drag us in."
 
"We might want to find a level-one boss to use it on," Liz said. "Not a level-two. Safer that way. Since we don't know how it'll work."
 
Natalie frowned at the idea. Liz had a point, but purposefully picking an easier opponent for the sake of safety didn't sit well with her. The boss ought to be balanced so that a level-two could face off against a level-two, right?
 
"Can it be reused?" Jordan asked. "It says it'll break if you miss, but can you reclaim it to use more than once?"
 
"Good question." Natalie hadn't thought about that, and she could see it going either way.
 
"If it does, then Liz is right," Jordan said. "Start with an easier boss first."
 
Natalie wrinkled her nose, which Jordan rolled her eyes at. 
 
"Maybe we can make more of them, even if it breaks," Natalie said. "It's made of forged erotite. We found some of that. Just need to find a blacksmith."
 
"True." Jordan hummed. "It's something we can decide on later. We're all caught up, then?" She looked around the room, eyes settling on the exit. "It's time we get back to campus. You're almost done, Liz?"
 
"Almost," Liz said from down between Ana's legs.
 
"And I'll need my weapon back," Ana commented. "You three can leave. I'm assuming Natalie wants some privacy. Especially since she'll need to re-equip it on me."
 
Natalie wiped a hand down her face. 
 
And at the reminder, she became, again, aware of the thick rod spreading her ass open. Like Ana had said earlier, it was amazing what she could adapt to. She'd nearly forgotten it was there.
 
"She's not wrong," Natalie said flatly. "Privacy would be nice." 
 
Because with something that size, it was going to be a bit of an event—both coming out, and having to put it back into Ana. And it was something they'd need to take care of every dungeon trip. Hell, every morning, if the crazy woman wanted to wear it to class. And knowing Ana? She actually might. 
 
Heavens Above, but her life was getting weird.
 
4.53 - Submissive I
 
The process of giving Ana her weapon back was about as flustering as the first time, since Natalie knew her team was waiting just past the door as they took care of it. As she'd expected, getting the thing out was an ordeal, and it drew some noises from Natalie that she wasn't particularly proud of. Ana, at least, also lost her composure at re-equipping the item.
 
"I can't believe you're actually going to make that thing bigger," Natalie muttered, while they were getting dressed, about to rejoin the team.
 
"Of course I am. Extra mana. Besides, it's good practice."
 
"Good practice for what?"
 
"You. It might be big, but it's nothing compared to your monster."
 
Natalie gaped at the stony woman.
 
"What? It's bound to happen eventually, isn't it?" Ana said idly, still pulling on her robes. "There'll be another challenge at some point." She hummed. "Maybe we should practice beforehand, even. Why have the dungeon push us into it?"
 
"You're … messing with me," Natalie finally said.
 
"Perhaps." Her lips twitched. She finished adjusting her clothes, then took a few tentative steps, her back arching as the buttplug stirred around inside her.
 
With their team's mage battle-ready, they set off into the dungeon. Unfortunately, they'd been turned around rather fiercely: their tumble through the mirror, then the exit chutes, had left them lost. That wasn't all that rare inside the dungeon, but still a problem—it was always preferable to have a quick path back to the exit portal.
 
Fortunately, after a half-dozen encounters or so, they ventured into the main room they'd started in. From there, they ascended to the surface and headed to campus. It was dark out, but not past curfew, by the time they'd said their goodbyes and returned to their dorms.
 
Back in the comfort of their home, Natalie peeled out of her armor, stored it, then took a much-appreciated shower. Jordan did the same. 
 
Natalie was in bed, in her pajamas, and distractedly staring up at the ceiling when Jordan flipped the lights off and crawled into bed with her.
 
"So," she said, snuggling in. "You look distracted."
 
Natalie wrapped her arm around Jordan. It felt way too natural—too right—to pull her best friend in and hold her. Her stomach flipped in that tragically familiar way. She still hadn't confronted her earlier revelation: her feelings for Jordan. And it might be some time before she did. She just had too much going on. And it was too risky. Or were those just excuses?
 
Natalie sighed. "Just thinking."
 
"Obviously. About what?"
 
"Everything."
 
"Ana?"
 
"Ana?" Natalie echoed in surprise. Jordan had, unsurprisingly, hit the nail on the head. 
 
"Yeah. What happened down there, anyway?"
 
Natalie shifted in place. She'd known this conversation was coming, but somehow, she still wasn't ready for it. Because she didn't know how she felt about it all.
 
Jordan's hand slipped under her shirt, running her hand across her stomach. "Come on. What else are best friend privileges for if not getting the dirty details?"
 
"Don't phrase it like that."
 
Jordan laughed. She leaned forward and kissed Natalie, which Natalie obviously had no chance of resisting—even if she knew Jordan was trying to warm her up, make her more pliable to her questioning.
 
"C'mon. I wanna know the details," Jordan murmured between kisses. "I can't believe we had to go around and fight monsters, while you two got to have all the fun."
 
"We had monsters to fight, too. It wasn't all fun."
 
"So it was fun?" Jordan rolled onto Natalie's lap, straddling her as she ran both hands under her shirt, then cupped her under her shirt. Natalie's heart rate picked up as her best friend groped her—though she hesitated on how to answer.
 
"If you tell me what happened, I'll make it worth your time," Jordan promised, rubbing her butt into Natalie's lap to emphasize the point. "I'm more than willing to sell my body. I'm that curious."
 
"This is manipulation."
 
"A girl has to do what a girl has to do."
 
"You know I'd tell you anyway." Jordan didn't have to try to 'buy' it off her.
 
"Counterpoint: this way, I get to grope you." She squeezed Natalie's tits.
 
After being teased all day by Ana, Natalie actually didn't want to let Jordan set the pace. Grabbing Jordan by the waist, Natalie pushed her off, then mounted the other girl in return, taking the dominant position. She pinned each of the girl's wrists above her head. Green eyes sparkled up at her, that teasing smirk still on her lips—not upset at how the tables had been turned.
 
"Or you grope me," Jordan amended. "That's fine too, I guess."
 
Keeping Jordan's wrists pinned with one hand, Natalie grabbed her partner's shirt and tugged it up until it was bunched at her collarbone—revealing her tits. She squeezed and played with a nipple.
 
That she could just do that still felt a bit surreal to Natalie. That she could pin Jordan into the bed and have her way with her whenever she wanted.
 
"Which do you like more?" Natalie asked suddenly. "Being in control, or not?"
 
Natalie had always tended to be dominant in her relationships, but that was only half true with Jordan. Jordan had oftentimes set the pace—had left Natalie the one feeling flustered, even if she was the one taking the most active role.
 
Jordan didn't seem surprised by the question. She considered her response.
 
"Both are fun," Jordan said. "Whatever feels natural at the time."
 
"You don't have a preference?"
 
"It really just depends."
 
"If you had to pick."
 
Jordan studied her. "I guess if I had to, I like it when you take control. But that's because it's what you usually like more. I like what you like." She paused. "That being said, I might also just prefer being the bottom, most of the time."
 
"Why?"
 
She shrugged. "Being used? Someone's toy? Taken, however they want? Dunno, it's just fun." She flushed at her own bluntness—but Jordan had always been willing to humor Natalie. "But when I get to make you blush, that's also great. Where'd this come from?"
 
Natalie bit her lip. Instead of answering, she let go of Jordan's wrists and used both hands to grope her. Jordan waited patiently—if shivering under Natalie's touch—as she got her thoughts in order.
 
"Be more specific. What do you like about it? Why do you like it?"
 
Jordan thought about it, but she eventually shrugged. "How am I supposed to answer that?"
 
Natalie shrugged. She wasn't sure.
 
"It's just exciting," Jordan said. "Not having control. As much as having control is, at least for me. It's not something I can put into words. You like what you like."
 
That was fair.
 
"What about when I'm being mean?" Natalie asked. "Insulting you? You're fine with me doing that, right?"
 
"I've literally asked you to," Jordan said dryly. "So of course I am."
 
"Then, why do you like being insulted?"
 
Natalie could tell Jordan was starting to suspect where all of this was stemming from, but she kept humoring Natalie.
 
"I dunno," Jordan said. "Maybe it's signals in our head getting mixed up. Being demeaned, degraded, having your face pushed into the pillows. That squirming in your stomach. It's, like, insecurity that feels good, somehow? It's hard to explain. It's not everyone's thing." She raised her eyebrows at Natalie, a silent question: is it yours?
 
Natalie continued to deflect. "And I've never gone too far, right?"
 
"No." She squeezed the top of Natalie's hands, and it was an oddly intimate gesture, seeing how Natalie was cupping her. "If you did, we would talk about it. Figure it out and make sure it doesn't happen again." She laughed, suddenly. "That's what's amazing about being best friends with benefits. We trust each other. Aren't scared to talk things out." She leveled a look at Natalie. "Now, seriously, though. Spill it. Where'd this come from? Did my big, strong Natalie get bullied around by a huge meanie of a mage? And now she's feeling weird about it?"
 
By how she had started the sentence, she'd expected Jordan to be serious. Natalie huffed. She was actually grateful, though, that Jordan was being playful—she already found this uncomfortable, even with Jordan, who she trusted unconditionally. Being too serious would make Natalie's skin crawl.
 
"It was a weird situation," Natalie muttered. "And I don't know how I feel about it. That's the point."
 
"Why you liked it so much, you mean?" Jordan guessed. "Which part? Being in Ana's body, that she was in your body, or that she took control?"
 
"How do you even know that happened?"
 
Jordan rolled her eyes. "Look, Nat, I love you to death, but you're not hard to read. I can put two and two together."
 
Natalie tried not to die on the spot at the casual use of the L word. Jordan also seemed to grow flustered, though maybe it was Natalie's own reaction, the way she froze up.
 
Natalie employed her tried-and-true distraction: she pulled down Jordan's pants.
 
Though, how did she answer the question? What part had she liked more?
 
4.54 - ❤ Submissive II
 
"It wasn't even a normal kind of confident," Natalie murmured, toying with Jordan's panties—focused more on the garment than green eyes, which had always been a little too insightful. "Half the time she was making me blush because she's clueless. The other half, because she thought it was funny. Or at least, that's what I got from it." Obviously, during the actual act itself, it had been neither: Ana had been very deliberately taking control. But that had come from a long lead-up.
 
"She's an odd one," Jordan agreed. "But that wasn't an answer. What has you … what, conflicted? What did you like, that you think you shouldn't have?"
 
"I don't know if that's it, exactly." Natalie chewed her lip, then slipped Jordan's panties down and tossed them down to the side. She shuffled down the bed so she was lying prone, then grabbed Jordan's thighs. She planted a kiss on her pussy.
 
Jordan shuddered and slid a hand into Natalie's hair. "If you think giving me head will get you out of talking, it's not gonna work."
 
"Only if I'm not good enough at it," Natalie countered, then eagerly got to work proving that point. Jordan's back arched, and a second hand joined the first. Green eyes admired the sight down between her legs, quickly darkening with lust as her hips started to wiggle against her own intentions.
 
"I don't have the memory of a goldfish. I'll just ask when you're done." She gasped as Natalie hit a sensitive spot. "But just to prove a point," she struggled out, "I won't forget now, either. So answer me. What happened between you two?"
 
Natalie happily ate away, and Jordan apparently didn't have as much conviction as she claimed. The dark-haired girl sagged into the pillow, lower half jerking into Natalie's mouth as she pleasured her—pushing Natalie deeper in, moaning loudly as she slipped her tongue around.
 
"Stubborn woman," Jordan complained. "And why are you so—a-ah!—good at this? It's not fair."
 
Jordan basked in the sensation for a while longer, but eventually worked up her willpower: she gently pulled Natalie off her, then slipped a hand over her pussy, blocking her advances.
 
"If you want to fuck me, you at least have to talk while doing it."
 
Natalie called her bluff. She shuffled up the bed and plopped down next to her, crossing her hands behind her head and closing her eyes. "Alright. Good night, then."
 
She lasted a few seconds before she peeked over—and Jordan was, unsurprisingly, pouting at her. Jordan wasn't a girl who pouted often, so Natalie couldn't stop her lip from twitching, giving away her amusement.
 
"Fine," Natalie said, rolling her eyes—and also rolling back overtop Jordan. She gave her a quick peck on the lips. "But if I have to keep my mouth free, my second choice is gonna be even more distracting." She ground her cock into Jordan's pussy to make it clear what that second choice was.
 
"I'll take that risk," Jordan said—though her growing-faster breathing gave away her slipping composure. "So, come on. Tell me. What's got you like this?"
 
"You said it yourself. A big, mean mage bullied me around."
 
"And you had a lot of fun?"
 
"More than I should've."
 
"Why?"
 
"Why what?"
 
"More than you should've? Why phrase it like that? Why shouldn't you have enjoyed anything?"
 
"Because she was in my own body? It's weird."
 
"So? I'd fuck me, if I could."
 
"Okay, narcissist."
 
"Realist," Jordan corrected. "And used to the dungeon being weird, by now. Which I thought you were, too."
 
Natalie leaned up, then started shuffling out of her pajamas. "It's different."
 
"Why?"
 
"It just is."
 
"Because of that thing?" Jordan's eyes flicked down to Natalie's just-revealed weapon. Despite trying to stay focused, her attention lingered there, then lingered even longer as Natalie pulled Jordan's legs overtop her thighs and positioned her tip at her entrance, rubbing up and down. She finally shook her head clear. "Why would that make a difference?"
 
"Why would getting fucked by my own cock have me feeling weird?" Natalie asked dryly.
 
"I mean, I get it. Especially since it was your first, right?"
 
"Yeah."
 
"But there's more," Jordan said. "That's not the whole story."
 
Natalie rubbed herself into Jordan. She found it kind of amusing that they were doing this while talking about Ana, and her disorienting experience down in the dungeon. Not really the typical background conversation while fucking, was it?
 
"She was very … assertive about it," Natalie said. "And shameless. Gods, so shameless."
 
"I think we've all seen that."
 
"And she made me say some things."
 
"Like?"
 
"Things I didn't think would ever come from my mouth. Spare me from giving the specifics."
 
Jordan laughed. Natalie cut off whatever teasing remark she was about to make by sliding into her. She grabbed her waist and tugged her in, sheathing herself, kissing her cocktip to the other girl's cervix in one mean, not-so-gentle movement. Jordan gasped, her back arching, and Natalie stayed that way until she relaxed.
 
Unfortunately, Jordan wasn't dissuaded from her mission. 
 
"So, what? You have a crush?"
 
Natalie scoffed. "I don't even know her."
 
"We know her well enough."
 
"Do we?"
 
"We're friends, at least."
 
"Are we?"
 
"Aren't we?"
 
"We just don't interact much, outside of delving. And class."
 
"Which is our entire life."
 
"Still."
 
"I'd call Ana a friend."
 
Natalie would too, but she certainly wasn't some great friend. 
 
"Isn't casual your whole thing, anyways?" Jordan asked.
 
"My casual hookups don't shove my face into a pillow and call me a cockslut," Natalie muttered. "Make me call myself a cockslut. For my own cock."
 
"Wow. She did all that? Good for her."
 
"I wouldn't have taken Ana for a dirty talker."
 
"Honestly? I would. The lack of a filter really helps, I bet."
 
The phrase 'fertile breeding cow' popped into Natalie's head, and she grunted in agreement. The woman definitely didn't have a filter. Even when Natalie got heated, she didn't say phrases quite that demeaning to Jordan. Though, it had made her stomach wring around, so maybe she should try going a little harder with Jordan, too.
 
"So, what?" Jordan asked. "Being Ana's dirty little cockslut for an evening has you all stumbling over your feet?"
 
"Not you, too," Natalie groaned.
 
"Right, right. I'm your cockslut, and I shouldn't talk to Master like that."
 
"Shut up."
 
"Or does only Sofia get to call you Master?"
 
Natalie grabbed Jordan's waist, lifted her, and really started working away—which did, at least, buy her a brief reprieve as her friend fell apart under her sudden vigorous onslaught. The bed bounced, Jordan moaned and gasped as Natalie smacked into her, and Natalie's own brain quickly melted down. It was kind of hard to bully Jordan without approaching her own climax.
 
"S-Slower," Jordan struggled out. "No cumming until we're done. I'm serious."
 
Reluctantly, Natalie slowed. She worked back into a more sensual pace. Though her cock was already twitching inside, her body begging her to let go. Her best friend's pussy was pretty hard to resist.
 
"So. You liked taking?" Jordan asked. "Being the bottom? Should I get us a strap? Top you, here and there?"
 
"I don't know if I liked it."
 
Jordan gave her a flat look, and Natalie huffed. She rubbed her thumb into Jordan's clit to wipe the expression away—and it worked. Her lower half arched into the pressure. Jordan was close—really close.
 
"I'm trying to talk, if you don't mind," she gasped.
 
"Sorry. Couldn't help myself."
 
Jordan eyed her, then continued. Natalie still found it a bit ridiculous she was insisting on this conversation while she had eight inches of cock stirring her insides around. Then again, Natalie was also humoring the request. It'd be pretty easy to make Jordan stop talking if she really wanted to.
 
"Well, just know you can tell me anything, Nat. And if you decide you didn't like how Ana treated you, then talk to her about it. Above everything, she seems reasonable."
 
"It's not that serious." She was working it out in her own head. She didn't think Ana crossed any lines—her treatment of Natalie had clearly come from how she had been reacting. It was more that Natalie was coming to terms with herself than Ana.
 
"It is serious," Jordan disagreed. "We should all know where we stand. We're a team—and making sure our relationships aren't getting tangled is important. It's even more important, too, seeing how you're making a harem out of us."
 
"Don't be ridiculous, Jay."
 
"Sorry, which of us haven't you fucked?"
 
Good point.
 
"But that said," Jordan said, "I think it's good to experiment. Push your boundaries a bit. That's how you find out what you like. And it's okay to be a little confused along the way, so don't feel bad about that. Especially with how weird swapping bodies must have been." She collapsed into her pillow, putting the back of her hand over her eyes. "And I do want an answer on whether we should get a strap. I think I'd like to try it on you, at least. But, okay. I can't hold off anymore. Can you—?"
 
Natalie pushed Jordan's legs up, pinning them up by her head. There was really something to be said about a rogue's flexibility. Climbing overtop Jordan, Natalie started to piston her hips, slapping into Jordan with a sudden, vicious energy. They were both already close, so it wouldn't be long.
 
"Inside?" Natalie grunted.
 
Jordan's feet tied behind Natalie's back. "Don't be stupid. What are best friends for, if not heart-to-hearts and creampies?"
 
Natalie arched forward with one last thrust, muscles straining as ecstasy overtook her. Jordan pulled her in tight with both legs and arms, pinning Natalie as she started to pour hot, sticky strings straight into her womb. Milking her out with her tight, convulsing pussy.
 
Heart-to-hearts and creampies. 
 
What else were best friends for?
 

 
Author's Note:

That completes Arc Four. As a heads up, this story is kept most up to date at:

https://www.scribblehub.com/series/662502/dungeons-and-dalliances/

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