Chapter 8
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Lizard Subjugation (2)
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"That's one hell of a crazy story."
"Haha. What great humor. You've got a real knack for it, Sister."
I never imagined she'd take it literally and clock me one.
One wrong move, and my skull's getting cracked open.
Now the full picture was coming into focus.
She had that awkward air of someone who'd never held down a real job, a completely warped sense of money, and zero hesitation when it came to killing if she had a justification for it.
"...Are you a mage, Priestess?"
"I can't fool your eyes, can I? Yes, that's right."
"A Heretic Inquisitor, by any chance?"
"Heavens! Your insight defies imagination! Have you worked with the Church in the past?"
A Heretic Inquisitor, one who devoted her entire life to serving the Church.
'We're fucked.'
Heretic Inquisitors! Human weapons who could shatter heaven and earth with a flick of the wrist! At that level, she'd probably rip Bori apart without breaking a sweat. Gotta watch my mouth.
"I've just heard a lot of rumors."
"It seems a guardian spirit watches over you, Sister. Would you join me for mass once this is over?"
"Thanks, but I'll pass."
I barely kept a poker face. Then, pretending to feed him jerky, I whispered to Bori.
"...Chill out. We get caught, we're dead."
"Keng."
Bori tucked his tail too, sensing the unnatural power radiating from her. Even he, who always marched to his own beat, was tense. This wasn't good.
A Heretic Inquisitor out to smash the skull of a bestiality freak!
It felt like she'd been sent to punish me. If there were gods in this world, they had to be pervy voyeurs. Why else send a Heretic Inquisitor? Of course, saying that out loud would get my head bashed in by the priestess right in front of me.
"I'm curious, though. How'd you end up banging a beast?"
"With the goats I raise in the backyard... Sigh. I couldn't endure the days of abstinence. Priests trained by the Church reject acts that corrupt the mind and live their lives upholding public morals."
"What about jerking off?"
"Masturbation is forbidden too. No, there's no need for it. As you serve and follow the God of Light, impure thoughts naturally fade away."
Definitely a cult of nutjobs. Living a lifetime without so much as a wank? I wanted to ask if she'd done it before joining, but that felt a bit too risky, so I held back.
This lady's probably hiding a club in her robes.
Couldn't let her slender frame fool me either. This Heretic Inquisitor knew magic.
Magic.
Wielders of inscrutable power who plunged enemies into chaos.
Mages were exceedingly rare among adventurers. If you could use magic, you'd join the Mage Tower for funding and research instead of wallowing in the mud. I'd rarely met one myself, but from what I'd heard, they were all dangerous types.
'Yeah, she's dangerous.'
No doubt about it, I agreed inwardly.
*
"The departure's delayed, but we still have time. The upstream's treacherous. If we head out now, we can catch up."
"And the lizard extermination?"
"I'll help right after punishing the sinner. Hopefully it's not far."
Keseok, as both Heretic Inquisitor and mage, excelled at 'Detection.' She said Church members carried holy power, making them easy to track if nearby.
"Let's go, Bori."
"Keng!"
"Will you use the reins too, Priestess?"
Keseok shook her head.
"I'm fine."
Even after my warning, she just smiled faintly, which sent chills down my spine. I grabbed the reins and shook them to signal.
"Don't blame me if you fall off! Let's go!"
"Keng!"
We kicked off the ground. Once past the gate, Bori ramped up to speeds where even opening his eyes was impossible. Almost like he was trying to shake off the Heretic Inquisitor behind us, moving rough and wild.
Of course, Keseok didn't budge an inch.
Still, I could feel we'd gotten faster than before. Probably thanks to the massive stat boost from Growth Mating.
'Status Window.'
65.
My Agility was 6, so his was well over ten times mine.
Even if an ordinary girl sprinted for her life, she couldn't match a single wolf leap. Probably comparable stats.
Not sure if that's strong, though. It'd be nice if I could check other people's stats. Without objective comparison, I had to rely purely on numbers. And even those were vague in spots without benchmarks.
At least I knew I was a total weakling who couldn't beat a street mutt. A grown man probably had around 15 Strength. I'd heard three men could take down one Gray Wolf.
More worrying was Bori getting stronger while my stats stayed the same.
Damn.
Fuck me.
Every time I saw these skills, I couldn't help but marvel.
Submissiveness must've spiked when I'd pounced on him right as he tried to pull out after mating.
Bori had held back too—three times during grooming, twice on the way back, another two near the gates... He'd thrust his hips like there was no tomorrow, pumping out who-knows-how-much. Not that I could complain; it felt too damn good each time.
That day, my hips gave out, so I rode atop him like dead weight. Bonus: I'd shoved the canteen stopper into my pussy to hide the leaking cum.
'Repeated matings diminish the growth effect, too.'
Started with +20, now barely +1 or 2. Needed some special trigger maybe.
'Not enough Submissiveness?'
...Hate leveling that stat, though. Sigh.
"I sense an evil presence. That one's nearby for sure."
Keseok spoke without flinching amid the whipping wind. Her inhuman demeanor was oddly unsettling.
"We'll dismount here."
Then, the presence filling my back vanished.
I turned with a 'no way' look on my face.
- Whoosh.
Waving red hair and jiggling breasts.
Fluttering priestess robes.
Distance pulling away in an instant.
Keseok had leaped off.
"—Are you insane?!"
Jumping off a wolf mid-stride that covered three meters a step? Fucking lunatic! I cursed inwardly and yanked the reins for an emergency stop.
- Krrrk!
Claws dug into the earth, sparks flying. The recoil flung my body forward.
"Ah, ack!"
- Thud!
Ow, seriously. My ass is gonna shatter.
Dazed, I yelled.
"Where are you going?!"
"Evil energy ahead! If I don't punish him now, the gods will surely be wrathful. Sister, I'll finish with him and return."
"You coming b—"
Back? As the word formed, opportunity struck.
"—No need. Don't come back, Priestess—just keep going. Ignore me. Wouldn't want to botch things rushing the time!"
But Keseok closed her eyes, her face filled with emotion.
"Indeed. I understand your will, Sister. No mercy, no hesitation in delivering judgment. Like a falling leaf becoming a teacher—a meeting that recalls the sage's wisdom."
What the fuck is she on about?
I nodded vaguely and waved her off.
'Dodged a bullet.'
Terrifying sight, her heading across the river with that nailed club.
Better go solo from now on. Teaming up just risks attracting psychos like that.
"We're good now. Scary, huh?"
Bori's fur was still bristled from tension. I stroked his head, kissed his forehead.
Hugging his scruff, feeling the soft fur, rubbing my cheek against his like a caress. My flushed face looked just like a female in heat tempting her mate, but I had my reasons.
Tender Care activated.
Submissiveness +3.
'Bori' Strength +20.
'Bori' Agility +20.
Status ailment [Confusion] removed.
Tender Care.
His prickled fur smoothed down. I gave his head a casual pat and climbed aboard.
Ways to trigger Tender Care varied. Simplest: press your body close with reverence and submission. Petting alone didn't cut it.
With conditions like that, Submissiveness was bound to rise.
But I decided not to sweat it.
Higher Submissiveness meant understanding Bori better.
And like hell I'd submit to some stupid stat. Go ahead, skyrocket. I ain't turning dog.
Gripping his gray mane, I whispered.
"Think you can fight? Lizards. Saw about five on the way."
"Keng!"
No problem, he said.
I grinned and turned toward the lizards' spot.
"...Lizards spotted!"
"Kaeng!"
Bori bolted like lightning, targets in sight. I gripped the reins, ducked low. Didn't want to get showered in blood rain.
- Kwuduk!
First one. Bites the shoulder of a lizard hunting fish.
"—Kashaak!"
Playing intelligent creature, it wore wooden armor on its shoulder, but Bori's teeth shredded it to bits.
Kaduduk, kaduk. Chilling just to hear. Shoulder chomped wood and all, exposing mangled flesh pierced by splinters, writhing veins like worms spewing blood.
Finally understood the new 'Ignores Defense' in Bori's status. Potent stuff.
"—Watch the spears!"
I shrieked, and spears flew from all sides.
Three of them. Crude sticks tipped with sharp stones—worse than market junk—but speed amplified their punch.
Spears whistling by, grazing Bori's flank. His Agility showed 85 in the status. And we nearly got hit.
"Fuck! Sneaky bastards!"
Lizards... Common name, mob-like looks, but C-rank.
Usually faced E's, maybe D's if lucky—got cocky. Status windows had downsides like this. Numbers meaningless without feel for them.
"Grrraaah—!"
But Bori bared bloodied fangs for all to see, declaring he wouldn't let a single foe escape.