Harem Master - RPG story Ch. 027

--- Asher Montgomery ---

After passing through the entrance stone with his whole harem, Asher opened his eyes in the Starting Room.

"Oh my god!" Lucy exclaimed, spinning. "This place is amazing!"

"It's just a white room," Elara commented, stepping toward the panel in the middle.

Lucy glanced at her. "Can we decorate it?" she asked.

Naomi giggled, but when Asher glanced at her, she blushed, averting her gaze.

"We could put a bed here," Lucy said, pointing at one of the walls. "It could be quite useful, you know?" she asked, winking at Asher.

"The active mission is to kill twenty-five monsters," Elara said, reading from the panel and ignoring Lucy's antics.

"Quite a lot," Ava replied. "The reward?"

"Thirty bronze coins," Elara answered.

"We were supposed to have a short exploration today," Asher said. "But maybe the dungeon will throw a lot of Level 1 monsters at us."

"What about the two other quests?" Lucy asked, skipping to the panel and tapping on it.

"We can take the quest for twenty bronze coins to kill two level four monsters, and in reward get fifty bronze coins," Elara read aloud.

"We might not even meet two level four monsters," Asher said.

"Skip," Lucy said, tapping on the screen again. "Let's check the interesting one."

"We're not taking it," Asher said. "We talked about it."

"I know, I know," Lucy replied. "Too much risk and so on. I just want to see what it is," she said, reading the information on the panel. "Kill ten monsters, thirty bronze coins, but all our damage is reduced by fifteen percent."

"Just as Ash said, we don't take it," Elara said.

He smiled at her, grateful for her support, but it wasn't really necessary, because no one objected to taking less risk and playing it slow.

Elara tapped on the panel, returning to the screen where they could choose a dungeon level, however, they still had only one option available: Random Dungeon Level 1.

"Prepare your weapons," Ava said, glancing at Sam and Lucy, who still had their swords in their explorer bags.

Sam took out her shield and sword, while Lucy pulled out a necklace from under her armor. A light ball flew out of it and turned into a sword in her hand. It didn't look like anything special, but Lucy was still at level one, so there weren't really many options available for her.

Asher, standing next to her, watching it, tilted his head as a thought crossed his mind.

"If you have the explorer bag, why did you come to the Academy with a suitcase?" he asked.

"So a handsome guy like you would carry it for me, obviously," Lucy explained, grinning.

"Someone would think that you came here to find a boyfriend rather than explore dungeons," Elara said.

Lucy giggled. "Why not both?" she asked. "But I was kidding. You really thought I took all of my things in just one suitcase? It was a miracle that I fit it all in two exploring bags. And the suitcase."

"Ready?" Ava asked, interrupting the banter.

After everyone confirmed, Ava tapped on the panel's screen, and the world around them turned dark for a second.

---

Dungeon Entered:

Swamp, Level 1

---

Asher closed the notification and looked around, checking their surroundings. Except for his teammates, there was no living creature in sight. He lowered his sword, as they weren't in immediate danger.

"So cool!" Lucy exclaimed.

Asher didn't see anything special around them, but for Lucy, it was her first time in the dungeon, and her excitement didn't really surprise him so much.

They were surrounded by a vast, open stretch of land, dotted with patches of tall grass and the occasional lone tree. The ground beneath their feet was soft and uneven, squelching with each step. Shallow ponds and wide puddles covered much of the area, some so murky you couldn't tell if they were just a few inches deep or several feet.

"Movement here is hindered," Ava said. "Elara, you will be affected the most."

Elara grimaced and lifted one foot, watching as thick mud clung to her boot and stretched with it, making her movement slower.

"Be careful," Asher said, looking at her with concern. He was worried that she might trip or run into deep water.

"Yeah, I know," Elara replied, her face twisted in an unhappy grimace.

Asher was glad that at least it was the Level 1 dungeon, so they wouldn't stumble upon any magic-using monsters, which would also put Ava at a disadvantage as the Fire Mage. He realized that, hopefully, before they reached Level 2 dungeons, Ava would have her class changed to Elemental Mage and no longer be limited by such elemental weaknesses.

"So, now, we look for monsters to kill?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah," Ava replied.

"Yay!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Sam, take the lead," Elara said, pointing at a patch of ground that looked firmer than the rest.

Asher glanced at Naomi and Sam, who stood close to each other, realizing that both of them were pretty quiet. For Naomi, it was normal, but Sam often threw a joke or playful jab at someone, yet this time she also didn't speak at all. He wondered if it was because of her argument with Naomi, but at least Sam seemed focused, and that was more important in the dungeon than being social.

Sam nodded and headed through the path that Elara pointed out.

They had to move in single file. Elara was right behind Sam, followed by Ava, Naomi, and Asher, with Lucy bringing up the rear. From time to time, they stumbled upon deep ponds and had to backtrack and look for a different path.

On top of that, the uncertain terrain forced them to move at a slower pace, making their progress through the dungeon painfully slow.

"A turtle!" Lucy exclaimed suddenly. "It's so cute!"

Asher glanced at her and then looked where she was pointing. He squinted his eyes, looking at something that at first he thought was a big rock, but when it moved, he realized that it was a turtle.

Or rather, a Giant Swamp Turtle--a monster that was only met in the Swamp Dungeon. He didn't see anything cute about it, especially when he recalled from the lessons at the Academy that they were around thirteen feet tall, thirty feet long, and looked like a dinosaur that would stomp you.

"I don't see anything cute in it," Elara commented.

"You know, turtles are cute, and this one is just big," Lucy explained.

"It's slow," Ava said. "But it has plenty of health, a shell to protect its body. Its legs are covered in thick skin that reduces damage. Only the head is its weak point, but if it manages to catch you with its jaws, you're fucked."

"Hmm," Lucy hummed. "When you put it like that, it doesn't seem so cute anymore."

The monster was moving away from them and clearly didn't notice them. But even then, it was too slow to catch them if they wanted to run away.

"We could just move on and look for something else," Asher said.

"It's quite a weak opponent," Ava replied. "It will just take a lot of time to take it down, but we could gain a lot of experience from it."

"We have a lot of monsters to kill to complete our quest, and we would waste a lot of time to kill just one," Elara said.

"We don't need to complete this quest," Asher replied.

"Oh come on!" Lucy said. "Make a choice," she added, looking at Asher. "We're wasting time. Either we kill the not-so-cute turtle, or we let it go live its life and look for something else."

"Let's take it down," Asher said. "With Naomi's unlimited arrows, we will just need to distract it between us while keeping a distance, and she will take it down eventually. Very little risk."

Elara grimaced. "I will not have opportunities to attack it safely," she commented.

"Maybe you will find some chance, but you can also stay mostly back and let others take care of that," Asher said, staring at her, wondering if she would have a problem with that.

"Okay, decided," Lucy said.

Elara glanced at her, but then nodded, looking at Asher. He turned toward Naomi and Sam, who both agreed.

"Sure," Ava said. "I'll be careful with my mana and only shoot to distract it when necessary."

It took them a few more minutes of trudging through the swamp before they got close to the monster. They discussed their plan while watching it--the creature hadn't noticed them yet and was still slowly walking forward.

Naomi was supposed to stay back and rain arrows on the monster, dealing most of the damage. The rest of the group would split into three teams.

Sam would take the front, taunting the turtle and drawing its attention, with Ava right behind her, ready to cover her and make sure she didn't back into a pond while retreating.

Lucy and Asher would mirror that on the opposite side, drawing aggro in turns to keep the monster's attention shifting between them and Sam. Asher's job, like Ava's, was also to watch the terrain and prevent any missteps into the swamp.

Elara, acting alone, was supposed to look for an opportunity to deal a lot of damage with her Powerful Attack, but otherwise stay back and keep an eye on the surroundings in case their fight attracted something else.

Once they got close enough, Asher checked the monster's status.

---

Giant Swamp Turtle

Level 4

Health: 1200/1200

---

"Fucking beast!" Lucy exclaimed. "Twelve hundred health."

Asher decided not to use the skill that he had borrowed from Rachel--The Curse of Decay--as its effect would be the most useful when it could be applied against many monsters. And in a long fight that was awaiting them, the damage that he could deal with it wasn't so important.

He could use Partner Enhancement, however, this time not on Elara, as he had always done before, but on Naomi, who was supposed to deal the most damage in the upcoming fight. He discussed it with Nami and the rest of the team, and they agreed that he would add her stat points to strength.

When they got in Naomi's range, they split into groups and found terrain that was firm, without big ponds nearby.

"Naomi, are you ready?" Asher asked, waiting for Sam and Ava to find their position on the other side of the turtle that was coming toward them.

"Yeah," she replied. An arrow showed up in her hand, shining white light.

"So cool!" Lucy said, staring at the skill that Naomi had used.

"Focus," Asher said, looking at Lucy.

"Yup," she replied, nodding. Then turned toward the turtle monster with concentration clear on her face.

"Okay, let's start," Asher said, activating Partner Enhancement on Naomi.

She had her bow already drawn and released the arrow that flew in a high arc and struck the turtle's neck. Naomi immediately summoned another one, aiming it at the monster and releasing one after another.

The monster turned toward them, its big eyes focusing on Naomi, who was standing slightly behind Asher. It started to approach them, moving faster than before, making bigger steps that didn't sink into the ground.

It was getting closer, but then it abruptly turned around. Sam, on its other side, slashed with her sword at its neck. The monster tried to catch her with its massive jaws that closed a few feet in front of her shield. Then Sam began to back off, directed by Ava behind her.

The monster turned and headed away from Asher, Lucy, and Naomi. Its whole focus was on Sam, trying to catch her.

Lucy moved forward, approaching the monster, readying herself to attack it to grab its aggro when it was her turn. Naomi was releasing arrow after arrow, all of them hitting the easy target. A lot of her arrows struck the monster's eyes, but it had a membrane that was protecting them.

"Swap!" Ava shouted over the monster.

Lucy immediately rushed forward and slashed with her sword at the exposed neck of the turtle, leaving a shallow wound. Then she immediately jumped back, as the monster turned toward her, its big maw snapping in front of her, as it tried to catch her.

As Lucy was backing off, watching the monster, Asher was leading her to prevent her from falling into any pond or onto unstable ground.

The monster, like many animal-based ones in the dungeons, was following the last one who attacked it, moving toward Lucy.

Asher reached a deeper pond. They still had a path to run away just in case, but he turned around. "Swap!" he shouted.

Just a second later, the monster turned away in the direction of Sam and Ava, and from the flames that burst over its head, Asher knew that Ava had used her skill.

As the monster turned toward Ava, Asher and Lucy moved in behind it, retaking the ground they'd given up earlier--ready to draw its attention back when the time came.

Asher glanced at Lucy, who was staring at the monster with concentration, waiting for the signal to attack. He was glad that despite her bubbly and carefree behavior most of the time, she was completely focused when it was needed from her.

Then he looked around, searching for Elara, who was standing at the side by the turtle's legs at the moment, but at a safe distance from it. However, attacking the legs didn't make sense at all--she would deal reduced damage, and it wasn't even safe. Getting kicked by a leg that was thicker than most trees would be a devastating blow, so Elara just waited, watching the fight.

"Swap!" Ava shouted.

"Go," Asher added to Lucy.

She moved forward, watching every step as she got close and slashed the turtle's side of the head. The monster turned quickly--this time, rather than trying to catch her, clearly intending to just smash her with its head.

Lucy dropped to the ground, avoiding it. Then jumped to her feet and backed off quickly, running to Asher, who was making sure that there wasn't any pond between them at any time.

The turtle didn't manage to attack again before Lucy was out of its range. As the monster turned toward them, Elara was by its front legs, but she was still waiting at a distance.

Asher was checking the ground, leading Lucy through the swamp as she made sure that the turtle wasn't close enough to attack them.

Asher was tense. One mistake could end really badly, but with how slow the monster was, it was just a lot of waiting for your turn and then moving through the swamp, luring its aggro.

Naomi was constantly sending her arrows at the turtle. It would probably be impaled by many of them already, but they were vanishing a moment after hitting. He wasn't sure how many she had hit already, but at the moment, he couldn't turn around to check the monster's status, focused on the ground in front of him.

"Swap!" he shouted when they reached the same pond that they had previously.

A second later, fireballs again struck the side of the turtle's head. The monster, following its instincts, turned and headed at Ava.

Asher had the chance to check its status.

---

Giant Swamp Turtle

Level 4

Health: 845/1200

---

He sighed. This was only a third of the fight, and once his buff on Naomi wore off, things would slow down even more.

As the turtle began to turn, Elara spotted her chance. She dashed forward with impressive speed. Still, Asher could tell she was holding back--careful with her footing, not going all out.

She slipped in close to the monster's neck and slashed across it with both daggers, leaving long, bleeding wounds.

With a new attacker, the turtle stopped and turned, trying to locate Elara--but she was too close to its neck, staying just outside its field of vision. She slashed again, circling with the creature to remain in its blind spot.

But then the turtle suddenly pulled its head back into its shell, hiding its vulnerable neck--and finally spotted her.

"Back off!" Asher shouted.

Elara had done her job attacking with Powerful Attack. Remaining close and attacking further made no sense, especially when she didn't have Asher's buff to strength. He was glad that Elara listened, and before the turtle managed to attack her, she backed off, getting behind Sam and next to Ava.

The turtle turned to follow her again, trudging in their direction and giving Lucy and Asher room to move.

It took a few more cycles of taunting and leading the monster in turns. With every hit it took, it grew slower--weakened by its wounds and the constant blood loss.

When the final arrow struck its bloodied head, the turtle's legs buckled beneath it, and its massive shell crashed to the ground with a loud thud and a splash of water.

Asher checked his status, finding out that he got a lot of experience, but it was not enough to level up.

"Yay!" Lucy squeaked.

He turned toward her, smiling, knowing that she had leveled up.

"I got a level up!" she exclaimed, running to Asher. She hugged him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips against his in a wet kiss, as she pushed her tongue into his mouth.

"New way of celebrating the win?" Sam asked, approaching them with the rest of their team.

"I can give you a kiss too if you want," Lucy replied, pulling back from Asher, grinning.

Sam snorted. "Maybe some other time."

"Naomi, Sam--did you two level up too?" Ava asked.

"Yeah," Sam replied, as Naomi nodded.

"Remember to use your stat points and upgrade your skill," Ava said.

"Let's check the loot," Elara said, heading toward the chest that had remained from the turtle's body after it had turned into a black mist.

"Can I?" Lucy asked, running after Elara. "Please, can I? Please?"

Elara rolled her eyes, smiling. "Sure."

"Cool!" Lucy exclaimed, falling to her knees by the chest. After opening it, she put her hand inside and pulled out a single bronze coin.

"A coin!" she shouted, lifting it over her head. Then she tossed it to Asher and reached into the chest again.

She started to pull out something big. She needed to get up to take it out completely. It was a big scute, easily half her height and equally wide.

"It's rare," Lucy said.

---

A Swamp Turtle Scute (Rare)

Crafting component

A hardened fragment of a swamp turtle's shell, said to carry the slow, unyielding resilience of ancient marsh spirits.

---

It was a neutral item from which a weapon could be created. Or more precisely, Asher corrected himself, a shield or armor. They could try to find someone with the right class to do it for them, but just selling it sounded like a better option.

"Okay," Ava said. "Put it into your bag, and let's move on."

Lucy nodded as the scute in her hands shone and shrank until it changed into a light ball that flew into her necklace.

"Is everyone okay?" Asher asked. "Does someone need to rest?"

After everyone confirmed that they hadn't gotten any wounds and were ready for the next fight, they moved on, trudging through the swamp.

It took them some time before they stumbled into another monster. Or rather, a group of monsters this time. Sam was the first one to notice them, stopping the group and pointing them out ahead.

"What's that?" Elara asked.

A colorful swarm shimmered in the distance, drifting above the marshland like a living cloud.

"Dragonflies," Ava replied.

"Monster versions of them. They are over a meter long," Asher added.

"Ewwww! Bugs!" Lucy said, stepping toward Asher and hugging him.

"Are you scared of bugs?" he asked, wrapping his arms around Lucy while watching the incoming monsters. They were still far away, and they had time.

"Mmm... not really. But they're disgusting," she said, squeezing him harder. "Every opportunity to hug you is worth taking."

"Lucy, focus," Asher murmured, shifting his gaze to her face.

She nodded, pulling back from him and taking out her sword from her exploring bag, turning toward the monsters with concentration on her face.

"But seriously, can't you just burn them all or something?" Lucy asked, glancing at Ava.

"I will," she replied, summoning fireballs over her hands.

"Cool," Lucy said, her gaze lingering on Ava's skills.

"Let's stay close to each other," Asher said. "They are fast, but don't hit hard. Let Naomi and Ava take them down while we protect them. And I will use the Curse of Decay on Naomi," he added.

With how fast the dragonflies were moving, he wanted to make sure that after just one arrow, they would be dead, even if it would take a moment before the damage over time secured the kill. Unfortunately, it was still slightly over ten minutes before the Partner Enhancement would be back from cooldown.

Everyone agreed to that plan, and they quickly formed a circle around Ava and Naomi.

The whole group watched the monsters carefully, and it took a few minutes before they got close.

With how fast the dragonflies were moving, it was hard to count them, but Asher estimated there were around fifteen. It was a lot, but aside from their speed and ability to fly, they were weak--squishy and lacking any real means to deal serious damage, limited to small bites and light scratches from their long, thin legs.

"Get ready," Ava said, as the monsters were almost there. Asher activated the Curse of Decay on Naomi.

When the dragonflies got close enough, Ava and Naomi, at the same time, released their projectiles. Ava hit a single dragonfly with one of her fireballs, but her other skill missed. The monsters spread out, making it harder to hit them, and surrounded the group.

The dragonfly Naomi had aimed at had already veered out of the arrow's path--but mid-flight, the arrow suddenly curved and struck it from above.

Lucy's weapon shone with yellow light, spreading from the handle to the tip. Asher glanced at it only for a second before focusing his gaze on the closest monster, checking its status.

---

Swarm Dragonfly

Level 1

Health: 25/25

---

Naomi couldn't kill them with just a single arrow, but the Curse of Decay effect would finish them shortly after.

"Nami," Asher shouted over the buzz of the monsters' wings. "Try to hit every one of them once."

Ava summoned two fireballs and cast them toward a dragonfly, hitting only one of them.

Naomi released another arrow, piercing the monster's body and immediately summoning a new arrow.

But before she managed to do it, the monsters attacked from a few sides at the same time, flying around and over them.

Asher slashed at the one coming toward him, but mid-flight, it suddenly veered off course, dodging to the side and diving straight at him. He raised his shield just in time, but the monster latched onto it, trying to bite over the edge--its jaws nearly reaching his arm.

"El!" he shouted, turning to his girlfriend.

She was close, and a second later, stabbed both her daggers into the monster. As she pulled back, its lifeless body slid off her blades.

"Thanks," Asher said, turning and attacking another dragonfly that was coming at him.

Standing in a circle, they managed to block all the monsters' attacks. Any monster that tried to swoop down from above was met with one of Ava's fireballs.

Naomi was shooting arrow after arrow, many of them missing, as the dragonflies were moving too quickly, but one after another she was taking them down.

Even during the fight, Asher could tell that Lucy, who was on his right, was managing quite well, blocking the attacks. Two dead dragonflies lying in front of her only confirmed that.

Sam was mostly blocking and pushing the monsters away, as Elara darted from person to person, looking for opportunities to strike.

One by one, the dragonflies were taken down. The fight was far more chaotic than their last, but it ended quickly, with Naomi shooting the final one.

"Third level, bitches!" Lucy shouted, raising her shining sword high to the sky in a pose, with her hand on her hip and legs spread wide.

Asher chuckled, checking his status. He had 92% to the fifth level. It was close, and most likely just one fight away.

"Is everyone okay?" Ava asked.

"Oh my god!" Lucy exclaimed, running up to Naomi. "You're a total badass--taking them out one after another! Pew, pew, pew!" she added, forming pistols with her fingers and pretending to shoot before wrapping Naomi in a hug.

"I got a few bites and scratches, but nothing serious," Sam replied, watching, with a little smile, Lucy and Naomi hugging.

"T-Thanks," Nami replied, as Lucy pulled back.

"Do you need a potion?" Elara asked Sam.

"No, I'm okay."

Asher glanced over Sam's arms, which had a few wounds, but they were all shallow and already healing. He assessed she would be okay in a few minutes, especially with her increased regeneration.

"This team is so OP!" Lucy said, grinning. "Those monsters don't stand a chance against us."

"Don't get too cocky," Asher said, approaching one of the chests that lay in the mud after the monsters turned into black smoke.

"Too cocky?" Lucy asked. "I haven't even started talking about your cock."

As Asher rolled his eyes, Naomi gasped softly, blushing and averting her gaze. Sam giggled watching her.

"You haven't even seen it yet," Elara said, walking past Lucy and patting her on the arm.

"Oh, that's going to change soon," Lucy said, blowing a kiss to Asher before skipping over to one of the chests on the ground.

They collected all of them, fourteen in total, and put out all their loot on a dry piece of ground. They got six bronze coins, three mana potions, three identical Dragonfly rings, one Dragonfly necklace, three Dragonfly legs, and a pair of Dragonfly wings.

Asher checked the status of all the items, but as was expected from level-one monsters, there wasn't anything interesting there.

---

Dragonfly Ring (common)

Required level: 1

+1 Agility

A lightweight silver ring.

Dragonfly Necklace (common)

Required level: 1

+1 Agility

A simple necklace with a silver dragonfly.

Dragonfly Leg (common)

Alchemical ingredient

A brittle leg harvested from a dragonfly.

Dragonfly Wings (common)

Crafting component

Delicate firefly wings.

---

"Lucy, did you allocate your stat points and upgrade your skills?" Ava asked.

"Yup! It's so sweet. You're like our harem mommy--making sure we did our homework," Lucy said with a grin.

Ava shot her a sharp glare.

"We should move on," Asher said, noticing Ava's reaction and wanting to defuse the situation. He wasn't even sure why she reacted that way, but with everything going on in her family, maybe the joke had hit a little too close. Now that he thought about it, Ava had never once mentioned her mother. For all he knew, she might not even be in her life.

Lucy looked at him, confused, but the rest of the group agreed, and with Sam at the front, they headed further through the dungeon.

Asher and Lucy walked at the back of the group. She stored her sword in her explorer's bag and pulled out a new one, then grabbed his arm and slowed her pace, letting them fall a few steps behind the others.

"Hey... did I mess up with that joke about Ava? I didn't mean to upset her," she asked, whispering.

Asher hesitated, unsure how much he should say. "I'm not exactly sure either, but Ava's dealing with some family stuff right now. So... maybe avoid jokes like that, okay?"

"Of course," Lucy replied, nodding with concern on her face. "Should I apologize?"

"I don't think so. But I'm going to hang out with her later, so I'll check in and let you know," he replied. In a perfect world, he'd avoid any drama in his harem--but with five women, that might be asking for a miracle. It was only the second day since they'd completed the team, and there had already been tension between Sam and Naomi... and now, between Lucy and Ava.

"Oh, a date?" Lucy asked.

"No, we will just hang out."

"So, can I join?"

"Umm... not really, what I had planned is only for two people," he replied.

Lucy smirked. "Yeah, that totally doesn't sound like a date."

Asher sighed, but before he had a chance to answer that it was complicated, Elara interrupted them.

"A boss entrance stone," she said, pointing to the side.

Far in the distance, a white stone was quite easily noticeable.

"Oh!" Lucy gasped. "We should fight it. We can take it down easily!"

"Not today," Asher said.

Sure, they might be strong enough to beat the boss now--but only maybe. With their skills still on cooldown and the swamp being one of the worst places to fight, it just wasn't a risk worth taking yet.

"Yes, boss!" Lucy said with a grin, giving him a playful salute.

Asher looked at her, surprised. If it had been Elara, they'd at least have had a discussion about it--more likely, an argument. She was stubborn and never just accepted a decision without pushing back if she had a different idea. She'd fight for it, challenge him, demand to be heard.

But Lucy... she simply accepted his call. No fuss. No resistance. No need for explanations. Just a playful answer, and she went along with it--even though the idea to fight had been hers.

It felt... refreshing. Strangely comforting. Like she trusted him enough to let him lead. Even though they had just gotten to know each other. And that stirred something in him.

"But soon," Elara said. "Lucy already hit level three, and Asher, Ava, and I are just one fight away from level five. Naomi and Sam might hit it too. And with Asher's class buffs, we're stronger than a typical level-five party member anyway."

"I want to get Elemental Companions first, and have some time to practice using it," Ava said. "Then we can go."

"And that would be when?" Elara asked.

"In two days," Ava replied. "And then it depends how I can control them, but a day should be enough to start."

"If you level up on Friday morning, then you'll have the whole day to train, and we could try on the weekend," Asher said.

"Sounds cool," Lucy said.

"Yeah, that makes sense," Elara replied.

"Okay, but we need to meet early in the morning, before classes," Ava said, looking at Asher.

"Sure," he replied.

Naomi and Sam had no objections, and they continued their journey through the dungeon, leaving the boss entrance far behind.

It wasn't long after when they stumbled upon an exit stone that could bring them back to the Academy. But with full health and skills coming off cooldown, they decided to wander further, hoping for one more fight.

They were trudging through the swamp when a rock suddenly flew at Lucy from the side. She swiftly dodged, raising her sword.

"On the right!" Lucy shouted.

"Two on the left!" Ava screamed immediately after.

Asher looked to the right first, where a towering creature of dripping mud and embedded stones arose from the ground. Its misshapen face was formed from slick muck and two glowing amber stones for eyes. Moss and broken branches clung to its back, while water seeped from every joint, flowing down its body.

---

Mirebound Golem

Level 3

Health: 250/250

---

Asher glanced to the left, where two identical monsters were approaching them.

"Three groups!" Ava commanded. "Sam and I will take this one," she added, pointing at the one closer to her and Sam.

"We take forward," Elara said, already running.

It was one of the strategies they had prepared in advance--for situations where splitting into three pairs was the most effective option.

They'd choose the groups trying to balance the damage: Asher with Elara, Sam with Ava, and Lucy with Naomi.

As Asher followed Elara, the monster shot another rock at her, but she just shifted to the side while still running.

"I'll distract it, attack from the back," Asher said, getting closer to the monster and activating Partner Enhancement on Elara, boosting her Strength.

"Okay!" Elara replied, running around the monster.

Its gaze followed after her, aiming another rock, but Asher slashed through the monster's back, careful not to push his sword too deep. With Mirebound Golems, if a weapon sank too far, it could get stuck inside their bodies and be impossible to pull out.

The golem immediately turned toward Asher and hurled the rock at him.

He blocked it with his shield--the impact jolted his arm with pain. Elara activated Fast Attack and Powerful Attack, dashing forward and driving both daggers into the monster's body before yanking them out in a swift, fluid motion.

As the golem swept its arm--tipped with a heavy rock--Elara darted back, narrowly avoiding the strike. Asher quickly checked its status: it had lost sixty health points but still had plenty left. Without Elara's Powerful Attack, the rest would take longer to deal with.

The golem followed Elara, attacking, but she blocked its hand with her dagger and cut through the monster's body with her other weapon.

As Elara backed off, Asher slashed across its back and followed up with a second strike. But when he went in for the third, a stony hand intercepted the blow. The other arm came crashing into his shield, forcing him to stagger backward.

Elara dashed in, slashing across its back with both daggers. At the same moment, Asher struck at its arm. The creature responded by launching another stone his way, but he dodged just in time.

As Elara closed in for another strike, the golem's hand suddenly sank into its torso and reappeared on the opposite side--catching her off guard and slamming into her stomach.

Even as she was thrown backward, rolling across the ground, she managed to drag one of her blades across its arm.

"El!" Asher shouted, charging forward between the golem and his girlfriend, blocking one rocky arm with his shield and deflecting the other with his sword.

"I'm okay," Elara groaned, getting up. "It surprised me," she added, backing off.

"How much health have you lost?" Asher asked, avoiding another attack.

"Eighteen," she replied, circling their enemy.

"Take it slower," Asher said. "Wait until it attacks me."

He ducked under the rock that flew over his head and swung at the golem's arm, but it blocked the strike with its stony hand. The other arm came crashing down from above, but Asher raised his shield just in time, deflecting the blow as it slammed into the ground.

Elara leapt in, slashing with her dagger. She twisted mid-move, slicing again--this time high, aiming for the creature's head. As she pushed off to jump back, the golem collapsed. With its death, its body exploded outward, spraying muck and debris in all directions.

Asher instinctively raised his shield. When he lowered it, his breath caught--Elara was on the ground, covered in mud, with a jagged piece of rock jutting from her stomach.

He rushed to her side--she was conscious but groaning in pain. He had already pulled out a health potion, opened it, and after wiping her lips, grabbed her chin and poured the liquid into her mouth.

Elara swallowed. The jagged stone slid from the wound in her stomach as the healing took effect. She looked up at him with a smirk. "You know I'll swallow anything you give me... but still, a little warning next time?"

Asher snorted, helping her get up. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied, turning toward the rest of their team, assessing the battlefield.

--- Naomi Tanaka ---

"Yay! Best team in action!" Lucy said, as she and Naomi split off from the group, heading toward the Mirebound Golem.

"Lucy, please focus," Naomi said. It had worked when Asher told her to concentrate, so she hoped Lucy would listen to her too.

"Don't worry--we're gonna kick this monster's ass," Lucy replied. "Or... whatever it has."

Naomi gave her a worried glance while summoning a spectral arrow in her hand. Even after firing over a hundred of them, it still amazed her. Something like that should cost mana. The fact that it didn't was incredible--absolutely unheard of.

Naomi took quick aim and released her arrow, striking the creature in the chest. In response, it hurled a rock at the approaching Lucy. She sidestepped and swung her sword, deflecting the projectile to the side.

"Slowly!" Naomi shouted. "I can take it down, just buy me some time," she added, already drawing her bow again.

The golem wasn't as slow as the turtle, but it was still an easier target in comparison to dragonflies, where Naomi had missed many shots, endangering her team.

She was releasing arrow after arrow, every one of them piercing the monster's body.

Lucy's sword embedded in yellow light as she reached the golem. When an arrow struck its head, Lucy attacked, cutting through the mud in front of her.

A rocky hand swung toward her, but Lucy stepped back quickly.

As Naomi was drawing another arrow, the creature suddenly launched a rock at her--fired blindly from its body without even looking her way. She was far enough to simply step aside, but her left foot had sunk into the mud. When she tried to pull it free too quickly, she lost her balance and fell, landing in an even deeper patch of muck.

"Are you okay?" Lucy asked, deflecting an incoming blow while jumping aside to avoid another flying rock.

"Yeah," Naomi gasped, wiping her face and getting up from the ground. "Sorry," she murmured, picking up her bow.

"It's cool," Lucy replied, sidestepping another attack. She slashed through the golem's body, then immediately deflected its next swing.

Naomi felt frustrated with herself for making such a stupid mistake--but this wasn't the time to dwell on it. She summoned a new arrow and fired at the creature's back. This time, however, the arrow bounced off a slab of stone that rose from the golem's body, even while it was still focused on Lucy.

"Shit! It's shielding itself from my arrows," Naomi shouted.

Lucy dashed to the side, dodging another strike. She slashed again, wounding the creature's side, then leapt back to avoid its rocky arm.

"It's okay!" Lucy replied. "Try again!"

Naomi was already drawing her bow, trying to aim lower, away from the rocky armor, but as the arrow flew, another rock arose there, deflecting her attempt again.

The monster followed Lucy, attacking her with abandon, one rocky arm after another. She dodged and deflected it all, but constantly needed to move. Naomi was worried that she might trip and be in trouble.

After Naomi shot again, at the last moment, she used her Phantom Arc--her arrow avoided the rock that was supposed to protect the golem and pierced its body. That had worked, but she had three minutes of cooldown on this skill.

Lucy was dodging all attacks, not getting hit even once. Somewhere between those attempts, she even managed to strike when the monster overextended.

Naomi shot two more arrows, trying to aim at the exposed parts, but the rocks always shifted and blocked them. Still, Naomi was relieved--and impressed--by how well Lucy was holding her own, especially after claiming she lacked sword training.

With how useless her attacks were, Naomi glanced around, looking to the other pairs, checking if she could help somewhere. She spotted Asher helping Elara to her feet--their golem already defeated.

When Elara looked her way, Naomi waved, signaling they needed help. Without hesitation, Elara sprinted toward them.

Lucy intercepted the monster's attack with her sword, then shifted to the side. When the golem turned after her, Elara rushed at its back.

"It can see behind," Naomi shouted, wanting to warn her.

A rock launched from its back, but Elara swiftly sidestepped, still getting closer until she reached the creature and slashed it with her dagger. Instantly, a rocky hand launched toward her, but she avoided it.

Lucy stabbed her sword into the monster's body as Elara juked under another monster's arm and cut through its stomach.

It was the last blow needed to kill the monster. Its body erupted on death, splattering Elara and Lucy with mud--thankfully, nothing heavier. Both were now covered in muck, and when Naomi glanced down at herself, she knew she didn't look any better.

"Our first facial together!" Lucy said, raising her hand for a high five from Elara.

Elara snorted but turned toward the last standing monster, rushing at it instantly.

Naomi blushed, hearing this, wondering how Lucy could be so open with comments like that.

Looking at the third golem, she realized that with Elara, Asher, and Sam surrounding it, they didn't need her help, and she didn't have a clean shot, so she just watched, thinking about what Lucy had said.

Naomi had never even had sex--let alone... anything like that. Just thinking about it made her skin burn. And saying it out loud? In front of others? She couldn't even imagine talking about normal things, let alone something so filthy.

Let a guy do that... on her face? Why would anyone want that? Would Asher want to do something like that? What was the appeal? She couldn't understand it. She could barely even picture it without wanting to cover her face and disappear.

And yet Lucy could joke about it like she was talking about lunch. Naomi felt like she was from another world entirely.

"Best duo ever!" Lucy exclaimed, hugging Naomi.

She gasped at first, snapped out of her reverie, but then wrapped her arms around Lucy.

"You got distracted," Lucy accused, smiling.

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did--daydreaming about facials, naughty girl."

Naomi gasped, her cheeks burning, and she wanted the ground to swallow her up. How could even Lucy know what she was thinking about?

"Don't worry. I won't tell Asher about your little fetish," Lucy whispered, pulling back. "For a price," she added, winking, and then moved toward the third golem that had just been killed.

"It's not my fetish!" Naomi shouted.

--- Ava Black ---

Sam headed forward toward the golem that she and Ava were supposed to fight together. Ava summoned two fireballs and cast both of them at the monster, both hitting its muddy body.

Then she needed to wait for her cooldowns to come off, and that was why she was paired with Sam, who could easily occupy the monster between Ava's skills.

It launched a rock at Sam, who just blocked it with her shield, getting in range to attack the monster.

Ava glanced behind her, checking if Asher was safe, before she focused back on the enemy in front of her. He was with Elara, who couldn't protect him in any way--not like Ava, who had her fire shield. But during the fight, she could miss the moment if he needed it. Ava just hoped that Elara would kill the monster quickly, and nothing would happen to Asher.

Sam's attack missed her target. Then she blocked a rocky hand swung at her with her shield. The second Ava's fireball came off cooldown, she launched it at the monster. Rocks on its back shifted, like it was trying to shield itself, but her skill splashed over its body, still dealing damage.

Ava again glanced at Asher, making sure that he was fine, and then quickly swept her gaze over Naomi and Lucy, who seemed to be doing well.

Sam blocked the creature's arm with her sword, then caught the next strike on her shield as she stepped back. The golem suddenly picked up speed, launching a flurry of reckless blows at her. She did her best to block them all, and even when Ava hit it with another fireball, it didn't flinch--it just kept attacking.

After one of the golem's attacks, Sam's sword bounced back too far, and she exposed her body. A rocky hand was coming at her stomach, but at the last moment, a purple energy surrounded her, closing her in a dome. With the monster's attack blocked, and Sam's Aegis Ward still active, she charged forward, striking.

Her sword cut through the monster's body as it struck down with both arms on the magic shield. She managed to slash it two more times before her shield broke, and the monster's arm struck her shoulder, pushing her back.

Ava launched two fireballs at the monster, both hitting their target. The creature turned abruptly toward her and hurled a rock at her, but she was ready and stepped swiftly to the side, at the same time making sure that there was no one behind her who could get hit by the flying stone.

The golem turned toward Sam after another of her attacks. Ava, still having cooldown on her fireball, looked toward Asher and realized that they had beaten their monster already. He was coming toward them when Elara ran to help Naomi and Lucy.

"Don't get too close," Ava said to Asher as he was passing her. "I won't be able to shoot."

He still moved toward the golem but stopped at a distance, covering for Sam just in case something went wrong, but not interrupting the fight.

As Sam was blocking further attacks, Ava again hit the monster with her fireball. Before her spell was ready again, Elara was already running at the monster.

Ava didn't stop her, deciding it was better to let her take care of it rather than using her limited mana, and she watched carefully.

Sam blocked the incoming attack with her shield as Elara stabbed both her daggers deep into the monster's body, and at that moment, the golem erupted, sending mud and stones flying in all directions.

--- Asher Montgomery ---

The last golem had just erupted after Elara killed it, as Asher observed the fight from a distance.

---

Level Up!

Class Level: 5

+1 Skill Point

---

"It's not my fetish!" Naomi shouted.

Asher closed the notification, disappointed that he didn't get any new skills, and turned, surprised, toward Naomi--just like everyone else, except Lucy, who was coming toward them giggling.

Naomi's whole face blushed before she hid it in her hands.

"Lucy, you shouldn't distract Naomi during the fight," Asher said.

"What?!" Lucy gasped. "She got distracted herself, thinking about her dirty fetishes," she accused, pointing at Naomi.

"Somehow I don't believe it," Asher replied, smiling.

"Nami!" Lucy gasped. "Tell them!"

Naomi raised her head from her hands but didn't look at them. "I-I didn't get distracted. I was watching the fight, and you had it under control," she explained.

"So, you weren't thinking about your dirty kinks?" Lucy asked.

Naomi gasped. "I... I... those are not my kinks!" Naomi shouted, hiding her face in her hands.

"Oh, don't worry, cutie," Lucy said. "I love you no matter what nasty things you like to do."

"Can we act like adults for five minutes?" Ava asked loudly.

"Oh, what Naomi had in mind is a very adult thing," Lucy replied, grinning.

"It's okay," Elara cut in. "Monsters are dead."

"Still..." Ava murmured and turned toward one of the chests.

Lucy stuck out her tongue at Ava's back. Asher smiled, barely stopping himself from chuckling.

They gathered their loot from the three chests: three bronze coins, two health potions, and one mana potion.

"Lame," Lucy said, staring at the items.

"At least we got to fifth level," Asher said.

"Oh, it's a fucking joke!" Ava growled suddenly.

"What?" Asher asked, glancing at her with confusion.

"The new skill I can pick... It's fucking Mana Increase!"

It was the one skill that had once set her apart from Thomas. But thanks to Asher, she had already overcome that disadvantage and even beaten him. Now, when it no longer mattered, she finally got the skill she used to want so badly.

"Well, it's great," Asher said. "You're going to have even more mana now."

Ava just scoffed.

"So, what skills did you guys get?" Lucy asked, glancing between the rest of their team.

"We're at 92% to level five," Sam replied for herself and Naomi.

"I didn't get any," Asher replied. "You know my class doesn't follow the usual progression."

"I got Assassin's Mark," Elara said. "My first attack against each new opponent deals extra damage equal to 5% of their current health."

"Combine that with Powerful Attack on the first strike, and you can deal massive damage right away," Asher said.

"And if you keep switching targets, you could rack up a lot of damage across multiple enemies," Ava added.

"Oh," Lucy gasped. "I can't wait to hit level five and get a new skill."

"Soon," Asher said with a smile.

After that, they packed the loot into their exploring bags. Dirty, tired, and with skills on cooldown, they decided to return to the Academy.

They weren't far from the exit stone, yet it took them some time threading through the muddy terrain of the dungeon. When they reached the stone, they immediately returned to the Academy, where only guards stood around, making sure that no monsters could get out of there.

Asher, with his team, moved to the side of the room.

"Who's going to sell the loot?" Elara asked.

"Ava?" Asher suggested. It wasn't anything amazing, but at least she would have something to do--to occupy her mind from her problems.

"Fine, I can take care of that," she replied.

She put all the items in her exploring bag after they passed them to her.

"Do we want to go tomorrow too?" Asher asked.

"Yup!" Lucy replied.

"I have training with Maya in the morning, and I might... umm... need some rest, but I should be fine after noon," Elara said.

The rest of their team agreed, and they decided to meet at Naomi and Sam's room after their classes.

"When are we going out?" Ava asked, looking at Asher.

"Umm... In like an hour," he replied, glancing at the clock on one of the walls.

"They have a date," Lucy whispered into Naomi's ear, loud enough that everyone could hear it.

"It's not a date," Ava and Asher protested at the same time.

"Cute," Lucy said, giggling.

"Anything else?" Ava asked, looking over the group.

When no one spoke, they departed to their rooms.

Asher and Elara walked into her room together. Caitlin was on a date with her boyfriend, so they had it completely to themselves. After the swamp dungeon, both of them desperately needed a shower under scaldingly hot water.

They entered the shower cabin together, and even despite the many orgasms Asher had had already that day, his cock sprung ready for some more action seeing his naked girlfriend.

They, at least, washed completely before he was balls deep in her pussy, pressing her against the wall, fucking her from behind. He took her quickly, emptying his balls in her just seconds after her own orgasm shook her body.

After their moans faded and their breathing slowed, Elara turned around, and they spent several long minutes kissing under the hot water.

When they finally left the bathroom, they only put on their underwear--he wore boxers, and she slipped into her panties, leaving her small tits and pink hard nipples exposed.

They sat on Elara's bed, and she climbed onto his lap, straddling him. Her bare ass rested on his thighs as she faced him, her soft mounds pressing against his chest.

"Is your meeting with Ava a date?" Elara asked, whispering.

"No, not really. She wants to test out some new activities, and I found something that we might try together."

"Are you going to kiss her at the start? Or at the end? Will you be thinking about having sex with her during it?"

"Umm," Asher murmured.

"As I thought. So, to me it looks like a date."

Asher sighed. He knew that it seemed like a date, but his relationship with Ava was complicated, and he wasn't even sure what their meeting was supposed to be.

"I will only remind you," Elara continued, "that you were already on a date with Naomi, and in a way... I don't mind it, but I want you to be honest with me."

Asher sighed. "It's not like I'm trying to hide a date with Ava from you. The relationship between me and her is complicated, and I don't even know what our meeting today should be labeled as."

Elara sighed, remaining quiet for a moment, as Asher was hugging her and stroking her back gently.

"All of this is..." Elara started. "Much harder than I thought," she said. Then she scoffed. "Well, there's some progress. I... I'm not scared anymore that you would dump me for one of them..."

"El, I would never--" Asher protested.

"I know, dummy," she replied, smiling. "That's what I just said. But I still have doubts, even if I believe that you're not going to leave me. And I know that those thoughts are stupid. I know. It's just... I have them. I can't get rid of them."

"It's okay, El," Asher whispered. "I'm here if you want to talk about them."

"I really don't like the feeling that I have to... compete for your time and attention."

"You don't need to compete," Asher replied.

Elara pressed herself tighter against him. "Yet, you spent so much time with Ava. And I thought that she is not interested in you like that."

"I'm not sure either," he replied. "But I think it's something more for her than just boosting her class now."

"But what is it for you, Ash?" Elara asked.

"I... don't know. She's hot, and we have a lot of sex. I don't really know her very well. But... she needs help, and I'm trying to give it to her."

Elara chuckled quietly, leaning back. She stared into Asher's eyes before she leaned forward and connected their lips in a short kiss. Then she shifted, resting her chin on his shoulder, clinging to him.

"It's just," Elara started, "I know that if not for the whole harem thing, we would spend more time together. We would have more sex. Explore it only together. Without other women involved. Just you and me."

"I thought... that you like it," Asher said.

"I do," Elara sighed, then smiled. "But... I don't know. On one hand, the threesome with Rachel was amazing. And I can't wait to fuck Lucy tonight. But on the other hand, I would want to have you just to myself," Elara explained. "More," she added after a moment.

Asher stroked her back, trying to understand her. It was true that they didn't spend as much time as they could, if he wouldn't meet with all those other girls. And even then, Rachel or Ava joined them. And when they could spend the whole late evening together, Lucy would be with them.

"Soon," he said. "We'll rent the house and have our own bed, and we'll be together every night."

Elara sighed. "Yeah? So there wouldn't be nights that you would spend in Ava or Lucy's bed?" she asked. "And I'll be left alone in bed, knowing that you're cuddling another woman just behind the wall," Elara whispered, her voice cracking.

Asher pulled back until he could see Elara's eyes, wet from tears. He cupped her cheek and kissed her tenderly, his heart hurting as he pressed his forehead against hers, remaining close.

"We can always invite them to our bed for the night," Asher offered.

Elara snorted before she sobbed.

"I want to sleep next to you, El. Every night, but..." Asher hesitated, reminding himself of the talk he had with Lucy. "If any of them would want to sleep with me, then the best solution would be if you would be fine with them joining us. That way, I could be there with you every night. Perhaps cuddling with another woman, but not behind a wall, not in a different bed. With you there."

"And," Asher continued after a moment of silence, "I believe that Lucy would love it if we all cuddled together."

Elara rolled her eyes. "I can imagine that."

For a moment, they just stared into each other's eyes in silence. Asher hated seeing his girlfriend like that. And the fact that he was the reason only made it hurt more. But in this situation, he had no idea how to ease her doubts. Only with time could he truly show her how much he loved her--and that no one else could ever change that.

"I love you, El," he whispered.

Elara smiled softly, her eyes still on his face. "I love you too, Asher. I really do," she said, pressing her lips to his. But just a moment later, she pulled back, snorted, and let out a quiet chuckle.

"What?" he asked, as she rested her chin on his shoulder again, clinging to him.

"I love you so much that I've accepted you're... building a harem," Elara said, pausing briefly. "That you're having regular sex with other women, going on dates with them, and probably falling into romantic relationships too."

Asher hugged her, gently stroking her back, unsure how to respond. He still didn't understand how Elara had agreed to all of this--how she could accept that he was with other women. And not just for sex, but something more. Who knew how things would develop with Naomi, who had made her feelings very clear, or with Ava, who said she didn't want a relationship... but lately, it seemed like even she wasn't sure what she really wanted.

And then there was Lucy--blunt, bold, and just as clear about what she wanted. Asher realized he still hadn't told Elara about his conversation with her. And Elara had asked for complete honesty between them.

"El, I forgot to tell you about something," he began, sighing. "I talked with Lucy. She said she wants... more than just sex or friendship. She wants us to be boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Like Naomi," Elara whispered.

"And you're okay with that?" he asked gently.

Elara sighed. "Okay in the sense that I'm not exactly thrilled about it. I'm scared as hell... but I'm trying to accept it."

"Lucy brought something up..." Asher hesitated, and Elara pulled back slightly to look into his eyes, waiting. "She said that if it happens, I shouldn't treat her like she's... less. That I should at least try to treat you both equally."

Elara grimaced, her eyes fixed on his face. She parted her lips like she wanted to speak but couldn't find the words. Finally, she whispered, "It makes some sense."

A brief silence followed as she considered it, and Asher gave her space to think.

"Do you like her?" Elara asked softly. "Do you want her to be your girlfriend?"

"Lucy?" he asked to confirm. She nodded. He sighed, but a smile crept onto his face as he thought of the newest member of his harem.

Elara smiled faintly. "Yeah, you don't need to answer," she said. "Just... don't rush into anything, okay? And... tell me before you take that step?"

"Of course," Asher said.

Elara kissed him briefly, pressing her bare chest to his as their tongues teased at each other's lips.

"Let's stop talking about all that," she whispered. "I don't want to spend our alone time worrying about harem stuff."

"Do you have a better idea?" Asher asked, smiling.

"A few," Elara replied before pulling him into a deep kiss.