Chapter 13.

Ettie did not like him. Jin had been sure from the moment they had met, yet she confirmed it by biting his arse once Acshellis had helped him off her broad back. He’d started warming up to the fast mare whose movement speed seemed to be at least 500%. Her gallop was smooth and the wind had whipped through his short hair. If he’d been game he would have looked back and felt he’d missed the magic of seeing Acshellis’s hair flying in the wind.

Seeing it was night time, night mobs had appeared. Spiderlings glowed red, and would have been cool if he hadn’t known what they were and could pretend they were fireflies. Taking his arms, Acshellis walked him over to the portal, before they could step through, Jin stopped. While nervous about entering, he was also curious

“Lovely Baby?”

“Can you see the purple portal?”

Acshellis nodded

“It’s protection magic laid on the land by the mighty dragons hundreds of years ago so people didn’t carelessly wander in”

That was cool. The stingy system hadn’t told him that and he didn’t remember any of the lore speaking of it either

“Can you see the number?”

“There’s a number?”

Jin suddenly remembered

“Wait. You might not be able to go in. The others cleared it earlier”

His husband tilted his head

“It should be fine. We’ve performed recoveries after clearing before… you said there was a number?”

“It says 5”

“I didn’t know that… but I seem to know 5 can enter at once”

That must have been the game code…

“What will we do if we can’t go in? I made you come all this way”

“You didn’t make me, I offered. I think the dungeon would have begun to refill. They never stay empty for long. Let’s try. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe”

With his husband’s hand in his, they walked through the portal and Jin saw inside his first dungeon. The cave was wet and humid, small spiders skittering across the natural stone floor. Despite having entered holding hands, his husband took a second to appear next to him. The cave provided natural lighting in the form of glowing foliage, yet Acshellis seemed to also be glowing. A distinct red outline around his form, making him look more godly than ever, and it was very fitting as a fire mage.

“So, do our dungeons live up to your dreams?”

Jin very nearly let out the same happy squeal he’d let out when he’d realised he’d died and been sent into the game. This was his first dungeon without his arsehole friends! He was here! His husband was here!

“Can you make it brighter? I want to see everything. How many times have you been here? Does the Tower clean out dungeons regularly? How powerful are the attacks? How powerful are your attacks? You could clear this whole place in one go, right?”

Acshellis snorted at his question and summoned fire orbs to spread out and provide more light

“I could kill them all, yet you wanted to train. We haven’t had new mages for some time so the lower dungeons are left. There’s always some low level travellers who’ll clean them out. Try taking your sword out and see how it feels”

Right. He did want to train. Grasping the sword on his belt by the hilt, he nearly flung it trying to brandish it manly. Out of its sheath, it was a little over a metre long, the silver blade spotless. It was a legendary sword he’d looted while mining. He’d accidentally found what had looked like an old mine shaft, complete with what seemed to be a lost party of skeletal remains. Their loss was his gain. The three orange sapphires sparked in the light, each cut for strength, a warriors main stat.

“How does it feel?”

It felt a little heavy, but then again it was a two handed sword, Jin grasping it with both hands and giving it an experimental swing

“It doesn’t feel bad at all. I’ll have to figure out how to use my skills”

“Take it slowly. You look very sexy like that”

“I want to look imposing”

“You look that too. Why don’t you try attacking? Shall I get a spider to come over?”

“No, I want to figure that out too. How to hold their attention”

“Don’t go taking your clothes off. I’ll incinerate anything that sees you naked”

“I’m not trying to be sexy. You won’t laugh right? I’ve never done this before so please don’t laugh”

“I’m not going to laugh. Practice all you like, you’re in no danger”

Giving the sword a few more experimental swings, Jin nodded. Created characters didn’t start as children, they seemed to be about his actual age when entering the game. He’d been playing for 8 years, yet before that his character would have been training to be a warrior by game logic. That would make his character 33, even if he didn’t age as the years passed. 33 seemed plenty of time to have the fundamentals down.

Rushing the closest mob of spiders, well running at them as he didn’t know how to use his rush skill, Jin swung at the closet spider, his blade sliding through without resistance. The two accompanying spiders crawling towards him as he marvelled at taking out one. Clumsily he swung his sword a second time, barely knicking the spider, yet killing it instantly. The third was nearly on his boot, bringing his sword up, he plunged it down, killing the third as easily as the first two.

He had the strength and weapon, but his reactions were slow. Those two spiders would have killed him if they weren’t such low levels in comparison.

“Will you loot them?”

Jin didn’t need to, yet they were his first dungeon kills and that was exciting. Crouching down, he rummaged through the remains. All he could pick up was two handfuls of spider guts and a broken leg

“It’s rubbish. I don’t know if you guys needs spider guts”

“Bring them anyway. I’ll shove them onto someone”

That was his husband’s polite way of saying no. Playing along, Jin got his backpack and shoved the remains in. There had to be an easier way to loot. Like this he’d be taking his backpack off every time. If his auto loot had still been set, he wouldn’t have had to worry

“Alright. Spider parts collected. I need to work on my timing”

“You do. You leave yourself very open”

“I noticed. I’m hoping if I can correct my technique then speed will come with it”

“That’s a good plan. We can hire a swordsman to train you privately, if you’d like?”

Jin shook his head

“No, no. Let’s save that on the off chance I’m completely useless”

Hefting up his sword, spider blood and guts clung to it. Seeing it was his weapon, Jin wanted to clean it down and take good care of it, but he was only going to get it dirtier. By the time they finished the dungeon, he wanted to be proficient. He wanted to wow those 5 little idiots and secretly make clearing easier around his plans. He’d show them that the bullied weakling they thought he was had always been a figment of their imagination.

Only…

Only, he was too damn powerful. One hit was all it took, even when that one hit was accidental. The dungeon bosses were meant to have more strength. To have bigger HPs. His damn sword killed them off before he had time to practice… Fuck, he was sure the last boss ran straight onto his blade. How was it that he couldn’t seem to raise a sweat clearing a whole dungeon, when Acshellis would leave him a dishevelled mess when there was less work involved!?

Teleporting out of the dungeon, Jin pouted. The system could have been a little stingy and he wouldn’t have minded as he needed the practice. But no. He just had to go clearing it with far too much ease. Being so awesome was his blessing and his curse.

“How do you feel, Lovely Baby?”

Giving his husband a scowl, Acshellis’s teasing hadn’t made him feel better

“Disappointed. I wanted to practice more and I killed then all too fast”

“Mmm, that was a little easy. My Lovely Baby is so strong”

“I need to find stronger mobs to practice with”

“Alright, let’s go do my work. There should be high level mobs close to it”

***

After getting back on Ettie, Acshellis took the reins in his hands, Jin back between his husband’s arms, thinking about his plan. He didn’t want to piss Seiichiro and Shin off, but he did want to be on the front lines. He didn’t want to be left out… but what could be do to lower his own attack power while still being “useful”. Taking off his armour was bad for him. All it took was a stubbed toe and he’d be close to death. If he now showed up with such a good weapon, how could he explain where he’d gotten it from? If he said he’d mined it, then he might be sentenced to keep mining and only mining until he found something for the others. If he said it was soul bound upon collection, then there’d still be upset over it.

Haruto had proven he died too fast. If he’d tried to talk to the group about buffs and potions he’d come across even worse, like a know it all, which he was, but they wouldn’t take his advice.

Rei seemed to feel he owed him for the pants, yet Rei was also very loyal to the others. If he manipulated him too much then he’d stop listening to him out of fear.

Plus… if he did prove too useful they’d want to try harder dungeons then be mad if they died, wiped, or took a long time.

“Lovely Baby, we’re here”

Pulled out of his looping thoughts, Jin knew where they were now. They were at the dire wolf plateau

“The dire wolves?”

“The pack leaders started targeting other breeding pairs. You should be able to get more than one hit in”

“You’ll let me face them?”

“I’ll take the male, you the female. They’ll be in their cave at this hour”

“You trust me to?”

“Of course I do. Did my Lovely Baby not slay a dungeon unaided?”

Only because he was too powerful… and he hadn’t been completely unaided. Acshellis gave him the strength to try. Blushing slightly, Jin ignored the compliment

“Will Ettie be okay?”

“She will be. No wolf will harm her hide”

That was because Ettie was terrifying… Even as a wolf Jin wouldn’t be getting too close. Her hooves would crush his head

“As long as she’s okay”

“She will be, come, let’s go find them”