Author’s Corner: Hard to believe that we’re already this many chapters in xD Feels like yesterday that this story started!

We stayed in orbit around this planet for roughly six hours until the storm finally dissipated fully. I was quite shocked by the damage that occurred during that period, as I was watching the life signs blink out one by one under the storm. Sure, several creatures managed to find shelter or hide underground to avoid the destruction, but many didn’t have that option.

There were even a few monsters that appeared within the storm, snakes made of lightning that twisted about inside the clouds. Or birds made of rain that flew through the skies. A magic storm was nothing to laugh at, truly. Leaving aside the initial damage, the monsters formed from the excess mana would be enough to cause troubles for an area.

By the time the storm had ended, and the monsters created left for other areas, over half of the life forms that had been below were wiped out. “Scan the area for the corpse of a large monster, let’s see if there is something suitable for Yang to use in her quest.” As I spoke, Yin walked into the room, her dress now completely dry. She gave me a gentle smile, and then looked in surprise in front of her. Likely the rewards for her quest.

“John… help?” She furrowed her brows and looked to me, likely wanting me to help her decide on what she would get for her rewards.

“What level of reward were you given?”

“Medium favor…”

I was pleasantly surprised by that, and nodded my head. She might have qualified for a large favor if she had started the storm over the ocean, but her patron might have taken that into account. “Hmm… How about an item that will boost your magic?” I didn’t know all of her skills, but if there was anything in particular that she wanted she wouldn’t have asked for my advice.

Yin smiled slightly, and nodded her head. I was interested in seeing how this would look, since the only other time I had seen a god grant an item was when Aria trolled me with that gold coin. Soon, a thunderous roar filled the room, after which a lightning bolt descended from the metal ceiling and struck Yin’s hand. She jumped back in shock, but did not seem to be in any pain.

After the lightning vanished, a glowing golden ring with swirling ornate patterns appeared on her finger. Even without actively using my Mana Sense or Aura Sight, I could feel a strong magic being emitted from that ring. Unlike the one given to Talia, this seemed to be a proper enchanted item.

Yin looked down to the ring, and nodded her head. “Ring… good.” Her smile widened a bit as she looked at it. I wasn’t sure what the effects of the ring were, but since a medium favor meant an item of superior level, it was most likely better than anything I could create, even if I had the best materials.

“We’ll let you test it out on the next planet.” I said, and then turned towards the front. “Results of the scan?”

“None of the monsters appear suitable for your request, captain. However, one of the local animals was caught in the storm and died, and should fit what you wanted.” One of the crewmen spoke up, pressing a few buttons and showing a creature appear on the screen. This creature was an adult turtle rex, and appeared to have taken a lightning bolt right between the eyes before it had the chance to hide in its shell.

“Alright, it’ll have to do. Celeste?”

“Understood.” She smiled, and went off to the teleport bay. Naturally she knew my plan, to send the creature to the cargo hold for Yang to work on it.

Pressing the button for the comms again, I spoke up. “What’s the progress at the medbay?”

It was Ackbar that answered me this time. “Yang is proceeding with the treatment, but it is going slowly. Right now, it seems that she can only prolong it.” I could tell that he was upset from his tone. This was like losing a new partner your first night on the job.

“I’ll be right down.” My healing spells are more powerful than the ones Celeste taught Yang, so I should be able to do better. Standing up, I quickly moved out of the bridge and headed down to the medbay. When I got there, I found the white wolf lying on the operating table, half of its skin melted and revealing the muscle and bone beneath.

I couldn’t help but frown at this sight. The insect’s acid had been considerably more powerful than I originally thought. Still, I should be able to help with this much. Yang was currently crouched down over its body, frantically pouring her magic in to try to save it. “That’s enough, Yang. I’ll take over from here.” I patted the bird girl on her back, and she looked up to me with watery eyes.

“Please, Master… can you save him?” She pleaded with me, and I could tell that she would be acting the same no matter what was on this table, as long as it was something that she was asked to heal and couldn’t. A life entrusted to her, she was not willing to let it go so easily.

“I’ll do my best.” I smiled to her, nodding my head. She gave a faint smile in return, finally backing up. Without Yang’s constant healing, the wolf was immediately racked with severe pain, crying out.

Looking at the wolf, I put my hand above one of its wounds, and used the strongest healing formula I knew with my Nature Magic. I watched as the muscles began slowly knitting themselves back together, skin stretching out to cover the wounds. Since the wolf was so low level, only two castings of this would be enough to finish this treatment. If it weren’t for the nature of its injuries being acid, then even Yang’s treatment would have been enough to fully heal it.

After the second casting, and the injuries had all closed up, there were several burn scars, which I helped heal over using a burn heal formula. Although there was nothing I could do to help it regrow the lost fur, it was much better now than it had been before. “That should do for now. If anything else happens, let me know.”

Ackbar smiled, petting the wolf with one hand, while the wolf itself slowly sat up, carefully as if to avoid the possibility of lingering pain. “Thank you, Captain.” Closing his eyes, he poured a bit of magic into the wolf, causing it to revert to the same white crystal he had summoned it from.

Looking back at Yang, she was also smiling brightly, relieved that the wolf was no longer in danger. “There’s a creature waiting for you in the cargo bay.” I told her, and she looked up at me in confusion. “For you to work on for your quest.”

“Oh…” She nodded, slowly rising to her feet and walking out the door.

From there, I went back to the bridge, and returned to the captain’s chair of unparalleled comfort. I swear the only reason they made this chair so well is so that the captain would not avoid his duties. It’s like they had some plot in mind!

By the time I returned to the bridge, Yin had already left, so I wasn’t able to ask about the effects of her ring. I could always just call her on the comms, but that seemed like a bit much just for idle curiosity. I’m sure if she needed me, she would find me easily enough. And man… sometimes I both love and hate being right.

That night, our last night in this system before the generator upgrade was complete, I retired to my room like normal. However, this time there was no Yo already napping on my bed like she had been doing since the Seraglio, but Yin and Sharon sitting there in thin white negligee. I had a bad feeling about this, but I could not help but admire how they looked through that material.

Sharon, being the obviously more talkative one of the pair, started. “So… we’ve been talking.” She paused for a moment as she said that. “Okay, I’ve been talking mostly, and Yin has been giving me short answers, but still. We decided that five weeks of trying to get you to look at us was enough.” Well, I’m in trouble now.

“John… choose?” Yin looked up at me with a hopeful expression, though I could see a bit of regret mixed in as well.

“I…” I looked at the two of them, and thought it through. It really had been five weeks since they began their little ‘contest’. Though I had been busy with captain things and training during that time, but still. “I can’t… I mean, you both are really sweet, and I like you both. But if I pick one of you over the other, won’t the one not chosen get hurt? This is a small ship, relatively speaking, and I don’t want any bad feelings between us…”

Sharon let out a ‘tch’ sound, clicking her tongue while Yin wore a big smile. “I won…”

“Yeah, yeah. It was pretty obvious he’d say something like that. Fine, fine, you tell him.” Sharon sulked on the side of the bed, crossing her arms under her bust, which was much more effective in the transparent outfit.

Yin nodded her head slightly, putting her hands in her lap. “John…” She closed her eyes and focused, likely recalling a script she had prepared before hand. “We… decided that we did not want to fight over you anymore. Sharon and I are… friends. We know that whoever ‘lost’ would be hurt… and we did not want that either. We… both feel very strongly for you, and so… we have decided to share.”

“But just us!” Sharon added on. “Not Yang, Yo, or Celeste, just the two of us, alright? Yo’s practically your daughter…”

“And Yang is… still simple.” Yin nodded.

“And Celeste isn’t even really an option.” Sharon finished. “I mean, even if she was interested, it’s not like she is physically capable of it. But, I doubt she was ever interested in that in the first place.”

Yin gave another nod. “So… just us.”

“No harem, no bevy of beauties waiting on your every need. Just Yin and I. Deal?” At that, she looked up at me hopefully, as if thinking I was going to run away from this. And, I’ll admit, the thought had crossed my mind. But, what reason did I have now? They were right. They were the only two girls I could even remotely think of that way, and since they decided to work together and ‘share’ me, I didn’t really have a reason to refuse anymore.

I took a deep breath, and sighed. “Deal.” No sooner had I said the word than two bodies tackled me to the floor, pinning me there in a tight hug. It seems they really did think I would try to run off again this time.

After a few minutes, they finally got off of me, and pulled me into the bed while both were wearing large smiling expressions. I’m sure you expect that this is the part where I tell you all about how I rocked their world, right? “And John, clothes stay on tonight.” Sharon said with a wicked grin. “Consider this punishment for making us wait.” Yin likewise nodded, and thus we all laid in the bed, cuddled together without actually doing anything more. I was tempted, oh so tempted. But I finally had a good thing going with these girls, and did not want to spoil it.

In the morning, I found out that they had two bets between themselves. The first, was whether or not I would try to refuse choosing one of them to avoid hurting the other. Yin won that bet, knowing what I’d pick. The second was whether or not I’d be able to resist the urge to push them down after everything was settled. Yin won that one too… Sharon has no faith in my restraint!

“Oh, come on..” She pouted after seeing what I was thinking. “Can you blame me? I’ve known you for months now. All that time, I’ve never seen you get the least bit of action. I’ve seen how you look at us, so I know you’re not gay. It was either that, or the patience of a saint.”

I had to admit… she was right. Sadly.. she really was. “Fine… fine… I concede defeat.”

She puffed her chest out proudly, while Yin giggled lightly. “John… better now?”

“Huh?” I looked at Yin curiously. Was there something wrong with me before? Well, I do admit I felt better having two beauties sleeping next to me than one slime girl that was basically a daughter. “I guess?”

“Good.” She smiled, and leaned in to give me a soft kiss on the lips. Afterwards, I found out that was her prize for winning the first bet. As for the reward for the second bet… I’d apparently get that later.