Mature Content Warning: None really

Author's Note: Here we go again. :) Nothing much to relate here

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Chapter 17.2: Special Moves

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Blackthorne gasped for air while he poured water over his head. Training with Sonja had been a brutal experience. The difference in their strength and stamina was ridiculous. If he had not been a dragon, he was sure that he would have had a heart attack just trying to keep up with her.

“You were not kidding, were you?” he asked.

“Hmm?” asked Sonja, not even out of breath. She had barely broken a sweat from the exertion that she had been under.

“Training skills is that much more important than increasing my level?” asked Blackthorne.

“Oh, yes! Yes, it is. When your level increases you gain higher stats across the board. However, if you train your skills properly you will grow much stronger than what your level alone can possibly provide.” replied Sonja.

“I would love to see your status...” said Blackthorne.

Sonja laughed softly. “A girl needs her secrets...” However, after she said that a soft blush crept up on her cheeks. “But if you really want to see...”

“Sure, if you don’t mind.” he said, a hint of excitement in his tone.

She smiled at him then nodded. “Right.”

Sonja made a gesture in the air then nodded once more. Her status screen appeared before him, complete with her skill screen.

<<< Status >>>

Name: Sonja Starfire

Race: Valkyrie

Title: Slave

Level: 14 Skill Points: 17

Vitality: 1157[1157]

Weapon Attack: 853[853]

Durability: 471[471]

Natural Defense: 59[59]

Speed: 235[235]

Spirit: 382[382]

>>

<<< Skills >>>

Primary

Sword Mastery Level 86

- One-Handed Sword Mastery Level 54

- Two-Handed Sword Mastery Level 43

- Short Sword Mastery Level 37

- Long Sword Master Level 42

- Great Sword Mastery Level 39

- Dual-Blade Mastery Level 26

- Bastard Sword Level 22

* Cross-Slash Level 9

*Overhand Crushing Blow Level 7

*Heaven’s Thunder Level 1 (Locked)

Axe Mastery Level 78

Spear Mastery Level 98

- Long Spear Level 56

Bow Mastery Level 64

- Long Bow Level 37

Shield Mastery Level 90

- Wood Shield Level 84

- Metal Shield Level 82

- Buckler Level 45

- Armguard Level 65

- Kite Shield Level 57

- Round Shield Level 74

* Disarming Shield Bash Level 28

* Disarming Counter Cross Slash Level 54

* Mirror Flare Level 1 (Locked)

Heavy Armor Mastery Level 74

- Chainmail Mastery Level 34

- Scale Mail Mastery Level 48

- Plate Mastery Level 57

* Total Defense Aura Level 12

Light Armor Mastery Level 73

Secondary

Dance Mastery Level 64

- Valkyrian War Dance Level 40

- Valkyrian Sword Dance Level 36

- Valkyrian Bridal Dance Level 24

Singing Level 76

- Valkyrian Battle Hymn Level 40

- Valkyrian War Cry Level 30

- The Ballad of Eternal Love Level 1 (Locked)

Cooking Level 56

Sexual Mastery Level 12

Repair Item Level 52

- Repair Heavy Armor Level 23

- Repair Sword Level 36

Tertiary

Gardening Level 27

Farming Level 45

Fishing Level 36

>>

Blackthorne stared stupidly at the screen before him. There was no way he could be seeing what he thought that he was seeing. Sonja was obscenely powerful, almost disgustingly powerful compared to him. “These stats... What..?”

Sonja shrugged. “Yeah, I know. They’re a little low for my age, but I have not been able to train properly since I was captured.”

“Low? How could you possibly think these stats are low?” Blackthorne could not wrap his mind around that tidbit of information.

She laughed softly. “Compared to another member of my race who has properly trained for the last year or two? Yes, a little low.”

Blackthorne blinked at her slowly then shook his head. “And I thought a dragon would be overpowered...”

She grinned at him. “Aren’t you just a cute little baby dragon, though? Is it fair to compare you to my race when your dragon balls haven’t even dropped yet?”

“My dragon balls...?” Blackthorne laughed a little at that. Idly he wondered if he would be allowed to make a wish when they did.

“Yes, your cute little dragon balls.” she said with a nod of her head.

He produced a wry smile then shook his head. “Even with all of those skills, how are you that strong, though?”

“Shouldn’t I be? I told you that my people are the children of Valkyria.” she said.

“Yes, the goddess of your people. You said she created you.”

Sonja blinked at him. “Oh, I see!” Her eyes widened after she realized his mistake. “No, you think that I meant in the spiritual sense. No, she is more like our direct ancestor. We were formed from her blood and tears.”

“Wait, are you saying that you are literally the descendants of a goddess?” asked Blackthorne.

“The technical term is Hero. Some just call us demi-gods.” she said with a smile. She blinked then placed a finger to her chin. An amusing thought had crossed her mind that made her smile grow three sizes. “Of course, a few others just call us those violent bitches.”

“Violent bitches?” Blackthorne frowned slightly.

She grinned at him then bit her lower lip and offered a slightly hungry look. “Oh, it’s true enough.”

A strangely erotic expression arose on her face and she released a low moan before she said, “We do like violence, quite a lot.”

“I noticed that.”

She giggled softly then placed her index finger against her lower lip and acquired a thoughtful expression. “Mmm, yes.”

Blackthorne decided to change the subject a little. He asked a question that had nagged at him from the moment that he had seen her stats. “If you’re this strong, how come those zombies gave you such a hard time?”

Sonja snorted. “They didn’t really. I hit them easily enough, but supernatural creatures are a pain in the ass.”

“Supernatural creatures?” he asked.

“Yeah, you know, things like you and me? Something outside the norm? Zombies almost completely negate things like physical damage due to their undead status.” she said.

“Really? So, even an attack power as high as yours would be meaningless against them?” he asked.

“Yes, my people have abilities that would allow us to deal great damage to zombies and even creatures such as you, master, who are weak against light or divine attacks. I just can’t use them at the moment.” she said.

Blackthorne thought about it for a moment and realized that what she had said did make sense. Zombies were reanimated corpses that were granted movement by magic. Generally, only magic harmed them to any great extent. You could lop off their arms and legs, even their head, and they would keep moving as long as whatever animated them did not get destroyed.

Hell, things like his shadow wisp or the ghosts he had fought actually took no damage at all from physical attacks. Something like that would be what actually allowed a zombie to move. Physically, you pretty much had to repeatedly pound on the skull and hope for a critical hit.

“I did notice a few locked skills and that you had a natural defense stat.” he said.

Sonja sighed softly then looked away. “The defense stat is something we develop at puberty. It grows with our level, but those locked skills...”

“Yes...? Is it hard to talk about?” asked Scott.

“No, just a little embarrassing. I mean, we have certain requirements as a race.” she said while her face became flush in the process.

“Such as?”

She placed her hands to her cheeks and her nostrils flared. Sonja twisted left and right then whispered, “Well, as long as I’m a virgin I can’t use them.”

Blackthorne blinked then leaned back a little. “A virgin... uh... Sonja...”

“Hmm?” She looked up at him with sweet and innocent eyes. She blinked twice then smiled at him. “Yes?”

“I don’t want to offend you or anything.... but...”

She laughed at him. “See, there you go misunderstanding things again...”

“Ok... Seriously, what am I misunderstanding this time?”

Sonja shook her head. “Among my people, a virgin is any girl who has never experienced a moment of intimacy with someone they truly love. Those other guys don’t count. They’re just practice.”

“Practice... Wait, your sexual mastery skill..?” asked Blackthorne, his eyes wide and curious.

She laughed loudly. “Yes, of course. It’s good to experience the world after all. Besides that, how can I properly please my beloved if I have no actual skill or experience? Once I have convinced the one I love to enjoy my embrace, it would be nice if I was good at it.”

“I... suppose.” said Blackthorne.

“Of course...” Sonja slipped over to him then leaned her face close to his and began to speak in a soft, but confident tone.

“Once I have convinced the one I adore to accept my heart, my womb will only belong to him. No other man may enjoy its mysteries.”

He blinked then leaned back slightly. “No other man... you say.”

She grinned. “No, no other man.”

Blackthorne started to say something, but he was at a loss for words. She had just heavily implied two things that were quite interesting, but were well outside his experience.