“Didn’t I tell you to run away if things got too risky?” his mother asked in a huff. “You had me so worried damn it.” Despite glowering at him, she still went over to sit on his bed and wrapped him up in a tight hug.

Most people considered Amarys Sindred to be an intimidating, sophisticated woman, but what they rarely saw was her caring maternal side. Unfortunately, Dario saw that part more than he’d like to admit.

“I’m okay mum, everything turned out alright,” he reassured, patting her back awkwardly.

“Alright?” she asked incredulously as she pulled back. “You call this alright?” She pointed at his missing foot.

“Eh, I’ll be back in shape in a matter of weeks or days.” Dario shrugged. “Probably.”

Amarys sighed. “Why are you always like this?” She shook her head in exasperation. “I don’t even want to know how this happened, I’m just glad you’re back home.”

“Me too,” he mumbled as he leaned back with a relaxed expression. “Are you sure you don’t want to know how I lost my foot though? It was honestly kind of badass.”

“Oh?” Amarys raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, there was this big fight and I jumped in to save Nightingale,” he said proudly. “I pushed her out of the way of some fireball and took the brunt of the explosion,”

“You? Saved Dahlia?” Amarys asked with a chuckle. “I guarantee you that she would have been perfectly fine without your help. No simple fireball could take out the Nightingale. It sounds like what you did was more stupid than badass.”

“Nah,” Dario denied with a wave of his hand. “It was definitely badass. If that doesn’t convince you, then maybe you should hear about all the other crazy things I did in the Wildlands.”

Amarys rolled her eyes and stood up. “Hold that thought until we get back to Haven, the Healer said you’re clear to leave. Also, Rox wants to hear all about what ‘crazy shit’ you’ve been up to out there, and you can tell us all at once without having to repeat yourself back home.”

“Sounds good.” Dario grunted as he stood up. He then grabbed the crutches next to his bed and turned to his mother. “Do you mind putting that shield on my back?” He pointed towards the white-colored shield leaning against the bed. “I don’t want to leave it behind. The little guy helped me out of some tough spots.”

“Hmm,” Amarys hummed as she picked up the circular piece of metal. “I remember buying this… White Aegis I think it was called. It came in a set I believe.” She gestured at the armor he was still wearing.

“Yep, and I’d say it was worth every copper. If I wasn’t wearing it, I might’ve lost more than just a foot,” Dario said as Amarys attached the shield onto his back. “Alright, time to head back to home sweet home.”

They both went to the exit and left the room.

While walking through the halls of the guild — or limping in his case — Amarys suddenly turned towards him with a concerned look on her face. “You sure you don’t need help walking? I could carry you if you want.”

“Please no, that’s… no.”

He had already been carried bridal style by Bright Star earlier, but that was high in the sky where no one was around to see. Being carried around by his mother through the streets of Voirsten was just... no.

“I’m good, thanks,” Dario declined.

Despite his words, Amarys started walking closer towards him with her arms outstretched. “Come here son, I’ll carry you back home just like when you were a baby,” she said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “Don’t be shy, no one will care.”

“Wha— no, damn it, no! Get away—don’t!” He hurriedly waddled away with his crutches as his mother slowly chased after him. He ignored the mix of perplexed and amused stares of fellow guild members during the slow-moving pursuit.

“Come here Dario!" his mother gleefully called after him. "This is your punishment for not being careful out there like I told you to!”

The purple-eyed teen groaned in embarrassment. He was never going to live this down...

“And that’s when I blasted Gronk in the chest and he toppled over like a stack of cement blocks,” he regaled his small audience.

It had been a week since he left the Guild Hospital and returned home, yet his fellow residents in the Hidden Haven still enjoyed each retelling of his foray in the Wildlands. Surprisingly, they actually believed him and enjoyed his story at face value.

Sitting in front of him around a large table were five scantily clad women intently listening to his tale, while another seven were off to the side busily inspecting their faces in front of mirrors. They were all in the bordello’s dressing room and were preparing for the night’s incoming clients. Dario, on the other hand, was just there to get them in a more jovial mood.

Rox was present, of course, as she always was whenever he retold his brief adventure. Each time, she would close her eyes and live vicariously through him and the picture he painted with his words. He could only imagine what she’d be like if she had chosen the life of an active Guild member instead of a Civvy working girl. Rox would definitely be a Vanguard, or a Freelancer at the very least.

Next to Rox at the table were some of the other inhabitants of the Hidden Haven. Beauties such as the shape-shifting Tova, elongating Brie, duplicator Tryn, and fragrant Flo, all of whom seemed just as interested in his tale as Rox. Many men around the kingdom yearned for their attention, but right now, their focus was all on him.

“Damn, I wish I was there to see it,” Flo said, smacking the table with a loud thump.

“Hear, hear,” Tryn proclaimed. She leaned back and clasped her hands behind her wavy dark hair. “I ain’t never seen sumthin’ like that before. Would be quite the sight, I reckon.”

“He sounded lonely.” Brie frowned as she brushed her blonde bangs back behind her ear. “He probably just needed a hug.”

“Who, Gronk?” Flo raised a delicate, cherry-colored eyebrow. “He was an ogre! The same as any other monster. Dario was right in taking him out.”

“I don’t know, it seems to me like Gronk had feelings and dreams, just like any other person,” Brie said with a pout. “I would’ve stretched my arms out and hugged him twice over.”

“I doubt you’d be saying that if he was right in front of you,” Flo snorted.

“He was pretty terrifying,” Dario admitted. “I mean, he was at first, but over time I kind of got used to him. I can understand your point of view though Brie, but don’t forget that he was still a monster and wouldn’t hesitate to kill any one of you. I did what I had to do.”

Brie sighed. “I still would’ve hugged him.”

Dario hummed in thought. “Well, technically, since I absorbed his World Energy, he’s now permanently a part of me. So…”

The blonde rolled her eyes. “Come here then, Mr. Ogre.”

Dario yelped as he was suddenly pulled towards Brie by her elongated arms. He didn’t complain too much, though, nestled comfortably in her soft bosom.

Flo laughed, nearly shaking her braided red hair loose. “Save that energy for the clients, Brie. The night is still young.”

“Let them be,” the green-haired Tova chimed in with an amused smirk. “Dario seems to enjoy it, and I think Brie prefers his company over the clients in the foyer anyways.”

“Speaking of which, I think it’s time we go out there. The clients are waiting,” Rox said, opening her eyes as she finally finished visualizing and enjoying his tale. “It’s showtime.”

“Right,” they all chorused and stood up from their chairs as one, their attitudes turning a complete one-eighty.

Tova eagerly turned towards him and held out her hand. “Top us up, Dario.”

Dario gave a roguish smile as he grasped her arm. Immediately, there was a sharp intake of breath as her face filled with contentment. She held onto him for a few seconds longer before letting go with a smile.

“Thanks,” Tova said as she sauntered off with an extra sway in her hips.

“Me next!” Flo declared, ignoring the others’ glares.

One by one, Dario gave each of the girls what they wanted and they all walked away looking rosy and aroused.

For the past week, Dario had spent much of his time in his room ever since his mother forced him to rest and recuperate. With nothing much to do, he had practised his light powers throughout his sleepless nights and the others in the house naturally got curious. It wasn’t very long before they discovered his unique technique.

He took great pleasure in seeing their blissful faces whenever he used his light touch on them, but it never really went any further than that. Despite making them feel stimulated, they still never did anything sexual with him since he was apparently a year too young for them at the tender age of seventeen.

It was a little frustrating for him as a young adult, but he didn’t mind it too much since he was already used to the treatment. He had always been seen as the friendly male roommate in their eyes — almost like a brother, but not quite, thankfully. Living in such a sexually-charged household might have been awkward if that was the case.

Dario turned towards the other seven women in the room currently occupied with examining themselves in front of mirrors. “Hey, you all want some of my light too? Before you head out?” he asked.

Cyra, Kirsi, Evana, Leah, Ayla, Jayna, and Viona all looked at him before heading his way.

While Dario may not be ‘active’ with any of the women in Haven, he could still at least help make their nights with clients easier. That’s what friends would do, right?

“Thanks, Dario,” Viona said with a smile and a wink. “You’re the best.”

Dario nodded at each of their voiced gratitude as he went down the line. By the time all the women got their doses, Dario was left feeling alone and blue-balled.

“Damn it, now I need to go do something to get my mind off… all that. Preferably something productive,” he muttered.

He grabbed the metal cane leaning on one of the tables and started walking up the stairs. He found it amusing that he was using a walking stick like an old man, but it was still necessary as his foot hadn’t fully recovered. Progress was being made, however, and his foot had regrown to about three quarters of its original size. It was a bit awkward, but he felt like he was quickly getting used to the phantom sensations. It was amazing what the human mind could adapt to.

Dario walked through the halls of the second floor, ignoring the faint moans and other sounds of copulation coming from a few of the doors, eventually reaching the end where his bedroom was located. He entered the room and hobbled over to one of the bookshelves next to his desk. He pulled out a thick tome and plopped down on his large comfy bed, ready to have a night of productive reading.

Apart from practising and honing his light control during sleep hours, he also liked to read some of the books his mother had recently gifted him. She had specifically given him volumes on the topic of monsters and surrounding territories, with the reasoning that he needed all the knowledge he could get in order to have an edge over any threats he might come across.

He completely agreed and was very thankful for the books.

“Let’s see... Monster Bestiary, Volume 12,” Dario hummed as he flipped through the pages, trying to find his bookmark. “Ah! Here we are. Chapter six, ‘Creatures of Light and Their Distinctive Properties’.”

Throughout his earlier readings, Dario had been disappointed to find very few monsters that actually employed light as a tool or weapon. He had been hoping to learn from nature itself and see if he could figure out other ways to utilize his assimilator aspect. Therefore, he was ecstatic when he reached the chapter on creatures of light, but the scant few light-based creatures listed made him feel like his efforts were wasted. There were only about two dozen of them, which seemed a small amount compared to the hundreds of monsters in other categories.

However, his concerns were quickly addressed when he looked closer and discovered just how unorthodox monsters could really be. He was only now able to continue where he left off.

“Lucent Chimera…” Dario muttered as he stared at the terrifying picture of a grotesque looking, multi-headed beast.

The Chimera, as he quickly learned, was a creature the size of a large carriage capable of flight, and had the habit of engulfing its prey with elemental breath before swooping down to attack. The Lucent Chimera specifically used light as its element and was considered to be one of the deadliest types of Chimeras alongside Shadow Chimeras. They were both listed as B-4 monsters, with the letter being its threat class rating and the number its tier in said class.

A B-4 was fairly impressive considering how ogres and giant slimes were either rated D-3 or C-1, depending on size. Gronk was definitely C-1 since he had appeared to be on the upper end of ogre size according to the book. He wasn’t too sure on the giant slime that died in The Grotto, but he assumed that it had a rating similar to Gronk. He was just happy he hadn’t encountered any of the higher rated oozes.

The thing that fascinated him most about the Lucent Chimera was how it used its element defensively. According to the monster compendium, it was capable of bending light around its form, rendering it all but invisible. That was an extremely useful ability to have from both a utilitarian and combat perspective.

Not only that, it was also somehow able to form what was called ‘Hard-Light’ armor around itself. The very concept was mind boggling and sounded impossible, but it had apparently been confirmed through various firsthand accounts. The armor was reputed to be extremely hard and hazardous to touch, which somewhat reminded him of his own light encasement aura technique, although his didn’t have the hardness feature.

Reading deeper into the chapter, he came across some more esoteric creatures such as the Prismatic Mist, a living, sentient cloud of brightly colored air capable of blinding and disorienting victims with multi-colored lights.

There was the Star Chameleon, a small creature which could turn invisible like the Lucent Chimera. Even more astounding was how it could perform Light Mimicry — temporarily transforming itself into light, thus allowing it to move around instantly. It could only do so occasionally and in short bursts, but that didn’t make the feat any less impressive.

More light-based monsters were listed such as Blazing Orb-weavers, Radiant Golems, White Wisps, Light Lurkers, Glimmer Fiends, and Aura Apes, among others. All of them had interesting and intriguing ways of utilizing light. By the end of the chapter, Dario fully accepted that his assimilator aspect had more applications than he’d initially thought. He really shouldn’t have been so surprised, especially with all the things Superiors could do already.

Regardless, all his reading would amount to nothing if he couldn’t put it to practical use. Unfortunately, Dario didn’t have the first clue on how to accomplish what those monsters did. The only thing he had achieved during his training was the ability to extend his aura encasement to other parts of his body. He had originally only been able to use his hands, but now he could cover his forearms and the entirety of his head down to his neck. He still hadn’t completed his ultimate teenage dream of encasing his crotch, to his dismay, but oh well — that’s what practise was for.

Speaking of which...

Dario raised his arm and concentrated, trying to focus on the ambient light around him. The Lucent Chimera and Star Chameleon bent light around their bodies to turn invisible, right? He just had to do the same thing. It sounded simple enough in theory.

He furrowed his brows in concentration as he tried to turn invisible. Closing his eyes, he tried to imagine what it would be like to actually feel and control his aspect directly. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead as he stayed completely still, trying his best to drown out all physical senses. Frustratingly, he could neither feel nor sense what he was looking for, but he still persisted. Before he knew it, one minute had passed, then two minutes, then five. Eventually, ten minutes passed in muted silence before Dario suddenly farted.

The young man coughed awkwardly. “Hm, maybe sitting around looking constipated isn’t the best way to do this…”

Dario sighed and raised his arm to try again. He would only attempt Light Camouflage for now, and not the more advanced illusions that some of the other light-based monsters were capable of. He certainly wouldn’t try Light Mimicry as that seemed downright impossible in his current state. For now, he would just have to slave away and spend his time practising.

It was fortunate, then, that he could train all night every night for the rest of his life. After all, who needed sleep?