Using Cloude's body, we cut a swath through the ranks of demons and helped the last retreat of the monkeys and goblins. I've found two flame gorilla females dead on the field. All corpses I came across were stored in the item box.

Cloude got 12 more levels of Magic Swordsman and I got 8 racial and 5 of tamer. The boy is becoming something of a liability. I really hope this is the last push to convert him to the dark side... He is strong and he has a national treasure sword in his hands. If he as much as looks down on one of my own, I'm cutting him to ribbons.

I went around and repositioned the sentry wards. The demons we fought were attacking but they are here to test the waters. We only got skirmishers so far. I think their main force is not here yet. Anyway, back to the camp.

"Zahariel, you did it again!" I scold the seraph. "Even at level 0, a weakness skill has its downsides. Here, Curse Breaker! Pulse Heal!"

I also cast pulse heal on all the wounded monsters on our side. Shraaizar has hit her limit long ago. Its been what, three or four hours since I arrived here. The palisade is holding, the demons are not coming into bow range of the archer monkeys set as sentries.

I release Cloude from the possession once Zahariel is back in shape.

"Wow, so this is the secret that made everyone so strong in so little time!" He seems very happy about his newfound powers.

"Yeah, but it was their own effort too. Level 25 of a 4th tier job may seem much for those munchkins of the guild branch, but here it is an everyday Saturday night for us. You should see Alice's status someday."

"Say, Beowulf, you are drained in both Stamina and MP, right? What stops me from killing you right now?" I'll change into monster tamer just for safety.

"My five thousand something HP pool and the defensive skills that don't rely on Stamina. And I can still regenerate HP even when burned. I doubt you can finish me before I blow you over the dragonclaws and into the ocean."

"And then, there's me right here. This magic sword of yours is just a light show for me. I won't let you hurt the anointed hero!" Zahariel lets his aura envelop him and becomes a little sun in this...

"Cloude, do you understand this? The demons are the real culprits behind the way this world is fucked up. Ask Zahariel for the whole story someday. This kid fought in the war against the demon king somewhat thousands of years ago. It is not you humans versus us monsters, it all of us against them demons. Any monster that doesn't sing their tune is as bad as humans for them. And they are getting more and more active."

Zahariel joins the attempt at winning him over, "I am afraid that soon the fate of the world, or what is left of it, is going to hang on a balance. Grendel, the girls and I are committed to fighting it. As he said. It is not about monster vs humans or some petty squabble over the love of a woman. It is about the remaining thousands of people perishing and leaving the world to the demons alone."

"And to boot, most of the things you grew taking as truth are lies. The cities are not built in low mana areas to scare off monsters. It is true we are mildly annoyed by being in a town, but we can stay there forever if we wanted. Shraaizar can tell you that. She spent the day in the Lord's manor."

"So why are we living in that place?"

Zahariel answers, "Because the low mana suffocates demons. As much as the thick mana is toxic to humans. That is why you've never seen any demon. They never even dream of coming near human settlements. Or on the other hand, humans never dare to go further away from their safe spots. That's the day rule of the guild. Adventurers are sent around the towns to act as sentries."

"And the reason they attacked this settlement was to expel the humans from encroaching on their territory. They saw human habitations on the hill and came to raid it. We hid the houses from the west side with trees, but left it exposed on the east."

"They should retreat before morning, but we are having to wait and defend the whole night," completes Zahariel.

"Like hell, I am going to sit on defense. Cloude, stay near Zahariel and inside the palisade. Assist him with keeping the demons away from the settlement. I am going to make them fear the dark. They will develop a fear that something is always near."

"Uh, the dark is their element..." ponders Cloude.

"I am a shaman now. The dark is my element too. And not the only one... hu fufu. Stay alive until dawn, everyone. Cloude, look in my eyes. Did you understand that?" I put my coarse hand over the boy's shoulder and crouch to his eye level. "This is the reality, boy. The real evil is the demons. Monsters just have bad anger management skills and live by the 'kill or be killed rule' whether the opponent is human or another monster. Defend the settlement until the threat is over and you are free."

"It is a lot to think, but for now I'll fight for you."

"Zahariel, knock some sense in this human. I'm going out there to push them back."

These demons are going to have it. First, they are still inside the sentry wards' range. I can see them all. Any large groups? Not in range. I think I'll bump the totems to level 10. New totems learned. Healing Spring Totem, Monkey totem, Tiger totem, Polar Bear totem, Dragon rage totem. Healing over time, taunt and miss chance, random slashes, cold damage and a chance of paralysis and the ultimate, a totem that sends ultra-hot energy pulses that burn all in its area alternating with a vacuum that sucks everything to the center where it is hotter.

Totem Info:

Healing Spring Totem

Creates a totem that pulses and heals either nearby creatures or only nearby allies depending on the way it is carved. Heals every fifteen seconds for minutes. Healing amount based on magic.

Monkey Totem

Creates an illusion of a taunting and jeering monkey that wobbles around the totem. The monkey taunts creatures aggressive to allies and dodges exclusively. Monkey has x HP and lasts until death or one hour passes.

Tiger Totem

Totem periodically deals slashing force damage to all enemies inside the area. Lasts minutes. Strength of slashes based on the user's magic.

Polar Bear Totem

Periodically deals cold damage to enemies in the area and after each damage pulse has a chance to inflict paralysis on targets. Lasts minutes.

Dragon Rage Totem

Periodically alternates between vacuum pulses that sucks all enemies closer and heat pulses that deal damage the closer a target is to the totem. Allies are not affected by this totem.

I make and set a healing spring totem before leaving.

I fly away from the settlement after carving five each of the new totems. First order of the day is to expand the network of sentry wards to cover all around the settlement. Damn. Several demon groups were circling around to attack from the meadow side where there is no palisade. I'll deal with them.

FIrst group. I sneak past them and set a monkey and a snail totem at the same place in front of their path.

"Did you hear this?" Some female demon asks her companions.

"It is one of those bloody monkeys! Get it!"

When they enter the range of the totem, an illusion of a monkey over the totem and begins taunting them. Flinging poo, sneering, jeering and making... universal hate gestures.

"Kill the bloody monkey!" They charge at the totem. One of them has a fancy short bow and fires some arrows. The monkey dodges all of them. The vanguard gets mired by the snail totem as they try to get closer. It is like that proverbial math turtle that always walks half the distance and never reaches.

A caster was behind the archer and was chanting something dangerous. Before I could figure out what it was, he had no throat to chant anymore. The body goes to the item box before it falls to the ground. The archer lady next.

She is wearing a strange armor. If I would have to describe it, it is a black leather leotard. She has a short skirt and black skintight leggings but leaves little of her silhouette to the imagination. She has small curved horns and a long thin black tail that ends in the shape of an arrowhead. No wings though. Everything she is equipping is high quality materials. The clasps of the leotard are made of gold.

I get next to her but she notices me and dodges my dagger. A decent scout, for once.

"You are dead, human!" And she shoots two arrows at me in rapid succession. As fast as Marcy. Both are poisoned.

"Stupor!" If you are trying to paralyze me, I'll paralyze you. She didn't faint like the others. Just staggered. Psychic assault is not suitable for combat, stupor is faster and cheaper.

And now try to dodge this spear. I stab her with the horn spear, but she jerks her torso to the side and dodges by a paper-thin margin.

"What are you, human? How dare you intrude our lands?" I want to get her alive, but there is no way to keep her... Oh.

Two more arrows. This venom is a strong paralytic. If she shoots me again, I'll have to wait for the resistance to fight it off...

"Flash Freeze!" And finally, she stopped.

"Kill me, human! My people will avenge me!" She says in a tone that... reeks of aristocracy. Maybe I just got some big fish.

I touch her cheek with my hand and... "Possession!"

OMG! What a high spec body. Her prowess, agility, and magic are really top-notch. I can't even keep me inside her indefinitely. The upkeep of this possession goes through the roof. Another thing worthy of note, they have perfect dark vision. I can see now as if it were day.

First I'll finish her companions with arrows before they can kill the totem.

Beowulf (3-Monster Tamer) has gained 4 + 2 levels! (racial: 28 -> 32 / Job: 56 ->58) +49 SP

I can't reuse the totems, they would crumble. But it is useless to leave them like this. I store the bodies and break the totems.

Now, what is this girl's status?

Name: Jel'rannalath Race: [3] Succubus (level: 34) Job: [4] Sniper (level 24) Prowess: 64+20 (HP: 924) Agility: 85+20 (Stamina: 735) Magic: 46+20 (MP: 1155)

What absurd is this I am seeing? This is cheating! Demons are cheaters! That MP pool without even being a caster! The possession stat bonus influenced the outcome, but still unfair!

I'll have to use the girl to kill the other demons before the possession runs out. Next group, I'll sneak there. For this one, I'll use dragon + snail. The totems can be deployed from short range, I just need to throw the long bones they are made of and they sink into the ground. Subtlety zero though.

Sneaking from behind, I'll throw the totems then use shadow stealth to hide.

They notice the bones and look behind, but fail to spot me. Too bad. The dragon totem inhales all the air centered on itself and then breathes out a superheated wave. The immediate inhaling motion causes everything to be pulled inwards, dragging the demons in. It is like a dragon is breathing hot air and sucking everything in. Dirt, snow, loose branches, demons. Everything goes in as if to be swallowed by a giant maw.

The demons are forced to move. They are slowed down by the snail totem and when they enter the inner range, they are paralyzed. They writhe in agony as their flesh boil and pop under the steam cloud that the totem made out of molten snow. Two of them are resisting the paralysis. They gain poisoned arrows in their backs. I thought they would scream in pain as they were burned, but you can't exactly scream when paralyzed.

Beowulf (3-Monster Tamer) has gained 5 +2 levels! (racial: 32 -> 37 / Job: 58 -> 60) +49 SP Congratulations. You have reached the Monster Tamer's level cap. Skill Fire Potency level 6. Skill Rapid Fire awakened.

There is not much time left for the possession. I can take the next group before that though. But I won't grind with a job at the cap. Tamer is replaced by Wizard.

I'll store all of her equipment including the black leotard armor and accessories. I wouldn't feel cold even if naked anyway. I'll just keep her dagger.

Next group will gain mosquito, tiger and polar snare totems. Freeze, cut, bleed. I'll sneak right behind them and set the three totems at once as a bundle. Just hold the three carved bones and shove them together in the ground.

Their rearguard notices me but drops his guard when he sees one of his own kind.

"Why are you naked?"

Too bad for you. I set the totems and they begin to be slashed by invisible claws and to freeze. Each slash bleeds more than normal as blood is sucked into the mosquito totem. They scream loudly this time, as they are just being frozen from the outside and their winter clothes protect them from any frostbite damage.

I run among them and add slashes of my own to their bleeding wounds.

One of them recognizes my host and shouts something I'd rather not hear.

"Princess, please save me!"

Sorry but no. Die with the bitter taste of thinking she betrayed you.

Combat ends, and I wonder what did this tiny totem do with all the blood it sucked? I'll stash the bodies in the item box and again destroy the totems. I could leave them as a trap for anyone that came to investigate, but the danger of exposing my hand is bigger than the reward of maybe killing someone out of Exp range.

I want to see the murderers of my tribe dying before my own eyes.

Seriously.

Did that guy seriously called this succubus 'princess'?

Why does these things happen? Is the otherworlder hero a trouble magnet? Or does it stay dormant until the time I go there to stir it up myself?

But now it is not the time to lament one's fate. I need to secure this demon girl in some way to quit the possession. I really don't want to kill her now. If she is royalty as the guy said, she might have some juicy information for me.

I need to find a big nice rock. A few minutes of searching and I found one flat rock on the ground. First I'll gag her with a rolled up sock in her mouth and a bandanna tied around the head and neck. Annoying as hell and the sock is becoming drenched in drool. Next, I'll use stone shape to bury her arms and legs below the elbows and knees in the rock. She will remain on all fours with her face pressed on the rock. I'll change her job to villager before leaving.

Dismiss possession and hide where she can't see me. The succubus grunts, thrashes and whips her tail but she can't break the rock. Damn, I should've buried her legs deeper. She has room to twerk her ass that is just stuck up there in a very suggestive position. The swaying tail and also don't help. I should stop looking and meditate to recover faster and clear my mind of worldly thoughts.

Before I could fully recover, another demon group came. They probably heard the girl, she is not exactly keeping silent. There are only four.

"Hey, it is one of ours!"

"Stop. Don't go there, it might be a trap!" It wasn't but soon it will change. I'll circle around them.

"C'mon, she seems in pain. And look at that ass!"

This is why I dislike sausage parties. The boys' language becomes too lax without any females to remind them to keep their dirty minds in check.

Time for the Horn Spear to get some action. They approach the girl and face the conflict of either saving her or taking advantage of the situation. I'll choose for them. I'll take advantage of the situation and nail JUST these distracted idiots.

I begin a chant, just in case they find me after taking the one at the back. I stab him in the base of his skull, pull the body back and to the item box with it.

They heard the guy's muffled groan. I finish my chant. "Static Field!"

One of them paralyzes, the other two are just staggered. I use the whistling double and just stab their weak points. They earn two new holes for each stab. The paralyzed one earns a painless death as his neck is severed. Combat ends but does not end. The girl noticed me and is hostile.

But all it amounts to is to possess her again. Now that her job is tier 1 and her magic went down by a third, I can keep her possessed the whole time.

Beowulf (4-Wizard) has gained 4 +6 levels! (racial: 37 -> 41 / Job: 26 -> 32) +88 SP

The sky to the east is becoming less dark. The groups of demons are retreating. Time to take the prisoner princess home and check on the damages.