Hana, Roxanne, and I sigh as we are finally free from the mental assault of the Weepers.

"I thought that with my high 'Sanity,' I wouldn't be so vulnerable to monsters fucking with my head," Hana says.

"That stat protects against illusions, but the Weepers play with our guilt, so they don't need believable illusions to take hold if they can break us down with just a few words," I say.

"What did the Weepers use against each of you?" Ciel asks.

"Well, I have a lot of things to feel guilty about," Roxanne answers.

"Same," I say with a nod.

"I only have one: Macht," Ciel says and I notice that she doesn't look pained anymore when she mentions his name.

"It's my family, I still feel like I failed them," Hana says.

"We can use Confiel's spy network to get information about where they are," I say and pat the scales on top of her hand.

"Yeah, but I still feel… unresolved about it." She shrugs. "I guess that my heart won't let me rationalize myself out of this one."

"Why?" Aoi asks.

Hana shrugs again and chuckles. "I don't know. Sometimes we just can't control our own hearts."

"Hm…" Aoi tilts her head repeatedly in deep thought.

Now that we're all naked, I pull out the tent and the bathtub for us to relax in.

It feels ironic to me that the safest place we could be right now is inside a dungeon.

I unsummon all of my Hollys and Shads and delight myself with the sight of Klein and Osaria taking a bath together. They sit beside one another in the hot water, and Klein looks very uncomfortable.

"Should I call you 'sister' from now on?" Osaria teases Klein and slings an arm over the monkey girl's shoulder.

"I-I'm not a wife and I didn't know that he proposed to you, too," Klein answers and looks away.

Osaria smirks and licks her lips. "I know that Anton considers him responsible for your future. To me, that means you're a wife."

She shrugs, a little awkwardly. "I'm just going to be his knight when he becomes a noble. But you still haven't told me how you became a 'wife.'"

"I simply got fucked hard until I couldn't walk anymore, and I want him to do it again, repeatedly. It doesn't matter if he proposes or not, I'll make sure that he puts in the effort to keep me happy." She finishes with a devious chuckle.

Klein eyes the summoned bird nervously, who chirps a simple song to them.

-

I sink into the bath and sigh.

It feels like it's the first time that I've fully relaxed after the [Meteor].

"Her first skill might end up being [Oral Technique]," Alissa comments as she looks at Aoi.

"For us, that's certainly the most useful skill," Roxanne says and chuckles.

-

Alissa helps me out of the bath and we start making dinner.

The three golems use cooking time as an opportunity to test their own dexterity and control over [Telekinesis]. The two adorable dolls make simple movements to aid in manipulating their tools while Jarn is a lot more awkward and struggles to use her individual fingers.

We make beef roulade with not-carrot and orc bacon and cook it in a thick broth. As a side, we make some not-garlic-bread toasts along with crunchy veggies and squeaky beans.

After we eat, we store what's left in my "Items" and I smirk at the convenience. The lack of a microwave to reheat meals seemed quite inconvenient at first, but with [Item Box] and my "Items" freezing things in time, there's no need to refrigerate anything or even to reheat our leftovers.

It's hard to think of anything more convenient than this that doesn't involve just creating food outright, and even for that, mid-high level [Conjuring Magic] has a spell for making food.

It seems that Anton does not approve of Klein becoming Osaria's plaything, but it's not like he can stop it anymore. Klein's already been corrupted by our hedonistic lifestyle, and there's no turning back for her now.

I even approve of their relationship. This will keep both of them from searching for other - men, and I really don't want to watch as they get railed by another man.

The thought that Klein will likely one day marry Hana's brother makes me uncomfortable. I know that I'll have to learn to "share" her, but that doesn't mean that I have to get comfortable with seeing Osaria and Klein lay with strangers.

We fill our bellies and replenish the energy that we used by jogging all day long. Then we take the bed out of the tent to sleep under the stars since there's no wind here. After we sit down, I get a - lineup of legs and feet to [Massage].

-

"I need to become more human!" Aoi exclaims in frustration as she barely feels me -.

"We have to study Alissa's [Fox Transformation] and invert it," I say.

"Yes! Study!" -then her head hangs low and smoke escapes her nostrils- "But I can't use [Sense Soul] like you can…"

Her eyes gleam with mischief, but before she can chomp down -, I stop her with [Bind] and offer her my finger instead.

"Roxanne has to pray some more," I say and Roxanne happily nods in agreement, her horns flopping about adorably.

I use the very last of my mana to repair Aoi's halberd with [Grow]. The shaft is covered in scratches and a few grooves where her sharp claws have gripped the wood. They are blade-like to aid in combat, and they help with cutting through meat when she wants to eat, but maybe she doesn't need those blades anymore.

"Aoi, what if we dulled your claws? It would make it much easier for you to use a weapon," I suggest.

She releases my finger, then clacks her claws and looks at them a little sadly. "These claws make things harder, but I still like them," she answers.

"It's not like I'm asking if we can remove them," I say and pat her head.

"I don't think it's necessary; she's not supposed to stay in melee for long, anyway," Hana says.

"But crushing things is easier than casting, spells," Aoi says.

"You have more potential with magic than physical combat," Roxanne says.

Hana crosses her arms in thought and says, "But dragons are partially magical beings. Couldn't getting stronger physically make her become more 'magical,' too? There's a limit to pure muscle strength, after all."

"We don't know which is the cause and which is the effect. Though, I guess that it wouldn't hurt to do both," I say with a shrug.

"Yay!" Aoi happily exclaims.

I cover Alissa's body with my soul and get her to transform repeatedly while I observe her with [Sense Soul]. I see that her cells all seem to "sink" into the mana solidification of her body somehow.

I cut away a piece of her fur and it decays into free mana particles. I focus on their "signature" and feel that they seem quite familiar. They are different from Alissa's usual mana "signature," but still feel "similar."

After Alissa turns back, she seems to have lost an MP point, something that doesn't happen with [Fox Transformation] unless she exerts himself.

"Interesting," I mutter and hear a muffled chuckle. Ciel is staring at me with a loving gaze and a hand covering her mouth. "What's so funny?"

She gets a hold of herself and shows me a wide smile. "The way you look so serious while you work, but you still seem so cute. It just looks adorable to me."

"I'm glad that I can make you happy without trying, my love."

She fidgets a little as she recovers from my critical hit and continues coaching Roxanne in controlling her [Water Spirit].

Returning to my study, there's definitely some form of abstract concept in [Fox Transformation] that sends Alissa's body "somewhere." When she transforms, her physical body disappears, but any damage dealt to her fox form will still be transferred to her physical body if she returns to normal while she's still wounded.

She can use mana to heal herself, but it takes time, and dismemberment severs the corresponding parts of her physical body. Though, at least with dismemberment, the limb reverts to normal and can be reattached after she changes back.

Piercing her heart or brain makes her pass out and immediately start to "regenerate" until either the wounds are healed, or she runs out of mana and dies. The only way to instantly kill her is by cutting her in two in a way that separates her heart and brain, like decapitation.

Another interesting thing about [Fox Transformation] is that the integrity of her body depends on the amount of mana that she currently has available. The more mana, the "tougher" her body can become. She's also been getting much stronger because of her mana training routine, so perhaps one day she might even be able to reliably participate in melee combat in her fox form.

"How did you gain your [Fox Transformation]?" I ask Alissa.

She fidgets and groans, but I use [Bind] to hold her back from pouncing on me.

"I was born with it, so it was always instinctual for me," she finally answers.

I scratch my chin. "Then how would you describe your transformation?"

She lowers her head, making her ears bob cutely, then clenches her fist close to her heart. "There's… something 'wild' inside of me. It's what fuels my anger and rape fetish. I just let it loose and 'coat' myself with it."

"At least you're honest about your fetishes," Ciel comments, blinking repeatedly in surprise.

Alissa smiles wryly and shrugs. "It's not what I am, but I know that it belongs to me, as if it were something separate. I guess that makes sense since we are called wereanimals: part human, part animal."

"Yeah, and we are dragonkin, which means that we are a kind of dragon. But we are still a mix of dragon and human," Hana says.

Hm, a "part" of her… Should I study Hana or Alissa?

"Gih."

"You think so?" I question.

"Gih."

Look at that, Gify is giving me encouragement.

She morphs her beak into an angry pout. "Gih!"

I chuckle and raise my hands in defeat. "Sorry, sorry, I won't tease you about that anymore."

"You really see him being able to become like that?" Roxanne asks.

"Gih," Gify answers with a nod.

Ciel pouts anxiously and says, "As long as you remain cute and gentle. I don't want a second Hana being born."

"I wouldn't say that he's gentle," Hana says with a chuckle.

Ciel frowns. "He's rough with you because you ask for it."

"Then you just have to ask him to be gentle," Hana responds with a smirk.

"I don't think that I'll become 'rough' or violent like you're imagining," I say.

Alissa grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze. "Your heart is more important than your behavior. Remember my promise: I want you to remain kind, to not take pleasure in killing, to be someone who always aims to make the realm a better place; but that doesn't mean that you have to look weak."

I bring her hand up to my lips, then I look down at my free hand. "I have to look powerful…" I whisper as I clench my fist.

"You have to wield and exude power," Hana says.

"Look at you, using big words," Lina teases and Hana snorts. Then she adds, "Being more confident would help."

"But it can't be misguided. You need to know your place in the world," Hana continues.

Dragons are all about hierarchies, after all.

"It feels like it makes sense, but in practice, it's not so simple," I say with a chuckle.

"It's not like you have to learn it now," Alissa says.

I hum and enter deep thought.

As Gify said, to become a dragon, I have to become a symbol of "power."

"But what about becoming a human?" Aoi asks, pulling me out of my trance.

This one is easy for Ciel to answer, "Our purpose is to always strive to become better. To change, improvise, adapt, and overcome. Our bodies may not be malleable like certain monsters or elementals, but we have this:" -she raises her hands, then taps her head- "we have the tools and the intelligence to change our environment to better serve us. We are capable of building anything we need to help us overcome any obstacle that comes our way."

Aoi looks down at her claws that vex her so much. "So I don't have either," she says in a low tone.

Hana flicks Aoi's head. It seems like Hana hurt herself much less than when I did it.

"Ow…" Aoi complains, barely feeling any pain.

"If you lack both, then you just need to work hard to get them," Hana says.

"I already am!" Aoi complains.

Hana gives her a fearsome smile. "Then work harder!"

"RAAGH!" Aoi growls cutely and fire lights her mouth.

"Aoi…" Alissa says in a dangerous tone.

The flames are immediately extinguished, but she retains her mean look.

"I want to fight, and crush, and help, and make things! I'll work hard!" She exclaims.

"Then start by observing me," Alissa says just before she transforms into a fox.

I spread my soul over Alissa again and stop her with [Bind] before a lewd fox can try to mate with me.

Lina starts practicing [Sap Power]; it's a spell that reduces "Strength" and "Magic Power." Hana studies [Mesmerizing Butterflies] and catches up with Alissa as she can now create wisps of the butterflies. The golems all cast [Regeneration] on me to help me recover the blood that I gave to Aoi. And the rest of the girls continue their practice. Alissa, of course, gets nothing from me tonight and has to meditate to contain herself.

Tonight, we use the light elemental as a blanket. Since she'll be in constant contact with us, her mana will drain continuously, so we'll get at most one hour of the softest blanket that ever blanketed us, but that's enough to put me into a deep and calm sleep.

Today is the 6th.

Gify wakes the girls-.

The sky is still dark since we're in space and there's no sun, but I feel like I'm waking up from a deep and comfortable sleep. Ciel uses her [Holy Spirit] as a mini sun for us, so we get plenty of light to help us clear the fog of sleepiness from our minds.

Hana leveled up to 39. She also increased her [Mana Control] by 1 (now 2), and Lina increased her [Cursing Magic] by 1 (now 2).

I see that the Este caravan is already back on the road. Holly is back to patrolling around the beautiful green grasslands, and Klein is already cracking jokes along with the others.

After an energetic breakfast, we armor up, then we stretch and do a quick warm-up.

The stone door at the edge of the infinite abyss is a little heavy, but we manage to open it regardless. On the other side, we see another stone platform, but it's larger than the previous entrance area, although it does have the same stone door at the edge. In the middle of the platform, there are five naked orcs masturbating in a circle.

They quickly notice us and grab their rusty swords.

"The fuck?" I reflexively ask.

"Underestimating us, I see," Hana says and scoffs.

We make short work of them and move onwards through the next door.

Ten naked orcs this time. Same shit.

Then the dungeon throws four Storm Chargers at us, so we bum rush them before they can fling a single spell since the arena is too small for them to run away.

Next comes an Uspidor, the modern High Forest acid spitter. I get an idea and we push it off the edge of the arena with spells. Then after a minute or so of waiting, it plummets back down onto the center of the arena, right on top of an earth elemental in the shape of a cone. It impales itself, then it immediately explodes into chunks, spreading blood and innards everywhere.

"Yeah, stupid idea," I say before anyone can remark about it.

[Wind Shield] protected us from the gore, but not the smell, so we quickly enter the next arena.

This one has ten Sky Stalkers circling above us, far beyond Alissa's range.

"Okay… now what? We wait?" Hana questions.

Lina pulls on the hem of my armor and says, "Electric elemental on the back of a Kite Dragon."

"Nice!" I exclaim and snap my fingers.

The plan goes flawlessly; the birds drop out of the sky one-by-one, then Alisa effortlessly kills them in mid-air.

Next, the arena becomes large enough to accommodate a line of fifteen armored orcs with swords and shields.

I use the electric elemental and Kite Dragon combo to stun and kill them one-by-one while we hold off the rest ourselves.

The orcs are quite unskilled in combat, so we don't have much trouble while staying on the defensive, but actually attacking them is a bit problematic for us. With all the armor and padding that we have, I barely feel anything when full-on blocking an orc's strike. They need hammers to get to us, not swords.

Then the next floor is eerily empty.

"Is it over?" Roxanne asks.

"I… don't think so? The exit should be a wooden room like all others," I say and we get extra cautious as we slowly make our way in.

Neither Alissa nor the Hollys see anything. Then my Shad catches a whiff of mana coming from right in front of me.

[Battlefield Perception] triggers and I use [Telekinesis] to glide backward. I feel a small and very painful scratch on my skin. I reflexively cast [Discharge] in front of me and feel it "hit" something small.

"Oh, fuck! Spirits!" I exclaim and cast [Spirit Eyes]. I see nine glowing fuckers floating all around us with manic grins on their ugly mugs and a menacing dagger in each of their hands. Spirit Watchman Tons.

The girls immediately cast [Fireball] in front of themselves and flail about wildly to keep the spirits away. Alissa gets a "cut" in her waist and Lina gets one in her arm. Ciel's [Holy Spirit] keeps them away from her, and Roxanne luckily [Explodes] hers just a few centimeters above her head.

I guide Aoi and Hana to breathe fire in wide arcs and the Tons are all instantly turned into more EXP for us.

The "scratch" that I received damaged my soul and hurts like a bitch, so I immediately put more points into [Spirit Magic] and cast [Soul Touch] on us to heal the soul damage.

I focus on Alissa first since she's lost most of the feeling in her right leg due to the "cut." Then it's Lina's turn, whose left arm is trembling so wildly that she can barely control it.

"Getting interesting," Hana comments.

"Nah. The background isn't changing at all, it's boring," Ciel comments.

"I'm getting a bit of an End of Time vibe from Chrono Trigger, so I'm feeling nostalgic," I say.

"You should work on a way to show us your memories through [Bind]," Alissa suggests.

"Good idea. No idea how to even start, though."

"You'll manage, you haven't disappointed so far," Ciel says and chuckles.

"No mention of cheating?" I question and raise an eyebrow.

"Did I even need to? You did it yourself." She chuckles, quite pleased with herself.

I roll my eyes and we continue on to the next door.

We open it and see a three-meter tall suit of armor carrying a longsword so thick that it's more like a metal club. Red glowing eyes stare right through our souls and we immediately close the door again.

"Did I just hear boss music?" I question and chuckle at myself.