(Jamie)

Cole still looks nervous as we enter my room, and I look at Max.

"Are you feeling any calmer, now?" I ask.

"No," he answers, anger still in his voice. "I really, really want to kill the shit out of something."

"Get naked and get in the bath," I say. "Or I'm going to spank you."

Max gives me a glare, but I can tell he's calmed a little from that comment. He strips off his clothes and heads into the bathroom, then I look at Cole.

"Before you get washed," I say. "Which I'm sure you'll be grateful for, can I ask if I can see your Status?"

"Why are you helping me?" He asks suspiciously.

"HE BANGS A HALF-DRAGON AND A DEMON!" Max yells from the bathroom.

"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WITH THEM!" I yell back, then look at Cole and shake my head. "I didn't realize at first they wanted some with me, then we parted ways for different reasons. Though the reason the Demon's gone isn't really needed anymore, as Max had the answers he was looking for. I do bang a half-Demon Demigod, though, who needs to get in the bath and start soaking and relaxing."

A moment later, I pick up the sound of Max lowering himself into the bath.

"There we go," I say, and Cole's ears twitch. "I don't have an issue with other Species. As you heard me say downstairs, I come from another world. A newbie, as they call my kind. My world only has humans on it, and I guess I'm just pretty accepting. I don't see an issue with you. I actually helped out a pair of villages last year-"

"That was you?" He cocks his head to the side.

"What was me?" I ask.

"Finlar and Finlum," he names two villages I'd stopped by. "We heard that a human had passed through that got the two working together. My master and I were stunned when we saw the bears and otters doing stuff together. Actually, we showed up during a fishing contest between the two. That was… intense."

Master… right.

"Speaking of master," I say. "Judging by the collar tan around your neck, you were a slave, even though that's a Taboo of the gods. Koomo, I believe. How did your master get away with that?"

"Huh?" He touches his neck. "Oh, I guess the sun didn't hit it that much. Taboos aren't entirely set in stone. There are ways around them. If there's a legitimate chance of a slave earning freedom, then those responsible don't get pinged with a Taboo. There are ways around that, which most of my kind gets hit with, regardless of what Species we're enslaved to.

"By selling us from master to master," he continues. "We would have to earn the freedom through them. If we're nearing it, a master usually just sells us off. My last master kept me around for six years. I have a few basic Skills at a couple of decent Levels, but he made me turn off autoaccept for Classes once I turned eighteen."

I thought that wasn't possible? I'm pretty sure someone told me it wasn't.

"I could have turned it on," he shrugs. "It would've just made it harder for me to gain my freedom with him, and he kept me a lot longer than others – long enough that I actually did earn my freedom. The trick now is keeping it."

"Well," I say. "I promise you, and I'm making this oath in the name of Koomo and all that he represents, that I have no intention of making you a slave."

He nods, seeming to take that oath seriously. I'm sure an oath sworn in the name of a god is a serious thing, and that there are severe consequences for breaking them.

"You said you're a newbie, right?" He asks. "Um… you do know that an oath sworn in a god's name is serious stuff, right? Breaking it-"

"Doesn't matter to me," I interrupt. "I swore it in his name because I have no intention of making you a slave. Besides, I swore that I currently don't, so it's not like it could affect me if that later changes," he looks panicked. "I'm not saying it's going to, and I'm highly doubting it will. I'm just saying that. I have no intentions to make you a slave, and can't see myself ever wanting to.

"Anyway," I say. "Back to my original question, especially after your comment about Classes – can I see your Status?"

He nods.

"Status," he says, focusing on me. "Status Share."

Name: Cole Species: Wolf Beastborn Sex: Male Total Level: 0 Age: 18 Public Title: None Class: None Health: 110/110 STR: 20 AGI: 25 INT: 23 VIT: 22 Mana: 110/110 END: 22 DEX: 26 WIS: 22 LCK: 22 Rating: White CON: 22 FLX: 23 PER: 26 LIF: 33

Those stats seem a little high to me… doesn't average usually sit in single digits to early teens, depending on the Species? His are…

His are…

"Can I see your Skills?" I ask.

Primal Instinct 1 Common Language 7 Quadruped Runnine 3 Howl 2 Sprint 1 Bite 1 Martial Arts Mastery 1 Steal 1 Identify 3 Pilfer 1

Those are all self-explanatory, though looking at Steal and Pilfer, it looks like the difference is how it works. Steal is against people, and improves chances of stealing from them. Pilfer allows one to possibly steal one of the System's loot drops for a Monster.

Quadruped Running explains why he was running like that – it increases his speed by fifty percent per Level while he's running on all fours. Even at a 'low' Agility of 25, that's a total of 62 or 63 AGI while running like that, and considering that the average person wouldn't ever hit that high in their life… that's powerful. Factoring in if he's using Sprint, and his speed becomes even higher.

Howl allows him to instill terror in his foes simply by howling, though it can also be used to do a rally point, allowing allies to know where he is for six seconds per Level of the Skill. The howl's radius of audibility increases with every Level of the Skill, too.

However, those don't explain why his stats seem to be higher without a Class. However… the one that's first in the list… I don't even need to read it to know.

That is a Species Ultimate, granting him an extra 10 Stat Points to every Stat of his. I pull up its information, confirming it pretty much immediately.

Primal Instinct Level 1 Passive Allows you to sense the world around you, even through illusions and magic. You can sense not just danger, but all actions around, even before they happen, if the need so requires it, and the intents of those around you are laid bare.

That kind of description confirms to me it's a Species Ultimate Skill. It plays on his wolfish instincts and is far beyond just a normal sort of Instinct Skill. It's possible he should have one already, but doesn't because of Primal Instinct.

"Did you have Primal Instinct when you turned eighteen?" I ask.

"Yeah," he nods. "My master didn't know anything about it, though. He's asked around, but no one's heard of it. It was just… there."

That confirms it to me. If the Skill was simply there, then it's a Species Ultimate, especially since it's right before his Skill for the Common Language.

"I've never heard of it before!" Max yells from the bathroom.

"It's his SUS," I say calmly, knowing Max can hear me without the yelling.

He is aware that my current PER means I can hear him just fine, right?

"My what?" Cole looks confused.

"We'll explain later."

"I SECOND THAT QUESTION!"

"Limitless Adaptation, dumbass."

"Oh, right," Max says as Cole looks confused. There's a sudden splashing sound. "WAIT! WHAT?"

"Get your ass back in the bath," I say, and I hear Max return to the bath. "Let's go get cleaned up a bit."

Cole nods, watching as I strip off my clothes. He's got an obvious boner in his pants, and I suppress a sigh. I've got another member in my harem, don't I?

At least the other two are gone… for now.

"Come on," I tell Cole. "You look like you could use a bath."

He nods, and I watch as he strips off his pants. Underneath them is dirty, but not as much as the rest of him. His tail's wagging happily, though he's half-covering his boner. Impressive. I beckon for him to follow, and he does.

In the bathroom, Cole scrubs his dirt off as I lower myself into the bath, then he joins us once he's got it off. He's blushing furiously, though he's likely hoping that it can be explained away through the heat in here.

It's not working, though Max seems oblivious to it, basically grilling Cole about his life.

The Beastborn had been a slave for as long as he could remember, eventually getting bought by the merchant who was his previous master six years ago. The small Beastborn was good at being quick and unnoticed, and his master used him to steal a few things, explaining how he acquired some of his Skills. His master had intended on selling him before he earned his freedom, but a journey took longer than it should have, and Cole managed to earn his freedom before his master could get someone to sell him.

His master tried ignoring that Cole had earned his freedom about three months ago so he could sell him when he reached the nearest city, but Cole said he woke up in the middle of that first night after he earned it to his master removing his collar and snarling at him to get out. Cole says that he could sense something bad about his master, not realizing until later that he was sensing the Taboo.

Released, Cole then ran around for awhile, going from town to town, though not finding any that would really allow him to stay there. At all. He kept having to run, no matter what Species lived there, though he did stay for about a week in another Beastborn settlement. But they were apparently Squirrel Beastborn, so they weren't too comfortable with him, even if Beastborn aren't really as beastly. His tendency to run on all fours was what did it, he says. That, and the fact that his canines are a little bit longer than most Species', giving them the appearance of small fangs.

He was on the merchant's wagon without his knowledge, and had managed to hide there the last two weeks. That particular wagon only had wares in it, nothing the merchant needed, so Cole had managed to go undiscovered, leaving at night while the merchant was sleeping to eat.

Then they arrived in this town while the Beastborn was sleeping, and was woken to shouting and yelling. He took off running and was chased by the guards up until I grabbed him.

"You have a strong grip," he shows me his wrist, which is red from my hold. "You don't look that strong, nor really old enough for a high STR, even if your body's got some muscle to it."

Some is putting it lightly. I'm solid, now, even if I'm not large and bulky, and my abs are very well-defined. He's got a lean, lithe build, and is cute in his own way.

"He's definitely strong," Max tells him. "If it weren't for my demonic constitution, I probably wouldn't survive how rough he gets during sex."

Cole's face falls, confirming he wants to be a part of my harem.

"I get rough with you because I know you can," I roll my eyes at the Demigod. "And it's not like Cole has horns or spikes, Max. That's what's in danger of damage."

"Horns?" Cole looks at Max, scrutinizing him. "Wait – you're a Demon?"

Cole looks a little scared.

"He's a Demigod," I explain. "His father's Itimar, the god that Demons spawn from. I'm not sure if his mother's a mortal or a Demon, as he hasn't exactly been clear about that."

"Itimar?" Cole asks. "The God of Chaos?"

"The one and only," Max nods.

"Speaking of that," I say. "Isn't his true form completely different from yours? Didn't you say everyone mistakes you for him at first?"

"Ah," Max's eyes widen slightly. "Right. You saw his true form. He has a Demonic Form that he takes on, that's what everyone sees. I somewhat share it. If I Rank Up, I can take on my Semidivine Form, which will probably look similar to his. Though a bit taller. I hope. I hope I don't end up as short as him in my Semidivine Form."

"Good luck," I say.

Cole's tail suddenly swishes to in front of him, though it's still submerged, so not too suddenly. He seems stunned for a moment, then chuckles.

"I'm not used to being in a bath," he grins at me. "I already washed it when I was scrubbing down, but… oops."

"Can I feel it?" I ask. "Or is that insensitive?"

"You can feel it," he answers. "But only if I can join your harem."