Everything… Everything is gone… All of my money… All of my items… Besides the things that would disappear if he had taken them… Those are the only two things I have in my possession… Even my heart feels hurt. He seduced me and slept with me, knowing he was going to steal from me and everyone else that night… He's taken more than just all that… He's taken my trust in people as well…

The next few days are the worst of my entire life. I had to make it back to town with no food, water or any of the luxury I have become accustomed to… The other two also left me to make my way back to town by myself. Owen split, he had the only food remaining as it was in his backpack which he used as a pillow... I didn't make it out without losing everything... At least they still had some of their belongings.

Fiora left me as well… The first wolf she killed she took her skinning knife and cut into it. Tossing me a chunk of the meat before threatening my life if I didn't leave her... We had survived by eating my conjured food up to that point. I had a single piece of meat in the three day trip back to the village… Conjured food is edible but it is dangerous to eat consistantly as you can become sick from it... It is also tasteless. No water in the whole trip. I make it back to the town. Collapsing at the edge of it… I cry at what has become of me. Never again will I trust a person with my heart...

Weeks of squalor, I barely make enough money from the low ranking adventurers guild missions to feed myself real food. I've been sick because of mana poisoning from eating my conjured food. Often sleeping in alleyways with garbage, I begin to stink… Perhaps I should quit this and go back to my family… Would they even take me back?

I can't find a single group that would take in a new healer like myself. I try talking with people but none of them seem to even notice me… It is almost like they are looking right through me. Mex must have looked at me the same way. Right through me and seen I was an easy target.

Why didn't that unnamed man warn me more about Mex. He said he was going to break my heart. I didn't expect him to steal everything I owned though… I start to grow resentment towards everyone from that group… If I ever get back on my feet, if I ever recover from this… I'll hire people to track that piece of shit Mex down and kill him.

It's been an entire month… I've thought of suicide more times than I would like to admit… I think I've given up… Nothing I do seems to work, being a good person has gotten me nothing but trouble… Maybe it is time to be a bad person…

I head back into the adventurers guild… This time not looking for a group but looking for a target. One of the biggest warriors who sits at the bar every day. He drinks and laughs and talks with his friends. I know he keeps a sack of money on him… I approach and start to flirt with him. He isn't attractive at all, I'm not doing this out of attraction though.

After convincing him to have sex we leave and do the deed… Once he is asleep, I steal everything that isn't on him. I had gotten him drunk so he wouldn't wake up. I steal almost three gold, all of his equipment and even a gold ring across his finger… I've become like the person I wanted to hunt down and kill… The money is enough to make my way out of the city and start fresh in a new one.

Kite's point of view

Coming out of the memories… I feel sick to my stomach. What the fuck! All those feelings from the month of death Lust was put through. Living in squalor… Having sex with people you don't want to… Just to survive… I feel sick… How could she make it through that… I reach up and put both hands on my face. Unknowingly, I had been crying the entire time. Lance and Leon were both standing over me… Lance finally asks.

“Y-you okay?”

“… Yea… Just these memories I'm going through… They are pretty rough to handle…”

I need another break after that. A rather long one… I begin to enchant the gear… It is hard to shake off these feelings. I enchant another 200 sets of gear… These feelings just can't be shaken off. It is almost like my body is accepting them as if it had happened to it... I enchant another 200 sets before the feeling. A feeling that had stuck with me for weeks finally goes away…

I've continued to spar every day. Sometimes for multiple hours. Lance's improvements in fighting are beyond impressive. He's quickly blown passed me in fighting again.

Even Leon is now better than me at unarmed combat. He's learned all my tricks and easily counters my counters. Just like that I've suddenly fallen back into my position at the back… I'm totally fine with that now, I'm just glad they've continued to improve. If they stopped getting stronger, I have no doubt they would get left behind by everyone else. A lack of improvement would most likely be the end of their lives too.

I've started trying to put skills into my unarmed combat, maxing my unarmed potential. I can't fight Lance or Leon like this because it would be too unfair. Unfairness against my enemies though is a good thing. My strongest attack is a spinning tail strike while in dragon form. I can re-purpose that attack to be used in conjuncture while in human form as a spinning ax kick.

Enhancing it with so many skills it is hard to keep track. Chi strike, mana strike, burst of power, body strengthening, cleave, jump strike, opportune strike, rage empowered strikes and energy empowered strikes… Finally all of this can be done while using my leg to launch a wind blade… The attack is strong enough to cause an explosion against the wall as it hits. Waking up both Lance and Leon up as they were sleeping… It is by far my strongest direct attack. Maybe even stronger then my strengthened dragons breath.

I try to make a new combination attack. Using all my skills that attack multiple times at once. Goblin combination attack and frenzied strikes are my only combination attacks I currently have. I'll add more once I unlock them but with just the two it isn't very strong. With the frenzied strikes building up damage with each subsequent attack though. I can see potential once I gain 1-2 more combination moves. I know from asking Lance that dragoon gets one at 50. I call this new attack my combination combo.

Next is immobilization attacks. I have quite a bit in this field actually. I start with a miniature tornado slowly expanding it. I add spider silk to the tornado, as it spins it holds the spider silk, I can also add my poison to it but the spider silk might become less sticky. It depends on the situation I guess because I can also add fire to it.

I can make quagmires by weakening the earth and adding water to it. Almost making a quicksand trap. I've only practiced outside, as I can't pull water from the tree. If I cover the ground in water I can freezing breath the top layer to make an ice slick almost unpassable without slowing down.

Using control earth, I could form tiny spikes covering a spot permanently, this would be good for slowing enemies down, almost like caltrops. The biggest problem would be almost all of these attacks would effect my own allies. I can also make a wind wall which is very difficult to pass through and add fire to that… All of these immobilization attacks can be strengthened with the help of other elementalists (also wind, fire, aqua and nature mages)… I wonder how big a tornado we could make…

There is no need to use skills to form feints. Just enemies seeing me use these other attacks will instinctively run away if I act as if I'm going to breath fire on them. Or start spinning in mid air… So many ways to scare people into turning their backs towards me.

The strongest surprise I have is assassinate. It is hard to pull off though, at least I haven't had a perfect situation to use it thoroughly. With ninja, it should be easier to get into assassinate range now. I have snipe as well to start the fights. Even once the fight starts I still can use surprise attacks which I've been doing already. My control nature uppercuts were able to give me opportune strikes. With true elementalist, I could form more than one, almost 50 fists could be formed at the same power of it previously. I could land surprise attacks against a giant group of enemies. This new attack is called earth fists.

Even with all these new attacks I still don't feel fully prepared to fight against an army. The preparation to fighting still can be perfected… That is why I am in here. To get stronger, I've already increased the chances of survival by doing this. Every improvement can save lives.

I still have hundreds of sets of gear I need to enchant. I'll put that off for now… I'll try to finish Lust's memories. The improvements are worth risking myself in her feelings. I need to get stronger and going through her memories is the easiest way to do that.

Kite going through Lust's memories

It has been a year since I first started my journey as an adventurer. Over the years I've collected a good portion of money. I've slept with more men then I would like to say for the sake of money but I can finally start my business as a merchant. 5 gold pieces cling to my hand, I've bought a cart and hired a guard to help protect my wares. I've had this idea in the back of my head for awhile now… I still need more funds to start it though.

Traveling to towns ,we don't really have much difficulty. My guard's name is Percius, he is the definition of a guard. Fully armored at all times, a handsome face pokes out of his helm. He has a quirk where he brushes his blonde hair out of his eyes. He is a bit of a romantic. I've had sexual relations with him but have since broke it off because he wanted to take it further than what it was. We're strictly professional now... Sort of... He is too kindhearted to ever steal from me. Even so he doesn't know how much money I have on my person.

Approaching a town one time we met with a group of bandits who tried to attack us. I throw a handful of coin to distract two of them while my familiars had taken one out. I switched to five black mage familiars as my entourage… I even de-summoned Twonk... I lost my childish ways when Mex… That is a lifetime ago. The black mages light up one of them as Percius cuts through another.

Four left to kill, we are outnumbered but not out skilled. My mages aim at another bandit while three gang up against Percius, he is an adept fighter but the numbers are against him. He manages to parry most of their attacks but takes a slash across his face. I heal him as quickly as I can as my black mages finish off the other bandit. The bandit managed to kill a black mage and I immediately summon another. I've gotten to the point where having 5 summons out only reserves 25% of my mana. I continue to summon more. 6 mages, 7 mages, 8 mages. Percius takes another hit.

My 8 mages fire off 8 weak fireballs but they are enough to finish off another one just by the sheer number of attacks. The 4 who were originally summon and are still alive, all have enchanted wands with intelligence on them. The remaining 2 bandits try to run. My mages take aim but can't finish off either of them as they are more focused on dodging and surviving that before. Percius makes no attempt to chase I knew he wouldn't. Too kindhearted just like I said.

Percius still needs to be healed. The last cut had struck his hand knocking the weapon out of it. He takes off his glove so I can see the injury more. As I heal him he talks.

"Thank you. It is always nice to have a healer around for this reason... Especially one as powerful as you... I've never seen any summoner have that many out and also have them strengthened with enchanted items."

"Yea... You learn how to deal with things when you are the only one you can rely on."

I've healed his hand but I still bandage it. It might help to reduce the size of the scar once it heals completely. He brushes the hair out of his face as he speaks again.

"You know. You don't have to rely on just yourself anymore... We can become husband and wife."

"I... I'm not like a normal woman... I don't see the point in staying with a single person. I don't see the point of marrying someone. Marriage just seems like a cage to me. I have dreams... I have ambitions... I'm... I'm not housewife material... Just forget about me and move on... I'll just hurt you if we stay together..."

He brushes his hair again. Scratching at the new scar on his face from the bandits attack. I make him take his helmet off and get a bandage to wrap it around his face. Taking extra special care to try to reduce the size of the scar he's going to get... His handsome face now permanently blemished by an injury. He begins to speak.

"I can't do that. Even if you don't want to be with me... I still want to protect you. Even if we can't be together. I still want to protect you. We... We can try it your way. I love you but... I'll let you do the... Things... You want to with other people."

I can't hurt him. He is like a little puppy dog... At least until we separate I won't sleep with anyone else. I have gotten a list of all the prices of everything in each town. Flirting the prices higher when selling or lower when buying. I've luckily inherited my mothers good looks. I slowly amass the money I need for my venture.

It is another year of being a merchant… I've gotten myself pregnant... It is hard to tell but some of the symptoms I've clearly seen. Morning sickness and weird food cravings. I play it off that I've gotten mana poisoning from eating too much of my conjured food to Percius. Moving into the biggest city to the north. I've let Percius go since I will no longer be traveling... I don't tell him about the child... Telling him will only bind him to me... He still has a chance at happiness if we aren't together.

The city is the one the unnamed man was from. The city is called Roma. It is lucky that my idea will need me to remain in a town for at least a few years to establish my building. I've decided against calling it a company. Companies sound too business like. People don't really like businesses, so I'll disguise it under a different name. What my company will be called is the merchants guild.

I buy a building for 2 gold. The price is that high because of the size of the building and the location close to the coliseum. I then start marking it with similar marks as adventurers guild, only slightly different as to not completely steal there indicators which might cause problems later. I want people who have been a part of the adventurers guild to believe this might be a branch of the adventurers guild. It will help us in the long run by doing that.

The entire idea behind the merchants guild, is we'll take requests similar to the adventurers guild. Except we'll take requests for items. The mark up price will be for 15% more than what the item would cost if they went and got it somewhere else. With the main focus being on hard to acquire items. This way any merchants passing by can sell these specialty items at a mark up of 5% then the guild can collect the remaining 10%.

Membership is purchased, which is different from the adventurers guild. Purchasing a membership for 1 gold allows them to collect 10% instead of 5%. This will help promote better business practices, also allowing me to hedge my bets of this new company.

In the long run, purchasing membership would result in more money. I also allow crafters to set-up business here. Establishing jobs to refine their skills while also selling at a discounted 10% price to members. Again trying to push benefits to get more people to join.

The biggest problem so far is the lack of people coming in to put in requests for items. We've started to get a few regulars in though. The local blacksmith always putting in requests for ore. The alchemist putting forth requests for rarer herbs (many I've never even heard of which are hard to price). Finally, an older man requesting. “books he's never read before” Because of his request, I've started building up a supply of books. I've started selling the books to everyone else as well.

With the idea of buying things as well from merchants and selling to the local inhabitants. I've started spending more money in the hopes of earning it back. I buy everything at a marked down price of course. I don't particularly buy food... At least to sell anyways. I've started buying different foods that I've never had before. Even paying above market for some things that pique my interest. Food has become a big part of my life since I've become pregnant. Speaking of which, I've given birth to a bouncing baby boy. I name him Percius… Named after his father.