The Western Jottenhiem Mine, which once upon a time had an official name, had recently been nicknamed 'The Vanquished Queen's Mine' after the fight with the giant Cave Spider Queen. After nearly a year in disuse, the place had been ransacked and everything of value, and just about everything else had been dragged out.

The mine, at this point, was little more than a barren hole in the ground. Several large mine-shafts open into a half-circle area that once held the mine cart tracks, sorting machines, and grinding machine. Iron ore and coal used to be brought up in large quantities for smelting and other economic uses.

Now though, the place was surrounded by a tent camp for the volunteer miners and a larger encampment for the convict labor and the patrollers stationed there to both safeguard the mine and keep the prisoners in order.

That had been a problem the first couple of days, until Edwin decided on an appropriate punishment. Hauling duty. Without proper tracks and carts, the absolutely vast amount of rubble that was mined out of the walls of the mine had to be hauled out by hand; usually in a large wicker-basket strapped to a persons back.

It proved to be extremely effective in deterring would-be escapists and other criminal activities; even amongst the regular miners. And given that three full meals a day were provided for what was basically free, even the prisoners have it better than the refugees out of Lotash and the shanty-town portions of Lower Jottenhiem.

So many people showed up for work, in fact, that Edwin had to spend two days dealing with administrative issues before he could even get in to learn the work himself. Not that Deloria seemed to mind. She went in with the earliest shift and didn't come out of the mine until the last people were leaving for the night. Apparently she'd atrophied a bit while caught in her own tunnel almost a year before, but still had the skills and strength to beat any of the other miners in quota by nearly two or three times, at least.

Not only that, but after two days of regular meals and rest, the Iron Pixie was also looking different. When she'd first came out of the tunnels, her skin was pale with only a slight silvery sheen to it and her hair had been long, ragged, and unkempt, if still still shiny like brushed metal wire. Now though her skin was almost a pearlesque silver, casting a soft glow.

Her hair had been cut down to just below her shoulder blades, and brushed in such a way to fit a miners helmet. Every time he sees it, Edwin always things she has a head of very fine copper wire instead of hair.

With her wings, Deloria is almost dangerously cute and exotic at the same time.

When Edwin finally asked Lucien about Deloria's rather weird constitution, Lucien actually laughed and explained that like the other highly magical races, Iron Pixie's have an extremely high affinity with the earth. Its possible to use raw magical power (aka: mana) to keep yourself alive for a time, so long as you consume it slower than you generate it. According to him, Deloria probably could have survived two or three years total.

That was a bit surprising, but easy enough to understand.

On the morning of the third day Edwin finally gets the chance to go to work himself in the mine, and after getting his own helmet and pickaxe, sets out with Deloria, who was in high spirits. She was quite literally flying a couple of inches off the ground.

“I haven't seen this place so busy in decades! With all these people and the miners it feels like life has come back!” Of course, she was back to screaming out her every word; but so long as she wasn't directly screaming at him, Edwin decides to ignore it.

“I'm glad you like the atmosphere, but how's the mine doing actually? Rebuilding the infrastructure is going to be a large undertaking all by itself, and everything we are pulling out of the mine right now is going into that.” Edwin replies, his tone only slightly wry as he makes his way toward the nearest mineshaft with Deloria.

“Eck. Yeah, that's something of a problem! With proper tracks and carts and all the machines, all this manpower could probably have tripled the quota of what we used to pull out of the ground when I ran the mine! But we're barely pulling out a third of that now.”

Deloria's report was rather spot on, and even Edwin cannot help but flinch at it. Simply getting even the most basic of infrastructure into place for the mine is already a major headache. There simply weren't enough smiths, furnaces, or metalworkers available to do the work. Thousands of feet of track by itself is expected to take weeks to produce, much less lay down. The multi-hinged carts are going to take even longer.

Simply getting enough pickaxes, shovels, and helmets and mine-safe light sources was already a big hassle. And the repair rate for what they already have was atrocious. For the most part he'd simply dropped the whole bag of worms on Deloria. At least it was something she had handled before. But starting a business and going big is a totally different ball game from starting what is basically an Imperial Project from the ground up.

It was arguably an even harder endeavor than building the Great Pyramids back on Earth had been.

But there wasn't anything Edwin could do about it right this moment. Instead he decides to devote himself to doing his own work and learning all that he can.

Walking toward the mine entrance, Edwin gets a good view of everything that is going on. Miners coming and going, new tents being set up or old ones being pulled down; there's already several wood-framed buildings being constructed, using stone from the quarry on the other side of the city and from what is being brought out from the mine.

Most of all there's long lines of men carrying heavily laden wicker baskets on their backs, hauling out the rubble in one line and ore or coal on the other. There's only a handful of mules or pack horses carrying even larger loads; all of them heading toward either the waste pit or the small, quickly built ore crusher.

Near the entrance to the mine several simple furnaces had already been set up, and almost all the coal and the ore is being used there. Given the lack of equipment, what's being pulled out of the furnaces is low in quality; but its a lot easier to store in ingots than it is in raw ore form. And it can later be re-smelted into higher quality materials.

Several of the blacksmiths operating the furnaces are also building a number more. Almost the entire output of the mine is being channeled through them now. All told, there are almost three thousand people of all shapes and sizes running around. Most of them are carrying the tools needed for mining and are wearing treated leather hard-hats, almost like the old football helmets from back in his own world. Given the heavy amount of coal in the mine, each miner is also carrying either a glowing crystal or a magic lantern. Although not all of them have access to such.

The expenses are almost mind boggling with all the equipment needed to run the mine safely.

But even Edwin was wearing his own helmet; fitted around his large horn. It actually had a surprisingly good amount of defense when he checked it earlier. He also has a decent pick and shovel in his Void Space, ready to use.

Wearing boots and tight fitted clothing, he looks like a muscular giant next to the flying Iron Pixie. But he isn't the most muscular or even the largest guy around. The day before three half-Rock Giant brothers had shown up, eager to work. They'd come up here from a town even further south than Lotash, having heard about the projects going on.

Deloria had taken a liking to them almost instantly, and put them in control of the noon and afternoon shifts as well as working themselves during the morning. Given their great strength and endurance, they got into it without an issue, and were leaving most of the regular miners in the dust. Only Deloria herself could out-mine them.

“Here we go! I hope you aren't afraid of getting dirty! Hahaha!” Deloria yells at him as they finally pass into the mine with the next group of miners; most of them who are actively staring at Edwin. He simply smiles and walks along with them.

The mine itself is a complex system of shafts, graded holes, tunnels and pits. The air is heavy and filled with dust, and proper light sources are few and far between, mounted on the walls. Part of the mine is obviously set up to get at the back seams of coal; while the other part are after the chunks of iron-bound rock. There are also a scattering of other minerals and metals; but not enough to be anything more than a bonus here.

That's quite alright though. At the moment iron is what is needed the most.

“We're going to start out working with coal. The iron is a lot harder, and isn't a good starting material for learning mining. Tin or copper would have been better.” Inside the mine Deloria takes on a quieter tone, and even to Edwin it seems that she's a lot calmer, less flighty or flustered.

It was an interesting transformation.

Another thing he noted is that her silvery skin also gives off a glow bright enough to be seen in the darkness. As he follows her deeper in, she also seems to get brighter and brighter, as well. She was like a natural light source down here.

Soon enough they'd left the most active part of this mineshaft, and finally stop at what seems to be a dead end in a tunnel that hadn't been finished. The ceiling is almost too low for Edwin to stand straight in, much less heft his pick. His horn actually scrapes the ceiling in places.

“Here, that entire wall is one large vein of coal. The starting principle of mining is having enough space to do the work. Having a circular area around you that you can swing your pickaxe freely in any direction is key. Without that, you might as well hack at the stone with a knife.” Deloria starts explaining, having landed on her feet as the ceiling dropped lower. But she pulls out her own pick and shows Edwin that there's just enough room for her to swing it around without hitting anything.

With him being so much bigger, he couldn't do the same. But at the same time he could reach more material than she could, too. So he pulls out his own pickaxe and backs up to where he can reach the pick over his head.

“Good, now swing it like this.” The woman starts to instruct him, and he follows as precisely as he can; swinging the pickaxe over his head and gouging into the coal-laced rock of the ceiling, shattering it fairly easily with every swing. Because he was so much larger than Deloria, it takes him longer to open up the shaft to his size; but because it was a rich vein, there wasn't much waste rock.

Just like with the farm work, it was hard work physically, and soon enough his shirt was damp and sticking to his bulging muscles as he sweats. The coal dust was also forming running streaks down his red skinned face and neck as well.

But he does what he has to do in order to open up the area large enough for him to work him, and quite a pile of coal is building up at his feet. Unlike the modern practice of using explosives and large scoops to extract large amounts of material at once; this is backbreaking, slow work of the most physical kind.

But it still felt good to him. Physical work was rewarding all on its own.

It isn't until he'd already finished opening up his area and the first loaders had come and shoveled up his mined coal and he'd already started working into the wall where the rich vein was that he got the notification he was waiting for.

**DING**

Mining Skill has been learned!The mining skill increases the speed and the quality of mined resources.

It decreases the time required to mine.

It decreases the strength required to mine.

It decreases the stamina usage for each mining action.

It provides a bonus to the quality of mined resources.

It may expose rare or unique resources that can be mined at higher levels.

Mining sub-skills also enhance the effect of Mining.You have gained bonus Stats!+ 5 Strength

+5 Constitution

+2 IntelligenceFor learning an Earth-based skill, you have gained more Earth AffinityEarth Affinity +10A new effect of Earth's Blessing has been unlocked!All mining actions require less time and effort. Bonus resources may be acquired during mining.

The Earth has blessed the endeavors of the user, and higher Earth Affinity will increase this bonus.

+30% Mining Speed.

+30% Resource Quantity.

+30% Higher Resource Quality.

-30% Strength and Stamina Required.

Edwin can only blink at the messages that had popped up. Just like with farming, he also gained more Earth Affinity and unlocked very large bonuses to his Earth's Blessing. He could almost have called it overkill, except all he can do is chuckle while shaking his head.

His surprise didn't last that long though, and he calls Deloria after reading everything the messages had said.

“I learned the Mining Skill.” He says simply, giving a slight chuckle as he looks at the dumbfounded Pixie.

“WHAT?! ALREADY!? It can take up to a week for others to get it!” The woman starts yelling again, this time her words echoing through the mine and causing not only Edwin, but almost everyone else to clasp their hands over their ears. She was simply far too loud!

“Be quiet!” Edwin hisses at her, careful to control his own volume while glaring at the short woman; who suddenly snaps her mouth shut again as if afraid that Edwin was going to snap at her right then and there.

Edwin though wasn't going to do so. At least not yet. But he was getting very, very tired of being yelled at. He understands that its a personality quirk of hers; but it was driving him even more crazy than the way that other women respond to him.

“Yes, I have it now. I also have the Earth's Blessing bonuses for it. But I want to learn the rest of the sub-skills and then work in here for a while.” He says in a short, cold tone, eying the woman who's lower jaw had just started hanging open. Just like Cernette, Deloria couldn't imagine him already having the Earth's Blessing as well.

“Oooh? The Earth's Blessing, too? You're going to put me out of business.” The Iron Pixie mutters, although she keeps herself from yelling, even though her face had gone red. Rather it was embarrassment or anger or something else, Edwin couldn't tell.

“Very well. Come here then, I'll show you the sub-skills.” The woman finally says, drawing Edwin back into the work.

For the rest of that day then the next, Edwin learns everything he can about mining from Deloria. The proper way of handling a pickaxe, the shovel, how to haul loads without hurting himself, and prospecting. She lead him around the mine and showed him various types of rock and ores and other minerals and the most likely places they could be found.

Edwin learns everything, soaking it up like a sponge and gaining the skills in only part of the time required for the other miners. And the levels in them. And increases in his stats, too.

His strength, constitution, and dexterity all raise by ten points apiece, and his intelligence raises by five points due to the Surveying skill, and his wisdom raises by two points as well. Its a rather large gain for acquiring the skills; but afterwards its even harder to raise them through the actual work.

Thinking about it while his mind has time to wander while his body works, the conclusion Edwin draws is that the skills absorb some of the 'potential' that can be gained through physical work and turn into direct bonuses instead of a continuous allotment of pure stats. He'll have to ask Lucien about that later.

-|- -|- -|-

In this manner an entire week passes by, with Edwin fulfilling his management duties in the mornings and the late evenings and working in the mine during the afternoons. The large increase of the number of sponsored jobs had put a very large claim on his time and energy, but he never neglected to work personally himself.

But it also meant that he didn't have a whole lot of time to devote to the development of his skills, either. Just like with farming, he ends up not even breaching into the Intermediate ranks when its finally time to put down his shovel and pick. But he was still happy with what he'd done.

He'd finally gotten to the level of the half-Rock Giants, and had even greater gains in terms of overall quality, as well. That was mostly thanks to his Earth's Blessing, but he'd take every advantage he could. Deloria in the meantime had gotten even wilder, and much more aggressive with her own work.

According to Lucien, Deloria wasn't used to feeling threatened when it comes to her skills. She'd come to see Edwin as a rival; even though Edwin had no intention of taking her job. His own responsibilities were more than enough, thank you very much.

Still, the week had been a busy time, and the mine itself was progressing nicely. Already several of the machines that had been torn down and looted before had been rebuilt, greatly increasing overall productivity and quality of the ore pulled from the earth. That and the starting forging area had already been expanded twice, with almost every blacksmith in Jottenhiem coming to take up the work. Already there were work crews laying down the first cart track.

On the other side of the city, the quarry was also a big mass of laboring men and women, pulling raw stone blocks of granite, basalt, and other stone from the mountain. Starting with giant, multi-ton blocks that they roll out on smoothly carved and sanded wooden rollers, the blocks are chiseled into neat perfection of various shapes and sizes.

Some are little bigger than bricks, while others are big enough to carve entire homes into. Most of the bigger blocks are set up in storage, while the smaller ones are taken up by order almost as fast as they are being produced. Without modern hand tools or technology, everything has to be done by hand though, and there never seemed to be enough trained hands for the work. But Edwin would take anyone willing to work, and reports of rapid skill advancement have already started to reach the Citadel.

It was a good sign, all in all, and already in some places in Jottenhiem rebuilding has already begun. Especially the new Patrol headquarters and the Patroller posts throughout both upper and lower Jottenhiem. Also there's almost daily convoys of materials flowing toward Lotash, as well.

The foundation for the Patroller Post in the village has already been built. To the villagers and the refugees that are still huddled there, the Post was seen as a bit of god-sent fortune, especially when they heard that the bounty set for the bandits in the nearby forest had been changed to outlaw the taking of innocents. During the week two more transports of captured bandits had arrived under armed guard as well; and were given the same details and work as the rest.

Thankfully there wasn't the same issues now as when the prisoner camp was first set up. Things were running smoothly. According to Cormic, some bandits have even turned themselves in for the chance for work and food on their own! It just goes to show how desperate things have gotten.

In Lower Jottenhiem, several soup kitchens were working around the clock, and the residents there had turned out in droves to help and to eat. It was barely subsistence living; but it was far better than what had been available before. Crime had dropped by a massive percentage. Edwin was even in the process of writing up a charter for a school, as well. But that would take far more work before it was ever implemented.

The farms, on the other hand, were doing great. Led by Cernette with her own Earth's Blessing, the farmland that was actively being cultivated had already spilled far beyond the original farming-dungeon area that Edwin had set up. Those who had the skills and the willingness to work the other barren fields were being gifted that otherwise unused and city-owned land after bringing in their first harvest.

It was an idea that Edwin had thought of together with Lucien; and just how the United States had done it back in his old world during the migration period into the mid-west, anyone could claim a plot of land so long as they showed good results. The harvest had to be both of an acceptable amount and quality. Some were struggling with more than they could chew, but most were doing just fine.

The one downside to that though was the increase in water usage. It was rapidly draining the few remaining irrigation channels, so construction plans for more, along with a large water reservoir was already in the works, although the demand for resources for it had more than tripled the amount of resources already set aside for emergencies.

But what really had Edwin's attention at this point was the Ironworks. The foundation was already being built, after tearing down a huge number of dilapidated buildings in the western portion of Lower Jottenhiem, close to the mines that'll feed it. In terms of pure area that Edwin had set out for it, the Ironworks is going to be bigger than even the Citadel itself. It was a joy to watch the work on it.

But Edwin finally turns back to find Deloria already waiting for him; but today he's without his mining helmet and mining tools.

“Good timing, Deloria. I need to speak with you.” Edwin says, although Deloria only frowns a bit before walking to face him.

“Well, don't leave me hanging.” The Iron Pixie was still careful when talking to Edwin. In more than one way, she's a bit scared of the otherwise good-natured Demon Lord. But his prowess against Spider Queen and his very cold personality when it comes to disobedience was a side of his personality she just couldn't seem to get comfortable with.

“Its time I move on to learning how to blacksmith. So I just wanted to say thanks for teaching me mining.” Edwin says with a slight smile; although for some reason Deloria's face had gone red.

“WHAT?! Smithing? You can't be serious! You haven't even mastered mining yet!” Deloria's mask had cracked, and she started screaming at him without any sort of warning.

Edwin's left eye twitches, and the smile is gone in an instant.

“I warned you about yelling at me, Deloria.” Edwin replies coldly, although in his head he isn't able to understand what had the woman so riled up. If anything, he figured she'd be happy not having him around.

“Like I give a fuck! I was planning to crush you during a mining contest once you got your skills up to my level! I was going to beat the shit out of you and keep my title as the best miner around!” She declares without any hesitation, yelling all over again.

The workers around them had already stopped in their tracks and was watching the two of them in surprise. While it was common to hear Deloria scream and even cuss while she's working or directing the mining crews under her command, actually yelling at Edwin Cast was like trying to sign your own death warrant. It left them all in shock.

“Eh. So that's what you had planned.” Edwin says, although the frown on his face had gone stiff for a moment. He'd never had any intention of fighting Deloria. But he simply couldn't stand her belligerent tone toward him. For some reason it ticks him off to no end.

“Fine. I already warned you, so I'm not going to show you any mercy. I'm going to beat your ass.” Edwin finally says, causing Deloria's face to grow even redder, if it was at all possible.

“But it won't be in mining. I want to see just how good you are in a real fight. If I win, you'll never yell at me, EVER again.” Edwin says, crossing his large arms over his equally large chest, looking down at the smaller woman with a chilly little grin on his lips. The look of a rabid predator that makes everyone who sees it, including Deloria herself, shiver.

“Humph! Fine, asshole! But if I win... You'll stay and level up your skills in mining and then fight me for real! I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO SMEAR MY NAME, BASTARD!” He yells right back at him, and the crowd cannot help but gasp.

A fight between the Iron Pixie Deloria and the Demon Lord. No one would have foreseen that. And many were wanting to actually see the fight.

Edwin had other plans though.

“Lucien! Get these men back to work!” Edwin calls out, and without even batting an eye, Lucien starts to order the men back into doing their jobs.

Edwin turns back to Deloria and makes a motion with his hand.

“Follow me. We'll do this away from these people. No use in reducing productivity.” He says, although his voice had gone toneless; like it always does when facing an enemy. The predatory smile had also disappeared, leaving his face blank.

Its probably what scares Deloria the most about Edwin; that cold, calculating calm that comes over him before every fight.

But Edwin turns and is already walking off toward the far abutment of the mine, close to where the large gravel pits had been set for all the stone waste that was pulled out of the mountainside. He didn't even notice that Deloria had broken out in a silent, cold sweat. But she still follows him after gathering her courage again.

Lucien makes as if to follow them though, but Edwin shakes his head and sends the older goblinoid back to watching over the mine while the two of them were gone. He didn't want witnesses for this one. This was a purely personal matter for Edwin.

It only takes about ten minutes to reach the barren slate of rock, out of sight of the mine that Edwin had picked out. The terrain was mostly flat, with only a handful of large boulders and rocky outcroppings on three sides. It was shaped almost like the stage of an amphitheater, in fact.

Edwin glances around and makes sure everything is in order, and Deloria does the same; clicking her tongue. But Edwin also has something to do first, so he lifts his right hand and looks at the crystal embedded in his wrist.

“Status Screen.”

STATUS SCREENNAMEEdwin CastRACEVoid DemonCLASSLEVELDemon Lord / Master of Dungeons10Physical AttributesStrengthDexterityConstitutionTotals745693Mental AttributesIntelligenceWisdomCharismaTotals634360Applied AttributesHealthManaStaminaTotals750920750LeadershipLuck3170Unused Stat Points45

He'd gotten quite a number of bonus stats ever since his fight with the Spider Queen a week ago, and he even purses his lips a little at the amount of mana he already had. Very close to a total of a thousand. It was very nice.

He also has a number of unused stat points, which he'd been wondering about. He quickly clicks that line of his menu, pulling up another screen.

Information Screen – Unused Stat PointsEvery level grants 5 stat points which can be put into any stat. All unlocked stats may be boosted in this manner; but once decided re-selection is not possible.

Some Stats may be changed or expanded once enough points have been invested into them and other unknown requirements are fulfilled.

Due to your unique class special bonuses or passive abilities may become unlocked with unused stat points..

Due to your unique race special bonuses or passive abilities may become unlocked with unused stat points.

Check the Purchase Traits menu for more information.

That was something Edwin had not expected. Purchasing traits or passive abilities? He'd never heard of anything like that. Lucien had not even hinted on anything of that sort. It caught his interest though, so he holds up his hand to Deloria, who was already glaring at him for taking so long.

“Hold on a moment.” He says simply, before clicking the Purchase Traits button.

An entire new screen opens up in front of his eyes.

Purchase Traits ScreenTraits are racial or class characteristics that provide different bonuses or effects. For beings born in the world of Eternia, they are chosen randomly at birth through a system that ranks their parents abilities and the child's natural characteristics.

Summoned beings are free of this restriction. You may freely pick any trait listed, so long as you meet the requirements and have the necessary points required to purchase them.

Purchases cannot be refunded.

Some may become unlocked due to personal actions or achievements. They will be highlighted with a * symbol.Unused Stat Points45Traits Selection ScreenAvailable Racial TraitsPoint CostRacial Trait – Smoldering Skin10Smoldering Skin is a trait that causes your skin to exert a slight heat that changes temperature due to your mood. It provides a bonus to both heat and cold resistance. It cannot be used alongside the Freezing Skin trait.Racial Trait – Freezing Skin10Freezing Skin is a trait that causes your skin to exert a slight cold feeling that changes temperature due to your mood. It provides a bonus to both heat and cold resistance. It cannot be used alongside the Smoldering Skin trait.Racial Trait – Dragon Scales50Dragon Scales allows the growth of armored scales that can be used to boost defense during combat. Unlocks the ability 'Hardened Defense' when activated.Racial Trait – Razor Horn5Your horn has turned wickedly sharp, and can be used both to slice and pierce your enemies. Amongst other things.Racial Trait – Dual Horns20Dual Horns causes your distinctive single horn to grow a mate and migrate to either side of your head. It unlocks the skill 'Horn Sensitivity', which provides a similar function to the 'Detect Presence' ability.Racial Trait – Devil's Tail10The Devil's Tail is a trait that causes the you to grow a long, fully prehensile tail that can be used as an extra limb when it comes to grabbing and manipulating objects. It also unlocks the 'Tail Whip' and 'Tail Manipulation' skills. This trait can be taken twice, either doubling the number of tails or allowing a shape-changing ability; but at a greater price of points.Racial Trait – Tail Growth10Tail Growth allows the growing of a single whip-like non-prehensile tail that can be used in combat. Its size can be changed with a thought. It unlocks the 'Tail Whip' skill. When taken together with either the first or second tier of Devil's Tail, the traits combine into a third, stronger version.Racial Trait – Demon Eye15Demon Eyes carry a variety of traits; ranging from seeing mana to seeing into the future or identification. Only one eye may be a Demon Eye, as the effect is hard to control without proper training. Depending upon which type of eye is chosen, the associated skill is unlocked. It consumes mana to activate.Racial Trait – Third Eye100The Third Eye trait causes the creation of a third eye somewhere on the body. The third eye is a combination of various demon eyes; but consumes a great amount of mana to use. If taken along with the Demon Eye trait, the traits merge and create a new eye, the 'Eye of the Overlord', which is extremely powerful but consumes vast amounts of mana to use. The skill 'Beholder of the Third Eye' is unlocked.Racial Trait – Demon Wings20Demon Wings are either leathery or darkly feathered wings that allow for flight. They provide a bonus to air resistance. Unlocks the skills 'Flight' and 'Glide'.Racial Trait – Dragon Wings50Dragon Wings are vast leathery wings that allow flight. They are tipped with sharp talons that allow wing attacks during combat. If taken along with Demon Wings, the two traits merge to create a vast pair of wings that can be used for defense as well as flight, and carrying of passengers. Unlocks the skills 'Flight', 'Glide', and 'Wing Combat'.Racial Trait – Wing Growth10Wing Growth allows the you to grow a pair of wings of various types. The wings are too weak to allow flight, but do allow you to glide. The size, shape, and type of wings can be freely chosen. If taken alongside either Demon Wings, Dragon Wings, or both, the traits are combined to allow complete control of the wings. Unlocks the 'Glide' skill.Racial Trait – Greater Void Demon500An evolution trait that causes the growth from a regular Void Demon to a Greater Void Demon. Enhances Void Affinity, generates greater resistances, boosts stats and provides other unknown bonuses. Can be unlocked through an unknown sequence of actions without purchasing.Racial Trait – Morph5A single-use trait that can be taken several times. Each purchase allows you to change a physical characteristic of your body; including but not limited to height, weight, proportions, eye color, hair color and other features. Provides no other bonuses.

Traits Selection ScreenAvailable Class TraitsPoint CostClass Trait –-

There were quite too many options to go into at this point, but something on the racial traits list caught his attention. Hm. A tail? A tail could definitely be useful; and after reading the description, a slight grin crosses his lips.

Why the hell not give it a try? Especially a prehensile tail, which can be used as a third hand when needed. But the other one, the Tail Growth trait was also interesting, and could even combine. He really doesn't give it much thought and selects several options all at once.

*DING*

Traits PurchasedDevil's Tail – Rank 1 Purchased.

Devil's Tail – Rank 2 Purchased.

Tail Shapeshifting ability chosen.

Tail Growth – Purchased.

Devil's Tail and Tail Growth have combined into the Demon's Tail Trait.

Total Stat Point Cost: 40

Remaining Unused Stat Points: 5Demon's Tail TraitDemon's Tail is a unique combined trait that allows the growth of a freely shapeshifting, prehensile tail; which can be used both in combat and out. The tails limitations are directly connected to the levels of the skills associated with it.

Skills unlocked: Tail Whip, Tail Manipulation, Tail Enhancement, Tail Morphing.

Quite a few new screens popped up in front of him, but he didn't really have the time to do much more than scan through them. A slight grin comes across his lips though.

At least until a burning pain right at the top of his tailbone starts shooting up his spine. He grunts, and shudders a little as a sudden sweat breaks out across his forehead as the change in his body takes place. It takes several minutes for it to stop, and even Deloria was glancing at him worriedly.

“What the hell is the hold up?!” She finally snaps as Edwin was taking a slow, deep breath.

The pain had stopped, but now he could clearly feel the difference. There's an unusual bulge where normally a person would have a divot where the spine meets the pelvis, and with a thought he could feel what he could do with the hidden tail.

It definitely felt weird though.

“I was updating my stats.” Edwin finally says after a moment of experimenting. There's just enough wiggle room in his pants to bring the tail out; but he keeps it hidden for the moment.

Deloria though simply grunts and lifts the pickax from her shoulder, swinging it back and forth fast enough and hard enough to cause a steady whistling in the air.

Edwin arches a brow at her before shrugging, taking a moment to wipe the sweat from his brow. Thankfully the transformation hadn't dropped any of his health or stamina. He still had to fight, after all.

“Fine! You ready yet? I'm tired of standing here!” The short woman yells, a mask of anger falling over her otherwise cute features. The earth under Edwin's feet seems to rumble at the same time; although he remains as steady as a boulder in the face of it.

Deloria really was extremely skilled with Earth-based abilities. But that wasn't anything that Edwin hadn't known himself.

“Yep. Come at me.” He finally says, showing an almost disinterested smirk on his lips.

It only proves to anger the small woman further, and instead of running her wings open wide as she makes a mad rush right at him.

Just like others who were only interested in brute strength, she didn't even bother with tactics or feints. She reminds him of Krash in that manner.

So he simply stood there and waits; seemingly infinitely patient and unconcerned. But her speed in the air was faster than Krash's on the ground had been. She was before him in moments, swinging her pick wildly at him.

He doesn't even move. But Deloria is jerked to the right by a sudden force and her strike misses him by inches. Even before she could realize what had happened, she's jerked in the other direction.

During the space of a breath, while she's totally distracted, Edwin steps forward and raises his large fist; slamming it into her left cheek even as a sudden lash seems to comes down across her back, cutting through the same overalls she's been wearing the entire time that Edwin had known her.

Deloria screams at the pain, and her wings spasm in motion as they try to pull her back. But Edwin was already in control of the pace of the fight, and jerks her forward toward him again with another jerk.

Its only then that she realizes what's going on. Something is wrapped around her waist!

She doesn't have much more time to figure out what it was though, as Edwin's right fist slams into her other cheek with a solid 'WRACK' of sound that threatens to unbalance her. But with his hold around her waist, he keeps her standing and instead starts punching her over and over again.

He wasn't even bothering to use any weapons, just his body against her.

Each punch was like being hit by a hammer, as well. During the past few weeks, he'd raised his strength several times, and it showed with every WHAM! he made against her body.

Only after six or so more punches does she find herself being tossed backward by his tail, which had suddenly released her. She can do little more but try to correct her fall with her wings; but he chases after her and his tail blurs into action, whipping at her body with slashes that cleanly cut through her clothing and leave long welts on her small, silvery-skinned body.

Its only when she hits the ground on her back does she seem to wake up from her surprise, and screams. The earth underneath her responds, and raises in a solid wall a foot think between them; reflecting Edwin's tail attack.

“BREAK!” He yells as he slams into the wall though, and through a combination of his strength, constitution, and the Hide of Earth ability, he basically barrels right through the wall as if it were paper. It did take a chunk out of his health though, but it was more than satisfying to see the look of utter surprise on Deloria's face as her wall crumbles and he's left standing there, only just slightly panting.

Now though, behind him a slim tail is whipping back and forth in the air. Its as red as the rest of his body, and its length is tapered down almost to a sharp point, and surprisingly thin. It was enough to cut through clothing and flesh if he swung it at full force.

“I told you what would happen if you continued to yell at me, Deloria.” He growls, and his tail whips out again, making another slice through her clothing and against her flesh; opening up the front of her overalls from the top almost to her naval. The flesh beneath was raised and red.

But he wasn't done, even if his opponent was shocked. So he steps forward as his tail wraps around her waist again, lifting her up with much more strength than a tail that size should be able to exert.

It was part of the hidden bonuses of the combined traits he'd unlocked. He's able to exert 100% of his strength, dexterity, and constitution stats with his tail as if it really was a new limb.

Deloria is so surprised that she even let go of her pickax, which clangs on the ground. Her eyes open wide, she stares at Edwin. If he didn't know better, he'd almost think that she'd fainted on him.

In truth she'd been hit with the Stun status, and it was still ticking down for her, leaving her almost completely unable to resist. Not that it matters. He flips her over and raises her ass toward him.

This was really no longer a fight. It was a beating, one she rightfully deserved, in Edwin's opinion. Many others would also agree with him.

“You.” He slaps her ass hard with his open hand. “Act.” Slap again. “Like” Another hard slap. “A” This time she actually cries out as he spanks her ass like a kid. “Child.” Another hard slap, this time alternating with his other hand.

“Then.” Slap.

“I'm” Slap.

“Going.” Slap.

“To.” Back to the other hand, which one getting progressively harder.

“Treat.” Slap!

“You.” Slap! Deloria suddenly screams out with this one.

“LIKE!” SLAP!

“ONE!” He spanks her ass for the last time, and suddenly drops her onto the ground.

Deloria is crying, and her bottom is hurting and he hadn't held back one bit. But more than that, she was utterly embarrassed. It wasn't just because he'd fulfilled the punishment he'd promised her when they first me, either.

She'd thought that he'd just beat her and be done with it. But she never imagined that he'd literally whip her ass black and blue. No doubt she'd have a hard time sitting for days if not a full week.

But more than that, well... She had orgasmed in her overalls while he was doing it!

Her face was red in more than one way; but all Edwin does is stare down at her. He hadn't noticed, and instead was waiting to see what she had to say for herself next. His cold, indifferent stare only served to make her grind her thighs together more so.

Finally though she calms down after a few minutes, and rolls over to sprawl on her side, grimacing at where her bottom comes into contact with the ground. She looks at him, her eyes red and her long hair a mess; but bites her lip for a moment.

Edwin though was done. The battle rage had left him as they both calmed down, so he turns and starts walking back toward the mine. He could at least salvage the rest of his day.

“Hey, wait!” Deloria suddenly calls to him, although it wasn't one of her usual screams.

“What, Deloria? I am busy, you know.” Edwin calls back, stopping and looking over his shoulder at her.

“You... you... You! Take responsibility!” She yells at him suddenly, although her face goes even redder than before. She hadn't meant to say it like that!

“Huh?” Okay, Edwin is more than a little dense, but he doesn't get what she's referring to.

“Don't 'huh' me! You...! You! Treating me like a little girl! You even made me..!” She snaps her mouth shut at that, and Edwin turns and stares at her again, more than tired of being yelled at.

Before Deloria could say anything else, he marches right back up in front of her, and his tail whips again, this time cross-wise right under her breasts; leaving another clean cut in her overalls and this time leaving another welt stripe just below her breasts. With the cross-shaped cut in the front of her overalls now, the hanging material suddenly falls, exposing most of her bare stomach and the bottom reaches of her breasts.

They are quite large, especially for her otherwise small body.

But what really catches Edwin's attention is the fact that Deloria didn't scream. Or cry. No, she moaned. And shuddered, clenching her legs tightly together, her hands pressed against her lower stomach.

Her face going beet red again, she simply stares at Edwin in shock.

In truth, he stares right back, this time in surprise though. Oh boy. He really doesn't know how to react to that.

But this time even he's able to tell what's going on. She'd just got off from being hit.

Even he cannot escape the great pile of figurative bricks that comes crashing down right on his head.

Hahahahahaha! He cannot help but break out in laughter. It was just too unexpected to him. Maybe it shouldn't surprise him, but it did.

(This is the start of the first sex scene. For those who do not wish to read it, I am going to put it in spoilers, so you can skip it to have it fade-to-black. For the rest of you, feel free to read on!)

Spoiler :

(Warning – Masochism and rough sex are involved. If you do not like that sort of play, read no further!)

“Hey! Don't stand there laughing! Take responsibility!” Deloria yells at him, suddenly seemingly angry again, although her face was red from embarrassment and her body was hot. Almost burning up. The whipping he'd given her, then the spanking... She'd never gone through anything like it.

For the most part, she hadn't been interested in guys at all. Only big men like Krash and the half-trolls had ever gotten even a bit of interest from her. She was far too involved with her work and her skills to chase after sex, much less love.

But now, there was no way for her to deny it. Edwin had beaten her handily in a fight; and then proceeded to beat her personally. The sting of the whip against her body, his large, powerful hands on her ass... None of it really phased her pain-wise. But her body responded to it all the same. The rougher he got, the harder he got, the more her body responded. She'd noticed while she was stunned by his attack that she was wet.

Soaking wet. Wet enough that he could feel it dripping down her thighs when she was lifted up again.

The dark color of her overalls, and the dust in them kept Edwin from noticing the effect it was having on her; but it did nothing to hide her own embarrassment.

And then she'd orgasmed during the spanking. If it wasn't for the fact that he'd hit her twice more during that time, she probably would have fainted.

Even now, laying sideways on the stony earth, her body was hot and tingly.

He'd hit her again with his tail; another whip that this time had even touched her breasts. She'd came again. And there was no way to suppress the moan of pleasure that left her throat.

The copper-haired, silver-skinned Iron Pixie was a closet masochist. Even she didn't know it. She'd never minded pain; but this was the first time it had ever made her respond like this. It made her want to curl up or burrow into the earth and never come out!

But the embarrassment didn't stop her from demanding Edwin to finish what he'd started. Even she didn't realize that was what she was yelling about.

Edwin though also realized it; and after the surprise wore off, he couldn't help but give a grin that could only be called devilish. Or demonic. Definitely demonic.

“So the loud-mouthed child is a masochist... That is a twist I definitely didn't foresee.” He says coldly. Looking down at her acting like that, it was like something in his head had switched into the 'On' position.

Edwin could never had been said to be anything like a sadist; but he was tired and angry and more than a little pent up himself. You could say it was an unknown characteristic of being reborn as a Demon.

After all, most Demons don't hold many morals when it comes to sex. Or desire, for that matter.

“I AM NOT A CHILD!” Deloria yells at him again though; but even before she'd finished screaming his tail was already slashing at her; this time a stroke right across both of her breasts, almost in a perfectly straight line.

She screams and moans again, her body shuddering even as he hits her again and again and again; each slash cutting through her clothing around her breasts and then down her thighs; exposing more and more of her flesh and with enough force to roll her over onto her back.

She screams even louder when her already abused ass rubs against the rough ground; and once again her body shudders roughly. This time though it doesn't stop with an orgasm.

Spreading out on the ground between her thighs a rapidly spreading puddle glistens in the sunlight. Deloria had pissed herself, and her face goes even more red, if it were at all possible. Her face is almost the same red as Edwin's skin by now.

“No!!!” She finally cries; even as she shudders and tries to sit up. But she cannot even get up; the sudden pain and flash of pleasure forcing her body to shudder and collapse once again. This time it causes her to wiggle across the ground, driving her further and further into painful bliss.

Edwin though isn't done with her; so his tail whips around one of her wrists, then the other, and suddenly lifts her light body into the air. But with her clothing in tatters, there isn't much separating her bare skin from Edwin's hungry gaze.

“Look at you. You don't even wear underwear, do you?” Edwin teases her with his cold tone, and reaches out and grabs one side of her overalls; and with a sudden twist and a jerk of his strength, he tears the material from her; leaving roughened scratches against her skin; especially along her thighs and between her legs, where the most material remained.

Deloria is utterly unable to respond as she's suddenly bared to him; simply grasping and shuddering slightly; so so close to orgasm again. She's almost desperate, and doesn't even try to close her legs, either.

All she can do is look away and bite her lower lip.

Barely two feet tall, her baggy overalls had been hiding all the right curves for a much more attractive woman. Her breasts are at least a large C-cup, if not D in their own right; and perfectly pert, too. Cross-crossed in red welts against the silvery flesh; it makes a nice contrast that fits her quite perfectly as well. She even has rather large nipples; and they're hard and standing out proudly, pointing just slightly upward from the center swell.

Edwin doesn't even say anything back when he reaches out and grabs those glorious breasts in front of him with his rough grip; squeezing and massaging her firm, yet very soft flesh even as his palms slowly, but roughly grind across her hard, sensitive nubs.

Deloria groans, and is unable to do anything but whimper and try to arch her chest more into his grip. She wasn't even resisting, and instead opens her mouth to pant; her eyes half-closed as if in delirium. Or lust. Maybe a mix of both.

But the slight string of saliva that was visible on her lip drew Edwin in, and he kisses her hard; roughly; his tongue pushing into her mouth with a passion that surprised them body. Tasting her, teasing his tongue against her own in a rough wrestling match; soon enough she's moaning into his mouth and trying desperately to push herself closer, even as he holds her up by her wrists above her head.

He pulls away after only a couple of moments though, and she moans even more when he nips her lower lip hard enough to draw blood. Edwin actually grins, licking her lip and is quite surprised at the sweet, coppery taste. Hm.

But soon enough he is drawn back to what he's done when Deloria starts to shudder harder in his hands, and this time he gets to watch as she orgasms; a slight spray of misty fluids being ejected from between her thighs. He simply grins though; but even before she's done his hands move, and suddenly her hard nipples are pinched between his fingers; twisting them with a rough, sure grip back and forth.

This causes Deloria to scream and arch back further; her legs starting to kick as the orgasm she was already experiencing doubles in pressure. If she hadn't already emptied her bladder on the ground, she probably would have lost it right then and there, as well.

“Ooooh... Oh... My... My Lord, please... Please.” She finally finds her voice, although its as low as a whisper. She almost never called him that, as well. But at least she wasn't yelling at him now. But she still wasn't looking him in the face.

Edwin though knows what she wants, and after another rough twist to her nipples followed by a tug, he lets go of her breasts and instead starts pulling off his own clothing. The sound of it catches Deloria's attention, and she gasps as he pulls off his under shirt, exposing his broad, muscular chest and the eight pack he's sporting underneath. His arms are likewise muscular and thick; the sharply defined edges of them pressing up underneath his blood-red skin in sharp contrast.

Her gaze seems almost to be glued to him; but she does follow his hands as he starts working at his belt and trousers; which are looser and thinner than the normal ones he'd wear around the Citadel. Its really too hot underground to want to wear heavy thread.

Kicking off his boots, followed by his trousers and then the under-shorts he's wearing, Deloria's panting has only gotten heavier, her body red with need with every inch of skin he exposes.

She was almost burning up from the inside, and was already sweating, even though the sweat stings every time it touches one of the red welts that criss-cross her flesh. All it did was make her burn even more.

And finally Edwin is just as bare as she is, his clothing tossed into a pile nearby, along with her own utterly shredded garment. Deloria's gaze wasn't interested in such matters though. Instead she was staring rather intently at a single part of Edwin's body.

Her mouth was hanging open, as well.

When Edwin was still a human, he'd only an above average endowment, but after being reborn and growing... Well, like the rest of him, his cock had grown too. And it was almost more 'hammer' than 'rod', to boot.

Screw male enhancement commercials, we should all find out what Edwin's been eating.

Like with every other physical feature he has, its the same blood red colored as the rest of him, and is seemingly perfectly proportional to the rest of his body.

And it seems to drive Deloria crazy; so much so that she even tries to move her arms as if to touch it. But with her arms locked above her head, all she can do is groan with need.

Edwin himself though was more than ready to get his own relief, and with a grin on his lips he glances around, finding a nice place in the lee of a large boulder that's reclined enough for him to sit up against. Walking toward it with the pixie hanging from his grasp would have been an amusing thing to see, if others had any idea what was going on. In fact, the only one who even knew was in a sulky mood, watching from crystal facet set above Edwin's heart in his chest.

Finally though Deloria is released as Edwin sits down in the spot he'd picked out, leaving the woman straddling his stomach; watching with some detached amusement as she groans and arches up against him; her face looking as if his touch was both burning her and pushing her rapidly toward ultimate bliss.

“Come now, Deloria, control yourself! Show me that you want it right now; or I'm going to leave you here naked and exposed for the first group of vultures to come along to take a bite out of you!” Edwin almost yells at her; his tone cold and commanding and ruthless; his words spoken with more than a little truth.

He wants to see just how far she'd go, and how far he could push her.

For the most part, Deloria is captivated by the idea; except she has absolutely no interest in anyone else. Being watched is one thing. Allowing others to touch her? Completely another.

“Aaah... Yessss. My Lord...” She gasps between breaths as she tries to regain control of herself, and with slow, almost painful movements she slides down his sculpted body, until she's finally ground right up against his hard length; and she gasps and groans again, sounding close to crying again as she works herself just slightly against his head.

Edwin though was watching her; letting her down it herself. If she really wanted it, she'd take it and then Edwin would take control again. If not, then he'd drop her and move on to find someone else to sate his need. His thoughts are cold and ruthless, without any of the usual kindness or charm.

But that only served to excite Deloria more; and she finally reaches down with trembling hands between their bodies; grasping at him with oddly feather-light touches before grinding herself more so down on him.

“Ah. Ah... Aaaaahhh... Please.” She groans as she presses her, wiggling her small body on him now; more desperate and wanting than even when he was hitting her. That had given her pleasure and bliss and pain in equal measure.

But now she needed something more. The burning in her body and her core wouldn't be squelched until then. She knew it instinctively, and Edwin knew it with a look.

Neither of them really had it right, though.

Deloria's small body was having some troubles though, so Edwin finally decides to provide her with a bit of help; and grins as his hands come up to take her just above her hips; holding her tightly even as he pushes her down; and thrusts upwards at the same time.

This time Deloria screams loud enough to draw attention as he penetrates roughly into her body; only to groan and gasp and wiggle herself in spasm after spasm. He also groans; feeling her tightness and wetness and the heat of her body around him. It was bliss; but he was wanting more. Far, far more.

So he starts to use her to get it; thrusting and pulling her down even harder in rhythm, grunting with each piston in and out of her folds. He'd taken her virginity, and stretched her wide open; and yet Deloria didn't even resist; and instead was riding one orgasm after another; coating Edwin in her juices while her body almost goes beyond any sense of control.

“Yess...” Edwin groans; even as turns into a hard, rough, deep fucking; no longer playful or even masochistic. Deloria was in as much pain and discomfort as she could handle; and was loving every moment of it even if she wasn't quite coherent.

Edwin on the other hand was rushing headlong toward his own bliss with an animalistic need that would have been shocking to see, much less experience.

But like all first times, it comes to an end rather quickly; with Edwin pushing and thrusting as deeply as he could before spraying deep into Deloria's belly; having broken into her womb long before. The roughness of the penetration and then the sudden rush of heat into her stomach though simply skyrockets her into another round of orgasms; no longer able to scream or do more than gasp for breath after so long.

They end up staying that way for quite a while, even as Edwin softens and slips from her body; and Deloria catches her breath and calmness and lays across Edwin's stomach and chest, utterly spent and exhausted. Both of them continue to pant for a bit longer though.

(End of true sex scene; although there is a bit of ero to continue the story from where it left off.)

The two of them lay panting and sweating side-by-side on the ground; although Edwin was laid back against a boulder, as if lounging in a recliner. Deloria was up against his side, having rolled herself off of him only moments before.

Neither of the are speaking for the moment; and the desire and need that had burned bright in the two of them was slowly dimming, having been sated, in more ways than one.

At least until Deloria gently strokes her only stomach; only to find it bloating against her fingers.

“EH!?” She suddenly tries to yell; except her throat is so parched and raw that she almost cannot make any sound at all. Edwin had quite literally almost whipped the voice from her.

But its still loud enough to catch his attention, and he looks down to see where she's staring.

Even in front of his eyes, Deloria's belly was swelling rapidly; and for a moment he has another of those dumb-surprised moments, where he can only blink.

“What the hell?” He finally says, before he too reaches down to rub her bare stomach. He's surprised though that his hand meets a hard resistance just under her flesh and muscle, and he frowns for a moment.

“An egg?” He mutters.

“Do Pixie's even lay eggs?” He finally asks over his surprise; but Deloria is still staring at her stomach in shock.

“Deloria! Hey!” He shouts and shakes her shoulder at the same time, finally snapping her out of it.

“Do pixies lay eggs?” He asks, to which she suddenly nods; although there's a look of surprise on her face.

“Pureblood pixies lay eggs; but I'm an Iron Pixie. A mutation. Iron Pixies are infertile.” She finally speaks after a moment, although her eyes had once more centered on her stomach.

*DING*

With a combination of lust, desire, need and rampant mana, Deloria Bargest has formed a Mana Egg after mating with the Demon Lord, Edwin Cast.

Mana Eggs are extremely powerful and rare, consisting of raw power of one or more elemental types that has been crystallized into a solid chunk of mana. Only beings with a large affinity in one of the elements represented in the egg may touch the Mana Egg.

The Mana Egg may be used in magic or alchemy, and can have various properties depending upon its size, shape, and purity.

Other effects may be possible as not a lot is known about Mana Eggs.

The sudden message surprises Edwin, and he's about to swipe it away when he finally realizes what it is about. Deloria though has no clue until Edwin brings her attention to him with a pat on her shoulder.

“Show message.”

He says, allowing his Status Crystal to project the message for her.

Deloria gasps, but groans again as the egg continues to get larger within her.

“A Mana Egg?! But its so big!” She groans; although not from any pain. Its like her lower body is paralyzed, leaving her with only a feeling of vague discomfort.

Its even more mysterious when she births it only minutes later; with only a slight grunt of pressure. It seemed to just pass right through her.

“Whoah...” Edwin cannot help but blink as the 'egg' comes to rest between Deloria's thighs.

Its almost as big as Edwin's head is, and given its weight when it hits the ground with a rumble, would be hard to have almost anyone pick it up, even if they could touch it.

But its color definitely isn't what either of them had expected. Its almost completely black, streaked through with the same blood red color as Edwin's skin. Simply looking at it made Edwin feel like he was back in the Void. It has the same dark, empty, endless feeling to it.

“The Void...” He mutters, and reaches out to touch it with his right hand before he even realizes what he is doing.

ZZZZPH!

It shocks him as soon as his flesh touches the oddly cool surface; and Edwin cannot help screaming in sudden agony that seems to burn into his veins, turning his blood into fire. He's knocked unconscious even before the scream has finished leaving his throat.

“EDWIN!”

-|- -|- -|-

Hey guys, its me again with another REALLY LONG post!

Part 2 of Chapter 9 took a long time to finally finish writing; but here it is! I hope you guys enjoy!

There's plenty more to come with Part 3 though, so stay tuned! Mwhahahaha!

Let me know what you guys thought of the sex scene as well. As you can tell, I tend to be rather descriptive, but doing so adds more length; and I'm already pushing 16 pages for Part 2 by itself! So I did cut it a bit short at the end, sorry!

Also, I need to make something of a confession here.

My real life has not been a steady, pleasing thing for the past month or so. Problems with family, life, and work have kept me constantly distracted, worried, and more than a little depressed and even more worried.

So I'm going to ask you guys for help.

I received permission earlier today to put up a Donation button in my posts, so I'm asking you guys to help a fellow reader and writer out. I plan to continue writing regardless, but every dollar will provide some relief, and if I can finally put things to rest I can devote even more time to writing!

Thank you, guys!

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