Chapter 67 Genius Kiara

My month-long shoulder pain was gone. It gave a big boost to my mood, which in turn uplifted the spirits of my followers, reflecting in the trust and faith stats.

I had been engaged with Pook’s quest for two days. I suspected it was the black void that messed up the time. I had been a total of five days away from the palace, and the entire duration Kiara had remained in the game world, anxiously waiting for me. I asked her, somewhat sternly, to return to the real world. It was best for her. The last thing I wanted was Kiara losing her job.

It took Bono an entire day to completely cool off. If you could ignore the eyes, mouth and ears, he looked exactly like Bui’s other arm, though a little bigger in size.

I took Bono to meet his father. It was fairly simple to rub the golden diamond and speak with Pook to let us inside him. Bui obviously had to go along and Fono was initially confused how his son had turned into a female, before we told him the story of the couple’s merging.

Once back at the palace, I shut myself in my chamber for some thinking time. Ideas of big farms and peace deals with players were banished from my mind. Only the option of small farms remained, although they would scarcely be able to provide enough evilese to sustain two clans of eviluns. Despite all the brainstorming, a proper solution eluded me. The meeting with the sage had been fruitful. At least I knew now what not to do.

***

Kiara pulled at my chest hair mischievously. We were in bed. After a long time we had made love, now that I was back to health. We cuddled underneath the flimsy sheet that covered our bare bodies. She blinked. “Why don’t you use him? With him on our side you can do anything!”

“Who are you talking about?” I asked Kiara.

“That being who is neither an evilun, nor player or a neutral one… the one who can create quests, what’s the name?”

“Pook?” I said, glancing at my clothes that I had flung away while initiating intimacy with Kiara, almost an hour ago. They contained the health vials, the pouch with the portal making powder, as well as Pook’s stone. I made a mental note to not be so reckless with my clothes even when seized by passion.

“Yes, him,” Kiara replied. “He can create quests, what more can you ask for?”

“I still don’t get you,” I said. Sure, Pook could create quests. Well, to put things into proper perspective, he could ‘become’ quests. But I didn’t want to be involved with his poorly structured quests ever again. “You think I can ask Pook to create quests for me, and in return he would give me evilese everytime I won his quests? His last rewards were a far cry from all that he promised.”

“But he did fix Bono,” Kiara said, pinching my skin.

“You call that fixing?”

“At least Bono and Bui are happy together.”

“What do you exactly want me to do with Pook?” I asked. Kiara began sucking my nipple. It would have been pleasurable, but she bit me.

“Ouch! Stop that!”

“What if you tell Pook exactly how to create a quest?” Kiara said, rubbing her saliva off my reddening skin.

“The last time I told him, he got too creative,” I said, remembering the hellish world Pook had invented.

“Then tell him not to be creative at all,” Kiara said, “Be strict. Ask him to create quests exactly as you say. Not even a tiny change is allowed.”

“And then suppose I can make him do that, then what’s next?” I asked. Where was Kiara getting to?

“What’s next?” Kiara said, opening her mouth like I was a total idiot for missing her point. She tapped my cheek. “Everything!”

“Everything?” I said doubtfully.

“Obviously!” Kiara said. “Imagine, if you can get him to create quests exactly as you want them. These quests will be for players. Evilese is all you want, isn’t it? Why don’t you trap players in the quests and squeeze the evilese out of them? Model the quests after… after casinos. The odds would always be against the players. It should be just about impossible for any one to actually win. You want to set up farms for evilese, but don’t you think this would be far more lucrative?”

For some moments after hearing Kiara’s words, I went absolutely quiet. My mouth widened as I understood what she was saying.

I hugged her tight in joy.

“You are a genius, girl!”