Ignoring the moans coming from the nearby bush, Joe slurped his morning coffee and hummed, stuffing his face with fried eggs and bacon. Yesterday turned out to be quite productive. They’ve made a camp, cleared the nearby bushes of any hostile… well, they cleared the nearby forest of all life, and he had each girl do at least four hours test drive of their prospective future body. Then all the girls demanded a comparison against their old body and suffice to say, his pervert title leveled up several times.

Today though, wasn’t gonna be that nice. Yesterday he had set a deadline for each girl to consider their future. The choice was simple, you either become a dark elf and grind levels alongside the rest of the pack or you go back to a slave pen in the nearest city.

As the moaning subsided, signaling his cue, he finished his drink and got out of his tent waiting at the entrance for the rest to gather.

“Alright, you all had the time to familiarize yourself with our prototype, you know what it’s capable of and you know what it will cost you. If either of you have anything against becoming an ancient dark elf I order you to speak now.”

He looked at the gathered furballs and the single human in his possession. All of them looked as if they were battling with their thoughts but it was the twiggy saint that raised her arm first.

“You don’t need to decide. I can’t change or sell you anyway.”

“N-no! It’s not that! M-master, please allow me one more day to get permission from my god. If he agrees, I shall happily become your elf!”

That declaration made all the other three stare daggers at the tiny priestess and even Joe seemed a little perplexed.

“You sure? If I modify your body, you may end up more than fifty levels into negative.”

“Yes. I am sure.”

“Well, alright if that suits you. Patchwork? What about you?”

The knight sighed and run her hand through her mane.

“You know Joe that I like you and yesterday was fun but, fifty levels? That’s like half of my life. I just, I don’t know if it’s worth it. I can’t be bothered to farm that much again. You know how slow it is for a knight. Then there’s that twenty percent debuff. I… I’m sorry.”

“Bedwarmer?”

Neira stood silent for a moment, watching her paws then she rubbed her flat chest, remembering how it felt like, having her center of mass in a different place. Remembering how Joe looked at her when they… how it felt… how it felt when he called her name. She didn’t care all that much about her levels.

“Promise me,”

Her voice was but a whisper.

“Promise me that this new body will not carry any resemblance to my old one.”

Her fingertips traced the scars hidden underneath her fur.

“I do not want to be ever again reminded what I was or where I came from.”

Joe inclined his head in silent agreement. He still remembered the nights when her nightmare induced screams woke him.

“Freeloader?”

“I have a name you know? And can’t you just free us?”

“No. Choose, new body or the slave market.”

She cussed him and cursed his family five generations back.

“Alright. I’ll do it. I’m damned either way so why bother…”

Joe put his eyes back on his knight. All the other agreed but why would she refuse? He came to like her. She hardly complained and was efficient in what she did. It’ll be difficult to replace her.

Flicking through his skills, Joe put Savile’s soul back into the elven body.

“Joe, why are you doing this?”

“I’m not going to force you but at the same time, I tend to fight for what I value. Perhaps you just need more time. You have until we reach next city, then I’ll hear your answer. “

“Alright, we move out in an hour. Get you stuff organized. Chop, chop.”

As the girls dispersed and went to get ready, Neira stayed behind and meekly grabbed onto Joe’s sleeve. There was something there to be said but, she just couldn’t.

Joe didn’t ask. He picked her up and carried into his tent. For the next hour, he'll make his best... Neira hugged him, he could feel her tears on his cheek.

That may take more than an hour.

Blasted demi.