The Zenoite minefield sprawled like a jagged wound on Aeneria's skin, all sharp rocks and eerie hums. Rocky's talk of "weird noises" had dragged me, Bera, and Lila out here, and I was already cursing my luck. N'Nazmuz's curse—30 kilograms of invisible weight—made every step feel like slogging through Gromble sludge, slowing my moves and draining my stamina. But the view? Worth it. Bera's corset clung to her curves like a second skin, those glorious breasts begging to burst free with each stride. Lila's tunic hugged her hips, her ass swaying like a Zenoite-carved masterpiece. Supreme Elf or not, I was in paradise, curse be damned.
"Move it, pervert," Bera snapped, tossing her hair, Fire Qi flashing in her eyes. "Or are you too busy ogling my assets?"
"Assets?" Lila scoffed, her Earth Qi rumbling underfoot. "Those overripe melons are a hazard. Killyaen's drooling over my thighs, not your saggy sacks."
I leaned on my Zenoite sword, grinning. "Ladies, plenty of Supreme Elf to go around. But Lila's got a point—those thighs could crush a Krovar."
Bera's glare could've melted Zenoite, but a low growl cut her off. The air thickened with qi, and a Zenoite beast charged from the shadows—a Silver Fang Boar, Middle Scholar cultivation, tusks gleaming like forged mithril, eyes glowing with Ice Qi. Its hide shimmered, tough as Zenoite plate, and it barreled toward us like a Valthorne stampede.
"Showtime!" I shouted, gripping my Zenoite swords, Thunder's Edge humming. The curse weighed me down, my swings sluggish, but I didn't care—until Bera and Lila stole the damn spotlight.
They moved like a fever dream, a tandem forged in rivalry and raw power. Bera leaped, Fire Qi trailing like a comet, her corset straining as her breasts bounced up, down, left, right, a rhythm that nearly stopped my heart. Her hips twisted mid-air, ass flexing as she hurled a fireball that scorched the boar's flank. Lila followed, Earth Qi surging, her tunic riding up to reveal those sculpted thighs, her ass swaying like a pendulum as she slammed an earthen spike into the beast's leg. Sweat glistened on their skin, Bera's cleavage heaving, Lila's curves rolling with every move. Their bodies were a battlefield of perfection—breasts jiggling, hips grinding, asses clenching—and I was a fool lost in worship.
"Oi, Supreme Idiot!" Lila yelled, dodging a tusk swipe. "Stop gawking and fight!"
Too late. My "supreme sword" was saluting their display, and I'd forgotten the boar. It charged, Ice Qi frosting the ground, tusks aimed at my chest. I stumbled, the curse slowing my dodge, and braced for pain. Bera's Fire Qi blasted the boar's face, her breasts nearly spilling out as she landed beside me. Lila raised an earthen wall, knocking the beast back, her thighs flexing like Zenoite pillars.
"Horny maniac!" Bera snarled, grabbing my collar, her warm breath on my face. "Control your damn hormones or you're boar food!"
Lila kicked my shin, her tunic slipping to show more thigh. "Pathetic pervert! We're saving your ass while you drool over ours!"
I grinned, despite the bruise. "Worth it."
The boar roared, shaking off their attacks. I gripped Thunder's Edge, the curse dragging me down, but Goran's training kicked in. I swung, blades carving a shallow gash in the boar's hide, my arms screaming. The curse sapped my stamina, each move like lifting a Krovar. Bera and Lila flanked it, a lethal duo. Bera's Fire Qi erupted in a blazing arc, her corset creaking, breasts bouncing as she spun, sweat dripping down her cleavage like a damn tease. Lila summoned earthen spikes, her hips rolling, ass flexing as she drove the beast back, her tunic soaked and clinging to every curve.
The boar lunged, Ice Qi freezing the ground. Bera dodged, her body twisting, hips swaying, breasts defying gravity. Lila countered, raising an earthen shield, her thighs glistening, ass a sculpted marvel. I charged, aiming for the boar's neck, but the curse slowed me, and my strike missed. Bera's fireball hit its eye, Lila's spike pierced its leg, and together they brought it down. I landed the final blow, Thunder's Edge slicing its throat, but only because they'd done the heavy lifting.
Panting, I leaned on my sword, the curse's minor healing kicking in, bruises fading slightly. Bera and Lila stood side by side, sweat-soaked and glorious, curves heaving, eyes blazing with triumph—and annoyance at me.
"You're useless when you're horny," Lila spat, wiping sweat from her brow, her tunic outlining her breasts. "Next time, we let the boar have you."
Bera smirked, adjusting her corset, which did wonders for her cleavage. "He'd probably enjoy it, the sleaze."
I winked. "Only if you two were watching."They groaned, but the minefield was quiet. We trudged to a clearing and set up camp—Lila raised earthen walls, Bera sparked a fire. They bandaged minor cuts, Bera's corset loosening to reveal more skin, Lila's tunic hitched up as she bent over. My wounds were healing, thanks to the curse, but I couldn't resist."
Oi, ladies, I need bandaging too!" I called, sprawling dramatically. "My heart's wounded by your beauty."
Lila threw a rock at me. "Bandage your own ego, pervert!"
Bera laughed, tying a bandage around her arm, her breasts jiggling. "Keep dreaming, Supreme Sleaze."
As night fell, Bera and Lila collapsed by the fire, exhausted. I waited, smirking, until their breaths deepened, signaling deep sleep. From my pouch, I pulled the black dye—same stuff I'd used for Janko's "Prickly Whiskers" in the tavern, stubborn as a Gromble's stink. Creeping over, I slathered their palms with it, careful not to wake them. Supreme Elf artistry at its finest.
Morning came, and I lounged by the fire, barely containing my cackle as Bera and Lila stirred. Bera rubbed her eyes, smearing black dye across her face, turning her fiery beauty into a raccoon's mask. Lila scratched her cheek, streaking her sharp features with inky blotches. They didn't notice, bickering as they packed camp, hands smudging more dye with every move.
"Nice look, ladies," I said, biting my lip to keep from howling.
"What's that, pervert?" Bera snapped, oblivious.
We trekked to a nearby pool, its water clear as Zenoite crystal. Bera leaned over to splash her face, then froze, staring at her reflection—black streaks covering her cheeks, forehead, even her nose. Lila peered in, her own face a mess of smudges, like a kid's charcoal scribble.
"KILLYAEN!" they roared in unison, spinning toward me.
I was already rolling on the ground, clutching my sides, laughter shaking me harder than the curse ever could. "Supreme… Elf… masterpiece!" I gasped.
They charged, eyes blazing. Bera's Fire Qi flared, her dye-streaked face demonic. Lila's Earth Qi rumbled, her smudged cheeks twitching with rage. They grabbed me, dragging me to the pool. "You're dead, sleaze!" Bera snarled, shoving my head underwater. Lila held my shoulders, her grip like Zenoite clamps. I flailed, bubbles rising, the curse making my struggles sluggish. Their hands were relentless, but I couldn't stop grinning, even as water filled my nose.
Finally, they yanked me out, coughing and soaked. "You're lucky we don't bury you!" Lila hissed, her blackened face somehow fiercer.
Bera flicked water from her hands, smudging her dye further. "Next time, we'll use your blood for paint!"
I staggered to the fire, shivering but cackling. "Worth it," I muttered, stripping off my tunic to dry. The girls stormed off to scrub their faces, but that dye wasn't budging—not for days, maybe weeks. My best prank yet.
As I warmed by the fire, my eyes drifted to a Zenoite slab half-buried nearby, etched with wavy carvings. My split-leaf amulet pulsed, a faint hum in my chest, like it was whispering secrets. I crawled over, brushing dirt from the stone. The carvings weren't random—swirls like waves, almost glowing under my touch. "What's your deal?" I murmured, tracing them. Vuk's tales of "ancient ruins" nagged at me, but I couldn't place why this slab felt… important. My amulet pulsed again, stronger, like it knew something I didn't. For once, I wasn't thinking of pranks or curves—just this stone, and what it might mean.
"Focus, Supreme Elf," I told myself, shaking it off. Janko's absence weighed on me—he hadn't followed, still spooked from that near-fatal trap in the tavern. His terrified eyes haunted me, but I buried the guilt under a smirk. No use dwelling when there were slabs to poke and girls to rile.
Bera and Lila returned, faces still smudged, glares promising murder. "Don't even speak," Bera warned, her Fire Qi simmering.
I raised my hands, innocent as a Gromble pup. "Just admiring the scenery."
Lila snorted, tossing a stick into the fire. "Keep it up, maniac, and you'll be scenery—six feet under."
Rocky's laughter echoed in my memory, calling them his "allies" against me. Damn Krovar was right—they were lethal together, dye or no dye. And I was hooked, curse or no curse.