I woke in my tavern room at The Iron Bloom, pain jabbing my ribs and thigh, but my wounds had nearly knitted shut, leaving faint scars. My supreme sword stirred, ready for action, as the door creaked open. Lila strode in, arms loaded with fresh Moonstone bandages, her tunic clinging to hips I'd dubbed "Zenoite cliffs." She froze, her eyes raking over my stretched-out, snake-tight body sprawled on the bed, muscles flexing in the morning light.
"No need for those," I grinned, catching her stare. "My supreme snake's healing just fine."
"Oh, good morning, queen," I teased, sitting up, my braid swinging.
"Sorry, I was a bit out of it yesterday and forgot something. Gotta introduce you to my imperial snake." Before I could finish, a stone orb the size of a Gromble's skull rocketed from Lila's hand, smacking my head. I toppled off the bed, crashing to the floor with a thud. Blood trickled down my temple, warm and sticky, but I stood, grinning through the sting. "Guess I'll need that bandage after all, heh."
Lila's eyes widened, torn between pity and the urge to lob another rock.
"Pervert!" she snapped, her hand twitching with Earth Qi. I cut her off, smirking.
"And I'm the perv? Thinking about my supreme snake while a real one's staring you down?"
I pointed upward. Lila's gaze flicked to the doorframe, where Varkoth, my 0.85-meter Basilisk Emperor, Middle Scholar Darkness, coiled like a black whip. His crimson eyes locked on hers, glowing with Dread Glare. Psssst—his tongue flicked out, a cheeky hello. Lila's face paled, her knees buckled, and she crumpled to the floor in a dead faint.
Varkoth slithered back to the bed, coiling smugly on my arm as a Shadowveil bracer. I howled with laughter, wrapping my bloody head with a spare cloth.
"Crotch Cobra, you're a menace!" I wheezed, patting his scales.
When Lila stirred, groaning, Varkoth and I sat beside her. In perfect sync, we tilted our heads, mirroring each other's smirk, and stared into her eyes.
"Gonna faint again, earth queen?" I chuckled. Lila's hand shook, pointing at Varkoth.
"W-w-what… is that?" she stammered."
"Hahaha, meet my pet, brother to my supreme snake, the groin-chewing terror himself—Varkoth, the Black Wyrm!" I said, grinning.
"We met by chance and fell in love at first sight." Varkoth's red eyes gleamed, and his Dread Glare pulsed, locking my gaze for 0.7 seconds. My vision blurred, and I face-planted into the floor, my already bloody head throbbing. Lila, still dazed, gaped at Varkoth's stunt and laughed.
"I like this little guy already. Hey, supreme snake—I mean, Varkoth—nice to meet you. I'm Lila. Let's make this pervert's life hell together."
I staggered up, clutching my head, blood seeping through the cloth.
"Think I need another bandage, damn…" I muttered, but my grin stayed wide. Lila's smirk matched Varkoth's, and I knew I was in for trouble.
We headed downstairs to the tavern's dining hall, my Pyroclast swords clinking at my hips, their fiery edges catching the light. Lila paused on the stairs, her gaze flicking toward Crestmoore's Cultivation Tower.
"Did you feel that, Killy?" she asked.
I smirked, leaning close.
"Feel what? I haven't even gotten near you yet, heh." Her glare could've cracked stone, but she sighed.
"Oh, right, you're a Qi-less spine-lacker. My bad, stud." As we descended, she explained, "When someone breaks through a sub-level, there's a faint tremor in the surroundings. The higher the cultivator's stage, the stronger and wider the quake. A full stage breakthrough? Three times as intense, and painful for the cultivator. I just felt two tremors—one strong, one weaker, almost at the same time. You wouldn't notice, being Qi-blind, lucky for us."
I cut her off as we slid into a booth. "Who broke through my fiery queens, and with what? They're reserved for my supreme sword, no one else's!" Lila's scowl returned, her hand twitching for another stone orb, but I raised my hands.
"Whoa, whoa, kidding! They've hit a new stage and sub-level, right? Question is, how far'd they climb?"
Lila's eyes glinted with Spirit Sense Vision. "We'll find out soon. I sense them leaving the tower." I ordered food and ale for four, my mind wandering. If I had Spirit Sense Vision, the perversions I could see… Tira's tattooed curves, Bera's blazing melons, Lila's Zenoite hips, all laid bare in Qi's glow. My supreme sword twitched at the thought.
Minutes later, the tavern door swung open. Bera and Tira strutted in, red dresses tattered, hair wild, sweat-soaked and reeking like they'd wrestled a Gromble in a forge. "Well, damn, did you two roll through a lava pit?" I quipped, smirking. Bera, now Middle Master Fire, shot me a fiery glare, her corset straining against her curves. Tira, Beginner Grand Master Fire, tossed her phoenix-tattooed hair, hips swaying. "Shut it, pervert," Tira purred, but her smirk was all tease.
We dug into plates of roasted beast meat and ale, the table alive with banter. Lila, picking at her food, glared at me, her face sour as a spoiled Moonflower. "I didn't go chasing relics in Adena, you know," she said, her voice sharp. "I went to Opeka after that humiliating mess where someone"—her eyes bored into me—"worked me over good." I froze, my mouth greasy from the meat, and grinned innocently. "What? If you didn't like it then, we can have a rematch. Gimme half an hour to find Vira, and we're set—whole crew's here except her!"
Three murderous glares hit me at once, so red they could've sliced Zenoite. Bera's flames flickered at her fingertips, Tira's fire orb pulsed, and Lila's hand twitched toward another stone orb. I shivered, tapping Varkoth's ornament form on my arm. He hissed softly, as if saying, I'm not with this guy. As the girls leaned forward, ready to unleash a magical salvo, I choked on my meat, coughing. "Easy, my ladies! You know I was joking. Didn't you forget our deal? I promised to grant any wish if you spent a month straight in the tower!"
It worked—sort of. The girls eased back, but their eyes glinted with mischief. Bera and Tira exchanged wicked smiles. "Since Lila's back," Bera said, her voice syrupy, "and she's advanced her cultivation too, that means she can join us, right?" Tira leaned in, her grin downright evil. "Right, Killy? All three of us, yeah?" I swallowed hard, my mind racing. Since when did Tira become the alpha and I'm stuck as some Bera-Lila combo? Damn it all! "Alright," I said, forcing a smirk. "The Supreme Elf's making an exception for the earth queen."
Lila snorted, her glare unrelenting. "That doesn't get you out of the hole you dug, pervert." I grinned, trembling outside but loving it inside. This chaos, this unpredictability—it's what I lived for. I wanted more. But Bera cut through my thoughts, pointing at Varkoth. "Before we settle our wishes, care to explain this cute little black snake playing dead this whole time, hm? And why can't I sense his cultivation?"
Varkoth, coiled on my arm, hissed at the noise, his red eyes scanning the table. "So, this is the Black Wyrm?" Bera asked, leaning closer. Varkoth flicked his tongue, and she flinched. "He's… cute?" Tira laughed, nudging Bera. "Cuter than Killy's supreme snake, that's for sure." I grinned, loving the chaos. "Careful, ladies, Crotch Cobra's got a bite."
The banter paused as Lila spoke up, her tone softer now. "Opeka wasn't home anymore after… that," she said, avoiding my eyes. "Took me a few days to realize I missed… something." I choked on a chunk of meat, feeling their glares again, and kept my mouth shut. Lila continued, "I trained in Starveil Valley, between Opeka and Crestmoore. The Qi there's thin, but I pushed through. Hit Beginner Master Earth." I whistled, impressed, but stayed quiet, sensing the tension.
Just then, the tavern door slammed open. Zephyr, the usually tight-lipped Shadow Panther, stumbled in, reeking of ale and swaggering like he owned Crestmoore. His sleek black fur gleamed, and his yellow eyes locked on Tira. "Well, hello, fiery goddess," he slurred, words spilling faster than a drunk Killyaen. "Your flames could light up my night!" Tira rolled her eyes, conjuring a small fire orb to push him back. "Back off, furball," she snapped, but Zephyr just grinned, leaning closer.
I cackled, tossing a bone at the table. "Oh, what a perfect pair! I can already see little red-furred panther cubs, spitting fire and perving like their mama!" Tira's orb flared brighter, and Bera choked on her ale, laughing. Lila smirked, muttering, "You're not helping, Killy." Zephyr, undeterred, purred, "Tira, my claws'd make your heart race faster than Killy's traps!" I leaned back, grinning wider. "Go on, Zeph, show her those paws! Bet they're softer than Tira's… uh, flames." Tira shot me a death glare, but I winked, fanning the flames. "C'mon, imagine those cubs—fire-breathing, skirt-chasing mini-Tiras!"
Zephyr staggered closer, nearly tripping over a chair. "Killy's got a point! Me and you, Tira, we'd burn this tavern down!" Tira's patience snapped; she hurled a fire orb that singed his tail. Zephyr yowled, bolting behind a table, but kept jabbering. "Worth it for you, hot stuff!" I roared with laughter, slapping the table. "Zeph, you're my hero! Keep it up, and I'll craft you a Supreme Trap for your next date!"