Combat Healer Ch. 03

I didn't respond right away, a little distracted now, busy trying to assess its information.

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WEAPON: Ethereal Scythe

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STATUS

Grade: Epic

State: Bound (Melantha Murta'rahg)

Attack: Unknown (Slashing), 212 (Blunt)

Properties: Unknown

Skills: Unknown

Spells: Unknown

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A bound weapon?! Of Epic grade?!

Damn!

And I was actually finding out her last name this way? It was actually a somewhat common last name for an Oni, one I'd heard at least once before, but I'd have to be careful with that, since she hadn't told me yet...

But having seen another bound weapon before, about a year ago, I wasn't surprised by the extra 'State' description, of bound or unbound, something that normal weapons didn't have. I also wasn't too shocked by all the Unknowns at this point, knowing I'd probably be able to discern more information eventually. Although, with the slashing damage, I was fully expecting that number to be ridiculously high.

An ethereal blade that might be able to cut through almost anything?

Yeah, it was probably an attack boost that had few rivals.

A typical sword provided an attack boost of 200 to 300, although a typical sword also couldn't cut a Scourge Beast without the additional Essence Infused property. Nevertheless, even with being Essence Infused, the overall attack buff was about the same, just capable of cutting through monsters too.

But based on what I'd just seen, it was even possible her weapon didn't have an upper limit, much like the rare Immortal Form skill temporarily gave a seemingly infinite boost to Attack, Defense, Endurance, and Agility.

Of course, while it only lasted for a handful of seconds for most users, it literally made them immortal.

And here Mel had a weapon that might give her that kind of attack boost permanently, so long as she wielded it.

No wonder she didn't want to show it off, even though it was bound to her. Although, despite her caution, it was possible that even she didn't fully understand the value. Which meant I needed to keep what I just learned a closely guarded secret.

"Damn," I said out loud, sincerely impressed by both the weapon grade and little display she'd just put on. "I can only imagine how badass it is to watch you fight. Kind of makes me jealous."

She smirked, deactivating the blade with a swoosh. "Now maybe you can understand my hesitation to show it off. This weapon is bound to me, but that wouldn't stop someone from trying to steal it."

I nodded in agreement, knowing full well the situation now. I was also glad she both knew it was bound to her and freely offered that information.

"Yeah, although some of our other guildmates might see," I admitted. "If we run into them in the field."

"Which is fine," she replied. "But I still prefer to not show it off."

I smirked. "Who knew my girlfriend was such a badass though?"

She grinned widely, setting the end of the staff on the wooden floor. "Who knew my little human was so cute?" she teased.

I rolled my eyes, though I was sincerely happy about the compliment. "Glad you think so. Shall we go get the paperwork started?" I wondered, deciding not to delay adding her to the team, since she was A Tier to begin with, had an extremely versatile and powerful weapon, and was willing to be my girlfriend. "Oh, and mind if I ask your last name?"

She shrugged. "It's Murta'rahg. What's yours?"

"Rosengard," I replied simply.

She nodded. "Mind if I leave my bag here?"

"Of course, since it's your room now too."

She was all smiles again, before that frown resurfaced as she glanced back at the single bed. Her gold gaze then shifted to mine. "Are you going to be able to keep your hands to yourself when we're trying to sleep?" she wondered seriously.

"Of course," I replied, realizing I probably needed to truly explain my perspective. "Look, you jerking me off just now was my first time with an Oni, and the first in a long time since I've had any fun with a woman." I paused to let that sink in, her eyes widening slightly, as if she couldn't believe that was really true. "So trust me when I say that I don't want to mess this up. I believe you have firm boundaries, and I'll respect those to the best of my ability. I won't intentionally overstep them. I'll keep my hands to myself in bed, only touching you where you say it's okay. And if you ask me to stop, then I'll stop, even if I'm about to cum."

Her expression was briefly stunned, before it transitioned to something else entirely. She was looking at me with a sort of tenderness now.

She then grimaced and looked away.

"I don't know if I can do this," she said almost inaudibly.

"Wait, what?" I said in alarm. "Why?"

Her gaze was somber. "I just..." She took a deep breath, still averting her gold eyes. "The more I talk to you, the more I like you, and I just..." Her voice trailed off again.

I held up my hands, having no idea what was wrong, but not liking where this was going at all. I quickly tried to pull the reins on the situation. "Look, don't think too much about it right now. Let's just go downstairs, get the paperwork going, maybe have some fun at the training grounds, and then we can all hang out together tonight as a team, assuming Turg doesn't want to leave today. But you can get to know the guys, as well as Shel. And I heard a Bard is stopping by as well, so if we stay another day then there'll be something fun to listen to."

She looked up at me, her expression suddenly warm and endearing.

"No pressure," I added. "I mean, I'm still going to claim you as my girlfriend, if you don't mind, but no need to think too deeply about where the relationship is heading. Let's just have a good time, and then we'll head out in the next day or so to make some good coin." I paused. "I can help you out with money until then, and you can even pay me back if you're uncomfortable with it."

Honestly, I had no idea why she'd even have a problem with the relationship heading in a good direction, especially since she claimed that was exactly what she wanted, but I wasn't about to ruin what we had going on before it barely started. I could tell it was a subject she really didn't want to discuss, and might really break up with me for being too pushy.

However, one thing was clear - there was something I was missing. Something possibly big.

A reason why she didn't want to get aroused and was uncertain about dating in general.

"Okay," she finally agreed. "I still need to ask around about that healer though."

"I can go with you," I offered, really beginning to wonder if the two things were connected, though I couldn't see how, considering even a closer examination of her body showed that she was a perfectly healthy female Oni. "Assuming you don't mind an escort. I know the city pretty well."

She smiled. "That would be very helpful," she admitted.

"Then it's a deal. We'll get the paperwork started, spend some time at the training grounds, and then go do some asking around. Better to do it in the afternoon, when more people are awake and social."

"Okay," she repeated, lifting her staff onto her shoulder like it was a long mace. "Lead the way?" she offered hesitantly.

I grinned. "Mind if I hold your hand?"

She smirked. "You really want to flaunt your new girlfriend around, don't you?"

"I want to stake my claim, yes."

She tsk-tsked me playfully, even as she reached out to intertwine our fingers. "You know how Oni handle coveting, right?" she wondered, only to answer her own question. "If I'm not of strong preference, and a male Oni tries to steal me for a quick fuck, then it comes down to a fight between men. Which means all a guy has to do is grab my arm, and I'd have to go with him, since you can't fight back."

I rolled my eyes, knowing full well she was teasing me. Another sign she really liked me, as ironic as it sounded. "Except, you're of a preference," I retorted. "Unlike most Oni women. Although, I admit that'd be kind of depressing if you weren't. Not big on sharing," I added carefully, gauging her reaction.

She shrugged, her tone still a playful mocking. "You could always get stronger, just to make sure it doesn't happen."

I scoffed.

We both knew that wasn't possible, given my Class and Focus, never mind the fact that I'd never be able to match the physical strength of a full-grown Oni man even if I was in a different Class. At least, not the kind of men I was surrounded by, who were all top tier.

And I was still uncertain if I could even take Mel in a wrestling match, especially if she had some enhancement skills. Maybe it might be possible for me if I could somehow dual-class, and if I wasn't close to my maximum level, but that just wasn't feasible. The closest thing to a dual-class was something like the Battlemage or Essence Slayer, but both of those Focuses were firmly in their respective Classes, Mage and Fighter.

As a Healer, with a focus in Essence Diviner, there was no way for me to gain the kind of combat prowess needed to defend her against another man. And I doubted my Stun spell would give enough of an advantage to win a fight where I had to stand my ground. Especially since it only lasted a couple of seconds, and had a ten second cooldown on individual targets, leaving eight seconds of downtime.

Sure, I could try to put on more muscle, and even practice more with certain weapons, but I'd never be able to learn and master the kind of skills I'd be up against.

However, technically I didn't need to, so long as she was of a preference to only bed me.

"Aww, don't worry my little human," she cooed when I didn't respond. "I'll thwart all the big ugly men from bedding me, and leave the more appealing small men for you to scare off."

I grinned. "Now that, I can work with," I replied.

Walking down the hallway hand-in-hand, with her Battle-staff carefully positioned on her shoulder, we continued on down a different set of stairs from where we'd come, entering a lounging space that led to the Guild Office. We could technically get there through a doorway in the Guild canteen, but I didn't want to get stopped with a thousand questions when people saw Mel and I holding hands.

Okay, maybe I was a little nervous about our first interactions with others, as boyfriend and girlfriend, but who could blame me?

We literally just met barely an hour ago, and had only been dating for possibly half that amount of time. By human standards, that was downright crazy.

Good thing most of our company wasn't human.

Still, when we entered the lobby for the Guild Office, I got a raised eyebrow from Eira, the brunette elf receptionist. However, the look didn't last long once I explained why we were there, with her getting right on the paperwork. Of course, Mel and I also stopped holding hands while she filled out her basic information, signing the waivers and agreeing to the payment measurement system and rate.

But that didn't stop my eyes from wandering.

Damn, Mel was something to look at.

Just watching her work a quill, seeing the muscles in her toned arms ripple as she used them, along with the size of her muscular upper arms and shoulders. It was just enough muscle to be sexy as hell without being a turn off for me. Because even I had a limit to how much muscle I could tolerate, before a woman looked too manly.

But nothing about her was manly. Masculine, sure, in the sense that she had a strong build, but still very feminine in all the ways it counted, especially her huge tits, attractive face, and wide bony hips. Never mind her hot ass!

Shit, her tight bubbly ass was amazing in those leather pants. And her thick thighs!

I had to look away to let myself cool down for a few seconds before I sprung an erection right then and there.

While we were signing paperwork, I was kind of hoping to see the Guild Master Lucius, also an elf, but apparently he wasn't in. Figured I'd introduce Mel to him, but I supposed it would have to wait for another time.

Thus, after we were all finished up, we made our way back through the lounging area, and then through a hallway that exited on the side of the massive building. Taking the alleyway toward the back, we made our way to the training grounds.

The initial area was packed dirt from all the foot traffic, with wooden planks laid out for when it rained and got too muddy. There were also several stone sparring rings, as well as an archery range, and a unique stone range for single target spellcasting.

However, the pride of Remnant was the behemoth stone enclosure that could be seen rising taller than the primary Guild Building itself, serving for much more advanced spellcasting of all kinds. Pretty much every Class that used essence in some form used the space for training, since there were Essence Dispersion Crystals inset in the stone walls to help diffuse magic like an artificial barrier.

The entire thing had only four massive rooms though, all open to the sky, which meant a line of people could sometimes form at certain times of the day.

However, I figured that was where we'd go, since I was curious to see what other magic Mel could use beyond her weapon - she was a Mage after all.

Unfortunately, we got stopped on the way.

An Archer I wasn't a fan of, an elf by the name of Krylish, called out to me, looking like he was just finishing up some target practice. He was tall and lean, with black hair and pretty wide shoulders, despite his thinness. He was also someone who was decent at his craft, but not good enough to be in a top team. Partially because his craft also limited him, since most with the Ranger Class were better in support roles, with Archers in particular being both the most common Focus for a Ranger while also being the least useful.

Thus, he seemed to have issue with me being a male human healer, who was objectively weak in his perception, but still on the tenth strongest team due to my utility. A utility that he just couldn't compete with.

Mel was holding my hand again, our fingers intertwined, but the guy was to my other side, making it impossible for him to see our clasped hands at the moment, since I was able to hide most of her body with my own muscular figure.

"Allister!" he sneered. "Come to practice your slingshot?" he asked sarcastically, walking toward us.

I rolled my eyes as we slowed to a stop, taking a small step back so I could angle toward him while still holding my girlfriend's hand. "Does it look like I have it on me?" I retorted in annoyance.

He froze solid in his tracks, focusing on Mel. "Who's this?" he asked, his taunting already forgotten.

I raised our intertwined fingers slightly, her rosy fingers sharply contrasted against my own skin color. "My girlfriend."

She didn't bother introducing herself, and I had no intentions on doing so either, although she did hold his gaze with a bored unamused expression.

"B-But you're an Oni," he retorted, focusing on our hands, then at her again. "You're fucking a human?"

She shrugged. "I have a thing for human men. What's it matter to you?"

He just gawked at her, only to begin getting a pissed look in his eye. Honestly, I wasn't sure what the guy's problem was, but for some reason it just really made him upset whenever things were going well for me. And I supposed the fact that I couldn't get laid made him extra smug, except now that aspect of my life had made a drastic shift, at least in his perception.

Mel quickly continued with a smirk. "The smaller, the better," she added.

Krylish's black eyebrows shot up in surprise, only for him to bark out a laugh. "I guess you're alright," he said, shaking his head. "Have fun with your human toy," he scoffed dismissively, angling away to begin leaving.

Damn. Mel was actually pretty intuitive.

She knew exactly what would make him go away.

However, while I wasn't offended at all, she still apologized once we were walking again, which actually surprised me. Obviously, in her perspective, there was a difference between her teasing me directly, compared to making fun of me with someone else.

"Sorry," she whispered, looking concerned.

I shook my head. "No, he was getting pissed, though he had no right to. You sounding as if you were belittling me actually was what made him go away."

"I know," she agreed. "Elves sometimes act like Oni in certain situations, so I was aware. Still, I'm sorry."

I squeezed her hand gently, smirking at her, able to look directly into her gold eyes since we were the same height. "Hey, I'd rather you take a stab at me and let us get on with our date, rather than stand there all day having to listen to his shit."

Her gold eyes widened in surprise. "A date?"

I shrugged. "Why not call it that? We plan on hanging out together all day, and we are dating, so why not?"

She pursed her full pale lavender lips, before a smile slowly formed. She then frowned. "Do you really use a slingshot?"

I grinned confidently. "I do," I admitted.

She looked bewildered.

I laughed, before leaning closer as we walked, lowering my voice. "I have a little secret," I teased. "Want to know?"

She nodded, seeming sincerely curious now.

I pulled away, looking straight ahead, ready to leave it at that in order to tease her.

She immediately pouted, sticking out her pale bottom lip, only to bump her leather-clad hip into mine playfully. "Please, Allie?" she begged, her tone suddenly seductive. "Please tell your hot girlfriend? I promise it'll be our little secret."

I grinned like an idiot.

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Submitted: September 29, 2022 to Literotica (Copyright 2021 Kaizer Wolf)