True to Bruiser’s word, many of the jobs I’d completed the day before were on the noticeboard again. Some were for different addresses, but we’re scripted with the same language and the parcels I picked up to deliver were identical to the ones from yesterday. More aproned maids thanked me before returning to their sweeping, and we stopped for another cinnamon roll lunch before delving into another basement infested with dire-rats, although this time I managed to wield my short sword with a bit more finesse and avoided spending the afternoon covered in blood. I managed to successfully cast my sleep spell on several rats before beheading them, although it was difficult if they were scurrying about.
Bruiser didn’t mention my use of the spell on him, so I let it lie as well. The tension I felt growing between us felt heavy and thick, but without direction - like a stone around my neck.
Occasionally, Bruiser would do something that would spark my attraction and I would have to clench my teeth in frustration, knowing that he knew how I was feeling, but ultimately could not do anything about it.
We continued like this for several days until one day, after completing another pointless delivery, I was overcome by that dizzying, heady feeling and I realized I’d reached Level Five.
Bruiser walked with me to the edge of town where I sat beneath a tree and looked at my settings display, trying to figure out what made me feel so different.
Mitsy
Race: Succubus
Class: Healer
Level Five
Health: 620
Mana: 620
Race: Succubus
Abilities: Healing Song, Succubus Slime, Persuasion, Seduction.
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Magic Abilities: Sleep LVL 2.
“We can probably take some harder jobs now. There’s a dire-wolf to slay on the farmlet to the north.”
“I’m not fighting a dire-wolf,” I said, shivering at the memory of what it has done to Brick.
“I could rough it up for you,” Bruiser offered, but I shook my head.
“I’ll think about it, but… I’m not keen on fighting.”
“There’s not much else to do here. What were you imagining you wanted to do?”
I described the games I liked to play. The Sims, Stardew Valley, Potion Craft. Things where you felt real progression without having to hack and slash through dungeons. Doing repetitive delivery tasks didn’t have the same challenge and felt kind of like my 9-5 job.
“We need to get you to the university at the Citadel,” he said thoughtfully. “You’d enjoy it there. But you’re unlikely to get by without some more fighting experience first, and it’ll take you forever to level up enough to get more spell slots if you just do errand jobs. We really should take on that dire-wolf.”
“Ugh, fine,” I said. “Can you get me like, a university prospectus or something?”
With degrees in Dragon Slaying I wasn’t entirely encouraged that they would have something that would interest me, but I still held out hope for an apothecary course so I could make and sell potions.
I briefly wondered what James would think of me playing in his giant sandbox world and choosing to pretty much become a merchant NPC instead of an adventurer, but then I remembered how mad I was at him and turned my attention back to Bruiser.
He was rolling his sleeves up to wash his hands in the river. Something about his forearms sent my hormones off again, and I felt myself drooling. He took a long drink of water, then ran his wet hands through his hair, pulling it back and out of his face. Then he turned to me and gave me a knowing smirk.
I stood abruptly, trying to ignore the warmth I felt growing inside me, and grabbed my sword.
“You know what, let’s go kill that wolf,” I announced and marched back into town to grab the job advertisement.
I really needed to let off steam.