Bee could hear the chickens trilling with contentment in their coop. It was getting properly dark, and one of the chimps brought out a hooded lantern for them to see by, lighting up a little circle of the porch around them and casting their distorted shadows across the ground.

It was starting to get chilly, too.

“My version of the brute build is this,” Will said. “Instead of giving up your AP crystals, you give up your ability to use skills entirely, but keep the crystals. There’s an important distinction there, but it’s not relevant right now, so we don’t need to get into it.

“In return for giving up your skill use, instead of asking for stats upfront, you instead ask for double attribute points from leveling up. Basically, every other level you get 2 attribute points to spend however you like, increasing by 1 for every 10 levels.

“With this method, you’ll start out a lot weaker than other brutes. It’ll take over 15 levels for you to even break even compared to what you get by just taking the stats.

“One reason why people prefer the direct option is that for those who find themselves in dire situations, such as enslavement or poverty, that kind of immediate boost in power is extremely vital. Another reason is that most people plateau and stop improving before Level 10, so it’s a safer bet to just take the stats rather than counting on breaking through that barrier.

“Thirdly, most people just aren’t very well-read. They don’t really know what their options are, and they have no good way of finding out.

“As for you, though, you’ve got a good start in a safe-ish environment. You’ve got access to information in the form of me, and most importantly, I know you’re not the kind of person who would stop at anything but the absolute top. Am I right?”

Bee nodded. “So if I keep leveling, eventually I’ll start to gain an advantage?”

“Yup. Let’s say you get to Level 30—it’s a bit of a stretch, but just for the sake of argument. If you get that high, you’ll be almost 30 points up compared to a regular brute. To clarify, by taking the standard divine vow you can get up to 20 extra points total.”

“I like it. I’ll get to Level 30, then.”

Will laughed and clapped her on the shoulder. “That’s the spirit.”

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. Almost no one gets to Level 30, that’s all. It’s the highest anyone’s ever gotten. I mean, I’d like to say I’m more ambitious than most, but I’ve pretty much plateaued at Level 12. But it’s funny because I knew you would say that. I’ll do everything I can to help you get there.”

She bumped shoulders with him. “Thanks, bro.”

Will started standing up and cracked his stiff back. “Well, have a think about what you want to do, and you can decide tomorrow. And if you really aren’t sure, we’ll take a few more days to go through it. This is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make, so we’ll do it right.”

“I want to do the brute thing,” Bee said without hesitation.

“I see. Any specific reason?”

“I like things simple, and I wanna get strong. Also, it just feels right.”

“Hmm. I agree that it’s probably the best option for you. Still, think on it overnight. If you’re still sure in the morning, we’ll lock it in.”

Bee agreed to that, and they headed inside. The fire burned bright in the living area, having just been fed a bundle of fresh wood. Mongrel was leisuring on the couch with Number Five sleeping on top of him, spread-eagle. The other familiars were playing cards at the table, betting with cigarettes. Number Four had amassed quite a pile for himself.

“Do you think you’ll want a bath before bed?” Will asked.

“I’m all right.” She felt fairly tired at this point, mostly mentally.

“So, uh, about the sleeping arrangements. I thought we’d have a spare room for you, but then that demon went and took it. Instead, I’m thinking you’ll take my room and I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“She could take my room if she wants,” Mongrel said with a yawn, causing all the chimps to yawn as well in almost perfect sync. “I don’t mind taking the couch.”

“She is not sleeping in your room,” Will retorted firmly. “That place is a wreck, and it stinks. How you manage to generate such a mess with five full-time minders, I do not know.”

“Um, sorry, but why don’t we both sleep in your room?” Bee asked. “After all that stuff you said, you don’t get to just shuffle me off somewhere.”

Will chuckled nervously. “Well, I think… I think I would like that. I just didn’t want you to feel pressured into anything.”

“He’s still a virgin, you know,” Mongrel announced matter-of-factly, pulling on Number Five’s ears.

That stopped her cold. “Are you serious?”

“Dead serious. It’s really quite sad.”

Bee turned to Will, mouth slightly agape. “Jesus, dude.”

He shrugged sheepishly and wouldn’t quite meet her gaze.

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“Our sweet little angel has been saving himself for you,” Mongrel crooned.

“It’s not like that,” Will insisted. “I just didn’t see any point in it. And people around here have diseases.”

“Right, right,” Mongrel said.

“Of course, of course,” Bee said. She gave him a reassuring clap on the shoulder. “It’s all right, buddy. I won’t get mad if you pop a boner in the night.”

“That’s reassuring, thanks,” Will grumbled. “Enough of this. Let me show you the room.”

He lit a candle and brought it with him, lighting up other candles around his bedroom once they got there to provide at least some light. Will’s bedroom turned out to be just as sparse as she had expected, with no decorations and only basic furniture, the only exception being a well-filled bookcase. The room itself was fairly spacious, but the bed certainly wasn’t, just a narrow cot with a thin, lumpy mattress.

“It’s pretty small, so I dunno if you still think it’s a good idea,” Will said. “If you still want me in here, I could get some blankets and sleep on the floor.”

“Like a dog,” Bee said with a giggle. “It’s fine, though. We’ll just bunch up.”

“Okay, but—”

“Will, you’re sleeping in this bed with me if I have to drag you kicking and screaming.”

He stiffened at that. “Yes ma’am.”

After an evening meal consisting of porridge and raspberry jam, it was time to sleep. And for the first time in a long time, Bee was excited about it. They got into the room together and began undressing.

She only noticed when Will took off his belt and placed it on top of a dresser that there was a holstered pistol attached to it.

“Woah, you’re packing?” Bee asked as she pulled the tunic over her head and discarded it to the floor. “I dunno why, but I thought this place would be all medieval and shit.”

“It is for the most part,” Will said, barely attempting to conceal the fact that he was staring at her bare torso. “But obviously a lot of know-how from Earth was carried over, and Artificers can make all sorts of things. Guns are pretty rare, but it’s mostly a resource and infrastructure limitation. I bought this one custom from an acquaintance for a pretty penny.”

He took the slender pistol out of the holster to show her, removing the magazine and the chambered round before handing it over. “It’s enchanted, too. Nothing fancy, mind you, just something that makes it less prone to jamming. Guns here are still pretty unreliable, so it’s a nice bonus.”

“I see.” Bee hefted the gun, studying its matte black finish. She found a maker’s mark similar to Will’s engraved on the dark wood handle. “You kill anyone with it?”

“Yeah.”

“Have you killed a lot of people?”

Will nodded. Quickly changing the subject, he continued. “I actually assemble the ammo myself, too. I’ve got a reloading press in the workshop. I buy the bullet components from the same guy I got the gun from and put them together with gunpowder I make myself. I sell a bit of surplus ammo here and there, but it’s a pretty niche market, so I usually don’t bother with it.”

“Clever boy.”

Will sat down on the edge of the bed to remove his boots, and Bee gave a bit of a start when she saw that he was missing his whole left foot, a simple wood-and-metal prosthetic filling out the shoe.

So that’s why he’s been limping.

“That’s gnarly,” she said.

“Yup.” He patted the scarred stump at the end of his ankle.

“You kill the guy that did that to you?”

“Nah. I wish.”

Will stripped down to a pair of loose underwear. Bee hadn’t been given any, so she went fully nude. She felt all tingly at Will seeing her like that, but she managed to exert enough willpower not to cover herself with her hands. He loved her. He’d said as much. He wanted her. Surely he did. And if he’d been blue-balling all these years, why not give him something to be grateful for?

She blew out all the candles, plunging the room in pitch darkness, and felt her way over to the bed. She squeezed herself onto it, wrestling with Will for space, and they just barely managed to get both of them to fit if they were spooning, with Bee as the big spoon and essentially holding Will back from falling over the end.

She felt his back against her chest, and indulged herself the pleasure of letting her hands run across his stomach. He was skinny enough that she could feel his slim abs.

“Don’t worry,” she whispered in his ear. “I won’t steal your virginity tonight”

“What a relief,” Will muttered.

She lay awake for a while, feeling his body shift against her with his breathing.

The whole day had been utterly surreal. Everything she wanted had suddenly been dumped in her lap. What more could she wish for at this point?

I swear to god, if this is a dream I’m about to wake up from, I’m going to fucking hang myself.

*****

Bee slept better than she had in years, and the soothing nearness of Will’s body kept away all the bad dreams that normally plagued her.

But when she woke up, the bed was empty.

Where did he go?

Sunlight streamed in through the window, making the room appear completely different in the daylight.

Bee quickly got up and dressed herself in just a few sweeping motions. She went out into the living area only to find the demon sitting cross-legged on the table, wearing nothing but a belt over her breasts. She had a book open in her lap, and was holding her long hair back from falling into her face as she read from it.

“Do you know where Will is?” Bee asked.

Nix gave a lazy one-shoulder shrug. “Dunno. He’s usually somewhere.”

“Great. Very helpful.”

Nix looked up at her with a wicked little smirk. “I’m sensing a bit of animosity coming from you, dear Beatrice. Could it be that you’re jealous of someone?”

“Not particularly.”

“Of course, dear.” She had the condescending tone of an adult speaking to a particularly dim-witted child. “I hope you’ve thought about what I said earlier.”

“Actually, it’s kind of weird, but whenever you say something, it seems like it just leaves my mind instantly.”

“Ouch. You wound me to my core.” The demon pointed a long-nailed finger in Bee’s direction while returning her attention to the book. “What I mean is, be grateful for him. Has he even told you how much he sacrificed to get you here?”

Bee felt a sudden chill. “No? Why, what did he sacrifice?”

“You should probably ask him that yourself.”

Bee had an idea herself. “A finger? A foot?”

“Among other things,” Nix said with a smile.

“Is that what you meant when you said he was ‘delicious’? Did you eat those pieces of him?”

“I did. Does it make you feel relieved that I didn’t polish your little boyfriend’s pole after all?”

“It makes me feel like I should probably leave before I do something Will won’t be happy with.”

The demon chuckled. “How dutiful.” She made a dismissive shooing gesture. “Well, begone with you then.”

Swallowing her anger, Bee turned on her heel and left without another word. Since she saw no sign of Mongrel or his familiars, she figured they were probably outside, and headed there next in her search.