That night in the Tavern was spent shaving her face. Who would have thought that a high school girl would need to shave the the face of a half orc that she now had. Once she finished that and brushed her teeth for the first time in days she looked at the polished steel mirror.

“Not bad,” she said wiping her neck with the towel. She sighed and rested her forehead against the mirror. “I wonder when, or if I get back to my own body if it will feel alien to me too after this.” Leaning up and pointed at the reflection. “It’s your fault, I don’t know how, or why, but I know it is. And you should feel guilty you put a girl into a male orc, okay… no that sounded bad!” she placed her hands on her face and tilted her head up. “I don’t want to get use to this… but its becoming easier.”

There was a slam against the hallway wall and Janet looked towards her door. Fang had a full belly and was sleeping at the foot of the bed. He had startled when he heard the noise.

Opening the door she looked out to see the elf server that had brought food to her room, up against the wall with her blouse unbuttoned and a man with a player-tag running his hands over her. Janet closed the door.

That was a can of worms and nightmares that she didnt want to think about or entertain. “Bed time!” she said suddenly. Locking her door she lay in bed and looked at her level up screen.

That was something she wanted to finish before she had her battle with CS tomorrow.

She put two points into her skills. She knew she wanted more herbalism, hunting and survival. Those where the key skills for her currently. She evened out those three to give her a 10 bonus. She couldnt add more points to them again until she leveled up according to a pop-up. So she had 3 points to spare, which she added to Listen.

Skills done for now, she had four tokens left. She added them to Strength, Constitution, Intelligence and Wisdom.

She hoped that it would give her a bit of an edge tomorrow.

She fell asleep worried, and restless.

There was darkness around her again. She wasn’t afraid of this darkness, she was calm here.

“Have you decided?” asked the voice that has been coming from her own mouth.

“What type of person I want to be?” she asked. A hand went up to her throat, it sounded odd, her own voice.

There wasn’t an answer to her question, but she knew thats what he had ment.

“I haven’t,” she answered.

There was neither approval or disapproval, simply quiet acceptance. She felt secure that he will wait for her answer and then help her.

Despite her worry she woke up feeling well rested and refreshed. Janet got out of bed and stretched, watching the way the body’s muscles moved and popped. She did have to admit that the half orc looked good. She wasnt thrilled that he looked better with the scruffy face. But it is what it is.

Packing everything and then dressing in her clothes and armor, she felt a ping of depression as she was going to leave the bath.

Heading down, she sat her breakfast tray on the bar. “See ya next time,” the big man said.

“See you next time.” she agreed. Depending on how well she does with the goblins, she may come back just to enjoy a proper hot bath.

Exiting she looked at the sign. A pig in a birds nest, under it. ‘Hog’s Nest.’

Players and non-players stopped and looked at her as she and Fang walked back to the gates of the city. Since it wasnt raining and she was going to be in combat soon, she didn’t have her cloak or scarf on.

The captain of the guards saw her as she passed by some people entering. CS and his minions were already standing there waiting. CS looked surpried at seeing what she was. Wigglegig too, looked a bit stunned.

“Aren’t orcs monsters?” CS asked.

“Orcs? Sure, but he’s a half-orc,” Captain answered.

“Isn’t that the same thing?” Wigglegig asked.

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The captain shrugged. “Alright, outside the city, I got that area clear for you.”

“Thanks,” Janet said. Stepping out she sat her bags down, and stretched her arms.

“Ready to die?” CS asked and pulled out his heavy mace and his shield.

Janet looked to Wigglegig and Hoax. Hoax looked to be at ease near the Captain. While Wigglegig seemed like he was going to join in the battle.

The air was fresh after the rains yesterday, and still distant rolling of thunder was heard. The noises of donkeys, and horses pulling along creaking wagons and carts offered their background noise to the early morning.

CS’s question made her remember she needed rebirth stones.

The player rushed towards her, and he had the same strange moment as those fighting the bandits before. That had to be battle assistance then. His health bar was at full, so when he got close she summoned her soul blade, this time as a short sword in each hand. She thrust with one, the double edge of the blades easier for her to slide into the waist gap in the armor.

CS made a pained sound and started to stumble. She let go of that blade, and called another to hand. He did a back swing on her with the mace. But that was more of a flail than an attempt to strike at her.

However she saw the -4 in her vision and knew without looking Wigglegig threw magic at her. The cold seeping in her arm and the ice spike there was proof.

“Fang, attack,” she said. The wolf pup looked at Wigglegig and ran over and latched onto his leg, and started to jerk violently. The cry from him made Janet smirk as she focused on CS.

The fighter type finally got his footing under control. “Cock eating bastard.”

Janet narrowed her eyes. She knew, she didn’t know how, but she knew that wasn’t true, and it made her angry. A warning popped up, this one more transparent, so likely not visible to them.

:: Activation of Cold Rage denied ::

:: You do not have orcish spells unlocked. Complete Orcish Rites to unlock. ::

So she had a cold rage, what ever that was.

Dismissing that little notice, she had been distracted just enough to get a shield edge to the face. A whopping -3 came into her vision. She had been hit harder by a goblin. Why was this player so much weaker than a goblin? She lifted a hand up and wiped away some of the blood that was oozing from the gash across her nose.

The look on CS’s face made Janet feel fuzzy inside. It was a look of sock and fear. As though he expected her to be dead by now. Was the starter village really so weak? Or was this play just stupid?

Then he did something Janet wasn’t expecting. He jabbed the mace into her groin. She had bits down there, and it got an involuntary groan from her. A critical message appeared in her vision and a massive -15 appeared.

Good to know. But that was worse than some of her worse cramps! Pain shot like lightening up her back, and down her inner thighs. The look of victory on CS’s face got her irritation up. She flipped one of her short swords around in her hand and stabbed down, between his shoulder and neck.

She heard Fang yelp, turning to look, she called up her own magic, and the Frostbolt shot from her hand and pierced Wigglegig’s stomach. The caster stumbled back and looked towards Janet stunned. But she wasn’t going to give him quarter and she closed the distance quickly.

He got a magical shield up and deflected her attacks and she could see cracks along the magical shield.

That spell would be useful. The leather wearing caster looked at her with fear and shock.

Man I wish I new some cool sword twirling tricks.

He looked to Hoax, who was standing off near the Captain watching. Janet’s eyes moved to the third member too, but then back. It was time to end this battle. She attacked the shield again and it broke under her first assault. She blocked Wigglegig’s dagger aiming for her gut. She learned that one from a goblin.

She treated this player like a goblin then and her sword sliced across his face. He crumbled down. Leaving her the victor.

“Alright, move the bodies,” the Captain said, and two carts started to move closer.

Janet looked at the bodies. She knelt down near Wigglegig and went though his things.

“What are you doing?” Hoax asked.

“I killed them, so the loot is rightfully mine,” she said, and took the beta bag of potions and items. “If they were smart, they would have given their things to you to hold on to,” she said then moved onto CS and did the same thing.

“Is that true?” Hoax asked the Captain.

“Aye, he killed them, he has the right to the loot, if he was military it would belong to the military, but he’s not.”

“I have never heard of an NPC looting a player in a game before.”

Janet had to correct that notion. “I am not sure what an npc is, or a player, but why wouldn’t an adventurer loot the corpses of their kills? That’s standard practice around the world isn’t it?”

“As far as I know yes,” Captain said.

Judging from the expression this was a new concept to Hoax. Finished with her looting she stood up.

“Don’t want the armor or weapons?” Captain asked.

“No, would they be useful for the guard?”

“I can sell them and donate the funds to the guard’s supplies, that plate armor is a about 400 silver, selling.”

“I will keep that in mind, but its too cumbersome for me.”

The captain bows his head. “So I will assume you turn over the rest to the guard?”

“I do.”

“Thank you,” the captain waited until the bodies were loaded on the carts and then walked with them to, what Janet assumed was the graveyard to be buried.

She touched her nose and pulled her fingers away to see the blood.

“You know you have made enemies today,” Hoax said.

She turned to him as she picked up her bags, slinging one over her shoulders. Fang sat beside her. His side tinted pink from where he had been licking his wounds.

“Are you in that list?”

“Who knows,” Hoax shrugged and then turned towards the city. “But don’t think that a monstrous NPC can be the hero of this world.”

Janet didn’t respond.

Instead a wagon stopped near her. The driver leaned over. “I am headed to Oakglen, want a ride?” he asked and pointed up towards the forest she was headed.

“Thanks, I will,” she said and got settled in the back of the wagon with Fang. The ride was bumpy, however she took the time and mana to heal her and Fang’s wounds.

She pulled up her quests and collected her reward for her win. She put it directly into Skills, bringing her Listen to a 10, and her Spot to a 7.

Scratching behind Fang’s ear she relaxed back in the wagon.