CHAPTER 120: TEAMWORK*

Aegis dodged left as a Shadowfang Wolf lunged at her throat.

Her dagger flashed, catching it mid-air. The blade sank into fur and muscle. The wolf yelped and hit the ground hard.

Blood sprayed across the grass.

"Three down!" Scarlett called out, yanking her sword from another wolf’s skull.

Green notification text flickered in Aegis’s vision.

EXP Gained: 45

"Four more to go!" Aegis spun, Ruby and Sapphire gleaming in the afternoon sun.

Another wolf charged. She sidestepped, slashing across its flank. It whimpered and collapsed.

Scarlett was already moving, sword cleaving through two wolves at once. Her muscles flexed with each swing. Sweat made her skin shine.

[Damn. She’s gotten way better.]

The last wolf tried to flee.

Scarlett threw her sword.

It impaled the creature through the spine.

"Got it!" She jogged over, retrieving her blade. "That’s the pack. Nice work."

Aegis wiped wolf blood off her face.

"You too. Your form’s improved."

"Yeah?" Scarlett grinned. "Been practicing."

They started collecting the valuable bits. Shadow glands mostly. Alchemists paid stupid money for them.

Aegis stuffed another gland into her inventory.

[Thirty gold each. Not bad. Need about two hundred more to hit my savings goal.]

"Oh, by the way," Scarlett said casually, too casually, as she skinned a wolf, "Kanna asked about you the other day."

Aegis glanced up.

"Yeah? What’d she want?"

"She, uh, wanted to know... how competent you were."

"And what’d you say?"

Scarlett’s face went red.

"I said you were very competent. Obviously."

"Uh huh." Aegis stood, wiping her hands on her pants. "And did you get all jealous when you said it?"

"No!"

"You’re jealous right now."

"I’m not!"

"Scarlett." Aegis walked over, grinning. "Oh my god. You’ve got it bad for the grey-haired brick shithouse, don’t you?"

"I don’t know what you’re talking about!" Scarlett turned away, focusing way too hard on the dead wolf.

"You do! Holy shit!"

"She just asked a question!"

"And you turned into a tomato!"

Scarlett spun around, pointing her sword at Aegis.

"I did not!"

"You’re doing it again right now!"

"Shut up!" Scarlett’s face was bright red. She looked away, muttering. "She’s just... she’s strong, okay? And her technique is really good. And she has nice eyes. That doesn’t mean anything."

Aegis bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"Nice eyes. Got it."

"I hate you."

"No you don’t."

Scarlett groaned, running a hand through her hair.

"Can we just... can we keep hunting? Please?"

"Sure, sure." Aegis patted her shoulder. "Let’s go find more wolves so you can work out your sexual tension."

"I’m going to punch you."

They moved deeper into the forest. Trees grew thicker here. Shadows stretched long between the trunks.

Aegis checked her mental map from the game.

[Should be close to the mini-boss spawn point.]

A roar echoed through the trees.

Both of them froze.

"Was that—" Scarlett started.

"Crystalback Bear." Aegis’s eyes lit up. "Oh fuck yes."

She grabbed Scarlett’s arm and dragged her toward the sound.

They found it in a clearing. Massive. Easily fifteen feet tall on its hind legs. Its back was covered in crystal formations that caught the light, refracting it into rainbow patterns.

Level 15

Crystalback Bear

MP: 200/200

"That thing’s huge," Scarlett breathed.

"Its hide sells for five hundred gold."

Scarlett’s head snapped toward her.

"Five hundred?"

"Minimum. Plus the crystals on its back? Those go for even more."

"We’re fighting it."

"Obviously." Aegis twirled her daggers. "But here’s the thing. We need to kill it fast. Under ten minutes."

"Why?"

Aegis leaned in close, lips brushing Scarlett’s ear.

"Because if you can take it down in under ten minutes, I’ll rim you until you forget your own name."

Scarlett’s pupils dilated. Her grip on her sword tightened.

"Ten minutes?"

"Ten minutes."

"Done."

Scarlett charged.

[God, she’s adorable.]

The bear roared, swiping with claws the size of daggers. Scarlett ducked under the attack, blade flashing. She cut deep into its foreleg.

Blood spurted.

The bear stumbled.

Aegis used Aether Step to close the distance, appearing behind it. Her daggers sank into its back, right between two crystal formations.

The bear roared again, spinning. Its massive paw caught Aegis in the chest.

She flew backward, hitting a tree.

"Fuck!" Pain exploded through her ribs. Her health bar dropped by a third.

"Aegis!" Scarlett’s voice was sharp.

"I’m fine!" Aegis pushed off the tree, coughing. "Keep going!"

[Note to self: Don’t stare so close to the action.]

Scarlett nodded, refocusing. She circled the bear, looking for openings.

The bear charged her.

She sidestepped at the last second, bringing her sword down on its neck. The blade bit deep but didn’t sever anything vital.

The bear backhanded her.

Scarlett skidded across the ground but kept her grip on her sword. She was up in seconds, grinning like a maniac.

"That all you got?"

Aegis used the distraction. She climbed onto the bear’s back, daggers stabbing repeatedly. Blood sprayed. The crystals cracked under her assault.

The bear bucked, trying to throw her off.

She held on, legs wrapped around its torso.

"Scarlett! Now!"

Scarlett charged, sword raised. She leapt, bringing the blade down with both hands.

It pierced through the bear’s skull.

The creature went still.

Then it collapsed.

Aegis jumped off as it hit the ground. She landed in a crouch, panting.

EXP Gained: 500

Power: 46

"Holy shit." Scarlett wiped blood from her face. "Did we actually—"

"Eight minutes," Aegis said, checking her internal timer. "You did it."

Scarlett’s face split into a huge grin.

"Really?"

"Really."

"So that means—"

"Yeah." Aegis stood, walking over. "That means I owe you something."

Scarlett’s breath hitched.

Aegis grabbed her hand and led her to the other side of the clearing, behind a large rock formation. Out of sight from the bear’s corpse.

"Here?"

"You want to wait until we get back to the academy?"

"Fuck no."

Aegis pushed Scarlett against the rock, dropping to her knees. She unbuckled Scarlett’s belt, pulling her pants and underwear down to her thighs.

Scarlett’s cock was already hard, thick and flushed.

"Eager," Aegis said.

"Shut up."

Aegis grabbed Scarlett’s hips and turned her around. Scarlett braced her hands against the rock.

Her ass was perfect. Muscular but soft. Aegis spread her cheeks.

"You good?" Aegis asked.

"Yeah. Just—" Scarlett’s voice was breathless. "Just do it."

Aegis leaned in and licked a long stripe up Scarlett’s crack.

Scarlett gasped, hips jerking forward.

Aegis did it again, slower this time. Her tongue circled Scarlett’s rim, teasing.

"Oh fuck," Scarlett breathed.

Aegis pressed her tongue inside.

Scarlett’s whole body shuddered. Her hands scraped against the rock.

"Aegis—"

Aegis worked her tongue deeper, hands gripping Scarlett’s ass. She could feel Scarlett trying not to squirm, trying to stay still.

It wasn’t working.

Scarlett’s hips moved back, pressing against Aegis’s face.

Aegis hummed, the vibration making Scarlett curse.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck—"

Aegis pulled back slightly, then dove back in. She alternated between long licks and focused attention on Scarlett’s rim, tongue circling and pressing.

Scarlett’s breathing got ragged. Her thighs trembled.

"I’m—Aegis, I’m gonna—"

Aegis reached around and grabbed Scarlett’s cock, stroking it in time with her tongue.

Scarlett came with a strangled moan, cum spurting onto the rock in front of her. Her whole body went rigid, then melted.

Aegis kept going for a few more seconds, then pulled back.

"There. As promised."

Scarlett stayed slumped against the rock, panting.

"Holy... shit."

"You good?"

"I can’t feel my legs."

Aegis laughed, standing up. She wiped her mouth.

"You’re welcome."

Scarlett turned around, pulling her pants up with shaky hands. Her face was flushed, hair stuck to her forehead.

"That was—"

Rustling.

Both of them froze.

From the trees, Kanna emerged. She stopped when she saw them.

Grey hair pulled back. Yellow eyes sharp. Sword strapped to her back.

All three of them stared at each other.

Aegis’s brain scrambled for an excuse.

[Fuck. How much did she see? Did she see? She definitely saw something.]

Kanna’s eyes flicked between them. Then to the clearing behind them. To the dead Crystalback Bear.

"I see you got to it first," Kanna said. Her voice was calm. Measured. "Impressive teamwork."

Scarlett’s face went nuclear red.

"We were just—I mean—we weren’t—"

"The bear," Aegis cut in smoothly. "Yeah. Took us about eight minutes."

Kanna nodded slowly. Her cheeks had the faintest hint of pink.

"That’s... very impressive."

Kanna nodded once, then disappeared back into the trees.

Silence.

Aegis counted to ten.

Then burst out laughing.

"Oh my god!"

"Shut up!" Scarlett covered her face with her hands. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

Aegis doubled over, wheezing.

"This is the best day of my life."

"I hate you so much right now."

"No you don’t." Aegis wiped tears from her eyes. "Come on. Let’s harvest this bear before someone else shows up."

They worked in silence for a while. Well. Scarlett worked in silence. Aegis kept making quiet snickering sounds.

"Stop," Scarlett muttered.

"I’m not doing anything."

"You’re laughing."

"I’m breathing."

"You’re thinking about it."

"Maybe."

Scarlett threw a piece of bear fur at her.

Aegis dodged, grinning.

---

Back at the academy, they split up at the dorms. Aegis headed to her room, already planning her next move.

[Tomorrow: more training. Maybe another hunting run. Need to keep grinding gold and XP.]

She opened her door.

Sophie and Vera were making out on Lune’s bed. Again.

Lune sat at her desk, painting. She didn’t even look up.

"Your sister has no boundaries."

"I’m aware." Aegis kicked off her boots. "Sophie. Vera. My room. Tomorrow."

Sophie broke the kiss, grinning.

"That’s what I like to hear!"

Aegis blinked.

"N-Not for that. We’re going hunting. I need more gold."

"Aw."

Aegis collapsed onto her bed, still covered in bear blood and dirt.

[A few more days. I can do this.]

She closed her eyes, already mentally preparing for the next grind.

Outside, the moon rose over Rosevale Academy, casting silver light through the window.

Tomorrow would be another day of preparation.

But tonight? Tonight she’d earned a damn good rest.