Power Corrupts: Divine Ecstasy (Patreon)

I’ve made a mistake, I realized as I ran through the halls, my legs aching with every step. Lili probably didn’t weigh fifty pounds soaking wet, but her bag was another matter entirely. It was huge and packed to the absolute brim with what I could only assume were bricks. I couldn’t even guess how much it weighed other than a lot. Worse, since it was on Lili’s back, my balance was pretty much nonexistent. 

“Is Mr. Jericho okay?” Lili asked, from her vantage on my back, her arms wrapped around my neck. I was forced to lean over so she wouldn’t choke me just by holding on. At the very least, it made swiping at goblins and the like easier. 

“I-I’m fine,” I said, rivers of sweat falling off me with every movement. I’ve made a mistake but I’m too deep in at this point. If I back out now, after about...ten minutes of this, then she was going to think I was a wimp. Oh, and I want to get those stat gains, of course. 

“Lili isn’t sure she believes that...but, frog shooters up ahead Mr. Jericho,” Lili called out at three frog shooters hopped into view. I licked my lips, tasting salt, as I gripped my new sword. Right. Three of them at once. I could manage that. I just had to get in close. 

Taking a bracing breath, I pushed myself forward, ignoring the burn with every step I took. At once all three of the frog shooters seemed to notice me. Which made sense. The ceiling was pretty high, but between my height and Lili’s backpack, I’m sure we made a pretty big target. 

I rushed forward, breaking into as much of a sprint as I could manage but it was far too slow to close the distance between us before they could shoot their tongues. I raised my sword so the flat of it was facing towards them and picked a frog. Their tongues launched out at me at once, and I was too big for them to not hit. The one that I chose smacked into my blade with enough force that my sword nearly brained me, while the other two struck home, hitting just as hard. 

One hit my thigh with enough force that my leg was knocked out from underneath me. The other hit me in the chest, nearly knocking me on my back. I kept my balance only because I expected it, pushing myself up as fast as I could. I could already feel the bruise forming on my thigh, making it flare with pain as I ran forward before they could fire off a second shot. 

I didn’t make it in time. “Mr. Jericho!” Lili shouted in my ear, firing off her crossbow, her arrows punching through a frog’s eye, making it ribbit as it jerked to dislodge the arrow. The other two managed to fire a shot off before I got in striking range. A tongue hit me in the stomach, my armor absorbing the worst of the blow while I managed to block the other. With a snarl of my face, I took the final step forward as I brought down my sword, cutting through the two offending frogs in half with a single swing. After that, it was child’s play to stab the final one to death. 

“Whew,” I breathed, wiping more sweat off my face with my unbloodied forearm. That was...good. I took a little damage, but my armor took the worst of it. My leg hurt though, but the pain was fading. Health? 

120/121

“Lili thinks it might be a bad idea to fight with Lili on your back,” Lili commented as she let go, dropping down to collect the magic stones. 

I wiped sweat off my face, straightening out and my back feeling sore already. “...Yeah,” I admitted, taking in a deep breath, cracking my neck. That hadn’t been my best idea. “That bag sure is heavy though, I’m surprised that you can lift it.” Now knowing just how stupidly heavy that bag was, it made the sight that much weirder because Lili barely seemed to notice the weight as she began digging up magic stones.  

“That is because Lili has a Skill that helps her carry heavy bags for adventurers. It might look impressive, but Lili is very weak -- that’s why Lili has to rely on strong adventurers like Mr. Jericho.” Lili explained, sending me a smile that looked genuine. It was hard to remind myself that I probably couldn’t trust anything she said. Lili, before Bell melted her heart with his teeth rotting sweet fluff, was kinda...in a self-destructive downward spiral. 

She hated adventurers, so she stole from them by using her magic spell and considerable acting skills. The anime never made it clear if she was responsible for anyone dying or not, even when she stole Bell’s knife, she didn’t leave him in a situation he couldn’t get out of on his own. Though, now with that comment earlier about no one bothering to investigate murders in the Dungeon...well...I might have been carrying a serial killer on my back. 

Lili had her reasons for it, I was quick to remind myself. I’m sure the people that she killed -- if she killed anyone at all -- had it coming one way or the other. She had a really rough life with a really toxic familia. Abused, cheated and mistreated every day of her life by everyone she met. I mean, if there was ever an excuse…

“Huh, well, either way it’s impressive,” I answered, pushing my thoughts away from the topic. I needed to be aware I couldn’t trust anything that she said, but at the same time I needed to chip away at the wall she built up around her heart. Words were meaningless to her. Action was the only thing that could convince her. 

“Mr. Jericho is kind for saying so, but it’s really not impressive. Most supporters have the Skill -- it’s a shameful Skill if Lili is being honest. It means that all Lili is good for is carrying bags,” Lili said, her tone not reflecting her words at all. Even still, it was hard hearing stuff like that. An emotional gut punch. Worse, I had no idea if those were her true thoughts or if she was trying to tug on my heartstrings. 

“That’s not true. You’re a dead shot with that crossbow of yours, and, well, you seem to have a lot more common sense than I do,” I said, watching her work. I flashed her a smile when she looked up at me. 

I watched her work, if just because I would learn how to do it the normal way. Lili cut just under their rib cages, right at the diaphragm, stuck her hand underneath the sternum and pulled out a small sliver of a purple stone. The entire process took about thirty seconds, so it wasn’t horribly slow, but compared to auto-loot…

I walked over to one, kicking it over to copy the movements that she made, I reached in - “Mr. Jericho shouldn’t lower himself to retrieving magic stones. Lili can do this, she’s just a mere supporter after all.” Lili protested, earning a look from me. 

“It’s fine, I don’t mind at all,” I responded, shoving my hand into a frog’s chest and searched around for the stone. It took a few seconds to find it since it was so small. Pulling it out, the frog was reduced to ash, letting me look at the stone. They were so small, no bigger than a fingernail and about as wide as a pencil. Then I dropped the stone in inventory, disguising it as putting it in the pouch that hung off my belt. 

“Lili knows Mr. Jericho means well, but please let Lili do it. It’s only right -- Mr. Jericho killed the monsters, he shouldn’t have to do supporter work as well.” Lili insisted something about this conversation sounds familiar. Did this happen in the anime? I don’t remember. 

“I don’t mind helping out,” I returned. “It makes me feel awkward watching someone else work while I’m twiddling my thumbs.” 

“If other adventurers see Mr. Jericho doing supporter work, then they’ll think that Lili isn’t a hard worker. They’ll say all sorts of mean rumors about Lili, and she might not find any other adventurers willing to hire her. So, please Mr. Jericho, at least let Lili do this much,” Lili pleaded, a smile on her face, but her beige cloak hood covered her eyes. 

“I-” couldn’t force the issue, could I? “Alright, I guess,” I finished lamely, standing back up and watching her go to the last frog shooter. 

“Thank you, Mr. Jericho,” Lili said, digging the magic stone out with practiced ease. She deposited the magic stones into a small bag attached to her backpack, looking up at me with a beaming smile. “Lili still thinks its a bad idea to fight while carrying Lili and her bag on Mr. Jericho’s back, but if Mr. Jericho is trying to...grind...stats, then would he like to carry Lili between fights?”

There was an idea. “Huh. Yeah, that’s a lot smarter than what I was doing, wasn’t it?” I muttered more to myself than here, though Lili did spare a giggle at my expense. I don’t think my Intelligence stat governed my actual intelligence since I didn’t feel any stupider than I did before, but I guess now that I was fighting in life or death scenarios, bad habits became more apparent. Like having an idea or goal and chasing after it directly when there were other better, easier, paths to take. 

I’ve always been stubborn like that. Once I started doing something one way, I didn’t like changing halfway through. It caused me more than a few problems, but there were times that stubbornness helped far more than it hindered. 

I nodded at Lili, crouching back down, “let’s do that then. Hope on.” 

…

We spent the rest of the day like that. Lili on my shoulder, slaughtering monsters as I racked up exp and magic stones. We made small talk -- me doing my best to convince her that I wasn't a scumbag that was about to rob and beat her, Lili giving half-answers and somehow telling me absolutely nothing about herself. It was a decent day, even if I was still light-years away from the progress I needed to make. I even got a new sword out of it.

"I think we did pretty well today," I voiced my thoughts, looking down at Lili. It hadn't clicked just how small Lili was until I walked beside her up the steps to the Guildhall. She was less than four feet tall, around 3'7 if I remember right. I was more than twice her size. 

“Lili thinks so too,” Lili agreed with a chipper nod. “Mr. Jericho might have an...unusual way of doing things, but Lili can’t say Mr. Jericho doesn’t get results. Is Mr. Jericho sure that he’s only been an adventurer for two days?  

“I am,” I confirmed, feeling more than a little proud at her disbelief. 

“Then Mr. Jericho is super amazing for a rookie adventurer! Lili can’t remember the last time she supported a solo adventurer that killed so many monsters!” Lili praised, and that took the edge off my pride since I’m sure she was just buttering me up. So, I just smiled in response as a thank you.

We walked up to the Guildhall, seeing that it was mostly empty during the later part of the day. Those that went in later wouldn’t come up until sometime at night, while those that went in early like me left hours ago. That meant that we didn’t have to wait in a line to cash in our magic stones. 

Lili handed me a sack filled with them that I passed through to the teller before I added my own sack. Both were pretty heavy with magic stones, I couldn’t guess just how many stones there were. Over a hundred, at the very least. 

“Your total is thirty thousand valis,” the teller informed, pushing two large bags of gold our way. I heard Lili gasp behind me, telling me we just made a lot since I still didn’t have a grip on how much a valis was worth. I recall her and Bell freaking out about...was it 20,000 valis?

“Thank you,” I said, turning to Lili, her eyes darting up like she hadn’t been eyeing the money like a dog over a bone. 

“Well, Mr. Jericho, we should-” Lili started, looking off to the side, and it was for that reason she was nearly hit in the face with the sack of gold I tossed in her direction. 

“Here you go,” I said, dumping about 15,000 valis on goodwill. It hurt to do. Almost physically, but I did have the money to spare at the moment. I still had a big enough budget to buy my armor and supplies to make Hestia’s night...relaxing when she got off. I would even have some leftover to start a piggy bank. 

“W-what?” Lili asked, too startled to hide her shock. She stared down at the heavy bag of gold like it might vanish before her very eyes. “Y-you’re splitting it evenly with me? Why? Mr. Jericho should-” She started to protest, turning her wide-eyed gaze back up to me. And there it was. The reaction of me completely stepping outside the mold that she built for those that called themselves adventurers. 

“Should be paying you for your work in full,” I dismissed her protests easily with a smile. 

“But, Mr. Jericho -- Mr. Jericho carried Lili!” She blurted, then glanced away when she realized what she was announcing, searching for someone that might have overheard her. To put her at ease, I started to walk away from the teller to make sure he couldn’t overhear either. “Lili was more of a burden than normal for adventurers. The work wasn’t fifty-fifty,” she pointed out. 

She had a point, I had to admit. “Well...in that case, if you won’t just accept it, then think of it as...hazard pay,” I said, giving myself another mental pat on the back for that one. My other option was to think of it as a bribe to keep quiet about the guy that I...killed, which would remind her that I killed someone in the Dungeon. And that reminded me that I had killed someone in the Dungeon. I’m...still not going to think about that. 

“Hazard pay?” Lili echoed, sounding doubtful, but less so than she was a moment ago. Now she was holding onto the money with a death grip, I doubt I could pry it from her hands even if I tried. 

“I know today was a bit much for you. I don’t exactly do things the smart way in the Dungeon,” I admitted freely. “So, it’s extra pay since I did put you in more danger than you would normally be in and I didn’t exactly tell you that upfront. Thus, hazard pay.”

”You’re weird.” I wouldn’t have heard it if I wasn’t trying to, but just underneath her breath, I heard her call me weird. Despite all the...mishaps, I was still on track with the Lili route. Fantastic. 

“And, if you’re willing, would you like to be my supporter tomorrow? I usually start around five in the morning, but if that’s too early for you we can agree to meet at a time and I’ll just pop back up.” I offered, making Lili go silent. She stared down at the heavy bag of gold in her hands, then back up at me. 

“That sounds good to Lili. She’ll meet Mr. Jericho here at five o’clock!” She decided, throwing on a happy look. A hand twitched to offer it to shake to seal the deal, but I didn’t want her to think I was trying to take the money back. Lili was as skittish as a cat in that regard. Instead, I offered a small wave as she started to leave. 

“I’ll see you then,” I returned, watching her go. After waiting until she was firmly out of sight, I went back into the guildhall, found a quiet corner and reached down to my new bag looted off that guy. The contents was basic stuff including potions, so that alone was a win in my book. Just health and stamina potions. Once it was empty, I dumped my haul from yesterday into the bag. It bulged outwards, the seams threatening to tear. 

I didn’t have enough room, I realized. I mean, I still had plenty more left. After a moment of thought, I dumped more into my pouch -- it might look a bit odd, but I doubt that anyone would assume that I was pulling monster shards out of a pocket dimension. I stuffed it with loot,  nearly emptying out my inventory of monster stones, though I still had some monster drops left, I made my way back to the teller. 

“Sorry, forgot that I had these,” I told him with what I hoped was a convincing grin. The slight man looked down at the bulging bags, then at me and I could practically see him giving a mental shrug. 

“Your total is thirty-five thousand valis,” he said, sliding over two more bags of gold my way. I picked them up, enjoying their considerable weight. I had money now! I could pay off my armor, load up on supplies, get some clothes, a bed and a couple other odds and ends. But...half of it was going to be spent on Hestia. 

I made a promise, after all. 

“I should take a shower,” I decided, pulling off my armor as I walked towards the shower room that I found the other day when I walked up from the Dungeon wearing nothing but a blanket and covered in blood. As soon as I was out of sight, I shoved my armor, weapons and newfound wealth into my inventory before stepping into a shockingly modern-looking public bathroom. Danmachi seemed to follow Japan’s sensibilities when it came to nudity, so there were no sheets for privacy. Just an open room lined with showerheads and lockers to store our stuff. 

Stripping off my clothes, I stepped towards a faucet and let a blast of lukewarm water hit my chest -- well, more of my stomach really. I was too tall to stand underneath them by a more than a little, so I had to crouch down to let the water run over my face, getting the sweat that had built up. My hair plastered to the back of my neck, dipping towards my shoulder. I think I was going to cut it soon. I picked longer hair for the look, but it wasn’t worth the irritation of it getting in my face all the time. 

I’ve had this body for a few days, and despite how natural it felt to move around in it, there were times when it caught me off guard. When I ran, I was so much faster, each step covering more distance, or when I grabbed something I ran the risk of breaking it if I squeezed too hard. There were times when I thought I might have gone a little overboard with my self-indulgence, but I couldn’t bring myself to regret any of the changes I made. I would just have to get used to the little things over time. 

After drying myself off and shoving a half dozen towels into my inventory, I stepped out of the Guildhall to see that the sun was beginning to dip towards the horizon. My clock told me it was nearly 7 o’clock, so I had a little over an hour to get what I needed to get. Luckily, I knew exactly where I needed to go to pick them up. With the clock ticking, I let my feet carry me to my destination. 

The Guildhall might be slow, but the city was in full swing. The streets were packed with people going about their day, trying to do last-minute errands much like I was. I didn’t have much trouble with crowds since most gave way to me -- no one wanted to be the one blocked the way to a guy that looked like me. Though, I wasn’t complaining. 

The stores that lined the streets steadily became less adventurer oriented to be more generic. Clothing, pawnshops, sweets, rugs and so on. Anything that could be sold, there was probably a shop on the main street that had it. This city was the center of the world because of the Dungeon, and it felt like it too. 

Then, the shops gave way to a solid wall guarded by to amazons. They wore what could be called a bikini if your standards were low enough, showing off their tanned bodies, full breasts, and shapely figures. Through the entrance, they were protecting, or tempting customers to enter, was a street dyed red in the dying light. The city of the night, or pleasure district. I walked by this gem yesterday. 

"Hello there," one of them greeted me as I approached, a sultry smile tugging at her lips. She leaned against her spear, pushing her breasts together until they practically spilled out of her top. "It's early, but I'd happily let you inside!" 

The other followed her lead, placing her spear between her sizable mounds, squeezing it until the shaft was enveloped. She nibbled at her bottom lip, giving me bedroom eyes as she said, "we’re so bored with guard duty. Would you like to rescue us?" A hand trailing up her heavenly muscled bronze thigh suggestively. Then her eyes narrowed into a glare as pretty boy started to walk up towards them. "Not you, him." They informed, making the guy look behind him. 

He quickly looked away with a beet-red face, all but running away. Not going to lie, I felt more than a little pride at that. It really was great being me, all things considered. 

Smirking as I walked over, the two guards eyes lit up as I approached. It was a real shame I was here on business. My smirk became apologetic in nature as I came to a stop in front of the gate, both of them abandoning their posts. "Sorry ladies, I'm not here for pleasure," I informed as the first wrapped a hand around my bicep to squeeze it.

"Then you might be looking in the wrong place," the second began, running a hand over my abs, her smile growing to show that she liked what she found. I didn't even need to flex. "All we sell here is...pleasure," she continued, her hand dipping to my rapidly hardening cock. I waited for her reaction and was more than a little satisfied when her eyes widened a fraction, her sultry smile becoming a lot more genuine. 

They were a lot more forward than they were in the anime, I reflected. Probably because Danmachi was an anime, not hentai, that dealt with a hentai topic like prostitution. There was a certain amount of censorship even though they killed it for fanservice. 

"I'm looking to buy massage oils, and maybe some lingerie for my goddess," I said, the first Amazon pressing her breasts against my side, one hand slipping down to caress my balls through my pants. 

"Oh, it sounds like a romantic evening," the first said, her gaze shifting from bedroom eyes to fuck me now eyes. 

"But don't you think it's a bad idea to go fully loaded?" The second asked, her hand tracing my now fully hard cock that made a very clear outline against my pants. "You'll last longer if you clear the pipes a little." She said, putting her legs around my own and leaned heavily against me, practically dry humping me in the middle of the street. 

It would be a lie to say that I wasn't tempted. Women never threw themselves at me like this before, even if it was faked to score a customer. Odds were, I wouldn't get my rocks off with Hestia tonight, and I wouldn't until tomorrow morning. 

Even still, I shook my head, "sorry, but not tonight." They pouted, though they didn't let go. The second one ground herself harder against my leg, grinding herself against my thigh, an inviting expression on her face to tempt me. “It’s a special night for my goddess. So, could you please point me in the right direction? I can make it worth your while?” That line always seemed to work in the movies. 

For the first time movies didn’t let me down. Both girls looked disappointed, but they let me go, their hands lingering on my crotch. “Boo, no fun.” The first girl said. 

“Meany,” the second one agreed, “to get me worked up like that then just leave me for another woman…”

“I’m sorry,” I said, feeling...good. I never really understood the appeal of strip clubs or cabaret clubs in Japan, it always struck me as dumb to throw your money away on someone that was being paid to like you for a few hours. Now, I could understand it better. It felt good to have beautiful women fawn over me. I liked it more than I should, probably. “But it’s my goddess. It can’t be helped.”

The second one turned her head away from me sharply, puffing her cheeks out in a pout. The first one chuckled, giving me a sultry smile, a finger lightly stroking my chest through my tank top. “Massage oils, hmmm?” She teased, tilting her head as if she had to think about it. “I know a few places where you can get some...though, how much are you willing to part with?” 

“I have about fifty thousand to play with,” I informed as my chest swelling with more pride at the number. I wouldn’t spend all of it -- not when I had to pay off my armor, and naturally I was going to build up a nest egg, but the fact that I had 50 thousand valis when the other day I was in the hole...it felt gooood. 

“Then I know just the place for you. Go down the main road, towards the Ishtar familia home, until you see a far eastern style building with a statue of a mermaid in front of it,” she said, reaching up to caress my cheek. “Oh, and don’t let the Ishtar familia catch you. It would be such a shame to ruin such a romantic night because I doubt they’ll let you leave for days.”

“Thank you,” I said, trying not to think about the implications of what she said. Amazons were a female-only race that sought out powerful men to breed with. Meaning, they kidnapped strong men, fucked them until they made that sound in old cartoons when a well was tapped dry when they came, then they kicked them to the curb. The guy really never got a choice in the matter. Which was, you know, rape. “Now, what do I owe you for the information?” 

The first one stopped my hand from going to my pouch, “I don’t want money. How about you give us something to think about while we stand here all night while everyone else is enjoying themselves?” She said, a smile that told me exactly what she wanted. 

Well, I couldn’t say no to that. I leaned towards her, her going on her tippy toes but a problem was quick to present herself. She was nearly six feet tall, and I was 7’5. There was about a foot and a half distance between our lips. I fixed that by reaching behind her, my hands lifting her where her ass and thighs met and picked her up to close the distance. 

Her lips pressed against mine, I felt her purr as she opened up her mouth, her tongue snaking into mine as she ran her hands through my hair. Her tongue pressed against mine, tasting of cherries before she began to explore my mouth. Never one to submit, I pushed against hers, waging a war that let both sides win. 

I was the one that pulled away after a few long seconds, seeing the second amazon pout at us. She followed, pressing her lips against mine one last time before leaning back. “Good enough?” I asked, giving her firm ass a slight squeeze. She smiled in response, her hips perfectly poised to grind against my painfully hard dick. When I didn’t take it out and start fucking her then and there, she looked disappointed before nodding. 

“I suppose,” she said, putting her hands on my chest and pushing me. She shot a smirk at the second guard, who scowled. I let her drop, though when I looked down I saw a wet spot on my thigh. Thighs. Both of them. So, maybe it wasn’t all fake after all. “Have a nice night. Oh, and if your goddess doesn’t satisfy you...feel free to come back!”

“We’ll take every last drop! And, if you’re any good, we’ll let you do it for free!” The second one agreed, yelling out as I entered the pleasure district properly. There were few on the streets, most scantily clad women, some not bothering to wear a top at all. A few approached me, attaching themselves to my arms as I followed the guard’s instructions. 

I could still taste her as I walked through the street, feeling...conflicted. I mean, me and Hestia weren’t official or anything like that, so arguably I hadn’t done anything wrong just now. But...hm, I felt like I betrayed her in a way. No, not in a way, I straight up betrayed her just now, didn’t I? I was certain that she had feelings for me, though I doubted it was flat out love like she felt for Bell, but I knew she at least felt something for me. 

Then I made out with another woman. Shit, I fucked up. It didn’t matter that there wasn’t anything official between us yet, she had feelings for me, I had feelings for her and that should be enough. Other girls would come up eventually, but that was something we had to talk about before I started making out with...whoever that was. Shit. Goddamn it. 

“Hopefully she won’t find out about that,” I muttered to myself, my boner gone. Too late to do anything about it now, what I could do was make sure that it didn’t happen again. 

With their warning in mind, I went into the pleasure district, doing my best to keep a low profile, but found no success in that regard. Stealth really wasn’t a strong suit for me. Even still, after pushing through a small crowd of groping prostitutes, I found the place guard spoke of. A small building tucked between two brothels that almost looked out of place in the district. 

I stepped inside, finding a store filled with oils, soaps, underwear, and lingerie. My eyes glanced over the price tags, descriptions of the contents and what they did. I came as no shock when I found that most of them were aphrodisiac. Expensive ones too. The cheapest I found was 10,000 and the most expensive was over 100,000. Still, that was fine. 

I ended up picking one that cost 20,000. Its description sounded like what I was aiming for. A mild aphrodisiac that would heighten sensitivity, but that was it. Meant to enhance a massage, but not overwhelm. Perfect for a virgin goddess. 

Next, I found some lose lingerie since I didn’t know Hestia’s sizes and didn’t want to get her something that didn’t fit. I stuck with the white and blue theme she had going for her. That cost me another 8,000 since it was made of silk. Since I still had some money to play around with before I hit my limit, I bought scented soaps, a towel, and an inflatable mattress thing that kinda looked like what you used to float in a pool. 

I checked out, waving goodbye at the cashier that looked like she was wearing her products, and headed home for was shaping up to be a nice night. 

Thankfully, I beat Hestia home, enacting a plan that formed the moment I saw the soaps. I grabbed a bucket, filling it with water and set it on top of the stove to warm it up. Once it got to an acceptable heat, I took it off and began blowing up the mattress after unpacking everything. 

Before long, I heard the front door scrape open, Hestia coming down the stairs. She looked dog tired, her eyes glazed over, her movements were stiff and overall, she looked miserable. Which was why I was here. 

“Have a rough day?” I asked, standing up and walking towards her. Hestia blinked at me, then she smiled half-heartedly at me, life returning to her gaze as she nodded. 

“Yeah…” She said, making no move to explain, but she didn’t need to. I worked in retail. People were stupid. Customers were worse. Having to deal with them pretty much all day, nonstop? That sounded like a nightmare. 

‘Well then, let me take care of that for you, my goddess,” I said, taking her by the hand, suppressing a smile when I saw her flush at the pet name. Then her blush deepened when she saw the oils and the inflatable mattress thing. 

“You were serious?” She asked, not sound displeased by it. 

“Of course I was. You’ve been working all day, and I think you need to relax a little after a long day,” I said, earning those brownie points, as I brought her to a stool. “I bought some oils for you, but I found some other odds and ends that I think you might enjoy,” I said, showing her the soaps. 

Hestia’s face lite up. At first, I thought it was because of the soaps, but I was proven wrong when she wrapped her arms around me in a hug, squeezing me with all her strength. I placed a hand on her back, lightly tracing her spine as she buried her face in my stomach. She didn’t say anything at all, she simply hugged me, but she didn’t need to say anything. 

“The water is getting cold,” I spoke up after a few minutes. Hestia peeled her face off my abs to look up at me with some confusion. 

“Water?” She asked, telling me that she hadn’t realized that the soaps were soap. 

“Well, I thought you would like to get clean for the massage. Sweat and oil don’t really mix, you know?” I said, having absolutely no idea if what I said was true, thus it wasn't a lie. "We don't have a bath, but a quick scrub should do the trick." Then, lowering my voice, I continued with, "if you want, I could help you wash your back?" 

I felt Hestia go stiff against me, her eyes widening. I only had the guts to ask since she was so okay with Bell seeing her naked when Hermes tricked him into peeping. But, seeing how she hesitated, I continued with, "I have a towel for you to cover yourself with. Or, I could just head upstairs while you-" 

"You don't have to do that. Go upstairs, I mean. I would appreciate it if you could wash my back. Just...no peeking, okay?" Hestia agreed, earning a nod out of me. 

"No peeking," I agreed, knowing I would have to keep that promise since she was likely to ask if I had peeked. I took a step back, giving her a smile as I turned around. It didn't take long for Hestia to undress. The only thing keeping her dress up was the blue bow ties at her neck. I heard one-foot raise, then another as she took off her panties, then I heard her set down on the stool. 

"You can look now," she informed, sitting on the stool with her back facing towards me. For the most part, it wasn't anything I hadn't seen before since her dress left her back exposed. All except for her butt, the little I could see of it. Her front was covered by the towel, kept up with her hands. "Did you peek?" 

"No, I didn't," I answered honestly, seeing some of the tension in her shoulder vanish at that. "I'm about to start," I informed, grabbing a smaller towel that I bought and dipping it into the water. Wringing it out, I pressed it to her back and started to wipe her down. "Would you like to talk about your day? Vent a little?" 

Small talk would help her relax. It was already working since she let out a breath that I was sure she was holding the entire time. "They wouldn't stop coming! And I got yelled at by this really big adventurer- well, not as big as you, but he was really scary looking. The brute."

"Did you now?" I asked, my voice going hard. "Did you get this adventurer’s name?" 

Hestia giggled as I slowly cleaned her back with a hot soapy towel. The tension eased out of her back, the intimate act of washing each other becoming more casual. "I didn't, but what if I did?" She asked, a smile in her voice. 

"Then I would find him and have a very strongly worded talk with him. With my fists," I tacked on, getting a bubbly laugh from her. 

"Don't do that. I can handle rude people like that no problem now! I mean, it used to really hurt my feelings before but now it's like water off a duck's back." Hestia proclaimed as I washed her lower back. 

"Are you sure? How about if I stand behind you when you're working. I bet you the rude customers would go down by a hundred percent," I said, smiling. Worse, I'd do it too if she asked. Was I whipped? A little? Eh, I couldn’t care less. 

"It's fine, I promise," Hestia refused with a laugh, twisting around to look at me and give me a broad smile. I smiled back at her, my washcloth edging towards her sides. 

"Hey, would you like me to wash your hair too?" I asked, grabbing a bottle of lavender smelling shampoo. I held it up under her nose to inspect. I expected her to think about it but she gave a happy nod. It seemed when she let her guard down, she let it all the way down. "Close your eyes," I said grabbing a small wooden cup to wet her hair. 

After wetting it, I poured some of the clear fluid onto her scalp and began to lather it up. "That feels really good," Hestia said, leaning into my touch. I had to pour more into her hair to lather it all up. 

"I don't know how you handle your hair being this long," I admitted, lathering it all up. "I'd think I'd go crazy if mine was." 

"That's because you're a boy," Hestia informed, letting her hands rest on her thighs since the towel was plastered to her body because of the water. "Girls get used to it pretty young," she continued as I then turned my soapy rag to her arms. She didn't go stiff or anything, letting me clean her arms as well. 

"I suppose that's true," I agreed, cleaning her other arm. I inched closer, on my knees but I still towered over her. I traced her sides, nearly touching the towel that covered her, as I began to wash her thighs. At that, she did stiffen up a little, so I continued with, "I was thinking about cutting mine. It gets all up in my face when in a fight." 

That distracted her as I reached forward, washing all the way down to her knee. Then, slowly, I brought it back until it pushed the edge of the towel up. "Really? I think it looks good how you have it," Hestia said, her ears going red as I went up and down again, moving to her inner thigh. 

"Well, in that case, I think I'll keep it then," I said, starting to wash her inner thigh. When I came up, Hestia's breathing hitched, the cloth brushing up near her vagina. “If you like it so much, then I have to keep it.”

Hestia laughed breathlessly as I switched thighs, putting the towel in my other hand. To keep the conversation going, I said, “We still have that invite out to the Hostess of Fertility, right?”

“Y-yeah,” Hestia confirmed as I washed the inside of her thigh. I wish the towel was thinner to let me feel her smooth skin, but I suppose I would feel it soon enough. Her breathing was becoming shallow and faster, her switch flipped. 

“We still haven’t celebrated forming our familia yet. Maybe we should do it soon and get a free meal out of it. I’ve heard the Hostess is an adventurer restaurant and that the food is pretty good.” I said, pulling back. Before she could answer, I followed it up with, “would you like me to wash your front too?”

“W-what?!” Hestia blurted, her spine going ramrod straight. So, she wasn’t that aroused. I would have to fix that soon enough. 

“Your stomach,” I clarified with a smile in my voice, “but if you want me to go a little higher…”

“My stomach is fine!” Hestia shouted, sounding so panicked that I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. She turned her head, pouting at me in an adorable way. “You’re teasing me,” she accused me with the gravity of an accusation of witchcraft in Salem. 

“Only a little,” I admitted. “I’m going to need you to move the towel, though. Don’t worry, I can’t see anything.” Hestia blushed, but nodded, setting the damp towel to the side. With careful movement, I began to scrub at her stomach. I probably could see her breasts if I leaned forward some, but I didn’t. When I saw Hestia’s breasts, I wanted it to be a full-on view, not a top-down peek. 

I scrubbed her stomach, my reach inching higher until my hand scraped the underside of her breast. Hestia sucked in a breath, I quickly moved on, my touch not lingering. I shifted my arm, going in at a downward angle, and this time I really did touch her breast by accident. My forearm scraped against a pebbled nipple, her breath hitching again as she rubbed her thighs together. 

I dunked the cloth in the water as I leaned in, “are you sure you don’t want me to clean higher? It’ll be best for the massage,” I added, giving her a reason to say yes. I’ve learned, despite living less than two decades, that people will say yes to things they never would have imagined if they’re horny enough. From stupid to sad to pathetic to flat out self-destructive. 

And Hestia had absolutely no tolerance for pleasure. She had her first orgasm last night. If she ever masturbated, she never did it well. An intimate act like bathing each other, teasing around her vagina and breasts? 

“W-Well, if it’s for the massage...I wouldn’t want you to waste the money you spent on me…” Hestia said, finding justifications for something that she wanted. I didn’t respond, simply flattening out the towel as I pressed it against her stomach, then traveled up. I cupped one of her breasts in my hand, making her moan. When my hand began to slip upwards towards her nipple, she practically melted. 

Hestia slumped against me, getting soap suds over my tank top, but I couldn’t care less as I groped her boob. I teased her hardened nipple between my fingers, pinching it ever so slightly. She might not even need the oil, Hestia was already proving to be exceptionally sensitive. As I moved my hand to the other breast, my thumb dragged across it, her head rolled back as she moaned my name. 

Shoving the caveman part of my brain that told me to take my dick out and fuck her, I took my time to caress her other breast, teasing and tugging at her other nipple just as much as I did the first. Minutes ticked by, the room filled with the sweet sounds of Hestia losing her mind as I switched between her breasts. They grew higher in pitch, her pants began gasps -- I probably knew what was about to happen long before Hestia did. 

Her hips jerked as she came, cum splattering out on the stool, as she went completely boneless in my arms. She moaned senselessly, trembling against me as I continued to drag out her pleasure by playing with her nipples. As much as I wanted to claim credit for being that good, I knew it was because Hestia’s natural sensitivity. And maybe my Massage skill was more broad in its purposes than the name let on. 

I held her until she calmed down, her breathing evened out and she stopped trembling like a leaf. When she did, I leaned down and whispered, “are you ready for the massage my goddess?” I asked, making her shiver. She looked up at me, her expression telling me that she had completely forgotten about the massage. “First, we need to wash you off. Now, close your eyes…”

After gently dumping the bucket of warm water over her, I grabbed a towel that I liberated from the Guildhall and began drying her. “Actually, I think I made some pretty good gains in the Dungeon. If we update my Status, that could make the massage feel even better.”

“Even better?” Hestia echoed, her mind still apparently recovering from the orgasm, sounding like she could hardly believe such a thing. She blinked slowly at me, then nodding shallowly. “I...I can do it here. Just...turn around please,” Hestia said, her voice soft. I made sure she wasn’t going to fall over or anything, I turned around to fetch a needle and piece of paper. 

Sitting down while she sat on the stool, I felt her update my status-

“KISSING?!” Hestia screamed so suddenly I nearly jumped to my feet, my heart nearly coming out of my throat. Then it plunged down to my stomach when I realized that wasn’t an offer. I got a Skill, didn’t I? “WHY DO YOU HAVE A KISSING SKILL?!” Hestia yelled loud enough she could have deafened me. 

“I…” I should tell the truth. But that would lead to other questions and those answers would lead somewhere that didn’t end with my hands on her body as she came while moaning my name. People did stupid things when they were horny enough, and I was no exception. I couldn’t lie and I sure as hell couldn’t tell her the truth...but...I could tell her a version of it. “I picked up the oils and stuff in the redlight district- please, let me continue,” I interrupted when I heard her suck in a deep breath to do more yelling. “And...well...the Amazons...well, they liked me. A lot.”

“YOu…” Hestia started, falling silent. “Oh.”

“I asked for some advice on where to find massage oils, and when I offered to pay for it, she said that she didn’t want money. She wanted me,” I explained, feeling Hestia rest her hands on my back. “They were groping me already by that time, and I’m pretty sure they were adventurers, and then one of them kissed me.” All technically true. 

“I’m sorry,” Hestia said, using the voice I was rapidly associating with her getting teary-eyed. “I-I shouldn’t have yelled, I should have-”

I’m such a fucking asshole. I felt bad about that. I really, really, really did. Just...not enough to not be one, apparently. 

I shook my head, “I should have mentioned it to start with. Plus, it does look kinda shady.” I admitted, reaching back with a hand to take one of hers to give it a reassuring squeeze. 

“No, I’m sorry.” Hestia refuted strongly, squeezing my hand. “I should have asked for an explanation instead of start yelling at you. I should have trusted you,” she stated, peeling the piece of paper off my back. “I promise I won’t make that mistake again.”

Fuuuuuuuuck...

“...I know sometimes you think you aren’t a very good goddess, and you aren’t. You’re a great one, Hestia.” I said, wishing I could turn around to hug- oh, no Hestia threw herself at my back, pressing her bare breasts against me. I could feel her rock hard nipples against my back, her cheek against my spine. 

Gently, careful not to ruin the moment, I stole a glance at my Status. 

Jericho

Level: 1

Progress to level 2: 6,683/1,000,000

Strength: 11 

Endurance: 30

Dexterity: 24 

Intelligence: 4 

Sense: 19

Development Abilities:

Physical Resistance: The user receives 3% less damage. Effectiveness is determined by the Endurance stat. 

Skills:

Gamer Body: The user’s body is that of a video game.

Massage: Skilled hands make targets tension and exhaustion melt away. Effectiveness is determined by Dexterity and Strength stat.

Kissing: An intimate act between lovers that, if done well, can bring pleasure to the target. Effectiveness is determined by the Dexterity and Sense stat. 

How did I get so much exp- the guy I killed. It had to be. I killed plenty of monsters today, but nowhere near enough to get around 5,000 exp, rounding up. That...I was going to think about later when the lion’s share of blood wasn’t residing in my dick. 

“It’s okay, there’s nothing to forgive, Hestia. Let’s just move on to your massage,” I said, gently moving away from her. She let me, covering her breasts with an arm and closing her legs to preserve her modesty. 

“But,” she started to protest, still feeling somewhat dower. 

“Hestia, tonight, more than anything, I want you to enjoy yourself as much as you can. This? If I have my way, then this is just the start of your night,” I told her, placing a finger underneath her chin so she would look me in the eyes. Her blush really brought out how blue her eyes were. 

“I’m really lucky that you joined my familia,” she informed me, getting up. She walked over to the mattress, displaying her pale ass to me. It wasn’t as big as her breasts, but it complimented her figure perfectly. The gap between her thighs offered up the briefest view of a narrow slit before she laid down on the mattress, ass up. 

I...made a mistake. Hestia was a virgin goddess, but that didn’t make her naive. I overplayed my hand. Of course, I did -- I lost myself playing with her boobs. There was no way that was an accident when I fondled them for minutes. However, instead of giving me a rightfully deserved slap in the face, Hestia chose to continue. Now it was a question of how far she was willing to continue. 

“I’m the lucky one, my goddess,” I told her, grabbing the massage oil and uncapping it. There wasn’t a whole lot in there, despite the price tag, but hopefully, it would work as advertised. Hestia shivered when I said her pet name, then again when the oil dripped down her back, a few droplets landing on her butt, then a few on her legs all the way down to her feet. 

Then I started to rub it in. Despite wanting to delve right into it, I started with her back, working the oil into her skin. Despite her willingness to continue, I felt how tense she was. A blush colored her cream flesh a deep red, probably very aware of her nudity. 

“How does it feel, my goddess? Does it feel any better than it did yesterday?” I asked, starting to spread the oil on her other half, giving her skin a glossy sheen. I skipped her butt, for now. Judging from the amount of arousal leaking from her, her switch was still flipped, but she needed to relax first. 

“Yesss…” Hestia moaned so deeply I nearly started laughing. I massaged her feet, working my way up her calves and then higher like I did yesterday. “It, I don’t know how to describe it, but it feels soooo goood.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear,” I told her, my hands tracing up her thighs before zeroing in on her butt. I started on the outer edges before slowly working my way in, leaving no mistake that it was purely intentional. A ragged breath escaped Hestia when her entire butt was covered in oil, letting me massage it in. “I want you to relax. Forget about today, and just focus on what you’re feeling right now. 

“I can doo that,” Hestia groaned, turning her head to the side so I could see the glazed over look in her eyes, completely lost in a sea of pleasure. I rubbed her inner thigh, going up towards her vagina, and teasing around it without touching the narrow slit that wept arousal, her labia puffy and red, opening up ever so slightly to reveal her pink inner lips. 

I drug out her anticipation, constantly going near her vagina without ever touching it. I felt her twitch underneath my ministrations, seeking the pleasure that would send her over the edge again. Her breathing became ragged, lifting her hips off the mat to give me better access that I didn’t use, tempting me. Even better, I doubt she realized she was doing it. 

I thought about edging her, denying her the orgasm she so desired to make her more desperate, but I couldn’t do it. Hestia looked a mess, her groin soaked with oil and arousal, her eyes glazed over while her face was flushed. I couldn’t not send her over the edge. I drug a thumb over her clit, making her hips buck upwards as she came. And she came hard. 

“Hngh,” Hestia tried to keep her moans in as quim erupted from her. It came out with less explosive force than her first orgasm, but it still soaked her lower half, droplets running down her oiled skin, shook off by her trembling legs. As much as she tried, she couldn’t keep down her sweet moans as waves of pleasure crashed over her. 

I traced her spine throughout her orgasm, watching her tremble like a leaf for the second time tonight. This time I got a much better view of her face as it twisted, her mouth slack as her eyelids butterflied open and closed. 

“Now…,” I said, a hand dipping lower to caress her ass. “Time for the front half.”

It took Hestia a moment to formulate words, an expression of incomprehension on her face. “There’s more?” She asked breathlessly, 

“Tonight ends when you’re a puddle of goo, my goddess,” I informed, gently flipping her over with her consent. Instantly, my eyes were drawn to her breasts. Large full breasts capped with a small hard light pink nipple. Even laying down, her breasts perked upwards, displaying their firmness for me to see. 

“You’re staring,” Hestia informed, mumbling shyly as she looked anywhere but at me. Her embarrassed expression torn between seeming meek and pleased. 

“I couldn’t help myself, my goddess,” I told her honestly, pouring more oil on her front half. “You’re too beautiful for me not to stare.” I started to rub in the oil on her surprisingly firm stomach, leaving her breasts for last. Her groin was devoid of a single hair, a small cleft between her legs marking her vagina, the sensitive button of ecstasy free of its protective hood. 

“I’m not as beautiful as Freya,” Hestia pointed out, calming down somewhat now that I resumed massaging her legs. 

“You’re much more beautiful than Freya,” I argued, my hands gliding over her smooth oiled skin. “She might be a goddess of love and fertility, but I don’t think she knows what love is. Love isn’t like the wind that blows one way, then another, leaving a trail of broken hearts in its wake. Love is a rock that moves for nothing and no one. Against reason, logic or reality -- true love will stay in face of it all with a person until their dying day.”

I’m not sure who I just ripped that speech off, but I sent them a silent thank you. 

I massaged her stomach, meeting Hestia’s enraptured gaze, “Freya might be beautiful physically, but she’s all ugly on the inside. You, on the other hand...you’re even more beautiful on the inside than you are on the outside. And you are drop-dead gorgeous,” I told her, seeing her bottom lip quivering again. 

“Jericho, I...I want to...uh...your...your Skill! I, we, should…” Hestia fumbled with her words, her face going bright red until I was sure steam was about to erupt from her ears. Still, I knew what she was trying to say. 

“Hm,” I started, my hands closing in on her breasts. “I want to kiss you Hestia, and it’s not to test my new Skill,” I told her. Her eyes went wide, her lips parting to say something, whatever it was, it was lost to time when I sealed my lips over hers. Unlike before, it wasn’t a battle of tongues for dominance. It was a sweet, chaste kiss -- perfect for Hestia. 

My hands enveloped her breasts as we kissed, Hestia grabbed my shoulders to bring me in closer, which I obliged. She moaned into my mouth as I tweaked her nipples, without the cloth I felt just how firm they were. I rolled one between my fingers as I thumbed the other back and forth. Hestia’s hips bucked again beneath me -- this time it wasn’t a physical high that made her cum, but an emotional one. 

She squirmed underneath me, her mouth opening wider to moan. I licked her bottom lip, tasting… salt and jagamarukuns. It was so fitting that I nearly laughed into her mouth. I felt her smile in response to mine, even as she shivered like she was freezing. Slowly, reluctantly, I pulled back, Hestia trying to keep her lips on mine until she couldn’t anymore. 

“Wow,” Hestia murmured, leaning into my touch when I reached up to caress her face, uncaring of the oils still on my fingers. 

“That’s my line,” I told her, going back down to press a featherlight kiss to her waiting lips. Hestia hummed in appreciation, copying my movements. She was a quick study. Cautiously, she licked my bottom lip like I had done to her, prompting me to open my mouth a little more. To my surprise, she slipped her tongue into my mouth. She didn’t explore, I could feel her hesitation as she gently prodded her tongue against mine. 

I resisted the urge to dominate the kiss, to blow her mind to smithereens. Instead, I gently prodded her tongue back, letting her explore my mouth at her own pace. We kissed for some time, before this time, it was Hestia that pulled back. Her usually pale lips were red and swollen, it took everything that I had to not lean down and capture her lips in mine again. 

“Jericho...are...we...going to…?” Hestia asked, unable to look anywhere but at my face now. I felt myself stir at the question, my cock doing its absolute best to rip through my pants to answer the question for me. I would be a liar if I said I didn’t want to give in, to take out my dick and wrap Hestia around it. 

But...this wasn’t how I wanted to take her virginity. She was a goddess. My goddess. She deserved better than to lose her first time in a hovel, on a massage mat, after a long day of work. 

“Not tonight,” I answered, pulling off her, smirking slightly as she ran her hands down my chest as I did so. “The first time we make love, I promise you it’s going to be something special.” With my decision made, I grabbed a clean towel from a warm bucket of water that I set earlier to clean up the aftermath. 

"Making love. I like that," Hestia said with a smile bright enough it illuminated the dark room we lived in. I started to wipe down her body to get the oil off, fidgeting a little when I wiped down her breasts first. They really everything I hoped they'd be. "Have you ever…?"

"I have," I answered, wiping down her legs. 

"Oh," Hestia said, disappointed. I offered her a smile as I moved on to her other leg. 

"I think it might be for the best," I told her, lifting one leg to rest on my hip as I cleaned the bottom half. "There's rarely any pleasure during a girl's first time. Especially when the guys a virgin too. This way, when we do make love, it'll be nothing but ecstasy, my goddess." 

Hestia blushed down to her toes. "You know what calling me that does," she accused, her eyes closing as I began to clean her butt of oil.

"Does my goddess want me to stop?" I asked, watching her nether lips twitch at the pet name. The answer was obvious. 

"No, I don't," Hestia replied, obediently sitting up so I could clean her back. "I like it." 

"I like it too," I admitted, now drying her off. This time I simply cleaned her, my hands lingering nowhere. Well, not for long. "now, are you ready for the final part?" 

"There's more?" Hestia exclaimed, her eyes dipping down to my cock. I wish that what came next, but it was too late to backtrack now. 

"I noticed how you always sleep in your dresses," I told her, grabbing a bag and holding it out for her to take. "I thought you might like this since it would be a little more comfortable." 

Hestia reached in, pulling out a white silk nightdress lined with soft blue fur around the edges. Hooked underneath was a connected string that could be called underwear if your standards were low enough. "I love it! Let me- whoa," she said, starting to get up but her legs failed to support her.

Every man dreams of this moment. I made Hestia cum so hard that she couldn't stand. 

"Let me," I said, taking the top from her and pulling it overhead. Hestia slipped her head through, marveling at the texture with childlike joy. I underestimated her breast size, they pulled up the front of the nightie to show off her flat stomach. Then I grabbed the thong, making Hestia fall silent as I began to slid it upwards. 

"Its-!" She started to protest when it slipped between her buttcheeks.

"I can't speak from experience, but I've heard that once you get used to it's a lot more comfortable than wearing panties," I explained. Hestia looked uncertain, shifting her hips to get used to it. "Do you like it?" 

"I love it," Hestia repeated, wrapping her arms around me. "It's perfect."

"Glad to hear it. And now it's time for bed," I said, picking her up bridal style and carrying her to the bed. Setting her down, I hesitated going to the couch, but a hand pulling me forward gave me permission to get into bed with her. I settled in next to her, looking over at Hestia to see she was giving me bedroom eyes. 

With no other choice, I picked her up and deposited her on top of me. Hestia sighed with contentment, settling in as I pulled the blanket over both of us, leaving my feet and shins exposed. 

"Goodnight."