Shadow of the Abyss

Chapter 82: Battle Prowess

That night, when the day had ended and the sun had lost its luster, revealing the pale moon, Altair silently laid over his bed with his chest bare, more tired than ever. Ever since he got the Fallen Moon Imperfection, Altair had found himself sleeping more often than he liked.

Sleep had always been something he'd found to be a waste of time, now more so that he stood in the lion's dead of assassins, soldiers, and mercenaries. But sleep was near despite protest. Yet he didn't mind it, not today, as Ren rested her head on his chest.

She felt warm. And despite Altair finding the night air unbearably hotter than before, he found himself craving her warmth.

"I miss the hundred feet of snow, Ren. I miss the winter winds cutting through my hair." He said, within the darkness, looking up. "It's hot. Earth is so unbearably hot." He glanced at her, looking back up with her silly smile.

"You could always go back. The Mana there is vastly more abundant," Ren replied, unsure when he had surpassed her in height. It was as if he woke up a few heads taller than her. His voice was even an edge deeper.

"It takes far too much, Mana. Last time Big sis helped me." He muttered, yawning. "Plus… I don't want to push my body until I have adapted to the Fallen Moon Imperfection." And his voice dropped a few octaves, almost to a whisper. "Plus, that realm doesn't have this bed."

Ren giggled and inched closer, glancing down into the darkness to the tent below her Prince's waist, twitching. She gulped and picked herself up only to fall over her Prince, mounting him just above his waist. She pressed her head to his chest and nodded. "This is better, right?" she asked him, nervously nibbling on her lips. Unsure what she was even doing.

She had fought so hard to get away the other night, and now... Now... she didn't know.

"Y… Yes." Altair softly strained, feeling her fiery heat between her legs weighing him down.

"Good," Ren giggled in relief, masking her cunning grin with a laugh. "I…"

The door shuddered with a boom, and Ren nearly popped up as a voice echoed. " Altair… Are you awake?"

'Ah~'

"Lieutenant Commander?" The Prince said, gripping Ren so tight her cheeks grew even redder as he felt the throbbing of his Warhammer stirred the moment he pulled himself up.

"Yes. It's me. Get dress. Your services are needed. And bring that pup of yours." The  Lieutenant Commander said from outside.

Seething a breath of fresh air, Altair stared down at the flush Ren and misty eyes. He gritted his teeth before gently placing her on the other side of the bed as he stood up to get dressed.

When he was done, Altair shone fitted in his snow-white uniform. He turned to the dazed Ren.

"Ren?"

"Ah! Yes." Polymorphing into a small pup, Ren lept up the boy's shoulder and head.

He opened the door, catching sight of the shriveled thing of flesh and bones. "Good. We've much to do. First, the physical."

Altair fastened the two lasting buttons on his collar. " I thought you did it when I was unconscious."

"Coma patients aren't very telling." She said, with haste in her step, exiting the halls to the outside, east to the medical center. "How have you been feeling? Any fainting or blood in your pee or stool? It would look black if you don't know."

"No." The Prince said without batting an eye.

"Good. I was worried. I didn't release you to work like you did two days ago." So Ho added, stepping through the automatic doors of her medical bay. She rushed to her office, herding Altair through, and said. "Drop your pants and give me a cough when I tell you."

By the time she was done speaking, the Lieutenant Commander fitted herself with thin, transparent plastic gloves.

Altair eyes went wide. "Surely you—"

"Drop 'em, boy. It's called a physical." She said, annoyed. " Look at me. Do you think I'm interested in a boy still fresh from his mother's tit?"

[Divine Being, She Who Hunts' snickers]

[Divine Being, Luscious Red, Peeps her eyes open.]

[Divine Being, 'Impregnate Me' has brought out her ruler.]

[Divine Sin, Daddy, demand you act like a man and drop your pants!]

'Bastards.' He cursed inwardly, glancing up at Ren looking down, and his shame only grew.

"Privacy Mood!" Altair shouted, denying access to the Gods watching.

[You've entered Privacy Mode. No God can watch your feed through the Origin System.]

Spry laughter few from the Lieutenant Commander and fell as she watched Altair's artillery. " Well… you don't have anything to worry about. That's for sure." She said. "That's a wet dream for many women out there. A nightmare for a few, too." She cupped his jewels and gave them a gentle squeeze. " Cough for me."

Altair did.

"Good. Now, how many times do you masturbate?" So Ho asked, filling out her chart, while Altair attempted to hide his manhood behind his hands.

"Master what? What's that?"

She glanced up at him, a little taken back. "Based on your hormonal levels, I'd have assumed puberty started. Has your penis not gotten hard?" Noticing no answer, she smirked. " A kid naive as you is rare. Wow. Well, look it up.

That's what most of the kids these days do anyway. Oh, and you can pull up your pants."

The ashamed Prince did as he was told, gritting his teeth, knowing Ren was watching his every action, listening as her eyes remained glued to him. It had caused the embarrassment to permeate his very bones, knowing she had witnessed everything.

So-Ho did a few more tests, taking a few hours, before she nodded at the results. And she reached into her pocket for a small grey collar. " This is for Ren. All pets need to be marked."

Taking the collar, Altair traced his fingers over that read, "Property of Altair."  and smiled, turning to her. There had been something about those words that made him joyous. He would own her, he thought, finding the thought more exciting. He felt the blood rush to his lower half.

Ren, too, felt it, and she could not deny the idea excited her, for once again, He was claiming her, his, and his alone.

Ren said nothing as he wrapped the collar around her neck but raised her head with pride in her belly; her tail began to wag.

"Good. Now, follow me so that we might begin." Leading the way outside the medical center to the simulation room, abuzz with life despite the late hour. The simulation room was filled with the new recruits, some of whom neither Altair nor Ren recognized.

"Damn it. I came late because I thought this place was going to be empty." the Lieutenant Commander griped. "Clear the way! Make way!" she soon said, dashing through the crowds of soldiers. "Under orders of the Admiral Darkfire, Make way!"

A path was quick to form at the mention of the admiral's name. There had been many rumors about her. Vaiga Darkfire was many things: lazy, easygoing, and forgiving, but she was meticulous when she needed to be and ruthless when the situation demanded. And many had seen it firsthand. The cruelty with which she carried out punishment.

As the path formed, many began to stop in their training, shifting their focus to So-Ho, pointed towards the large platform ahead. "Stand there and kill whatever appears," she said, making her way up the stairs to the control room.

Heeding her words, Altair made for the platform of dark iron silver. He recalled its work from yesterday, between the goblins and recruits.

"Ren?" He called to her to leave, but the little pup shook her head and slouched on his hair. Stubborn to a fault.  But did not mind, whether it be her human form or this one. Ren had always felt as light as a feather.

Shhhhhhh~

Listening to the low hum of power, the ground beneath Altair's feet trembled with the rustle of Mana building up. And in but a few heartbeats, Altair saw a flicker, and before long, the flicker began to grow until a group of seven goblins appeared.

Grey, grotesque little things that carried long, scrawny arms and legs, wielding clubs, daggers, shields, and swords, gibbering in a strange language.

For a moment, Altair stood there amused as his left eye twinkled and as they were just made aware of his presence. The Seven goblins squealed. And began to charge, flailing their weapons with wild abandon. And yet Altair could not even be bothered to dodge, unable to perceive even a sliver of danger.

He carefully watched as a wave-like ripple pooled the space around him with each attack of their weapons, shielding him from harm.

'So this is the Fallen Moon Imperfection Physique.' he thought, mystified by the strange force protecting him. And yet he felt no source of power in which it came from.

"How peculiar." He mused, intrigued so much that he forgot where he stood.

Chop!

When his palm slashed out, cutting across the air like a knife, he parted the goblin skull like the shell of a hard taco. The small grey creature's eyes rolled to the back of its head and dropped like a broken toy without strings.

Chop! Chop! Chop! Chop! Chop! Chop!

Clearing the field at a blinding pace as the crowd of onlookers watched, aghast. Altair grinned as the chime of the system entered his ear.

[Goblin(Illustion) Felled. Exp Gained.]

[Goblin(Illustion) Felled. Exp Gained.]

[Goblin(Illustion) Felled. Exp Gained.]

Altair smirked. "Free Exp! I'm coming here every day," he said, dusting his clean hand, observing how the Goblins turned to ephemeral glimmers before vanishing, and in their absence, another set of goblins emerged. This time larger, bearing large, thick muscular legs and arms and chests. They stood like men, bearing sharp edges.

And once more, they charged at the Prince with nearly twice the ferocity, cutting and piercing and bashing their weapons over him. But as if they struck the water, space rippled around the Prince.

He darkly grinned. "They said resistance… but this is practical immunity.' he silently mused, with a laugh, and began his slaughter.

[Goblin(Illustion) Felled. Exp Gained.]

Read first on mvlemp-yr.

[Goblin(Illustion) Felled. Exp Gained.]

[Goblin(Illustion) Felled. Exp Gained.]

For over ten minutes, Altair stood still, tanking the various goblins summoned, pushing himself to see his limit, failing each time to grasp his current power level until the Luitenetn commander spoke through the intercom.

"We are going to conjure Tier 2 monsters now."

Altair welcomed the challenge when he suddenly crouched to a knee when the flash of a sword arc cut across where his head was. The image of someone's knee flashed through Altair's eye as he propelled his arms forward, blocking the blow.

Water-like ripples stirred violently through the confines of space as Altair was forced back dozens of meters. Uninjured.

He frowned, glaring at his foe with malice at the sudden attack. A cold, spilled presence willed into the air like the crackle of a whip, bearing down on the many soldiers.

"This'll take forever. Lieutenant commander, let me have a go, a tall, blonde-headed man shouted. His blue eyes narrowed with the ferocity of a lion.

[Name: John Duvel

Age: 25

Mana Circle:[Third  Circle 46%]

Race: Human

Class: [Soldier LV 25], [Shield Knight Lv 11]

Strength: 50

Dexterity: 20

Constitution: 39

Wisdom: 13

Charisma: 7

Mana:15

Passives Skills: Swordsmanship(E), Mana Manipulation(F), (Shield(E), Regeneration (F), React(F)

Active Skills: Arc Blade(E), Herculean Strenght(F)

'What an unbalanced foe,' Altair thought, smilingly staring at Johns's low Charisma. He pondered if crushing him beneath his presence was worth it. To make him be made to bow before him.

"Warrant Officer, John Duvel, " John introduced, stepping in an arc around the boy with a measured gleam in his blue eyes. "Remember it for the man who defeats you."

When Altair rolled his shoulders, he couldn't help but chuckle at how undisturbed he felt. The blow he blocked was well over the bounds his body could take. Yet he tanked such a blow without injury.

Had the blow landed, Altair suspected all he would have gained would have been a bloodied nose. And to that, he rejoiced.

"Hey Ren… Let's eat steak tonight. "

"AWOOOO~"

And Altair charged, in a surprise portrayal of dexterity, before John could draw his shield from his back. John slashed his sword towards Altair's chest, but the boy was too quick as he ducked beneath John's sword. His palm was already slapping across John's chest.

Boom!

The blow came quickly without indecision, deafening the room with a mighty pop at the impact, pushing John away in a tumble. By the time John had caught himself, Altair's foot whipped across his face, knocking the teeth out his mouth as Mana pooled off Altair's foot.

Again, John was blasted away, tumbling to the ground with a thud.

The Prince approached with slow, steady steps. "You are slow, and your sword strokes make it very easy to read. Were we of matching swordsmanship, perhaps this battle might have been harder, but…  As it stands. You are out of your league." He said, opening his palm as a horrid force began to pool. Throbbing with a pulse that sent shivers down even the strongest of men present.

Altair grinned and drew on the Power of the Vale.