-McCully Quinn (Vine)

After another run of a level 10 dungeon - this one against Orcs, because John was feeling just a little cliché with their constant D&D race line-ups when working alongside the Slayer - John had risen up to level 6 and was feeling pretty good, overall. Lerianna's brutal power was even greater than he could have imagined; though her physique showed strength in all areas and not just her lower body, every time she kicked one of their foes, John genuinely felt a bit sorry for them. Even at level 17, John was pretty sure every one of her blows was almost as powerful as Seras' insane vampire strength, and her legwork put every ounce of momentum and **** behind each blow before it landed.

So they went back to farming golems. The first dungeon went outstandingly; much like his own blade, Kim's sliced through the stone of their enemies nearly as easily as flesh, and her form changed to match the oversized foes in a way that almost mirrored the Nekos, landing on outstretched limbs or **** spots moments before cleaving them apart.

Still, one thing frustrated him - after all their work, John finally caught a break on drops… and came up just two short of being able to forge the stone that would offer others a way into his world. He wanted - no, needed another run, but doing so would reduce Kim's experience gain from the completion bonuses. Kim couldn't actually see the pop-ups to know that John was cutting her experience gain in half the second time, but he decided to trust her. She certainly wasn't happy that he was cutting down on what she perceived as the useful part of the training, of course, but she didn't immediately say no.

"And what purpose is so important for you to cut your rate of improvement by half?" Kim asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, all that information you acquired about me? I'm guessing something in there mentioned another world."

"Another… world? We have information regarding a permanent barrier, yes, if that is what you are referring to. One no other has been able to break into."

"Yeah, that," John nodded, trying to remember how everyone else referred to his little private space. "Well, like you said, nobody else can get in. I want to give Tricia a way in and out, something to give her a safe place like I have, so that way she doesn't feel trapped in the Order mansion. I offered to let her come anyway, but she said it would feel too much like trading one cage for another - she wants to feel like she has some kind of control. After all that she's been through… I want to give that to her."

"You would break the walls of an impenetrable fortress?" Kim asked, her face displaying unhidden shock. "Most of the Abyss has spent centuries trying to create a place like that which you possess… you seek only to destroy it. I pray your naivety lasts a lifetime, John Newman."

"Er… thank you?" John said, though he felt anything but praised.

"If that is what you wish, I will aid you, since I owe you greatly for this second chance. But keep your goodwill and mercy well-maintained, John. Let either grow too abundantly and you will be punished."

It was honestly a better reaction than he'd anticipated from the very blunt, very pragmatic Slayer. John threw them into another dungeon run and was thrilled to find that two of the first seven golems they slew dropped the pebbles he was looking for - he even got two more on their way out, one from the boss itself! Though he still needed to actually forge the item, John could finally fight something more entertaining than those stone monstrosities.

"All done," John said with a grin as the Barrier faded around them. "That's the last of what I needed. We can go back to regular training now."

"I think we should only do one more dungeon, lest we grow weary. Then we can celebrate with your newfound wine. Make it a powerful one, John Newman, and we can end our training with deep satisfaction."

"Hell yes!" Lerianna shouted. "I like this girl, Newman. You should make more friends like this."

"Well, I can certainly respect your fighting spirit…" Kim noted, raising an eyebrow at Lerianna as the bunny-woman pumped her fist in excitement.

"Let's put it to use." John grinned, bringing up his dungeon menu. He cranked the level meter until it hit 16, and let the world fade around them as a small army of undead skeletons and zombies began to rise from the ground within his Barrier.

"Seriously? A fat zombie? You'd think Gaia could get a little more creative with her mini-bosses," John groaned as the bloated corpse fell to the ground, in what would have been several pieces were its layers of flesh not so thick that even Kim's expert swordsmanship could not reach entirely through it. Instead, it was simply a bloody heap, decaying before it was even technically slain and just as gross alive as it now was dead.

"I would highly recommend that you consider ceasing your blasphemy and disparaging of the Goddess who created all of existence," Kim chastised, shaking her head. "Unless of course you wish for ****, in which case I can recommend far faster and less painful methods."

"Look I've been questioning the choices of whoever gave me these powers for weeks now," John said, rolling his eyes for emphasis. "If they wanted me to be more reverent of their powers-"

Achievement Unlocked!
Fuck your Stats: You've pissed off the Goddess of Creation. Hope you didn't need those pesky little stat points.
Rewards: -99% All Stats

"-she right, me wrong, no dumb, please," John groaned, feeling a nauseating tidal wave pass over him as he nearly fell to his knees. "Me sorry."

Achievement Unlocked!
A Hard Lesson: Never forget this moment. If you think I can't do it in the middle of combat, you are sorely - and fatally - mistaken.
Rewards: Stats fully restored.

"D-did Gaia just take away your abilities and reduced you to a sputtering mess of stupidity and damnation? On a personal scale?!" Kim said, gasping. "I was merely suggesting that the hands of fate might turn against you!"

"She is… apparently quite offended by me implying she lacks creativity…" John said, biting his tongue as a half-dozen retorts came to his mind and then were immediately denied when he realized what had just happened, and what could easily happen again. "She usually doesn't do something direct like that."

"The fact that she touches your life so directly, so casually… I hope one day you can understand how special you are, John Newman. Sometimes it seems as if the universe moves entirely around you, and you are growing more worthy of that praise."

"I don't know about all that; I'm still working on whatever the magical equivalent of tying your shoes is in a lot of regards…" John mumbled, a bit embarrassed at the tone and praise of the woman.

"Now… we were going to celebrate our continued alliance. Would you mind if I created the Barrier for us to do so in?" Kim asked, eyes locked to John's with… was that shyness?

"Uh, sure. Are we going to do it in a Barrier, though? I figured we'd just hang out here and do a little wine tasting…"

"I have something I need to tell you, John, and I would prefer to have that conversation in a more private area. In fact…" Kim's eyes fell to Lerianna, and she actually appeared vaguely embarrassed for just a moment.

"Would you mind waiting here?"

"No need," John said, shrugging. "I can actually just send her back."

"Fine, I didn't wanna try the wine anyway."

"Don't worry, I wasn't going to send you home empty-handed," John said with a chuckle, pulling out a bottle of the Elven Wine. He offered it to Lerianna, but the long-eared woman actually took a physical step back and held up her hands to prevent John from giving it to her, perhaps the only time in her short life John had seen her look almost afraid.

"I said I don't want it, geez!" Lerianna said, eyes still locked on the bottle. John quirked his head a little in confusion, having assumed the rabbit girl was just being coy with him… but she genuinely didn't seem to want the wine anywhere near her.

"Okay, I was still going to have you bring a bottle back for the others, but they can wait. It probably won't be too long before we come back; let everyone know training went well."

"Fine, I guess I can do that much," Lerianna said, finally breaking her gaze away when the bottle disappeared into John's inventory again.

"Oh, and Lerianna?" John said as he stepped a little closer. The muscular brawler glanced at him again, her haughtiness re-appearing. For a moment, anyway.

"You did a really good job today. I'm proud of you."

John patted Lerianna on the head gently, tousling her hair. Her face flushed with a deep red just a moment before she disappeared, mouth already open in what would've surely been a particularly energetic cry that John was now sorry he was going to miss.

"Alright, now how about that… 'private conversation'?" John asked, turning back toward Kim.