Frey levels up.

It was a bit late when I got back home, at least for when the next day is a school day. Mom was ready for bed and was only waiting for me to get back. Isabelle seemed to be working again on her laptop, so I warned her against staying up too late.

I almost forgot to answer Thomas’ message from that afternoon. I didn’t have plans for the next day, so I replied saying I was free to hang out before I dropped on my bed.

The mix of satisfaction and mental exhaustion made it so sleep got me quickly that night. I felt my consciousness drift away bit by bit until it was gone, then slowly come back to me with a familiar sense of lightheadedness.

I sat up on my bed, turned my head to the side and saw the shadowing figure of Frey there, energetically shadowboxing. She was throwing jabs, waving her upper body and finishing whatever fight she was on with an uppercut before raising her arms in triumph.

“Oh YEAH! I’ve never felt this GOOD! I’m invincible, I tell you! Invincible!”

“What’s gotten into you?” I asked her, just a little creeped out. My tone didn’t damper her mood in the slightest.

“You did it, boy! You seriously did it! I asked you to get at least one more girl to sleep with and you got TWO! I promise I won’t ever again question your patience because, by Inanna , it paid off!”

I blinked. “Wait. The feeling of accomplishment I got… Was it you?”

“Hm? Yeah, probably. I told you I grow stronger as you fulfill your heart’s desires, right? Well, you wanted these two girls and you got them just as you wanted them. No mind control, lies or tricks. Just pure, healthy lust! I swear, I could cry.”

“It really is all about sex, huh…”

I knew that. Like I said before, if my performance had been lackluster, none of the girls would be so eager to be with me. That being said… Could sex alone sustain a relationship? I’d talked about it with the girls before, and they agreed that, while important and certainly a factor, it wasn’t the be-all and end-all. And really, about 90% of the reason I had a crush on these girls before I talked to them was because they were ridiculously hot. I’d be a hypocrite to expect them to like me if I didn’t look good.

Frey sighed in frustration. “You can never be happy with anything, can you?”

“I am happy,” I argued. “I just… You know, question things.”

“Alright. You think it’s unfair that you have me as an advantage to get what you want, right?”

“A little, yes.”

“Do you think I’m the only supernatural being out there?”

“Eh?”

“I’m here, Oliver. In your head, giving you superhuman stamina, strength and sexual appeal and ability. Do you really think I’m the only being who can do stuff like this?”

“I… hadn’t thought about it.”

“I told you I’m weak compared to others of my kind. That means there are other spirits like me going around. How many and where, I can’t say, but I’m sure there are. There are undoubtedly at least two or three more spirits like me taking advantage of emotionally weak people and having them live lives of constant sex, likely being far less careful than you are, too, if I know my kind. And it’s not just sex, Oliver. You like music, right? Well, I can promise you that there are some spirits out there giving musical blessings to some people, and those are now being praised as geniuses as virtuosos. Maybe some phenomena aren't even sentient like me, but just a tool. The supernatural exists, Oliver. You can’t stop it, and you can’t stop people from taking whatever advantage they have to get what they want. There’s no shame in you doing the same.”

“...” Other spirits, other abilities like Frey out there? That was scary to think. People doing whatever they wanted with those powers… “There’s a line I won’t cross, though,” I told Frey, “and you know that.”

“And like I said, it’s been working, so you won’t hear me complain! You have five girls lusting over you just as hard as they want to share a cup of tea with you, and that’s to say they REALLY want to share a cup of tea with you.”

I couldn’t help the snicker.

“And now I’m super strong!” Frey flexed her thin, shadowy arms, which didn’t help her prove her point at all. “Remember how you wanted to help out your friend Thomas? Well, I think I can do that now. I might be able to make him a sub-contractor, give him a small part of my powers and feed off the sex he has. Best of all, I’m confident I can do it without you needing to fuck him to create the link.”

“Thank god…” I sighed in relief.

“And to make things even better, I still have energy to spare! I… don’t know how to do it yet, but we might be able to use it to do something useful.”

“Useful? Like what?”

“From the top of my head… Trying to create a sense of normality around the concept of this polyamorous relationship you have with the girls.”

My heart skipped a beat. “Y-You mean… We wouldn’t have to hide?”

“Yeah, and it would be an investment. You want to be able to be with them in public, and that is a wish that, when fulfilled, will also make me stronger. See how great a combo we make?”

“But you don’t know how to do it yet?”

Frey nodded. “Enchantments focused on one person are easy. Making you stronger, sexier, increasing your stamina… That I can do. But changing social perception of you and those linked to you is a far more difficult task.”

“Don’t you do something like that already? You know, using your aura to act like pheromones or something like that?”

“Yeah, and that’s the angle from which I think I have a better shot to make it work. It’ll take time, though, and… maybe a bit more energy.”

“Tell me when you have a plan. That’s something I want to make real.”

“Good! I like that attitude!” Frey cheered. “For now, I think making your friend Thomas a sub-contractor might give me the hints I need. So how about it? Should we go through with it?”

“I’m seeing him tomorrow.”

“Alright. Then Operation Himbo starts tomorrow after school!”

“We’re not calling it Operation Himbo.”

“You are just no fun…”

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