The 25th piece

-25th day of AC, 25.04.1052-

-Time: Early morning-

Aria's breath came in short gasps. With every movement of her plump hips, she ascended and descended atop Travis slowly, his shaft sliding in and out of her and making the woman release continuous moans. Her eyes were closed as she relished every last bit of pleasure surging within her. Her release came almost unexpectedly as she felt her man's rod jerk in her insides. With it came a momentary yelp.

Shuddering in pleasure, the white-haired Mage halted her movements in a sitting position. Gyrating her hips just a little right and left, she felt the man respond by thrusting his hips into her lightly. This, however, was all he did. Slowly parting her eyelids, Aria confirmed that his golden eyes scanned her naked body briefly before focusing on her face. A momentary question stirred within. She answered with a short, benign laugh.

"Gods..." she said between huffs. "I... *huff* never knew how good this was... haaah..." Aria's hands bent slightly, allowing the woman to lay down on Travis's chest. She cooed as his hand gently stroked her hair. Lifting her head a little, she pursued his lips with her own, giving the man a sloppy kiss.

"Feeling satisfied?"

"...yeah," she answered, slowly lifting herself. However, she stopped mid-motion as she felt the man's hand get a hold of her posterior while the other grasped at the back of her head. "Huh? What a-- ah!" she let out a yelp as the man suddenly lunged forward, changing their position. Within a few seconds, she was on her back, staring into the sky before Travis's face came into her view.

"I still can go on," he said, touching her red cheek with a caress. Almost as if to prove his point, he moved his hips back before slamming deep into Aria, earning a somewhat loud yelp of pleasure.

"W-Wait Travis, I just-- AH!" her voice was cut off by another motion from the man. Aria felt his cock splitting her insides, a newfound wave of pleasure shaking her from within. Her hands flailed, getting a hold of the duvet as she clenched her teeth, trying to not scream her soul out.

Travis moved slowly out before slamming down again, methodically pistoning into the small woman. Every squeal and gasp that made it out of her mouth informed him that she enjoyed it but was becoming more worn out - the multiple times she had come over the last fifteen minutes had a clear effect. Her eyes looked at him, but her gaze was almost absent-minded. The shiny emeralds appeared to barely hold her consciousness.

Aria's pussy clenched around him again. The walls of her insides massaged his entire length, the embrace both hot and wet. Travis continued his rhythm. Her body trembled beneath him, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. Her eyes fluttered shut as she let out a long, shuddering moan, her body rocketed by an orgasm.

Travis halted his movements for a long moment. Seeing the woman's spent form, he slowly exited her snatch, his cock standing proudly and glistening in her juices.

"Really had enough, didn't you?" he asked, a hand reaching the woman's stomach. With a gentle motion, he stroked her skin, feeling her barely react to the contact.

Aria's only response for some seconds was her gasps. Her hold of the duvet relented, the white of her knuckles fading away. Her eyes, full of joyful tears, parted as she located him. "How... *huff* do you... do that..." she formed a semi-question.

He chuckled in response, slowly sitting back. A long breath left his mouth. 'I guess this much Endurance does that.' he noted. The difference in numbers was clear. His stamina had undeniably dropped. Compared to Aria's spent form, however, it was almost nothing. 'The exercises themselves help as well.' his head bobbed lightly at the thought. Stats were the defining factor, but he could not dismiss how much the Daily Quests had helped him in managing what energy he had.

His head turned to Aria. The woman moved lightly, slowly ascending on her elbows. Her skin was sweaty, but the woman didn't care enough to wipe it away. Her eyes looked at him dreamily, her mind still not fully returned to her skull. Her lips curved in a soft yet somewhat sultry smile.

Then, Aria's eyes gazed down a little, noticing Travis's shaft still standing strong. Its glistening form seemed to wake the woman up from her afterglow. Her breathing slowly stabilized as she sat up completely.

"You... are still not done?" she asked, her eyes bouncing between his face and cock. Her tongue went out to wet her lips as she approached slowly.

"Not really," Travis shrugged. "Barely even felt it so far."

"W-What?" Aria's eyes widened. "I thought... you'd be spent..."

Travis chuckled in response. 'We did do it slowly, so I suppose that's also a cause.'

Aria, now on her knees in front of him, was still staring at his penis. Almost as though driven by an instinct, she reached out, grasping it lightly with her hand. Her jerking motion was slow and uncertain, but as she looked at him, they both understood that they agreed.

Shuffling closer, Aria lowered herself a little. Her hand rubbed Travis's length carefully, her motions speeding up. She studied his reactions, doing what she could to maximize the pleasure he felt. The man let out a low moan before stroking her head.

"How about you use your mouth?" he asked, almost teasingly.

Aria didn't hesitate - it was almost as if she was waiting for him to say it. Her mouth immediately parted and descended on his cock, taking it in. Her tongue quickly worked the head as she pushed on slowly.

Travis's eyes went wide. Just like the first time she'd done it, just what Aria did with her tongue - all the caressing and teasing, done with incredible precision and speed - was enough to almost send him over the edge the next moment. His body tensed slightly. His hand went to the woman's exposed ass. Grasping at her cheek, he squeezed his girlfriend's abundant posterior before his fingers lowered, reaching her pulsing cunt. Gently, he caressed her outer lips. Aria moaned in response, the vibrations low and intense.

Travis felt his cock throb more furiously over the next minute. After an additional thirty seconds, he felt his body shudder gently. Cum erupted from his rod. Aria clasped her mouth tighter, not letting a single drop leave. Her tongue still worked his length to the best of its ability as thick streams painted her mouth white.

Finally, the man shuddered for the final time. Aria, sensing that this was her occasion, backed off. As Travis's cock left her mouth, she swallowed audibly. That was followed by a series of shallow breaths before she leaned in to clean his cock with her tongue. A small, satisfied smile did not leave her mouth for one second of the activity.

...

-A few hours later-

[You have dealt 102 damage to the target.]

[206 experience has been acquired.]

[You have completely fulfilled your Daily Quest.]

[5 stat points have been awarded. 1 Runestone of ice has been awarded.]

Travis breathed out gradually, removing his blade from the collapsing beast. He turned to Aria watching his actions with scrutiny. The insight of her stare was hard to miss as she scanned him from top to bottom, searching for anything out of order. Almost as if reading his thoughts, she reached into a bag, pulling out a large bottle they had filled with water on the way.

Sheathing Thunder Blade, Travis accepted the bottle and took a long sip.

"Do you think we can make it to the next dungeon today?" he asked, looking to the sky. The nigh-clear expanse of blue seemed to forecast clear weather for today.

"Improbable," Aria shook her head. Glancing around, she appeared to already be pinpointing where they were. "Even if we do, it'll be evening or night already. Unless we want to camp inside the dungeon, I don't think we'll be raiding it, hmm?" her brow raised, seeking an answer.

"Alright," he nodded. "No need to rush, then," 'In the first place, I wouldn't expect her to be able to do a raid today. There are usually multiple days of rest between subsequent dungeons when hunting in groups. Getting worn out because of lacking rest would be catastrophic.'

Aria nodded with a smile. The gentle sway of her wide hips, as she took the lead, gave her an alluring look that could not be concealed by the long pants. Travis's heart beat slightly stronger before he matched her speed.

They ventured further through the forest. The thick treeline on either side of the two slowly gave way to an expansive plain that exposed a large hill they'd need to climb. In the sky, large birds flew, carried by the winds and searching for prey in the valleys that formed on either side. In the far distance, the nearest chain of mountain peaks was easily discernable.

Travis sighed quietly. Extending a hand to his side, he accepted the rewards from the Daily Quest. A small runestone appeared in his hand, its rugged surface adorned with a symbol reminiscent of a reverse triangle with a second line above its top. Much like the runestone of fire, its function was to transform any mana-based spells into the spell for the duration. Two things, however, piqued his attention.

'This one is much cheaper. Only 200 mana to use. On top of that, its durability is almost double that of runestone of fire.' he nodded to himself. 'But... how much does that actually save?'

He turned to Aria.

"Hey," he poked her shoulder.

"Hmm?" she focused on him, getting some hair out of her face.

"You know the Icicle spell, right? Do you recall how much it costs to use?"

"Currently, having had it maxed out, it's 18 points of mana," she replied almost instantly. "When I first received it, it was 25, I think. Why do you ask?"

"Well, this is a runestone that allows me to change any of my mana-based spells into Icicle of equal level," he showed the woman the item. "Since it doesn't change the cost of the initial spell, just the effect, I wondered how much I'd save."

"Any mana-based spell?"

"That's what it says. Runestone of fire did change my Mana Bolts into Fireballs, too."

"Hmm..."

"...is something the matter?" he asked, noticing the deeply thoughtful expression Aria wore. Her eyes barely focused on where they went, a hand on her chin as she lowered her gaze to just above her feet. Travis could imagine the multitude of thoughts brimming inside her skull.

"...can I... use it?"

Travis handed her the item immediately. Aria's brows knitted as she traced the stone's surface. With her other hand, she reached into a pocket of her light jacket, pulling out the runestone of smoke she had received from him before. Stopping in her tracks for a moment, the woman closed her eyes, gently rubbing both items as though she was trying to feel something that could not be discerned with one's sight.

"Interesting... they don't seem different bar the symbol," she commented absent-mindedly, slowly hiding the other stone. Suddenly, mana welled up, and an icicle formed in her freed-up hand. Aria's eyes widened. "...it... doesn't feel different from Icicle I'd use."

"Doesn't 'feel' different? What do you mean?"

The white-haired woman looked at him. The surprise in her eyes waned as she noticed his expectant stare. "Well... when you summon magic, it has a 'feeling' to it. It's challenging to express in words... just think about it like holding a rock. Every different spell has a consistent but unique feeling to it. Most people don't know about it because it's a thing that requires good sensibility to mana to detect."

'I think I know what she's talking about.' Travis thought back to Mana Bolt. Every time he summoned one of those projectiles, it was the same. There was a sensation of tranquility and purity emanating from that spell.

The woman's eyes traveled back to the icicle above her hand. "I tried to summon a Fireball because it feels very different from Icicle. But this does not," she said before canceling the spell. She returned the runestone to Travis as they resumed their walk.

The man didn't answer Aria's ponders. Truth be told, he didn't know how to. Instead, he aimed his gaze into the plains on the hillside. Tall grass swayed in the strengthening blows of wind, a multitude of small flowers emerging colorfully between the blades of grass before hiding from his view. A rabbit entered his vision, quickly disappearing after a few seconds. Travis smiled at the sight. The peaceful side of nature had a splendor that was hard to express in any way he knew.

With a light sigh, Travis summoned his status. The five stat points glimmered, smiling at him and begging to be used. Without hesitation, he put three of them into Strength, and the remainder into Intelligence.

What happened was about what he expected.

[Skill 'Reinforcement' has been awarded.]

[Reinforcement lvl. 1

*Increase physical attack and defense power by 15% for 40 seconds.

Cooldown: 15 minutes

Cost: 150 MP]

'Oho, it's a buff skill.' Travis smirked, eyeing the numbers. 'Those are decent increases... no, actually, aren't they a little much?' he frowned momentarily at the realization. 'Well, I suppose that's why the cooldown is so long. 15% increase in either attack or defense power would be huge for this much mana. Then again, most Warrior-type classes hardly use mana until at least their 1st advancement...' he nodded, his expression relaxing. Swiping through his sweaty hair, he dismissed the panel, focusing on Aria. Within seconds, he jogged forth to catch up with her.

-In the evening-

The smell of fried meat was thick, accompanied by sizzling water and fat. Travis's hand moved, shuffling it on the black pan with a tool. His mouth curved into a smirk, his eyes looking at the meat's color and texture. Hunger gnawed at his stomach, and this was bound to be the meal to sate it.

Glancing to his right, he saw Aria almost drooling, eyes focused on the pan with evident hunger. Two small plates rested in her hands and some utensils lay next to her on the duvet. Next to her pack, she had a large water bottle and the man's waterskin.

'She really thought of everything.' the man almost snorted. Truthfully, frying meat had been a bit of a challenge for him so far - it was difficult to find enough fat in the hunted game to sustain the process for feasibly long. More often than not, over the last two weeks, his meals involved chunks of almost scorched black that had to be cut off. But the Mage had thought of that and told him to buy a large jar of lard when they prepared to set off. 'Spatial magic sure is convenient.'

Sprinkling some extra spices as a finishing touch, Travis soon took a plate from the sitting woman, putting a few pieces on it. Doing the same for his own portion, he placed the pan nearby and sat on the duvet, feeling the thick grass beneath him give as he let out a relaxed sigh.

Within a minute or so, the meals were prepared. Aria did not wait for Travis, digging in immediately. The man, however, withheld himself momentarily.

'Parlan's Eye.' he commanded his spirit.

[Light meal made of meat and bread

Rating: Rare

*Slightly increases stamina regeneration for 1 hour.

*Nutritious. It will keep you full for longer than most other foods.

A light meal composed of commonly found materials. Best eaten warm.]

[You managed to completely appraise an item of 'Rare' grade. Skill 'Parlan's Eye' gained a little additional experience.]

[Skill 'Parlan's Eye' leveled up!]

A smirk entered Travis's face.

'I didn't even try much. If I actually put my mind to it, it might be possible to level it up again tomorrow.' he thought. He already knew that the skill worked on virtually anything. There was only one, small issue. 'But I don't know how many items I need, nor how many times they'll have to be appraised. How many Normal-rated items does one Rare-rated correspond to...? And more importantly, do repeats matter?' his brows furrowed. A piece of bark was a piece of bark, no matter what tree it came from. Would it matter if he chose two different trees?

However, after a few seconds, Travis shook his head. 'Well, I don't think it matters in the long run. For now, I have another thing to worry about.'

His eyes gazed at his pack before he started eating. Summoning a clock from RALS, Travis confirmed that the time would come very soon.

Slowly, his eyes ventured to Aria. The white-haired woman seemed to hardly care for his stare, lying on her back, emerald eyes aimed at the clear sky above. One of her hands was under her occiput while the other lazily massaged her stomach. Her soft breathing was proof of her calm.

...

...

...

The time came quicker than Travis expected. His hand rested atop the box from Rulebreaker, fingers clutched around the lid as though he believed in his ability to open it with sheer brute ****.

[Time remaining: 00:00:22]

The numbers ticked down, every second feeling like an hour.

Travis's eyes looked at Aria, who leaned on him. Her fingers gently held onto his radius, her cheek mushed against his shoulder. He could tell she was as focused on the item as he was.

[Time remaining: 00:00:10]

Travis exhaled, his grip tightening on the box as the seconds slipped away. He could feel Aria's steady breath against his shoulder, her presence grounding him amidst the tension.

[Time remaining: 00:00:04]

He shifted his attention to Aria for a blink. Her white hair was in disarray, but the woman did not bother to fix it. Her entire attention was focused on Rulebreaker's Piece. Travis could tell that she was consumed by anticipation. She did not know what he did - her reaction seemed to stem more from the item itself than what today's piece would be.

[Time remaining: 00:00:00]

He did not hesitate. With a simple mental command, he supplied the item with mana.

Rulebreaker's Piece opened silently, as it always did. The momentary flash of light, while blindingly glaring, did not surprise either him or the woman.

Travis felt something enter his hand. Clutching the item, he felt its somewhat long structure.

Slowly parting his eyelids, he opened his fist.

[25. A useful item to grow stronger]

"...is that... a key?" Aria was the one to break the silence. Shifting in her position, she reached out to the item in the man's hand, tracing it gently.

There was no denying that it was a key. Its shank connected to both a somewhat fancy head and a simple blade. The item's color was like a moonless night, so dark that Aria needed to summon an orb of light to discern it properly.

"Why would you get something like this? There are no doors for days," Aria commented, her tone sounding with shock and a tinge of frustration. "This is the piece you get for getting 1/4th of the way? I expected some kind of a milestone, but... this?"

Travis didn't answer, instead bringing up the item's information.

[An aged key

Opens a gate to the Trial Tower, an instance dungeon.

Trial Tower consists of 31 floors. Every floor will challenge you in some way. Completing a floor will reward you depending on the number of tries. However, you will be penalized for failing a floor.

***** is impossible within the Trial Tower.

Weight: 25 g]

"Trial Tower..." Travis hummed. His heartbeat accelerated. Anticipation surged in his veins. He wasn't even sure why, but it felt like he knew how to use the key perfectly. "I wonder..."

"???" Aria's face showed a glint of surprise. Noticing the man standing up and stepping a few paces to the side, she followed in his tracks. "What do you mean?"

[Use the key.]

Travis didn't answer Aria's question. His hand almost automatically lifted. His eyes could picture the lock he wanted to insert the key into. No... he could not just picture it. He could see it.

"W-What?" Aria stammered, suddenly taking a small step to the side.

A faint sound reminiscent of crackling electricity sounded, quickly followed by a metallic tang as the key met the lock that appeared in mid-air. After a short second, a large door manifested out of thin air. Its dark surface complemented the dark lock and key nicely. It appeared to be made of wood.

"W-What is that?"

"...a gate," Travis said after a second. Letting go of the key, he allowed it to sit in the lock. Then, he took a step back.

Normally, his mind would be racing with a million anxious thoughts. What would await him on the other side? How could he prepare? What would happen to Aria while he was inside?

[Rulebreaker cheers you on.]

But now, he was calm. Travis's eyes fixed on the dark wooden gate. He took a deep breath. His anxiety was replaced with anticipation.

"A gate... to where?" Aria asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and hesitation. She reached to the gate slowly. However, her hand phased right through.

"Seems like only I can enter," Travis nodded at her action. 'About what I expected.' he thought before adjusting Thunder Blade by his side. "Don't worry. I will be back soon."

"W-Wait," Aria stammered, her voice tinged with urgency. She grabbed his arm firmly. "Are you sure you're ready?"

Travis turned to face her. He gave her a reassuring smile, grasping her hand with his own. "I'm sure," he said. He wanted to tell her what Rulebreaker had told him, but he knew he could not.

"But... what if something happens to you in there?" a flicker of worry manifested in Aria's eyes.

Travis pointed at the key. "The description said that **** is impossible within that place."

Aria's gaze dropped. She took a deep breath. Travis knew that, unlike him, the white-haired woman had difficulty trusting RALS. Her hands, however, relaxed slightly, as the woman decided not to push the issue. She did not trust the system, but she did believe in him. "...be careful."

"I will," he nodded, releasing her hand. Pressing on the handle gently, he felt it give with no resistance. The door immediately came ajar silently as though it was just a specter.

"Travis..." Aria's voice stopped him in his tracks.

He turned around to her. The white-haired woman had stepped a little closer, eyes focused on him. A quiet moment of tension was broken when she suddenly lunged forward, bringing her lips to his. The contact lasted less than a second before the woman stepped back, a bright flush gracing her white skin.

"Good luck," she said, her gaze slowly lowering as her sheepish side broke through the momentary bravado.

"Thanks," Travis replied before stepping forth. Giving Aria one last look, he pushed the door and stepped behind it before closing it.

The metallic sound of the closing lock brought Aria out of her state. Almost immediately, she ran to her bag, quickly upturning it in search of medical supplies. She prepared everything she could: healing potions, bandages, extra duvets (including the thermal blanket Travis gave her to hold onto), and a couple more items to use in case he returned wounded.

And then, she sat down near the door, her emerald eyes scrutinizing it.

She would wait patiently. No matter how long it took, she would stay awake to welcome Travis with open arms.

...

...

Aria's eyes opened wide as she saw the door open wide. From within, she could see an infinite blackness, like an enigmatic abyss. Just staring at it, the Mage could feel a cold shiver of foreboding travel down her back. It felt almost like staring at a teleport gate. Her stomach felt unpleasant at the very thought.

A flicker of light appeared in that void. Before Aria could discern what it was, she noticed Travis being flung onto the ground before her, almost as if he were thrown. His backpack followed almost immediately, rolling to the side. Then, the door closed and vanished, the black key dropping to the ground silently.

"Travis!" Aria rushed to his side. Quickly, she checked on his state. An obvious stab wound in his armor, around his heart, was apparent. "Stay still, I-I'll--"

Travis let out a rasp, suddenly rising to a sitting position.

"H-Huh?" Aria's eyes widened. How could he be moving right now?

Shuffling in his position, the man rubbed his shoulder. "...dammit," he cursed under his breath, sighing heavily. "That guy is strong."

"W-What?"

Looking at Aria, Travis slowly expulsed, massaging his muscles. The beating of his heart got to his ears, pulsing angrily in tandem with his breaths. A hand went to his chest as she pressed it in a few places, confirming that he was alright. "I knew that place would be difficult, but..." he sighed. "This might be harder than I expected."

"...what? Are you hurt? What happened?"

"I'm alright... now," he nodded, getting a hold of himself. His hand went to caress Aria's. The warmth of his contact seemed to calm the woman down a little.

"What happened in there?"

"...I thought I had a chance, but ended up having my ass handed to me," he said. Noticing the woman's questioning gaze, Travis shuffled a little, facing her better. "Here's what happened."

-5 minutes ago-

[Entering Trial Tower...]

The notification flashed in front of Travis's nose the moment he closed the door behind himself.

He stood in the vast emptiness. Black void stretched in all directions, and even the door from just now had vanished. However, rather than apprehension, he felt anticipation swirl in his spirit.

A new notification appeared.

[Trial Tower is broken up into 31 segments. Each segment, referred to as 'floors', will focus on challenging you in some way.]

Travis nodded to himself, acknowledging the message's meaning and dismissing the panel. It was the same as what the key's description said.

[Depending on how many tries you require to finish a floor, the respective rewards will change. There will always be a reward for clearing a floor. However, every failure will penalize you in some way.]

Travis hummed. He understood as much. The lower his attempt count, the better his reward would be. This meant that strategizing was preferable. However, even brute-forcing was an option.

[Upon failure of a floor, your status will be restored to what it was before you entered that floor. However, it will not be restored upon completing a floor. Additionally, the durability of items will not be restored in either scenario.]

[Within the Trial Tower, it is impossible to gain experience points. This restriction, however, does not apply to skill experience. Gaining new skills is also possible.]

'So, it's impossible to use this place for endless leveling. Its only purpose is to test me.'

[Entering the 1st floor...]

[The 1st floor's trial is 'Combat - PVP'.]

'PVP?' Travis frowned, his hand going to Thunder Blade's hilt. He did not understand what the strange acronym meant.

[The 1st floor's environment is generated.]

Almost immediately, Travis felt his feet step on a hard surface again. Shifting his weight, he analyzed the level stone bricks under him.

The arena that appeared around him was spacious. The place was circular, around fifty meters in diameter by a rough estimate. Beyond that, a wall made of fine, polished stone stood. Its dark gray color seemed to emphasize its apparent durability. The wall was around 5 meters tall, and behind it stood rows of what the man discerned to be sitting benches made of the same material. However, the audience spots were empty.

[The first floor's trial is generated.]

Travis's eyes shot forth, noticing a glimmer appear in the distance. A shining point of light levitated around his eye level, no less than twenty meters from him, before suddenly transforming into a humanoid shape. Within a second or two, it vanished, leaving behind a large man.

He had to be a head taller than Travis at least. Brown hair of about shoulder length was tied in a ponytail, moving faintly in the breeze that appeared to welcome his presence. His dark bronze eyes glimmered faintly, locating the challenger. There was no hostility in his gaze. If anything, his eyes lit up with a pleasant feeling.

He wore a light cloak over a fleeting shirt covering his somewhat wide torso, and long pants that went into high boots. Despite them, Travis could see toned muscles surge at the slightest movement.

The somewhat delicate features of his face were accentuated by the man's pointy ears poking from between his hair.

"Hello," he spoke with a smile, his voice full of power. "My name is Rimel. What is yours?"

"...Travis," 'He's an elf...?' the question stirred in his mind for a moment. He could not tell why, but something about this made a part of him chuckle. Almost as if he expected it.

"No need to be shy. Let us begin immediately," the man reached to his side. A sword, somewhat similar to Thunder Blade in both size and construction, appeared in his palm.

[The 1st trial's mission is revealed.]

Travis instinctively followed the man's lead, unsheathing Thunder Blade. His bag found its way to the ground.

[Objective: Defeat the swordmaster Rimel within the time limit.

Time remaining: 30:00

Reward: Depends on your performance.

Failure penalty: A random penalty depending on the task's difficulty.]

"Any questions?" the elf asked, coming closer. His hand swung lightly as though he tested the range of movements. He stopped around ten meters from Travis, his sword poised.

Travis shook his head, his blade readied as well.

Rimel smiled, his face vigorous. His eyes glistened as he suddenly shot forward at surprising speed, aiming a strike that the smaller man barely blocked.

"Then, Travis. Do. Your. Best."

---

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