Chapter 6
We paused outside of Lensis’ dorm room.
“I don't usually take boys back to my room,” she said.
“Okay.”
“I'm serious.”
“I believe you.”
After a few more seconds where she seemed to consider abandoning this whole idea, she opened her door.
“Which side is yours?” I asked.
She backhanded me again. “Very funny.”
One side of the room had a periodic table on the wall and posters from classic films like Casablanca and Citizen Kane. The other side of the room had posters of punk and metal bands while the bedspread had a cartoon skull pattern.
“I like a lot of older stuff,” she said, syncing her phone to a speaker. “Ever listen to AFI? Or how about HIM?”
I shook my head as a song started to play.
“The lead singer of AFI is named Davey Havoc. You ever go by ‘Davey?’”
“Definitely not. Also not Dave, before you ask.”
“What if I called you Davey?”
“I would remind you that Farrun has a strict no-bullying policy.”
Lensis laughed.
We went back and forth talking about music and bands for the next hour or so.
In truth, I forgot I should feel nervous.
She had interesting tastes and knew all kinds of bands I had never heard of.
She was even nice enough to be interested in a few of the alternative rock songs I played for her.
They weren’t deep cuts compared to her collection, but she didn’t complain.
More and more, I noticed Lensis finding excuses to touch me. Her body leaning into mine. Her hand touching my thigh or my chest to emphasize a point. If I held her gaze for longer than a few seconds, she turned away from me, attempting to hide that she blushed.
“So David, do you think plant magic is lame?” she asked after a while.
“Even without the elf fucking, I thought it was cool. I tried growing weed once and really sucked at it.”
“Nothing grew at all?”
“I started to get some sprouts, but then my dad found it and beat my ass,” I said. “I haven't picked up a garden shovel since.”
“Is that how you found out you could do healing magic?” she asked.
“You gave her a secret. Ask her to reciprocate.”
I shook my head. “I don't think that's fair to ask me without coughing up a secret of your own.”
Lensis thought. “I would deny this to my grave, but I like some Taylor Swift songs.”
“Booooo.”
“Everyone's a hater.”
“No, I wasn't booing Taylor Swift. I was booing you for giving me the lamest secret ever. No way that's equal to what you got out of me.”
“Fine. These are secrets, so we aren't sharing them, right?”
“Right.”
Lensis huffed. “I had an OnlyFans for like a week, and then I got scared and embarrassed so I took it down.”
+5 Will points.
Byron already knew what OnlyFans was because of our time scrolling Instagram.
“Do you think less of me now?” she asked.
“For what? Having an OnlyFans? No, I don't care.”
“A lot of people look down on it. Ruining my chance at a career is what scared me into quitting.”
With a shrug, I said, “I won't tell anyone. I also don't think it's a big deal.”
Her eyes locked on her phone as if she were looking for a way to look anywhere but at me. She bumped her shoulder into mine. “Would you have subscribed to me?”
I whistled. “That question is full of landmines.”
“Afraid to answer?” she raised an eyebrow and bit her tongue as she smiled.
“First of all, I'm broke, so a subscription is out of my budget. I know, you think that's a copout, so chill out and let me finish.”
Lensis giggled.
“If I hadn't met you, I would want to see the pictures.”
“But not now?”
“I do want to see them now, but I would restrain myself. I think that kind of thing assumes anonymity, like a built in sort of distance. As soon as you know the person, that changes things.”
“Very chivalrous of you.”
“Press her.”
“I think nudes of a girl you know are better if she gives them to you personally. If I see you naked, it means something, you know?”
“I think I know what you mean.”
“Would you subscribe to my OnlyFans?” I asked.
“I would look for the free leaks. Only puds pay for porn.”
“Ha!” I laughed. “But you would still look.”
Lensis ran her eyes up and down. “Yeah. At least the thumbnail. I'm not saying I'd click through a gallery.”
“She's got jokes.”
She grinned proudly.
“So what you're saying is I need a killer thumbnail?” I stood from her bed. “How do you think I should do it? Like bent over this desk, maybe? Would you click this one?”
Lensis could not contain her giggles. She covered her mouth with one hand and waved at me with the other, like she needed me to stop so she could take a breath.
“I could be more aggressive. What if I do that arm thing to push my tits out? I think you lean into it like this.”
“Stop… Can't… Breathe…”
“No, you're right.” I turned my back and looked over my shoulder. “I should go mysterious. Tease them more.”
Lensis lurched forward, laughing between gasps, flailing hammer fists. “Oh my God. Let me breathe, asshole.”
I wrapped my arms around her in self defense. “Stop that. Your hands are so boney.”
“Are not.”
“I'm going to bruise. You'll see.”
She tried to fight back, so I squeezed a little bit harder to keep her under control.
Lensis looked at me, her cheeks red from laughing. Little teary streaks smudged her makeup.
I went for it.
+15 Will points.
She tasted vaguely of coffee with a sweetness beneath. Once our lips touched, she didn't hesitate. When I tried to play it safe and pull back, she followed to extend the moment. She gasped a small smile when I tugged at her lip ring.
“That was nice,” she said, gently pulling back, catching her breath. “And fast.”
“Is that okay?”
Her smile widened. “Yeah.”
“Press her.”
I leaned back in for another kiss. She accepted it with a tighter embrace. My hands on her hips, I guided her to sit with me on the bed.
“You never told me which thumbnail got the click.”
She kept her lips close to mine as she laughed. “It was an accident. I was trying to hit that tiny fucking X.”
I laughed back. “Still counts.”
I ran my hand down her back, lightly tugging her hips toward mine as I reached for her ass.
+10 Will points.
Lensis pulled away and brushed my hand aside. “Too fast,” she whispered. “I like you. I just need this to be slower.”
“I don't mind slower. I like you too.”
She kissed me on the cheek. “It's late.”
“You're right.”
“We should do this again, though.”
“We will. Goodnight.”
I waited until I was in the stairwell to lay into Byron.
“What the hell was that?”
“Is that rhetorical?”
“No, it's fucking not. How did I do that? That wasn't me.”
“Of course it was.”
“I can be funny sometimes, but I'm never that smooth. Not a fucking chance could I play it that cool.”
“How strange would it be for a druid to fear animals? Or a barbarian to never feel rage?”
“The viceroy class is doing this to me without my consent.”
“That's the wrong way to think of it. The fighter class doesn't make someone like martial weapons more than other combat options. Instead, the class clears away doubt and confusion. To the person, holding a sword or a spear just feels better than anything else. You are a viceroy. Wit and poise are your weapons.”
“That sounds like a really elaborate way to protect my self-esteem.”
“The class didn't give you wit. It merely quieted the thoughts that got in its way. You know those words were yours, that they were you. Do you disagree?”
“They were things I would think to say that night in the shower like three hours too late.”
“See? That's the class helping you get out of your own way.”
My phone vibrated.
Lensis texted, “Which would you click?”
She attached three pictures. One was a mirror selfie of her in black lingerie with white polka dots.
+5 Will points.
The second was her naked body as seen through a foggy shower glass.
+5 Will points.
The final photo was her lying on her back in bed, her sheets leaving one breast bare.
+20 Will points.
“See? Your success is not from outside manipulation. It's from clarity. Would you rather this night have gone differently, or are you happy with this outcome?”
I swiped back through the photos. Lensis was cute as fuck.
“I like this outcome.”
“So enjoy it.”
What did it say about me if I found the psychopath in my head to be inspirational?
I checked my progress:
Viceroy, Tier 1 (76/100)
So much for leveling up tonight. I did have fun, though. Maybe I could tolerate being a viceroy after all.
Jesus, dude. No. Don’t let the antipaladin bend you.
I tried to push thoughts of mastering the viceroy class from my mind as I returned to the library for another wonderful night of studying while Byron tried to resist complaining about how slow of a reader I was.
Though I truly intended to focus, I couldn't help but take out my phone and look at Lensis’ pictures again.
Byron never complained when I treated myself to another viewing.
“Are we not going to discuss the elf?”
“What is there to discuss?”
“David. You can be honest with me.”
“Yeah… I want to bang an elf.”
“The amount of expression in her ears was intriguing. If you have the opportunity, you should experience an elf.”
“If it looks like I’m in danger of missing an opportunity like that, for the love of God, please stop me.”
“Very well.”
About an hour and a half into reviewing my Latin notes, I received a notification:
+50 Will points.
Viceroy class has advanced to tier 2.
Overall character level has advanced to two.
New abilities and status points to allocate.
“What the hell?”
Byron guffawed in my mind.
“What’s so funny? Where did those Will points come from?”
“Sweet little Lensis just got herself off to the thought of you.”
My brain needed a moment to process Byron’s words. “Seriously?”
“Indeed, viceroy.”
This was an interesting first. Not once in my life had anyone admitted to masturbating to me. It was the kind of thing every pent-up 15 year-old boy hoped for, but I accepted that something like that probably wouldn’t happen to me, and if it did, I would never hear about it.
But knowing it happened with certainty? I had never felt more confident in myself, so much so that I felt a sort of high.
Then, of course, I couldn’t help picturing it. The photos she sent earlier helped with that.
“Shall we level?”
“Right. Yeah.”
I opened my character sheet. I put all 3 of my points into intelligence and looked at my unlocks:
Positive Feedback
Passive Ability
If a target has previously transferred Will points to the viceroy, any satisfaction they feel when touching the viceroy is increased slightly. This effect is cumulative.
In His Eyes
Passive Ability
Whenever a target transfers Will points to the viceroy, they feel more confident about all aspects of themselves. This effect is cumulative and more pronounced when the target is in the presence of the viceroy.
Curtain Peek
Active Ability
Cooldown: 10 minutes
Gain insight into a target’s sexual tastes, preferences, and desires. The more Will points a target has transferred to the viceroy, the more detailed the insight.
“I don’t remember seeing any of these in your book.”
“These are new to me as well. I had expected to see Reward for the Loyal in these options.”
“And Mind Armor. That one is important for me to take, right?”
Asking that question was more of a test. Byron spent a great deal of time discussing how important mental protection was in light of Aurketzu manipulating him. I was curious to see how he would react when the ability presented itself.
“Self-defense is always important. As we’ve seen with stat points, however, sometimes immediate survival takes precedence.”
“Are you saying I shouldn’t take Mind Armor when it shows up?”
“As I said in my offer, I was transparent about Aurketzu’s behavior so that you could be aware and informed of the world you’re stepping into.
Do you actually need Mind Armor to protect yourself from me?
I’m not Aurketzu, but I also recognize you have no way of knowing whether that’s sincere or not.
If I tell you to take Mind Armor, then my advice makes your build less optimal.
If I tell you not to take Mind Armor, then I sound like her. ”
Byron was gifted at talking in circles. The conversation doesn't go anywhere, yet you feel even more lost.
I knew I needed Mind Armor, but the system also didn't offer it, so arguing with Byron about it now wasn't productive.
“In His Eyes seems like it would be the most helpful right now.”
“Agreed.”
I selected it and reviewed my character sheet;
Level 2
Viceroy, Tier 1 (26/200)
Silk Cleric, Tier 1 (0/100)
Chaotic Neutral
Strength 1
Dexterity 2
Constitution 1
Intelligence 6
Wisdom 2
Charisma 1
Active Abilities: None
Passive Abilities: Bend, In His Eyes
“Your intelligence is 6 now, correct?”
“Yes.”
“At 6, your intelligence is akin to an educated professional. In my world, successful merchants or recent graduates of university often had intelligence stats between 6 and 9.”
I didn't feel any different, but once I started my nightly studying, the impact was clear. My focus lasted longer. My retention improved. And I felt as if my working memory had expanded, like I installed a new batch of RAM in my brain.
Maybe I wouldn't flunk out now.
Even with the intelligence bump, I found studying difficult. I couldn’t stop thinking about Lensis laying in her bed with a hand down her panties as she imagined me inside her.
To be continued….