Arcane 101 II

"That's intriguing," Jack mused, flipping through the book. He vividly recalled reading about classifications.

After a moment, he found the relevant section. "So we have Lesser, Greater, Epic, Mythic, and Primordial?" He read aloud.

Lupus leaned in close, her sun-kissed hair brushing against his shoulder. "Yep, sounds about right. Although, no one has obtained a Primordial essence in a thousand years — not even the Empress Aurora herself," She explained.

"Wow," Jack murmured, realising just how much there was to learn about the arcane system. "You can obtain essences?"

Lupus nodded and continued, "Mages have also found ways to overcome their limited slots, hence the invention of arc weapons and arc armour."

"Oh! Your golden arc boots — do they have an extra slot?" Jack asked, his eyes lighting up as he pieced it together.

"Fufufu! Correct!" She chuckled, cupping her lips, their eyes locking for longer than they should. "You're a quick thinker, Jackie!" She praised him, giving him a quick pat on the lower back.

"Now, let's see yours! Most people, I mean, non-mages, are born with only one innate slot. But they can't use it since their mana isn't adequate to cast spells." She motioned for him to perform another Epopteia ritual.

They chanted once more, and another image flashed in their minds.

"What is that?" Jack and Lupus gasped in unison.

The runic circle before them was far more intricate than Lupus's, a grand design adorned with twelve slots.

"J~Jackie... You have twelve slots?!" Lupus exclaimed, utterly bewildered. She had never seen such a number before. Not even the Stellius or Lunarius mages she knew had that many.

"Maybe there's a mistake?" Jack replied sheepishly.

Lupus shook her head firmly. "Impossible." Her expression grew serious.

When Jack examined his Epopteia circle more thoroughly, he noticed the absence of essence in all but one of the slots.

"Lupus, look! I think this is an essence," Jack pointed out. The small essence flickered to life in Lupus's vision.

"It has a strange design, like a box of sorts. I've never seen anything like it," She remarked. The orb contained a glowing purple box, composed of several smaller boxes of varying sizes, resembling a peculiar Rubik's cube.

"Hmm… You're definitely an anomaly. If we weren't busy with wars, maybe I'd request one of the Celestius to look into yours," She mused, tapping her cheek thoughtfully.

"Oh… Thanks..." Jack murmured, massaging his temples. The entire ordeal took a strange toll on him, leaving a numbing headache in its wake.

He closed the books and slumped deeper into the couch, his head tilted back against the arch of the backrest, eyes fixed on the ceiling as he processed everything.

"If you don't mind me asking… how's everything?" Lupus suddenly asked, switching the subject. She had just realised there was something else she'd been meaning to ask him in the first place.

"...Regarding my family, I don't feel anything," Jack replied coldly. His chest tightened, and his jaw clenched involuntarily. "And I hate myself for that."

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Lupus spoke gently, "This isn't your fault, your dementia, your loss. None of it was by your own doing. You did your best, Jackie… in case you didn't know that."

Her warmth was soothing, but Jack didn't feel he deserved such kindness. He exhaled heavily. "I can't even cry..." He admitted bitterly.

A heavy silence settled between them, thick and deafening. Jack had built a wall around himself, and Lupus would be lying if she said she wasn't trying to break it down.

Realising the mood had soured, she sought a distraction. "Epopteia," She whispered. Soon, a ball of white light, the size of an adult's head, glowed in her palms.

Forcing a smile, she handed it to Jack. "Here!"

Jack's brows lifted in puzzlement. When she urged him again, he slowly took it into his hands.

"This is the essence of Lagoskinesis, right?" He asked, confirming his knowledge. Lupus nodded, her face tinged with an inexplicable blush.

The Lagoskinesis orb was warm and fluffy to the touch, emitting a faint purring sound. It felt like holding a small, living creature. Jack absentmindedly fondled the plush sphere, finding its texture oddly satisfying, akin to a stress ball.

When he turned to Lupus, however, she was shifting uncomfortably, her fingers covering her lips as if suppressing a sound. Her face was deeply flushed, her ears twitching.

"What's wrong with you?" Jack asked, perplexed. Then, realisation hit him like a bolt of lightning. Was she... aroused? His jaw dropped in pure shock.

"Now stop fondling that! Ah! It's not a toy!" She snapped, her entire body trembling.

"Okay..." Jack relented, though he couldn't help but notice a familiar scent wafting from the orb — Lupus's scent. His curiosity piqued. "Is it okay if I smell it?"

"No! It's not okay!" She blurted, but it was too late. He had already inhaled deeply, letting the scent wash over him. Something stirred within him.

"It smells really nice!~" Jack remarked, a euphoric gleam in his eyes.

In an instant, Lupus recalled her essence back into her body, then grabbed Jack's collar and yanked him closer. "You've done it now!" She muttered through gritted teeth, sweat trickling down her crimson cheeks.

Without warning, her lips abruptly pressed against his. Jack caught the faint sweetness of wine lingering on her breath. Then, without hesitation, a soft tendril slithered its way into his mouth, entwining with his tongue like a passionate dance. It wasn't human, yet it was divine, enticing. Her tongue was far more agile, softer than anything he had ever known. 

To be fair, he had no memories of kissing any woman. However, this sudden intimacy left no room to question the euphoric arousal he felt as dopamine flooded his system, shutting down the logical part of his brain.

The smoothness and moisture of the tendril were intoxicating, luring him deeper. Her nectar carried a sweetness with a slight viscosity, awakening something long forgotten within him.

Overcome by the heat of the moment, Jack's mind focused solely on the woman before him. His hands found the back of her neck, pulling her in closer. As Lupus saddled him, brushing her chest against him, his finger traced and explored her outline, every beautiful curve and edge with enticing curiosity, all the while their kiss never parted. Every fibre of his being brimmed with the debaucherous desire of Lupus. 

Her sun-kissed scent, her goddess-like hair, the sweetest nectar of her tongue, and her intoxicating moans — every thought of her sent him spiralling into a bottomless abyss of indulgence. Like a maze of pure ecstasy, the deeper he wandered, the greater the thrill.

Lupus's arms wrapped around him, embracing him completely. Her plump chest, especially her aroused buds, pressed against his body as he felt her heart racing with a tingling sensation. He couldn't escape or perhaps he simply didn't want to. Jack desperately wanted Lupus, and judging by her response, she wanted him just as much.

…

After that moment, Jack learned another valuable lesson from his de facto teacher, there was a very clear reason why her bunny Wildren parents had managed to have twenty children.