What Are You?!!

"How I want to die?" Boco's brow furrowed, a dangerous tremor in his voice as he spat, "Do you know who you are talking to?! Pathetic!"

His hand shot up, an unseen force snaring Alice, dragging her inexorably towards him. Draven remained still as a statue, his gaze unwavering as Alice halted before the hulking figure of Boco, who then turned his triumphant smirk towards him.

"You see that? Do you really think you can defeat me?" he sneered.

"Such tricks are useless."

With a subtle snap of his fingers, the invisible bonds around Alice dissolved. In a blink, she was gone from Boco's grasp, reappearing silently at Draven's side, precisely where she had stood moments before.

"This? How can you easily break through my magic barrier?!" Boco demanded, a flicker of genuine disbelief crossing his brutish features.

"You called that magic?" A slow smirk spread across Draven's lips. "Let me show you some small magic."

He raised his hand once more, the snap of his fingers echoing with an unnatural resonance across the land.

BOOOOOM!!!!

A collective gasp rippled through the onlookers. The clear azure sky was instantly marred by the rapid spread of ominous dark clouds. Above them, a colossal, crimson gateway materialized, spinning with an eerie, internal light.

WHOOSH!!!

From the swirling vortex emerged a monstrous, scarlet form. Its vast jaws yawned open, revealing rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth.

GRAAAAAAAAA!!

The creature's terrifying roar ripped through the air, carrying with it a gale-force wind. A powerful suction force erupted from its maw, pulling the terrified soldiers towards their doom.

"AAHHHH!! HELP ME, LORD BOCO!!!"

"HELP ME!!"

"NOOOOO!!"

Alice, Boco, the petrified guards on the wall, and the wide-eyed villagers could only watch in utter horror as the invisible current dragged the struggling krakens towards the gaping abyss. In less than a minute, all two hundred and sixty soldiers vanished into the beast's gullet, leaving behind only a stunned and speechless Boco.

"You?! You! What are you?!" Boco finally choked out, his voice laced with raw terror.

"You are still sitting?" Draven's gaze, sharp and unwavering, fixed on the bull beneath Boco.

Sensing the chilling intensity of the man's stare, the massive animal trembled violently. With a frantic thrash of its body, it sent Boco and his ornate throne flying through the air.

BAM!!

The elaborate throne splintered upon impact with the ground, while Boco, surprisingly agile for his size, landed on his feet, though visibly shaken.

"Alice... Now I understand why you chose him," Boco muttered, his voice a low rumble.

Draven subtly dispelled his conjuration. The dark clouds receded as quickly as they had appeared, and the sky returned to its tranquil blue.

"Hahahaha! Alice, come back to me, and I'll end this matter," Boco attempted, a desperate edge to his forced joviality.

"You are still cocky..." Alice's voice was ice, her gaze unwavering. "Do you think you are worth a finger before my master?! I will say it plainly: get on your knees, kowtow to my master, and then sever your own head!"

"You...!" Boco's teeth gritted audibly. "You should be grateful I even considered taking a lowlife like you back! How dare you speak to me with such disrespect?!"

Rage contorted Boco's features. A low master class being spoken to with such insolence by a mere mid-sky class was an unbearable affront.

"Master!"

Alice turned to Draven, her posture shifting to one of respectful supplication. "Grant me the honor of delivering his head to you." Her eyes, when she looked back at Draven, held a fierce intensity. "I haven't repaid this pig for defiling me with that disgusting creature."

Draven considered her request for a long moment, his gaze thoughtful. Finally, he gave a slow, deliberate nod.

"Okay... Be careful," he said, his voice carrying a hint of concern.

"Hahahaha!"

A booming laugh erupted from Boco as a massive battleaxe materialized in his grasp. Before anyone could react, his body began to swell, muscles bulging, until he stood a towering ten feet tall.

'Oh... This is surprising. He might be using a skill,' Draven mused, turning his attention back to Alice. 'She might also need some backup.'

With a subtle flick of his wrist, the system screen shimmered into existence before him, displaying Alice's profile.

'Okay... With our activities last night, I gained twenty points... So let's unlock a new skill. Oh! This Blood Slash looks promising, and it seems to offer a combat advantage..., unlock with ten points, and upgrade to Level 2 with another ten points.' He mentally confirmed the actions, a faint smile playing on his lips.

'Either she trained diligently on her own to increase her strength, or she... well... Have sex with me. I will have to confirm this with her soon.' He licked his lips, a predatory glint in his eyes.

'With her personality, she will likely agree to my. That way, I gain points to increase her level consistently, and I also... Benefit. A truly win-win situation.'

He sighed softly. 'There is only one minor complication. A simple blowjob yields a mere five points, anal grants ten points, and complete sex unlocks fifteen points... And the points required for each subsequent upgrade increase exponentially with level. For instance, upgrading a skill from Level 9 to the maximum Level 10 will demand at least ninety points... Forget all that for now.' He shook his head, refocusing his attention on Alice, who was now resolutely striding towards the transformed Boco.

"Hahahaha! After I defeat you, I will drag you back to my castle and play with your body..." Boco leered, his gaze raking over Alice's form. "I might not be able to sleep with you, but I can certainly appreciate such a smooth body, and..." His eyes lingered lasciviously on her breasts.

'How dare this fool harbor such vile thoughts about my woman?!' A surge of possessive fury threatened to overwhelm Draven, but he clenched his fists, his gaze fixed on Alice. 'Calm down, she said she will take care of this.'

He took a deep, steadying breath, regaining his composure.

"Pig," Alice's voice was laced with venom. "This body belongs only to my master... Any other man who dares to covet it will fall by my dagger."

Her right eye suddenly bled into an inky blackness, and a palpable wave of dense demonic energy erupted from her, rippling outwards and distorting the very air around them.

"Impossible!! How are you now an upper-sky class?! You were mid just yesterday!" Boco stammered, genuine surprise etched onto his brutish face.

"Mid?"

Alice glanced over her shoulder at Draven, a playful smile gracing her lips as she blew him a delicate kiss, eliciting a confident smirk in return.

"When you have a powerful master, it's only natural that you will become powerful," she stated, turning back to face her adversary, her eyes now burning with fierce determination.

"Enough talking. It's time for you to die... I promised my master your head."

BOOOM!!

She launched herself forward, her assassin's aspect and newfound power amplifying her speed to an almost blinding level.

"You bitch!!!"

Boco roared, rising his massive axe high above his head. With a thunderous crash, he brought it down, cleaving the air and sending a huge blade of pure energy hurtling towards the charging Alice.

'I mastered another skill?! Master, are you the one responsible for this?' A flicker of surprise crossed Alice's mind, but she didn't falter, her speed increasing further. With a fluid, almost ethereal movement, she sidestepped the deadly projectile, which continued its trajectory towards Draven.

'Master!!'

Alice whirled around in sudden horror.

BAM!!!

The energy blade slammed into an invisible barrier just feet from Draven, shattering upon contact like brittle glass, leaving him completely untouched. The man hadn't even blinked.

"Phew," Alice breathed out, a wave of relief washing over her.

"Stupid girl!!"

Alice spun back, only to find Boco's gigantic axe descending towards her head with terrifying speed. He was already dangerously close, his enhanced size giving him a significant advantage in this initial exchange.