My Servant System

As the fatty Goblin King slowly dissipated, turning into an ash that seeped into the earth and left behind no traces of its existence, we all crouched, knelt, and took a seat on the ground as we breathed out a sigh of relief, our bodies strained slightly and requiring some rest to return to a state that we were comfortable in.

With the sudden disappearance of such a powerful monster, the rest of the monsters in this portion of the Dungeon should be rather wary of approaching us, but even still most of us turned our backs to the area that the Goblin King had once occupied, keeping a look out while the others gave the place a once over, making sure there weren't any goodies hiding somewhere nearby.

Jahi and Anput plopped down beside me and shook their heads, their adrenaline slowing down and forcing them off of the battle lust fueled high they had been on moments before, causing their bodies to crash somewhat as they just sat there, their eyes holding a tired light while their general reluctance to move was rather amusing to witness.

Seeing the two bundles of energy being reduced into motionless, tired warriors sitting on the grass staring at the area around themselves was such a drastic difference from their normal selves that I couldn't help but find it slightly amusing, though only because I knew they weren't injured physically or mentally.

They only moved forwards to sip on the sphere of water I floated their way, the two just taking a sip by submerging their faces into it and letting that clean them off as well as quench their thirst, something I had to help manage as I kept the dirty water from entering their lips...

Shaking my head at how I had to ensure they weren't drinking bloody, grimy water of their own creating, I dispelled the sphere and glanced towards Leone, who was staring at the place the Goblin King used to be with a tilted head, whilst Janus just stood beside her calmly.

Seeing nothing wrong with her and assuming she was just lost in thought, I rested my head against my knees and opened up the System menu, checking out the gains from this fight and overall gains from the day, something that made me smile a little as I watched the big numbers get even bigger.

[Goblin Monarch killed - 1,304,552 Xp awarded]

[Level 60 -> 61 (530,788 / 2,750,000]

[Stats :

STR : 120 -> 125

CON : 130 -> 132

AGI : 140 -> 145

DEX : 140 -> 145

CHA : 85

WIS : 130 -> 135

INT : 130 -> 135]

Another small surge in power was always welcome, and knowing that we would be here for a few days more was relieving to hear; this was the second time in this new life of mine that I was in an area rich in giant bundles of experience waiting to be absorbed and used to grow stronger, and I intended to make the most of it, just like I had with the islands.

The accumulation of the Shop Points was also rather useful since I would be using them throughout this adventure as well as back home, where I would go ahead and buy some of the things I need to supplement my strength and further add to it, alongside the knowledge I would learn from the books I purchased.

On one hand, as I looked back on the time I had been here, I was a tad annoyed with myself for my lack of progress, yet on the other hand, I was more than content with the time I had spent and the way I had spent it.

Getting stronger was important, but what was also important was just... living this life, and I wanted to continue striking that fine balance between the two going forwards, since I needed to be strong to keep living, but what was the point of being strong and alive if there was no one to care for me, right?

The most efficient thing would be to remain here until I hit a wall with my abilities and strength, head back to the Empire and do some studying before going back out to a new Dungeon to put that studying to use, getting stronger again; that was what some would do in my place, but... then I would be leaving Anput, Leone and Jahi behind; I would be leaving Mother, the Marquess, the Countess, Alessandra and Lakshmi...

That was something that I didn't want to do; a life that didn't feel warm, didn't feel worth living, and it was something I understood even more now that I had come into yet another bountiful land of experience waiting to be gained.

The temptation to grow stronger without a giving a damn about anything else was a strong one, something that stroked my ego and subconscious as it spoke to the things I lusted for; being able to have more power, to be able to do what I wanted, to be able to stand behind my lovers and protect them from anything, to be someone they rely on...

It was tempting, whispering to me seductively and trying to rope me in, but I was adept at dealing with those sorts of temptations, the ones that are entirely theoretical and based upon only possibilities and hopes; I could remain here and get stronger, yes, but would Anput, Leone, and Jahi allow me to remain here?

Would they accept that of me and willingly let me go, or join me in this endeavor as we cleared this entire Dungeon?

Probably not, because each of them were seeking out more than just strength; they wanted to create a family, to improve their relations with the family they already have, to deepen the love we have for one another.

That was what was important, so my guilt and mild irritation faded away as I stared at the System menu for another few seconds, looking it over and appraising my gains over these short yet long years, wondering where the time had gone and why it felt like it had been far longer than it actually had, the conflicting feelings making me sigh as I hugged my knees closer, lost in thought.

When I turned my thoughts away from the past and focused on the future instead though, I was a bit excited to see how far this Dungeon would take me, to see where I would end up and what I would learn from my time spent here, something that only made me even more excited as I sat there, regaining my energy for whatever was to come.