DD 302 Ch 2

I jabbed lightning-quick at Crimson while she used a pair of boxing pads to catch my punches. Even as purple lightning arced down my arms and it made me unbelievably fast, Crimson was taking each punch easily because Crimson had a little extra at everything.

Even as she blocked my punches, her eyes crinkled, the blues sparkling with delight.

“Ken, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re working your anger out on me,” she teased as the pad blurred in front of me and caught fifteen punches that were thrown so fast they might as well have been simultaneous.

I could only growl angrily at her and spin on the balls of my feet, sending the heel of my other foot crashing toward her head.

Crimson swept under my strike and bopped me playfully on the nose with the pad before slipping out of my retaliation. “I told you before, you don’t need to take your anger out on me. I’m just as upset that investors and people who give colleges stupid rankings are just concerned we’re sending students to die. Especially with the little brain worms getting in the mix and the Orcai killing anyone they even suspect of having brain worms. Not to mention there is the increased aggression from the rest of the deeper races. After all, you guys are still just students.” She said the words in a way she knew would upset me.

I tried to strike her with a knee, only for Crimson to brush the hit off and spin around, whipping me with her incredibly long black-haired braid. I got the impression that she kept that braid to use like a second whip if she ever really needed it.

“We are hardly students anymore,” I said, jabbing at her more in a routine of practice rather than actually trying to hit her. The strategy generated enough [Liminal Speed] that I could train my stats far faster than everyone else. “Most of the people who are worried about our safety couldn’t spend thirty seconds in the ring with anyone in our class.” I grumbled. “I mean, after all, while we might be in our third year at Haylon College, we were more powerful than ninety-nine percent of humanity.” It had been a whirlwind of a time at Haylon, but we were blowing through levels while caught up in some of the terribly dangerous situations.

“Which is why,” Crimson said, winding up to whatever topic was on her mind. I knew her well enough to know that this training session was likely a preamble for something that annoyed Crimson. “They arranged a press tour.”

I went from bouncing back and forth on my feet, staying agile and swinging blows, to freezing so suddenly that Crimson almost knocked me over. “Wait, what?”

“A press tour,” Crimson repeated, clearly wanting to take a swing out of something nearby as she refused to meet my eyes. “Yeah, you see, the headmistress picked a couple people from our class to go on a press tour to calm the public and really show off the strength of the Haylon students.

“No, no.” I held a finger up. “I am not going on a press tour.”

Crimson jabbed at me and tried to get me back to the spar, but I batted her pad away, only for her mischievous side to show. She flashed the pad so fast that all I had were my instincts. I dodged to the side and struck back out at her. Of course, she used that moment to catch my hit on a pad and successfully restarted my rhythm, which left me scowling at her even as we resumed the spar.

The smile on her face was, however, priceless. She was clearly very proud that she had managed to restart the fight like that.

“Who else is going?” I asked.

“Oh, you know.” Crimson dodged the question with a wave of her hand. “That’s not important. What is important is how well you perform, which is why Bellaire and I have been thinking up several angles for you to take when you answer questions.”

“Wait, what does Bellaire have to do with this?” I said. Bellaire had been one of the hottest influencers on the internet, only for her to make a career pivot when she started working for my guild, though mostly she worked with Crimson.

“Well, she’s in charge of PR for the Silver Fangs. If you’re going out on a press tour, of course she’s going to be the one leading it.” Crimson stated the answer as if it was obvious for all to see.

“Who else?” I said. “And by that, I mean, who else is going on the tour? Don’t dodge that question, too.” I went at her with a renewed flurry of blows.

Crimson ducked, her tongue sticking out. “Of course Des will go with you. The Renards are a renowned enough family that adding her to the list was easy enough and--”

“Great. So Charlotte probably can join too. And maybe we could bring the elves. After all, a foreign--” I interrupted Crimson, but she wasn’t having any of that.

She was already shaking her head, cutting me off. “Sorry. No elves and no Nekorians. This tour is about making humans look good. As for Charlotte…” Crimson winced. “Bellaire was a little worried that she wouldn’t hold up to some of the more aggressive interviewers.”

“Penny?” I hazarded.

And Crimson shook her head again. “Not famous enough.”

I scowled at her as I quickly went through the list of students in our class that would have enough fame from their parents and deal well under pressure. My scowl only deepened as the list narrowed down to one. “Ah, fuck. You’re sending Helen.”

Crimson beamed. “Ding ding. You got that one right. Good job. I knew you were smart. Anyway… ” Crimson tried to rapidly change the subject. “Candice is coming, too. The headmistress thinks that of all of my students, she’s the most likely to, well, give the headmistress exactly what she wants as far as the press is concerned. Which personally I think is ridiculous. You’ll all do fantastic.”

“Candice, Des, Helen, and I. Anyone else?” I asked.

Crimson shook her head. “I might be able to bounce you or Des around so you guys don’t have to fly everywhere. But I’m needed in the dungeon. After the brain-eating worms, you wouldn’t believe how much of a rod has been shoved up the UG president’s ass.”

“No, I would believe that he's been sitting ramrod straight lately. Especially if our race’s reputation in the dungeon is in such a precarious situation.” I answered.

“It’s not that bad.” Crimson waved a hand. “Enrollment in dungeon colleges only dropped a sharp twenty percent after someone in the UG leaked the story about the brain worms.”

That was enough to give me pause. “Twenty percent?”

“No,” Crimson refused to let me stop the spar again. “It’s no big deal. I’m sure it will bounce back. After all, the dungeon has always been a dangerous place. So what if it has worms that eat your brains and use your bodies, you know, trying to take your identity? We’ve had identity thieves forever.”

“This is a little different, Crimson,” I said with a sigh, even knowing she was trying to downplay the situation for my benefit.

“Well.” Crimson shrugged. “Congratulations on your first press tour. It’s going to be so exciting.”

“And you’re not going?” I confirmed.

She shook her head and avoided my eyes. “Like I said, I’m busy in the dungeon.”

I stared at her, knowing she was lying, or at least fibbing. I slowed down like I was going to stop.

Crimson sighed and blurted out what was really happening. “Fine. The headmasters expressly forbid me from going anywhere near the press, which is why I’ve given Bellaire everything she needs to know.” Crimson smiled. Somehow, though, the look almost came off as vicious when she was moving at speeds that would make Formula One drivers jealous. 

I broke off from the spar, and this time refused to let her restart it by grabbing a towel and wiping the sweat from my forehead. I then took a water bottle from my CID and began to chug. I needed a moment to think and not just run on reflexes.

Crimson paused, not even out of breath. “You know that if I could, I would absolutely be there. But like I said, you’ll be fine. And worst case scenario, if someone causes you too much trouble, just let me know.” She winked and slid a finger across her throat. “They won’t be a problem for very long.”

“Thank you, but I think I’ll try and handle the situation myself,” I said, a little pride creeping in. I might rely on Crimson in certain areas, but somehow this new arena I was being asked to enter made me want to go my first round without any training wheels.

“So that’s all the bad news you have for me?” I pressed, checking my CID and seeing that the others would likely be back soon. The high-speed training with Crimson was making my stomach revolt and reminding me it was time to eat.

“That, and it’s looking like we’ll only be able to go into the dungeon maybe one third of the time.” She dropped that bomb like it was idle gossip.

“What? ” I spat out my water. “One third? That’s ridiculous, Crimson. We have so much to do.”

Crimson held her hand up. “Right now, the UG is playing the situation very close to their chest until someone can come up with a definitive way to identify or, I hope, prevent the worms. Ideally we learn how to get them to evacuate bodies.” She shook her head. “Until then, I think we’re stuck with a bunch of people playing this very cautiously. Ken, you have to understand if the Orcai start killing some of our best adventurers this could very well start a war that we can’t win.”

I shook my head and hit the button to open the door to the gravity chamber we’d been training inside. As the door slid open, I saw a familiar face.

Agatha, the petite, pig-tailed succubus that I’d seen in the bar from time to time, was riding on the shoulder of one of her Orcai boy toys. Her eyes lit up the second she saw me. “Ken and Crimson! Two of my favorite-est people,” she sing-songed the words, and the Orcai that had been carrying her knelt down so she could take a small hop off.

“I didn’t think you used the gravity chambers much,” I said, trying not to put much judgment in my tone. She’d been lost since the dungeon shuffle and more than anything seemed to be enjoying her time here in Star City with a bunch of Orcai wrapped around her fingers.

“I come here from time to time.” Agatha waffled her hand. “And right now I’m trying to impress the new demon in town.”

I blinked. “New demon?” There were rumors, but Agatha would be an authority.

“Yeah, a demon lord in the flesh. You don’t often see someone that high in the hierarchy out and about. It seems that Hell has finally been connected to Star City.” Agatha clapped her hands excitedly. “And she’s a succubus. A demon lord succubus with her entourage.” Agatha sighed dreamily. “If you don’t know, we are the best.”

A lord would report to a prince or princess. They were the 3rd highest rank among the demons and probably only about a hundred or so. That made them the top one hundred most powerful demons, and if the Orcai were any metric, that was far stronger than we could afford to anger.

I smirked while trying to keep my cool. This whole time I had managed to convince Agatha and everyone else that I was just a simple incubus lost during the dungeon shuffle, which was why I was spending so much time with humans. But now that lie was going to fall through far faster than I would like if we reconnected with the city of demons deep in the dungeon known as Hell.

“Any idea what they’re doing here?” I asked.

“Something about the threadspawn?” Agatha squinted into the distance as if that would help her remember. “Yeah, I think that’s what they were called. Little worms.” She wiggled her fingers in front of her as if I needed the visual. “They go into your corpse and possess you. Apparently, even from inside your body while controlling you like a zombie, they can cast revive and other healing magics. Super cool. Hope I don’t get worms.”

She scratched her butt for some reason. “Really, really don’t like worms. But it’s okay. I’ve got my pals here.” She was still kneeling on Orcai shoulders. “And you guys will keep me safe, right?”

“Yes, mistress,” they all said in unison.

Agatha giggled. “Anyway, Ken, I’ll be seeing you around. But for now I need to make it look like I’m trying. Need to put on a good show for the boss.” She winked and flounced into another of the chambers.

I stared after her, dumbstruck for a moment at the news. But a moment later one of the Orcai passed close to me, growling territorially and shaking me from my thoughts. I held my hands up. “No worries, buddy. Not my cup of tea,” I said. Agatha was far from my type.

Crimson had paused in the hallway for me, waiting until they were gone before she struck up a conversation. “Oh, and look, another wonderful reason that you should be nowhere near Star City or the dungeon.”

I frowned at her. “I mean, they might blow my cover.”

Crimson held a finger up. “What do you think happens when a demon who knows nothing about demons shows up nowhere in their information system? What do you think their assumption is going to be then?” Crimson hummed and pursed her lips.

I could only sigh in defeat. “The assumption is going to be that I’ve got a wiggly worm, a thread-spawn.” I corrected myself to what appeared to be the right term now. “And while they might not be that confident in their detection, they are probably confident in is their post-op examination.”

Crimson smiled. “So if we send you on a lovely press tour, just think of it as buying time until we can do something about the thread-spawn. And I’ll have you know that the Orcai arbiters have apparently taken the leader of the Leomatus. The Nekorians handed him over without an issue. They might have even thrown a party when they handed him over. So we’ll all be fine. You can rest easy while they’re putting makeup on you for the show.”

“I don’t need makeup,” I said quickly, frowning at the thought.

“You do. Everyone does. When they put your pores in 4k, there’s bound to be some imperfection. Even I get makeup.” She emphasized the words, like it proved her point.

I narrowed my eyes at her, while she continued to smile. “And what will the rest of you be doing?”

“Duh. Training,” Crimson shrugged. “If we can’t dive the dungeon all that often, then the only way you guys are going to be able to finish your final this year is if you train like crazy maniacs, so that when you do get a chance, you one-shot your trials.”

The way Crimson talked about the training, and the glee in her eyes, made me almost appreciate that I was on the press tour rather than dealing with her plans. However, I was then hit with the sudden thought that I could fall behind. “But if you all train that intensely and I’m not here, that means I’m going to suddenly be the weakest one in the class.”

Crimson waved her hand. “You’ve already stepped ahead. Think of this as me letting them catch up, rather than you falling behind. Really, Ken. I can appreciate the dedication, but sometimes you do need to do something other than train.” She put a hand to her chest. “To quote the wise Des, you are a dungeon head.” With those words, Crimson ripped open a portal and stepped through, back to our place in Star City.

As soon as I was through the portal, the scent of someone cooking hit my nose like a hard jab, only for my stomach to then throw itself into a full revolt, demanding a bite of whatever was creating such an incredible smell.

“Smells wonderful,” I called, stepping through the home, only to see Felin’s head pop over the side of the couch, one of my used shirts still hanging off her ear. “Food?”

And as if to find her own answer, she took a deep breath. “Ooh, Penny’s cooking,” Felin said, and rolled over the back of the couch, landing gracefully on her feet.

I wondered for a second if Nekorians, like cats, always landed on their feet.

“How do you know it’s Penny?” I asked.

“Penny cooks with more meat,” Felin nodded to herself. “That’s why she’s my favorite.”

“I heard that.” Charlotte stepped out of her room, a towel wrapped around her head trying to contain what I assumed was still-wet hair, while she managed to slip into her school uniform.

“I was just stating a fact,” Felin pouted. “She uses more meat. Your food is a little more herby, vegetable-y.” Felin made a face at the last, before she perked up. “But, you usually let me poach some cream, because you like to make all sorts of lovely sauces.”

Charlotte paused, as if deciding whether to take Felin’s statement as a compliment or insult. “Whatever. As long as you’re happy, I’m happy. I’m glad Penny offered to cook and let me take a shower.” Charlotte beamed as she turned to me. “And how was your sparring with Crimson?”

“Good, though she decided to use it as a way to drop some bad news.” I tried to snatch Crimson before she slunk away. However, I ended up with a fistful of nothing but air. Moving quickly, I managed to sidestep her braid before it slapped me in the face.

“And now she’s running away,” I called after her.

“It’s called a tactical retreat,” she shouted over her shoulder. “And Charlotte’s idea of a shower sounded nice.” Crimson slipped into her own room leaving me shaking my head.

“I don’t think she even broke a sweat.” I stared after Crimson, only to get stares from those that remained. “What?” I said to their cryptic looks.

“Nothing.” Charlotte waved a hand. “Sometimes I forget how little you understand women, even though you’re surrounded by them.” Charlotte held an arm out. “You coming with me, Felin? Let’s see what Penny has whipped up.”

I scowled after both of them before I decided to just drop the topic. Even with so many women in my life, it was true that I still barely understood them. It was one thing that practice was not making perfect.

Before I could follow after Charlotte and Felin, I was interrupted. Des, or at least I assumed it was Des, jumped up behind me and covered my eyes.

“Guess who?” she asked.

In response she pressed her soft chest firmly into my back and leaned into me, the scent of her shampoo confirming my thoughts.

“Des, what are you doing?” I asked.

“Who’s Des?” Des said in a gruffer voice as she playfully changed it.

I sighed, wondering what game we were playing today. “Am I supposed to guess then? Or is this the start of some stranger play?” My eyes were quickly uncovered, and I turned to find a pouting Des.

“It’s no fun when you don’t play along.” Des pouted, which was a particularly cute look on her. Des was sin incarnate with how curvy she was and the lock of hair that often hid one of her eyes added a particular mystery to her that just made me want to unwrap the package to see what was underneath.

“I am so terribly sorry,” I deadpanned. “I hear you’re going to be going on a press tour with me.” I decided to get that conversation out of the way.

“Oh! Yes.” Des grinned like a loon. “We’re going to have so much fun. I mean, I know we’re with each other all the time, but there’ll be something special about being able to explore a bunch of new cities with you.” She beamed and then grabbed my arm, snuggling in close. “Where are you most excited to see?”

I hesitated, which was the wrong answer apparently, as Des paused and stared at me. “You are thinking about where we’re going, right?”

I scratched the back of my head. “In fairness, I only learned about the tour just a few minutes ago. I haven’t given it much thought.”

“Do you even know what you’re going to pack?” Des hedged.

My expression must have given away that it hadn’t even crossed my mind yet. Why would I think about my clothes?

“Oh, God.” Des gasped in horror. “I see we’re going to have our work cut out for us. I bet you don’t even have outfits ready for this.”

I decided to just plaster on my best smile. “Why would I worry about silly concepts like that when I have such wonderful people like you around to help me out?”

That must have been the right thing to say, because Des nodded rapidly. “And I’m sure we can get Bellaire to put a whole wardrobe together for you. Actually, that should probably be my first call. One moment.”

Des tapped away at her CID as she walked toward the kitchen, leaving me stunned and dumbfounded. Why did I need a new wardrobe? I had perfectly fine clothes. Certainly they could be worn for a few talk shows and interviews.