*** The king's loot
I reappear back home in my human form, grab my car keys, and drive to the NAA building to get my loot appraised. The place is as busy as ever, but I manage to spot an open cashier.
"H—hello, how may I help you today?" comes the soft, nervous voice of—oh. It's Mika. The appraisal mage with long bangs that partially hide her third eye and that excessive nervousness. What are the odds? I almost call her name before remembering she's only seen me in my succubus form. And no way am I explaining that. Yeah, let's just play strangers.
"I have some items I need appraised," I say.
"C–certainly. I'll need some ID, and please place the items to be appraised on the counter."
I hand over my driver's license and set the goblin sword and goblin crown on the counter.
"W—wa—WHAT?!" She squeaks, practically jumping out of her seat as she stares at the massive stone blade and the crown-like skull.
"Is something wrong?" I ask, taken aback by her reaction.
"N–no problem!" she blurts out. "I—I'll cast appraisal now!"
Her third eye glimmers faintly beneath her bangs, though I don't feel the usual pulse of appraisal magic. Maybe I only sense it in succubus form. Something to note for later.
"W—wow! This—this is from a goblin king!" She gasps. "I—I never thought I'd see the real thing!"
Is goblin king loot really that rare? Well… considering everyone avoids the Goblin Forest like the plague, I guess that checks out.
After the initial shock, Mika manages to give me the appraisal results. The sword is enchanted with a weight-reduction spell—so that's how the goblin king could swing that slab of stone around like it was foam. The crown, meanwhile, boosts speed.
Weight reduction and speed boost… That explains how that oversized lump of fat moved like a linebacker on caffeine. Solid items, honestly—but… Yeah, I'm selling them. I mean, I'm no sword expert, and I'm already fast. What I really need is proper gear that won't explode the moment I bulk up.
I tell Mika my intentions for selling the two items.
"O-of course! We'll put them up for auction i—immediately!" she stammers. Her hands start flying over the scanner and keyboard at double speed as she logs the items and lists them online. I guess handling rare loot like this is a pretty big deal for her.
She tells me that I will get a notification from the bank once the auction is over—it should only take 24 hours. I thank her and head out to take care of the rest of my errands—sell off the remaining loot, pick up some groceries, then head home to look into this whole "title" thing. Solo Goblin King Slayer… catchy, at least.
Once I'm back, I boot up my computer and open the Awakeners' community page. A bit of digging later, I finally find the information I'm looking for. Titles are used for ranking up. Not much is known about the exact mechanics, but the gist is: gather enough titles, then take on a challenge. If you pass, you unlock more skills. Basically, it's like earning merits for a promotion.
Though… I'm worried over what challenge I would have to face. From what I read, they are tied to the class—fighters duel, mages perform spell demonstrations… Which makes me seriously dread what a succubus class trial involves. Ugh. Future me can deal with that nightmare.
For now, I guess I can go hunt more goblins—without using overpower, of course. I'm not fighting in what's basically just underwear again. I'll just stick with body-strengthening and avoid the goblin king. I can still make decent money that way.
I pull up the list of available realms and reach for Goblin Forest but freeze when I notice a new option available: Blood Valley. Since when was that there? Did defeating the goblin king unlock it? Maybe beating a realm boss opens the next one.
I almost click it but stop myself. No. I should research first before entering it. Don't want to make the same mistakes as before.
Back at my computer, I look up Blood Valley. A rank two danger realm, and the difficulty is apparently just as nasty as Goblin Forest, but for totally different reasons. The terrain is open and easy to navigate—but the enemies? Orcs, each about two meters tall and supposedly as strong as a gorilla on steroids. But what makes this realm so dangerous is that these guys know how to fight. Most guides recommend using magic and keeping your distance at all costs.
Reading all that only makes me more excited to fight them. Maybe I should sneak a peek into Blood Valley. I mean… It's not like I've got anything else to do until the auction finishes. Yeah! Just a quick look to see how tough it is.
*** The orcs…
I rematerialize at home. Yep. Dead.
Those orcs lived up to their reputation. They looked like massive green cavemen with hide clothing and weapons made of bones, but they're no brutes. They're organized, disciplined—trained.
I fought one using only body-strengthening and lost. Not because it overpowered me, but because it used its longer reach like a seasoned fighter.
I'm thrilled. These orcs are everything I've wanted in an opponent—strong, coordinated, and skilled. Model soldiers.
I have to fight them again. But… I'll need to wait out the death penalty, and I can't go charging back in until the auction money comes through so I can buy some proper gear.
Orcs, just wait. Next time, I'm coming at you with everything I've got.
For now, I should dig deeper into what I'm up against.
I head back to my computer and start researching. Let's see… Orc culture is heavily war-driven—they live in fortresses made of wood, each housing about thirty to fifty combat-ready orcs led by a warlock. The recommended approach is to pick off the scouts and let them call reinforcements one group at a time to thin out the numbers, then storm the fortress and take down the warlock. But, even then, it's rough, since the warlock is usually guarded by two elite orcs.
Hmm… Taking on this warlock seems like quite the challenge, especially if I do it solo… Maybe I should form a team? Then again… With my avatar, how would that work? Ugh. What a dilemma.
I'll focus on taking down the regular orcs for now. They fight with medieval-style weapons, so I should look up techniques for countering gear like that.
So the rest of the day is spent watching medieval combat enthusiasts on the internet. It was surprisingly instructive.
*** Finally, proper clothes
The next day, my phone buzzes with a notification—the auction is over, and my items are sold. For a huge amount. Like, "I could buy a new car" huge.
Great! That should be more than enough to finally get some proper gear.
I hop onto my computer and pull up the Awakeners marketplace. The selection is massive—everything from weapons to potions to talismans. And the prices… yeah, they're in an entirely different world. There's even an invisibility potion listed for more than my entire house.
I stick to browsing the low-rank section. All I need is something capable of adapting to my transformations. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done. Armor that automatically adjusts its size is high-rank—and way, way out of my budget.
I'm just about ready to give up when I spot something cheap: a Scroll of Aesthetics. Apparently, it can alter the appearance of gear to match the user's preferences. Hmm… if I can change the succubus armor so it's less revealing, that would solve all my troubles! Well… most of them.
I purchase the scroll, and get a confirmation: my item will be ready for pickup at the nearest NAA building shortly. It seems for security purposes, the item is left to the care of the NAA personnel until I pick it up. I'm fine with that. At that price, I would be scared to just have a normal deliveryman bring it up. Well, until the item arrives, I should just go out for a jog to cool my head.
I take a long run, and by the time I return, I get a notification on my phone that my item is ready to be picked up. That was pretty quick.
I grab my car keys and head to the NAA building. I manage to get my item without problems. A scroll that's tightly tied up and a piece of paper that has the instructions on how to use it. I place both into my inventory and head back home. I can't wait to go fight the orcs again.
Once back home, I transform into my succubus form, remove the destroyed clothes from the orc attack, and stand in front of the full-length mirror in just the succubus armor, black bra, panties, and high high socks. I materialize the Scroll of Aesthetics into my hand from my inventory.
"Okay… let's hope this actually works," I mumble. Following the instruction given on the piece of paper, I rip the scroll. The second I do, the magic activates, reshaping my clothes on the spot.
My panties and socks fuse into footed leggings, and my bra… Ugh, still provocative. I guess with a bust this large there's no helping it. But at least it now looks more like a fitted tank top than lingerie.
The new look is… Well… The color hasn't changed—it stayed all black—and my waist is still fully exposed, but overall… Yeah. This is way better. I look like I'm dressed for a yoga class, not standing around in underwear. Definitely an improvement.
Okay, now that I'm properly—or, at least, presentably dressed—it's time for that rematch. I pull up the system screen and select Bloody Valley.
*** New rivals, the orcs
I materialize in the orcs' realm—Bloody Valley. It's actually a pretty nice place. Clear blue sky, broad fields covered in red flowers—that's probably where the "bloody" part comes from—and mountains rising like walls all around. Beautiful… but I didn't come here to sightsee.
I scan the open expanse for orcs. Unlike in the Goblin Forest, there are no big trees obstructing the view here, so finding some prey is quite easy. I spot a group in the distance. Three of them, probably scouts. Perfect! I walk towards them.
They notice me pretty quickly, but unlike the goblins who simply charge mindlessly, they hold formation, assessing me. Probably trying to figure out why small prey is walking towards them without hesitation.
Since they aren't attacking, I take the chance to look at them up close. No armor—just hides wrapped around their waists and a single axe made of bones in hand. Basic gear, no doubt. But even then, they're imposing. Easily two meters tall, arms as thick as my entire torso, tusks jutting from their jaws… And the way they handle themselves—seasoned fighters. Perfect.
"Well then, should we get this party started?" I mumble, triggering overpower. My body surges outward—muscles swelling, power flooding my limbs until I feel like a walking earthquake.
"Let's see how you handle someone your own size." I shout, slamming my fists together in the universal sign for come at me. The orcs seem to take the challenge with delight. They raise their axes and bellow, "Grundaha!" Some kind of battle cry? I don't have the luxury to think about it, because a heartbeat later they're charging me.
I step into the swing of the lead orc, catching the shaft before the blade can bite, and immediately counter with a right hook to its skull. Something cracks, but the brute stays upright and lashes back with a kick. It slams into my stomach—forcing me back just in time for the other two to rush in. No choice. I sidestep to the left, letting one axe catch my arm instead of my neck. Even with overpower boosting my durability, the weapon bites deep. I grit my teeth and drive a punch into its gut before retreating a few steps.
The orcs don't advance. They pause, probably reassessing. I do the same, glancing at my arm. It's bleeding pretty badly, but still functional. Good enough.
I focus back on the orcs. They're grunting to each other—planning something. I brace myself for a coordinated assault… But instead, two of them step back and set their axes aside. The third steps forward, thumps his chest with one fist, raises his axe high, and roars:
"Grundaha!"
…Is he challenging me to a duel?
I glance at the other two—they stay perfectly still, offering no hint of interfering. And the lone orc stands still, keeping that pose, axe raised, arm on chest, eyes full of fire. I'm starting to really like these guys.
"Alright, you're on," I mutter with a grin. Then I shout back, "Grundaha!" Probably butchered the pronunciation, but the orc nods, smiling, and shifts into a ready stance.
The duel is on.
The fight turns into a blur of axe arcs and tight punches—and honestly, it isn't exactly going my way. I have to keep darting around just to avoid getting chopped in half, which makes landing solid hits nearly impossible. Still, I'm not about to give up. I weave past the axe and snap a quick jab into the orc's face before slipping out of range again. Over and over, I repeat this dance for several minutes.
The orc lands a few blows of his own, but nothing too serious. And I keep pecking at his face—specifically his left eye. Eventually—after taking so many hits—it's swollen shut. Perfect. That gives me a blind spot to exploit. I can tell the orc's starting to get nervous. Losing vision in one eye mid-fight would shake anyone, even a hardened fighter.
In that moment of panic, he commits to a wild, sweeping swing. I don't waste the opening. I duck under the blow and hammer him with a right, a left, and a full-force uppercut. He finally crashes to the ground.
What a fight. I'm buzzing with adrenaline—until I remember I still have two other orcs to deal with. They stayed out of the duel, but I doubt they'll just let me walk away after flattening their comrade. I turn to face them as they pick up their weapons. This is bad. I'm bleeding heavily, and I'm running low on magic. Still, I brace myself to fight to the end.
Except… the orcs bow their heads in respect and simply walk away. I stay tense, half-expecting some trick, but no—they really leave. Are they honoring the duel? I swear, I'm liking these guys more and more. But right now, I need to get out of this realm.
I mean, I barely managed to take down the lowest class orc—and only because he challenged me to a one-on-one duel. Yeah, if I'm going to face these guys for real, I'll need to up my game to a whole new level.