*** How to get stronger?
I materialize back in my house, still in my succubus form. The first thing I do is check my arm—the wound's completely healed. Good. And my clothes are also fixed. Great, now I no longer have to get replacements every time I go into a realm.
Next, I pull up my inventory. Just to check… Nothing from the orc. Figures. I guessed as much. The one I beat was only a low-rank scout.
A low-rank scout who nearly wiped the floor with me. Ugh. I really need to get stronger. Maybe level up some more? Learn new skills? But the other skills available to me aren't exactly appealing. Better gear might be the way to go. And I can think of a good, reliable source for that.
I hop into the Goblin Forest. The goblin king is always generous with loot, after all.
For the next few hours, I tear through goblins with overpower activated. They never stood a chance—king included. By the end, I've collected two pairs of goblin king swords and crowns, three goblin staffs, and a handful of crystals and vials. Poison vials… I could use it to fight the orcs. Coat a blade and get an easy advantage. But… No. That feels wrong. Orcs are honorable fighters. And I want to beat them in a fair fight. Otherwise, what's the point?
For now, I try equipping a crown and one of the massive swords. The crown—some carved animal skull—seemed to adjust to my head. I can't explain how. Magic, I guess. At least I don't have to worry about it falling off. As for the sword… It's huge, as tall as my succubus form without overpower, but I can swing it one-handed without issue. Not bad.
I try a few test swings on a tree. The hits are powerful… but awkward. It's clear I'm no swordsman. I was overswinging, leaving me exposed. Against a seasoned fighter like the orcs, they wouldn't miss the opening to end me. Ugh. But it could still serve as a battering ram—smashing through a fortress gate in just a few swings.
Next, I want to see the crown's effect. I unequip the sword, dematerializing it into my inventory, and focus on the headgear. It's supposed to increase speed. Let's see by how much.
I start running, zigzagging between trees at an incredible velocity. It felt like I was lightning itself!
I even manage to take out a group of goblins before they could even react. Five down in a second. Didn't even need to activate any of my skills.
Yeah… this speed would absolutely help in a real fight.
But I can feel my magic draining. Turns out this boost comes at a cost. It's unfortunate, but using it with overpower would empty my reserves too quickly.
Too bad.
I unequip the crown to avoid consuming any more of my magic. Still, I'll definitely find a use for it.
With that done, I exit the realm, reverting back to my human form, grab my keys, and drive to the NAA center to sell my loot.
I head over to the cashier to offload the goods when someone suddenly smacks me on the back.
"Jax! Back again?" Nolan's voice. He looks exhausted, but the huge grin on his face says he's thrilled to have someone to bother. His way of unwinding. Ugh. Well… that's what friends are for, I guess.
"Hey, Nolan. Yeah, just here to sell some things," I say. Then I bite the bullet. "What's going on with you?"
He immediately flashes that grin—the kind of grin that comes just before dragging your friend into your mess.
He launches into a rant about his higher-ups and their ridiculous demands. I half-listen as I step up to the cashier and hand over the goods. I know Nolan well enough to tell when he's just venting. He'll circle back around to whatever he actually wants once he's done unloading his frustrations. He's probably just hoping to rope me into going out for drinks. Well… fine. He did help me out.
"Wait—hold up. Is that the goblin king's sword and crown?" Nolan blurts—right in the middle of his rant—as he spots the items I'm putting on the counter. "How'd you even get both? What, did you solo the goblin king or something?"
"Uh… yeah," I answer with a shrug. Honestly, it wasn't even that hard.
Nolan just stares at me for a second before bursting into laughter. "Ha! Of course you did! You crazy bastard!" He cackles, smacking my shoulder. Then he suddenly quiets down. I can practically see the gears turning—he's plotting something. I let him stew while I finish up with the cashier, an appraisal mage who looks just as exhausted as Nolan.
I sell most of the loot, keeping one crown, sword, and goblin staff. Just in case a need for them arises.
The moment I finish, Nolan finally speaks up.
"Hey, got a minute?" he asks—tone shifting to serious.
"Sure. What's up?"
"Not here. Let's talk somewhere private." He gestures for me to follow, leading me toward one of the private rooms.
I can't help wondering what this is going to be about.