"Interesting, so this is one of the effects of the Imp King's Ring."
A huge black centipede, as black as ink, stood right in front of William. It had raised its body like a snake so that its compound eyes were level with William's, its long antennae wiggling up and down.
Submission was one of the ring's abilities, allowing it to keep a beast under control as long as it feared or respected it.
"If that was a White Widow, would you be its mate or its offspring?" (William)
"Too bad, if you were a wolf or something cool, I'd keep you as a pet." (William)
*Stink*
So while the long centipede remained still, Titan's hilt expanded and with a quick movement, William thrust it into the centipede's mouth. The centipede tried to resist at the last second, but it was too late; it was split in half lengthwise.
With a wet sound, the body fell to one side, yellow guts and foul-smelling blood permeating the area, the dozens of legs still moving, tearing the air in vain.
"Now, you're not going to obey me, are you?" (William)
After his words, the third centipede in the area emerged from the ground. It was larger than the black one but smaller than the White Widow, and its blood-red armour made it look awesome.
"I wouldn't mind having you as a pet..." (William)
*Metallic clash*
"I take that as a no..." (William)
The long, sharp vocal pincers of the Blood scolopendra clashed multiple times with Titan, with each contact sending sparks flying everywhere, looking like a light show in the middle of the night.
The scolopendra ran around William, cutting and biting him from increasingly strange and complicated angles.
(Enough training, I'm getting a little sleepy.) (William)
It took him about ten minutes for the blood scolopendra attacks to slow down in pace, strength, and speed.
"Try to stop this!!!" (William)
A perfect stab at maximum speed was William's final attack. With a bloody burst, the sharp tip of Titan extended and penetrated the lower part of the scolopendra head, coming out the other side and impaling the enormous insect to death.
"You didn't know that Titan's blade could also expand, did you? Even though you took the trouble to watch my fight with the white widow while hiding among the roots." (William)
"Your armour was the softest of the three, but you were faster and your pincers were sharper than the black one's." (William)
*Splash*
As if it were his signature move, William shook Titan, the blood of the three centipedes dripped from the blade, it shrank in size and returned to its sheath on William's lower back.
The metallic clicks of the clasps ensured that the spear would not fall accidentally.
30 Minutes - Forest far from Jericho, clearing surrounded by trees.
"All right, let's see the harvest, my collection is getting bigger and bigger."
William sat on a large rock, the screens of his system glowing blue in front of him.
[Reward for the White Widow: White Widow's Bracelet.]
[Reward for the Blood Centipede: Blood scolopendra Medal.]
[Effect: Absorbs the blood that touches the blade of the weapon used by the user.]
[Reward for the Dark Centipede: Shadow Medal.]
[Effect: Perfect Night Vision.]
"Another piece of armour. I suppose the White Widow was dangerous, but not to the extent of a Silver Drake."
With a flash of light, a thin metal rod appeared in William's hands. With a little pressure, it broke in two, and a tattoo that looked as if it were alive appeared on the skin of William's right arm.
A white centipede with gold decorations on its armour looked elegant and pure.
(Armour appears) (William)
With a thought, silver metal armour covered his entire right arm except for his shoulder, connecting perfectly with the third piece of armour William had obtained from the Imp King, a white leather glove with silver armour covering the entire hand.
A bracer was made of metal plates and pieces that protected the entire arm, including the elbow and forearm, with a delicate white widow design to decorate its finish. It looked more like a work of art than a piece of armour.
"I wondered why I couldn't use the gauntlet I got from the Imp King. A second piece was necessary. Hmm, interesting."
"Lightweight and so resistant that Titan could barely leave a scratch on its surface."
Titan is capable of cutting through steel as if it were butter, such was the hardness of the White Widow's armour, comparable to the scales of a lesser dragon.
*Clink*
The Blood Centipede and Dark Centipede medals were added to his left arm bracelet, alongside the Dawn Moth.
"With these, I don't have to worry about getting blood on myself and having to change my eyes to feline ones when I fight in the dark. They're very convenient."
*Pleasant sigh*
William stretched his body, feeling sweaty after so much exercise and transformation.
Nevermore Academy - Caliban Hall - William Stone's dormitory.
(It smells really good and this is very soft.)
William's hands moved up a slender waist, he could feel the soft skin under the white shirt and Enid's perfume was sweet and pleasant.
"Ouch."
"You were supposed to be at archery practice 20 minutes ago, Xavier called me because you didn't show up." (Enid)
Enid's fingers pulled William's cheeks; she was sitting on his abdomen, according to Will, and her weight felt very pleasant.
"You went out for a walk last night, didn't you?" (Enid)
Enid's pinch grew stronger, forcing William to open his eyes and face the wolf girl with golden hair and pink streaks right in front of him.
"It's optional practice, it's no big deal if I'm 30 minutes late." (William)
Enid narrowed her eyes dangerously.
"You're the captain, you have to be with your team at practice, encouraging them to improve... 30 minutes?"
Before Enid could fully understand what William meant, her lips were taken by William's. It was an intense kiss like they used to have when they were alone. Enid's pleasant weight, the contact with her bum and thighs, was too much stimulation for William.
Enid wasn't wearing her blazer, just her white shirt and long blue skirt that reached her chest. William could feel Enid's body clearly against his.
"Just... mmmmhh... ah... five minutes... you have to get ready!" (Enid)
Enid gave in as she always did and crossed both arms behind William's neck. This was the reason Enid had taken off her blazer earlier and placed it on the coat rack right next to William's blazer.
It would be bad if it got too wrinkled.
Main Archery Hall.
A spacious hall with wooden floors, long shelves filled with bows for both beginners and advanced archers decorated the walls, the wood finishes were elegant, and the large gargoyles in the corners added the characteristic Gothic touch of Nevermore.
"You're late" (Xavier)
"I didn't get much sleep, and you guys need to practise more than I do" (William)
Xavier lowered his bow when he saw William come in carrying a bow case over his shoulder. He had been fast asleep when William returned to the dormitory last night.
Several young Nevermore students gave William a reproachful look. They had been practising since morning, even before breakfast in the dining hall, their empty stomachs making them irritable.
"Tsk, why can he arrive whenever he wants?" (Type A)
"Because I'm better than you." (William)
After those words, William took his new bow out of its case. He wouldn't borrow one from the academy now that he had his own, courtesy of an unnamed corpse buried under some trees with a stone as its headstone.
"Try to wake up, is it a new bow?" (Xavier)
"I just got it yesterday." (William)
After putting on his leather glove, William took a couple of dates to test how well his new bow shot.
*Thunk*
"That's a bit of a problem." (William)
After the first shot, a drop of blood spilled from William's right hand. The bowstring was strong; not just anyone could pull it, and it seemed to cut the fingers of whoever pulled it. It didn't seem to want to be used by just anyone.
The wound quickly healed, and William watched as the leather of the black glove was easily cut.
(A block from the armourer, perhaps its last user was not a particularly generous person.) (William)
"You have to admit, it's good." (Type B)
"Shut up." (Type A)
The guy who complained that William was late gave his friend a push. The perfect shot from 20 metres without even hesitating was much better than theirs. The hall did not have one of its usual barriers in place, but instead a large open space with multiple targets and shooting ranges at different distances.
"Perhaps... this glove is too fragile." (William)
William couldn't solve the problem with the bow, but he could solve the problem with the glove. That was William's line of thinking. He put his hand in his blazer pocket, and when he took it out again, an elegant white leather glove with gold decorations covered his hand.
*Thunk*
"Problem solved." (William)
The bowstring tried to cut William's fingers again, but it couldn't pierce the Imp King's glove; it was too strong.
(So far, I've noticed that it makes the arrows faster, improves their piercing power, and they don't seem to be affected by the wind, flying in a perfect straight line.)