Deadmeat Saga

Chapter 71 – Unwanted Attention. Stella’s mutation.

Sitting in a corner, Gerhart placed many Magic Stones around himself, absorbing them while looking at Aithali.

"Can you understand me?" Gerhart asked while enduring the pain wrecking his body.

Aithali only tilted her head, unable to understand what Gerhart was saying. Earlier, she didn't understand what he told her, only the sympathy he showed her. With no one to translate, it was useless to talk to her. Gerhart quickly caught on to that point.

"I should study some other languages in my free time," Gerhart muttered, annoyed at his inability to communicate with others.

"Gerhart, let me help," Qold said as she approached the confused girl, chanted a short spell, and tapped Aithali's head, "Multiliguism."

Aithali's eyes shined before looking at Qold with confusion. "What did you do to me, mistress?"

Gerhart could perfectly understand what she was saying as if in Youvamorian.

"I just cast a small spell to understand each other. It will wear off in an hour." Qold smiled.

"Amazing..." Aithali looked at Qold with admiration.

"Now, why not tell us a bit about yourself?" Qold gently asked.

"There is not much to tell, mistress. I am just an ugly idiot and failure who couldn't learn Magic Engineering from my father, losing my worth. When I was old enough, my previous owners sold me to the slave market, but few wanted me because of my small stature and how clumsy I was. Only after they lowered my price to the minimum did my new owners buy me to pick Magic Stones for them. I was their slave for several months- Until now." Aithali honestly said.

"Athlati, what if I told you that you are not stupid or useless but a rare genius?" Gerhart suddenly interjected.

"Genius? Me? Master, my Intelligence is G. I don't know many things, not even to count correctly, but I know I am dumb and talentless." Aithali said with certainty.

"Well, that is indeed correct... For now." Gerhart grinned, "What if I told you that talent can change? That you have an untapped potential I can uncover?"

"I- I do?" Aithali widened her eyes in shock.

"Yes, you do. You are a Late Bloomer, Aithali, and I can awaken your potential. I promise you can be one of the best craftsmen in the world." Gerhart promised.

It wasn't an empty promise. With Aithali's talent, she was qualified to be a top craftswoman.

"I want it!" Aithali's eyes were already shining like stars.

Qold couldn't help but smirk, "She is so naive it is cute."

"No problem, but my power is unusual. I require you to submit. It is a prerequisite." Gerhart explained.

"Submit? I am master's slave. I am already your property. Isn't submitting common sense?" Aithali tilted her head in confusion.

"Submitting to me is a bit different. From slavery, there is still a chance to escape, but from me, there is no chance. I am explaining it so I won't feel guilty for tricking you. Once you accept, you will be mine forever, just like Qold here." Gerhart said.

Aithali looked at Qold and asked, "Does it hurt?"

"No. It is even pleasant. You will never be treated like a slave again." Qold said.

"Is the other mistress also?" Aithali continued asking.

"Yes, she is." Qold nodded.

"Do you enjoy belonging to master?" Aithali curiously asked.

"More than you can imagine. I was never happier." Qold earnestly answered.

"Will I get a warm bed, comfy room, hot meals, and comfortable clothes?" Aithali asked the most crucial question, a sparkle in her eyes.

"That, I can swear on my name and honor. You will get treated well." Gerhart promised.

Aithali finally smiled.

Aithali has Converted Successfully.

After converting her, Gerhart let go of her.

"Master." She bowed.

"So your name is Aithali? Did your parents name you?" Gerhart curiously asked.

"No. The name Soot was given to me by the slave merchant as a mockery." Aithali replied.

"Er... Did you say Soot? Do you mean Aithali means Soot in Nehanian?" Gerhart squinted his eyes.

"Yes. Soot means Soot." Aithali said with a weird face. "Did I say something weird?"

"It is probably the spell I cast. Since Aithali believes she is Soot in her language, you will hear Soot instead of Aithali." Qold explained.

"Typical poor sense of humor of slavers." Gerhart winced. "Your name shall now be Ariyana. It means to be creative and full of passion."

"Ariyana... I like it!" The diminutive Tinkerer smiled, her eyes shining.

"Ariyana, forgive me, but I won't bless you yet. When we get home, and I have more energy, I can help you."

Today, he absorbed over 1,500 Magic Stones, equal to over 175,000 energy points, over 200,000 if he includes his previous level! And yet, he was still not at the complete level 40, let alone level 50!

After summoning a horde of monsters, they would escape the way they came from, kill the monsters, and kill the monsters following them before heading back to kill more monsters, even triggering the trap again. It inevitably drew even more monsters that wandered to the area, resulting in more monsters and Magic Stones. Killing the monsters and absorbing the Magic Stones took time, and finding another trap also took time.

Whenever they got tired or injured, he would heal Havre and Qold, rapidly draining his reserves. From 5,000, it was already down to 3,500.

But on the upside, he was getting more powerful with every Magic Stone he absorbed, making him more powerful in all aspects. He could now one-hit-kill all the regular monsters here, and their hits were negligible.

Nevertheless, he reckoned it would take at least a dozen such operations. And now, since they have Ariyana, they couldn't continue such reckless tactics, or she might get hurt.

"Master, I am okay with that!" Ariyana innocently smiled.

Gerhart lightly nodded, patting the dust on himself, and looked to the right passage, where Havre emerged with a bag.

"My lord, I have gathered 100 stones," Havre reported.

"Good. Let's call it a day." Gerhart said and got up.

Taking out several Teleportation Stones, Gerhart gave one to Ariyana. "Here. You know how to use this, right?"

"Yes." Ariyana nodded.

Breaking the Teleportation Stones, the group soon left. Trading 100 Magic Stones and several drop items for 3,500 Silver Coins, they arrived at the guild's tavern, where the Dark Hawks were waiting.

Not going back on their word, they went to a Slave Trader and switched the ownership of Ariyana to Gerhart before peacefully leaving in separate directions. He could have scanned the Slave Market, but he thought it would be too much for today.

With their business finished, they bought some children's clothes for the child-sized Tinkerer and got her some meat and vegetable skewers from a vendor.

"This is so good!" The female Tinkerer ate the meat and vegetables with gusto. It was just a simple meal, but to Ariyana, it was a luxury.

"I am glad you like it," Gerhart smirked and ate his skewer with Qold and Havre while walking around the city.

While walking, Havre suddenly hooked her hand around Gerhart's arm like a lover and whispered, "My lord, we are being followed."

"I know," Gerhart said with a gentle smile, unbothered.

He already felt several pairs of eyes gazing at them.

"Criminals? No, unlikely. They wouldn't mess with armed adventurers. It is likely because we are B-rank and qualify to be A-rank. They could be anything from High Nobles or Grand Burghers wanting to add us to their cliques to the royal family keeping tabs. Or perhaps they are an intelligence organization gathering information to sell." Gerhart deduced.

Anyone reaching C-rank is already a one-in-a-thousand talent, making them rare talents that low-rank nobles employ. Those who reach B-rank are one in ten thousand- individuals worthy of the attention of even High Nobility and Middling Nobility actively fight over them with promises of benefits and connections. And A-ranks deserve the royal family's attention since each A-rank powerhouse represents a shift in their national power- or a potential threat. And there was no point in mentioning S-rank powerhouses. They were not something a Middling Kingdom could shackle down.

Either way, if news of them being eligible for A-rank leaked, it was no surprise that many got interested in them. Even if they were only Dungeon Explorers and were not eligible to marry into nobility, that didn't mean they couldn't befriend or make them unofficial members. It wasn't uncommon for illicit relationships to happen or giving favors.

"They would probably watch us for a few days before making first contact." Gerhart figured.

After doing a rough tour around the city while avoiding the slums, they were indeed undisturbed before returning home on foot. It was afternoon when they got home. By that time, the manor looked cleaner.

"Master lives here?" Ariyana curiously asked while looking around.

"Temporarily, yes." Gerhart smiled.

"I see they trimmed the grass and foliage," Havre commented.

"And the walls are cleaner. At least I see less moss and vines." Qold added, observing the walls.

"They should have bought some furniture as well. Let's see what Hope and Bertrand prepared." Gerhart smiled as he walked to the manor.

After opening the door, Gerhart saw three servants cleaning and repairing the main hall.

"My lord." The servants nodded at Gerhart.

"Keep up the good work." Gerhart smiled and turned to look at Ariyana. "This will be your new home. It is a bit shabby, and we will only stay for three months, but it should suffice."

To an A-rank Dungeon Explorer earning hundreds of thousands of Silver Coins a year, a knight's manor house was unquestionably beneath them.

"No, I like it!" Ariyana smiled from ear to ear.

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"Let's go wash ourselves. We had an intensive day at the dungeon." Gerhart said, feeling a bit sticky from dry sweat.

Running around and ramming into peak B-rank monsters was easy for Gerhart, but he still needed to exert himself. Getting dirty was inevitable. Havre and Qold were also sticky after running and fighting for half a day. As for Ariyana, although she was treated (relatively) decently as a slave, she was still made to walk for hours in the dungeon and walk to the manor. She was also tired and sweaty.

"Okay. Where is the servant's washroom?" Ariyana curiously asked.

"Oh, you will be washing with us, deary." Qold smiled, patting the Tikerer's messy hair.

"Eh?" Ariyana blinked her ruby eyes.

Several minutes later-

Gerhart, Havre, Qold, and Ariyana bathed inside a sizeable tub. It was apparent Hope and Bertrand bought it.

"Is this okay?" Ariyana, submerged to the neck, asked herself as she looked at her new master washed by her two new mistresses.

She didn't see herself as a sex slave. She was too ugly to be one. She was unqualified to be a bath slave or even a bed warmer since most would frown upon seeing her plain and malnourished face, dry dark-green skin, and bony frame. The only thing she had were her decently sized breasts, outmatched by the beautiful concubines selected by rich folk.

She was more worried about disgusting her new master by seeing her naked frame or the act of sharing a bath with her master. But it was apparent her worries were for naught.

"Ariyana, don't worry, and just enjoy the bath. Master doesn't mind." Qold said while gently washing Gerhart's chest.

"My lord permitted you, so it is fine," Havre added while washing Gerhart's arm.

"O-Okay..." Ariyana nodded as her eyes looked down and inadvertently looked at Gerhart's third leg.

It wasn't as if she never saw male tools. She saw many, including those of other slaves and servants. However, it was her first time seeing someone THIS well-endowed.

"That's thicker than my arm! Male Tinkerers have bigger tools than humans, but the master's thing is huge." Ariyana unknowingly gulped, drawn to the majestic half-erect member under the water, having feelings of fear and awe. "Tinkerer women are built to take bigger tools than female humans, but won't that split me in half if it enters me?"

Qold, who noticed it, had a mischievous twinkle in her eyes as she pressed her majestic peaks against Gerhart's body, her hot breath tickling his ear, "Master~ I am feeling naughty~."

As expected, that stimulation roused Gerhart's third leg, erect and out of the water.

"Awawawa..." Ariyana covered her eyes in embarrassment, leaving vague cracks between her fingers.

"Qold, stop teasing the girl." Gerhart saw through Qold's evil plot and pinched her butt.

"Ahn~. I'm sorry, master~. Please punish me later~." Qold seductively apologized.

"Naughty minx." Gerhart shook his head and continued enjoying his bath while ignoring the curious girl peeking at him.

After the bath, Gerhart headed to his room to retrieve Stella, the cleaning slime, and give it its meal- The wastewater and used towels. However, when he arrived in the room, he discovered that Stella was a tad bigger.

"Oh? Did it grow bigger? Did its level increase?" Gerhart couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as he analyzed it.

Name: Stella
Race: Slime(Cleaner)/???
Age: 37
Sex: Androgynous
Level: 1

"What the? Why is there a change in the race?" Gerhart was surprised and checked the unique talents. And soon, he found the culprit.

{Unique Talent - Mutation(In Progress, Unknown): Due to changes in the environment, diet preference, a powerful stimulus, or any other reason, this creature is experiencing a mutation. The mutation is still in the early stages, and its direction is unknown.}

"Don't tell me that ingesting my seed made it mutate." Gerhart's lips twitched.