Evil Sorcerer System 6 (Patreon)

I made my way into the forest and found an old stump. I sat down to look over my haul.

Total points: 8,410

It's better to work smarter than harder, as the saying goes. Before, I'd thought this sum would have meant nine hunting trips through the forest over the course of several months, waiting for the soul absorption quest to come around each time. But now I had a much easier path to riches.

While I'd been interested in building up a point reserve, what I had now was far more than a reserve. I'd be foolish not to turn some of it into immediate power.

My first order of business was to turn two constant expenses into something more sustainable.

Purchased Apprentice Invisibility. -400 evil points. Purchased Minor Teleport. -500 evil points.

I'd bought enough scrolls and tokens by now to know these were effects I was fond of and would keep using in emergencies. I had a hunch the spells wouldn't be quite as powerful as their item equivalents, but that was all right. Even a weaker version of each would be enough for most situations and would cut the number of points I spent on disposable items.

Next, I wanted some sort of passive defense. I'd taken a surprise crossbow bolt once already and had no desire to repeat the experience. In terms of raw power, the best option was probably one of the mage armor abilities I saw for sale. But those came with the crucial problem of being an obvious, blatant use of mana.

Given that the Order of the Golden Sword had mana-sensing equipment, I needed something that wouldn't trip those sensors. After much searching, I finally found something.

Purchased Ward of Minor Deflection. -900 evil points.

While not the most efficient use of points for raw power, this spell would activate instantly to block an incoming arrow or other minor projectile, potentially saving my life.

I bought several more subtle spells following the same line of reasoning.

Purchased Physical Enhancement. -800 evil points.

Purchased Mental Enhancement. -800 evil points.

Then I purchased something for dealing with my fellow sorcerers. While they hadn't proven as evil as the Archcleric of Lamford would have people believe, I wasn't naive enough to think they were harmless. Master Theragrim and his apprentices would have died long ago if they weren't dangerous enough to defend themselves. So I prepared a spell specifically for them.

Purchased Counterspell. -1,200 evil points.

As the most expensive of the spells I purchased, it was also one of the most versatile. It would essentially let me scramble any forming magic as it was being cast. Hopefully I would never need to use it.

Then I bought the spell I'd promised Master Theragrim I knew.

Purchased Skeletal Soldier. -600 evil points.

When all that was done, I still had several thousand points left. I felt like I could squeeze one more thing in without cutting into my emergency funds, and my mind went back to that conversation I'd had with Master Theragrim. What was it he'd said about refining my soul? He'd spoken about it as though it should have been obvious. I was missing something fundamental about sorcery.

My thoughts drifted to my first day in this world, and to one of the very first purchases the System had offered me.

Purchased Grimoire of Soul Refinement. -1,000 evil points.

A sinister book appeared in my hands. It was a weighty, evil-looking thing, black and leather-bound, the sort that would probably get me executed on the spot if the wrong person saw me holding it.

A thousand points for a book seemed incredibly expensive when I could purchase fully realized spells for a fraction of the price. But try as I might, I couldn't find an ability with the book's name in the System shop. It seemed this was the sort of thing I needed to learn the old-fashioned way.

I cracked the book open and began flipping through the pages. What followed was a series of anatomical diagrams illustrating the flow of mana through the body. The diagrams showed the chaotic, natural pattern of that flow being straightened out bit by bit through conscious will, using an ability like my Flesh Sculpting spell.

Over the course of agonizing days, weeks, or months, a sorcerer could create magical veins running through their body that would greatly facilitate the casting of any and all spells.

The prize for enduring this agony was appropriately impressive. Completing this self-modification would increase the efficiency and speed of all my spells, vastly enhancing the number of spells I could throw around without resorting to something like soul absorption to replenish myself.

And all that was just the first chapter. The second detailed forming a reservoir of mana inside the body, then growing and drawing on it to dramatically enhance my overall pool of mana.

The third chapter involved condensing that sea of mana into a densely packed crystalline substance that would further enhance the potency of my spells in ways that seemed exponential. That must have been the core Master Theragrim assumed I had failed to form at whatever academy he thought I came from.

If what I was reading was even half true, I needed to get on top of it right away. The benefits were far too great to ignore. A spellcaster working on the first chapter would need to get extraordinarily lucky to defeat someone at the third. And even facing someone at the second chapter would take enormous preparation and an arsenal of powerful spells.

How far through a book like this had Master Theragrim gotten? If he had reached the third chapter, I wouldn't be a match for him in a direct fight, even with my Counterspell. But given his words, I suspected he was at most on the second chapter. More likely, he was working his way through the first, just like I was about to.

My plan for the next few days was clear. I would read this book and begin applying the knowledge it contained. I would stop only when I got the quest that rewarded me for teaching Master Theragrim and his apprentices, at which point I would farm points from them all day before disappearing to work on my Grimoire of Soul Refinement and wait for another chance to farm more.

After several hours of reading, I realized it was getting late. I wouldn't be able to make it back to Lamford, assuming I could even get into the town with the heightened security. And I certainly wouldn't want to walk past the guards carrying something like this book.

I needed somewhere to stay the night, and roughing it in the wilderness the way I had when I first arrived in this world no longer held any appeal now that I wasn't desperate. Call me soft, but I'd gotten used to sleeping with bedding and a roof over my head. Even a tent didn't sound like much. My stomach growled. Apparently I could use dinner too.

Thankfully I knew someone nearby who would hopefully have something to eat, and ideally somewhere to sleep as well.

***

I made my way back to Aia's hut in the nearby hamlet and arrived to find dinner just getting started. I had left on a bit of an awkward note after refusing to share my name, but a few more shiny coins would hopefully change that.

I soon found Aia cooking over a fire and approached. I'd been testing my new invisibility spell, but I needed someone else to confirm it actually worked. It would be quite embarrassing to discover I'd been casting it wrong while sneaking past some guards.

"Hello again, Aia. I hope Jandon found the books helpful."

Aia turned and looked right past me, which confirmed my invisibility was working. I dropped it while she was looking away and appeared before her.

"Over here," I said with a wave.

"It's you again! The man without a name. I was wondering if I'd ever get a chance to thank you."

I chuckled. "I'm sorry I left abruptly before. I was tired, and my travels haven't exactly been safe. You may call me Alden Reed, if you like."

"Alden Reed... hmm. Somehow, I don't think that's your real name." Aia eyed me. I grimaced, but she held a hand up. "Don't worry. You don't trust me, and I understand. I won't pry. I owe you that much for the books. Those couldn't have been cheap. As for dinner? Please stay. I caught more than enough for three."

"Here, for a seat at your table." I started pulling out a fistful of coins.

Aia stood and pushed my hand down. "I won't take your money a second time, Alden."

I opened my hand, revealing that the coins I held this time weren't silver. They were gold.

Aia saw them, but even so she closed my hand around them again and pulled me to sit beside her. We chatted while she cooked, and this time we spoke of more mundane things. Jandon arrived just as the food finished cooking, and the three of us shared another simple meal of roasted venison.

Talking to Aia was nice. This time I saw her as the person she was, rather than just a source of information.

"I think I enjoy your company, Aia. You're insightful and diligent. Both are traits worthy of admiration," I said when silence finally filled the air between us.

Aia blushed. "And I like your company as well, Alden. You're a mystery, but one I would very much like to explore in greater detail."

We looked at one another and smiled.

"Are you two going to kiss or something?" Jandon asked around a mouthful of venison.

Aia and I both pulled away. Whatever moment we'd had for a second there had been thoroughly crushed.

"I was merely appreciating your mother's many positive qualities," I said, earning a suspicious look from the boy.

I realized it had probably been for the best that I'd pulled away. Getting into a romantic relationship right now would have been madness. I was a wanted man throughout the realm. Any attachments would just be a problem waiting to happen.

"Alden will be staying the night. Can you stay with your friends again, Jandon?" Aia asked.

Jandon nodded, looking like he very much planned to be elsewhere tonight.

After we were finished, Aia led me into her small hut, which was scarcely more than a shed with a few shelves and some hay on the ground. Looking down, I realized the pile of hay was the bed. There was only one. Aia must have shared this small sleeping space with Jandon.

"I can sleep outside, if..." My voice trailed off as I saw what Aia was doing.

While I'd been talking, she'd pulled off her tunic and trousers and folded both before placing them neatly in the corner. Her naked body was on full display before me.

She somehow had the full curves of a mother and also the toned build of an athlete. I'd expected her to be more wiry, but she must have been a better hunter than I thought.

"Well?" Aia asked with her hands on her hips.

"You sure? I'm not certain it'd be smart to give Jandon a little brother or sister." I frowned.

Aia laughed. "Relax. It's a safe day."

She reached for my shirt and helped me pull it off in one smooth motion. I tossed it in the corner with her clothes. Then she pulled me down into the pile of hay.

We tumbled down with our bodies intertwined. She kissed me with hungry passion, sucking on my lower lip. She straddled me with one hand behind my back and the other reaching for my cock, which was already hard.

I was grateful this body was working properly in that respect, at least. I hadn't had occasion to use it for anything other than pissing since I came to this world. My week of hard travels through the wilderness had left me uninterested in anything but survival, but that week in town had reminded me my body had needs besides food and shelter.

"I want you to fuck me like a wild beast in heat," Aia whispered breathily in my ear.

"You sure about that?" I raised my eyebrows.

She nodded, and I grabbed her hips and flipped her over, face-first into the hay. She spread her thighs and moaned as I positioned myself at her entrance. Then I gave her exactly what she'd asked for.

We came together in a frenzy, frantic and wild, like two animals without a care in the world. I felt her squirming around me, moaning in delight all the while.

"Yes... oh goddess above! You're twice the man that stupid cleric ever was," Aia laughed.

In response, I rolled her over and kept going. I grabbed her roughly and pulled her head back by her hair. That only seemed to please her more as I planted kisses along her neck and collarbone.

She probably could have overpowered me, given our respective builds. My body was lean and wiry and had only just started filling out. She had the body of a warrior. Yet she let me toss her around as I pleased, and I enjoyed every second of it.

She'd said it was safe, so I leaned down over her and came deep inside her. Hot, sticky seed poured out of me in a thick stream that felt like more than it should have been.

Aia panted, then ran a finger through the seed dripping from her and brought it to her tongue with a girlish grin.

The two of us lay in the hay a while and rested arm in arm. We talked, though the words were unimportant. She placed a kiss on my cheek.

"As I said before, you're welcome here anytime. I hope this is the first of many nights you keep me company," she muttered as we drifted off to sleep.

<Note>

Total points: 2,210

First little sexy scene, and a first harem member sorta-aquired! Alden still has to seal the deal and make the jump from one chick to harem though. I'm not sure who could be #2. I thought it was going to be one of Master Thalagrim's apprentices, but I wasn't feeling the chemistry like I did with Aia.