I Am NOT a Catgirl! Ch. 10: The Bastogne (Patreon)

I didn’t sleep that night. I wish I could say it was because things got hot and heavy, but no. Instead, after kissing me, Augie asked me to sleep beside her. The magic mirror had really done a number on her, and she was afraid of her nightmares coming back.

So, first off, two catgirls in a twin-size bed is…cramped, at best. I had to spoon her or hold her to my chest to make it work.

And speaking of chests, cuddling with boobs is a process. Augie’s smaller chest didn’t really get in the way. I was the problem. It was tough to find a good spot for her head without me needing to crane my chin upwards. Especially when her ears flicked in her sleep and tickled my face.

Next, Augie’s skin ran about two hundred degrees when she slept. I wasn’t much better, which made for a furnace both above and below the blankets. Our pajamas may have been little more than a thin slip of fabric, but the heat radiating from both of us would have kept an igloo cozy.

Finally, I may be stuck in the body of a catgirl, but I still had my own imagination and experiences to haunt and taunt me. I’d never been so close to a girl before. Never shared a bed with one, or had her legs tangled in mine. Never watched one sleep beside me. Augie hummed and giggled while she slept. Her ears and tail twitched in her dreams—hence the aforementioned tickling—and sometimes she’d grab onto my waist and pull me closer.

I’m not upset. Really. I’m not upset.

It’s just when Colonel Glaze came around to my table and I’d ‘overwhipped my cream’ so ‘my peaks were destroyed,’ I was very close to snapping. Who the fuck cared about the peaks on my bananya cream pie? Shi Island was overrun with monsters, losing its towns every day, and this old bat was screaming in my ears about another ruined dinner.

Suck my peaks.

Presentation class wasn’t terrible. Augie had been a quiet, blushing mess all morning, and I couldn’t say I was much different. We learned the correct way to serve soup in the right bowl with the right spoon, and Augie and I had trouble making eye contact while we practiced. What the hell was I supposed to say to a girl after we kissed and shared a bed? Was it good for you? So I settled on silence.

That was future Matt’s problem.

Veronica wore her resting bitch face like a glove, but beyond a few serpent-like glowers in my direction, she kept her mouth to herself. I wondered briefly if Celestia had warned her about sharing what she’d seen.

Maybe a bribe to move her up on Tristan’s sex Quest list.

That thought was one that continued to prod at me. If I’d actually arrived in Nyarlea in my own body, that would have been my job. At first, I’d felt jealous as hell. Sex with catgirl after catgirl? Was there a better ending for a virgin?

The thing was, while I kept an eye on Tristan’s door, I saw at least three different girls enter his room throughout the day, and I started to feel differently. I’m sure for the first few days it would be awesome, but could he even enjoy sex anymore? Would it start feeling like a chore? And did any of them actually care about him, or were they just there for the kittens?

When I looked at it that way, I felt bad for the guy. It all seemed so damn lonely.

I pushed the thoughts away as I added a few more chain stitches to my lule misre in embroidery. I was finally getting the hang of the stem, at least. Destiny—and even Ms. Gertrude—admitted that they saw a huge improvement. Ms. Gertrude said I was almost ready to move on to ‘long and short’ stitches. At least this time, she didn’t look at me like I should know what that meant.

I’d just started to feel a little bit better about Ms. Glaze’s peak bullshit when sewing happened.

I arrived a little bit early, wanting to get the day over as soon as possible and move on to the combat part. I was sure I’d feel so much better taking my aggressions out on the local wildlife. I found Veronica there already with two of her sniggering companions, their perfect hair and makeup way less attractive after I heard the words coming out of her mouth.

“She really made that dress for Master Tristan?” The blonde to Veronica’s right sneered. I recognized her as Cynthia, one of Ms. Glaze’s favorite students. “Does she truly not understand how things work around here?”

“I know. What self-respecting Shi Island catgirl would present themselves to Master Tristan in little more than rags?” Veronica covered her mouth and laughed.

“She was practically naked!” Francesca, a redhead from our presentation class, said with wide eyes.

Just can’t help yourself, can you, Bitchy Veronica?

I cleared my throat. All three girls looked in my direction. To their credit, Cynthia and Francesca flushed.

Veronica only smiled. “Perhaps Madeline was hoping she could engage Master Tristan on the hallway rug. Perhaps she should have worn nothing instead.”

“It must be exhausting to be a bitch all of the time, Veronica,” I snarled. “Do these girls even like you? Or are they just afraid of what you’ll do to them if they don’t listen to your bullshit?”

“Madeline!” Miss Ariel cried from my right. “That is most unbecoming!”

Of course. Of course she was right there the moment I opened my stupid mouth. I spun on my heel and moved to my station while Miss Ariel promised to report my words to Madame Celestia.

Fine. Report away. Celestia won’t let me leave. There was no way. Not with everything I knew.

Destiny arrived and found me fuming. She encouraged me to help her make the final touches on her dress design, so I let her. Moving my hands did make me feel just a little bit better, but I swore with each pinch, gather, and stitch to eat every meal with Veronica’s name on it for the foreseeable future.

I had dinner on my own, was disappointed by the lack of Veronica-crafted meals in the kitchen, and then waited in my room until classes were over and night fell. I tried to read, but found myself too distracted by everything else.

I kept thinking about the scene of Anyona being torn apart by a skeletal dragon. Catgirl corpses strewn about, their blood spilled all over the ground. I’d only ever seen something so gruesome in movies. Then I thought about Augie’s kiss and her hot skin against mine while she slept. I thought about Tristan’s sex quest and the role of men in this world.

And then here I was, reading a goddamned cookbook. I sighed and tossed it to the side.

Augie entered our room shortly afterward and paused in the doorway. She blushed as soon as she looked at me, and her fingers writhed against her skirt.

Guess we should talk about this. I searched for the right question to open with, then settled on an oldie-but-goodie. “Augie, what’s wrong?”

She licked her lips and brought her tail to her trembling fingers. Her pink gaze was locked on the floor. “W-was last night too much?”

I furrowed my brow. That was a little vague. “Too much what, exactly?”

“Just, u-um, was it okay that I asked you to sleep with me?”

“I, er, had never shared a bed with anyone before, but it was nice.” I shrugged. “A little warm, but I liked it.”

Augie nodded. She still wouldn’t look at me. “What about before that? When I k-k-kissed you?”

It was my turn to blush. “Oh, well, that was nice, too,” I replied awkwardly. I rubbed the back of my neck and found myself searching the floor for whatever had her attention. “Really nice.” Find a new word, Kelmer! I silently chastised myself for sounding like a broken record.

The smell of her perfume grew closer, and I watched the polished toes of her shoes inch toward mine. Her tail slid down into my hands, and she touched my chin with her fingertips. “Matt?” she whispered.

I looked up, and her lips met mine. Her tail felt so soft against my hand, and I gently stroked it with my thumb. Her tiny moan escaped inside my mouth, and heat raced through my veins. She was so close. She tasted so sweet that I felt dizzy.

What are we doing? The thought was like a bucket of ice water thrown over my head. I’m not the person she needs.

I released her tail and put my hands on her shoulders, then—even though it was the last thing in the world that I wanted to do—I broke our kiss.

“We need to meet Tristan and Celestia out front,” I said, ignoring the burning in my cheeks and the tension building in my stomach. “They’ll be waiting for us.”

Augie brought her hands to her chest and frantically nodded. “R-right! You’re right. My apologies. I do not know what came over me.” She bowed. She was going full-on servitude mode again. “Please forgive my overstepping.”

“Augie…” I started, but realized that I didn’t know what to say. Nothing seemed like a good enough response to make her feel better. I sighed. “Let’s go.”

Outside, the moon had barely risen over the horizon, and the stars were our only companions. That is, until we found Celestia holding a lantern, standing beside Tristan at the end of the path leading to the school.

Tristan’s comfortable clothes had been swapped for a black robe with long sleeves and golden accents. He held a book close to his chest, and a fluffy black cat circled his feet.

“Hey, guys,” Tristan waved. His voice sounded confident, but his expression looked nervous. “Celestia’s been preparing me for this for the last few hours.” Bending down, he stroked the cat behind its ears. “This is my familiar, Desiree.”

I frowned. Weren’t familiars supposed to be dragons or demons or something cool? That looks like a normal house cat. “Alright. Then that just leaves—” I stopped before I said ‘me.’ To Celestia, I was still a catgirl of Sorentina. Surely I’d have some sort of battle experience already. I cleared my throat. “That leaves switching into [Combat Mode] and finding some good Encroachers to kill.”

Celestia adjusted her glasses. “I am still not confident in this plan, young master. I know little of Madeline’s capacity for battle, and Augustine is still a mere [Acolyte].”

“This was the bargain we struck, Celestia,” Tristan said sternly. “We’re not going after Defiled, and we won’t stray far from the gates of Venicia. We’ll be fine.”

“Perhaps I should stay to oversee your first battle,” Celestia said.

Tristan shook his head. “You have to let me do this alone. I won’t learn otherwise.”

“…As you wish.” Celestia’s eyes narrowed, and her lips pursed. “Safe hunting, then. And to the two of you,” she said, looking between Augie and me, “protect Master Tristan at all costs.” Her words sounded like a warning as she passed the lantern to Augie, bowed, then turned and followed the path to the school.

We watched her go in silence, waiting for the school’s front door to open and shut before we spoke.

“Let us begin, then,” Augie murmured with a shaky breath. “[Combat Mode].” A white glow enveloped her silhouette, and her skirt reshaped itself into a longer, thinner dress with slits up both thighs. Her apron remained, growing longer in proportion to the dress, but now it featured intricate blue and gold embroidery in the shape of a mask on her chest. That needlework alone had to have taken a girl days to do.

…I hate that I know this.

Augie held a golden staff between both hands as the glow faded, and more golden embroidery decorated her headband. Her equipment was the perfect cross between a maid and a healer class.

“Let’s see what I’ve got. [Combat Mode],” I said and held my breath. An orange glow similar to Augie’s encompassed my whole body, and I felt the cold tightening of bracers around my wrists and shin guards on my legs. A weapon formed in my hand, and I watched, expecting a warrior’s axe. But the grip extended down, farther and farther, until its edge reached the ground.

Shit.

A poleaxe. I had a poleaxe.

Not that I had any fighting experience to speak of, but an axe always seemed like a much easier weapon to wield. Swing hard, swing fast, chop off limbs. A poleaxe would need a lot more finesse and know-how. It had options. I didn’t want options. I wanted my axe.

“You have armor!” Augie said excitedly, touching the metal pauldron on my left shoulder. “What a relief.” The maid outfit remained—unfortunately—but the armor added a layer of protection.

“Yeah… I do…” I wished there was a layer of chainmail underneath the low-cut dress, but beggars can’t be choosers.

“You look disappointed, Madel— Matt— …What should I call you?” Tristan asked.

I frowned. “Well, I did let Augie know about my…predicament…” I looked over both of my shoulders. If there were any chance of another pair of ears overhearing us, it would be better to err on the side of caution so that it didn’t get back to Celestia. “But Maddie is probably the safer option.”

Tristan nodded. Was he blushing again? Jesus. “Why are you upset, Maddie?”

“I wanted an axe,” I admitted, tapping the butt of the poleaxe against the cobblestone.

“Could we not buy you an axe instead?”

I smiled wryly. “With what Bells? Augie spent all of her savings getting me into your room, I arrived here with nothing, and I don’t think Celestia’s going to give up any of her banked Venicia Funds for me.”

Tristan raised a finger. “I should be close to finishing another—”

“No. Keep those. You’re working for them, and they should go to Shi Island. Not to me.” I rested the poleaxe over my shoulders and hooked both of my arms over it. “I can deal with it.”

“Alright.” Tristan slowly lowered his hand. “First, Celestia told me to add you both to my Party. Summon iPaw.” The not-an-iPad appeared in his hand, and he shuffled through multiple screens.

A sudden sensation like a leather collar being strapped around my throat made my breath catch. My hand shot to my neck, but there was nothing there. Though I sure as hell could feel it.

“Okay. I think I did that correctly?” Tristan asked.

“You did,” Augie replied. She looked at me and tipped her head. “What you’re feeling right now is normal.”

No. No, it isn’t. But who was I to argue? I nodded.

Tristan dismissed the iPaw, and it vanished. Is there an iPaw pocket dimension? “Next, what Skills do you have, Augustine?”

“A-Augie is fine, Master Tristan,” Augie stammered and bowed. “I have Level 1 of [Illuminate]—ah, do you know what each Skill does?”

“No, if you would be so kind as to share them with me,” Tristan replied. Then he smiled. “And you can just call me Tristan, Augie.”

Augie squeaked her agreement, and her face and neck turned bright crimson. How the hell was this kid so smooth? “[Illuminate] can make a single object I touch emit light for ten minutes, which would serve us well if your lantern should falter.

“Next, I have Level 3 of [Stabilize], which will stop any bleeding and heal a small portion of your [Health Points] over time. If we do well, I won’t have to use it. If something goes awry, however, I do have a few potions that Madame Celestia gave me in case of emergency.

“Lastly, I have two Levels of [Myana Focus],” she continued. “It speeds up my [Myana Points] regeneration so that I can cast more Spells.”

Well, then, I hope Tristan took a few good offensive Skills.

Tristan nodded thoughtfully. “We will keep you behind us at all times, then.” He patted the [Cat Pack] at his side. “Celestia gave me a few potions, too.”

Guess I missed Madame’s Potion Subscription. “That reminds me. I don’t have a [Cat Pack].”

Tristan frowned. “We’ll make sure to get you one before tomorrow’s session. They are incredibly useful.”

“So I’ve heard.” I sighed. “Augie assumed I’d lost it on my way here from Sorentina. That seems like a good enough story.”

“I can work with that.” Tristan crossed his arms. “What Skills do you have?”

“[Provoke], Level 1. It does exactly what it sounds like.” I shrugged. “That’s it. I didn’t get any more Skill Points than that.”

“That’s…unfortunate,” Tristan replied. “Well, thankfully, the Quests brought me to Level 10 [Mage], so I’m now a Level 1 [Wizard]. I tried to vary my Skills to help all three of us. I have [Summon Familiar] Level 3”—he gestured to Desiree—“which helps my [Magic] Stat.

“Then I have [Fire Ball] Level 3. Like [Provoke], it does what it sounds like.” He grinned. “Then there’s Level 3 [Invigorate], which lets me buff your highest Stat. Last is [Myana Focus] Level 1, and that works just like Augie’s [Myana Focus].”

Myana. I thought everyone had been saying it wrong. No, it really was ‘Myana.’

“It sounds like I’ll get its attention, you set fire to it, and Augie hangs back in case we take any damage, then?” I said. Seemed simple enough.

“We will be lucky if it is so straightforward. Encroachers can be very difficult to predict,” Augie replied. Her blush was gone, replaced by an incredibly somber expression. “Since you are only Level 1, Mat— …Maddie, you will want to be exceedingly cautious.”

I nodded. Anyona in ruins replayed in my head. That’s the shit I had to stay alive long enough to fight. It wouldn’t look great on me now if a killer rabbit took off an arm. “Can do. Just, uh, give me a second.”

I walked away from them, giving myself about twenty feet of wiggle room. There was no one in the streets, and all of the shops had curtains drawn in their windows. Good. All the fewer catgirls to make an ass of myself in front of.

I readied the poleaxe in both hands and took a precursory swing. I’m not sure if the weapon really was just that heavy, or if it was my thin arms that made it feel so awkward. Obviously, heavy lifting hadn’t been my forte back on Earth, but I never had an issue swinging a heavy baseball bat. This thing was like three heavy baseball bats tied together, and it set me off balance as it arced back around. I stumbled awkwardly to the side and hissed in a breath. Willie Mays was probably rolling in his grave.

Okay… How about a stab?

Resetting my feet and the grip in both hands, I stepped forward and thrust the tip of the poleaxe out in front of me as if piercing a monster with all my might.

The momentum threw too much power into the heavy blade, and the grip slid right through my fingers despite my gloves. It struck the cobblestones with a Clang! One of the members of my peanut gallery—sorry, Party—suppressed a laugh behind me.

Please, Leiana. Don’t let this night end in CPR from Tristan. I groaned under my breath and moved to retrieve the poleaxe. Not a good start. Maybe I could get lucky and shove it straight through the Encroacher, and, even if it slid out of my hands, the beast would die without escaping with my weapon.

“Are you positive that I can’t ask to buy you an axe, Maddie?” Tristan called.

“I’m positive. Just get me a [Cat Pack].” This was about more than money, now. This was a challenge. I couldn’t let the poleaxe defeat me. What kind of man would I be if I took the easy way out?

Good thing you’re a catgirl, then.

I swallowed the thought and took another stab at the air. This time, I balanced it better in my grip and let my weight add to the stab instead of just my arms. It only slid a couple of inches forward, but it never left my hands. Progress.

Two more swings of the blade and I was feeling a little more confident. I’d have to keep my distance—if anything got within hugging range, I’d be screwed. And if Tristan casts [Fireball]… Wait, is there friendly fire in this world?

“Hey, Tristan. Can [Fireball] hurt your friends?” I asked as I rejoined them.

Tristan looked at Augie.

“Unless otherwise stated within the Skill itself, all Skills and Spells will hit everything in their range,” Augie replied.

“I didn’t see anything about it not hurting Party members on the iPaw,” Tristan said. “I won’t cast it unless there’s enough distance.”

Good. I’d hate to look like my long-tailed keeper. “Anything else we should know, Augie?” I asked.

“Hm.” Augie fidgeted with her staff and peered out into the darkness. “It has been some time since I’ve traveled outside of the city gates, but so long as we don’t travel too far, we should be able to find an appropriate Encroacher to fight.”

“Any ideas on what awaits us?” Tristan asked.

“It is difficult to say. There are migratory patterns to consider, and I tried to fight only during the day. I should be able to name them if I see them, though.” Augie’s ears twitched, and she looked down at her staff. “I’m sorry to not be of more use, Mast— …T-Tristan.”

“Don’t apologize. You have us beat in every area,” I said. “Let’s just dive in, then.”

When we reached Venicia’s gates, we were greeted by two guards who let us pass after Celestia had informed them of our travels earlier. Their gazes lingered for a long time on Tristan—curious and hungry. He really was their walking kitten factory.

Outside of Venicia was mostly open field. The full moon above us did a good job of illuminating the dirt road going east from the gates, surrounded by patches of tall trees that weren’t enough to call a ‘forest,’ but we headed towards one of them anyway. I had a hard time believing that we’d find any Encroachers traveling out in the open while it was dark.

“It’s funny. I’d forgotten what the stars looked like,” Tristan murmured.

I gaped as I looked at him. His neck was craned back, eyes glued to the sky. “Holy shit, dude. How long have you been trapped in there?”

Augie flinched. Ah, right. Unfitting language.

Tristan’s chin snapped to his chest, and he scratched his neck. “I-I get to step outside a bit sometimes. It’s just, er, usually during the day.” He hugged his book to his chest. “It’s fine, really. I have an incredibly important job.”

Did Celestia, the Master of Gaslighting, tell you that? “I guess, but you should still be allowed to breathe sometimes.” The moonlight vanished beneath the trees’ canopy as we moved deeper. “I think you should—”

A rustling sound to my left caught my attention, and all three of us froze. Tristan raised his lantern in the general direction of the noise, but all I could see were the tree trunks immediately in front of me and the grass on the ground.

“Augie, do you have an item we could [Illuminate] and roll?” I whispered.

“I believe so,” Augie murmured as she slowly reached into her [Cat Pack]. Without making a sound, she pulled a wooden spool of black thread free. “[Illuminate].” The spool began to glow with a bright light that easily matched the lantern. She bent to one knee, then rolled the thread towards the rustling sound.

 The light fell on huge, beady eyes and a long black snout that sniffled at the air around it. Two rabbit-like feet shoveled dirt away from the base of a tree, and long, sharp spikes bristled along the creature’s back. Its skunk-like tail whipped from side to side as it squinted into the spool’s light, head snapping one way to the other in its search.

“That’s a spineshot,” Augie said quietly. “I’ve seen a girl at the school with wounds from one. Be very careful, Maddie.”

I wasn’t sure what to be more afraid of—the spines on its back or the thing spraying me like a skunk. I’d smelled skunk a couple of times when I’d gone camping as a kid. One time, it had hit my bunkmate, and it made the whole trip an absolute nightmare.

“Should we just have Tristan blast it with [Fire Ball]?” I whispered, watching as the spineshot returned to digging.

“I might set the tree on fire. You’ll have to get it away from it first,” Tristan said. He raised a hand and touched my back. Instinct said to run like hell, but I swallowed it back. “Here. Let’s do this. [Invigorate].”

Warmth spread through his hand and into my skin, pumping through my veins until it reached my arms and legs. The poleaxe felt lighter, my arms and legs more solid. Like I could run a full mile without breaking a sweat.

It’s now or never.

I took a deep breath, gripped my weapon tight, and inched towards the spineshot.

I’d never been great at stealth games, and that seemed to translate closely here. It was insanely difficult to walk without stirring the grass or catching the brush around my legs. Just as I’d come within poking distance, a twig snapped beneath my foot.

Damn it.

The spineshot jumped to its back feet and bared two rows of tiny, razor-sharp fangs. Its gurgling hiss was unlike anything I’d ever heard an animal make—almost like a damn Xenomorph. Black eyes fixed on me in the dim light as foam gathered between its teeth and bubbled over its lips.

Is this thing rabid?!

There wasn’t time to think. I lunged, aimed the point of my poleaxe at its stomach, then thrust it forward. The spineshot dodged my attack like a bolt of lightning, appearing barely a foot away from my blade as my weapon struck the tree. Piercing this thing wasn’t an option. Branches quivered and leaves fell around us as I fought to yank my poleaxe free.

The spineshot turned away from me, poised to dart, but suddenly Desiree was there, hissing at it with her hackles raised and her tail rigid. The spineshot hesitated, giving me enough time to reclaim my weapon at last. I moved to the right and swung the blade in a wide arc.

It caught the spineshot in the side, just beneath its front feet, and it tumbled to the ground with the force of my blow. A gash appeared in its skin, and the spool’s light showed dark, wet blood soaking into the fur.

“Yeah! There we go!” I cheered and glanced over my shoulder. “That wasn’t so bad!”

“Matt!” Augie cried, pointing ahead.

The spineshot had recovered. And it was coming straight for me. I swung again and watched as the Encroacher leapt over the blade like a runner over a hurdle, then came to a halt barely a foot away from me. It turned to face its back towards me and lifted its tail.

This sucks. I raised my arm to my face and prepared for a spray of disgusting liquid that would take days to wash out.

What it did was so much worse.

The beast launched an array of its spines at me, catching me in the forearm and chest. It felt as if a mad scientist had shoved a dozen needles into my skin all at once. I yelped in pain as the red trickles of blood ran down my arm. More blood from my chest soaked through the dress and apron, dying it a dark crimson.

“Don’t pull them out!” Augie cried. “[Stabilize]!”

Was I really supposed to fight with a bunch of needles stuck inside of me? I resisted the urge to yank them free, focusing instead on the slow relief from Augie’s Spell. The blood remained, but the gushes of fresh red had ceased. The pain gradually subsided.

The effects of Tristan’s [Invigorate] continued, and I drew on them with everything I had. I jumped back and swung the poleaxe a second time as I moved. This time, it struck the spineshot in the face, chipping at least three of its teeth and slicing a sizeable gash in its jaw. It flew to the left, away from its burrow, and into a small clearing.

“[Fire Ball]!” Tristan called. A searing heat erupted from Tristan’s hand and launched into the clearing after the spineshot. Flame engulfed the screaming Encroacher, and the air filled with the smells of burning fur and flesh.

I might have felt a little bit bad for the thing if its spines weren’t in my person.

Augie rushed to my side and started fussing over the wounds. Tristan and I watched it burn as I caught my breath until, at last, it stopped squirming in the fire.

Adrenaline pounded in my ears, and I felt an unfamiliar sense of accomplishment. We’d done it. We’d taken down the monster. When Augie pulled each spine out, dabbing it with a clear liquid that burned like hell on contact, I hardly flinched.

“Great job, you guys,” Tristan said while Augie worked. “[Summon iPaw].” He quietly moved through the screens, pondering over them with a puzzled expression that made me uncomfortable.

“What?” I asked.

Tristan licked his lips. “Well, for you to get your next Level, Maddie, we’ll need to kill eleven more spineshots.”

“Just to get to Level 2?!” I gawked.

Augie finished pulling the spines free and set to work bandaging my arm.

“Yes. However, I don’t think that’s much of an issue. We’ll get the hang of things.” Desiree hopped up on Tristan’s shoulders and curled around his neck. “What I’m really worried about is me and Augie.”

“Did I not perform adequately, Master Tristan?” Augie asked, dropping her hands from my arm. She sounded panicked. “Is there something else you would prefer I do? Another Class, perhaps?”

“No, no, that’s not it at all.” He dismissed the iPaw and ran a hand through his hair. “You would need at least a hundred of these to reach your next Level. And the amount I need… Well, it’s over a thousand.”

Augie joined me in my gawking.

“So, then, what does that mean exactly?” I said once I recovered my jaw. Augie gently continued her bandage work.

“I think, once we get you your Level, we’ll need to find more difficult monsters,” Tristan said. “I had read that Leveling can be quite slow, for Second and Third Classes especially.”

“Tristan? If I may?” Augie asked.

“Of course, Augie, go ahead.” Tristan gestured for her to speak.

Augie finished tying off the bandage and stepped aside. “We could potentially seek out Quests from other catgirls. That would give us extra funds and specific Encroachers to hunt.”

Tristan nodded. “That’s a sound idea. Thank you, Augie.” He looked up at me. “How are your wounds?”

I rolled my shoulder. It ached, but it wasn’t miserable. Augie had done a bang-up job. “I’m fine, so long as I don’t take any more spines to the same place.”

Tristan grinned. “Eleven more, then?”

I sighed, leaned my poleaxe on my good shoulder, and nodded. “Eleven more.”

The night went on, and Tristan and Augie were the picture of supportive. It took a while to find the second and third spineshots, but the ones that came after were plentiful. And hey, I even managed to kill a few of them without getting shot by spines again.

Are these going to leave scars?

Swinging a poleaxe was as intricate as I’d feared. No less than three times had I swung it with just a bit too much force, nearly chopping off my own leg in the process. The heavy weight at the end took a lot of getting used to, and I eventually learned that spreading my legs farther apart would give me the balance I so desperately needed.

Wonder if anyone in the school would be willing to show me the ropes?

By the time the eleventh spineshot had been slain, I was beat. Sweat dripped from the tips of my hair as I heaved over my poleaxe, the point driven into the soil. Even with the chill of the night, I’d broken into a clammy sweat all over my body, especially around the crevices. I glanced down, half-embarrassed and half-aroused to see how the sweat looked between my tits.

Narcissism. That’s a new one. I’m never going to get used to whole ‘being a catgirl’ thing.

“Well done, Matt!” Tristan praised as he summoned iPaw. I glanced out of the corner of my eyes, unable to speak, unable to think. All I could think about jumping into a large pool filled with ice water and guzzling it down. “You’ve gained a Level!”

I raised one weak thumb. “Great,” I breathed.

Augie fretted beside me, tending to my wounds with [Stabilize] while Tristan scrolled through the iPaw like a smartphone. He nodded to himself and pinched his chin between his forefinger and thumb. Desiree leaped onto his shoulder and Tristan shifted his book under his arm to scratch her behind the ears.

My ears flicked with want.

No, stop that. What the hell, man?

“There you are!” Augie said proudly. She took two paces back to observe her work. I looked down at the arm she’d patched up and rolled my wrist and stretched my elbow. It felt almost like new. Almost. “How does it feel?”

The air was quickly returning to my lungs. Whatever Tristan’s [Invigorate] Spell did to me on a meta level was really working. “Feels good. Solid. Thanks, Augie.”

Her smile widened. “You should have a Stat Point now!”

Oh yeah. I’d nearly forgotten what with the dozens of little spines sticking out of my arms and the trickles of blood coming out of the wounds. “How do I use it?”

“It’s a lot like picking your Skills,” Augie said cheerily. “Close your eyes and concentrate on your Stat Points.” I did as she asked and a web of faintly glowing lines appeared in my mind’s eye. Unlike the ones which represented my Skills, these were blue. “What do you see?”

“Blue threads,” I answered. “They’re dark, though.”

Augie hummed. “That’s normal. Do you need me to go over the Stats?”

“Yeah. Please.”

“There are [Strength], [Vitality], [Dexterity], [Agility], [Magic], and [Resistance].” I nodded as she named each one. “Think of what you need, what Stat would help you most.”

Based on their names alone, I knew [Magic] and [Resistance] probably wouldn’t help me much. What I needed was to hit harder, live longer. Anything to fight back the weight of the damned poleaxe. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, two of the six threads flickered—the ones farthest to the left.

“Did it light up?” Augie asked.

I nodded. “Yeah. I see it.” The sound of approaching footsteps startled me, but I kept my eyes closed.

“Ah, sorry,” Tristan said, the footsteps stopping.

I shook my head. “It’s fine.”

“Now,” Augie continued, “most catgirls see the threads in the same order I named them. So, [Strength] should be all the way on the left, and [Resistance] should be on the rightmost side.”

I nodded again. This was very much like picking Skills. “Do I just reach out like I did before?”

“Yes!”

I wanted to hit harder and stay alive longer, so I had to assume that [Strength] and [Vitality] were what I was looking at. As I reached out, the threads responded to my wishes, the thread that represented [Strength] flickering. I did as I had when I selected my first Skill and thought, I want [Strength]. The other threads returned to their duller colors. The thread I had selected glowed brighter.

I opened my eyes.

Tristan dismissed his iPaw, looked over his shoulder, then asked, “How are you feeling, Matt?”

I shifted my shoulders and frowned. “No different.” That was a complete lie. As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt a sting where one of the spines had struck me. The blood trickled out of the wound once more. “What the hell!”

Augie gasped and recited, “[Stabilize]!” A gently light encompassed the area for a few seconds. When Augie pulled away, the bleeding had stopped. “I don’t understand. Why did that happen?”

I looked at Tristan. He’d been pretty attached to that ‘iPaw’ ever since we left. Maybe it held the answers to my misery. “What does that thing say?” I asked, flicking my head toward him. “The iPaw.”

Tristan blinked and summoned the device once more. He scrolled through it with his finger and furrowed his brow. “That’s odd. Your [Health Points] have decreased.” I was going to ask further, but Tristan continued to speak. “In fact, you lost some of your Stat Bonuses.”

What god did I piss off to deserve this? Are you laughing, Leiana? Does this amuse you? “How in the hell did that happen?”

Augie squirmed under my word choice.

I need to get better at that.

Tristan shook his head. “Hang on, I’m looking.” I watched as he flicked his finger up and then back down again. He pinched his chin and tilted his head to one side. Then his eyes widened. “I think I know what’s wrong.” Augie and I exchanged glances. “I’m so sorry, Matt.”

“What are you apologizing for? You didn’t do anything,” I said.

“That’s…not entirely true. I failed to notice that your [Strength], [Vitality], and [Dexterity] all had the same total Stat value.”

I shrugged. “So?”

“So, [Invigorate] increases your highest Stat. If two or more of your Stats match, however”—he paused and scratched the side of his chin—“it increases all of them by the same amount.”

Augie gasped and clapped her hand to her mouth. At first, I still wasn’t getting it. But then it hit me like a winter morning chill, and I was suddenly wishing I could retract my decision to increase my [Strength].

I shut my eyes and the exhaustion returned in full force as the realization swept over me. “Do you mean to tell me that by increasing my [Strength], I made myself weaker?” I couldn’t see either of them nodding their heads but I could feel it, I swear I could feel it. My years spent playing JRPGs knew exactly what this meant. If I wanted to return to the same level of power I had, I would need to gain two more Levels and distribute them to [Vitality] and [Dexterity].

Only then would [Invigorate] return the power I’d lost.

I can’t believe I just nerfed myself. Two Levels and I’ve already messed up my build. Amazing.

“Matt?” Augie said. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Even I could tell that my tone betrayed how I truly felt. “I just need a second.”

“This is really my fault,” Tristan said. I opened my eyes to see him scrolling through his iPaw rapidly. “I’m trying to see if there might be some sort of reset system, but I’m not seeing anything.”

No. That would be too kind.

“I’ve never heard of a catgirl resetting any of her choices,” Augie said in a way that said she was afraid to further stir the pot of bad news.

Tristan sighed and shook his head. “Disappear, iPaw.” The device disappeared in a flash of white light. He untucked the book he kept under his arm and asked, “Do you want to call it a night?”

I shook my head. “No, let’s keep going. I’ll have to get used to this newfound, uh, debuff sooner or later.”

“Okay,” Tristan said, cringing. “But only if you’re sure. You’ve had to do most of the legwork up until now. You must be tired by now.”

Oh, I’m way beyond that.

Fighting was so much harder than I’d thought it’d be. Sure, it beat getting berated by the teachers from hell or getting sneered at by the peanut gallery, but it sure kicked my ass. The truth was, I was exhausted, but seeing how unaffected Augie and Tristan were, I manned up and straightened my back and hefted my poleaxe over one shoulder.

“I’m sure,” I said. “Anyona and the other settlements need us.” Then I looked at Tristan. “They need you. We don’t have the luxury of time.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard, Matt,” Augie said, leaning her beautiful staff against the crook of her arm. “Catgirls perish all of the time in the face of common Encroachers.”

I nodded. “I promise I’m fine.” That was only half true, but I couldn’t get the image of a burning Anyona out of my head. I didn’t want to be the one holding us back, especially if Tristan was already a Second Class from the sounds of it. I cricked my neck to the side. “Where to next?”

“I suppose we do have roughly an hour before curfew.” Tristan turned to his side and looked back at Venicia. The amber lights in each window looked like fireflies. It brought me back to my days at camp. “Alright,” he said after a few seconds, nodding. Then he looked at me. “Let’s see what else the forest entails.”