Living with my first roommate is odd. She's not my master, and we're splitting the rent, just like I heard lots of people did back on Earth. However, I'm in a super precarious legal position, hardly even worthy of being called a second class citizen like I was worried about.

Once I'm calm enough to listen to more, she lays out the full scope of restrictions I have to work under, and it's really rough. As she mentioned, my job options are nil, and even the ones I can land are going to pay shit compared to normal, so I'm effectively stuck as an adventurer now.

So much for staying safe in town...

Besides that, there's the lack of legal protections, worry about abuse from the guards, inability to use certain businesses and services... I can't even properly cosign on the apartment, because no one will rent to me. With that in mind, I end up asking around town and most of the inns won't even let me stay there. And the ones that would... Well, I don't know how many hours I'd get by before getting robbed, raped, or enslaved again...

No wonder why Arkida offered me a place to stay. Shit.

There are other problems too. City entrance fees, places won't serve me, the places that will all seem inferior or more expensive than the places that won't, some sections of town are off limits, apparently harsher punishments if I do break the law, or if the guards just feel like coming after me for something I didn't do...

Then there's the general persecution, with the ever-present worries about random acts of violence from complete strangers on the street, no ability to defend myself when such things happen...

Oh god it's a long list.

And of course, I once more have the constant worry of kidnapping and enslavement. Again, by angry racists who hate me.

Master never would have brought me back here if she'd known it would be like this...

With all of these things hanging over me, I spend the next month practically glued to Arkida. Even if she isn't my master, she's the only thing offering me some semblance of protection. I go to the guild with her every day. While she works, I head to the training field and endlessly cast my spells, doing everything I can to build up not only my magic power, but now my Rank and Skills as well.

I try to work on my overall fitness at the same time, knowing that I need to boost the rest of my stats too since they're all so low. That means lots and lots of running laps, and other basic workout stuff, like sit ups, even if I don't know that much about fitness in general.

It feels like the ever looming threat of enslavement is just a matter of time at this point, so I do everything in my power to grow stronger while I can. Casting and casting and casting without end, I rake in the tiny bits of favor I never could as a slave, and begin ranking up. It takes days for each one, but that's still days, not months. I also live frugally, not spending money on much of anything, which isn't terribly hard since there are plenty of places that won't even sell to me.

At home, Arkida's bed is nowhere near big enough for both of us, so I sleep on the living room couch. She's apologetic, but it doesn't bother me one bit. I've slept in much worse conditions than this. I don't think I could take sleeping together anyway.

At one point during the month, I do manage to tell her my whole story. It takes some time and she actually winds up crying and hugging me through some parts of it, which is really comforting and helps me get through.

Besides that, I get a lot of good food, which, despite her words otherwise, Arkida always waves off whenever paying for it comes up. By the end of the month, I've put back on some more weight, and somewhat recovered my normal figure, which is really nice.

When I look in the mirror, I'd still objectively say I look like a teenager, and all the working out has left me not exactly as... uhh, busty, as before, which doesn't help matters. Not that I had much to begin with... At least I have a bit of muscle now...?

I'm still not happy with the trade-off.

Through a few extremely awkward conversations with Arkida, I manage to get her to buy shaving supplies for me, since I can't manage to find any at stores that will sell them to me. I make sure she takes my money for it though, I refuse to just rely on her completely.

At least I manage to find the other feminine supplies I need on my own. Though Arkida, actually being human, does have some already, it feels a bit awkward using hers, so I manage to get my own.

As for our usual around the house, we wind up bathing together since despite what it does to my heart, I can't imagine using her paying for all the hot water I'd be using if we went separately. Besides, she really looks like she enjoys it, and even tries shaving like I do.

Turns out she loves how it feels being clean shaven just like I do, so she keeps doing it too. Like that, we end up bathing and shaving together, as stupidly horny as the sight of her naked body makes me.

She has no interest in anything sexual between us, but she's not blind, and winds up offering to call over a friend of hers who is into women, if I want.

Of course, the whole incident devolves into me babbling uselessly, too embarrassed to function for a while. She has a giggling fit and says the offer stands.

For the time being, I just do my best to control myself, though I end up masturbating in the bathroom a few times after she gets out of the bath, when I just can't endure my lust anymore. Arkida doesn't say anything, but there's no way she doesn't notice. At least she isn't creeped out by my awful urges.

But for the most part, every free moment is spent attempting to get stronger, to the point where I even keep up my casting at home before falling, exhausted, into bed.

Like that, I pass an entire month, before I know I need to take on another quest.

After packing up all my stuff in preparation, getting my rations and equipment all together, we head out to the guild in the morning.

Like always, I stick close to Arkida's side on the street. Generally, people ignore me, doing their own things and living their own lives. But there are a few that when they see me, their eyes lock on my neck and follow me, examining the woman in the guild uniform by my side, before allowing me to go on unimpeded.

I feel like if I wasn't with her, I would have been abducted a dozen times in this last month alone...

Once more, we make it to the guild unscathed, and Arkida takes up her spot behind the counter to do her job as always. Meanwhile, I head over to the quest board. I mix in with the adventurers around it, trying to stay low and below their attention while pushing through the crowd, which is easier than I expected, since they're all so damn tall.

After making it to the big, round, kiosk shaped board, I glance over the piles of quest fliers posted up everywhere. Woah, there are so many more than I saw in smaller towns... I have to look for a while, until my eyes skim over one that looks good.

Slipping out of the pressing crowd, I head up to the counter, to Arkida of course.

“Hey, I'd like to sign up for the orc subjugation quest in the Lukbonim Highlands.”

“Of course,” she answers, totally in business mode, unlike her chipper, kind of flighty attitude at home. She sorts through some paperwork behind the counter, before presenting me with forms to sign. “The pay is five gold coins. As a marked slave, the guild will deduct two gold for an incentive for your party members, alright?”

I wince slightly, but answer, “Yes,” anyway. I don't want to show how much that hurts, or how unfair I think it all is. That's nearly half of my quest reward.

Two full months rent...

Pushing all those feelings down, I sign the paperwork.

“Thank you, the quest should be ready shortly, the party is just waiting on a couple members. But first...” She gestures vaguely, but I already know what comes next, and nod.

Just another thing in a seemingly endless list of tiny chains on me. Arkida goes and gets that same man as usual. He's been Scanning and logging my Status regularly this last month, so I just hold still and endure the feeling as he does it once more.

When he finishes noting everything down on a piece of paper, we all lean in and look it over as usual, and I'm glad to see that all my hard work is paying off.

Yumi Adventurer Rank: 10 Race: Human Age: 24 Job: Offensive Magic Class: Synergist Style: Finesse Focus: Area Control Health: 151/151 Stamina: 176/183 Mana: 602/602 Status Strength: 75 Vitality: 98 Stamina: 150 Agility: 77 Mind: 415 Magic: 112 Remaining Potential: 350 Skills Speech: 92 Reading: 84 Math: 58 Logic: 67 Serving: 16 Cleaning: 27 Magic Casting: 28 Magic Weaving: 26 Mana Regen: 28 Mana Absorption: 13 Rapid Casting: 21 Multi Casting: 21 Magic Control: 13 Mana Cleansing: 4 Mana Channeling: 12 Cooking: 21 Massage: 8 Sex: 6 Appraisal: 14 Diplomacy: 4 Maintenance: 7 Grooming: 17 Walking: 15 Fasting: 17 Traits Work Ethic: 80 Self-Esteem: 18 Loyalty: 52 Devotion: 55 Adaptability: 40 Integrity: 43 Obedience: 54 Restraint: 55 Sincerity: 43 Respect: 46 Charm: 27 Pride: 11 Trust: 71 Anxiety: 40 Hope: 12 Fear: 31 Dependency: 37 Servitude: 25 Resentment: 3 Hatred: 0 Vengeance: 0 Depression: 35 Misc Slave Rating: SS Warning: Panic Disorder Warning: Social Anxiety Warning: Depression

Not only have I leveled repeatedly from my endless spellcasting, I even pushed up my natural magic power, an increase of thirteen points over the last month, nearly as much as the fifteen I gained from leveling up five times.

All in all, when I deduct the forty six Magic I've gained through my Rank and free potential, my true natural magic rank is only sixty six, but that has to be pretty good for starting at literally zero, right? My other abilities like my Strength and Agility increased substantially too, thanks to my physical training.

I know Rank ten is barely considered passable, even for the youngest students going on training quests, but my overall progress still feels great. I even gained the Passives I was looking to get. With that thought, I call up that window as well.

Passive Abilities: Speech 50 – Spoken Comprehension Reading 50 – Written Comprehension Math 50 – Extra Numeric Capability Logic 50 – Logic Understanding Magic Casting 25 – Cast Enhance Magic Weaving 25 – Spell Store Mana Regen 25 – Resting Regen Mana Cleansing 1 – Resting Resist Mana Absorption 10 – Sense Mana Mana Channeling 10 – Channel Cast Appraisal 10 – Enhanced Scan

The biggest one that immediately jumped out at me was Cast Enhance. Lirushik told me that Magic Casting gave the Amplify Passive, meaning I'm getting different Passives than normal. It must be because I'm a different Class. After all, Amplify wouldn't work for me. When I asked the guild about it, they said it allowed the user to put more mana into their spells to increase their power.

Of course, that goes for Wizards, by far the most common mages trained by the academies. Amplify wouldn't work for me because my spell costs depend entirely on how many elements I summon at once. As for the Cast Enhance Passive I got instead...

Cast Enhance Increases effects of Style and Focus on magic.

I take another glance at the window as it appears with my thoughts, before dismissing it. I can't say much for my Focus since I haven't thrown anything big around lately, but for Style, I've noticed the changes in the way my spells form since I unlocked the Passive.

It's kind of hard to describe, especially since I never had a chance to cast before choosing Finesse Style in the first place, but the increase in its effectiveness feels like it makes it possible to slot my spells together a bit differently.

Of course, the way it actually works is as complex and utterly opaque as always, so I'm still trying to puzzle out exactly what I can accomplish with the new changes.

There are charts involved.

As for the other new Passives, well... some of them I take issue with even being called 'passive.' In particular, Spell Store and Channel Cast. They clearly should fall under 'active,' in my opinion, since the former allows me to basically bookmark one of my spell formations so I can form it again later, while the latter lets me set up a spell to channel ambient mana into without using any of my own.

Well, I guess Pannatir's magic isn't as picky about the distinction as I am since I only get 'passive' abilities from it...

That, and I think it relates to some connotations about the specific Panir word involved, since it's a different one than they normally use to describe a passiveness, but that's a whole other can of worms...

Leaving all those thoughts aside as I mentally dismiss the Passive window, my eyes wander down the paper with my Status on it, where I spot that I'm still at a SS rating, but I have a whole slew of problems listed under Misc now.

It makes me frown slightly, a hand to my chest. It's not like I can help it, being scared and anxious all the time. Something terrible could happen at literally any time and there's nothing I could do to stop it...

Not to mention the depression that I just... try not to think about too much, continuously focusing on one task after another to push it from my mind, even though I feel it, like a weight in my chest, holding tight around my heart.

It feels like it squeezes, dragging me down any time things go wrong, or I can't keep making myself think good thoughts, or when I don't feel good. It's always worst after I masturbate, when I inevitably feel like fucking garbage for getting so turned on by Arkida even though she doesn't think of me like that at all...

When that wonderful tidbit suddenly intrudes into my train of thought, I immediately push it away before I start blushing furiously since she's standing right across the counter, looking down at the paper as well.

Damn it, I need to find a boyfriend. Girlfriend. Whatever.

Oh right, no contraceptives, I think I'll stick with women for now.

Ahh! Fucking hell, this is so not what I should be thinking about right now!

Silently cursing myself out for getting so distracted, I straighten up again. I've checked what I wanted. I close my eyes and try to think of something else. Good thoughts, think good thoughts.

Right, I'm looking forward to getting the last few levels I need for the Rapid Casting and Multi Casting Passives, since I'm assuming they're tier two, like all my other primary magic Skills.

I try to just keep that thought in mind so I don't think of anything else right now.

“Wow, this is some really amazing improvement, Yumi,” Arkida praises me, making me blink in surprise for a moment, before the praise really sets in, and I beam at her.

No! I yell at myself. Stupid Yumi, don't feel like a pet getting praised! Of course, that immediately turns into a stab of sadness as I start putting myself down again.

Clearing my throat awkwardly while trying to hide my internal struggles, I answer, “Y-yeah, I've been training a lot, so I'm hoping to do better on this quest.”

I have no idea if she notices, her response the same as usual. “Good. Just wait a bit for us to find more members, alright?”

“Sure.”

“I'll go file this,” the man, Turkibel, notes, while waving the paper at us before walking off into the back to do as he says.

With a small wave, I go over to sit out of the way near a pillar. There are chairs and benches scattered around, but most of them are already occupied, and people always seem angry when I sit next to them. I just want to avoid any possible issues, and it's not like I give a damn about sitting on the floor after months of trekking through the wilderness.

So I just sit to wait for a bit. The orc quest I chose should fill up pretty quickly because the pay is alright for an easy quest. It'll be a bit of a walk, with our destination three days into the mountains, but that'll just give me more time to practice my magic, so it's no big deal to me.