∼ Day 55 ∼

Looking inwards, I touched upon the ethereal connection that was the bond between Mia and me. Through that consciousness, I could feel a tumultuous bundle of emotions roiling back and forth with happiness, sadness, joy, and even anger.

Recognizing how Mia must've felt all these days, and how terrifying it would have been feeling my connection fade over and over again with my brief death encounters, I felt an enormous surge of shame.

I've gained all this overwhelming power, but what good has it done for me other than barely keeping me alive? The single woman in my life that I've taken as my own and sworn to protect has been fraught with despair and sadness because of my own shortcomings.

Seeing the obsidian-skinned beauty with crystalline tears dripping down her slightly reddened cheeks, I couldn't help but almost have my concentration slip as my shadow wings started dissipating to the point I was just about the fall out of the sky.

The petite drow girl hadn't changed much over the weeks of being apart, but her equipment and clothing were all new. To my surprise, it didn't seem to be scavenged gear and clearly made just for her, which made me think about just how she managed to come by them.

A form-fitting sleek black leather cuirass with small and thin leather shoulder pads that went along protected most of her upper body. Streamlined matching bracers and shinguards hugged her thin and slender figure, while some contrasting cloth material was underneath to cover the areas not covered by leather. The only thing recognizable about her equipment being the twin blood daggers I made for her which were strapped to her hips.

Amazingly enough, this outfit somehow accentuated her petite figure without even revealing her body. While Mia didn't present her beauty and attractiveness in volumes of curves and voluptuousness, she excelled in absolute perfection.

Perfectly shaped small mounds that rested on her chest which had a cute perkiness to them, a butt that each cheek fitted perfectly within a single hand, a tiny waist that accentuated an exotic hourglass figure, all this combined with her otherworldly drow features and obsidian skin created a beauty of the rarest proportions. Every inch of her body was perfectly sculpted and created a tantalizing innocence of both beauty and cuteness.

Seeing this stunning woman I so presumptuously loved to call mine once again after being apart for so long, I found myself succumbing to a stupor. Barely managing to get my mind out of the haze created by witnessing Mia's beauty once again, I reformed the faltering shadows of my wings and continued on my way down to her.

During my journey back home, I had been thinking up whole monologues and ways to explain my new appearance, not sure how Mia would react to how I now looked. I had been horrified at the prospect of what would happen if she disliked the fact that I was no longer like when I been with her.

However, my worries were completely unfounded as the moment I landed on the ground, the small drow girl stormed towards me, as fast as her legs could take her. I had barely even dissipated my wings before she was upon me with a lunge that threatened to put me off-balance and push me over.

She hugged me so tightly with a vice it seemed like she would never allow us to be separated ever again. With my newly gained height, she barely went to my chest, and with her face planted directly at my sternum, she just sobbed heavily. I couldn't exactly make out what she was saying, but I caught a few words both cursing me and calling out my name; well, my name being Master as she had always seemed to like calling me.

I just stood there for a few long moments, stroking her hair as she cried out her demons. Calming down after some time, she extracted herself just enough to look me in the eyes, meeting her beautiful and crystalline ruby eyes with my gaze.

"Hmph, why did it take you so long!" - Mia

She yelled out as she gave a thump on my chest with one of her balled fists. Seeing no effect, she started wailing blows with her dainty hands.

"Stupid-stupid-stupid Master!" - Mia

Seeing that Mia had switched over to her bossy side, I brushed a stray lock of silver hair away and trailed one of her long ears. This instantly caused her demeanor to change as a furious blush flooded both her cheeks and the tips of her ears.

"Eeep!" - Mia

She struggled to escape my embrace, holding her ears down and to the sides of her head in an attempt to shield them from any further teasing but I held firm. Not a chance. The display of her cuteness made my heart flutter and caused a wide grin to be spread across my face.

Mia had two modes, she was either arrogant and bossy, or she was overly shy and embarrassed. It was almost effortless for me to swiftly have this diminutive authoritarian squirm under my teasing, and I relished in the privilege.

"Sorry, Mia. I had a few difficulties getting back... but nothing your man couldn't handle." - Me

I severely downplayed how difficult those 'difficulties' actually were, however, those were past times and I felt no reason to recall such dark memories. Looking at me with a disapproving gaze, she suddenly seemed to realize something as she started scanning me up and down.

"Uhhhh....... Master?" - Mia

"Yes?" - Me

"You've grown taller." - Mia

Just staring dumbly at the petite drow in my arms, I suddenly started guffawing out loud. It truly seemed that Mia had no problems with my appearance seeing as it was first now she had really brought up the subject. Even as an Azde, with my appearance being quite ominous and not exactly handsome, Mia seemed to not care in the slightest.

"That I did indeed. I evolved recently." - Me

Separating herself from me as I no longer held her tight, she got a better look at my body; scanning me from head to toe. Looking at her facial expressions, I started noticing a small blush reappearing on her cheeks that only turned more vibrant and flush the more she took in the sight of my new body and looks.

"Fufu - you liking it?" - Me

Hearing my words all of a sudden, Mia snapped out of the daze she had fallen into.

"Wha-? Ah! - Y-yes..." - Mia

From the way she looked at me, she seemed almost entranced. While Mia didn't seem to be one who cared much for my appearance however bad it was, but I definitely could understand her reaction to my new overly handsome qualities; that even to me, felt slightly overkill. But from this, I couldn't help but feel an inexplicable pride in knowing that I've not only captured Mia's heart as man and person, a soul mate through the ethereal connection between us, but also as someone she's physically attracted to.

Truly captured every avenue of her heart.

By now, we had already caused somewhat a commotion as the newly build gate of the tribe was flooded with numerous hobgoblins. Some even orcs who I didn't recognize. But before I could ask Mia for any further details, I was sure I heard the distant bellow of someone.

The crowd that filled the gate started to get panicked when they heard this someone getting closer from behind them, but I couldn't see what was happening from my vantage point.

"MASTA!" - Bob

Like a freight train, the lumbering figure of Bob mowed through the crowd that barely managed to make way quick enough to allow his passage. I wasn't sure, but I think I even saw a rather unfortunate goblin take to the air from his unstoppable charge.

A wide grin plastering itself across my face, I looked at the incoming Bob. But that smile slowly faltered as it seemed that Bob had no intention of slowing down.

Colliding roughly with me, I got thrown to the ground in the biggest bear hug I've ever experienced.

"MASTA!" - Bob

It hadn't actually hurt or caused any damage, he had just taken me severely off-guard. Now laying in a heap on the ground with the giant cry baby that was Bob, I tried my best to extricate myself. But to my immense surprise, I found it extremely hard to overcome Bob's strength.

Even though I definitely wasn't very strong in the strength attribute, I was completely surprised that Bob had managed to surpass even my twenty-five points in strength while I had been gone.

Appraisal - Lesser Draugr

Information Attributes

Traits. Titles. and Skills -Name- "???" STR 32 Skills 7 -Race- Lesser Draugr VIT 34 Traits 3 -Sex- Male AGI 18 Titles 1 -Rank- F+ DEX 12 Resistances

-Level- 20/20 INT 9 Health 185/185 CHR 3 Physical Resistance 8 Stamina 121/121 WILL 12 Magical Resistance 3 Mana 0/0 MAG 1 Mental Resistance 4 Sanguine Guard

Looking over the stats, I became very appreciative of Bob's hard work even though I had been gone. I was also pleased to know that my Limit Breaker had an effect on Bob even though I had been so far away.

I couldn't be sure if the distance would diminish the effect of Limit Breaker somehow or if it has an unlimited range, but I knew that no normal monster should be able to level that fast so it must have had some effect.

I was also a little disappointed when I realized that Bob must've killed a lot of creatures, but I had gained no bonus EXP from him being my Sanguine Guard. But I simply wrote it down being due to the fact that there was too great of a distance between us.

However, when I saw that Bob was at the threshold, my disappointment was replaced by the excitement of Bob's next evolution. And as if beckoned forth by my thoughts, the system prompted me with some lines of text.

[Your dominated creature has reached the level threshold]

[Due to your trait "Limit Breaker" your dominated creature can already evolve without meeting its naturally imposed requirements]

[Do you want to choose the evolution for your dominated creature, or allow it to choose itself?]

[Yes/No]

I was very tempted to just start looking through evolutions right then and there, however, I pushed it to the side for now. I had other things to do currently. Getting up from the tangle created by the now snot-faced Bob, I scowled jokingly at him.

"At least when Mia cries she's cute, get up you big oaf." - Me

As the overly emotional lumbering Bob got up, he looked somewhat embarrassedly at me. I simply couldn't help but laugh due to this large and fearsome-looking monster acting completely contradictory to his appearance.

"Sorry Masta..." - Bob

Walking over to him, I clapped him goodheartedly on his back.

"Haha, I've missed you too buddy." - Me

Seeing his characteristic goofy smile appearing on his large mug upon hearing my words, I chuckled mirthfully. I hadn't really noticed Mia's approach, so I became surprised when I looked down to see her poking my abs with a tentative finger while she intently stared at my muscles with a heated gaze.

Wait... was she drooling?