AN: Hello, my happy little perverts. It's Wednesday! Time for another exciting installment of everyone's favorite apocalypse adventure!

As some of you know, I am adding links to my recent release of the first three episodes of the story Galataea Crystallim, on Amazon and Smashwords. This will continue with any story that I update this week.

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Galataea Crystallim Core: Collection 1 – This contains the first three episodes of the storyline. Making the Grade, Here, Fishy, Fishy. and Yes, Please No.

Those of you who want to purchase it on Amazon may do so at this link.

Link: https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B01LX7DSRP

Those of you who wish to read it on Smashwords for free can do so at this link using the coupon. It lasts until October 1, 2016. I typically give out 2-week long coupons when I first upload a story to Smashwords and Amazon.

Link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/665901 | Coupon: WF93N

Hopefully I can continue to do that compared to how many others take stories down here in large amounts and leave only a few chapters. So long as I can receive enough support from fans, I can continue to do as I have been. If you like the story and want to contribute in that way, please purchase it on Amazon.

Either way, please leave a review at one place or the other! Thanks!

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Chapter 11: Discerning Eye

Groggily, his sat up then turned his head toward the sound of the disturbance. The knock came once more. "Who is it?" he asked quietly after unleashing a mighty yawn.

He rose to his feet then staggered over to the door. On the other side of the door stood a strangely attired young man. He was bedecked with jewels and silks. A scent of lavender and expensive perfumes wafted from his naked chest. Everything about the man was impeccably primped and prepared. Even the chest hairs on his well-defined chest seemed to be groomed for seduction.

"Looking for a little excitement in your life sweet one?" inquired the man, a sensual smile on his lips.

Scott eyed the overly pretty man for a moment. After the moment passed in awkward silence, and without saying a word, he slowly closed the door then took a moment to make certain that it was firmly locked.

"I'll take that as a maybe. Alright lover?" said the man on the other side of the door.

Scott's expression became flat and his eyes closed gently. "I don't even want to know."

He wandered back over to his bed and tried to get back to sleep. Unfortunately, another knock came at his door a few minutes later.

"Dammit..." he muttered, before crawling out of bed and walking over to the door once more. This time he was greeted to the sight of a young boy wearing what looked to be the uniform of a private school.

"Excuse me, but I can't find my room..." said the little boy.

"Ah..." began Scott. Why would this kid come to his room to ask about that sort of thing? Couldn't he just go ask the inn keeper, or whatever?

The little boy looked up at Scott, his innocent expression giving rise to slight paternalistic feelings in the older man. "Well..." Could he really leave a little boy to wander the halls?

"Can I come sleep with you for the night, big brother?" asked the boy with a hopeful expression on his face.

Scott blinked then tilted his head to the side slowly. "What...?"

"I'll do anything... I just don't want to be all alone..." said the boy.

Scott's eyes narrowed and he looked at the kid more closely. Were those crow's feet around the edges of his eyes? Also, was that a slight bit of stubble on his cheeks? "You're not a little boy, are you?" he asked, a sarcastic tone in his voice.

"For twenty silver an hour, I'll be anything you want, big brother..." said the obviously adult male prostitute.

Once again, Scott slowly closed the door then firmly locked it. Seriously, what the hell man?

"Wah! Big brother is so mean!" cried the prostitute. A brief moment later, he called out, "But I like it... Call on me sometime, OK?"

Scott rubbed his temples lightly with his knuckles then sighed in annoyance. "Seriously?" he asked before turning back to his bed.

He barely landed atop it before another knock came to his door. His bloodshot eyes snapped open. Anger burning in his heart, and a scowl upon his lips, he stalked over to the door. He unlocked it, and then shouted, "God dammit!" before snatching the door open. "Fuck off, you damn manwhores!"

On the other side he saw Amelie and Mitsuki. They stared at Scott wild-eyed for a moment. What had they done to deserve such a greeting?

Embarrassment creeping onto his face, Scott coughed once and murmured an apology. "Sorry... Didn't mean you."

Amelie and Mitsuki blinked in unison. Slowly, they looked at each other and then looked back to Scott.

"Um? Hello," asked Mitsuki in a careful tone.

"Hello, Scott," said Amelia in a shaky, but courteous tone.

"Yeah... Hi," he said with a sigh. "Sorry about that. I've had a few unwanted visitors tonight."

"You know you want me, sweet cake," said the first manwhore as he crossed behind the girls on his way down the hall. He gave Scott a saucy wink then strutted away.

"I have honestly never wanted something so little in my life," replied Scott seriously.

"Hey, hot stuff," said Mitsuki before she granted him a mischievous grin. "Long night?"

Scott stared flatly at her for a moment. "Hell no."

She threw the back of her hand to her lips and laughed merrily at his plight. "So you say..."

His annoyance rose briefly for a moment, but slowly he let it go. Scott did his best to offer a smile before he asked, "Come in I guess?"

They entered his tiny room upon invitation. Mitsuki lazily flopped down onto his bed as though she had been invited to that, too. Amelie merely stood resolute. Scott took stock of them after shutting and locking his door. Both girls either bought identical armor to that which was lost before, or somehow regained it.

"Miss Priss here felt that we didn't reward you enough for your help," said the assassin while looking back at him over her shoulder. She offered him a sweet smile while she kicked her heels back and forth in the air. Just a cute and playful girl. Don't mind the daggers, love.

"I see..." said Scott in a non-comital tone. He did not want to misunderstand their intentions. However, if it led to more reward he would gladly take whatever they offered.

"Yes. It is only right for a knight to reward valor when it is undertaken on her behalf." Amelie reached into a pouch at her side and pulled out a wooden cylinder that was far too long to actually fit inside of such a small bag. "I present to you my most valuable possession that I do not need to wield directly on the battle field."

"I... Alright." Momentarily he felt a gut reaction that would have led him to decline her generosity. If it was truly her most valued possession then it might be too much.

However, he said that he would not say no to a reward. He needed to make good on that promise. Besides that, he needed all the help that he could get. Scott reached out his hand while offering her a friendly smile.

Amelie smiled warmly at him in kind then gently placed the cylinder into his hand. Her hand lingered atop the reward for a moment. Mitsuki eyed the interaction then smirked. "Just get a room already."

The knight frowned at her rival and possible friend, Scott certainly did not know what their situation was in truth. They'd told him some of their history, but that was then and this was now.

Amelie lifted her chin in a prideful display. "I make good on my promises."

"Thank you. I will treasure it," said Scott.

Amelie responded with a slight murmur and then her cheeks became lightly flush with color. Mitsuki rolled her eyes. "Don't see why you're giving him something so valuable... I already gave him ten silver."

"He did not know either of us, and still entered the situation to safeguard my life," replied Amelie.

"Yeah, but that wizard map is worth at least twenty gold..." remarked Mitsuki with a snort.

"My life is worth more than yours then, I suppose," said Amelie, a slight smirk upon her lips.

Mitsuki made a squawking noise then sat up on the bed and crossed her legs. "No way."

"Yours is only worth ten silver. Mine is worth at least twenty gold," replied Amelie, her smirk shifting into a sly smile.

The assassin snorted loudly. "Don't even try to claim that!"

"You're the one who cheaped out on the reward," replied Amelie.

"I did not!" Mitsuki glared hatefully at Amelie for a moment. She then lowered her eyes and looked away before she mumbled out an embarrassed, "I just don't have much money."

"It's alright. Like I said, there's no need for a reward," said Scott.

Mitsuki looked at him curiously for a moment. "Are you really a nice guy, or just born stupid?"

"It could go either way," replied Scott. He had no idea to be honest. A smart guy probably would not have ended up in his situation in the first place. Someone of reasonable intelligence would have just backed away from the ham-beast brigade and taken a side street to get out of town. His pride as a man would not allow it, or something. At the moment, he was still uncertain regarding the reason he was so obstinate about going straight through.

The assassin smiled at him, the first truly genuine smile she granted him since they had met. Each of her previous smiles seemed to be calculated in some manner. This smile seemed almost friendly, and heart felt.

"Well, tell you what," said Mitsuki, before turning her friendly smile into a sensually cunning one. Her soft pink lips parted with a lusty sigh before she sweetly said, "Meet me at the capital before the tournament and I'll give you special com-pen-sa-tion."

"Mitsuki..." murmured Amelie. Her friendly smile became colder, but did not falter much.

"What...? I owe him my life, right...?" replied the assassin, her smile shifting to a sly and devilish one.

Amelie glanced at the assassin for a moment then snorted. She turned to look at Scott. "Don't mind her. She's just a slut. Come see me at the capital and we can speak of recent events over a nice meal."

"I am not just a slut!" said Mitsuki to Amelie in a huff. She glanced over at Scott then winked suggestively and said, "I have many other skills as well."

"That's... nice," said Scott while eyeing the pink-haired assassin carefully. "Can I ask you girls something, though?" he asked after a brief moment passed.

"Of course," said Amelie.

"Yeah," said Mitsuki at the same time.

He looked back and forth between them. "Why so interested in me? For that matter, any idea why those five girls attacked me this morning? The snake thing, at least, was probably hungry."

Mitsuki spoke up first. "Well, the skank brigade who hunted you down are probably a bunch of low-level scrubs who still hunt men for easy EXP."

"Oh? Men are easy EXP?" He'd figured it was something like that to be honest. The girls who attacked him mentioned something similar. Still, he needed all of the information that he could get from the locals to help fill in the blanks of his newfound memories.

"Well, yeah. Since men can't gain levels they can't really fight back that well," said Mitsuki dismissively. She then thought better of it and offered his a slight smile, "No offense."

"None taken..." said Scott. He decided not to mention the fact that he was level two already.

Mitsuki made a curious noise then stared at Scott briefly. After that brief moment passed she leaned back and squinted at him.

"Seriously?" asked Mitsuki. "That's just bizarre. Men can't usually gain EXP."

"Uh..." began Scott. Did she discover something about him, somehow?

"What's bizarre?" asked Amelie.

Mitsuki pointed at Scott. "He's level two."

"What!" exclaimed Amelie. Surprised by the revelation, it took her a moment to regain her composure. "That's not possible."

"I know. Give me a moment to take another look," said Mitsuki.

"A look?" asked Scott. "What are you looking at, exactly?"

Amelie's eyes widened as she came to a sudden understanding. She interjected, "You already know how to use the discerning eye skill?"

"Yep. Learned it just before we met up," said Mitsuki, "It's an important tool of the trade for an assassin."

The assassin gazed intently at Scott for a moment. He felt a strange crawling sensation along his spine, but otherwise nothing happened.

Mitsuki unleashed a low whistle. "He really is level two. Stats are quite a bit higher than most people at that level as well."

"Well, I'd hoped it would take a while before people realized any of that," said Scott.

"Ah, it's weird to see a guy who can gain a level, but it's not so bad. You'll want to specialize in something other than just charisma, though. It's easy to level up and raise stats early on, but it gets harder over time," said Mitsuki.

"If you can gain a level, what class are you?" asked Amelie. She thought better of herself after a moment and asked, "If I may so enquire."

"I, uh..." began Scott, "Don't have one? Is it important?"

The less that he admitted to knowing about the situation, the better it would be for him. Scott firmly believed that less was more when it came to divulging information to people he did not know much about.

"Seriously? You need to stop right now, and get one!" exclaimed Amelie, surprised.

Mitsuki and Scott both looked at the suddenly emphatic girl. Amelie placed her fist to her lips then coughed politely. "My apologies for my outburst. However, it is still the truth."

Scott nodded to her and settled in for a possibly lengthy explanation. This should prove to be interesting.