Rules-Free VRMMO Life: Volume II - Beginning the Journey Page 3

  Dusk’s Black Coat

  Type

  Armor

  Rank

  Uncommon

  Made from the hide of a shadowbeast, this long leather coat boasts surprising defensive abilities. The coat belonged to an adventurer named Dusk before his untimely death due to poison during a game of cards.

  Durability: 30/30

  Class Restriction: Warlock

  +10 Defense

  +15% Piercing Resistance

  +15% Slashing Resistance

  +30% Dark Resistance

  +10% Hellfire Resistance

  Enchanted: +10 INT

  Drakeskull Helm

  Type

  Hat

  Rank

  Uncomon

  A helmet made from the skull of a Hell Drake. It provides some protection to the wearer, but provides the wearer with resistance to Hellfire.

  Durability: 20/20

  Class Restriction: Warlock

  +5 Defense

  +20% Hellfire Resistance

  Enchanted: +10 INT

  I put the INT enchants on because I was a Warlock now, and needed a lot of mana if I was going to keep any of my nicer things going. I’d almost run out of mana during my bout at the guild, and I’d rather not deal with that in a real fight.

  Anyways, my purchasing done, it was time to head out and get some professions for the girls, and unlock the goodies of my profession. So we went to the Tradesman’s Guild nearby to see about what was available. I was expecting just ‘normal’ professions, like Blacksmith and such, but I was pleasantly surprised. There were a couple dozen professions, at least.

  In the end, I chose professions for the girls that fit their builds, and what I wanted out of them. Della was a Priestess already, so I made her an Apothecary. This gave her the Alchemy skill, and a couple other things, but most importantly, it made it so she could make potions and diagnose illnesses easier. That would be a big thing, once we actually got out in the wild. Severa, on the other hand, was lithe, and I decided to make her a Dancer. She got a couple noncombat skills (Dance and Acrobatics), but they benefited mainly from DEX, so that fit well with her Rogue abilities. In addition to the training cost, I also paid for some gear (an alchemist’s kit for Della, and a tambourine and a dancer’s outfit made of silk and thin veils for Severa), leaving my purse a bit lighter (mainly because I chose that time to unload some of the copper coins).

  By this point, it was almost midday, so I figured lunch would be appropriate. Plus, I wanted to learn a bit more about my pets. We’d go to the slave market after lunch.

  Fortunately, the people who planned the marketplace figured that people would need to eat, and there was a tavern nearby. Entering the tavern with my pets in tow, I quickly scanned the room, and found an empty table in the back corner. We’d have some privacy for our conversation, at the least.

  After we ordered, I looked over to girls. “All right, we’ve got some time now, so I’d like to hear your stories. We’re going to be with each other for a long time, so might as well learn a few things about you. Della, you start. Tell me about yourself, and how you came to be at that temple.”

 

  Ah, yes. Telling the tale of my life. I’d mentioned some of this to Master before, but I guess I hadn’t told the whole story, or mentioned it to Severa. Well, it wasn’t like I had anything to hide, any more.

  “I was born in the village of Thara, near the border with the kingdom of Caledon. I was the third of five children. My father was the village tailor. We lived a simple life, but we were happy, and had enough to eat, so there isn’t much to say on that point.”

  “And how did you end up as a servant of Loviatar?”

  Oh, he was going to make me say that? Damn, my cheeks are blushing, aren’t they? “Um, well, when I was twelve, I had a crush on this boy who was a few years older than I was. He… he asked me to spank him. I found that I liked it. Next time we went to the Temple, the priest told us about Loviatar, and it just… fit. I was going to become a priestess anyway, once I got the money for training.”

  “And that led you to creating the brothel?”

  I sigh. He would have to bring that up again. “Yeah. After a few years, me and a few other girls tried to start a place for men who enjoyed getting pain. We figured putting it next to a temple where a lot of Faheld’s worshippers attended would be a smart plan. Didn’t count on those pricks from Cael-hazad’s church to get so bent out of shape. Just because they value purity doesn’t mean everyone does. The bastards told the magistrate about us, and since we didn’t actually have permits, they shut us down. I left town, and ended up with the Cult since they were leaving at the same time. And you know the rest.”

 

  Della’s story certainly brought things into better perspective. She was an ‘S’ who still craved approval from people, probably because of how old she was, and that crush she’d had. Still, this made things much easier. As long as I gave her people to whip, a few compliments, and didn’t abuse her (too much), she would likely happily go along with everything I said, even if she had a choice in the matter. It is also probably why she’s adjusted to being a slave so easily.

  On the other hand, Severa was still fighting things. Sure, it had only been a couple days, but even now, she was looking at me with defiant eyes. She had more internal strength than Della did, but I still didn’t have a handle on what made the girl tick. Sure, I could make her do whatever I wanted, but that would get old after a while. Much more fun to get her to come to terms, and accept her life. I didn’t need to deal with angry women all the time.

  And there was that blurb at the end of her status screen:

  Perks

  Noble Born

  Expanding the field, I got this:

  Noble Born (Passive)

  Born to the nobility. You have a +20% to social skills when dealing with those who respect your position.

  Her story was probably an interesting one. Looking over to Severa, I said, “Well, tell me your tale, my pet. How did a girl from a noble life end up at that ruined temple?”

  Oh, the girl actually paled at that. Interesting. Can’t wait to hear this story.

 

  Oh. Oh shit. He found out about me being a noble? Ah, damn, he must have read my status! Now, can I lie? No, he’d know. And then he’d punish me again. Sleeping bent over, holding my ankles, with that bastard’s seed dripping out of my holes was possibly the worst thing that had ever happened to me. Damnit, why did we ever take that stupid job? If we had picked a different job, I wouldn’t be the slave of this bastard. My only consolation was that he put a spell on us so we couldn’t get pregnant.

  I sigh, and said, “By birth, my name is Severa Agitha Rex of House Caledon. My father was Grand Duke Simud Iam Rex, younger brother of King Elmore Legget Rex of Caledon. As the youngest of three, and the only daughter, I was never going to have any real power in Caledon, especially as King Elmore has children of his own. If I had stayed, the best I could have hoped for would be to become some noble bastard’s brood mare or trophy as he used it to gain a little bit of nobility for himself, or to be traded off as part of a political marriage.”

  “When I was five, I decided that such a life wasn’t what I wanted. So I began training. I wasn’t as strong as the boys, so I couldn’t do training as a knight, but I learned to handle a dagger, and do it well. When I was fifteen, I stole away from the palace, and began my life as an adventurer. I managed to find a couple good companies, men and women who valued my skills, and didn’t know of my heritage. The Black Hand got to be E rank fairly quickly, because we trusted eachother. And for three years, we journeyed together. I even managed to keep myself pure all that time, until some bastard incubus enslaved me, and raped me over and over again.”

  Oh, I shouldn’t have said that last part. But just looking at him makes me angry! I had finally gotten a life of my own, and this man stole everything from me! And now he knows who I am, on top of it!


  But the bastard just laughed, and said, “Fine, I’ll let that go this time. Keep your tongue polite when you speak to me, though, or I’ll put it to better uses.” Oh, I knew what kind of use he’d put my tongue to. Practically choked me to death the last time!

  Fortunately, I was saved by the fact that Master had finished his food and drink. “Let’s go to the slave market. We still have some time before my adventurer card is ready, and we might as well look around after I finish training my profession.”

  Chapter 17 – Slave Market

 

  It was nice learning more about my pets. That Severa was actually related to the royal family of Caledon was something to think on later. If my journeys took me that way, we’d probably have to be careful. It would either make things easier, or much, much harder. Hard to tell.

  Anyways, the slave market! It was… pretty much just like I expected it to be. Walking through the door, I was in a nicely appointed receiving room. The way the market worked is that you spoke with an ‘agent’ or ‘hostess’ while relaxing in a private room, and told them the requirements you wished for in a slave. Then they would go and bring in several slaves for you to pick from, and eventually you’d narrow things down, and you could discuss price. There were two reasons for this. First, it meant they didn’t have to have all their product on display all the time, which would drive down their living conditions. Second, it was the time honored tactic of drawing up the price once you hooked your customer on something they wanted.

  The hostess showed us into a private room, and I sat on a soft chair, and commanded my pets to kneel on either side of me. Part of this was for my own ego, naturally, but the main reason was theater. Framing the scene the way I wished, to elicit the proper responses both from the slaves, and from the slavers. If the slave reacted badly to my little harem, that told me something. Also, conveying to the slaver that I wasn’t desperate would help keep the cost from getting out of hand.

  As a servant brought me a glass of wine, the hostess came in, and said, “Welcome to Zechariah’s Slave Emporium!” As she spoke, I took a moment to observe the woman. She was a shapely red-head, but I could see a slave collar on her. So a trusted slave in charge of sales? Well, sex sells, so I can see the point. “What can we help you with today?”

  “Ah, first, I would like to gain training in the Slave Trainer profession. Second, I’m an adventurer, and will be heading out on a long journey. As such, I would prefer to have an additional fighter in my company.”

  “Understood. Would you prefer a male or female slave?”

  “Female.”

  “Any other requirements?”

  “I would prefer a warrior of some sort.”

  “Very good. I will be back shortly with a selection.” Bowing slightly, the hostess turned and left the room, her hips swaying seductively as she went. Yes, sex sells indeed. This Zechariah was a clever man.

  I sipped the wine carefully, not wishing it to go to my head. That wine was provided free of charge was yet another point showing that Zechariah knew his business. Before long, a man entered, and nodded to me. “Ah, so you’re the one Shelly told me about, hmm? Already got a start as a slave trainer, I see, but you need full training, then? Oh, and I’m Zechariah, by the by.”

  I got up to offer the man my hand, with a respectful nod. “A pleasure, sir. It would be my honor to learn the profession from one as obviously skilled as you are. I’ve rarely seen a slave market so well run.”

  “Flattery! But that won’t get you a discount!” Zachariah laughed, and then said, “Well, the cost to train will be five silver. That won’t be a problem, will it?”

  “Not at all.” I handed over the money obediently. No sense pissing off the people I needed things from. Being polite might get me a better deal, after all.

  Slave Trainer profession fully unlocked!

  Gain +10% to Training

  Gain +15% to Whip Mastery

  Level 10: Obedience Training – Slaves under your command are more obedient, and better at following orders. Slaves are +10% to actions while following orders.

  Hoh. So in addition to the other things, I got a bonus to my ‘training’ and ‘whip’ skills. Guess that made sense. That reminded me, that I’d have to get a whip. Della already had one thanks to the gear we got from the Priestess, but I needed one of my own. More things to buy after getting a new slave. Ah well.

  While I waited, Zechariah and I chatted about things. Nothing world shaking, of course, but when he found I was a Traveler, we quickly began sharing information. General information about this world was of little value to him, while information about my world was of great value, since it would better allow him to hawk his wares to the Travelers coming in. Likewise, what I needed was information on this world. No contracts needed, or agreements struck, and I think we each profited more from the conversation than the other realized.

  Now the hostess returned, leading in a group of ten women, all clad in basic leather armor, gladiator style. There was a mix of races presented, including three humans, two dwarves, four beastkin (two tigers, a fox, and wolf), and a draconian! I observed them each.

  Bruhiel Swiftblade

  Human Female

  Level 5 Fighter

  Kiyabu Yukiko

  Foxkin Female

  Level 10 Samurai

  Taryn Blackshield

  Human Female

  Level 1 Fighter

  Bonnmyl Hammerfall

  Dwarf Female

  Level 50 Paladin (Defender)

  Ember Swiftmane

  Wolfkin Female

  Level 3 Blackguard

  Iraneth Blackscale

  Draconian Female

  Level 100 Barbarian (Tempest Fury)

  Zenobia Lightmore

  Human Female

  Level 6 Paladin

  Abyss Darkclaw

  Tigerkin Female

  Level 5 Fighter

  Iris Darkclaw

  Tigerkin Female

  Level 5 Fighter

  Runmira Stoutbrew

  Dwarf Female

  Level 15 Barbarian

  I almost choked at a couple of the levels seen. Looking over to Zechariah, I said, “I wonder, how did you come across that dwarf and the draconian? They seem awfully high leveled to be slaves.”

  Zachariah chuckled, and said, “Well, I never bothered asking too closely, but it seems the dwarf has a bad habit. She gets preachy about the Light and all that if no one orders her to be silent. My personal guess is that someone slapped the collar on her to shut her up.”

  I laughed, and said, “Even in another world, zealots will be zealots. And what of the draconian?”

  “Ah, well she is a special case. It seems she killed several noblemen’s sons in a brawl. The courts sentenced her to slavery. Normally it would be death for something like that, but it seems one of the dead started it, so the judge gave her the option of slavery instead.”

  I nodded. Killing a person could get you in trouble, depending on who it was. Killing the sons of several noblemen? That was going to get you in deep, unless you did it somewhere out of sight, and disposed of the evidence. Just like in the real world. Killing a junky in the alley isn’t going to get much attention from the cops. Killing the President’s son in the middle of Times Square is going to get you killed, if you’re lucky.

  “And the two tigerkin? Are they sisters?”

  “Ah, good eye! Indeed they are. Unfortunately, their father was unable to pay his debts, and sold his daughters to make good. They can be sold singly or as a set, if you like.”

  Hmm. A set of tigerkin? That was certainly worth thinking about. But my eye returned to the Foxkin. That name and class… nah, it couldn’t be. “And the fox?”

  The man’s face fell. “Ah. A recent acquisition, and not quite tamed yet. She is a Traveler. I’m not sure, but she may have offended one of the gods, as she suddenly appeared in the receiving room one day, with a collar already on her neck.”

  �
�So she isn’t broken, yet?”

  “No, but you asked for warriors. Most of our slaves are here for other purposes.”

  “Of course, of course. And what is the price on this foxkin?”

  “If she was fully trained, a Traveler sex slave collared with a collar that will remain with them even after they return from death would be worth at least a thousand gold. For a combat slave, at least a couple hundred. Untrained, however, and as a combat slave, I would say twenty gold, and I hold no responsibility for what happens after.”

  “And the weapons and armor she appeared with?”

  “Included, naturally.”

  “Hmm. Twenty is a little much for something like this, especially as I will have to train her while traveling the wilds. Ten gold.”