What follows is a confusing, illuminating, and incredibly pleasant experience all at once. When she’s done with me, I crawl out of the tub in a daze, nearly collapsing on shaky legs.

  I only barely catch myself on the wall, and quickly use it to slide to the floor in a more or less controlled manner.

  That’s what I’ve been missing out on?! Are you fucking kidding me?!

  It’s almost galling how amazing I feel after the fact. As it turns out, orgasms are fantastic for clearing the mind and relieving tensions I wasn’t even aware I had.

  A terrifying giggle echoes across the room as she returns through the sliding doors, draped in yet another gorgeous dress. She carries a bundle of clothes, and I can’t even muster the strength to give her a glare.

  “I got you something to wear since you probably don’t want to get back into… those,” she says, waving dismissively toward the small pile of bloody garments in the corner.

  I look over and cringe at the sight.

  Cari is going to give me so much shit.

  “Yeah, I thought so. Here,” she chuckles, handing me the bundle of clothes, “they should fit. I got a pretty good sense of your measurements earlier.”

  This time I do manage to glare at her, but it’s half-hearted at best and she meets it head on with a far too confident smirk. With a huff I start to get dressed, and she helps me. I wouldn't admit it, but I'm still a bit wobbly, so the help is appreciated.

  The clothes she brought me are surprisingly nice, and my type to boot.

  It’s a simple but elegant ensemble, with a dark red, silky blouse and black leggings. She even included another chest wrap and some incredibly comfy undies. Much to my chagrin, she seemed to be serious when she claimed to have gotten a feel for my measurements.

  It all seems practically tailor made for my body type, excluding the tail. Clothes for beastkin are expensive, rare, or both in a small city like Bephis.

  Still, it all fit snugly except for the shirt, which was loose and baggy, breathing in all the right places without flowing too much.

  Once I was dressed and not quite as vulnerable, she sits me down in a stool to wrangle my hair into something more presentable with a brush and very, very expert fingers. Each delicate touch sends pleasant tingles through my scalp and straight down my spine.

  Another blush creeps onto my face, but I manage to stop my tail from betraying my thoughts. Only because I’m currently holding my tail in place to groom it, but still.

  Little victories.

  A question comes to me then. I’d intended to ask Cari, but had never gotten the chance. I figure it'll be a good enough distraction, though.

  “Krissy, can I ask you something personal?”

  She just gives me an affirming “Mm?” as she continues to fuss over my hair.

  “Can you tell me your stats?" I ask, and she freezes for a moment. "I mean, no pressure of course. I just need something to compare to, if that's okay with you."

  I'm rambling by the end, worried I'd offended her, but she resumes detangling my hair with a sigh.

  “You know what? Why not. It’s not like any weaknesses I may have would matter to someone as strong as you anyways. Besides, I only ever get to show off to the other girls,” she says, and a new notice appears in my vision.

  Shared Status:

  Name - Kristina

  Race - Human

  Age - 26

  Level - 33

  Health: 3220/3220

  Health Regen: 386.4 per minute

  Mana: 120/120

  Mana Regen: 12 per hour

  Strength: 38

  Constitution: 115

  Dexterity: 108

  Intelligence: 16

  Wisdom: 12

  Charisma: 224

  Combat Class: Siren of the Night (E)

  Profession Class: Mystic Bard (R)

  “Oh, wow,” I say without thinking.

  I feel bad immediately, because I’m actually somewhat disappointed by the totals. Thankfully, it didn’t seem to transfer through my tone.

  “Right? I held off on selecting a Combat Class for years to get something good. I think it worked out in my favor!” she says, her voice filled with pride.

  I analyze her Class, more curious now.

  Siren of the Night

  Epic

  Sing of pleasures untold and draw others into the dance of the night.

  Allure and embrace your targets, bringing comfort, clarity, and healing when they’re at their most vulnerable.

  Or lead them, willingly, to their ruin.

  +1 Constitution per level

  +1 Dexterity per level

  +2 Charisma per level

  Requirements: A willingness to embrace and express your sexuality through intimacy. Successfully seduce someone at least one tier above your own. Guide at least ten different people into an intimate situation where they express their true selves, for better or worse. Help someone overcome significant trauma through intimacy.

  Her stats aren’t much in comparison to mine, but I take a moment to consider it. I have an entire extra Class, and my Race alone grants nearly twice that of a Human. So a straight comparison doesn’t really work.

  But this gives me the perspective I desperately needed to figure out where I stand. It also shows me how far ahead I am in many aspects. Most people will have stats similar to hers, with one or two stats being the primary focus, and maybe another one or two being secondary.

  Even my distribution follows that pattern, but with my Classes and Race I’m able to spread the points out more without diluting my focused stats. It also helps that my stat-per-level gains are fairly spread out as well, even while still being focused on Dexterity and Intelligence.

  For a human, she’s more than a little impressive. Having an epic rarity Class at Tier Zero gives her a lot of room for growth. It may even upgrade to legendary once she hits level fifty and evolves to Tier One.

  If it does, that alone would be enough for nobles to seek her hand in the hopes of strengthening their bloodline. Nobody really knows if parentage plays any legitimate part in a child’s Class options, or if it’s just all the training and opportunities the children are given—but it definitely can’t hurt.

  Even I can see why they do it. I was drawn to her before due to her beauty, maturity, and confidence. Now, with her tenacity and talent on full display? I'm seriously temped to go for another round...

  Actually, how many rounds was that? Wait, no! It doesn’t matter!

  So much for distracting myself.

  “Thanks. For, uh, everything,” I say, my voice shaky.

  My heart does a little flip at the sensation of her lips brushing my cheek, sending a confusing mix of warmth and anxiety aflutter in my core. But I know better than to let myself go that direction. Not after what happened with Cari, and especially not here.

  Plus, if I’m being honest with myself, I’m not ready for any kind of relationship in the first place. Everything I experienced with Cari and her only make me more aware of that fact.

  Wait, did I just lose my virginity? In a brothel? Is that how it works between girls?

  I swear my face is steaming with all the blood flowing to it on a regular basis, so I decide to get a little revenge through reciprocation. Plus, it might help to extend a little trust her way as well, given all the trust she’s given me.

  If it also happens to fuck with her a little bit, that’s just a bonus.

  Still, I take a moment to think about it, but I don't see a reason why I shouldn't show her at least some of my status. She isn’t sharing any specific skills or anything, so I don’t need to either. Even if she can pull some information from the requirements of my classes, none of it’s a great secret.

  With Dungeoneer, everyone already knows about dungeons. And Bloodwind Mystic might be a bit much, but I literally just slaughtered an entire gang in front of her. I highly doubt she’d be surprised.

  I take a quick moment to assign the points I’d earned from leveling up, as I’d already decided on where to put them before Krissy…

  Gods dammit all, how does anyone not think of this all the time?

  I assign enough to Dexterity for it to hit its next milestone, and throw the rest into Intelligence, getting it just a bit closer.

  Congratulations!

  You have reached the second milestone (500) in the Dexterity stat.

  Your reflexes are greatly improved, stepping into the realm of the supernatural.

  Time slows down slightly when you are about to receive a life-threatening attack, giving you more time to react.

  Of course I get that now, after I could have used something like that to avoid being tossed through a wall.

  For barely a second, I stare at the notification with a mix of frustration and satisfaction. Then I send my Status over to Krissy.

  Shared Status:

  Name - Emilia

  Race - Faefox

  Age - 20

  Level - 28

  Health - 5,220/5,220

  Health Regen - 1,373 per minute

  Mana - 26,832/26,832

  Stored - 53,664/53,664

  Mana Regen - 18,848 per minute

  Stats

  Strength - 127

  Constitution - 130

  Dexterity - 500

  Intelligence - 305

  Wisdom - 670

  Charisma - 127

  Combat Class: Bloodwind Mystic (L)

  Profession Class: Dungeoneer (E)

  She gasps, freezing in her ministrations. I just grin.

  When she finally continues, she speaks under her breath.

  “Brat.”

  I can’t help it. I laugh. Then laugh some more. She joins me, her chuckle more mature and sultry than it has any right to be, but suiting her in a way that makes more sense now that I know what her Classes are.

  Eventually, she finishes getting my hair situated into a single tight braid, tying it off with a small band she pulls from seemingly nowhere at all. I’d finished grooming my tail before she finished with my hair, but I held onto it.

  Just in case.

  “Your turn,” she says, her mouth so close to my ear that her breath tickles.

  My ear twitches, I blush harder somehow, and my tail attempts to escape my grasp all at once. She—the evil witch using tricks we'd both only just learned about—giggles at my reaction.

  “You really don’t play fair, you know that?” I grumble as I snatch the brush from her hand and trade places with her.

  “I think I’m playing fair enough after that little stunt," she says, smirking. "I'm even tempted to keep you all to myself after seeing that. I've always wanted a pet fox."

  I scoff. “You’re going to have enough trouble keeping the nobility from snatching you up like some prize.”

  “Oh, on the contrary, dear Emilia. A great many of my regulars are nobles, and I’ve even whispered in more than a few ears about my class and future prospects,” she says, her lips quirking just a bit higher.

  Damn, she’s devious.

  “Hah! Those poor souls have no idea what they’re in for, do they?” I say.

  She chuckles, but doesn’t answer outright, which is answer enough in and of itself.

  I decide to ask the question that had been on my mind since she went to grab clothes.

  “So… what was all that for?” I ask.

  I mean, sure, this is a brothel, but... I'd just killed a lot of people, was covered in blood, and she was panicking. Getting to this point after all that is a bit odd, though I definitely won't complain.

  She stiffens in the little stool, and I instantly know she understands what I'm really asking. I don’t pressure her for an answer, though.

  “Well… promise you won’t be upset with me?” she asks, almost sheepishly.

  For a moment, the scared woman beneath the counter is back.

  “Of course,” I reply instantly, and she heaves a shaky sigh of relief.

  “Then… I guess I did it to feel like I had a little control again,” she says, peeking at me over her shoulder. At my confused look, she calms down significantly and continues, “Oh, don’t give me that look. You’re fucking terrifying. You know that, right? I was scared of you, but then you were so sweet with me. I couldn’t make sense of it.”

  For a moment, regret and guilt burble in my stomach, but she keeps going.

  “So when you mentioned needing a bath, well… I’m a working girl. So I did what I do best. Took the lead, seduced you a little… it helped me feel in control again, just for a moment,” she says, turning away with a blush of her own.

  And just like that, my guilt flips to disbelief and indignation. I stop fussing with her hair and stare at her, mouth agape. When she next glances at me, she speaks again.

  “What? It worked! You’re more like an angry kitten than an enraged goddess,” she says, chuckling.

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  “Wha—rude!” I say, unable to stay silent any longer.

  She gives me another sultry chuckle, but it’s tinged with a nervousness I hadn’t expected of someone so put together. The guilt returns.

  “I’m sorry,” I say, giving her a quick hug from behind.

  Cari's hugs always made me feel better, so I figure it wouldn't hurt.

  “You saved us. Don’t apologize for that,” she says, patting me on the forearm.

  There’s nothing I can think to say in response, so I just stay quiet. At least it’s a comfortable silence, rather than an awkward one. I never imagined I’d get so close to someone so quickly, but if nothing else, trauma and recovery sex do wonders for getting to know a person.

  Not much later, we’re stepping out of the bathing area and into the living space separating what are effectively dorm rooms for the girls here. It’s time to meet the Madam, and deal with the cleanup of everything that happened.

  My eyes catch on what I see in the mirror as we walk by, and I freeze in place. I stare at my reflection, completely unable to look away. It’s… me, but more in every way.

  An all too familiar pair of bright blue eyes with slit pupils meet my gaze. Straight black hair, accentuated by light blue highlights here and there matched by furry, pointy ears atop my head. On the left rests the Starlight Bangle, twinkling with an otherworldly beauty.

  But the reason I stopped so abruptly is my face. It's no longer half hidden by my own hair thanks to the single tight braid Krissy gave me. There's nothing but smooth, pale skin.

  No blemishes. No scars.

  I let my eyes wander down as I examine the rest of myself in the mirror.

  It’s one thing to look down at myself and feel that everything is okay. It’s another thing entirely to see it all at once. It’s as if I’m looking at an entirely different person.

  My short frame and slight curves are gracefully enhanced by the clothes Krissy gave me. My legs, each perfectly identical now, are slightly thicker with muscle. My hips are just slightly wider, and waist just a touch narrower. A fully intact pair of breasts pushes my shirt out just a bit more than I expect.

  It’s all the same, yet better in all the ways I never dared to hope for.

  Something about seeing my whole self sends me into a spiral.

  My mind repeatedly tries and fails to reconcile what I see with my memories. I used to hate seeing myself. It was a great misfortune if I happened to glance at a mirror in passing, but now…

  My eyes are glued to the woman I see before me. Fresh tears begin to fall from my eyes, and I find myself being held from behind as Krissy rests her chin on my head, right between my ears. Her gaze meets mine through the mirror.

  “See? Beautiful,” she whispers gently.

  I don’t think she fully understands what I’m going through, but her skills probably give her an idea. And even if it’s a little embarrassing, I’m thankful she’s here to comfort me.

  It sucks dealing with everything all alone.

  ***

  We arrive at a large, open doorway leading into a surprisingly simple office. My eyes instantly snap to the sturdy desk and the woman seated in one of the regular chairs in front of it.

  Human Attendant

  Level 38

  She sits stiffly, as if ready for an attack. She looks older than I remember, but not significantly. Her bronze hair is dusted with silver where it sits atop her head in a delicately braided bun. Her face is decorated with just a touch of makeup, tastefully hiding her few wrinkles.

  She doesn’t hide the crows feet that crinkle the corners of her eyes, though.

  She notices us approaching and locks eyes with me, her body going even more rigid. She glances at Krissy for a split second, who gives her a near imperceptible nod.

  I raise a curious brow at the subtle interaction, but I don’t have time to question it. Madam Yvonne stands from her seat smoothly, her red dress making itself known as its ruffles swish around her waist and legs.

  She curtsies to me, as if I were some kind of noble or wealthy merchant. When her gaze meets mine again, her eyes are filled with a steely resolve.

  “To what do I owe the pleasure, Miss Emilia? I must admit, you have me at quite the disadvantage. If what my girls say is to be believed, I suppose I owe you thanks," she says, the ice in her tone hidden behind a thick veneer of forced respect.

  Why is she acting so cold? Did I do something?

  I lean on my Charisma a little bit, but it doesn't really help me to understand. I do follow its nudges to act like I hold the power though. Casually as I can, I make my way over to the desk and sit at the large leather chair behind it.

  Her gaze tracks me unerringly as I take a seat in the leather chair behind the desk.

  “Please, sit Madam Yvonne. And just Emilia is fine. I have some great news,” I say with a genuine smile.

  She seems to detect my sincerity, as she returns to her seat with a perplexed nod. Krissy smoothly joins her in the last open chair across from me with a gentle smile.

  I'm going to have to invest more points into Charisma for sure... this is damned useful.

  “I’ll get straight to the point. I’ve killed the majority of the Ratweavers and you and your girls are free to do as you please,” I say.

  To her credit, she almost withheld any reaction on her face, but I still noticed the twitch of an eye. She looks at Krissy, who nods solemnly.

  “I-is that so? I admit I am a bit relieved to hear that, but did you get Jory and his enforcers? Because if you didn't, you’ll be dead or caged by sunrise,” she says, her voice laced with worry.

  Though it’s clear that it’s not just concern for me. She’s worried about reprisals, should Jory return. I quickly put her fears to rest.

  “Yes, they’re dead as well,” I say, pulling his rapier from storage and setting it on the desk for her to easily examine. “From what Jory said before I killed him, the only ones of his gang left should be small time thugs that either weren’t here or ran away before I found them in the building.”

  “How?” she asks.

  Krissy responds in my stead.

  “She's very strong. I was there when she did it. They’re gone,” she says, grinning at Madam Yvonne.

  “O-oh? Forgive my skepticism, but her level..." Yvonne trails off, seeming thoroughly confused.

  “Emi, can you show her your status as well? It'll help her make sense of things, and I promise you can trust her,” Krissy asks me.

  I raise a brow at the nickname. I like it, of course. It’s what Cari calls me. I just didn’t expect it from Krissy, as well.

  At my reaction, she sends a sultry wink my way. I scowl back at her, ignoring the flush that found its way back to my cheeks.

  She is far too good at winding me up.

  Worse than Cari even, in some ways.

  I just grumble and send my Status to Yvonne. As she skims through it, her eyes widen to their absolute limits, and a look of horror appears on her face when she looks back at me.

  I hold my hands up defensively, trying to calm her down, “I know, it’s a lot to take in. I’m nice, though. Promise.”

  It doesn’t seem to help.

  “I see…” she says, hands shaking slightly where they lay on her lap.

  Krissy lays a hand over them gently.

  “Madam, she’s a good person. A bit terrifying, certainly, but I had a chance to get to know her a little bit,” she says, glancing at me with more than a hint of mischief in her eyes. “Honestly, she’s very sweet, if a bit inexperienced. Kind of a crybaby, too…”

  I let out a squawk of protest, but all that comes out is a garbled mess of incoherent spluttering.

  She just giggles demurely at my reaction, so with my mightiest huff, I turn away from the pair and pout with my ears down.

  “Aww, it’s okay Emi. I'm only teasing,” she manages between giggles.

  I give her a side-eye glare, then continue to pout, turning a smidgen further away.

  This seems to renew her giggling, only this time it’s joined by another, more mature laugh to her side. I quickly glance to Madam Yvonne, and see her covering her mouth with one hand as she seems to let the stress of years flow freely off her shoulders.

  My ears perk back up as she speaks.

  “Ah, I needed that. Thank you, Krissy, Miss Emilia. I can see that you mean well, even with your terrifying power. I had initially thought you to be another Jory, coming to take over and force your whims on me and my girls,” she says.

  “I would never!” I rush out.

  She laughs, waving me off before getting serious again, “I could not have known that though, child. I remember you well. I recall turning you away in your direst of hours, and you never returning. Why else would you have returned after years, if not for revenge?”

  At that, Krissy looks at Yvonne with confusion. Then growing awareness and shock floods her features when her gaze returns to me.

  “Oh my Gods! You were the Foxkin! The Faulted girl!” she says, almost leaping out of her seat.

  I wince at being called “the faulted girl,” but I try to play it off like nothing happened. She seems to notice my reaction and quickly covers her mouth before sitting back down with a chastened look on her face.

  “Why would I want revenge? You treated me like a normal girl, even if you couldn’t help me at the time. And I didn't 'return', I was led here by some morons who tried to mug me. When I saw what was happening, I wanted to help," I say.

  “Do you mean it?” Madam Yvonne asks, her tone somber.

  “Well… yeah. I don’t have anything else to do, other than delve the Tunnels. I don’t even have anywhere to go. I only just returned to the city. This whole ‘take out the gang’ thing was a whim, and was almost entirely fueled by my own anger,” I say, scratching behind an ear and looking away sheepishly.

  She smiles softly at me, and I can see the Madam Yvonne of my memories making a return, little by little.

  “Well then, child… I have an idea of how you can help, but it depends on you,” she says, a calculating look in her gaze now.

  She has a plan already? That was fast…

  “First, though, you mentioned not having anywhere to go. Regardless of how things work out, know that you’ll always have a place here. You can come and go as you please, so long as you respect my girls. Would you like that?” she asks.

  My eyes widen at the offer. It probably wouldn’t be seen as very respectable for me to be staying in a brothel, but I didn’t rightly care. I didn’t have a home, or even an inn to stay at right now, and she just offered me what is effectively a permanent roof over my head.

  I didn't want to be forced to mooch off of Cari if I could avoid it.

  But...

  “Do I need to… you know,” I say, blushing.

  She laughs gently, “No! No, of course not, child. Whether you work here or not is of no consequence, and entirely up to you. This can be your home, if you wish it. It’s the least I can do to repay you for saving us.”

  Well, that makes the decision easy.

  “Then yes! I’d like that very much,” I say.

  Honestly, it’s not even worth thinking about. Free lodging is free lodging. Before the System update, there was a time where I’d have killed for that.

  Literally.

  “Then here’s my offer," she continues. "Work with us. Not as one of the girls, but as our guardian and figurehead."

  I'm about to protest the idea, but she holds a hand up to forestall me.

  “I’m sure you have questions, but my intention is that you act as a deterrent for the other gangs to try the same thing Jory did. You’d deal with any thugs we point out, and in return, you get a cut of our profits. Let’s say… five percent."

  So far as I can tell, she seems genuinely eager for me to accept, though I have no idea what five percent of their income would equate to. Krissy’s eyes widened when she said ‘five percent’ though, so it doesn’t seem like a bad offer.

  Still, it’s more than I was making before. Hells, she could pay me a few coppers a day and it’d be more than I was making before. I somehow doubt that five percent of their profits will be less than that.

  “It doesn’t sound bad, but how long would I need to do this for? Is it a permanent thing? Would I be able to go on delves still?” I ask.

  “I would like to keep this deal going until the city has stabilized and dealt with the gangs. However, it could be permanent if you’d like to stay on afterwards. As for delving… I don’t see that being a problem. If you accept, though, perhaps try not to make it known when you are gone. If people know the deterrent is away…” she says, trailing off.

  “Then they might take advantage, sure. I get it,” I nod, leaning back into the soft leathery cushions to think for a moment.

  I really didn’t have anything else going on. Acting as a guardian would also offer some measure of combat experience over time, gradually leveling me up. It would be incredibly slow, but it’d be better than a job that offered no experience.

  I shrug, “Okay, sure. That’s fine with me.”

  “Great. We’ll resume operations as usual once this mess is cleaned up. I'll get things running properly again in no time, as long as you make yourself known,” she says.

  Nodding, I ask, “And you’re sure that’s all I need to do? Just beat up some thugs and look scary?”

  “Well…” Krissy drawls, and I immediately regret asking. “I do want one more thing.”

  That shatters any semblance of control I had left from my Charisma. I feel my face flush scarlet once more as I splutter a response.

  “N-no, that, uh, that—I-I didn’t know you’d even do t-that!” I say, my face hidden behind my hands.

  She giggles at my reaction with a truly evil glint in her eyes before she continues.

  “Well, do let me know if you’d like to do it again sometime, hm? Turning you wobbly is rather fun,” she teases.

  I slide deeper into the chair in embarrassment, trying to hide from Madam Yvonne’s knowing smirk. With a giggle, Krissy continues.

  “Anyways, no. Not that. I just want you to let us use your theme,” she says, now a hint of excitement in her voice.

  Madam Yvonne gasps at the suggestion, “Oh, now that is a great idea!”

  “Theme?” I ask cautiously, my head peeking over the lip of the desk, face still absolutely scorching.

  “Yes! If you’re our leader, even if only just a figurehead, we need the theme to match you. I was thinking we have our name changed to something fox related, and we can even change our color scheme and introduce some fox ears or tails into the mix! Oh, this will be so much fun!” Krissy says, vibrating with energy.

  Yvonne just smirks at her and speaks up once more.

  “It would be fantastic for business. For a name, maybe… Vixen’s Den? Or Tails and Temptations. Oh, I like that one, what do you think Krissy?”

  I just sink beneath the desk again with a groan, my blush deepening a few more shades.