Depraved Hero's Path: Enslaved Monster Girl Harem In The Apocalypse!-Chapter 16: A Magic Ring & A Slave Mark

Both had agreed to the switch, but for completely different reasons.

'I didn't know that Inventory Expansion Tickets were a thing. In fact, I thought that the Inventory space was limitless. Depending on how it works, it could...'

Katherine remained frozen even after they'd agreed to exchange. Their hands were still intertwined, his left hand gently clasping her left.

'H-H-He got a Basic Magic Ring! We're exchanging... Which means...' She gulped, blushing intensely. 'He's giving me a ring! A ring!'

Elijah called it out, and the Basic Magic Ring appeared in his right hand.

He held it on his open palm for Katherine to take.

Having taken a second too much before moving to take it,

"Allow me." Elijah said as he slowly let go of her right hand.

"O-Of course." Katherine's right foot moved back, turning towards him slightly, smoothly decreasing the distance between him and her left hand.

He reached for that hand, gently laid it above his left hand, and Katherine...

'I'm going to faint!'

A moment later, the Basic Magic Ring was around her ring finger.

"It's just a Basic one but... I think it looks good."

"No, yes..." Katherine muttered a second later as if in a daze. "It's... It's perfect."

"Perfect?"

"Uh... I mean... It's good! It looks good!" Katherine nodded, her hands swiftly moved behind her back.

"I'm glad you like it." Elijah chuckled.

"Yeah..."

She remained standing with her hands behind her back. On her left hand, the Ring. On her right wrist, the Slave Mark.

"Um... So can I have the-"

"Yes! Of course!"

[E-Ranked "Inventory Expansion Ticket" is being used!]

[Maximum number of Inventory Slots can be increased!]

[Which category of Inventory Slots would you like to expand?]

'What kind of categories are there?'

[Inventory Categories are split into Owned Consumables, Owned Weapons, Owned Armor Pieces, and more.]

'What about Owned Slaves Slots?'

[That Category can be expanded as well.]

'Let's go with that then.'

[E-Ranked "Inventory Expansion Ticket" has been used!]

[Maximum number of Owned Slaves has increased!]

[Current number of Owned Slaves: 7/15.]

"Perfect." Elijah turned towards Katherine. "So you're the gymnastics coach. It was very noble of you to come here alone. You wanted to protect them, right?"

"Well, yes... Turned out I couldn't do much alone." Katherine scratched her head. "It's even more noble of you to come here since-"

"You've done plenty." Elijah interrupted and turned towards the staircase that led to the first floor. "If it weren't for you, the Goblins from here would have gone down and wreaked havoc."

"So how are things? Is everyone alright? Are they safe?"

"Why don't you go ask them?" Elijah pointed at the staircase. "They're fine. Everyone stayed in the Safe Zones."

"Safe Zones?"

"You don't know about them?"

"Hm... I came here after the Tutorial Quest ended."

"So the Safe zones only appeared after the Main Quest started." Elijah thought for a bit. "Anyways, don't worry about it. Go see them for yourself."

"A-Are you sure?"

"Hm?"

"You don't mind me going?"

"Of course not. I'll go with you, if you want me to."

"Um..."

"There you go." Elijah chuckled and started walking to the staircase. "Ask the System about the Main Quest. We're clearing the East and West wings right now. Come find me when you're done."

"When I'm done...?"

"Yeah. We can't leave campus until the Main Quest is done." He started walking down the stairs. "We still have work to do."

"A-Alright! I'll come find you!"

"Yeah." Elijah waved as he walked down the stairs, and disappeared from her field of vision.

Katherine gulped and followed. He was already gone.

"C-Coach!"

"Katherine!"

All of the students who followed her classes hugged her with teary eyes, except one.

"Is... Is Marianne still gone? What happened to her? Did she come back?"

The students exchanged looks before explaining. Though they didn't know much about the details.

***

"Good job." Elijah complimented.

"Thanks." Keith answered with a sigh. The ground around him was covered by smashed bones. "The students are all inside. Again, the Boss Monster is on the top floor."

"Gave it a peek, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Did you try to fight it?"

"These Skeletons are one thing. But that... Creature..."

"What are the students doing?"

"Panicking. Chloe is trying to explain things, but we don't know much in the first place."

"Weren't my explanations enough?"

"Well, they're practical explanations. What to do, how, why... What the students need is the reason why this is happening. An explanation on what exactly is happening."

"Hm." Elijah walked past Keith and towards the stairs. "It'll take a while before we get real answers." He started climbing towards the top floor. "Those who can't move without understanding are doomed. Understanding and explanations aren't handed to us. We need to go get them."

"Right... In the meantime, they're waiting on the police, or the military... Do you think anyone will show up?"

"No, I don't." Elijah answered plainly. "Anyways, are you coming?"

"I... Seeing that thing, I just-"

"You don't have to." Elijah turned around and went on his way. "Thanks for the help."

***

Meanwhile, on the other side of campus,

"Hm... Maybe I should go in?" She muttered to herself, standing inches away from the barrier separating her from campus.

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She passed through the Barrier, entering the First Main Quest Location.

"But then... If they're all panicking, it wouldn't be much fun..."

She walked back, exiting the Location and passing through the barrier.

"No. It's exactly because they're panicking that this will be fun!"

She passed through the barrier again, and started heading towards the biggest building in the East wing, where Marianne was currently fighting.