My Fusion System: Fusing Weak Soldiers with Direwolves at the Start-Chapter 52: Slut or Virgin

"Get the boy!" Kaelor shouted, spurring his horse into a furious dash. The hooves of his mount tore across the trembling earth as he surged into a whirlwind of panic; massive horned sheep bleated and scattered in every direction, and the sky above was a maelstrom of leathery wings. Morning fog still clung to the ground, giving everything a hazy, dreamlike quality, and yet, it was all too real. Bats the size of men swooped and shrieked above, darkening the sky.

For a flicker of a moment, amidst the chaos, Kaelor’s mind drifted, his old life flashed before him. A life of calloused hands, lifting blocks under the unkind sun. A man who served the grind of survival.

But this... this was who he truly was.

A rider in the thick of death and danger. A blade in the storm.

A Lord.

Shing!

His sword left its sheath with a clear metallic cry.

Without warning, a sheep dropped beside him from the skies, a deflated husk of bone, fur, and stretched skin. It hit the ground with a heavy thump, but Kaelor didn’t flinch.

His eyes were locked onto the creature clutching Lan, Kan’s young son. The bat was grotesque, nearly human in size, with enormous wings, flared ears, and a snarling maw of fangs. But it was the two protruding canines, like daggers jutting from its jaws, that gave it a nightmarish edge.

If Lan died here, it would shatter Kan. And Kan was too valuable. Loyal, steady, irreplaceable, for now. That wasn’t the only reason Kaelor raced forward, but it was the weight he couldn’t ignore.

His horse screeched to a halt, rearing violently as a Colossal Uru charged into their path. The beast was mountainous, its shaggy shoulders wide as a cart, horns jutting like spears. Kaelor tugged his reins sharply, forcing a turn that stole his momentum. The interruption cost him precious seconds.

Behind him, Vi’s voice rang out, but not in her usual tone. It was lower, otherworldly, like two voices speaking in harmony. Her Focus Crystal pulsed with power, a glow so bright it shimmered through the morning mist.

Three ice spikes shimmered into being mid-air and shot forward like bolts loosed from a god’s own bow.

They struck.

The bat shrieked, a high, dying screech, as the spikes ripped through its side. Its body twisted in the air, spiraling downward with Lan in tow. But before they could hit the ground, another shriek sounded. A second bat, quicker than the eye, dove and caught Lan in its claws.

"Not this time!" Kaelor roared.

He leapt from his horse with a yell, spinning through the air. His blade sang a deadly arc, cleaving through the bat’s thick neck. Its head went spinning like a wheel, fangs flashing, before landing yards away with a thud.

Kaelor and Lan hit the ground hard, tumbling over each other, rolling through grass and dirt until they came to a stop. Kaelor coughed, blinking the dust from his eyes just as the earth began to quake.

A Colossal Uru, larger than any he had seen, came stomping toward them, its hooves like hammers. Several Mountain Uru, smaller but still enormous, followed close behind, bleating loudly, their sheer mass shaking the earth.

Lan scrambled to his hooves, lifting both arms. "Stop!" he yelled.

And they did.

The Colossal Uru froze, its massive head tilting slightly, while the others came to a heavy halt beside it, their breaths steaming in the morning chill.

Kaelor, chest heaving, lay back against the grass, watching the black cloud of bats spiral higher and vanish into the distant sky.

"My Lord, are you hurt?" Mildred rushed over as Kaelor finally sat up.

He had known the bats would be large, but not this large. Now, sitting amidst crushed grass and mummified remains, he understood, truly understood, why this place bore the name Devil Forest.

In this world, the word devil did not simply describe something sinister. It denoted absolute evil, an existence or act meant to be abhorred. Frankly, it wasn’t much different from Earth.

What he had just seen in the sky, those creatures, were leagues beyond the direwolves. They had intellect, a hunger that turned sheep into husks, and a method of hunting too coordinated to be handled.

"I’m fine," he replied at last, forcing himself to stand. His limbs ached slightly, but his pride kept him upright. Around him lay dozens of mummified sheep, their corpses shriveled and dry as though drained in seconds. He recalled the image clearly, two or three bats descending upon a single sheep, their claws digging in while long tongues sapped life from the poor creature.

He turned. Kan was on his knees, holding his son tightly. Relief hung on the father’s face like morning dew.

Vi trotted toward him on horseback, while the Dreadclaws fanned out, counting the dead sheep, inspecting each corpse.

"Heh," Vi whispered as she dismounted. "I felt entranced watching you leap off your horse. It was... iconic."

Kaelor gave her a dry scowl, but her words managed to lighten the heavy mood that lingered in the air like smoke.

As he moved toward Kan and his son, Mildred approached Vi, her voice low but firm. "How many men have you slept with?"

Vi blinked, taken aback. "What makes you ask such a thing?"

"The way you’ve been acting with Lord Kaelor is no different from a slut’s game," Mildred said, expression unreadable. "But you only play with words... not your body."

Vi pouted in mock disappointment, as though betrayed by Mildred’s assumption. "Even sluts have skills a woman must learn to survive in this world. Sadly, I haven’t slept with any man... yet."

She glanced at Mildred from the corner of her eye, a sly smirk curling across her lips. "How about you, Lady Mildred? You should be in your late thirties. Marriage may be out of the picture already."

Mildred’s nostrils flared. She spun around and walked off, a storm building behind her stern face, until she reached Kaelor who was squatting beside the enormous bat Vi had slain.

"Do you want to use your gift on it?" Vi’s voice chimed again, honey-sweet and loud enough for all to hear.

The others turned, glancing toward Kaelor, then at Mildred. Her face tightened, torn between rejection and desire. Years of service, of faith, of silent loyalty, preparing for Kaelor’s arrival even while he indulged in his fantasy...was this her moment to evolve?

"She has served you well," Vi added.

Kaelor’s eyes locked onto Mildred. He didn’t speak immediately. Instead, he asked the one entity that wouldn’t lie.

"System, will this fusion affect Mildred’s face? Will it turn her... into this thing?"

[No. Different results for different fusions.]

He nodded.

"Go ahead then."

[10 FP deducted!]

Blue flames surged forth from his hand, engulfing the dead bat. The creature lifted into the air, suspended in glowing fire. A moment later, the same flames wrapped around Mildred, lifting her slowly as the wind began to stir.

The morning fog had just begun to clear. The first rays of sunlight broke through the clouds. Everyone, Kan and his son, the Dreadclaws, Vi, watched in stunned silence as Mildred and the bat spiraled around one another.