Paragon of Weaponmasters [Stubbed Book 1] - 60 - Daughter

“Okay, so first we find Zez some food, then we go to Masstaoir.” I announce to the group.

Peter has come online.

“Oh, just a sec.” I say.

Peter says: Earl, don’t freak out.

Earl says: Why would I freak out? What’s going on?

Earl says: Peter?

Peter says: I’m always talking about the game with Millie, and I’ve invited her to play a million times, but she never accepted, and I started doing it as a joke, but she took me up on it, and now we’re leveling new characters together.

My heart stops. My brain stops. I think all of my organs may have stopped.

Peter says: She wants to talk to you. Can you hop in voice chat?

Earl says: Pete, are you fucking crazy? She’ll recognize my voice!

Peter says: You don’t actually sound like you used to. I’ve watched recordings with her.

Earl says: She has recordings of me?

I start to tear up, and see my children grow concerned in my peripheral vision.

Peter has invited you to a group.

I just stare at the prompt. What should I say? What will she say? For her it’s been nine years, most of her life, since I died. To me it’s been mere months. I can’t pass up this opportunity, so I hit accept.

“So are you like a pervert or something?” Millie asks in group voice chat.

“Millie!” Peter exclaims.

“What?” I ask.

“You heard me.” she responds defiantly.

“No, I’m not a pervert.” I tell her.

“Why are you hanging around underaged boys then?” she accuses.

“We’re playing an online video game, there’s mixed ages.” I defend myself.

“Sounds like a pretty good excuse to hang around little boys.” She spits back.

“I’m not little.” Peter peeps up.

“I don’t know if you treat every adult this way, but it’s not okay to just accuse strangers of being pedophiles.” I tell her.

“One, you’re the only one saying pedophile. Two, you’re not my dad, it’s none of your business.” I imagine her crossing her arms.

Both Peter and I sit in silence. Would it hurt more if she knew? I’m almost tempted to tell her, just to make her feel bad. When did my little Millie get so mean?

“I’m not preying on Peter. We only talk in-game, we have not, and have no plans to meet in person.” I finally say.

“What are you, a caveman? People have sex in video games all the time.” She clicks her tongue. “Wait, you should know, right? You’ve been clapping orc cheeks all month.”

I turn red. She shouldn’t be talking to anyone like this, much less her father.

“They were pretty hot though. Especially the one with the undercut.” She mentions Helga.

“Millie, please.” Peter begs her.

“I’m just looking out for you Pete. There's all sorts of creeps online.” she tells him.

“I’m not one of them.” I say.

“Right, that’s exactly what a creep would say.” She’s rolling her eyes, I bet.

“It’s exactly what someone who’s not a creep would say.” I point out. “Why would someone who’s not a creep say that they’re a creep? That makes no sense.”

“I dunno, you tell me, Creep.” She retorts.

“This is going nowhere. I’ll talk to you later, Peter.” I leave the group. “I can’t believe she's so… rude!”

“Who?” Halanaestra asks.

“My daughter Millie.” I tell her.

“You have a daughter named Millie?” she gasps.

“You have twenty children?” Naexi’s eyes go wide.

“Yes. She's human, and my firstborn.” I tell them, seeing no way out of this conversation.

“Who’s the mother?” Halanaestra has a notepad out.

“Her name is Trinee. We were together nine years ago.” I give her the details.

“What happened?” she asks after writing them down.

“I died.” I say.

“But you’re immortal?” Oorrcca asks rhetorically.

“I wasn’t immortal when I was a human, in my past life.” I explain.

“Oh my goddess.” Halanaestra swears. “You’re a reincarnated hero?”

“Technically.” I shrug.

“Oh my goddess.” she repeats, writing furiously.

I notice a pinch, and look down to find Zez with my arm elbow-deep in his gullet.

“No!” I say, shaking him lightly. “No eating daddy!”

My other children laugh.

“Do any of you have jerky or something?” I ask, trying to peel the dragon off.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“I’ve got fish.” Oorrcca says. Of course he does. Retrieving a surprisingly fresh bass from his pack makes Zez let go of me immediately, and almost take Oorrcca’s hand with his dinner.

“Ravenous little guy.” I kneel down to pet him, and he almost takes my fingers off for my trouble. “Very feisty. Do you have books on dragon rearing?” I ask Halanaestra.

“No, but Imizael might though.” She answers.

“Imizael would have books on how to make dragon babies, not how to raise them.” Naexi chimes in.

It’s always the quiet ones.

A sudden glow fills my vision, originating from Zez. when it dies down, he’s twice as big, but half as wide. He'd come up to my chest if he stood on his hind legs.

“Did you just grow up from eating fish?” I ask, as if he’d know how the game works.

“It appears so,” he responds in a new, deeper, mature voice.

He closes his eyes in concentration, his body quickly transformed into a fully-clothed young adult man. He has a lot of his mother’s features, he actually appears to be a younger, masculine version of her, with a sharp pair of tusks jutting from his dark lips.

“Thank you for the fish, brother.” he gives Oorrcca a short bow.

“No problem bro.” he gives him a thumbs up. I didn’t realize until this moment he had hands, not flippers.

“I guess now that you’re not going to bite my hand off we can go to Masstaoir.” I turn my attention to Zez.

“I still might.” he smirks.

I squint, trying to determine if that was sarcasm. I give him the benefit of the doubt.

“Let’s get to the portal.” I get a move on. Talindra is likely busy with… well, everything. I’d like to say goodbye, but it’s just not meant to be.

桜が散る

水に濡れた稲田に

月明かりに照らされた星々

Thanks Jellyfish.

I don’t know what they’re saying, but they must have felt my longing.

You love her. Silverlight, whom I now know is the elf Filvendor, says.

I do. We haven't had much time together, but from what little we have, I know I want to be with her forever.

I was much the same. I hear them sigh in my head.

What happened?

My group was sent to deal with a local barbarian tribe that set up a camp near Cumbergoine. Even with their diminished intelligence, the humans managed to fight back with orcish artifacts they discovered. I did not return home.

I’m sorry.

Of any being living or dead, you have the least to be sorry for. I was lost, wandering for what felt like millenia. You brought me home, and you’ve given Tally what I can no longer.

Happy to hear you see it that way.

What other way is there to see it?

Well, where I’m from, people are possessive of their partners, or feel as though they can't move on when they die. Honestly, I was jealous when I found out you were her long-lost-love.

What a strange way to see things.

I shrug.

When we arrive at the portal to Masstaoir, a familiar figure is silhouetted in the glow of the archway.

“Leaveing without saying goodbye?” Talindra asks.

“I assumed you’d be too busy.” I explain, approaching her.

She wraps her arms around my stomach and rests her chin on my shoulder.

“I’m never too busy for you.” she kisses behind my ear, sending a tingle up my spine.

“I wish I could stay here with you forever.” I admit, probably not for the first time.

“Soon. When your long battle is finally over, you can come home.” She presses the side of her face to mine. I rub her back, and my heart aches.

“Are you my mother?” Zez asks, standing too close.

“No little one, your mother’s name is Nesi.” Talindra tells him, putting a hand on his head.

“That’s my father.” he points at me. “It appears my mother does not keep him as a consort.”

“Indeed.” she smiles, placing another kiss on my temple before releasing me. “Be safe.”

“You too.” I say.

My children have mixed reactions as they wait for us to wrap it up. Halanaestra and Oorrcca are enchanted by the love affair, Naexi and Reluvethal stare with crossed arms and tapping feet.

“Alright, is everyone ready? it’s probably going to be chaotic on the other side.

“In that case…” Zez changes back into a dragon, then slowly fades from reality. At first, i think he’s turned invisible, but then i et a system notification.

Zezzess added to collection.

…he counts as a pet? Weird.

Your help is urgently needed at Citadelle Gobéliard!

Hertston (Citadelle Gobéliard) added to inventory.

“Oh for Pete’s sake.” I complain.

“What?” Naexi asks.

“They need me at the Weaponmaster citadel. I’ll use this stone to telepoert there, then my normal herston to teleport to Masstaoir, and I’ll come back through the portal to collect you. Sounds like a plan?” I create a new plan.

“What are we meant to do in the meantime?” Naexi wonders.

“I’m sure The Prime Nurturer could use some assistance.” I look at Talindra, she nods. “Right, I’ll meet you all back here as soon as possible.”

Using the new hertston sends me to a building within the citadel, a run-down inn with a giant keeper.

“Welcome.” she says, sword in one hand and washcloth in the other.

“Thank you.” I say, looking around. It would be cozy in here with a fire and a few more bricks to fill the holes in the walls. “Do you know who needs my help?”

“Best to ask Black Blade.” she says, confirming my suspicion.

I wander the citadel, asking if anyone has seen him as I go. I finally run into him near Facelifter’s Lair, the last place I wanted to look.

“Paragon, it’s good you’re here.” He greets me with a yellow exclamation point over his head.

“What can I do for you BB?” I ask.

“It appears the elven capital is under assault by the forces of Greolzrintar, the Primordial of Sand. We will join you in defeating this threat.” he explains.

The Sands of Greolzrintar accepted!

Clear Cumbergoine of Sand Drakes 0/1

“Uh…” I scratch my head. “BB, buddy, we just did that.”

Clear Cumbergoine of Sand Drakes 1/1

“Well fought, Weaponmaster! You represent us well.” He says, heedless of my comment.

The Sands of Greolzrintar Completed! Experience gained.

Reward: [Weaponmaster’s Gauntlets] added to inventory.

[Weaponmaster’s Gauntlets - Rare gloves - Medium Will - Medium armor]

Huh. My current gloves are an unheard of quality called ‘scaling’, so I don't actually need to ever upgrade them.

Stromgrippers, Thunder God’s Iron Gauntlets - Scaling gloves - Requires Level 40 - Medium Strength - Medium armor

However, the new gloves provide Will, my new ‘main stat’. I decide to at least try them out, and equip them. They look skeletal at first glace, but what I thought were bones are actually sword embellishments, running from the wrist down to the tips of my fingers, ending in blade-like claws. The wrist up is a full band of blades, all pointing upwards.

“Paragon, it’s good you’re here.” He greets me with a yellow exclamation point over his head, again.

“Black blade, you good?” I wonder with genuine concern.

“It appears the orc capital is under assault by the forces of Mairgeintarth, the Primordial of Fire. We will join you in defeating this threat.” he almost repeats himself verbatim.

“Dude.” I wave my hand in front of his face.

The Fires of Mairgeintarth accepted!

Clear Masstaoir of Fire Drakes 0/1

I just stare at the giant, he’s got the thousand yard stare of a nameless NPC. Something broke him, and I hope it wasn’t me. If I can’t snap him out of it, I might as well just move on.

I use my herston, and observe the loading screen. It’s changed, instead of having the old Honorlord, Earlgor is featured, standing proud with his sword and hammer. Talindra has replaced the previous elf leader, and she’s wearing an extremely revealing green dress. The image is actually from a familiar perspective, looking up at her from below.

If I get mad about it, that’ll just be letting the Monitor win. Instead, I’m just going to stare at her tits until they go away.

As if sensing my stubborn appreciation, the loading bar jumps to 100% and deposits me back into the game.

The inn is absolutely packed with NPCs, not just my former-human friends.

“Hero, you’ve come to save us!” Burt announces, calling my attention to the four of them.