~ Chapter 13: My first [Bond of Trust] ~

“Master… Will Master let me sleep with him? I… I want to sleep with Master tonight…” Shanteya said with flushed cheeks and looking with upturned eyes at my crystal body.

I gulped and looked at her, but I didn’t say a single word. The little gears in my head went to a full stop, and the little men taking care of my one single brain cell all wondered what in the name of all that’s holy just happened?

Sleep? As in… you know? That and that and… like I did with Alina when… I thought and gulped.

“Is-is it a no?” Shanteya asked shyly.

I shook my invisible head like a character from one of those old cartoons.

“No! No! No! It’s not a no, no? It’s a… I mean… Er…” I couldn’t find my words.

“Master?” she blinked confused.

Stupid brain! Work! Work I tell you! I screamed in my mind as if doing that would have any effect on it. Although, did that big crystal of mine even had an organ that could be called a brain?

“You can… s-sleep with me, but… why?” I asked.

I instantly face-palmed myself.

Seriously? You stupid brain! You asked WHY? I groaned.

“Erm… Mistress Nanya turns in her sleep and sometimes hugs me too tightly, or she touches me…” she said looking down.

I’m not going to lie, my mind’s fantasies went straight to the Forbidden Room of Perviness! As a man, I had no regrets.

“So, you can’t sleep well?” I asked.

“Yes… I don’t mean to deny mistress Nanya’s kindness towards me, but ever since that night with Master, I wasn’t able to sleep peacefully… Around Master, with Master… I felt safe.” she told me, dropping the bomb.

Safe? As in I’m no threat as a man? As in… I’m the DUDE the girls feel safe around? I thought as my brain slowly began to lose all of its processing capabilities.

Technically speaking, they had no reason to be wary of me, I was aware of that, but I still felt hurt. My pride as a man took a severe blow. It was worse than being friendzoned… I was sent straight into the safety zone where every woman could waltz around unafraid of me being a wolf in sheep’s clothing, or more like they were 100% certain I wasn’t one.

“OK, you can sleep with me. Absorb Shanteya with all the items on her.” I said in a low tone of voice.

The beautiful el’doraw maid vanished before my eyes and was stored inside my Inner Mind.

At least, I’m not the forever alone guy reincarnated as the core of a dungeon no one visits… I thought to myself as I entered my Inner Mind.

My standard ‘outfit’ inside was ‘Adam’s costume’, but it didn’t need to be that way. I could use any sort of items I created or stored there. For that purpose, before heading to where Shanteya was, I dressed up in a pair of simple linen pants and a shirt tied around the waist with a rope. It was the basic outfit of a peasant.

Those were some absorbed items I took for myself, and so far, besides the workshop, I didn’t dare to use the [Summon a <Basic> <Type> Item] skill I received after reading one of Tuberculus’ books before he removed the barrier. According to the details written in it, this was a skill with high Magic Energy cost and mostly used for temporary items. I could use it as a lure for adventurers in dungeons or to equip Shanteya if needed be, but at the moment, anything I could summon was of incredible low stats and unlike the usual [Create] type skills, the item would vanish after a while. Besides, what was I to create? Jeans?

Arriving where Shanteya was, I found her looking around the place curiously, but when she saw me, a soft smile appeared on her lips.

Sorry… I was a bit late… I told her.

I do not mind… As long as I can sleep with Master, I’m willing to wait as long as needed… she said and then opened her arms.

I gulped and flew closer to her until she was able to pull me in her embrace. If I wanted to get away from her, the darkness was sure to pull me back, but I didn’t feel the need to do so. I trusted her…

Master is warm… she said while I looked up from her chest.

Shanteya smiled gently at me, and it was then when I noticed, but the slave tattoo around her neck had vanished. She wasn’t controlled by it anymore just like when I first absorbed her. With that I was certain: in my Inner Mind, slaves weren’t under my slave spell.

Do you really wish to sleep like this? I asked her a bit reluctantly.

She nodded.

Ever since that fateful day, when Master freed me and healed me, I’ve been devoted to Master body and soul. Master never saw me as either defiled or filthy… even after seeing my body like that… she said and then looked away for a moment.

But I’m a man too… I uttered.

And I am a woman, but Master is the first man around whom I felt safe… Even if Master wishes to touch me, I feel as though Master won’t do it in order to harm me. Am I wrong? she asked me and pulled me closer to her, my lips were just a palm away from hers.

I… you aren’t wrong… but was it really like that for you before? Always forced? Harmed? I asked in a sad tone of voice.

Yes… she closed her eyes for a moment I am a woman, Master… Women in assassin groups sent out to hunt have the main duty of satisfying the carnal needs of men. I was taken many times against my will. My life was forfeited if I declined. They were always rough with me… hitting me, cutting me… I am a woman, therefore, a man’s plaything. Or so is the belief in that guild of assassins. Master freed me from that torment. Master healed me, but more importantly, when Master embraced me, you didn’t do it to satisfy your carnal desires. Master held me gently and embraced me softly. That night was the only night in my life when I slept peacefully. It was none other than Master who offered me that… she told me, but every word she spoke felt soaked in the pain of her past. It hurt to even imagine what this poor woman went through before I came along.

I’m never going to do anything to hurt you, Shanteya, and I promise, I won’t let anyone else touch you in such a way ever again! Still, this doesn’t mean I’m not a man… I said, but then she did something unexpected, she lifted my chin up, and with tears in her eyes, she offered me a gentle, yet deep kiss filled with a tenderness I had almost forgotten.

When we parted lips, she wiped her tears and smiled.

Thank you, Master, but if it’s you, then this el’doraw woman shall not deny your touch… she told me.

I gulped, and I knew it was the perfect opportunity to jump on her, but I hesitated. No, I refused to do it. She didn’t invite me in her bed to do her, she wanted just to sleep together because she wished to feel safe. Being abused and harmed by so many men, how would I appear before her eyes if I satisfied my carnal greed in such a way without offering her the most important element: love? I would certainly be no different than those previous despicable pigs. Besides, I still felt it was too early for me to jump in a relationship. I had yet to forget about Alina.

It made wonder how she was faring with my death. At least, she wasn’t there when that madman shot me. If Alina was there as well, and I wouldn’t have been able to save her, then… I would have never forgiven myself. Thinking about that, I realized I couldn’t allow myself to lean on another woman, at least, not yet. It was strange, maybe even weird and wrong, but I believed that if I did it with Shanteya, then I would betray Alina.

A kiss from time to time isn’t so bad, especially from a pretty woman like you, but for now… I won’t touch you. If I do, I fear I’ll become just like the men who dared to harm you… I told her only half of the reason, the rest was a secret I didn’t wish to divulge yet, so I buried my head in her soft chest to keep my mouth shut.

Master will never become like them. Master is special… she whispered softly.

We slept like that. It was peaceful and relaxing. She was the one saying that I made her feel safe, but strangely though, I also felt safe in her arms.

When morning came, I was the first to wake up and before my eyes wasn’t the beautiful sleepy expression of Shanteya, but a stupid pop-up window from the system that governed my life.

[Slave: Shanteya Dowesyl – Eligibility for [Bond of Trust] confirmed.]

[Do you wish to apply [Bond of Trust] on Slave: Shanteya Dowesyl? Y/N]

I blinked surprised.

Yes… I mumbled.

[Slave: Shanteya Dowesyl – [Bond of Trust] applied. 10% of Master’s Stats applied.]

What the? I said surprised.

Another absurd thing happened.

Curious about it, I opened Shanteya’s status screen. As long as she was inside my Inner Mind, it was possible, but outside of it, for some weird reason, it was impossible. I couldn't tell if this was the default setting or if I had to find and fiddle with the options menu.

Now, her stats looked something like this:

[Name]: Shanteya Dowesyl <Slave name not selected> slave of [Illsyore]

[Species]: El’doraw

[Race]: Albino <Rare>

[Level]: 36

[Strength]: 176+100

[Agility]: 231+100

[Intelligence]: 112+113

[Magic Energy]: 1215+767

[Magic Energy regeneration]: 1.5+2.5 points per second

[Bond of Trust] <10%> Change? Y/N

[Available points]: 0

[Skills] > List all skills? Y/N

[Available skill points]: 0

[Allegiance]: Brasil, God of Shadows; Illsyore, Godlike Dungeon Lord

[Spouses]: None

[Slaves]: None

[Pets]: None

[Minions]: None

Well, those were some decent stats, but her base stats increased tremendously. As far as I could tell, the reason for that was because I healed all of her injuries. Maybe injuries reduced the stats accordingly? As for her levels, I could only presume it was because of her duties as a maid. It was also possible that my slaves shared some of my XP like it happened in certain games? That was something I had to test in the future, just to be sure of it.

Curious about it, I selected [Bond of Trust] and looked at the details.

[Bond of Trust] <When an individual holds a reciprocated trust with a Godlike Dungeon Lord, this skill will automatically activate as a Passive, offering the individual a certain value of the Dungeon Lord’s stats. Minimum is 10%, but Maximum differs: 30% for Minions, 40% for Pets, 50% for Slaves, 70% for Spouses.>

When did this happen? Is it because we slept together? But last time… no, last time I fainted, so maybe it didn’t count? I asked myself.

Mmm… I felt Shanteya squirming a bit and beginning to wake up, so I closed the window.

I was curious about how the extra stats were going to affect her. There was also that level thing.

Good morning, Master. said Shanteya with a soft smile as she opened her eyes.

Morn..mufmm! my lips were sealed with another kiss.

After I could breathe again, she giggled and released me from her embrace.

We should hurry back, Master. I don’t believe Nanya knows I’m here. she told me.

Ah? Yeah… er… sure. I replied a bit dumbfounded and released Shanteya out of my Inner Mind.

She appeared next to my crystal body fully clothed and with a happy smile on her face.

I wonder if she’s so happy just because she slept with me in my Inner Mind?

“Then, Master, I’ll be heading off to take care of my duties. Thank you again, Master, for allowing me to sleep with you. As I expected, it was pleasant. Hihi!” she told me with a soft bow and a cute giggle at the end.

“Of course! Anytime! Haha!” I replied a bit awkwardly.

Honestly speaking, I was supposed to be the one who should be thankful for having such a beautiful woman letting me sleep with her even though I was just a big block of crystal. But maybe she never saw my outer body, just my inner one?

Shanteya turned around and walked over to the door, but she moved quite fast. When she grabbed the knob of the door, the whole thing was pulled out of its hinges. For a moment, she simply stared at it, but then she slowly turned around and looked at me with a worried expression.

“Master?” she asked still holding the door knob.

I was actually more surprised by the fact that she pulled the WHOLE door and not just ripped out the knob, which was what was supposed to actually happen.

Is the door enchanted? I asked myself.

“Yeah, that’s probably my fault… While you were sleeping, I sort of applied a buff, and you gained 10% of my power? Sorry?” I replied with a sheepishly smile.

“I’m honored, Master, but isn’t this too much?” she asked me as she placed down the door on the wall next to her.

“No… not really… I just have a feeling that until you get used to your new strength, I’m going to be fixing lots of stuff around here… Mhm.” I said as I analyzed the possible damage she could inflict upon the Academy in a single day.

“I apologize, Master! I’ll try to be careful!” she said with a deep bow.

“Don’t worry about it! Ah! But do tell Nanya, that unless there’s something very important and urgent that needs to be repaired, I shouldn’t be disturbed. If you can, please make a list of everything that’s going to get broken today! Thank you!” I told her.

“Of course, Master. But may I ask what you will be doing in the meantime?” she asked curiously.

“I’mma gonna go build me a good ol’ dungeon labyrinth!” I replied with an accent.

“Pardon?” she blinked surprised.