Angie tilted her head in a respectful gesture, though the glint in her eyes betrayed the happiness she was trying not to show.
“Thank you, my lord,” she said, light and cheerful.
Luke nodded, still slightly thrown off by how close she was standing.
“Right… I’ll transfer the outfit to your inventory.”
Immediately, a new notification appeared in the transparent interface only he could see.
[Basic Polearm Handling (Common)]: The Valkyrie gains proficiency with polearm weapons such as spears, halberds, and glaives. Her movements become precise and balanced, each strike guided purely by instinct. When she grips a spear, it feels like more than just a weapon; it becomes an extension of her own will, ready to thrust, guard, or control the flow of battle.
The text glowed for a few seconds before shrinking into the corner of the screen. Luke opened his inventory and tapped on the adventurer’s outfit he had worn since the Forgotten Temple Dungeon.
[Novice Adventurer’s Outfit (Common)]: A basic starter kit for all rookie adventurers entering the Training Grounds. Includes a plain shirt, brown pants, sneakers, and yes, underwear. Even brave warriors deserve comfort. The pants are brown... for obvious reasons.
It was simple, but it had served him well for a long time. Now it belonged to her.
The outfit materialized on Angie’s body, adapting instantly to a feminine shape. She rose from the bed, taking a moment to observe herself. The fabric settled neatly around the wings on her back and draped over her stone gray skin as if it had been tailored for her. If not for those two features, the wings and her skin tone, Luke might almost have believed Angelica was standing in front of him again.
“I want to put the bow into your inventory,” he said.
“That weapon will be more useful with you, my lord,” Angie replied calmly.
He chose not to argue. Deep down, he knew she was right. That bow might still be necessary against Jonathan. Until he returned to Maine, nothing felt truly safe.
“Unfortunately, the beautiful sexy angel put clothes on. You should congratulate me, Luke, I held back during your whole conversation and didn’t give in to my very reasonable desire to keep admiring her naked.” Artemis said.
Luke squeezed the pendant on his necklace, and Artemis instantly fell silent.
“Sorry about her, Angie,” he muttered.
“It’s all right. I’m used to it. You forget I’ve been with you for months?” Angie smiled softly. “I was there for every moment since I became a mask. Don’t worry, my lord.”
Charlie, standing farther back, clearly looked relieved that Angie was fully dressed now, and Luke couldn’t deny he felt the same. It was much easier to look at her without feeling awkward.
“What’s our next step?” Angie asked. “I can’t walk through the city with you. Besides looking exactly like Angelica, my skin is gray and I have wings. I’ll have to stay inside your soul.”
“I’m going to have lunch with the others,” Luke said. “Even with everything feeling weird after Allison left, I’m not going to change their plans. Our friend didn’t die, she just went somewhere else. I’ll see her again eventually, I know I will. So… you’ll have to stay in my soul until we’re back in Maine. But at least we can talk through telepathy.”
Even submerged in the darkness of Luke’s soul, Angie could still speak to him, a relief for both of them. Charlie didn’t have that issue; even as a skeleton, fully armored, she could easily walk beside him if she wanted.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
“Charlie, you can come with me through the city,” he offered. “We’ll eat, check things out, and head to the teleport array. After we’re in Maine, I’ll let you out again.”
But she refused.
“I don’t get it,” he said, frowning.
Charlie tapped the front of his stomach with the tip of her metal glove.
“You want to stay in my soul?” Luke asked.
She nodded instantly.
“Are you sure? You’ll miss the whole chance to explore the city.”
Charlie lifted her sword, made it vanish into her inventory, then resummoned it. She repeated the motion a few times, methodical and clear about her intent.
Luke folded his arms.
“All right… you want to be battle ready while inside my soul,” he concluded. “Makes sense. You would react faster in there, even if I don’t exactly love the idea.”
Her stare didn’t waver.
“It’s Jonathan, isn’t it?” he said.
Charlie nodded. Staying hidden would give her a decisive edge.
“You’re not wrong,” Luke admitted. “He probably knows you’re a familiar, but he saw you vanish back in the castle. He might think you died or were taken out of the fight. Keeping that surprise is smart.”
He ran a hand along his jaw, turning the situation over in his mind. “But honestly, I don’t need that. I don’t fear the guy. So it’s not necessary.”
Charlie shook her head; she preferred the strategy of hiding and keeping the element of surprise.
“As for me, I’m useless in combat,” Angie said. “At level 0, my HP is really low.”
She opened her interface, projecting her status right in front of Luke. The floating panel bathed the room in a soft glow, each line of text crisp and undeniable.
Name: Angie
Level: 0
Race: Stone Angel
Rank: F
Class: [Valkyrie (Lvl 0)]
Title: [Servant of the Dark Lord]
Health Points (HP): 90/90
Mana Points (MP): 100/100
Stamina: 90/90
Stats:
Strength: 9
Lethality: 4
Agility: 5
Dexterity: 6
Endurance: 9
Vitality: 9
Toughness: 7
Perception: 6
Wisdom: 10
Intelligence: 7
Willpower: 8
Free Points: 2
Class Skills: [Basic Polearm Handling (Common)]
Luke studied every number carefully. They were modest, far below his own. But something stood out immediately.
“You really do have all the new attributes unlocked even at Rank F,” he said, tilting his head.
“Maybe it’s because of my race, or because you’re Rank E,” Angie suggested. “The only thing left is deciding where you’ll put my free points.”
He closed the panel and exhaled slowly.
“One thing at a time. You’re not going into combat anyway. And I need to analyze this with a clear head. At this point, I don’t even know what increases stamina and what increases mana.”
“It’s all right. We’ll have plenty of time to learn together.” Angie’s voice held a gentle certainty.
With that, the main tasks for the moment felt resolved.
“My lord,” Angie said suddenly, her tone shifting to something more serious. “I feel it would be beneficial to buy a weapon for my class. If you pass by anywhere selling one, I’d be grateful if you could purchase it. I’ll level up faster that way.”
“Noted. I’ll get you one,” Luke promised.
With a single thought, he sent Angie back into his soul. Her presence unraveled in the air like drifting light being pulled to an unseen point.
He turned to Charlie.
“And you, Charlie? Are you sure you want to stay inside my soul?”
She nodded again, unwavering.
“Okay. But once we’re in Maine, I’m letting you out.”
Charlie didn’t speak, only held her posture, the closest thing she had to an expression beneath the skull like helm. Even so, Luke could read her determination as clearly as if it were written on a human face.
A muffled noise echoed through the hallway. It was brief, dull, but enough for Charlie to react instantly. She drew her sword in a single precise motion, body shifting into a defensive stance.
Luke lifted his gaze, alert.
“Hey, Luke. You’re taking too long,” Jack’s voice called out from down the hall, dissolving the tension like smoke.
For a moment, Luke had gotten so absorbed in the class choices that he forgot his friends were waiting for him. He left the room with a throwing knife in hand, just in case. Charlie remained inside, sword raised, in case the call was a trap, Jonathan was still a very real possibility.
When Luke reached the end of the hall, he found Jack, Evangeline, and Eleanor waiting. All three looked relaxed, unaware of the tension that had filled the air moments before.
“Relax,” Evangeline said with her usual dry humor. “None of us are face stealing psychopaths.”
https://discord.gg/znGSjCxhkR
