Freelance Saga Episode 4: Beta Shift Read online

  “Wait... but that changed, didn’t it?” Scott checked his information. He was right! If he acquired a new monster girl, to hell with calling them demi-humans all the time, they would automatically revert to level one. That was one of the main differences between his current class and a basic monster trainer class.

  Scott acquired a goofy expression. “Dark Lord of Alterra, huh...”

  It had just been a weird little thing to say, a fun expression. However, now he could see the possibilities. Defeat or buy a monster girl and then add her to his battle harem. Train them properly and watch them grow. Oh yes, that did sound lovely. Let the other players be knights or mages. He would become the lord of the sexy monster girls!

  He checked the offerings thoroughly. “Oh, hell yes...”

  Scott immediately made a bid on several girls who were close to the end of the auction. Sure, it felt weird to buy someone. However, that was something that he could deal with later. If they absolutely did not want to be part of his growing army, he’d cut his losses and set them free after they earned back the money he spent. Sure, it was a justification. Did it matter? No, not really.

  An hour passed and he managed to acquire one the girls that he had bid on. There had only been a handful of bids the entire week that the girls had been up on the site, but at the last minute a few people had popped up to bid snipe.

  “I just spent the equivalent of three hundred eighty thousand dollars to buy a naked girl for my harem... Either this is awesome, or I’m garbage...” He still had mixed feelings on the concept to be honest. On one hand, he could give the girl an interesting lifestyle. On the other, he was a douchebag. The two did not actually have to be exclusive states of being, so he decided that he would just meet the girl and see what happens.

  He read through the purchase agreement then nodded. He would need to visit the auction house in Ervice if he wanted to claim his new pet. The money was taken immediately out of his holdings, but he had up to one week to claim her.

  “Better remember that for the future. Only use the auction house when I’m near town.” It would be the same for anything that he purchased in the future. The auction was anonymous now. The auction house existed in most towns of a decent size. You would place items up on auction through a physical auction house location in Alterra, and then anyone in the world with access to the system could bid. Locals could even buy things if they went to their local auction house and made a bid.

  They were all linked together as well. If you put something up for sale in one town, locals in the region could buy it. However, players could purchase it through the auction site anywhere in either of the two worlds involved.

  “I’ll buy our equipment in town, I think. The prices are deadly right now unless you want girls and guns...” Who did not want girls and guns? Seriously, what was wrong with these people? Sub-optimal or not, it seemed like an awesome lifestyle.

  Hell, now that he was being honest with himself... He had managed to acquire the best possible class to change his life. If he was going to go off on a tangent and live a real life power fantasy, it might as well include big guns and an army of sexy monster girls who wanted to do his bidding. The future certainly promised to be interesting if nothing else.

  Scott smirked at the screen. “I went through absolute shit for this game. Nearly died for real, several times... Even turned into a bit of a wuss for a while... Still, it might be worth it.” While everyone else was playing a quirky massively multiplayer roleplaying game, he would be doing his best to play a real time tactical RPG.

  He could not help but laugh in a sinister and perverted manner. Would he be seen as a hero or a villain? Who cared? He had guns and monster girls. It was time to get to work.

  ***

  The sights and sounds of the city were lively. In fact, everything was lively and active. Scott could scarcely believe how much the tiny town of Ervice had changed in twenty-four hours. There were a lot more people, for one thing. Some of those people were not human, for another.

  A buff man wielding a massive spear trotted past accompanied by an oversized wolf with horns. Surprisingly, they were both wearing a version of the town militia uniform.

  Scott walked down the street and peeked into store windows. He also watched couples walking by on the street. Demi-humans were everywhere. Before he had gone home the only demi-humans in town, other than Scarlet and Mina, were a handful of forcefully bonded workers at the saw mill. Now there were elves baking bread, amazon warrior maidens patrolling the streets, and cat-tailed dancers performing stylish dance moves on a nearby street corner.

  “What the hell?” This was the end result of the changes to the world? Demi-humans and humans were living side-by-side in peace? He had expected that they would constantly be at odds. Before the change, demi-humans were considered powerful and evil monsters hell-bent on capturing and subduing humans as husbands and trophies.

  He walked along the crowded streets and took it all in. His reverie was interrupted by a familiar voice. “Hey, Scott! You’re back from your trip?”

  He looked toward the origin of the voice and saw Mr. Oldman, the farmer he had purchased Mina from. “Uh, yes. How are you today?”

  “I’m right as rain. Your advice about taking it easy in my old age paid off! I sold the last of Mina’s milk and bought a specter.”

  “Bought a specter?”

  Mr. Oldman, the elderly farmer gestured to his left and said, “Don’t be shy Avery.”

  “Hello, sir. I am Avery, Avery Specter.” A translucent girl faded into sight next to the older man. Scott could not help but stare. Despite the fact that she looked like some kind of ghost, she was quite beautiful.

  The old fart slammed his knee and pointed at Scott. “Yep, I knew that would get you! Avery is going to be my nurse maid for my remaining years.”

  The specter made a soft, embarrassed, noise then smiled. “Yes, he has a kind spirit.”

  “Well, that’s wonderful.” Scott was genuinely happy for the older man, even if he had no idea why they were even talking. Mr. Oldman had been acting like he and Scott were well-acquainted. This particular conversation was the first that he recalled having with the man outside of a quick negotiation for what it would take to buy his cow, Mina.

  “Oh, the demi-human auction is open for business now, obviously! I know you must be eager to see what you can find there!”

  “Uh, thank you. That’s good to hear.” Scott tried to disregard the shudder he felt when he heard the words demi-human auction. His skin had felt like it was crawling with insects. His power base would rely on having an army of monster girls in the future, but he was still not one hundred percent on board with the ownership angle. Perhaps there was a better way...

  The older gentleman continued to banter with Scott in a friendly way for several minutes then they parted ways. While they chatted amiably people would occasionally wave to Scott and call out things such as, “Hey, Scott!” or “Check it out, it’s that trainer.”

  The strange level of recognition and general welcome he felt from the townspeople was almost ridiculous. What had happened? It was like he had led an entirely different life without knowing it!

  “What is all of this?” This strange new Ervice made him feel like he was experiencing his first day in this world again.

  Scott decided that he needed to get off the street before he attracted further attention. He had been gawking at his surroundings like someone who had never seen a city before. He immediately set off to find the motel he had been using as a base. He hoped that it would still be there.

  ~*~

  Slow and steady breaths, just take slow and steady breaths. That was how he had learned to deal with sudden life-altering changes. Scott looked at the Inn that he had been staying at previously and took slow, steady, breaths.

  “This place, it’s huge now! I can’t possibly afford to stay here.” Even after converting part of his first month’s compensation into silver coins he could not see how he would
be able to afford this place. The forty gold coins from the one hundred coins that he had been granted would need to be used to buy equipment, the rest would be held as part of a war chest that he was planning. He had exchanged dollars for silver coins in order to pay for lodgings and incidentals.

  Scott sighed then walked into the lobby of the massive hotel and walked to the desk clerk. Thankfully, she looked familiar. “Hello Wanda, can you tell me if I still stay here?”

  She looked at the trainer then shrugged. “Yeah, you paid up front for another month the other day, remember?”

  “Sure, but I’m forgetful. What was my room number again?”

  “Room number? You didn’t rent a room, are you alright?”

  “Yes, I’ve just had a very long trip.”

  “Right, anyway... you rented a cottage out back.”

  “Uh...”

  “It is cottage number eight, last one at the far back, dead center on the turn around.” She eyed him critically for a moment then looked away. Trainers of any stripe were an odd lot, who knew what was going on in his head?

  “Yes, thank you for reminding me.” Scott waved to the perennially annoyed woman then walked through the back door. He did not even want to ask how much it must have cost to rent that cottage. The marble fountain in the courtyard spoke quite succinctly about the price range of the hotel room offerings. The very thought of the potential cost made his anus draw tightly together and start to clench.

  Cottage number eight was a small house in the far back area of a communal lot. When he stepped onto the welcome mat a message screen popped up.

  <<< * >>>

  Welcome Home!

  <<< * >>>

  After a long and arduous journey you have returned to your current home of residence in the town of Ervice. Please take the next few hours to familiarize yourself with your immediate surroundings.

  Many things have changed since you left Alterra. Please read the messages: Background Information and Trainer Recap.

  Thank you, and sorry about any inconveniences that you may initially face.

  <<< * >>>

  “Messages? Alright...” Scott opened up the first screen, background information.

  <<< Background Information >>>

  Welcome back to Alterra, demi-human trainer Scott!

  The world of Alterra has been revamped in anticipation of the final push before the beta testing period ends. You have gone through a lot of trouble. You have chosen to accept the compensation package provided to you. As such, you will not be reset to level one along with the other beta testers once we have reached one month from the official release date.

  However, there is a level twenty cap applied to all players until the official launch. This means that you will not be able to achieve a level higher than twenty until the official launch date. This does not limit your skill growth, but it does affect the level of your harem members. Your equipment and resources will not be affected.

  Background: You are a demi-human Trainer allowed to come to this world by the gods of Alterra. Your homeland is known to be America. The troubles that you faced before during the quantum interference debacle are known to your harem members. However, they do not know about any of the details and it would be best not to discuss it too much in detail.

  Due to your prior exploits performing menial labor for the people, you have achieved a slight amount of fame in Ervice. Your fame does not extend beyond the town but it has been attributed to your skills as a trainer instead of as a manual laborer. You are a recognizable figure in town.

  <<< * >>>

  “OK, that does help a little. I am not crazy about the level cap, but at least my level won’t be reset in two months. I don’t think I could stand it again if they screwed me over like that. It will suck for the other beta testers with a high level, though.” said Scott. He rubbed his chin for a moment. Jameson had already mentioned it as well.

  Everyone would have their levels reset, so he was not as upset by his minor loss. It even made sense since it was a beta testing period. Though, he had thought that the beta testing period would last a lot longer than it had.

  “Better check the trainer recap thing.”

  <<< Trainer Recap >>>

  You are a demi-human trainer, an advanced profession in the monster trainer professional line. Your powers are mostly devoted to the training of demi-humans to serve your needs. You may learn magic due to your need to develop means of healing and improving your monsters.

  Your ability to tame and utilize demi-human labor is based on your Charisma, the taming skill, and your level. Currently, you have a maximum force size of five. A force size of four is the basic capacity of a demi-human Trainer at your level. However, your Charisma is high enough to add an additional slot. With each increase in player level, skill level, or ten points of charisma you will be able to add an additional demi-human to your roster.

  Example: If you have one hundred points of charisma, are level ten, and have a taming skill level of ten, you will be able to have a force size of thirty-two. This means that you would be able to have a thirty-two unit demi-human army officially under your command.

  At various points along your career path, this can be customized and you may be able to have a larger army through various means.

  <<< * >>>

  “Now that was useful. There are actual limits on how many people I can lead. Good to know.” said the man.

  Scott closed the screen then placed his hand on the door. There was no door handle, but he was used to that. Privacy doors on Alterran buildings were keyed to only open for people who were authorized to open them. A short clicking sound emanated from the door and it opened when he pressed on it.

  The cottage was quite lovely on the inside. At the entrance he could see hardwood floors, a sliding glass door at the back that lead to a beautiful garden, a small kitchen, and several doors.

  He looked the place over then shook his head. “Yeah, there’s no way in hell I can afford this place!”

  Well, that was an issue for a later date. He had paid the rent for the remainder of the month. Somehow he doubted that he had paid a mere thirty copper per night, however.

  Once he entered he cottage he was assaulted by the loud moans of familiar voices. He blinked slowly then shut the door behind him while making as little noise as possible. The monster girl trainer walked to the master bedroom and stopped just outside the door.

  “Who’s the queen?” asked a commanding female voice.

  “Y-you are sister...” called out a different voice. The tone was softer and became a low moan half way through.

  The sound of flesh being smacked carried through the open doorway. Scott leaned in and saw a sight that would hopefully haunt his dreams for days to come. His two current harem members were entangled atop the bed.

  Scarlet, the red headed dragon girl; had slid between the thighs of Mina, the busty blond minotaur. Their bodies writhed together hotly, as they performed the age old practice of tribbing. Scarlet and Mina pressed their soft, pink, vaginas against each other in a sensual and dynamic manner.

  Mina panted gently while the alpha of the harem put her in her place. She had been taking too much of their master’s time of late and Scarlet did not want to her to think that she could usurp her position.

  Scott watched as the dragon slipped her hands forward then gripped Mina’s large and supple breasts. Mina unleashed a soft, “Moo.” It was something that a minotaur only did when they felt good.

  “You milky slut, you used these big tits to seduce master didn’t you?” Scarlet pressed her pussy hotly against Mina’s in an aggressive display of dominance before squeezing and twisting the girl’s breasts.

  “N-not a slut.” Mina moaned loudly then began to pant a little harder.

  “Liar, I know you use these tits to keep him satisfied. Don’t forget who is in charge.” said Scarlet.

  “Who’s in charge...?” asked Mina before she mooed once more, louder than before.

&nbs
p; “Yeah, who’s in charge? Say it!” demanded Scarlet.

  The dragon girl gasped loudly when strong, masculine, hands gripped her own impressive breasts. “Yes, who’s in charge, Scarlet?”

  “Scott!” Scarlet tried to turn toward him, but he hugged her tightly and prevented it.

  “Damn right...” he said, before grinning down at Mina. She smiled back up at him in a shy manner.

  “You said that you would not be back till tomorrow.” said Scarlet accusingly.

  “I also said that this sexy pussy of yours belonged to me, yet here you are using it so cruelly to punish your new sister.” replied Scott before he reached down to slide two fingers into her soaking wet slit.

  Mina pouted a little. She had a sexy pussy too, you know. Why was she being left out?

  “Scott... I ...” Scarlet sounded both worried and aroused. Her concern turned to complete arousal after her begin to massage her breasts.

  He whispered into her ear, “I’ve missed you.”

  Scarlet’s beautiful ass pressed back against him and he smiled. He had truly missed these girls. He looked down at Mina and smiled. “It’s nice to see my girls playing well together.”

  The minotaur giggled softly then blushed and looked away. He knew full well that this so-called power struggle was just the two of them being horny perverts. Mina was quite submissive, and Scarlet loved to be dominant. This was not the first time that he had found them together, and hopefully it would not be the last time either.

  Chapter 3

  The slow steady rhythm of Mina and Scarlet breathing put Scott at ease. They had fallen asleep after they had thoroughly enjoyed their lengthy snuggle session. He smiled down at them briefly. They looked quite beautiful intertwined together.

  After soaking in the glorious image, he walked into the living room. While he could have used a nap himself, he had other things to focus on. He sat down on the couch and opened up his skill screen to check skills. He did not have many that he could work with at the moment. Most were related to battle or training demi-humans.