Chapter 106: Third Girlfriend

Three months later, Howard put aside the completely eaten Light Core Fruit.

He had been given a small cavern with a bed that he and Monica and Reece had been sleeping in night after night. Though a lot of time had gone by, the training with Carter had only been getting harder. Seeing Monica looking out the window, Howard walked over to her and gently touched her shoulder.

"Good morning!" Howard said with a smile. "I feel like we haven't talked in forever."

"Howard, are you stronger than me now?" Monica turned around with tears falling down her eyes, they seemed like two voids completely devoid of light, her cheeks completely flush red. "Are you going to leave me? Is Reece the better girlfriend?"

"I like you more!" Howard reached forward and grabbed Monica's head before pulling her lips into the embrace of his own. "Mmmm, when I kiss her, I enjoy it, but it's not the same. You're Monica! The first girl to ever enter into my heart!"

"Mmmm," Monica bit her lip and gently pushed Howard off her body. "Then-then I suppose you won't get mad if I ask Harley to join us," She fidgeted with her fingers and gently nuzzled on Howard's lips. "I-I talked to Reece, and she agrees. The more women we invest in you the more likely you'll keep all of us! You're just too special, idiot! I'll smack you if you say no!"

"You want to force me to have a new girlfriend?" Howard nodded his head with a smile. "Of course, of course I'll do it, but where will she sleep?"

Howard, Reece, and Monica had been sleeping together every night, keeping each other warm, and getting closer and closer in many ways. Of course, nothing too serious had happened because Howard was still only fourteen, however, he'd indeed begun to kiss Reece and Monica every night.

It felt like being swarmed with love. When he'd stayed with Vicky, they'd been somewhat forced because of their job description to shower him with love. Yet, these two girls really liked him, and it felt really great.

"So… when is Harley coming?" Howard raised his brows with a smile. "I've been wanting to kiss her for so long, but you're always my first priority Monica," Howard grabbed her hands, and gently kissed her on the lips one more time. "No matter what you want, Monica. Even if it's just to be with me, I'd gladly do it! You make me so happy."

"I'm growing up, Howard. This isn't't the surface. We aren't normal humans," Monica tucked in Howard's black shirt and gently pushed back his jet black hair. She smiled and gently caressed his hips before smothering him in a hug of her body. "Mmmm, Reece has been talking to me, and I changed my mind! You should date a lot of women, but you must always care about me the most!"

"And… this is why I took the bus?" Harley sighed and dropped her bag in the corner of Howard's room.

The room had a queen bed and a small port window that extended out of the cavern. Besides for the small chairs and chests for storing clothes, it seemed exceptionally barren. However, Howard had wondered why Reece and Monica had installed a new chest. It all suddenly made sense.

They knew that Harley was coming, and didn't tell him about it!

"I-I'm not just dating you immediately, Howard. You're cute, but I'm not that easy," Harley walked over to Howard and gently patted his head before turning and doing the same to Monica. "Your girlfriend here is also terrifying. How about I just train with you guys for a little while?"

"I'm confused," Monica said, "I thought you wanted Howard really badly?"

"I do, but I don't like things just given to me," Harley looked around the room before deciding to sit on the bed. "Besides, he has to train for the next sixth months right? If you don't reach the peak of the B rank Howard, you can forget about dating me as well."

Harley looked at Howard up and down and noticed how much his muscles had improved. He'd also grown to 1.9 meters tall, and was just a few weeks away from his fifteenth birthday. Since she was 17, she didn't feel right about dating him yet either. She wasn't as shameless as Reece, and couldn't just accept a man being thrown at her.

"I'm going to train really hard!" Howard smiled before he turned and saw Carter waiting at the door. "I swear, today I'll even pick up the mountain!"

"Let's go, death awaits no one," Carter smiled and waved at Harley before he awkwardly pulled out a black book. "Go run 10,000 laps around the mountain okay. The bigger one next to the one from yesterday."

"Yes teacher!" Howard smiled and left the room.

In the hallway, he saw Zack and Una walking out of a cavern with smiles on their faces. It wasn't too bad of a morning, except for the hellish training he'd have to endure.

'Wow, I'll soon have three girlfriends. Why does my stomach hurt?" Howard couldn't shake the feeling that he was forgetting something as he walked down the hallway. "It feels like something terrible is about to happen.

###

Jarlon Valley, Dawn

Arlok walked inside a small bridge hidden deep inside of a large overgrowth of forest. He sighed and looked at a man sitting in the corner with bandages wrapped completely and totally around his body. All that could be seen was his two eyes, burning with a strange, terrifying heat.

"You're a sight for sore eyes!" Arlok tossed a small Authoritarian near a fire, and walked over to the man contemplatively staring at the sky. "How's your body? Can you finally feel Ki again?"

"Yes, better than ever," Nellon cracked his knuckles, and stared awkwardly at Alrok. "However, I've been thinking about our deal. You help me kill Howard, and I form an alliance with the Mocralin? Doesn't' seem to make sense for you, does it? Why would you trust me?"

"Because I spent two weeks away from my beautiful wife tending to your wounds," Alrok sighed and took out a small picture frame in his back pocket. "I also helped you reach the peak of the A rank. I don't think people forget when someone saves them. If I'm wrong, you can kill me now."

"You hid your strength when me and Howard were fighting. You're in the S rank, aren't you?" Nellon looked longingly at the food cooking under the ember of flames, and felt a tiny bit of fear towards Nellon. He seemed so opaque and transparent in terms of character, but also seemed like a shrewd tactician hidden in a strange mist. "I don't think I could kill you if I tried. The fact that you hid it so well that I couldn't even tell still astounds me. What did you do? Purposely throw yourself into a wall when I attacked?"

"I needed to look good for both sides," Nellon rubbed the back of his buzzcut, a large smile growing on his face, as he carefully cooked the Authoritarian.

One of Nellon's top skills was cooking meat. He'd once been a cook on the Surface before he became a Mocralin practically overnight. The Exland Empire had come to him when he was 18 over 70 years ago to try and become a leader in the Mocralin Nation. Even now, he still couldn't believe that he looked not a day over 35. "However, by being there, I also saved your life. Ha, I had no idea Howard was such a monster. I was planning on killing him, but I could sense that strange flame. What the hell are you going to do about that? I mean… when I take you with me to kill him."

"I just have to stay 500 meters away from him." Nellon shook his head in disbelief.

Howard had simply completely confounded his expectations while Nellon had been able to read Howard perfectly from the start. He knew that Howard had a terrifying set of hidden skills. Such insight could only be gathered by a Mocralin, and it really would serve them well to have an alliance.

However, how could Nellon truly trust this man in front of him to get the Mocralin to form an alliance with the Aresoul. The Mocralin hated the Aresoul leagues more than the Horned. Frankly, he'd have to defeat all sixteen of the strongest Mocralin to change their ways. Every decision for Nellon at this moment seemed dangerous, and hard to fathom.

"I-I know you're worried, but Howard gave me this," Alrok smiled and pulled out a fruit from his bag. "I don't know why that brat would give away his luck, but I got three Night Lotus Fruit and a Strengthening Heart Pomegranate because of him. I might even be able to break into the peak of the S rank. This is great! The greatest opportunity ever!"

"You're insane." Nellon smiled and nodded his head. "Fine, I 100 percent agree. When I take over the Sixth Station I'll form an alliance with the Mocralin. As long as we kill Howard."

"Great, it's a deal!" Alrok got up and stretched, looking at the sun rising in the sky. "Let's just do it soon. Once you finish that fruit, you should enter into the S rank and gain the 11th door. I doubt even Barabin will be able to stop you then, let alone Howard."

'And then I can betray you too,' Nellon's ambitions remained hidden behind his eyes. "I can't wait for it all to unfold!"