Chapter 61: Wake Up

Agni awoke with a start as she gasped for air. She couldn't remember why she was dreaming or what she was thinking of, but it was enough to set her on edge. This was a stark contrast to the silken sheets and soft bed she was now laying on.

There was a soft fragrance lingering in the air that reminded her of the place she now found herself -- The Silken Petal. She could hear the sounds of ecstasy in the air as she sat up boltright, craning her neck to listen. From the sound of things a couple was going at it in a room not far from hers. Her body ached and she felt rather tired, but that didn't mean she forgot about the sequence of events from earlier. Her mind unraveled itself, rewinding to an undisclosed time just hours before as she gazed out of the nearby window. She realized it was now evening in the city of Grenvale.

Agni gazed down at her fallen foe, having claimed his life with his own weapons. She could remember the sense of smouldering rage mixed with justification as she watched his body form into light spheres and alight towards the skies. Until that moment her breathing was measured and focused, but as soon as her foe was slain she found herself feeling weary and weak. She could hear Shula's voice in her head, finally. The truth was she'd been hearing the familiar's voice all along -- she simply blocked it out due to rage. But now she couldn't tell what was being said, instead she felt sleepy thus everything went black as she fell face forward after taking a few steps.

And then she woke up in the Silken Petal somehow, with seemingly several hours having passed. She got to her feet to check her injuries only to find that she was stark naked, so she stood before a nearby fullbody mirror to check her body. She ran her hands against her neck and down along her breasts, giving them a small jiggle before moving them down to her waist. Everything was in order.

*Oi. Are you listening now?* Shula said out of the blue.

*Yes. Do you know what happened after I blacked out?* Agni mind-asked.

*Of course. You passed out, so one of us had to keep an eye out. By the way, next time if you're going to battle some kidnappers --make sure they are all dead.* Shula added before explaining that one of the weaker enemies was nearly knocked out.

*If it wasn't for that little runt Ren, you'd probably have ended up in God knows where.*

*Really? Ren? The guy we swindled?*

*Persuaded.* Shula corrected.

*And yes. He picked you up and carried you to the Silken Petal.*

*Hmm. Maybe I had him all wrong..* Agni said as she thought pensively.

*Hell no! That little creep groped the fuck out of you while you were passed out.*

*Ha, really?* Surprisingly Agni didn't seem to mind too much.

*You're a weirdo. I'd be pissed if someone played with my tits like that.* Shula asserted.

*Hmm, I don't know Shula.. You sound like a smol girl.. Do you even have tits?* Agni said, a smirk forming across her lips as she thought.

Shula was awkwardly silent, thus Agni chuckled to herself before saying out loud, " Ha. I'm sorry, it was a joke."

"What was a joke dear?" Agni turned to notice Zula standing in her doorway, her kimono half open and looking quite alluring. Agni could taste the essence of lust upon her, it glittered across her forehead in the form of sweat. Though she looked well "exercised", her hair was immaculate, not a hair out of place and her dark locks trailed down to the middle of her back. Agni still had yet to get over the allure of the mature mistress of the Silken Petal. Every time she saw her she just wanted to --

She caught herself as she felt the lust energy building in her eyes. Surprisingly Zula smiled, offering no resistance to the obvious thoughts Agni was now having.

A chubby adventurer wobbled as he passed the door, stopping to nod at Zula before he continued about his way bashfully upon having seen Agni.

"If you stand around like that so often, you'll end up taking all of my regulars." Zula said with a warm smile as she walked towards Agni. She stopped just centimeters away from the Succubus and began to check her from her crown to her toes for injuries.

"I didn't expect you to have too many injuries. But for some reason you were passed out on the roadside. A patron of mine brought you here, saying that he would have felt bad if someone had robbed you. Do you mind telling me what happened? Also, where is your beautiful, busty Scribe friend?"

Agni recounted the story of what happened during their battle with the snatchers.

"Do things like that happen often in Sprim Row?" Agni asked. Now that she thought about it, no one bothered to voice a complaint or even look towards the grand battle in the street.

"Yes dear. This place is what you'd call a lawless zone. I think.. Most cities have them. There is no world where those who are impoverished don't exist. We are the dregs, the outcasts, the criminals and the thieves of Grenvale. You can find just about anything in Sprim Row-- except kindness." Zula said with a bittersweet smile as she sat down on the nearby bed, crossing her legs as she did so.

Agni couldn't help but be drawn to the sleek alluring sight of her milky skin and the contrast against her purple floral kimono.

"Well, you and Katrin seem capable. And you say she defeated a Rank 2 Striker type adventurer all by herself? She's much tougher than I gave her credit for. Even as a Rank 3 it would be difficult for me to take on more than two or three other adventurers at a time. My class isn't exactly built for combat." Zula winked as she spoke.

"Yea. This is..the first time this has happened. What do I do?" Agni said as she prepared to exchange some Gols for advice. Zula dismissed the notion with a wave of her hand and patted the bedside, requesting Agni to take a seat near her.

"First Death isn't really complicated. It's a system imposed consequence for failure that renders you weakened. Worst case, you could die again and become a Normal, which many adventurers would consider a fate worse than death actually.

Your friend will be affected for some period of time, I honestly forget how long. You see it changes with every rank gained. I can't imagine it will be longer than a day for a rank 0. For me, I think the effect lasts almost 2 months."

"Two months? That's crazy!" Agni nearly shouted.

"Mhm. But, that's the price you have to pay for power in this world...I suppose." Zula seemed to have accepted it as a way of life by this point.

"Anyway, you'll be able to reach her the moment she decides to step out of her spawn point. I'm guessing you two are still connected to the Wilderness Tabernacle, yes? That's the nearest one from here."

Agni nodded, prompting Zula to continue.

"Well, in that case, she can either come back to Grenvale of her own accord, which I wouldn't' recommend. Not only does the affliction seal your strength significantly, delevel you and weaken your body but it also blocks access to all of your equipment."

"That's a nightmare. What if you're attacked by monsters?" Agni asked.

"I think that's the point dear. This world is not forgiving, and to be an adventurer you need to be resourceful. Good at a trade, strong, or have connections. Any of these things can help you to become better able to live in this world.

My ultimate point is that, to survive you need both luck and strength. I believe First Death is a reminder of that for us adventurers. Besides, monsters aren't the only thing you need to worry about during First Death…" Zula said as she got to her feet. A small flower shaped charm bangle around her wrist began to glow faintly.

"I like you Agni, so feel free to drop by anytime. Though I doubt after today you will want to visit Sprim Row all that much. Feel free to gather your strength and stay as long as you need." Zula said before answering the call of her own business.