Ever since Arya's declaration during our cultivation session she'd been avoiding me. We would still meet daily for cultivation but she would simply focus extra hard doing more than she had before making it hard for me to interrupt her, as I was worried about causing her backlash. Gradually I started spending less time at our room, preferring to avoid the atmosphere by staying in a web loft high in the trees that I had originally made to test the sex toys I was working on. It had a nostalgic feeling similar to the early years of my life which I'd spent in the cave nest with Ashara. Over time, I collected or made furniture turning it into a proper living space causing the time I spent at the original room to decline even further, I was now only there for our daily sessions and around an hour after that as I refilled the mana tank.
I spent a lot of time thinking about how our relationship had suddenly soured, we were once not quite lovers, but closer than friends, and now every day that passed seemed to push our relationship back towards its starting point. The happy and radiant Arya had slowly closed herself back off, reverting to her haughty and abrasive defensive personality that was usually reserved for others. I wanted to scream in frustration, as she wouldn't even tell me anything about her change of mind. I eventually gave up trying to figure out what was going wrong as it was getting me nowhere.
It had been three weeks since mine and Arya's relationship had started to freeze, and as if the world knew that, the signs of winter's approach became stronger. I was staring aimlessly at the sky when, just as snow began to fall, a soft voice called out to me.
"Um-" she paused as I lowered my gaze to see a blonde haired young woman who was fidgeting nervously. "You've seemed down lately, this lowly one wishes to help."
She had kneeled down despite the cold ground and was looking at me with pleading eyes. I didn't even know her but she was probably from one of the fan clubs that had been popping up lately and by the way she referred to herself I guessed it was one who would enjoy being rejected. I sighed a bit as I turned by gaze back to the sky, if only dealing with Arya was as simple as those who admired or idolized me. Not particularly vested the issue I half heartedly suggested that if she could beat me in a simple game I'd consider it. This was the method I chose to adopt against those that approached me, usually in a game that was either rigged or I had ways to cheat in without being caught.
The blondie was enthusiastic as she heard me and nodded her head vigorously. I hadn't prepared anything for today so I went with a simple coin flip. Of course I didn't forget to put a thread on it to allow me to guide it to the correct side. The girl picked heads leaving me with tails as I flipped the coin into the air. We both watched as it spun up, reaching its peak and beginning to fall to the ground. I kept my senses focused as I waited for the timing to manipulate the thread and just as the coin bounced the fourth time on the ground I decided it was time, only to feel a strong resistance causing my thread to be unable to influence the coin which landed on heads.
I blinked a few times before looking at the blonde girl next to me, I couldn't figure out what trick she used but there had been some kind of interference. Unfortunately there was no way to prove it so I didn't have much choice but to play along. "What's your name?" I asked while she stood up, a bright look in her stormy grey eyes. "Anya."
There was a moment when hearing that name made me overlap Arya's figure over her. I blinked to clear the thought and sight from my head as I stood and began to head towards the campus forest, gesturing for Anya to follow. She obediently followed without question as I navigated the thick trees before arriving at a seemingly arbitrary spot. I held my hand out to Anya who laid hers atop before I pulled her close to cradle her and shot a web towards the treetops which I used to stabilize myself as I dug my carapaced toes into the tree and ascended to what could only be called my treetop nest. What followed was a night of hedonistic debauchery as I trained Sadism, Primordial Life Magic, and acquired the Novice Whip Skill.
After that I began to lose my restraint more and more, allowing anyone I thought attractive win a game against me, resulting in me taking them back to my nest, which was slowly becoming more akin to a sex dungeon that a place someone lived. It wasn't always one at a time either, sometimes two or three would come at once, and there had even been a large group of ten at one point. My life had slowly devolved into the simple routine of attending classes, cultivating with Arya, and then spending a night of hedonistic pleasure with whoever I wanted.
I hadn't forgotten about moving my way up the ranks but I decided to push that back until after winter break was over. It would only be another couple of weeks after all.
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