Trope World - Volume 1 Chapter 4 At The Homestead

Pain and damage were all temporary hunger on the other hand was not. With each increase in my stats, I felt myself becoming hungrier. I didn’t need a mirror to notice the changes in my body. My arms formerly muscular and thick, were now thin as twigs with a small and incredibly efficient array of muscle. The skin around my eyes had begun to crinkle giving me a bug-eyed appearance. Next to worst my fingernails had lengthened, or my skin had receded. Worst of all my skin had become white as snow and clammy. To the touch it felt like a warm layer of chainmail. Hopefully my hunger would be satiated soon, and my body would return to normal.

Od led me onto her homestead. Cows, horses, and goats dotted the landscape. As far as the eye could see her qi fingerprint dotted the land. A sign of ownership I hadn’t thought existed. Many centaurs worked the land wearing collars just like me. There were goblins working fields and bailing hay. Every single slave was stronger than me. None dipped below the goblin’s average 10k. No the goblins were stronger than their wild counterparts.

“Mistress Od, why are the slave goblins stronger than the wild goblins?” I asked, while making sure I sounded respectful. I wasn’t up for another shock. My body already looked monstrous why add more electrical burns.

“A respectful reference to me. I shall answer your question. Goblins, mule centaurs, and other monsters born in our lands can reach the cultivate to the 5th level qi condensation before the cultivation restriction are activated. This does not apply to captured humans. You will never cultivate beyond your current level. How you can discern the level of beings far beyond you is interesting? Perhaps, I will secretly use your seed to create a foal with your gift. I can keep the father a secret. I’m sure my peers will grow quite curious about my secret stallion.” She licked her lips then seemed to relax. “I apologize that wasn’t proper. You were an excellent traveling companion.”

“A starving one mistress. This isn’t my natural appearance.” I made sure not to ask how she planned to get my seed or implant it for that matter. I’d seen her horse ass more than enough for one lifetime. That love tunnel of hers would be like throwing a hot dog down a hallway with my arm. “I do have to question, why didn’t you share your food with me?” I raised an eyebrow before I looked into her deep brown eyes. Her ears sagged a little.

“I wanted to see if you would die or not. You went from hail and hearty, to sickly, and then to monstrous. You are quite terrifying with your disheveled beard and sunken eyes. That bald head of yours is quite intimidating.” She smiled almost sheepishly. It was a smile that sent my heart a flutter. It had to be stock home syndrome. “How old are you? I will need to know. I’ve decided that your name shall be Melchior Nimrod Od. Its important that you always mention my name after yours. It will protect you from the worse of my people.” Though not the worst. My Insight showed me flashes of the fate of slave overly loved by their owner. Od had grown attached to my disgruntled charm. It could also be because of our ride.

“Well I’m not dead and I won’t die if I eat soon. I’ll admit the bark from the fence post is starting to look tasty.” She snorted.

“You lack a rumen for grass, how would you digest bark of all things? Do you have some bug monster in your ancestry?” I chuckled.

“Why are you so hard to despise? You bound me, enslaved me, and befriended me all in the same day. Is that a doctrine you learned at your sect? Or is it your natural charm that keeps me from slipping this collar and trying my luck with the goblins.” I shook my head and stretched my hunched over spine. I needed a lot of food to fix this disheveled body. I could break myself from yesterday in two easily. Life with this system had transformed me but there was a cost. I needed nutrition to facilitate the changes.

She smiled for a moment then frowned. “Some people just hit it off. Let’s go in, I have to introduce you to the house slaves then you may eat your fill.”

Fortunately, food came first. She allowed me to sit with her. She lay on a massive silk spun pillow that held her weight with ease. I had the cold floor. Massive trays of corn, melons, small bails of hay covered in honey, salted pork, legs of goat, and a plate of cow tongues. Everything was extravagant far too much for a mere slave. I waited a moment for a catch for she tore off a piece of goat and handed it to me. It was tough but good.

With each bite, I could feel myself grow back. My muscles began to expand with every bite. I drank well over a gallon of buttermilk. A drink I hated but my body needed the calcium. My teeth were changing. When the leg of lamb was bereft of meat, fat, and gristle, I bit through the bone, sucked out the marrow, and chewed the bone into bits. I could feel my body growing heavier, tougher, and larger. I could have sworn I grew a whole inch before the meal was complete. I swallowed a cow tongue whole then another. It was tough as hell, but it went down easily.

My mind was the best part. Once I had my fill. Everything went back into focus. The haze I was in diminished. Whole clouds that had been covering my mind vanished. I hadn’t reached my full potential, not by a long shot. An idea was forming in my head. Slowly a blueprint formed from my current level to the level of the goblins. Nothing was set yet; it was only abstract like a dream.

Abstract Skill Discovered: Set A Course lv1; passive; +10 INT/WIS

Personal BP: 432.32

When I stood up from my meal my stomach was flat.

Skill Discovered: Eating lv1; passive; +1CON

I felt my bones creak as I grew another inch and stopped. My height went from 5ft11inch to 6ft 1inch. That or my spine corrected itself. My arms weren’t fully back, I needed a lot of exercise to get back. “I can’t promise you that much food each day. If you work hard for me, I will let you eat with me on occasion. Now that we are both full let me introduce to head slave of my home and the field master who you will report to. There has been a position for a weed puller that has needed filling. Most have a habit of eating the weeds.” I raised an eyebrow at that. “Don’t make me shock you again.” She said playfully.

“Why would they eat the weeds?” I asked.

“All the weeds are cultivators in a sense. I use my leavings to fertilize my herb garden. Due to my high cultivation level, my droppings enhance herbs to the fullest.” That was gross. I really didn’t want to eat anything out of the herb garden now. My eyes widened. The food, had she used any of her herbs on it. My mouth opened but she quickly covered it. “No, I wouldn’t waste my precious cultivation herbs on you. They are mostly for teas and inhalants anyway. Now wait here while I ring for them.”

I stood there and waiting wondering if she had lied or not.