Note: A light reminder that decimal chapters are not strictly required reading, as they do not immediately alter the main plot progression. (However, several characters introduced or mentioned here are very likely to appear in the main storyline in the future).
These chapters range from world lore, POVs of other characters, and 18+ content.
This is my way of presenting a more vibrant, living world.
Salusbreath — Inside the Wall, 8:00 AM
Along one of the inner edges of the Great Wall, a grand mansion-like structure stretching nearly 40 meters high loomed imposing over the surrounding buildings.
As indicated by the large flag bearing a golden sun emblem, this was the secondary hall of the WildHorizon Guild.
Only the most elite adventurers of WildHorizon set foot inside—not because lower-ranked adventurers were explicitly forbidden, but because it sat inside the Wall: noble territory, accessible solely to adventurers of Rank B and above.
Unlike the guild hall outside the Wall, this establishment housed private quarters for every adventurer and receptionist. Inside one of these rooms was Lydia.
Acclaimed across the entire kingdom as WildHorizon's most talented adventurer, she had reached Rank B at the tender age of 20, with widespread speculation that she would ascend to Rank A—or even Rank S—within two years.
Yet nothing could be further from the truth.
Lydia stood naked in front of the full-length mirror mounted on her wall, scrutinizing her bare reflection. It was a physique that numerous nobles had praised as the absolute pinnacle of beauty and ferocity combined.
Lydia was tall—exceptionally tall, standing at 1.93 meters to be exact. She possessed heavy breasts, far larger than those of most women in her guild, along with a perfectly shaped rear anchored by thick, powerful legs.
Her physical condition was vastly superior to that of most adventurers, both in combat readiness and raw aesthetic appeal. Her muscles were clearly defined, particularly along her thighs and abdomen. But what stood out most were her facial features and her hair.
Lydia possessed what many called a fantasy beauty—a magical beauty that no woman could naturally inherit without blood ties to a magical creature of breathtaking splendor. Her hair made her stand out even further: a brilliant crimson shade with faintly golden tips, mimicking the intense flame representing her lineage, the Stronghold family, perfectly complementing her striking blue eyes.
Lydia gently took a lock of her hair, bringing it to her nose to inhale its scent while closing her eyes. A tranquil expression washed over her face at the touch of her hair, and a subtle smile tugged at her lips.
Of all the trophies displaying in her room, her absolute favorite rested right above her bed: the official certification marking her ascension to Rank C and the moment she first manifested her family's bloodline magic.
Opening her eyes once more, Lydia gazed at her face in the mirror's reflection, then down at her body—and her smile vanished instantly.
"Fucking disgusting," Lydia hissed in disgust at her reflection.
Glancing out the window, Lydia noticed it was raining once again. However, the barrier dome hovering over the Wall prevented the downpour from reaching the city proper.
(Could they have picked a worse spot to build this shitty Kingdom?) Lydia wondered sarcastically to herself.
BAM!
Right at that moment, her bedroom door burst open, prompting a mischievous smirk from Lydia, who already knew who it was.
"What is your fucking problem, Lydia?!" Melissa roared angrily, slamming a stack of papers onto the floor. Her face looked exhausted and thoroughly irritated.
Evidently, whatever was occurring was far from a first-time offense.
"I have no idea what you mean, darling," Lydia purred sweetly—a tone she reserved exclusively for those closest to her.
"Don't play dumb with me! You applied again!" Melissa exclaimed, pointing down at the papers. "Do you think I wouldn't notice?! I'm your assigned receptionist! Every single one of these forms has to pass through me before reaching your grandfather!"
"I don't see what the big deal is. I just applied to be a Scout... again," Lydia commented, taking a seat on her bed with her legs casually spread wide while patiently brushing her hair.
This was hardly her first time applying for the Scout class. In fact, this year alone she had submitted a total of 16 applications—all of which had been promptly rejected, of course.
Melissa scowled furiously, sorely tempted to slap Lydia right then and there.
"You know damn well what the problem is! Your grandfather, the Guild Master, is going to chew me out again if I hand him this application! You know you can't apply for the Scout class until you reach Rank A with your current build!" Melissa barked in frustration. She opened one of Lydia's dresser drawers, snatched a pair of black panties, and hurled them directly at Lydia. "And put some damn underwear on! Seeing your hairy cunt irritates me even more—I know exactly what you're trying to pull, and it's not going to work!"
"Tsk, prude... and it's not even that hairy," Lydia clicked her tongue, rolling her eyes, though she made no move to cover her groin. "Have you ever heard of the great Lady Vanessa hiding her desires?!" she declared with a wide grin, pushing herself up to her feet.
Lydia walked over to one of her bedroom walls, where her prized possession hung: a massive portrait of the legendary adventurer Vanessa.
The painting was entirely unique—the sole original portrait where the famous adventurer Vanessa had agreed to pose entirely nude before signing her name to it.
The painting had originally been a gift from Vanessa to her guild, WildHorizon, upon becoming the youngest Rank S adventurer in history at just 23 years old.
Lydia touched the canvas with profound admiration, her devotion to her ultimate idol on full display—the very reason she had become an adventurer in the first place.
"And look how she turned out! With two stupid, arrogant sons whom your grandfather himself barred from stepping foot inside the guild!" Melissa scoffed.
Lydia's mouth twisted in disgust at the mention of Vanessa's offspring.
"In the name of Merlin, don't you dare bring up those scumbags ever again... an absolute disgrace to the great Kingsbane name!" Lydia hissed bitterly. "It's because of them that Lady Vanessa never returned to the guild."
"Stop clinging to Vanessa! And stop chasing that absurd dream of becoming a Scout! The guild needs you at 100 percent right now!" Melissa demanded sternly, eliciting a weary sigh from Lydia.
"The guild always needs me at 100 percent, and I'm always there for the guild. These wars never end..." Lydia muttered tiredly.
"Exactly! Which is why you need to stay focused on your duties—just like your aunt, Lady Damaris!" Melissa asserted again.
Melissa genuinely disliked scolding her adventurers or calling them out, fully aware of their importance—especially the strongest among them. Yet she also recognized that Lydia was straying far too off course, becoming obsessively fixated on Vanessa and attempting to copy her path as a Scout.
"HA! Like Aunt Damaris? What's next, fucking a mare in the stable with a dildo like she does?" Lydia mocked. Her playful expression shifted instantly into a stern, somewhat fearful look. "Please don't tell her I said that. You know how much I respect my aunt, and I really don't want to get beaten half to death by her."
Melissa's jaw dropped in disbelief at Lydia's crude comment.
"Oh no, she is definitely hearing about this. Mocking Lady Damaris is completely unacceptable, and you know it! She is a Rank A adventurer, and you are well aware of her bond with Lady Stella. They are battle partners—a loyal master and handmaiden!" Melissa scolded fiercely. "Lady Stella is a magical war steed, not some brainless, voiceless mare! She fought alongside your aunt during the Golden Night and helped her save hundreds of adventurers in that war!"
"Argh, I know!" Lydia exclaimed, flopping back onto her bed, causing her heavy breasts to bounce. "It's just... everyone expects me to follow in my aunt's footsteps, to ride a magical warhorse into combat like she does. But the truth is, that's not my path, and I don't want it!"
Lydia bounded back onto her feet, planting a bare foot on her nightstand to showcase her thick, heavily toned leg.
"I want to be free, both on and off the battlefield! To leap through the air and crush the heads of trolls and wyverns between my thighs!" Lydia declared, a burning passion igniting in her eyes. "Just look at these legs, Melissa! You've been between them plenty of times—you know they weren't made to sit atop a horse! The wars aren't going to end, and I refuse to be remembered merely as the adventurer who walked in her aunt's shadow, no matter how much I admire her."
Melissa flushed bright red at Lydia's blunt reminder of being between her thighs, recalling the times Lydia had pinned her down during their adventurer days and throttled her with her legs.
(Stupid, gorgeous legs...) Melissa thought, blushing as she stared at Lydia's thick thighs before quickly regaining her composure. "That's beside the point! I don't care whether you want to ride a horse or not—just do your damn job as an adventurer and stop wandering off to explore the forests! You're not a Scout!"
"I know, fat-butt!... I know," Lydia huffed, taking a seat back on her bed, visibly deflated by the remark. "I'm sorry, darling. I didn't mean to call you fat-butt. You have a really gorgeous, big rear end that I love very much..." Read this novel at novelping . com for the best experience.
Melissa let out a sigh at Lydia's defeated state, knowing she had touched her single sensitive nerve.
"Sigh... I'm sorry too, Lydia. I crossed the line," Melissa apologized, her cheeks still flushed. "But you know insulting war heroes isn't allowed—least of all Lady Damaris and Lady Stella. You know how deeply it would hurt Stella if she heard you call her a simple mare. Stella's species comes from another world, just like all summonings, and she is just as civilized as we are. They think, speak, and express themselves just like us—the only difference is physical appearance. Their ability to bind perfectly with our cores should be more than enough to prove that."
Lydia lowered her head, aware that insulting the intelligence of a summoned being was a grave offense. She wouldn't want to be compared to a mindless ape either.
"Alright..." Melissa said, rolling her eyes as she sat down beside Lydia, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I won't say a word to Lady Damaris. But not a single word of this leaves this room, understand?!"
Lydia looked up at Melissa's words, offering a bright smile and a firm nod.
"I swear, Melissa! It won't happen again!" Lydia affirmed, relieved to escape a beating from her aunt.
Melissa leaned over, planting a gentle kiss on Lydia's cheek. Having grown up together and spent a year as adventuring partners, Melissa knew there was no better way to lift Lydia's spirits than a little affection.
"I heard you're meeting with the girls today," Melissa mentioned.
"Sigh... Yeah. Valka wants to discuss what's going on, and Jancy thinks it's time as well," Lydia affirmed wearisomely.
Judging by her tone, Melissa quickly gathered that this meeting was not something Lydia was looking forward to.
"Well, it's an undeniable reality we have to face. Several Rank A and B adventurers are retiring due to age; there's nothing we can do about it. They've done their part," Melissa stated, pausing briefly before continuing. "Even Lady Vanessa turned 42 this month—though she still looks remarkably young for her age. But she's a different case altogether; she's a Rank S... Is everyone going?"
"Yeah. Valka, Jancy, Danna, and even Crystel will be there," Lydia revealed.
"Crystel and Jancy in the same room? That's going to be a disaster," Melissa chuckled softly.
Lydia shrugged with a playful smirk.
"Who knows? I've had my eye on Jancy for a while now," Lydia admitted. "Sigh... But before any of that, we have to address these wars... Ugh!"
Lydia flopped heavily onto Melissa, who simply held her close.
"Why do we have to be the ones discussing this anyway? Aunt Damaris and the other senior adventurers are still around to handle it!" Lydia complained.
"Lady Damaris has her own meetings to attend, just like your grandfather. And because this war is endless, one day you'll be running the guild," Melissa revealed, planting another kiss on her cheek.
"Fuck the guild," Lydia joked.
SLAP!
Melissa's sharp hand struck Lydia's bare buttocks, the resounding slap echoing through the room before pushing her over onto the bed.
"Agh!" Lydia yelped, clutching her reddened buttock.
"Get ready for your meeting. I have work to do," Melissa said calmly.
"Tsk, I still have three hours before meeting up with the girls..." Lydia grumbled, watching Melissa step out of the room.
Pouting, she sat back up on her bed, at a loss for what to do. Then her eyes drifted toward the portrait on her wall—specifically toward the nude form of Lady Vanessa.
"Another one in your honor, I suppose..." she murmured with a wicked smirk, leaning back and sliding her fingers down between her thighs.