“Sure, I can do that,” I said as I let Jilly take the lead, and I stayed in the back with Nushi and the Cerberus girls between us.

If there was ever a place to try to attack, it would be from behind. There was a feeling of tension when we got into the forest. I already had both the Loose Leaf Dagger and my flame sword out and on. ​​

“Why do we have to come? My feet hurt!” Nushi complained, and I gazed down at them and sighed.

“Why did you wear shoes like that? You know we were going for a walk,” I said, shaking my head.

Nushi was about to complain to me again, but Jilly hissed at her.

“Quiet! Take your shoes off and carry them! No, just climb on my back, and we will pick up speed,” Jilly said as she was looking around, but I could hear movement.

“Get on her back, and girls transform so you can keep up. I will fight off whatever is coming if they get close,” I said as I started to run with the other, but I could hear growling and yipping like dogs.

Nushi didn’t need to be told more than once, and she was on Jilly’s back fast. Cera, Bera, and Riez were already shifted and bounding along in between Jill and me.

Whatever was coming, there were a bunch of them, but I still had no clue what I should be looking for. That was until a short man-dog leapt from a bush I was passing, but I was already swinging my Loose Leaf Dagger at it.

The effect was something that shouldn’t even have been possible, but I was in no position to be judging. The blades whipped out of the snake-like ropes at the creature.

Then, the blades lashed and minced the creature into an explosion of gore. It was like… nope, it’s was like nothing I had ever seen before, was my only thought, and the creature erupted.

“MEATSSS!” Mary hissed in delight as I seen her expertly grab some chunk of meat out of the air as we were both hits with the blood spray.

I pushed forward, but now they were popping out of everywhere, but it wasn’t too much farther. I saw one try to get at Nushi on Jilly’s back, but Jilly shot a spike into it, and the creature began to scream in pain.

That was the end of the attack, but Jilly gave no quarter and spiked five more before they got completely away. We continued moving, but there was a blinking Icon in the top left-hand corner of my view, but I ignored it for now and kept my eyes peeled.

We finally make it to the clearing, and I was finally able to slow down. I was astonished that I wasn’t out of breath or even puffing; that workout yesterday must have done pretty good, but today was the real challenge.

“What were those things? They looked like dogs but like ugly little men,” I said as I stretch out.

“Kobolds, fiendish little weakling that hunts in packs to try and take down larger prey. I hope that will teach them that were are not to be bothered, but I have a hard time believing that. They are all stupid animals, hardly better than a trog,” Jilly said while rolling her eyes.

“You keep talking about trogs; what are they?” I asked but then turned my head to Mary. “You are going to have to get down now and stay with the girls. We are going to do some training, and I want you and the girls back from Grogvel when he does his workout thing.”

“Mmmm, okaysss, but I wantsss to come back after,” Mary hissed, and then kissed my neck and then licked me before sliding off me.

She didn’t want to go, and I didn’t want Mary to leave, but if I was going to protect that pretty smile, I would need to get stronger. I did a couple more stretches before I walked over to the large pile of stones.

“Grovel, I am here and ready for the first day of our training, and I brought the girls with me,” I said, but then the earth opened up under me, and I fell like a rock.

Instantly I was crushed from all sides, and I could barely even breathe anymore. My body was being crushed but not broken; I was squeezed but not squished.

All of these were pushed to the maximum, and I was being kneed like beard dough. It was not more than my body could handle, even if I didn’t feel the same way.

It felt like the crushing torture was never going to end, and I was going to suffocate, but then I spat back out onto the hard rock.

Oh, did I want to complain, fuck I had just been eaten and spit out, but you know, I felt good! No, I felt great! Amazing!

I got up, and I could see that the girls must have gone through the same ordeal. Still, it was hard to believe that I could feel this great after being eating and spit back out; it was almost poetic.

“So, you have come back with no Mex to say uncle for you! What did you think of the massage I gave you? Good, right?” Grovel asked from behind me, making me turn back around.

Grogvel’s face was in the massive wall of the clearing, and his smile was cracking his face, literally.

“I guess I don’t really have much of a choice. I want to get stronger, and after just a short workout with you and the other elementals, I have already seen dramatic changes. I am not ready for whatever you are about to do, but I am prepared to do whatever it takes!” I said with determination.

“See, now that is a good attitude! Whether you have the same one after this is still left to be determined, BWAHAHAHAHAHA!”

The moment Grogvel started to laugh, it was like every part of me started to shake, not vibrate. I fell to the ground on my hands and knees.

I emptied my stomach, and I fell over on my side as my body began to seize up. This was too much, and it wasn’t stopping, but I had asked for this