89 Vigor

'I wonder if this is how Kaia and the others feel when they see me doing crazy shit...' thought Cairn, observing with discomfort as Elizabeth stood naked before a bonfire, steeling herself to step into the flames. Her slim yet shapely figure was a sight to behold, but the knowledge he was about to witness it be burned made it difficult for Cairn to appreciate it.

"Fear not," said Sera, standing beside Elizabeth with clasped hands and a smile as she expressed, "Lady Restia favors those with sincere conviction more than any other..."

"Then let her bear witness..." muttered Elizabeth, clenching her hands into fists before stepping into the inferno. Her instincts screamed at her not to, but if it meant becoming resistant or outright impervious to future flames, she was prepared to suffer. At least, that's what Elizabeth believed before the fire enveloped her. After that, the only thoughts in her mind were that she had made a mistake and that she needed to extinguish the flames as quickly as possible. Everything else was pain.

Seeing Elizabeth thrash about and roll on the ground, screaming in agony, Cairn experienced a sinking feeling in his stomach that caused him to shudder. However, as he had promised to see the experiment through to the end, he kept his gaze fixed on Elizabeth's Status and Health, waiting until it had depleted to less than twenty percent before dousing her limp, unconscious body with water.

Kneeling next to Elizabeth's severely burned body, Sera closed her eyes and brought her hands together, a powerful aura exuding from her body as she chanted, "Restia's Light, flow through me and become a salve to this weary soul. Let the broken be made whole and the brave made firm. Light Healing...!"

Though it had the effect of causing Elizabeth's Experience to decrease, there was nothing 'light' about Sera's healing. In less than ten seconds, every injury on Elizabeth's body had vanished, replaced by unblemished, almost glossy skin. Her hair, which had burned away, grew back twice as long, causing it to fall to the small of her back as she awoke with a start and sat up, her chest heaving as she gasped for air.

Looking at Cairn, the conviction previously visible in Elizabeth's eyes was replaced by fear and desperation as she panted, "Was it...please tell me it was a success..."

"Triply so..." replied Cairn, forcing a smile as he revealed, "Not only were you able to gain [Fire Resistance], but you acquired the [Pain Tolerance] and [Impressionable] Talents..."

Hearing Cairn's response, Elizabeth breathed a sigh of profound relief and held her hand to her chest. She had never endured such pain before, so she would have been extremely disheartened if the only thing she gained from the experience was a severe trauma.

Raising her gaze to meet Cairn's, Elizabeth adopted a forced smile of her own as she asked, "What effect does the [Impressionable] Talent have? I am familiar with the word, but..."

"It's pretty much what you're thinking," revealed Cairn, smiling wryly as he clarified, "It makes you susceptible to the words and persuasions of those you fear or respect."

"..."

Recovering from her momentary stupor, Elizabeth asked, "Can you even call that a Talent...?"

Shrugging, Cairn pointed out, "I mean, not just anyone would be willing to set themselves aflame because someone told them it might grant them a resistance against it. If you look at it positively, it could imply that you'll have an easier time developing other Talents if someone convinces you of the method..."

"..."

Following a second sigh filled with exasperation, Elizabeth, still naked as the day she was born, fell into a contemplative silence. She was vaguely aware that Cairn was looking at her, but instead of covering up, she drew her feet up, sitting with her legs spread and soles together as she leaned forward with her hands resting on her calves.

"I know what you're doing..." said Cairn, his expression and tone flat as he stared at Elizabeth with half-lidded eyes.

"It is rather obvious~" chimed Sera. But rather than accusing Elizabeth of being shameless, she looked to Cairn and playfully inquired, "But can you blame her? Sir Cairn's wild and wolfish countenance is enough to capture the heart of any woman with taste..."

"Right..." muttered Cairn, his voice trailing off as he met Elizabeth's gaze and asked, "So, what do you want to do? In my experience, you need at least Rank 20 [Fire Resistance] to endure typical flames without catching fire. Yours is currently Rank 3."

As she wasn't sure she would be able to resume the process if she took a break so soon, Elizabeth steeled herself and replied, "If it's not too much trouble for Sir Cairn and Lady Sera, I...I would like to continue..."

"Then, let's use this as an opportunity to put your [Impressionable] to the test," said Cairn, initially confusing Elizabeth until he adopted a smile and stated, "You claimed you wanted to be my woman, right? If you can attain Rank 20 [Fire Resistance] by the end of this session, I doubt I would have the heart to refuse you..."

Hearing Cairn's proposition, Elizabeth's expression became serious as she replied, "I'll do it," in a firm tone, her eyes alight with newfound conviction. She wasn't entirely sure what it meant to be Cairn's woman, but she felt it was safe to assume she would benefit from his backing and resources. At least so long as she never betrayed his trust...

"You know, I'm starting to like you," said Cairn, a characteristically wolfish grin developing across his face. He didn't have the heart to ask Kaia, Elle, or anyone he was particularly close to to accompany him in his torturous training routine. Elizabeth's desire for strength and willingness to endure tremendous suffering was similar to his own, so even if she failed to attain Rank 20 [Fire Resistance] before her MP gave out, she had already earned his respect and a fair amount of his intrigue...

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*pa* *pa* *pa* *pa*

Though she was utterly exhausted, Elizabeth sported a dazed, ostensibly enamored look as she bit the sheets of Cairn's bed, her eyes rolling back slightly each time he pounded her from behind. His hands glowed a bright orange color that made his bones perceptible as faint shadows, but while his palms were hot enough to leave an impression on a piece of wood, the flesh of Elizabeth's wrists remained uncharred as he gripped them tightly and gave her the 'wheelbarrow' treatment.

"How enviable..." muttered Sera, observing the intense lovemaking from a swivel-back armchair. Faith and yearning were the de facto sources of a Saintess' power, so as Cairn fucked Elizabeth in and out of consciousness, Sera couldn't help imagining herself in a similar position, biting her bottom lip as she resisted the temptation to comfort herself...

Exhaling a contented sigh, Cairn released his hold on Elizabeth's wrists, massaging and absentmindedly spreading her ass cheeks as he leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and released his final load into the depths of her pussy. She had literally burned herself alive for the chance to share his bed, so he made sure to give her an experience that 'offset' at least a bit of the suffering she had to endure.

"How was it...?" asked Cairn, grinning like a jackal as he tentatively moved his hips, tacitly insinuating that he was prepared to continue if she wasn't completely satisfied. In response, Elizabeth took a few seconds to steady her breathing before responding, "In hindsight...I feel that...I should have invited Yuuna..."

"Hmmm...well, now that we've come this far, I would almost feel guilty to leave her out..." muttered Cairn, staring at the ceiling as if he were in deep reflection as he slowly and purposefully moved his hips. It was still fairly early in the evening, and he had given Yuuna and Leona the go-ahead to reside in one of the guest bedrooms as Elle and Mari performed routine maintenance and overhauled their equipment. In other words, Yuuna and her remarkable thighs were just across the hall, freshly cleaned and more than ripe for harvest...

As Elizabeth's panting gradually transitioned into protracted moans, Cairn threw her a lifeline, raising his right brow as he asked, "Think Yuuna would be willing to tap in and trade places...?"

"Definitely..." replied Elizabeth, her response quick and tinged with a hint of desperation. She certainly appreciated Cairn's 'vigor,' but she wasn't in the condition to relish or reciprocate it. Her pride compelled her to endure as long as he could keep going, but since Yuuna had previously expressed interest in Cairn, Elizabeth felt no qualms about offering up her friend as a substitute.

"Then I look forward to a positive response..." mused Cairn, extricating his dick from Elizabeth's pussy and giving her ass a light smack before rising from the bed to receive the glass of water Sera had prepared the moment she realized they were about to take a break.

"You're the best," said Cairn, winking before downing the glass's contents in several audible gulps. When he was done, he handed the glass back to Sera, but before she could move away to refill it, he grabbed her wrist and said, "Hold up. This is from Restia..."

Turning to face Cairn with a look of confusion, Sera's dichromatic eyes widened to their limits when he cupped her chin, gently raised her face, and kissed her. It was a brief, uncharacteristically chaste kiss on Cairn's part, but Sera's brain promptly short-circuited as it was unexpected and, more importantly, her first.

"Thanks for all your hard work..." expressed Cairn, his expression and tone gentle and sincere as he caressed Sera's cheek. He and Restia exchanged messages fairly regularly, so he had a decent understanding of what Sera was and wasn't permitted to do. Kissing was toeing a dangerous line, but Restia had informed him it should be fine so long as the contact was brief and he didn't use his tongue...

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*tok* *tok* *tok*

"It's open," replied Cairn, relaxing atop his bed with his hand behind his head. The pose made him feel like a complete jackass, but he endured it since, all things considered, he kind of was one.

"Then I'm coming in~" chimed Yuuna, opening the door and stepping inside without a hint of hesitation.

'Holy fucking shit...' thought Cairn, his eyes widening to their limits as Yuuna entered the room in a grey, stained, clearly worn brown tank top and threadbare grey panties. It wasn't the most alluring getup, but with Yuuna's figure, she could be decked out in garments woven from dog shit, and people would still find her appealing. Her breasts were easily G-Cups, but they didn't sag in the slightest. Faint traces of her abs could be seen each time she exhaled, and though her thighs looked like they could pulp watermelons, Cairn felt an almost instinctual compulsion to put his head between them.

"How do I look~?" asked Yuuna, striking a pose with her hands behind her back. She personally wasn't fond of her figure, as it required her to get all her clothes tailor-made, but she felt it was worth it to see the slack-jawed and then subsequently possessive look on Cairn's face.

"Restia and present company may resent me for saying this, but you look like a Goddess..." answered Cairn, and he meant it. Before now, Reine had the closest thing to an 'ideal' figure in Cairn's mind. Now, he realized that his perception had been sabotaged by the baseline he had established for 'real' women. With his current world's aesthetic more closely resembling a high-end cinematic, his previous standards suddenly felt lacking...

Not expecting such a sincere response, Yuuna's eyes widened as a ruddy hue suffused her cheeks. She might have laughed it off if anyone else had made such a ludicrous comparison, but since it was Cairn, Restia's chosen Champion, it felt incredibly...gratifying.

Adopting a smile that could directly contend with Sera's, Yuuna ignored the latter's slightly disproving stare as she spread her arms and happily chimed, "I could never compare to Lady Restia, but you have my express permission to worship me~"

Though he was briefly distracted by a message warning him to be more mindful of his words, Cairn quickly replied, "Then, how about you get over here and give me a better look...?"

"I'll give you more than just a look..." said Yuuna, narrowing her eyes and licking her lips as she stared at Cairn's erection. He was a lot bigger than her swordsmanship instructor and the other five guys she had slept with. Elizabeth had also advised her to steel herself, so the only thing stopping Yuuna from going on the offensive was her fear that Cairn would send her away. Instead, they went at it like wild animals for nearly five hours before falling asleep, still connected...

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