The moment Jakon entered the main classroom–an extra big and round room with thick cushioned regenerative walls–he was relieved he hadn’t slacked off in his blademaster training, despite coming late nearly every day due to having secret fun with sexy cute Ivy, he did stay here later to make up for it … usually.

Yet Jakon was very aware of the empty arched doorway behind him, this time.

Of the dome of a ceiling high above him. Of its many, many glowing gemstones keeping this extra big classroom extra bright and shadow-free.

The thick smell of sweat pierced through the hot air, and unsettled his breakfast of strawberries and cream, despite how familiar the sweat smell was, his breakfast was too sweet for this kind of smell.

At least his jerkin and slacks were woven with a layer of protective lamia scales within them. His dad bought the half-dead pair of lamia elves off some merchants ages ago. In fact, his mom had an even better quality bright red dress that was woven from even higher grade and incredibly soft and silky lamia scales that were still amazingly protective.

His boots thwacked the floor. A floor wet with sweat and effort.

But a dozen paces ahead of him, a bunch of young chubby dwarves were gathered around a lean and mean guy with … five sabers floating around him? Strange, but Jakon heard of such ability before just, he never saw it in person, only read about it.

This guy had to be a sword swarm mage.

He had the ability to summon and command swords with his mind, yet … this new guy’s ears … wait, his big triangular ears stuck out the sides of his short straggly blond hair like they were triangular daggers that would perk up and down like cat ears.

And the smell … a musk of something sweet and stomach tugging, in a good way, like candy of some sort. A milky creamy candy saved only for the best occasions, but also a hint of a bittersweet nip that nudged the stomach in a twisted way.

A real true elf guy?!?!

And a sword swarm mage.

Jakon already heard his heart go thump thump thump several times faster and louder. Too much like a fight he really might not win. A critical fight. The kind that hadn’t happened to him in a while.

Except against his own mom.

But just as Jakon reached the edge of the ring of dwarfs, the elf guy said, “Thank you, I truly appreciate the honor of demonstrating my abilities to you, but that’s all for today. I must go and …”

“One more time!” a young dwarf said, “Please, Ramsel? It’s Jakon! Our best just arrived!”

The elf guy called Ramsel sighed, grimaced.

“Sorry,” Ramsel said, “I must go now. My work is almost done but …”

Another young dwarf called out. “Show him your orcubus archer card!”

All the other dwarves cheered. “Show him!”

And their sneaky grins. Yikes.

Jakon shook his head. His heart pounding too fast.

This was too much like the last day he ever went into dad’s smithy. He hadn’t touched a monster card since–until today and … ugh.

Best not dwell on his new deck of … whatever. A living monster card, he’d have to take good care of her. Of them. Duty as a dwarf to do the right thing and … well …

Ramsel seemed to notice Jakon’s hesitation.

“Best face your fears head on,” Ramsel said, “I’ve healed her, again, but her tendency to disobey …”

All the dwarfs chuckled, stroked their beards, and ugh. They all knew Jakon’s … fondness for the idea of elf girls compared to, well, dwarven women., and an orcubus was basically, well, the sexy of the most buxom yet slim elf girl, but combined with warthoggish warrior orcs so that … no, just no.

“Monsters are bound to the will of the card wielder,” Jakon said, “Any weakness in your will–”

“My will,” Ramsel said, “is stronger than dwarven steel. I suspect the card is defective.”

More than a few dwarves chuckled. So many young dwarves say that about their monster card training … until they develop their own steel will, and their monster started behaving themself.

Jakon nodded. There was an obvious way to test it.

But Ramsel spoke first. Again?

“She is the only card of mine that dares defy me,” he said.

And then he flicked the card over to Jakon?

“You may have her,” Ramsel said, “As a gift. If you can control her better than me.”

All the dwarfs chuckled and, oh no, those mumbles, chings of coin, they were gambling on the outcome.

And they were betting on him. Dwarves were a loyal lot, of course, so no chance they’d gamble on the newcomer.

So Jakon nodded. Looked at the card and … oh crap.

She was … drop dead deadly gorgeous. Bright red skin as smooth and brilliant as … as … a rising sun of … gulp.

She was curved slim in the right places and obese in the chest places … with long lush cherry hair straight down to her slim waist, and … gulp.

She wore a cowled bra top and short short skirt. Both made of bright violet and incredibly shiny scales. They even had a curvy flowery trace of a pink heart over each boob and her crotch, and those scales, very form-fitting, and no doubt they were from a human-sized serpent.

Maybe bigger.

And a damn powerful serpent monster.

Yet that face … a beautiful heart of a face with huge bright green eyes, and her nose was a button of an upright piglet nose. Those ears, wow, were they huge. And they were piggy style too, but those lush juicy lips were pouting cherry sour stern.

Gulp.

(Again?)

Strapped to her lopsided belt of cherry red leather were several pairs of wicked bone stilettos, and a quiver stuffed full of vulture-feathered purple arrows, while in her slim delicate-looking hands, was a spiky and wicked looking dark violet bow made … from what looked like a wicked a pair of skull and bone scimitars.

No.

Not just looked. It was a sword bow. A pair of swords that could come together into a bow. The quiver wasn’t necessary. Not at all. That bow could fire magical bolts of some sort. Maybe more than one kind of magical bolt. The bow’s line would be magical too. Strung up magically and automatically.

No need for that quiver and ordinary orc feathers, yet …

Sinister sexy orcubus girl, and given what she was wearing, and … no mere fodder orc either.

The card felt like velvet. Its sheen was … that shine … foil?

He flipped the card over, but …

“Stats and name unknown?” Jakon said, “Only says the breed: Orcubus Archer.”

More to himself but Ramsel answered anyway.

“Let’s see if you have more luck than me,” Ramsel said, “Only a truly powerful monster spirit could hope to resist being tamed when forged into a card.”

Jakon … hadn’t heard of that, but then again, it was so long ago, and he made a point to forget most of what he didn’t need to train with.

“We’ll see,” Jakon said.

“Exactly,” Ramsel said.

Holding the card out, Jakon said, “Come forth, minion of my will!”

Nothing happened.

A few young dwarfs gasped. Money got exchanged. While Ramsel chuckled.

“Two more tries,” Ramsel said.

Jakon nodded, taking a deep breath. Let his heart thump steady. Like a steam flowing steady.

Breath steady.

“Minion of my will,” Jakon said, “Come forth!”

Nothing.

His human side prevented him from forging with these cards but it shouldn’t stop him from summoning a monster out of them.

But he wasn’t about to show off Azura.

His control of her was … limited, at best, too, but she wasn’t averse to listening to him either, probably, as long as he didn’t give her orders she disagreed with.

More money exchanged hands between the dwarfs. More than a few discouraged whispers too. Whispers that echoed far too loudly around this round room. While Ramsel grinned a touch too cocky.

“One more try,” Ramsel said, “Do not fear failure. No one had yet summoned this lovely orc girl from her card. Not even I. If you do then, I shall acknowledge you as its true wielder.”

Jakon grimaced. Even the way Ramsel talked seemed to rub him in the wrong way, but yet, both of them were unable to even summon the monster within it … maybe this card was defective. It took willpower to control the monster, not to summon it. Letting his dad examine this card … wait.

A bizarre idea occurred to him, thanks to Gunter.

So Jakon nodded at Ramsel, while grimacing even fiercer at him.

“This card is the rarest of the rare, isn’t it?” Jakon said.

“I suspect it,” Ramsel said, “But without stats and a name … orcubus archer cards are on the rare side, but not that rare, since they’re only a solid rank or two above orc girl archer.”

Ranks and levels and ugh, Jakon didn’t remember much of it right now, but time to try something … unusual, and pleasing to his thumping heart.

Jakon held the card up. Steadied his heart the best he could but … saying what he planned to out loud … his cheeks already scolded him plenty, and if it didn’t work …

“Girl of my naughtiest dreams come true!” he said, “Come forth and–”

PUFF!!!!!!