It felt like I had a dream, a horrible dream. The city was in flames and Grom was... but then there were stats as well. I don't remember... I float in this state between dreaming and wakefulness for some time, dreading this dream of reality or whatever it is.

  From somewhere far away, I hear a voice. I focus on that voice. It is an unfamiliar voice, a childs voice. I strain myself, trying to listen in, trying to understand what they're saying. It's not like I'm an old hard-of-hearing Grandma but still, speak up will you!?

  “And then she was like, I will not allow it! And the wall crumbled! It was amazing.” A kid said. Somehow, it's embarrasing, so I squirm around uncomfortably, not wanting to listen to that.

  “She moved!” Another kid called. “Hurry, get the others!” There were so many kids voices, but at least I know they made it out of there alive. I hear hurried footsteps running off, rustling in the distance. I carefully open my eyes and above me, I see the canopy of a tree and the sun peeking through the leaves. The earthy smell of ground and roots mingle with the fresh green smell of leaves, moss and trees. The idyllic scene lacks birdsong, but that is to be expected after what happened.

  Yes, it is slowly coming back to me. When I remember the part about Grom, my phantom heart stops for a moment before I remember... I don't know for sure. But I tried. No... He must be alive, he simply must be. There's no way he's dead!

  I try to stand, but my legs are soft like jelly and quite uncooperative, so I have to lean against the tree, my whole body shaking and straining just to stay upright. What the hell is this?

  I quickly take a look at my status, only to find a status effect debuff called Mana exhaustion, which makes it impossible for me to regenerate mana for now. I have to wait for as long as it would take my mana pool to regenerate passively 10 times over. In other words, I have to wait several days while feeling like this... days without mana... it's making me want to go all in wisdom for the MP regen... if that is the regen stat, perhaps the regen stat is spirit?

  Oi system-chan, where is my guide huh? You just expect me to figure everything out on my own? Well, I'm definitely a genius, very smart and beautiful, but it's still a harsh condition you know?

  After some time, the sick feeling in my body recedes somewhat, and my muddled head becomes a bit clearer. Then I hear rustling of leaves and a couple of sprinting kids come into view over yonder ho.

  However, when they see me they freeze as if they've seen a ghost. Then behind them, a huge hairy meat pie appears and a smile spreads on my face. My eyes get all blurry and wet. No, no, this is no good Alyce. I hurriedly wipe at my face with a sleeve, but it comes away bloody like before. Bloody... bloody hell! Gyuuh.

  Through blurry eyes, I see Grom shoving the two stunned kids aside like a bowling ball toppling bowling pins as he comes charging at me.

  “You hurt anywhere lass?” He yells a bit loudly. I quietly shake my head and continue wiping at my eyes. It's futile, the tears of blood keep coming. “Don't... look...” I rasp out. My voice is shockingly dry, but it still sounds cute thanks to my godly vocal cords.

  Grom approaches very gently, as if I am a scared animal or something. “Lass, ye haf ta tell me what's wrong, or I cannae fix it. I know how ta heal people, but you...” Grom looks like he's on the verge of casting a spell on me, since his hands are glowing.

  “It's... it's not that, you idiot!” I shout, looking up at him for the first time. His brow is furrowed with worry.

  “You!” I shout, pointing a finger up at him while I'm wiping at my face with the other to get the last of the blood off. “Who gave you permission to go die like that, huh? How dare you! You can't die unless I give you permission, okay? Goddamn it!” I shout, stamping a foot into the ground.

  Grom froze like a statue and I am ashamed to say this as a sofisticated woman of high culture, but I gave in to the dark side and threw myself at him, hugging him tightly.

  In my defense, I pretended to nuzzle into his shirt and beard, but it was in fact part of my ingenious plan to use him to wipe the blood from my face, you know?

  It definitely wasn't because I almost lost my hairy meatpie, alright?! I was saving him for later, so it's no good that he gets eaten early on. I will have to remind him sternly later, but for now... the dark side takes hold and I squeeze tighter and nuzzle deeper into his beard. It smells like smoke and sweat and scratches at my face in an almost pleasant wa--- I mean, it's annoying, okay? Goddamn it!

  After I've been clamped onto Grom for awhile, I notice that it is very silent and nobody is speaking or moving. Slowly, I detach myself from him and step back, my face reddening slightly.

  Then through the bushes I see Tie'sha approaching. At first she's just walking, but when she sees me, she speeds up her walk into a jog and the jog becomes a full sprint in no time. Then halfway here her eyes widen and she pulls out a cyan serviette, waving it in the air like a weapon as she comes running.

  My tears almost attack again, but seeing the prelude to the grandma technique approaching at a sprint, I dare not make the situation any worse lest she rub me too enthusiastically. My face, I mean!

  Contrary to my initial expectation, Tie'sha throws herself at me first and lifts me up, hugging me tightly into her boobs. They are nice and soft airbags and although small, they are genuine perky little lady lungs. Alyce-chan has internal lady lungs, okay? It's weird for a loli to have boobs, alright? I had big boobs in my last life, so it's okay to be flat as a washboard in this life, you know? There's definitely nothing wrong with it, okay? Goddamn it!

  Flat is justice and don't you forget it, hmpf. Who am I even talking to? It's not like Tie'sha seems to mind my flat chest... in fact, isn't she kind of groping...

  I push myself away from Tie'sha. “How're you holding up?” I ask kind of awkwardly and Tie'sha blushes and looks a bit ashamed of her earlier impulsive behaviour. She's been a bit grabby lately, hasn't she?

  “I.. I'm alright. My lungs feel a bit weird, but Grom cast some healing magic on us so we're mostly okay. What about you, my lady? Are you really fine after crying blood and collapsing like that? Which reminds me...” Tie'sha says, once more wielding her cyan serviette. With the spit and shine imminent, I sigh and tilt my face upwards like a child enduring her mothers unwanted ministrations, but in truth I am kind of happy that Tie'sha is here.

  “I'm okay, it's just mana exhaustion. It'll take awhile for me to go back to normal.” I say and give Tie'sha a reassuring smile. In the background, Grom asks “When were you ever normal?” which I naturally ignore.

  The very concept of normality is an affront to all that is good! Alyce-chan will never accept such a horrid fate as to be deemed normal, therefore, it's okay if I never normalize and stabilize, for that way lies death. Although I am already dead, tehepero～

  Ahen.

  Anyways, it was as I feared. The spit and shine is deployed on my face in all it's rubby dubby glory... Oi, do you want to open an Alyce-chan buffing workshop with all that rubbing, huh?

  Tie'sha polishes away at me until my forehead makes a squeak squeak sound and I am spotlessly clean, though covered with a faint layer of teenage girl saliva. Endure! I must endure!

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  It would be no good to enter the enrage phase and nugi-nugi Tie'sha into submission right now. Besides, my body feels pretty sluggish and drained, so I'm not really sure I want to lift my hand to nugi-nugi. I want to lie down... but I am not lazy, alright? It's only natural that I am tired, you know?

  After some hardcore girl on girl rubbing, I'm suddenly picked up. I can't help but let out a little sound of surprise. I don't resist it though, since I can feel the hairy beard on the back of my neck. Ah, beard-san has come to say hello. Perhaps beard-san finally managed to gain sentience and liberate himself from his slavemaster, the cruel dwarf-san?!

  I am kind of dazed at the moment, and my thoughts are all over the place. My vision bobs and sways as Grom carries me somewhere, the others following quietly behind.

  “Is she really alright? It seemed like she went off into her own world...” Tie'sha says in a quiet voice, but hey I can hear you, you know?

  “The lass will be fine after some rest, she's just exhausted. You might nae haf the experience te appreciate just how ridiculous what she did actually was.” Grom said and my chest was suddenly all fluttery because I was being praised. “Frankly, only Alyce could do something like that. There's no one else like her.” Grom says all too seriously and my face immediately grows warm.

  Stupid idiot overgrown midget giant dwarf thingie! Just because I am a bit dazed and don't feel like speaking, it doesn't mean you can go all out and embarrass me so much...

  “I'm sure ye also noticed that she's special.” Grom continues.

  I wish he would shut up already. It's super embarrassing, but ah, I really am too lazy to even open my eyes and glare at him, to say nothing of opening my mouth and spitting a sick diss track into his beard like I'm Kelly ripping MnM a new one.

  Later, I will eat many candy apples in front of him to make him uncomfortable, and I will be sure to nugi-nugi Tie'sha a lot as well. They are both implicit in the crime!

  “Un. Alyce... my lady is special to me as well. I am so happy she's up. For a moment there, I thought she was...” Tie'sha says.

  Thankfully, we've reached the campfire now and I am placed on the ground near the campfire. Tie'sha sits down next to me, and Grom sits on my other side. “You two... you are good minions even if you say such embarrassing things. Later, I might even make you generals in my demon army.” I say. It's exhausting to speak, and my voice is slurred, but I got it out.

  “You... were awake?” Grom says. I don't reply and after awhile, he sighs and mumbles “Sleep talking?” to himself. I smile mischievously. I will take revenge by torturing you! You will never know the true nature of what happened, whether or not I really sleep talked or actually heard your embarrasing words, and it shall forever torment you and corrupt your soul! Then I will break you and reforge you into the perfect minion! Wahahaha, evil Alyce mode activate!

  Ahen.

  I'm really too exhausted, limp as a noodle and as drained as a man after a night with his vacuum cleaner...?!

  I think I will rest some more now. My stupid brain is being too embarrassing again.

  However, before I can do so I must take a look at the fruits of my labour, yes.

  Alyce-chan is coming along nicely, you know? I'm well on my way to becoming a boss ass bitch. Soon, the last boss position shall be mine! Fuhaha, you can praise me more, I will allow it just this once, okay? Goddamn it!