The pain from the fresh brand on his shoulder was a constant reminder. Each time Thomas raised his arm, the seared skin pulled, sending sharp waves of heat. He applied the acrid-smelling salve the ludus medicus had given him, feeling the slight cooling sensation that offered minor relief.
In the training yard, something had shifted. The Gaulish gladiators no longer sneered. They watched him with cold gazes, a reluctant acknowledgment. He had faced Barca and remained standing. He had accepted the mark. He was no longer an outsider.
"The mark looks good on your shoulder," Varro said, his eyes showing a mix of horror and awe. "Though I cannot imagine the pain."
"Pain is the best teacher in this place," Thomas replied, echoing one of Doctore's maxims.
The summons came sooner than he expected. Not a guard, not Mira. Lucretia sent one of her most trusted personal slaves to fetch him in the middle of the day.
He was led to the Domina's private chambers. Inside, Lucretia was not alone. Another noblewoman, Domitia, whose face Thomas recognized from the Magistratus's feast, was sitting gracefully on a sofa. Her sharp, intelligent eyes assessed him as if he were a newly acquired statue.
"Ah, here he is," Lucretia said, her voice as sweet as honey. "Domitia wished to see up close the gladiator who managed to tame the Beast of Carthage."
Domitia smiled faintly. "Tame, or merely lucky? I hear the fight was rather brief."
"Luck always favors the prepared, Domina," Thomas replied calmly.
Lucretia seemed pleased. "I have a brief matter to attend to with the chief steward. Thomas, attend to Domina Domitia. Ensure her goblet is never empty."
She left the room, closing the door behind her, leaving Thomas alone with the serpent. The silence was heavy. Domitia patted the spot on the sofa beside her. It was not a request.
Thomas approached and sat down, maintaining a respectful distance.
"So, you can speak," Domitia said, her eyes tracing the scars on his arms, then moving up to the new brand on his shoulder. "And you defeated Barca. Tell me, what did you feel when that giant fell to his knees before you?"
"I felt... relief, Domina."
"Only that?" She leaned her face closer, her expensive perfume wafting. "I do not believe you."
Her cool, delicate hand touched the brand on his shoulder. Her fingers traced the edge of the blistering skin. Thomas did not move.
"I want you to show me," Domitia whispered, her eyes gleaming. "Show me the strength that brought a giant to his knees."
Her lips met Thomas's. A demanding, testing kiss. Thomas did not immediately respond, letting her lead. Domitia's hands began to descend, untying the silk fabric at his waist. She pulled back from the kiss, gazing at Thomas's hardening penis with a satisfied smile.
"Good," she whispered. "Now, kneel."
Thomas met her arrogant eyes. Then, with a swift movement that surprised her, he rose, gripping Domitia's arm and pulling her to her feet from the sofa.
"What the..."
Her gasp of surprise was cut short as Thomas pushed her bent over the low table in the center of the room, sending the silver goblets clattering to the floor. Thomas tore at the bottom of her expensive gown, exposing her pale, smooth buttocks.
"You want to see strength, Domina?" Thomas's voice was low and hoarse near her ear.
He parted Domitia's buttocks, exposing her pink vulva. Without warning, his hot tongue licked the crevice from bottom to top.
"Ngh!" Domitia gasped violently, her hands clutching the edge of the table tightly, her knuckles white.
Thomas's tongue moved ravenously, sucking at her engorged clitoris, tracing every fold with wild expertise. The sound of wet slurping and Domitia's suppressed moans filled the room. Her feminine fluids began to flow, drenching Thomas's tongue and chin. The distinct scent of an aroused woman mixed with her perfume.
"Ah... ah... Stop... no..." Her protests were weak, her tone more of a plea than a command.
Thomas did not stop. He continued to lick her until her body trembled violently, her legs shaking. Just as Domitia was about to reach her climax, Thomas pulled back. He flipped Domitia's limp body and pushed her onto her back on the sofa, pulling her gown up to her chest. Her white breasts with pink nipples challenged him before him.
"Now it's my turn," Thomas growled.
His hard, throbbing penis was fully ready. He positioned himself between Domitia's wide-open thighs. The tip of his manhood pressed against her soaking wet labia. With one powerful thrust, he entered completely.
"YAAAHHH!" Domitia shrieked, her back arching off the sofa. Her eyes were wide with shock at the sudden, full, deep sensation.
Thomas began to pound. SLAP. THUMP. SLAP. The sound of their wet skin colliding was brutal. He gripped Domitia's hips, controlling her completely, each thrust piercing deep. Sweat began to slick their bodies.
"Oh, gods... yes... yes, like that!" Domitia shrieked, her arrogance stripped away, replaced by pure lust. "Harder... Break me!"
Thomas complied. He accelerated his pace to a wild, savage rhythm. The sofa beneath them groaned loudly. He pulled one of Domitia's legs up onto his shoulder, changing the angle for even deeper penetration, hitting the woman's G-spot repeatedly.
Domitia shrieked again and again, her voice hoarse with passion. The climax came like a storm. Her body convulsed violently, the muscles of her vagina gripping Thomas's penis tightly. He felt his own wave of heat rising. With a few final, deep thrusts, he released himself. His hot semen spurted into Domitia's throbbing womb.
He collapsed on top of her, their breaths ragged. After a moment, he withdrew. The sight before him was wild: Domitia lay bare-chested, her hair disheveled, her face flushed, and semen flowing out of her swollen vagina, drenching her inner thighs.
The haughty noblewoman had been utterly subjugated.
In the quiet of her luxurious room, after Domitia had left, Thomas's awaited blue panel glowed before his eyes.
{Intimate relations complete. Target: Upper Class Noble (Category 4).}
{Life Essence obtained: +50}
The number hit him with greater force than the orgasm they had just shared. Fifty. With one act, he gained half of what he needed for a new Legacy, a real power.
Thomas found Ashur near the armory that night. He tossed a small leather pouch towards the Syrian.
"More entertainment?" Ashur asked, catching the pouch.
"Not entertainment," Thomas cut in. "I need information."
Ashur's smile widened. "Information?"
"Magistratus Calavius," Thomas said. "I want to know everything. His debts, his enemies, his weaknesses. Especially his wife's weaknesses."
Ashur laughed. "You're starting to swim with the sharks, my friend."
"Every creature has a price, Ashur. What's yours?"
Ashur weighed the coin pouch. "For such information... it will cost more." He named a figure.
Thomas simply nodded.
The brand on his shoulder still ached as he returned to the barracks, but now there was another sensation accompanying it. A cold, hidden sense of power pulsed within him. He now had a total of 103 Essence. He had crossed a threshold.
Two nights later, Ashur found him. The Syrian emerged from the shadows as if made of smoke.
"Ears in the city have many stories," Ashur whispered, his smile cunning. "Magistratus Calavius... turns out his ship isn't as deep as it appears. He owes a great deal to a moneylender from Neapolis."
Thomas absorbed the information. A weakness to be exploited. "And his wife?"
A small, raspy chuckle escaped Ashur. "Ah, Domitia. She is a very pious woman. Very frequent visits to Jupiter's temple for prayers. But the slaves there whisper that her prayers often end in the private chambers of a Greek silk merchant. She has exotic and expensive tastes."
Ashur clapped Thomas on the shoulder. "Useful information, isn't it? Remember, my ears always hear, as long as your coins keep jingling."
The Syrian disappeared, leaving Thomas with his new ammunition. Debt. Adultery. This was the real currency in the world of nobles.
The opportunity to use his knowledge came from an unexpected direction. Lucretia summoned him the next day.
"I am going to the market," she said. "You will accompany me."
In the bustling market, Thomas became a focal point. At a jewelry stall, Lucretia picked up two silver brooches. One shaped like an eagle, the other a coiled serpent.
She turned to Thomas, her voice loud enough for the noblewomen nearby to hear. "Which, do you think, would better suit a woman like Domitia, who values strength?"
This was a test. Thomas looked at the two brooches, the image of Domitia's trembling naked body beneath him flashing in his mind.
"The eagle is a symbol of Rome, Domina," he replied, his voice calm and measured. "It flies high and is seen by all. But the serpent strikes from the shadows, when its opponent least expects it. True strength does not need to be displayed."
Lucretia looked at him, a flicker of surprise and satisfaction in her eyes. She bought the serpent brooch. The women who overheard the conversation looked at Thomas with new interest. This gladiator was more than just a brute.
That night, in his cell, as he pondered his next move, the system in his head reactivated. He had expected it.
{Notification: Legacy Threshold reached. Ready to unlock second [Legacy]}
{Choose Category: [Talent] or [Knowledge]}
The choice was laid before him. He had experienced the power of [Talent] Rapid Adaptation. It saved his life and earned him status. But the information he gained from Ashur opened his eyes to another game, a game played with whispers, not swords.
This next choice would determine the direction of his game from here on.
--------------------------
{Name: Thomas Vance}
{Stored Essence: 103}
{Active Legacy: [Talent] Rapid Adaptation}