“Seems they don’t like either of us...” said Scott.
“Yeah, seems so. Let’s split them up and find them good homes later,” said Alexis.
“I hope we can. Kobolds would probably feel best if they are bonded to someone who has other canine Crystallim,” said Scott.
“Yeah, they would,” said Alexis. "My bond with Ginger probably didn't help my case here."
Scott chuckled softly. "I think they just don't like me."
The two pack members would normally be divided between them based on whichever Crystallim landed the finishing blow. However, Pirouette's single-handed stall of their three-way attacks was the only reason that they finished the battle without serious casualties. They opted to split the two subordinate Crystallim between each other.
The pack leader, however, presented a difficulty. Pirouette did the most damage to the girl overall, but Ginger finished the fight. Plus, she was obviously the most valuable asset from the loot distribution.
Alexis suggested that they generate random numbers to see who would get her. Scott agreed without any hesitation. It was a fairly common method of determining such things.
They both started to send each other a message, but asked the system to randomize a number string from one to ten thousand. Before sending they each chose the proper hunter option setting for reward distribution so that the end result would be legitimatized under law. The bigger number sent would be the winner.
Scott sent his message just before Alexis sent hers. His random number was two thousand six hundred eighteen. Her random number was four thousand sixty-four.
“Well, crap,” said Scott. He handed her the pack leader’s core.
Alexis grinned at him. “Yay!”
He pushed at her a little. She laughed happily and swished her hips from side to side while wagging her finger in the air. “Don’t be so aggressive just because I’m better than you.”
“I thought you might like it if I was more aggressive,” said Scott lightly.
The girl’s expression shifted to one of mild embarrassment and she giggled softly. “Maybe... but let’s discuss that later.”
“Right,” he said.
Not long after that, the hunting party moved on. In the dungeon there would be many battles, and chances to help many girls trapped inside their living Nightmare prisons. Liberation was a brutal and violent process, much akin to lancing an infected wound. Still, in the end the girl’s would have a chance at living a real life and answer to the dictates of their true heart.
***
Feet danced on stone, blood arced through the air. The sights and sounds of violent conflict filled the room as Crystallim struggled against Crystallim. Vital fluids, and personal shame, splattered wildly against dirt and stone as time passed and the battles heated up.
Throughout the day, the hunting party repeatedly crossed the paths of two to three Crystallim at a time. However, in this room they discovered the source of the kobolds in the area, a Kobold nest. Over thirty of the Nightmares were resting in the area when the hunting party noticed them.
Kobold senses were keen, but due to taking their repose and the fair bit of noise they generated, they somehow did not notice the danger that approached. There was a subtle wind in the dungeon caverns that could explain the scent not reaching the Nightmares, but they also did not notice the footsteps of the hunting party. Whatever fortune favored Scott and the others continued to favor them for a short time.
Upon arrival, Scott and Alexis pulled back and devised a strategy. The presence of such a large concentration of kobolds allowed for actions that would normally be deemed unethical.
Battle plans set, the hunters each threw three sleep grenades into the area. The Nightmares immediately became alarmed, but many of them fell unconscious before they could do anything.
Once the majority of the Nightmares were rendered unconscious, the girls swept into the area. Pirouette and Ginger entered the area first, followed by Flora and Alexis’ third team member, Arika.
Arika, a Gung-Hopper, was quite excited to face such a battle. She rushed in and immediately began to fight the largest Kobold in the area.
Flora rolled her eyes then moved to join Pirouette and Ginger. She provided entanglement and other helpful means of low-end crowd control to maximize the effectiveness of the efficient and agile girls.
Ginger tackled a Kobold then leapt back and to the side to avoid the claws of another Nightmare. However, Pirouette easily finished the downed Crystallim with a hard downward strike to the abdomen.
After several of the Nightmares gathered in a mass to fight as a pack, Pirouette unleashed one of her most devastating attacks. Dark energy swirled around her for a moment, and then she lashed out with her sword.
Dark Wave, a combination of Shadow Bolt and Shadow Cutter, shot out in a powerful arc. The area-of-effect attack ability cut deeply into the six Kobolds in front of her. Each of them immediately fell into critical status as the powerful shadow element attack was well beyond their resonance and defense.
Ginger quickly finished off two of the Nightmares facing her by using a series of rapid claw strikes. Flora managed to take down one of them with a vine whip, but three of them remained.
Off to the side, Arika kept the largest Nightmare busy. The black haired beauty faced off with an evolved Kobold, a Stormvolt. The lightning element Nightmare was faster and more dangerous than her sisters, but her level was not much higher. The Gung-hopper ducked under a powerful clawing strike then leapt upward with a jumping spinning uppercut that sent the dog-headed girl flying back.
Whenever one of the girls became endangered, Scott or Alexis would recall them and then call them back out. After a quick health restoration, the girls would be sent out again. Restoratives worked best if they were applied to the dream form directly. Applying them to the Crystallim core did work, but the restoratives could not be used repeatedly because the absorption rate was slower.
Pirouette shot off three shadow bolts and then returned to her master for treatment. Scott sprayed her chest with the contents of a medical canister. She winked at her master then turned and ran off toward the battle.
By the time the Dark Elf returned to the battle, most of the girls who were conscious were defeated. They quickly finished off the conscious nightmares and then the next part of the plan began.
Scott and Alexis called out their aquatic Crystallim and ordered them fire off their weak water attacks at the same target. There was little moisture in the room and neither of them possessed strong water attacks when they were not near a source of water.
The mobility challenged girls slowly crushed their opponents with water spears. Battle was the greatest source of experience. There was no reason not to allow their water types to join in on the experience bonanza.
Several minutes passed during the free-range target practice. Due to the weakness of the attacking girls, a few of the downed Nightmares began to wake up.
At first, Shaia and Circe, her tentacle legged counterpart, were directed to fire on the Nightmares who started to stand up, but soon several of them had sleepily began to rise to their feet. The aquatic girls were instructed to stop their attacks. The rest of the team moved in to finish off the groggy Nightmares.
After the battle ended, the girls brought the Crystallim cores over. Scott and Alexis poured through them, but only Alexis developed a spark with any of the gathered girls.
“Lucky! You sparked twice,” said Scott. It was common for a hunter to capture a dozen or more Crystallim but not spark with any of them.
In truth, sparks were somewhat rare prior to the initial treatments that a nightmare underwent when taken back to civilization. Shaia was a fluke. However, he began to wonder if Kobold girls just did not like him.
“I know, right!” exclaimed Alexis. She placed the two girls into her Miss. As compensation, she granted Scott the Stormvolt despite the fact that Arika was the one who defeated her. Neither of them could form a bond with the girl anywa
y, so it was more of a monetary compensation for claiming two of the girls.
After the choosing, the rest of the Crystallim cores were divided up evenly. At the end of the battle Scott had scored a whopping sixteen Crystallim! If only he could have sparked with even one of the girls that they had captured throughout the day, it would have been perfect.
“Twenty-four cores acquired today and I sparked with none of them,” said Scott with a pout.
Alexis grinned at him. “Aww, poor baby. Do you want big sister to kiss your ouchy?”
“Oh, big sister... It hurts so much,” replied Scott, an exaggerated expression of pain writ large upon his face.
She laughed at him then leaned over and gave him a soft kiss on the nose. “There, all better, right?”
"A little... but it still hurts, big sister..." he said lightly.
"Where does it hurt?" she asked him with a slightly lecherous grin.
Scott brought up his arm and pointed his elbow at her. "Here, obviously."
She snorted out a laugh then leaned in and kissed him softly on the elbow while looking into his eyes. "Better?"
“Sure," he said with a smile. She smiled in kind and they shared a warm moment for a time.
"Even if there were few sparks today, at least these girls will have a chance at a real life instead of living like animals,” said Scott. Kobolds acted a bit like wolves, or wild dogs, when they were in Nightmare status. They ran in packs and acted like wild beasts. When they were Lucid they were often employed as security guards or in law enforcement.
“I wonder how many of these girls will end up in a K-9 unit?” asked the man. Kobolds were often grouped into three member squads when assigned to a human police officer. Those officers usually operated as three officer teams, and as such the typical police patrol unit following this protocol would contain nine kobolds. Over time they were known as a K-9 unit.
“Most of them, I’m sure. My mother has direct contact with police commissions all across the continent,” replied Alexis.
Scott nodded to her then turned to his girls. “You girls are doing great! Keep it up.”
Pirouette smiled at him then granted him a soft nod. Shaia giggled cutely then flapped her tail up and down. Flora, however, walked over to him and held out her arms. Her expression and pose made it obvious that she desired something more than words. Scott slipped his arms around her and gave the sweet girl a warm hug.
Alexis waited patiently for the hug to end, but she kept glancing at them like she wanted to say something. However, it was Arika who spoke up. “Bored now..."
Her master looked to her curiously. The battle focused girl merely shrugged and asked, "Are we going to fight some more, or what?”
The Gung-Hopper glanced over at her master then blushed a little. She had only been a level one Nightmare when her master defeated her in personal combat. The memory of her luxurious and powerful thighs wrapped around her body excited her to no end, but it was hard to speak of such things. Of course, she certainly enjoyed doing such things when they happened.
“Yeah, maybe we shou—” began Scott. However, he was cut off by the sudden emergence of a new group of Kobolds. The dog-headed Crystallim raced toward them at high speed.
The girls exploded into action. Pirouette fired off a Dark Wave attack. Shaia and Circe unleashed water spears. Arika raised her fists. Ginger and Flora moved to guard their masters.
However, despite the attacks, the Kobolds continued to run forward at high-speed. In fact, they largely ignored the hunting party. Instead they raced forward at a break-neck pace while heading for a nearby corridor entrance.
“What in the world is going on?” asked Alexis. Kobolds were normally far more aggressive. What could cause them to completely ignore a hunting party?
“Yeah, they seemed like they were frightened by something,” said Scott. He looked toward the tunnel that the Kobolds ran out of previously. "Something a lot more frightening to them than us."
“I think so... But what could be more frightening to them than six trained Crystallim and their two masters?” asked Alexis.
It did not take long to find out. Another trio of Kobolds rushed out of the tunnel up ahead. However, just after they entered the room a loud screeching sound echoed through the area. A line of sticky material shot out of the entrance that splattered against a terrified Kobold's back.
She cried out in fear just before she was snatched back and onto the ground. She reached out for her pack mates, but they did not even spare her a glance. Her plaintive howl of despair echoed through the room even as she was drawn back into the darkness of the tunnel beyond.
It was not long afterward that the origin of her fear walked into the room. Surprisingly, it was a cute and busty girl!
“Hi! How are things?” asked the girl. She flashed a hint of fangs while offering a winning smile.
“Things... are good...” said Scott in a slow and deliberate manner.
“Oh, my goodness!” She sniffed the air then nodded. Her eyes widened and she clapped her hands together once. Her smile increased in warmth several fold. Hands still clapped in front of her chest, she tilted her head to the side and asked, “You’re a boy aren’t you?”
Scott immediately opened his inventory screen. It was obvious that she was a Crystallim even before she started to talk, but her distinctive notice of his masculinity meant that he would probably be a primary target.
She ran her tongue gently along her lips. She parted her hands then slid down her body in a mildly erotic display. “You know, I really like boys...”
“Do you?” asked Scott. He pulled out what he was looking for while never taking his eyes off of the girl.
She laughed happily then her cheeks turned bright red as though she were drunk, or supremely embarrassed. A moment later she made a loud, sensual, outcry. “Yes! They taste the best of all!”
The Crystallim shifted her appearance quickly. A scene out of a true nightmare arose before the group. The pretty girl’s lower body morphed into the bloated form of a giant arachnid. “Dinner time!” she cried before hurling herself forward on her eight spider-like legs.
“Be careful! She’s a lot stronger than the Kobolds!” cried Pirouette.
It was obvious due to how the Kobolds reacted previously, but it was good to be reminded. Arika, brave foolish Arika, raced toward the spider girl head long in pursuit of a challenge. Surely, this spider girl would prove to be a worthy opponent! The Kobolds were annoying her with their weakness.
Alexis called for the girl to come back, but she ignored her master in favor of the expectant thrill of the coming fight. The newly arrived Nightmare smiled pleasantly then flashed a toothy fanged grin. "I love it when the restaurant delivers..."
Arika hopped up into the air and lashed out with a powerful flying kick. It was a display of beauty and grace that would put many martial artists to shame, just before it became a scene of carnage and visceral gore.
Her opponent rapidly scythed her forelegs down atop the fiery fighter. The spider girl's legs speared through Arika's body with incredible force then almost casually pulled sideways. The Gung-Hopper was torn asunder with little effort, her body tearing into two large chunks of devastated flesh that fell heavily to the ground below.
“Arika!” screamed Alexis as the still wriggling meat of her partner pumped blood and other vital fluids onto the uncaring cavern floor. The hunter started to run toward her downed Crystallim, but Scott held her back.
She turned toward him and he shook his head. “We need to get ready to assist. That girl is obviously a Black Widow.”
Alexis’ eyes widened and then she cried out, “Shit, you’re right!”
She looked through her inventory and pulled out a device that would be needed. This fight would not be won by Crystallim alone.
Pirouette leapt to the side and began to flash with a dark light. Soon three identical versions of her appeared. She began to move in an intricate pattern that was perfectly in sync with her
new creations. Her mirror images seemed to dance in time with her movements.
The Black Widow glanced at her curiously, but shot out a web line toward Ginger in a casual display of dominance. The Catgirl took the sticky white load to the face and she fell to the ground gasping for air.
Alexis immediately recalled her then called her back out to work on freeing her face from the status effect. Status effects would sometimes disappear when a Crystallim was recalled, but most of the time they would linger for a while due to trauma to the psyche. The Crystallim would actually manifest the status effect herself because she remembered it so keenly.
Flora whipped out her vines in an attempt to entangle the Nightmare’s legs, but the agile monstrosity was too quick on her feet. The Alraune girl was not up to the task, but she continued to do her best.
Three identical shadow bolts raced toward the spider girl with great speed and perfect timing. However, the damage was largely mitigated by her carapace and agile movements. The fact that her main skill-sets were in the fields of shadow and vitality could not be overlooked, either. Pirouette was the strongest fighter in the battle, but against a creature who resists her best skills due to similarity of nature it was problematic for the Dark Elf to score a significant hit.
Water spears raced toward the spider girl, but she merely laughed and opened her chest up to accept the feeble attacks. A bath sounded just lovely, even if she was not a major fan of water.
The water spears splashed heavily against her gloriously naked chest. A warm laugh bubbled up and with her arms still held wide, she cried out, "Refreshing! Do you have any scented bath oils?"
“Dammit, at this rate we’re dead,” said Scott while he eyed the laughing Nightmare. He attached the device in his hand to his wrist and set it for voice activation.
“She must have wandered up from one of the lower levels. I thought Black Widows were rare in this cave,” said Alexis.
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