Vortena

by Neven Iliev

  Boxxy crossed its arms with a triumphant nod.

  “Uh… What?”

  Needless to say, the lich was a bit dumbfounded as to what in Teresa’s tits it was talking about.

  “When Master says something is tasty, that means it is a good thing,” Xera explained. “More specifically, it is after Levels, gold, food, that sort of thing.”

  “Revenge, too,” the Mimic added.

  “Ah… I see…” Valeria murmured.

  Truthfully speaking, she could sympathize with goals like that. Growing stronger through Level-ups was something she sought anyway, and while money was low on her priority list, she understood that it had value when dealing with others. Food, on the other hand, was something she no longer desired nor needed, though wanting revenge was certainly something she could understand. However, pursuing it was sure to create a conflict of interests.

  “And why would I willingly do something like that? You’re the one who murdered me! Three times, at that!”

  “Pfft. Amateur,” Xera scoffed.

  The Mimic graciously ignored its familiar and continued.

  “Because you have tasty things you also want, right?”

  Yet another response Valeria hadn’t been expecting. She’d been sure that this monster would threaten her un-life, but it seemed as though it legitimately wanted to take part in some kind of give-and-take agreement. The lich honestly didn’t know what to expect at this point.

  “Wait, what exactly are you offering?”

  Boxxy’s head tilted dumbly to the side, its big red eyes blinking as it tried to remember the correct word.

  “… Partnership? Yes, partnership,” it stated.

  “And if I refuse?”

  “I kill you and keep the shiny.”

  It wasn’t like Valeria hadn’t seen it coming, but hearing the creature put it so bluntly with a smile on its face really struck a nerve. There was no doubt in her mind that it wouldn’t hesitate to do it if she forced its hand. Tentacle. Whatever. Well, at the very least it wasn’t trying to bullshit her, and she had definite confirmation that her continued existence was on the line, so that was something.

  But then, why would it be offering a partnership? Surely, simply threatening her would have been enough? On the other hand, if she were forced to work like a slave she would likely resent it and plot the Mimic’s downfall behind its back, whereas a mutually beneficial relationship would give her far less cause to object. There was just one glaring problem though – the idea of working with her own murderer left a bad taste in her mouth.

  Or did it? She felt as though that should have been the proper response, but the more she considered it, the less appalling it seemed. The last vestiges of her humanity were arguing that she ought to despise her killer, yet somehow she couldn’t bring herself to. While it was true that the Mimic had struck her down, that didn’t necessarily mean that it bore any ill will towards her personally. In fact, she had actually obtained power much greater than anything she would have had while she had still been foolishly clinging to her humanity as though it mattered.

  Ultimately, while she couldn’t exactly thank Boxxy for killing her, she also couldn’t necessarily fault it, either. After all, if their positions had been reversed, she probably would have done the same. Both her past and her current self would have trampled right over anyone who barged uninvited into her home, which was perhaps the main reason she’d been so angry at the sudden ambush in the first place. If not for that, perhaps the two of them wouldn’t have needed to fight at all.

  Then again, that thought raised a very important question.

  “Can I ask you something?” she inquired, receiving a nod in response. “Why were you in that tower to begin with?”

  “Had a Quest to defeat you.”

  “A Quest? Really? I don’t think I’ve done much to get myself noticed by the guilds, though.”

  She had been keeping a low profile ever since she’d become a lich. While it was true that she had attacked some random travelers and passers-by, the actual number of her human victims could be counted on one hand. And those could easily have been misinterpreted as the work of random monsters, bandits or accidents. There certainly hadn’t been enough to warrant a subjugation Quest just for her.

  Then she remembered.

  “Wait, the short one said something about a god, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “… Well?”

  “Well what?”

  “Which god was it?!”

  “God of Unlikelihoods,” it answered simply.

  “… There’s one of those?”

  “Yes.”

  “And he gave you a Quest?”

  “Yes.”

  “Like, personally?”

  “Yes.”

  “So… you… met a god?!”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?! How?! What possible reason would there be for a God to bother with lowly monsters like us?!”

  “He was bored.”

  “Gods can get bored?”

  “Apparently.”

  “And he sent you to me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Just for kicks because he was bored?”

  “Yes.”

  She thought for a moment. While the creature’s story was certainly outlandish, she had to admit that it certainly explained the otherwise-impossible reunion. How else would the very box that had murdered her have found her all the way out in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere? And if the Mimic was pragmatic enough to bother with these negotiations, then it wouldn’t have risked venturing so deep into Blight-infested territory without a good reason.

  As absurd as it seemed, being sent by a bored deity looking to get a rise out of their interaction made a lot more sense than it should have. Still, just because the story made sense didn’t mean she could just take it at face value. If it was capable of rational thought, then it was also capable of lying to suit its needs if the situation demanded it.

  “I’m having some difficulty believing you,” she stated flatly.

  “Does that matter?”

  “… No, I suppose it doesn’t.”

  After all, actions spoke louder than words, and the Mimic’s current actions indicated two things: that it had already accomplished its objective in the tower, and that said objective did not involve Valeria’s destruction. Having more or less confirmed the monster’s intentions, the lich made her decision.

  “Alright, you have a deal. I will agree to your proposal and help you with anything you want done to the best of my abilities.”

  It was a painfully obvious and inevitable choice considering that the other party held her greatest weakness. No matter how she weighed the pros and cons of the unexpected offer, maintaining her continued existence had to take top priority. Sure, she would have to follow the orders of the stupid box-thing that had killed her, but at the very least it was offering certain benefits.

  Speaking of which…

  “In return,” she continued, “I want two things from you. First, you have to keep my phylactery safe.”

  The creature had already proven itself to be unreasonably resilient. Having a sturdy meat shield like that protecting her soul’s true vessel would be quite reassuring.

  “You mean the shiny egg?”

  “Err, right. That. Just keep it out of that Item Box Skill of yours, okay? It can’t function properly from a place like that.”

  The Mimic stared at her silently. Did it have some issue with her request?

  “Uhm, B-Boxxy,” whispered Fizzy, “I think she means your, uh, Storage.”

  “Oh! Okay.”

  Boxxy had, of course, been planning to do that anyway. After all, it couldn’t put her to work if it allowed her to be destroyed.

  “Good,” Valeria said. “As for the other thing I want… Uhm… That is- I just need-”

  She couldn’t say it. The words refused to leave her throat, as though something was keeping them from spilling out. She suddenly realised that she was abou
t to say something truly outrageous, something that may have been a bit much, even for her. However, if she didn’t speak up now, she might not get the chance later. Besides, surely, if anyone could understand, it would be a fellow monster, right? Valeria screwed up her courage, took a pointlessly deep breath, and screamed:

  “I want to get fuuuuuuuucked!”

  “…”

  “…”

  “…”

  “…”

  The ensuing silence was deafening. Fizzy assumed that she was so tired she must be hearing things, while the two demons stared at Valeria with a mix of awe and disgust. Even the Mimic, who was normally impervious to lewd topics, was stunned at her outburst.

  “… Sorry, say that again?”

  Valeria’s eyes flew open and she panted heavily, a huge grimace threatening to rip her face in two. The cool and collected lich from just a few seconds ago was nowhere to be found, almost as if that side of her had never existed.

  “You know what sex is, right?!” she asked in a shaky voice.

  “Yes.”

  How could it not? The two demons performed the act on a literal daily basis. It was only natural it that would at least grasp the concept, even if it personally couldn’t see the point in it.

  “I want you to do that to me! Right here! Right now! Hard as you can! For as long as you can!”

  The floodgates had opened, unleashing Valeria’s long-pent-up lust.

  “Arms, Snack, take care of it,” Boxxy said matter-of-factly.

  After all, why should the master have to bother with a chore if it already had two minions who were basically pros at it?

  “Uhm, I don’t know, boss,” Kora spoke up. “I mean, I’ll gladly fuck anything with a pulse, but I’m pretty sure she doesn’t count.”

  “I’d much rather be on the receiving end,” Xera grumbled.

  It would seem that even a rape-happy demon had standards, while Xera had her own reservations about the idea. However, the two of them were forgetting something – they didn’t exactly have a choice in the matter.

  “That’s an ord-”

  “No!” Valeria interrupted, pointing directly at the Mimic. “Not them! You! With the tentacles!”

  She’d be lying if she said that the thought had never crossed her mind. In fact, the very idea that she’d be violated by the very monster that killed was so outrageous, so wrong that it made her perversions run wild.

  “I want you to shove them inside me!” she rambled, completely forgetting her position. “I want you to scoop out all of my holes and ravage me completely! I want to be stuffed so completely that I look like a bloated, sopping, wet mess!”

  The Mimic quietly considered her words. For some reason, she wanted it to tend to her personally. She wasn’t asking for food, treasure or help with some impossible task, so it really had nothing to lose but time. However, time was not a luxury it had a great deal of, as the monster was fairly certain that Edward was still after it. Spending what little it did have on a chore that offered no tangible reward seemed like a waste of a valuable resource. It had both the ability and the intention of accommodating Valeria’s request, but it definitely wouldn’t be happy about it.

  “Master, if I may make a suggestion?” Xera’s voice echoed through its mind.

  “What?” it asked, annoyed.

  Being stranded in the Beyond for a few weeks had given the succubus plenty of opportunities to plot and ponder. Though coming to terms with these unfamiliar feelings she had towards her Master was one of the topics she considered, there was another, equally important one. Namely, how to best convince her Master to satisfy her… special needs.

  “Why not think of this as an opportunity to practice your Shapeshift Skill? You mentioned that you needed to create new and unique things in order to raise its Level, and you’ve yet to try the sort of things that that disturbed woman is requesting. You do need to max that out in order to Rank Up, don’t you?”

  Boxxy pondered the idea. It could find very little flaw in Snack’s suggestion. In fact, it liked it quite a bit, and was suddenly eager to begin. Without warning, the fake succubus emerging from its maw began to shift and morph while listening to its raunchy familiar’s whispered suggestions. The semi-human figure split into a dozen red, slimy tongue-tentacles, which wrapped abruptly around the lich’s arms and legs, pulling her closer to the Mimic. Boxxy pinned her firmly to the ground, tore off the long bandage-like cloth that covered her naughty bits, and forced two of its appendages into her lower half.

  Valeria let out a sound halfway between a scream and a moan. It was sudden and rough, just the way she liked it. The way the twin intruders changed their shape and girth as they adapted to her insides was unlike anything she had experienced before. It was so intense that there was no way for her to subdue her screams, even if she’d tried.

  “Holy shit!” Kora shouted. “What the fuck?! The boss actually went and did it!”

  Her surprise was understandable, as she hadn’t been privy to her co-contractor’s suggestion. The two of them were, after all, on separate mind links. She was still greatly amused by the sight, even if she had no idea what was happening.

  “Waaaah!”

  Fizzy, on the other hand, was far less enthusiastic. The obscenely bizarre display was just too much for a virgin like her to handle, and all she could do was look away and cover her ears while blushing fiercely.

  “Me too, Master! Do me too!”

  Xera was, to nobody’s surprise, bouncing up and down, her arms waving excitedly as if hoping to be picked.

  “Okay.”

  Boxxy had no reason to deny her, as Valeria alone wasn’t remotely enough to challenge its shapeshifting prowess. A few of its tentacles split off to wrap themselves around the eager succubus, subjecting her to much the same treatment much to Xera’s delight. However, the Mimic still had tentacles to spare, and it figured that, if it was going to be stuck doing this for a while, it might as well go all out. After all, the sooner it raised its Shapeshift to Level 10, the sooner it could Rank Up into a more powerful creature.

  “Arms,” it called.

  Kora’s eyes went wide as she realised what her master was about to do.

  “Uhm… I-I think I’ll pass. I’ll be outside if you need me!”

  She spun on her heel and made for the cave’s entrance. She honestly didn’t want any part of this. After all, unlike those two mega-sluts, she would much rather be doing the pitching than the catching.

  Unfortunately for her, it hadn’t been a request.

  Two more tentacles shot from the Mimic’s side, wrapping firmly around her ankles. The red-skinned fiend fell flat on her face as her legs were pulled out from under her and she was dragged along the cave floor. She resisted, but ultimately could do nothing once she was ordered to stop.

  Just as Xera had suggested, growing all these limbs was excellent training for Boxxy’s flesh-molding ability, both in terms of Skill Proficiency and practicing new shapes. It was almost at its biomass limit though, so couldn’t do much more before it was tasked to capacity. The most it could squeeze into this practice session was something small and light. Something… gnome-sized.

  And the perfect candidate just so happened to be just a few metres away.

  It was a solid two hours before the Mimic finally ran out of steam. It released the women it had been fooling around with, allowing them to collapse in a sweaty, soggy heap on the floor.

  Xera was in utter bliss. No matter how many times she’d tried to entice her beloved Master to properly violate her, it had always turned her down, saying that sex was a pointless exercise. She doubted whether even her brilliant suggestion would have been enough by itself to change the stubborn box’s mind, so this development had been most fortuitous. She almost wanted to thank the lich for serving as the trigger for this truly memorable event.

  Kora, on the other hand, was feeling a bit conflicted. Originally, she hadn’t wanted to take part in any of this, but she’d really gotten in
to it somewhere along the way. Figuring out an opponent’s weaknesses and then mercilessly targeting them with pinpoint precision was Boxxy’s preferred method of resolving conflicts, and it treated intercourse in much the same way. Even if the demon’s nature abhorred being dominated by anyone, let alone a mortal, she hadn’t been able to resist giving into the Mimic’s onslaught. It had shown her that she could feel pleasure in ways she hadn’t even been aware of, and that alone was more than enough to overwhelm her dissatisfaction. At the end of the day, experiencing new and exciting things was the main reason why demons agreed to summoning contracts in the first place.

  Things were far less rosy for Fizzy, however. Though she’d wanted no part of the affair, she had ultimately been far too weak to stop Boxxy treating her like a plaything. While she had managed to endure weeks of constant mental and physical abuse, this had finally broken her. She remained motionless, her dead eyes gazing blankly. It didn’t take a genius to see that she was utterly traumatised, driven to new depths of despair at the hands of the uncaring, selfish monster. It seemed that she was forever destined to be the creature’s possession, but she was unable to find any joy in her servitude, unlike those demons.

  As for Valeria, the impetus for the recent turn of events, she was finally satisfied. Completely, utterly, and unequivocally fulfilled. If this was always how the Mimic rewarded her, then doing its bidding seemed like a perfectly reasonable trade-off. So what if it had murdered her? She had felt more alive during these past two hours than she had in her entire life and un-life combined.

  Boxxy, on the other hand, was regretting its actions. Much like every other new endeavour it’d set out on, it had overdone things and neglected its physical state like some kind of workaholic. This had left it not only profoundly hungry and thirsty, but also exhausted to the point where it felt as though it was about to black out. It made a mental note to be more moderate in the future, as depleting its stamina to this degree had left it momentarily vulnerable. On the upside, its Shapeshift proficiency had gone up by 14%, which was pretty impressive progress for only two hours of work. Snack had also mentioned that she had some great ideas regarding how to take things further, and the Mimic was hopeful that it would be able to get the Skill to Level 10 in a reasonable amount of time.