1-162 Into the dungeon again

“So how did the war go?” Jaina asked as Roric sat at the table with Chandice. Gisley, and Evalynn were already seated, sipping at a fruity drink while waiting for the details.

“You saw most of it,” Chandice said. “Not much happened after Hannah laid out her plan.”

“I think it’s a good change,” Roric added. “Hannah and her princess sisters should be held to a higher standard.”

“I kinda liked the idea of a slutty princess,” Jaina pouted. “But I won’t complain so long as we can still play with her.”

“I was afraid I wouldn’t be allowed to play with her,” Chandice sighed. “My heart would have broken.”

Jaina nodded as she recounted the tense moment that occurred in the harem. The masters met in a sort of emergency meeting to discuss the future of Blackbast's temple. Thanks to Blackbast's unique class, she was required to have sex with strangers who came to her temple. She or one of her slave girls had to offer what they called comfort to the guest and, if accepted, have sex.

This requirement caused friction between Blackbast and Rajeen, causing them to part ways years earlier. As they were lovers, this parting had been a painful and sore experience. The true root of the problem was that Rajeen hated the idea of any of her girls having sex with any person not part of the harem. Blackbast had to have sex outside the harem, or she would suffer penalties, power loss, and eventually a reset if it went on too long. She also needed girls to serve with her to reach her full power and wanted to rotate girls from Rajeen's harem to her regularly. Jaina could only imagine how much that idea made Rajeen’s skin crawl. Not only did the idea of having sex outside the harem not sit well with the Tiger women, but with men was abhorrent.

However, thanks to recent testing, they discovered all of Blackbast's requirements could be met by simply sending a harem girl to the temple as the guest. So long as they made love to Blackbast or one of her girls, the requirements were met. Thus, the temple's needs could be met purely inside the harem, which is what the shouting was about. Rajeen refused to believe that Blackbast had never considered that before. She was sure Blackbast had chosen to leave and wound her heart for reasons unknown.

It was a reasonable point of view, and one Jaina now wondered about. Surely, it had to have crossed her mind at some point. Blackbast countered the argument by asking Rejeen why she hadn't thought of it and pointed out it only really worked now because Hannah could collar others and turn them into succubi.

That didn't seem to sway Rajeen, and the fight escalated to how sick it made Rajeen to know Hannah was part of this. She saw Hannah as the princess in the harem, the shining jewel on their crown and a beacon of light to her people. She shouldn't be thrown to random players just because they happened to stumble on the temple, nor should she be used for testing the system. What they had already done had upset her, and knowing there would be much more made her sick. She wanted Hannah and her princess wives reserved, like a sacred vessel for only the harem and the most worthy of men. Those whose service to the harem and the kingdom were beyond compare.

It was high praise coming from Rajeen, who treated all women as sacred, and Jaina was impressed. Rajeen proposed they close the temple to the public and restrict all girls to the harem. As pleasant as that sounded, it meant Roric's girls could no longer be bartered or sold for a night. Jaina wasn't too happy about that, and Roic objected, but then Hannah stepped in.

She pointed out the logical flaw in closing the temple. Gwen used it as a means to have discreet sexual encounters. If the temple were closed to the public, she would be cut off and unable to continue. This would likely upset the Queen Mother and cause even larger problems. Also, Jaina and her sisters were the heart of the Lovewood, and being unable to frolic in the trees would steal much of the forest's magic. The only true compromise was to allow any girl who served Roric directly to continue serving in the forest, while any girl who served Blackbast had to be allowed to serve in the temple.

As logical as that was, it failed to solve the core problem. It left Hannah having sex in the temple, which is what Rajeen truly wanted to stop.

Rajeen was just about to argue when Hannah made a bold move, reaching up and taking off her collar. She then acknowledges Rajeen's worry about Hannah and her sisters. She proposed that she wear Rajeen's collar instead, thus putting her fully under Rajeen's wishes.

It was a move that silenced the whole room and brought Rajeen to tears. With Hannah directly under Rajeen's control, the tiger woman could ensure she was carefully protected and held like the shining jewel Rajeen saw her as.

Rajeen accepted the offer and collared Hannah as her own, thus ending the argument.

“Don’t you think it’s funny how Blackbast wasn’t the least bit upset that Hannah threw away her collar?” Evalynn asked. “Hannah was her greatest asset. With a succubus who had other girls under her, she had a treasure of a slave girl.”

“I did think that was odd,” Roric agreed. “I expected a little shock or maybe disappointment, but she smiled.”

“I saw that too,” Chandice nodded. “She was pleased by this outcome.”

“She was probably happy for Hannah,” Jaina said before sticking a finger into her slender glass. She absorbed the liquid through her skin, smiling at the sweet taste.

“Can you please drink that like a normal person?” Chandice asked.

“What? I am a slime monster,” Jaina replied. “This is normal for me.”

“I think it all worked out for the best,” Gisley said. “And it was brave of you to admit what you did.”

Jaina smiled as she admitted to cheating the system. During the argument, Hannah admitted she felt guilty about the one guest she had served in the temple. What nobody knew was that one guest had been Jaina, shape-shifted and pretending to be a wood elf man. Jaina came clean and admitted it had been her, helping to relieve the guilt and keep things moving.

“So what now?” Jaina asked. “They have their lives all set. What are we going to do?”

“I could sell you to Blackbast,” Roric suggested. “She does need girls now.”

“That’s up to you,” Jaina said. “I mentioned we were considering it earlier. She said to wait until after the meeting to make our decision. She also said I would be treated like Hannah had been. I would still be seen as yours first and hers second.

“I meant to ask about that,” Chandice said. “What’s to stop you from selling her for a day, then buying her back?” “You two could sell her back and forth every day?”

Roric sat back and thought about the question a moment, then shrugged.

“Nothing, I suppose. I don’t recall there being any limit to how often a girl could be sold,” he replied. “I suppose she is trying to cushion the blow and assure me I can still do what I want with Jaina. What she isn't considering is how my powers work. Unless Jaina is in my collar, I can't use her for anything.”

“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that,” Jaina said as she reconsidered. “She would have to sell me back if we wanted to adventure.”

“Which we need to do,” Evalynn said. “That one attempt at Frank’s dungeon was nice, but we didn’t get very far.”

“Hmm,” Roric replied while nodding. “You know, Frank's monster guild is drawing them in, and he's encouraged them to post where their homes are hidden so players can play them. We could look for one to explore?”

“Giving up on Frank’s death trap?” Chandice laughed.

“No,” Roric said. “His dungeon is perfect for practicing to do a wold dungeon. Which I also think we need to do if we want to defend the kingdom. The items we will find on the lower levels will be very useful.”

“Can’t Chandice just make them?” Jaina asked.

“In your dreams,” Chandice replied. “I could make an item with two properties now, but you could pull something with seven or more properties out of a world dungeon. Or one with a single property set significantly higher than I could ever reach.”

“But those places are supposed to be scary,” Gisley said as she glittered in fear. “People rarely get off the first three levels.”

“Blackbast and Rajeen did,” Jaina said. “Remember, she told us that’s how they got that figurine they gave to Frank. The human form ones are supposed to be super rare.”

Roric sat back and considered the options then asked if anyone wanted to try again. Nobody objected, so he agreed they would delve into Frank's dungeon once more and brave its depths. They finished a light meal, and Jaina was sent to collect Zillix and Idris, as they had been useful in the last attempt.

Jaina found them in Rajeen's portion of the harem, walking a garden with Zillix on the woman's shoulders. Jaina invited them to come, and they readily agreed, joining the party and rushing off to begin. They gathered in the graveyard, where a group of players was doing fairly decently against the zombies.

“I spoke with Frank while you were out,” Roric told Jaina. “For the next twenty-four hours, the monsters in the graveyard will be hostile to us.”

“I am glad Frank’s graveyard is busy,” Evalynn said. “Breanne told me that one of his biggest dreams was to create a grand adventure and see people having fun.”

“Well, he's got plenty of visitors now,” Jaina said as she stripped down in preparation. She went completely naked to gain the most benefit of her Naked Defense ability. Gisley had her light fairy armor on, and Evalynn was covered in a metal plate. Chandice was in her black robes with red runes, holding her staff. She already had her devil rogue standing at her side, but this time, she had a side sash of scrolls.

“What are those for?” Jaina asked.

“Backup spells,” Chandice replied. “If we are seriously going to consider this world dungeon idea, I wan’t to start practicing using scrolls to help mitigate my mana loss.”

“A good idea,” Roric agreed. “I brought five potions of healing and a few of defense with me. I got some for you as well, Evalynn.”

“I didn’t bring anything,” Gisley said sadly. “I wish I had some magical items.”

“Oh, I don't have any either,” Jaina said. “Unless you count that pearl that makes me orgasm whenever somebody else is thinking of me while they masturbate.”

“Speaking of which,” Chandice said with a smirk. “What are the chances of you giving that to Hannah?”

“Umm, why?” Jaina asked, now curious as to what that would accomplish. Chandice explained that she was curious as to how many people masturbated to thoughts of Hannah. It would be fun to give it to her and watch for a few hours to see how many times she came.”

“I am so giving it to her,” Jaina laughed. “Can you enchant it so that once she puts it on, she can't take it off until morning?”

“Don’t be cruel,” Evalynn giggled. “She’s so popular, there are bound to be people thinking about her. She might be cumming all night.”

“Your right,” Jaina relented. “Enchant it so she can’t take it off for a week.”

“And I thought you loved her,” Chandice said with a shake of her head. “Well, bend over so your master can buff up.”

“Oh, I forgot about this,” Idris said as she brightened up. “I wish Zillix needed to do this.”

“Sheesh, can you at least show some excitement,” Jaina asked as she gave Chandice a funny look.

“I always get excited to see you enjoying your role,” Chandice cooed as she took Jaina’s hands. “And I am only teasing you. We both know I love playing my role, and you make it all possible. Sometimes, I don't know what comes over me, but I love pressing you to do more.”

“You just like to see me being taken,” Jaina laughed.

“That too,” Chandice agreed.

“Well, alright,” Jaina sighed and turned to Roric.

“Actually, I was thinking maybe Evalynn this time,” he said, to everyone's surprise.

“Why Evalynn?” Jaina asked.

“Because she never gets the chance,” Roric replied. “I always pass her over because she's in full armor, and you are easier to use. But she should get a chance to serve just like the rest of you once in a while.”

“Well, sure,” Jaina grumbled as Evalynn stood by, smiling. “I suppose that’s fair.”

“Aww, I will make love to you like we did in our early days as girlfriends,” Chandice said as she clung to Jaina’s arm. “You were always so passionate.”

“Speaking of passionate,” Jaina countered. “When will you be high enough to summon a succubus?”

“Seven more levels,” Chandice said sourly. “I have been looking forward to that forever.”

“Now that we are working on our levels, it shouldn't be too long,” Roric said as he helped Evalynn remove her mail skirt.

Chandice shrugged and leaned into Jaina to watch as Evalynn was held firmly. Her arms were tight behind her back as Roric mounted her until his knot was deep inside. Then he began to thunder away, sending the woman into heaving moans and gasps as he used her body for his buffs. She glowed and glittered as he triggered them one by one, the sex the only means by which he could cast them.

Jaina sighed and realized she loved watching this, too. She supposed a lot of girls liked to watch, though few would admit it. There was something so arousing about seeing another woman taken to the brink and sent into orgasm. She supposed she tended to fantasize about the sex and see herself in the place of the woman. Or maybe it was just because she loved Evalynn, and was happy to see her being pleasured. Either way, she watched as Evalynn's armored body was hammered away and her pussy left running with Roric's milky gift before he declared he was ready.

Jaina helped Evalynn put her armor skirt back on, and then they joined Roric. Only then did they realize the other group of players had stopped fighting monsters to gawk in stunned silence.

“We had an audience to your buffing,” Chandice said as they headed into the graveyard.

“I don’t really care,” Roric replied with a smile. “I am a master of the Jade Harem. I will enjoy my girls when and where I please.”

They began the process of clearing a path, allowing Gisley to pull zombies and skeletons to them using her magic. She used only low-level moon rays to zap them and bring them running so Evalynn could cut them down. Chandice and Jaina held back, not needing to do anything or waste power.

“Idris has explained this concept of levels to me,” Zillix said as they advanced across the yard. “But how high can a player go?”

“Nobody knows,” Chandice replied. “Gwen is over a hundred, maybe even two hundred for all we know. Hannah has curses put on her by people who were nearly a thousand.”

“Wow,” Idris gasped. “People just speculated you could go that high.”

“Until we saw Hannah's spells, we assumed an extremely high player was around level two hundred,” Jaina agreed. “Everything I read on the forums said players over a hundred would be rare.”

“But if you just keep going up, won’t everybody do that eventually?” Zillix asked.

“They should,” Chandice agreed but then pointed out how somehow it never happened. Thanks to wars, larger conflicts, and rampages of the necromancers, vast swaths of players had been reset several times. There was also the little factor that extremely high-level players seemed to vanish from public life. Nobody knows where they went, just that they went somewhere else away from the lower players.

“Most people assume it’s well beyond the spawn ring,” Jaina added. “Who knows what’s out there in the wilds far beyond the spawn.”

“And you think I could level up like this?” Zillix asked.

“So long as you're a player,” Jaina said with a shrug. “Everybody levels.”

They turned to watch as Roric and Evalynn dealt with a pack of five zombies, taking them apart with ease. Jaina kept a wary eye on the central mausoleum that dominated the yard. This building was a mimic woman named Vylah, who spent all her days sitting idle in the graveyard. Even now, the cold gray building stood alone and abandoned as if it had been there for centuries. She and Chandice found it very strange that anybody could be so welcoming of isolation, but Vylah pulled it off spectacularly. She rarely let her image drop, and even then mostly for Frank. From what Quinny told them, Vylah had a soft spot for Frank, and the two occasionally played chess.

“Are we using the central entrance?” Jaina asked as they passed down a mossy cobblestone road.

“No,” Roric replied. “Frank said there was another entrance in a mausoleum marked by a raven. It should be closer to the swamp in the next ring of stones.”

“Why are we avoiding Vylah?” Gisley asked.

“Why not avoid her?” Chandice asked. “She didn’t even acknowledge we were there the last time.”

“That was strange,” Roric agreed. “And the funny thing is, I can’t smell her.”

“What's so funny about that?” Jaina asked. Roric told her he could smell her when she took the form of something inanimate. However, that day, when they passed right through Vylagh's form, all he could smell was stone, dirt, and the bodies in the graveyard. He couldn't pick up the woman at all.

“That is odd,” Jaina greed as they reached a hedge wall with an iron gate. Beyond it were some steps to a lower yard of about a hundred gravestones and a few gnarled trees clustered around a bench.

“Oh, a dead player,” Gisley said as she pointed to one side.

“Poor guy,” Jaina added as they saw the armored man lying near a mound of disturbed soil. “Probably some ghouls.”

“Frank said to go through this yard to the back gate and onto the lower road,” Roric explained as they walked five feet into the new area and heard a strange howl.

“Umm?” Jaina began as she looked about to see grave mist spewing out of several open graves. “Did he say anything about a trap?”

“No,” Roric replied, sweeping his spear through the thickening fog. “But keep an eye open for movement.”

The group tightened up and stuck to the cobbled road as red lights began to flicker in the distance. Evalynn declared them to be skeletons, and sure enough, they came through the mist in a group of nearly a dozen. Roric encouraged Zillix to help, taking his illusionary humanoid form and using a modest hammer. He waded into combat with Roric and Evalynn while being supported by Idris with buffs and heals.

“I always wanted to play a support caster,” Idris sighed.

“You would be more effective with your zombies out,” Chandice replied.

“I know, but that’s overkill for now,” Idris said. “Besides, if I needed troops, I could dominate a few of these for a little bit.”

“You really are a lot like a necromancer,” Jaina commented. “Too bad you didn’t get a chance to play with Hannah in her prime.”

“I wish I had,” Idris replied sadly. “It was my dream to stand beside a necromancer.”

“Well, maybe Hannah will find where they all went,” Chandice added as the skeletons were being quickly dispatched. They watched as the three easily put the pack down, only to have more crawl out of the mist and run in. Gisley fluttered up and looked around, stating that there were dozens more converging from all sides.

“Well, this is annoying,” Chandice said as she looked behind them to see three coming in fast.

“I got those,” Idris laughed and drew a small black wand topped by a bird's skull. She pointed it their way, and a spray of darkness issued out, forming into a flock of ravens. They flew through the undead with caws and shrieks until their skeletal bodies fell apart.

“What kind of wand is that?” Chandice asked as she witnessed the display.

“A wand of ravens,” Idris replied, holding it out to Chandice. “It's my primary weapon, my magic focus, and it has some neat raven powers on top of it all.”

“Can we admire the magic item later?” Jaina asked as she spotted a half dozen dark forms coming through the fog. “Frank seems to have overpopulated this area.”

“They are just skeletons,” Idris said as she took her wand back. She held the item and focused, channeling her power into the device. “Begone!” she commanded as the shapes suddenly turned and fled back into the mist.

“Handy,” Chandice noted as the battle up front left piles of bones in its wake. Zillix was doing well, crushing skeletons relatively easily, while Roric and Evalynn dealt with the bulk.

“Do you have any direct combat abilities?” Roric asked as the last two skeletons went down.

“I have a few spells,” Zillix admitted as he kicked a wounded skeleton. “And I always had my claws, but if I use my illusionary body for combat, it doesn't last very long.”

“So you are limited to your illusions?” Evalynn asked.

“I suppose so,” Zillix replied, leaning over to take up a large round shield of rusted metal. “But I can learn, I suppose.”

“If only he could gain combat maneuvers that way,” Roric said.

“What he needs is a class with combat potential,” Evalynn said.

“Why not have Idris get a succubus tattoo for him?” Jaina offered, causing the others to look at her with shock. “It was just an idea.”

“Let's not consider that,” Roric said as he shook his head. “Idris, isn't you. She won't be as happy to be saddled with sexual requirements.”

“We don’t even know what they might be,” Jaina countered. “It wouldn’t hurt to ask.”

“But the succubus is so far away,” Gisley added. “It would be terrible to go all that way just to ask and not do it.”

“I would do it for Zillix,” Idris commented. “I don’t mind.”

“Let's put that aside for now,” Roric reiterated as they reached the far hedge wall, where a small gate took them down some steps. “Zillix must have some offensive power in his illusions we are not thinking of.” He took them down the steps to a wide lane of gray stone hidden in rolling mist. Gnarled trees lined the lower lip where an iron bar fence separated the road from another area of the graveyard. Several zombies shuffled at them, but Chandice swept them aside with fire spells before they found the second gate that went down even more steps.

The land grew closer to the swamps, and they could smell the moist air from here. They waded among some gravestones to a series of small mausoleums until they found the one marked by a raven standing on a rose.

“Hmm, we have a raven theme today,” Jaina teased. “Idris has the wand of ravens, and Roric is looking for the raven mausoleum.”

“Just a coincidence,” Roric assured her as Evalynn pulled the metal doors of the structure open. They groaned to reveal a narrow stone passage that went down thirty steps to a subterranean chamber.

“We found it,” Evalynn said as she took the lead with her spear held firmly.

“So, how many entrances are there to this place?” Jaina asked as they began to file in, following the brave elf woman.

“Frank said there were six in the graveyard alone,” Roric replied. “There is one on Breanne's island. One in Quinny's forest and one in the tower.”

“So the upper floor is quite expansive then,” Jaina surmised while feeling her way along the wall. The gloomy light of the open world was replaced by the dim, dull glow of magic illumination that permeated Frank's first level. The air smelled of earth and rotted wood, as if coffins had been decaying here for years. There was a distant echo of dripping water and a faint wife of smoke from a fire someplace. The tunnels were wide enough for three to walk abreast comfortably, with high ceilings and arched doorways creating a flowing network of tunnels.

“Alright, Frank said to go left,” Roric said as he pointed down the tunnel.

“What’s to the right?” Gisley asked as she peered into the gloom.

“A series of trap chambers guarded by zombies,” Roric replied. “Frank said there was a particularly nasty zombie covered in bony spikes.”

So left it is,” Chandice agreed as Evalynn took the first steps.

Zillix walked up front with the three, brandishing his new shield like a warrior. He liked his hammer and practiced a few swings as they neared an intersection that would take them three ways.

“Where did Frank say to go from here?” Evalynn asked as she peered down the halls.

“He didn’t,” Roric answered. “He said from here we would be on our own.”

“Oh, good,” Chandice grumbled as they spread around the intersection, looking down the passages. Roric commanded his spear to glow to shed more light, but it didn't help them make a choice. As near as they could tell, all the paths were the same, and with no knowledge of what was ahead, no one was better than the other. Roric chose left again, and they headed out, slowly pressing into the darkness.

“Hey, you want to have some fun?” Jaina asked of Chandice as they walked.

“We can’t right now,” Chandice said with a blushing smile that made Idris giggle.

“Not that,” Jaina laughed and nudged Chandice. “I mean something else.”

“Like what?” Chandice replied as Jaina's form began to melt. She took advantage of her full mimic powers as her body became a comfy chair with four lion-like legs.

“Get in,” Jaina said as Chandice smiled and climbed aboard, sitting down to ride as Jaina walked on all fours. They were a dozen steps in when Roric finally looked back to see Chandice smiling as she rode like a queen.

“What are you two doing?” he grumbled, drawing all attention to them.

“I am enjoying my girlfriend,” Chandice replied, waving her hand to motion them on. “Don't stop now.”

“That’s neat,” Gisley said as she came up to touch the chair. “Can I sit in your lap?”

“I have no idea how much weight she can carry,” Chandice said.

“I am sure I can carry Gisley too,” Jaina replied as a single eye opened on the crown of the chair’s high back. “If our master doesn’t mind.”

“Go right ahead,” Roric said with a wave and turned to continue. Gisley enthusiastically climbed up and sat in Chandice’s lap as they headed down the hall. Jaina eventually widened so two could sit, and even Idris climbed up, the three riding together.

“Now, this is how a girl should adventure,” Chandice laughed as they rounded a corner. “All we need are a few servants to bring me a drink.”

“You and Hannah are too much alike,” Roric grumbled.

“Intelligent? Refined? Dignified?” Chandice began.

“Brat's,” Jaina finished, causing Roric to smile.

“Evil geniuses,” Evalynn offered as she stopped just short of an archway. She carefully peered inside as if unsure if they should enter. Jaina saw the woman’s ears twitch as she spotted something and quickly motioned Roric to join her.

“Do you see it?” Evalynn whispered as she pointed around the corner.

“I do,” Roric replied as he squinted. “But I am not sure I believe it.”

“What is it?” Chandice asked as the two stood in shock while Zillix got a good look. He turned back with puzzled eyes before replying to the others.

“It’s Hannah.”