Chapter 4: Time for a bath, and some reflection

Fenrir made for the bath at a leisurely pace, realizing as he did so that despite the gathering darkness, his vision was unaffected. 'I can see flawlessly in low-light conditions, looks like. That's definitely going to be useful.' He glanced down at the succubus nestled against his side, remembering what else his most recent use of God's Eye had shown him. 'So not only did her opinion of me change, but she also gained two monster levels. It had to have been the sex, nothing else really happened. She is a succubus, so it makes sense that fucking would make her stronger since that's basically their whole schtick, but I have a suspicion that's not the whole story. I'll have to ask her when she wakes up; at the very least she should have a better idea of its cause than me.'

Arriving at the bath and finding it unoccupied, he gently laid Yumiko on the ground next to the pool and submerged himself, quickly washing away the sexual effluvium which liberally coated his lower half. He then turned his attention to the insensate succubus. Quickly stripping off the scanty attire which seemed to be what passed for clothes among succubi, he lowered her into the water. Being careful to keep her head above the surface, he set about cleaning her as well. As he did, his thoughts turned toward the future.

'Ever since I got here, I've been living moment to moment, with no time to consider anything beyond the immediate. This is the first I've really had time to think.' And there was plenty to think about. When the offer had first been made in the last moments of his life on Earth, he had jumped at it, not for the power it afforded but for the fact that it was a reprieve from death. He had chosen his various gifts and abilities in the moment, without a concrete plan of what he really wanted to achieve with them. He had fought Safara and saved the succubi mostly based on instinct, going with the flow more than really choosing a course. Now it was time to consider. He had a new life. What did he really want out of it?

The war between Light and Dark didn't interest him particularly. From what he knew of such contests, neither side could win forever. The defeated side, be it Light or Dark, would always return to renew the struggle. 'Yin and Yang, or something like that. Neither side can completely eradicate the other, because without Dark, Light also ceases to exist.' So while he might end up fighting in the war, his primary objective would never be to triumph for the sake of either Light or Dark.

As he gently wiped down Yumiko's pussy, prompting another shudder from her, he noted how it had already tightened up considerably, its previously battered and gaped appearance far from the small, neat hole it was now. 'Well, neat may not be entirely the right word, since she can't seem to stop leaking my cum, but now it looks like I only stuck a finger or two up her instead of a cock bigger than her forearm.' Leaving her pussy to drain for the moment, Fenrir moved down her legs, thoughts back on the future.

He was determined to make Safara his, but he had never really chosen to do so. It had been instinct or perhaps the influence of his monster core which had guided his interactions with her. He had never even considered just asking her to heal the succubi. Not that she was likely to have done so if he did, but the fact that the option had never occurred to him was such a far cry from his personality in his previous life that he was slightly taken aback, once he thought about it.

He had always been mild-mannered back on Earth. Not by choice, but an invalid didn't get very far by being an asshole to everyone they met. To be able to choose a course, to intimidate rather than placate, to choose whether or not to be kind based purely off whether he wanted to was novel and freeing. It also, he reflected, gave his kindness more weight if it was not forced by circumstance. If he didn't have to be kind but chose to do so, it seemed worth more. He hadn't needed to clean Yumiko up. He had wanted to, because he liked the kindhearted succubus, though he had to admit his attraction was mostly physical as of yet. But she had offered herself in an attempt to save her sisters when they first met, despite having no cause to believe she wouldn't immediately be torn to shreds. She hadn't wanted to leave Koreen when the smaller succubus had been hurt, and he had to admit, he liked the way she had almost immediately submitted herself to him.

So what did he really want? He wanted to dominate and subjugate, but how much of that was the influence of his Core he didn't know. He wanted to fuck every one of these beautiful succubi, to hear their cries of pleasure, to have them submit to him, sexually and otherwise. But he also felt a growing desire to care for and protect them, to ensure none would ever again have to fight to survive. He remembered the sight that had met him upon his advent into Ruyanei, and felt a surge of rage. The succubi hadn't fought because they wanted to, they had fought because they had no choice. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, no chance of mercy from their foes, they had had their backs against the wall, and that any were still alive was solely due to him, and the luck, if luck it was, that had placed him amongst them at the precise moment they most needed him. But beyond this castle there was an entire world which hated them and those like them and would see them all dead if it could. The great black wolf silently vowed never to allow that to happen. They were his, and none would take them from him.

He was shaken from his thoughts by a weak moan, and a moment later Yumiko opened her eyes, looking rather disoriented. "What...? Master? Where are we?"

"In the bath, little one. We were both quite a mess." Fenrir had to chuckle, watching a blush slowly overspreading Yumiko's face as she remembered the events that had led up to her unconsciousness. Her thighs clenched together instinctively, and she found herself looking anywhere but him.

"Oh, come now, there's no need to be bashful." Lifting her in his arms, Fenrir stepped out of the bath, headed for a small row of cabinets along the wall next to the door. Finding what he sought in the form of several towels, he began briskly though not ungently drying her off.

"Master... I can dry myself..." Yumiko almost whispered, her face now crimson.

"I know, but it's more fun this way. After all, how often do you get a chance to make a succubus blush like this?"

"I- That's not- It was just sooo.... -I mean- Oh, stop teasing me, Master!" Yumiko cried, feeling as though her face was about to burst into flame.

"Oh, very well." But the broad grin on his face didn't leave him as Fenrir set Yumiko gently on her feet, keeping one arm around her until he was certain she wouldn't fall. Taking swift steps down the length of the room, he ensured ample distance between himself and the succubus before instigating another full body shake to free his fur of most of the lingering water. Judging by the small shriek back in the direction from which he had come, he had miscalculated how far was far enough. However, Yumiko didn't complain as he returned to her.

"So is that how you dry yourself off, Master?" she asked curiously.

"Yes, thankfully," Fenrir replied. In response to her inquisitive look he continued, "Can you imagine trying to towel myself dry? I'd go through enough fabric to clothe a small army."

She giggled at his figure of speech, before becoming more serious as he continued, "But I have some things to ask you. Firstly, I noticed that you gained two levels when I fucked you. Is that normal? How did it happen?"

The mention of their recent coitus brought a blush back to her face, but she answered seriously, "Well, succubi gain power by absorbing the essence of others. Cum, Master. Or girlcum, but semen is usually stronger. But normally it takes hundreds of loads to gain a level, even for such a weak succubus as me. Your cum must be exceptionally potent. And bountiful..." One hand strayed towards her crotch as Yumiko began to lose herself in fantasies, before snapping back to reality as Fenrir cleared his throat.

"And how do succubi come into being? Are you born like humans, or...?"

"Oh, succubi are born when an incubus impregnates a woman. They, um, don't have to be human. For example, the woman could be elven or dwarven or halfling or any of the Light-races, but it doesn't work if she's a monster race. The stories say that's not the only way for a succubus to be born, but it's definitely the most common. I don't know of any succubi that have been born any other way."

Fenrir nodded thoughtfully. "So the survival of your race is dependent on incubi? That seems a bit rough."

"I... guess? I never really thought about it like that. I know incubi get stronger when they rape Light-race women, so it's not like it's not something they'd do anyway."

"I see. So where do incubi come from?"

"Most come from imps. See, usually imps become devils when they get strong enough, if they survive that long anyway, but sometimes an imp becomes an incubus instead. I think it has something to do with how much sex the imp has had, or something like that. Every once in awhile though, when a woman is impregnated by an incubus, another incubus is born instead of a succubus. Incubi born that way are a lot stronger, and are called trueborn incubi."

Fenrir gave another nod. "Can succubi get pregnant?"

"I don't think so. At least, I've never heard of one getting pregnant. There is a legend that says one of the Demon Kings from way back when was born to a grand succubus, but that's just a story."

'Most legends do have some basis in fact,' Fenrir mused. But aloud he said, "Just to be sure, do succubi eat the same things as humans, or do they sustain themselves via sex or something like that?"

"We do eat food the same as humans, but it's not very pleasant trying to survive on only that. It's best if we can get both sexual essence and regular food. If we can get a lot of sex, we generally don't even need that much other food, just a bit to round out our diets. Back before the war turned against us, some elder succubi prided themselves on only using sex for sustenance. At least, that's what I've heard."

By this point Yumiko was dry, though her hair was still damp. Handing her her clothing (somewhat wet, but mostly clean), Fenrir asked, "Does it matter who you have sex with?"

"Sort of. We don't get much from fooling around with each other. Other Dark-race creatures give us a little more, but the real payoff is from sex with Light-based races like humans and dwarves and such. More powerful beings also give us a little more. Come to think of it, how did I gain two whole levels from sex with you? You're a Dark-race, I'm sure of it. Just how strong are you, Master?" Yumiko asked, looking up at him with something akin to terrified awe in her eyes.

"Not as strong as you're thinking, but I am far from weak. Mine are... special circumstances." Fenrir was unsure why, but he felt hesitant to reveal the real reason he had given her such a surge in power. Though he now had a Dark Core, he also still had a Light-based soul. That combined with the sheer potency of his cum (courtesy of both Breeder and his Therionic form) had given her a cocktail near tailor-made to swell a succubus' power.

"Is that how you knew I had gained levels? Without special equipment it's impossible to see other people's stats, but you just knew."

"Wait, it is?"

"Yes! Everyone knows that! Most Light-races can't even see their own stats without a Status Card! Even Dark-races can only ever see their own stats!" Yumiko cried, half in disbelief and half in exasperation. "How could you not know that?"

"I'm... not from around here. Suffice it to say that I may not know many things which are common knowledge to you."

"But then you know when I gain levels, and exactly how many. You're strange, Master."

Fenrir chuckled. "That, we agree on. Now come, we should check up on the others, and also see about getting some food. I still require mundane nourishment, even if you can just fuck your way into a full stomach."