image [https://i.imgur.com/xcQhW8Y.jpg]

I sauntered out of the arena, grinning like a maniac, belly happily bulging—not that I’ve got what you’d call a standard-issue digestive system, but who cares? So, with the chimera sent to double-dead land (you know, the dead, undead type, formally speaking... and, ugh, am I mangling this tale today or what? Just roll with it), the acidic jizz—or jazz, if you prefer—in my flesh had the defeated monster dissolved faster than you can say, “Wrong hole!”

Yep, lots of sex puns today. Just go with it—

—that’s what she said!

“So much for savoring my meal,” I grumbled as a couple of tentacles sneakily slid out from my shoulder to wipe up the leftover face sauce. “Where does all this food even go?” I pondered aloud, not really expecting an answer.

It didn’t matter anyway—it’s not like anyone would respond, and if they did, it would probably be something dismissive, like, “It’s magic.”

I had finished my monster truck-sized meal—and was back to my thin human or succubus curves with no sign of the extra weight anywhere—faster than those three stone statues could pull themselves from the piles of rubble they had been buried under—thank God, or should I say, admin? Seriously, Magic was no joke! Though, is she a goddess?

I remember something about a Primordial of Life when the system first booted up. Does that make her the Primordial of Magic? And wasn’t there also something about Death? And really, what even is a Primordial?

Ugh, I doubt I’ll ever be able to kill her—doesn’t mean I won’t try!

Oh. Oh! And even if I can’t, I’m so going to kick her in the clit one day!

Why, I may ask?

Because!

I watched the entrance metal gate slam shut behind me—was it an entrance or an exit? I suppose it depends on how many drinks I’ve had. With a sigh, I finally clicked on Absorb.

V:\Ascension>SAFE_MODE

SkillUpdate

[Absorb] Dungeon Boss [Lich King Chimera] Successful

New Selectable Skills Available:

- [Acid Breath]

- [Poison Spit]

V:\>

I couldn’t help but feel a tinge of disappointment at the paltry options served up to me, especially after racking up several level-ups that yielded nothing but a few measly skill slots. Was I still bitter about Magic withholding some Racial Skills? Damn straight! She could totally toss me a bone—or better yet, a skill—like my dream spell of lightning magic! Knowing she could hand out free skills if she wanted just spiked my annoyance with her.

But hey, Acid Breath and Poison Spit? Those actually sounded like they could amp things up, slinging some flashy ranged action to complement my already wicked close-range passive smackdowns. I knew I needed to shake things up for handling those particularly annoying foes with their fancy resistances to Acid and Poison. But so far, no other tricks had shown up in my magic hat—except for Necrotic Flame and Blight.

Okay, fine, I had options. I just like to complain, sue me! Though, honestly, it’s rather therapeutic, let me tell you. Nothing made me happier in my last life than bitching about my psychiatrist—often to my therapist, though sometimes to those who would reluctantly listen. Yeah, my support system wasn’t the greatest. That’s probably why I… got ran over by a truck—yeah, that’s how my reincarnation story started. Classic. Yep... cough

Rubbing my wrists as if shaking off a nightmare, I glanced around, catching a reptilian head sneaking a peek from behind a large stone pillar not too far away.

“Chicken dinner!” I called out, dripping with mock cheer and a dollop of my best bubbly bullshit as I waved at Redtail.

“Blake?” my snack uttered, his voice dripping with disbelief.

“Yeah,” I scoffed, rolling my eyes, “who else did you expect, Mother Teresa?”

“Who?” he started, his confusion almost comical as he shook his head, “You… look different, more like a hyuman.”

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I glanced down at myself, and yep, instead of just rocking the white silk face, I had exposed shoulders, and even my hands were swathed in silk. It looked like I was donning a chic black summer dress rather than parading around as a black abomination with a white mask. Seems like I was nailing Polymorph—no idea how, but I chalk it up to all those subconscious insight skills at work. I couldn’t help but smirk at that.

Holding my hand out, I closed my eyes and conjured a new eye at the tip of my finger, chuckling, “Blake, phone home,” as I admired my appearance. I looked devilishly beautiful—kind of like a goth version of that actress who played Furiosa—the second one, though I kept my long black hair. Not gonna lie; I’ve always envied how pretty she was.

With my body rocking, skin and dress looking stunning as fuck, I put away my glowing fingertip and swayed toward the lizard, never breaking eye contact. It’s amusing how I, as a former human, didn’t find the act of consuming others gross or repulsive. In fact, it’s a strangely satisfying sensation that I simply delight in. The temptation to feast on others is too great to ignore.

“I thought you made a run for it,” I smiled predatorily.

The lizard glanced everywhere but into my eyes, as if admitting his guilt. “I—I did,” he nodded. “I even made it past the red toad’s chamber… when I noticed five hyumans I didn’t recognize,” he gulped before adding, “they spotted me and started hurling spells my way without so much as a greeting. I barely escaped.” He glanced down. “I was stuck with two options: head back here to see if you survived—which, after seeing those three statues, I didn’t think was possible; head down to the deep roads,” he pointed at a set of stairs to the left I hadn’t noticed before, near the entrance to the final boss chamber, “or exit the dungeon.”

“Deep roads,” I mumbled. “That’s three options, isn’t it?” I uttered as I crossed my arms. “Also, you covered a lot of ground in a short time.”

“I wasn’t having to escort someone around who constantly looked for bosses to fight and dead monsters’ corpses to eat—”

“So,” I quickly interrupted. “That’s the exit to the dungeon, right there?” I asked.

“It is.”

“And why did I have to fight the final boss?”

“Because you went on about wanting skills,” he shrugged.

“I did?” I scratched my chin before shrugging. “Yeah, that sounds like me. So, about these five others,” I smiled. “Tell me more.”

The lizard raised his head, “There isn’t anything to tell. I ran before I—hrrrk!” His words were abruptly smothered as my clenched, gooey fist crashed into his mouth!

A delightful orchestra of muffled screams and gurgled whimpering ensued as my arm morphed into a writhing tentacle, delving deep down his throat. Simultaneously, I unleashed Silk Webbing, swiftly cocooning his body in silk before he could muster any resistance. I skipped Paralysis—after all, I relished the struggle now. Meanwhile, Terror’s Infusion was in full effect. Oh, the sheer ecstasy of watching him squirm and struggle in my grasp! It was a blissful spectacle, far surpassing the sadistic fantasy I’d entertained earlier.

“Ah, yes,” I cooed with mock appreciation. “Looks like I won’t be needing your oh-so-helpful guidance anymore. But don’t worry, I look forward to our next delightful encounter when I fetch that dungeon core,” I smirked darkly. “Your werewolf boss did mention something about you dungeon people being able to respawn once it’s returned, right?”

Grrk.

His feeble struggle was rather touching, almost cute, which only sweetened my twisted delight. The more he resisted, the more my perverse joy bubbled over. It was just like my daydream—I was even monologuing most of the same quotes that I had rehearsed in my head.

“Oh, fuck yes! Go deeper, Blake, deeper,” I urged myself in a twisted serenade of self-gratification. “This is just the way I fantasized about it,” I moaned, running my free hand down my side, eyes shut in depraved pleasure, my fingers roaming on toward my thighs.

The tremors rippling through him were more my own shivers of ecstasy as I slid deeper into myself. The sensation was divine, my body shifting and forming the correct parts as I plunged further into my own depths while simultaneously ramming through him. My tentacle continued its merciless invasion, burrowing deeper into his innards, spearing through his stomach, and weaving through his delicious intestines.

I pouted as the cold air kissed the tip of my tentacle, now protruding from his other end, craving to delve even deeper into him. Only then did I activate Corrosive. With that, the final act commenced—the unmistakable quake of his body as he unleashed a blood-curdling, muffled scream. My acidic appendage seared him from the inside out, executing its lethal magic.

I deliberately withheld Venomous, not wanting to finish things too prematurely—always hated that about men. Eager to add a bit of spice into the mix, I unleashed Blight, watching in great satisfaction as pus-filled blisters and lesions erupted across his flesh as we both screamed.

Sadly, much like my daydreams, even the best fantasies must come to an end. As his cries faded, I unleashed my own—a cacophony of maniacal moans and laughter that echoed through the stone corridors. I withdrew my fingers from my gooey insides, panting in bliss, savoring the exquisite crescendo of his delightful taste and agony.

Holy fuck!

That.

Was.

“Amazing!” I gasped. “I really needed that,” I panted, still catching my breath.

It was strange; I could feel the air entering me as though I had actual lungs now. I stood there for a long moment, savoring the sensation as the last bits of the lizard dissolved away, all while reliving that moment in my head for as long as possible.

Not feeling particularly in any rush, I still ended up skipping the descriptions of my two newest skills—really, Poison Spit and Corrosive Cloud (or was it Acid Breath? Whatever!)—they were self-explanatory. That said, I decided it was high time to allocate a precious skill point into one particular skill I had once considered repetitive, but now seemed perfectly aligned with the persona I was pretty sure that cunt was steering me toward—something Nightmarish.

V:\Ascension>SAFE_MODE

ActivateSpell

Selecting Spell: [Fear]

Status: Active

Type: Spell

Activation: Cast

[Fear] is now set as an active skill.

V:\>

I glanced toward the exit and then back the way I had come, a dark and cruel smile playing on my lips. There were only two ways to acquire skills now that the core was gone, and bosses were off the menu. And if I’d learned anything from my last fight, it was that I wasn’t strong enough to go after that core—yet!

Whistling a chilling little tune, “One, two, I’m coming for you,” I began my sinister prance back toward the toad’s boss chamber. As I hopped, skipped, and jumped, shadows danced on the cold dungeon walls, each echo transforming into repetitive ghostly whispers of my tune.