Equipped with a protective Swimming Suit and a stack of Magic Scrolls for self-defence, Day Sapphire was making her way deeper into the Deep Lakes. The Princess title she had acquired when joining the Monster System had essentially doubled her MP allowing her to use Hydrokinesis without worry; the water was propelling her fast like some sort of torpedo. Even better the suit she was wearing had some interesting properties. She couldn’t understand why or how, but the water just didn’t stick to the suit allowing her to swim at even greater speeds. It was something to do with the Dirt Resistance perk the blue suit held, she was sure of that.

The Mer Princess had a thoughtful look on her face. Needless to say, she was thinking about the Spider Kingdom and its ruler. He was a strange man with a mysterious power: to Evolve not only plants but also people; something like that was unheard of. Even if her visit was somewhat short, she had seen a wide array of different races working under him; the races who were clearly coveting The Spider King’s strength and power.

If his words were true, the spiders were working on making an artificial lake, a place where Mer could live. To claim it for SapphireScales was an enticing opportunity. And also, it would be safe from frogmen influence. Moreover, if she played her shells right, she would be the ruler of the lake and the Mer residing there.

And despite the obvious things like the promised lake, and the uncontested wealth and power of the Spider Kingdom, she still found the man in charge charming. And that’s why when he had proposed to her with a Lily Flower, as is Mer custom, she agreed without much hesitation. While yes, she was surprised, surprised at how fast the things were moving, her young maiden heart found it very agreeable. That is why she gave away her special scale, from a very special place, for him to keep.

However, unvoluntary words escaped from her lips. “But doesn’t he have a wife already?” She frowned at her own rhetorical question.

Then she thought about it some more, she understood that she shouldn’t expect it to be any different. While Mer were monogamous, that didn’t apply to all the races. And clearly someone with many options would want to take more wives. She didn’t mind, not at all, it was just that she wasn’t exactly thrilled at being the second wife. That is if she was second and not somewhere even lower down the pecking order.

“Matters not. I’ll work my way up. Yes!” That’s exactly why she was here.

With those words, the sight of the Sapphire City reached her eyes. She’d missed the sight of buildings made out of MerCoral and the glimmer of the sapphire decorations. It was early morning and the Mer Maids would be off to tend to MerKelp farms and Mer Men to hunt and fish, however it was not so. The beautiful buildings were half destroyed, broken shells and pieces of coral littered the lake floor. The only building without much destruction was the SapphireScale Palace, but even then, the beautiful scales adorning its roof and walls were all but missing.

The Sapphire City was not devoid of people, they were still there, weary and tired but even so still picking at the ruins trying to scavenge what was left, trying to carry on with life.

“Monsters? No…” Day Sapphire shook her head; the monster attack wouldn’t be this devastating. “Frogmen.” She concluded.

Slowing her Hydro Charge to a reasonable speed she approached the survivors.

She was met with bewildered looks of surprise.

“Day? We thought we lost you weeks ago. Where have you been? Did you manage to escape?”

She was shelled with questions. But she had her own.

“How is my father? And the mother too?” She gazed at the palace with worry.

“Oh dear… How do I tell you this?”

Day’s return gathered the attention of the nearby Mer, who swam closer to look at her with sad expressions. Surely, they had their own losses, but even so, they were sad for her too. Those looks were the only confirmation she needed, she won’t be pressing the Mer Maid nearby for gruesome details.

However, she still had to ask. “And my brothers and sisters?” She had no less than a hundred of them.

“Some were luckier than others…” The Mer Maid implied. “One of your older brothers, Coral, he’s the new King now. You should go and see him now.”

She did as it was suggested, she rushed to the SapphireScale Palace. There in the palace, her brother gave her the full details. A great force of frogmen came a few days ago wielding javelins and nets. The Mer Hunters and the Mer Warriors were here but even so it was not enough. The frogmen slaughtered the resistance, captured whoever didn’t flee and raided the Sapphire City for its precious scales. This was the biggest raid so far, and it was clear that the spot here was no longer safe.

“We have to go and try to live in the Deep Trench.”

That was the conclusion her brother, no, the new Mer King had reached. The Deep Trench was a dangerous place teeming with monsters, if they did go there, unavoidably more death would follow. However, it was too deep for frogmen to reach; unlike Mer, they couldn’t breathe underwater.

“Is that so…” She said knowing that the Mer King had a sound solution to an otherwise complicated problem, however… “I think there is another solution. You see for the last month…” She told her story.

Mer King listened to all of it without interruption, however his face went through various expressions, mostly disbelief.

Once she was finished only then did he ask: “You didn’t go crazy from grief, or eat some bad fish? Day, you’re telling me fairy tales.” He touched her arm with worry but also with affection. “Flying ships, monster kings, evolving plants, scar-mending potions, and other unbelievable magic… Day, those things do not exist.”

“But they do!” She yelled out in protest.

“Sister, you’ve been missing for weeks and now you tell me these fantasies. Look…” He paused to look again at her tail where a certain protective scale was missing. “Whatever happened, whatever those filthy frogmen did to you… you escaped. You’re safe with us. Please, don’t seek comfort in wild fantasies! Come, get some rest.”

“No one did anything to me! Not yet!” She yelled while blushing. ”For the mercy of the Holy Water Serpent, just check my status!”

*Sigh*, “You might be afflicted with Madness. It wouldn’t be surprising.” He dismissed her claims again. “I’ll guess I have to see it in your status, then I’ll know for certain.” He grasped her hand. “[Read Status].”

The Mer King’s eyes bulged out in shock from startled amazement.

“Yeah! You see? So please don’t jump to the wrong conclusions so readily.” She reprimanded her brother. “And I’ve brought items which will only prove my story. Come, I left them by the entrance.”

It was a bundle of sample wares: food, cloth, potions, and weapons; all ever more useful because of the current situation.

The Mer King ruffled through the items.

“Enchanted Weapons!” He exclaimed. “With those we could have…” He shook his head, it was in the past already. “More importantly where did you get all of this? Did the Demon Lord decide to sponsor us? If so…” The Mer King jumped to his conclusions yet again.

“Were you listening to my story at all?!” She began to doubt if her brother was fit to be King.

…

A strange phenomenon was taking place in the Spider Kingdom. The Spider King couldn’t help but keep checking his status screen.

“I’m not Charmed, Dazzled, Enthralled or Bewitched; so, what is the meaning of this?” He couldn’t figure it out.

The Lamia he passed all had charming pretty faces, it was hard not to look. But they were the same Lamia and not some new girls, yet still, the features seemed more feminine and enthralling. And it wasn’t just Lamia, the Centauri fell into that category as well. All the women started to look like some magazine supermodels, crazy!

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

The obvious conclusion was an unexpected spell of horniness. He assumed that since Lady Crimson was here, his wife might have forced her to mix a certain potion and then spike his drink or something; that was not beneath the Lamia Queen who was mischievous like that. And the solution was rather simple – just give her what she wants. He did so, but even then, this strange spell continued.

Unable to figure out the nature of this mysterious affliction he sought help; discretely of course. That’s why he was lounging on a well-crafted spidery couch bearing the entirety of his heart out to the improvised therapist slash doctor.

“… Perhaps it’s a spell the Mer Princess put on me? She did kiss me you know, and I’ve heard that some mermaid variants know Charm magic.”

The Drow Assistant made some notes in her notebook. She had that look of an academian, the only thing missing was a pair of glasses. Yes, she was his improvised therapist, and she did look the part! Actually, it was rather hard not to stare at her. Despite her young age, she radiated the aura of maturity and wisdom, the lab coat and the notebook only added to that charm. She was shapely in all the right places, her skin was smooth and glistened in the gentle light, her black hair was tied in a ponytail, and she had that bewitching glint in her eyes, but most of all she smelled amazing. Oh no, the condition is worsening! – He realised.

Drow Assistant gave him a piercing look. “No, I’ve checked your status. Everything is fine.” She dismissed the Mer.

“Then perhaps it was the naughty fairy who stole my lips? She had some strange Hexcraft perk. Definitely suspicious, right?”

She made more notes in her notebook. “Suspicious yes, but I have a way to detect the Curses. I assure you, you aren’t cursed or hexed.”

“That’s good to know. Oh and… the patient-doctor confidentiality is still a thing, right? You won’t tell my wife about any of this?”

“But of course! You need not worry, your secrets are safe with me. We Drow are known for being trustworthy, are we not?” She touched her chest as if to emphasise the truthfulness of her statement. “But even so…” She looked at him with narrowed eyes. “You seem to be kissing a lot of women who aren’t your wife. Anyone else I should be aware of?” She asked with shining eyes of curiosity, pen ready at her hand.

There was another one, but he would never suspect his best friend even if they were a Lesser Eldrich monster with mind-invading abilities. They were the tightest of friends!

“No, there is no one else…” He lied, the therapist here didn’t need to know everything. “If not charms, curses or hexes, what do you think it is? What is the root of my embarrassing condition?”

While in deep thought the Drow Assistant tapped her pen on the edge of the notebook. Her head jerked up as if in sudden realisation. “Could it be…” She reached in the pocket of her lab coat. “Are you familiar with this?”

The Spider King took the clay container in his hands; the pottery was clearly Stone Shaped by Kobolds. He popped the lid right open; the inside was filled with a rather familiar creamy substance.

“KelpCream, what about it?” He asked nonplussed.

The Drow Assistant gave him a warm smile.

“It seems you still don’t understand… and you were the one who made it, no?”

Well, not quite, Lady Crimson improved the cream with some select additives to boost its properties.

Without waiting for his unnecessary reply, the Drow Assistant reached into her cleavage.

“Hey!” He exclaimed overreacting slightly.

“Don’t be so on edge, this is not exactly the Secret Elf Pocket, but a good hiding place nevertheless.” She reached deeper. “This is something extremely valuable to us women.” She finally retrieved a small crystalline bottle putting it directly in his hands.

The bottle was warm and considering where it was stored it made his mind go pink, worsening his already bad affliction.

“MeowChanel No 69.” He read the small label; the name sounded somewhat familiar. “Is this perfume?”

“You don’t know it? But I’m sure you’re the one who made the Sand Lillies. This is the extracted fragrance of their petals.”

The flower in question grew in the WyrmCity, it was known for its intoxicating scent that lured the unsuspecting creatures to be trapped in Quicksand and later consumed as nutrients by the plant roots. But apparently, the fragrance could be extracted and used for something better than traps. To confirm all this, he opened the bottle to take a small whiff from it. The smell was powerful but extremely pleasant for his nose, but also strangely familiar!

“The Lamia, Centauri, and even you. I was unknowingly smelling this the entire week!”

Drow Assistant let out a small giggle. “That concludes the mystery of your affliction. You’re a victim of your own inventions.” She stretched her arm impatiently towards him. “Now, give it back. It was very expensive.” She snatched the bottle, dropped a few drops of oily substance on her palms and rubbed it on her neck and long Drow ears. The bottle was then promptly corked and stored in a very secure place.

Yes, the smell was alluring but it didn’t afflict anyone with Charm or anything like that. It was just a universally liked fragrance. “But I still don’t get it… Why do I feel like this?” He stared at now even more appealing Drow.

“It’s rather obvious if you think about it. What are these two items used for?” She asked expectantly.

“The first one is a skin product and the other one is perfume…” It finally clicked to him. “It enhances the natural charms of a woman!”

“Precisely! It doesn’t show under normal Inspect, just like your Faction Rep wouldn’t, but each of them gives Beauty +1.” She explained revealing the secret.

“Ah, I see… so there’s nothing wrong with me. It’s just that you all are beautiful!”

“Yes, the items are working as intended.” She beamed a charming smile at him.

“Thank you. Thank you, Drow Assistant!” Overwhelmed by gratitude and the realisation that he wasn’t just going crazy like some rabid dog; he jumped out of the couch to hug his improvised therapist; impulsively, just like a rabid dog would.

He took in the sensation in: she smelled so nice, and her body was soft and warm. Oh, and that blushing face was a total eye candy. Wait! These two items were dangerous!

“Worth every penny…” The Drow Assistant whispered fully embracing him.

“Ahem...” He cleared his throat and stepped away prying himself out of her rather tight grasp. “Sorry for that.”

“Worry not, everything that happens in this office is strictly under doctor-patient confidentiality.” She purred suggestively.

Thank you, no thank you! “Once again, thank you Drow Assistant. Let’s do this professionally this time.” He stretched his arm for a shake of gratitude.

She shook his hand with a pout. “So, Spider King, do I get any reward at all for my services today?”

He was in her debt so… “What do you have in mind?” He asked the dangerous question.

She gave him a hungry look. “I’ve heard you’ve obtained a Monster Core, and even better, you can seed others with a piece of it.” She inched to him closer. “I very much would like to get it myself, mostly for research purposes that is. So, would you kindly please put that seed in me?”

His core had grown back to the original 500MP and then some more but albeit way more slowly. Hence there was zero issue with the request.

“Sure.” He agreed. “That’s the least I can do.”

The Drow Assistant ran to the door and used a latch to lock them.

“Huh?” He was confused by that action.

“Let’s do this!” She swung her lab coat off to the corner of the wall.

While the Drow Assistant still had other layers of clothing on, the Spider King jumped forward to clear the misunderstanding. A firm hand rested on her shoulders. “[Core Seed]!” He forced his mana inside.

“Eek!” She yelped trembling slightly at the forceful burst of power ravaging her insides.

“Here, done. I’m off! [Shadow Walk]” He phased right through the door.

“Tch!” She clicked her tongue. “So that’s how it works…” She reached for her discarded notebook to make notes. “[Status].” She brought the screen to note the changes.

At that instant, her slightly frustrated face went completely blank.

Monster Race: Drow

Magic Affinity: Fire, Earth, Wind, Air

🎆

📜🧝🏿‍♀️📜

🕷️

HP:80

MP:1100

STA:80

Active Perks

[Detect Magic], [Drow Regeneration], [Elemental Arrow]

Passive Perks

[Mana Well], [Elemental Affinity], [Darkvision], [Stealth]

Resistances

[Elemental Resistance: Lesser], [Poison Resistance: Lesser]

[Evolve?]

“I can evolve… I can Evolve!” She rushed out of the office to catch up with the Monster King. Sensing the trail of magic he had left behind.