Hearing the story in full detail, Iris ambled over to Lenmia and tightly hugged her. She deliberately pressed herself onto Lenmia and pulled her closer, trying to comfort her eldest sister, though she was too short to do it. Instead, she nuzzled Lenmia's breasts, feeling embarrassed yet soothing. She only let go when she realised the others were watching.

Knowing what Iris meant, Lenmia chuckled and stroked her head, twiddling with her flowy liquid hair. The soft membrane grazed one another and merged and separated and exchanged their warmth. Iris shivered as Lenmia pulled her back in, but she didn't have to breathe and let herself submerge into the comforting yellow slime.

From the side, Varda held her green-scaled tail and rubbed the tip, shocking herself with a strange sensation that spread throughout her body, making her lower half weak and fuzzy. She knew the Monster Girl’s body was sensitive and voluptuous, but experiencing it first-handed still surprised her.

"Sis, can we get back to the topic?" she said. Though she wanted in, the matter at hand was more important. "Now that we know the reason, what should we do?"

Lenmia reluctantly pushed Iris away. She took a long hard look at the cave, carving all its content into her soul for one last time. Everyone waited for her answer, listening intensely to the water dripping, the heart throbbing, and the memory rewinding.

Affected by her sisters, Iris strolled to Varda and embraced her. The firm yet bouncy scales scraped her membrane, reminding her of how Vilia used to trace her sensitive spots. The slender fingers would slide in and out of her body, puncturing in then twirling inside her viscous slime before pulling a piece of her outside and rubbing it until she melted from pleasure.

Though Varda didn't have any significant memory inside the cave, Iris's scent dragged her into a trance. There was a quality that clicked inside her soul and ate its way out of her body, hollowing her inside before filling it with a strange sensation, which lit up into a sea of flame every time Iris played her.

At last, Lenmia shook her head. After she contemplated the future, she concluded that staying at the cave would be foolish, especially during the critical period of a Crusade. She couldn't rely on luck or pity of the great being sealed in the cave, for she couldn't fathom what Gulia would do.

"Everything has to come to an end," she said, feeling each word pricking her heart. "Don't be sad. We will return after the Crusade."

While everyone lowered their head to reflect on the answer, Tardi, the youngest and most innocent of the group, felt the need to ask. As the youngest sister, she had the liberty to pretend to be innocent and cute, hiding her concern under a clear, simple question.

"But Sister Lenmia, where can we go?" she said. "You said that the inner forest is too dangerous for us. Even Sister Vilia wouldn't dare to venture in alone."

"I'll guide you to the place where strong Monster Girls live. We'll be fine as long as we are careful."

Catching a contradiction in the answer, Reta raised her hand, to which Lenmia nodded. She knew everyone would ask her the same.

"Sister Lenmia, if the path is easy to cross, why didn't we see any other Monster Girls beside Sister Vilia?" Reta said, fiddling her fingers, eyeing her eldest sister. "Does this place really exist?"

Lenmia sighed. The past her was too selfish and complacent, not knowing what the best for her family was. Though she still wished for things to go back to how they used to be, she had to change for her family to survive.

"I just didn’t want to get your hope up," she said. "It really exists, but it's too dangerous for any of you to visit. Remember, unlike Vilia, the strong Monster Girls are wild and cunning. If they fancy you, they will have you, one way or another."

Hearing about more Monster Girls, Iris wondered what their appearance would be, what place they would live in, and how indecent they would act. Her mind pulsed in anticipation mixed with nervousness. Just one Lenmia was enough. She couldn't imagine how wild the stronger, lewder Monster Girls could be.

"How strong are they?" she asked.

"Many are at the Transformation Phase, and there are two Monster Girls who ascend past that. That place is too strong for us, which is why I've never told you all about it."

"Sis Lenmia, what will you do when we arrive there?" Iris knew that the strong would oppress the weak. It was the survival of the fittest. "How can we stay there if we are weak?"

"This body isn't just for show, Iris. Slime Girls like us aren't too common, and most are too fragile to interest them. In fact, I learnt most of the rough techniques from there."

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"No!" Iris suddenly shouted. "We won't go there. I don't like it."

"I know you mean well, but I actually enjoyed it too." Lenmia wryly smiled. "I can at least do this much for you all."

The stuffy feeling filled Iris as a streamy scene of Lenmia getting licked and choked and crushed and reformed and splattered floated in her head. Her blue slime body flushed red, feeling jealous at the strong, wishing to have a chance to play with her sister and pleasure her until they all fell beyond the point of no return.

Not like this! Iris slapped her face. It wasn't jealous. It was to protect her sister!

"It would be hard to survive there if we burden Sis Lenmia," she reasoned. "We should just stay in this cave. Going into the deeper part is still an option."

"I agree with Sister Iris," Varda said, turning to Iris and nuzzling her breasts. "If we can hide inside the cave, we don't need to risk going into the wilderness. The Church won't try to venture in."

"It is too risky. We can't be certain that Gulia will save us again. If she demands any of you as a price, what can I do?"

"If it's for our survival, I'll do it," Varda said. "I also want to see her magic. It's every mage's dream to witness such strong power and become strong themselves. A Monster Girl or not, my goal is still the same. Just that I have a family now."

Everyone agreed to the sentiment by nodding and exclaiming. They too were excited by the prospect of a guardian so powerful even the deities had to be fearful. If Gulia demanded a sacrifice, they would gladly volunteer, for family was the only thing they had.

"So, Sis Lenmia, everyone else agrees," Iris said as she confirmed the others' reaction. She also didn't want to leave the cave, a place where her first and everything happened. "Do you still think otherwise?"

"It isn't like I want to leave, but I can't let any of you be the sacrifice, can I? I'm the strongest, the oldest. I'm supposed to protect you, not letting you protect me."

"You said it back then, that family shares both pain and happiness. You've worked hard, so let us help you once."

"But . . ." Lenmia's voice trailed back to silence as she shifted her eyes between her sisters, from Tardi to Iris. The thought of someone taking her sisters from her made her skin crawl and her mind revolt. "I don't want to risk losing you again."

As Lenmia sulked, the rest of the family looked at one another, hesitant to hold onto their decision. Though they could use the majority vote to rule over the decision, they would never go against their eldest sister and left her hurt. She was precious, strong yet delicate.

Finally, Iris made up her mind.

"Then, let me do it," she said. "I'll go there and see if I can ask for her help."

Lenmia was about to reject her, but her determined gaze was too much. Inside them, a fire of confidence burnt like the blazing sun, devoided of ignorance and arrogance. Combined with the strange aura she felt back then, Lenmia could deduce that Iris wasn't like her sisters. Her origin was otherworldly.

"Sis Lenmia, please listen to me," Iris explained. As everyone closely listened, she talked about the whisper and the power and the implication, connecting the mysterious helper with her mysterious origin. "She said she was looking for a friend, right? I'll meet her and confirm it."

"I can't let you go alone. I’ll go with you too."

"Sis, you must stay here and protect the other sisters. Wait for me, I'll be back as soon as possible."

"Then we will go in together. Family doesn't abandon one another," Tardi said. Dulcie and Reta nodded.

Iris smiled but then refused, same as Lenmia. Family came first, which was why they were willing to sacrifice themselves. They were rationalising, but they didn't care. Family first.

"You should know I'm different from you all. I come from a faraway place, another dimension. And I suspect Gulia too is just like me. I have something to ask her."

"Sister Iris, how is it like there?" Tardi asked. "I heard about the other dimensions from my human sister. They are all so magical."

"My previous world is quite boring. There is only one faith, and most magic is strictly bestowed by the Lord. It is a world of technological progress."

"Then how did you come here?" Varda asked. "To cross the interdimensional boundary requires an inexhaustible amount of energy. You're gorgeous, but I don't think that translates to power."

"I don't know. It was so unreal as if I was in a dream."

"Do you need me to check your body to see if it's a dream or not?" Dulcie said and giggled. "You've been too close to Varda. Are you neglecting your other sisters?"

"Dulcie, I'm the second sister now, so don't think I'm weaker than you."

"I'm still the most compatible with you, though."

Annoyed, Varda turned to Dulcie and revealed a smug expression before coiling around Iris and playing with her soft body. "Sister Iris is mine. Don't come near here!"

Before the atmosphere turned strange and streamy, Lenmia slammed the table and pulled back the attention. Unlike others, she was still stressed about the decision to let Iris go alone.

"Iris, are you sure you want to go alone?" she said, lowering her voice and letting the solemnity permeate. "We'll go with how you decide. I can't win against all of you combined."

"Then it is decided. Please guard the cave for me. I'll be back very soon."

"Let us give you a good luck group hug first."

Lenmia called for everyone and pulled Iris to her. They all gathered around and tightened their reach. They stayed there for longer than a minute before Iris felt strange and hot all around.

"Sisters, I'm getting a little too uncomfortable," she said and slipped out. "We shouldn't be wasting time. So, I'll go now. See you later, everyone!"

Before anyone could catch onto her, she ran out of the room and headed straight into the darkness of the deeper part of the cave. The black veil gradually consumed her figure until she disappeared, leaving the rest of her family waving and shouting and wishing success.

"She is too reckless. I don't know where the shy cute Iris at the beginning goes," Lenmia said then sighed. "You all too have become rebellious. I would like you to be docile and lovely like before."

"We're turning into you, Sister Lenmia. Didn't you want us to be as charming and lustrous as you?" Tardi giggled. "Don't regret it now."

"You all change too fast. She is a bad influence for sure."

"But she is our loveliest sister, right?" Dulcie said.

"I can't deny that."