Inferverse 3 back up

   Nearly a week has passed, Dylok has been encased in a coccoon of clear blue energy lying on a bed, a stasis spell. The room at the inn was being auto-paid for by Mormo and Lang's accounts with the instructions to keep the door locked. The NPCs never questioned it and the land of Novicia isn't visited often enough by people like them as there is no fast travel way to get there unless one has created a *respawn* point there via a spell; which Mormo and Lang have done in that very room.

   "So what'd you find out?" asks Lang as the two of them re-appear in the room, "I was busy with some real life stuff so I couldn't look into it."

   "According to my bosses, who freaked out about it, I was right that mystic monster did appear in the real world. I thought I recognized it, it was on one of the Earths being geared towards magic and monsters for whatever reason. Ya'know the champions project. Damned thing was a vampire there, but apparently transformed into this succubus overlord thing at some point. I was kept out of that fight; but they claim the person behind it shouldn't be able to access the Inferverse right now. They wouldn't go into details as to why, but I figure someone else caught and imprisoned her. So this is either a copy, some glitch, or some old program and they're a bunch of confussed nitwits who mistook a high level sentient Mystic Monster using magic for a real person and whatever they did just sent the damned thing back here. Eitherway its still just a Mystic Monster, in the Inferverse, and it has had Princess Marianna for a week now. If we're lucky this is a King Kappa or Dracowser scenario and the Princess is kept in stasis or a cage being given food till the heroes show up. As old school as this region is I'd wager money on that. Anyway, better get to it."

   Lang thumbs over to Dylok, "Alright I'll wake up our other catch."

  ******

    The journey northwoods through the grasslands was met with little surprise and next to no reward as they faced the occasional Null-Slime, practical swarms of Smile Slimes, Blue Slimes, Lesser Grass Snakes, and the occasional Grass Snake. Further north into the rocky-hilly region that seems to pass for mountains here; they encountered Red Slimes, Green Slimes, Air Jellies, the occasional Greater Grass Snake, and alot of Mini-Orcs and Bandit Dwarfs with a few Lawn Gnomes popping up in the oddly wooden fenced in gardens that were scattered about without owners in this somewhat random path ladden land.

   Even beyond the eerie looking "Forbidden Gate" into the norther "Haunted Land", their path was frought with what to them are only minor threats, Skeletons, Sheet Ghosts, and Shambling Zombies popping up around the cemetaries, with the Ghouls and various Skeletons with weapons closer to the stone entrances of underground labyrinthian tombs that they are not there for, and the bubbling black toxic pits. However as night falls they have to take up shelter in one of the Safe Zone shacks as night around here as the lowest threat being Vamp Heads and Ghost Flames, but all sorts of Vampires are about, ranging from the Wild Vampires clear up to a pair of Royal Vampires ruling over a mansion not far up the hill; while no higher in level than the Death Knight they defeated they are far smarter, and have many more powers including hypnotic ones and control over other undead to contend with. For safeties sake Lang secretly casts the stasis spell on Dylok again as they douse the lights. They'd love to call it a night and go home but this spot isn't secure enough, it may be a safe zone but if by chance anything powerful enough to dispel the stasis spell notices Dylok through the many holes in the shack it could lure him out and their catch would be lost. So sleeping in the Inverferse on watch shifts it is.

   ******

   *The Next Day*

   Lang fires a Holy Arrow, the yellowish-white arrow like bolt from his bow taking down an Archer Skeleton standing on a ridge among the black leafless trees over the cave entrance.

   "Down there," says Mormo pointing, "is where the Witch Oracle is, now we can,"

  An explosion of green energy forces them back from the cave entrance, the green smoke spirals into a central open; violently ripping open a portal, from which steps a woman in grey tattered rags for a dress, her skik a milky white slime that moves about, occasionally exposing the bones underneath.

   "What sort of heroes take a week long nap on a mission to save a princess?"

   She smiles, the white slime stretching off her teeth in a hellish display before slinking back to a stoic look. She points at Mormo, "Mormak, yes I know who you really are."

   "Lich Queen," projects Lang to Mormo while looking at his holographic display, "Overlord Class, which means this was likely made from a real person."

   "I know you are aware," she continues, "that the Inferverse connects to hundreds of worlds; and by doing so they temporally connected; forced like gears being connected to move at the same speed. This is the true reason the Dimension Police came to my world, why YOU brought the Mystic Monsters to MY world. You were supposed to help the hero Killia fight the mistress; instead you fled here; you didn't even see Killia ascend did you? Did you know the Red Goddess was Killia's mother? Or that our mistress was a being on par with her? You dare come here, under a false name in a fake body; in the world where monsters play with animated dolls that are little more than prey and templates for more monsters to be created."

   "Who are you?!" demands Mormo his voice shaking the very ground.

  "I was a hunter in YOUR guild," she says, "I am Emeri, the sorceress; look at me now."

   She smiles as her milky slime for flesh peels off her arms, forming into worm like pseudo-pods with wide mouths, "I am magnificent, first the mistress made me a vampire; but then she made me something more. I am eternal, I am the Overlord of this haunted land now; and as much as I'd love to rip you apart; it would accomplish nothing with that fake body of yours. Instead my mistress has another torment in store for you."

   She turns to Dylok, "and a prize for you, oh local advanced unit who would be the only one here not playing a game,"

   She turns, the slime returning to her arms, her hand glowing green she waves at the spiral portal. It stretches and daylight can be seen on the other side. A massive room with a sandstone floor, and across the ways there is a throne, upon which sits the demon queen they are after, to her right is an Albino Succubus, another Overlord class monster, to her left a Desert Maiden, a boss class monster, and on her lap being petted like a cat is a Blue Slime.

   "This is what you wanted is it not? You have taken too long, our Mistress has not the time nor patience for fools who forget that time moves the same between the connected worlds and here."

  The three look at the portal. However there is a green flash and they find themselves suddenly standing in the desert palace, behind them a balcony showing they are hundreds of feet above the ground, this palace is floating above a seemingly endless expanse of desert. Emeri has taken to standing beside the Albino Succubus.

   "We're not in Novicia anymore," says Lang, "we're in the desert region, just near the edge of the forest region by a few hundred miles. High level desert monster territory, no human type settlments more over fifty miles from here...except an evil cultist temple directly below us according to this...and...this is..."

   "My temple," says the Albino Succubus, "oh avatars of liars who tricked us into paying them to join their guild, I like my lover Emeri know you Mormak and your cowardice. A cowardice that may have saved for your life for the Red Goddess and the Primal Shadow would have no connection and therfor no mercy for you as they did Killia and his friends."

   "Uh..." says Lang looking up from his hologram, "Did...did she just...please tell me that's a generic name for an evil being on that Earth you were at man and not..."

  "I don't know," says Mormo, "I was ordered to stay out of it; but this..."

  He draws his sword, "Is not a narrative, this is personal; they're after me."

  "Don't be so fool of yourself," says the Albino Succubus, "Ah, but this is my home; how callous of me. I shall make introductions."

   "I am Overlord Anza and this is the temple of Anzaroth, floating high above a temple in an oasis in worship of myself and our great mistress here."

  She indicates the throne, "I present to you pretenders and that lone local the great goddess of cataclysms, the Supreme Overlord, Rhulan!"

   However Rhulan does not acknowledge their presence, instead *mewing* softly as her clawed black gauntlet of an arm strokes the large Blue Slime sitting in her lap, her face screws up a moment and she *sighs*.

   "Look there," whispers Lang pointing, Mormo sees it too; vaguely through the semi-clear body of the slime.

   "Futanari," whispers Lang, "if this weren't a big boss encounter...its trying to throw us off."

   Rhulan leans down and whispers something to the slime. Lang, Mormo, and Dylok all take a step back as the body of the slime distorts and stretches to form a blue slime woman sitting on Rhulan, she turns her slimey body slightly and says, "Dylok, my love."

  "P...Princess Marianna!" shouts Dylok as he takes off running towards the throne.

  "Stop!" shouts Lang reaching for Dylok only to be suddenly blasted back by a white fireball thrown by Anza, smashing him into the stone railing of the balcony behind them, cracking, almost sending him over the edge and the hundreds of feet drop to the desert below. He spies along the outside of the Temple of Anzaroth swarms of Stone Wyverns and Sand Wyverns.

   As he returns he can only watch beside Mormo as Dylok stops short of the throne.

  "We can be together forever," says slime Marianna, "join me Dylok."

  "Princess...Marianna...pl...please,"

  "Back home," she continues, "we could never be together, I the princess, you the captain of the guard, but like this."

  She slides off of Rhulan's lap, Rhulan's phallus glowing and vanishing back into a clit as the shadow cloth oozes over her waist to cover her up as armor.

  "Y...yes," whispers Dylok.

  The two slowly move towards each other.

  "We're about to lose our catches," growls Lang.

  "Something else," whispers Mormo, "This...doesn't make sense."

  "Holy Arrow!" shouts Lang firing a bolt, however it vanishes mid air behind Dylok, an invisible barrier now divides the room.

  Lang rushes the barrier with twin daggers but no strike no matter how strong can pierce it.

  "Are you going to help or not!" shouts Lang back at Mormo. Mormo shakes himself from thought and draws his sword, bringing it down with a mighty glowing strike, but they might as well be hitting the invisible wall on the edge of a game map. They can only watch as Dylok and Marianna embrace, his body pulled into hers, vanishing. She let's out an orgasmic scream, glowing, a crown like protrusion appearing on her head, her bust increasing, her puddle like lower body becoming legs and a slime wand appearing in her hand.

   Rhulan stands, her tail swaying with her hips as she walks to Marianna's side.

  "You are now Ephemera," says Rhulan, "Yes, I dub thee the Grand Boss Class Sorceress Slime Queen; Ephemera!"

   Ephemera turns to Mormo and Lang, "I am...I am Ephemera, born this day, fragments of memory like dreams. Sapient before I was not, sapient now I am. For your part in this, and the foolishness of my program selves not to see the obvious trickery. I cast thee out!"

  She aims her wand at them, "Oblivion Summance!"

  Sparkling white and blue pixil like clouds of energy cyclone around them, when it clears they are standing in the grassy field of Novicia. However any respite is short lived as another portal appears before them, from which the Lich Queen Emeri, the Albino Succubus Anza, and the Netherian Succubus Rhulan emerge, no sign of Ephemera or the other monsters as the portal closes behind these three.

   "Ephemera," says Rhulan, "Will be sent out of the Inferverse to gain real world experience, an informant..my...my dolly...Polymorphica...my dolly? No...yes...why did I say that..."

   She shakes her head, a vacant look in her eyes, a predatory gaze, "Nevermind, I the Supreme Overlord of all darkness shall not allow two morsels such as yourselves to escape."

   "We need to play seriously now," says Lang, "no holding back."

  "Agreed," says Mormo, his sword switching from a steel sword to some blue crystal glowing blade, a golden mirrored shield appearing in his left arm. Lang's bow changes to an ornate white ans silver bow with jewel inlays and a silver string.

   "ENOUGH!" a woman's booming voice shakes the land as the sky changes to a violet hue bathing the land in eerie light.