NOVEL NEXT 3.34: Designs, Plans, and Machinations
“Would it be alright if I forged them out of Hellforged Wraithstone? It’s much, much lighter than Voidsteel, but its durability is nearly on par with it. It is also known for being able to hold a wide array of enchantments even in smaller items. I feel like the combination of a lightweight material that can hold up to being handled roughly, even by someone with your strength, and the fact it has the capacity for several high tier enchantments makes it the most suitable material for crafting them. The only downside is its cost. It is actually much rarer than Voidsteel, so even a small amount costs a sizable fortune. It can be harvested, but that in itself is a dangerous endeavor. Especially if you don’t have the right tools or training to extract the raw Wraithstone. Refining it is an even trickier process. Which… is actually the thing I wanted to talk to you about.”
I gave our clan's crafter a curious look as she paused, and she turned to face the giant refining forge in the corner of the room. As Kyra held up her hand to point at the refinery, she glanced back at me before continuing.
“This is a great set up, seriously. But… It isn’t able to refine Hellforged materials. While I have no objections working with stuff refined by other smiths, having our own setup for it would seriously expedite the process of crafting everything. But even purchasing the raw ore is expensive, since most merchants sell it in bulk. Which is why my next suggestion would be to find someone who specializes in harvesting rare materials. Not just ore either. Someone who could mine for rare gemstones, who can harvest all the parts of monsters, and can find all the other materials necessary for crafting. It can’t be someone who just does it to make coin on the side. It has to be someone who has made it their speciality. But that in itself presents a challenge. Finding someone who has foregone all of the combat abilities and all of the crafting abilities to focus on something that requires traveling to some of the most dangerous and remote areas of the realm? I’m not sure someone like that exists. And even if they did exist, in order to be successful they would likely already be in a clan for the added protection while harvesting the materials.”
“So… what do you suggest?”
“You find someone who is just starting as a harvesting specialist and you help them level up their skills at an accelerated rate by gathering rarer materials than someone at their level would normally have access to. As they gain more skill, you keep taking them to places that offer even higher quality materials. So, being able to harvest higher tier materials in addition to having access to superior harvesting tools would make them level at a very rapid pace. I’m not certain exactly how difficult leveling that given class is, but I’m sure with as many clan members as we have and the fact that you apparently have a whole fucking demon army, it shouldn’t be too difficult to provide adequate protection for the harvester. Also… training a low leveled player gives the other newer players something to strive for. It shows that we aren’t just looking for the high tier players. We are looking for the ones who are good at what they do and are the most useful to the clan.”
She turned fully back to me and crossed her arms over her breasts. She gave me a half grin and I nodded as I mulled over her suggestion.
“I like it. It does seem like the most viable option. In fact, I think finding a low leveled player instead of even attempting to seek out a higher level one is a better option. It not only does all the things you suggested, but it also fosters more loyalty to the clan since we literally built them up from nooblets to become high tier players.”
“Exactly. So… circling back to the stuff you wanted me to craft, at the start you mentioned you had two different sets of items. I feel like I have a good plan to fit your vision for the collars, but what was the other thing you wanted?”
My heart thudded in my chest and my palms suddenly became super sweaty. Even though it was a game, doing what I was about to do still filled my stomach with butterflies.
“A pair of rings.”
A huge grin that likely matched the width of my own spread across Kyra’s face. She nodded several times and looked over at Ash, who was busying herself tidying up the armory. She let out a wistful sigh, and then her gaze flicked back to me.
“Let’s talk design ideas.”
As I walked through the halls and started to round a corner, I heard two people were chatting up ahead. I stopped and listened to the pair, which turned out to be Judas and Hana. I wasn’t sure the entire context of the conversation, but it seemed like Hana was pestering Judas with a thousand questions and my demonic retainer doing his best to answer what he could.
“So you have a very broad range of knowledge about the game, you are fully aware that this is a game, and that you are an artificially created being given sentience by computer programmers?”
“That is correct, Miss Hana.”
“So… if you aren’t bound purely by the constraints of your programming and you have the ability to learn, adapt, and grow… What are you still doing here?”
Judas paused for a moment, and I could imagine his stoic expression studying Hana’s face in an effort to gauge her intent.
“What makes you happy, Miss Hana?”
As the Korean woman stammered I realized this was the first time I had heard her not speak with such unwavering confidence.
“I uh… Ummm… I don’t… I’m not sure. Accomplishing something I’ve set my mind to, I guess?”
“For me, ensuring that Lady Allexus has everything she could possibly desire is what makes me happy. From the moment I awaken to the last moment before I sleep, I am doing everything in my power to see that my mistress wants for nothing. I don’t do it because it is what I’m programmed to do, I don’t do it out of any sort of feeling like I owe her… No. I do it because I want to.”
I had absolutely no doubt that Judas knew that I was listening to their conversation. I knew that he was saying all of this for my benefit just as much as answering Hana’s question, and I felt my heart warm at just how devoted he was to me. I knew that he had pledged his life to serve me, but I had no idea he felt as strongly as he did. It was good to hear how happy he was, and I was just about to move around the corner when an explosion boomed outside and the walls trembled in response.
I rushed forward and made no effort to hide my presence. Hana and Judas turned towards me, and I locked eyes with the beautiful demon woman.
“What was that? Was that you?”
She shook her head and my eyes narrowed in response. She held up a single finger and her gaze suddenly looked like she was far away. After a few seconds her attention refocused and she looked back at me.
“There is a woman with gleaming red, black, and gold armor talking with members of your demon army and demanding to speak with you. She has long blonde-”
“Gehenna! Hana, tell her I’ll be right there.”
I spun on my heel and spread my wings wide. I flew as quickly as I could manage through the tight space, and then landed once I reached the exit door. I pushed it open and saw dozens of my soldiers crowded around the demon woman who still had black flaming wings attached to her back.
“Corrupted Legion, stand down! Gehenna, I’m here. What’s going-”
Once she realized the soldiers were no longer barring her path, the demon empress strode forward with an intense expression painted on her face. She closed the distance between us quickly, until she was standing directly in front of me.
“Allexus, I need you to come with me. There’s something you need to see.”
I had so many questions, but judging from the look on her face and the set of her jaw, I knew that this wasn’t the time to argue with the powerful woman. I nodded my head and she took another step forward and clasped my hand tightly. She held out her other hand to the side and summoned a black portal with swirls of red and orange. I heard the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching and I looked over my shoulder to see Em, Nialla, and Tesrif coming out of the entrance. Before I could say anything, Gehenna tugged me to the side and we both stepped through the portal.
I obviously had no clue where we were going, but when we arrived at a massive auditorium with stadium seating all surrounding a huge raised central platform, I looked around me in amazement. Thousands of demons of all shapes, sizes, and colors filled the seats and the room was filled with the sounds of angry shouting. We were standing in the middle of a long narrow walkway that led up to the huge podium in the middle. A group of four unique looking demons had noticed our arrival and they rushed towards us immediately.
The one leading them seemed to be a demon with skin the color of melted chocolate. She was at least 6 and half feet tall, and from head to toe she oozed sex appeal. Her body had the most exaggerated hourglass figure I had ever seen on a woman, and it was something even Jessica Rabbit would have been jealous of. But what drew my eyes the most were her absolutely gargantuan tits that seemed to defy all logic. Over top her luscious curves she wore very ornate looking chainmail, but it adorned her body in the style of mage’s robes. She had a wicked looking mace that seemed to draw in all the light from around it hanging from her belt. I would have been completely enraptured by the gorgeous dusky skinned demon woman, until I saw the person behind her. She could have easily passed for a plus-sized supermodel, even with her ashen gray skin and eyes the color of glittering rubies. The horns on her swept back along her flowing raven black hair, and the navy blue platemail she wore had runic symbols that glowed with a fiery orange aura. The sword on her back was almost taller than she was, and it had to be at least 7 or 8 feet long. Runic symbols like the ones on her armor glowed all along the flat of the blade, and the pommel was a skull with blue light shining from the eye sockets.
The man that stepped forward from behind his two companions was somehow even more startling than they were… Not because of anything out of the ordinary, quite the contrary… He looked… Normal? He was taller than the dark skinned woman, probably standing around 6’7 or 6’8, and looked solidly built. He had short black hair that was swept to the sides out of his face, which allowed me to see his almond shaped eyes which gave him the appearance of an Asian man. He wore ornate chainmail like the first woman, but his were less like robes and more like the typical appearance that I was used to seeing. Despite his… generic appearance, the longer I looked at him the more my knees wanted to give out. There was a magnetism to him that drew me in and filled my mind with all the things I would be willing to do to him. My entire body instantly flushed with heat and my sex drive ramped from 0 to 100 in less than a second. I unconsciously took a single step towards him when a strong hand gripped my shoulder and held me in place.
I followed the clawed appendage upwards, gawking at the intricate tribal tattoos that covered the extremely muscular arm. I had to crane my neck back a bit as I drank in the sight of a woman nearly as tall as Tesrif. Her muscles had muscles, and even beneath her thick fur vest I could see just how utterly ripped this woman was. She would have been instantly disqualified from any body building competition, because there was no one in existence that could compete. Yet, despite all of her rippling corded muscles, she still looked curvy and feminine. She had high cheekbones, and pointed ears more like those of an elf instead of demon ones. Her emerald green eyes stared at me with a hungry expression like I was her next meal, and her fangs peeked out from beneath her upper lip. Her long red hair was untamed and was a messy combination of dreadlocks and braids. She had a pair of absolutely massive battle axes strapped to her back and an even bigger long bow slung over her shoulder. The arrows sticking up from the quiver were more like industrial sized harpoons meant for bringing down only the biggest beasts in existence. But… it was only when she spoke that I knew I was in trouble.
“And just where do ya think yer goin’?”
Hearing her voice sounding like a Scottish brogue was like honey dripping in my ear. I instantly swooned and felt my already horny as fuck body screaming at me to let this gorgeous amazonian muscle mommy do whatever the fuck she wanted to me. Despite Allexus’s overwhelming need to constantly be in control, my own desires for this woman completely engulfed whatever objections my demonic instincts had.
“Stand down Karra. She’s with me.”
“Oh, is this her then? She don’ look like much.”
Upon hearing this my eyes narrowed and my demonic instincts rose above my intense state of arousal. I let out a low growl and reached up and grabbed the hand on my shoulder. I focused on my enhanced strength, and felt it course through my veins as I pulled her arm off of me and yanked her downwards. She stumbled forward and I dropped her arm and shoved her in the chest. She staggered backwards a few steps and pinwheeled her arms several times before regaining her balance. Instead of getting angry at me, however, her mouth split into a huge grin that showed her beast-like fangs.
“And damn if she isn’t a feisty one! I can see why ya picked her, Empress.”
I heard a faint chuckle and turned back towards the dark skinned demon. She actually looked surprised and gave me a huge grin.
“Empress Infernos told us about you, but I believe she undersold your strength. The fact you can shrug off Karra is no small feat.”
“Well, you know what they say guys… good things come in small packages.”
I relaxed a bit as I focused on the gray demon woman and was again glad my body resisted the rising embarrassment. Before I could respond to her playful comment, however, Gehenna cleared her throat and we all turned towards her.
“There’s time for meeting each other later. For now, I need to address everyone so we can figure out next steps. Allexus, I am aware you have absolutely no idea what is going on, but I need you to bear with me a little longer. I promise it will all be made clear.”
With that, she took my hand in her own again and motioned to the four demons in front of us. They moved to the side and bowed their heads slightly as Gehenna pulled me up in the direction of the central platform. Several nearby demons in the seats above us looked down and I could feel all of them staring at me as I was led up the stairs. Once we were standing in the center of the stage, Gehenna pulled me close to her and spoke in a voice that was barely audible.
“Remember, no matter what anyone says, never forget that you are the Overlord of Corruption and successor to the Empress. My successor. Got it?”
I nodded and she smiled as she pulled away. I watched her expression morph into a look of fierce determination, and she let out a long slow breath before she flicked two of her fingers at her side. All light in the massive auditorium except what was shining on the raised platform darkened all at once, and everyone instantly went silent. I looked out at the crowd and saw hundreds of thousands of demons all looking down towards the central platform. And every single one of them was staring at me.