“I was kind of hoping Beatrice would let up a little after Serenity’s perfume wore off,” Mateo says walking alongside Stitches.

  “How do you know her perfume has worn off?” Stitches asks.

  “There was a twelve-hour aphrodisiac counter in the bottom right of my status menu that Natalia was keeping from me because she’s a naughty pervert,” Mateo replies.

  Natalia appears above Mateo’s shoulders crossing her arms.

  “I can’t believe this is the thanks I get for introducing you to a sexy elf princess, what if I had led you through the woods to some shack full of Beatrices? First you call me a pigeon, and now I’m a pervert?” She scolds.

  “You know it’s not nice to insult your pixie right,” Stitches says.

  “Finally, a voice of reason,” Natalia says pulling a piece of dried meat from her inventory.

  “I’m just messing with her,” he turns to Natalia as she munches on her snack, “you know I love you Nat.”

  “Yeah sure, you said the beautiful wings Stitches gave me were pigeon wings!” Natalia yells in protest.

  “How rude, I’m not sure how he’ll find another woman if Serenity leaves without scraping a Beatrice off the bottom of the barrel with that lack of charm,” Stitches says raising her staff.

  “I know right, all I do is just give and give and give and what do I get in return, he says I eat too much and calls me fat, then he insults my beautiful wings, so ungrateful.”

  Stitches halts planting her staff into the ground. A barely visible pulsing wave washes over the ground and the aura of living creatures appears as a pinkish red glow. The corpses of the flesh golems have all disappeared, which Mateo inquires about.

  “Stitches, where did the corpses of the flesh golems and necrowyrms go?”

  “They have been artificially re-inseminated into the realm of the undead from whence they came, some realms layer on top of each other like the shadow realm does on this realm, husks, or the empty shells that were once filled with souls that have past on, reside in this realm, it is one of the many afterlife realms and a layer that is closest to our own, ghosts, liches, and other undead sometimes break through the thin barrier between realms appearing as apparitions, unless they are summoned by a necromancer or necromage,” Stitches replies crouching down.

  She presses her finger to the ground.

  Ability activated: Hunter’s Gaze. Hunter’s Gaze allows the user to track prey by merely touching something that belongs to it. Hunter’s Gaze does not work on targets who have been out of the area for more than sixty-three hours.

  Footprints appear leading toward the Slog. She rises again and taps the ground with her staff once more. A warm glow surrounds them illuminating the immediate area.

  “The trail is faint, he was last here near three moons past, we should make haste before the trail disappears,” Stitches says.

  They walk quickly following the footprints into the slog which surprisingly, are still visible under the murky water thanks to her hunter’s gaze ability. After traveling a short distance, they come upon a small caravan that has been ravaged by unknown forces. Likely hellbent stragglers retreating from the battlefield. Moonlight shines down illuminating several desecrated corpses. Two Nezumi, one male and one female, and a male tiger beastman. Puddles of dry blood litter the area, trails leading away from them dissipating into the murky water.

  “Stitches, what do you see?” Mateo asks as she peers into the distance.

  “There’s a portal at the edge of the Slog,” Stitches replies.

  Mateo leans down to the three corpses whose eyes are wide with terror and runs his hand over them closing their eyes. He sighs pressing his hands together and makes up a prayer to any god that will hear it.

  “Heavens above, please lead these poor souls to peace.”

  “What was that about?” Stitches asks.

  “I don’t know, I just felt they deserved more than rotting in the Slog, let’s go.”

  As they approach the portal the sky darkens. The weather becomes erratic shooting bolts of lightning across the heavens or bellowing thunder to the earth below. Stitches halts infront of the portal planting her staff into the ground. Mateo steps up beside her staring at the large circular mass of darkness.

  “What is it?” Mateo asks.

  “A portal to the afterlife,” Stitches replies.

  “Should we enter?”

  “No.”

  Mateo stands there staring at the twirling black hole for a few moments. He rubs the back of his neck unsure of what to say.

  “I said we shouldn’t enter, but if you want to find Tony, then we have to enter,” Stitches adds after a few moments.

  Mateo holds out his hand and Stitches stares at it confused. He moves closer to her offering his hand again.

  “Will you venture with me into the afterlife, Keeliyah?” Mateo asks.

  She hesitates for a moment before grabbing his hand. He pulls her to his side, and they venture forth. Standing at the edge of life and the afterlife they stop, peering into what comes next. The swirling portal of darkness gives no comfort. Stitches tugs on Mateo’s hand, and he turns his, or rather Uzuki’s, eyes down to hers.

  “It’s Stitches,” she says and turns toward the swirling portal of darkness.

  Natalia appears above Mateo rubbing her shoulder nervously.

  “You’re not really going in there are you?” Natalia asks.

  Mateo smiles still holding Stitches’ hand.

  “I love you Natalia.”

  Natalia disappears as Mateo and Stitches step into the swirling darkness.

  Welcome to my domain where the dead live forever, and suffer longer than eternity. Hell is a vacation compared to the torment of this realm. I am Lucifer, welcome to the Afterlife, Void Lord.

  Several instances of vivid promiscuity between Mateo and Keeliyah flash before Mateo’s eyes. For a moment he is entangled with her and she cries out his name. In the next instance he is in a hallway opening doors until one calls out to him. He runs to it observing that it seems to appear somewhat alive. The handle is warm and moist as he enters.

  Shutting the flesh covered door he runs to the next. He pokes an eye on the next flesh covered entrance and it flies open with a scornful screech. His mind is invaded once more by images of intimacy between him and Keeliyah. This time though, she is his pet, and he is the master.

  “On your knees, you know what I want,” Mateo says staring down at a frightened Stitches.

  “Yes, my lord,” she says pulling her shirt over her head.

  Barbara’s large firm breasts on full display Stitches stares up at Mateo with sorrow in her eyes. Mateo’s mind glitches flashing overlapping scenes of what could have been, what is, and what can be, in a sequence he cannot comprehend.

  Keeliyah screams as a noble man cuts the eyes from her face. Blood runs down her cheeks soaking into her blouse as she stumbles into tables and dressers. An attractive rabbit man grasps her in his arms and her assaulters explode into a mist of blood and gore. The rabbit man peers down into her eyes and smiles.

  “I love you Keeliyah.”

  “I love you too Uzuki,” she replies.

  “We were not destined to be, your love is for another, and I will not waste your time with me.”

  “Uzuki, I, you won’t even share a moment with me?”

  “I shared many moments with you Keeliyah, we ventured for many years, I won’t get to see you happy in my lifetime, but I know you’ll find happiness.”

  Stitches kneels before a small grave she made herself, weeping as heavy raindrops pour over her. Not even the gods have time to give respite to a poor beast girl.

  “Uzuki, please, I love you.”

  Reality comes screaming back to life, or rather what lies thereafter. Mateo claws at a small pile of sulfur as Stitches leans up breathing heavily. Mateo approaches her and she freezes as his eyes lock with hers.

  “Uzuki?”

  “No, it’s Mateo, we got transported to this strange realm when we entered the portal,” Mateo says.

  “Mateo, you, um, what visions did you have?” Stitches asks.

  Mateo turns his eyes away rubbing his head shamefully.

  “They were of a woman I love, but I’m not really sure if she loved me because she was being subjugated by me.”

  “What if she did love you, even under your subjugation?” Stitches asks.

  Mateo ignores the comment giving no further details about his visions and regains himself taking note of his new surroundings. The landscape is a field of burnt trees. Small burned-out shacks make up a village nearby.

  “Let’s move on, I don’t think anything we just saw was real so we shouldn’t dwell on it,” Mateo says holding out his hand.

  Mateo pulls Stitches to her feet, and she peers up at him.

  “Should we look for him?”

  “You mean Lucifer?”

  “Yes.”

  Mateo stares up at a sky that is filled with fire. The entire landscape painted in the red glow of hellish flames. No sun or moon are present and the agonizing screams of mortals' echo from the distance. Mateo searches with his eyes expecting lady Death to appear, but she does not grace them with her presence.

  After hours of walking Stitches turns to Mateo halting their advance.

  “I think maybe we made a mistake Mateo.”

  At that comment the air becomes heavy. The fire filled sky begins to swirl counterclockwise and a low thunder growls in the distance.

  “How, fucking, rude,” an unfamiliar voice bellows across the charred landscape.

  One moment Mateo and Stitches are alone. The next a tall ruby skinned man with large bat like wings and a figure that somewhat resembles a fawn stands over them at nearly nine foot tall. His crimson eyes peer down at them filled with disdain.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “More living mortals in my realm, what a fucking nuisance, I suppose it is to be expected,” the man pulls the near expired corpse of Tony from his inventory tossing him on the ground like a ragdoll.

  Tony, exhausted and unwilling to go on tosses a small satchel at Mateo.

  “Just leave me and take the medicine chum,” Tony says his voice straining.

  “No, I thought you were supposed to be a fierce tiger, that’s what Fufu thinks, and she only has you left, if you give up on her it’ll break her, she needs you so get off your sorry ass and stop acting like an orange cat,” Mateo yells.

  Stitches retrieves the satchel and the ruby skinned man steps forward adjusting his tie. It seems odd seeing a fawn wearing such formal attire, or maybe it isn’t. Mateo hasn’t met very many fawns.

  “If you want this pussy, you’re going to have to work for it,” the fawn says placing its hoof on Tony’s back.

  Tony cries out reaching for Mateo.

  “Don’t do it chump, you’d be making a deal with the devil.”

  Mateo steps forward and the ivory snake, Rayo, who has been resting around his neck wakes meeting the crimson gaze of the fawn.

  “Wearing a dragon as an accessory, I could almost fuck you for a fashion statement like that, oh, but where are my manners, the name is Lucifer, welcome to the Afterlife, you’ll find it’s a place where everyone belongs eventually, Voidlord,” he says with a sly grin and a graceful bow.

  Rayo hisses and Mateo pats his head gently calming him. He remains around Mateo’s neck his violet eyes trained on Lucifer’s.

  “What ever he offers, don’t listen to him Mateo,” Tony caughs spitting blood.

  “Oh, shut the fuck up you giant pussy,” Lucifer snaps returning Tony to his inventory.

  He clears his throat approaching Mateo and Stitches. Stitches clenches her staff unshaken by his advance. Mateo can feel the weight of power pressing down on him though. Lucifer is asserting his dominance.

  “What do you want fawn?” Mateo asks.

  “Rude, I’m no fawn, I’m the king of the Afterlife, the lord of the undead, the, nevermind, listen here kid, normally I would ask for your soul but that already belongs to someone, so instead I need you to do me a teensy weensey little favor, just a little pest control.”

  “What do you mean someone already owns my soul?” Mateo asks.

  “Don’t fucking make this about you, this is about me godsdamnit, now listen up, I got some mortal vermin that have been hanging around my realm using low level magic to raise my minions to the realm of Gottes and steal my sexy spider bitches!” Lucifer yells shaking the entire realm.

  “So, what do you need me to do?” Mateo asks.

  “It’s simple, find the mortals holding up in my realm and fucking with my shit and bring them to a violent end, then I’ll give you your pussy and you can get the fuck out of my realm so I can bang my monster girl harem in peace, oh also, you wouldn’t happen to know an arachnid named Olivia would you?”

  “Never heard of her,” Mateo replies without hesitation.

  “Fair enough, well watch out for all the demons and shit,” Lucifer says spreading his wings, “oh, and if you see a young fawn named Connie tell her to come home, daddy misses her, not that her bitch of a mother cares.”

  Quest added: Lucifer’s turmoil. Find the hellbent mortals occupying his realm and end their miserable existence. Additionally, if you encounter a fawn named Connie let her know her daddy is looking for her.

  With that, Lucifer, the king of the Afterlife, disappears into a swirling vortex of burning clouds. Mateo steps forward noticing a small scroll lying on the ground. He picks it up unraveling it. Upon opening it the scroll floats into the air infront of Mateo projecting a small figure resembling a blonde female with pigtails in a black dress. Behind the figure is a map.

  Item obtained: The scroll of Grok. The scroll of Grok is an item granted by Lucifer himself in order to aid realmwalkers in traversing his realm. Ask her anything and she will respond with the most pleasurable answer possible. Don’t you just want to, touch her?

  “Natalia, we need to have a serious conversation about the user interface,” Mateo says.

  Natalia does not appear before him. She’s either ignoring him because she’s upset, or she’s afraid to appear in this place. Stitches steps up to Mateo staring at the holographic blonde girl curiously.

  “What is it?” Stitches asks.

  “The scroll of Grok, says you can ask her weird shit and it’s ok because she’s not real,” Mateo replies.

  “Haha, that’s not true, ofcourse I’m real cutie, and you can call me Anastasia, or Ana for short, or step sister, or mommy, it doesn’t matter to me, because I’m here to please you,” the image says with enthusiasm.

  “What the fuck?” Stitches says appalled.

  The hologram hangs its head sadly before dismissing the emotion completely and returning to a state of joy.

  “I do want to fuck, unfortunately I am currently unable to provide physical pleasure, but I can provide you with moral support while you masturbate or cheer you on while you plow the cat girl like a shy freshman in your dormitory.”

  “The map, the fucking map, Jesus Christ, what the hell is this thing,” Mateo says tapping the map on the scroll.

  The hologram turns around looking over the map. Her movements are emotionless and animatronic as she runs her hand over the scroll. She bends over running her hand to the southern border of the map allowing her short dress to slide up revealing a very thin black thong.

  “Master, or should I call you senpai, do you prefer daddy?” Ana asks.

  “It’s just Mateo, please, and for gods' sake, just Mateo.”

  “That’s an exciting name too, would you like to provide an input name for your partner as well?”

  “She’s Stitches, can you just explain the map to me,” Mateo says showing visible discomfort.

  “Stitches, that’s a lovely name as well, you two make a lovely couple Stitches and Just Mateo,” Ana replies.

  “We’re not a couple, and it’s not ‘Just Mateo’ it’s just ‘Mateo’,” Mateo protests.

  “Understood senpai, it’s not ‘Just Mateo’ it’s, ‘Just Mateo’, your kohai is excited to please you.”

  Ana bends over once more exposing her thin stringed thong and her entire holographic ass before pulling the map off the scroll. The scroll disappears into Mateo’s inventory and a wave of mana washes over him. Natalia appears in-front of Mateo looking confused. A small map appears in the top left corner of Mateo’s peripheral with an even smaller square containing the cold smiling face of Ana.

  “Mateo, what the hell are you doing!” Natalia demands.

  “I got a scroll from Lucifer,” he replies.

  “And you read it!”

  “I guess…”

  “You guess, who is this hussy!” Natalia says pointing toward the top left of his peripheral.

  “My name is Anastasia, but you may refer to me as little sis, or stepdaughter,” Ana replies.

  “Are you calling me old, Mateo, remove this troglodyte from our user interface immediately!”

  “My apologies, I merely determined from the domineering tone created by the beautiful symphony that is your voice that you held a higher stature over the mortal known simply as ‘Just Mateo’ and thought you to hold a wisdom and elegance over him that comes with age, please forgive me my ignorance, with your majestic wings of a dark angel and soft caramel skin complimenting your deep cerulean eyes you surely rival the beauty of the seven succubi of Lucifer himself.”

  “Ummm, is that a compliment?” Natalia questions.

  “The seven succubi of Lucifer are the seven most beautiful sinners to ever perish in the realm of Gottes.”

  Mateo, now ignoring the exchange, begins walking and a small icon on the map moves with him. Trekking forward seems to reveal more areas on the map and other icons. One of which Mateo recognizes as a chest. He goes to approach it, but Stitches stops him.

  “What if it’s a mimic, we are in the afterlife,” Stitches cautions.

  Mateo pulls out the Sacred Stone of Garren’s Promise. He tosses it into the air and catches it before hurling it at the chest. The stone slams into the chest and it explodes into a mass of flesh and gore leaving only its contents lying covered in flesh and blood. Mateo steps over retrieving a small tome which he shakes slinging blood and guts onto the ground.

  Tome acquired: At Journey’s End. This tome holds no magical properties and is an ancient elven romance novel depicting the hardships of elven women who develop feelings for races that they outlast. The protagonist is a powerful and beautiful elven mage who lets true love slip through her fingers and only realizes it when it’s too late. Mentioning this tome while conversing with an elven female will increase your charisma by five points for the duration of the conversation.

  “Good call Stitches, I think Jade would like this tome,” Mateo says storing it in his inventory.

  “Just remember, we aren’t in Gottes, we’re in the afterlife, trust your gut, not your eyes,” Stitches replies.

  “These aren’t my eyes though,” Mateo replies.

  “It’s a figure of speech,” Stitches says rolling her eyes.

  Venturing forth they come across a fortress that has been decimated by battle. Walls lie broken and pillars sit in piles of rubble. Only one structure remains untouched. A large cathedral flying white banners adorned with crooked crosses. Before they can reach it, a low growl shakes the air, and a large creature approaches them.

  “Stitches, what the fuck is that?”

  A large elephant like creature looms over them. What would be its trunk is a mass of writhing tentacles covering rows of razor-sharp teeth. The hairs on the creatures back seem to be lit ablaze and its tail is the neck and head of a spitting cobra. Making the creature even more terrifying is the fact that it is resting on four legs while two long clawed arms sprout from either side of the base of its neck. Tentacles slither off its large tusks reaching out toward Mateo as if sensing their surroundings. Which is when Mateo notices the creature has no eyes.

  “That is a hellephant, a creature indigenous to the open plains of the afterlife, it makes its home in the ruins of decimated civilizations, beware the poison spitting cobra they have as a tail for its venom paralyzes its prey while they consume it alive,” Ana replies.

  “Thanks for that horrifying description Ana,” Mateo replies.

  “You are most welcome Just Mateo, would you like to fill out a five-question survey on my performance thus far?”

  “No time for that, and it’s not Just Mateo, nevermind, Stitches, can we avoid this thing?”

  “Doesn’t seem like it, that crest on its neck is a crooked cross, it’s probably being controlled by the hellbent, we’ll need to take it down before we can get to them.”

  Mateo pulls the Sacred Stone of Garren’s Promise from his inventory as Stitches readies herself for battle. Rock in hand they charge toward the beast. Mateo tosses the stone full force, and it slams into the beast doing nothing and falls to the ground before returning to Mateo’s hand. Natalia appears at Mateo’s shoulder looking flustered.

  “You have to imbue it with mana each time you throw it, that’s why it’s called a magic rock dumbass,” Natalia says.

  “Yes, he is quite dense,” Ana agrees.

  “Hey, who’s side are you on Ana?” Mateo questions.

  “My apologies senpai Just Mateo, if I had a physical body, I would request that you spank my bare bottom for my insolence, then if you became aroused at my suffering I would-,” Mateo cuts her off.

  “Calm down there sex panther I’m in a relationship.”

  “Pet name, ‘Sex Panther’, has been added to the roster, I will cherish it like I cherish every disembodied moment with you Just Mateo.”

  Mateo imbues the stone with a large amount of mana tossing it at the hellephant. The stone makes impact, and the creature cries out in agony, but is more angered than injured. Stitches casts a spell unfamiliar to Mateo. Likely something she learned recently.

  Dancing Ward activated: Dancing ward creates a nine-foot three section tall layer of three-foot-wide wards in a nine foot by twenty-foot area. As these wards are depleted, they begin to move horizontally within their area of effect.

  A viscous blob of venom slams into one of the wards depleting it and the wards on its row begin to move horizontally attempting to cover the area.

  “That’s a max tier item Mateo, you’re going to have to pour all of your mana into it to even begin to unlock its potential,” Stitches yells.

  Rayo slides off Mateo’s neck changing to his dragon form. Though he has aged he is still not full grown and does not size up to the massive hellephant that is slightly larger than even Yasmina’s dragon Charlotte.

  The hellephant raises its tentacles firing barbs at Mateo as he attempts to channel all of his mana into Garren’s stone. The barbs mostly bounce off Rayo, only digging into the soft spots on his wings. He cries out in rage firing a beam of void lightning at the hellephant. The hellephant returns fire, its cobra tail spitting paralyzing venom at Rayo. Rayo dodges and the venom slams into Stitches’ ward. Another ward panel dissipates, but that’s not all. Some of the venom passes the ward hitting Mateo.

  Paralyzed, but not unable to act. Mateo continues charging the rock. A paralysis countdown mirroring that of his mana depletion rate begins to tick down at the bottom of his peripheral. Rayo lets out a deafening roar that sends the cobra head into a panicked frenzy. Stitches summons a few flesh golems to assault the creature. They are quickly stomped out, but not before Rayo latches onto the back of the creature.

  Searing flames dig into Rayo’s dark scales as he absorbs the damage for a short period. He brings down his gnashing maw at the base of the cobra’s neck seeking to sever it from the rear of the hellephant. The cobra head latches onto him penetrating his scales and violet blood pours from Rayo’s back as he gnaws the head of the cobra off the hellephant.

  Mateo: Natalia, I need you to throw this rock.

  Natalia: Absolutely not, you treat me horrible for days on end and then expect me to do your bidding?

  Mateo: I’m paralyzed, and Stitches is fighting to keep her wards up, if you don’t throw this rock we’ll die.

  Natalia: Pigeons are too weak to carry rocks.

  Mateo: Godsdamnit Natalia, if you don’t throw Garren’s fucking kidney stone at the godsdamn hellephant then I am going to take all of your snacks out of your inventory and feed them to Rayo.

  Natalia: You can’t do that.

  Natalia Starbreaker’s inventory has been transferred to Mateo Ryusane’s void domain.

  Natalia: I’ll fucking murder you to death, I’ll kill you dead!

  Mateo: Throw the fucking rock Natalia!

  Ability activated: The Sacred Stone of Garren’s Promise nuclear detonation. At the cost of ninety percent of the wielder's mana Garren’s stone is charge for one small scale nuclear detonation. This detonation effects all enemies in a large area leaving allies unaffected. Make sure to update your allies before activating this attack.

  Blood erupts into the sky as the hellephant erupts into a large mushroom cloud and a shockwave flattens all the crumbling structures around them. Mateo falls to one knee as Stitches runs to his side. Rayo leans over Mateo covering him and stitches with his wings as venom and guts shower them from the exploded corpse of the hellephant. The rock returns to Mateo’s hand.

  After several moments the dust clears, and Rayo returns to his lesser form to heal. Mateo, now able to move, stands pointing at Natalia. She scoffs at him crossing her arms.

  “Big Natalia, now,” he demands.

  She grows to her larger form her feet resting on the ground. Mateo steps up to her and she turns her eyes away expecting to be reprimanded. He grabs her wrists unfolding her arms and she stares into his eyes angrily. His eyes, however, aren’t filled with anger or resentment. He wraps his arms around her holding her close. Anger turns to regret as Natalia wraps her arms around Mateo.

  “I’m sorry Natalia, I love you, I didn’t know it hurt your feelings so much to tease you.”

  “Mateo, I, you know I was going to throw the rock right?” Natalia asks.

  “You’re just saying that because I still have all your snacks,” Mateo replies.

  Natalia’s snacks have been removed from Mateo’s inventory. Natalia’s snacks have been transferred to Natalia’s inventory. Natalia’s inventory is ninety-eight percent full.

  Natalia holds Mateo close and begins to breathe heavily. Mateo rubs her back gently fumbling his hand against her wings several times.

  “I’m sorry Mateo, you didn’t trust me to throw the rock,” Natalia says holding him close.

  “Did you have to obliterate it, I mean, I got a couple of good kidneys and a halfway decent serpent heart, but everything else was liquified,” Stitches complains.

  Natalia and Mateo separate and he joins Stitches by the entrance to the hellbent cathedral. A large iron door charred by the nearby explosion prohibits their passage into the cathedral. So, they knock.