I woke up on the spacious bed in the dream world, stretching with a groan. Gemma, in her slutty dress, was sitting cross-legged next to me.

  “Long night?” she asked, with a soft smile.

  “You have no idea,” I murmured, sitting up.

  “Well, I tried to connect with you very te at night, and you weren’t asleep yet.”

  “You were waiting to talk with me while I was fucking other women?” I asked with a smirk.

  “You wish,” Gemma snorted. “You’re not that important.”

  “Yet, we’re here.”

  “The sun is rising soon,” she replied. “We don't have too much time, because I actually need to take care of important matters. Just wanted to make sure that you’re still alive, that’s all.”

  “Oh, you’re worried about me?” I asked.

  “I see you’re in a good mood. Then we can wrap it up for today.”

  “Wait,” I said quickly. “I have a ton of questions.”

  “Oh, someone needs me?” Gemma asked, leaning toward me. Her tits looked like they were going to spill out from her purple dress, yet they remained covered. She must have been using magic to hold it in pce. Or tape. Perhaps it was just tape, no magic involved.

  “Is it possible to use mana to move objects mid-air?” I asked, ignoring her teasing, wanting to use our limited time. “But not like push them around, but create a pte, put the item on it, and levitate it around?”

  “Yeah,” she replied. “You need a really strong focus, but more importantly, you have to maintain a constant flow of mana. Look.”

  She grabbed a pillow and at the same time shaped a pte out of her mana. But after forming it, she kept channeling more, feeding a steady stream along a line into it. When she pced the pillow on top, whatever dispersed on contact was instantly repced, keeping the pillow afloat as she shifted it around the room.

  “It uses too much mana to use in everyday life,” Gemma said, dropping the pillow on the bed. “But it’s possible.”

  “Hmm… when I met Amber for the first time, she… was able to hold something in pce using her mana, but she wasn’t summoning it all the time. It just held that thing, despite it trying to get out.”

  Gemma giggled. “And what was she holding in pce?”

  “That’s not really important,” I replied. But seeing Gemma’s smirk and amused look, it was obvious she had already guessed. “Okay, she was holding me. But only because I let her, wanting to see what she would do. When she pushed things too far, I was out in less than a second, pinning her to the bed.”

  “Of course, Tobias. I wouldn't imagine it any other way,” Gemma replied with a smirk.

  “That was what happened,” I said firmly.

  “Right,” Gemma hummed.

  “Whatever,” I groaned. “How was it possible? How did she make the cuffs around my wrists?”

  “You know, people in this world have csses that give them skills,” Gemma said.

  “And as an alchemist she has a skill that lets her bind people?”

  “Do you trust her that she has an alchemist css?”

  “I think so…” I murmured.

  “What if she has more than one?”

  Honestly, Amber could have another css. But what css would allow her to create something like that? Well… Mine allowed me to make my cock bigger and made me smell better. I wasn't the person that should ask questions like that.

  “Or she just used an item that helps to stabilize mana into cuffs,” Gemma added.

  “Something like that exists?” I asked, surprised.

  “Yeah, it’s a little too complicated to expin how it works right now, but it helps you to hold a certain form with less focus and stops it from dispersing.”

  An item like that, helping to create cuffs, seemed like something that Amber would have. I nodded, turning toward the pillow and focusing on my mana. I formed a pte in front of me, while pushing more and more into it the whole time.

  I grabbed and dropped the pillow on top of it. A small portion dispersed, but because I was recreating the pte all the time, it held the pillow floating mid-air. It was draining my mana quickly, but I succeeded.

  However, when I tried to move it around, more mana dispersed, and I didn't manage to replenish it in time, and the pillow fell down.

  “Your focus is too weak,” Gemma said. “But you’ve got the idea now.”

  “Thanks,” I said, turning toward her again. “Have you found something about the slime?”

  “I did,” she replied. “But not a lot. It was created a long time ago by a very powerful mage. At first, he had one, then a few. He was creating something like an elite combat unit. But when he was killed, those slimes kind of vanished.”

  “Later on throughout history, they popped up here and there, then vanished completely again. The st documented occurrence was a very long time ago, but it seems that they are still somewhere out there, just kept as a secret.”

  “Okay,” I said slowly. “But something more about it in particur? Is it a demon? A monster?”

  “It's something in between. It doesn’t have a css or mana, like demons. It’s not a monster either, because it's intelligent.”

  “Is it?” I asked. “I tried to talk with it, but it didn't seem to understand.”

  “Perhaps it's too small right now,” Gemma replied with a shrug.

  “Zelda said that it’s behaving like a newborn,” I mentioned.

  “Maybe.”

  “Is it going to grow a lot?” I asked.

  “When they were under their creator, they were supposedly able to reach the size of a house, but ter in the future, there was no occurrence of one as strong. The biggest they were was the size of a human or a slightly bigger animal,” Gemma expined. “You gave it mana already, didn’t you?” she asked then.

  “Yeah,” I replied. “Was it mentioned in the books?”

  “The slimes need mana to grow and function. Whoever gives it to them becomes, in a way, their master. They can’t feed on anyone else.”

  “So… I already bound it to me?”

  “Kind of, but it's not permanent. They were changing their providers throughout history. They must have some strong reason not to, but I’m not sure what it is.” Gemma shrugged. “You should actually keep it. I don't want it to feed on me, and it might be good that it's you.”

  “Wait, why don't you want it to feed on you?” I asked. “But it's fine if it feeds on me?”

  “You’re not as important as I am,” Gemma replied with a smile.

  “What? So it's dangerous?!”

  “I’m kidding,” Gemma said, rolling her eyes. “I didn't find anything that would suggest it’s going to hurt you. Feed it regurly, and it’ll be your servant.”

  “So why don't you want it for yourself?” I asked.

  “You were asking me so many times for help, and now when I give you something, you don't want to accept it?” Gemma asked.

  “I didn't say I don't want it,” I replied. “I just wonder what changed.”

  “You proved that you might be useful,” Gemma replied. “Let's just say that’s your share of everything I found at the boratory.”

  “Okay,” I replied slowly, still unsure of what her real motives behind that were. “There’s one more thing I want to ask you about. What do you know about The Greatest Mage?”

  Gemma furrowed her brows, tilting her head slightly to the side, looking at me. “And where the hell did you hear about him?” she asked.

  “In the library,” I replied.

  “Library?”

  “You know, a big building full of books.”

  “I know what a library is.” Gemma rolled her eyes. “I’m just surprised that you were there.”

  “Why?”

  “You came to this world with a goal to seduce and fuck women, not read books,” she expined. “Wait! Is there some hot librarian working there?”

  “I went there for books,” I replied.

  “Yeah?” Gemma asked, turning to the side, like she was looking for something. “I should have records of people working there.”

  “There’s a cute sea nymph, but that’s not important. Don't change the topic. What do you know about The Greatest Mage?”

  “You mean Averindral? As his real name was,” she said. “Tell me what you learned first, and I’ll fill in the gaps.”

  “What if I know more than you?”

  Gemma snorted. “You really believe that?” she asked with a smile.

  “Have you heard about Drazathis’ family?” I asked.

  Her expression shifted from amused to curious, with a soft smile.

  “Of course I heard about them,” Gemma replied.

  “Can we stop beating around the bush?” I asked.

  “You’re free to ask about whatever you want,” she said.

  “What was his css?” I asked.

  “Do you really think he had only one?” Gemma asked with a smirk.

  “Did he have a Sex Mage css?”

  “Yes.”

  I groaned. “So, if you’re gonna tell me the truth anyway, why can’t you just tell me everything?”

  “I want a fresh look on the whole situation,” Gemma replied. “There aren't many people that know about him.”

  “No one, right?” I asked.

  “As far as I know, only the two of us.”

  “You found out about his css in those books you mentioned,” I stated. “Were those his diaries or something?”

  “Not his, and not diaries. But journals of those who ruled after him.”

  “They described how to give me my css?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How?”

  “I’m not gonna share that,” Gemma replied, shaking her head slowly.

  Not that I had pnned to create more Sex Mages, especially since I would need men with mana, which didn’t exist in this world.

  “What race was he?”

  “A human.”

  “Not a demon? He was created by gods,” I said, wondering if it was a lie.

  “Oh wow!” Gemma gasped. “Someone will have a surprise in nine months. Perhaps even a few, thinking about all those women you are fucking. But I will let you in on a secret, Tobias. Magic is not the only way to create a new life.”

  “You mean… he was god’s son?”

  Gemma frowned, looking at me in silence.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Nothing,” she replied, shaking her head. “He was just a human, not a demon.”

  “Shouldn’t he be a god too? Or half-god?”

  “I don't know how it works, but he was a human,” Gemma replied with a shrug.

  She knew something more but didn't want to tell me. Perhaps he was something more than a human, but she decided it was better to hide it from me.

  “Do you know how his ruling ended?” I asked.

  “Of course,” Gemma replied.

  “How?”

  “Tell me what you know, and I’ll tell you my version after,” she said. “And believe me, I know more than you, no matter what Zoe told you.”

  I wasn't going to tell her everything, but one fact she certainly knew, so I could start from that.

  “Succubi were sent to him,” I said.

  “They were.”

  There was a moment of silence as we looked at each other. I hoped she would tell me more, but clearly she waited for my next question.

  “That’s all I know,” I said. “Tell me your version now.”

  Gemma smirked. “What do you think happened when they sent those twelve succubi to him?”

  “What could have happened?” I asked with sarcasm. “He fucked them, they drained him, and-” I stopped when I realized something. “Wait! Why the fuck did he even touch them?”

  “I asked myself the same question,” Gemma replied with a smile.

  “He couldn't be so stupid. He should have known that could happen.”

  “Unless…” Gemma said, gesturing with her hand for me to continue.

  “He didn't know what they were?” I asked. “But-”

  “But they were created by gods,” Gemma interrupted me, in a low voice that was supposed to imitate mine. “But what if they weren’t?” she asked in her normal voice. “What if that event is the first time in history that succubi appeared?”

  “So… what are they?” I asked.

  “Of all people in Torania, you’re probably the one who has the biggest chance to guess it.”

  “Me? You mean… they’re from another world?” I asked.

  “Yes,” Gemma replied. “While reading about them, I found out that it was possible to open portals between worlds and transport people. They brought succubi here to get rid of the Greatest Mage. I brought you to get myself a strong ally.”

  “He had no idea it was possible to drain mana from a person,” I said.

  “The perfect trap for someone like him,” Gemma replied.

  “Or me,” I said. “If I didn't know.”

  “Well, luckily you stumbled upon a succubus on your very first day here,” Gemma said.

  “I don’t understand…” I frowned. “Don’t take it the wrong way, I don’t pn anything like that, but aren’t you worried I might end up like him? That I’d try to take over Tenebre and take your position?”

  “And I made you aware of the method that worked st time to stop the Sex Mage,” Gemma said.

  “Exactly.”

  “Tobias, when we were negotiating our deal, you could have asked for anything. But you asked to be able to seduce and fuck as many women as possible. I don’t think you really care about power or status.”

  “You don't know what I’ll want in the future,” I replied. I had my css helping me seduce women, but power and status would help it even more, so they could become a tool toward my goal.

  “I’m not scared of you, little boy,” Gemma said with a wink.

  “There’s nothing little about me.”

  “Oh, I know,” Gemma purred, her gaze lowering to my crotch, which was covered by a bnket, but she had seen me naked before. Then her eyes rose until she was looking into mine again. “I trust you, Tobias,” she said firmly. “Shouldn’t I?”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “I have my reasons. You’ll learn them soon,” Gemma replied.

  I sighed, studying her. She had no real reason to trust me - which meant she must have something up her sleeve, a way to stop me if I ever turned against her. Not that I intended to… No, my pns for her were very different.

  “You know I want to seduce and fuck you?” I asked, watching her carefully.

  Gemma snorted, but then actually got flustered, licking her lips as her hungry eyes lingered on me. “I’m quite aware,” she whispered. “It’s been a while since I’ve had any, but from what I remember… it’s quite incredible for both sides.”

  “When was the st time?” I asked. Quite some time for someone as gorgeous as her could be just a week. But for a woman a few centuries old? Could it have been years?

  “Don’t get too curious,” she replied ftly, her smile fading.

  “Really?” I said, chuckling. “So long?”

  “Drop the subject, Tobias.”

  “Having trouble finding someone interested?”

  “Do you have any questions?” she asked.

  “Someone would assume that with a body like that-”

  I didn't manage to finish my sentence before the complete darkness of sleep consumed me.