Intermission: End of 1^st year since the last book.

 

Rex slowly sat up and stretched his stiff shoulders. The last year had been so busy that the house hadn't changed a whole lot. This was all the result of bad planning, reaching over in the little stone bed he shared, he shook the little girl next to him.

 

“Kira, you know we can't afford to sleep longer than 4 hours.” Rex begged the little girl to get up.

 

Kira had a frown on her sleeping face, her tail kept pushing Rex's hand away that was trying to awaken her.

 

“Kira, we have so many problems right now, I need you!” Rex told the sleeping little girl.

 

The annoyed expression seemed to melt on the little girl's face, as it was replaced with a happy smile from the compliment. She happily snuggled deeper into the bed, it was a solid sheet of cotton. This was absolute proof that a succubus' pride will never leave her, even in her sleep. Her tail stayed on the defense against him the whole time, it would defend its sleeping master!

 

Rex sighed as he stood up and began to get dressed. They had extracted indigo from seashells and use it to dye jeans, making the fabled denim. They had also extracted lots of other dyes, clothing had begun to become a trend among the succubi. Rex was very happy with this development, it was the only good one after all.

 

The slaves had turned into a major problem, it was worse than the prisoners. They were young, and so much stronger. The hot blood flowed like a river.

 

Why did Dora buy so few females?!

 

Succubi have a harder time feeding on females, so they are less attractive to the succubi unless they are replacing someone. This had really come out in Dora's slave selection. All 15 females had to be brought to the succubus homeland on top of the mountain, this was for their safety. This was because they could finally hurt each other without the collars on. This had caused the island to further split into more factions, they fought so much he couldn't get anything done.

 

A refinery was just like a system of beakers and flasks but on a larger scale. Most of the equipment itself was simple, they just seem scary because there are so many different structures. Any machine system would be daunting if you treated it like an extra-large pizza you wanted to eat all at once. He got nowhere since one big enough mistake caused them to have to rebuild it all.

 

This was to be expected though, they weren't succubi. They were all incredibly unskilled workers, they had no experience at all. How were they going to not make any mistakes with all the fighting that happened on the worksite? This had lead to many other issues too, tools that fit the hand were one. Who knew there were so many different ways to make a hand?

 

The insect races all had incredibly slender digits, they were much longer than a human finger and twice as wide. This completely changed the comfortable profile of a grip, and hand shapes like this weren't too uncommon. Beastmen were the opposite, with one less digit being more common, but these fingers were all very thick. This also significantly changed a grip profile, causing issues with producing the needed tools.

 

The other problem began to rapidly appear, they could at most support 5 thousand people with farming and livestock, that was it. Even with fertilizer and lots of work, the soil here was simply shit. Trees had begun to regrow, they were the most poisonous plant on the island. Every piece had been incredibly poisonous, the worst being the seeds. The crops though were fairly limited, and they were having problems introducing wildlife.

 

Walking into his lab, he looked at the new door that led into the basement. The door was sealed with clay, as right now he was growing the magical mushrooms. They grew worse the more oxygen they were exposed to. This was bizarre though because they had an incredible ability, they could rapidly break down rock into soil. This is something the earliest fungus did on earth, it could be said that his world wouldn't have been possible without this type of fungus.

 

This issue made it very hard to grow, as it ate any natural container. The mushrooms made the most incredible soil, but they died quickly when they were in large amounts of air. This lead to a serious issue growing them, as they could even break down concrete. It was currently in a very experimental phase. He was trying to figure out what he could grow them in. He had various containers of different materials, filled with slop and spores.

 

Right now he was testing metals since the fungus had managed to destroy concrete like it was nothing with its root systems. If this stuff could live easier in oxygen it would be a nightmare to infrastructure, it would eat the entire sewer system. It was perfect for waste management, but he needed a way to control it. Flooding your sewer systems with even more explosive pure oxygen wasn't a good idea.

 

This also led him to a breathtaking new discovery. The mana from the mushrooms was different than the mana in the magic stones. They weren't capable of mixing and formed a solution at best, but they would eventually separate based on what it was bonded to. This had led him to the hypothesis that mana was the byproduct of new elements that hadn't existed on Earth.

 

Rex knew that liquid copper existed because he could observe the effect it has on solutions, it tends to turn them a vibrant blue. While both mana was stored in mercury, it caused it to separate and push against each other as it repelled, but the mercury attempted to pull it all together. This lead to an effect that looked like a yin-yang made of two bodies of mercury that constantly circled each other as they floated in the thick glass ball he stored them in. He had no other way to describe what he was seeing as one side of the mercury was much smaller than the other.

 

Too bad Rex just didn't have the time to research this phenomenon, that was because he had to get back to work at the refinery. Grabbing the tool belt that he carelessly tossed on his workbench, he strapped it around his waist. Blue jeans, a white T-shirt, and burlap shoes. What a great look, they still hadn't found a good source of leather. Rex wanted to import cows, he had been craving a steak lately. It was probably just how poor his diet was.

 

Rex felt like he was small for his age, he should be much taller at 37! This was a simple truth, he was 10 years old, and hadn't even reached 4 feet. He was horrified he was going to be much shorter than he was in the modern world. He just didn't have access to the same kind of diet he did in the modern world. The meat was imported constantly as some beastmen couldn't eat vegetables, so Rex tried to eat as little as possible. Plus he just had no way to identify the sources of the meat, and beastmen loved eating monsters.

 

They had helped further reduce the dwindling shark population, but this would only exacerbate the food problem. The succubi just couldn't effectively fly meat across the ocean. They could only sustain the current population with much effort. It was just one setback after another.

 

Walking back into the bedroom fully dressed he looked at the sleeping little girl.

 

“Kira, get up!” Rex yelled but got no response.

 

The little girl continued to just sleep with a smile on her face.

 

“If you don't get up then I am going to go spend the day with Welch.” Rex said flatly.

 

A frown instantly appeared on the little girl's face, as if a struggle was happening in her dream world. Her face slowly took on a look of pain, as she slowly opened her eyes and quickly looked around the room. Her orange irises settled on Rex who was standing at the foot of the bed, and she breathed a sigh of relief. A bright smile slowly spreading over her little face.

 

“Kira, you are really bad at waking up.” Rex joked with the little succubus.

 

She hadn't grown at all over the 2 years he had known her. He was now a few inches taller than her, but she was much stronger than him. Rex could not use mana as he was always spent, but this was the core foundation for strength. It also explained why Blue loved mana-rich foods so much, the mushrooms were a delicacy to it.

 

Blue had doubled in mass and was now more like a wristband than a bracelet. The chemicals it could produce had also continued to grow with Rex's cabinet, but it was severely stunted with all of the work around him. His research time had been cut very short lately.

 

“I had a bad dream... I don't remember what it was about... Where are you headed today?” Kira began to stretch out as she crawled out of the bed.

 

Rex sighed at the little girl.

 

“I need to just sit down and train the workers. It's rough because I need to train them, but they don't have any interest in it. Welch is the only one who seems to understand.” Rex lamented.

 

Hearing this name caused Kira's mood to sour, as her jealousy began to rise. Rex had no idea what was wrong with the little girl. He felt like it had to do with how bad Kira was at understanding complex mechanical systems. The piston Rex initially designed was stretching what she could understand, past that seemed like it was too much for her, or maybe she was too direct.

 

“I will help you!” Kira announced loudly.

 

This did not mean Kira would help, it meant that she would bring the succubi craftswomen with her. This had become quite the mighty force over the last rear, but only where weapons were involved. This was the main issue Rex had ran into.

 

They were using the beastmen to bend the steel plates needed for the outer casing of the structures. The beastmen were all very so different from one another, they were a collection of races. This made using them as a workforce difficult, as you needed a bunch of versions of the same tools. It's why selling weapons to the beastmen hadn't been a priority in the past. No one wants to create 400 different hammers that all serve the same purpose.

 

Humanity experienced the greatest rise in power when the steam engine allowed us to have a power that exceeded our muscles. What would happen if the steam engine had only been a toy that might have maybe been able to toss your children around? Unless he could build an engine on par with a modern combustion engine, then he just wouldn't be able to compete with their society's strength.

 

A beastmen boat with oars could reach 18 mph in the water using their arm strength. This was almost double the fastest speed achieved on earth by a rower, and this was a Viking-sized boat they were rowing. They were able to grow as fast as an elven boat going along the wind with 3 sails! Bear had confirmed all of this, as the elves had beastmen who did fishing for them as slaves.

 

“I am going to go wake up the bear. You go ahead and get ready.” Rex said as he pats her head.

 

“Okay!” Kira said as she finished her stretches.

 

This was Rex's new favorite part of the day. Walking out of the bedroom, he made his way through the living room before walking out the door. The first thing to meet his eyes was a longhouse that stretched over 90 feet, and 40 feet wide. It had clay walls and a metal roof that had been tarred to protect against the rain. A large barn made of black metal sat next to it. This was where all of the kinds of cotton were produced inside of the island.

 

The great succubi scholars in their infinite wisdom had finally settled the issue of transporting cotton. They made long body bag-shaped things they carried it in. The first time Rex had seen a succubus with what he thought was a body bag, the irony of a creature who killed without leaving a corpse carrying one made him laugh. Being surrounded by the creatures had given him a darker sense of humor he noticed.

 

Rex walked past this building to what almost looked like a large hobbit hole. This was something Rex poured his heart into. The large metal door was hollow, this was because the air was the best insulator for temperature, you can just ask any refrigerator. Opening the door that was attached to a large mound of clay, all he saw was a soft light and a ramp that lead into the ground. A thick fog poured out of the door from the freezing temperature inside the abode.

 

The door shut and sealed with a rubber gasket and snores could be heard echoing softly against the clay walls. Walking down the large ramp he was soon brought into a den, at least that is all you could call it. The floor was thick cotton that had a lot of plush, it felt almost like snow. This had been a test for the succubi craftswomen, Rex wanted carpet, thick lush carpet! This would go directly in front of his future toilet, and his feet would often rest on it!

 

Convincing Kira they needed an even bigger house was a hassle, she liked how cozy it felt. Rex wanted a bathroom, a toilet, a fridge, a bathtub, a dishwasher, and so much more. Even the bear had more furniture than he did.

 

“I want to feel like a civilized person, not some savage wearing burlap shoes over a cold floor.” Rex muttered as he hurried his steps.

 

In the back of this large den was Rex's target. A large cotton bed that looked like a square brick. On the cotton was an even whiter mound of fur sleeping. It looked like a giant blob of fluff, and that was how Rex treated this friend of his. Diving forward with arms spread and legs in the air he landed right into that giant mound of fur.

 

This was easily several times more comfortable than any bed, as his body just sunk into the sleeping bear. As the best fisher on the island Borscht ate like a king, and his bulk showcased this. Rex moaned in delight as he began to roll around on the giant bear.

 

“You do this every morning, how you not get tired?” The bear groaned out groggily.

 

Being forced to learn several languages as a cub had given him a very strange accent. The closest thing Rex could put it to was some form of Slavic. Rex hated the bear being named bear so he decided to change it.

 

“Borscht, I go through a lot of shit, just let me have this.” Rex muttered as he buried himself in the bear's bulk.

 

No one understood Rex's pain, the prisoners and slaves all thought he was Kira's pet. Who would respect such a weakling? This bear was Rex's answer to these naysayers, Borscht was quite a tough bastard. He weighed over a ton and could lift that much over his head with his giant meaty paws. Standing up at his full height he was over 2 and a half Rex's tall.

 

Four furry limbs stretched out of the bulk, Rex was between them on the bear's furry back. After stretching out the 4 limbs retreated, then the bulk began to rise from the cotton. Rex stayed laying on the bear's broad back, the only change being his limbs now dangling off the sides. The soap had truly done incredible things to the snowy white fur he was laying in.

 

The bear stretched out his limbs again as he got up on all fours. Rex remained on the bear's back, he knew his ride was about to end as the bear began to stand in the center of the room. This caused Rex to slide through the silky fur as he adjusted his legs and caught himself. Standing on the bed he quickly stepped off back to the ground. A small vacuum cleaner had already been designed using the small engine that existed, but a new engine would soon be needed.

 

Stretching one final time, the bear made his way to a small desk in the corner, the furniture was all steel and padded. It was the only thing that handled the bear's sheer weight. On this metal desk was the necklace Kira made him as well as materials to maintain it. The bear's weapon of choice was unique, being a thick steel club. It weighed more than Rex did, and was as thick as his thigh at its thinnest part. This allowed Borscht to do a great job as a guard bear.

 

This house was a prime example of what Rex wanted to see in the future, it was made to the bear, and he was quite happy here. Fishing was still the bear's favorite hobby, and the room where the freezer was kept was his food storage, it was right off the den behind another metal door. The bear also had a room with a chamber pot he cleaned out once a day, Rex was horrified to design a toilet for this creature.

 

“Are we just going to swamp today?” The bear asked as he wiped his face, and began adjusting his fur. One side of his fur was messed up since he slept on it.

 

“Yeah, we will probably not get anywhere, but they need to learn somehow.” Rex said in disappointment.

 

The problem with building a distillery for oil was the specifications, you can't have any leaks. Everything that comes from oil is flammable except for a few parts. This meant that a leak could cause a massive explosion. On Earth, several oil rigs had been destroyed due to this very problem. Distilling requires heat, and they usually used the fuel they were already producing. The fire was almost constantly going, and this was a constant source of an explosion.

 

The problem with using enchanting was that he needed very specific heats, and he could measure that with mercury. Enchanting had the issue of needing some form of a magical clutch, something that could control the output. Kira's goal was to train her soon-to-be little sister. Dora's feeding frenzy had resulted in her picking up a kid, and she would be expecting in a few more months.

 

Kira had eagerly brought Dora to the island, and she had become Kira's research subject. A succubus' pregnancy lasted a year and a half, and they showed very few outward signs. The original succubus race came about because the great ancestor was a binge eater. The records say she single-handedly birthed the entire race! She slaughtered her way through hell.

 

“Kira said she will be joining us.” Rex told the bear.

 

The bear let out a large sigh that caused his lips to flap around.

 

“You need to apply firm hand! Get your women under control! If you work out it will help, no man can be weaker than his womans.” Borscht said as if it was sage advice.

 

This was the first time Rex wanted to slap this giant bear until he saw that furry face. It was like a mixture of a panda and a polar bear. He was solid white, but he wasn't very sleek. Borscht was so adorable Rex had no idea how anyone could have possibly made such a majestic creature a slave! He was so fluffy and adorable, especially when he walked around.

 

“Welch is just a very good friend, she just really likes guns.” Rex muttered to the bear.

 

That elf liked them a little too much, it is what drove her to learn about mechanics. She lived with the other female slaves that were freed, the plan was to eventually get more of them. Rex didn't want a gender war, but he was now forced to for the women's protection. He would initially need to make a new city for them. It was the only way to ensure their safety, this entire island was filled with hot-blooded men. It could be added to almost any setting for a gay fantasy.

 

The succubi only made this worse, as they only came in young or sexy. Every one of them had perfect curves and for the humanoid races, they were very attractive. Rex could imagine it like being in a prison surrounded by hot guards that killed you if you did anything to them. The slaves had freedom, and could finally vent their years of hatred at the elf prisoners. Several underground races had joined the dwarves, and they had a great relationship with Rex.

 

This probably had to do with the barrels of high purity moonshine he sent them each month. It was 190 proof, and could almost be considered pure alcohol. Rex needed very high purity alcohol for chemistry after all. They loved it so much they increased their mining output, they wanted him to sell it in the exchange. Distilling alcohol underground wasn't feasible, as making mash needed too much air. Mash was the base of rotted plants that you used to produce the alcohol. As yeast did most of this work it released a lot of CO2 and would make a tunnel completely uninhabitable.

 

“Let's go get little girl, then bear can fly!” Borscht said happily as he finished his stretching.

 

Most animals hated having their feet off the ground, not this bear. It took over 30 succubi to lift his bulk, but he loved every second of it. It was something that had brought shock to Rex, as he hated how jarring it was to be flown around by the succubi taxi service. It felt like being put in a sock and swung around in the air.

 

Having finished putting on the large bead necklace that kept the bear cool, Borscht dropped back to all fours, letting Rex scramble onto his large back. The big bear uncle treated Rex like a mischievous cub. That was how he saw all three of the children, while they may make mistakes their intentions were pure. Good cubs can only become good bears if they are protected while being allowed to be mischievous. That is what his mama bear had always told him.

 

Walking out of the cold house, Rex didn't realize how cold he was, it was only a couple of minutes after all. Outside the bear could stretch further as he began to lumber along. Rex was always surprised at how smooth of a ride Borscht was.

 

It's this extra fat ass he has!

 

Riding Borscht felt more like riding a water bed, as he had cushion over everything, then a layer of really thick fur. The enchantment acted as a freezing spell, constantly freezing the wearer. Borscht described it as a cool rain, constantly messaging his fur. On hot days his white fur would release steam from the temperature difference. A lot of the beastmen seemed to be affected by this. Kira was working on coming up with a miniature version, as Borscht's necklace weighed a good 20 pounds.

 

Running through the city they saw another newly completed building. It was the succubus chemical plant and had no form of ventilation. Kira said they walked in and immediately took off their clothes, as acids had thoroughly stained the walls of the building. Any normal creature would die from entering, and even Rex would be wary. Kira would never allow him into this building filled with flesh though. Young Rex was way more interested in the chemicals!

 

He had often seen smoke coming from the roof, this was from reactions taking place due to all the gases mixing in the building. They had a fenced-off back door they would open and collectively use their wings to blow the chemical-rich smoke out into the canyon. If OSHA existed they would all be dragged out and hanged.

 

I have dumped chemicals into the ocean and air, and I will soon be polluting on an industrial scale... Is me being here really a good thing?

 

The women's buildings were like a series of small townhouses. Nothing was placed where it should be here, none of it made any sense. When Rex had industry and proper engines to pump water he planned to tear down the entire place. Having hot water at all times would be more than enough to convince every single succubus to willingly tear apart these growing houses.

 

Rex and Borscht came up to one of the little houses that were in the center. Rex began knocking loudly on the door, this was another occupant that was bad at dealing with mornings. These were 2 story houses as all of the women had fairly slender forms. A living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom were on the main floor with a bedroom upstairs.

 

The upstairs window was thrown open, as it opened on a hinge, this was the resident's idea. A slender girl had vaulted out of the window and completed several flips in the air. She landed on her two feet in a crouching position, before springing to her feet.

 

Her brown hair was tied in a ponytail, and she wore a tight white cotton t-shirt over her slender frame. She also wore denim pants that hugged her legs tightly. She had a shoulder holster with a gun at her side. She seemed to have a heroic look as she stared at Rex with her green eyes. This elf loved showing off!