A few hours since the last chapter…

Succubus Homeland, Middle of the swamp

 

In the past, Rex could only use things like the great weapon of the succubi to get the creatures to work for him but now he realized that things were changing on the island. At the center of the swamp was a large pool of freshwater, and this was the battlefield of the succubi who were eagerly trying to prove themselves. Every one of them had a determined expression as they mounted large poles out in the water and attached several barrels to it. 

 

These poles were set up in a perimeter, with cables connecting them that ran along the tops of these plastic-coated metal poles. This system was designed with a simple purpose, if any of the detonators was triggered then the explosive cord would rapidly detonate and trigger explosives in the barrels. This would cause salt, borax, and vinegar to pour freely into the large pool and kill the plant monster. Normally this setup would have taken several days to set up, but the sun was just setting and the succubi were finishing.

 

“They really want to work at that plating facility…” Rex muttered.

 

Rex suddenly realized something as he looked around at all of the various succubi, every single one of them was armed with a gun of some sort. Thinking about their love of fashion, firearms, and standing out, it suddenly made sense why this was such a popular concept among the creatures. Every single one of them was already imagining just how they were going to customize the coloration of their guns, Rex could even see some of the members of the shore defense teams. 

 

I bet they will bring their cannons to get plated, I can imagine all of the succubi helping them. It already takes most of the succubi on the island to install a cannon, and they will uninstall them and paint them. 

 

When Rex saw this behavior that the succubi were demonstrating, an idea occurred to him. He remembered how well the succubi had treated him when he was first creating the weapons factory, then their behavior seemed to regress. Rex realized this was because he no longer had anything to offer them, they all seemed to be very capitalistic in nature. Looking around at the succubi who were competing for his attention, he realized this was one of the only chances he would get to build true respect for himself.

 

I need to pick very carefully! These positions will be incredibly coveted, I cannot do what I have done in the past and just shove them in until it is all full! A reward system for their work is what I can use to keep this going!

 

Rex looked around at all of the succubi who were diligently carrying out his orders, he suddenly felt like they were going to be prepared before nightfall. Rex suddenly realized he needed to select a single succubus to begin doing the plating and coating work. This would soon be the role model of all of the other succubi, one who they would carefully emulate to try to get themselves into her same position. As he began to look around carefully, he noticed one in the background that he had worked with before. 

 

She had short hair, and she was helping to bury the poles in the mud, she normally wielded a similar shovel to pour coal into a furnace for Rex when he was making magical metals. This succubus had also noticed Rex’s gaze and a look of dread appeared on her face as she started shaking her head and pointing at her friend from the weapons factory. She didn’t even want to come here at first, she didn’t like working for Rex because he always worked her like a beat dog. She was over 5000 years old, and she just wanted to take it easy and enjoy her golden years!

 

This gesture that she made, signifying that she would work hard to correct the mistakes of her sisters, was like a golden ticket as far as Rex was concerned. Seeing how unwilling she was and how diligently she always worked, he realized there was no better choice among the succubi to complete his scheme. The first few would all be incredibly overworked, Rex planned to slowly funnel them into the plating and coating plant. Then when the plant was fully operational, he could come up with some other scheme to keep the succubi working so efficiently.

 

Rex wasn’t the only one who was appreciating the scene of the succubi working so well together, next to him Kira was also feeling pleased with this sight. This was because the succubus queen was meant to rule her people, they all had OCD inherently. They were engineered to seek out and create order within the chaos that was the succubi! Ever since Kira had begun changing and evolving, she had also started to begin trying to make the succubi more productive, she often felt jealousy when she saw the dwarves.

 

Rex approached the short-haired succubus who was holding her shovel in front of her defensively, she was wearing plastic waiters and was in waist-deep water. Next to her, a tall pole was installed that was holding several large barrels of chemicals. Rex was standing at the shore and looking at the amount of work she had done. He nodded several times as he realized that this was the first work that he wanted to work in the plating factory.

 

“What is your name?” Rex asked her.

 

The succubus with short hair began to look around frantically, but she could see deep jealousy shining in the eyes of her sisters. All she wanted was to be a good elder sister, but now she was suddenly being put on a pedestal. Tears began to form in the eyes of the short-haired succubus, and her shoulders began to shake. She just wanted to keep her head down, draw very little attention to herself and just work an average job like a normal succubus.

 

“Her name is Shou!” a succubus called out.

 

Shou felt like a knife had been driven right into her heart, she looked over at the succubus who was staring at her with jealousy, she felt betrayed! It was one of her fellow factory workers that sold her out, they had been trained in the same group, she thought that they had something between them!

 

“We were shovel buddies!” Shou muttered sadly, as Rex continued his speech.

 

“You are an exceptional succubus Shou, I think that you should be the first worker for the new plating and coating plant. In time I can even see you coming to manage it.” Rex said to her solemnly.

 

Shou shook her head at the idea of this, it was just further separating her from her sisters. Already she felt like she was being put on a small island and was slowly drifting away from the other succubi.

 

“You will be one of the elite, it will be just like the succubi at the repository of the great weapon, this is something that requires a very special type of succubus that is rarely seen.” Rex continued. 

 

The truth was that Shou was having a lot of issues keeping up with modern succubus fashion and daily life. Things like the coolest way to carry your tail and what guns went with what types of clothes, she even kept short hair to reduce the amount of work it caused her. Shou looked at Rex with tears in her eyes, there was only one thought that was going through her head. 

 

It is all his fault! 

 

“Alright, I expect to see you bright and early tomorrow to begin training.” Rex told her with finality, Shou could also see Kira nodding along with him.

 

Rex walked back over to the large barrel that was filled with the fertilizer that he had made, all around him preparations were finishing. Borscht and Welch had also come along, and a large cannon was being set up to point into the middle of the pond. It was a massive amount of security, enough to easily defeat any high-tier monster. This is what Kira insisted he prepare as a bare minimum before he was allowed to work with something that could potentially be on the same level as Blue.

 

Rex looked around the large pool of water, and he could see Blue’s children were all sitting around the pool in various positions. Even the dwarves had sent some people to rig some explosives to divert ocean water into the pool if something happened. Rex walked over to the large metal drum and signaled the large bear to help him move it near the water. Rex looked off in the distance and he could see that the full moon was just starting to rise.

 

Borscht walked over on two legs, he was twice as tall as Rex was, he then began to lift the large drum and placed it near the edge of the water. Rex had thoroughly prepared this time, and he had shorts that were treated with polymer to resist the water. He also wore plastic shoes with holes to vent the water out of the bottoms. These were human versions of gear he had already designed for the mousemen who worked around the swamp looking for nitrates.

 

Rex placed his foot on the top of the barrel and pushed forward with his foot, this did nothing with how weak he was. Placing his foot on the ground, he looked at the dark-haired elf next to him and cleared his throat. This caused her to laugh at the absurdity of the situation, she then reached up and lightly pushed, causing the large barrel to tip over. Rex nodded several times in satisfaction as he saw the thick clay-like substance pour into the water.

 

Walking forward he made his way into the water with a large oar-looking device, he then began to use this to stir the clay into the water. Most of it was designed to be soluble in water, so as long as it didn’t settle it would mix into the water. Rex wasn’t sure what it was deficient in, the entire thing looked like it had been burned by a flame, so he was trying a measured approach. The only variable for Rex was the mana he had collected from the fungi, it was the only thing he was questionable about.

 

He was unable to use it to make magical metals, this made him think there was something special about it. Since plants and fungi had such a strong relationship, he had come up with the idea of feeding it all of this mana that he couldn’t find a use for. Until he had something like a lab mouse that he could perform tests on then he would not be able to bring himself to test it on others. Rex was interrupted when he noticed how eagerly Kira, Welch, and Borscht were all looking at him.

 

“What?” he asked them.

 

“Now what?” Kira asked him as she chambered a round into her rifle.

 

This caused all of the gathered succubi to begin locking and loading their weapons, they looked like they were getting ready for war.

 

“What do you mean, this is a plant. We now all go to bed and observe it over the next couple of days.” Rex said. “Plants never move quickly, we can just… what are you all looking at?”

 

Rex had to pause midway through his explanation as he noticed how seriously everyone was suddenly behaving. He turned from where he was standing in the water and saw something incredible happening to the fertilizer he had created. As he had mixed the paste into the water, it had taken on a muddy hue, but behind him, he could see it being separated as it was being drawn through the water. He could see a trail of light that he assumed was the mana followed by several trails of different colored bubbles.

 

Rex felt the paddle slip from his hands, and his mouth fell open as he watched this scene occurring in the water. It looked like the fertilizer was now starting to mix itself and move around him in the water. This was heralded by the water beginning to lightly churn near the center of the lake, he could also see the vines starting to move through the water. Suddenly a large wave was created as a mass began to make its way through the water. 

 

Everyone was stunned at the sight of the largely closed flower petal, it must have stood close to 16 feet(~4.8M) tall. Rex could also see the gold patterns on the large purple petals flashing the same color as the mana in the water. Rex could also see it shedding the burnt sections of itself off and slowly growing out anew. A thick sweet smell began to slowly drift over the pond of water, and the vines began to settle like branches, forming small brides,

 

The thorny points began to slowly retract and small purple buds began to form on these vines, as one of them began to slowly open, Rex reached forward and pulled it from the vine. He looked at the bear and elf next to him and he shoved this flower into his mouth and began chewing it. Realizing that his body was not reacting to poison, he was about to spit it out when he stopped and slowly chewed it a few more times. It tasted really good, somewhere between a blueberry and a raspberry, Rex discovered himself chewing on these petals automatically.

 

He realized that he was surrounded by these purple flowers, there were more of them blooming around him than anywhere else on the entire lake. Looking around though, Rex could see an incredible transformation happening to the surrounding landscape. The trees that were once burned were revealing a dark purple bark, and they were beginning to bloom as cherry blossoms did, but in a deep purple color. Grass that was a light blue, and seemed to issue a soft light was slowly growing, and Rex could see dark blue vines starting to snake their way around the various branches.

 

“How beautiful…” These were the only words that Rex could use to describe the sight.

 

The succubi were also transfixed as it was one of the most impressive things they had ever seen, coupled with the relaxing scent, it made the entire place seem illusory. Rex suddenly felt himself being lifted from the water and had to pause for a moment to get his footing. Looking around, Rex could suddenly see roots and vines of all sizes that had weaved together under the water to form a small bridge. If you stepped off the shore anywhere you would find yourself on a bridge made of vines that covered the entire pond but acted like a net to let light through.

 

Rex could see that the large flower bud was twitching, it was slowly starting to open. Rex’s breath caught, as did the various succubi, they were all watching with wonder as the massive flower started to open. Rex found himself taking a step forward and discovered that the vines were much more solid than they appeared. He was easily able to walk across them and he soon was standing near the large flower that was opening.

 

All of the thorns it once had were gone, and the fragrance it was releasing was inviting, it made him worry that it was some kind of trap. But Rex and the Succubi were all incredibly resistant to poisons, they also had Blue who was a living chemical detector. Seeing how calmly he was vibrating on Rex’s shoulder was proof that there was nothing foul in the air. Rex nodded in satisfaction, as he had picked several of the purple plants along the way, he planned to make tea out of them.

 

“Rex, look!” Kira called in shock.

 

Rex looked up from the plant he was picking and adding to the large bundle he was carrying, what he saw almost caused him to drop them all. In the center of the massive flower, was the various parts that made up a pistil. Rex was stunned as he saw something growing from it though, it looked like a woman with dark blonde hair. Suddenly Rex realized it looked like a female version of him when he saw her surrounded in fluid in the middle of the plant. 

 

She wore a dark purple dress that was the same color as the massive plant, and she had a flower growing out the side of her head like an ornament. The issue was that she looked young, almost like Rex did when he was injured by the creature, then he remembered that it might have gotten some of his blood. Rex watched as this young girl was slowly pushed out of the flower, her chest, her waist, and finally her legs. She was surrounded in a clear fluid like water, but it seemed incredibly thick. 

 

Once the girl had been fully pushed from the center of the flower, she then slid down the large pistil in the middle and her feet touched the ground. Rex watched as the fluid seemed to slide around her small body and into the water below, leaving her coated with a light coating of dew. She then opened her eyes revealing bright green orbs filled with curiosity, as she began looking around at the succubi and the boy in front of her. This also allowed Rex to look at her much more closely, and he concluded that she was too similar to him for it to be a coincidence.

 

Her hair, her eyes, and her skin color were almost identical to Rex himself, this could only be explained if she had gotten ahold of his blood. Suddenly Rex looked back at the blue grasses and vines that were growing from the ground, he then looked at the slime on his shoulder. He started to wonder if maybe the reason he was unable to reproduce Blue was something that this plant had put on him, something that got mixed into the antibiotics. Looking at the small creature that seemed to be a master at manipulating DNA, Rex was shocked to see her slowly doddering towards him, she had a bright smile on her face as if she was looking at her father.

 

Kira felt a sense of horror when she saw that little girl who was so determinedly making her way to her husband. Rex too found himself subconsciously walking towards the little girl, a smile was forming on his face from just how adorable she was. When Kira saw this, she suddenly felt incredibly conflicted, this was because the little girl was the same age in looks as Rex had been. Her Succubus mother instincts were kicking in as she saw a little girl who was young succubus-sized. This lasted only a few moments, till the point that the little girl got to Rex and began to try to climb upon him.

 

Rex reached down and grabbed the little girl wearing a dress made of flower petals, she smelled sweet like the giant flower he was standing near. He was no fool and refused to step onto its petals out of fear that it was some kind of man-eater. The little girl seemed so happy to be in his arms, she had an incredibly bright smile, and her mood was almost infectious. Rex thought that it might have been the smell that the flower on her head was released, it seemed like an ornament at first but it was a part of her.

 

Is it like some kind of aromatherapy? I feel so much better than I have in a long time as long as I am holding this little girl!

 

Rex’s smile suddenly turned into shock as he felt a wet and warm sensation press onto his face, as he was no longer able to see. Something sweet was also pressed into his mouth and down his throat, and he was forced back a few steps in shock. Kira and Welch both watched the little girl go on the attack and kiss Rex with horror on their faces. They then looked at each other and realized that they had missed a formidable threat and both charged forward.

 

Suddenly Rex felt something grab his arm, and begin pulling him back but just as this happened he began to feel two large heavy objects surround his head, and he felt something start wrestling with the weight he was holding. Rex thought was going through a different feeling entirely, as he felt waves being released from the core of his being. He realized that whatever had been forced down his throat was having a profound effect, as he could feel some kind of energy building inside of him.

 

Rex suddenly felt himself being smothered on all sides, his left, his right, and he even had little legs wrapped around his chest and covering his front. He was being tugged in all kinds of different directions, and all he could see was a light blue light that was slowly getting brighter, he could also feel his temperature rising. He was being pushed and pulled in every direction, but he was unable to respond to any of it. Just as they began to notice an issue with his state, he felt himself slowly slip into a state of unconsciousness.

 

-

Inside a cityscape that represents Rex’s body

 

The various people wearing purple clothes were coming out of their various buildings and workshops, their businesses, and homes. On the horizon of the large industrial city filled with skyscrapers, floating castles, and large factories run by machines, a change was happening. They could see structures being built that looked like large rings formed of various metals covered in runes and the symbols that made up enchantments. A large cable that looked like crystal ran through the middle, and it bent as it made its way from ring to ring. 

 

The people in the city watched it slowly make its way into the city, and then a light blue light seemed to start to flow through the crystal, as the ring flashed in the colors of the rainbow, like an aurora. This phenomenon seemed to cause the lights on the outside of the city to begin to lightly distort but once the blue light entered the city through its crystal cable they saw immediate changes. Magical lights began to float around in the colors of the rainbow, and fly around in the air like fireflies. Runes began to appear and burn themselves into the sides of some of the buildings, which caused them to silently lift into the sky. 

 

“It’s mana, it is flowing into the city! It is so pure, it's wonderful!” The citizens began to cheer.

 

Bridges of light formed rainbow bridges, as they connected the buildings that were floating in the sky. Children began to chase after the fireflies of light, as they laughed happily, and the parents watched with smiles on their faces. Some people started singing, and some people started dancing, but everyone was happy watching the changes that were happening all around them. Then a large change happened to the city that represented Rex’s body.

 

In the center of the city where there stood an empty park, the ground was starting to swell. They could also hear the sound of grinding as the earth continued to push up from the ground, then the dirt and grass began to fall off in patches. What was revealed was a large stone that appeared to look like a crystal, it was light blue and reflected various shades of light. It then suddenly started to rise quickly, as a large tower structure could be seen beneath it.

 

The entire city was suddenly pushed back in a ripple effect, as the ground made way for the new center of the city. A large tower began to rise that the light blue crystal seemed to float above, golden rings soon began to orbit the large crystal. The tower though was truly majestic, and at first, seemed to be made of some kind of rounded metal frame with white vertical bricks. Upon closer inspection, you would be able to tell that the structure was a giant bookcase, and the white bricks were the pages of the books that were seen from the outside.

 

The entire tower that stretched to the sky was entirely made of books and bookcases, and it was complete with windows. Suddenly they began to see what looked like large white banners snaking their way up the sides of the tower, before forming a flower shape at the top. These were giant scrolls that lazily wrapped around the tower, revealing windows and books in their gaps. Various symbols and runes seemed to undulate with light as they were etched onto this scroll with sapphire ink that produced a blue light.

 

All around this giant tower, buildings, and castles all floated around, and soft blue light was cast over the city from the giant crystal in the sky.  The people were singing and dancing, and children were laughing and chasing the fireflies made of light.