“I over reacted,” Cor admitted. “With my … initial plan for how to handle you.”

Continuing her trend of pristine composure, Cor only took a minute or two, panting, with Ari laid on top of her, her strap on still inside, before she regained her ability to speak.

“Your plan to kill me?” Ari pointed out, half amused, and half … something else? She didn’t know how to feel about it all. It was in Cor’s nature. All monsters’ natures, much less a dungeon core, the governing mind behind the brutal labyrinth.

“That,” Cor said, embarrassed. “But you did vex me, stealing one of my subjects. And pose a threat with your strange powers. It was the practical solution.”

“But you found a better use for me?” Ari asked teasingly.

Idly, maybe not consciously, Cor moved her hips back and forth, stirring Ari’s strap-on inside her. “Indeed. As a subject. Better to make use of your powers than to snuff them out.”

Ari paused. That was concerning. “Make use of them how?”

She patted Ari’s back, signaling for her to pull out. Reluctantly, she did so, rolling off her partner. Cor shivered at the sensation of Ari’s strap sliding from her, then stood. Ari did so as well, trying not to pout. Two rounds? That was all?

Cor seemed to read her thoughts. “I’m not done with you, little plaything. Not remotely. But as I said, I need to test something.”

“With my skills.”

“Precisely.” She gestured toward the doorway, and Ari turned.

She jumped, letting out a squeak. One of those ghastly vampires had arrived. How? Did Cor have a telepathic link to them, having sent for one? Probably. It would make sense of a dungeon core.

Ari put a hand to her chest, blushing at her surprised reaction. Wasn’t she supposed to be an adventurer? She really ought not to be squeaking whenever a monster showed up.

“Transform her,” Cor said.

Ari adjusted to that command. “Oh. Um, are you sure? It’ll mean we’ll have to fight.”

“I don’t like repeating myself.”

“S-Sorry.”

Cor really had such a presence to her. The chiding had been light, not particularly intense, but it made Ari blush regardless. Here was a woman who didn’t demand to be obeyed, but simply was.

Holding her hand out, she did as her Mistress commanded. The unpleasant looking vampire disappeared in a puff of white smoke, and standing in its place was … well, what would be expected. A woman of roughly similar build, but her ghastly appearance traded for the alluring curves so common on monster girls. No longer sagging and decayed-looking, her skin was smooth, deathly white, like Cor’s herself, and unblemished. Her blood-red eyes were almost as striking as Cor’s prismatic ones, when set against her otherwise snow-white appearance. They stood out like rubies against bedsheets.

The vampire girl blinked rapidly, looking around the room. High level monsters were no different from low level ones, there. Even the most stoic and powerful couldn’t take it fully in stride.

Well. Cor and Victoria had both been pretty unruffled. Depended on the personality, she guessed.

The vampire—Ari didn’t inspect the girl, for previously stated reasons of not wanting to rub anyone the wrong way, just in case—gaped around, both at Ari, and, even more so, at Cor.

“I see,” Cor said. “I almost … hm, yes. The workings are complex, but I don’t see why not … perhaps …”

Cor held a hand out, and, a second later, the recently transformed vampire girl burst, for a second time, into white smoke.

And returned to her un-transformed self.

Ari stared, astounded.

To her side, Cor swayed, seeming suddenly nauseous. “Complex. More … draining … than I expected.”

Ari instinctively stepped toward her, helping steady the woman as she swayed. She brushed Ari aside, irritably, as if embarrassed at her sudden fatigue. Ari lingered for a second, concerned, even through her surprise. But at Cor’s insistence, she stepped away.

“And back again,” Cor said, holding her hand out.

The vampire transformed a third time. The plush curves and cute, bright red eyes returned. She, like Cor, swayed on her feet, the experience of rubberbanding between forms disorienting.

This time, Ari actually did need to catch Cor before she sagged to the ground.

“Hey. Don’t push yourself.”

“I’m fine,” Cor said, despite Ari supporting almost the entirety of her weight. “Just … more resistance … than I expected.”

More resistance?

Ari was worried, but also incredulous. “How did you do that? You stole my skill.”

Cor seemed smug about Ari’s surprise, preening under it. “This is my domain. My subjects. Of course I can manipulate them the same way you do.”

By the way Cor had said she wanted to ‘test something’, it hadn’t been a guarantee. But Ari could tell her Mistress had a slight ego problem. It was … endearing. And a turn on, during the intimate moments.

Regaining her footing, Cor brushed Ari away. Ari lingered there, in case she needed to catch her again.

“You,” Cor said, gesturing at the vampire girl with an impatient ‘come-here’ motion. “Let me inspect you.”

The vampire girl approached, obeying her Core’s command. Was it the authority in Cor’s voice, or could she influence her subjects directly? Ari couldn’t, but whatever was going on with Cor, she didn’t think her class was a good guide. Cor was something … more.

Or something else. Ari was only level six. Who knew how insane her class would become when she reached the upper ranks? Maybe crazier than a dungeon core.

If she ever did, rather. Maybe she wouldn’t ever escape this dungeon. Still in an incredibly tenuous situation, she reminded herself. Cor didn’t plan on hurting her, but what the future held? Still in the air.

The vampire arrived in front of Cor, and Cor scrutinized her.