Rain poured down, and the whispering haunting promises of water spirits came with it. They chased his coattails with the storm on waves of thunder rumbling through pouring rain as his legs pumped to take him from Chris’s apartment. A puddle splashed up his legs, cold and real as his heart pounded in his chest. He was on his toes, and his muscles screamed in protest as he moved faster. Silas knew the street he ran on; he found it when he got lost; it led towards Valkyrie manor. The clothes he wore were heavy enough to push his muscles further than ever before, but no amount of running could shake the pain in his chest.

 

After he rejected her, she went silent, working on his clothes as they watched the movie. A dark cloud entered her room as she worked diligently.

 

“I need to tell you something. But you’re going to hate me.”  Chris said.

 

“How could I ever hate you?” Silas asked.

 

Chris smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. His clothes were finished.

 

Silas dressed and felt their weight increase. Feeling them made him feel better; he had gained a new avenue of training that could help him close the gap between himself and his brothers. Of course, there would need to be weight training on top of wearing waited clothes. Still, the combination would see his power level skyrocket.

 

Thunder shook the window, and it began raining. “My father is a hero, and mating with a hero is a great honor. I will be the mother of my own house here in Neon. That’s why I wanted to devour you so you would be the first to add their power to my children. Doesn’t every male who can’t be a hero want that honor?” Chris asked.

 

Silas felt betrayed. The old memories of his body growing up with his only friend lost their light.

 

“Give me your hand. I want you to feel my womb and add to me? You could become the womb for my children. Don’t worry, you won’t die; you’ll live forever as a part of me and feel what I feel.”

 

He backed away from her, and the light in her eyes dimmed.

 

“Do you want to be a hero that bad even if you lose me? As a leader of a house, I can’t be seen with the lesser males from other houses.” Chris said.

 

Silas turned and ran.

 

All of his body focused on getting away from the situation behind him. Even as the clothes kept the rain and wind from freezing him and increased the weight on his body, he plowed ahead. Small water elementals danced around him, laughing as they splashed against his body.

 

“Why make me weighted clothes then?” Silas asked, the crashing thunder and scattering rain.

 

“This is goodbye. But if you manage to become a hero, then save me.” Tears fell down her cheeks. “I’m without a house, and no one wants me except my father.” She took a deep breath. “Save me; the queen wants to eat my children,” Chris said as he fought against himself to get away.  

 

His existence clashed with his mind and body until all they could do was run. Silas picked up speed, moving faster with every step, even as his body burned. The burning in his legs slowly subsided as Gluttony’s health boost recovered the damage.

 

He wanted to train until nothing could stop him.

 

The manor gate opened, and he listened for the motor to skip on the burr; he didn’t have to look up as he walked into the main hall. He couldn’t help but wonder why he bothered breathing; it wasn’t like his body needed it. Gluttony took care of oxygen needs well enough though using it for that purpose burned the candle at both ends.

 

He would like to say he expected it all along, but she blindsided him. Chris had acted like everything was ok, but even as she tried to devour him, he could see her eyes water. She knew that no matter what, she was losing her friend.

 

A man with blue hair stepped into the lobby. Silas raised his head to see a tall man with familiar but alien cold grey eyes and a deep frown.

 

“I didn’t expect to see my daughter’s snack.” The man raised a half-faced crystal and tapped it.

 

PL 8.98

 

“Pathetic, you’re a genetic dead end with a mutant ability. I heard your mother was giving birth soon to my offspring. It warms my heart that they’ll drink you from her breasts. What better start than for the strong to feed on the weak.” The man said.

 

Silas felt so many emotions pass through his body until he decided to be an utter bastard.

 

“You’re the Ice King, recorded PL 13,000, and your ability is called So Cold. Most of your heroic deeds include battling insect and arachnid-type monster girls, which your ability gives you the advantage. There are few records of you willingly fighting any other type of monstergirl. Your strongest confirmed solo kill was a Mother Centipede PL 14,000.” Silas said.

 

“I’m impressed, or my daughter was mouthier than usual.” Silas blinked and smiled then he laughed.

 

“What’s so funny?”

 

“You,” Silas said and shook his head.

 

A strong hand settled on his shoulder. “Silas, don’t tease our guest. I apologize, Theodore; since he’s taken to teasing our hero trainer, it has become a bad habit.” Horror filled him as a voice he’s rarely heard entered the room.

 

The Ice King, Theodore of clan Heartness, gave his mother a confused look.

 

“I apologize, lord hero but say no more of the subject of my son’s degressions or the ways of my house. They are the way of the Valkyrie and have produced many fine heroes.” His mother Ai said.

 

The woman brushed a long strand of blonde hair behind her ear, reminiscent of Naomi.

 

“I see. I will take my leave; please inform me when you plan to devour your sons with your breasts. Such a sight is rarely seen, and I may like to partake in such a treat.” Theodore said.

 

“Perhaps if I am in a good mood. Your business here is finished, so leave; I won’t have you interfere with our promising heroes in training.” Mother said.

 

“Then I will be on my way Lady Ai.”

 

Silas felt a flash of pain when the door shut, and then he was smashed against a wall. His mother smiled down at him sweetly, almost with maternal love. But the smile never quite reached her eyes.

 

“When you insult a guest without them realizing it, don’t give it away with laughter.” Mother said and sighed. “Be thankful he’s using his daughter to set up roots here and can’t afford to bring down our ire. Otherwise, I might have given him a private show of your reabsorption as payment for the insult.”

 

Silas nodded. One day he would be too powerful to casually slap around, and then he would crush Theodore like a bug.

 

He kept his eyes low, only seeing his mother’s massive sandaled feet.

 

His mother’s smile became kinder. “Go to the meal hall, fill your belly, and then train like your life depended on it.” Her smile met her eyes, and it looked all the more sinister for it. “I’m not devouring the bottom two. This time to ensure my milk is of the highest quality, I will devour all but the top 15.”

 

Silas couldn’t believe his ears, for the offspring of that bastard hundreds were going to be fed to his mother’s tits.

 

“I hope you had fun at your friend's place; I’ll see you in 28 days.” His mother said, chuckling as she left him in the mansion lobby.

 

Silas left the lobby and skipped past his room. The gym was open at all hours of the night, and he had weighted clothes to further raise his advantage. For the next 12 hours, he lifted with a single-minded determination to surpass everyone in his way.

 

The door opened to the weight room, and Claude entered with three of his brothers. He could practically feel the wind change with their presence. It was strange, almost like he could taste something out of reach, and it was always so familiar.

 

“Why are you wasting your time? It's not like you can reach the top 10?” Claude said while Silas continued to lift. Claude ground his teeth before edging closer with the other boys behind him. “I trained all day after our fight and only gained 0.1; even if I trained every day, it wouldn’t matter. So, what chance do you have.”

 

Silas wiped the sweat from his hair and stood up from the bench rack. He could feel his tendons and muscles sing as Gluttony restored them better than before. Every cell of his body felt charged and ready for more as his regeneration strengthened along with his other stats.

 

They wanted an answer, but he wasn’t sure they wanted the truth. “Run away and take your chances in the wild,” Silas said.

 

Claude growled. “That’s a death sentence; real monsters roam the wilds, and deaths from them aren’t pleasant. At least with mother, we won’t die in agony.”  

 

“So, you would rather die on your knees than take a chance. Why bother waiting? Go offer yourself to mother now and save time.” Silas said.

 

He checked his PL again

 

PL 21.5

 

The weighted clothes helped him more than anything else. But they wouldn’t be enough to cross the threshold into the multi-thousands. He needed to either gain another skill or find another method to rapidly raise his PL. From what he could sense, it would be weeks before he regained another skill.

 

Silas gave the gravity room a longing glance before sighing. That wasn’t an option yet, but he planned to ply Naomi, Mary, and Amy to access the gravity room. Add his weighted clothes on top of high gravity, and he might swing some real gains.

 

“Even if you’re near my strength, it doesn’t matter. She’s culling all but the top 10.” Claude said while the others eyed each other. They were stronger than Claude, but he led them because of his great potential.

 

“What’s so great about So Cold?” Silas asked.

 

“What,” Claude said.

 

“Theodore, the Ice King, sired mother’s latest batch, and she plans to liquidate our generation to give them some advantage. So Cold is the Ice King’s ability. It's great against insects and arachnids.” Silas said.

 

Claude sat down and glared at Thompson, their half-brother. “Do you think it's for an ability enhancement? Zephyr is one of the most stable abilities, and wind is compatible with ice.”

 

“She’s liquidating our whole generation, not just those with the Zephyr ability. So who knows, the top 10 might not really be safe.” Silas said.

 

 “Then what’s the point,” Claude demanded.

 

If she was a man, then he would say to give them a final push to see what they’re willing to do out of desperation. After speaking with her, his mother didn’t seem too concerned with their lives or actions so long as they didn’t trouble her. With that in mind, maybe she woke up with a wild hair up her ass.

 

“Maybe she felt like it, or this is something to encourage us. Does it matter?”

 

Claude stiffened and made a motion with his hand. “No, it doesn’t,” Claude said as one of their older brothers punched Silas.

 

Silas felt his head fly to the side before Tod grabbed a weight, and his skin turned into iron. Tod inherited the Iron Man ability; he could turn his skin into any metal he touched. The weight shot out of Tod’s hand and smashed Silas in the face. Blood exploded in his vision as his eye burst. Bones around his eye shattered as his head fell back from the blow.

 

“Do you think we would let you get strong enough to survive? A loser like you doesn’t deserve hope when we have none.” Claude said before a wind blade hit his throat.

 

Blood shot out of him like a fountain as Gluttony slowly took over, aiding his regeneration. Still, it was slow. They did a lot of damage to him in little time. He pushed himself out of his seated position when Sean tackled him from the side. The same Iron Man ability made Sean a wrecking ball. Silas felt his ribs crack as his final brother acted.

 

Nate hesitated.

 

“It's too late to back out now. Are you with us or joining him?” Claude said as Silas sucked in a single rattling breath.

 

Nate raised his hand to unleash his ability, Shepherd Of Fire. At a PL of 100, Nate’s ability was powerful.

 

Silas had trained his body hard but barely had any mana. The meeting between his stats and the power of this world turned mana into a slow drip. He would have to make it count. Silas raised his hand and formed the symbols for cursed flamethrower. Silver flame glowed for a moment before blasting the surprised Nate with hellfire.

 

Heavy kicks from Sean and Tod broke his ribs as his body struggled to regenerate the damage. All he needed was a few seconds for Gluttony to make him good as new, but they weren’t giving it to him.

 

A siren went off in the room as several crystals lit up before dumping water on Nate. The hellfire burning him to death burned all the hotter.

 

Claude raised his fist, and dust particles gathered around it from the concentrated suction around his fist. “Vacuum Punch,” Claude yelled and threw a punch throwing himself down to deliver it to Silas’s prone position.

 

He threw himself out of the way from one of Tod’s kicks. Claude’s blow hit the ground and wind blades sheered through the concrete.

 

Silas spat out a mouthful of blood and struggled to his feet. Sean had already shot towards him as Silas felt his skull and eye heal. He moved to the side in the nick of time as Tod tackled him into a machine. All he could do was raise his arms as Tod raised a weight overhead and slammed it down on Silas’s arms. Blow after blow, he took, feeling his bones crack and heal.

 

He waited for an opportunity and struck, smashing his fist into Tod’s crotch. The metal man’s balls bent under Silas’s blow, and the Iron Man crumbled.

 

Sean came in with a barbell and smashed Silas across the face so hard the weight machine Silas sat on skidded back. He spat a tooth out and managed to catch the second blow.

 

Tod was recovering when Silas got back to his feet and charged forward, driving Sean back into another weight machine. He picked up his own weight and bashed Sean in the face. Iron skin didn’t do much for bones, especially with Silas’s strength behind it. His mana was running dangerously low, but he wouldn’t leave an opponent breathing.

 

In his head, when they attacked him with the weights, it was no longer a fight between brothers. So he didn’t hesitate to unleash hellfire on Tod. Through the falling outpour of the sprinklers, silver flame roared to life, blasting Sean and catching quickly. The Iron Man screamed before sucking the flames into his unprotected lungs.

 

Silas turned in time to catch Claude’s wrist. The swirl of another deadly vacuum fist failed to reach him. He threw a punch smashing Claude in the face. He felt his brother’s teeth crack, and he punched him repeatedly as blood and bone flew. Claude’s body went limp as the door to the gym shot off its henges.

 

Tod crumbled the door into scrap in his efforts to escape. Silas pointed his hand at Claude and blasted him with hellfire.

 

His vision blurred as he took a slow step toward Tod. Silas felt his feet leave him and tumbled to the floor. There wasn’t much mana left in his body, and he was paying for it with withdrawals.

 

It didn’t help that the floor was slippery from the blood and water from the sprinklers. Even with the water pouring down, Silas smelled roasting pork. He would never get used to it.

 

Silas sat in the pouring sprinklers and glared at Claude’s burning corpse. “This is your fault. Why did you have to act like a crab?” Silas said.

 

He heard an explosion and looked up to see Tod shoot back through the door. Two dinner plate-sized horseshoe prints were on his chest. His ability failed, returning his skin to its normal shade, and he coughed up blood.

 

Ashes gathered from the corpses he burned, hovering dry despite the rain. This next part wasn’t his favorite. The ashes flowed through the air and touched his bare skin. Pain like hot iron touching his skin shot up his arm before two more clumps of ashes joined the first. He felt a tooth crack as he fought to contain his screams.

 

Mary entered the gym without much fanfare. She looked over the situation before turning off the sprinklers. She grabbed Silas’s shoulder and pulled him to his feet. His body had regenerated his mana enough that he wasn’t dizzy.

 

Silas heard a crack as the ash tempering finished its work. He felt lighter, and his weighted clothes didn’t feel as heavy. That changed with a quick flurry of seals.

 

He read his power level on Mary’s glasses.

 

PL 59

 

“You’re even stronger than your last recording. Training helps but clearly, what you need is combat. Have you thought about signing up for the arena?” Mary said.

 

“Aren’t you going to ask about this?” Silas asked.

 

“Very well, what happened?” Mary asked.

 

Silas pulled at his hair, reliving the attack. Blood pooled from his ruined eye as regeneration struggled to put it back together. His breathing grew heavy before he stopped. His stored vitality through Gluttony kept him going, helped by his increased constitution.

 

“I killed my brothers,” Silas said.

 

“Is that all? Your sisters eat at least one sibling every day. Killing a few rivals doesn’t make you anything special in the house of Valkyrie.” Mary said.

 

“They attacked me because I was getting stronger while they were stuck,” Silas said.

 

“I’ll listen to the audio and video recordings and report to your mother. Did you start the fight?” Mary asked.

 

“No, they ganged up on me,” Silas said.

 

“Then we have nothing to worry about. I would advise getting some sleep and then going to the arena. If you’re feeling brave, you can sleep in me.” Mary said and trotted forward before presenting her rear to him. Her tail lifted, showing off her hungry black slit.

 

He brushed his fingers against her warm entrance and shivered. She really did love teasing. He leaned in, licked the side of her slit, and stepped back when she tried to force him in. Silas licked her again, and her clit flared in a wet wink. The thumb-sized pink organ promised he would forget what happened for a while if he gave in.

 

Silas rubbed her puffy black anus and gave her clit a long sensual lick before stepping away. It was easier to resist than last time. With every day that passed, he was figuring out his body and learning how to control his impulses.

 

He smacked her ass lightly before stepping aside. Mary slapped him with her tail before crossing her arms and glaring at him.

 

“This isn’t how it's supposed to go,” Mary grumbled.

 

“Thanks for looking out for me, Mary. I’ll go get some sleep, then maybe I’ll try out the arena.” Silas said.

 

The centaur brushed a strand of black hair back. “Don’t get eaten. I like the chase.” Mary said.

 

“You’ll never catch me,” Silas said.

 

Mary snorted. “I’ll be squirting you out before I know it. All I have to do is wait until you get comfortable, and you’re mine.”

 

The black-coated centaur approached Tod’s downed form. She grabbed his ankles and pulled his feet to her lips. Silas watched her take his shoes, socks, and ruined pants off before opening her mouth wide and then stopped.

 

“I don’t have to make it pleasurable. Everyone likes my first stomach; it's my horse stomach where things get dangerous.” Mary lifted Tod up and shoved him in to his knees before gulping. Then he heard a crack. Tod woke up and screamed before Mary gulped again. He heard a churning sound more like a hydraulic press than a stomach. Mary swallowed Tod whole in less than five minutes, pressing her tongue against Told’s scalp before he went down.