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Welcome to the Incubus Bar!
Pleasure so intense you'll never want to leave!
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As the cat realized where they were, it freaked out!
"MIAOW!" (Master, FALL BACK!)
It stood between Damon and the exit door, claws out. At this moment, it was ready to lay its life on the line to protect its master. It had heard of this place from the bandits. So what if it had seen its master accomplish miracles? This was different. This place was DANGEROUS!
“?”
"Miaow." (Master, don't go out there! It's...)
The well-intentioned cat flung its paws all over the place, shivering as it explained the horrors of this place. In there resided the worst Demons! Some devoured men whole; others stole everything, and some even gave deadly curses! One such curse was so evil it took 9 months to kick in!
"Nine months to activate, eh? You're not wrong about that..." Damon chuckled as he petted his trembling companion's head. Meanwhile, the owner in the back was about to lose his shit. True, that curse did sound fearsome!
"Still, do you think I'd give up because of that?" Damon confidently strode toward the door, opening it wide.
The world they were used to? GONE! The world seemed to twist as it utterly changed. An illusion spell?! Then, before the cat's shellshocked eyes, an entirely new scene appeared, one that it would never forget, and with it, a System Message...
[Ding! Welcome to Amber's Amazing Red Light District!]
[Esteemed Guest: Please Enjoy Your Stay!]
[At Night We Come Alive...]
As for the scene awaiting... it was unbelievable!
There were people and colors everywhere! Plenty of colorfully dressed young men, ladies beckoning would-be customers, and charlatans, all eager to showcase their even more colorful businesses.
~ Hello handsome, wanna have a good time?
~ Seize your Destiny one dice at a time! The Everlucky Casino’s Open!
~ Dr. Paper’s love charms. Get yours now! Find a lover right now, or get your money back!
~ Elixirs, Elixirs, get your elixirs right now! Grow your little brother Inches with every dose! It's never too big!
It was a bustling sea that was a stark contrast with what they had seen from the exterior. It even seemed festive, with everyone seemingly wearing Mascarade-like costumes to preserve their anonymity.
The poor cat's mouth was wide open, gasping...
“First time entering a Sub-Space?” Damon chuckled as he rubbed the little critter’s head. He had reacted the same ages ago in another life. Back then, he had entered with his savings and left with depression. "C'mon, let's head out. You're in for a surprise, hehe."
As soon as they actually crossed the door...
[Ding! Please select a disguise!]
Damon and Cat both got the same prompt simultaneously. Damon quickly browsed the various options. Dragon? Butterfly? Chicken? Haniwa Statue? There were so many choices that it was hard to pick one! Heck, there was even a magical girl option!
"Miaow?!" (This... is actually so much fun!)
By Damon's side, there was now a raccoon. It kept rubbing its hands together, showing a devious expression. Realizing that its master was actually familiar with this place, it let itself lose, going for a complete race change! (Illusory)
"Pfft— That's enough messing around. We're here to find someone, and we gotta hurry up. If we miss him, we're fucked." Damon became serious as he scanned the crowd. Finding someone in the sea of people would be... near impossible.
But just as he was frowning, the Owner chimed in...
"Perhaps I could help? I may not look like it, but I'm pretty well-connected in this area. Just tell me the name of the one you're looking for, and I'll find them before you can even say... you're amazing mister owner!" He was definitely showing off.
"The Geisha..."
"...."
The Owner didn't even respond. He took a step back, closed the Incubus Bar's door, then locked it.... multiple times. Then, a nervous voice came out from behind the now-shut establishment. "If you do make it alive, remember that you owe me a week!"
That was the last Damon heard of him, the latter retreating into his lair. Seeing this, the cat couldn't help but feel that something was wrong with the man. Wasn't he a little too cowardly? But Damon had already departed, so it followed.
"That bastard's so random. Where would he even be hiding?"
"Hmmm. Then again... it's better if he comes to us."
"I guess we just need tons of shark bait," Damon mumbled as he entered an empty alley.
Shark bait? What did hunting sharks have to do with the Red Light District? It wasn't like there was water anywhere nearby? The cat couldn't understand what was happening, but whatever it was, it wholeheartedly supported its master.
Just as it was wondering, Damon started beating himself?! At first, it started with a couple of slaps, but then it quickly escalated to full-on punches! But even after that, it seemed he wasn't satisfied.
"Not enough... I'm still a bit too handsome. Gotta be more battered to sell it." With those cryptic words, Damon suddenly resumed beating himself up with the fury of a scorned wife.
[Ding! Congratulations! Obtained Title: Masochist!]
[Your Disguise Will Now Reflect Your Status!]
[You've Become a Batterred Cock]
Before long, Damon was soon a stark contrast to the general populace. He appeared so goddam destitute that by now, the fact that he actually had a "pet raccoon" with him didn't even look the strangest anymore. As he exited the alley, endless whispers echoed...
"W-what... did you see that guy?"
"So pitiful! I wonder what happened to him?"
"Meh, who cares? It's not like it's any of our business."
That was it, he was now perfectly ready to begin operation BAIT → Be An Impossibly easy Target!
Damon pitifully strode to the nearby Casino, his entire body seemingly twitching like an addict in need of his fix. At the moment, he was playing the part of a gambling fanatic to perfection! Then, just as he arrived at the Casino bouncer's level...
— THUD! WHOOSH! Damon suddenly threw himself backward, but to bystanders, it looked like he had actually been sent flying by the bouncer. A few people gave cursory glances over or snickered, not that they really cared. But Damon was only getting started.
"Hey, you shitty bouncer. HOW DARE YOU!"
Damon screamed so loudly that the entire street turned his way.
That's when he charged forward, seemingly with the determination to exterminate the being that stood between him and his addiction. "Heyyyaaaa!" But, this time again, he was "sent flying back," the bouncer in question actually gawking at the scene, puzzled.
What the heck?! He hadn't even touched the guy?! By now, Damon was struggling to get back up while wiping the blood off his mouth. Then before the bouncer could place a word, he roared again.
"So that's how it's gonna be?! Just because I'm a little bit low on funds, I can't go inside, eh?! Are you discriminating against me? Is it because I'm young and handsome?" By now, the bouncer had given up clearing the misunderstanding as Damon kept going.
“I swear I’m good for it! Hey, just give me a loan! I just need a few credits, and I’ll double them. No, triple them! Hey, I’ll put lots of collateral if you need it, and I’ll sign whatever you need!” After that, he went forward again, only to be "thrown out"... for real this time!
“LET ME IN! LET ME IN! LET ME IN!” It didn’t take Damon long to escalate the situation, tears in his eyes as he rolled on the ground, half-naked to top it all. By now, the crowd understood all too well what kind of piece of trash addict he was...
Citizen 1: “He should stop already.”
Citizen 2: “That kind of guys are the worst.”
Citizen 3: “Yeah, he’s 100% the type to lose everything he owns on a 50/50, haha.”
Even now, Damon kept screaming at the top of his lungs. “FINE, you bastard! I’ll sell one of my kidneys and come back later! Don’t you dare block me then!” Damon valiantly declared as he stormed off, the rumor about the Crazy Gambler quickly spreading.
Then he sat in a nearby alley, seemingly waiting for death, until...
The sound of a coin being tossed resonated as a man appeared next to Damon.
“Psst. I heard you’re looking for some Credits. How about I introduce you to someone who can help? You don't have to worry too much, we'll give you a great deal and—”
“Y-YES! P-Please do! I promise I’ll pay everything back, no matter the cost!”
“Hehe, that’s how it should be. Alright, come along…”
One had taken the bait! Only now did the cat understand. Shark? They were really hunting for sharks, loan sharks!
What followed was an annoying journey through the entire freaking district until they finally reached a golden-looking house, one inhabited by a Pimp-looking man. As the pimp turned on his chair all evil-boss-like, he went:
"So, I heard you like gambling? Something about a kidney, was it? Good news, you can actually keep it; just gotta use it as collateral. Why don't we get you back in there so you can win the jackpot? What do you say? For interest, let's settle on—"
But before the loan shark could actually finish his pitch, Damon chimed in: "Sorry, gotta go! Just remembered that Gambling's bad!" He hurriedly left, as if running away, leaving a very puzzled gallery. What the fuck had that been about?!
After a while of running away...
"Miaow?" (This shark was no good?)
"Indeed. We're looking for a very specific one. Alright, let's try this again..."
Then, without warning, Damon typed in the air, and his appearance changed. Before he had been a battered Chicken, but now he became a battered Zebra! He almost seemed to have more bruises than stripes. It gave him a very comical look, but it was what he wanted!
He went like this…
~ “Please! I’m really lonely, I’ll pay you afterward!” At the brothel.
~ “C’mon brother, let me have the Elixir already. It’s for a good cause!” At the shady alchemist.
~ “Are you really gonna do this to me?! I’m on my knees for true love?!” At the sketchy love guru.
All over the district, some poor bastards had just appeared, ones that desperately needed money, and they kept attracting the greedy grazes of tons of loan sharks in the process. (All Damon)
But it would inevitably always end the same way. Damon would eventually have moral enlightenment and run away, backtracking from the risky (crazy) investments. Sadly, no matter how many times he tried, he couldn't seem to attract the guy he was looking for.
Should he ask for him directly? But what if that spooked him? Damon would be screwed if the loan shark went into hiding for a couple of days to sound him out. But just as he was hesitating...
“You, what’s with all the disguises?"
Atop the wall stood… something, neither man nor woman. The being looked like an ancient Geisha, its entire body and aura impossibly ambiguous, one that playfully glowed as they sized him up.
As Damon saw the person, he trembled. It was THEM! Frankly, this person had one characteristic that he was sure wouldn’t change even in this universe: craziness. They were the only one with a collection ample enough for his needs. He had succeeded!
Now, should he be honest or invent some bullshit story? Actually, it was probably far too late for the lies, especially since he wasn’t sure what this person had seen or not.
“Actually, I was looking for you. I need a loan, a Big Fat Juicy One. One that no sane Bank or even Loan Shark would even entertain, but one that is definitely worth your time.” Damon was brutally honest.
“Hmmm. How interesting? Still, any Loan requires collateral. What will you be offering?”
The peculiar loan shark chuckled, awaiting his answer.
“Collateral? My future.”
“?!?”
