Several things happened all at once. Four valiant heroes appeared in a darkened room lit only by the pale blue-white illumination of two floating orbs. Each of those heroes looked askance at the rest of the room and each other for a brief moment. Before either of them could speak a light shot out from the central orb and a strange noise that some might claim sounded like a science-fiction laser firing echoed through the darkness. The firing laser noise sound became a *skrtching* sound as the beam of light began to rapidly flash from side-to-side in a short amount of space.

"What is happening right now?" asked Vita in a curious tone. "Where is this place?"

The lightshow soon generated several rows of spikey blue hair that seemingly hovered in mid-air. The princess' words were similarly left hanging in the air, as no one could tear their eyes away from the bizarre sight long enough to answer her. Soon, the spikey bush of hair was joined by a forehead.

"Is that Scott?" asked Chaine in a tone that matched Vita's in curiosity.

"I think so?" asked Samantha. "I don't see him or Kitty at the moment otherwise."

Scott's quantum level resurrection continued undeterred by their banter. After roughly a minute passed, the process was complete. Once again, he stood before them in the flesh. Far too much of the flesh, actually.

"Oh... A champion indeed," said Vita, her eyes wide. Much like a terrible train wreck, she could not turn away from the sight. She was struck visibly by the scene. Unable to tear her eyes away by the shocking image, she stared openly at the gratuitous naked reimagining of Scott's well-toned body clothed only by a single ring adoring his finger.

Chaine threw a hand over her eyes and snorted loudly, "You're a princess, you know."

"Don't lecture me! I was merely surprised by recent events," she said with a counter-snort of her own. However, she did slightly tilt her head in such a way that she almost saw around his fingers.

As for Saelil and Samantha, neither spoke. In fact, they did not even move. They were only able to stare at the strange vision that arose before them.

The apparently forgotten nano-cloud device that Scott normally wore finally made another appearance now that he was not a super massive beast. Where it had gone previously would remain a mystery for now, much like what happened to his ring during the transformation.

A soft sigh escaped their lips simultaneously as a watch-like device appeared on his arm along with a cloud of nanites which obscured their view of Scott's rebirth. Soon, his black skin-tight battle suit appeared once more, followed by his helmet that had also seemingly disappeared around the time that his transformations began.

"That still does not leave much to the imagination," said Vita after a moment of silence passed.

Samantha lifted her hands to her helmet then pulled it away before she said, "It's fairly common clothing."

"Where?" asked Vita, surprised by the admission.

While they chatted about clothing options, another beam of light shot out of the orb. This time it began the process of recreating Kitty at the quantum level, though she returned to life in cat form. Not long after the process finished, both of the reborn companions took a simultaneous breath then opened their eyes with a soft flutter of their eye lids.

"Where?" asked Scott, almost in imitation of Vita. However, he quickly realized the situation before anyone could answer. "Oh, we're home."

"This dark depressing abode is home to you?" asked the princess.

"Yes," said Scott in a simple tone.

She looked around slowly then added a tentative smile to her next words, "It... has a certain charm to it."

"It's basically a prison that I use as a staging area between missions. My current residence is a reasonably nice apartment on another world," said Scott before he covered his mouth with his hand and yawned luxuriously.

"You're a prison—" began the princess, however her words were interrupted by a loud knocking sound.

The group turned toward the origin of the noise and Scott quirked his eyebrow. "Is that coming from the mission door?"

"Mission door?" asked Vita quickly.

Scott ignored her once more and moved forward, an action that caused a slightly petulant frown in response. The others followed a few steps but gave up as he seemed to know what he was doing. The knocking sound came again just before he reached the source. The moment he placed his hand to the door a message screen popped up.

[Message]

Daedra Hellborne, Queen of Lewdness and other assorted vices, wishes to enter your Home.

Cited Reason: I so need to talk to you about your fabulous rewards and stuff.

Allow her entrance?

[Yes | No]

Please Note: She will not be able to utilize any system features other than the guest exchange. Further, she has no power to harm you or your guests. You will not receive this notice again in the future. However, unless she is granted the right to enter freely she must seek permission whenever she wishes to enter your home. A one-time allowance for entry does not grant such freedom. If you wish to grant her free entrance rights, please do so via your exchange. In the future you may also rescind these rights at your leisure.

[--]

Scott considered the situation for a moment then granted her request. The door of light appeared suddenly an act that revealed Daedra with her fist raised in mid-knocking motion.

The Queen of Lewdness blinked owlishly then offered a bright smile. Before Scott could say anything she made a high-pitched squealing noise and leapt forward.

"The hell!" cried Scott as the overly erotic bundle flew into his arms, and knocked him to the floor.

"Didja miss me, baby?" she asked while she pressed her chest against his and offered a sweet smile.

"What?" asked Chaine curiously. Of all the things that he had expected to happen, something like this was not one of them.

"Beloved?" asked Saelil, her gaze thoughtful.

"Who is this...?" asked Samantha in a slow even tone.

"Hey! That's my job!" cried Kitty as she rushed toward Scott as swiftly as her precious little paws could carry her. How dare some other brazen hussy steal her affectionate pouncing tackle!

"Another girl?" Vita turned from the lewd scene and openly glared at Chaine. She snorted after a moment, and then crossed her arms and turned away with her nose raised imperiously into the air. "I swear he's as bad as you are."

Chaine opened his mouth to say something but then shrugged. There was no arguing with the facts. The man did seem to have a lot of female friends, as any proper hero would.

Kitty pounced atop Scott's face, and then used it as a platform while she pushed at Daedra mouth with her paws. A brief power struggle ensued as she made her ire know.

"Get off! Get off! Get off!" she cried several times for emphasis.

Daedra laughed playfully then sat up quickly, an action the sent Kitty falling forward to land with a feminine grunt atop Scott's chest. The succubus grinned prettily at the scene then said, "I was about to, but then you interrupted us."

"Beloved? Who is this— person— to you?" asked Saelil in a low, even, voice.

"Yeah, beloved. Who am I to you?" asked Daedra. Seated atop his pelvic area, she lightly swiveled her hips and bit her lip sensually for effect.

Saelil's eyes flashed dangerously and she started forward. She spoke no words, but the ruffling of her clothing as fire began to dance around the tip of her staff spoke volumes regarding her intent.

"Get off me," said Scott in a flat tone. His words were muffled slightly by Kitty's continued presence.

The feline girl's eyes widened as certain key factors of her predicament made themselves apparent. Shortly thereafter her eyes narrowed lightly even as she began to purr. "Me-ow..."

Daedra pouted at him cutely while she completely ignored Saelil's advance. "Why so cold? Didn't you say you would take responsibility in the future?"

"What's she talking about, Scott?" asked Samantha in a frosty tone that could freeze boiling water in a flash.

"This isn't funny, and why can't I move?" he asked while trying his best to make his muscles obey his demands.

"Baby, don't you remember when you stole my innocence and made me become dirty?" she asked him in a soft sad little tone and a slight high-pitched catch in her words.

She clutched her hands to her chest and made a sniffling sound. "After all the times you touched me inappropriately against my will, you intend to cast me aside?"

Kitty gasped loudly then exclaimed. "Y-you really are a sex fiend!"

"Look Kitty, it's not—" began Scott, his words still muffled by her presence.

The cat hopped up then turned and looked him in the eyes. "You jerk!"

"Kitty! She's—" began Scott, his voice growing louder and far more clear now that she no longer used him as a barstool.

The catgirl slapped her paws down on his lips then snorted indignantly. "I've waited all this time, and you still haven't really done that much to me!"

"Wha—?" asked Scott around her tiny feet. "That's what you're mad about?"

"It's been days! Days! I decided to allow you to love me, and you've spent your time playing with some other girl instead. Me? Nothing, I get nothing!" cried the cat loudly, her little chest rising and falling rapidly in emphasis of her indignation.

"We've also been a little busy you know!" he asked her incredulously. "And we barely know each other! You really think we should have done more by now?"

"Yes! Especially after what happened on the roof..." she said, a moment later she made a strangely goofy expression for a cat. Not long after that her eyes glazed over a little and she giggled lightly. A hint of drool escaped her little kitty mouth a few seconds later.

She snapped out of it quickly, however, then poked his nose with her paw. "A girl has needs you big idiot!"

"You did something with another girl on top of a roof?" asked Daedra petulantly. " I bet the whole world could see you..."

"It wasn't like that, and why are you acting like I did something wrong here," asked Scott, his annoyance increasing by the moment.

"You only did it with me when no one else was watching." The pink haired girl took in a soft breath then sighed languidly. "I feel so used..."

"Daedra..." said Scott, his annoyance rapidly developed into seething anger.

Saelil stopped her advance a short time ago when Kitty went off on her little tirade. The way that Scott reacted mollified her slightly. However, the flames still danced around the tip of her staff. After that little vocal tradeoff, she went from enraged to mildly confused. Scott did not seem to be trying to hide anything illicit from her. The venom in his tone when he spoke the woman's name told her that much.

Chaine and Vita glanced at each other wordlessly, their expressions incredulous, but then quickly returned their gaze to the bizarre drama unfolding on the other side of the room. Neither knew what to say, but they sincerely wanted to know where this ridiculousness was about to go.

The goddess in succubus form lifted her hands to her breasts and cupped them gently. "These sweetly adoring and voluptuous sweater pillows were not enough for you?" she asked him with a sniffle. "I don't know how I will ever live down the shame of being cast aside in such a manner."

"You know damned well nothing happened between us!" snapped Scott irately.

"So you didn't steal my innocence by caressing my most tender of places with your well-muscled thigh?" she asked him, her eyes wide and her tone strangely sincere. She looked down a moment later, her cheeks burning crimson. "No one has ever touched me so intimately and in such a brazen manner no less..."

Several calls for an explanation thundered throughout the room. Scott, however, noticed the tiny little smirk that appeared on Daedra's lips. Suddenly, he realized what the evil little sex fiend might be trying to do.

"You do know that no one can kill me here, right?" asked Scott. "This little plan of yours to start a lover's quarrel won't work."

Daedra snorted cutely at him. "I'm well aware of that fact, darling. Do you really need to be suspicious of me and my genuine erotic love for you?"

"You're trying to turn my entire planet's population into a power source for alien technology," said Scott in a flat tone. "I would be suspicious of you if you told me sea water had salt in it."

"Not me. I'm your personal manager now, member?" she asked him warmly. Suddenly, she swiveled her hips atop his crotch once more.

"Yeah, you member..." she said with a feminine giggle.

"Seriously. Get off," said Scott, his voice cold. "This has gone on long enough."

Daedra pouted at him. "So cold," she said.

Her expression turned thoughtful after a moment. "I might start to like you even more..."

"Would you just get to the damned reason that you're here?" asked Scott, his eyes ablaze with his annoyance. Normally, he would have absolutely no issue with someone as ridiculously attractive as Daedra attempting to mark her territory atop his manly bits, or whatever it was that she thought that she was doing at the moment. However, the way that she chose to act would cause him problems and there was also the issue with his entire planet being under threat.

"So cold. So aggressive..." Daedra bit her lip then sighed in an overly erotic high-pitched manner. "Oh sweet brother, my heart will always be yours but my body might soon belong to another..."

Her eyes grew red and began to tear up even as she threw her head back and bucked her hips a little, "Don't hate me dearest! I can't help that I've become addicted to primate love!"

"God damn it, Daedra!" snarled Scott angrily. "If you would just cut this shit out and let me move—!"

"Oh, you think that's my doing?" she asked him curiously. He looked askance at her and she continued, "That's so cute. You really think that I'm what paralyzed you?"

"You sayin' that you aren't?" asked Scott.

"No, silly. Your stats are more than high enough to resist the ambient aura of my raw sexiness, at least when I'm in this form. I helped you when I showed up, actually," she said in a more serious tone.

"Helped me? Really?" asked Scott, his words dripping with sarcasm.

"Yes, really," said Daedra with a breathy sigh. She repositioned herself in such a way that her breasts jiggled enticingly. "One of the things I came to discuss with you was the system choosing to grant you the option to keep the effects of the Undying Beast Revelation despite the fact that you died."

"Undying—" began Scott. "Wait, you mean the ability to increase my stats after being beaten half to death?"

"Yeah, that. Your paralysis started the moment you opened the door. Being your most passionate of lovers, I caught you in my appropriately loving embrace," said Daedra.

"Why did he get paralyzed at all?" asked Kitty, though her eyes were on Daedra's jigging assets. Moving objects were quite distracting for her right now.

"Is he going to be alright?" asked Samantha, her tone still cold.

"He has to accept or reject the enhancement. Acceptance will mean that he will spend a few days in pain while his body adapts. All of his attributes will increase by ten percent of their current base since that is the maximum for a third class Ferakai," said Daedra.

"Current base? Is that with, or without the skills and upgrades that enhance my baseline?" he asked.

"Without. I believe it means your base attributes will all increase by one point," she said with a nod of her head. The movement caused her enticements to become even more enticing once more. Wordlessly Kitty raised her paw and batted at one of Daedra's breasts.

"Such a friendly Kitty," said the succubus. She scooped Kitty into her arms and held her tightly to her chest. The cat made a fuss briefly, but soon settled down and began to purr happily.

"Traitor," said Scott to the cat.

"So warm," murmured Kitty before she snuggled against her bouncy new pillows and purred even louder.

Scott proffered the cat an annoyed glance then looked back up at Daedra. "I'd hoped for more after going through all of that."

"Well, you shouldn't be a third class Ferakai warrior if you're going to complain about it. Keep building your stats. The absolute maximum is ten percent of the baseline, but you can somewhat frequently increase them in much smaller increments through training," she said before she nuzzled her cheek atop Kitty's head. "Still better than being stuck at ten points."

"You supposedly came to tell me about the mission rewards. Mind getting to that instead of petting the team mascot?" asked Scott.

Kitty murmured briefly then lashed her tail. Whatever she planned to say was lost due to her exotic level of comfort.

Daedra lashed her own heart-shaped tail tip from one side to the other then said, "Fine. Let us get to the business at hand."

She rose up from Scott's nether regions in a slow, deliberate manner then canted her hips to one side while she looked down at him. "There are two things to discuss. First is your reward. Due to gross misconduct on the part of an employee of the Team Devil Corporation, the Network and System have determined that you may elect to forego the typical mission score process and receive the following rewards, if you so choose."

A system message appeared before his eyes.

[Mission Score]

Congratulations champion! You have completed your mission and reached your next milestone!

You have now been promoted from a noob into a rookie champion. This upgrade comes with several perks that you will soon discover. We have put together a compensation package commensurate to the effort provided by you and your team during the emergency mission.

- The Undying Beast Revelation maximum statistical boost shall be granted despite the fact that you died and were resurrected in a new body.

- Due to circumstances caused by the Team Devil administration, we offer you the chance to forego your standard mission score reward process and receive a flat reward of 100,000 experience points. Each of your companions in the mission will receive forty thousand experience points. This is an amount slightly above the maximum amount of experience that you and your companions might have received otherwise. However, resurrection and restoration fees will still be removed from your experience total.

[All fees currently total 23,590 experience points due to resurrections, health restoration, and other notable fees.]

- You may upgrade one system weapon into an Epic treasure. [Epic Treasure Items may be taken to any world setting regardless of the restrictions for that world.]

- You may upgrade one system armor piece into an Epic treasure.

- You may upgrade one consumable item into an Epic item.

- Receive a treasure map that shows the location of all treasure items in a given area, including hub areas. This is an epic consumable item and may be used only once.

- You will now have a one year base life span. You may no longer purchase days of life, but you will increase your lifespan by one year for every successful story mission that you complete that is rated as C-1 or higher. Your lifespan will never decrease while you are on a mission regardless of how long the mission may be. [Warning: Failure to successfully complete a story mission, emergency mission, or to defeat the Grand Emissary when challenged, will still result in instant death regardless of your current life span.]

- Receive 1 'Revival Token'. The next time that you die during a mission that does not allow for standardized forms of resurrection you will not be claimed by the network. Instead, you will resurrect one time at your home point. This token will not work if you undertake an emergency mission, or a story mission, and fail. Further, if you challenge the Grand Emissary and are defeated this token will not work.

- Any items acquired or utilized during the emergency mission are considered system items from this point forward. This includes companion items or upgrades.

Will you forego the standard mission score process and receive this one time offer?

[Yes | No]

[--]

Scott blinked slowly. "This... Are you serious?"

"The rewards are to your liking then, monkey?" asked Daedra smugly.

"Rewards?" asked Vita. Suddenly, she wanted to be part of the situation.

Scott said, "Yes. If I choose not to accept the standard scoring process, we can get a lot of bonuses and compensation... because they seriously screwed up."

"Noticed that bit, did you?" asked Daedra lightly.

"It was pretty obvious that I would," said Scott. "You said it out loud and everything."

"I can't go into too much detail about that unless you choose to take the compensation package," said Daedra. She bit her lower lip a little then smiled shyly down at him while she pet Kitty.

Scott did not trust her sudden shyness. She clearly was not as innocent as she appeared. "I'll have to discuss it with my team."

"Mew?" asked Kitty before she wiggled in place.

"Yes, even you," said Scott.

Kitty mumbled a little then wriggled free of her warm pillowy place in the world. She dropped down onto Scott's chest, tilted her head to the side then cutely asked, "Family meeting?"

"Take your time. I don't have anywhere else to be for a little while," said Daedra. She offered another smile, this one showing a bit of a fang, and then wandered off to the side of the room.

The others gathered round Scott's prone body and began to ask questions. After consulting with Daedra briefly, it was determined that everyone in the room would receive forty thousand experience points each, other than Scott.

"What can one do with these experience points?" asked Vita.

"You can spend them at that exchange orb in the corner of the room, or turn them into money from various places," said Scott.

"I see... and so they think they can buy me off after they were somehow partially responsible for my kidnapping?" she pressed.

Daedra spoke up, "Actually no. There will be another agent who will come to speak with you and your government in regards to proper restitution. The items mentioned here are merely offered as a reward process for the mission."

"Is it a good deal, beloved?" asked Saelil.

Scott struggled a little and managed to frown thoughtfully. "Yeah. I think so. It's considerably more than I have ever earned after a mission. I mean, to put it in perspective your reward alone would be equal to over a million and a half essence where you come from, or like forty million credits for Samantha."

Saelil's eyes widened perceptively. However, it was Samantha who vocalized a response. Though, what resulted was less a direct statement and more of a strangely digitized choking sound.

"What would it be worth to me?" asked Kitty curiously.

"A lot of shoes," replied Scott without missing a beat.

The cat's eyes widened a little, "Well, that certainly sounds like a good thing."

"I could probably buy out an entire floor of the building where I bought my apartment and still have plenty of money left over," said Scott to Kitty. "So, it's not a small amount by any means...."

Samantha caught the shift in his tone as his words trailed off, "Something about this bothers you? We completed the mission, and we are going to get paid pretty well... Aren't we?"

"It's not the experience points. Those are great. It's the rest of the rewards," said Scott, a hint of concern in his tone.

"What about them?" asked Chaine. "What was offered?"

"There's a bunch of things but they all seemed geared toward rewarding me personally, and not the entire team. It seems wrong," said Scott. He did his best to look askance at Daedra, but his body remained uncooperative.

"Of course those rewards are geared toward you. You're the champion," said Daedra. She blew a stray strand of pink hair out of her eyes then waved her hand dismissively. "Your companions helped a great deal and may receive a hefty pay-off for their efforts, but at the end of the day they can simply abandon you if a situation becomes too serious for them during a mission. You don't have that option."

"I would never abandon my beloved," said Saelil, her eyes narrowing lightly as she spoke.

"Don't get excited. I spoke in general terms," said Daedra. She offered a warm smile to the elf girl before she continued, "Companions come and go. Sometimes they have to do things on their home world. Sometimes they die and can't be brought back. Other times they just abandon their champion for various reasons."

Daedra took an enticing breath then released it in a gentle sigh. "Maybe you won't do that, but it has already happened many times to other champions in the past. That includes the current influx of champions that brought the amazing growing cat-dog man into your life."

"Wait!" exclaimed Chaine, his eyes widened slightly. Everyone, except Scott, turned to look at him. His cheeks flushed crimson briefly and he waved his hands around. "Sorry to sound so excited, but I just remembered something he said earlier."

Chaine looked down at Scott. "Didn't you say she wanted to use your people to power alien technology?"

"Hey, yeah! I didn't even realize that when he said it," said Vita. "There was so much going on..."

"Ah, that," said Daedra. She laughed warmly while she shook her head. "It's a common mistake. He's got me and my company confused with the alien race that wants to conquer his world and use the souls of his people as a power source for their entertainment devices."

"You saying you aren't the ones doing that?" asked Scott acidly. "I recall you referring to your brother as the final boss of this stupid death game you're making my people play."

Daedra offered him a curious glance then laughed once more. "Yeah, but no."

"What does that mean?" asked Samantha. Her plasma cannon made a whirring noise even as a hint of energy began to gather in dangerous amount near the firing point of her weapon.

The succubus sighed. "Look, I can't go into too many details. Suffice it to say, the aliens that want to conquer your world, and my people are separate organizations. The law that keeps them from conquering you is one we set out in that part of the network."

She took another breath then continued, "My brother is acting as the primary transitional acquisition agent due to the bylaws of intergalactic conquest we set out in your world-setting. Thus, he is the Grand Emissary. His true self is neutral, just like everyone in my company, and he is also the only one who can adequately determine if you met the qualifications to achieve victory by defeating his avatar."

"Avatar? True self?" asked Scott. "You need to start making sense!"

"I do make sense. You of all people here should know how this works," said Daedra.

"I don't know how anything works, god damn it!" shouted Scott as loudly as his lungs would let him shout in his condition. "You assholes just showed up one day and decided to put us through hell!"

Daedra frowned at him briefly then balled her hands into fists and pressed them to her hips leaving her arms akimbo. "You know exactly what it means! You play videogames. No matter what character the story has you play, you still remain you outside of that game, right?"

Scott's eyes widened incredulously. A moment later a slightly manic laugh escaped his lips. "Are you serious? Seriously, are we being serious, right now?"

"Oh Em Gee. I'm like totes, serious," she said in a sweetly mocking tone and in a fine imitation of valley-girl speak. She lashed her tail for emphasis then offered him a slightly fanged smile.

"Damn this girl is going to drive me crazy," muttered Scott after he managed to regain his sensibilities. Her flippant response had shocked him slightly. The girl was certainly a creature of abnormal thought processes.

"Mmm, that's right. Talk dirty to me daddy," she said with a happy giggle.

Scott sighed in annoyance. So far it had been a day of sighs and annoyances. "Yeah, I think I get why your brother pawned you off on me. Fruit basket as a thank you, my ass."

Daedra gasped lightly then pouted at him in close approximation of actually having had her feelings hurt. "Such cruelty..."

"Look, I don't even know what to think anymore. Are you trying to tell me that you aren't deliberately trying to kill my people? Somehow we're on the same side?"

"What? No way, we're totes neutral," she said before she dropped her randomly affected speech pattern. "We're not your friends. We're not your enemies. We just make sure the rules are fairly crafted, and properly enforced."

She took a breath then tilted her head thoughtfully. "We also make decisions on contractual judgments, but don't do much else but try to keep the network stable and entertaining for the viewers.

Daedra looked down at Scott, her breasts moving in a manner that was obviously meant to be enticing. "Whether you win, lose, live, or die is one hundred percent up to you."

"Scott, you never really explained who this woman is..." said Samantha slowly, her eyes focused on the overt display of the overly endowed woman, "Who is she, really?"

"Hell if I know. She just showed up and claimed to be my personal manager one day. As far as I can tell she seems to be some sort of slutty demonic alien goddess of exposition and backstory," admitted Scott candidly. "I'm learning a lot of stuff that I didn't know, and am not even sure I believe, right now."

"Baby. I'm not an alien, you silly Billy," said Daedra lightly just before she screw her lips to the left in an affectation of an adorable manner and offered him a cutesy look.

"My name is Scott," he replied.

"You didn't mind the rest of that?" asked Samantha. She canted one hip to the side and waved at the air with her hand. "I'd have probably shot him if he said it about me."

"Why be angry when it seemed like a reasonable assessment," said Daedra with a smile and a shrug.

For a time no one found the strength or the words, to speak. Daedra had made such a ridiculous counter-statement that the others simply had no idea how to proceed.