Mature Content Warning: Gore, Violence, and people talking about feelings and stuff. Ah, also the special bonus chapter has a little bath time fun Ero, and depictions of slow motion booty wiggling. Not much, overall but it is there.

Author's Note: We are closing in on the end of this volume. :)

Also, you can blame Xagnam for this if you want to due to the quality of sounding board that was provided. Lol, but... after you read the end of this chapter... I have added a 'special bonus chapter' of what I have chosen to do with this overall world concept.

I decided that this story specifically works best as just a fun little parody. Instead of making this into a commercial thing, I have crafted any entirely new world setting using some of the better ideas from a few of my stories... with far less ... 'rapeyness' in general. The chapter I'm sharing is extremely rough and needs a little work, but it shows a few differences in the world. But, basically.. it is a far happier place and there will be a LOT more ero involved. The happy kind of ero... the kind where everyone is happy to be a pervert.

Yes, Nocturne will continue to be updated. This won't be dropped. However, you'll get to see the new rough draft version of what I intend to take commercial... so like I do with Origin ARS, except with monster girls and lots ero content. I probably won't start posting the new 'hope to go pro' story concept here until after I finish up 'I Hate You Master' within the next two weeks.

The wind and rain howled fiercely outside of the spire as a lone figure gazed out into the gloom and haze. The storm had lasted for two days straight now with no end in sight. It seemed like some great unnatural beast weeping its torrential sorrow over the land. The sole occupant of the spire gazed outward from castle Hard Rock and sighed deeply. She did not enjoy being cooped up like this.

A voice from the stairwell alerted her that she was no longer alone. Upon turning she saw the one person she had been hoping to avoid just a little longer.

"Oh, you are up here then." said Pirouette in a passionless tone. Ashe could not help but notice that the dark elf woman was dressed in her customary tight fitting dress. It was hard to say whether she was fit for adventuring or solicitation with that ensemble.

Ashe nodded at her wordlessly then turned back to the window that she had been gazing out of. Why did it have to be her of all people?

The dark elf moved into the observation spire and found a window to use. This particular spire was meant to be used to observe the lay of the land. It could serve as a guard post, but it was primarily just for relaxation.

Neither spoke for a time as they continued on in uncomfortable silence. As time passed, however, the tension in the air became palpable. Inevitably one of them spoke.

"What is your problem with me?" asked Pirouette. She had sensed tension from the girl since the day they had officially met. The fact that she had also been radiating tension and hostility that day had long since been forgotten.

Ashe turned to stare at her with one eyebrow quirked. "Who says I have an issue with you?"

Pirouette snorted at her and shook her head. "You've been glaring daggers at me since the day we met."

"Whatever, I don't need to deal with this crap." replied the half dark elf before she started for the door.

"Oh yes you do! I want answers." snapped Pirouette as her hand flew to her sword-hilt.

The former lord of havoc turned toward her as her own hand moved to her sword pommel. "You do not order me to do anything dark elf."

It was Pirouette's turn to quirk her eyebrow. A few hundred years ago this would have been a bloody battle scene by now. However, she had both matured and mellowed with time. "You say that as though it were an insult. Aren't you half dark elf?"

Ashe glowered at her darkly. "Like it matters. There's only been one person to ever give a shit about me and he's the most perverted bastard alive."

"Scott isn't that much of a pervert." replied Pirouette casually. Something about how the half elven girl had said that made her discount Scott immediately though.

"Scott... No. Not him." admitted Ashe before turning her head to the side and slowly moving her hand from the pommel of her sword. Bringing up his name had taken the fight out of her. Her attempts to sort out her thoughts regarding him had been the entire reason that she had come up here. She had needed to escape her room and find somewhere to think. Eventually she had found herself here.

"Then who?" asked the dark elf curiously. She knew next to nothing about the other dark elf in Scott's life. She felt a need to discover something about the girl who had fought alongside him these last few months, while she herself had been stuck in a lab or the occasional committee meeting.

"Who indeed? It's weird. I screamed bloody murder at him for having that sleazy harem of his while he kept telling me he loved me. Yet...” began Naile as she continued to try to piece together her thoughts.

Pirouette gazed thoughtfully at her as she gave the elven descended girl a chance to compose her thoughts. Ashe seemed to be on the verge of admitting something to herself and it seemed wrong to rush her.

Ashe shook her head. "It's different. He's not Dak. There are a few similarities, but he's not him."

The half elven girl looked over at Pirouette and blinked. "It doesn't matter. He's a world away and there's work to do here now."

P-chan nodded. "I know what you mean. It's hard leaving the past behind."

The half elf gazed at her for a moment as a memory trickled through her mind. During the night of Scott's big meeting she had heard a little of Pirouette's story.

She nodded at the white clad dark elf. She could not bring herself to like her, but she felt she could understand her a little more. Besides that she did not seem like the type to simply toss a small child onto the side of the road and let her fend for herself after raising her. The dark elves of her homeland had seen their chance to be rid of her and they had taken it.

In Pirouette's mind she had begun to feel the first stirrings of comprehension in regards to this genetic anomaly. On her home-world elves and humans could not interbreed. While this was counter to the way Scott had seen it on his precious anime, it was her reality. In his entertainment scenarios there had been several half elves of varying types. In her reality it simply was not true, or if it was, she had never seen one.

The two female elves gazed at each other for a moment then slowly turned away from each other. Ashe began moving toward the door and Pirouette returned to looking out the window. In a way, it was like a changing of the guard.

....

Chapter 36: Understanding

....

"Knock knock" called the voice of Cerene as she stood outside of Nina's room. She had come to see how her co-alpha was doing. The normally bubbly blond had been rather reserved and distant of late as the daily routines had settled in.

"Hmmm, oh hi." responded the other blond girl in the group as she looked up from her desk with tired blood-shot eyes. The last few days had been rough on her.

Cerene came in and stood next to her friend and harem sister. She had been worried about her for a while now, but recently she had been getting worse. "What's wrong Nina?"

Nina sighed softly and looked at the photos sitting on her desk that she had placed into frames. These were her parents. No attempt at contacting them had gone through, but she felt it was true. Scott would not lie to her about something like this. "I just can't remember anything since before I regressed. It's like my memories are simply gone. And...”

"And?" pressed Cerene as she pulled up a chair and sat next to her.

Nina looked over at her with tear stained eyes, "Scott... suggested something the other day...”

"What? Is this why you're upset?" asked the angel as she restrained herself from hugging the girl.

Nina nodded slightly before reaching out to the framed photo of her parents. Even though she was a demi-human she still looked a great deal like them. Finally, she answered. "Scott... told me something that he suspected."

Cerene began stroking Nina's hair as the girl began to shake lightly. After a moment she revealed her master's suspicion. "He thinks someone might have mind-wiped me and abandoned me in the woods."

The angel girl gasped at her in horror. "No way? That’s. That’s... just...”

"Probably the answer." replied Nina softly. She could not remember because someone had decided to destroy her mind and leave her in the woods like so much refuse. She was a thrown away remnant of the girl she used to be.

"What, that... I mean Nina...” babbled Cerene for a moment before she grew quiet. What could you really say to someone that happened to? Saying "I'm sorry" would not be appropriate and might even be condescending.

Finally, in a moment of clarity and maturity that would have shocked many, Cerene spoke the words her friend needed to hear most. "I'm here for you. We all are."

Nina looked over at her Co-alpha and blinked softly as the tears slowed. For a brief moment she saw something in Cerene's face that was beyond the goofy demi-human who she had begun to see as a friend and family member. There was something in the normally flaky blond girl’s expression and body language that caused her heart to skip a beat.

Unable to restrain herself she leaned into her Co-alpha and wrapped her in a tight hug. Cerene slipper her arms around Nina then gently stroked her hair.

The battle captain shook for a time as the angel held her softly. Cerene kissed Nina gently along the ear then murmured sweet sentiments of love and friendship. Slowly, Nina began to cry in her sisters arms.

.....

Reina sighed softly and ran the comb through her mane once more. In the last few weeks she had grown more and more confused. Taming was not an issue and neither was regression. She could have her needs taken care of by one of the friendly female humans on the nursing staff without much preamble. The problem was in where she fit in, and the fact that she was not certain that clinical taming was really what she wanted.

Theoretically she was supposed to be a Guardian. However, she had never transformed. She was supposedly part of the group as well, but she had never allowed herself to go visit Scott to make that official. He had told her that he would not turn her away or force her into anything. This had been a nice gesture but it would have been so much easier if he had just done what most guys do. She was a demi-human that technically belonged to him. They had never developed a bond or had any real intimacy beyond conversation. In short, he had been a slightly perverted gentleman. His occasional corny and perverse joke would ruin the 'perfect' gentleman status she might have afforded him otherwise.

There were other problems that would occasionally plague her as well. She had not transformed yet. That was a major issue with her. During the affair on the bus she had been useless. Scott insisted she was the 'Guardian of Faith’ but she did not know. It was like something was missing.

The thing that bothered her the most was also the greatest relief. Scott had not addressed their engaged status yet. He was a great guy. In the beginning she did not want to believe that. However, over the course of the last four months or so she had learned a lot about the man. She could not really hope for a better tamer and he didn't seem like he would be a bad husband either.

The problem was that she hated to give in to anyone. In her mind it felt like the longer that she could hold out the longer she would remain her own person.

Reina sighed softly as she looked into the mirror before her and finished combing her hair. Her ears flicked lightly then folded back as she acquired a faraway look in her eyes. She’d had dreams, hopes, for the future. She wanted to be a songwriter among other things. She had always hoped to be able to live life by her own terms and never look back.

She was lost in thought for a moment until a knock came at her door. She moved to open it and discovered the object of her thoughts standing before her. "Hi Reina."

The Catgirl blinked at him for a moment then frowned slightly and looked away. "Hi...”

Scott gazed down at her softly and continued speaking, "Are you busy?"

She blushed lightly and turned away. "I... was... No, not really...”

"If you don't mind I would like to come in and talk." explained the man as he continued to speak softly and pay careful attention to her. If she showed any real sign of not wanting to talk to him he would leave and try again another day.

"What about..?" asked the raven haired Catgirl while staring at a particularly interesting portion of her bare wall. She had not really decorated much yet for some reason. However that one blank spot was positively fascinating at the moment.

"What you want." he replied without hesitation.

She flushed lightly and shook her head, still not looking at him. "I... don't know... I was... combing my hair...”

"Well, let me help with that then...” answered the man with continuing softness.

She shook her head. "Fine, if you want."

Scott smiled at her and she returned that smile tentatively. The door closed behind them as they moved toward the mirror to spend some quality time together and do each other's hair...

.....

Jacob Halston and his camp were hunkered down inside the ruins of a fallen Pre-War building about twenty miles outside of the rapidly growing town. The storm had finally passed but it was still night and they wouldn't set out for the town proper until morning. Within his camp were his three demi-humans, his goods, several other traders, and the two tamers who guarded them all.

Something had his Mouse on edge tonight, but she would not say what. It would not be till the last of the rain had finally passed altogether and the clouds began to give way to the stars above that the first tendrils of alarm began to spread through the soul of the long time trader. It was a simple thing really. He overheard one of the tamer guards mentioning his 'stupid gunner' was not answering him when he called. She'd left her guard post apparently.

An hour would pass before the next person went missing. This time it was one of the children of the elemental stone trader from Gantsbridge who had come to the new city to do trade. This caused a general alarm throughout the camp. The few children in the group had never left camp as far as anyone knew. They had decided to send out a search party immediately.

Unfortunately, the scream of his Nurse would end that plan. The head of a smile boy stared up at her from her feet where it had just rolled to a stop.

"What the hell?! Oh god... James. Oh god no!" screamed the man as he ran over to his nursing demi-human and his only son's decapitated head.

A soft clacking hiss from the woods openly mocked the man’s pain. More shouts came from around the camp as a sudden screech followed by a dark blur zipped through the camp and snatched up a young trader who had been wielding a shotgun like he meant business.

His screams of anguish echoed through the night as the clacking hiss began to erupt from various points around the camp. It was obvious that there was more than one unknown attacker.

"What the hell do we do? We can't see for shit out there!" snapped one of the tamer guards as he released all of his remaining demi-humans. Each of them was trained and powerful in the manner of an experienced mercenary. Sadly neither they, nor any of the other travelers, would be a match for the horrors that suddenly erupted within the camp after a brief laugh echoed from out of the woods.

"Dinner time...” cackled the creature before a loud *SCREEEE* was heard from six simultaneous points around them camp. In the dim fire light it was hard to make out the forms as they blurred into the thickest knots of people and began hacking them apart with wild frenzied abandon. Body parts rained down upon the earth as scythe like arms ripped and tore into nearly helpless individuals.

A few demi-humans managed to launch elemental attacks, but they only succeeded in adding to the chaos as several of their camp mates fell to friendly fire. Jacob screamed in agony as he clawed at the uncaring earth. He had been knocked to the ground not long after the massacre began.

He tried desperately to get away only to tear a desperate gouge in the ground as he was ripped backward and away from escape. In his terror he missed seeing the sight of one of the tamers fleeing the battle suddenly splitting in half mid-run. The unfortunate man’s left leg shot forward as a coherent wave of force tore through him with the precision of a surgical strike. The right half of his body fell moving forward while the left half fell straight down.

Jacob was flipped over with ridiculous ease. In the dim firelight he finally saw the face of his killer. She looked like a normal demi-human save for the fact that she had scythe like protrusions on her arms and blood red eyes that gleamed in the firelight.

She knelt down atop him and hissed softly while he stared at her in terror. The right scythe blade shifted then drew back against her arm, revealing a human-like hand. Her fingernails slid slowly along his shirt near the center of his chest. For a brief moment she smiled at him tenderly in an endearing manner that caused him to give off an awkward smile of his own. Then almost casually she slammed her fingers into his chest and tore open his ribcage.

His screams were muffled by her palm as it shot over his mouth. She shook her head gently and ripped his still beating heart from his chest then held it up into his line of sight. Some of his life's blood dripped into his eyes as she softly told him, "No. You already gave me your heart my sweet. That beautiful gift is far better than any love song that you might sing."

She took a bite out of his heart while he looked on helplessly. It was not much longer before the horribly injured man passed from the world of life, the image of a demi-human devouring his heart the last thing that he would see.

The attackers finished off the caravan soon afterward. Sadly, it had barely been worth the effort to attack the place, free snacks or not.

---

AN: now for the special Bonus Chapter :) Remember, I warned you that it is a rough version.

---

In the vastness of space, a lonely planet sleeps. It sleeps and it dreams. It always dreams. In its fitful slumber, the planet has undergone many changes. Life in all of its divergent opportunities arose. The fresh green grass covered her like a night shirt. The soaring forest was her hair. The scent of wild flowers that permeated the air was her beautiful perfume.

A true lady, the planet slumbered, she slumbered and dreamt. She was content in the vastness of space, while being constantly impregnated by her neighboring star. She was an eternal mother, lost in the dream.

Perfect, content, alone... as life upon her began to grow in awareness that life caused her sleep to become fitful.

It would not be until her sister’s children came to visit her that she began to realize, in her limited way, that being alone was not perfection. The planet had never had a name, only peace and serene slumber.

However, now she had a name. Her sister’s children were noisy, rambunctious, little lights. For the first time since her life began, the planet wanted more than to simply be at rest. She wanted... something.

Her sister’s children did not know her, though they named her. The planet began to understand what loneliness truly was, and longed to have children of her own. The sun impregnated her and made life possible, but she had never had children such as these, children who could dream. Children who were... like her in their own limited way.

The planet tried to speak with her sister’s children. Her words were subtle, chaotic, the stuff of dreams and portents. They did not hear her lonesome cries, and if they did they did not understand them as anything but imagery and the motion of the wind.

Time passed, and the lonely mother listened to the dreams of her sister’s children, those darling creatures known as man. In time, their dreams began to influence her dream. She became infected with the disease known as individuality. The planet begat children who were like her. They were lonely dreamers who dreamed of no longer being alone.

Each of those children was a beautiful and complex creation, a dream made reality. Unfortunately, the lonely planet did not have perfect understanding and could not make her children truly complete. In the end, they too were dreamers trapped in a dream. However, unlike the planet these dreamers had the disease of individuality. Trapped inside their dream, their lives became the stuff of nightmares.

The children of Earth, the planet’s sister, had mastered their disease long ago. The disease bearers became the cure for the children of the lonely planet. By joining their hearts and minds with the dream children, those children were awakened from their nightmare. They became complete and in that small way, the planet could experience the joys of true awareness. In that small way... the planet was no longer alone.

Galataea - Eternally slumbering in stone, an ideal shaped and formed by the desires of the human mind. A dream brought to life by the power of love.

That was the name given to the lonely planet by the children of Earth...

Galataea Crystallim: Chronicles of the Lonely World

----

Chapter One: Making the Grade

----

It was incredible, despite the common nature of its occurrence. Even a thing that happens in the life of every human being can seem incredible when it finally happens. For the young man gazing at the light-screen that had arisen before him, the incredible had just become his new reality.

“I passed?” He stared at the screen with a mixture of joy and surprise. Few people pass the finals on the first time that they take the test. His score was low, garbage really. Yet, the fact that he had passed the test in one try was a major event!

The useful hallucination, displayed his score in bright green numbers. He had passed with a ‘C’ rank. His total point score had been eighty-three average points.

“I got a C on a first-time go!” cried the young man in a loud and boisterous tone. It might be a mediocre score, but earning it during the initial test meant that he was automatically placed on the list.

He dismissed the useful visual hallucination then received a new message. The recent graduate mentally commanded the message to display before him.

<<< Message >>>

Congratulations, Scott Matthews, on your recent test score. Due to the fact that you passed your hunter’s exam during the first round of testing, the American city government has granted you the following benefits.

+ 1000 EXP

+ 5 Gold Credits

+ 20 Augmentation Points

Special Bonus:

1 C-Rank Crystallim Trade Ticket

--

Spend your skill points, experience, and credits in any manner that you like. You have earned them. Due to your EXP benefit, you are now officially level one. Your status may now legally be improved. May your future be bright, young hunter.

Stay safe out there!

- American City Council

>>

“How badass is that? Pretty badass...” He stuck his nose into the air and shifted his head from side to side while making a cocky expression.

The trade ticket was expected because any hunter who completes the test and passes on the first go will receive a free starter Crystallim from the city government. America was stingy in that regard. Hunters who did not pass the test during the initial testing period would not receive a trade ticket. They would have to purchase their first partner.

“Man, two years of late night studying and field work finally paid off.” He was now an accredited hunter. He could go out into the world and capture Crystallim, a supernatural race of beings often referred to as monster girls or M-Girls.

The twenty year old Noob hunter smiled. Finally, he was going to live his dream. Every day had been a struggle since he had been forced to move out of the orphanage. Once you were eighteen years old, you had to leave.

There was a constant stream of children who needed to be housed. Life was hard outside of the fortified Mega-Cities. The city of America safely, relatively speaking, housed over twenty-six million people. It was one of the largest legacy cities on Galataea.

He commanded the light-screen to disappear then called up his personal status window. He had been granted a wonderful present for his eighteenth birthday, even if he was homeless the next day. When an American became a legal adult they were required to be gene-tagged and infused with certain types of nanotech and magical upgrades. One of those upgrades was the E.X.P system.

<<< Status >>>

Name: Scott Matthews | Class: Hunter | Rank: C

Age: 20 | Level: 1

EXP: 1000 | EXP to Next Level: 100

Augmentation Points: 20

City: America

V.Force: 20

Attack: 4 | Defense: 4

Strength: 4 | Agility: 4 | Vitality: 4

Intellect: 4 | Resonance: 4

>>

“Finally, I can upgrade my status!” Status was practically everything in the world. A commoner, someone who was not allowed to go beyond level one, could not augment their innate capacities. They could not go beyond the theoretical biological human maximum.

Due to the advancement of science and genetic technologies, everyone was as healthy and strong as nature would allow. But for people to use the E.X.P. system and grow beyond the limits of mere humanity they must prove that they are trust worthy in some manner. Scott, as a Crystallim hunter, was automatically accepted into the system.

The newly minted adult considered his status carefully. He had twenty augmentation points. He would gain four more points at each new level. That was his primary direct method of advancing his status through the system. He had already reached the maximum point that simple physical or mental training would allow. Such an accomplishment was both easy and mandatory for hunters-in-training. It accounted for thirty-one percent of their final test score. Even if a trainee hunter passed every other part perfectly, they would receive sixty-nine points at most. You needed seventy points to pass.

Scott had studied the stats carefully for years. He already knew how he would spend his points, but now he had five times as many points as he would have had if he had not passed the test on the first attempt. “I’ll stick to my plan, for the most part.”

The Crystallim hunter chose to spend six of his augmentation points on resonance. His first goal had originally been to reach the ten point mark in that stat. At ten points, his maximum ability to resonate with F-Rank Nightmares would be ninety-nine percent, even at level one. Of course, that resonance capacity dropped rapidly with each class rank above F-Rank.

“Fourteen more points...” Scott considered his status more a moment then splurged on vitality. He raised it to ten points as well. His V.Force stat, short for Vital Force, showed that it would increase to fifty points when he finalized his decision.

There were still decisions to be made, however. He had originally desired to get his stats to ten points across the board. He would have a solid baseline, and gain the initial perks that ten points in the stats were known to provide. The main issue that he had at the moment was deciding on the right way to spend the last eight points.

“If I put six points into either of the stats, that stat will reach ten... which is good. Which one do I choose, though?” Scott asked the screen. It did not bother to answer him, though communication between light-screens was quite common.

After a moment of indecision, he hesitantly placed six points into agility then put the other points into strength. He did not think of that decision as a snub to Intellect. It was a decision based on the necessities of survival. Agility would allow him to better survive battles with the low-rank Nightmares that roamed the land. Scott finalized his decision then received a new message screen in response.

<<< Message >>>

You have chosen to expend more than four augmentation points in a twenty-four hour period. Safety protocols dictated by the American City Council require that the upgrades that you have selected be realized over the course of the next twenty-four hours, and at evenly spaced intervals.

Thank you, for your understanding.

>>

Scott smirked at the message then sighed softly. He had expected it, but had hoped against it. Augmentation happened at multiple levels. His body, mind, and spirit would require adjustment to increase the capacities specified. That safety protocol allowed people to safely advance their abilities without fear of aberrations.

Before the EXP system was put in place, people often over-extended their body’s ability to grow at an accelerated rate.

The result was frequently irreversible, and always life-altering in a negative way. Sometimes people still risked those uncontrollable mutations, however. They broke the safety protocol measures and forced their bodies to grow at rates too high to sustain. They became freakish monstrosities that were far worse than any Nightmare.

“Well, that’s taken care of at least.” Scott looked around his Spartan room then shook his head. He currently had only his bed and tables activated. It had been a decent place to live, but it had certainly been difficult. Due to his lack of funds and connections, he had been forced to undertake the only route available for his dream. He had joined the American Defense Forces as a trainee.

The newly minted hunter rubbed his chin then checked the time. A loud sigh echoed through the room. “Guard shift...”

He called up a light-screen then used it to activate his M.I.S.S., the Micro-lite Inventory Storage System that all trainees are granted as an upgrade. It was a system that utilized a combination of Failed Crystallim and quantum technology to hold items in a state of continual flux. In short, it stores equipment in a weightless manner and allowed people to instantly equip or unequip items.

A shimmering ripple washed over his body in slow motion. As the ripple passed his current equipment changed. His t-shirt and jeans were replaced by his ADF uniform, with legacy flag emblem on the shoulder. On the upper right side of his chest the name ‘Matthews’ was printed in bold block letters. On the left side the acronym ‘ADF’ was printed.

He called up another light-screen to view his current appearance. A three dimensional image of his current appearance popped up in front of him, with a small status window hovering to the upper right. “Sexy as always.”

Scott walked to his door then glanced back over his shoulder. “Room Function six: Deactivate all currently activated furniture.”

Three beeps resounded through the room then his bed and table shimmered out of existence. They were once again stored in digital memory until he would return.

“Wouldn’t want some asshole sergeant to come waltzing through here on my last day.” A soldier of the ADF was required to keep his room in a neat and organized manner. He or she had to maintain an austere appearance at all times. It was a real pain, actually. Sometimes he forgot to digitize his bed during duty hours and a roving health and hygiene patrol would report it in to ADF command.

Scott walked out of his room and voice locked it before heading to his post. His duties were always the same. Due to a moderately high synchronization rate, he had been assigned to the artillery section as an advanced tactical data system specialist. That was fancy speak for virtual drone pilot.

He walked through the corridors of Wall-3, the third of five concentric walls surrounding the American legacy mega-City. It used to be the outer wall before the last war, but due to the fact that the enemy had forced their way through all the way to Showdown Point at the final inner wall, the city had opted to expand its defensive capacity.

The young man walked into his post, a windowless room at the heart of the wall, room number seventy-two. It was his primary work station, no one else used it. That might seem strange, but there was a good reason why only Scott was allowed the use of this room.

“Welcome back, master.” said a soft, sweet, voice.

“Hello Seventy-Two. How are you feeling?” asked Scott. He walked over to the occupant of the room, a beautiful Crystallim, a breed type known as the Avatar.

The Avatar breed of Crystallim were advanced artificial constructs that were formed from failed Crystallim and artificial intelligence programs. They were generally only allowed for business and government purposes. Basically, she was a semi-solid virtual android with a soul.

The Avatar smiled beatifically at him the opened her arms, exposing her sensual curves. “Lonely.”

Scott wasted no time. He ran over to her and wrapped her in his arms. This would be their final shift together. She knew that as well. Seventy-Two was government property; her master was whoever was assigned to her. Such was the life of a Lucid Crystallim.

“Are you sure I can’t take you away from all of this?” asked Scott with a smile.

Seventy-Two laughed softly. “Every master asks me that, and I always give the same answer.”

“Tell me again?” asked Scott. He had truly enjoyed working with her over the course of the last two years. Even though they only spent four real-life hours per day together, they had actually spent a great deal more time with each other due to the way things worked during virtual operations. They had spent two full years together in virtual time.

She kissed him softly on the lips then hugged him tightly. “Take me if you can.”

Scott embraced her tenderly then rubbed his nose softly against hers. When the kiss ended he said, “Do you have a spare half million gold credits I can borrow?”

She laughed again. Seventy-Two was quite the expensive lady. Military grade Avatars could be purchased by sanctioned hunters, but they also came with military grade prices. “Save your credits, and buy my contract if you can.”

Scott laughed with her after she said it. “How many other masters have you told that? I’m sure at least one of them is working on it.”

Her smiled dropped a little. “Well, they all claim they will. Yet, I’ve worked for the ADF for twenty years and no one has made good on that promise.”

“Well, I have five gold credits. It’s a start...” said Scott.

She kissed him on the nose. “You’re sweet. I will miss you...”

Scott kissed her on the chin. “How long till you are reassigned.”

“Usually... one month. If I like the guy.”

“You won’t miss me at all after that, will you?”

“Probably not.” she replied honestly.

Scott nodded. He was fairly certain that little factor was the real reason no one had made good on their promise to buy her. It would take a lot of time and effort to earn that sort of money. By the time a normal person had that much, she would already be in a hot and heavy relationship with another master. She might even be reluctant to make a new contract since her emotional needs are being met by someone else.

“I won’t promise you that I’ll come back for you. I’ll just promise that I’ll always want to come ruin your happiness.”

“Please do. Destroy my happiness if you can.” She looked at him with soft, sincere eyes. Seventy-Two was on the verge of tears.

Scott kissed her cheek then hear ear. He whispered, “I’ll make you fucking miserable. I’ll be here at your happiest moment and wreck your life. I’ll tear you away from the one you love and make you mine again.”

She clung tightly to him in response and started to cry. That sounded so nice.

Was that a rather odd response? Yes, yes it was. At least, it would be an odd response for a human. However, for a Crystallim under contract it was the only way to secure their services. If Scott truly wanted to be with Seventy-Two again after today, he would have to buy her from the government. At that time she would probably be engaged in a relationship with her new appointed master. The basis of the human and Crystallim relationship was emotional entanglement.

In short, she would develop strong feelings for any master who she accepted. It was inevitable. Those feelings would be small, shallow, things at first. However, over time they would grow. Crystallim were beings who needed emotional connections to retain their proper existence.

Scott slid his hands down to cup her supple ass. “There’s something else that I would like to destroy...”

She grinned at him. “Please do...”

Scott laughed at her softly then called out. “Room Function four: Activate Furniture, romantic sub-set zero-zero-seven.”

Her eyes lit up with excitement as the room shifted and shimmered. Soft mood music began to play in the background, a sensual saxophone solo. The austere room became a candle-lit bathing area. The scent of flowers permeated the air as aromatic oils began to burn.

Scott released the Crystallim girl, and stepped back. He unequipped his uniform and stood before his partner wearing nothing but his bad intentions. Before she could speak, he moved forward again and lifted her up into his arms.

“Even though it is our last day together... We should work on building morale.” said Scott.

“My morale could use some improvement...” she admitted with a smile. Morale building was one of the core duties of a soldier. They were responsible for the Crystallim in their care. If the girls did not maintain a high-state of morale and overall contentment it would lead to disciplinary actions for their human partner.

The ADF could not afford to be lapse in their judgment of such matters. Should a Lucid Crystallim lose focus, she could regress and begin to act erratically. If a soldier could not show proper leadership and maintain his most important equipment, then that soldier would not be deemed a worthy asset for national defense. Court-martial proceedings were a strong possibility in such situation, as military grade Crystallim entering into a regressed state could present a potential for catastrophic property damage, or loss of human life.

Scott walked to the expansive bath then casually stepped up the stair case. Seventy-Two nuzzled against him while he moved them into the water. The bath water rose to Scott’s waist before he released the girl from his masculine embrace.

He kissed her softly on the lips and slid his hands down to massage her lower back. The Avatar pressed hotly against him then lifted her left thigh up gently to caress his hip.

Neither of them was particularly interested in foreplay. They both knew that they would not be able to use the excuse of morale building for long. They would need to actually perform their duties soon.

Scott lifted her slightly, and she wrapped her thighs around his waist. He walked her to the far end of the bath then leaned forward. She reached down and back. Seventy-Two gripped the rim of the back in her hands then used the water to help buoy her body. Her current master lifted her hips slightly then slid his shaft between her beautiful thighs.

Seventy-Two gasped softly, then squeezed him length with her vaginal muscles. She had not felt his touch since yesterday, and her pussy had longed for him. She gripped the rim and pushed against him as her master started his slow, casual rhythm.

Scott looked down at her and smiled. He tried to hide what he was really feeling. He did not want to leave the girl, but he had no legal recourse. She was government property. He was government property as well, but that would end after today. However, her tour of duty lasted until she was bought out of the system, or her core was destroyed.

The avatar began to pant and whimper as her master picked up speed. She looked up at him with a glassy-eyed expression. While her body felt the joy of sexual union, it was a deeper connection that had caused her to feel so fully aroused.

Crystallim required an emotional connection to a human in order to function properly, to remain coherent. Sex was an easy method of keeping that connection going, but what was really necessary was a little attention and focus on the part of the human.

Scott slammed his hips forward in a rapid pace, his balls slapping the base of her vagina even as he pounded against her cervix. The normally painful action was something that Seventy-Two enjoyed, as she often referred to the pain afterward as a lasting reminder of his love for her. He just thought that she was a little freaky and into that sort of thing.

Soon she started to gasp out, “It hurts.... oh...”

Scott smirked and slowed down a little in response. The girl looked at him, her chest heaving up and down. Her expression turned to a slow pout. He laughed a little and picked up the pace, pounding away at her special place.

She cried out softly and pressed hotly against him. It had always been like this. Every time he had instinctively stopped before she had looked at him like he was trying to steal her favorite toy.

Their ‘romantic’ activities continued for the better part of an hour. Sadly, it had to come to an end. There was work to do.

After restoring the room to its base form and getting dressed in his pilot uniform, a skintight bio-suit, Scott instructed the area to enter primary work mode. A virtual reality cradle shimmered into sight.

“VRC power on.” said Scott. The device made a buzzing sound and the hatch opened to reveal a gelatinous interior lining. He walked over to the device and climbed inside.

“See you in a moment, Seventy-Two.” said Scott.

Scott smiled at her and the girl smiled back. Seventy-two blew him a kiss then waited for his command.

“Seventy-Two, report for duty.” he instructed.

The girl saluted her master in a professional manner, her breasts jiggling in an enticing manner due to the movement. For the first time since he entered the room, clothing shimmered into place on the girl. She wore a skintight bio-suit as well.

Seventy-Two sashayed over to the cradle and crawled inside atop her master. She kissed him sweetly as the cradle hatch closed and they repositioned their bodies until they were in a comfortable position. The cradle was large enough that two people could lie next to each other in comfort.

Scott said, “Ready, Seventy-Two?”

“I’m ready master.” she replied.

The soldier reached over and clasped the girl’s hand gently. “Initiate psycho-link.”

Her eyes flared brightly with a brilliant blue light. “Psycho-link initializing...”

Scott took a deep breath then closed his eyes. He could already feel his consciousness slipping away. Soon he lost consciousness altogether. When his awareness returned he was in an all-white virtual space.

“Welcome master.” said Seventy-Two’s voice in an Omni-present manner.

“Hello, Seventy-Two. It’s good to be inside of your again.” Scott smirked when the girl laughed a little. It was an old joke between them. When they initialized a psycho-link their minds were bridged together and he could use her to create a virtual space that would allow them to control their authorized security drones in the city.

“Set time axis ratio to six and one then bring up standard security command center zero-zero-one.” instructed Scott.

“Wilco, setting time axis to six and one. Command center initializing.” said Seventy-Two in compliance.

The white-space shifted rapidly and a high-tech command center appeared. There were over one hundred screens and command stations available, but Scott only chose to bi-furcate into nine separate mental states today. They were not on alert and he would not need to have that many versions of his command awareness protocol running.

Eight identical versions of Scott’s virtual form moved forward and sat at different command stations. Each would operate a different drone. Nine was the standard for a duty shift, but he had been rated as capable of manifesting twenty-seven different instances of himself in this virtual space. That was considered to be moderately high proficiency for someone at his level.

He settled into his comfortable command chair and watched the main monitor. He would spend twelve virtual hours in this space for his shift. Afterward, he would have a brief few minutes of waking time with Seventy-Two and the last half-hour of his shift would be spent filling out his final paperwork. At midnight tonight, he would be a civilian again.

Time passed and Scott grew bored. He opted to have the drone he was personally operating fly around the city on a standard reconnaissance patrol.

The massive metropolitan area gleamed brightly in the evening light. He watched the happenings of the area. The people moved six times slower than normal because of the time axis. Despite the name, time was not affected. His perception of it was six times faster. So for every six seconds of time he experienced, only one second passed in the real world.

He buzzed a gleaming tower then dipped down at a rapid rate of speed and slipped through an alleyway. After checking the location he instructed the drone to zoom off toward the shopping center. The drone flew past an advertisement, but he instructed it to go back.

Scott watched the massive endorsement on the screen. “Really? I thought penis augmentation commercials were not allowed until after nineteen hundred?”

“Seventy-Two, note what I saw and send it in as a possible commercial morality violation.”

“Wilco, is it priority one?” she asked.

“No, I’m mostly bored.” said Scott. He had no real obligation to mention the advertisement, but it was something to do.

“Understood.” she said.

He buzzed through one of the many city parks and smiled at the pleasant scenery. Happy couples were playing in the park. A Vulf, a canine Crystallim, chased a Frisbee and caught it before running back over to hand it to her probable owner. She smiled happily and started to wag her tail when the younger girl patted her on the head and praised her.

“Cute.”

“She seems happy. I wonder how their relationship will change when the little girl is a bit older.” said Seventy-Two.

Scott tried not to think of what the little girl and her Vulf would be doing later in life. Right now, they seemed so sweet and innocent that he did not want to ruin that image.

He continued stalking the city in his drone, a simple flying eyeball with a retractable arm and hook. It was designed for surveillance only. The combat drones were not allowed to enter the city except in case of emergency.

After another few hours passed he saw an interesting sight. “Seventy-Two, is the height of that rooftop above the clearance zone for the public taming regulation’s code?”

“No, master. The rooftop is not high enough to reach the minimum ceiling.” said Seventy-Two.

Scott rubbed his chin and spent a moment watched the human girl on the screen roughly tame her Cat Girl, a feline Crystallim. “I hate to break up a sexy lesbian show...”

He could report them to sector security, but he did not want to get them into trouble. He approved of hot busty lesbian action, after all. The drone moved forward and he announced his presence over the loud speaker. The voice component synchronized to the proper speed for local time, to ensure proper communication. “Greetings perverted citizens. You are in violation of PDT regulation eight-one-seven. Please cease your activities, or at least put up a tent. Alternatively, you may reduce your activities and engage in softcore petting. Thank you for your cooperation.”

The girls onscreen jumped up like their perky posteriors had been set on fire. They had the decency to look embarrassed but made no effort to cover up. They did not need to of course; nudity was not against the law. However, some people were prudish enough not to want to see hardcore taming in the open public areas.

“Sir, are you going to have us arrested?” asked the Crystallim owner, a pretty young woman with honey blond hair. Her lips moved slower than her words, giving her a badly dubbed over appearance.

“Nah, I’m just looking out for you fine and upstanding citizens. Your rooftop taming session is taking place just a little too low in elevation. I am trying to keep your perky asses out of trouble.” Scott instructed the eyeball to enter into zoom mode. He had a much better view of the situation now.

The girls giggled at the perky asses remark. They did work out frequently, so compliments were appreciated. Besides that, after being caught in the act they could not really claim harassment.

“We’ll put up a tent. That’s alright, isn’t it?” asked the human girl.

“I’ll be sad since I’ll miss out on the view, but it will keep you out of trouble.” admitted Scott.

The girls looked at each other for a moment then a slow grin spread across their faces. The Cat Girl spoke up. “You... could come inside the tent, too. We would feel so much safer under the watchful eye of the ADF.”

“Yes... what if a pervert showed up to harass two innocent young girls like us?” asked the human.

Scott chuckled softly. “You make a fine point, ladies. Unfortunately, I can’t stay in one area too long if there is nothing illegal or dangerous going on.”

The Cat Girl pouted at the floating eyeball. “Well, that’s too bad.”

Scott bobbed his head and the eyeball floated up and down in response. “It truly is. By the way, what kind of tattoo is that?”

The Catgirl turned around and gestured at her lower back. “This?”

Scott zoomed in again, this time clearly viewing her glorious ass while also checking out her sweet tattoo. “Ah, that looks like something someone would write in the city of Japan.”

“It is! It means fiercely loyal.” said the Cat Girl while looking back over her shoulder.

“Hey, no fair hogging his attention. I have a tattoo, too you know.” The blond girl turned around and showed her own tramp stamp. This one looked like stylized bat wings.

“Ah, I had thought that your ass was divine, but now I know it’s really wicked.” said Scott.

The girl laughed at him and wiggled her ass enticingly, the slow motion effect causing intriguing ripples to occur in her pert posterior. Slow motion booty was good booty as far as he was concerned. What a couple of cool chicks.

Unfortunately, he had to move along. He did take the time to trade contact information with them, however. The human girl had just received her hunter’s license as well. It could be fun to compare notes and genitals later.

Scott stalked the city with the surveillance drone. The day wore on and turned into night, but his shift had not ended yet.

... to be continued. :P (I’m not trolling you. This chapter is not completely finished yet, but there is enough there to get the general idea. I wanted some thoughts on the basic concept before I go ahead with it.)