"Sister Vilia, please stop," Iris said as Vilia playfully coiled around her. After some special talks between Lenmia and Vilia, the group moved from the outside into the cave.

Vilia was no enemy, but she could be annoying with her sudden visits. Like ordinary Monster Girls, she lived alone in a hideout somewhere. Though she had a special interest in Lenmia and her sisters.

Like always, Reta brought a tray made of crude woods to the table. A few leaf bowls rested on it, holding diluted nectar as occasion drinks.

"Thank you, Reta," Vilia said. "I’m glad you’ve improved. Last time, when we finished, you couldn’t walk for a few minutes."

Blushing, Reta rushed to stand behind Lenmia, who sat upright with her hands tapping against the petal-covered table. She congregated her slime body into a distinctive silhouette which indicated her solemn air.

Though the cave was dark and dull, Dulcie, with her love for gardening, had planted flowers and vines everywhere. They softened the ground and illuminated with their faint neon glows.

Iris looked at the bowl. The reflection of her tense body emerged on its tranquil surface. Vilia, who gently teased her, snatched the drink and tasted it. The honey-like liquid slipped past her bright lips. She savoured the sweetness but didn't gulp it down.

"The nectar is as great as ever, Dears, but it can be better." Vilia's eyes curved into a crescent moon as she grabbed Iris's jaw and forced a kiss. Her long tongue peered into the mouth and coated it with the nectar, sending sweetness and heat throughout Iris’s body.

Despite the abrupt movement, Iris didn’t struggle and indulged in the wondrous feeling. The lingering intimacy from the previous scene softened her resistance towards the act, which she previously regarded as indecent but now was mundane. There was no need to reject a wonderful feeling.

Watching the kiss, Lenmia exploded in anger. She glowed in a bright glare. She stood up and seized Vilia's neck and squeezed it. Her body expanded and flooded the ground with boiling slime.

"Vilia, if you don't stop now, I will hurt you," Lenmia said. Her grip tightened; her yellowish eyes darkened. She meant every word she uttered.

Vilia stopped and took out her tongue, but not after a long, sensuous sweep which almost flipped a switch inside Iris upside down. She turned to Lenmia, winced at her, and licked her lips to show the prize of her victory.

"Sister Lenmia, please don't be too protective. She needs these skills to survive," Vilia said. "You can't always protect her."

"I'll teach them my way. It's none of your business, even if I intended to hoard them with me forever."

"It is my business, Sis. I didn't come here just to play with your sisters. We need to prepare for the investigation and possibly battles."

Vilia, though still coiling around Iris, dissolved her playful expression and took the nectar bowl and downed it instantly. The liquid flowed into her body like liquor seeping into her bloodstream. She sighed and stared at Lenmia, not playing any more tricks.

After calming herself down, Lenmia called for the rest of her sisters, who cautiously joined in the discussion by grouping around the table, grouping around Lenmia instead of Vilia. They whispered among themselves but weren't brave enough to intrude into the conversation between the strong.

"Two days ago, a mysterious ray of light fell into our proximity. I'm sure you've gone to investigate, for the same reason I've come here. Sis Lenmia, what is it?" Vilia said while caressing Iris's cheek. "Is it a fortune, or a calamity?"

"I don't know. When I arrived, I found nothing except for a small crater. No sight of any exotic power nor movement," Lenmia said and sneaked a glance at Iris, who revealed a blank expression.

Vilia slapped her hand on the table, shaking it with her frustration. "This is bad. What should we do, Lenmia?"

"What would you do? I can't leave this place, and you know that." Lenmia closed her eyes and thought hard, but the easy answer didn't come up. "If only I'm still strong . . ."

"Sis, you're strong. If you didn't have to feed—" A chill interrupted Vilia's speech. She tensed, turning pale after she realised what she carelessly implied.

Lenmia's eyes snapped open and stared into Vilia's soul. Her expression deepened. "It is my choice to raise them. Don't you dare say otherwise. They are my family; it is my job to protect them until they're strong and healthy."

"Sorry, Sister Lenmia. I didn't mean to imply it that way, but more help would be great." Vilia eyed Iris and smiled. "At least you got yourself a nice Slime Girl. May I help you teach her? I promise I won't play around. This concerns our future, after all."

Lenmia peeked out from her deep thought, surprised at the request whose possibility eluded her. She deeply stared at Vilia and saw nothing but determination and gravity within her eyes. Though she was a teasing Monster Girl, she knew when to play and when not to play.

"Sis, are you surprised? I would've escaped if I didn't intend to stay with you. I couldn't bear to part with the Soul Tree. How else could I get stronger and more beautiful?" Vilia said.

"It is safer if you don't stick with me. With your strength, you will have no problem surviving on the edge of the forest."

"I'll grow old and weak in no time that way. I think I've fallen for your way of life, Sis. Maybe joining you might change me for the better?"

"You just want the Soul Tree," Lenmia said, though a tender smile bloomed on her face. She placed her hand on top of Vilia's hand. "Are you sure? Sticking with me means making the enemy with those believers."

Vilia nodded earnestly. "As long as I stay in the Sinking Dark Forest, the holy power can never pinpoint me. I'm sure we can take care of those who venture in."

Lenmia stood up and walked to Vilia, who separated from Iris and held her arms up, excitedly waiting for the reward. The hug happened, and they remained in their warming position for so long Iris thought they melted into one.

"Thank you," Lenmia said. "I know it's a hard choice to make, but you have dramatically increased the odd."

"Don't be so sentimental, Sis. I'm more selfish than you think. It's harder to hunt for Soul Energy alone, even more so to find a Soul Tree. By staying with you, I already have the advantage which would make other Monster Girls boil in jealousy."

"This side of yours is quite cute, Vilia." Lenmia stroked Vilia’s hair.

"Sister Lenmia, Sister Vilia, what are we going to do now?" Reta whispered, though her voice echoed endlessly inside the room. Behind her, Dulcie and Tardi also wanted to know the answer.

Vilia turned to Lenmia, who found it difficult to explain, and sighed. She moved to the table and downed another bowl of nectar, moistening her lips and freshening her throat before her speech.

"A crisis is approaching, dear Sisters," Vilia said with the coldness of the truth, freezing the warming atmosphere cold. The hair on her fair body stood up and exuded a wicked aura befitting a Monster Girl who had survived alone in the cruel world.

The neighbouring kingdom, the Tentoid Empire, ruled by the Three Warrior Families and The Holy Bloodline, had organised a team to investigate the curious incident. Though they wouldn't send any strong team into the field, their speciality in combative mages and unyielding warriors made for grave concern for weak Monster Girls.

Aside from Lenmia and Vilia, the rest of the Monster Girls had never fought a single member of the Pure Races yet. Even if they were stronger than their enemies, their lack of experience and ruthlessness would mean their death, or a fate worse.

"We need to get stronger," Vilia said. "I and Sister Lenmia will train you. The investigation team will arrive as fast as three days or as slow as a week. We can't rely on luck; it always favours the Pure Races."

"But how will we train?" Iris asked and turned to her sisters. Her faint panic yet anticipation about the training mirrored her experience of the last night's voluptuous game. "How do we fight in this world?"

"In this world?" Vilia repeated and narrowed her eyes. "Iris, do you remember anything about your past?"

Iris averted her gaze, not answering. She fiddled her slimy hair while her eyes flowed towards Lenmia, the only one on whom she could rely. Lenmia nodded and called for Vilia's attention.

"Since you're going to be with me, there is no point in hiding it. Iris is a strange Monster Girl. She didn't have any knowledge about our common sense, and she was the only one I found in the crater of the meteor."

Everyone turned to Iris in surprise. She lowered her eyes and clenched her fists, feeling guilty for her selfishness. Her existence had brought a crisis to her sisters.

"Everyone, I'm sorry for hiding it. I didn't know what to do. It's scary and confusing when I first woke up in a Smile Girl’s body."

Vilia slithered to Iris and curled around her, her hands embracing the melting Iris. Her fingers stroked the smooth skin, giving Iris the warmth she desperately needed.

"It's all right. You're with us now. Family, remember that," Vilia said.

The other sisters also moved in to encourage Iris, who heard nothing except for the buzzes of warming and comforting voices, which rang like a melody she could fall asleep while listening to it worry-free. She quietly wished for it to last forever.

...

In a villa within the capital city of the Tentoid Empire, a group of knights and mages stood around a table, where a scroll and a ring handed by the Church of the Seven Goddesses rested.

The captain of the group, Lamont, was a strong towering man, who wielded a hammer and a shield, acting as the main vanguard. Raised and taught by the Chruch of the Seven Goddesses, Lamont excelled in the art of holy magic as one of the promising paladins, who would become a Bishop in the future.

"It seems that our vacation is over. The Church has ordered us to investigate the Fallen Light Incident," Lamont said and turned to the only mage of the group. "What do you think about this?"

Donned in her blue cloak with red outline, Vinesta stared at the scroll then the world map, where a pin stabbed onto the edge of the Sinking Dark Forest. Their destination, this time, was extraordinary, full of myths and taboos.

"The Sinking Dark Forest is a forbidden land, enshrouded by a dark power. It isn't every day that we get to visit such a wonderful place, though sufficient preparation is needed." Her voice jumped up at the prospect of venturing into the mysterious world, where fortunes and dangers coexisted.

Lamont nodded then turned to the ranger of the team, Nelox. Dressed in tight black clothes like an assassin, he played with his dagger and whistled, having no intention of participating. He wasn't the brightest mind, but he was great at killing and scouting.

"Boss, it's up to you, but we should hurry before—" A loud crash interrupted the meeting. A feminine voice echoed amidst the pleading of the maids and butlers, overwhelming them with her vitality.

The door swung open, revealing a lady in her light knight armour, holding a fine spear, which magically glowed reddish and radiated heat. Her orange hair flowed with her abrupt movement, which moved her towards Lamont, who sighed in defeat.

"Miss Errenia, I thought I hid it from you well enough," Lamont said.

Errenia Hastinda, the fourth daughter of the Hastinda Warrior Family, was a genius whose talent lay in the art of magic and spear. Her red pupils resembled that of blazing flame, which paralleled her overwhelming affinity with fire magic, though it also paralleled her fiery temper.

"You can't hide anything from me if I'm determined to get it," Errenia said and joined the table with a victorious smile on her face. She almost let the opportunity slip by. If not for a careless maid with whom she chit-chatted, she wouldn't know about the secret meeting.

Lamont had deemed it too dangerous for her, but the Church had already predicted such a scenario. He picked up the ring given by the Church and handed it to Errenia.

"I can't stop you from going, but you need to wear this ring. It has a blessing of the Seven Goddesses and a teleportation spell."

"All done," Errenia said and put the ring on. "When are we going?"

"It was going to be tomorrow, but I'll have to change it to the next three days, so you won't complain about not having enough time to pack your clothes."

"Teacher, I'm not that picky, but a lady needs to prepare a lot more than a guy, right, Sis Vinest?" Errenia chatted with Vinesta a bit more before she quickly dashed out of the room, heading back to her mansion where she would pack her belongings.

Lamont felt a headache creeping up. He silently prayed to the Seven Goddesses, hoping that nothing wrong would happen to Errenia. If she were to meet an unfortunate end, Lamont and his group could consider the land of the living hell, for the Hastinda Warrior Family, at least to Lamont, was crueller than the dark power within the Sinking Dark Forest.