The air grew heavier the closer we got to the forest's heart. Every step forward felt like walking deeper into a festering wound. Twisted roots coiled along the ground, veins pulsing with corruption. The trees bled dark sap, their once-lustrous leaves shriveled into brittle husks.
And then we saw it.
At the center of a blackened clearing stood a hulking figure. A demon champion.
His armor was jagged obsidian, etched with runes glowing faintly red. A horned helm crowned his head, and his massive blade dripped with the same black miasma that had spread through the forest. His presence radiated raw, suffocating malice.
An A-rank monster.
My chest tightened. On my own, I couldn't even dream of standing against something like him. But I wasn't alone anymore.
"Yelena," I said, my voice steady. "Stay fast. Use your magic to pressure him. I'll guide you."
Her golden eyes flicked to me, blazing with devotion. "Yes, Master."
The bond between us thrummed, her emotions flooding into me—fury at the demon, hunger for my praise, and a burning need to prove herself.
The demon roared and charged, the ground quaking beneath his steps. His blade swung down like a falling tree.
Yelena blurred forward, her speed unmatched. She dodged, claws igniting with frost and wind. With a snarl, she slashed across his chest, the sheer force of her blow sending sparks of black miasma flying.
The champion staggered, but swung again, his blade cutting the air in a deadly arc. Yelena ducked, her tail whipping behind her, her movements sharp and elegant.
"Keep circling him!" I shouted. "Strike his joints—don't let him reset his stance!"
"Yes, Master!" she cried, her voice dripping with exhilaration.
Their clash was brutal. Blow after blow shook the clearing, the demon's raw strength clashing against Yelena's agility and power. But though they seemed evenly matched, her speed and magic gave her the edge.
She darted in, claws glowing with frost. She ripped through his side, then leapt away as his blade slammed into the dirt. Again and again, she tore at him, each strike precise, guided by my calls.
Finally, with a feral roar, Yelena pounced onto his shoulders. Her fangs sank deep into his helm, crushing steel and bone alike. The demon let out a gurgling scream before collapsing in a heap of blackened armor.
The ground trembled. The corruption core at the center of the clearing pulsed wildly, feeding on his death.
I ran forward, drawing my dagger. Channeling mana into its edge, I drove it straight into the heart of the core. It cracked, splintered, and shattered with a scream of black smoke.
The forest exhaled.
The miasma dissipated, the air turning crisp and light again. Roots uncoiled, flowers bloomed, and light filtered back through the canopy.
A small voice broke the silence.
"You… you did it."
I turned to see her.
A dryad.
Her body glowed faintly now that the corruption was gone, her once-brittle skin turning smooth and lush green. Long, flowing hair like golden vines cascaded down her back, adorned with tiny blossoms. Her timid pink eyes shimmered with gratitude.
She was breathtaking.
But her figure was also impossible to ignore—her body full and curvaceous, her chest and hips framed by a skirt of soft petals that opened like a blooming flower around her waist. Her whole presence radiated fragile beauty.
She clasped her hands together, her voice trembling. "I have no coin. I cannot repay you with gold or jewels… but I want to serve you. Please, let me stay by your side. Let me repay you as your… familiar."
I blinked in surprise, glancing at Yelena.
Her ears flattened immediately, her golden eyes narrowing into a glare. She crossed her arms, her tail lashing with irritation. "Master doesn't need anyone else."
I raised a brow. "Yelena. Is it really a problem?"
She pouted, turning her head sharply. "…Fine. But only because you asked."
I turned back to the dryad. "Then… what's your name?"
She lowered her gaze, embarrassed. "I… I don't have one."
I nodded slowly. "Then I'll give you one. From today forward, your name is Katie."
Her eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed a deeper green. "Katie… My name… Thank you, Master."
I raised my hand, pressing it gently against her chest. The Beast Tamer's Crest glowed, and the bond ignited between us. Her body shone with dazzling light, petals blooming outward as her form shifted.
She wasn't just a dryad anymore.
She had evolved into an Alraune.
Her body became even fuller, her vines thicker, her blossoms larger and more radiant. She was an image of fertility and allure, her very presence dripping with seductive power.
Before I could react, she wrapped her arms around me, pulling my head straight into her chest.
Her breasts were enormous, soft and pillowy, enveloping me completely. "Master…" she whispered, her voice sultry and reverent. "Thank you. I'm yours now. I'll serve you with everything I am."
I gasped against her chest, trying to breathe. But before I could say anything, Yelena's arms wrapped around me from the other side.
"Oh no you don't," she growled, dragging my face into her own breasts. "He's mine. My master. My good girl spot. You can't take him from me."
The two of them pressed harder, their chests smothering me from both sides, their glares locked in silent war above my head.
Katie tightened her grip, her vines curling possessively around my waist. "Master chose me too. He gave me a name. I belong to him now."
Yelena bared her fangs, tail thrashing. "Back off, flower. He belongs to me first. I'll never let you take him."
And there I was, caught between two mountains of soft flesh, their argument vibrating through me as if I were nothing more than the rope in their tug-of-war.
Wasn't I supposed to be the master here?
Because right now, it didn't feel like it.