Chapter 44
More Changes In State
“Alright, time to check if anything"s changed . ”
I did the usual and plopped myself down atop the throne as I opened the dungeon’s display .
There weren"t any significant changes as far as the dungeon’s functions were concerned . However, I was given the option to summon new monsters, construct additional facilities, and sp.a.w.n new items . In other words, my incomplete lists had been expanded on . Evidently, the dungeon really had leveled up . And chances were, it would continue to level up if it accrued enough DP .
I immediately invested a wealth of DP into increasing the amount of area covered by the dungeon . The pa.s.sive income I gained from the monsters wandering the Wicked Forest was nothing to scoff at, and it didn"t seem like there were any demerits to expanding my domain .
"It seems that your magical energies have undergone a sort of transformation . When did that happen?"
Lefi curiously tilted her head as she stared at me . The dragon girl had been drifting in and out of dreamland throughout breakfast, so she"d only just noticed the change .
"Last night, apparently . I guess I must"ve evolved in my sleep or something . "
"It appears so," she nodded and seemed scrutinize me for a moment before continuing . "Interesting . I never knew that there was a Demon Lord race . "
"Really? I would"ve expected you of all people to have heard of it . "
"I rarely examine the status pages of others . I have never felt the need for it . "
I could see where she was coming from . Lefi was so overwhelmingly powerful that she didn"t need to think much of those that dared to face her .
"Oh yeah, Lefi . Have you ever evolved before?"
"I have not . Evolution exists in order to allow a lower life form to become more powerful by escaping the restraints placed on it by its mortal coil . My body is that of an ancient dragon, the most powerful race . As far as I know, there is nothing for me to evolve into . "
Ohhh, I get it . So basically she started off as a Dr*gonite instead of needing to climb her way up from a Dr*tini .
"However, that isn"t to say it is impossible for me to evolve . It may just be that I have not met the requirements . "
"Uhhh… Well I wouldn"t get your hopes up with your level being what it is . "
"I"ve been exactly as powerful as I am now for decades . It"s difficult for me to continue growing stronger . It may take another thousand years for me to make any significant progression . "
A thousand years? Good G.o.d, talk about out of scale . Er, actually, not really, I guess . My lifespan"s supposed to be at least that long, so I might actually live to see it happen . If I do , I"ll make sure I throw her a huge party .
"Still, I find it surprising that your appearance has remained constant despite your evolution . "
"Is it normally supposed to change or something?"
"I believe so . Monsters that have evolved typically grow fangs or horns . Those with more human-like forms, such as yourself, tend to see changes in their hair and eye colours . Of course, that is merely what is typically seen . I once encountered a demon that had tentacles and fangs protruding from his body . "
Lefi"s expression warped in heartfelt disgust .
"His tentacle-based attacks were slimy and disgusting . I wish to never encounter another similar individual . "
I shuddered as I imagined the demon Lefi described . Thankfully, my own evolution hadn"t led me down that demon"s path . Personally, I couldn"t stand anything with too many legs . Even just looking at them was enough to freak me the h.e.l.l out .
Hmm… I"m not really that good with gore and stuff either . I guess I just don"t have the sort of tolerance I should . If there was a sanity stat, then mine would probably be on the lower side .
After pausing to evaluate the limits of my mind, I checked my body over yet again, just to make sure I hadn"t grown any slimy tentacles . Only then did I realize that there was a part of me I"d totally forgotten to check: my wings .
To be honest, I was hesitant to inspect them . I highly doubted they"d changed, and I was concerned that materializing them would also cause me to sprout additional, unwanted body parts . That said, I was going to have to check eventually . Avoiding the problem in perpetuity just wasn"t an option .
And so, I reluctantly got off my throne and materialized my wings .
"Wait, did I grow another set…?"
My wings were the only part about me that had changed . I now had two pairs, with the second protruding from the area just under my shoulder blade .
The new pair looked a bit different from the old pair . Their colour was a reddish-brown . My first impression was that I couldn"t tell whether they were bat wings or dragon wings, but either way, they didn"t look too shabby at all . In fact, they were pretty awesome . They resembled the kind of thing you"d expect to see on the devil or the grim reaper .
Oh thank G.o.d I didn"t grow tentacles .
I heaved a sigh of relief as I admired myself .
These wings make me look kinda sinister, but I guess that"s not really a bad thing . I"m a Demon Lord, so being sinister is a status symbol . It means I"m special . [1]
"You know, this isn"t actually too bad . What do you think, Lefi?"
I proudly turned myself towards her, only to find her totally frozen in place .
"Uh… Lefi…? Earth to Lefi, do you read me?"
"Y-Your wings are awe inspiring…"
"Uhh…what?"
"W-why ever have you been keeping those glorious wings hidden from view!?" She suddenly broke into a shout .
"Woah! C-calm down Lefi! And stop touching my wings, you’re tickling me!"
I took a few steps back .
"W-Why!? I"m just touching them! There is nothing wrong with that, is there? Please? Can you not just let me touch them!? I implore you!"
Lefi started panting heavily as she reached towards my wings again, her cheeks dyed a deep crimson .
"Stop that! At least stop wiggling your fingers! That"s just plain weird!"
I grabbed her by the face and attempted to push her away .
"Why are you stopping me!? What harm is there in letting me fondle them!?"
"It"s not about letting you touch them! The problem is that you"re acting like a creepy old man!"
Of course, there was simply no way that I could match the Supreme Dragon in a contest of brute strength . It didn"t take long for her to overpower me; she slowly began to inch closer .
"G.o.d d.a.m.n you and your stupid wing fetis.h.!.+ Okay, fine! I’ll let you touch them, but only if you calm down first!"
I gave up . There was no stopping her .
"Okay, I’ve calmed down . "
She stopped struggling the moment I gave the condition . It was clear that she was desperate to begin immediately .
G.o.d d.a.m.n it Lefi…
"And you have to let me touch your wings too . It"d be unfair if you were the only one doing the touching," I added .
She probably won"t start getting all weird again if I make her let me touch her .
"V-Very well . I shall, so allow me to start touching yours immediately . "
She seemed a bit embarra.s.sed, but promptly gave her consent and materialized her own wings . Like her hair, they were dyed a dazzling shade of silver . I wanted to give myself a pat on the back for being a man and actually asking . I’d always wanted to touch Lefi’s wings, but never really had the opportunity . At least not until now .
"They"re beautiful . "
I felt like I would feel the exact same way regardless of how often I saw them; their radiant s.h.i.+ne never failed to impress .
"R-Really?" Lefi"s blush deepened . "Y-Your wings are also quite the sight . They"re the most impressive I"ve ever laid eyes on . "
"T-Thanks . "
We awkwardly reached for each other"s wings .
Woah .
Lefi"s were soft as down and smooth as silk . I felt my hands drawn to them the moment I touched them; I wanted to grab ahold of them and never let go . I could feel myself getting absorbed in the act, entranced by her wings .
I wanted to bury my face in them and close my eyes . They were so pleasant to the touch that I was certain sleeping on them was sure to send me straight to heaven .
"Nnn…" Lefi sighed bewitchingly . "I-I don’t mind you touching me, but… could you be a slight bit more gentle…?"
"E-Err… my bad . "
It seemed that her wings were at least as sensitive as my own . She moaned enchantingly every single time my fingers so much as grazed them .
It didn"t take long for us to get so immersed in the act that we lost sight of everything but each other . She simply continued to touch my wings, and I hers . It was as if we were in our own little world .
My breathing started growing more and more ragged as we continued . And so did hers .
I finally took my focus off her wings and looked at her face, only to find her staring right back at my own .
Her eyes were glazed and her cheeks dyed as red as could be .
"…"
We continued to gaze into each other"s eyes without saying a word . I couldn"t pull my eyes from the alluring expression that decorated her face .
I took one of my hands off her wings and slowly brought it towards her cheek .
"Uhm…"
A noise neither of us had expected to hear immediately jerked us out of our daze .
"Could the two of you please refrain from engaging in lewd activities in broad daylight? I would very much prefer if you waited until the rest of us were asleep . "
Leila glared at us reproachfully .
“Y-You’ve got it all wrong!”
“Y-You are mistaken! We are doing nothing of the sort!”
Lefi and I instantly separated from one another and shouted in protest, filling the throne room with our indignant cries of denial .
[1] Being flat chested is a status symbol . Reference to Lucky Star .