An exciting mix of options

By the time the party reconvened in the courtyard of the palace, they were in somewhat better shape. Hazel, Tess, and Blue had washed off the lube and returned to a semblance of their normal attire—though in Blue’s case, that meant she was wearing one of Kevin’s shirts as a dress, since her only set of clothing had been reduced to scraps. The DM had fetched it for the harpy to wear before they headed to the Long Rest for lunch, and even Hwa had joined in at the table while they wolfed down a meal.

Strength restored and the facade of decorum returned, the party stood before the hostess once more. Unlike the first day on the scene, the group at least had an idea of how the proceedings might go—but whether that made for more trepidation or less was hard to say.

“As much of a challenge as the first floor of the dungeon might have been for all of you, I do hope that you all found it educational. While we will of course not allow any physical harm to come to any members of the party, rest assured that the consequences of failure on the deeper floors of the dungeon will be increasingly severe.” Lily’s smile all but glittered as she swept her gaze across the party, before turning to face the camera with a wink. “And sexy, of course, but I think that goes without saying.”

As she turned back to the party, a rising fanfare in the music which somehow permeated Adventuria heralded the commencement of the proceedings. “That said, voting has concluded and I am quite thrilled to welcome the party to level two! There were very few options that were ignored by the audience entirely, and while several of the options remained neck and neck until the end, some others held a clear lead from the beginning. As with the last time, the audience voted on a ranking system, and the results shown will be given as a percentage of the total points each option received.”

“Yeah, we get it—including the part where you can apparently decide that everything won and force three transformations down someone’s throat.” Penny’s voice was equal parts righteous anger and bitter impotence.

“My dear siren, there’s no need to get angry. I’ve no intention of altering the results this time around—although there are a handful of results which are within the margin of a few percentage points of each other, which means they’ll be counted as ties.” Lily’s announcement received mixed responses, with Penny’s eyes narrowing in suspicion while Blue and Stheno looked almost excited at the prospect.

“I think that this time we’ll reveal the results in the order of your position in the popularity poll, just to mix it up a little. To that end,” behind the host, Stheno’s name appeared in glowing gold as she continued, “Stheno, you won the heart of the audience and took first in the popularity poll, so we’ll begin with you. With only 21.4% of the votes, I’m afraid Touch of Corruption didn’t make the cut—although if you’re interested in finding ways to indulge your master more, as a Class ability, that one is available from the Antipaladin class trainer. Instead, the audience couldn’t decide whether to give you yet more control over your curse, or to help you grow closer to your master. Both Petrifying Gaze and Destined Encounter ended with 39.2% of the vote, meaning both will apply!”

Gorgon (Racial Ability) Petrifying Gaze - Monster Girl Path

(Passive) Stheno is granted further control over her ability to shift forms. So long as she remains in Kevin’s good graces, she can change between her monstrous serpentine form and her human form at will.

(Active) In her monstrous form, Stheno is granted additional control over her legendary petrifying gaze. Anytime an individual meets her gaze, she can choose to selectively exclude any portion of their anatomy. The effects are no longer permanent and will instead wear off after 8d8 minutes. Petrified flesh retains full sensitivity to external stimuli.

Legend (Background) Destined Encounter - Yandere Path

(Passive) Kevin has never been to Greece, and Stheno’s reclusivity made it impossible for them to have ever met in this lifetime—but what about another? Stheno is granted a new backstory where a previous incarnation of Kevin encountered her before her curse was enacted.

(Active) Once per week, Stheno may touch Kevin and draw him into a past-life memory. To outside observers they will appear to sleep for 8 minutes, but the pair will experience 8 hours of their shared past life together. When they wake, Kevin will retain some portion of the skills and training of his past-life self. Each use will increase the degree to which Stheno feels attached to Kevin.

The Gorgon’s expression lit up at the results. Golden energy swirled within the roiling black shadows which rose up, and rather than recoil from the power which enveloped her, the Greek woman spread her arms out as though to welcome it. When it receded a moment later, Stheno herself remained unchanged, but the plate armor which covered her had shifted. Its appearance was once again closer to the green scales which had adorned her body after her first transformation, but this time the metal diamonds glistened with an iridescent rainbow hue not unlike an oil slick.

Stheno drew in a deep, shuddering breath, then turned her smoldering gaze on Kevin. “May I have your permission?”

The question seemed more of a formality than anything else, but the Dungeon Master nodded his head and half-whispered, “Yes.” In moments, Stheno’s body shifted and swelled as she resumed her serpentine form, the armor on her legs melting into her to form scales as she rose into the air. Just as swiftly, she reverted a moment later, once more taking the form of a slender black-haired woman.

She threw back her head and laughed in delight. “The Olympians can fuck themselves.” Stheno then lowered her eyes, and the smoldering gaze she directed at Kevin sent a shiver up his spine while simultaneously causing his pants to feel suddenly tight. She was a handful to deal with before this transformation—what’s she going to be like now?

The season’s master wasn’t given the chance to dwell on the question overlong, however, as Lily swiftly moved on to the next party member.

Showered and freed of the ropes which had acted as shibari lingerie, Hazel was back to being as close to decent as her default outfit would allow. The vines which covered her body at least covered her nipples and groin once more, though they left the vast majority of her lightly tanned skin on full display. As ever, though, the nymph didn’t shrink back as the focus turned on her, instead meeting Lily’s gaze with a smile that appeared almost tolerant.

“Hazel, all three of your options were close the entire time. In fact, Grove Mother and Flower Child took 34.5% of the vote each, while Fertile Soil was only a few points behind at 31%. That extra half a percent makes all the difference in this case, though, as it means they’re just shy of the 3% margin which would have counted as a tie. As it is, only the first two will take effect.”

Druid (Class Ability) Flower Child - Bondage Path

(Passive) Enhances the plants Hazel controls to make them tougher, stronger, and harder to escape. Lowers inhibitions about bondage and restraint around Hazel.

(Active) Hazel can cause any plants nearby to bloom. Blossoming plants emit relaxing pheromones which reduce aggressive impulses by 1d100% and increase sensitivity to pleasure by 1d100%.

Hippie (Background) Grove Mother - Free Love Path

(Passive) Hazel never met the Dungeon Master before they were brought into Adventuria together, but what if that weren’t true? Kevin and Hazel have their backstories modified to include a summer Kevin spent working at Hazel’s commune where he had the chance to be exposed to her uninhibited approach to relationships.

(Active) Hazel may bring up to 4 disciples with her into the dungeon to assist the party or into the master’s quarters on any night she attends the DM. Inhibitions regarding sex are further reduced by 10% per disciple present (multiplicative), stacking with any other abilities. Commands and requests made by the dungeon master are 10% per disciple present (multiplicative) more likely to be obeyed in Hazel’s presence.

“Fertile Soil isn’t a class option, does that mean there’s a… nymph trainer or something she’d need to go to if she wanted to learn it?” Elsie was the one to ask, a note of clear curiosity in her voice.

“No. Class features are available from trainers, and could be learned by anyone who took the time to seek them out and pay the trainer the fee they demand. Racial features and backgrounds are handled differently. Both are specific to the party member for whom they were crafted, for obvious reasons, but if they don’t appeal to the audience enough to win a vote, they’ll be replaced by a different option in the next week. If they do win a vote, the path they set will be locked in, and will remain a permanent option among your selections.”

As Lily answered, she turned towards Hazel and raised a hand in the nymph’s direction. A swirling mix of shadows and gold rose to envelop her target, then continued to expand until it encompassed a circle behind her.

When it faded a moment later, the Grove Mother was attended by four additional figures as the elves Summer, Winter, Autumn, and Jennifer flanked her on either side. The vines which adorned them bore a superficial resemblance to those of their druid superior, yet each had clearly been customized to suit their wearer. While Summer’s comparatively lush figure was covered by an abundance of dark green leaves that formed a dappled landscape against her deep tan, Winter’s slender frame was wrapped in an outfit of tight dark vines which barely stood out against her black skin. The reds and oranges of Autumn’s leaves were interwoven with her bright, curly hair and wrapped around her body loosely, while Jennifer’s frame was covered in a latticework of tiny delicate shoots that looked more like lace than living plants.

“For example, Hazel’s role in the Dungeon Master’s background is now set. She is forever the woman to whose commune Kevin was sent by his parents one summer decades past, little suspecting how much the ‘hard work and fresh air’ would change him.” The fingers on the hand Lily had raised suddenly clicked into a snap which reverberated with surprising volume across the courtyard. The magic which suddenly enveloped both Kevin and Hazel’s heads was all but untouched by the shadowy energy which had featured a moment before, with only hints of inky black at the heart of the spinning golden globes.

When it faded a minute later, both nymph and DM suddenly gasped in a shocked breath and staggered on their feet as their minds struggled to absorb their new histories. “I—Aunt Hazel!?” Kevin couldn’t keep the incredulity from his voice as his mind flooded with memories.

Kevin, working the fields, planting rows of seeds as Hazel gave gentle encouragement.

Singing along in a circle around a campfire, Hazel on guitar as Kevin did his best to keep his voice steady.

Kevin walking in on Hazel as she showered behind the barn—the young man red faced and stammering in the face of the laughing older woman.

There was more, too—a ripple effect of memories which would take time to unpack and process, and which left him with a headache. And a throbbing erection.

“Oh, that was—yes, sweetie. Oh, goodness, I’m not sure that I can call you that, it brings back—” A bubbling giggle wormed its way up and escaped Hazel’s throat as her mind was cast back to simpler times and simple pleasures. “Ahem. Anyway—yes. You can keep calling me that if you want.”

Kevin paused, then shook his head. “I—no, I don’t think—” The Hazel in his memories looked identical to the one before him now, while he’d been barely a man. He’d known that the nymph’s lifespan had exceeded his own, but being confronted by the sudden memories of a woman from nearly twenty years before who now stood before him unchanged shook him nearly as much as his encounter with the golem.

“That’s not all, though—don’t forget Flower Child won too.” Unlike Stheno, whose paired transformations occurred in a single burst of energy, Hazel’s druid class ability was granted in a separate exertion from Lily. The energy which rose up from the shadows enveloped only the nymph herself, and receded to reveal that that she was mostly unchanged. Only the vines which adorned her were different, stalks now wrapped in a spiral pattern about her thighs, torso, and arms. Gone were most of the leaves which had provided her a hint of modesty though, and at the first ripple of motion as she lowered her gaze to examine herself a peek of pink areola snuck through.

The vines flexed a moment later at Hazel’s nudge, expanding around her form as though inhaling, then settling in again to rest lightly against her skin. “Well that’s… interesting. Not bad, though. It will take some getting used to.”

Lily beamed a smile that was, for a change, by all appearances genuine. “I’m quite glad to hear it, Hazel. It’s always a delight to see our contestants embrace change for themselves. Speaking of embracing change…”

Elsie flinched back as Lily’s eyes fell upon her. A moment later, she visibly steeled herself and stepped forward in front of the group into the open space of the courtyard, head held high. She met Lily’s gaze, and for a moment something seemed to pass between the two women, but after a nearly imperceptible shiver ran down the brownie’s spine, the winged hostess spoke with the same smile on her lips she’d worn a moment before. “Elsie, let me start by setting your mind at ease. Though you had four options to everyone else’s three, your results weren’t particularly close. With D6th Sense capturing 10.1% of the votes and Open Mind taking 19.6%, only Fellow Tech wound up anywhere near Infuse Item. At 31.5% and 38.7% respectively, the gap was easily enough to avoid winding up in a tie, leaving your Artificer class ability as the clear winner.”

The shadows which rose up beneath Elsie seemed to slither and crawl their way over her form, slower and more deliberate than the ones before. They were threaded by gold a moment later, kintsugi cracks of shining light which burst free a moment later in a soundless explosion of energy which ruffled clothes and hair as it washed over the rest of the cast.

Artificer (Class Ability) Infuse Item - Free Use Path

(Passive) Elsie gains access to an extra-dimensional space in which she can store the party’s tools, weapons, crafting components, etc. The party will become more comfortable making demands of Elsie. Fulfilling those demands will provide Elsie with sexual gratification.

(Active) When Elsie crafts a magical tool with Useful Little Tool, roll 1d6.

1. Cooldown of Useful Little Tool resets instantly.
2. Adds a secondary minor magical effect to the result.
3. Craft a bonus second item from leftover crafting materials.
4. Tool is created instantly, with zero crafting time required.
5. Item crafted is upgraded in power or effect.
6. Roll twice, disregarding further 6s.

To Elsie, for a moment it seemed as though nothing changed. She glanced down to see the same slender figure wearing the same costume she wouldn’t ever have had the nerve to don at home. Only on close examination did she locate the bag at her side, a small leather pouch held shut by a drawstring that seemed to weigh nothing as it dangled from her belt.

When she pulled open the cord, though, the English woman was able to reach her hand inside to the elbow without a visible change to the bag’s surface. “That’s a bag of holding.”

“And then some. We thought you might appreciate the reference, though it works a little more like the recent editions of the item. While it does have a maximum capacity, it’s quite high, and you can retrieve whichever item you desire by thinking of it clearly as you withdraw your hand. I’ve even given you a small starter kit of extra materials to help with your crafting. Wouldn’t want you to be too far away from the party stocking up when they need you, after all.”

Kevin found himself nodding along at Lily’s logic, and only realized he was doing it a moment later. That’s—the transformation at work. Thinking that she should be available and at my beck and call. I’ll have to watch for that.

Elsie, however, seemed delighted. She spun and took a few bouncing steps over to Kevin to show him the bag, and a moment later the DM’s fears were forgotten in the shared discovery of the magic item the brownie had just obtained.

“Tess,” The white haired selkie’s eyes shot over towards Lily when the hostess spoke her name, torn away from watching the interplay between Kevin and Elsie, “as another of the recipients of multiple options in the first week, I can set your mind at ease in much the same way as Elsie. Your votes were never particularly close, with your first place option having the most dominant lead of all of them. While Mentor Figure took 21.4% of the vote and Powerhouse managed 26.4%, the audience had a clear favorite.”

Again, the energy which rose up to envelop Tess seemed to swirl almost lazily out of the ground, black shadows which covered her until they were infiltrated by gold. Unlike the immediately preceding transformation, though, the energy didn’t burst, but instead seemed to step away from the selkie on its own, only to shimmer into the form of her silver-haired little sister.

While Abby wore an expression of surprise, she was also garbed in a silver tunic identical to the one her sister had worn a moment before. Tess’s outfit was now instead comprised of shining gold that looked as though the energy which had just summoned her sister was now manifest as metallic cloth.

Ranger (Class Ability) Constant Companion - Matched Set Path

(Passive) Tess’ familiar joins her permanently. Her Familiar Spirit ability is updated.

Ranger (Class Ability) Familiar Spirit - Matched Set Path

(Passive) Both Tess and Abby gain heightened senses through their bond. They can rapidly assess the nature of a creature or area. Tess and Abby’s senses are permanently linked. They will feel what the other feels as a second-hand sensation even when Familiar Spirit is not actively engaged.

(Active) Tess and her familiar become as one. For the next 12d12 minutes, they share each other’s thoughts, sensation, abilities, appearances, and experiences.

The pair stared at each other for a moment in shocked silence as Lily finished, “With 52.4% of the vote, Constant Companion means that Abby has joined us as a permanent and full-time member of Kevin’s harem. Naturally, to maintain her status as a part of the Matched Set path, she won’t be receiving her own transformations—that would risk putting too much distance between the dear sisters—but Abby is now available to assist Tess in all of her endeavors. Since she won’t be earning her own HP or GP, anything which benefits one of you will benefit the other. As an example—” Lily gestured at the sisters’ now matching outfits, “—rather than summoning her naked, to match her appearance when her last summoning ended, she now shares your Shifter’s Suit outfit.”

The sisters both flushed bright red at Lily’s words, but both seemed at a loss for how to respond. It was Penny who stepped forward and gently touched Abby on the younger woman’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, honey. We’re here for you. We’ll—well, we’ll figure out how to get through this together.”

Abby started at the touch at first, then turned to meet Penny’s gaze. Where Tess was the tallest member of the party by several inches, her younger sister was roughly the same height as the siren. She seemed to shrink in on herself when she realized she was the center of attention, until Tess was able to bring herself to reach out and touch the other selkie’s shoulder. “We’ll be fine. Together.”

Penny’s attention was pulled away from the new arrival when Lily called her name. “Penny, your top two options traded places a couple of times. Vocal only took 26.2% of the total vote, but in the end, the audience decided to help push things between you and Kevin along a little. Experienced won with 38.1% of the vote.”

Something in the winged hostess’ voice caught Elsie’s attention. The young English woman canted her head to the side as Lily began to raise her hand, and asked, “Wait—that’s a total of 64.3%, right?”

Lily’s smile showed no remorse. “Indeed it does, Elsie. You’ve spoiled my surprise a little, I suspect. With 35.7% of the vote, Jack Of(f) All Trades was just barely under three percent behind—close enough to be counted as a tie.”

Bard (Class Ability) Jack Of(f) All Trades - Harem Mommy Path

(Passive) Penny can tell at a glance what act or scenario would most turn on an individual at that time. When in the presence of multiple party members, the intuition instead informs her of the act or scenario which best suits the aggregate needs and desires of all present.

(Active) Acting on her granted intuition grants Penny a +1d10 Bonus to all relevant skill checks.

The Fling (Background) Experienced - Mature / MILF Path

(Passive) Penny’s had a string of relationships throughout her life, and she’s of a similar age to Kevin. What if they’d already shared a fling before coming on the show? Kevin and Penny are given a joint backstory built around a weekend in Miami where they got hot and heavy together.

(Active) Penny knows how to please her partners. Each day she receives a bonus pool of 1d10 XP which can be used to grant her a bonus in any encounter featuring an act she’s performed before. At the close of the encounter, she earns bonus HP equal to the XP she expended in the encounter. Bonus HP can be passed to other party members with a touch, and are converted to 1d10 GP each at the end of the day if unused.

As with Hazel, Lily orchestrated Penny’s transformation in two parts. The swarm of gold and shadows that enveloped the siren first was gone in a flash, appearing and disappearing without leaving a visible trace.

When she followed it up by repeating the same conjuration of energy around Penny and Kevin’s head that she had when altering Hazel’s background, however, the evidence of the chance was drawn in the expressions of the newly forged lovers. The moment the magic evaporated from the pair, their heads swiveled until their eyes locked, and a long moment passed as they examined each other in silence.

On Penny’s face, several expressions flickered and faded. Shock was followed quickly by a shadow of pain which was erased by a surprised smile touched by a hint of hope. In contrast, the season’s master’s brow furrowed, mouth opening and closing again as words were summoned and then died unspoken.

Where Hazel’s changed background appeared to have been a generally positive experience which had subtly altered the trajectory of Kevin’s life in some way, it appeared that while the time he and Penny had spent together had been short, it had not been without complication. They were left without the opportunity to explore the topic, however, as Lily swiftly moved on.

“Hwa, you took last in the party contribution poll, but managed to keep from being placed in last in popularity. Your supporters might not be many in number, but they are vocal and fierce. All three of your options had their proponents—such that we nearly wound up with a three way tie. In the end, though, Pact Magic only took 28.7% of the vote. The remaining 71.3% was split evenly between Reap Essence and Dangerous Beauty. So, while you will get your wish and win your chosen option, it won’t be the only thing changing about you.”

The kumiho’s lips parted to retort, but before she could get a word out, chains forged of shadow shot out of the ground at her feet and anchored themselves to the cuffs and collar she’d been fitted with on the first day. The maelstrom of energy which enveloped Hwa as she was held in place radiated a tangible heat that none of the other transformations had featured, and seemed to stretch on for several minutes as the party watched on in silence. When it evaporated at last, wisps of golden energy continued to rise off of the Korean spirit’s body for a few moments, until the chains finally released her limbs and sank back into the ground.

Witch (Class Ability) Reap Essence - Oral Fixation Path

(Passive) Hwa’s ability to drain energy from an individual is heightened if she uses her mouth to do so. Hwa’s sense of taste is heightened and tweaked to improve her response to sexual fluids. The sensitivity and pleasure receptors of her lips and tongue are greatly improved.

(Active) By taking advantage of fluctuations in magic which occur during a climax, Hwa’s lips can absorb and allow her to store up to 8 points of essence. Absorbed essence can be spent to heighten the effect of any party member’s abilities, and will strengthen Hwa’s abilities while held. Held essence expires at a rate of 1/day.

Kumiho (Racial Ability) Dangerous Beauty - Cougar Path

(Passive) Kumiho attract the men they devour with their stunning looks. Hwa’s features are enhanced and her figure is improved. Her breasts become larger, perkier, and more sensitive, her ass larger and more well rounded, etc.

(Active) When Hwa allows her tails to manifest, the improvements above become even more exaggerated. This produces a hypnotic effect in observers which makes it difficult to pay attention to anyone else in the room. Each day, she can designate up to 1d8 individuals to be immune to the hypnotic effect.

The results were dramatic. None of the other transformations from the first day—save Stheno’s—had left anywhere close to as dramatic a mark on their target. When Hwa was summoned by Lily she was already possessed of a body men would die for—full breasts, flared hips, shapely legs, and a well rounded ass, covered in creamy skin and silken black hair.

She now looked like she’d stepped off of the screen of a particularly well-crafted pornographic video game. Where her breasts had roughly rivaled Penny’s in size, they now challenged Hazel’s as the largest in the party, unnaturally perky and buoyant as her corset top struggled valiantly to contain them. The short skirts of her witch’s outfit utterly failed to conceal the smooth globes of her ass, while her stockings only served to highlight the luscious nature of her thighs.

Her features were still recognizably her own, but her face had changed as well. Most of the changes were comparably subtle—at least, when measured against the dramatic expansion of her breasts and ass—but the differences were noticeable. The result was a visage that would have been decried as the result of photoshop were it to be posted online—and that was before even getting to the lips.

Hwa’s perfectly plump, lips looked swollen, soft, wet, and inviting. Their crimson color could never have been mistaken for natural—or indeed as anything other than an invitation and the promise of pleasure. She licked them unconsciously, and the motion drew the eye of every single member of the party as they were reminded that the changes to her body were not the only transformation the kumiho received.

A shudder ran through her body at the feel of her own tongue sliding across her lips, prompting Hwa to suck in a breath, then state, “This will not break me. I am Hwa Sun-ah, and I will persevere.” The proclamation was short, to the point, and burned with enough heat that both Abby and Elsie took a step away from the woman. The rest of the party held their ground, with Penny and Tess both taking protective steps forward to place themselves in front of the shrinking members of the party.

“Excellent! I look forward to seeing that.” Lily, on the other hand, seemed to dismiss the words out of hand. As though the kumiho—the spirit who had given her such apparent trouble on their first day here—weren’t worth further consideration, the hostess turned towards the final member of the party.

“Blue, it appears that the audience thinks you haven’t been interacting with the party—or the Dungeon Master—nearly enough. Fortunately for you, they saw fit to help. While Open-Hand Style took 27.2% of the vote, and Stunning Plumage took 30.9%, Lure of Civilization held a commanding lead for most of the voting and took 42.0% to win.”

Wild Thing (Background) Lure of Civilization - Submissive Path

(Passive) Blue's heritage banished her from civilization, but she has always longed to experience it for herself. What if, through Kevin, she saw that chance? Kevin and Blue are given a shared backstory built around a chance encounter during a family trip to Europe from his childhood.

(Active) Kevin can act as a lifeline for Blue. Up to 4 times per round, she may receive an immediate, honest answer to a question she has, regardless of her distance from the dungeon master.

Compared to when she’d granted the background transformations for Hazel and Penny, the golden energy which swirled up to envelop Blue and Kevin’s heads lasted only a moment—though the former’s seemed to be filled with more swirling shadows than had been present either of the times before. The impact on Kevin was relatively minor as the DM blinked a few times while he tried to process the new information in his head.

On Blue, the effect was more dramatic. The harpy’s yellow eyes went owlishly wide as her head swiveled to fix on Kevin. While he was still struggling to return his thoughts to the present, the supernaturally swift harpy closed the short distance that separated them in the blink of an eye, half-tackling him in a hug as she exclaimed, “Burgerman!”

Even as Kevin stumbled back—only keeping his feet when Stheno deftly extended an arm to support him—he found his arms wrapping around the half-naked woman who suddenly clung to him ferociously. “Bird lady? I thought—I thought I made that up!”

“Blue thought she never see—” For a moment, the harpy’s speech was as stilted as it had been when first she arrived. After clearing her throat and staring up at Kevin’s face for a moment it returned to the more eloquent patterns it had taken after her first transformation, but the shock—and joy—Blue was experiencing was obvious. “I thought you were gone forever.” A moment later, her lips suddenly shifted into a pout before she added, “You said—you said you were going to get Blue—to get me—a present! Then you never came back?”

That line managed to break through Kevin’s own surprise. He attempted to disengage from the harpy, but discovered that the athletic woman was both clingy and stronger than her slender limbs would suggest. It took Stheno—a slightly suspicious expression on her face—interposing herself by sliding an arm between the two and pulling Blue away before the DM was able to get free. The rueful smile he wore betrayed his chagrin as he answered, “I—I meant to, but I was only, what, eight or nine? For some reason, when I got back to my parents, it turned out they weren’t enthusiastic about allowing me to go back to the ‘bird lady’ who had apparently kidnapped me for half a day.”

“As sweet as it is to see those two reunite, we do still have a few more things to get into.” Lily’s voice cut through Blue and Kevin’s ‘reunion’ smoothly enough, and the party once more turned their attention towards the hostess. “I’ll start by announcing this week’s order of sleeping with the Dungeon Master. As with most seasons of Harem Hotel, the night of the challenge is an exception. Since the day was spent with the entire party, the night may be spent with any or all of you as Kevin may choose anyone he desires to share his bed.” Lily let those words linger for just a moment before adding, “Or, of course, he could choose to have a night to himself. If any of you wish to make a case for being allowed to share his company, I’m sure you’ll have plenty of time to do so over dinner.”

From the expressions on several of the party members, it was likely Kevin was going to get at least a few invitations or requests to share the evening, as Blue, Penny, Stheno and Elsie all shared glances with the DM or each other. Hwa did her best to lift her chin and affect a disdainful aloofness, though the way her tongue continued to unconsciously wet her lips spoiled the effect somewhat, while Tess and Hazel both seemed more concerned with the new arrivals who accompanied them.

“For those of you not lucky enough to stay in the master’s suite, you will still find that your accommodations have been upgraded. Further upgrades are now also available for GP—feel free to speak with the staff at the Long Rest for further details. Your roommates will be changing as follows: Hazel, as the winner of the contribution poll you’ve been given your own suite at the Long Rest—as well as a free upgrade to make room for your disciples.”

The elves behind the nymph perked up at the announcement that they wouldn’t be sleeping on the floor, but the hostess didn’t pause for long enough for any of them to interject. “Everyone else will be paired based on your placement in the party contribution poll—the better to help those who contributed more encourage participation from those who ranked poorly. Penny, you will be rooming with Tess and Abby—no free upgrade for 5th place I’m afraid Tess, but the rates are reasonable.”

All three women seemed relieved at the announcement, and Penny found herself stepping closer to Tess and Abby on instinct as Lily continued, “Stheno, you’ll be given the chance to convert Blue to your way of thinking over the week.” Gorgon and harpy eyed each other for a moment, but neither’s expression gave away much before they returned their focus to the hostess. “And, of course, that leaves the second place contestant to room with last place.”

Burning red eyes leveled on Elsie as Hwa focused on her, and the brownie swallowed visibly. Lily allowed the moment to linger for several seconds, then suddenly continued in a voice that was incongruously bright and cheerful. “Still, I want to congratulate all of you. You’ve made it to the end of the first week and conquered the first floor of the dungeon!” The general swell in mood of the party that resulted lasted only long enough for Lilith to add, “Only nine more to go!”

A moment later, she vanished in a swirling flutter of shadows.