Lionheart

Alice lingered, weighing her options with all the subtlety of a cat staring at three different poisoned bowls. Lionheart’s smug blond leader and his harem, the bloody little pack of coin rats barely held together by bandages, or the walking natural disaster steaming in the corner.

None of them looked like a good idea.

She opened her mouth to say so, but the receptionist clapped her hands with a bright, rehearsed smile.

“Perfect! Lionheart is looking for an extra hand. Alice, you’re with them.”

Alice blinked. “Wait, hold on-”

“Wonderful. They’ll be thrilled.”

“No. Not wonderful. Blond bastard squad was literally my ‘hell no’ pick. This is how I die. Again, thanks universe.”

But the receptionist was already ushering her forward, slate tucked under her arm like this was a done deal. Alice tugged her shirt hem lower and **** her face back into neutral cool as her boots clomped her closer to the trio that radiated trouble.

Leo spotted her first.

The smirk on his face widened into something dangerously close to a grin as faint arcs of lightning crackled through his blond spikes. He pushed off the counter with an easy swagger, crimson cape snapping dramatically behind him as though even the air wanted to play along.

“Well, well, well. The guild delivers another beauty to my banner.” His eyes swept over her not lingering, but staking claim. “You can call me Leo. Or Lionheart. Either works. Master’s acceptable too.”

Alice’s lips twitched, but she didn’t break her mask. “Alice. Just Alice.”

(Over my dead body. Actually, over your dead body. Preferably with your cape shoved somewhere unpleasant.)

Yamaba didn’t even move.

Her burning amber eyes slid to Alice, then slid away again, like she had already judged and dismissed her in the span of a heartbeat. Spirit flames drifted lazily around her armor, their glow casting eerie reflections across her pale skin.

“You’ll keep up or you won’t,” Yamaba said flatly. Her voice wasn’t cruel, just hollow, bored, as though the whole world failed to surprise her anymore.

Alice exhaled slowly, keeping her expression calm. “Wow. Love the pep talk. Real motivational speaker energy there.”

Then Jolie stepped forward.

Bubbly laughter spilled from her lips as she leaned in, blue eyes sparkling with amusement. Her pink hoodie hugged her figure, the hearts patterned across it looking almost ridiculous against the sheer confidence she radiated.

“Don’t let her scare you,” Jolie said, tossing back her blonde hair. “She just likes acting like she’s too cool for everyone. I think you’re cute. And brave for wearing that shirt in public.”

Alice’s heart gave a traitorous jump. She **** her arms across her chest. “It’s vintage.”

(Holy shit. She’s flirting already. Don’t blush. Do not blush. Play it cool. …Why are my ears hot?!)

Leo clapped his hands, lightning cracking faintly from the motion. “Excellent! Then it’s settled. You’re with Lionheart now. Stick close, listen when I speak, and you’ll live long enough to thank me later.”

Alice smirked faintly, tilting her head just enough to feign confidence. “Or I’ll live long enough to regret it. We’ll see.”

The sparks in Leo’s hair flared brighter as his grin widened. “I like you already.”

“Yeah. That makes one of us.”

The portal gate buzzed with activity adventurers coming and going, customs officers stamping passes, and the faint hum of mana stabilizers thrumming through the floor.

Alice walked at the rear of Lionheart, arms crossed, doing her best to look like she belonged. Leo strutted at the front, cape swishing, sparks crackling faintly through his blond hair. Jolie trailed just behind him, pink hoodie bouncing with each energetic step. Yamaba drifted at the edge like a ghost, flames circling her listlessly.

The portal itself dominated the chamber, a towering swirl of pink, blue, and violet mana, shimmering like molten candy. The scent of sugar hung faintly in the air, sweet enough to make Alice’s teeth ache.

A guild agent in a crisp white and red coat stepped forward, clipboard in hand. His eyes flicked across the party, pausing on Alice. “Lionheart. Four this time. That’ll be noted. Guild Inspira appreciates your continued service.” He scribbled a note, then tilted his head toward Alice. “New recruit?”

Leo smirked, resting one gauntleted hand dramatically on his sword hilt. “Fresh meat. Straight from Inspira.”

(Oh great. Announce it louder, why don’t you? Maybe tell him my blood type while you’re at it.)

The agent’s gaze lingered a moment longer, as if he recognized something, then returned to his clipboard. “Standard rules apply. This is a stabilized dungeon, but access to the Candara world requires completion of the initial trial. Beat the dungeon, and the path opens permanently for you. Fail, and… well.” He gestured vaguely toward a group of pale, shaken adventurers being ushered out of the medical wing. “You know how it goes.”

“Please,” Leo scoffed, lightning crackling faintly from his shoulders. “Candyland doesn’t stand a chance against Lionheart.”

“Candyland?” Alice echoed before she could stop herself.

Jolie grinned, brushing past her with a wink. “That’s what everyone calls it. The Candy Dungeon. Looks sweet, tastes sweet, kills sweet. Try not to lick the walls, newbie.”

(…Okay, mental note: do not lick the walls. Not that I would. Probably.)

The guild agent stamped their pass and stepped aside. “Portal’s open. Good luck, Adventurers of Inspira.”

Leo didn’t wait. He strode straight into the swirling pink blue vortex, his cape vanishing into the mana storm. Jolie followed with a playful twirl, Yamaba drifting silently after, her spirit flames snuffing out as she crossed the threshold.

Alice stood at the edge, staring into the swirling maw. It pulsed, like it was breathing.

(First dungeon. Candyland. And I’m walking into it with Blondie McLightning, a necro elf who looks like she hates life, and a healer who could probably kill me just by winking too hard. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.)

She squared her shoulders, **** a smirk, and stepped through.

The air on the other side of the portal was thick with sugar. Sweetness clung to Alice’s tongue before she’d even taken a breath, like stepping into the belly of a candy factory left to rot.

The ground squished under her boots caramel cobblestones. Gumdrop hills rose in the distance, and licorice trees bent overhead, their branches dripping strands of sticky sugar like vines.

Alice shoved her hands into her pockets, forcing her smirk to stay in place. (So this is Candyland. Looks like Willy Wonka had a nervous breakdown and the landscape never recovered.)

She glanced at her new “teammates” striding ahead with ease. “Alright. Somebody tell me what the hell a Chocolate Slime is. Because if it’s exactly what it sounds like, I’ve got questions.”

Leo didn’t break stride. He drew his longsword, lightning crackling faintly along the blade. “Exactly what it sounds like. A slime made of chocolate. Nothing we can’t handle.”

“More dangerous than you think,” Yamaba muttered, her voice flat as her gaze drifted over the gumdrop hills. “If it covers you, it hardens. Slowly. You become chocolate. Alive. A statue that feels everything. Adventurers like to pretend it’s not horrifying, but it is.”

Alice’s smirk wavered just a fraction. (So basically, a horny **** trap with a sweet tooth. Fantastic.)

Jolie spun on her heel and walked backward for a few steps, grinning at Alice. “It actually feels really good while it’s happening. Warm, slow, heavy… like a full body Orgasm. Some people let it happen on purpose, you know. Others they harvest the chocolate. Eat it, sell it it’s got stat bonuses, depending on who it came from. Can you imagine?” She winked.

Alice coughed, looking away. “Yeah, sounds delicious. Can’t wait to be somebody’s snack bar.”

(Why did she have to say it like that? Stop blushing. Stop it. Play it cool.)

Leo chuckled, sparks leaping from his hair. “Don’t worry. Stick close to me, and you’ll never find out firsthand.”

Alice raised an eyebrow. “Comforting. Really.”

(Translation: he’s absolutely going to let it happen for the drama. Great. My first dungeon, and I’m already doomed to be dessert.)

Ahead, the caramel stones trembled, and something slick and brown began to ooze up between the cracks.

Yamaba sighed, summoning a cold flame to her palm. “Ask and you shall receive.”

The first Chocolate Slime gurgled into view, glossy and rich, its surface bubbling as it slithered toward them with a wet, sugary squelch.

-

The ninth Chocolate Slime collapsed into a glossy puddle, its gooey remains twitching once before melting into the caramel floor. Alice stood over it, chest heaving, slime-streaked boots sticking with every step.

Nine. Not ten.

She clenched her jaw as the notification window blinked mockingly in her vision:

(So close. Just one more. Of course the universe has to dangle it in front of me like a carrot on a stick.)

Before she could argue her case, Leo raised a gauntleted hand. Lightning flickered across his hair as his voice rang with easy command.

“That’s enough for today. We’ll make camp here.”

Alice opened her mouth to protest, but Jolie was already skipping closer to his side, clapping her hands like he’d announced a party instead of a pause. Yamaba only sighed, pale flames swirling tighter around her as if she’d expected this from the start.

Leo dug into his belt pouch and drew out several smooth, oval-shaped objects. They gleamed faintly in the dungeon’s sugary glow, like oversized pearls with veins of shifting light inside. He flicked one into the air; it burst with a snap, releasing a fully pitched tent that landed neatly on the caramel tiles. Another capsule rolled across the floor and popped into a crate of supplies, the lid swinging open on well-oiled hinges.

Core Capsules.

Marvels of the age or nightmares, depending on who you asked. Tiny realms packed into digestible pills. They could hold tents, weapons, beasts, even living people. A single capsule was a prison disguised as convenience, and once swallowed, its captive felt every brush, squeeze, and burn as though it were happening to their real body. Some were eaten deliberately for power, for convenience, for pleasure. They dissolved completely, and what was inside became part of you.

To call them “useful” was an understatement. To call them “perverse” was closer to the truth.

Alice stared as Leo casually tossed another capsule, unfolding a firepit already crackling with flame.

(Closest thing we got to a Inventory systems sadly)

The camp took shape in minutes. Jolie finished setting up and pressed herself against Leo's broad back, making a show of nibbling his ear.

"Jolie, eager as ever, hmm?" Leo purred, clearly enjoying her attentions. He spun her around and yanked her flush against him. She gasped, long lashes fluttering. Grinning wickedly, he captured her lips in a searing kiss, delving his tongue possessively into her mouth while squeezing her round bottom. Jolie ground her hips lewdly against him.

Alice couldn't help but stare at the show they were putting on. Her heart raced and she could feel tingling in her crotch. Leo's strong hands palmed and groped Jolie's shapely form while she whimpered into his mouth. They clearly had no shame, getting hot and heavy right in the open!

Alice's breath caught when Leo broke the kiss, inclined his head toward the tent, then glanced at her with electric eyes. "New girl. You're welcome to join us. Might as well learn how Lionheart keeps its sharp edge."

His heated gaze sent shivers down Alice's spine. Did she have the guts to take him up on this brazen offer? A threesome with that gorgeous couple would be scorching hot. But she was still so new to all this...

Alice shifted uncomfortably, very aware of the dampening in her pants. These two would eat her alive with their raw sexual energy

Jolie giggled, blowing Alice a kiss from the tent flap. “We don’t bite… unless you want us to.”

(Oh, for fuck’s sake. My first dungeon, and I’m already getting invited into the world’s most awkward threesome. Do I look like I have ‘party mascot’ tattooed on my forehead?)

Behind them, Yamaba dragged her own capsule open. A smaller, darker tent unfolded with a hiss, the elf stepping inside without so much as a glance in Alice’s direction.

• Accept Leo's invitation for a threesome. Jolie did seem into me earlier. Experiencing her soft body and lustful kisses firsthand would be incredible…
• Join the elf girl in her tent. I could probably convince her to cheat on Leo with me. Elves are so graceful and sensual. I'd love to see what's hiding under her robes.
• Go off alone to hunt that last chocolate slime. I don't need sex to level up. Solo delving has its own excitement. With my core capsules, I'd have plenty of storage space for loot too.