No time!

He couldn't waste time here. As tempting as that was, he had what he wanted. Misa didn't seem too shocked, either. Still, he would be going into battle with a bit of a handicap. Regardless, he didn't have the time to entertain her or wait for it to wear off. For that matter, he didn't even trust that he would be okay if he 'let her help.'

As he walked away and examined his new weapon and armor, he remembered what Misa had told him about it. The more corrupted he was, the more effective it would be. Still, even at a low level like this, it was incredibly powerful. He didn't need to be greedy. This was plenty strong for him!

At the end of the hallway was a flight of stairs. He drew the two and shield and prepared himself for the next floor. Was it going to be a fight? A puzzle? He wasn't entirely sure, but he knew he would have to be creative. He couldn't exactly play the game on the succubus's terms, or else he would lose himself.

As he crested the staircase, two things stood out to him. The first was the oddity that was the layout of the building. Space seemed to have no real meaning here. The second was the room and who was in it. It something like the master bedroom of a wealthy noble's house. Yet, in the bed at the other end, was anyone but a noble.

"Welcome, Hero. My name is Celia. I'm what you may call a lamia. I will be your first challenge in this castle," she did not move yet, instead letting him take her visage in. She was hardly being modest as she showed off enough of her body to leave only a little to the imagination.

He looked over her body, noting how her abdomen flowed quite nicely into a tail. She was definitely quite easy on the eyes... Then there was that scent in the air. It was sweet— disarming, even. That made him all the more cautious.

"What's your game, then, snake?" Gareth kept his distance, though he couldn't help his wandering eye.

"Snake?" She gasped in feigned offense. "Why, I'm not even rolling my S's like most snake girls do. I like to think I'm quite refined." She slid off of the bed and slithered over to Gareth, who held his sword out. "My game is simple: Somewhere in this room is the key to the next floor. You may spend as much time searching for it as you would like, but the longer you take, the easier it will be for... well, for me to get what I want. I will provide you hints for a price and I'm quite sure you can guess what said price is."

"If it's anything like the slime's, then, yes. I take it you're referring to the scent in the air," he said, looking around for its source.

"Pheromones from yours truly," she teased with a small giggle. "The more you're exposed to them, the more pliant you will become. Now, do you have any more questions or will you start looking?"

He was up against an unknown timer here. He was already quite horny from his encounter with the slime girl earlier, so this mist was not making it any easier. He did have questions, yes, but he didn't have the time for them. Instead, it was time to look around.