The Serpent's Gift

It was a rainforest, that was what my brain told me. A garden teeming with life and beauty. The trees, plants, and sounds were all completely foreign to me, and yet it felt like my mind was translating these things into something I might find on my world. I knew, though, that I was somewhere else. A faraway world—perhaps a faraway universe entirely.

There was a large marble platform surrounded by columns wrapped in vines before me. Resting atop the platform was a colossal monster the size of a building. It was a snake with pure white scales and adorned with golden rings. On its head was a golden mask with a smooth and ornate design. The strangest aspect of this creature was that halfway down its massive body it split into seven separate tails, each of which was either coiled beneath it, wrapped around the columns, or resting atop them.

I could feel the power of this being and knew that if it wanted to erase me from existence it could easily do so with barely a thought. It regarded me as something barely worthy of notice, though I sensed no malice. Despite having never seen this creature before in my life, something primal and fundamental within me knew it by the title of Veshra, She Who Is.

Mortal, it spoke directly into my mind, a choir of unique feminine voices speaking in unison. The time has come, your destiny awaits.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

The present matters not, mortal. What matters is your future; what matters is your destiny. I have brought you here to rescue you from your fate, a life of mediocrity and mundanity in which life is but a curse whose only reward is a quiet . Instead, I will transform you into a being with powers that will allow you to forge your own destiny. Rather than being a , you will be the master.

Suddenly, the air around me shifted, and I could feel power and knowledge surge through me. I came to understand the nature of what might be my new powers…

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Eternal Form

I will have everlasting life, beauty, and youth. I will be immune to all forms of disease, have a form that is the perfect representation of my ideal self, will never age nor die of age, and I will be revived after only a single day if I happen to die. I will also have full control over my fertility; I can render myself completely infertile or make even a single drop of sperm enough to induce pregnancy. These properties will be applied to my companion and my slaves as well (see below).

Eternal Eye

I can now ensnare the minds of other sentient beings. By staring deep into someone’s eyes, I can hypnotize them. While entranced they will do my bidding as a mindless drone until I release them. After I release them, they will not remember being hypnotized or anything I did while they were entranced. They will remember things they did that do not involve me but will remember these events in a mundane context.

I should take care, however, as they will not act like a normal person while hypnotized, and I can’t make them. They will act similar to a zombie or robot, following my commands but offering no personality or intelligent thought.

Eternal Companion

Veshra will search the infinite multiverse for one of her followers who has perfect compatibility with me in every conceivable way. They will be the first of my slaves (see below) and will aid me in whatever way I choose to use them. Even though they will be one of my slaves, they will be able to use the Eternal Eye power and may even have a few unique powers of their own and they will never use them against me. Though the companion may not have an entirely human form by default, if I want them to fit in, they will be able to shift into a human form or even an animal form.

Eternal Domination

I will gain the ability to enslave other beings to my will and my will alone. They will obey any order I give them implicitly and without question or hesitation. They will also have their original personalities and/or sexualities adjusted so that they will find me attractive, but they will not love me automatically. Also, I must choose one of the following methods to achieve my mind control and will not be allowed to change my mind after choosing it.

Method 1: Shackle

I will be able to enchant up to 10 objects. They can be collars, rings, bracelets, necklaces, or any other accessory that is meant to be worn. Once enchanted, an item will be indestructible and once worn cannot be removed by anyone but me. So long as an individual wears one of these items, they will be enslaved to my will. However, while the item’s magic will prevent them from taking any hostile action against me, and from removing their binding item, they will be aware of my control over them and will likely despise me for it (unless I manage to find a very special kind of person who would willingly wear it knowing full well what it does). Removing an item from a also removes the benefits of Eternal Form until it is put back on.

The wearer will, of course, still be compelled to obey me, and when they do, they will find unimaginable bliss in doing so. They will get a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment for obeying, and over time their willpower shall erode as they become conditioned to obedience. When the conditioning is complete, they will gain a marking or tattoo of my choice anywhere on their body (including the eyes) and they will be permanently under my control even if I remove the item that originally bound them. This will allow me to use the item on a new person while maintaining control of its former wearer. A fully conditioned will retain Eternal Form even if they are not wearing an enchanted item. The conditioning process usually will take about one or two months, depending on the personality of the , and only 4 slaves can be meaningfully conditioned at the same time.

My companion will automatically be in a fully conditioned state when I acquire them and will not need to wear an enchanted item. If I choose to have them wear one anyway, the other slaves will obey their orders as well—though my orders will always have priority—and obeying my companion will also condition the slaves as though they had obeyed me. Having my companion condition slaves for me doesn’t allow me to condition more slaves at once.

Method 2: Parasite

I will be granted a single egg with the appearance of a smooth red marble. If a person ingests this egg followed by either my blood or my sperm (if I have such faculties), the egg will hatch into a tiny metaphysical serpent. Over the next hour, the serpent will make its way to the brain of the host and attach itself there. Once fully attached and matured, the Mind-Serpent will subvert the host’s own subconscious mind and replace it with one that makes the host prioritize my goals and desires over their own.

Unlike the Shackle method, this method will immediately produce slaves who are completely and fully enslaved. They will not need to be conditioned, and they will be happy and willing to do anything I ask of them. In addition, all individuals with a fully matured Mind-Serpent within them will be connected subconsciously to a hivemind with me as the dominant will. I will be able to give them orders telepathically and at any distance.

If, by chance, I manage to get a potential host who is completely willing to swallow the egg whilst knowing exactly what it will do to them, and if they would do so without any outside encouragement or for the express purpose of becoming my eternal , the resulting Mind-Serpent will be a Brood-Lord. Veshra will reward the loyalty of this new with a magical power unique to them which they can use in my name. Additionally, while I can still issue orders to these slaves telepathically, I can also assume direct control of their body and/or share senses with them. If I have multiple slaves with Brood-Lord Serpents, they can share senses with each other as well as with me, and I can assume control of any number of them at once.

The drawback to this method, however, is that once I use this first egg, I must wait for the Mind-Serpent to reproduce in order to gain more. Every three months, up to 10 Mind-Serpents under my control will lay a random number of eggs between 3 and 8 (roll a six-sided die, then add two) which can be easily extracted from the host’s brain cavity (the eggs will simply phase through the skull of the host when ready to be harvested). Brood-Lords always produce 5 eggs and do not count against the reproduction limit. The eggs may be stockpiled, and they are indestructible.

My companion will already be the host of a fully matured Mind-Serpent. At first, this serpent will just be a normal one, but after I acquire my first Brood-Lord Serpent through the method outlined above, my companion’s serpent will immediately transform into a Brood-Lord as well.

Method 3: Telepathy

I will gain the ability to enslave someone merely by concentrating on them for a full ten seconds. They will then be under my command, and I will be able to issue orders to them telepathically. I will also have an aura of normality that surrounds me, making it so that nobody will ever find anything about me out of the ordinary. I can go anywhere, do anything, and say whatever I want, and nobody will care. They may be surprised by what I’m doing or where I am, but they will otherwise be unconcerned and will never be upset, nor will they inconvenience me or resist what I do.

The drawback to this method is that my slaves will not be immune to my aura. They will not know that they are my slaves and will never acknowledge their slavehood no matter how obvious it might be. If I give them an order verbally, they will always assume it to be a suggestion that seems like a good idea to them. If I give them an order telepathically, they will believe it was their idea to begin with. The good news is that they will share the same aura of normality I do, so they will never get in trouble or be inconvenienced by carrying out my commands.

If, by chance, I manage to get someone to fall in love with me, marry me (or perform a ritual that is the rough equivalent from their perspective), and I do not enslave them before such time as they consider the marriage official, then they will be exempt from the drawback of this method and become a Consort. They will be aware of my powers, of their slavehood, and of the orders I give them; however, they will not only be accepting of said things, but they will also be enthusiastic and excited about them. They will also gain the ability to telepathically command my other slaves in the same fashion as I do and will often take advantage of their own auras of normality if I want them to. I can only have up to 2 consorts.

My companion will be a normal by default. They will have their memories altered so that they believe they are a mundane yet significant connection in my life (a sibling, a lover, a parent, a best friend, etc.) and they will not have access to any powers they might otherwise have. However, at any point, I may turn them into a Consort, at which point they will become aware of all of the same things outlined in the paragraph above. I can also make them remember what they truly are (my Eternal Companion), though I don’t have to if I don’t want to. Once they are a Consort, they can use any of their powers again, and they don’t count toward my Consort limit.

Method 4: Possession

My companion, rather than being one of my slaves, shall be incorporeal. Only I will be able to see or hear them and I can telepathically communicate with them, but I will not be able to touch or interact with them physically. However, they will be able to possess any other person I wish them to and assume control of their bodily functions. They will then follow all of my orders, using their possessed body to carry out my demands. My companion will have access to all of their host’s memories and will be able to imitate them effortlessly.

While possessing another person, unless I explicitly tell them not to, my companion will act in a manner consistent with how I believe that person would or should act. By default, they will act happy to serve me or may even act as though they are my lover. When my companion stops possessing someone, that person will not remember anything from the time of their possession and will not question this gap in memory whatsoever.

The more time my companion spends possessing an individual, the more the false personality begins to become ingrained in the host’s mind. Eventually, after a cumulative two total weeks of possession, the host’s personality and thought process will completely match that of the personality my companion gave them. At this point, they will be my willing even if my companion is not possessing them. Additionally, once fully enslaved, my companion will be able to telepathically communicate with them.

The drawbacks to this method are fairly obvious; my companion can only possess one person at a time, and I won’t be able to interact with my companion directly in any manner unless they are using someone else’s body.

Method 5: Homunculus

Rather than turning already living beings into my slaves, I can instead gain the power to create my own using alchemy. My companion will have the power to mold and breathe new life into flesh. If I acquire any kind of DNA sample from any sentient creature, including myself or even my companion, it can be used to begin a process to clone said creature through various magical rituals.

This process takes about one month to fully complete, after which point I will have a clone of whoever I took the DNA sample from. This clone will be a duplicate in physical appearance only, which means that they will possess none of the original’s memories, personality, or magical properties (if they had any). However, they will have basic knowledge about the world and be fully mature adults and my companion can shape their personality and body however I desire, whenever I wish to. They will also be loyal and obedient to me, serving happily and lovingly as my regardless of their personality.

The drawback to this method is that I may only have up to 6 which are sentient and enslaved to my will at once. When I am at this limit, my companion can make more homunculus bodies, however, in order to breathe life into one, one of my previous homunculi must be destroyed. If I do so, I will never be able to recreate the exact personality of the deceased homunculus, this will be permanent. (However, if using the optional Eternal Conflict, homunculus slaves will be among the most powerful slaves that a person can have. If all six homunculus slaves were to fight in unison, their baseline combined power could easily rival a demigod).

My companion will not be a homunculus and will not count against my limit; however, they gain the power to shape my appearance, their own appearance, or anyone else’s appearance at will. While these new shapes can be virtually anything, the new form will not grant any magical properties or abilities. (If using the optional Eternal Conflict, my companion will be just as powerful as my other homunculus slaves).

Method 6: Pheromones

If I choose this method, I may choose to acquire one or more of the following: a penis, any number of prehensile tendril-like appendages which can ejaculate like a penis, or a long tentacle-like tongue which replaces my original tongue and secretes a large amount of saliva. I must have at least one of these appendages on my body but if I already have a penis it can count. Nobody will ever think my new appendages are unusual or noteworthy, they may even find them attractive.

Whenever I become aroused, the appendage or appendages I chose will give off a special pheromone. This pheromone will make everyone I am attracted to irrationally horny. The more they breathe in the scent, the more for sexual gratification they will be. Specifically, they will want to engage in sexual activity with whatever appendages I chose for this method. If a person I am not attracted to breathes in the pheromone, they will instead ignore any sexual activity that occurs as a result of the pheromones.

If someone who is under the influence of my pheromones drinks a fluid produced by one of my appendages, they will become instantly enslaved to my will. Additionally, they will become addicted to whatever fluid enslaved them, and will even suffer withdrawal symptoms if they go too long without it. These slaves will not only obey me, but they will also love me unconditionally.

If I continually subject someone to my pheromone without allowing them to drink the fluid from my appendage, they will become more and more for it over time, even when not influenced by my pheromones. Eventually, usually after a week or two of daily teasing in this manner, they will be unable to contain their lust and will themselves on me. I will be powerless to stop this encounter, and it can happen at any time. If during this encounter the individual finally manages to drink my fluid, they will become an Enlightened .

An Enlightened is like other slaves, but they will become attracted to the same kinds of people I am and will gain one or more of the appendages above (I may choose these appendages). They can use these appendages in the same manner I do, and they will create pheromones like mine, however any people they enslave as a result will become my slaves instead. The fluids from an Enlightened can be used to stave off withdrawal symptoms from my other slaves, though they will still prefer my fluids over the Enlightened Slaves. I can only have 2 Enlightened Slaves; if I am at this limit, people I have subjected to my pheromones without enslaving will not themselves upon me.

My companion will automatically be an Enlightened but will not count toward my limit. They will have whatever appendages I wish them to.

Method 7: Vampirism

I will be a vampire. I will have superhuman strength, endurance, and speed but will have to feed at least once a week and cannot be exposed to direct sunlight. If I am exposed to sunlight I will die, but the Eternal Form power will revive me after one day. Unlike a traditional vampire, I will be able to feed on any bodily fluids, not just blood, and all of them will be far more delicious to me than any meal I have ever eaten. I will not have any of the other weaknesses or drawbacks associated with vampirism, and can even eat normal food, though it will not count as feeding and I will dislike the taste and smell of garlic.

I will be capable of mind-controlling others through a more advanced form of Eternal Eye. Rather than turning someone into a mindless drone, my version of Eternal Eye will turn someone into a willing servant (I may choose if the domination is merely of their body or of their mind and personality as well). In addition to following my commands, I can magically induce an increased production of any of my servant’s bodily fluids, allowing me to feed on them through any means I prefer. While these mind-controlled servants will be obedient to me, they will not have the benefits of Eternal Form and can be killed permanently. Additionally, I will not be able to dominate more than three people in this manner at the same time. While I may release my control over one of my servants whenever I wish to, they will always be aware of my control over them after the fact and I cannot mitigate this through any conventional method.

Alternatively, I may choose to create more vampires in service to me. To do so, I must perform a dark ritual where I drain their blood until they are on the brink of , then make them drink one of my own bodily fluids. The result will be a fledgling vampire who will be granted all of the same gifts as I have through this mind-control method, including the ability to dominate and control their own servants and create their own fledgling vampires. They will also have the Eternal Form power.

Any vampire I create, and any vampires they create through their own rituals, will be enslaved to me. These vampires will not know they are enslaved and will ignore any evidence presented to them that would prove the claim, even if I am the one who presents it, but they will obey my commands in a similar fashion to how slaves react to the Telepathy method’s commands, treating them as suggestions but always agreeing to them. Speaking of which, while I won’t be able to communicate telepathically with any of my vampires, I will be able to give them telepathic commands that they will obey believing them to be their own original ideas. Any of my vampire’s servants also count as my servants, and my commands will supersede theirs, but they won’t count against my limit of three. There is no limit to the number of vampires I can create, though I should take care with them as they will have their own thirsts to quench, and the more I create the more likely the wider world is of discovering our existence. Also, vampires cannot feed on other vampires to quell their need for bodily fluids.

My companion will not be a vampire and I cannot turn them; however, they will be a willing servant who does not count against my limit of three. They will also have the Eternal Form power as normal, and if I am sexually attracted to them, their bodily fluids will be my favorite to drink. Though my companion will have access to the Eternal Eye power as normal, theirs will not be the upgraded version that I can use.

Alternative to all of this, I may choose to have my companion be the vampire. If I do this, I won’t have any of the abilities outlined above and won’t be a vampire, instead my companion will. However, my companion will still obey my commands and I will still be able to give orders to my companion’s vampires or their servants. I can choose whether or not my companion knows that I am their master, but none of their vampires or servants will know and will take my orders as suggestions as normal. My companion won’t feed on anyone but me if I don’t want them to, and regardless I will be their favorite to feed on. I will be able to induce an increased production of any of my own bodily fluids at will.

Method 8: Witchcraft

This one is a bit unusual. My companion will be a powerful sorcerer and I will be the familiar that grants them their magic power. I will become a demon, growing horns and a prehensile spade-tipped tail, and gain the ability to polymorph into an animal or an object that the sorcerer can use. I can also use this polymorph power to hide my horns and tail if I wish to. The exact relationship dynamic between me and my companion will be up to me; I can either be their submissive that they pamper with love and affection, or I can be their master whose power they wield to serve my ambitions and goals. In either case, they will always have my best interests in mind.

While my companion will have many mind-bending spells at their disposal, the one they use to create slaves will be consistent: Domination. This spell creates a rune somewhere on the body of the target and enslaves them to the caster’s will. As long as the rune remains on the body, the target will be a willing and eager , to please the caster. The rune can only be removed by the caster or by use of extremely powerful curse-removing rituals that are difficult to perform and very rare even among spellcasters (though if the Eternal Conflict optional rules below are used, my antagonists will surely have their own effective methods). If a rune is removed, the former will remember their time as a and will be aware that they had their will dominated.

While I will not have direct command over the sorcerer’s slaves, the sorcerer will likely let me have my way with them. Depending on the precise dynamics of our relationship, my companion may even be specifically creating slaves for me to use as I please. Regardless of what our relationship is, I will be capable of giving telepathic commands to my companion if I wish to; they will believe these commands are their own ideas and won’t be aware of my ability to do this.

Method X: ???

((Author’s Note: If you wish to come up with your own enslavement method, you’re welcome to. Just make sure that it has some inherent drawback or limitation; it doesn’t have to be too bad, just imposing enough to be interesting. If I really like it, I’ll even add it to this list.))

Eternal Desire

In addition to all of the powers listed above, Veshra will grant me one wish. However, there are limitations. Veshra will not grant any wish that she deems too “practical” or “utilitarian”, she will only grant a wish that will bring meaning to my life and that will contribute to me finding true happiness.

Basically, I can’t wish for things like more wishes, nor can I wish for godlike power. While a wish can negate some of the drawbacks or limitations of my new powers, it must be incidental. I can’t make a wish with the sole intent of negating these drawbacks or limitations, it has to be tied to what I truly desire somehow.

Veshra’s wish is not from a monkey’s paw or a baleful genie. She will grant my wish based on my intent and desire in a way that won’t directly backfire. If reality were altered by my wish, it would only be altered in ways I would deem acceptable.

Alternatively, I can simply wish for more power. If I do this, then I may choose two of the above enslavement methods rather than just one. If I make this wish, then all of the specific numerical values in the description of those methods are cut in half, rounded down (for instance, if I choose both Shackle and Telepathy, I will only be able to enchant 5 items, instead of 10, and only be allowed to have 1 Consort, instead of 2) with the exception of anything time-based (the Parasite’s incubation period will still be one hour, not half an hour). If one of my chosen methods is Possession, increase the time required to convert someone into a willing by another two weeks.

Each can only be enslaved by one singular method at a time and can only gain any benefits from their specific method (someone who is enslaved by Telepathy can’t be a part of the Parasite’s hivemind, for instance, even if both methods are chosen. The point of this wish is to give me more options, not to stack benefits).

In addition, if this wish for power is selected, I will be granted a second Eternal Companion, but each companion must be enslaved by whichever method the other isn’t (if I have chosen Shackle and Parasite, one companion will be enslaved via Shackle and the other will be enslaved via Parasite).

Eternal Conflict (Optional)

((Author’s Note: Feel free to ignore these entries if you don’t want any conflict in your story, or feel free to introduce your own antagonists or conflict. By the same token you’re welcome to interpret the “supernatural powers” granted to your protagonist and their slaves however you like. It’s your story, have fun.))

Veshra, and those she blesses with her gifts, have many enemies. The more I use my powers the more open I will leave myself to being attacked by otherworldly and magical entities and organizations. Me and my slaves will be granted supernatural powers to help combat these foes, but they will only get more determined with each attempt to capture or destroy me. Veshra has reminded me that even though me and my slaves will be immortal, there are many fates that are worse than , so I will need to know all I can about who I am up against…

Ashura

Veshra is known as She Who Is, a goddess of creation and life. However, she has a dark brother by the name of Ashura, He Who Is Not. Ashura is a god of destruction, , and nothingness. Just like Veshra, Ashura has given gifts like mine to former mortals, but unlike her, he requires these mortals to serve him in exchange for the gifts he grants. These tortured souls may hold powers similar to mine and may even have their own slaves as well. Once they find out about my existence, they may want to siphon the deific power I hold to increase their own.

I might be able to convert the slaves of Ashura’s chosen into my own, but I would have to forcefully release them from their former master or mistress first. As for the chosen themselves, I would have to sever their tie to Ashura first, which can’t be an easy feat.

Azomeia

Azomeia is a goddess of light, honor, justice, and purity. She despises all things repulsive and degenerate. Though demons and their abyssal lords are her worst enemies, she has no love for Veshra or her chosen ones since they often give in to depravity. She has countless followers across the multiverse in many different worlds, and most of them can travel between them. I must be prepared for Azomeia’s warrior priests and priestesses to hunt me and my slaves. They have divinely inspired magic on their side and will not hesitate to use it to bring me down; they may even have methods of forcibly freeing my slaves, depending on the method I’ve chosen.

The Templars are no fools, they know what kinds of powers we chosen of Veshra possess and will come prepared to every battle. They have magic items and warding prayers that can shield their minds from my mind control powers; however, should I manage to knock one or remove the ward through other means, they will be just as helpless against my gifts as any other mortal. Should they manage to capture me, I should expect to spend the rest of eternity confined in one of their many supernatural prisons.

Voidwalkers

There is a place beyond the multiverse known as the Great Void. It is a realm of chaos and suffering without end, and every so often it will spit a Voidwalker into the multiverse to wreak havoc. Voidwalkers are witches and warlocks who have fused themselves with eldritch abominations from the Great Void to wield their power and supercharge their dark magic. They are beings of pure madness, whose motivations and desires are far beyond mortal comprehension; however, they may be attracted to the shift in reality caused by the wish Veshra grants to me.

The eldritch monsters that have fused themselves to the Voidwalker will naturally immunize them against any attempts at mind control, but the Void-Critters are notoriously cowardly in the face of foes they can’t defeat. If I can defeat a Voidwalker in battle, the eldritch entity may abandon the host in order to save its own life, which would allow me to add a powerful spellcaster to my ranks. Who knows, the casters may offer themselves up willingly just to save themselves from the maddening influence of their parasite.

I have little doubt that if I were to be defeated by a Voidwalker, they would transport me to the Great Void where I would be subject to unknown horrors that would drive me mad. I may even end up becoming a Voidwalker myself…

Mulvanis

Mulvanis is an abyssal—a demon god—of domination, hedonism, and ambition. He is the ruler of vampires, which apparently are demons, and is notoriously envious. He despises beings, and especially mortals, who can enslave others to their will—not for any altruistic reason, but because he wishes to enslave all other beings under his rule. My ability to enslave others may catch his attention, and he will send his minions after me in order to enslave me.

Vampires are immune to being mind controlled unless they subject themselves willingly to it, and as it happens, vampires loyal to Mulvanis have a glaring weakness in this regard. They have a culture of “might makes right”, so they will often submit to the command of anyone who bests them in battle. Vampires are powerful creatures, and Mulvanis has plenty of other demons and undead under his control, so beating them and adding them to my ranks would be worthwhile if I can manage it.

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These are the powers I offer you, mortal, the being spoke again in her choir of female voices. You must choose one method of enslavement and one wish for me to grant. In exchange for these gifts, I only require one simple thing. Slaves. Each year, you will be required to surrender a certain number of your slaves depending on which enslavement method you have chosen. Any slaves you give me no longer count toward the number of slaves you can own but be warned, these slaves will become loyal to me instead, and you will never see them again. You cannot surrender your Eternal Companion to me.

If you have chosen the Shackle method, you must give me fifteen slaves each year. These slaves MUST be fully conditioned and able to remain enslaved after removing your enchanted item.

If you have chosen the Parasite Method, you must give me thirty slaves each year. Any slaves that have a Brood-Lord Serpent will count as five. You may instead surrender excess eggs to me, however, they will only count as one-tenth of a .

If you have chosen the Telepathy Method, you must give me fifty slaves each year. I suppose you may instead surrender a single Consort to me to waive the requirement, though you would have to be far more heartless than I first assumed.

If you have chosen the Possession Method, you must give me five slaves each year. These slaves MUST be fully enslaved without your companion possessing them.

If you have chosen the Homunculus method, you must give me two fully grown homunculus bodies per year; these homunculi do not need to be sentient or enslaved. If you offer one of your enslaved homunculi to me, you will not need to provide me with slaves for the next ten years afterward, but just like destroying the , you will never be able to recreate their personality after doing so.

If you have chosen the Pheromones method, you must give me forty slaves each year. If you give me one of your Enlightened Slaves, they will count as twenty toward this requirement and I will increase your maximum number of Enlightened Slaves by one. I will only increase the maximum once per year, though you can still offer two Enlightened to cover your entire quota if you wish.

If you have chosen the Vampirism Method, you must give me one dominated servant plus one per vampire under your control per year. Alternatively, you can simply give me one of the vampires under your control and all of the servants they are currently dominating.

If you have chosen the Witchcraft Method, your sorcerer companion will have the ability to easily craft lust stones. These stones will absorb the erotic and lustful energy from you, specifically, and store it within the stone. The sorcerer will know when the stone is full, and they will have to surrender one full stone to me each year.

If you have chosen to wish for power and have two methods now, you will have to give me a number of slaves equal to whichever method has the higher requirement, then add ten. The slaves you give me can be from either method and I will accept any number of each. If one of your methods is Witchcraft, your sorcerer companion must give me a full stone each year regardless, but your quota for slaves will otherwise be halved.

And while we are on the topic of wishes, the gravity and impact your wish has may increase the number of slaves I will require, but that will be decided when I hear what you desire. Additionally, I will not grant a wish to waive this requirement. I can see into your pathetic little heart, mortal, I KNOW that is not what it truly wants; that is only what your MIND wants.

“Why do you want the slaves?” I asked.

I could feel an aura of impatience erupt from the monstrous being, and the voices it used in response were sneering and laden with fury. Do not pretend, mortal, that you care—it is none of your concern. I offer you the ability to make your destiny your own, to free yourself from mundanity and share in a small fraction of divinity. Deep down you have already decided that you find this exchange agreeable, do not waste my time with your puny-minded moral philosophy.

Though my conscience hated to admit it, she had a point.

If it concerns you so, the slaves you deliver shall not be mistreated. They will be just as happy in my service as they would be in yours; and any slaves you do not offer to me are yours to keep. Beyond this, I will require nothing more from you. You need not worship me, do my bidding, nor even approve of me. Your destiny will be yours to decide, mortal.

Suddenly, a bright red glow erupted from in front of the massive hydra, and a burning neon symbol hung in the air in front of me. It was an ouroboros, a snake eating its own tail.

Now choose! I have wasted enough of my time with you.

((Please include the gender of your protagonist in the chapter title, the enslavement method, and a brief description of their wish. If you plan on having this story take place in a fictional universe (like from movies, comics, or anime), please put your chapter in the first sub-thread. Thanks!))