Beta Testing the Apocalypse 080 (Patreon)

'So, you want to know how to reach the next Floor?' asked Virizion, sitting next to Leon with her feet tucked under her like a deer.

"That's right," replied Leon, stroking the underside of Virizion's elongated neck, throat, and chin, much like he did Latia.

'Mmm...then you must meet with our God...' explained Virizion, catching Leon a little off guard as he didn't expect to encounter something on the level of an Arceus on the Ninth Floor. Fortunately, that didn't appear to be entirely true as Virizion added, 'There is a mountain of cobalt stone far to the north. If you can overcome the trials within, you will discover a sacred relic known as the Azure Flute. Have an individual pure of heart or noble of character play the flute at the mountain's peak, and the vestige of our God may appear before you...'

"That's precisely the type of information I was looking for. You have my thanks..." stated Leon, scratching the underside of Virizion's chin, causing her reddish-pink eyes to narrow in satisfaction.

'It was nothing,' replied Virizion, tilting her head back to make it easier for Leon to rub the underside of her jaw as she stated, 'And if you ever desire my council anew or would simply like to chat, your Lordship is welcome to visit anytime.'

"You could come with me if you'd like," proposed Leon, but Virizion shook her head, unhesitantly responding, 'My brothers and I have a duty to this forest and the Pokemon who inhabit it. We have guarded it for countless generations and will continue to do so for as long as there are those who desire tranquility and seek safety beneath its boughs.'

"Then I'll be sure to designate this area as a preserve and keep people from entering it without permission," said Leon. "I'm sure some will come regardless, but those who serve me faithfully will be certain to show you and your kin the respect you deserve. Anyone who doesn't, you're free to deal with at your discretion..."

Exhaling a throaty, telepathic laugh, Virizion rubbed its cheek against Leon's hand one final time, musing, 'I'll be sure to keep that in mind...' before rising to her hoofed feet and prompting him and Latia to do the same, heralding an end to their exchange...

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With Virizion giving him an idea of where he should go and what he had to do, Leon was able to use his ability to open a portal to the entrance of an ancient temple carved into a massive, snow-capped mountain comprised of a distinctive, blue-hued granite. There were several fragmented pillars lining a paved, exceptionally weathered stone path, but the door blocking entry into the temple appeared pristine, constructed of a matte blue stone without a single blemish.

Staring at the relief carved into the 9x9m stone obstacle, depicting none other than Arceus surrounded by eighteen differently colored, diamond-shaped plates, Leon tentatively called out, "Open sesame...?" with a wry smile, causing Latia to tilt her head in confusion. Fortunately, just as Leon was considering phasing through or using his [Hoop Control(E)] to create a portal, the eyes of the Arceus flashed crimson encircled by green. Then, as if it were an illusion, the door faded into nothingness.

'I guess it was just there to keep wind, rain, and snow out...' concluded Leon, entering the temple's spacious interior with Latia close at his side. As they passed through a long corridor, torches lit up along their flanks in a variety of colors before they reached a massive chamber with a statue of Arceus flanked by two entryways emitting red and pale blue light from further down their respective paths.

[You have triggered the Secret Quest: Concord or Conflict. Enter the door on the left with someone you trust, and your bond will be tested. Enter on the right, and your might will be challenged.]

'Well, I'm definitely more of a lover than a fighter at this point...' thought Leon, turning to Latia and meeting her expectant gaze with a smile. She received the same notification despite not being a summon, so she knew what he expected of her, accepting Leon's outstretched hand with a smile as they made their way down the left path...

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*beep* *beep* *beep*

'Ugh...I feel like death...' thought Leon, forcing open his heavy eyes to find himself staring at a ceiling covered in porous, sound-absorbant tiles with CO2 detectors, square-shaped vents, sprinklers, and evenly spaced tube lights. His upper body was propped up on a cushioned surface with many pillows behind him, and thick, warm, pale blue blankets covered his body, somewhat restricting his movements. His left arm was fixed in place to prevent the needle in his arm from bending, diodes covered his chest, and a heart rate monitor had been hooked up to his left index finger.

'Is this a hospital...?'

Looking around, though it took a considerable amount of effort, Leon confirmed he was hooked up to life support before reaching up to feel the bandages enveloping most of his head. There was also a muted LCD TV hanging from the ceiling, broadcasting a familiar news station, but even if it 'were' real, Leon didn't panic or permit himself to believe he was back in the real world, presumably waking from a coma. It wasn't impossible, but after more than a year in Purgatoria, interacting with countless people he had come to care about, he would rather die than accept it had all been a dream.

'I'm definitely going to use this opportunity to get some sleep, though,' thought Leon, ignoring the compulsion to press the nurse call button as he closed his eyes and dozed off, aided by the medication flowing into his body. The pain in his head was intense, undoubtedly the result of his being shot, but after being awake for more than thirteen months, Leon had no real difficulty surrendering his consciousness and embracing the 'oblivion' that awaited...

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"Congratulations, you've died~!" exclaimed a familiar voice, prompting Leon to open his eyes and find Mirabelladonna materializing before his nonexistent face, exactly as she had in the past.

Adopting a smile, Leon raised his nonexistent right hand and said, "Hey, Mirabelladonna. Honestly, I'm a little surprised you would let the Tower use your likeness in a Trial."

Blinking in surprise, Mirabelladonna tilted her head and started to ask, "How do you know my-" before visibly 'glitching.' Afterward, the innocent aura she was exuding completely changed, either replaced by the actual Mirabelladonna or a very convincing fake.

"Well, if it isn't my current favorite Champion~" tittered Mirabelladonna, flying around Leon's nonexistent head before stopping in front of him with crossed arms, musing, "I see you've been getting a reasonable amount of use out of my blessing. And to think, you were so innocent and pure when I first saw you, ufufufufu~."

"Well, you, fate, or whatever else surrounded me with a bunch of amazing and, let's be honest, excessively thirsty women..." replied Leon, shrugging his nonexistent shoulders.

"It's not that they're thirsty, per se," said Mirabelladonna, followed by her revealing something Leon had suspected for quite some time. "It's due to your status as a Champion of Lust and Unrequited Love. So long as there is a 'gap' in the person's heart, one they yearn to fill, they will be drawn to you instinctively. But you should be cautious. If you willfully attempt to fill that void and do so without sufficient resolve, it could have...catastrophic consequences..."

"In other words, you're advising me to keep doing what I've been doing and to avoid reciprocating their feelings...unrequited love, right...?" asked Leon.

"And that's why you're currently my favorite~" mused Mirabelladonna, placing her hand where the tip of Leon's nose would have been if he weren't a phantom within his own imagination. As she did so, Leon felt a pleasant and, though he lacked a nose, 'fragrant' warmth permeating his body before he abruptly awoke in the middle of a glowing stone chamber with Latia unconscious at his side, still holding his hand. More notably, a notification had appeared in front of his face...

[Your Patron, the Marvelous and Magnificent Maribelladonna, is testing your worth as a Champion. You must have sex with at least 100 unique entities before the next Grand Banquet, or you will be 'disciplined.' Note that having sex with non-Legendary Pokemon of the same type will not count toward the total. Your current body count is (53/100).]

"Body count..." Leon parroted, a wry smile adorning his face. Fortunately, he had a pretty convenient way to increase it, as there were no fewer than seven brothels on the island. He would need to disguise himself, but if he put his mind to it, he could complete the challenge within a week, using it to glean some insight into how the brothels were operating to ensure they weren't violating any laws or mistreating their employees...

[Notice! The target must be aware of your identity for it to be considered consensual and count toward your total body count!]

'Well, fuck...' thought Leon.

"Mmnn...Master...?"

Interrupting Leon's thoughts, Latia opened her eyes and sat up, her eyes meeting his for several seconds before pouncing on him, shouting, "Leon!" with tears of happiness and relief streaming down her face. She also had a vision, one where she was forced to choose between sacrificing Leon or her brother. However, as the Leon in her vision ordered her to save him at the cost of her brother's life, Latia hadn't been deceived, believing in her heart that he would never command her to do such a thing. Still, as they had the same scent and were virtually indistinguishable from each other, Latia couldn't help feeling a little heartbroken, knowing that she had killed him by her own volition. Thus, to make it up to him, she peppered the real Leon's face with kisses before kissing him deeply, swearing to herself that she would serve and protect him, even at the cost of her life...

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Though they acquired the Azure Flute as a reward for completing the Hidden Quest and played it at the mountain's peak, neither Leon nor Latia succeeded in summoning Arceus. They tried several times, but they were either not pure enough of heart or noble enough of character, as the only response to their playing was a distant echo and the shrill whistle of high-altitude, bone-chilling winds. Fortunately, Leon had a pretty good idea of someone who might be but decided to put off hailing Arceus until later, as Latia was still notably affected by the trial. Less importantly, fewer than half the members of the Frontier Expeditions Squads had completed the Quest to enter the Ninth Floor, so there was no pressing need to advance to the Tenth right then and there...

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"Is that what I think it is...?" asked Tatsumaki, nestled next to Leon in her birthday suit, her expression moderately incredulous as she watched him pull out and play with a Blue Crystal.

"Yeah..." replied Leon, explaining, "I received it as a reward for defeating a clearly malevolent Mythical Pokemon. But I'm unsure if I should present it to one of my more loyal followers as a reward, use it to summon a capable ally, or break it down into ten Green Crystals..."

As there were still a few Crimson Valkyries who were Yellow-Grade, such as Eris, ten Green Crystals could go a long way. On the other hand, Blue Crystals were hard to come by, so he felt it would be a waste to break it down. After all, the combined crystal income of the entire island equated to less than three Yellow Crystals a day. Even if they stockpiled every last fragment they acquired for a month, it might not correlate to a single Blue Crystal...

"If you give it to me and I succeed in summoning my sister, I'll become your personal cock sleeve till I save enough fragments to acquire a Blue Crystal of my own..." stated Tatsumaki, leaving Leon feeling a little taken aback. A small part of him was tempted to ask how her becoming his cock sleeve would change anything, but since he knew better than most how much Tatsumaki cared for her younger yet markedly more mature-looking sister, Leon knew she would be genuinely grateful if he helped her. Thus, after a brief moment of consideration, he smiled, surprised her with a kiss, and mused, "Don't say I never do anything for you..."

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