Beta Testing the Apocalypse 088 (Patreon)

As some people's Trials involved reliving past experiences or overcoming illusions similar to the one Leon was briefly trapped in on the Ninth Floor, only seven people managed to clear the Trial within the first day. Leaving the Waiting Area also seemed impossible for anyone but Leon, even when he tried possession, so they were trapped until at least three more people finished.

Fortunately, they learned from the Trial of Yamcha, which ended in his being killed by King Piccolo, that death simply resulted in their being sent to the Waiting Area alongside everyone else. The only difference was that those who failed their Trials didn't receive any new Skills or rewards. They were also unable to play most of the arcade games, and the condition of their rooms and the food they were given were dreadful, but it was better than being dead...

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Since those partaking in the Trial had friends, family, and loved ones they cared about, Leon left the Tower in the late afternoon to reassure those at its entrance and ensure nothing had gone amiss throughout the day. After all, most of Purgatoria's powerhouses were currently indisposed, so it was an excellent opportunity for those with nefarious intents to act when they believed no one would be looking.

Luckily, though some suspicious activities were reported in the East, the Capital City, Unica, was peaceful. It helped that the humanoid population of the Capital didn't even exceed a thousand people, so while there were the occasional drunken brawls and disputes, there were very few serious offenses. The most severe crime that evening was a dine and dash, but as pretty much everyone in the Capital knew each other, it didn't take long to apprehend the culprit and have them pay off their debt by washing dishes and scrubbing the restaurant's toilets. As such, it wasn't long before Leon was back at his palace, enjoying a full course of his own...

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Upon returning to the Tenth Floor's Waiting Room around 4 AM, Leon was surprised to find it bright and well-lit. Ordinarily, it was dark, like a movie theater, so the atmosphere was completely different. More notably, there were twenty-seven people gathered in the arcade area, which now looked like a banquet hall, complete with tables of food and drink.

Spotting Leon immediately, Ed, holding a bottle of champagne by the neck, shouted, "There he is! It's about damn time you showed up, Leon! Come and celebrate with us...!"

Though he made his way over, Leon naturally gravitated toward a group consisting of Miu, Ridley, and Cynthia, smiling as he asked, "I'm guessing we have enough people to enter the next Floor...?"

"Indeed," replied Cynthia, handing Leon her half-emptied glass of wine as she explained, "But the reason everyone here is in a good mood is that we each received a Title called [First Generation Trailblazer]. Not only does it increase each of our attributes by 100, but it also provides bonuses when battling against monsters and completing Quests on the highest available Floor."

"Leoooooooon~! Gimme a kiss! *mwah* *mwah*"

Before Leon could respond to Cynthia or ask her questions, Eris came out of nowhere to pounce on him, her face flushed from alcohol as she clung to his back and peppered his face with sloppy kisses. Leon didn't mind that she had pounced on him, but he frowned when he realized she was wearing little more than the Crimson Valkyries' standard underclothes and a pair of white shorts that were presently unbuttoned.

"Don't worry," said Cynthia, preempting Leon's looking around the room by informing, "I've been keeping a close eye on everyone. That Yamcha fellow has made a pass at several members of the Frontier Expedition and Crimsona Valkyrie Squad, but each has turned him down."

"Yeah! Fuck that guy~!" exclaimed Eris, leaning back but maintaining her hold on Leon, nearly causing them to stumble backward. Fortunately, the moment she did so, a luminous green aura enveloped her, preventing her from falling as Tatsumaki floated over with crossed arms, asking, "Are you done fooling around? If so, head over to Mordred. She's in the room at the far end of the Rest Area."

Piggybacking off Tatsumaki's words, Cynthia explained, "According to a system notification we received earlier, everyone in the Waiting Area will be transported to the Eleventh Floor at precisely 5:30 AM. Just so you're aware."

"Much appreciated," replied Leon, making a casual come hither gesture to give the three blondes kisses before making his way toward the Rest Area with Eris still clinging to him. Then, after dropping her off in her room and ordering her to get some rest before the transference, he made his way to the end of the curved corridor where a bulkhead-like gate, which hadn't been present before, now stood open. Beyond that was what looked like a futuristic gestation chamber with a large, cylindrical tank filled with bright blue liquid and a control console.

Hearing Leon's approach, Mordred half-turned, smiling as she said, "It's about time you showed up. I was starting to worry we'd be transported to the Eleventh Floor, and then someone from the next group would come by to mess things up."

"What is this place...?" asked Leon, though he already had a pretty good idea based on his knowledge of sci-fi and the fact the console Mordred was standing at had a display reminiscent of a character creator, which, at that moment, depicted a nude, golden-haired man with bright green eyes and a fairly large dick.

"According to the notification I received, it's some kind of cloning facility that will shut down once it produces one final clone," explained Mordred. "I've spent the past few hours tweaking a body for you, but if you don't like it, there are a ton of other options and even a few presets available."

"Do 'you' like it...?" asked Leon, wrapping his arms around Mordred and resting his chin atop her head. He felt that her creation looked a lot like a male version of her, but he didn't mind. After all, a few days after their return from the Grand Banquet, she had Bulma swap out his original wig for a golden-haired one, arguing it made him look more kingly...

"The only thing I'm uncertain about is this..." muttered Mordred, using her right index finger to adjust the slider for the clone's cock. She previously had it set to around fifteen centimeters soft, but it could be increased as high as twenty-five or as low as five. Leon had gotten used to being able to swap his dick out on the fly, but if he had to choose one to carry with him for the rest of his life, he would prefer it be on the larger side as that's what most of the women he associated with were used to. However, as a soft twenty-five centimeters would doubtlessly get in the way, he 'settled' for twenty...

"Bold, but not brazen..." mused Mordred. Then, raising her gaze to meet Leon's, her expression became serious as she added, "There's just one problem. The previous notification mentioned that the clone would grow quickly, but it would still take three years to mature. And since it's a living creature without an ego or soul of its own...it will die if you separate from it for too long..."

"Ah..."

Realizing what Mordred was getting at, Leon's brows furrowed, and his expression became serious. He 'needed' a body for his peace of mind, but without something like a life support system, it would perish like any other creature if its soul were removed. In other words, the moment he became one with the clone, he would have to remain inside. And, while three years wasn't a particularly lengthy period, it meant he would have to experience infancy and practically live attached to a teat to avoid starving due to his speedy metabolism and rampant growth...

'Looks like Elizabeth's training will have to wait...' thought Leon, outwardly smiling as he said, "Well, this is going to suck. But at least we have a few Draph women around. With their ability to produce breast milk year-round, I won't have to worry about starving to death..."

"Should I call over Narmaya, Daetta, and Raiza?" asked Mordred. "There's also that pickaxe-wielding woman from the Frontier Mining Association. I believe her name was Almeida...?"

Though he knew he would be doing it to survive, the notion of drinking Narmaya's and the other Draph women's breast milk caused Leon to feel warm. He had sampled each of their breast milk in the past and even developed a fondness for the milk of a serial drunkard named Lamretta, as it reminded him of Bailey's alcohol-based creamer, but there was quite a big difference from sucking on a woman's tit during sex and depending on them for sustenance...not to mention changing his diapers.

'This is going to suck...' thought Leon, outwardly responding, "For now, it would be best to pass me off to Narmaya. But since she and the others you mentioned are all members of the Crimson Valkyries, it would be best to hire someone else to look after me back at the castle..."

"There's that Alicia woman who works as a Receptionist for the Explorer's Guild," suggested Mordred. "If I remember accurately, you were pretty happy when she was summoned, mistaking her for someone called Aliza. This could be your opportunity to sink your teeth into her. Once they grow in, at least."

"Tempting...but from what I remember, Alicia is pretty smitten with her husband and is currently saving up to summon him and her daughter..." responded Leon. "I've certainly become more 'degenerate' compared to when we first arrived in Purgatoria, but I wouldn't interfere with a happily married couple. If it were Aliza herself, definitely, but targetting her mom is a bit much..."

"Well, we'll figure something out," said Mordred, spreading her hands and shrugging. "The most important thing right now is securing your body and seeing that you're safely returned to the castle. Then, while you focus on growing and training, the FES will take over scouting and conquering the Tower to give newer members a taste of what it's like to explore 'without' the advantages of the maps you provide. There are some who believe you contribute little to our progress and hoard most of the benefits, so this is an excellent opportunity to show them what it's like to have no idea what they're dealing with..."

"Right...I'm going to have to actually train in the future..." remarked Leon, smiling wryly. They had already confirmed that the stats that appeared in a person's Status were more like percentage modifiers. If two people had 100 Strength, but one was a martial artist while the other had never even lifted a barbell, the former would be 'much' stronger. Thus, while he would likely retain his stats once he inhabited his new body, Leon would need to train hard to become powerful and develop a figure others would envy or desire...

"Didn't you say you were an athlete in your previous life?" asked Mordred, elbowing Leon in the gut as she said, "I'm sure you'll do your best," before pressing the 'confirm' button on the console. As she did, the glowing blue liquid within the container began to bubble, followed by what appeared to be a tiny fetus materializing and growing rapidly within a clear, somewhat veinous sack that was most likely a placenta...

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[Three Months Later]

With a body that grew roughly seven times faster than normal, Leon was already able to walk around his palace, looking like a very dapper toddler with his neatly combed golden hair and luminous green eyes. Behind him was a remarkably buxom woman with brown skin and wild blonde hair set into four separate tufts, two of which extended to the backs of her calves, but as he had grown weary of spending hours a day attached to a breast, Leon was wearing a thermally regulated camelback filled with milk as he walked around to get his body accustomed to movement.

"Careful that you don't trip," said the chocolate/blonde beauty, wearing a black, bikini-like top, padded armguards, and thick pants typically used in mining. She initially wore a Maid outfit, but once Leon's brain was able to form coherent thoughts, allowing him to communicate with the Gardevoir helping to care for him, he permitted her to wear whatever she wanted as not all girls were comfortable wearing dresses or skirts.

"I'm not-"

Before Leon could finish speaking, he promptly tripped over his own feet. He didn't sustain any injuries thanks to the benefits of his Endurance stat, but he suffered a bit of a mental blow hearing the woman, Almeida, laugh and shout, "I told you to be careful...!" while Rem and Ram, who tailed him pretty much everywhere, swooped in to help him stand...

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