The Method and Its Side Effects
She had decided to make her into food. “There is a way. But there are side effects as well. Would that be all right?”
“I’ll listen first.”
I explained ovarian modification and the yin brand in moderate detail, laying out both the advantages and the drawbacks. As she listened, her face gradually flushed crimson. She covered her mouth with one hand and listened intently.
“Th-the symptom called estrus… is it very difficult to endure?”
“When sexual desire builds up, it can be a little hard to bear, but if you relieve it regularly there’s not much difference from normal life. It strengthens breeding instincts, so once those are satisfied, the issue resolves itself.”
“Haaah… Still, the benefits seem overwhelmingly greater than the side effects. Hmm. May I think about it a little longer before deciding?”
“Of course. After all, this directly affects your body, Miss Ruya.”
I had worried she might react negatively, but fortunately she seemed to be considering it in a positive light. Come to think of it, compared to our own dimension—where people generally felt instinctive aversion toward succubi—the beings I had met here viewed them more like rare spirits. They held no particular negativity or rejection. On the contrary, many, like Ruya, approached the idea of a succubus with open curiosity and favor. The image was surprisingly favorable.
While we talked, the flying car glided smoothly onward and came to a stop before a splendidly decorated building. As expected, the entrance was packed with a dizzying variety of beings coming and going; there was barely room to set foot inside.
When the doors folded open on both sides and we stepped out, a cacophony of sounds assaulted us from every direction. Cries, speech with strangely rising inflections at the end of every sentence, and beings that repeated the same tone like some kind of signaling code. Thanks to the translation magic on my ring, I could understand the meaning, yet the actual sounds that reached my ears went far beyond ordinary speech.
“A bit chaotic, isn’t it? It’s always like this here.”
“Still, it’s fun to look around.”
“Don’t stare too obviously. It’s basic manners we all have to observe.”
“Understood.”
Following Ruya’s lead, I was too busy drinking in the sight of all the strange beings to pay much attention to anything else. While my gaze was stolen by something that looked like a floating stingray, Ruya had already lined up, received a numbered ticket, and guided me safely to a seat in front of a counselor.
Inside a room that could only be described as small, we sat across from a woman with eight arms and compound eyes like an insect. A table divided the space neatly in half as we began the consultation for registering as a dimensional lost person.
“Your name is Elisha Dryvyq, species is succubus, age is twenty. You arrived on the Earth dimension through a dungeon from an unconfirmed dimension. Is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“And your guardian is Miss Ruya Agrasil.”
“Correct.”
While conducting the businesslike Q&A, she kept twitching the antennae on her head and typing something. Then one of the arms attached to her back stretched across the table, and three fingers offered me a sheet of paper.
Ooh. Having multiple hands must be surprisingly convenient.
“While you fill out the documents, please go to the physical examination room and obtain your test certificate. Submit this when you return.”
“Understood.”
Now that I look, the front is a proper suit, but the back is completely open to accommodate all those arms.
With six arms growing out of her back, the clothes would have to be designed that way.
We left the consultation room. Although I still couldn’t read the writing, the unmistakable symbol for an examination room guided us to what was clearly the right place.
Inside the examination room waited a writhing mass of tentacles wearing a white lab coat.
Huh? A mass of tentacles?
What species could that possibly be?
I was cautiously observing this being that surpassed all imagination when it noticed me. One of its many tentacles stretched out and gently tapped the tip against my cheek.
—You’re here for the examination, correct? Please hand me the certificate, change in the dressing room, and come back out.
“Uh… yes.”
It felt strangely as if the words were being spoken directly inside my head. Caught off guard by the unexpectedly gentle tone, I answered. The tentacle took the certificate from my hand and began extending countless others in every direction, preparing for the exam.
I guessed from the lab coat that it was an intelligent lifeform, but still…
The mysteries of life truly know no bounds.
After watching the dazzling dance of tentacles for a moment, I entered the dressing room, removed my clothes, and emerged wearing only a thin white gown.
The memory of the days when I had been treated as an experimental subject came rushing back, leaving me strangely unsettled as I waited. Once again a tentacle tip touched my cheek, and its intent flowed into me.
—The examination is simple, so please don’t be too nervous. We follow safe, standardized procedures, so you may rest easy.
“Y-yes.”
—Then let’s begin.
The moment it announced the start of the examination, countless tentacles surged over my body. Even though I had been told it wasn’t dangerous, the overwhelming sight still made me flinch and let out an involuntary moan.
Ugh… it’s not exactly a pleasant sight physiologically.
Still, moving so many tentacles at once is impressive.
The tentacles moved as if stroking and inspecting my skin, then one plunged into my neck and injected something. It must have been fast-acting; my consciousness grew hazy and my body went limp. The tentacles that gently caught and supported me immediately became far more active.
The ones that had been softly rubbing every inch of my body soon began slipping inside through every opening. Though they moved with extreme care and gentleness, the very idea of tentacles entering my body should have triggered strong revulsion. Yet whatever had been injected through my neck clouded my mind and dulled my senses, so the discomfort barely registered.
A tentacle that had meticulously explored my mouth slid down my throat and into my stomach. Another that entered through my anus traveled up my intestines. As I felt the tentacle spreading my folds and pushing inside, I suddenly worried about how Las would react.
Will Las stay calm?
It has grown a lot since before, so it should behave.
I hope so.
The tentacle that had been rubbing along my inner walls finally reached the entrance to my womb. It stroked the elastic latex-like cervical opening, then split into three prongs, inserted its tips, and began to spread the passage open. The sudden forced dilation startled my uterus; its pulsing quickened and Las began to react.
I shifted my consciousness to my womb to watch. The flexible latex-like cervix had opened without much resistance, and a single strand of tentacle was now sliding inside. I felt it glide along the smooth inner wall of my uterus. Naturally, Las appeared in its miniature slime form and began observing the intruder.
Clearly it had changed. Before, it would have tried to push the intruder out immediately. Now it seemed curious and was watching first. Worried it might still try to expel the tentacle, I summoned an Abaddon tentacle, gently stroked and wrapped around Las to soothe it. Understanding my intention, Las quietly nestled against me before melting back into the uterine wall and disappearing.
Meanwhile, the tentacles exploring inside my uterus split into microscopic filaments that traveled up the fallopian tubes and examined my ovaries. Because Las had coated them in a latex membrane, they were effectively shielded; the tentacles could not touch them directly. One of the tentacles probing the latex barrier sharpened its tip, pierced through, and finally made contact with the ovary itself.
A sharp sting of pain bloomed as the tentacle pierced my most sensitive organ.
Ouch… why is it going all the way to the ovaries?
Who knows? Maybe it’s collecting eggs?
As I watched, just as Elisa had guessed, the tip of the tentacle inside my ovary released a substance that forcibly triggered ovulation. Several eggs were produced. The tentacle carefully gathered them, then withdrew as gently as it had entered.
Is egg collection part of a physical examination? Ah, the tentacles that entered through my mouth and anus just met inside my belly.
What a peculiar way to conduct a medical exam. Though considering all the species I’ve seen so far, standard methods probably wouldn’t work.
Mmm… I feel so languid and pleasant.
While I was enjoying the drowsy sensation caused by whatever had been injected into my neck, Elisa spoke.
It’s also drawing artificial blood through the tentacle in your neck.
Hmm. Artificial blood contains no genetic information.
The artificial blood circulating through my full-body prosthesis was manufactured through complex processes in an artificial heart. It possessed purely mechanical properties with zero biological characteristics. Even if they collected it, they would gain none of my genetic data, rendering the sample useless.
After thoroughly inspecting every last orifice—including my nostrils and ear canals—the tentacles finally lowered me onto a soft chair. I sat there in a daze, my consciousness hazy and senses dulled, when something cold was injected through the tentacle still embedded in my neck. My mind and senses sharpened instantly.
Wow. It can freely administer anesthesia and reversal agents. Incredible.
There really are so many unique species here.
Once the tentacle withdrew from my neck, the being touched my cheek again and conveyed its thoughts.
—The examination is complete. Please rest until your body regains strength before leaving.
“All right.”
—Hoho, it’s been a long time since I’ve had such a well-behaved patient. Thank you.
“You were kind enough to anesthetize me first. How could I not be cooperative?”
—The anesthesia is partly to reduce resistance, but mostly to prevent thrashing. Very few patients are as docile as you, miss.
Well, I had grown far too accustomed to being treated as a test subject, so it hadn’t bothered me. For ordinary people, however, such an examination would have been deeply unsettling.
“Is there a particular reason examinations are performed this way?”
—So many different species from countless dimensions come for examination. My kind is exceptionally good at sensing living organisms, so we were assigned to handle them. And as you can see, our appearance tends to provoke strong aversion. Hoho.
“I can understand that. But is egg collection also part of the standard examination?”
—Oh my, the anesthetic should have dulled your senses. How sensitive you are. You felt that?
She—she? It?—flapped its tentacles in exaggerated surprise.
—When an exceptionally rare species undergoes examination, we collect eggs from females and sperm from males for species preservation and research. Especially in your case, miss, a succubus is so extraordinarily rare across all dimensions that it is of utmost importance.
She emphasized her words by waving her pale lavender tentacles. Still, even if they took my eggs, all they would get were human genes. Succubus reproduction fundamentally depended on the creation of a magic core; genetics were secondary at best.
—Your precious eggs will be cryogenically stored under the strictest protection so they cannot be misused.
“Can I trust you on that?”
—Of course. We are extremely strict about handling personal information.
She tapped the center of her body several times with a tentacle as if to say, “Trust me.”
Hmm… Should I tell her about how succubi actually reproduce?
It would be better not to reveal it. While succubus reproduction is unusual, I believe genetic factors are still involved.
Genetic factors?
Yes. Both Uriel and Kyubey, who were created by cloning your genes, possess equally high aptitude for magic cores. Kyubey received a new body and had a core implanted without any complications. You too accepted a core easily even after your womb was consumed by Las. I am certain there is a genetic marker in your DNA that determines succubus aptitude.
Huh…
Listening to Elisa, it did make sense. In the end, I said nothing to the tentacled being, changed back into my clothes, and left the examination room.
On the way back to the consultation room, a question suddenly occurred to me.
By the way, Elisa. How did she manage to force me to ovulate? I thought succubi couldn’t be forcibly induced at all.
That only applies to ordinary succubi. You are different in many ways. Even Faust, who spent years researching ways to induce ovulation in succubi, ultimately failed to find a method.
After the founding of New Eden, I had occasionally visited Faust’s laboratory and played the part of test subject. After repeated experiments, the only conclusions reached were that a succubus could only ovulate and become pregnant if she possessed Abaddon abilities, and that any child born that way would be an ordinary human rather than a succubus.
Hmm. If my sister formed a symbiosis with an Abaddon, she might be able to have children too.
She would hate that idea.
True. My sister, who already despised being controlled by anyone even more than Maria did, would certainly view symbiosis with an Abaddon as something to avoid at all costs. Though it felt strange for me—an angel, succubus, and Abaddon host—to say so, Abaddons tended to be quite willful. There was no telling when one might decide to seize full control of its host.
When I returned to the consultation room, the eight-armed counselor greeted me with a calm, businesslike expression. She asked me to wait a moment and focused on typing at her keyboard. While simultaneously conducting a conversation through an earpiece and operating all eight arms independently to handle multiple tasks at once, she displayed astonishing multitasking ability. When she finally finished, she neatly folded her arms, turned to me, and spoke.
“I have received the examination results. The majority of your body consists of non-biological robotic components. Even your reproductive organs are artificial. However, you still possess reproductive cells containing genetic factors, and given that you belong to an exceptionally rare species, we will grant special exemptions on several conditions. You will be officially registered in the Dimensional Lost Protection Program without issue. This chip contains detailed information about the program, and this is an emergency contact device.”
Ah… Because my womb is made of latex, they must have assumed it was an artificial uterus.
Anyone who doesn’t know the full story would naturally misunderstand.
I accepted the unfamiliar memory chip and communication device, turning them over in my hands while her explanation continued.
“Please be cautious if anyone other than your guardian attempts to approach you intentionally. Although public security is strictly maintained, this place is a melting pot of countless species. No one can predict when you might become the target of crime.”
“I understand. I’ll be careful.”
“It’s unlikely that anyone would dare target someone under the protection of the Agrasil family… but a succubus is a being worth risking danger for.”
“Yes…”
It seemed my extreme rarity made me a potential target for criminal elements. In the past I would have been confident I could overcome any threat with raw strength, but after everything I had experienced on the Earth dimension, I could no longer make such guarantees.
Even the parasitic tentacle Tya possesses near-perfect stealth abilities. Among so many species, there must be some with even more dangerous powers.
That’s true. It’s best to remain cautious.
After listening to the counselor’s concerned advice, we left the room and headed for the lobby. Ruya, who had been waiting on a chair, spotted me and waved.
“Welcome back. Is the consultation finished?”
“Yes. It was simpler than I expected.”
“What’s there to complicate it? An unregistered being received a guardian’s guarantee, underwent a physical examination for identity verification, and that’s it.”
So the physical exam also served as identity confirmation.
There must have been people who tried to register under false appearances.
“All right. Let’s go to my house now.”
“Yes.”
Just as we had done on the way to the office, we boarded the flying car and headed toward the World Tree where Ruya’s home was located. The closer we drew to the World Tree, the more its overwhelming size inspired fresh awe.