The feeling of oppression grew more intense the deeper we went, but we figured we had already covered at least more than half of the journey.
The tunnels became stranger, as did the creatures inhabiting this place. We also noticed remnants of machinery and various beings that didn't seem to belong to the same species as these aliens. Possibly visitors... or previous victims.
"It's that way," Tonks said, pointing to one of the entrances among the many forks in front of us. "I have a feeling. It's just a hunch."
"That's not it," I disagreed while intensifying my powers.
"It's not over there? But I felt that..." she responded, confused. Something inside her told her that was the right way.
"Yes, it's the right path, but it's not a hunch," I explained. "Remember Occlumency classes? Use it."
Tonks looked at me, not understanding, but she tried. As soon as she did, a chill ran down her body. Her eyes widened in terror. She hadn't realized that certain thoughts, not her own, had invaded her mind.
"What was that?" she asked, trembling. The mental invasion had been so subtle it was terrifying.
Yexi, beside her, didn't seem to notice anything strange.
"Some of these aliens have psionic abilities, but there's one in particular who's incredibly powerful. He's guiding us, whether for good or ill," I explained. "He's so strong he should be among the top 100 most powerful psychics."
"I don't feel anything strange," Yexi said calmly.
"Do you want to have sex with me?" I asked regretfully. "I warn you, I like it rough, very rough. You'll get hurt."
"That would be great. After this mission, we can do it," she responded, excited.
"I mean now. We can stop for a while and do it." (Red)
"No, it would be dangerous. We should keep going. When it's all over, we can do it non-stop, but right now..." she refused without hesitation.
"See?" I told Tonks.
"Yes..." she replied, finally understanding.
"Alright, Yexi, let's keep going," I said, watching how the mental manipulation kept her completely focused on reaching the planet's core with us.
That's why Tonks took out a special headband and placed it on her head. It was an artifact that enhanced psionic abilities and provided a certain level of mental defense, which alleviated her situation, though it was still worsening.
Tonks, still tense, took out a special headband and placed it on her head. It was an artifact that boosted psionic abilities and provided some mental defense. As soon as she did, her situation improved a bit, though the psychic pressure kept increasing.
The closer we got, the stronger the mental invasion became. Tonks regretted not studying Occlumency more deeply. Meanwhile, Yexi still didn't notice anything strange. She felt excited to be so close to completing the mission, even if she knew she would die. Her dilated pupils were a clear sign of the influence being exerted on her.
I, on the other hand, had no problem. My mind was already an absolute void even to the most powerful wizards in the magical world. And although this psychic entity was incredibly strong, it couldn't penetrate my mind.
...
Our path became more and more complicated as we neared the core. The vehicle became completely useless in the last few kilometers, forcing us to walk for hours. But in the end, we almost reached our destination.
The alien creatures had stopped appearing almost two kilometers ago. Well, actually earlier, but what I meant was that, besides the organic walls surrounding us, there wasn't a single trace of them. It was as if they had never set foot in this place. As if they were unimaginably far from here.
Not far ahead, a massive entrance rose, leading to the planet's core. It was a relief to know it was almost over. We'd been traveling for over a day between walking and driving, and the only reason we were still standing was the tension of the moment... and the stimulants we had consumed.
"When we cross that arch, you might get scared," I warned. "Don't ever stop, but move as slowly as possible to buy time."
"What's happening? What's there?" Tonks asked, her voice tinged with nervousness. The relief she had felt knowing we were close to the end faded instantly.
"You'll see. Just do what I say. As long as we keep moving forward, maybe we'll have some time to talk and react. So stay alert," I said, and at the same time, with [message], I transmitted an extra thought: [And watch that Yexi doesn't cause problems. Disable her if necessary].
Finally, we reached the great stone arch, and as we passed through it, we saw it.
Thanks to the faint light emanating from certain areas, we could clearly see it.
The planet's core.
Or rather... what used to be the core.
In front of us, immense and monstrous, was a fleshy mass pulsing in sections. It extended in all directions, connected to the planet itself as if it were its spinal cord.
"What is that...?" Tonks stammered, paralyzed by fear.
The overwhelming presence of that thing crushed her. Her Occlumency, which had been her defense up until now, was like a thin sheet of paper about to tear. Her mind was on the verge of contamination.
The only reason she was still conscious was because most of the mental invasion was aimed at me.
Yexi, on the other hand, was already completely lost. Her empty gaze, erratic breathing. She could barely think. She only kept walking because Tonks was dragging her by the arm.
"I can't answer you for sure," I said, never taking my eyes off that monstrosity. "But if I had to take a guess, I'd say this thing is the brain behind the aliens."
Tonks looked at me without understanding.
"Remember when I told you not to touch the walls?" I continued. "This is no longer a planet. This thing has eaten everything. It has consumed it entirely. This world is just an empty shell hiding the creature that expanded inside it."
"You mean... it's the size of the whole planet?" she exclaimed, horrified.
"Yes. And it probably only stopped because if it kept growing, it would have lost its cover. If this planet had been larger, it would have devoured it too." As I spoke, my mind processed countless possible strategies.
"I… feel like I want to touch it… hug it," Tonks said in a dreamy tone, though fear consumed her inside. She knew those thoughts weren't hers.
"Just hang on a little longer," I told her, releasing my auras. Although I didn't have any specialized in resisting mental influences, the relief she felt was enough to prevent her from ending up like Yexi.
"What does it want from us?" she asked, dizzy. Despite regaining some control, she still felt strange. "What are we going to do?"
"Surely it desires our magic and power. It knows we're different, and that's why it covets us," I replied, watching as the massive fleshy mass began to change.
We continued walking slowly, trying to buy time, when a terrifying vision appeared before us. From that monstrosity emerged something that could only be described as a humanoid skull. It wasn't entirely human, but the resemblance was undeniable. However, it wasn't a real skull, but a shape deliberately created, perhaps to draw our attention, calm us, or who knows what purpose.
Tonks could barely contain herself. Whether it was fear or mental contamination, the sight of those glowing eyes, which seemed to pierce her psyche, destabilized her. With all the willpower she had left, she desperately clung to my clothes, the only connection that kept her conscious.
"What… will we… do?" she asked in a slow tone, as if she were in a dream.
"I've been thinking about it since I felt its presence," I replied. "I considered gathering all my power and casting the most powerful Avada Kedavra in history, capable of killing a living planet… but I discarded that. I don't know if it would work, if my power would be enough, or if it simply wouldn't be affected. If I failed, I'd be defenseless. Then I thought about Fiendfyre… its psychic power is immense, but if I acted quickly, maybe it wouldn't be able to counter it. However, this creature seems to have absorbed attributes from all the aliens we've faced, and some unknown ones. If it has developed resistance to fire and manages to understand Fiendfyre before it consumes it, it would be catastrophic," I explained calmly, growing more confident in the strategy to follow.
"So… then… what…," Tonks asked with difficulty.
"We will resort to one-time consumables, similar to the one that made me fuck your mother," I said coldly. Tonks didn't even flinch; her mind was so subdued at this point that she didn't seem to notice anything strange in my words. "Get ready, Tonks. I'll try to protect you, but preventing this from affecting you completely might be impossible."
We were approaching the skull. Well, in terms of scale, we were probably still over a hundred meters away, but the creature began to lean towards us.
[Wrath] intensified until a red smoke began to emanate from my body. Reaching this level of power was difficult; it required enormous concentration, even more so when I planned to unleash multiple abilities simultaneously. But now it wasn't a problem. I also used [Envy].
What I copied with it was the thinking capacity of the monster in front of me. A being capable of controlling millions of creatures must possess an impressive processing power… and now, that power was mine.
At that moment, I unleashed my [Aura of Lust] in its full splendor, directing it straight at the creature.
The atmosphere seemed to freeze for an instant before becoming violently extreme. A roar swept through the place as the alien swarm that had previously blocked our path went mad. The creatures began to run frantically in my direction, desperate to reproduce with me. However, they were stopped and repelled.
His master forbade it.
Not because he was worried about me… well, almost. That thing wanted to absorb us, assimilate us, or parasitize us. I wasn't entirely sure, but being able to understand its language, I realized that my [aura] and my [essence] of lust had affected it. A being capable of consuming entire worlds now only desired one thing…
To reproduce with me.
It was terrifying in its own way, and what followed was even worse.
The skull shattered into multiple fragments and withdrew, revealing how the fleshy mass split open. From within, countless tentacles and appendages emerged, extending toward me with intentions I didn't want to imagine.
I shuddered, and so did Tonks and Yexi. Both seemed to have regained their senses. With my aura released, the creature focused all its attention on me, ceasing its invasion of their minds.
Of course, now they would suffer the side effects of my aura of lust. It wasn't as intense for them since it wasn't directed at their psyche, but their bodies still reacted.
Tonks' nipples were hardened, and her pussy was wet. Her own body urged her to pounce on me, but having experienced this before and recalling my words, she barely managed to restrain herself.
Yexi, on the other hand, seemed like a bitch in heat, ready to throw herself at me. At least she was conscious now, but her body refused to obey her.
Tonks did what she could to hold her back while I continued advancing toward the creature.
I activated my [Blood Control], but not to enhance my wrath, my lust, or my envy.
The tentacles wrapped around me and lifted me, pulling me into the depths of that thing. But I was already halfway through another transformation…
Using [Hunger] on myself.
Tonks watched in horror as I was devoured by that entity. The tentacles coiled around me, trapping me in a prison of flesh. The creature sealed itself, hiding me from sight.
Alone with Yexi, Tonks could only pray for my survival.
For me, everything went black.
But then, the message I had been waiting for appeared.
[Skill acquired: "Essence of Gluttony"]
— Th…
(Since this ability has been activated for the first time, it will be enhanced.)
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