Monster Breeder

141. Plan?

“There she is,” Suka announces while bounding up to me, flame tail wagging, “Come on, Alex, we’re ready for the headcount.”

“Almost there,” I reply as the last bee girl finishes her breakfast and buzzes over to join her sisters and Spindle. They all look like cute flying toddlers now. Kids sure do grow up fast!

I’ve sat on this for a while, and I’m ready to make some decisions.

*Selected Partner Map!*

I need to be a little conscious of how I pay for neutral Breeder choices, as I can use either male or female marks on them. I’m splitting my payment between male and female so I can afford the options that caught my eye.

A new popup appears on my tummy tattoo menu that takes me to an interactive topographical map when I select it. I can expand or zoom in my view at will. Peering closely, I can identify all my partners whom I’ve Branded by their portraits! Their locations even update in real time. This will be incredibly useful when we split into groups!

*Selected Maternal Mammary Control and Potency: Recipient Enrichment - *

*Selected Fetus Protection: Maternal Blessing!*

Since it’s beneath Fetus Protection, I jumped on it. But, if I expected to feel any different, I’d be disappointed. Come on, what’s the blessing?!? Inquiring minds want to know!

“Oh, thank you, Lady Alex!” Sue comes over to me expressing gratitude. “Look,” she points at her tummy, where my Brand and the portrait for my future offspring resides on the Mouse Matron’s tribal-looking belly tattoo over her womb. The first thing I notice is that Sue now has a Maternal Customization menu. And then I see a submenu displaying the abilities our daughter will be born with.

Fetus Protection? Ovarian Control? Maternity Ward? Mammary Control and Potency? Oh. Oh, my!

Maternal Blessing… multiplies some of my Breeder abilities across my offspring?!? Not worth much on its own, but that could be O.P. depending on what gets passed on, though it looks like it isn’t everything. I suppose what better way to protect my children than to give them body autonomy abilities like Maternity Ward. For mice, it could save their lives. Also, it’s great to give the mothers of the children I only fathered options to affect our progeny.

Nice.

*Selected Partner Brand: Sympathetic Link I!*

*With which Brand will you bind your fate?*

*Select Brand…*

Well, that’s ominous. I could maybe stand to stew on that. If it’s anything like Power Bond, though, it’ll reset at the end of the day, so maybe I shouldn’t worry too much.

*Selected Paternal Brand!*

Another popup draws my attention back to the Partner Map. A toggle allows me to display all the offspring I’ve fathered, their portraits having a different boarder to segregate them from my ‘Partners.’ Of course, with them being as yet unborn, this doesn’t provide me with a wealth of new information. That said, it’s clear that some of my Brand-related features are being multiplied across this new axis. For instance, all of my Paternal Branded are now appearing as options on my Sympathetic Link options list. A gut feeling tells me that picking a fetus for that particular feature would be a bad idea.

*Selected Brand Summoning Token I!*

My abdomen abruptly ignites with pain as my womb cramps, swells, and discharges something the size of a kegel ball. The not-so-foreign object is quickly ejected from my love tunnel in a spurt of vaginal fluids. At least it’s smooth on the way out.

Oh, it’s a crystal ball! One that has a touch-responsive Brand menu. I’m able to cycle through the whole list of my Branded, including the new entries for my Paternal Brand. Summoning an unborn child is, of course, not an actual option I’d consider.

“Welp, back in you go…” I say to myself as I politely shove the summoning token back up my hoo-ha.

*Selected Maternal Brand!*

May as well go all-in on the Branding. Scanning through the new additions to my menu, I see that the Sweet Bees are now Branded. Once again, I’m pleased that my mark system is counting adoptions. That’s… probably not a mechanic I can abuse. I don’t know much about magic, but it has to be using my opinion of what counts as honest adoption, right?

A little more poking around in my menus reveals that the Sweet Bees are now benefiting from Maternal Blessing. They’ll have a nice suite of extra breeding-related abilities when they grow up.

Let’s all celebrate synergy!

*Selected Seminal Potency – Attribute Enhancement I*

Okay! In summary, that was:

Partner Map (1 male mark)

Recipient Enrichment (1 female mark)

Maternal Blessing (1 female mark)

Sympathetic Link (1 male mark)

Paternal Brand (1 male mark)

Brand Summoning (1 female mark)

Maternal Brand (1 female mark)

Seminal Potency (1 male mark)

There go all my Breeder marks!

I proceed to prepare a special surprise for my lovers before embarking… Meanwhile, my crew has assembled and made their own preparations.

Megan is charging herself to ‘full’ with static electricity by rubbing her face against Cottontail’s super-fluffy cottontail. The Showbunny in turn has gotten a feel for the several types of magic Gabby could demonstrate. Suka is already experimenting with Flame Magic constructs, using Fast Learner to accelerate the process while discovering what works and what doesn’t. Brenda and Jonny proceed to merge as Symbiont and host. Unlike their previous unions, the Symbiont fully incorporates with the host’s body. I know this because I verified Brenda grants Slime Core and Slime Constitution to her host, meaning Jonny is arguably safer while merged with his wife than anywhere else. Presumably, even cutting off his head wouldn’t kill him now.

Sadly, Spindle is preoccupied with childcare, Moka is busy, and Gabby is stepping aside today to work on her third-tier wand. She has the Cactus Turret Needle laid out in a circle of sea salt with her assorted tools and ingredients arranged like numbers on a clock: a lock of hair, various herbs, a knife, a bell made from an old teacup, candles, colorful crystals, a broom, a fine paintbrush, and a vial of her blood to paint with.

Our main group members: Suka, Cottontail, Megan, Gale, and Jonny.

Their partners and retainers: Isabella, Dura, Sue, Brenda, and Lucinia.

My personal retainers: Flou and Olindia.

“Anyone else coming? It’s free experience fighting a third tier…” I honestly don’t know how far we can stretch a third-tier encounter before it doesn’t ‘count’ for the participants, but the basic rule of thumb is that predators need to ‘land a hit’ and prey needs to ‘be in legit danger.’

“I’d rather stay home if it’s all the same to you, Lady Alex,” Drosera, the Sundew Trap replies while wiggling that perky bottom. “Frankly, Charlatan Forest no longer has anything that interests me, whereas Fieldton has a plethora of pretty penises for me to appreciate.”

“Hmm, then, as Lady Mayoress, I hereby charge you with defending our settlement.”

Drosera frowns in thought for a moment before replying, “Very well. I can secure our perimeter and grow my babies in the pit traps set around Fieldton. They’ll catch anything that falls inside instead of letting them crash onto the spikes. Maybe I’ll find something yummy today~”

“No eating the prisoners!” Gale admonishes.

He throws up his hands, “I was talking about cocks again!”

“Oh. That’s fine.” The Rainbird’s conscience seems assuaged.

Our resident Pitcher Treekfolk steps forward next. “Where Jonny goes, I go.” Mulu had a minor glow-up last night. Gone are the tiny flowers in her mane. Instead, her once plain, straight green hair now proudly sprouts a bouquet of huge white lilies with bright yellow stamen and pistils. She’s not a real Flower Dryad yet, but I can’t deny she’s ‘earning her stripes,’ so to speak. I nod in affirmation and she goes to stand with Jonny’s group.

Summoning two Orc-sized shovels, I hand them both to Dura, who takes them in either hand with a knowing grin, “They’re not much, but the heads are metal, and their edges are sharp. Might work better on wood than your club. Flou, all of you with me.” The Slime bodies converge on my form to take the shape of sexy lingerie with ruby crystal rhinestones and dangling decorations. “Olindia, protect Sue, and the two of you act as support. Aello, I don’t expect you to stay and finish things with us, but I want you to fly us in to start the battle.”

“Yes, Lady Mayoress, if you insist,” the Harpy Matron acquiesces, rising from where she reclines amidst a pile of plentiful mouse and bunny boys to join us.

Two more avians approach, “We’ll join the fight under Mistress Gale.” It’s Rosie the ebony-skinned flamingo Harpy and Monal, a pheasant Harpy with colorful plumage.

“Hurray!” Gale seems excited to have them along.

“I’m coming too.”

““Chrissy?”” Cottontail and Megan exclaim.

The white-haired angora bunny girl stands before Fuzzy Folk mistresses in a black Playmate outfit with her strapless corset teddy, black sheer-to-waist pantyhose, a black bow tie, white collar, and cuffs.

“I can’t allocate resources to protect you,” I tell her, neither refusing her nor congratulating her bravery. I don’t want her to get hurt or anything, in fact, I’ll protect her if I can, but it’s not like I have a personal Slime guard to assign to everyone.

“It’s fine. I’ll stay in the back, out of the way. I’m not here to fight the Elder Tree. I just don’t want to get left behind when we split up for the other missions.”

Huh. “It’s your life, as Megan put it yesterday. Anyone else?” Silence. “Any objections?” Nothing. “Concerns?”

Just then, Bonny runs up to Jonny/Brenda and gives them a hug.

““It’s too dangerous to come along,”” the Symbiont says in an eerie double-voice.

The bigear mouse girl shakes her head, “It’s not that. Lady Alex, Spindle is gone!”

I raise an eyebrow. “So? She told us she was leaving for the Eastern Desert today.”

“The bee girls are gone too. I think she took them.”

*Facepalm!*

Heaving a heavy sigh, I reply, “It’s fine. She’s a miscreant and a pervert, but she keeps her word. I’m sure, somehow, she intends to take care of the kids and do her job today. We’re not going after Spindle.”

Nods and shrugs all around. I confirm on the Partner Map that Spindle and the Bee girls are long gone.

“With that settled, I have a little extra something for everyone to try out.” I present to them my special surprise.

“Is that a bowl full of your milk and cum?” Isabella accuses, scowling at me. Then her stormy expression breaks. “Can I have some?”

They all rush me at once.

“Everyone just take a sip! We’ll be here all morning milking me properly otherwise.” It’s a free-for-all of horny monster girls jostling for a taste of me. We’re lucky everyone gets some, though a few are forced to lick up the dregs when it gets spilled on others’ breasts and thighs. Ahem, is it getting hot in here?

No! Bad Alex. Think of the mission!

“Oh, oh! I’m getting a choice on my Brand menu!” Cottontail exclaims, then proceeds to read aloud, “I see speed, strength, stamina, constitution, accuracy, and focus, ranging from F to C. Bother, how high do these rankings go? Hmm, it seems like speed is my only decent stat. I think I should… focus. Ah-ha! It went up a letter!”

Everyone else makes their selections accordingly.

I’ll get everyone I missed later.

“So, Alex, what’s the plan?” Suka asks as she sidles up to me and puts her arm around my waist.

Returning the gesture and pulling her close, I look around at our assembled force, brow furrowed with resolve. My lips quirk into a smirk. “Why do we need a plan?”