Before I had time to think about what I heard, my belly started to warm. It was not a scorching heat like before, I felt it in my skin, not inside. I stripped up the skirt of my nightgown to see what happened. There was... the seal I drew before?
I was sure I washed it in the stream. How it was still there? Also, its color was not red, but black like a newly made tattoo. Touched my belly like I want to be sure it's real. How the hell I got a tattoo on my lower belly that I didn't get done?
''It's hot, isn't it?'' I heard a voice and startled. I cursed at myself for carelessly letting someone approach me from behind and turned to see who's speaking. There was no one in sight. I turned around myself and still, there was none.
''I'M HERE, IDIOT.'' I paused. I could hear the voice, but the sound wasn't coming from anywhere. It was in my mind. ''Look up.'' The voice said. I looked at the branch above me.
The first thing that caught my eyes was fluffy fur. Then I realized that what I saw was a cat-sized fox. I reflexively stepped back, thinking it was a demonic creature. It has to be a demonic creature, it had nine tails.
The nine-tailed fox chuckled in my mind, ''What disappointing. My vessel is an idiot.''
''What do you mean by saying my vessel?'' I asked. My skill was still active and I didn't feel any bad intentions from the fox so even though I was being careful, I asked what was on my mind.
''Don't be naive, girl. Enemies are not always kind enough to show their intentions,'' It said. Even if I opened my mouth to say something, before I could make a sentence, the fox continued talking in my mind.
''Yeah, I know what you're thinking. I created my physical form to communicate with you more comfortably,'' It said and disappeared from my eyesight. A second later, it was standing on my shoulder.
''Actually, I'm inside your mind,'' It said. I resisted the thought of grabbing the fox and throwing it off my shoulder, as it did not seem to hurt me.
''So you're not that stupid, nice,'' It said. ''When I am away from your body, it becomes difficult to stay in physical form.''
''Can you explain how you're in my mind? What are you?'' I did not bother to voice the question because it was not necessary, I just thought.
''Sure,'' It said. ''You traded your soul for me. I will guide you to become a succubus.''
I inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, ''So... what happened my soul?''
''It now belongs to your mistress, the legendary nine-tailed fox,'' It said and licked its paw. ''She can do whatever she wants with your soul. I was made of her consciousness, so you can call me my mistress.''
''Sure missy,'' I said. ''How can I get my soul back?''
''Now, now... aren't you a little too enthusiastic? It's been a few minutes since the deal was completed. If you were going to be a killjoy, you shouldn't have accepted it from the beginning.''
''I... did not know that I would lose my soul,'' I said.
''What were you thinking? She will help you because of the kindness in her or something? Whatever,'' The fox said. ''There are two ways. Either you will become strong enough to take your soul from her, or you will find something valuable that you can make a deal in exchange for your soul.''
''I advise you to find something to put into the deal. It's impossible for you to be stronger than her, at least in a thousand years,'' The fox said.
''Or,'' I said, ''You say that because if I save my soul myself she won't gain anything, but if we make a deal she will get something. You will guide me in a way that I will benefit her as you are made of her consciousness.''
''Assume what you want,'' The fox said. Its fur was looking like a cloud, like the golden colored hair of the female demon. It didn't seem to care much for what I said. It jumped from my shoulder to the ground and crawled between my legs.
''Can other humans understand that my breed has changed?'' I asked in my mind.
''At this phase, no, they cannot understand. You are physically no different from a human right now. It will take time for the change to process your cells,'' The fox explained.
''How long it will take?'' I asked.
''Months in good terms, years in worse. Yes, you can pretend to be human,'' It answered the question I didn't ask. ''Unless you run into someone with outstanding inspection skills, of course. But you know, inspect is a rare skill. Nobody can see your profile unless you give permission''
''Yes,'' I said. ''I know. Will my tail come out one day?''
The fox bowed its head to the side, ''Depends on the path you had chosen. There are many species of succubus, the nine-tailed fox is just one of the species.''
I was both scared and excited. Humans had no chance of evolving like that. ''What can I evolve into but the nine-tailed fox?'' I asked.
The fox gave me a disdainful look, ''Who told you you can evolve into a nine-tailed fox? With this pathetic look of yours...'' It disappeared from my shoulder and appeared in front of me, ''Even if you can be a one-tailed fox, you are lucky.''
I was feeling abased, but I kept my facial expression blank and didn't give an answer. ''Stupid girl, what's the point in keeping your facial expression blank while I'm in your mind?'' The fox said in my mind.
Fuck you, I thought, and I let it hear that. I heard a giggling voice in my mind. The fox took a tour around me and, ''You're short,'' It said. ''...and skinny. Your booty has no shape at all.''
''From today on, you will be working booty every day and you will eat well. Where are your curves, were you starving before?'' The fox said.
''I have curves. Who gave you the right to decide what to do?'' I was angry. I knew I was thinner than I should have been, but nobody had the right to talk to me like that.
''You gave. Sure, if you want to level up. Why are you angry with me anyway? If you were happy in your own body, you wouldn't need to work out,'' The fox said.
I was confused, ''If I was happy with my own body? I am happy with my body.''
''Yeah, sure, lie to yourself. Still, I am giving a work out the task. The seduction of a succubus, no, a woman is directly proportional to her pride in her own body. If you were proud of your hips, it wouldn't matter if you were skinny. But you are not proud. So you have to change it,'' The fox said.
It rose from the ground in front of me, it was not like flying, more likely... ''Yeah, I'm levitating,'' It answered before I asked. ''We have good material here,'' It said while poking my breasts with its paws.
''Hey!'' I stepped back and I couldn't stop myself speaking out loud instead of thinking it through, ''What do you think you are doing?!''
I don't think it cares about what I said, ''Even though you are skinny... sigh... good genes I guess. They're good... they're good... Uh? What? Why aren't you happy with that?''
I frowned, ''Umm... I just like small ones...''
''Girl, you have self-esteem issues. Still, they can be steeper and smaller with arm and chest workouts. But we can't do anything about your length. You have to accept yourself,'' The fox said.
''I am happy with my length.''
The fox looked at my eyes, ''You are telling the truth. Congratulations on your self-confidence show,'' It was mocking at me.
''I have self-confidence. I just wish I had a better booty sometimes,'' I said.
''Good, good. You gotta be honest with yourself. It's okay to love yourself the way you are or work to be the way you love. But telling you that you are happy the way you are because you are afraid of trying to be different won't do you anything,'' The fox said.
''What are you? A wise life coach or something?'' I said but I knew deep down in my heart that I had justified it. I guessed it heard what I was thinking, but it didn't make fun of me surprisingly.
''Hmm... well... look at you, we have really good stuff here,'' It was poking my abs on my nightgown. ''You are a fighter, right? Good hardworking girl.''
I hesitated, ''Don't you think it's... masculine?''
The fox sighed and appeared on my shoulder, ''Girl... girl... didn't you listen to what I said? It doesn't matter what I think. It doesn't matter what other people think. You are proud of your abs, and that's what matters.'' It said and thought for a second, ''You like small breasts. What did you think when you saw the nine-tailed fox? She has those huge things.''
''I was thinking she's hella gorgeous,'' I said.
''Because she was thinking she's hella gorgeous. You see now?'' The fox said.
I nodded, ''As my dear guide, what do you suggest I do now?''
''Find food. And shoes. Maybe a comb,'' It disappeared from the ground and reappeared on my shoulder. ''Ask it, I know what you're thinking already.''
''When you say food, you mean food as we know it or... umm... you know,''
''Your hunger for food and your hunger for lust are different. You need to feed them both at regular intervals,'' The fox said.
''Ah... how do I feed the second hunger?'' I asked with curiosity and with guilty excitement at the same time.
''Hmm...'' The fox put a hand to its mouth as if yawning. ''You learn when the time comes,'' It said. ''Why don't you check your Web profile first? You completed level 0, which is embryonic level, and reached level one.''
I did as it said.
{Congratulations! Please start by choosing a name for your new life.}