Chapter 16: Domestic Homunculus Shop (Handcrafted) (01)
Seeing the figure now, much more refined compared to her earlier attempt to mimic a human, she no longer resembled a slime but rather a small girl wearing a slime's skin.
Despite her tiny body, everything she needed was present. she opened slightly, as if to flaunt her navel, and began climbing up my dick with her hands, much like a snake coiling around a pole. In some ways, she resembled a lewd pole dance.
"Ugh!"
When the still-toxic Mollang climbed onto my leg, my dick began reacting again.
Lick...
Using her soft, slimy tongue, she started licking my glans. The tiny tongue skillfully stimulated the area around the urethra while licking, and since Mollang currently carried reproductive toxins, just her touch prevented me from suppressing my arousal.
"Mollang, not now... if you keep going here..."
Fearing it might rot away, I trembled with terror, but Mollang clung to my dick like a predatory slime.
'What is this? Is she starving?'
But she shouldn't have been hungry, as I'd been feeding her high-protein food until recently.
Squirm...
However, Mollang's actions as she wrapped around my "dick" were different from usual.
Normally, she would act provocatively to extract semen from me as quickly as possible, purely for semen harvesting. But now, she seemed as if she were diligently scrubbing a pillar larger than her body with her small frame.
Once the exterior was clean to her satisfaction, she inserted hand-like protrusions inside to meticulously clean every corner.
"Aaaargh!"
On any other day, simply gripping the glans and opening the area near the urethra might feel mildly refreshing but not painful. However, in my current state of heightened sensitivity, it was both painful and so overwhelming I felt I might burst at any moment.
'Why is she acting like this all of a sudden...?'
It was as though she resented that my dick had been inside the Arachne and was cleaning it herself.
'Come to think of it, why has Mollang been biting me so much lately...?'
Back when I tried handing her over to the female knights through the dog hole, she had desperately resisted. And when Erin was around, she deliberately formed teeth to bite me.
'Jealousy? But can a slime feel jealousy?'
No matter how I thought about it, a slime didn't seem intelligent enough for that. Yet Mollang's behavior unmistakably resembled jealousy.
Even now, she was intensely scrubbing away the Arachne's mucus from my dick as though upset another monster had taken her food source.
'Is she trying to monopolize her food supply?'
Well, considering my dick is Mollang's sole source of nutrition, it wasn't unreasonable for her to react sensitively.
Even if her intelligence was rudimentary, the instinct to guard her food is ingrained at a survival level...
'But the way she puffs her cheeks angrily really does seem like jealousy...'
Still, based on what I learned in monster ecology, even a high-level slime was known for following a mage's orders efficiently rather than possessing individual intelligence.
Drip...
Finally, she inserted her slender hand-like appendages to clear out all the remnants from inside me. Only then did Mollang seem satisfied. She neutralized her toxins, returned to her blue form, and approached me.
Boing boing.
She wiggled near my lips as though trying to act cute. Logically, this could be interpreted as trying to please the food provider for more resources, but in reality...
"Do you have intelligence?"
I pressed Mollang's plump cheek with my finger as I asked, but She didn't reply.
Even if She wanted to answer, She lacked vocal cords to imitate human speech.
'I should request a mage to investigate...'
If She didn't have intelligence, we could coexist as we were now, feeding her as needed. But if She did...
'Using her like this would be disrespectful.'
Not that I'd stop using her—just with mutual agreement.
---
Fortunately, the antidote worked instantly. After lying down for about two days, I had mostly recovered, except for some minor side effects.
The side effects were somewhat severe, though.
"Hey, Mug Knight."
"Shut up."
Though the paralyzing agent was gone, the arousal component lingered, leaving me in a constant state of erection. To prevent mishaps during training, I had to wear a large wooden mug over my groin.
This earned me continuous stares from the female knights and ridicule from my peers, who joked that I was hiding a secret weapon. Among them, Dane was laughing particularly hard.
"Ha ha ha! If it were me, I'd need a bucket."
Honestly, based on last time, his size wasn't that impressive; he was exaggerating.
Training concluded without any major incidents. During one session, Barenim and some knights simulated a rescue mission for me, which senior knights praised as practical training.
That didn't exempt me from punishment, though. While others were granted a seven-day leave to enjoy themselves outside, I was confined to the barracks alone.
"Tsk..."
With my roommates gone and Mollang confiscated, I idled away in the barracks, awaiting orders.
After absorbing toxins from my body, Mollang had been quarantined by Instructor Pandel due to her toxic properties until She was fully detoxified.
When I mentioned She only consumed my protein, Instructor Pandel assured me She'd be fed high-quality beef, though I doubted She would accept anything but my protein. Still, I was banned from visiting the infirmary as they feared Mollang might act out if She saw me.
"Ugh... I'm so bored."
With no roommates to tease or Mollang to play with, I was just killing time in the barracks.
Everyone else was likely indulging in all sorts of debauchery during their long leave, while I was stuck living a chaste life.
I even briefly considered volunteering for religious service when a senior knight suggested it to relieve my boredom.
But knowing I'd likely face torture from the young saint if I stepped into the temple, I declined and instead spent my time reading.
Naturally, I read erotic novels.
"Hah, this guy doesn't know anything about Arachne. Clearly never experienced it firsthand."
I was reading a popular recent novel infamous for its fetishes. In it, someone threw a live cow to an Arachne as bait before inserting themselves. Having been caught by an Arachne as a breeding male, I couldn't help but click my tongue at the inaccurate portrayal.
"There's a venomous stinger back there..."
Even a slight misstep would result in a bloody mess. Besides, even if you managed to finish, the spider's silk would block it, causing the semen to spill out.
'Then again, the sticky silk could feel good, and the fear of the venom might heighten the excitement...'
Thinking along those lines made my lower body react again. I recalled how, under the influence of its venom, the Arachne had seemed like the most beautiful princess. After the venom wore off, though, I came to my senses.
Excluding the fact that her lower half was a spider and her arms were chitinous, she was actually quite attractive, even in a rational state.
'Still, had I been caught, I'd have been dissolved, bones and all, while mating with the Arachne princess.'
I may be a lust-driven fool, but I value living long enough to enjoy more pleasures.
"Ugh... This is just making me more sensitive down there. No good."
I shoved the novel under the bed but not my own—it went under Dane's.
"Wow..."
Sure enough, Dane's stash already included six similar novels, courtesy of Levin and Jake, who had the same idea.
'How does he not notice these jabbing his back while he sleeps?'
After hiding the book, I aimlessly rummaged through the barracks until a pile of flyers Dane had collected caught my attention.
"Fantasy experiences. Witness actual illusions through magic!"
"Fantasy monster show! Prepare to be amazed!"
"These are so predictable."
Most were scams.
Illusion magic required a high-level mage, so it wouldn't come cheap. As for monster shows, they were likely just people in costumes performing acts.
There were rumors about underground auctions dealing in real monsters, but no legitimate operation would advertise so blatantly.
Swoosh—
While lounging and flipping through flyers, another one slid under the door of our barracks.
"Wow, Dane's methods of collecting these are impressive."
This training camp's security was questionable, allowing solicitors to slip in ads.
Still, it was a welcome distraction for someone as bored as me.
"Let's see..."
Among the stack, one stiff, newly-printed flyer caught my eye with its bold text:
"Handcrafted Homunculus Shop. Customized to your preferences. Guaranteed discretion!"
"Just submit a request form, and we'll deliver directly to you."
"Homunculi, cheaper than shoes!"
"Cheaper than shoes? Seriously?"
There was no price listed.
Shops like this typically quoted outrageous prices upon inquiry, promising affordable rates upfront but charging full-plate armor prices upon entry.
Timid customers often got scammed, thinking, "Might as well, since I'm here."
"Hey, you!"
The old man stuffing flyers under the barracks door froze, clearly not expecting anyone inside. He bolted, but there was no way he could outrun a properly trained knight-in-training.
Thud.
"Gotcha!"
"I'm sorry, sir knight! Times are tough, and I had to make a living. Please, let me off this once!"
"That's not it."
I held the flyer up to his face.
"Where do I send this request form?"