They reappeared in a new location, the air still crackling with the residual energy of the teleport. The group staggered slightly, the effects of the teleportation making them dizzy, but they quickly regained their composure.
"Everyone okay?" James asked.
Rei stumbled around getting their bearings. "I still haven't gotten used to it," Rei remarked.
"My head," Papi said as she used her feathers and claws to hold it. She could feel her head spinning.
"That was an experience," Rachnera said as she took a deep breath. She had just said yes to him and now she was here. He was an interesting human. A very interesting human.
"Darling, I need lots of hugs to make this headache go away," Miia moaned dramatically, wrapping her arms around James from the side and nuzzling against him.
"So do I, my husband!" Papi chirped, landing clumsily on his other side and nearly knocking them all over.
James chuckled, balancing both girls as best as he could. "One hug at a time, ladies," he said. Racherna looked over and thought he was popular. Cera looked flushed.
Meanwhile, Mero blinked as her vision adjusted to their new surroundings. Her eyes widened as she took in the scenery. There were looming stone walls with patterns, detailed mosaics of gold and turquoise glinting in the light, and soaring watchtowers that dotted the outer perimeter. In the middle sat a vast open courtyard. "This looks like a castle," Mero murmured, turning in place to admire the architecture.
"It is," James replied. "An Arabian-style castle. One of the themed floors in the dungeon," he added.
Suu spun in a slow circle, dramatically wobbling.
Lefi strode ahead as she looked around. "Verily, we are finally home," she said.
"I like it as well," Yuriko added with a smile. "It feels secure and safe," she added.
"So you're a prince now, Master?" Cera asked, eyeing the grand castle walls with curiosity and admiration.
"Well, he is marrying a princess," Yuriko teased. "And maybe a few others," she said looking around.
The girls blushed.
"I Darling," Miia huffed, squeezing James even tighter.
Rachnera wandered off a bit, her long spider-like legs clicking softly against the tiled ground. She surveyed the area with her eyes. "So this is home now?" she asked.
James nodded. "It's one of the dungeon's floors," he explained. "Like I said, each level is fully customizable. You can decorate it however you want, live however you want. Think of it as your own private domain," he explained.
"Hmm," Rachnera hummed, visibly intrigued.
He turned to Papi. "Papi, would you like a treehouse-themed floor? Something open, with branches to glide around?" he asked.
Papi tilted her head, wings fluttering slightly as she considered it. "Mmm… Maybe not a whole floor," she said after a moment as she looked around. She thought it could be big. "If it's too far from Husband, I'll get lonely," she added.
James smiled. "Fair enough. We'll make your space close by," he responded.
Her face lit up with joy. "Yay," Papi responded.
Illuna came running across the courtyard, her crimson eyes lighting up as soon as she spotted James. "Onii-chan!" she cried joyfully, her silver hair trailing behind her as she dashed forward and threw her arms around him.
James caught her with a smile. "Hey, Illuna. You've gotten faster," he said.
"You were here?" she asked breathlessly. "I've been looking everywhere for you," she added.
"Onii-chan?" Miia echoed. "Wait... she's your sister?" she added. She paused, blinking as the thought settled in. "Does that make her my sister-in-law!?" she questioned.
"Not blood-related," Lefi clarified calmly, folding her arms beneath her chest.
Miia squinted, not entirely convinced, but still processing.
"It's good to see you too," James said warmly, ruffling Illuna's hair.
Illuna grinned and looked past him, taking in the group. "So... are all of them part of the harem?" she asked.
There was an awkward pause.
"Yes," Yuriko replied with a smirk, placing a hand on James' shoulder. "Officially," she added, James thought she could be mischievous.
"Master…" Cera blushed, lowering her gaze.
"H-Harem?!" Miia shrieked, her face turning red as her tail flailed behind her. "We're calling it that now?!"
"We have talked about this," Rei said dryly, arms crossed.
"I still haven't even spent a night with Sir yet," Mero added with a soft sigh. "I must be, what… the fifteenth?" she said.
Suu looked in the distance copying Racherna.
Rachnera chuckled, clicking one leg against the ground. "You're certainly a bold one, James. Keeping all these girls in line? That's a full-time job," she said. Her sharp eyes glinted with amusement as she looked at him over. "Too interesting," she added.
James gave an awkward laugh and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I'll do my best," he responded.
James cleared his throat, he gestured towards the hallway. "Lefi, Illuna, why don't you take everyone to the Throne? They should each get a Perk Drink," he said.
"Perk Drinks Master?" Cera asked.
"They will give you strength and other benefits, trust me there are no side effects," James said.
"Papi trusts husband," Papi shouted.
Illuna perked up instantly. "Okay, come on, everyone!" She grabbed Miia's hand and tugged her along.
Miia muttered something about "suspicious drinks," but followed, still flustered. The rest of the group started moving after her, chatting, teasing, and bickering as they went.
"I will see you later," James shouted.
James walked into the castle. He saw the girls sitting around the sofa. He saw Lois, Jasmine, Saya, Shizuka, and Saeko sitting around.
He let out a slow breath before speaking. "Hello all," James said.
"James," Shizuka said. She sprinted over and hugged James. James felt her large breasts touching his chest. He smiled.
"We saw the group outside," Lois remarked.
"You have been busy," Saya pouted. "Explain," she added. She had a stern look.
Saeko smiled as she cleaned her sword.
"Should we use the lasso of submission?" Lois teased.
"Sounds like a good idea," Saya responded. She put her hands on her hips.
"James will never lie to us," Jasmine said. She smiled at James.
"I know you're all annoyed. I didn't leave you behind to exclude you," he said as he carried Shizuka and pulled up a chair and sat down. "I wanted to give you time to rest up," he added.
Jasmine arched her brow. She smiled. "Rest up while you go off having adventures in another world?" she asked.
Saya crossed her arms. "You could've at least warned us," she added. "And also you were gone for a few hours," she added.
Shizuka let out a small sigh and touched James. "Well, I feel rested," Shizuka responded.
"It is strange, in this dungeon, I felt like all my strength and tiredness went away," Saeko said.
"So tell us what happened?" Shizuka demanded.
"You can be a baby," Saeko said, with a teasing smile.
"For James," Shizuka responded. "We still have not done it," she said.
James leaned forward. "We went to a universe called Monster Musume. A world overflowing with monster girls. There was an exchange program where host families can get monster girls," James said.
"That is interesting," Jasmine responded.
"We needed monster girls for the dungeon," Lois added.
"Yes and I thought while they dont have any special abilities, they have potential," James said.
"I saw plenty of potential," Saya responded.
"Any trouble Danna-sama?" Saeko asked.
"No, for the most part it was smooth," James responded.
"Well my mum and Rei would have kept you in line," Saya said.
"Yuriko can be scary when she wants," Lois said.
"She can be sweet as well," James countered.
"This is my mum, we are talking about," Saya said.
"She is part of the harem," Lois said.
Shizuka cleared her throat. "James tell us first," she said.
"Well, first, we got a house there. That was just the beginning. Then we met Miia, a half-lamia, half-girl, energetic, a little clingy, but definitely unforgettable. Next came Papi, a harpy who swooped in like a blur to save a child. Quick, unpredictable, but her heart was in the right place.
Then there was Cera, a centaur with strength and discipline, who stopped a thief before he could get away. We barely had time to process all that before Suu, a slime, showed up. Let's just say she was playful in ways we weren't exactly prepared for. Mero was different, graceful, elegant, a mermaid with noble airs. We ended up saving her from a wheel accident, though she made it sound far more dramatic than it was. And then," James exhaled, shaking his head with a smirk, "we met Rachnera, well she kidnaped me but it was all good," he finally said.
They thought a lot happened.
Jasmine smiled. "Those just sound like the harem," Jasmine said. "Anyone else interesting?" she asked.
"There was someone called Death," James said. "I met it," James admitted, "And it said death around me."
Jasmine blinked. "…What?" questioned.
Saya thought for a second. "Death around me?" she said out loud.
Lois finally spoke. "That's… unsettling," she said.
Saeko smiled. "I will protect everyone Danna-sama," Saeko said.
"I will as well," Jasmine stated.
James nodded. "And that's not all," he said.
Jasmine gave him a questioning look. "There's more?" she asked.
He smirked. "Ultimatrix transformations. I took the opportunity to add more to my arsenal," he responded.
A spark of intrigue flickered in their expressions.
"What kind?" Lois asked.
James didn't elaborate just yet. Instead, he grinned. "You'll find out soon enough," he teased.
Saya sighed, shaking her head. "Well we know some already," she said.
"I promise you," James said, eyes steady, voice firm, "I'm taking you next time."
Jasmine huffed. "You better," she responded.
Saeko smirked. "You won't hear the end of it otherwise," she added.
"In fact, let's go out and explore the town nearby," James said. "Is Nell still here?" James asked.
"She is about to leave," Lois responded.
"Let's go then," James said.
"Adventure," Shizuka said.