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Another day.... another pitiful amount of ahn. Not that they had much use for it. Clothes were mended whenever they turned back the clock, and they had no way of eating that they knew of yet. Not that they were entirely sure that they needed sustenance. Unless they had the same nutrients cycling around their body every time they rewound.
Dante sighs, a quiet ticking unheard of by anyone but Yi Sang. But he made no note of it. He rarely spoke up, almost less than Meursault did. He tended to speak up in the dungeons, but this fractured facsimile didn't seem to give him whatever drive he needed to express himself.
Speaking of this fractured facsimile... It was getting old. But they were running up against a wall. They weren't capable of getting past their current roadblock, nor had the identities of the sinners that would be far more suited to the task. As such, they were forced to run through these dungeons again and again, grabbing fragments of alternate realities to force these sinners to actually grow and improve, not through genuine effort, but endless tedium. Initially, it was tough, but they have done it enough times to succeed every time, shattering the mirror for rewards.
Sure, at worst, one or two died, but they always made it to the end.
But that was playing it safe. Powering them up. Keeping away from the actual abnormalities of this place, they went giftless, barring just a few items discarded after most fights. They had one in their hands at the moment, a lithographic tablet in a language they couldn't understand. However, it seems to be doing its fair share of keeping everyone alive. They were taking risks, but they were still getting hurt. Perhaps it was time to double down and deliberately search for them. Which is how they ended up in this situation now.
<I don't suppose anyone knows what this is?> Dante asks, expecting no response.
A human. No, a machine to imitate a human. Its head was gouged open with dried remains still left in its wake. Messy, long, light grey hair covered what little face it had left.
[A mother... A mother... I've always wanted to be a mother...]
It spoke with a broken, tinny, metallic voice.
[A woman hangs from the walls of the room, in desperate despair. You observe a collection of wires haphazardly intertwined together, moving around the floor the moment it senses a heartbeat.]
Its legs were ripped off, with wires building up and attaching the sentient machine to the wall like ivory vines adhering to its property. It didn't move from the wall. Only spoke.
[Joyous days... Won't you bear the sons and daughters that I wish to birth?]
"A machine that breaks the Artificial Intelligence Ethics Amendment." Faust breaks the silence.
<Artificial intelligence...?> Dante asks, <What's all that about? I think I heard you vaguely talk about it before.>
"Before the Age of Humanity, beings that were sapient but not human were cast outside of the City. The Artificial Intelligence Ethics Amendment was created to preserve humanity as a whole."
<Umm...> Dante didn't know what to say to that.
"It's not something you need to concern yourself with. What you need to know is that this machine was created against such enforced laws."
Yi Sang comments, "I wonder what purpose it serves. To create something like this, it's not a choice to make on a whim."
"Oh, they broke the law?" Hong Lu smiles brightly, "Ah, laws are probably a passing trend anyway~"
Gregor sniffed, "Don't say things like that."
Dante watches as a light flickers on to show some type of equipment. It looks substantial enough for one person, but many things feel missing from it.
[Endure it... Motherhood... The only form of love I am deserving of!]
[Will you offer a sinner to endure it?]
Ah.
Time to make a choice.
Dante looks at the other sinners, feeling a weight settle in the pit of their stomach. Faust and Meursault had a better chance of meeting the quota than Hong Lu and Yi Sang did. However...
Gregor had the highest chance of reaping the rewards than all of the other sinners combined. It puzzles Dante for a moment. Are they really willing to do this? Something felt... Ominous about it all. They were unsure of what could result from this. They almost reconsider.
And yet, they push, <Gregor. You're up.>
"Eh?" Gregor furrows his brows, “You want me to go up there?”
Dante tilts their head, <You’re just going to fight it, yeah? Or fill a quota…?>
"Quota," Gregor takes a step forward, "I’ll be filling a quota for sure, bud... I'll do it. If I'm the better option... For... Whatever this thing wants."
Faust nods, "You're the most suitable option we have."
There's a sigh from Gregor. He drops his used cigarette onto the floor and grinds it with his foot. He looks back at Dante, smirking at them.
"I'm ready."
Gregor is offered up. It seemed he wasn’t sure of what to do just standing there without Dante’s input.
But those wires and cables that hung from the ceiling suddenly burst with life. With little effort, they wrapped themselves around Gregor and pulled him off the ground. Faust and Dante watch as those things begun to explore his body.
<Oh- Oh my god.>
The door leading to the other room banged loudly.
"We have company." Meursault announces. Dante quickly moves to see what else might be happening. Figures banging on the cracked window's door. It wasn't easy to see.
"Limbus Company!" Hong Lu giggles.
...
<Faust…>
It's almost as if she could read their mind. "I'll handle them, Dante. You can take care of Gregor."
Dante doesn't like the idea of her leaving them to their own devices, but they can't exactly stop her to tell her that. Dante is the manager. And this is the least they could do without endangering themself.
The focus was back on Gregor. His eyes were half, looking to see if Dante was watching.
It must be pretty scary being held up by electric wires like this.
Dante approaches, getting a full view of Gregor's face. He didn’t seem like he was in pain, more of slight embarrassment. It looked like the wires were working a lot more intricately than before on Gregor to remove his clothes without straight up ripping them off him. It begs too many questions, but it's not like it could hear Dante's questions if it tried.
It seemed as if the wire stroked Gregor sensually. He looks embarrassed as he tries not to struggle.
"M-Manager B-Bu-a-aaah..." Gregor moans pathetically. It seems the AI had caught on to Gregor's spontaneous metamorphosis, as more wires cling to Gregor's transformed cockroach-like limbs to immobilize him. Like a piece of food, he had been stripped of all his layers of clothes, revealing his entire body. Perfectly sculpted muscles, and trimmed body hair growing out, everything was a sight that Dante simply couldn't help but ogle at. His body glistened with sweat under fluorescent lighting. It was an intoxicating sight to behold.
It would be a feast for eyes if Dante had any.
The display was... Almost humiliating? Was the AI trying to put on a show? For what purpose?
Gregor isn’t even trying to keep his voice down! Whatever the wires were doing was enough to leave him panting. His glasses were slipping, and the antennas protruding out of his head were twitching feverishly. And yet, the wires were still firmly keeping his legs splayed. <Gregor?> Dante tries to call out but is ultimately stopped by the same wires that held Gregor up in the air. The only difference with Dante is that they're restrained, and nothing else. No exploring of their body, or removing of their clothes. Was this a good thing? They're unsure. These wires weren't letting them move any closer to Gregor. Refusing to let them interrupt what was happening.
[Watch it... The miracle of life! The miracle of birth! The miracle of love! Will you take part?]
As the wires continue to work their magic, the machine that Dante saw earlier starts to buzz with life.
[Will you bear the children I desire?]
Gregor is lowered just enough to the device for it to work its wonders on him. It works on him like a lover, touching every inch of exposed skin and flesh it comes across. It strokes his pussy, his thighs, and his stomach, making him writhe under the electrical sensation. It makes Gregor moan softly.
<I’m-- I’m sorry Gregor! I didn’t mean for this to happen…!>
“Pfffaahhh. A-Are you kidding?” Gregor tries to speak through shuddering gasps, “I think I needed this. I- Mngh-!” Dante's heart rate picks up slightly at the sound. There was an unfamiliar feeling in their stomach, a feeling of heat. It's not uncomfortable, not painful. It begs to be taken care of. Something twitches inside of Dante. With their hands restrained but their feet still planted on the ground, the most they could do in that situation was squeeze their thighs together tightly to quell the rising urge.
Wires continue to work on Gregor. One device penetrates Gregor's ass, which was now fully exposed. There's some sort of fluid leaking from Gregor as the devices begin to insert themselves through his back hole. Others work on his pussy, stroking around his opening, giving him gentle pressure. Dante watches on, enraptured by the way the machines work, as they work their miracles on Gregor.
Some kind of cupped device touches Gregor's chest, adjusting to the size of his breasts. That thing touches his nipples, eliciting another muffled moan of pleasure from him. And it suctions on his nipples.
Oh. His chest is leaking… Was he always able to do that?
Dante didn't really get it. But it didn't negate their arousal.
A different device inserts itself into Gregor's pussy, wires still rubbing on his inner thighs. Gregor whimpers again in pleasure. This time, the wires work faster. One penetrates deep inside Gregor's body while the other slides out of his ass, just barely pulling out completely. They both pump in and out, deeper with increasing strength, making Gregoy whine loudly as he shakes. The wires press deeper inside Gregor, pumping faster until they hit a particular spot causing the machines in Gregor to run haywire.
The machine still sucked at it at Gregor's chest, suctioning on his nipples and making copious amounts of that white liquid leak from him. It all drains into the machine.
[Glorious...]
There's that tinny voice again.
[There's no greater joy than bearing children...]
Gregor's body trembles under the onslaught. Did he cum already? Dante couldn't tell. That machine still works on him, and he's still writhing against it. Still moaning. Still... Noisy... It continues sucking on his breasts, pumping harder and harder. His face is red as he squirms under the machines' attention.
[To grow so big from your brood…!]
His whole body convulses from the pleasure, writhing against the wires as he cries out. His eyes are squeezed tightly and his arms struggle against the restraints, trembling uncontrollably from the sensations.
The already noticeable bulge in his stomach caused by the devices inside of him grew larger. This was accompanied by filling him with some kind of substance that dribbled out and dripped onto the ground. His head slumped down in exhaustion as he was still held limply in the wire's grasp.
Dante stares, enthralled by all the things happening at once.
“Fuck.”
<Are you okay, Gregor?>
“Mm.”
<Goodness. Um, should I call Faust?>
“Nah,” Gregor smiles widely through the haze of pleasure. "Let me enjoy this…" He pants, "I need this."
<This is... I don’t know how to feel.>
Gregor laughs out loud. As he laughs, that machine once again continued its work, cutting his laughter short. It worked on Gregor's chest. Pumping in and out. Devices pushing deeper inside and making Gregor's body shiver in overstimulated pleasure.
It was beautiful, really.
Watching them work. The way those mechanical hands moved on Gregor’s body, caressing, teasing, moving with intent towards Gregor. They felt so natural and intimate that Dante wanted to reach out and touch one of the machines, just to feel what they feel, and experience how it's supposed to work. To know if that was really something one should be feeling. How would that make him feel? What did they feel like?
One of the wires slithers closer to Dante. It lightly prods at Dante's clock head. Almost playfully. Almost tender. It doesn’t dare move closer though. As if it was asking for permission to go further. They weren't sure if it could understand them. So they nod.
So comes the relief.
It strokes them from underneath their clothing, careful to not tear them off. It rubs itself over them. It goes from Dante's shoulder blades up to their neck, leaving it feeling cold and metalic. It massages them gently, making little goosebumps rise where it passes by, leaving behind a cool sensation wherever it went. It touches every inch of their skin.
<Ah- I... I can get used to this... As long as we don't die?>
...
Gregor's too busy to answer.
The lights dimmed for a moment, before completely going dark.
"Dante."
Faust's voice is gentle. She steps forward carefully, making sure none of her weight is placed on her injured knee.
Dante turns to see her looking directly at them, making them realize they were on the floor. Her expression was calm, almost unreadable. <...Ah.> Dante ticks, confused. Their flame reignites, and the light from their flame illuminates the room. But it didn't illuminate much besides Dante and Faust.
And Gregor.
<Gregor...!> Dante exclaims, <You're okay!>
Thank god he's fully clothed too. That machine was merciful enough to let him cover some parts. It's obvious the machine got a hold of the real prize here tonight. "Mmm."
<Are you feeling okay? Are you sore anywhere?>
Faust sighs. "It is advisable that we start moving forward, seeing as you've born the fruits of your labor."
<We did?>
Hong Lu was wearing it. From what bit of light illuminated from Yi Sang's dying flashlight, Dante could see Hong Lu wearing some kind of hat.
"Such a lovely thing..." Hong Lu sounds exhausted, more so than Dante's ever heard him. "Oh... But wearing it... It's... Ah, never mind about it~ I'm just feeling tired is all."
It was the hat.
[A Querulant's Love.]
Gregor lights his cigarette on Dante's flame. "Not bad, eh? Manager bud?"
<Oh, uh... Yes! You did wonderfully. Thank you.> Dante nods, unsure how to respond. If they could blush, they would.
"Mm," He huffs, "come on, bud. Next time, you should go join me. I'm not much of a lone wolf as you think." Gregor let out a puff of smoke.
<Oh my goodness!> Dante lets out an almost train-like honk, ticking loudly, <please don’t say that! Don't bring that up when the others are around!>