Empire Builder 1: Breed, Populate, Conquer by Dante King (free e books to read online txt) 📕

Further south, the forest thinned to another coastline. Perhaps a port would lie in that direction, where he could access the ocean, though Ben didn’t know what sort of trade might already exist in that region.

The further south Ben looked, the more the trees gave way—first to more stone ruins, some of them vast enough to be clearly visible from this distance. Whether they were inhabited or not, Ben couldn’t say. Then even further south, the forest died out entirely, replaced by a sandy desert, which he perceived as an ocean of brown, like the ocean of blue to his right.

This desert was finally closed off by a giant wall in the south. The wall blended with the desert, forming a giant barrier of brown between the forest and the Xurian Realm to the south. At least Ben assumed that was what lurked behind that immense wall, based on what Melody had said.

Ben wondered where the monsterkin might live, and the ogres for that matter. He would have to ask later what Melody and the nymphs knew about these surroundings.

Walking around the elevator spire to the other side, Ben saw the western mountains stretching up to the north, cutting off the forest in that direction as well. The mountains stretched as far as he could see, all the way to the western ocean.

In the center of the northern side, the walls were opaque. This time their glassy surface was a kind of regal golden color, making the place feel warm and luxurious. A glass door slid open at Ben’s approach, revealing a bedroom the size of a small theater.

Mercifully, the floor was opaque, this time having the same golden color as the walls. Ornately woven rugs filled the space. Ben didn’t know if he could have slept easily with a miles-long drop visible just below his bed. He couldn’t conquer his old fear of heights that quickly.

The windows still provided an ample view, however. Ben reflected that the forest he could survey from here would one day belong to his empire. He could stand here and witness his commands being carried out by distant armies. The thought brought a smile to his lips.

The bed was the largest Ben had ever seen, and could likely fit a dozen people, possibly more. A canopy decorated with tapestries closed the bed in on three sides. Comfortable furniture sat in the other corners. A giant wardrobe stood in one corner. Ben peeked inside and saw a vast array of clothing. He would enjoy seeing what the tower recommended for his outfit once he had washed.

Ben deposited his rucksack in a corner and took out the egg that had resulted from his union with Melody the night before. He placed it on one of the large armchairs. It was warm to the touch. He looked forward to seeing what would hatch from it.

Ben found a small cupboard. Inside, the air was frigid. Several tall flasks sat inside, filled with brightly colored liquid. A drinks fridge? It didn’t seem like the room could get any better.

Then another glass panel, previously invisible, slid open at Ben’s approach, revealing the bathroom. Ben stepped inside. The glass in here was white and sparklingly clean.

The bathroom would have put most public bathrooms to shame in terms of sheer size. The bathtub was almost the size of a swimming pool, with varying depths. A large walk-in shower provided enough space for a football team to shower together. Various peculiar glass bottles lined the shelves. Ben would have to examine these and determine their purposes later.

For now, the grime of the day’s battles stuck to him, and he was eager to simply shower and clean off. Then he could get back to the ground level and enjoy his first day as emperor with his newly forming family.

Chapter Thirteen

To Ben’s surprise, water began streaming out of a large panel in the bathroom ceiling the moment he dropped his soiled tunic to the floor, forming almost a waterfall for him to shower under. He stripped the rest of his clothes off and stepped over the ledge into the shower.

He looked behind him and saw his clothes being sucked into a chute in the wall. Was the tower taking them to be washed? Though he didn’t mind if he never saw those ratty old clothes again. Besides, he could get new ones from the wardrobe in his room.

The waterfall in the shower had already reached the perfect temperature. He didn’t want to keep the others waiting too long for lunch, but he did enjoy a few long moments under the steady stream of warm water.

He’d almost finished washing when he heard a noise outside. The others must have grown impatient. Perhaps Melody had come up to check on him. The bathroom door was open, so he was sure she’d find him before long. He quickly finished washing his body, ready to dry off.

When a figure appeared in the doorway, he almost dropped the soap with surprise. It was Vinata. A moment later, Melody appeared beside her.

Vinata avoided Ben’s gaze and shuffled her feet, like she felt out of place, standing in the doorway. There was still a hint of eagerness in her bright green eyes though.

“I hope we are not intruding, my lord,” she nervously said.

Ben laughed. “Call me Ben. And I’m fairly sure this is the very definition of intruding.”

He glanced down to see what had transfixed the gaze of Melody and Vinata.

His cock.

“Don’t worry—I’m more than happy with this intrusion,” he said.

Melody giggled, but Vinata flushed.

Ben realized, as obvious as the reason for her visit might appear to be, he still shouldn’t make any assumptions.

“Where are my manners?” he asked. “Did you need something? What brings you here right now?”

Melody spoke up on the dryad woman’s behalf. “I saw how Vinata was looking at you on our return journey from the dungeon. Her admiration and gratitude bordered on something