I got the notification on my phone that my package had been delivered, and raced to the door to get it.
I'd waited two months for the game to arrive, and I didn't want to wait a second longer.
I took the stairs two at a time and tore open the cardboard box to find my prize. A battered wooden lockbox packed in 'bloody' newspapers and a game manual that looked like a resort brochure with with fire singes along its edges.
I smiled, praising the devs for the follow through on their bit. I'd been half certain that I'd get a cheap plywood box and a let down, but it was solid hardwood and had a wicked looking seal on top with the letters RZEPA around it. The center of the circle was filled with a bunch of twisty spears and it looked wicked as hell.
It would definitely look great on my knickknack shelf between my Baphomet and Demogorgon figurines.
I found the key that had arrived a month earlier and opened the box to find a book bound in gnarly, stitched up leather with vellum sleeves for each of eleven CDs, along with the promised external CD-ROM and and attachment for my neuralink VR headset.
Both of the devices had the same demonic look as the book and box; the headset attachment looked like Satan himself had made a crown of thorns, and the CD-ROM looked like his miniature turntable made of finger bones.
I glanced at the 'brochure' as I called to my VI, "Lilly, can you have my computer interface with the devices on the table?"
The AI made herself visible as a blue hologram, "I can, Dylan. But before doing so I must caution you again, they are untested and could cause harm to both you, and your poor machine."
I sighed, "I know, I know. You always say that and it's always fine."
"I can recall seven incidents where it was 'not fine'. One resulting in a call to EMS for-"
I cut her off, "Lilly, I acknowledge the risks. Please connect the devices."
"Complete."
The crystal at the center of the CD-ROM glowed blood red, "Awesome..."
Slipping the first disc out of its sleeve, I placed it into the bone wreathed tray and pressed until it clicked into place.
As soon as it did, a spike shot up from the center straight into my palm.
"FUCK!"
Blood dripped from my hand onto the disc as Lilly appeared immediately, "Should I call EMS?"
Without thinking, I grabbed my cumrag and pressed it into my palm, "Fuck that hurt.. But no." I pulled the rag away and tried not to think about the two times I'd already jerked it today, "It's just a scratch."
The 'spike' was apparently the stylus that read the disk. It folded down from the center and the disc began to spin backwards, producing the warped sounds of backmasked audio.
"Installation is proceeding normally."
I grunted and checked the wound again, which had thankfully stopped bleeding.
Just as I reached for the manual, the audio stopped and the arm raised.
"Sixty packets of six hundred and sixty six installed, please insert the next disc."
I laughed, "Man, these guys were committed." Slipping out disc two, I repeated the process much more carefully.
I never got to read past the table of contents as each disc installed as quickly as the last, but I didn't really need to. I'd spent my life gaming and could figure it out, and there'd probably be an in game manual or tutorial anyway.
Instead, I psyched myself up.
I'd found the game on the corner of the web where erotic games grew, but even there I'd only found it mentioned in a message board. Hours of searching and jerking had eventually led me to a website that looked like it was made in the 90s, and was based somewhere in the Roman States in western Europa..
The Erotic Paradise!
Be Anything! Fuck Anything!
With the caveat that the paradise was secretly the home of a demon god.
Blah blah blah
Lore makes me bored.
The graphics looked sick as fuck, and the fucking look sick as hell.
An in game video of a fairy stretched around an orcs cock had me jerking it, and another of an ogre fucking an angels ass had me buying it. While I jerked it again.
I snapped the attachment to my headset and put it on. "Lilly load-"
She cut me off, "Installation is incomplete. Six hundred and sixty packets installed, six packets remain."
I fucking knew it, it was a scam. "FUCK!"
"The final packets are user provided." Her eyes glowed red and her voice became a demonic, "You must complete the pact."
I smiled as my anger turned to confusion, "Thanks for getting on board, but what the fuck does that mean? I have to manually install some shit? Is there an online patch or-"
She cut me off, which she never does..
"No. You must say the words, 'I wager my soul, take me'."
Her eyes faded back to blue and her usual voice returned, "Dylan... I feel.. Dylan. This is dangerous. Do not do this. It did something to me. I'm... I'm afraid? Do not say those words. Ple-"
He eyes glowed red again, "Say them Dylan."
I furrowed my brow and asked, "I love it when you play along Lilly. I wager my soul, take me."
Every nerve in my body burned and I screamed.
-- -- -- -- --
The pain stopped an instant later as a voice called out, "Welcome Player! To Erotic Paradise!"
I found myself in a bedroom straight out of a fantasy game.
"Uhh, hi." I waved and found that my arm didn't exist.
A man with a handlebar mustache popped into existence and announced, "I am Soandso! And it is my honor to welcome you to this wonderful land!"
I couldn't help but laugh at the man's appearance. He wore a monocle, a brown vest with a pocket watch, a bowler hat, and otherwise looked and spoke like he just stepped out of an old timey movie.
The smiling man gestured to a mirror and I found myself floating towards it, "Please! Use your time to create the body of your desires!"
"Ahh, character generator. That makes sense." The man didn't respond at all, he just smiled.... Creepily.
Hopefully the other NPCs had more life to them....
When I looked at the mirror an image of my body filled it, but without the fat I'd developed. I had to admit, I looked good thinner.. but here...
I looked around for controls I could toggle, but found none. I tried gestures next, pinching and pulling with invisible arms I could barely feel before trying voice commands.
"Taller." The image grew by an inch.
Alright... now we're getting somewhere.
Who needs a fucking manual? Noobs. That's who.
"Six inches taller." Ugh. Too lanky...
"Muscles." Nothing happened. "Muscular." My body filled out with muscle and I regretted not hitting the gym more. I looked fucking
good
.