We both had to stand back from the massive face of churning molten lava. My skin started to steam, and Fireden, the giant Fire Elemental, started to laugh, but it was only loud.

It was nothing like the body vibrating experience that I had got when Grovel started to laugh, but the heat that poured off this guy was no joke! Even Mex was forced to step back with me, and now I was leaking steam like I had just hopped out of a hot tub at the Banff Ski resort in the Rockies. ​​

“Where did you find this one? Soaking in the ocean for a week, and decided to bring him for a little story?” Fireden asked in a surprisingly weaselly sounding voice, not what I expected after the hearty laugh.

“I am just bringing him to visit, but tomorrow he will be coming to see you with Nushi and some girls,” Mex explained as he fanned himself with his hand.

“Oh? I get to tell stories to little Nushi? She loves my stories, and maybe now that she is older, she will be able to stay longer!” Fireden said excitedly, forcing us to take another couple of steps back.

My skin was on fire, and I was starting to feel dizzy. I was starting to get a headache, and I was no longer producing any spit.

Suddenly, things started to get blurry, and I felt my body just give up on me, and I started to fall. Mex caught me and pulled me back, waving to Fireden.

“The boy is new to this, so you had better make sure they have lots of water!” Mex shouted as he dragged me away from the burning face.

Slowly, my body returned to its average temperature, but I was still severely dehydrated. I assumed Mex was going to stop and give me something to drink, but he didn’t.

As I was dragged, I could feel my body tightening and compacting, but I couldn’t even talk because my mouth was so dry. My body was changing again, but not the same extreme pain before, but my muscles were all getting smaller.

“Over the last three meetings, you have the three jokes, but now you will meet Windorf. He is not a joker, but he also has a problem that I will need your help with,” Mex explained.

Mex hadn’t said anything about when I was being left out to dry as he pulled me, but I groaned for him to continue. There had to be a point to this other than destroying years of… work to get these muscles, but maybe it was fitting.

“Windorf somehow had a child, and he is a horrible father. He wants her to be like him, but she likes to dress and hang out with her only friend, my daughter. His daughter is part Undine, and don’t ask me how it happened, I wasn’t there, and I am not asking him!” Mex told me, and I groaned.

Not like there was a lot to say, not like I could think either, my mind was a mess, and all I could think about was water. My body was still shrinking, and now the muscle tightening was getting a lot worse, and pain started to come from my major muscle groups as I was dragged.

“This is good, looks like we have got you with some real muscle on you, even if it’s not very much!” Mex said as he let go of me, and I flopped the rest of the way to the ground.

I rounded over, but I didn’t have the strength to lift my arms; let alone get up and back on my feet. Mex walked over to me and then crouched down beside my head.

“The muscle that you gained in the other world was not dense enough for you to survive here. I have got you ready to meet Windorf, and after I give you this drop of blood, you will be back to feeling normal, somewhat. I am going to give you a single drop of my blood, and it will revitalize you, but it will also put you in a bit of a frenzied state, but only temporarily,” Mex said as he nicked his thumbs on one of his sharp canines teeth in his mouth.

I wanted to complain, but Mex had yet to do anything… other than this that would be considered harmful to me. Mex also explained that there was a reason for leaving me dehydrated this entire time, so I would just have to trust that what he was doing with his blood would help me.

“Now, I need to tell you one thing about Demons Blood, powerful stuff, but highly addictive. This one small drop will be fine, and I will allow Nushi to give you some of her, but only if you are close to death. If you make a connection with her, then there will be less of a chance that it will permanently change you into a demon, and from what I have explained to you, that won’t be a good thing,” Mex explained, and then let the drop fall into my mouth.

<Do not underestimate what Mex says; you do not want to become a demon, or then I have to kill you.>

That was a promise if I had ever heard one, but I didn’t have time to process what I thought as the drop of dark blue liquid splashed into my mouth. Instantly my body started to seize and shake, and I could feel Ice cold lava pumping into my veins.

It was like I was frozen on the outside and one fire on the inside, but whatever it was, it didn’t last for long. Suddenly, I was standing up and ready to go!

I was like someone had pumped full of pure adrenaline, and I was ready to run a race or kick some ass! I looked down at my new thin and lean, but rock muscles and my body felt heavier.

This was wild, I was just dead on the ground, and now I was ready to take on anything that got my way, but that was the catch. I understood when it was so dangerously addictive, but now I had more questions, but I wanted to hit things!

Gah! The choices! Otherworld problems.