CHAPTER NINETEEN
I had almost stopped thinking of myself as a person. We four had been dehumanized thoroughly. Perfectly smooth skinned, impossibly sweating, genitals obscenely enlarged, oozing drool and precum nonstop, unable to speak and tortured without mercy.
Admittedly, from a more objective point of view our human nature was also enhanced in return. Especially with the insanely low body-fat. But also the magic that kept us alive in an environment where lava was flowing steps away could count as superhuman power.
I kept myself going with the knowledge that it would be over soon. The evil voice that always came from everywhere at once told me so that moment.
"With great pleasure it is that I can present the next game. We are nearing the grand finale and I know how excited you all are."
While the demonic hoard roared with joy, we, too, got excited. Did he really say we were nearing the end? As the three other players came out of their stress position, we all looked at each other and I saw they were as close to tears as I was. But there was still a game to complete first and I had no illusions that it would be easy.
I twitched as the usual nipple clamps dug into my flesh. There was a chain connecting them, but this one was made from thicker, heavier links than all the previous ones. It also lacked an hourglass or anything of the sort.
"For the Ascent Game, we have more bets to place than for any other event before. Make sure you use all your tokens. In the meantime, let's get out contestants settled in. Onward!"
The fire that died down gave way to the biggest gate in the cathedral, dead center of the back wall. It, too, was shaped like bat wings, but decorated with skull and dick motives. It certainly had something `final' about it. All four of us walked there at a leisurely pace. No one wanted to go in first, we had seen too many surprises.
Once we arrived, the wings opened up for us and gave way to an innocuous looking cave. Since the game master said nothing we hesitated for a little while until Kang took the lead with a harsh grunt. I guessed, he had to be as fed up with the demonic shenanigans as any of us and was okay with running into a trap, should one exist.
A corresponding gate swung open at the end of the tunnel and opened up into what I first thought was the outside. But no, we were still underground, it was just a huge cavern – although not much bigger than the cathedral or the earth-element arena – and lit by fire burning at the ceiling in a downward manner, defying gravity and common sense.
The space had the colors of a sunset and would have been beautiful to behold if it wasn't for the ominous thing in the middle, surrounded by lava rivers. A perfectly black pyramid stood firm. I estimated it to the size of a twenty level skyscraper – reaching almost to the cavern's ceiling.
A single bridge led across the lava circle and we all, led my Kang, made it across. Still nothing bad had happened to us but I almost wished it would. The apprehension was just as painful as many other tortures I had experienced. Perhaps, that was the point.
"We begin in short order. As soon as our players have entered the platform we will distribute them. No more bets may be placed. Good luck to you all, and may you win all your gambits."
A circle appeared on the stone ground and rose up to knee height. It had a diameter of ten big steps and was perfectly flat. In the center was a red glowing rune. Four pairs of footprints were distributed at the edge like letters on a compass.
Each of us picked a pair and I put my feet down where they instantly froze immobile as if stepping into the world's strongest glue. I had seen enough of those footprints to not be intimidated by them any longer.
"The Ascent begins! Our players will work hard to get to the top of the pyramid, once inside. The loser will be punished. It will not be a race against time, but each other. Ever floor contains a gem. The entrance to the next floor can only be opened with the gem and no other way."
Okay, so I didn't want to come in last – that much was clear. Finding the gems was hopefully a matter of perception. I seemed to do fairly well in those games.
"Let's take a look at floor one."
The rune in the platform center turned into a whirling portal showing us what was, presumably, the lowest level. It looked like the whole floor was a pool of cum. Odd tentacle-like things roamed around it. Whoever went in there probably needed good swimming skills and a tight asshole.
"Our players will now determine who goes first. All others will skip this floor."
Rings appeared around our balls, connected by a thin string to a knot in the center, right above the portal. We stared at our tied up balls, unsure what to do.
"A simple tug-of-war game is the easiest task our players will encounter. Let's begin."
The footprints gave me free.
Tug-of-war? We all understood what that meant and after I exchanged glances with Igor and Kang, it was clear we all had arrived at the same conclusion: Sven was easy prey.
We stepped a little away from him and though he screamed at us in horror, the string pulled him along and he fell into the portal. The string detached from his balls and faded away, leaving only us three tied together still.
"The players skipping the first floor each get a first gem and the first present. Then we'll have a look at floor number two."
A crystal appeared on my nipple chain, dangling a little and forcing me to notice it as the pain increased. The nipple clips were still the oddly animated kind, which changed their bite every now and then to guarantee I wouldn't develop numbness.
The first `present' turned out to be a ball weight, which added itself to my sack, just below the string.
Our platform rose – about the distance of one tenth of the pyramid. When it stopped, the second floor was revealed through the rune. I didn't see much but it looked like a hurdle course. Fairly un-perverted. There were likely things I didn't know about it and had no intention of figuring out.
A single glance told me Igor and I were still on the same side. We pulled Kang along. He put up more of a fight and all three of us screamed unashamedly at the tugging pain. Eventually, however, the boy lost the ground under his feet and slipped into the portal.
Our platform rose again, only two man on it connected by the balls. We were opposite each other.
"The second gem and gift will be added to the contenders for third and fourth floor. After this, it's all inside the pyramid where the real party starts."
With the tug of the second gem also I felt clamps press down on my tongue, connected to the nipple chain and pulled along with it. Not much of a hindrance, but painful. Although by comparison to my experiences this was only mild discomfort.
The rune gave way to a shallow pool and before I knew what was going on, Igor tore the tie with a primordial scream. I was caught off guard and the sudden ball stretching overwhelmed me for the second it took to make me stumbled into the portal.
I landed not too hard in a pool of piss which went up to my thighs. Above me, the portal closed and I was inside the black building.
Eight floors to go.