"Loserine's final memory fragment!"Kurose Akira stared at the faint glimmer resting in Natasha's palm, his heart overflowing with joy and anticipation.
Natasha had succeeded.
Through the soul secret art, she had successfully summoned Loserine's last missing memory fragment.
"Mr. Akira, although the process was a bit… winding, I'd say I managed to complete your request fairly smoothly," Natasha said with a gentle smile, her eyes narrowing slightly as soft light shimmered within them.
"Thank you for your hard work, Natasha. With this, Loserine's memories should be able to fully recover," Akira replied with a smile. Almost unconsciously, he reached out and lightly rubbed her hair.
It was a gesture he usually used to reward Ivsha after she completed a task—but now, it had naturally extended to Natasha as well.
"Mr. Akira…"Natasha's voice faltered slightly.
The sudden head-patting caught her off guard. She clearly hadn't expected such an intimate gesture.
Yet Akira himself seemed completely unaware that anything might be amiss—perhaps confidence granted by succubus influence.
Fortunately, Natasha didn't show any sign of discomfort. On the contrary, the corners of her lips lifted into a small smile, as if silently accepting the closeness.
Curious, she asked, "Do you usually treat other guild members like this as well?"
Her question made Akira freeze for a moment, and he immediately stopped his hand.
"Ahem—"He coughed lightly twice, took a small step back, and said, "Now that we've found the final memory fragment, I'll have Loserine absorb it immediately so she can recover her memories."
"Wait," Natasha stopped him softly. "Have you forgotten our earlier agreement? You promised you'd help me examine this Soul Necklace."
"Ah—my mistake. Come on, let me take a look at it," Akira said with a smile.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Natasha handed the Soul Necklace over to him.
The moment Akira took it, he sharply sensed a terrifying surge of magical power emanating from within the necklace.
He tried to use the Player Authority to inspect its details—but once again, the information he could access was extremely limited.
Then, a prompt appeared in his mind.
[To retrieve full information on this item, a trace of soul power must be guided into it.]
"Guide a trace of soul power…?"Akira frowned slightly, sinking into thought.
With Ivsha's help, he'd learned how to manipulate mana—but when it came to soul power, he was completely inexperienced.
Luckily, wasn't there a mind mage standing right in front of him?
"Natasha, can you teach me how to guide my soul power into this necklace?" Akira asked.
"Of course! First…"
Natasha carefully explained how to draw out and guide one's soul power. But just as Akira was about to try, he suddenly remembered—his mana had been completely drained earlier by the Demonflame Silver Phoenix Butterfly. Without mana, he couldn't properly guide his soul power.
"It's all right. I have a way," Natasha said with a soft smile, gently grasping his wrist. "Let me help you."
As she spoke, a faint blue glow bloomed in her palm. Akira could clearly feel her mana slowly flowing into his body, easing him out of his depleted state.
She then continued explaining, "Guide it slowly—bit by bit—into the necklace."
"It might hurt a little at first. A slight ache in the soul. But you'll get used to it quickly."
"Like this?"
"Yes~ That's perfect, Mr. Akira!"
"You're doing amazingly well~"
Following Natasha's guidance, Akira gradually guided his soul power into the Soul Necklace. At first, it felt unfamiliar—tiny stabs of pain echoed deep within his soul—but it was still within tolerable limits.
Little by little, he found the rhythm, and his soul power began flowing smoothly into the necklace.
And at that very moment—
A furious, ice-cold face suddenly burst into his vision!
"Human! Who allowed you in here?! Get out!"
Boom!
Akira's consciousness was violently expelled from the Soul Necklace. He hadn't even seen the figure clearly—only a surge of raw anger tangled through his mind.
Fortunately, the player system provided an answer.
[Remnant Soul of the White Rose Valkyrie (Mythic):Scattered across the vast territory of the Stellar Kingdom exist the remnant souls of seven Valkyries, each entrusted with the sacred duty of guarding one of seven cities.(For more information, please consult the 'Library'.)]
"Remnant Soul of the White Rose Valkyrie…?"
Akira took several deep breaths, steadying his racing heart.
He was absolutely certain—this remnant soul possessed power far beyond anything he could hope to resist. If it wanted to kill him, it would take nothing more than a glance.
This was not an existence he could face at his current level.
As for the "Library" mentioned in the prompt—it was a player-accessible library containing general knowledge of the game world, as well as the histories of various kingdoms.
In simpler terms: a comprehensive world history archive.
"Maybe I should make a trip there…"Akira had wanted to visit the Library for a long time, but he'd never had the spare time.
After all—
Ivsha was far too enthusiastic.
"Mr. Akira~ are you all right?"Seeing the fear on his face, Natasha immediately rushed over, concern filling her voice.
"Was it soul power exhaustion? This is my fault…"
"Please lie down and rest for a bit~ Don't hurt your body because of me!"
...
At that very moment, outside Natasha's room, Roxia stood frozen in place.
Her body was stiff as if encased in ice. She didn't dare make a sound—she barely dared to breathe.
Her heart was a tangled mess of confusion and conflict. For some time now, she'd faintly heard voices from inside—voices that shook her to the core.
"Go a little deeper… just a little more…"
"It might hurt at first, but you'll get used to it…"
"That's amazing~ Akira!"
"You're incredible!"
"Rest for a bit—don't overwork your body~"
Those fragmented words stitched together into something unbearably awkward.
Roxia's hand trembled, suspended in midair, unable to move.
She'd come looking for Akira to inform him of a special commission issued by the Lord of Sunset City to the Adventurers' Guild—requesting immediate support to defend the city against an impending beast tide.
At first, she'd been confused. When she asked Ivsha and the others about Akira's whereabouts, they told her the Guildmaster had left the banquet hall with Natasha and pointed her in this direction.
She'd followed the guidance—
Only to hear this at the door.
Mr. Akira and Aunt Natasha…?
Ah—this—
Her mind instantly filled with wild imaginings. For a girl who had just come of age, these lewd mental images were probably a bit too much, too soon.
Her cheeks flushed crimson, as if blood might drip from them. At the same time, cursed aura began to pour uncontrollably from her body—and for some reason, the scent carried within that aura began to change.
"Hmm? Natasha, do you smell something?"
"So fragrant!"
..
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