"^"
Kurose Akira stared blankly at the newly acquired trait [Succubus Physique], momentarily lost in thought.What exactly did that 0~10 value represent?
Was it height?Or… something else?
"Let me see that painting."
At that moment, Idith extended her jade-like hand toward Akira, asking for the portrait he had obtained from the Light Cathedral.
"Shared perception really is convenient~"
Akira couldn't help muttering a complaint as he pulled the painting from his player backpack and handed it over.
Idith unfurled the scroll and studied the woman in the portrait with great care.
Seeing how intently she was examining it, Akira couldn't resist asking, "Do you know her?"
"I don't know her exact identity," Idith replied calmly, returning the painting to him, "but I can confirm that she is one of the Saintesses of the Sun Theocracy."
Akira accepted the painting and looked at it again, his thoughts turning inward.
A Saintess of the Sun Theocracy… then why would her portrait appear in a church within the Starfall Kingdom?
By the time that question surfaced in his mind, Idith had already vanished without a trace.
At the same instant, the frozen world resumed.
Ivsha continued swaying her waist gently—only to suddenly sense that something was off.
"Strange… something's not right?"
She lowered her head in confusion and adjusted her position.
She had an unsettling feeling—like her prey was steadily growing stronger.
Just as Ivsha was puzzling over it, Akira's right hand gently seized her heart-shaped tail.
With absolute confidence, he declared,"Ivsha, it's my turn now."
Ivsha: "Huh?"
"Eeek!~"
(What follows is a lengthy scene of succubus discipline. Fifty thousand words omitted…)
Bathed in the fading glow of dusk, Akira sat inside the guild, savoring a moment of peace.
Ivsha stood behind him, gently massaging his shoulders, her stunning face filled with deep dependence and satisfaction.
Nearby, Alice carefully peeled grapes, smiling as she brought them to Akira's lips.
"Master~ ah~"
Akira swallowed the sweet fruit and opened the chat interface.
The group chat formed by the twenty-three players was buzzing with discussion.
Yet one familiar line kept appearing again and again:
"Friend, want to buy a Silver-Scale Armor? Five gold a piece!"
Aside from that, most players believed this special event wouldn't be particularly difficult. In their eyes, a beast tide simply wasn't enough to threaten Sunset City.
After all, the city had a profound foundation—a powerful city lord, high-spirited warriors, and the protection of White Rose and the Six Knight Families.
It was hard to imagine what kind of beast tide could actually destroy such a city.
Unless… the collapse came from within.
That thought made Akira uneasy.
After all, he still hadn't fully uncovered what kind of hidden move the Night Witch had buried inside Sunset City.
And from beginning to end, the most dangerous threat was never the beast tide itself.
As long as the cause of the beast tide remained, Sunset City would never truly know peace.
Just as Akira sank deeper into thought, white light flared from the teleportation array.
Loserine pushed open the guild doors and entered his field of vision.
"You're back?"
Akira looked at her. Her expression didn't look good.
"Yes."
Loserine nodded, then said, "I found something."
"Tell me."
Akira straightened immediately, his expression turning serious.
"Do you remember the underground area beneath Sunset City? The place where the Flame-Scorched Silver Phoenix Butterfly was located?" Loserine asked.
"I do."
"Beneath the butterfly's Flame Cocoon, I detected faint magical fluctuations—magic unlike anything I've ever encountered before."
She relayed her findings in detail.
"..."
Akira lowered his head, deep in thought.
If Loserine was right, then the Night Witch's purpose in releasing the Flame-Scorched Silver Phoenix Butterfly wasn't to destroy Sunset City…
But to awaken something hidden beneath it?
"Are there no records in Sunset City about what lies beneath the underground city?" Akira asked.
"That information is classified," Loserine shook her head. "Only the city lord and the guardian families of White Rose know."
"Does Natasha know?"
"I… don't think so."
Loserine's answer made the situation feel even more delicate.
"Take me there," Akira said decisively. "Let's see it ourselves."
"Alright."
Soon, they were back beneath Sunset City.
The shattered Flame Cocoon came into view once more. As Akira approached it, he felt exactly what Loserine had described—a faint pulse of magic rising from the depths below.
He listened closely.
There was a subtle sound… like the trembling beat of a heart.
Is it a magical beast? Or something else entirely?
He crouched down and noticed a thin crack at the base of the cocoon.
Peering through it, he saw only darkness. Occasionally, faint blue luminescence flickered within—but it revealed nothing clearly.
"Did you find anything?" Loserine asked.
Akira shook his head. "No."
He didn't dare smash through the ground recklessly—doing so might awaken whatever was sleeping below.
"Let's go to the Yerman Family castle," Akira suggested. "Maybe Roxia and the others can help."
In Sunset City, they were the only people he truly trusted. Even the city lord himself was under suspicion.
"Alright."
They soon arrived at the Yerman Family castle.
"Mr. Akira~ You came just in time! We were about to have dinner—would you like to join us?"
Natasha greeted him warmly, inviting him without hesitation.
Akira glanced inside the dining hall.
Only Roxia and Natasha were seated—but the table was laden with dishes, lavish enough for a grand banquet.
"Just the two of you?" Akira asked.
"The other family members all have their own households," Roxia replied calmly.
Yet there was a subtle emotion in her tone, and her gaze drifted toward Loserine beside Akira.
"Do you want to come home for dinner every night?" Akira whispered near Loserine's ear.
"Do I even have that right?" she asked quietly.
"…Right."
Akira turned back with a smile. "Then I'll trouble you~"
Once seated, Natasha promptly brought them bowls and chopsticks, then asked, "Where's Miss Ivsha?"
"She didn't come this time—she's not feeling well," Akira replied.
Which was technically true.She'd eaten far too much.
"I see. Then Mr. Akira, eat plenty~ Try my cooking~"
Natasha smiled as she poured him a glass of wine.
The hospitality left Akira feeling a little overwhelmed.
"Oh, right~ Mr. Akira, about what we discussed before…"
Natasha suddenly spoke up, her beautiful eyes shifting toward Loserine sitting quietly nearby.
She was clearly asking about how to lift Roxia's curse.
"Loserine, you explain it to them," Akira said.
Loserine nodded gently and slowly removed her helmet.
Her familiar face appeared once more before Roxia and Natasha, making their hearts tremble.
This was the first time they had seen Loserine after her memories had returned—heard her voice again after so long.
"Aunt Loserine…"
"Long time no see, Natasha. Roxia."
After a brief greeting, Loserine got straight to the point.
"We did find a method to解除 the curse. Completely eradicating it is extremely difficult—but suppressing it is not. With a few medicinal herbs and bathing three times a day, the effects can be reduced to a minimum."
She looked at Roxia and continued,
"Your curse isn't as dangerous as you think. At most, it can attract monsters within a few kilometers. Causing a large-scale beast tide is nearly impossible."
"Aunt… are you saying this beast tide wasn't caused by my curse?"
Roxia frowned slightly.
"Yes," Loserine nodded. "Your curse was merely a trigger. The true cause lies beneath Sunset City."
Both Roxia and Natasha looked stunned.
The curse they'd feared all this time… was only the spark?
"Natasha," Akira asked, "does your guardian family have any records about what's sealed beneath Sunset City?"
There should have been something recorded, given its importance.
Natasha shook her head. "I don't know. Our guardian family declined a century ago. The records were sealed—and most of them were taken by the city lord."
Then she seemed to recall something.
"However… there might be answers in the guardian family's attic. I can take you there, Mr. Akira."
"Perfect. Let's go after dinner."
"I'll come help too," Roxia said.
Natasha smiled and gently refused. "There's not much up there. You two should stay and talk. Roxia… you haven't seen your aunt in a long time, have you?"
"..."
Roxia didn't answer—she only nodded, her azure eyes fixed on Loserine, filled with unspoken emotions.
After dinner, Akira followed Natasha to the guardian family's attic.
With the family long fallen from prominence, the castle felt cold and desolate. Most leftover items had been discarded into the attic.
Akira followed behind Natasha as they climbed the spiral staircase.
Along the way, she asked softly, "Mr. Akira… have you done something recently?"
"Why do you ask?" he replied, puzzled.
Natasha turned around. Candlelight shimmered in her eyes—so beautiful it felt almost tangible.
She smiled.
"It's nothing. I just think you've become more… charming."
Akira fell silent.
Could this be the effect of the [Succubus Physique] trait?
"We're here."
At last, they reached the attic.
Akira scanned the cluttered space—old furniture and stacks of books crowded together.
But one thing caught his attention immediately.
A massive wooden chest.
Several locks hung from it, clearly guarding something of great value.
Natasha walked toward it gracefully and crouched down. Her fitted skirt clung tightly to her curves, accentuating her full figure.
She opened the chest and took out a book.
"This book might have what you're looking for. Let me check."
As she flipped through the pages, Akira's gaze was drawn to something else inside the chest.
A mirror.
It lay face-up, reflecting the attic ceiling.
But what he couldn't understand was—
Why was the mirror reflecting Natasha?
She was standing right beside him.
Before he could process it, a notification appeared:
[Soul-Sealing Demon Mirror (Epic): A mirror capable of imprisoning souls. Only usable by the Guardians of White Rose!]
"Mr. Akira, I think I've found the clue you're looking for!"
Natasha's voice rang out as she pointed to the book.
"Long ago, the guardian families of White Rose exhausted all efforts to seal a powerful demonic entity in the deepest part of Sunset City. But… that's all it says."
"At least now we know what was sealed," Akira said with a smile.
The moment his words fell—
"Mr. Akira, may we XX here?"
Natasha's voice rang out again.
"…Huh?"
Akira froze. "Natasha, what did you say?"
He was utterly confused—why would the usually reserved Natasha suddenly say something like that?
But Natasha looked even more puzzled.
"Mr. Akira… I didn't say anything?"
"You didn't?"
Akira frowned deeply and slowly turned his gaze toward the mirror in the chest.
Inside it—
That "Natasha" was smiling at him, a fawning, seductive grin spreading across her face…
..
Want to unlock up to 60+ early-access chapters and exclusive novels ? Join my Patreon today and dive deeper into the adventure!
patreon.com/denji21