"Greed!?"
When Kurose Akira saw that trait pop up, a flicker of curiosity crossed his mind—but it vanished almost instantly, replaced by the burning intent of an epic boss raid.
"Prepare for battle!"
At his command, Loserine and Ivsha unfurled their wings at the same time, slipping seamlessly into combat readiness.
"Chirp-chirp-chirp~"
Perched on Akira's shoulder, the Demonflame Silver Phoenix Butterfly also spread its wings, eager to join in—only to be grabbed firmly by Akira.
"What do you think you're doing, getting in on this?"
"Chirp?"
The butterfly stared at him with wide, blank eyes, as if asking, Are you looking down on me?
"Be good and wait here."
Akira smiled as he gently tapped its antennae.
Then he took out the White Rose Staff.
This weapon wasn't suitable for Loserine or Ivsha. It was a weapon that inflicted direct soul damage—no matter how high their mana was, they couldn't amplify it in any meaningful way. Worse still, trying to time its activation mid-combat would only disrupt their rhythm.
As for how to use it, Akira had already carefully studied the White Rose Staff's manual. It had been designed specifically to counter the Heartbound Demon. As long as the demon was continuously damaged and its fractured soul energy was collected, the White Rose would bloom on its own. When it reached full bloom, Akira would be granted a chance to unleash a devastating finishing blow.
Which meant—
Loserine and Ivsha needed to keep dealing damage.
Before Akira could finish organizing his thoughts, Loserine had already surged forward on wings of soul-light, appearing directly in front of the Heartbound Demon. The Oathbound Sword in her hand blazed with radiant white brilliance, transforming into countless arcs of moonlight that rained down upon the demon.
A faint halo flared across the demon's surface, like a magical barrier, blocking the attack.
But in the very next second—
A phantom image of a nun manifested above it.
BOOM!
With a thunderous crash, the barrier shattered. At the same time, the Heartbound Demon let out a furious roar.
"You cannot stop me from reclaiming my freedom! Today is the day I am unsealed!"
His voice howled like a raging storm. Psychic shockwaves rippled outward, invisible yet invasive, gnawing at the minds of everyone present.
To Loserine, however, it was nothing more than meaningless noise.
Cold-eyed, she stared down the Heartbound Demon. As an undead, she was completely immune to mental interference. Like a wraith, she passed straight through the psychic magic and landed lightly atop the demon's massive body.
Raising her Oathbound Sword, now glowing with ghostly light, she plunged it straight into the demon's flesh.
"Aaaargh—!"
The Heartbound Demon shrieked in agony.
"The Oathbound Sword! Again—damn that cursed blade!"
Its colossal body began to convulse violently. In the next instant, countless hands erupted from its scalp, clawing wildly toward Loserine like ravenous specters.
Loserine evaded effortlessly, beating her soul-wings to weave through the chaos. Her blade fell again and again, reaping the ghostly limbs like a scythe of death.
On the flanks, Ivsha was waging her own battle. Holy magic condensed into innumerable radiant swords that fell like rain, carving deep gashes into the demon's body. Corrupted flames followed, scorching its flesh and inflicting massive damage.
Yet despite the relentless assault, the Heartbound Demon's presence remained overwhelming.
Its 1,000 Constitution stat made its HP bar look monstrously endless.
But—
"It's blooming!"
Akira's eyes lit up as the White Rose on his staff began to open. Not fully yet—but the progress bar was finally visible.
The feeling was unmistakable.
Like watching a boss's stamina meter drop inch by inch—waiting for it to hit zero so you could execute the decisive finisher.
At the same time, far above the underground battlefield, the Defense of Sunset City had begun.
From all directions, tens of thousands of monsters surged toward the city, slamming into its fortified gates.
"Loose!"
At the officers' command, soldiers on the walls drew and released in unison. Arrows poured down like a torrential storm.
In a single volley, dozens of weaker monsters collapsed into pools of blood.
Still, many forced their way through, reaching the gates. Claws and fangs battered the reinforced doors in a frenzy. In the skies, flying beasts swooped down, launching surprise attacks that pushed the battle to a fever pitch.
Soon, the Six Great Knight Families of Sunset City joined the fight. Adventurers followed, taking their positions and throwing everything they had into holding the line.
With all three forces combined, the beast tide was temporarily halted outside the walls.
Just as hope began to rise—
A giant worm over Level 30 burst from the ground, smashing through the eastern wall.
The breach became a floodgate.
Countless monsters poured into Sunset City like a living tide.
"Stop them! Don't let them reach the residential districts!"
"Yes!"
Roxia immediately led the Yerman Family knights forward to intercept the invading monsters.
But as she raised her sword—
A sudden wave of dizziness washed over her.
"What… is happening to me?"
Her brows knit together as she clenched her teeth.
She didn't understand why her head suddenly hurt.
Moments later, the dizziness vanished.
"Roxia, are you okay?" a Yerman knight asked urgently.
"I'm fine."
She shook her head and threw herself back into the battle.
Deep underground, the Heartbound Demon's roars shook the entire dungeon.
"Damn White Rose guardians! I will not be sealed by you again!"
"I'll erase your souls completely!"
Its shrill screams echoed amid violent surges of mana, making the cavern quake.
Its body turned a vivid blood-red—entering a berserk state.
At that exact moment—
The White Rose in Akira's hand bloomed fully.
"Loserine! Ivsha! Tactical retreat!"
At once, they spread their wings and withdrew.
"Afraid?"
"Are you afraid?"
"Pathetic insects! You won't escape—you'll all die here!"
The Heartbound Demon unleashed every ounce of its power, preparing to annihilate them all.
"Like hell I'll give you the chance!"
Akira raised the White Rose Staff. The fully bloomed rose erupted in blinding radiance.
[Casting Soul Shockwave…]
"That—no! Impossible! The Night Witch said her soul had been split apart—how can you still wield her power?!"
Terror twisted across the demon's face.
"Then go ask the Night Witch yourself!"
Akira brought the staff down.
A beam several meters wide erupted forth.
[Soul Shockwave—Fired!]
BOOOOM!
Soul energy roared outward, smashing through the Heartbound Demon with overwhelming force.
"No… I won't accept this!"
With a final, hysterical howl, the demon condensed its remaining mana into a single strike and hurled it at Akira.
"Die with me!"
The attack screamed toward him.
"Shit!"
Akira leapt back, but it was too fast.
Guess I'm burning a revival coin—
At that critical instant, the Soul Magic Mirror at his waist flared with brilliant light, moving on its own to shield him.
CRACK!
The mirror shattered.
At the same time, the Heartbound Demon's massive body disintegrated into ash.
"No—!"
With that final scream, it vanished completely.
A message flashed before Akira's eyes:
[Heartbound Demon defeated. EXP +10,000!][Additional Trait Acquired: Greed]
"…Was that Natasha?"
Akira picked up the shattered Soul Magic Mirror. Its surface was gone—now nothing more than an ordinary mirror. After a moment's thought, he stored it in his inventory.
His gaze returned to the Greed trait.
[Greed: Desire spirals out of control. Emotions toward possessed targets reach an extreme state. Grants the 'Desire Target' a 100% combat power boost! (Applies to multiple targets)]
"Can I apply Greed to myself?"
He tried.
No luck.
Adventurer traits couldn't be applied to players.
Which meant—
This trait was reserved for future recruits.
"Greed… an elf, maybe? That actually sounds pretty good."
Akira muttered to himself.
He was just one recruitment away now.
Meanwhile, the three battlefields of the Sunset City defense were slowly turning the tide.
All except the eastern gate.
The Level 30+ giant worm had smashed the wall, putting the defenders at a severe disadvantage.
"Damn it! This event's way too hard!"
"Hold on! The other fronts are stabilizing—reinforcements are on the way!"
"A Level 30 worm is impossible for us!"
"Should we retreat? Losing adventurers here isn't worth it!"
The four players on-site debated retreat, their voices reaching Roxia's ears.
She stayed silent.
This was Sunset City's battle. The adventurers' willingness to help was already more than she could ask for.
If the city was to be saved—
It would have to be by her own strength.
"Hold the line!" she shouted to the Yerman knights. "Reinforcements will arrive soon!"
"Yes!"
But just as she finished speaking—
The dizziness returned, stronger than before.
Her body trembled; she nearly collapsed.
"What is this…?"
She pressed a hand to her forehead, confusion flooding her thoughts.
A curse?
Then—
A familiar voice whispered beside her.
"Roxia… come with me."
Black mist engulfed her, lifting her into the air.
"Roxia!"
The Yerman knights rushed forward, only to be stopped by the mist, solid as an unbreakable wall.
"Damn it!"
Roxia struggled—but it was useless.
At that critical moment—
A crescent moonlight swept down, shattering the black mist completely.
"Are you alright, Roxia?"
Loserine descended on wings of soul-light, catching her as she fell.
"Aunt…"
Seeing Loserine, Roxia finally relaxed, letting out a long breath.
"What was that mist?" Akira asked as he approached.
"I don't know—but I heard a voice."
Roxia's expression was grave.
"It was the voice of the Lord of Sunset City."
"The Lord of Sunset City?"
The moment those words left her lips, a system notification appeared before Akira's eyes.
[Hidden Story Quest Triggered — Those Who Long for the Witch][Recommended Level: 30][Objective: Defeat the traitor who pledged allegiance to the Witch][Rewards: Witch's Eye, Green Recruitment Scroll…]