Chapter 407

* * * *

‘Is there not a single drop of water here?’

Upon arriving in the eastern region, Myeong-hu walked toward the pillar, lost in thought. Unlike the other regions submerged in water, the eastern region had not a drop. Looking at this area alone, it was impossible to imagine the castle was flooded.

Thud!

-Monsters are approaching.

Just then, Haran stopped walking and said.

Swish

Myeong-hu followed suit, halting his steps and quickly scanning the surroundings.

‘Huh?’

After checking his surroundings, Myeong-hu couldn’t help but be a little surprised.

-Hohohoho!

-Kyaaah!

Swoosh swoosh

Enchanting laughter that tugged at the heartstrings, accompanied by beings flying through the sky.

‘A succubus? The monster under his command was a succubus?’

The monster Haran mentioned was indeed a succubus.

‘Wow…’

Myeong-huu watched the countless succubi flying through the sky and let out an internal gasp of admiration. The succubi’s appearance was incredibly beautiful.

‘Their figures…’

Of course, his admiration wasn’t solely for their looks. It was precisely because of their figures. The succubi’s figures were absolutely incredible.

It was right then.

-Kyaaaah!

-Hohohohoho!

[The voice of temptation echoes.]

[Defended with high wisdom.]

[Not tempted.]

Is it because the distance is closing? The succubus’s laughter grew deeper, and a message appeared.

‘…How to catch her.’

Seeing the message, Myeong-hu snapped back to his senses and stopped daydreaming. The succubus was currently flying through the sky. In other words, Myeong-hu had no way to attack her.

‘And it doesn’t seem like it plans to come down either.’

The problem was that the succubi didn’t seem inclined to come down. They simply continued flying around, emitting their alluring laughter.

‘Wait a minute.’

A sudden thought struck Myeong-hu, and he opened his pet window. Looking at Carrot and Flaminus sitting there, he thought.

‘They’re not traitors…’

The attacks from Carrot and Prominus had no effect whatsoever on the traitors. A message had appeared stating that traitors could be attacked while within the light’s wavelength, so he tried summoning them inside the light’s wavelength, but the attacks still didn’t land.

No, wait. Minghu could attack the traitors even outside the light’s wavelength, so it wasn’t about the wavelength. It seemed attacks only worked on players, regardless of the light’s wavelength.

‘These guys should be vulnerable too.’

Of course, that was for the traitors. The ones I had to deal with now weren’t traitors, but flying succubi.

Swoosh swoosh

Having made up his mind, Myeonghu immediately summoned Carrot and Flaminus.

-Did you call, Master?

-You called, my lord.

Soon, Carrot and Praminus appeared. Myeonghu pointed at the succubus and said.

“Care to attack those guys?”

Swish swish

At Myeong-hu’s words, Carrot and Framinus turned their heads as if on cue to look at the succubus. Then Carrot spoke.

-All of them?

“Hmm…”

At Carrot’s words, Myeonghuu let out a low growl as he thought.

‘Would it be okay if they killed her?’

He hadn’t confirmed it yet, but just as fragments had emerged from the traitor, killing the succubus would yield something needed to destroy the pillar of curses. The question was whether killing Carrot and Framinus would actually grant that item.

‘Let’s check first.’

Having made up his mind to test it, Myeonghu opened his mouth.

“Just one for now.”

-Understood.

Swish

Carrot responded to Myeong-hu’s words and looked at Praminus. Under Carrot’s gaze, Praminus raised his sword and slashed at the air.

Swoosh!

-Kyaaaah!

As Praminus slashed the air, a succubus flying overhead let out a scream and began plummeting to the ground with a slicing sound. Myeonghu smiled as he watched the falling succubus.

‘It worked.’

Unlike the renegade, whose attack had failed as expected, the attack worked on the succubus.

‘Then the item is the problem.’

He knew the attack worked. Now all that remained was whether an item would drop. Myeong-hu desperately hoped an item would drop.

Thud!

[You have defeated the Succubus.]

[Acquired a Curse Fragment.]

[Cursed Fragments Currently Collected: 1]

The falling succubus hit the ground, and the message appeared with a loud sound.

‘Oh!’

Myeong-hu sighed in relief upon seeing the message. He’d worried what he’d do if it didn’t come through, but it was a needless worry. Shaking off his anxiety, Myeong-hu turned his gaze away from the succubus and addressed Carrot and Praminus, who were looking at him.

“Kill them all.”

-Yes, Master.

-We obey.

Carrot and Prominus answered Myeonghu’s command. The moment they responded, Carrot raised his staff and Prominus swung his sword.

Swish. Swish. Swish.

As Carrot raised his staff, black orbs materialized near the succubi positioned to the left of Myeonghu’s perspective.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

-Kyaaaah!

The summoned black orbs exploded shortly after, and the succubi caught in the blast began falling, screaming.

“…That’s incredible.”

Myeonghu thought as he watched the scene. Seeing Karot slaughter the succubi, he could only think it was incredible. Myeonghu shifted his gaze from Karot to see Praminus dealing with the succubi on the right.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

-Kyaaaah!

Unlike Carrot, Flaminus was slaughtering the succubi in complete silence.

Whoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Each time Flaminus sliced through the air, anywhere from two to five succubi plummeted to the ground, screaming.

‘I’m jealous…’

Watching Framinus attack, Myeonghu felt a genuine pang of envy. While it seemed natural for Carrot, a mage, to excel at range, Framinus, a fellow melee fighter, showed no concern for distance. That aspect made Myeonghu intensely jealous.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

[You have defeated the succubus.]

[Acquired a Curse Fragment.]

[Cursed Fragments Currently Collected: 2]

.

.

[You have defeated the succubus.]

[Acquired a Curse Fragment.]

[Current Cursed Fragments Collected: 39]

It didn’t take long for all the flying succubi to plummet to the ground. After killing every last one, Myeonghu smiled contentedly at Carrot and Praminus, who were watching him. Then he turned his head to look at Haran.

-…

Haran looked at Myeonghu, Carrot, and Praminus with a slightly startled expression.

* * * *

Elgab, the god of hunting and agriculture.

Elgab’s temples were scattered across the continent. The largest temple was the Grand Temple in the Sacred Empire, followed by the next largest temple located in Nexus, the capital of the Helioqua Empire.

“Godqhrgks gkfn qhsotlrlf qkfkqslek.”

Onax, the High Priest of Elgab’s temple in Nexus, was currently offering prayers in the prayer room.

Swaaak

A white light shrouded Onax’s body as he prayed, and as time passed, that light grew increasingly intense.

It was at that very moment.

Whoosh!

A light of unimaginable intensity erupted from Onax’s body.

“CnCJS..!”

Simultaneously, Onax, who had been praying, stopped and opened his eyes. Onax’s expression, now open, was filled with astonishment and profound emotion. The reason for Onax’s reaction was the situation unfolding before him at that very moment.

“I hear you clearly, Lord Elgab.”

Possession. Onax was currently possessed. Naturally, the deity possessing him was Elgab, the god of this temple and the god of hunting and agriculture.

“The destruction of the continent…!”

Onax’s face, which had been filled with awe and surprise while conversing with Elgab, gradually stiffened as the conversation progressed.

“Then the human who will drive the continent to ruin…”

“Huh, he…!”

“What should we do?”

“Understood.”

Swoosh

The intense light enveloping Onax’s body vanished. The connection had ended. Yet even after the connection ended, the gravity etched upon Onax’s expression did not fade. Far from fading, it only deepened.

“Hmm…”

O’Nax, lost in thought with a grave expression, let out a low hum and rose from his seat. He then stepped out of the prayer room. Waiting outside was Arona, O’Nax’s direct subordinate priest.

“Priest Arona.”

Onax called out to Arona the moment he stepped out of the prayer room.

“Yes, High Priest.”

Arona answered, and O’Nax continued.

“I must see Emperor Alkan immediately. Prepare for it.”

“…?”

Arona looked at Onax with a puzzled expression at his sudden request. Seeing Onax’s grave expression, she sensed something serious had happened.

“Understood.”

Arona responded to Onax’s words and moved swiftly. Onax walked toward his room, thinking.

‘How could such a thing…’

Recalling his conversation with Elgab, O’Nax felt utterly confused.

‘How could he…’

============================ Afterword ============================

Have a pleasant day.