Succubus World - Start with Incubus System

The fifth floor didn’t have the spacious rooms of the previous four.

Narrow corridors intertwined like a labyrinth. Each passage was only about three meters wide, making it very difficult to throw a Blast Orb to a safe distance.

More importantly, there were far too many monsters.

If they kept using Elite-grade Blast Orbs in enclosed spaces, the shockwaves would bounce off the walls and hit them from multiple directions. The Diamond-grade Defense Talisman could prevent injuries, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t be thrown around or lose their bearings.

Once a swarm of monsters surrounded them while the barrier was still shaking, things would get very messy.

Elowen took out two Defense Talismans, activated them for both of them, then turned to look at Erik.

”We only use one orb at a time. Before throwing, we have to find a turn or an area where we can avoid the shockwave.”

Erik nodded.

”I’ll handle the ones that get close.”

”You have to stay within two meters.”

”I know.”

”Don’t chase monsters on your own.”

”Elowen.”

”What?”

”They’re already coming.”

The sound of claws scraping against stone was already echoing from up ahead.

A pack of grayish-black monsters quickly flooded around the corner of the corridor. Their bodies were roughly the size of hunting dogs, with long legs, mouths that split open all the way to the ears, and rows of jagged teeth.

Elowen raised her bow.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three wind arrows pierced through the heads of the ones in front in rapid succession.

Erik stood close to her right, his short sword held level in front of him.

The first monster that made it past the rain of arrows lunged forward.

Erik tilted his body to dodge the claws, and his sword immediately slashed across the front leg joint. When its body lost balance, he drove his shoulder forward hard and sent it crashing to the left.

One of Elowen’s arrows appeared almost simultaneously, punching straight through the monster’s eye.

The two glanced at each other.

Without another word, they immediately understood what the other intended.

Erik used his strength and equipment to keep the monsters from closing in.

Elowen stood behind him, picking off every target he knocked off balance.

The longer they fought, the more natural their coordination became.

Every time Elowen needed a moment to gather mana, Erik would step forward on his own, using his body as a shield in front of her.

Every time a monster attacked from a blind spot, Elowen’s arrow would arrive before it could reach his back.

One monster launched itself down from the stone ceiling.

The glasses on Erik’s face flashed a warning half a second early.

He tilted his head to dodge the bite, grabbed its hind leg, and hurled it back into the pack of monsters charging toward them.

Three bodies slammed into each other at once, tumbling into a heap.

”Now!”

Elowen threw a Blast Orb over their heads.

Erik immediately grabbed her by the waist and pulled them both into the side corridor.

BOOM!

The shockwave hammered against the stone walls.

The golden barrier around them shook violently. Elowen’s silver hair and Erik’s coat were whipped upward by the blast, but neither of them was hurt.

More than twenty monsters in the corridor had been wiped out.

But other growls immediately carried over from further away.

[Additional heat signatures detected.]

[Count: 64.]

Erik tightened his grip on the sword.

”Looks like the explosion attracted them too.”

”Then we can’t use them continuously.”

Elowen pressed close beside him and raised her bow.

”We rely on our own strength first.”

The two pressed forward.

In corridor stretches with enough distance, they used Blast Orbs to thin the monster numbers.

But most of the time, Erik and Elowen had to fight on their own.

The sword in Erik’s hand had no special technique behind it.

He didn’t know swordsmanship, and he’d never received formal combat training.

But five times the physical strength, enhanced reflexes, and over two hundred million credit points’ worth of equipment made up for most of those shortcomings.

The glasses helped him detect monsters in the dark.

The speed-boost shoes let him reposition over short distances.

The soft armor absorbed most of the impact whenever claws struck his body.

Erik didn’t fight pretty.

But every move was practical.

Dodge the strike.

Break the legs.

Stab through the eyes.

Use the terrain to keep the monsters from surrounding him.

After nearly an hour of fighting, the corridor behind them was littered with monster corpses.

Erik leaned against the wall, his breathing growing heavier.

His black hair was partially stuck to his forehead. Sweat ran down his neck, plastering the combat suit underneath against his chest and firm abdomen.

He still hadn’t sat down.

One hand held the sword, the other braced against the wall, his eyes continuously scanning the corridors ahead.

Elowen sat on a boulder behind him, taking the chance to recover her mana.

”You should rest too.”

”Give me a moment.”

Erik checked the information on his glasses.

”There are still heat signatures up ahead.”

”How far?”

”A little over a hundred meters. They haven’t started moving this way.”

Only when he was sure no monsters were approaching did he walk back to Elowen’s side.

Erik crouched down, pulled water from his spatial bracelet, and uncapped it before handing it to her.

”Drink.”

”You drink first.”

”I’m not thirsty.”

Elowen looked at the sweat running down his face. She clearly didn’t believe him.

But Erik kept the bottle in front of her.

In the end, all Elowen could do was take it, drink a few sips, and hand it back.

Only then did Erik tip his head back and drink.

His throat bobbed with each swallow. A droplet of water escaped the corner of his mouth, mingled with sweat, and slid down his neck before disappearing beneath the combat suit clinging to his body.

Outside the Challenge Space, the secret chat group immediately erupted.

[Lady Ravia: Hold on a moment.]

[Lady Lilith: Hold on for what?]

[Lady Ravia: I want a closer look.]

[Lady Sleepless: His neck...]

[Lady Ysera: I never thought a man sweating could be this attractive.]

[Lady Lilith: It’s not just attractive. I didn’t think a man this gentle and attentive existed in this world.]

[Lady Ravia: This is bad! Now, apart from him, every man in this entire world feels like garbage to me.]

One noblewoman sitting in her private chambers unconsciously tugged her collar lower, feeling the temperature around her suddenly spike.

Another kept zooming in on the image of Erik drinking water.

The balanced features, the broad shoulders, and the combat suit clinging to his body made it nearly impossible for them to look away.

But every time Elowen shifted even slightly, Erik would immediately lower the bottle and turn to check on her.

It was that natural attentiveness that made the women watching fall even deeper.

[Lady Sleepless: How much can I pay to have him hand me water like that?]

[Lady Ravia: It’s not about money. I’d give my entire merchant guild.]

[Meira: Not for sale.]

[Lady Lilith: Erik isn’t your property.]

[Meira: He’ll be living in my house.]

[Lady Ravia: Has he agreed to that yet?]

Meira stared at that message, her expression stiffening slightly.

She didn’t reply.

In the live feed, Erik had already set the bottle down and taken Elowen’s hand.

Her fingertips had been rubbed raw and red by the bowstring, with small tears in a few spots.

Erik frowned.

”When did you get hurt?”

”They’re just scratches.”

”Give me your hand.”

Elowen obediently let him take it.

Erik wiped the blood clean with a cloth, then carefully applied medicine to each fingertip.

His movements were very gentle.

Elowen sat still, her emerald eyes fixed on Erik’s serious face. Every time his fingertip brushed across her hand, the corner of her lips curved up just a little more.

”Does it hurt?”

”It doesn’t hurt.”

”Don’t try to act tough.”

Elowen smiled.

”With you taking care of me, a little pain is nothing.”

Erik looked up at her.

Their faces were very close.

Elowen unconsciously leaned forward, her lips almost touching his.

But right at that moment, the glasses on Erik’s face suddenly flashed a warning.

[Approaching heat signatures detected.]

[Count: 43.]

Erik immediately stood up.

Elowen looked at the lips that had just pulled away from hers, a faint trace of regret flickering through her eyes. But she quickly picked up her bow and rose as well.

”After we get out, you owe me.”

Erik blinked.

”Owe you what?”

Elowen looked toward the monsters charging their way and answered softly,

”An interrupted kiss.”

Erik couldn’t help but laugh.

”Deal.”

The two went back to fighting.

In the wider areas, they used two more Blast Orbs to reduce the monster count.

In the narrow corridors, Erik and Elowen relied on their coordination to push forward step by step.

By the time the last monster fell, Erik’s sweat had soaked through the inner layer of his suit, and Elowen’s mana was down to less than half.

[Congratulations on clearing the fifth floor.]

[Awakening Fruit completion: 50%.]

A massive stone door slowly appeared.

Two lines of text were carved deep into its surface.

[External tools have brought you this far.]

[Beyond this door, only true strength will be recognized.]

Erik stepped forward to open it, but Elowen immediately caught his hand.

”Wait.”

He turned to look at her.

”What is it?”

Elowen’s expression turned serious.

”From the sixth floor onward, we’ll be entering the Core Challenge Zone. There’s a special magic barrier inside.”

Elowen took out a Teleportation Talisman and placed it in Erik’s hand.

”Blast Orbs, Defense Talismans, instant recovery potions, and all expendable combat items will be sealed.”

Erik looked down at the combat suit on his body.

”What about equipment?”