Sniff, sniff~
"My master… why do you carry the scent of another succubus on you?"
Ivsha gently leaned in, breathing in along Kurose Akira's skin. With her sharp senses, she immediately caught a trace of another succubus's aura.
Her delicate brows knit together slightly, a hint of surprise surfacing on her exquisite face.
Akira opened his mouth, then closed it again, unsure how to respond.
You can smell that too?The thought couldn't help but cross his mind.
Sniff, sniff~
Ivsha took another careful breath of what she cherished most, a faint doubt rising on her stunning features.
Those dark-violet pupils of hers flickered with an unusual light as she gazed at Akira, murmuring softly to herself.
"This doesn't seem to be the scent of another succubus… Is it… my own?"
Akira fell silent for a moment before asking, "Ivsha… do you hate it if I come into contact with other women?"
"Not really."
Ivsha shook her head gently and explained, "I don't mind sharing you with others, Mister Akira. I'm just a little worried… afraid that a greedy succubus might harm your body~"
"..."
For a moment, Akira didn't know what to say.
So she knows that kind of thing is harmful to the body too…
Aside from that, he was fairly certain that what Ivsha had sensed was most likely the strand of pure lust magic Idith had given him. But why would Ivsha mistake it for her own aura?
That question probably could only be answered by asking Idith directly.
After Ivsha had eaten her fill and looked thoroughly satisfied, today's commissioned work officially began.
There were still two unfinished F+ commissions on hand. Since there was some time before heading to the church, they could be cleared along the way.
Commission Quest IV (F+):Slay Water Spirits (0/10)Reward: 5 silver coins, 500 EXP
Commission Quest V (F+):Slay Water Fairy (0/1)Reward: 10 silver coins, 1000 EXP
"Hm? Why is the reward for the fifth commission double the others?"
Akira was a little surprised. The reward for killing the water-type target was far higher than expected.
Of course, the truth behind it couldn't be gleaned from the task description alone.
"Ivsha, Loserine—we're heading out to complete the commissions."
"Yes, my lord~"
At the flash of white light within the teleportation circle, Akira and his party appeared at the mission site.
Both commissions were located in the same area, which saved them quite a bit of trouble.
Akira scanned his surroundings and found himself near a lake.
The lake itself was calm and quiet, ripples glimmering under the sunlight as a light breeze passed over its surface. Yet all around it stretched a wasteland of yellow sand, with only a few withered, aging trees barely clinging to life, exuding an air of desolation.
"What a strange place for a quest…"
Akira muttered under his breath. The environment was far more peculiar than he had expected.
Normally, water spirits should inhabit areas rich with vegetation—lush forests, or at least places teeming with plant life. Even without dense woods, they shouldn't be found in a place this barren.
"Mister Akira, the water spirits here seem… more violent than usual?"
Ivsha pointed out the water spirits floating atop the lake. Their condition was clearly abnormal.
"Yeah." Akira nodded. He had noticed it too.
Water spirits were typically semi-humanoid elemental monsters aligned closer to neutral-order. Their bodies were composed entirely of water elements, and they usually lacked volatile emotions.
They only retaliated passively when threatened.
But the water spirits before them looked as though they'd been struck with rabies, roaming restlessly as if searching for anything they could attack.
Is it because of the water fairy?But water fairies aren't evil entities either…
As he was puzzling over this, all the water spirits suddenly turned their gaze toward their position.
The next instant, brimming with icy killing intent, they surged toward them.
"Loserine!"
At Akira's command, Loserine moved at once!
Her blade flashed like lightning, instantly cutting down all the water spirits that came close.
[Water Spirits defeated (6/10)]
"The quest itself isn't very hard."
Akira murmured to himself. With Loserine's overwhelming combat power, the early-game grind was almost effortless.
However, just as Loserine was about to swing her sword and finish off the remaining water spirits, a massive column of water suddenly erupted from the center of the lake, shooting straight into the sky!
"That is—?"
Before the falling spray could even settle, a dragon formed entirely from lake water coiled above the surface.
Akira's eyes sharpened, and an attribute panel unfolded in his vision.
[Water Fairy Dragon (Elite)]Level: 19 (3799/3800)Race: Elemental / FairyStrength: 300 | Agility: 200 | Mana: 400 | Vitality: 500Growth: 8 (Gain +8 to all stats per level)Skills: (Expand)Trait: [Water Fairy] (Obtain this additional tag after defeating the target)Status: Corrosion
"A new additional trait?"
Akira revealed a look of surprise upon seeing the water fairy's extra tag.
"Corrosion?"
Beyond the new trait, he also noticed the status effect listed on it.
[Corrosion]: It is being eroded by dark magic, becoming increasingly violent and cruel.
"Be careful. This enemy is extremely dangerous."
Akira warned Ivsha and Loserine.
"Mmm~"
"Leave it to us."
As soon as the words fell, Loserine charged forward.
Her heavy armor didn't hinder her movements in the slightest. Golden magic bloomed beneath her iron boots, supporting her as she sprinted straight across the lake's surface.
At the same time, magic surged at Ivsha's fingertips.
Golden holy light intertwined with dark-violet fallen flames, locking onto the water fairy at the center of the lake and crashing down in rapid succession.
"ROAR!"
Sensing danger, the water fairy—now in the form of a water dragon—immediately blasted out a powerful jet of water, attempting to halt Loserine's advance. At the same time, it spread a massive curtain of water, successfully blocking Ivsha's holy light and flames.
Facing the oncoming torrent, Loserine didn't hesitate.
Her blade swept through the air, cleaving the water column in two. She surged forward, closing the distance in an instant. The Oathbound Sword in her hands rang with golden light as she brought it down upon the dragon's head.
One strike!
The water curtain split apart, and the dragon's head was severed.
Yet killing the water fairy with a single blow was unrealistic.
Its level far exceeded that of ordinary water spirits. Even with the power of her oath infused into the blade, Loserine couldn't damage its elemental core.
In the blink of an eye, the water fairy reformed, its massive maw opening as it unleashed another ferocious water jet at Loserine.
But the moment the torrent struck her, brilliant star-like motes shimmered around her body—without causing any harm at all.
It was the crystalline body's immunity to elemental damage, allowing Loserine to face a higher-level water fairy without fear.
She swung again, beheading the dragon once more, steadily draining its mana.
Akira couldn't intervene directly in this battle.
Still, his eyes never left the battlefield as he carefully observed the situation, searching for the water fairy's weakness.
Loserine might be immune to elemental damage, but if they could identify its true vulnerability, the fight could end much faster.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Akira noticed a strand of black miasma swirling at the bottom of the lake, emitting an eerie presence.
"Is that what's causing all this?"
His brows drew together slightly. With a thought, he tried to probe its information.
[Witch's Remnant Soul: From…]
Just as Akira was in the middle of checking what the hell this thing was, a silver-bell-like laugh echoed inside his mind.
"Giggle~ giggle~ giggle~ what a truly unique soul~ I'll be taking your soul for myself~"
But the mocking laughter had only just begun when it abruptly cut off, transforming into a scream of shock and terror.
"Why—why do you have her pendant?!"
"No! Don't—!"
"Ahhh!"
"?"