Chapter 125: Uncommunicative Succubus

Rohan and Ichinose wandered through the fog-laden forest.

Diligently putting one foot in front of the other, they searched for anything unusual within the Succubus’ Nest.

As they walked, Rohan let out a chuckle at the sight of mushrooms swaying rhythmically from side to side.

They looked like trouble.

“Aeng-ae Nose, I don’t know much about plants, but these here aren’t normal, are they?”

“I’m not a botanist either, but…those mushrooms, and everything else, I’ve never seen anything like them before.”

“I guess the most common thing here is the jet-black rose.”

“Black roses exist, but they’re more of a dark crimson. They’re not as pitch-black as if they were dipped in ink, and they don’t crumble like this.”

“Ah, here they come again.”

Ending the conversation, Rohan adjusted his grip on his sword.

─ Uurgh…

─ Gruugh, Gruuuh!

The Husks, discarded by the Succubi, swarmed towards them again.

Once again, they were all male.

“Rohan did it last time. I’ll take care of them this time.”

Ichinose grasped the hilt of her sword and stepped forward.

With a clink, the Husks were neatly sliced apart.

With the influx of Points, Rohan momentarily set aside his food worries and scanned their surroundings.

Before encountering a named Succubus, I’d like to meet an ordinary one.

He wanted to gauge the potency of Charm, the status ailment that enthralled men.

If he couldn’t resist even a common Succubus’ Charm, things could get tricky.

“Aeng-ae Nose.”

“Yes?”

“If we encounter a Succubus, could you let me handle it first?”

Despite hearing the absurd request, Ichinose didn’t immediately object.

There had to be a reason Rohan was saying this.

After a moment of contemplation, she arrived at an answer.

“Are you…planning to experience Charm firsthand?”

“That’s right. Succubi are Monsters with significant variations in power between individuals.”

Ichinose trusted Rohan’s strong mental fortitude.

She couldn’t imagine him succumbing and becoming a Husk or Pleasure Doll like ordinary people.

However, that aside, the very image of a Succubus, practically synonymous with eroticism, attempting to charm Rohan was unsettling.

A prickly feeling in her throat prevented her from readily agreeing.

“As Rohan said…among the Succubi that emerge from Dimensional Rifts, some can communicate, while others can’t.”

“Right. There are statistics on it.”

“The ones that can communicate are definitely higher-ranking, and assuming the ones that can’t communicate don’t have any Charm effect, we should be able to handle them easily.”

“So you’ll allow it if it’s one that can’t communicate?”

“Sigh, fine…I’ll…allow it.”

A brief silence followed Ichinose’s complicated consent.

Rohan, wondering if he had pushed too hard with his dangerous request, observed her cautiously.

After a few more steps past never-before-seen plants, Ichinose spoke first.

“Rohan.”

“Yeah?”

“…Since I’ve allowed this dangerous act, I’ll be really angry if you succumb to the Charm.”

“If I get charmed, hit me as hard as you need to until I snap out of it. Stabbing is fine, but hold off on cutting until the very end.”

“Hmph! I’ll punch you.”

Ichinose clenched her slender fingers into a fist and presented her delicate hand menacingly.

··

··

As Rohan and Ichinose cut down dozens of Husks, they noticed something.

Some of the Husks wore clothes with specific brand labels. According to Ichinose, it was a famous brand from Tigrova.

And a recent model, at that.

This led to a near-certain conjecture: some of the numerous Monoliths that had recently appeared might have pulled people into this world.

“I heard that Monoliths have swallowed people in various countries. Perhaps these Husks…”

“It’s possible. People from completely different worlds might be mixed in here.”

“Do you believe that people exist in other dimensions, Rohan?”

“I do. It’s more romantic that way.”

“Romantic…?”

With a puzzled expression, Ichinose followed Rohan, her lips moving silently.

Then, they encountered their first point of interest in the forest.

“Shh.”

Something was faintly visible through the fog.

They minimized their sounds and closed the distance, bringing the object into clearer view.

A crude shack, hastily constructed from tree branches and vines.

A nearly naked Succubus lay asleep inside, vital areas concealed by something resembling black shadows.

The exposure was blatant.

Ichinose, wanting a clear look at the Succubus she had never seen before, widened her eyes.

With every shift of her thigh and turn of her body, a vivid allure emanated from her voluptuous curves.

“…”

Ichinose, instinctively reacting to the Succubus’ stunning figure, covered Rohan’s eyes with her hand.

Rohan, his vision suddenly blocked, whispered to her.

“Why?”

“Th-That’s too…indecent…”

“It’s a monster. And I’m an adult.”

“…”

Although vaguely humanoid in shape, it was a different species altogether.

A tail reminiscent of a demon swayed back and forth, and bat-like wings were folded on its back.

“Shall we approach?”

“Do we really have to?”

“We need to be prepared. If it seems capable of communication, we’ll attack immediately.”

“…Alright.”

A moment of carelessness could ruin everything.

They couldn’t be certain that just because this Succubus lived in such a shabby place, it was necessarily low-ranking.

It could be a reclusive master among Succubi.

At Rohan’s request, Ichinose moved slightly away.

Rohan unhesitatingly approached the Succubus.

“Hey.”

─ ■,■■?!

The Succubus startled awake.

Where the whites of her eyes should have been, there was only blackness, and her teeth were sharp.

“Tell me your name. Your name.”

─ ■■··· ■■■■?

The Succubus babbled something in an incomprehensible language.

However, he understood the meaning of her arrogant smile.

Seeing Rohan, a male, she must have thought she had caught a good one.

It doesn’t seem to understand me.

Rohan gripped his sword tightly, ready to attack at any moment.

Despite living in such a dilapidated place, a strong carnal scent emanated from her.

Truly, a Succubus was a Succubus. Her very nature was evident.

─ ■■!

Tssssss───

Pink Mana, like steam, flowed out and coalesced around the Succubus’ body.

Forming a cloud-like shape, it surged towards Rohan, sword in hand.

That’s definitely Charm.

Although it had a wide range and flexibility, its speed was slow enough to dodge.

However, Rohan didn’t dodge. He let it hit him head-on.

The pink Mana controlled by the Succubus enveloped him.

“Rohan…”

Behind him, Ichinose watched, biting her nails.

─ ■■■! ■!

The Succubus smiled triumphantly, swaying her tail.

This man had a particularly delicious scent. She was already salivating at the thought of draining his life force.

And in that state…

Rohan understood what Charm felt like.

I see.

It was strange. His hostility towards the Succubus was fading.

Lewd thoughts surfaced, and a heaviness settled in his lower body.

He felt a certainty that if he approached the Succubus, the source of the Mana, this desire would be quenched.

However…

It’s bearable.

He certainly felt the urge to give in to his desires.

But to Rohan, this Charm felt like an intense itch he couldn’t scratch.

It was manageable.

Step. Step.

Rohan simply walked out of the swirling pink Mana.

─ ■■! ■■···!?

The Succubus, seeing Rohan standing there calmly, stammered in confusion.

This allowed Rohan to make a reasonable guess.

Did I overcome it?

He opened his Status Window. The status section, which usually displayed things like Bleeding or Confusion during combat, was empty.

He hadn’t been afflicted with any status ailments.

Then there was only one thing to do.

He kicked off the ground, closing the distance to the Succubus.

─ ■, ■■!

The Succubus, panicked, raised her hands.

This one had nothing but Charm. He was certain she didn’t know how to fight.

Radiance flashed, a fiery light briefly illuminating the Succubus’ neck.

A clean cut.

A generous amount of Points, despite not feeling like a challenging fight.

Rohan turned away from the falling Succubus and looked towards Ichinose.

“I resisted it. See?”

“That’s truly amazing…”

Ichinose sighed in relief, impressed.

Her golden eyes focused on Rohan, confirming he was unharmed.

However, her gaze didn’t linger for long.

“!!!”

Ichinose gasped and quickly shut her eyes.

Seeing her blushing and turning away, Rohan looked at her quizzically.

“What’s wrong?”

“P-Please…calm yourself first…”

“Calm myself? I told you I wasn’t charmed.”

“Down there! D-Down there…!”

“Down there?”

Rohan looked down at himself.

He finally noticed it.

The unconscious change brought on by the Charm.

The natural change in his lower body hadn’t subsided yet.

It stood proudly, threatening to rip through his uniform pants.