86. Pacification Ritual (15)

Tentacle Labyrinth.

The home of the Incubi, stretching from the 23rd to the 25th floor.

Unlike the vast, open floors encountered so far, the Tentacle Labyrinth had relatively narrow passages.

This meant it would be difficult to ride Yong-soon any further.

“You stay put.”

“Kie-eek…”

“Just try to run away. I swear…”

“Kie-ek! Kie-eek!”

When he threatened it slightly, the creature shrieked, as if promising it would never do such a thing.

Although the strange atmosphere of the 22nd floor was a bit concerning.

Since it was a Monster, he figured it would instinctively survive somehow.

“Form up! The Tentacle Labyrinth is full of all sorts of traps that can ensnare you at any moment, so you must steel your resolve!”

After releasing Yong-soon and heading towards the group, Nate Elin was shouting warnings to the faithful.

“The main traps are tentacles! They’re slimy and sticky, wrapping around your arms and legs in an instant to attack, so be careful not to get caught!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Do not allow the Incubi to even approach if possible! Always remember that they can cause sexual arousal and paralyze your reason with mere physical contact!”

“Yes, sir!”

“We shall offer our pure and chaste hearts to the Mother Earth Goddess!!!”

“We shall offer our pure and chaste bodies to the Mother Earth Goddess!!!!”

It was a short speech, warning about the tentacles and Incubi of the Tentacle Labyrinth, and intended to bolster the morale of the faithful.

“You’re working hard.”

“Hmm.”

As Balkan joined their ranks at Serif’s request, Nate Elin nodded and spoke.

“I heard that Saintess Serif-nim… personally asked you for such a task.”

“Yes.”

Nate Elin’s expression seemed slightly confused.

To ward off the temptations of the Tentacle Labyrinth’s tentacles and succubi, they would place the only man in their group in the center and resist the allure.

It was like the story of the miser who hung a dried croaker and ate his rice while just looking at it.

A strategy to advance by placing a man who would undoubtedly be delicious to consume in the center, and resisting all other temptations.

It was not something the chaste Saintess Serif, whom Nate Elin had guarded and protected, would typically conceive.

However, for Serif, who had realized a woman’s true happiness while embraced in Balkan’s arms within her inner world, it was a strategy she might, just might, consider.

“Lately, Saintess-nim has been paying a lot of attention to you.”

“Is that so?”

He already knew this, having heard it from the Queen during the last meeting.

Based on the deeds he had accomplished, Serif was trying to frame him as a Saint.

While it was true for the entire Mother Earth Goddess Order, a Saintess, in particular, must not lose her chastity.

However, if it were a Saintess and a Saint.

If they were two individuals possessing immense genes and Divinity, an exception could be made for the future of the Order.

“I know you’ve helped Saintess Serif-nim. I’m very grateful for that, but… don’t cross the line.”

“What do you mean by ‘the line’? A spiritual friendship? Or a physical relationship?”

“W-what, how dare you! Of course…”

“Of course?”

“……”

Nate Elin recalled what had happened moments ago.

Serif naturally approaching Balkan’s side.

And her, first approaching Balkan to whisper something.

Her blushing, looking embarrassed, and fluffily kneading with her pure white cat tail.

That vibrant expression on Serif’s face.

A look she had seen on the Saintess, who had always been benevolent to the point of seeming almost mechanical.

‘Like, a female in love…’

It was an expression Nate Elin had never seen in her entire life.

“……Enough. Go and fulfill your role.”

Nate Elin, her mind complicated, abruptly turned her head away from Balkan.

Balkan reacted indifferently to Nate Elin’s emotional outburst and joined the Order’s ranks to fulfill the role Serif had requested.

“Everyone, look here!!”

And then he removed his armor.

Even though it was full body armor, this armor, made from a Black Dragon’s claws, had slight seams due to its design.

As he carefully detached the seams around the chest area so they could be reattached, his firm pectorals, now almost proudly displayed, were revealed.

“……Ah.”

“Uh, oh, oh…?”

“Ah… Mother Earth Goddess-isiyeo…”

Because he had even shouted to gather attention.

The faithful, who directly witnessed a man removing his armor and revealing his body, blankly uttered the name of their god.

“Hngh…?!”

Serif, too, hastily covered her mouth at the sight.

Recalling the sensation she had briefly felt when embraced by him in her inner world.

Her lips involuntarily tried to curl into a smile.

But that was that.

‘He didn’t need to go *that* far…?’

Just his presence in the center of the group should have been effective enough.

As he removed his breastplate and revealed the firm body beneath.

The strong scent of a male instantly began to change the atmosphere of the space, which had been filled only with females.

As if conquering the surroundings with his own essence.

It was all too obvious where the gazes of the females, instinctively reacting to that scent, would turn.

“You don’t need to fear the temptations of Incubi! You are heroes who plunged into the Labyrinth to protect the village, and faithful with noble convictions!”

His voice had a peculiar power that made people listen intently.

The virgin faithful of the Mother Earth Goddess Order fixed their eyes and ears on him.

Before they knew it, any fear of the Tentacle Labyrinth had faded away.

“The Mother Earth Goddess will surely be watching over you, over us!! So this is a trial!”

No matter how wicked and lewd the traps that emerged from that labyrinth were.

No matter how malicious the Incubi tested their patience and seductively tempted them…

“Let us safely navigate the Tentacle Labyrinth and prove our purity! Your faith, your belief! It’s not so weak as to crumble before mere succubi, is it?!”

Because nothing could be as provocative as that man, showing his chest and shouting ‘Everyone, cheer up!’ to the battle-weary female warriors.

“May the Mother Earth Goddess bless us!”

“…M-may the Mother Earth Goddess bless us!”

“May the Mother Earth Goddess bless us!”

“May the Mother Earth Goddess bless us!”

The faithful of the Mother Earth Goddess Order, as if possessed, followed his shouts and raised their fists.

Gulp…

They were absolutely not staring at his fiercely twitching pectorals and forearms every time he raised his fist and shouted.

This was a trial.

A terrifyingly dangerous, yet intense trial… bestowed by the Mother Earth Goddess.

Most of the faithful instinctively knew.

If they successfully overcame this trial.

There would be a spiritual achievement incomparable to anything before.

***

Three binding corruption traps that grabbed limbs with tentacles and ruined vaginas with tentacle protrusions.

Eight sensory deprivation traps that, after falling into a tentacle swamp, forcibly blocked the target’s senses and remodeled their body into one more provocative than a succubus beneath the swamp.

Seventeen honey traps set by wild Incubi, who wore the guise of a perfect ideal type, spoke only pleasant words, filled one with self-esteem and confidence, and drew out the lust within a human heart.

In addition, about a dozen hallucination-type traps and eleven attacks from mindless wild Incubi.

This was the result four hours after entering the Tentacle Labyrinth.

‘Not bad, considering.’

The damage was less than expected.

To explain a few reasons why.

“……”

“……”

“……”

Every time they explored the Tentacle Labyrinth and suffered from various temptations, the faithful looked at Balkan.

The sticky atmosphere emanating from the pink Tentacle Labyrinth itself.

The aphrodisiac scent mixed in the air.

The surprise attacks of Incubi and tentacle traps.

More than any of those things, the presence of the man by their side was far greater.

This meant they didn’t even have a chance to succumb to the Incubi’s temptations.

And this meant.

Those who were very shy, or completely immune to men and thus didn’t even look at him.

Or those who deliberately averted their gaze from him.

They were more likely to become prey for the Incubi, who were bored by the indifferent reactions of others.

“Balkan-nim.”

Serif brought someone over, her face full of concern.

“I tried to solve it with my miracle, but it doesn’t seem like it can be resolved by simply infusing a miracle…”

“Did she just get hit?”

“Yes. While protecting me, she took a direct hit from an Incubus’s surprise attack and was completely drenched in demonic energy…”

“Hngh… I, I’m… fine… Saintess Serif-nim…”

Balkan looked at the woman standing precariously, supported by Serif.

It was Nate Elin, Serif’s escort.

While seeing the woman who had just had an emotional outburst at him now afflicted by an Incubus was somewhat satisfying, it wasn’t a situation he could comfortably enjoy.

“I, I’m fine.”

Her face was flushed red and she was bleeding from her nose, having just been tormented by an Incubus, but Nate Elin spoke as if telling him to ignore it.

“You’re bleeding from your nose.”

“Th-this is… a physiological phenomenon.”

“What did you see from the Incubus?”

“……”

Swoosh…

At that question, Nate Elin averted her gaze, as if unable to speak.

Her lost eyes soon turned to Serif.

Then Nate Elin squeezed her eyes shut.

‘Disqualified as an escort.’

Immediately after being drenched in the Incubus’s demonic energy.

She saw a hallucination of her liege and the man standing before her passionately making love in the confession room.

No, was it truly a hallucination?

The demonic energy infused by the Incubus made memories she had pretended to ignore resurface.

That day, the strangely stuffy confession room.

Serif, with strange curly hair and suspicious liquid on her lips, and the two of them becoming rapidly closer afterward.

After that, no, even before that, all the favors Serif had shown Balkan…

“No, Saintess-nim couldn’t possibly… Never…”

Balkan, watching Nate Elin blankly muttering to herself, unable to even think of stopping her nosebleed, let out a sigh.

‘A severe case.’

To him, who had become an Incubus due to a curse, Nate Elin’s condition was clearly visible.

If she were consumed by the demonic energy like this, they would have to abandon her.

However, having come this far, it was impossible to lose a Paladin in the late 40s and Serif’s escort.

A drastic measure was needed.

Having made his decision, he reached out without hesitation.

“Stay still.”

Balkan reached out and grabbed Nate Elin’s tits.

Although a thin breastplate obstructed him, it was to an extent he didn’t care about.

Unexpectedly, they were quite large.

“Hngh…”

“Ugh-heuk…?!!!”

At his audacious action, Serif let out a small gasp, and Nate Elin screamed.

Nate Elin, momentarily flustered, raised her voice and tried to escape his grasp.

This was absolutely not an action driven by personal desire or such an intention.

“W-what, what…!”

“It’s treatment.”

“Tr-treatment…?”

“Why do you think Saintess Serif-nim brought you to me?”

Nate Elin, steeped in the Incubus’s temptation, asked in confusion, but Balkan and Serif remained relatively calm.

“Don’t worry, Elin. With Balkan-nim’s power, he can remove the Incubus’s demonic energy that has possessed you.”

The Incubus’s power wasn’t just for subjugating females.

Today, he had even treated two priests who were on the verge of succumbing to Incubus temptation using this method.

Serif spoke as if to alleviate Nate Elin’s worries.

Balkan, using Serif’s words as backing, spoke to Nate Elin in a commanding tone.

“It’s as Saintess Serif-nim said. So just obediently offer your tits. If my palm leaves your tits, my concentration will break.”

“My, my chest isn’t so vulgar as to be called tits…”

“Tsk.”

Squeeze!

“K-hngh…?!”

As his firm, large palm squeezed Nate Elin’s bare breast as if milking a cow, she sharply threw her head back and bit her trembling lower lip tightly.

Balkan, gripping Nate Elin’s tits with his hand, closed his eyes and concentrated his mind.

And then he simultaneously drew upon the Incubus’s power and Divinity.

The demonic energy contained within the Incubus’s horn and the Divinity accumulated in his dantian swirled simultaneously.

A blend of the Incubi’s technique for spreading demonic energy and the Order’s miracle for purifying the mind.

A kind of mental barrier miracle.

Although this was the first time he had precisely attempted it today.

‘Absorb and neutralize the demonic energy that has seeped into Nate Elin with the vast yang energy of a High-ranking Incubus…’

His Dexterity stat, which had already surpassed a certain threshold, naturally showed him the way forward.

‘Channel Divinity into the empty spaces to block the path for the Incubus’s demonic energy to invade again…’

It was a task requiring considerable concentration, so he couldn’t do it for just anyone.

Squeeze…

Every time he absorbed the demonic energy filling Nate Elin, he lightly squeezed her tits.

This was because placing his hand close to her heart was the fastest and most effective way to absorb demonic energy and transmit Divinity.

The problem was that a female body steeped in an Incubus’s demonic energy perceived such stimulation as immense pleasure.

“Hoo, hoo-ooh… St-stop… Stooop…! St-stooop…!”

Every time her breasts were crushed by the thick, large palm, Nate Elin felt a pleasure that seemed to pierce her brain directly, along with a slight pain.

She couldn’t even think of swallowing the drool dripping from her mouth.

With her trembling head thrown back towards the sky.

She felt the presence of her liege, silently looking down at her from above.

“……”

Serif, the Saintess whom Nate Elin followed.

As if envious of Nate Elin, who was collapsing under Balkan’s touch.

Swish. Swish.

She was wagging her cat tail with eyes full of anticipation.

As if wishing that the person being kneaded by him right now was herself.