32 – First Confrontation!
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PART 1 – Succubus!
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Zenyo seemed to be in a great mood the next morning, apologizing to Anna for his lack of manners last night. Then he started scolding Skarla again, who just sighed and ordered everyone to break camp.
…
3 days later!
The group parked at a camp near the mission objective; it was one of the many outposts spread across the duchy.
When they arrived, the soldiers stopped them, wanting identification, and as Skarla was about to show a special badge, Anna came forward and showed a cross. - “I am Anna Zlad from the Radiant Church; I have come to investigate the appearance of a demon!”
Her words were enough, and the soldier, who seemed to be in some official position, recognized the cross as a special identification of the church.
Everyone entered the outpost, with their horses being taken to the temporary stable, and then they went to receive information and rest.
……
"Unfortunately, we can't help much; we tried to track or collect information, but there are simply no traces of the Succubus.” - Said the officer in charge, a tall, thin man with a calm look.
“I understand, but from the information you here have, what can you tell me?” - Anna asked calmly.
"Hmmm... from what we know, the Succubus escaped to the south.” - Said the officer, scratching his chin and thinking.
“Strangely, in the reports and from those who even saw her, it is reported that she fled to the North.” - Skarla said calmly.
"North? So the report must be wrong; all signs point to the south, and I was personally present during the chase. It probably must have been an error during the report, as they are in opposite directions.” - Said the officer, smiling slightly.
"It's reasonable." - Anna said with a gentle look, but then Skarla calmly moved forward and grabbed the officer's face, alarming everyone.
Viper, present, was surprised but did not hold back, drawing her swords and quickly slashing the spear shafts and sword belts of the nearby soldiers.
AAAAAAAHHH!!!
The man began to scream as electricity manifested.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" - Anna roared, and Aura manifested from her fists. Skarla didn't respond, and Viper, with a cold look, pointed her swords at Anna, indicating to stay away.
The man continually screamed, clutching his head in agony, where he was soon released, falling to his knees on the ground. Skarla calmly looked in one direction.
“Anna, you are disappointing.” Skarla replied with a snort. - “Viper, protect the group; the Succubus or something that manipulates minds is here!”
Viper nodded, where she began to run and Anna was still confused, while Skarla walked forward and crossed the tent, closing her eyes and spreading her perception, evaluating everything, and searching for familiar energy.
Soon he felt several traces, knowing that there are many people being manipulated, but his focus was on the traces, as this must originate from somewhere.
Anna was right behind, screaming and wanting explanations. - “There are 30 soldiers under mind control; go to the group and support them; I'm going after the demon!” - Saying this, she drove off and disappeared from Anna's sight.
Boom!
…
Skarla advanced at high speed, constantly sending out waves of energy, spreading her senses, and finally finding it. Smiling, she kicked the air and took off like a rocket!
BOOM!
She collided with a rocky wall, at the last moment spinning in the air so that only her legs sank, but soon she came out and landed on the ground, calmly looking to the side.
In the direction she looked, she found a beautiful young girl of 15~16 years old, kneeling and trembling in terror, with dirty and torn clothes.
Skarla calmly looked at her. - "Why are you here?" - She asked.
The young woman opened and closed her mouth, unable to speak.
[Attack Test]
Skarla – D20+15 = 25!
Skarla, who approached, suddenly threw a punch. The young woman, startled and unable to speak, opened her eyes wide, but her seemingly innocent face twisted, and a wave of purple energy appeared.
BOOM!
An explosion sounded, and a body flew out. Skarla frowned, opening and closing her hand. Electricity surged and the space around her hand cracked, exposing her fist with several black veins and rocks, but as the electricity traveled, it was purged.
‘Illusion, interesting… But what is it? Poison? It seems like an aphrodisiac too. I'm dealing with a sucubus; obviously something like that would happen.' - Skarla laughed and looked at the body that flew.
“FILTHY BITCH!!!” - A thunderous and vicious roar came from the Succubus, coming out of her illusion and showing herself.
A beautiful tall woman, almost 2 meters tall, with very soft and flawless red skin and huge breasts bigger than yours. She also has long, red bat wings on her back and long horns.
“A Devil?” - Skarla was confused; even though she had never seen a Succubus before, she had access to books with information about demons and knew that there were differences between a Demon and a Devil. Succubi varies, but is more likely to be a Demon.
“What did you expect?!” - She growled, and her long, arrow-tipped tail snapped in the air. Flames appeared, and Skarla laughed. - “What do you-” - She was about to ask when Skarla disappeared.
[Perception Test]
??? – D20+10 = 16!
She was confused, but she couldn't even react until an electrified fist was in front of her; she couldn't dodge or defend herself.
[Damage – 3D10+19+4D6+10: 67!]
BOOM!!
BZZZZ! BZZZ!
The crackle of electricity sounded as the air cracked. The red devil was shown to possess soft white skin, long black bat wings, a height of 1.7 meters, and devilish physical proportions.
BOOOM!
With a loud collision, she crashed into the wall, howling in pain, and Skarla is sure she heard the sound of bones crunching.
Falling to her knees on the ground, she growled, looking up, and all she saw was a foot covered in electricity. Her eyes widened, but soon a purple aura manifested, quickly engulfing her, and a bang sounded, followed by Skarla's leg. sink into the ground, and electricity spreads.
Skarla closed her eyes and quickly spread her senses.
[Perception Test(Intelligence)]
Skarla – D20+16 = 23!
In moments more than 10 meters were covered, nothing, then it spread 30 meters and finally found traces. This thing was rushing towards the outpost, so without hesitation, it put strength into its legs and took off.
……
Flying at high speed, the Succubus growled in pain, waving its hands as it dodged trees, reaching into empty space, and pulling out some vials that contained a reddish and purple liquid that appeared to be alive.
She quickly took off the cap and brought it to her lips, recovering from the massive damage she received. Even though she was far from dying, it still broke bones and damaged her wings. Her luck is that, as a succubus, her wing is more aesthetic.
If it were a low-level Succubus, it wouldn't be, but since it's at Level 20, that's the case.
“Where the hell did that monster come from?!” - She shouted as she felt better, thinking about her next step and evaluating Skarla's attacks.
‘It must be someone almost at the legendary level!' - She thought about the electricity and the strength of that fist and knew that must be the case.
'I'm going to use those slaves to buy me some time, then I'm going to run away and ask for backup-' - In her thoughts, the strong wind, she didn't notice until it was too late.
BOOM!
A loud bang sounded as a searing pain shot through her back, slamming her into the ground.
KYAAAHH~
Her shrill scream sounded as blood flowed out.
Bang!
A heavy bang echoed, then a foot on her back opened the wound, and soon she felt hands on her wings. - "NO!" -The Succubus screamed and cried, howling painfully as herculean strength ripped away her wings, the pride of many demons.
Boom!
A bang sounded, and again the Succubus disappeared. Skarla quickly focused on her 25 meters away, detecting her already at the outpost, then rushed there.
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PART 2 – Outpost!
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(Author's Note)
—Initially, I had the plan to include [Attack Test] messages, etc., but due to the scale of the conflict and other factors, I decided to focus on the narrative, especially because there are 11 allied characters and dozens of enemies. It would literally be 4,000 words or even more, and I see that it would be quite dragging. Initially, I tried—I swear, I tried—but it was boring, even for me, without being confusing.
With Skarla's sudden departure, Viper, who trusted her almost blindly, ran towards the group. Intelligent and knowledgeable, she has already reasoned that the Succubus is somewhere in the outpost, and since Skarla attacked the officer in command, it means that many others may be under her control.
So she ran towards the group, getting ready; they were confused by Viper with her blades drawn. - “Get ready; the Succubus is nearby and may be controlling the camp!”
It took 1 second for them to react; they can ask questions later. For now, they drew their weapons, and the nearby soldiers, alarmed, quickly drew theirs too. Having not received orders, they stayed together and assessed these people.
At first, nothing happened. - "What happened?" - Zenyo asked, narrowing his eyes. - “Where is Skarla?”
“Skarla attacked the camp officer; she probably noticed something strange, as you know how sensitive she is to energies. The officer is probably under the influence of the Succubus; there may be others, so don't interact and just defend yourself.” - Viper said, and the others nodded.
Soon Anna approached, and seeing the tense atmosphere, she said. - “Skarla told me that there are 30 soldiers under mind control. How confident are you about it?”
“100%!” - Everyone except Tropim and Pauline spoke, which was enough for Anna to put her hands together and start praying.
The instant it began, holy energy manifested, and that was when some of the nearby soldiers began to shudder. Soon, saliva dripped from their lips. - “KILL THIS BITCH!!! SHE’S A DEMON!” - They started shouting and attacking Anna.
Anna was helpless as she prayed, but the group, upon seeing this, reacted.
{Sonnet – Mental Fortification}
Pauline, with her violin in hand, was the first to act, where she activated the Magical Runes, and soon several musical chords were jumping into the air along with waves of magical energy, accompanied by continuous waves of energy falling on her allies.
Her minds were clearer, and her senses were sharper.
{Song – Strength to the Courageous}
More waves appeared, and all of her allies noticed that everything was lighter and the movements of their enemies were a little easier to read.
And after the second song, the confrontation began.
“Don’t kill! They are under mind control!” - Viper shouted, alerting everyone.
{3rd Circle – Entwined Vines}
Suddenly, from the east of the group, vines exploded from the ground, bearing down on the half-dozen advancing soldiers, who quickly resisted, shouting and swearing as the vines enveloped their bodies. Where three of them managed to break free, one even jumped to avoid being involved.
"DIE!!!" - He screamed as he waved his sword, but a fast figure advanced, small and green, pulling a sword from his back and fiercely clashing it against the soldier's blade.
Clang!
The blades clashed, Cecil grunted. Her focus is not on strength; even though she has Orc bloodline, she also has Goblin bloodline. It is possible to see the contradiction.
But even so, she is at Level 8 and is quite skilled; having managed to parry the soldier's attack without any problems, naturally Pauline's support helped enormously.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Continuous metal clashes reverberated. Sasha and Holga were fighting with the south, five soldiers, and they were on the defensive, supporting each other.
As Belinda continually recited incantations and waving her staff to the skies, dozens of Arcane Missiles manifested.
“IT’S NOT FOR KILLING!!!” - Viper who saw this, screamed.
“I’M JUST GOING TO HURT YOU!” - Belinda retorted, and the shots appeared, exploding in the chests of several soldiers, many of the missiles missing, but in fact, it didn't kill anyone, but it would certainly leave some after-effects.
Zenyo was quite calm about all this, calculating, and finally decided to use one of his skills, [Aura of Abundance]. Spending only 20 gold coins per ally, totaling 200 coins, everyone received a bonus of +3 for 3~12 turns (1 turn = 5 seconds). This bonus correlates with attack tests, dodge, skill activation, and more.
After doing this, he no longer acted, standing still and observing; if necessary, he would act.
And while the individuals affected by [Aura of Abundance] initially appeared startled, they soon began to carry out more devastating attacks, breaking the soldiers' wrists and legs.
Tropim, as a thief, didn't have much to do other than kill, so all he could do was join Calah. He pulled out a blowgun and started spitting darts at the soldiers. Upon seeing this, Tropim asked about what potions she has that might be useful.
“Hmm… I have some sticky potions, some oil…” - She said hurriedly, Tropim then took as much as he could and then went into stealth.
[Stealth Test]
Tropim – D20+9+3 = 20!
Tropim, in stealth, quickly launched himself into the largest group of soldiers, where many did not notice him, but some did, who pointed and shouted. As a result, his state of stealth was undone.
But for Tropim, this was already expected; trying to act stealthily in front of dozens is something clumsy, but he doesn't have many options. He quickly took out the potions, calculated quickly, and threw them.
There was no suspense; the potions were thrown; the soldiers seemed to be drugged and confused, not thinking; and some attacked the potions in an attempt to counter them.
They broke in the air, spreading their contents, where many seemed to grow in volume and involved several soldiers, sticking them together; others were smeared with something viscous, and when they tried to walk, they began to slip.
Tropim ran and surrounded them, throwing the last potions he had and thus incapacitating 11 soldiers, significantly reducing the group's pressure.
"HERE!" - Calah came running and showed more sticky potions. Tropim took them, opening the lid, went forward, and threw them on the soldiers, making sure they would be trapped for a long time.
And at that moment, a wave of golden energy appeared. Anna Zlad held out her hands and screamed.
{Miracle – Radiant Clarity}
A Miracle that spread like vigorous waves, covering everyone, allies and enemies, where thunderous howls sounded from the soldiers, who fell and twitched in agony, some vomiting something dark and clarity returned to their eyes, but others continued to agonize.
“The demon’s control is too strong; I don’t have enough strength!” - Anna Zlad said it seriously with her hands together.
KYAAAAHHH!!
A piercing scream attracted everyone's attention. They looked and found a bloodied beauty, stumbling and snarling, exposing sharp teeth and devious eyes.
“YOU RADIANT FREAK!” - The Succubus roared, and her shrill scream made a huge wave of demonic energy emanate and combat Anna's sacred energy.
Anna tried to resist, but soon received a fierce impact and vomited blood; the difference in levels was too great.
Shouts from her worried companions sounded. Anna was kneeling, and Viper advanced, standing between her allies and the demon.
“Hey cutie, help me; give me some of your vitality.” -Said the Succubus, licking his lips and sending her [Charm].
[Will Test]
Viper – D20+11(+3+2) = 36!!! (CRITICAL STRIKE!!!)
Viper growled and nodded, using the [Black Devil Mantra], which helped him immensely in resisting temptation.
The Succubus, seeing that Viper was unaffected, growled and fiercely waved her arm. Viper defended himself. - “ATTACK!” - But what came was a command, and the soldiers under the influence, who were almost leaving it, returned to their state as before and furiously advanced against Viper.
Viper was surprised, but recovered and prepared for the confrontation.
BOOM!!!
A huge bang sounded as a tall and beautiful young woman appeared. The Succubus looked terrified, rushing towards the back of one of the soldiers and hurriedly sucking in air, sucking away all of the soldier's vitality.
Skarla, ignoring the state of things, advanced. - “PROTECT ME!” - The Succubus roared, and everyone who was running towards Viper turned to stand between the Succubus and Skarla.
Bzzz~
Electricity surged throughout Skarla's body, where it then compressed and vigorous pulsations emerged from the area of her abdomen, forming a ball of electricity.
Skarla ran without fear, and when she reached the first soldiers, she released electricity, and a massive dome erupted, sending electrical blasts through the soldiers' bodies. It was not fatal, and as a result, everyone dropped like flies.
KYAAAAHHH~
The Succubus screamed shrilly as she was hit, resisting the paralysis and succeeding. She growled, and Skarla was charging towards her.
"Stop! I order you to stop!” -The Succubus screamed as she almost tripped, and Skarla felt waves of energy permeating her, her mind being affected, but she quickly circulated her energy, and purple veins appeared all over her body.
“KILL THEM!” - The Succubus roared and pointed at Viper and the others.
Skarla snorted and laughed, but frowned when she noticed his left arm outstretched, fire manifesting. - "No!" -Skarla screamed, and her right hand grabbed her and pointed her away. A torrent of flames shot out, and the Succubus bit her tongue.
"I WILL KILL YOU!!!" - Skarla roared as she threw a vicious look at the Succubus.
"No! You’re going to kill your friends!” -The Succubus screamed and advanced against Skarla, wanting to tear her apart, but instead her arms opened, and she found herself unable to resist.
The Succubus fell into her arms, where she dug her nails into her shoulders, letting her blood flow as she kissed Skarla, shoving something down her throat and spilling a lot of liquid.
The Succubus's eyes shone with shock, almost having an orgasm, but her survival instincts were stronger, and she knew it was a matter of time before Skarla woke up, so she fiercely gave up this succulent dish and screamed. - “KILL THEM!!!”
As she screamed, she began to fly away.
“SKARLA!!!” -Viper screamed, and Skarla, extending her hand towards her, fired a torrent of lightning, and everyone screamed in fright. The Succubus walking away laughed and heard Skarla's howl as she was recovering her senses.
Understanding that she doesn't have much time, a purple and reddish energy covered her, shaking intensely and concentrating. Then a bang sounded, and she was teleported even further away.
“SKARLA!!!” - Several people screamed, and Skarla shivered while Sasha, Holga, and Cecil, who were closest, ran to hug Skarla, holding her.
This gave time for Viper to arrive, and at the same time, Belinda was casting several spells, ready to bombard Skarla as soon as she saw the opportunity, already imagining them all flying.
Anna Zlad ran, moving forward and hugging Skarla's neck, trying to choke her.
Zenyo was running, about to spend tons of gold to suppress Skarla.
"HE ARRIVES!!!" - Viper shouted.
“Okay, you can let me go!” - Skarla also screamed, and electricity crackled. Soon, everyone touching her was thrown away in confusion and grunted when they felt the electricity running through them.
They looked confused, and only now did Phinel, Tropim, and some others further away notice that Viper, after being hit by the torrent of electricity, was not sent flying or damaged; she walked normally towards Skarla.
And Skarla, covered in purple veins, started vomiting a clear, purple liquid. She shuddered as smoke exuded from her body.
"WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" - Anna Zlad shouted as she stood up, looking at Viper and Skarla.
“I don’t know; she will explain.” - Viper said, because she really doesn't know, but she understood something: that when Skarla shot at her, she smiled and winked at her, indicating not to worry, and Viper trusted, and in fact, the electricity was nothing more than a small inconvenience.
Skarla was still vomiting and expelling all the poison and foreign magic from her body, but soon, being able to breathe, she smiled and looked in a direction. - “I think we can find this bitch’s nest.” - Said Skarla.
"What is happening?" - Anna Zlad asked calmer. - “Weren’t you controlled by the Succubus?”
"I? Controlled? Do you think I’m you?” - Skarla laughed, and Anna blushed. - “I had to pretend, because I think it's better to capture her and annihilate potential dangers than to kill her now and not get many useful things.”
“If she's running away, it's either somewhere safe where she can recover on her own, or it's somewhere where she has allies. Whatever the case, let’s find out!” -Skarla smiled while she was still expelling the poison.
“How did you know she was acting?” - Asked Sasha, who believes she is one of the closest to Skarla and yet didn't notice anything.
“She smiled and winked at me, so I didn’t worry about protecting myself any more than necessary.” - Viper said calmly.
“Anyway, in 10~20 minutes, my bomb should go off.” - Said Skarla, looking away and smiling.
“Your bomb?” Calah, who arrived, asked.
“During my attacks, I injected a lot of electricity into his body. My method of combat and energy control is quite unique; let's say that it is accumulating, and soon everything will explode and cause great damage. But the goal isn't damage; it's exploding, so I can feel where it is. After it explodes, we can go there, and I will know how to track it through my residual energy.” - Said Skarla and naturally, almost no one understood.
Only Viper understood 100%, as she knows that cultivation makes her senses more sensitive to energy flows and knows how internal energy affects the bodies of her enemies internally, to the point where she compares such energy as poison for her enemies. .
Tropim, Belinda, Phinel, Pauline, and Cecil understood a little, as they know that there are tracking abilities and magic, and they believe that what Skarla did was something similar.
The others thought something similar, but the way Skarla told it, they didn't understand anything.
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PART 3 – Group & Informations & Threats!
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Skarla didn't wait to treat the soldiers; she left it to those who recovered to treat the rest, because as soon as she felt the ripples of their energy, she told them to start moving.
At first, she wanted to go alone, but she couldn't monopolize all the EXP, not to mention that she didn't know how many enemies she might face.
“Are you sure you’re not Legendary?” - Anna asked, frowning; even others had the same doubt.
“I would say I’m almost at that level.” - Said Skarla.
“That doesn’t make sense; surely you have some divine artifact, as you are very strong! I also saw you use Electric Aura and Fire.” - Anna said, growling. - “Not to mention that you cast both as if they were spells, even more destructive than Level 3 spells!”
“Only a Legendary Aura Warrior would be capable of such control and manifestation.” - Anna said, frowning.
Skarla looked at her, and seeing that everyone was curious, she sighed and said. - “You are weak for a simple reason; you are very dependent on the system. It is a tool that practically delivers everything to us on a platter, where you strictly follow what the system gives you, and that's it. I, on the other hand, go further; I have never stopped training; I am always looking for ways to modify and improve my skills, ignoring the system descriptions and using my imagination.”
“This way I developed methods to have more than 1 element in my aura; I found ways for my aura to boost my physical capabilities, accelerate the progress of [Effort] and among other factors.”
“In other words, I use the system, but I am not dependent on it, to the point that it is the one that is restricting me and not the other way around.” - Skarla said this to everyone's shock.
“So I already have the skills and abilities that someone at Legendary Level would have; the problem is that I lack the levels, but when I reach that, I will certainly be at the top among those at Legendary Level.” - Her tone was full of confidence, and everyone was silent.
“Are you teaching this to me and Holga?” - Sasha asked in surprise.
"A little. I won't teach you everything for several reasons, perhaps in the future, but for now I will teach you how to improve your combat styles, I will help you awaken your aura as soon as you reach Level 11, and depending on our relationship, I may or may not teach you methods to stay even stronger.” - Said Skarla.
“I'm already learning, and because of that, I gave up daggers and used short swords.” - Viper said, smiling slightly.
“I haven't started learning yet, but I know that once I learn, I can even beat you two up.” - Calah said, laughing and lightly punching Holga on the shoulder.
“Now I’m curious, what is this technique?” - Tropim asked. - “If it’s so good that an alchemist can fight against warriors, I want to learn it too.”
In her words, others showed interest, including Pauline, who distanced herself a little from Skarla and was interested, even noting that Viper and Calah are considered Skarla's wives, which is probably why they know about her secrets. She is still willing to make sacrifices.
Even Anna, who shows little of her ambitions, is interested, as having an almost legendary strength below Level 21 shows that it really is a unique method, and if she manages to learn it or even bring it to the Radiant Church, there is no need to say how strong she will become or her church.
“That's not something I'm comfortable telling like this; even if I trust you guys, it's not something I'll tell anyone I don't have stronger connections with.” - Said Skarla and everyone understood.
“Does it have to be one of your wives for this? I personally have no problem giving up my life as a free man.” - Phinel said.
“You don’t seem like the Beastkins type, so I’ll have to back off.” - Tropim said, smiling slightly and looking away with a certain coldness.
“I can’t speak for Belinda, but something that can make me comparable to a Legend, please make room for me!” - Cecil shouted with his hand raised, and Belinda growled, but blushing raised her hand too.
"OK. Enough jokes!” - Skarla said it out loud.
“The technique I created can only be taught to third parties through a magical contract, and it will also depend on what I want from the person and how I will relate to them. For example, from my knowledge and other factors, I needed an alchemist, and Calah came up. I liked her, even though she is a slut who seems to be in heat. I find her presence comforting, and as I needed her skills, the contract was made, and she became my wife.”
“Viper… Well, we bonded, a lot of things happened, and we have incredible chemistry, where the contract established is only for her not to teach my technique to others.”
Skarla scratched her head and said. - “Berard has a similar contract, but he will become my Personal Blacksmith. So except for those in my love circle, I also have subordinates, as I have plans to become a noble in the future.”
His words made the eyes of many shine.
“So is it being your wife or a subordinate?” - Zenyo asked. - “Is there room for husbands?” - He smiled.
“I’m not a big fan of men.” - Skarla spoke calmly, and Zenyo was sad.
“What is the requirement for subordinates?” - Tropim asked, and it turns out he doesn't want an ogre's dick in his ass.
Skarla scratched her head and said. - “How about we stop here for now? We are hunting demons, and at the moment we are allies. I don’t want everyone to suddenly start treating me like a master or something.”
“…you are literally our master, so…do you have room for us among your subordinates or wives?” - Holga asked, smiling, and Zenyo next to him snorted, spitting in disdain.
“You are very talented and can learn a lot from what I have to offer, but I am not the type to invest heavily without rewards. Whether you follow me in the future after the mission will be your choice.”
“Regarding the others, for now we are friendly companions, but I don't know what the goals and ambitions of all of you are. Pauline, whom I know, likes to travel and adventure, so I think it's unlikely that she would leave her life behind to report to me. Phinel, I saw your previous words as a joke, as you don't seem like the type to stay in one place, especially since among the elves, you are still quite young. The little couple is what I least know how to say; one moment they are lesbians, the next they are experimenting with all kinds of things, then they are lesbians again.” - Skarla scratched her head.
It turns out that this group of yours is quite confusing.
“Would you be able to buy information about your techniques? I believe the Radiant Church would be very willing to buy your secrets.” - Anna said calmly.
"It is not for sale!" - Said Skarla and Viper next door said. - “If you try to force it, know that the Duchess already has a business relationship with Skarla regarding this technique; if you spread the news, know that you will make Letiphia Veremor an enemy of your church.”
Anna was shocked, and Viper continued. - “Even to protect Skarla, the duchess would be more than willing to ally herself with the Imperial Family, and depending on what happens, the Radiant Church could be expelled from the Empire.”
“Don’t talk nonsense; regardless of how good your technique is, there’s no way the entire Empire can stand against the Radiant Church over a single person.” - Anna mocked.
“I don't think you understand, so let me explain. Her technique allows someone from Level 15~20 to reach an almost legendary level of strength. How many legendary beings are there on the continent? Now, how many are stuck at Levels 15~20, getting older and further and further away from the next level?”
Anna, hearing this, began to reason.
“If there is a technique that makes these people even stronger, the Empire would benefit immensely. Purging the Radiant Church of potentially hundreds of Quasi-Legends is something that any Emperor in all of history, even the most religious ones, would be willing to sacrifice. . Not to mention that these almost-legends with increased strength can become more active in Dungeons, performing better and potentially becoming true legends.”
“Understand how incredible Skarla’s technique is. Even if not everyone can utilize 100% like Skarla, it is still enough to boost the strength of any nation or organization with sufficient numbers.”
Anna kept quiet, realizing that if it was true, she could doom the Radiant Church.
“And you guys, you better keep quiet about this. I wouldn't hesitate to kill you if you put Skarla's life or those around her at risk. Skarla has no plans to teach her techniques to anyone she doesn't trust, so she has no plans to teach the Empire or the Church, but if it's to protect herself, she will do so.”
“So if you want benefits, attract their attention; otherwise, it’s better to ignore or wait for a visit from me.”
The atmosphere became heavy, Skarla said. - “I think I said too much, but it's like Viper said: I have no plans to spread my techniques, especially because I'm soon advancing to the legendary level. Maybe I'll advance after killing the Succubus or other enemies in that level range. Whatever the case, I hope you are wise with the little information you have. Not to mention that you really don’t know what the technique is about, and it’s just assumptions.” - Skarla smiled slightly.
“Then how about we continue? When I become a noble, the chances of me sending an invitation to everyone here are high. Regarding you, Anna, know that I have no plans to ally with the Church; during my lifetime, I haven't heard many pleasant things about you.” - Skarla said coldly, and Anna frowned.
"Like this?" - She asked.
“When you have the opportunity, take off your crosses and wear simpler clothes; try dyeing your hair a little; and start searching in slums; you will discover a lot of interesting information. There are also information gathering organizations; there must be some in the fortress. Ask for the negative rumors about your church, and then you will understand what I am talking about.” - Skarla said, and Anna continued to frown.
"OK! We have a demon to hunt, and I still want to be in my wife's arms by the end of the night, so let's speed up!” - Calah shouted, clapping and trying to lighten the mood.
Due to the limited amount of information, the group is very afraid. Anna has doubts about what Skarla said about her church and asked Tropim about it, who seems to be someone from the favelas.
This way, the group advanced, and Skarla followed her energy traces, using her own energy to cover her and her group, preventing detection. They were also unable to build fires when night came and had to rest without tents, eating their emergency food as they rested.
Skarla thanked Viper for coming forward and explaining, to which she responded. - “I noticed that even though you are so smart, you seem to have flaws in common sense and let them slip. I know you're not just 20 years old; I'm not sure what's behind all this, but I believe that where you came from, these techniques should be common, so don't worry, I'll be here to help you.”
Smiling, Skarla hugged her and kissed her, grateful for having found such an incredible woman.
(Author's Note)
—Let's get to the point in light of everyone's apparent desire to become Skarla's lover or subordinate, even if it means sacrificing her freedom—even Pauline, who doesn't think well of her!
—1: Reaching Level 21, which is essentially unattainable for everyone, including elves who have lived for centuries, is a difficult feat. Power and levels are what govern the world.
—2: Since everyone lives in a planet that is rigorously ruled by aristocracy and their opinions are not particularly important, they are not people from Earth with intelligence developed to a certain degree, great freedom, and free will. Instead, they all aspire to be strong.
—3: Naturally, their alternatives are limited because they live in a world where the powerful govern and the nobility set the rules. They either surrender to someone powerful or wealthy, binding their destiny to him, or they live the scraps of their lives in the vain hope that they will somehow get lucky and transform into something magnificent.
—4: They all believe that they would eventually have to submit, so why not take advantage of the greatest advantages? This gives them the chance to grow stronger by yielding to Skarla.
—Recognize that they have a simplistic mindset, few options, and lack the imagination to launch a successful business or stand up for their rights, let alone the individual strength to draw attention. All they need to do to secure a wealthy future is form an alliance with someone strong, influential, and captivating, and Skarla fits the bill.