Chapter 173: For the Sake of a Story Not Yet Known (4)
Chapter 173: For the Sake of a Story Not Yet Known (4)
“0.7 Fay.”
Not even that big.
As I let a smirk tug at the corner of my mouth, Melonia—clutching her now-lopsided chest—let out a shrill scream.
“How can you be unfazed by my charm?! And what the hell is a ‘0.7 Fay’?!”
“It means tits that size aren't enough to bewitch me.”
“These are plenty big! No, wait—there’s no way you could resist a scent infused with His Authority just because it’s ‘not your type’...!”
She had a point.
Melonia, a succubus by birth who had risen to the rank of Archbishop of Ugly Prosperity, was practically the ultimate authority on charm-type abilities.
She could seduce Fishermen—creatures of a different species who didn't even speak the same language and notoriously loathed anything beautiful. That said everything.
In practice, Melonia’s charm was essentially a mental attack.
However, it didn't work on me.
My resistance was peaked from channeling mana, I was bolstered by various potions and scrolls, and most importantly, I already knew who Melonia was, so I was mentally prepared.
Plus, the fact that the chest she was so confidently flaunting was smaller than Fay’s really killed the mood.
There were many reasons. But the biggest one was undoubtedly that I knew the succubus’s true nature.
Just as the monster that looked like a horned rabbit had vomited tentacles, and just as Edmerec had become capable of swallowing things much larger than his own body...
Succubi had also undergone slight physical changes through their devotion to the Evil God.
Specifically... yeah. They had tentacles. On their lower halves.
To put it bluntly, they were futanaris.
They were quite satisfied with it, claiming it allowed them to drain vitality from women as well.
How did I know this in H&A, a game where you’re supposed to just rip and tear through cultists and monsters?
Isn't it a universal rule to save the game and intentionally lose once when a succubus appears as an enemy?
I thought so too.
Right up until I saw the Bad Ending illustration of the protagonist soaked in slime and getting railed by tentacles.
Those crazy developers shouted, "Wow! Double the vitality absorption efficiency!" and made them pack heat for the male characters too.
They claimed that being the one doing the thrusting while being thrusted into was a "unique sensation."
It’s one thing to see a heroine wrapped in tentacles, but it’s quite another to be the one on the receiving end.
To think a memory I wanted to erase would be this helpful.
I let out a hollow laugh internally as I sharpened the magic I was preparing.
Since I’d landed a surprise attack, a furious Melonia would surely counterattack immediately. I planned to catch her off guard again when she did.
...For some reason, though, Melonia only increased the distance between us and didn't counterattack right away.
“Answer me! What kind of trick did you use?!”
“Is it really that important?”
“Of course it is! You inhaled my scent. There’s no way you could stay this calm! ...Ah, is that it? Are you impotent? Or do you prefer men?”
“……”
Was she really that shocked that her charm failed?
I put on my most resolute expression for Melonia, who, despite being ambushed, seemed more interested in getting an answer than fighting.
“Lopsided chests aren't my thing.”
“You’re the one who made it like this?!”
Despite her words, Melonia’s breast was already nearly halfway recovered.
Cultists generally have high regenerative powers, but they should still be vulnerable to Light-attribute attacks.
Just how much vitality had she sucked out of people to have regeneration on this level...?
Feeling exasperated, I made a show of pinching my nose at her.
“Whatever, just stay back. You’ve smelled like a dusty old coop for a while now.”
“A-A coop...? Me, the Sweet Melonia, smells like a coooop?!”
Melonia trembled, her body shaking with rage.
As her epithet "Sweet" suggested, Melonia primarily used her scent to cast charms.
Having that scent insulted in such a crude way was a massive blow to her pride.
But for an Archbishop of Ugly Prosperity—who should be driven by lust—to prioritize anger? Naturally, her Authority would weaken overall.
As if to prove it, the Fishermen, who had been motionless until a moment ago, began to twitch and squirm.
It meant Melonia’s control was slipping.
I didn't expect that to work so well... Between blowing off half her chest and this, things were off to a good start.
I breathed a sigh of relief inwardly and leveled my staff at the fuming Melonia.
“Well, fine. I can hear the details later after I’ve caught you. Even if you cry and beg later, I’m going to squeeze every last drop out of—”
“Blast Burn!”
I couldn't draw a magic circle or properly recite the chant since I was trying to prepare it secretly, but it was still a powerful spell.
Fwooooosh!
A massive fireball, large enough to fill one's entire field of vision, shot toward Melonia.
“You little...!”
Melonia’s eyes turned venomous as she thrust both hands forward.
Was she trying to use Energy Drain to suck the power out of my spell?
Even for a succubus—a race not typically known for combat—things changed once they reached the higher echelons.
When their vitality absorption reached its peak, they could drain energy from almost anything.
Because of this, attacks without a solid form—like fire or wind—weren't very effective against high-ranking succubi.
Melonia knew this well, which was why, despite her surprise, she calmly attempted an Energy Drain.
No matter how skilled I might be, she was likely confident she could easily block a low-grade spell.
...If it were a normal low-grade spell, that is.
Crackle!
The fireball blazing through the air suddenly split into several pieces.
“Ha! You thought splitting it would help?!”
Melonia spread her hands confidently. However, her expression soon melted into bewilderment.
“Huh...?”
The split fireballs were barely affected by her Energy Drain.
They had shrunk slightly, but they were still a threatening size.
“Is this... the knife-ears' secret art?”
Indeed. Blast Burn was an element combination magic of Earth and Fire.
The split flames took on a physical form, giving them mass and physical force, which made them far less susceptible to Energy Drain.
Her relaxed face contorted as she hurriedly wrapped herself in her wings.
At the same time, a pink shield manifested.
Vitality magic.
Just as vampires consumed their own blood to spam high-risk blood magic, succubi consumed accumulated vitality to enhance their magic power or physical abilities.
Since vitality was the most basic form of energy, it was less efficient, but it could be transformed into various forms.
It would be difficult to pierce that with a Blast Burn that had its chant skipped. This was getting annoying.
BOOM!
The fragments of fire hammered against the shield, triggering a chain of explosions.
The sound was violent, but as expected, Melonia’s shield only suffered a few cracks and didn't break. Even those cracks were repaired instantly.
This was why Carla and Elisha had been so worried, and why Melonia hadn't lost her composure until just now.
It was the absolute difference in "weight class."
No matter how much I boosted the power with element combinations or pseudo-resonance, a low-grade spell was still a low-grade spell.
Breaking a shield that Melonia had put her heart into would be an incredibly grueling task.
That was the gap between a lower mage and an Archbishop.
Even Sophia, whom I’d defeated relatively easily, wouldn't have fallen if Carla hadn't been there.
But my goal wasn't to kill Melonia right here.
Vrum—
As soon as the aftereffects of the Blast Burn obscured her vision, I poured mana into the Transparent Robe I had been saving.
Feeling the mana flow through the robe and envelop my body, I kicked off the ground.
Zip.
The various potions and support magic propelled me forward at a speed incomparable to my usual self.
I quickly burst through the cloud of dust and channeled my mana.
“Terra!”
A basic spell that didn't even require a proper chant. But because I poured a massive amount of mana into it, a significant amount of earth rose from the ground.
In an instant, a set of earthen stairs was formed.
I intended to run up the stairs and leap over the surrounding pack of Fishermen in one go.
With that plan in mind, I put strength into my legs and leaped.
But I suppose things never go exactly as planned.
“Where do you think you’re going? Big sister wants to play some more!”
At Melonia’s voice echoing from behind, the Fishermen, who had been quiet until now, began to go wild.
They didn't seem to know my exact location, so they threw themselves in every direction and swung their weapons blindly.
Naturally, most of them missed and ended up wounding each other. But a few lucky ones flew right toward where I was.
“Dammit.”
One Fisherman, who had apparently thrown his weapon long ago, slammed his body into my side.
Clang!
Thanks to the defensive magical tool I was wearing, I wasn't hurt... but the protective barrier that flared up in mid-air gave away my position.
“There you are. Where do you think you’re going, having all the fun by yourself? You have to make big sister happy too.”
“‘Big sister’ my ass. You’re at least four times my age.”
“Tsk! I was trying to be nice, but I guess that won't work. I’ll just have to break you in a little.”
Her tone was playful, but unlike before, there was no leisure in her voice.
I suppose it made sense. Not only had she been ambushed once, but she’d almost been hit by an unexpected spell. It was only natural for her to be on guard.
As I clicked my tongue inwardly, Melonia began to shake her fully recovered chest.
A sweet fragrance wafted all the way over to me. The scent was so thick it made my head ache, and my lower half began to swell of its own accord.
Even if my mind was fine, I couldn't help my body’s physiological response.
And it seemed I wasn't the only one reacting sensitively.
“Everyone? Would you catch that boy for me?”
Her voice felt like a whisper in my ear, even though she was clearly far away.
At her command, focus returned to the vacant eyes of the Fishermen.
“Kwa furaha!”
“Mkamate!”
“Acha nikuguse kifua chako!”
“This is driving me crazy.”
The easy path was blocked; only the hard way remained.
But if this was the only way...
“Then I have to go.”
I would kill Melonia right here.
No matter what it took.