Volume 1 Chapter 497

Chapter 497: Succubus, Isn’t It Amazing?

In this world’s main plane, seeing his teammate return after being away for a while, sitting with a succubus, and showing no signs of hostility—laughing and seeming like good friends…

It is a common and wise thought to first suspect if she has been charmed.

Most people’s understanding of a succubus comes from various sources that depict this kind of image.

Upon hearing these words, Lolth and Luge looked at the mercenaries who had become on guard, while showing a helpless expression.

"Rely… this misunderstanding…"

Luge looked at his eager subordinates and wasn’t sure if he should find it funny or be moved.

But mostly, he just felt a headache.

And Lolth watched Luge’s expression, feeling helpless but secretly a little pleased.

"Now you know the pain I felt when you were chasing me with that blade!"

Lolth said this, and Luge shot her an annoyed glance.

"Isn’t it because your Succubus clan has such a bad reputation?"

Hearing Luge’s words, Lolth became even more outraged.

"Isn’t it because the people from the main plane have always slandered us… Even if the Succubus clan does have that legendary turtle egg that plays with people’s hearts, how can you judge us all by that?"

"Come on, which race doesn’t have good people and bad people!"

Lolth protested, and her growing dissatisfaction was clear.

"It doesn’t help to talk to me; you should talk to the authors of those picture books and legends. After all, having you succubi around guarantees a bestseller," Luge said, understanding the situation, "But… it’s not right that my team members have this stereotype, so I’ll correct it myself!"

Lolth looked at Luge, wanting to point out that just a few minutes ago, she was full of prejudice and grabbed her axe at the sight of a succubus.

But in the end, she held back.

"Is that okay… to be honest, your mercenary group is really strong."

Even though Lolth’s power was currently suppressed to the Elite Level, making her perception quite precise, the accuracy of the Elite Level has its limits.

She could tell that Luge was at the Epic High Level.

But among these seven people, it seemed that the one who shouted the loudest was also at the Epic High Level.

Among the remaining six people, there are two at the epic level. Although they are beginner level, they still look quite impressive.

Besides these three at the epic level, the other four are all at the Superlative Level, high rank.

The Victory Mercenary Corps truly deserves its reputation as the famous gold medal mercenary group of South Sotua. Though there are only eight members, they take a completely high-end approach.

With four at the epic level and four at the Superlative Level, this strength could hold back an elite team of the demon race on the frontline!

This shows that the strategy of nurturing mercenaries practiced by the United Kingdom of South Sotua has indeed been considerably effective in some ways.

Of course, among these mercenaries, even if they join the royal organization, how many, like Qiong, have ulterior motives is unknown.

This is also a drawback of this method.

It can quickly develop usable middle-tier forces and talents, but these talents may not all be able to serve the United Kingdom of South Sotua.

Due to Lolth’s current decrease in her observation skills, it is indeed a bit difficult for her to judge which side would win if a fight broke out.

After all, she could only feel that the man who seemed to be the vice-captain, also at Epic High Level, was a bit weaker than Luge.

But she was not sure if her battle power after becoming Elite Level, along with Luge’s advantage over that vice-captain, could offset the support and teamwork advantage brought by the other six.

If Lolth were in her normal state, she would be able to make a more accurate judgment using her precise perception of magical energy.

However, that is not possible right now.

As for judging by battle experience…

Although, in a way, Lolth has a lot of battle experience and is very good at calculating her maximum combat power against different types of enemies, she is really not good at this.

After all, she rarely fought with people of Epic level.

This is a blind spot for her.

However, Lolth does not need to make a judgment herself.

Because it was obvious, Luge understood what was on her mind.

"There’s absolutely no problem," she clenched her fist, put away the huge axe, and replaced it with a shield. "You don’t need to step in… I can handle my own subordinates!"

As Luge said this, she revealed a faint smile.

After resting with Lolth earlier, she had completely restored her energy.

And she was very aware of her subordinates’ abilities!

She looked at the victorious vice-captain, the man who was also of Epic High Level.

"Evan, Evan, Evan," Luge raised her shield and held it in front of her. "How many times have I told you… leading a mercenary group is not just about fighting!"

Saying this, she stomped her foot, and the white sand on the ground flew everywhere from the tremendous force of her stomp.

"Bang!"

With a heavy sound, Luge almost instantly arrived in front of a man named Evan.

"God of War, protect us…"

This epic warrior dressed in a priest’s robe didn’t have time to cast his first divine spell before a shield hit him in the face and sent him flying backward.

After that, Luge kept moving, spinning his shield like a big windmill among the crowd!

If it were an axe, this place would have become a meat grinder.

Seven people faced their own leader, yet they had no way to fight back.

In just a few minutes, they lay on the ground, wobbling and making painful "ouch" sounds.

If Luge hadn’t held back some of his strength, they would have probably had broken bones.

Lolth watched this scene and gently clapped her hands from the side.

"Wonderful."

These people don’t even have their own Elite Level mode to play.

At least I forced Luge to use his stronger form, and even then, I came out without a scratch.

Luge looked at the mercenaries scattered on the ground and kicked one of them.

"A bunch of fools!"

"This succubus has Elite Level power; how could I charm her?"

"Besides, if I did charm her, would you still want to wake me up?"

"I would have already taken you all out with one strike!"

"This succubus is a friend of my old teammate Harper; you all better show some respect, got it?"

"Besides, we might even hope for her to leave this place."

After scolding her subordinates, she turned to Lolth and gave a shy smile.

"I’m sorry for making you laugh… There are indeed many brainless mercenaries in South Sotua."

Lolth waved her hand, showing that she didn’t mind.

After all, the people on the ground have been beaten this badly; it would be a bit much to care too much myself.

"It’s fine."

"I still have some questions I want to ask you earlier arrivals… After all, I am also a ‘tester.’"

"I can’t guarantee that I can take you out of here."

As Lolth said this, Luge laughed heartily.

"It’s fine! This is just my instinct and guess!"

"As for any questions you have, we will tell you everything we know!"

Hearing Luge say this, Lolth also decided to be direct and asked about what they knew.

Soon, Lolth had a general idea of how this maze worked.

This is an enormous maze, filled with monsters ranging from Elite Level to Epic Level wandering in different areas.

Most monsters have tentacles and use swallowing people as their main attack method.

There are also a few monsters that are more aggressive, but they are quite rare.

At the same time, the traps, walls, and the maze itself are constantly changing.

As Luge and the mercenaries answered in a lively manner, the sky around the campfire slowly grew darker.

It was time for the mercenaries to eat.

Lolth looked at the bruised members of the Victory Mercenary Corps gathered around the campfire, roasting their rations, and found the scene a little humorous.

"So, there really are sunrises and sunsets, and time changes here."

She said with a sense of wonder as she gazed at the sky during twilight.

"Yes, but a day here is about four times faster than outside."

Evan, who was roasting buns, answered honestly.

"So, how long have you been here?"

Lolth asked him curiously.

"We’ve already been through nearly a hundred days and nights here," Luge said while chewing on the most popular hard bread in the South Sotua Mercenary group, "We’re almost out of supplies… If it weren’t for some rooms giving food as rewards, we would have starved long ago."

"But now, we can’t last much longer."

Evan sighed with a hint of sadness.

Although the mercenaries from South Sotua always brought a lot of supplies when they went on adventures, some top mercenary groups even had someone in charge of logistics who would carry spare equipment and clothes…

But this is still limited.

Some mercenaries chewed on their rations, and some even choked back tears.

"I really want to eat meat—but there are no animals here, only monsters!"

If it weren’t for most people being hungry and in poor condition, this top mercenary group wouldn’t be in such a difficult situation in this Elite Level trial maze.

They also wouldn’t have been forced to separate from their leader because of the attack from the bearded demon flower.

Lolth paused when she heard them, and looked around at the group.

She saw on the faces of these people…

Intense hunger.

As a chef, she could not ignore hungry and craving people.

"Well… since you have met me, you don’t need to worry about supplies!"

Lolth said this as she stood up from the campfire.

A hint of spatial magic appeared around her, and then…

From a little opening in her personal space, she took out food packed in boxes, sealed with magic, and looking extremely delicious—bento.

The idea of using Resonance Crystal to create a small space as a portable refrigerator…

Lolth had already done it!

Actually, this was something Lolth immediately studied after finishing the Resonance Crystal research.

"Break open the sealed magic, let it sit for a few minutes, and you can eat it—be careful, it’s hot."

Lolth handed out bento boxes.

The mercenaries present looked at the lightweight boxes, filled with dishes they had never seen before but instantly knew were incredibly delicious, and they all started drooling.

Using her magic, she broke the magical seal on the bento box’s surface, and amidst the crumbling magic, a hint of fire element magic was still sealed inside.

After these fire elements were released, they all fell into the box, heating the contents that were originally frozen to a scalding temperature.

At the same time, it also released the food’s aroma.

The mercenaries, who had been eating bland food until their eyes turned green, immediately went wild.

"Thank you, Lord Lolth!"

"Sure enough, we misunderstood the succubus!"

"Yes, the abyss doesn’t seem so terrible after all—"

Especially when Lolth kindly smiled and said, "Eat slowly, there’s more to come."

The entire Victory Mercenary Corps would gladly bow to her and wish to carve her image on their emblem as a symbol.

"I really appreciate it," Luge said, feeling a bit more reserved than his subordinates, while eating and remembering to thank Lolth, "Now I truly believe you can treat the common people well and improve their lives."

"Old Harper’s judgment was indeed correct."

Lolth smiled slightly, and she neither agreed nor disagreed with Luge’s comment.

She simply looked at the captain and asked a question.

"Do you enjoy drinking?"

Then, without waiting for Luge’s reply, she pulled out two icy cans from the space again.

After all, it is very rare to find a mercenary who doesn’t like to drink.

"Try this."

Lolth pulled the tab and handed Luge a can.

The aroma of the craft beer, which even dwarfs are conquered by, instantly amazed Luge.

She drank it all and her favorability rating for this succubus increased again.

"Great!"

Luge made a joyful sound.

"You are a really good succubus… even without the connection to Old Harper, I, Luge, would consider you a friend!"

She spoke cheerfully and looked at the other can in Lolth’s hand.

Lolth didn’t drink it herself, so she was originally planning to give it to her.

But just as Lolth was about to hand the can to Luge…

"Swish, swish…"

A strange sound came from the corner at the end of the maze.

The magical energy belonging to the monsters reached everyone’s senses!

"Oh no, the food is too tempting, it attracted the monsters… We should have added a scent shield."

Lolth slapped her forehead and said in frustration.

Many monsters have a sense of smell that is much better than humans.

"It’s easy to encounter enemies at night, just like outside," Luge said as he stood up. "But that’s okay… Everyone, get ready for battle!"

Just a moment ago, the Victory Mercenary Corps, who were enjoying delicious food and drinks, instantly showed their top-tier strength at Luge’s command.

All the members quickly finished their meals in the bento boxes and looked towards the corner, getting ready for the fight.

The flickering flames cast shadows on the wall, revealing a fierce black figure.

From the shape, it looked like a giant octopus.

"Swamp ten-armed monster… But this is way too big, right?"

The vice-captain stood up, picked up his short staff, and muttered angrily.

"Ten-armed… How do we deal with this?"

Luge looked at Evan and asked.

Clearly, in this team, Evan serves as the deputy commander and the database.

"No, it’s not the swamp ten-armed creature," Lolth calmly corrected Evan. "This size and the tentacles are relatives of its ancestors… almost like the second uncle."

"It’s the land giant-armed monster found near the beach. Although its magic level as an adult is probably only Superlative Level, it is much harder to deal with than the ten-armed creature."

As Lolth spoke, everyone heightened their alertness once again.

"Land giant-armed monster? I’ve never heard of that before!"

Someone expressed their confusion.

"Because it became extinct," Evan quickly replied. "But extinction also happens in the main plane; this is an ancient civilization ruin. Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if some First Era monster suddenly showed up!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the shadow of the ten-armed creature around the corner suddenly froze.

Then…

"Whoosh—!"

Its many tentacles waved around as if it had been attacked, struggling violently.

But this struggle lasted only a few seconds before it went still.

Then, the shadow was dragged away.

In its place, there was a chilling… chewing sound.

Evan looked at Lolth.

"What… is happening?"

Lolth looked at him and pointed up high.

"The First Era monster you summoned."

The white walls, three or four people high, could not block the body of the monster.

Most of the towering, arching back was exposed, its dark blue-black skin and sharp spines showing that this creature was definitely not easy to deal with.

Evan looked at the back and quietly swallowed.

Although most species and monsters from the First Era have been wiped out, this creature is still quite well-known.

This is mainly because, when the Mercury Ruins were not yet taken over by the Abyssal Demon, the area around the Insaesya Civilization ruins was filled with the bodies and skeletons of this creature.

The Insaesya Civilization focused on studying various creatures and monsters, so the bodies and tissues of these beings were generally preserved in good condition.

"Prickling Claw Predator…"

Evan spoke the name of this creature.

"Yes… so the difficulty level here is quite high, isn’t it? Why does Five Colors think it needs you to ‘purify’ this place?"

Lolth couldn’t help but start complaining.

However, she knew that the Prickling Claw Predator should be considered a kind of area boss, which is quite rare.

What Five Colors wanted to improve was probably the quality of the smaller monsters, right?

And this time, Luge didn’t ask Evan for his opinion anymore.

Actually, dealing with the Prickling Claw Predator is very simple.

"Run!"

Luge shouted.

This creature, in terms of magical strength, is only epic level.

But even an epic-level monster from the First Era is not something they have the strength to fight.

The harshness of the First Era is beyond what people today can imagine.

During that time, monsters survived from three highly developed civilizations—Ailuo race, Insaesya Civilization, and Krolvad Civilization—all of which had no awareness of environmental protection. Those that evolved in such natural selection were truly fierce beings!

Just like how she, as a legendary epic warrior, could send Evan flying with one shield bash.

One slap from the Prickling Claw Predator would be enough to put any person present in serious trouble!

Perhaps the Victory Mercenary Corps could defeat this creature in battle…

However, the Victory Mercenary Corps would definitely have to pay the price, with members being seriously injured or even sacrificing their lives!

This would be an unnecessary sacrifice!

The best way is to run!

Luge showed no hesitation, and the members of the Victory Mercenary Corps quickly retreated.

Even so, she did not forget to protect the Elite Level succubus, who had helped her even once, in the middle.

Lolth was very touched by this as she was being pulled along by Luge.

But looking at the mercenary group that had dashed out over ten meters and the Prickling Claw Predator, who finally noticed the fleeing mercenaries and began to chase them with a roar, Lolth suddenly felt…

Now did not seem like the right time to tell everyone that she could take care of this herself…

In fact, there was a small group of these creatures locked away in the Mercury Ruins underground, kept asleep until now by the Insaesya Civilization’s remarkable life magic.

Then, they were discovered by the Little Devil inspection team, and that same day, the Demon King Castle cafeteria added a special dish, while the market saw a lot of young ones and souvenirs from the Little Devil shop.

With the attitude of seeing if this creature could be made into something delicious, Lolth bought one to raise…

And then…

She ended up raising this apparently fierce First Era monster… and after a month, she accidentally caused it to die.

Of course, this creature is not tasty and does not recognize people; it is worthless as livestock or a pet. If it dies, it dies, and Lolth doesn’t feel sad.

However, with a spirit of careful science, Lolth discovered the problem after reviewing the situation.

This creature cannot handle the special monster feed that Lolth developed for those monsters that eat other monsters.

After careful study, she found that modern predatory monsters particularly enjoy the active magic found in various monster bodies, which is like poison to it.

Normal hunting is not a problem; it’s a long-term process of accumulation.

But Lolth’s feed is "concentrated"—to prevent the First Era monsters from having too big of an appetite, Lolth normally feeds them a larger amount.

Now, for the First Era monsters with high concentrations of magic, the current active magic is of very poor quality for them.

An excessive intake at once can cause the activity of magic within it to decline, leading to a buildup of magic essence, and eventually, death.

If this creature survived the End of Days, it would probably be because of this extinction issue.

So, all I need to do is make the feed a little more concentrated and throw it on the road for it to eat, and this thing will soon be done for.

Lolth thought this and quietly reached into her magic bag.

She planned to catch some new species to take back and raise, so it turned out she had brought some magical beast feed.

She started her compression action.

Several bags of feed were quietly compressed by her magic and spatial magic, and finally turned into a meatball the size of a fist.

Lolth ran along with everyone and threw the meatball on the ground.

Hmm… since I can’t say anything, I might as well keep quiet.

Anyway, after running for a while, this thing will die on its own, and everyone will stop.

Lolth watched as the Prickling Claw Predator quickly caught up, and the greedy magical beast surely smelled the meatball’s delicious scent and swallowed it in one bite.

She felt a joy inside her, like seeing a mouse eat poison.

But this happiness didn’t last long, as Luge’s words interrupted her.

"I sense there’s a hidden door ahead… let’s go in quickly!"

"You can’t enter this kind of trap room!"

Luge shouted, and Lolth’s face changed slightly.

Lolth always had a bad feeling about the traps of the Ailuo race!

Before, she had found every hidden door, all following one rule…

If there’s a way not to go in, then don’t go in!

So when Lolth heard Luge’s words, she couldn’t help but speak out to stop him.

"I copied, no, this monster…"

But it was too late. Luge kicked open the dark door and jumped directly into the trap room!