Creating A Succubus Army In A Fantasy World!
Chapter 46: Verdant Night.

Chapter 46: Verdant Night.

Creed hobbled out of the hotel like a war veteran who had just barely survived a battlefield.

His legs felt like jelly, his lower back ached, and there was a distant look in his eyes like he had just seen the abyss stare back at him.

The morning sun was bright, the streets of the bastion were bustling, and people were going about their lives, completely unaware of the pure ’suffering’ he had endured the night before.

He grimaced as he adjusted his steps, wincing at the soreness in his thighs.

He had spent minutes—no, an eternity—at the hotel reception, desperately trying to explain how the massive destruction of his room was not his fault.

He had even come up with a somewhat reasonable, completely ridiculous excuse.

"You see, it was actually a high-speed pigeon," Creed had said with an absolutely straight face, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah, a pigeon. A mutant one. It crashed through my window, flapped around like a hurricane, destroyed half the room, and then just poof—vanished. You wouldn’t believe it unless you saw it!"

The hotel staff had not believed it.

Now, he was 13,000 credits in debt!

Creed groaned, rubbing his temples as he trudged down the street. ’Those two crazy succubi,’ he cursed internally.

Not only had they wrecked his room beyond recognition, but the moment dawn arrived, they had both given him identical sweet, innocent smiles, kissed his cheeks, and vanished into their respective tattoos on his chest, leaving him to deal with the consequences.

But worst of all—worst of all—was the sheer insanity of the night before. Creed’s face twitched as the memories flooded back!

It had started out fine. Reasonable, even. He had simply been trying to calm the two of them down after their little brawl.

But no, Lilith and Tierra had apparently decided that last night was going to be the ultimate competition, and he was the battleground!

Eleven rounds each. Eleven!

By the ninth round, he was convinced he had ascended past human limitations. By the tenth, he was begging for mercy.

And by the eleventh, he had been seriously considering throwing himself out the hotel window just to escape their madness!

His dignity? In shambles. His stamina? Completely gone. His sanity? Questionable.

At some point—he wasn’t sure exactly when—he had locked eyes with his own reflection in the hotel mirror and whispered, ’This is how I die!’

But somehow, he had survived. And despite all the suffering, there was a tiny silver lining—he had gained something.

Not only had he gained 2 Primordial essence instead of one, but he also gained 2 free stat points.

Also...

Creed clenched his fists and exhaled, feeling the energy ripple inside him.

Now, thanks to Primordial Link, he had two extra talents. From Lilith, he had gained her terrifying Purple Lightning.

A volatile, powerful energy that crackled with pure destruction and had the disentegration attribute.

And from Tierra? Teleportation. A skill so ridiculously useful that he was already plotting all the ways he could abuse it.

However, there was a problem.

He could only teleport three times before it drained him completely. If he used it too much, he’d be left helpless.

And that meant he had to be careful—very careful—about how he used it in battle.

Creed sighed as he looked up at the towering buildings around him.

The bastion was lively as ever, with Awakened moving through the streets, preparing for their hunts, rift raids, and business dealings.

He needed to make some money fast before his debts completely crushed him!

And thankfully, he had just the opportunity.

His dimensional bracelet buzzed. He raised his arm and checked the notification. It was a message from Ivy.

[Ivy: New Rift Operation. Are you in?]

Creed grinned. Perfect timing.

He flexed his fingers, already feeling his energy surging with anticipation.

Last time, he had barely managed to keep up with the Frost Valkyries.

But this time? He was stronger. He was faster. And he had abilities that could turn the tide of battle in ways he couldn’t even fully comprehend yet!

’It’s time to test my new power!’

With a crackle of purple lightning, Creed clenched his fists, his exhaustion fading away in the face of the excitement building in his chest.

His body still ached, and he was still limping, but none of that mattered anymore.

A new adventure was waiting.

And this time, he was the storm!

.....

30 Minutes Later...

The adventurer’s union branch was as lively as ever, a bustling hub of activity filled with Awakened preparing for missions, exchanging information, and haggling over loot prices.

Creed stepped through the large glass doors, his body still slightly sore from the ordeal of the previous night, but his excitement for the rift raid overshadowed any lingering exhaustion.

The moment he spotted the Frost Valkyries, they waved him over.

Ivy stood with her arms crossed, radiating her usual air of authority, while Mia, the group’s most talkative member, immediately zeroed in on something very concerning—his limp.

"Creed, why are you walking like that?" Mia asked, tilting her head with genuine curiosity. "Did you get hit by a shuttle? Trip over a rock? Get assassinated by a rogue awakened?"

Creed, keeping his face perfectly neutral, gave her the most reasonable excuse he could think of.

"Ah, well, I was practicing a new movement technique, but I... miscalculated. Landed weird. Twisted my legs a bit."

Mia gasped dramatically. "Ooooh, so you faceplanted? That’s hilarious—"

"It wasn’t a faceplant," Creed cut in quickly. "It was a tactical misstep."

Ivy sighed, shaking her head. "Be careful, Creed. You shouldn’t push yourself too hard, you’re still young. You have time."

She then shifted into her usual businesslike tone, signaling that the briefing was about to begin.

"This rift is classified as Verdant Night. It’s a heavily forested dimensional rift, and the most important thing to remember is the taboo—do not touch the trees for more than a second."

Creed frowned, crossing his arms. "That’s... oddly specific. Why only a second?"

Ivy’s expression darkened slightly.

"No one knows exactly why, but anyone who touches the trees for too long disappears without a trace. Some say the trees devour them. Others think they get transported somewhere worse. Either way, we don’t want to find out firsthand."

Creed nodded slowly, processing the information. A dangerous forest where the trees themselves were a hazard?

That was... inconvenient, to say the least. Especially since a spear, his primary weapon, required space to maneuver. Fighting in a dense environment would be tricky.

With the briefing done, the team departed from the bastion, making their way through the ruined outskirts.

The journey took a few hours, their boots crunching over debris and cracked pavement, but thankfully, they managed to avoid entering the Forest behind the ruins.

Finally, they arrived at the rift. It hovered in the air like a swirling mass of purple and black energy, pulsing ominously.

One by one, they stepped through.

—

Creed immediately felt the familiar wave of nausea hit him, but this time, he gritted his teeth and managed to hold himself together.

’Okay, getting better at this.’

As his vision stabilized, he took in their surroundings.

The Verdant Night was unlike any forest he had ever seen.

The trees were massive—towering giants with thick, gnarled roots that twisted along the damp ground.

Their trunks were so wide that a single tree could probably house a small village inside if it were hollowed out.

The canopy above was so dense that it blocked out most of the light, leaving the entire area in an eerie twilight.

Everything had a damp, almost wet feeling to it, as if the air itself was saturated with moisture.

The scent of earth and decaying leaves was strong, and small, bioluminescent fungi glowed faintly along the bark of the trees, casting an eerie greenish light.

Creed grumbled slightly, rolling his shoulders.

"Great. A tight, dark forest. Perfect for swords and daggers. Not so great for a spear."

He tested his grip on his weapon, noting how much space he had to work with. It would be possible to fight effectively, but he’d have to be extra careful about his movements.

Ivy, her sharp senses already scanning the environment, spoke in a hushed but firm tone.

"Everyone, stay on guard. I can feel an oppressive presence somewhere nearby. And do not—I repeat, do not—touch the trees."

Creed exhaled, adjusting his stance. Right. No tree-touching. Simple enough.

And then, just as those words left Ivy’s mouth—

A barrage of white, smoking rocks came hurtling toward them from the dense foliage!

The battle had begun!