The Hero Became a Succubus, and the Only Way to Level is to… What?!
Chapter 417 – Temple of the Sun

Kanae, Alicia, and Claudia threw their backs together anticipating Romira would attack their blindspots. But it wasn't just them in the room. More shadowy figures filled the dark corners of their peripherals. They must be Romira's Stalkers, her mercenary group of assassins.

"We don't have time for this… Rasheena's getting farther away while we're here," Kanae muttered.

"Don't be so rash. We're not even sure where Rasheena has taken Sultan Cerberus. But Romira may," Alicia said.

"Which means we just gotta deal with them all at once and question the bitch. Leave this to me! Project Agony!" Claudia spanked herself as hard as she could with her paddle.

"Claudia, wait—" Both Kanae and Alicia keeled over from pain running up their spines.

Everyone in the room did. Most collapsed to the ground, clutching their butts and squealing. Kanae winced at every pulse and tried not to show that she rather liked it.

The latch from the window at the far end of the room clicked open. A humid breeze blew. Romira was escaping. They gritted through the pain and gave chase, jumping out of the window and unfurling their wings to take flight. The assassin scaled down along the wall. She landed in an open terrace a couple of floors down and bolted for the door leading back inside.

Alicia flung a dagger. It hit the ground in front of Romira's feet. Her split second pause was all Kanae needed. She tackled the assassin, and the two of them rolled across the terrace.

"Where did Rasheena take Sultan Cerberus?!" Kanae yelled, exerting Charm on the beastman.

But the spell didn't take hold.

"Haha! Did you think I'd dance with you succubi again without taking one of those potions?" Romira laughed in her face.

The sisters landed behind Kanae. Alicia picked up her knife and snarled at the assassin. But the sight of three succubi didn't scare Romira at all. She was perfectly content. Probably because this was all a ploy to buy Rasheena time.

"You're after money, aren't you? As an assassin for hire, it's profits above everything else. But…" Kanae lifted the assassin into the air, dangling her high above the oasis. "You can't make or spend money when every bone in your body is broken. From this height, water is going to feel like solid ground on impact."

"I give Rasheena up, and I'll have nothing to gain. I don't give Rasheena up, and I'll splat on the ground but at least fulfill the contract. Meh. I know what I signed up for." Romira shrugged.

Kanae clicked her tongue. Of course, threats didn't work on an assassin like Romira. If only she had a priest around to create Zone of Absolute truth. There had to be some way to convince Romira…

"Give her to me, Kanae. I'll make her sing!" Claudia waved from the terrace below.

Left with little choice, Kanae tossed Romira into Claudia's grasp. Alicia helped bind the assassin's arms and legs. They pushed her onto a table with her ass up.

"Torture? Hah! If you think—"

"Hup!" Claudia smashed the paddle into Romira's ass and knocked the wind from her lungs. "Hmm. Drop the bitch's pants for me. There's too much cushion."

"Wait, wait! Stop!" Romira cried.

"Willing to talk now?" Kanae asked.

"Tch… I…" She continued to resist.

Kanae and Alicia yanked the assassin's pants down. As a jackal beastman, Romira had a fairly fuzzy tail that curved protectively over her own ass. They pulled it up to give Claudia a clearer shot.

Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!

Over and over, Claudia spanked Romira's ass until both cheeks were red. She twitched uncontrollably on the table, eyes blank, and drool slipped from one corner of her mouth. Alicia grabbed her by the face and sneered.

"I enjoy this expression of yours when you're in agony. Perhaps we can get along. Now, tell us where Rasheena has gone," Alicia demanded.

"The… Altar of the… Sun. It's east of Avanesse… hidden in a S-shaped canyon… unmarked on maps…" Rasheena answered between breaths.

"How do we know she's telling the truth?" Claudia asked worriedly.

"We don't have much of a choice," Kanae said.

They left Romira there and pushed their wings to the limits in flying west. Fortunately, rasheena told the truth. From the sky, they made out the short serpentine canyon that looked like an S while so high up. A carriage was fast approaching it, and the sharp cracks of a whip momentarily sped up the ronoas after each strike.

Soon, the carriage disappeared into the canyon. Kanae and the sisters scoured from above until Claudia pointed to something behind some dry underbrush. They descended to investigate and found the large carriage. It would have held a lot more than just a few people. Even the ronoas were exhausted, many perched on the ground and hyperventilated.

"Damn it. Maybe this carriage was just bait?" Claudia wondered aloud.

"No, look." Alicia kneeled down and brushed a hand across the sandy ground. "They tried to hide their tracks on the way in and didn't do a good job. There must be a dozen people."

If Kanae squinted, she was able to make out what Alicia had found. The tracks were subtle. Strong winds had already removed the most obvious traces. They likely used soft brooms or branches with leaves to brush their tracks while moving. However, the light footprints in the ground eventually vanished, eaten up by the whimsy of nature. Even Alicia had a hard time relocating them.

"Give me a sec." Kanae willed Cockcalibur to transform into Mitty's cock, and she pumped it a few times until the throbbing rod ejaculated. She shuddered from the physical pleasure and jizz filling her up. But what she was really after…

[Skill Drain has temporarily acquired the skill Sense Beaten Path.

Sense Beaten Path: Recent tracks that have worn away by weather, time, or purposeful hiding show up as a faint red trail. The brighter the red, the more recent the tracks.]

"That was hot and all, but what did you do?" Claudia asked.

"My goblin mate back home, Mitty, is crowned a Pathfinder. Skill Drain gave me his skill, Sense Beaten Path, the same one I used back in Breatmilk Canyon to find the blockage. I can use it to find the temple, too." She focused on the ground as the trail and tracks glowed a soft crimson.

The eerie canyon had many twisting paths and arches that led to dead ends. It must have been a lake at some point in the past. Multi-colored striations along the sandstone indicated a long and storied history. Archaeologists back in Ordane University would have a field day studying these, if only Bravost and Avanesse could become allies again.

Eventually, the red trail led them to a section of the canyon with engravings on the wall faces. They seemed to tell a story. Many people worshipped winged figures with horns on their heads and tails behind their backs. Succubi. The succubi disappeared, and the people splintered into many smaller groups.

Those groups fought and absorbed each other until only three remained, which Kanae surmised had to be Bravost, Avanesse, and Elusis. The final image before there was nothing left depicted a lone figure standing before a large hole, their arms raised to the shining sun.

"What do you suppose this all means?" Alicia asked, unable to hide her own fascination for the pictographs.

"It's Savir's history, and I don't like what the last picture shows… Let's hurry," Kanae urged them.

The red trail ended at a staircase leading underground, much like the man-made Necro Lord Tombs. Only, this one didn't have a plaque denoting its number that the others did. They descended into the dark depths. It was narrow. Claustrophobic even. Flames from the torches on the walls licked at their skin.

A brighter light shone at the end of the corridor. They entered a large circular chamber, where fiery braziers crackled near a dark hole in the center of the room. Moonlight beamed down from an opening in the ceiling. Ritualists clad in intricate white and blue robes. Misiah, the skittish dark elven edirashok, led them in chanting something in unison. Odika, Durok, and Rasheena stood at the other end of the hole. The latter carried an unconscious Cerberus in her arms.

"I thought you had a change of heart, Rasheena!" Kanae shouted.

"Romira failed to stop you, I see…" Rasheena bared her teeth to growl but thought against it. "Stay back, Kanae. That goes for your peers, too. When the curse is lifted, we won't have to rely on edirashems anymore. All of Avanesse will flourish and prosper, and… I'll lead our people into a new era. You seek aid in rescuing a companion from the Harpy King's clutches, yes? As Sultana of Avanesse, I promise to help you."

"I don't want it if it costs the life of an innocent boy. And what do Odika and Misiah think about this? Ending the need of edirashems doesn't sound very prosperous to you two," she said.

Odika shook his head and argued, "A short-sighted notion. What I do, I do for the good of Avanesse. Even if… if what we're doing is drastic."

"This curse came from a bygone era of reclusion. Avanesse and our people have suffered long enough under the sun. It must go!" Misiah added, her voice picking up with resonating power.

Durok was staring right at Kanae. They didn't know he was still charmed. Thank goodness she seized control of him just in case.

An earthquake brought some of them to the floor. Cracks formed on the ceiling, and it gave way. Rubble plummeted into the gaping hole in the ground. The moon and stars shimmered above, casting their pale light on the ritual.

"Rasheena, you can't possibly do this to your own nephew. That's your brother's son!" Kanae reminded her.

"I don't want to do this either!" Rasheena cried in return. "But sacrifices must be made. I slipped Cerberus a slumber potion a while ago. He won't feel a thing. You have my thanks, Kanae, for charming us into an intimate embrace. I don't think I could have mustered the courage on my own. The last thing he heard was that I loved him very much."

"Is this really something you do to someone you love?" she asked.

Rasheena turned to the sleeping Cerberus and almost faltered. She squeezed her eyes shut.

"I've come too far to turn back now. I must protect my brother's treasure like I promised. Tomorrow, the sun will rise to a stronger Avanesse." Rasheena spoke strong words with weak conviction.

"The time is now!" Misiah exclaimed.

Fire hotter than the sun erupted from the hole. Snaking flames whipped about, searching for its promised sacrifice. Kanae and the others could feel the heat from a distance away. They couldn't imagine how the ritualists were able to stand it.

Rasheena reluctantly carried Cerberus up to the burning maw—

"Durok, grab the sultan!" Kanae took advantage of that hesitation and yelled.

"What?" Odika gasped.

The minotaur's strength far exceeded Rasheena's. He easily wrenched Cerberus from her grasp. Misiah whistled sharply. Her ritualists weaved a spell that anchored his feet to the earth in stone. Kanae, Claudia, and Alicia circled around to help. Odika dove for cover. Rasheena parried a slash from Kanae's sword with a shamshir.

"Claudia, Alicia! Just get Cerberus out of here!" Kanae ordered while locked in a duel.

"Not so fast." Misiah brandished her staff, firing a bolt of ice at the entrance and ceiling. They frosted over in a thick layer that sealed everyone in.

Rasheena proved more skilled in swordsmanship. She twirled her blade and disarmed Kanae. The Blade of the First Temptress skidded across the room. Better there than the hole at least.

That didn't mean Kanae was completely unarmed. She drew Lust and cracked the whip. Rasheena couldn't get in close. Desperation showing, the hell hound pounced anyway and took a hit to the side. Kanae whipped the shamshir out of her hands, only to get tackled instead.

They rolled across the floor again amidst spellfire and magical blasts, coming to a stop near the hole. Tendrils of flames sliced at their clothes and skin. The earth belched. Fiery tentacles shot out of the hole. Rasheena didn't see them while on top of Kanae. One grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in.

"Rasheena!" Kanae caught her wrist just in time, but the tendrils were stronger. All the sweat dripping down their arms was making it harder to hang on, too. Whatever wanted Rasheena wasn't letting go.

"So, this is my punishment." Rasheen sighed as her fate became clear. "I've tried to do right by my brother. When I heard what happened in Vanuis, I became numb. I only knew that I needed to do whatever must be done to protect the people of Avanesse… Maybe… Maybe this was my sacrifice all along. My final duty…"

"You're just going to give up like that? Have you ever considered… your brother's treasure was his son, Cerberus, all along? You'll leave him all alone in this world like his parents did!" She winced as flames were becoming unbearable.

Tears streaked down Rasheena's eyes. The droplets evaporated as they wicked off her cheeks.

"Heh. I was right to ask you to look after my nephew, Kanae. I must selfishly ask that you continue doing so. Perhaps with your guidance, he will grow strong. Now, let me go, so I may face my destiny," Rasheena implored.

Kanae couldn't hold on for much longer. Rasheena's hand was slipping. Someone called out from behind.

Alicia's voice rang out, "Cerberus! Wait!"

In the next second, Cerberus threw himself down next to Kanae and grabbed Rasheena by the wrist.

"Don't go!" Cerberus cried.

"Cerberus?" Rasheena gasped hard.

"I don't know what's happening… I'm sure you have an explanation. But whatever's going on, please don't leave me! I love you, and if you love me… then get back up here!" he screamed tearfully.

Rasheena steadied her quivering lips and smiled. She found the will to live, shooting her other hand up for Kanae to clasp. Together with Cerberus' help, they pulled her out of the flame's grasp.

The yawning maw burped again, unleashing an inferno that melted the magical ice on the ceiling before subsiding. Rasheena and Cerberus held each other in a tight yet tender embrace.

"Stop!" Rasheena shouted.

 Claudia, Alicia, Misiah, and the ritualists, who were still fighting to the death, paused and turned to look.

"B-But… the curse!" Misiah stammered, her confidence gone now that the ritual had ended.

"It's over," Rasheena continued. "The curse may endure, but… so will we."

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