Two women moved stealthily along streets faintly illuminated by moonlight.
They stopped in front of a dilapidated, old building.
Upon closer inspection, a hidden entrance leading underground was found.
Though carefully concealed, the entrance could not escape their notice.
“This way,” Neahra, who led the way, said in a low, firm voice.
“This is the place where the succubus’s presence feels strongest in this city.”
Neahra was a loyal subordinate of Carmina, the Succubus Queen.
She was investigating traces of succubi on Carmina’s orders.
She intended to find the mastermind behind controlling succubi without the Queen’s command.
Cold anger was etched on her face.
“I can sense strong life force traces from this basement.”
“And the smell of blood, too,” Aksha, with silver hair beside Neahra, added, sniffing the air.
They appeared young, but in reality, they were incubuses who had lived for hundreds of years.
Neahra raised a hand, surveying the surroundings. After confirming no one was around, she walked towards the stairs leading to the basement.
Aksha followed suit.
As they descended the stairs, a distinctive, increasingly strong scent stimulated their sensitive senses.
The smell of blood mingled with life force. It was undoubtedly the trace of a succubus.
Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, Neahra paused. Her red lips moved slightly.
“Ready?”
Aksha nodded. Moments later, they simultaneously transformed from human form into a semi-mutated state. Their nails sharpened, and their pupils turned red.
Horns grew from their heads, small wings sprouted from their backs, and a tail emerged from their behinds.
Their transformation was instantaneous, but their presence was now overwhelming.
Neahra entered first.
The darkness of the basement greeted them. As she moved her fingers, a small red light floated above her palm.
The light revealed the interior of the basement.
“……!”
The two succubi gasped in unison at the sight before them.
Three corpses were scattered on the basement floor.
Two lay near a table, and the other was in the center of the basement.
The corpse in the center was in the most gruesome state.
Dried bloodstains were scattered haphazardly on the walls and floor.
“This is…,” Aksha’s voice trembled.
“This woman… completely mutilated.”
The female corpse in the center was utterly dismembered.
Her clothes were cruelly torn, and her face was mangled beyond recognition.
Neahra cautiously approached the corpses. Her red eyes scanned each one by one.
“The two men seem to have died from fighting each other.”
The two men she mentioned were Roisel and Berk.
Berk had tried to judge Roisel, who had killed Tariya, but met the same fate due to the difference in their skills.
Madness remained on Roisel’s face even at the moment of his death, while Berk’s eyes were frozen with final despair.
Roisel and Berk had fought fiercely, ultimately suffering fatal wounds and dying, following Tariya.
Of course, Neahra and Aksha could not have known these circumstances.
“Hmm, they’ve been dead for quite a while, so I can’t find out anything?”
Disappointment was evident in Neahra’s voice.
Succubi manipulate the dreams of their targets. By glimpsing fragments of those dreams, they could peek into the target’s memories.
It was easier to steal vital energy if they could see memories. However, since the corpses here were already dead, it was impossible.
They could only speculate.
“There’s something here,” Aksha said, picking up a map and a piece of paper with a plan on it from the table.
The paper detailed the building’s structure and guard positions.
It seemed these were rebels.
The succubi were well aware that the Sail Kingdom had recently annexed the Free City Alliance, becoming an empire. This was natural, as they needed to be knowledgeable about the human world to steal humans’ vital energy.
The next question then arose.
Why would an unknown succubus target the rebels?
Neahra slowly looked around, trying to sense any lingering energy. She hoped to find some clue, but the result was nothing.
“No matter how I think about it, I can’t figure it out.”
Neither Neahra nor Aksha could understand the reason.
Succubi simply use humans to harvest vital energy. However, the current scene suggested more than just vital energy harvesting; it seemed as if something was done specifically to kill humans. An ill will beyond mere vital energy harvesting remained.
“We have to go to the black market,” Neahra said.
The black market.
The so-called underbelly of humanity. They knew that the black market was not just a gathering place for criminals but also a place where information was traded.
Leaving the corpses behind, they moved again.
The two succubi vanished, their figures melting into the darkness.
* * *
The black market of the Free City Alliance. Though it was now the Sail Empire, the black market streets were different from the typical back alleys of a city. It was as if a small city was hidden in an underground space completely isolated from the surface streets. Even in darkness, jewelers, weapon shops, and stores trading in secret items cast faint lights. However, these lights did not seem as vibrant as before.
Neahra and Aksha, having transformed back into human form, walked slowly through the narrow alleys of the black market. Although they concealed their succubus nature and wore human guise, their overwhelming beauty drew even more attention. Passersby, merchants, and customers stopped what they were doing and stared at the two women. A few bold men, reeking of alcohol, approached and tried to speak to them, but they recoiled at a single cold glance from the women.
“The atmosphere isn’t the same,” Aksha said, looking around. In the past, when it was the Free City Alliance, the black market was full of life. It was a place where transactions occurred freely, evading the notice of those in power. But now, it was different. Whether the Sail Empire’s influence had reached this far, or if something else had changed, they couldn’t tell.
“Here,” Neahra stopped. In front of them was a bar named ‘The Last Call.’ From the outside, it looked like an ordinary bar, but to those who dealt in information, it was practically the center of the black market. The two women entered. Contrary to their expectations, the interior was quite crowded with customers. Most of them were quietly conversing rather than drinking.
“Over there in the corner,” Aksha said quietly. At the innermost table of the bar sat an old man. He was the information broker known as ‘Ear,’ who possessed the most information in this black market. They approached the old man’s table.
“It’s been a while, Ear,” Neahra said, sitting before the old man. The old man slowly lifted his head. His face was wrinkled, and his half-blind eyes were cloudy.
“Ah, such esteemed guests…” The old man’s voice was low but clear. He was one of the few humans who knew the identities of these two. Succubi also needed information, so they had established such connections by interacting with humans.
“You seem to have something to tell us,” Neahra said, placing her hand on the table. A few shimmering gold coins slid between her fingers and went towards the old man’s hand. The old man swept the coins into his sleeve without looking at them. A smile spread across his face.
“Indeed. This black market now belongs to one person.”
“Who is it?” Neahra narrowed her eyes. The old man glanced around briefly. Then, he leaned forward and said in a low voice, “Name unknown. They always wear a mask to hide their identity, so no one knows who it is. It is said they don’t speak and only write with their hands.”
Neahra and Aksha exchanged glances. The same question flashed in both succubi’s eyes.
“Interesting. More importantly, before I came here, I found dead rebels. It seems their leaders were killed.” At that, the old man ‘Ear’s’ eyes lit up. For him, an information broker, such information was valuable.
“Oh, if you tell me the location, I will reward you.”
“It’s no difficult matter.” Aksha told the old man the location where the rebels had died, and shortly after, the old man scribbled it down on a piece of paper and handed it to a young man at another table. As soon as the young man received the old man’s note, he quickly left. The old man smiled and opened his mouth.
“Speaking of which, recently, a rebel leader met with the new owner of this black market.” At that, Neahra handed over another gold coin and stood up.
“Then this becomes simple. It seems I just need to find that fellow.” Is there some connection between the succubus who killed the rebels and the owner of this black market?
“That seems like the best course of action,” Aksha agreed. Then, the two succubi left. However, the old man sat in silence, writing something on a piece of paper. He then handed the completed note to someone at another table and said, “Please deliver this to Lord Necros.” Information broker ‘Ear.’ He was the first human Necros had recruited when he conquered the black market. There was nothing in the world that money couldn’t achieve. It was Necros’s favorite saying.
* * *
After obtaining information about the black market’s owner, Neahra and Aksha set out to find him. Frankly, even without knowing his name, finding him wasn’t difficult. Didn’t information broker Ear say he wore a mask? Finding a masked figure was easy. Moreover, in the most opulent building in the black market, there was a masked figure, writing in a notebook while conversing, and anyone looking at him would immediately recognize him as the new owner the information broker mentioned.
Neahra and Aksha exchanged glances, then hid themselves deeper in the darkness. After some time had passed, the masked figure finished his work and entered a room to rest. Moments later, he went to his bed and then lay down, not to sleep. This was the moment the succubi’s instincts awakened.
“I’ll go in first,” Neahra whispered. Her body then disappeared. She had entered the opponent’s dream. Following Neahra, Aksha also entered the black market owner’s dream.
Finally, the two succubi fully stepped into the world of dreams. The succubi’s power became stronger within dreams, and all their senses grew sharper. The first sight that greeted them was breathtakingly magnificent. Piles of gold and jewels stacked in a vast room. Heaps of gold coins that seemed to reach the ceiling, various jewels sparkling with reflected light, and even rare artworks. Was this what a dragon’s treasure vault felt like?
“Interesting,” Neahra smiled. She walked slowly across the piles of gold coins. The sound of gold coins pouring out from beneath her feet was audible, but since it was in a dream, there was no danger. “As expected of the black market owner, he seems quite greedy. But–” Neahra paused in thought. Was wealth his true desire? Or was there something hidden deeper within?
Just by looking at the dream, they couldn’t understand why the black market owner had met the rebels.
“Let’s go deeper,” Aksha said, and Neahra nodded. Simple desires alone were not enough to obtain sufficient information. The succubi decided to manipulate the dreamscape.
“What does he fear the most?” The succubi’s abilities were not limited to entering dreams. They could also manipulate dreams, distort them, and even turn them into nightmares. Succubi could usually obtain more information when humans had nightmares. Neahra raised her hand and began drawing something in the air.
“Show me, what he fears the most.” Then, the dream began to twist. As if an earthquake had occurred, the gold coins stacked like towers collapsed, and the jewels shook. And moments later, a being appeared.
“Kko?” “……?” The being was none other than the 4-star monster Cockatrice. It was a monster with the head and wings of a chicken, and the body and tail of a lizard.
“Kko kko kko!” The Cockatrice that appeared in the dream let out a cry and suddenly threw itself onto the piles of gold coins. It began swallowing gold coins and jewels with its massive beak. Surprisingly, the gold coins and jewels were drawn into the Cockatrice’s mouth as if they were water.
“Huh?” On the other hand, Neahra and Aksha were bewildered. The nightmare was vastly different from what they had expected. For a normal human, it was usual to show fears such as death, betrayal, or loss, but this person’s deepest fear was the Cockatrice. Why would a human’s moment of greatest fear be when a Cockatrice eats gold and jewels? Moreover, the Cockatrice was a 4-star monster, a higher rank than themselves. It was a monster that was difficult to encounter under normal circumstances. The two succubi exchanged questioning glances.
