Chapter 108: Something Is Not Right
Leaving the private chamber, Yuki and Elena made their way deeper into the underground cult facility.Using the collected lust energy he had received from Elena, Yuki unlocked the heavy door leading to the next floor.
But deep within this new section, the environment began to shift—looking less like a sex cult’s operating base and far more like a subterranean storage facility.Many of the surrounding rooms were filled with cult members wearing pink and black cloaks, lugging massive glass canisters filled with glowing purple energy.
"Huuu... man, I hate doing this," one of the cultists sighed in annoyance, setting his load down. "I hate having to fill up that stupid meter every single time I want to enter a new level.""And instead of making it a straight hallway, they decided to make it a damn maze!" another screamed in frustration.
"I’m not trying to fuck an elf babe every time just to have enough energy to open a goddamn door! I mean, come on!""So true, bro. And if we don’t want to do that, we have to travel through the tunnels instead. It’s a way better choice, but why did they have to make it go straight through a dungeon? At any moment, a monster could pop out and rip us apart!""Or we have to deal with the leaders of each floor," a third chimed in."Yeah, and we all know how horny they are.
We definitely aren’t doing that."Hearing the men talk, Elena tapped Yuki on his shoulder and gave him a subtle nod. They were going to go for the tunnels—it was a shortcut straight to the end.
Yuki could complete his extermination mission, and they could get the hell out of this place.Yuki and Elena waited in the shadows until the men picked up their heavy, essence-filled canisters and ambled off before making their move.
Slipping into the tunnel, they ventured even deeper underground until they eventually emerged into the dungeon proper.It was a vast, open subterranean jungle.
The central pathway wrapped continuously around a colossal stone pillar, spiraling downward into the pitch-black depths."What do you think they’re hiding down here?" Elena asked, glancing around the dense flora.
"No idea, but whatever it is, it has nothing to do with a simple sex cult.""Why do you say that?""It makes no sense," Yuki explained, his eyes scanning the terrain.
"If this was just for the succubi to harvest lust energy, they wouldn’t need this many vials stored away. Plus, what’s with this tunnel? It’s supposed to be the path the floor leaders take, except they wouldn’t need to—they can just walk straight through their own doors.
And why would they pass up sex? On top of that, all these deep ruts in the dirt could only come from heavy supply carts."Elena blinked, looking down at the ground.
"Huh... you’re right. So that means they’re hiding something else entirely.""Yeah. But what? What would take that much essence?" Yuki pondered aloud."Probably a massive spell," Elena suggested. "They’re allied with the rebelling noble faction.
Or maybe this whole cult setup is just a distraction for something bigger."
"Maybe. Well, let me check," Yuki said, his instincts ringing with suspicion.
"We’d better find out and leave before someone realizes who we are and the other Inquisitors and the army show up."
"Right," Elena replied calmly, staying close behind him.As they continued down the winding spiral, they passed fortified doors that led back into massive storage vaults and the floor leaders’ quarters. Finally reaching the absolute bottom of the stone pillar, they came face-to-face with a single, imposing iron door.Yuki reached out, gripped the cold iron handle, and twisted it open.Inside a dimly lit inner sanctum further beyond, a cloaked figure knelt before a seated commander.
"My lord, there are unexpected guests outside and within the lower tunnels. What should I do with them? Should I dispatch them?""No," the cult leader replied smoothly, his hands coated in fresh blood.
"They are Holy Inquisitors, but they still don’t know of our true presence here, so do nothing to alert them. As for the Player... send him to Rixsa. She will find out that he isn’t who he claims to be and do the dirty work for us."The leader let out a menacing chuckle, wiping his bloodied fingers on a rag.
"The ritual is almost complete. The Black Cross will achieve a great victory on this day. Go inform the others to evacuate. We don’t want to be here when the Holy Knights arrive."
"Understood, my lord," the subordinate bowed low before vanishing into the shadows.Yuki pushed open the iron door, only to freeze dead in his tracks.Standing right in front of him were four men clad head-to-toe in heavy plate armor and dark cloaks.
Their attire closely resembled that of the Holy Inquisitors, but instead of the Kingdom’s divine emblem, a prominent Black Cross was branded into their breastplates.Yuki’s blood ran cold. He hadn’t expected to see anyone here—worse, he hadn’t even sensed their presence despite them standing mere feet away.Their raw strength was far beyond anything he had anticipated."Why are you here?" the first knight spoke, his tone sharp and imposing.
"Who gave you permission to come down here?"Yuki opened his mouth to formulate a lie, but he was cut off as another knight stepped forward, his gaze landing on Elena."Speak, beast-kin. Who gave you permission to be here? Why are you following this man?"
"I—I—" Elena stammered, pulling back slightly."Is she yours?" the knight asked, turning his helmeted head toward Yuki.
"Yes, she is," Yuki replied smoothly, stepping slightly in front of her."I see. Then I apologize for my rudeness, and for my partner’s bluntness," the knight said, bowing his head slightly.
"However, she cannot continue further. We were instructed to only let you pass, sir.""I see," Yuki said, keeping his composure tight. "Then please escort her back to the surface for me. I apologize for bringing her along.""Understood. We will do so. Please proceed ahead—Lady Rixsa is waiting for you. Just follow the pathway until you reach the green door."As Yuki stepped past the four armored knights and walked down the narrow corridor toward Rixsa’s door, his stomach churned.
His intuition had been dead-on: this place was far different than advertised and had almost nothing to do with the succubi. The sex cult was most likely just a front used by another dangerous faction.
He needed to figure out what was happening, retrieve Elena, and get out of here as fast as he could. Something truly twisted was unfolding, and he had no desire to get caught in the middle of it.Arriving at the end of the hall, Yuki stood before a heavy green door. He raised his hand, knocked twice, and called out, "Lady Rixsa, I am here."
"Come in..." a soft, melodious voice responded from inside.Yuki gripped the handle and pushed the door open.The moment he stepped across the threshold, his entire body trembled. A cold, suffocating pressure slammed into him—something was very wrong.
Yuki whirled around to look back, but his heart stopped. The door he had just walked through was no longer right behind him, it was now over ten feet away, covered in deep slashes and heavy dents.And instead of the warm oak he had just opened, it was now sealed shut with solid, impenetrable steel.