Chapter 184. First Mission
Succubi Chapter 184. First Mission
“Evan Drakos.”
They called my name.
I walked forward.
The room didn’t quiet down.
That was the worst part.
No dramatic silence. No “oh shit, the rookie’s going up.”
Just… glances.
Quick ones.
Side-eyes.
The kind people give when they don’t care enough to stare, but care enough to remember.
Yeah. Great.
I kept walking anyway. Hands in my pockets. Shoulders relaxed. Breathing steady.
The teleportation circle was brighter up close. Lines carved into the floor, glowing with that soft blue-white light that always looked calm until you stepped into it and felt like your atoms were being politely disassembled.
There were three staff members.
One looked bored.
One looked tired.
And one looked at me like I was paperwork.
Perfect.
I stopped in front of them.
“Evan Drakos?” the bored one asked without looking up.
“Yeah.”
He gestured lazily. “Step forward.”
I did.
The tired one grabbed my wrist. Not rough. Not gentle either. Just… efficient.
Cold metal wrapped around my arm.
-Click!
The bracelet snapped into place.
It tightened slightly, adjusting.
A faint pulse ran through it.
[Item Equipped: Mana Tracking Bracelet]
[Function: Location Monitoring / Vital Detection / Emergency Recall Linked]
Oh.
That’s… comforting.
Not really.
More like… “we’re watching you die in real time.”
Nice.
The third staff member handed me a small crystal. About the size of my palm. Faint glow inside. Like a trapped firefly.
“Return crystal,” he said.
I turned it in my fingers.
Light refracted.
Pretty.
Also probably the only thing between me and dying in a forest like an idiot.
“Use it if things go wrong,” he added.
Yeah. No pressure.
Then the bored one finally looked at me.
Straight in the eyes.
Flat.
“You’ve taken a Rank D mission.”
I nodded.
He continued like he was reading from a script he’s said a thousand times.
“Hunt-type mission. Target: Spectral Crawlers.”
Yeah okay that already sounds annoying.
“Creatures manifesting along the outskirts of Brimwood Village. Activity spikes during night hours.”
Of course it does.
Ghost-type things. Night. Village.
Classic.
“They are categorized between Level 10 to 20. Mob-type. They do not operate individually.”
So… groups.
Of course. Why would anything ever be simple?
“They appear in small packs. Three to seven units per encounter. Movement is erratic. They phase intermittently.”
Phase.
Great.
So I can’t just hit them normally.
“They exhibit behavior similar to low-tier undead. However, they are not fully physical entities.”
So annoying AND weird.
“Primary threat is psychological. Fear induction. Distortion of perception.”
Ah.
So they mess with your head.
That explains the village.
“No casualties have been reported,” he continued.
That made me pause.
No casualties?
Then why send us?
“However, villagers report extreme distress. Night-time paralysis. Auditory hallucinations. Livestock disappearance.”
Ah.
So they don’t kill.
They just… ruin people.
Yeah, that tracks.
“Standard warriors are capable of eliminating them,” he said flatly.
Translation: this mission is easy.
Translation of that translation: if I mess this up, I’m embarrassing.
Cool.
He leaned slightly forward.
“The problem lies in fear response.”
Yeah. Not mine.
Probably.
Hopefully.
“Most individuals hesitate due to their appearance. Semi-transparent. Distorted forms. Sound patterns mimic human distress.”
…They WHAT?
I blinked.
“…They copy voices?” I asked.
“Partially.”
Yeah, no that’s creepy.
“Do not respond to calls for help unless visually confirmed.”
Right.
So if I hear someone screaming in the forest…
Ignore it.
That feels wrong.
That feels VERY wrong.
My jaw tightened slightly.
Okay. Focus.
“They will attempt to surround targets. They prefer flanking behavior.”
So they’re not just dumb mobs.
“They are attracted to hesitation.”
That made me exhale quietly.
“Strike decisively,” he said.
Yeah yeah.
Hit fast. Don’t think too much.
Got it.
“You will be deployed at the northern edge of Brimwood Forest,” he continued. “Approximately two hundred meters from the village perimeter.”
So close enough to hear them.
Far enough to be alone.
Nice.
“You can expect low visibility. Dense tree coverage. Ambient mana interference.”
So magic weirdness.
Cool cool cool.
“If the mission proceeds normally, eliminate the packs and return using the crystal.”
Easy.
“If the mission does not proceed normally…”
He glanced at my bracelet.
“If your HP drops below 50%, the bracelet will automatically recall you.”
Oh.
That’s actually…
[Safety Protocol Enabled: Automatic Recall at 50% HP Threshold]
Okay, that’s actually pretty nice.
“Unless interference occurs,” he added casually.
I froze.
“Interference?”
“Mana disruption. Rare in this area.”
Rare.
Yeah. That word again.
I nodded slowly.
So basically…
You’re safe.
Unless you’re not.
Got it.
“Use the crystal manually if you feel overwhelmed,” he continued. “Do not hesitate.”
Right.
Don’t be prideful.
…Yeah okay that one stung a bit.
He looked at me for a second longer this time.
“This is your first mission,” he said.
I nodded.
“Be careful.”
I nodded again.
Words felt unnecessary.
Because honestly?
I wasn’t scared of the monsters.
Not really.
Ghosts? Undead? Weird creepy noises?
Sure. That’s uncomfortable.
But fear?
No.
I’ve felt worse.
Way worse.
Being useless?
That’s fear.
Standing there while things happen and you can’t do anything?
That’s fear.
Watching yourself become someone who can’t protect, can’t act, can’t matter?
Yeah.
That’s the kind of thing that crawls under your skin and doesn’t leave.
Ghosts?
Ghosts are easy.
I exhaled slowly.
“Understood.”
“Step into the formation.”
I stepped forward.
The light reacted immediately.
Lines beneath my feet flared brighter.
The air shifted.
Pressure.
Like standing underwater without the water.
The bracelet pulsed once.
The crystal in my hand warmed.
[Teleportation Sequence Initiated]
Ah.
Here we go.
I didn’t move.
Just stood there.
The world folded.
Not visually.
Not dramatically.
Just gone.
And then…
Back.
Cold air hit first.
Then smell.
Wet soil.
Grass.
Something faintly rotten.
My eyes adjusted slowly.
Dark.
Not pitch black.
Just… forest dark.
The kind where shapes exist but don’t make sense yet.
Trees stretched upward like silhouettes.
Branches tangled.
Leaves whispered with the wind.
I stood still.
Listening.
Always listen first.
My breath came out slower.
Controlled.
Then I noticed it.
To my right.
Lights.
Warm ones.
Flickering.
Village.
Brimwood.
Close enough to feel real.
Far enough to feel… separate.
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