How come there are succubi in this dungeon?

Chapter 39 The Powerless Hero

late at night.

Succubus Tavern, Room 01.

Three figures sat facing each other at a small table. The room was dark, and the moonlight was dim, making their expressions indistinct.

"So, Olya, why don't you turn on the light?"

This part wasn't in the script.

"Undine, didn't you say that adventurers should discuss things on a dark and windy night? What's the difference between having the lights on and doing it during the day?"

"You're right."

Her toes dug into the ground inside her Undine shoes, too afraid to ask any more questions, lest Olivia expose her embarrassing past again.

Willis remained silent, staring at Olya, waiting for her to state her request.

Seeing that the atmosphere was just right, Olya spoke:

"Willis, as you saw today, Undine's weapons are incredibly powerful. She's been in constant danger ever since the news got out."

Willis nodded slightly. Although Undine's longbow was only a Tier 2 weapon, it could be upgraded to Tier 1 by reforging it once, provided there were enough materials.

Based on the previous pattern of Enchantment Soul, it can only be upgraded to the fifth tier while retaining the Enchantment Soul effect, but its true value is exceptional among sixth-tier weapons.

Moreover, it's possible that in the future, the Empire or the North Dungeon will be able to produce a method to retain enchantment abilities and continue to improve rank.

Undine's longbow is of immeasurable value.

"If Undine goes back to the Elf Forest and hides for a few years, she'll definitely be safe and sound..."

"But I don't want to go back. I want to continue being an adventurer," Undine suddenly said, her eyes blazing with fire.

Oliya subtly touched Undine's long elven hair, looked at Willis, and whispered:

"So, I've come up with a way that satisfies both sides."

"Willis, let's form an adventure team together!"

"As long as the reputation of the hero remains, those villains will certainly not dare to covet Undine."

"If all you want is to keep your weapons, I can announce to the world tomorrow that no one will dare to lay a hand on Undine."

Willis suggested, "If we form an adventure team and something unexpected happens that leads to its disbandment, Undine might be in danger."

"Disband? What are you thinking, Willis? With the three of us here, how could the adventure team possibly disband?"

Oria said matter-of-factly, "Do you think Undine and I are the kind of people who would hold you back? Do you think we're just here for the empty title of 'once members of the Hero's Squad'?"

"..."

Willis sensed the strength of the two weaklings and said bluntly, "You're too weak. If you really follow me, your lives will be in danger."

As he spoke, Willis slightly activated his aura, expecting the two to tremble and retreat.

But after the pressure was activated, the two seemed to feel nothing at all. They didn't tremble, their faces didn't change at all, and their magic power flowed smoothly.

Ten seconds later, Willis removed the ineffective pressure and asked, "What did you do?"

"I told you, we won't hold you back," Olya said proudly, raising her chin.

"Willis, times have changed. With a bit of luck, thanks to the enchanted souls produced in the North Dungeon and the unconditional upgrades from the Golden Prize, even if you're a hero, you might not be able to beat the luckiest person."

Before leaving the dungeon, Caesar specially gave Olivia an enchanted soul, which is still engraved on Olivia's inner armor.

It appears to have gray patterns, but in essence, it is a top-tier enchantment that provides permanent immunity to yourself and an ally, resisting most negative effects.

As long as the difference in rank isn't too great, this thing is no different from a super armor.

"I misjudged you, but..." Willis still wanted to refuse.

Luck is fleeting, and equipment is ultimately external and can be stolen.

Once Olivia and Undine's weapons are in Willis's hands, he will become a composite of stats and mechanics, far stronger than the three of them individually.

If a real crisis occurs, the two of them might just be used as weapon racks, and Willis would have to be distracted by protecting their safety.

"Willis, do you want to kill the Demon King and end this war that has lasted for tens of thousands of years?"

Undine suddenly asked.

"I want to." Willis nodded. All the heroes of the past had this goal, and he was no exception. However, his ultimate goal was to make war and all evil in the world disappear.

Undine nodded and continued, "For tens of thousands of years, countless heroes have formed adventure teams to venture into the heart of the demon realm, and some have even slain the Demon King..."

"But the war never stopped. Humans, elves, dwarves... We sacrificed countless lives, but we could not slow down the war or push the front line back even a little. If it weren't for the gods' blessing, we might have been wiped out by the demons long ago, and the whole world would have become a living hell."

"Do you think that if you gathered a few powerful teammates and followed the traditional hero versus demon king storyline, you could surpass all the heroes of the past tens of thousands of years?"

"..."

Willis couldn't answer for a moment.

As Undine said, the heroes never truly defeated the demons; the battle lines remained deadlocked in the Western Desert, and the demons even ventured deep into the empire's territory several times.

The demon race was far stronger than the empire as a whole, and even with the combined strength of races like the elves, they could only barely hold their own.

The land where the demons reside is so densely filled with magic that not a single blade of grass can grow. The plants that can grow there are all man-eating; there are no normal species at all. It is a crimson expanse, strikingly similar to the hell in the stories.

Correspondingly, the demons live year-round in lands rich in magic, and their overall strength is several levels higher than that of other races.

Humans and other races that are slightly weaker, those below the fifth rank, may experience a reaction called "Drunken Demon" when they enter the land of the demons.

The magic there is extremely violent, unlike the peaceful magic found in the Empire and the Elf Forest.

Legend has it that the land of the demons was cursed by the gods and burdened with karma.

However, some scholars believe this is clearly a curse on other races. Even if they occasionally win in their battles against the demons, they cannot launch a large-scale invasion. Anyone who dares to enter will be destroyed by the environment.

But the demons don't have this problem; they can come and go as they please within the empire's territory.

Although they generally don't come here, because they consider other places to be wildlands, they will only invade other areas when they want to hunt.

Fortunately, the internal struggles among demons are extremely fierce. Multiple demon kings will emerge from among them, and each demon king will lead his subordinates to fight each other for the sole crown.

What the hero must do is lead his team in a decapitation strike to slay all the demon kings before the crown is crowned and the demon race is unified.

Normally, heroes are mostly stationed at key war sites, acting as a stabilizing force. Many die on the borders, and most heroes never even see the Demon King before they die.

Because if the number of demon kings is not reduced to a certain level, the heroes who lead the team in will only be slaughtered without a trace.

The Demon King is widely recognized as the strongest class. In fairy tales, even heroes can only defeat the Demon King by working together with their teammates.

Therefore, the feat of a hero slaying a demon king only happens once every few thousand years, and on average, there are five or six heroes every hundred years.

They are strong, yet powerless.