The Hero Became a Succubus, and the Only Way to Level is to… What?!

Although it was dark out, and the only light afforded to them were the moon, stars, and Arenade's controlled-Blinding Light spell, the goblin seemed to know exactly where to go. They didn't walk along the beaten paths of packed dirt that have seen much travel by foot and vehicles. Instead, they traversed along off-paths in the cover of thickets and shrubberies.

"You haven't told us your name yet. Do you have one?" Kanae walked alongside the goblin and asked.

"I-I'm Mitty… " He answered quietly, avoiding eye-contact.

A faint scent of flowers lingered on Mitty that tickled Kanae's nose. He recognized it from the same house back in the village and wondered if it belonged to him. A goblin with a green thumb and also a pathfinder. Didn't that make Mitty an especially rare goblin?

While walking beside him, Kanae couldn't help but notice that Mitty was stealing glances his way. Particularly his chest. Since he had lost the Robes of Far Sight, the black lingerie-like outfit was all he had to wear now. His body was beginning to heat from being looked at that way.

A piercing howl echoed through the forest that made the hairs on their necks stand.

"Everyone, down!" Mitty exclaimed.

They threw themselves to the ground just as something large leapt into the clearing. All that separated them and whatever it was were thick bushes. With his head low, Kanae made out four legs of a lupine beast in which its claws left a purplish liquid where it walked. Eventually the creature left, but Mitty made them wait another minute before saying it was safe to move again.

"What… What was that?" Arenade shuddered.

"Poison Wolves. They are high level dire beasts. Fighting them can be dangerous, because even if you win, getting hurt by its poisoned claws can leave you dead in days if not treated," Mitty explained, drawing a collective gulp from the group.

Thanks to Mitty's guidance, they avoided all dangers while navigating through the forest. If Kanae had gone with the bandits, there was no telling what would have happened.

After half an hour of traveling, getting leaves and branches stuck in their hair and bugs running up their legs, they finally came upon an encampment against the foot of a cliff. Arenade dispelled her Blinding Light so they wouldn't be seen. There were enough torches that illuminated the camp anyway.

Outriders were barking orders at goblins half their size to keep working. They pushed carts full of ore out of a mining cave on the side of the cliff. Many were bruised up, whip marks painted their green bodies red and purple, and few had any energy left to keep working.

One goblin tripped, spilling a handful of tools to the ground in front of a guard.

"Who said you can rest? Get back to work, you worthless runt!" With a metal-tipped boot, he kicked the goblin hard in the stomach, causing the poor thing to curl up.

Tents were raised up, but not for goblins. For Outriders, who were lounging around a fire and enjoying a hearty meal while goblins worked themselves to the bones. The ones that were permitted to rest had been stuffed into large, metal cages or made to sleep on the ground.

Something about this scene reminded Kanae of what happened in Orturic when the demons took over. They both went straight to mining, like they wanted to collect as much resources as possible.

"We are severely outnumbered," Thedia warned, noting that there were at least 50 strong and possibly more in the mines.

"Edina and I can even those numbers up. If we can somehow convince the goblins to help us fight, that should give us a sure advantage," Kanae said.

"You telling me I can finally unleash my undead army like I've always wanted to?" Edina fidgeted excitedly, eyes sparkling with a desire to wreak havoc on her former abuser's people.

"How are you going to convince the goblins to fight anyway? They can barely hold a pickaxe." Arenade pointed out. "And if you're expecting me to heal all of them at once, there's just no way."

"I have an idea." Kanae put a hand on Arenade's shoulder and casted his new spell. "Bond."

A strange connection that could only be described as having a string attached to both of them had formed. Kanae sensed Arenade's latent strength, health, and mana pool. Arenade, however…

"Oh, gods… W-What did you… do to me…" Arenade's cheeks were flushed red, breaths erupting in shallow puffs, and arms clutching her quivering body.

As a succubus, Kanae knew Arenade was horny beyond control. She was also much stronger now, both physically and in regards to spell potency.

Kanae patted Arenade on the shoulder, causing her to jolt. "With my Bond and your Multi-Spell Gloves, you should be able to throw heals around like crazy. I'm also going to need the cloak of invisibility from you, Edina. Thedia and I will go in to release the goblins while you distract them with an army of undead."

"Oh-ho-ho! This is going to be the best day of my life until I rip Bardell a new one. Leave it to me, Edina, the greatest necromancer to have ever lived!" With that declaration, Edina leapt from the bushes and revealed herself to the encampment.

"Who the hell are you?"

A couple of nearby lookouts stood up from the stumps to confront Edina with swords drawn. They were much larger than the squirreling, certainly more intimidating. But she didn't show an ounce of fear.

"I'm about to be your worst nightmare! Arise— Bone Brute, Army of the Dead!" Edina tapped the crystal end of the staff to the ground at her feet, creating a black portal to open up. The giant bone brute emerged from with the necromancer on the shoulder. Dozens of skeletal humanoids manifested, and their terrifying visages sent the lookouts running and screaming to the main camp. "Forward, my minions! Attack!"

Her armies stormed headlong into battle. Skeletal warriors clashed swords with Outriders, the bone brute knocked over tents and chucked people away. All the while Edina lobbed spell after spell from the shoulder of her summoned monster.

Many Outriders were now waking up and pouring out from the mines to join the battle.

"Form up! Form up, damn it! Where are the mages?" someone shouted.

A massive fireball slammed into the bone brute. Edina lost her grip and stumbled backwards, but she threw out a hand to grab her summoned monster's spine to steady herself.

"You're not bringing me down that easily! Charge!" Edina yelled.

Kanae and Thedia, both with their own cloaks of invisibility, made a run for it into the encampment unnoticed. They had to weave and dodge out of the way from Outriders racing into battle. The cage they had gotten to was full of goblins watching the chaotic battle unfold. Many were startled by the sound of them running up to the cage.

"Can you break it open?" Kanae asked the cat girl.

"Child's play." Thedia brandished a large index claw which she used to pick the lock. The padlock fell away, and they threw open the cage door.

Kanae drew back his hood to end the invisibility's effect and was met with dozens of puzzled goblins.

"It's time to fight back! Grab something— anything!" 

They didn't move. They looked at each other instead. Then—

"Wha—" Kanae was mobbed by them in a matter of seconds.

"Hey, hot stuff!"

"How about you grab onto my something-something, eh?"

"You looking for a mate, cutie?"

"What's going on?!" Kanae cried, being tugged left and right.

"Goblins…" Thedia ended her invisibility and sighed, only to be pounced upon by horny green imps. "Because females of their species are so rare, they have developed a penchant for hitting on any female they meet. It's all they can think about."

"Even when being faced with certain danger? Ugh— Now isn't the time!" 

"Hey, what's going on over there?" A pair of bandits had discovered them.

"The necromancer bitch ain't alone! She's got help, and they released the goblins!" another shouted.

"Alright, that's it…" Kanae charmed the dozen goblins to attack the incoming aggressors. "There's your ladies over there. Get them!"

"Ladies, you say?"

"Don't mind if I do!"

"The one with the scruffy beard's mine!"

"Oh, no— aahh!" The four Outriders found themselves pounced on by the horde of horny goblins.

Blue and green energy blanketed the space above their heads like an aurora. The goblins who were getting bonked were also being rehealed of their fresh wounds, but the bandits, unaffected by the magic, were slowly getting whittled down.

Another goblin inside the cage groaned. It was Takumi. His face was bruised up, more so than the others. When the healing magic in the air reached him, those wounds began to disappear.

"Takumi!" Kanae shook him awake.

"Nn… Kanae? What's going on?" Takumi mumbled.

"We're fighting to free everyone! We're Ingrid?" 

"She… She's inside the mines being held captive by a guy named Korvo. Careful, he's a powerful mage. I don't think your succubus charm will affect him," he warned.

Just then, a beam of electric energy fired out from the mines and annihilated the monstrosity. The necromancer was sent flying. 

"Bardell said I should expect trouble, but I didn't expect trouble to find me so soon. He did warn me that I might come across an errant pack mule and a succubus." A dark elf with an air of self-importance stepped out of the cave. He was dressed in a mage's robe, his hands were clasped behind his back, and thick spectacles rested on his pointed nose. His entrance stopped the fighting all at once. His thugs stood down and put their weapons away.

Coming out with him, suspended a foot off the ground by a magical lasso around her neck and limbs, was Ingrid, struggling vainly to break free from the restraints.

"Ingrid!" Takumi cried.

"Quit your griping… I'm alright…" Ingrid meeked out.

"You're Korvo?" Kanae hesitated to ask, swallowing hard as he sensed the elf to be of high level.

"Indeed. Korvo Vandir, at your service. However, I'm not here to fight. On behalf of Bardell, I've come to make you an offer you cannot— shouldn't refuse. As an executive of the Outriders, I would like to offer you 200 million gold and our solemn promise never to bother you again," Korvo said to the shock of everyone.

"200 million?!" Arenade leapt out of the bushes and choked, repeating the number.

That much money… Kanae might actually be able to start building his own place to live. Who cares about adventuring or fighting Demon Lord Charron anymore. He would be able to settle down with Arenade and even make her dream come true of helping children out of poverty. Edina, too. She—

"Indeed, 200 million!" Korvo repeated the tantalizing offer. "You can retire for life on that much. Become whoever, whatever you want. Live like royalty until your very last days. This is, however, in exchange for a few things. You will look the other way to this operation of ours, and quietly hand both Edina and Ingrid over."