The Hero Became a Succubus! - Chapter 184

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Chapter 184

Nearly a thousand initiates, several times more than when Kanae entered Knights' Academy, had filled the coliseum before the sun even graced Radevic with its morning light. The aggressive recruitment to replenish Aidenhall's forces has led up to this moment, but everyone knew only a fraction of them would make it through. Among them, Thume towered over the rest of his teammates. Kanae laughed into the back of her hand how big the ogre was.

It began with a bright dot in the distance, peeking over the deep blue eastern sea. A long ray of sunlight surged across the inlet and climbed up the sheer cliff. Golden light bathed the initiates, then illuminated the spectator's booth where Grand Eye Analise emerged alone to give her speech.

Kanae remembered those words fondly. It hadn't been that long, but it was very nostalgic. Hopefully, Nelly, Daya, and her children would find their resolve in the Grand Eye's encouragement, too. She, Esta, and Arenade watched from under the shadow of a long, tunnel entrance. After working with Eliza all night on the dungeon cores, Kanae managed to leave a little something behind for them within the artificial Rift.

Due to the sheer numbers of initiates this time around, they were grouped six per party unlike Kanae's aptitude test. A serendipitous number for Teana, Nelly, Pan, Mikki, Revah, and Daya, who were all standing together. Kanae didn't need to squint to see that they were squirming with anxiousness. She sensed her daughters' trepidation through the Broodmother skill and wanted so much to storm in there to give them each a reassuring hug.

However, doing so would probably embarrass them all, reinforce some ill-mannered initiates' negative thoughts about them, and tick off Pan. They needed space to come into their own. Kanae knew that. But she wasn't going to pretend they didn't exist like her own parents had.

"I'm so proud of that boy…" Arenade sniffled, then raised her voice. "Nelly, don't choke! Show them you have what it takes to become Knight of Copper one day! The Brightwind dynasty begins with you, son!"

Giggles erupted all over. Nelly went red and tugged his hood over his face.

Numerous proctors and faculty with artificial Rifts in their hands marched down from the tunnel. They were led by Eliza and Marwin. Both of them offered a nod and smile on the way out. They offered a few words to the initiates before activating the dungeon cores, creating artificial Rift portals that opened to each group.

Not everyone went in right away. They had a battle to face first, the hesitation within themselves. It was Mikki and Daya, hand in hand, who made the brave first step through. Revah and Pan followed right after. Teana lingered behind, and Nelly was about to enter until he noticed her reluctance. He grabbed Teana's hand, giving her the confidence at last to enter the artificial Rift.

Kanae still couldn't help but feel nervous. Were they going to be okay? Was letting them enroll in Knights' Academy the right choice?

"For all those years you asked me to protect them while they were out adventuring, do you know how many times I actually intervened?" Esta asked.

"It must be too many to count, right? I'm not sure," Kanae said, trying to come up with a number.

"Twice," she answered to Kanae's surprise. "Once when they began, and again when Pan wanted to charm bandits off a cliff. Your children are far more capable than you believe. They have grown strong. They take your words to heart and fiercely protect each other like you wish. It is your love that has given them room to grow and to grow still. I am certain they shall overcome this, too."

Esta was right. Now was no time to worry about them. They were going to be fine. What Kanae should really worry about was returning to them. She lifted her gaze to Eliza on the trek back with a teleportation pellet in hand.

"Arcen is ready and the Hellfire Badlands await," Eliza said.

They teleported to the sorceress' tower on the floor of the arcane engine. Lapis was reading a book when they arrived. She jumped to her feet, brimming with energy.

"Are we finally going?" Lapis asked.

"Yes, yes. I can't believe I let Amethyst convince me to let a dwarven weapon of mass sexual destruction come along." Eliza sighed.

"Lapis is a living person. We shouldn't keep her imprisoned in Aidenhall. She deserves to make her own decision," Kanae argued, but she wasn't hearing it.

"I heard you loud and clear the first time. Lapis, be a doll and vacate the floor so Arcen may activate." The sorceress shooed her away.

Lapis' excitement waned. She picked up the book and exited the room. Esta stayed behind to help prep, and Arenade went down the bottom floor to help herself to the wine cellar and a bath. Meanwhile, Kanae followed after Lapis and found her wandering the vast maze of books that was Eliza's library.

"Am I that much of a bother?" Lapis asked, slumping into a chair by the window.

"No! Eliza's just cranky because she hasn't been getting any sleep," Kanae explained.

Unfortunately, Lapis was unconvinced. The fingercrab incident with getting in Arenade's way must still be troubling her.

Kanae wanted to offer some words of encouragement, but the tower began to shudder and rumble. The floor above them where the arcane engine sat whirred noisily. A sharp force knocked Kanae into Lapis' chest. Countless books fell from their shelves and froze, only for some magical enchantment to activate and lift them back into place.

A dry wind and heat bit Kanae's skin when a breeze blew in. The two of them glanced out the window they were next to. They were treated to the vast, arid terrain of the Hellfire Badlands. The tower was sitting atop what appeared to be a plateau or mesa. Low shrubs of green and red vegetation stretched across the landscape.

Kanae's eyes caught sight of bulky dire beasts below, grazing on the shrubberies and grass. Her ears twitched to the low, constant droning of a whistle when the winds picked up. In the distance, tall rocky formations that jutted out of the ground had slit-like gaps through the center.

Right now, they and the tower rested on the southwest plateau range that served as the border to Suvius.

They picked themselves up and joined Eliza, Esta, and Arenade, who were already outside of the tower and admiring the Hellfire Badlands' beauty.

"Wow! It's so big!" Lapis was eye-glistening in awe.

"For a name like Hellfire, I expected the place to be constantly on fire like Suvius," Kanae said.

"It was originally just called the Badlands," Eliza began. "That was thousands of years ago. According to historical accounts, a mad sorcerer ripped open a gate to the three hells. The flames from that wretched place brought an inferno that lasted decades. Hellfire has stuck as a harsh warning against such blind ambition."

"Ughh… From a super frigid place, to a super sweltering place, and again in a super hot place. Why can't we go somewhere normal for once? This climate is going to make my skin all dry and cracked!" Arenade groaned.

Kanae ignored the high maintenance elf. They had come to find out Lord Charron's true feelings regarding the Queen-Mother's attempts to form a union. Nothing short of hearing it from the man himself would satisfy the Grand Eye. Or maybe someone in his inner circle, like a demon lieutenant.

"So, what do we know about the Hellfire Badlands or where Copper might be?" Kanae asked as they returned inside to come up with a plan of action.

Eliza pulled a map of Artaggon down from the shelf and laid it out on the table. "Situated between Suvius and the uncharted north, the Hellfire Badlands is among the largest tract of lands in Artaggon. From what Copper has told us a while back, the political landscape is… strange, to say the least. There are three rulers, and none of them are lieutenants of Lord Charron's. Supposedly, he uses this place as a staging ground of sorts. The leadership is purposefully put in a constant state of quarrel to nurture strength."

"Like… they're fighting against each other despite being allies?" Kanae asked.

She nodded and marked three separate locations on the map with a small circle before continuing. "The circle indicates civilization. I believe Copper is waiting for us in one of these places."

"We have to check three demon strongholds between just the five of us? Across the Hellfire Badlands? This is… quite the undertaking," Esta said.

"It sounds exciting! I want to see what kind of places these are," Lapis added.

"Why don't we split up then?" Arenade suggested, causing everyone to gape in shock. "I-I mean, we're not here expecting a fight! Just to meet with the Knight of Copper. We should be sneaky about it to begin with."

They traded nervous glances with each other, because while going with Arenade's plan cut their time searching tremendously, it would mean splitting them up.

"Before we go making any decisions, you should know the three who rule the Hellfire Badlands." Eliza pointed to the closest circle, northwest of here. "The hobgoblin Warchief Gabrul is a slaver who commands with strength and respect, rewarding his horde with captive women as breeding fodder. Towards the east, a demon seer named Yesenia guides her people into practicing dark magic straight from the three hells. Due north, a mysterious dark elf whose name Copper did not mention controls the tributaries. Well? Knowing this, who wishes to go where?"

"Hobgoblins!" Kanae shot a hand up.

"Of course." Arenade rolled her eyes.

"I want to go where Kanae goes!" Lapis exclaimed.

"Obviously, I follow my master." Esta stood by Kanae's side.

There was already a problem with their arrangement.

"It's safer if Amethyst goes alone. Silver and Lapis, you two will accompany me to the dark magic practitioners. Arenade, there is a cloister of high elves that live among the tributaries. They are centuries removed from Ortesia and hold allegiance to Lord Charron. Perhaps you may blend in with them," Esta suggested.

"No rapey hobgoblins and creepy magic? Fine by me!" Arenade beamed.

The other two, however, weren't so eager.

"Eliza's right. Esta, you're going to end up picking fights with anyone that hits on me anyway. Lapis, the meisterium inside you can help fight back dark magic if it comes to that," Kanae said, placating them into agreeing.

Eliza gave each of them a teleportation pellet. If things went awry, they were to use it and escape back to the tower immediately. Everyone departed to go their separate ways. For the first time in a while, Kanae would be traveling alone. Soaring through under the blistering sun with nothing but a cloak to shield herself from the oppressive rays, she began to wonder if there would ever be peace.

First Bardell, Bishop Rudo, Archbishop Gretchen, the Queen-Mother, Lord Charron, and even the Empire of Ortesia, the list of problems continued to grow.

By noon, the sun was highest in the sky. Kanae was so soaked in sweat, it seeped through the cloak. She spotted a pond below that was fed into by many smaller streams and surrounded by tall grove of trees. A quick dip shouldn't hurt. Arenade would probably kill for a remote little getaway like this.

Kanae landed and took her clothes off. She dipped a foot inside first. The surface was warm, but it was cool and refreshing as ice at the very bottom. It only submerged up to her waist. Still, plenty of water to wash off in. While splashing water over herself, she heard the crinkle of grass and rustle of shrubs behind her.

"Hehe. You're in the wrong place lady. But we're lucky to find you," a human man with tusks protruding from his lower jaw said.

"I knew checking in on the oasis was a good idea. No shortage of tired travelers." Another, hulking figure whose skin had an orange tint flashed a smile.

Judging by their skin color, they had Hobgoblin Ancestry. That must mean Kanae was close to Warchief Gabrul's place, and they were either part of his horde or run of the mill slavers.

"Now it really does feel like the start of my journey. Except back then, Ingrid was more prepared than you two." Kanae reminisced aloud.

"Huh? The hells are you saying over there? Don't you know you're—"

"I was planning to go there myself, but I don't mind having a tour guide." She turned around and cast Charm, placing them under her control.

After getting dressed, Kanae compelled them to bring her to their caravan. There were four more like them. She charmed them before they had a chance to reach for their weapons. They had three cage-wagons with them. The rib of a large monster acted as a cage on the back of their vehicles, holding captive races of various women. Kanae opened the gates to free them, but they hesitated to leave.

"If you don't go, this big bad succubus is going to make a meal out of you all~" Kanae threatened.

Their eyes went wide, and they scrambled out of the cages. Only a few offered their gratitude. That only left herself and the slavers. Arenade said they weren't here to fight, but Kanae really wanted to return to Radevic as soon as possible to find out if her daughters cleared the trial.

This should be a piece of cake. Have the slavers bring her to Warchief Gabrul, mind-control him, and find out if Knight of Copper had been through here. Maybe also get laid by a couple of hobgoblin studs.

"Alright." Kanae sat on the foremost wagon and clapped her hands. "Bring me to your warchief."

The slavers boarded up to fulfill her orders. They made their journey under the sweltering sun. Kanae lost count how many times she had to wipe the sweat from her brows. Another oasis would be nice. A few hours must have gone by already, yet the sun hadn't gotten any lower.

"We're almost there!" a slaver exclaimed.

Kanae almost didn't believe him. She peered past the heatwaves to find her plea answered. There was another oasis at the foot of a mesa. This one was a little larger and surrounded by man-made walls feeding into irrigation channels. Hundreds of large tents made of monster-sized pelts sheltered mostly people with hobgoblin features, many of which were in chains and leashed.

When the wagon entered, a couple of guards in bone-reinforced armor confronted them.

"Stop! Don't you know what you're bringing in? That's a succubus!" one yelled.

A charmed slaver clocked him over the head, and a fight broke out. As more guards came pouring out to help. Kanae rose from her seat and cast a Mass Charm over them. Countless more others who didn't look like fighters ran away screaming and hid in their tents.

"That was easy. I expected more resistance," Kanae said.

Still, something was off. They weren't really strong for a race that warred constantly. If this was their best, Lord Charron was in big trouble.

"All of you, drag Warchief Gabrul out to meet his new queen," she ordered her freshly-charmed army.

They rushed through the camp and poured into a tunnel entrance on the side of the mesa. Kanae took her time, leisurely following them at a brisk pace. She snatched a sweet fruit from a nearby stand and bit into the juicy morsel.

A large number of people came flying back out. Or to put it more appropriately, they were thrown out. Kanae dashed to the side to avoid being bludgeoned by them. The ground trembled violently. She tossed the fruit away and drew Lust.

"A rebellion? That's a first!" a deep, rumbly voice bellowed.

Dozens of taller, more deeper in skin color hobgoblins emerged from the entrance. They wore harnesses with living women attached to them and screwed to their dicks as body shields. Many were in a state of continuous euphoria and looked delirious.

"Th-That's a first." Kanae gulped.

Another hobgoblin, this one towering over the rest and with old scars decorating his broad chest, stomped out of the cave. His skin was a darker maroon. Thick tusks protruding from his lower jaw had silver bandings and piercings on them. His face was framed by salt and pepper facial hair, and a thick braid whipped freely behind him.

"You must be Warchief Gabrul?" Kanae swallowed the lump in her throat and asked.

"Hoh? Is that a succubus? I was wondering when one would show up, but you don't got the Underqueen's horns. That's right. I'm Warchief Gabrul of the Hellfire Badlands!" the giant hobgoblin boomed.

The others around him hooted and howled.

"I'm glad, because I wanted to meet you. Now that introductions are out of the way…" Kanae tried to put a charm on the warchief's hobgoblin horde, but they looked at each other funny.

One even brushed the dust from his chest and guffawed.

Warchief Gabrul erupted into raucous laughter. "Too bad for you, little succubus. My ancestors fought alongside Lord Charron as his honor guard in the Succubus Wars! True hobgoblins have a racial trait that makes us immune to mind-altering effects. You see…" He pounded his chest. "Our blood is as hot as the hellfire that scorched the Badlands!"

The hobgoblins shouted even louder than before.

"I don't know what brought you to my doorsteps, but I've got plans for you. Get her!" he shouted.

"Crap! I guess it's time to do it the hard way!" Kanae compelled her own army to fight the hobgoblin horde, but they were no match for the much tougher and larger counterparts.

A pair charged her, but she flew up and whipped them. The impact coupled with Titanic Blow sent them flying into the pools of water. More came after her.

"Sleep!" Kanae snapped her finger.

Many skidded to a stop, teetering from drowsiness. They shook it off and recommenced their charge.

That wasn't going to work? How about this?

Kanae toggled on her nipple piercings. The bright flash of light blinded the horde and gave them pause. A group shielded her eyes, but they couldn't stop their momentum and crashed into their companions.

If they weren't going to yield, then Kanae would make them come to heel by defeating their warchief.

"Oh? You're approaching me? Instead of running away, you're coming right to me?" Warchief Gabrul cackled.

"Bestial Strength! Titanic Blow!" Kanae struck out with Lust.

The impact kicked up dust and dirt. When a strong breeze blew in, the warchief was still standing. He was also holding onto the end of the whip.

"That stung a little. I think you're strong enough to breed with and not break!" Gabrul yanked the whip, dragging Kanae down with it. She hit the ground hard and passed out.

Kanae awakened bare naked, lying against a raised stone platform inside a dark cave with smooth walls. Standing torches were arranged all around her. She tried to get up, but chains on her wrists pulled taut. They were attached to a metal ring bolted to the platform.

"Where… am I?" Kanae muttered.

"Welcome to the Breeding Block!" Gabrul emerged from deeper within the cave, flanked by a parade of pregnant women without a shred of clothing and in chains.

Not a single one looked like they didn't want to be here. They clung to the large hobgoblin, gazing up at him affectionately. No. Lustfully. Kanae knew, because it was the same way sex slaves looked at her.

Numerous male hobgoblins howled behind Kanae. There were dozens, likely all true hobgoblins and not the ones she was able to control outside.

"Y-You're not getting away with this!" Kanae growled.

"What are you going to do about it? I took a look inside your bag. Nice little knick knacks in there, especially the weird tiny thing with two crystals on each end. Tell me, what is it?" Gabrul asked.

Kanae kept her mouth shut.

"No matter. My shamans are divining it as we speak. In the meantime… Aisha! Bring the brew!" he bellowed.

A robed, hobgoblin woman, mature in age, came out from behind him with a bowl of viscous liquid. Her head was shaved at the sides and the rest of her hair was fashioned into dreads that leaned right. Kanae made out dull green skin and a tuskless jaw. Tattoos with sharp corners zigzagged from her neck and likely down her body.

Aisha kneeled down in front of Kanae with a look of pity like she knew what was going to happen. She drank it, pinched Kanae's nose shut, and forced a kiss on her. Unable to breathe, she had no choice but to open her mouth. The goopy liquid, thick like honey but more bitter than bitter gourd, slid down her throat. When their lips parted, Kanae coughed and spat out any that was left.

"What did… you just give me?" Kanae gasped.

"Your kind uses succubus magic to stimulate people," Aisha began in a soft, calming voice. "Out here in the Badlands, there are many different plants that can mimic those effects. I am Aisha, crowned a Witch Doctor. Infusing magic into potions and elixirs to enhance their effects is my speciality."

Kanae tensed up. Her muscles contracted and relaxed repeatedly. Pleasure rippled across her skin in waves. She felt her pussy oozing juices down her thighs. Aisha flashed a wicked smile. She groped Kanae's breasts with a gentle touch. Slender but calloused fingers pinched her nipples.

The painful sensation sent Kanae down a spiral of ecstasy. Aisha proceeded to pull the piercings, bringing Kanae to climax.

"S… Stop… pulling on them… You're going to rip them off!" Kanae cried, spit and brew flying from her mouth.

Aisha ignored Kanae's pleas and pulled farther and farther until her breasts were stretched across the platform. Even though it was hurting, even though Masochist wasn't on, the pleasure was intense enough that Kanae wanted her to keep going. As soon as Aisha let go, Kanae orgasmed again. Her pussy gushed so much that a little pool had formed below her legs.

"She's ready, Warchief." Aisha bowed and stepped away.

"Good. I've always wanted to fuck a succubus. You're going to breed me an army that will defeat Yesenia and that smug piece of gravel, Lorian." Gabrul shook off his woolen mantle, revealing a broadsword of a hobgoblin dick. A golden cockring was fastened to the base of his thick member.

Just the very sight made Kanae's pussy ache and throb. With the brew coursing through her veins, a single depraved thought crossed her mind— she was so glad she came alone.