Creating A Succubus Army In A Fantasy World!-Chapter 14: A Loss.

Creed stood still, his mind struggling to process what he had just heard. His sharp eyes were locked onto the small girl in front of him, searching for some sign that she was joking.

But no.

She wasn't laughing, she wasn't smirking, she wasn't even faking a cough to cover up the awkwardness!

She was just standing there, shifting nervously from foot to foot, her head slightly lowered, her delicate fingers playing with the hem of her absurdly expensive blue armor.

And most damning of all, she was avoiding his gaze!

Creed felt something deep inside him crack. His mind raced as he tried to make sense of the situation.

This girl...

This elegant, beautiful, rich looking girl was broke?

No.

No, no, no.

That didn't make any sense!

She was wearing a suit of high-quality armor that shone under the sunlight like some legendary artifact passed down from an ancient hero!

She had been firing arrows at a dimensional beast like it was some casual shooting game!

She had arrows scattered all over the battlefield, each one crafted with high-quality materials!

And now she was standing there, looking shy and embarrassed, telling him she didn't have 5000 credits?!

Creed almost collapsed on the spot.

5000 credits!

That wasn't even that much!

For an ordinary person, sure, it was a huge amount.

But for a girl like her?

A girl who probably wiped her hands with silk napkins and drank energy potions like they were fruit juice?

5000 credits should have been pocket change!

Creed exhaled sharply, pressing his fingers to his temple before he did something he regretted.

Maybe she forgot her wallet at home?

Maybe she was one of those spoiled princesses who always had people handling her finances, so she never carried money?

Maybe she was a scammer in disguise, pretending to be rich while actually surviving off of other people's kindness?

Either way—

Creed was feeling deeply, deeply betrayed.

The girl fidgeted under his stare, then finally spoke in a small, nervous voice.

"U-Um... I can write you an IOU?"

Creed blinked.

An IOU?

Oh. This was getting worse. She was actually treating him like a debt collector!

Creed's fingers twitched. He wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cry.

He had risked his life to save this girl, and now she was treating this like a formal business transaction?

Unbelievable.

Still, he took a deep breath and forced himself to stay calm.

"Fine," he muttered. "Where do you live?"

The girl perked up at his question, her previous embarrassment vanishing as she answered confidently;

"Oh! I live in Infernal Ice Bastion!"

Creed froze.

Then he cursed under his breath.

Infernal Ice Bastion.

The nearest Tier 3 bastion to Moonlake Bastion.

But saying it was "near" was a joke.

For someone rich enough to buy a private carrier, the journey between the two bastions was nothing.

But for someone like Creed, who didn't even have the luxury of public transport, the distance was practically an ocean away.

There was no way he could just pop over to Infernal Ice one day and knock on her door, saying, "Hey, remember me? The guy who saved your life? Time to pay up."

At this point, he might as well just let it go.

Creed let out a deep sigh and waved his hand dismissively.

"Forget it. Just leave."

The girl blinked.

"R-Really?"

"Yeah. Go."

She beamed, clearly relieved, and started thanking him over and over while scrambling to leave.

Creed watched her go, his expression deadpan.

He had made a loss this time. But it wasn't a complete loss. At the very least, he could plunder the beast's corpse.

Hah...

Sometimes, life was cruel.

Just as the girl was about to disappear into the rubbles...

Creed suddenly called out.

"Oi."

She stopped in her tracks and turned around.

"Yes?"

Creed smirked and stretched out his hand.

"Give me your number."

The girl blinked. Then, her cheeks turned slightly pink.

"M-My number?"

"Yeah."

Creed was many things. A fighter. A survivor. A businessman. And most importantly, A man of foresight.

He didn't know much about this girl, but what he did know was this. She was extremely beautiful.

She was still young now, but in a few years? She would probably grow into a goddess-tier beauty!

And if he planted a seed of kindness in her heart now, who knew what might happen in the future?

Would she grow up and fall madly in love with him?

Would she one day throw herself into his arms, thanking him for his kindness, and offer herself as his devoted lover?

Would she introduce him to her gorgeous older sister?

Creed's eyes sparkled.

This wasn't just about money anymore. This was an investment.

The girl hesitated for a moment. Then she nodded shyly and handed over her contact number.

"Th-Thank you again for saving me..."

Creed grinned as he saved the number into his bracelet.

"No problem."

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The girl gave one last grateful look before disappearing into the ruins.

Creed stood there for a moment, watching the spot where she had vanished.

Then, he crossed his arms and smirked.

"Not bad," he muttered to himself.

Not only had he secured a potential future beauty, but he had also gained a connection to someone from Infernal Ice Bastion.

And if she really did have an older sister...

Well.

That was a bonus.

Creed let out a satisfied chuckle before turning his attention to the dead beast at his feet.

It was time to get back to business.

....

Creed walked with heavy steps, his entire body aching from exhaustion.

His arms felt like lead, his legs were screaming for rest, and every breath he took felt a little heavier than the last.

Lilith had already returned to the tattoo on his chest, disappearing in a flash of violet lightning after mumbling something about being "too hungry to function."

Creed didn't even question it.

After three hours of fighting dimensional beasts, dodging death, and getting scammed by a rich girl, he wasn't in the mood to deal with his clingy thunderbird's hunger tantrum.

His focus was now on one thing and one thing only:

Getting back inside the bastion.

The massive gates of Moonlake Bastion loomed ahead, standing tall and unyielding like the last line of defense against the endless dangers of the wilderness.

Towering steel walls stretched into the sky, reinforced with high grade alloys and embedded energy circuits, forming a barrier that even Stage 3 dimensional beasts would struggle to break through.

Creed approached the security checkpoint and raised his wrist, letting the sleek, silver dimensional bracelet on his arm flash as it made contact with the scanner.

A small, mechanical beep echoed.

Then a thin slit appeared in the towering gates, just wide enough for a single person to pass through.

Creed stepped forward without hesitation, slipping into the bastion as the slit sealed shut behind him.

And the moment he did, a creeping sensation crawled up his spine, like the feeling of being watched by unseen predators.

But when he glanced around, there was nothing. Not a single suspicious figure stood in the open.

Yet the sensation remained. It was a feeling he had grown familiar with. There were people watching him. But they weren't ordinary people.

They were either from the DMA (Dimensional Management Authority) or the Bastion Police Corps.

And honestly?

That wasn't surprising.

Creed had done something very unusual. He had left the bastion alone, without any squadmates or backup.

And now, he had returned alive and barely injured.

That alone was enough to raise suspicions. After all, he wasn't even a Bronze level Awakened yet.

To the higher-ups, he was just an ordinary, low-level civilian who awakened barely a day ago.

Yet somehow, he had gone into the wilderness without a proper team, fought against dimensional beasts, and returned in one piece.

That was not normal. It didn't matter how he survived. The very fact that he did was enough to make people take notice.

But Creed wasn't stupid. He knew that acting nervous or acting too careful would only increase suspicions.

So instead, he took a deep breath and forced himself to relax.

Then, with a calm and natural expression, he stepped forward and melted into the bustling streets of Section 7.

The invisible gazes on him did not fade. But they didn't press further, either.

That was enough for now.

Every Bastion was divided into multiple sections, each serving a different purpose.

Section 1 to 3 were for the government and military and their families.

Section 4 to 6 were the residential zones for Awakened and higher-ranked citizens.

And then there was Section 7.

The slum.

Stalls and shops lined the streets, each one offering a mix of weapons, beast materials, food, potions, and all sorts of strange items.

Merchants shouted over each other, their voices overlapping in a constant battle to attract customers.

Dimensional beast cores gleamed on display stands, their glowing energy radiating a faint hum.

Exotic meats sizzled on open grills, filling the air with the scent of roasted flesh.

Rogue Awakened, mercenaries, scavengers, and traders bargained aggressively, their hands gesturing wildly as they argued over prices.

Creed moved swiftly, his destination clear in his mind. His next stop was the Empire Enterprise Branch in Section 7.

Empire Enterprise was the biggest trading giant in the whole world with branches in every section in every bastion.

They were the top dogs when it came to buying and selling. Creed needed to sell off the cores he had collected today and they were the safest choice.

And, he needed to buy a few things as well.

His wallet was about to get heavier. And his arsenal was about to get deadlier.

With that thought in mind, Creed disappeared into the crowd, his eyes glinting with sharp focus.

_____

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