Extra 1

Just as they were about to leave, a stone bed emerged, and on it lay the subject of their Quest.

As the stone bed emerged from the shadows, a figure becomes visible. It was the young woman they were sent to rescue, unconscious and bound in ethereal chains. The chains pulsed with a faint, malevolent glow, hinting at the dark magic that held her captive. The sight of her, so vulnerable and lost, stirs something deep within Yunxi. She realized the true weight of their mission and the urgency to free her from her spectral prison.

As Yunxi approaches the stone bed, she felt the chilling embrace of the residual dark magic. She reached out to touch the ethereal chains, and a jolt of malevolent energy runs through her body.

Despite the pain, she remains steadfast, her eyes never leaving the bound woman's peaceful face. The guardian spirits gather around the bed, their glow intensifying as they focus their combined power to weaken the chains. With a final, desperate tug, the chains shatter, releasing the young woman's soul from its prison.

The sudden release of dark energy sends a shockwave through the room, knocking everyone back. As the dust settles, the woman on the bed stirs, her eyes fluttering open. She looks around with confusion and fear, not recognizing her surroundings. "Who are you?" she whispers, her voice hoarse from the ordeal.

Yunxi's expressionless face may be perceived as cold or intimidating by the rescued woman, potentially increasing her fear and suspicion.

The young woman scrambled to sit up, her eyes darting around the room, seeking an explanation for the sudden turn of events.

"Calm down," Liena says soothingly, stepping forward. "You're safe now. We're here to help you."

The girl's smirk is met with a flicker of doubt in Yunxi's eyes, but she quickly recovers, her gaze unwavering. The young woman, noticing Yunxi's scrutiny, shifts her expression back to one of innocence and confusion, perhaps sensing that her initial reaction was not the expected one.

"What do you mean, 'help'?" she asks, her voice still weak but now tinged with a hint of defiance. "Where am I? What's going on?"

Yunxi sighed and said , "You can stop pretending now"

The young woman on the bed, caught off guard by Yunxi's accusation, quickly composes herself. She looks around at the group, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Pretending? I'm just a lost soul trying to understand what happened to me. Why are you all here?"

Yunxi and Liena exchange knowing glances. Liena , her eyes burning with a fierce light. "You carry the scent of the succubus's dark magic. You are not as you appear."

" Hahahaha….!!!"

The young woman on the bed, initially feigning innocence, now laughs openly, her expression one of amusement rather than fear.

The atmosphere in the room shifts dramatically as the maids eyes dimmed , sensing a new threat. They, who were once under the succubus's control, stiffened, their expressions now wary and ready for battle. Liena's eyes narrowed, and she takes a protective stance in front of Yunxi.

"Very well," the young woman says, her smirk growing wider. "You've seen through my little act. I must admit, I'm quite intrigued by your abilities. Tell me, how did you manage to defeat my former... 'mistress'?"

The young woman on the bed, now revealed as the succubus's successor, stands up gracefully, shedding the illusion of weakness.

Her eyes glowed with a sinister light, and the room feels colder as dark energy surrounds her. She glides towards the group, a malicious smile playing on her lips. "You've done well to get this far, but your journey ends here," she says, raising her hand to cast a powerful curse.

Yunxi, anticipating the attack, quickly activates her 'Ice Shield' skill, conjuring three gleaming shields of solid ice around herself and Liena. The curse hits the shields with a deafening crack, sending shards of frost flying in every direction, but fails to penetrate their defense.

The succubus's successor, momentarily surprised, recovers and sneers. "So, you have some power after all," she taunts.

Yunxi looked at her with a bored expression," It is truly you. I knew you couldn't be easily defeated."

The succubus's successor, feeling slightly provoked by Yunxi's words, pauses her assault, her eyes narrowing as she studies the two of you.

Her smile is cold, and the air around her grows colder as she draws power from the dark energies within the temple. "You think you're clever," she hisses. "But you know nothing of the depth of my mistress's power or the true nature of our kind."

Yunxi remains unfazed, her eyes never leaving the succubus's face. "I know enough," she replies calmly, "and I suspect you're stalling for time. Perhaps you're not as strong as you let on." The succubus's smile falters for a moment, revealing a flash of irritation before she recovers her poise.

Yunxi without giving her a moment to breathe unsheathed her sword and launched series of attacks.

The succubus's successor, caught off guard by Yunxi's sudden aggression, is forced to raise her defenses. Her eyes flash with anger as she parries the first few strikes with surprising skill, given her earlier feigned weakness.

The battle is intense and swift, with both combatants displaying a mastery of their respective styles. The sound of clanging steel and crackling ice fills the room as their powers collide.

Liena, seeing the succubus's successor's true colors, joins Yunxi in the fray. The two of them formed a united front, attacking in tandem. Their combined efforts push the succubus back, but she is a formidable opponent.

The succubus's successor, driven by fury at Yunxi's accusation, unleashes an overwhelming wave of dark magic. The force of her attack sends Yunxi and Liena hurtling into the cold stone walls of the temple.

The impact was severe, leaving both of them winded and in considerable pain. Yunxi feels her body ache from the collision, her 'Ice Shield' skill weakened by the sheer power of the succubus's attack. Liena grunts in pain, her body bruised from the slam. The succubus stands tall, a malicious smile playing on her lips, enjoying the sight of her opponents struggling.

"You think you can stand against me?" she sneered, her eyes glowing with a dark power that seems to suck the warmth from the room. "I am the one chosen to carry on my mistress's legacy. You are but insignificant pests."

Yunxi, with great effort, manages to push herself off the wall, the cold stone biting into her skin as she does.

The pain from her injuries was intense, but her will to fight is stronger. She stands, her sword slipping from her hand due to the impact. Her body is bruised and her mana is significantly depleted from maintaining the 'Ice Shield' against the succubus's powerful attack.

"Not... insignificant," she gasps, her eyes alight with determination. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a vial filled with a shimmering blue liquid. "This...is what you've been looking for."

Yunxi wiped the blood on her lips , and stared at the succubus with a fierce glint, an unyielding determination to fight till the end.

As she stood with unyielding determination, the succubus's successor's eyes narrow at the vial in your hand.

Recognizing the shimmering blue liquid, she pauses, momentarily distracted by the potential power it holds. Her smugness fades, replaced by a flicker of greed. She takes a step closer, her hand reaching out for the vial.

"Give it to me," she demands, her voice a seductive whisper that seems to coil around them like a serpent. "You cannot hope to stand against me with such a pitiful trick."

Yunxi clutches the vial tightly, the cold glass a stark contrast to the warmth of her hand. "What makes you think I'd hand over something so precious?" she challenges, a hint of a smirk playing on her lips despite the pain. She knows the value of what she holds - it's a rare potion capable of amplifying one's magical abilities for a brief but intense period. It was given to her by her father earlier in her journey, with the warning to use it only when absolutely necessary.

{ You can't! You know the consequences!}

The system was quick to warn Yunxi of the implications of what she was about to do. Her mama was terribly exhausted, she could lose her mana veins , making her a waste . There were dire consequences!

The succubus's successor's eyes widened with desire as she sees the rare potion in her hand. She licks her lips hungrily, her mind racing with the possibilities of what she could achieve with such power. The air in the room grows thick with anticipation as she weighs the value of the potion against the threat it poses.

"You dare to challenge me with such a paltry offering?" she purrs, her voice dripping with condescension. "But perhaps I can make an exception. Give me the potion, and I might spare your lives... for now."

Yunxi's grip tightens around the vial as she considers the offer. The potion could be the key to victory, but at what cost? Her mind races with the system's warnings and the potential consequences of using it. Meanwhile, Liena watches intently from the sidelines, her eyes flickering with the light of the system's interface as she calculates their chances of survival.

After what seems like an eternity, Yunxi makes her decision. "Your lives are not worth this," she declares, raising the vial to her lips.

"Wait!" the succubus's successor calls out, her expression a mix of shock and desperation. "You don't know what you're doing!"

But Yunxi is already uncorking the vial, the potion's potent scent wafting through the air. She downs the contents in one swift motion, feeling the power surge through her veins like a frozen river coming to life. Her eyes blaze with an icy light, and a shiver runs down the spine of the succubus's successor, who takes an involuntary step back.

The potion's effects are immediate and intense. Yunxi feels her mana reserves swell, her body pulsing with newfound strength and agility. Her 'Hoarfrost on Steel' skill activates automatically, coating her sword in a thick layer of frost. The room seems to slow down as she leaps into the air, the potion's magic amplifying her senses. Time seems to hold its breath as she brings her blade down upon the succubus, who attempts to dodge but is caught off-guard by the sudden increase in speed.

The impact was deafening, the sword slicing through the air with a sound like a hundred shattering icicles. The succubus's successor tries to counter with a dark bolt of energy, but it fizzles out before it can even form. The potion has not only boosted Yunxi's offensive capabilities, but it has also bolstered her defenses. The 'Ice Shield' skill now envelops her in a fortress of crystalline ice, each layer as resilient as the last.

The succubus's successor stumbles backward, her eyes wide with shock . The woman in black recovers quickly, her eyes narrowing into slits as she assesses the new threat before her. "Foolish girl," she hisses. "You have no idea what you've done."

Yunxi feels a rush of power unlike anything she's ever felt before. The potion's effects are overwhelming, but she's determined to use it to its fullest potential.

She charges again, her sword a blur of ice and steel, each swing more precise than the last. The succubus's successor attempts to counter with her own dark magic, but Yunxi's 'Enhanced Vision' allows her to see the spells coming from a mile away. She twists and turns, weaving through the shadowy tendrils like a leaf in the wind.

"Impossible... such power," the succubus's successor murmurs, her eyes darting around in panic as she tries to find an opening. But Yunxi is relentless, her 'Cold-blooded' skill pushing her to strike without mercy. The room echoes with the clang of steel on ice as their blades meet in a dance of death and magic.

With each hit, the succubus's successor feels her strength wane, the potion's might turning the tide of the battle in Yunxi's favor. Sweat beads on her brow as she desperately tries to keep up with Yunxi's frenzied assault. Her once confident demeanor is replaced by a snarl of anger and desperation.

"You... you can't beat me," she gasps, her breath coming in ragged pants. "I am a creature of the night, a master of the shadows!"

Yunxi smirks, her eyes never leaving her opponent. "You may be," she says, her voice cold as the ice that coats her blade, "but today, the shadows belong to me."

The succubus's successor snarls, her desperation turning into fury. She throws herself at Yunxi with renewed vigor, her nails elongating into claws and her eyes burning with an unnatural light. The air around her crackles with dark energy as she attempts to overwhelm Yunxi with sheer ferocity.

But Yunxi was ready for her, the potion's power granting her not only strength but also clarity of thought. She sidesteps the succubus's wild swipes, her 'Improved Frost Armour' skill activating to cover her in an additional layer of ice. Each time the succubus strikes, the impact shatters into a shower of frozen shards, leaving her no closer to victory than before.

"Your kind always underestimate the will of the human spirit," Yunxi says calmly, her voice a stark contrast to the chaos of the battle. "We may be weak, but we are not so easily broken."

The succubus's successor roars, a sound that would freeze the blood of any ordinary person. But Yunxi is not ordinary. With the potion's power surging through her, she feels unstoppable. She parries another swipe and counters with a swift strike of her own, the sword cutting through the air like a glacier cleaving the night. The succubus stumbles backward, a line of frost appearing across her chest.

"You bitch," she snarls, the venom in her voice palpable. "You're going to pay for this."

The succubus's successor reels from the powerful blow, her eyes flashing with a mix of pain and anger. The frostbite spreads from the wound, sapping her strength and making her movements sluggish. She stumbles, almost falling to one knee, her hand clutching at the icy gash across her chest.

Yunxi walked closer to her. " It must have hurt really hard…. The intense weakness. You are too weak, always needing someone to protect you. …Your parents brutal death…Your siblings died unjustly. But you couldn't do anything. Not before or now."

The succubus's successor, already weakened and in pain from the battle, feels a renewed sense of anger and loss upon hearing about the fate of the body's original owner. Her expression twists into one of pure rage, and she lunges at Yunxi with newfound strength, driven by her desire for revenge.

But Yunxi remains unflappable, her 'Enhanced Vision' allowing her to anticipate the succubus's every move. She sidesteps the attack with ease, her blade slicing through the air with the precision of a skilled swordsman.

"Your pain is nothing compared to the agony of those whose souls you've consumed," she says coldly, her voice echoing in the temple.

The succubus's successor snarls, her eyes glowing with malice. "You dare to judge me? You know nothing of the suffering I've endured!"

Yunxi's expression remains stoic, the potion's power coursing through her veins like a river of frost. "I know enough," she says, her voice low and dangerous. "You were once a mage, consumed by your own power and greed. You've lost yourself to the darkness, and now you seek to claim more souls to satisfy your insatiable hunger, and the body you now inhabit is a human, a weak , helpless one."

The succubus's successor, enraged by Yunxi's words, charges at her with a feral scream.

Her movements were unpredictable, driven by a mix of pain, anger, and the dark energy within her. Her eyes were wild, and the once sultry aura is replaced by one of pure malice. The two women, once under her control, watch the battle with a mix of fear and loyalty, unsure of what to do next.

Yunxi, fueled by the potion and her own determination, meets the succubus's attack with calculated precision. Her blade dances around the succubus's claws, each parry and counterstrike leaving behind a trail of glittering ice. Despite the succubus's desperate attempts to land a hit, Yunxi's 'Cold-blooded' skill makes her movements swift and ruthless, leaving no room for error.

The air in the temple grows colder with every clang of steel on steel, the breath of the combatants visible in the frigid air. The tension is palpable, each strike and counter-strike carrying the weight of their shared humanity and the fate of the souls trapped within the succubus's grasp.

Yunxi's emotional approach seems to briefly penetrate the succubus's fury. She takes a step back, panting heavily, her eyes flickering with doubt and confusion as she hears the painful reminder of the life she once knew. The succubus's successor's expression falters for a moment, the fiery rage in her eyes dimming slightly.

"Why do you care about them?" she asks through gritted teeth, her breath misting in the cold. "You're just a human, like all the others I've devoured."

" Yes, I am human. You once were and the body you now inhabit is also a human."

The succubus's successor hesitates for a fraction of a second, visibly affected by Yunxi's words. Her fury seems to waver, and a flicker of doubt crosses her features.

This brief pause in the battle gives Yunxi an opening, which she seizes immediately. She charges forward, her sword coated in a thick layer of 'Hoarfrost on Steel'. The temperature in the room drops even further as she swings her weapon with all her might, aiming for the succubus's unguarded neck. The succubus attempts to dodge, but her movements are still hampered by the spreading frostbite and her own wavering resolve.

The blade slices through the air, the sound of shattering ice echoing through the temple as it narrowly misses the succubus's neck, leaving a frosty trail behind. The succubus's eyes widen, and she stumbles back, her hand flying up to the spot where the sword grazed her skin. A line of frostbitten flesh is revealed, and she gasps in pain.

"I could have killed you. I didn't miss." Yunxi's cold voice, made her shivering worse.

The succubus's successor feels a cold shiver down her spine at the near-death experience. She stumbles backward, her eyes flickering between anger and fear.

The women watched in shock at the display of power and emotion, their loyalties beginning to waver. The room seems to hold its breath as the succubus's successor regains her composure, her expression shifting from pain to determination.

"I will not be swayed by your words, human," she hisses, her voice now a mix of human despair and demonic rage. "I have suffered too much to be brought down by pity!" With a flick of her wrist, she sends a barrage of dark magic missiles towards Yunxi, each one crackling with malicious intent.

Yunxi, however, is not one to back down. She raises her 'Ice Shield', the three shields of pure ice shimmering in the dim light. The dark missiles collide with the shields, shattering them one by one, but they only serve to fuel the ice surrounding her blade. "Your pain doesn't justify the suffering you've caused," Yunxi retorts, her voice steady despite the intense cold seeping into the room.

The succubus's successor seems to pause, her attack momentarily halted by Yunxi's revelation.

She looks at Yunxi with a mix of anger and despair, her human emotions briefly resurfacing from the abyss of darkness that has consumed her. The women, witnessing this exchange, start to murmur among themselves, their faith in their mistress beginning to crack.

"You dare speak of weakness?" the succubus spits venomously, the shadows around her coalescing into a swirling vortex of malevolent energy. "You know nothing of the torment I have endured, the love I have lost, the very essence of my