Chapter 26 :The City Reawakens, and Temptation Knocks

The scene returned to the ruined city of Valeria, where Lana and Lila clung to each other in tearful silence. Their embrace was more than reunion—it was the collapse of years of grief, the weight of survival shedding at last in the arms of someone who had once been home.

Time seemed to hold its breath. The air, thick with the scent of cracked stone and dry moss, stood still.

Around them, the ragged survivors who had followed Lila from the mountains slowly lowered their weapons. Makeshift spears carved from broom handles, dull swords salvaged from forgotten corpses—they had carried these not as tools of war, but as shields of desperation.

Now, they let them fall.

The soft clatter of weapons hitting the stone echoed faintly across the courtyard. Not as defeat. But as relief. As hope.

The survivors huddled in a wide circle, sitting on the cracked floor surrounded by weeds and statues of broken dragons and forgotten heroes. Light filtered through the shattered sky, turning their gaunt faces into something softer, something almost human again.

Lila, her voice hoarse and raw, began to speak.

"After you left," she said, barely above a whisper, "a fog came down from the mountains. At first, we thought it was weather. But it carried sickness, rot. Like the breath of something ancient and wrong."

Jin narrowed his eyes. "Miasma?"

She nodded. "It rolled through the streets like smoke. Made the sky bleed. People started coughing blood. Animals twisted. Then the beasts came."

"Beasts?"

"Not natural ones. Twisted. Like shadows with bones. Things that shouldn't move the way they do. Eyes like coals. Some could speak. Others mimicked voices of the dead."

Lana squeezed her hand tighter. Lila glanced down, voice shaking.

"Father refused to abandon the city. Lord Thorian. He said Valeria must never fall without a fight. And he fought. Every damn day. Organizing guards, sharing what little food we had. Holding the line."

She paused, swallowing the lump in her throat. Her voice cracked.

"But then the Beast of Mourning came. An orc, but... wrong. Towering. Covered in deep, blackened scars. It carried a halberd as tall as the manor gates. And it spoke. Not with words, but with rage. Pure, ancient hatred."

Jin felt something cold stir in his blood.

"Your father fought it?"

"Yes. He wounded it. Drove it off. But it broke him. He collapsed after the fight. Never woke again. The city died slowly after that. Block by block. Family by family. We fled into the mountains. Hid. Survived. But we lost so many to plague and cold. And now... disease is killing the rest."

Arielle was crying openly now. Sarah, usually the strongest among them in practicality, was blinking back tears.

"I can help," Sarah said quietly. "Healing magic is part of my cultivation path. I can treat those still breathing."

"I'll assist," Arielle added, already moving. "Even if it's just pain relief. They deserve dignity."

The two women moved among the survivors, kneeling beside them, murmuring healing spells. Sarah conjured a soft blue glow from her palms as she inspected wounds and broken bones. Arielle poured gentle herbal concoctions into shaking hands.

Meanwhile, Jin motioned for Lana and Lila to follow him back to the manor. Inside, the dining room had been cleared as much as possible. Benches had been repaired, the floor partially reinforced, and a table—barely intact—stood proudly in the center.

"You should wash up," Lana said, brushing a leaf from Lila's tangled hair.

"There's a working bath in the west wing," Jin added. "One of the disaster rooms. But the enchantments are still intact. Clean water. Heat stones."

Lila gave a weak smile. "A bath... after all these years? That alone might be enough to bring tears."

She left them and wandered into the manor. A few moments later, Jin and Lana sat together in the dining hall. Jin exhaled, rubbing the stiffness from his arms.

"She's carrying more than just battle scars," Jin murmured. "She's seen it all crumble. And yet, she's still standing."

Lana nodded solemnly. "She reminds me of someone else I know."

Jin chuckled faintly. "Great. Now I've got two stubborn warrior women watching over me."

Lana raised an eyebrow. "You say that like it's a curse."

They shared a rare smile, but it faded quickly when the silence returned. Outside, the sun had begun to dip, casting long shadows into the ruined hall.

Moments later, the wooden door creaked open.

Jin looked up.

And nearly fell off the bench.

Lila stood framed in the light of the doorway, hair still damp from the bath, now brushed and cascading down her back like golden silk. Her skin glistened with droplets, flushed from the heat. A simple towel clung to her figure, loose around her hips and chest, revealing sculpted curves hardened by hardship, yet undeniably feminine.

She radiated strength, resilience, and quiet beauty.

She walked in calmly and sat beside him, the towel shifting slightly to reveal a powerful, smooth thigh. The tension in the air shifted. Jin's heart kicked against his ribs.

"Hey," Lila said, smirking. "Done staring?"

"I—uh—sorry," Jin stammered, eyes darting to the cracked ceiling. "Didn't expect you to... wow."

She leaned back, stretching slightly. "First bath in five years. I think I'm allowed to enjoy the feeling."

Jin coughed awkwardly. "Y-you want tea? We've got spiritleaf left. Maybe even honey root."

She smiled, shaking her head. "Relax, Jin. I'm not here to seduce you."

Before he could answer, the familiar tone of the system echoed in his mind:

[SYSTEM SCAN ACTIVATED]

Name: Lila Fern

Age: 30

Race: Human

Affinity: Wood Element

Cultivation: Spirit Realm, 3rd Stage

Health Status: Stable

Status: Battle-Hardened Survivor

Virginity Status: Confirmed

Potential Lover Compatibility: 65%

[Warning: Hormonal spike detected. Please manage your impulses.]

Jin nearly choked.

Virgin? Potential lover?! The system was relentless.

Lila, oblivious to the turmoil inside his head, continued. "Spirit Realm. Third stage. Wood element. I focused on support techniques. Healing, detoxification, plant-based constructs. But I've killed more beasts than I care to remember."

Jin gave her a slow nod. "That's... impressive. Especially surviving this long."

She shrugged, casually adjusting the towel. Jin instinctively looked away.

"Do you have a cultivation goal?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"Where do you want to go with all this power you have? Most cultivators want something. Fame. Immortality. Revenge. What's yours?"

Jin stared at the flickering spirit lamp.

"To protect," he said finally. "Not to dominate. Not to conquer. Just to make sure those I care about never feel helpless again."

Lila tilted her head. "That's... rare. Most men say that, but they don't mean it. You do. I can see it in your eyes."

She stood then, her expression softening.

"I'll get dressed. Then we can talk about rebuilding the city. If we start with the east wall and secure water storage, we might be able to fortify the whole southern quarter."

Jin blinked. "You really don't stop, do you?"

She grinned over her shoulder. "I survived the Beast of Mourning. A ruined city doesn't scare me."

And with that, she disappeared down the hall.

Jin leaned back with a sigh. "System. Remind me why I chose this life again?"

[Because you're an idiot with a hero complex.]

He laughed.

And for once, he didn't mind.