[Outside the dungeon]
Crimson and Black flew toward the looming volcano in the distance with all their strength, their figures cutting through the sky like blazing comets. The wind roared around them, yet neither slowed down, driven forward by an unease they could not ignore.
{What do you think the earlier disturbance was all about?}
Crimson asked telepathically, his voice steady but edged with unease.
{I don’t know, but I have a very bad feeling about it.....}
Black replied. After that, neither of them spoke. Their instincts were sending warning signals relentlessly, telling them that something about this entire situation was deeply wrong.
They were now approaching an area saturated with dungeon monsters.
Most of them were around Grandmaster rank, creatures that had spilled out from two of the five dungeons.
Individually, they were not much of a threat, but their sheer numbers made them troublesome to deal with all at once.
Crimson and Black could have erased them effortlessly, yet they chose not to interfere. Monsters of this level, neither too weak nor overwhelmingly powerful, were rare.
Left alone, they could become an excellent training ground for their respective organization members.
As they entered the dense forest area filled with monsters, the sense of unease they were feeling intensified instead of fading.
Normally, a place infested with monsters was never quiet. Growls, movements, clashes, and the constant struggle for survival filled the air.
But now, there was nothing. No footsteps, no breathing, not even the faint rustle of leaves.
The silence was absolute, and that made it far more disturbing.
While continuing forward, they expanded their senses to uncover the reason behind it.
And what they saw made their expressions darken.
Thousands of Phantom Wolves and River Serpents stood in perfect rows, unmoving, like an army awaiting its commander’s order. Their bodies were rigid, their presence oppressive, and not a single one reacted to Crimson and Black’s arrival.
Then they noticed the most unsettling detail.
Every creature’s eyes were completely pink, empty of pupils and whites, glowing faintly with an unnatural hue.
{What the heck is this..? Are they under some kind of mind control spell..?}
Black felt a chill crawl up his spine as he sent the thought.
{Looks like it.... and I think the strange feeling we’ve been sensing is related to this. It feels like the caster of that spell is deliberately waiting for us.....}
The moment Crimson finished speaking, both of them became fully alert.
They could now clearly sense the presence of someone at the same rank as them. Earlier, they had felt nothing at all. Only now did they realize that the enemy’s abilities were tied to mental interference, which explained how such an obvious presence had gone unnoticed until now.
But as soon as they realized that someone strong was present, they instantly sensed the presence of the enemy.
{This... don’t tell me we were also under..... some kind of mental influence...}
Crimson’s thoughts slowed slightly, weighed down by the implication.
Both him and Black wore deep scowls. If someone of the same rank could affect them without them realizing it, then the situation was far more serious than they had initially believed.
Crimson quickly contacted her daughter and ordered her to stay at the organization base, warning her about the army of Wolves and Serpents and instructing his subordinates that he brought with him to remain on standby.
Black also followed suit, issuing similar instructions to his own son and subordinates.
As they finished relaying their messages, they reached the bubbling volcano.
Outwardly, nothing seemed wrong. The volcano looked the same as ever, its presence heavy and imposing.
Only the formations surrounding it were torn apart, as if something had forcibly ripped through them. Other than tha—
"Huh..?"
Both of them noticed it at the same time.
At the crater of the volcano, a woman sat calmly on a small stone, her legs crossed, her posture relaxed as if she were waiting.
The instant their eyes fell upon her, both Crimson and Black fell into a brief daze, their focus slipping before they even realized it.
The woman was unlike anything they had ever seen. With her voluptuous body and curvaceous figure, her beauty felt otherworldly, something that did not belong to this realm.
Her fair skin seemed flawless, her long black flowing hair cascaded down her back, and her red cherry lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. Her perfectly shaped cheekbones and hypnotizing eyes looked at them with deep.... hunger and desire.
Her clothes were revealing, just enough to cover what needed to be covered, leaving the rest to imagination.
It was enough. More than enough.
Both Crimson and Black felt something stir deep within their hearts.
The fiery passion buried within them began to crawl out, slow and uncontrollable.
-Gulp!!
They swallowed audibly, their throats dry.
And then... a sweet voice echoed in their ears.
"Oh my my, aren’t you both pretty handsome and energetic...."
That voice was the final nail in the coffin..... and with that, the fates of both Crimson and Black were sealed.
Their eyes slowly dyed into a pinkish hue. Without realizing it, they moved toward her and knelt before her, heads bowed, their wills already slipping away.
A peal of melodious laughter echoed through the surroundings, soft like a lullaby that could awaken anyone’s deepest, hidden desires.
Her laughter was gentle, almost a whisper, yet it echoed louder than any roar on a battlefield.
Lilith wore a bright smile that could topple empires, satisfied after successfully making two SS ranked Mythical humans fall under her authority.
Crimson and Black knelt before her, their minds laid bare, their hearts ensnared, their Mythical strength shackled by invisible chains of desire.
In Lilith’s shadow, even the strongest forgot who they once were.
For Lust could bend even the mightiest to her will, make kings kneel without drawing a sword, and turn armies into trembling masses without a single battle.
It could unravel honor, ignite forbidden desire, and twist loyalty into chains stronger than steel. Where she walked, empires whispered in fear and longing. Where she lingered, hearts became her battleground, and minds, no matter how sharp, were nothing more than clay in her hands.
Crimson and Black were living proof. Even legends could be undone by a single, perfect hunger, and even the strongest could fall willingly before Lust.
"...now that I have two new toys to play with, shall we move next..."
Her gaze shifted toward the thousands of Phantom Wolves, swift as the wind, and the River Serpents, slippery and deadly on both land and water, crowding the dense forest surrounding the volcano.
Controlling those weaker than her did not even make her break a sweat. She could awaken desire in anyone, even in those who felt none toward her she could awaken them forcefully, and once desire bloomed, control followed naturally.
As for those at her level, as long as she could awaken a deep hunger, a deep desire of lust within them, they were already her puppets, just as Crimson and Black had become.
For those stronger than her, her powers still worked, but far more slowly. Awakening lust in someone stronger required time, intimacy, and careful manipulation, and even then, success was never guaranteed.
But her gaze did not linger on those weaker monsters for long. It traveled farther, stretching beyond the forest, until she noticed hundreds, no, nearly a thousand humans of various ranks standing at a distance, carefully keeping themselves away from the wolves and serpents.
It’s a pity. I wanted to make them fight and enjoy the show...but right now, they are not the priority. I need to complete my task. I can’t disappoint my king...
In truth, after years of quiet effort, she had managed to awaken a very small trace of desire in Orien’s heart toward her. It was fragile and fleeting, far too weak to influence his actions, yet it was something she had worked hard to obtain.
But now, all of that effort had become meaningless.
She could feel it clearly. Even that faint trace of desire had been extinguished the moment his anger turned toward her.
...Wrath...Only another sin can nullify a sin...
Anger clouds judgment and allows one to forget love and their deepest desires...
With a slow sigh, her eyes glowed softly. In response, the eyes of the distant humans changed as well, mirroring her glow. One after another, they began to walk toward her with long, unnatural steps, their expressions empty, their wills stripped away.
"Well, I’ll have these slaves of mine maintain security around the entire region until the demon army arrives.....just where is that General bastard? He’s running fucking late..."
Her voice carried irritation, but it remained calm, controlled.
"I also need to decide who to send to abduct both the Moon Blessed and the Star Blessed.....who would be best suited for the task..?"
She continued muttering to herself, thoughts flowing freely, while around her, armies of monsters and humans stood in silence. They waited without question, without hesitation, like obedient slaves awaiting their next command.
And like that, one of the Seven Deadly Sins unleashed her power upon the world of Akumia for the first time.
And it certainly would not be the last.
***