34 33. Sex and Sakura

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Give it to me!"

She leaned back, her hand resting on his waist, both having reached climax and experiencing unparalleled ecstasy. However, they weren't finished yet, they were ready for another round, but before they could proceed, the door swung open, revealing one of her servants entering the room.

"What is it?" She inquired, her nudity evident for all to see as she slid off her partner and settled on the bed, eyeing the servant.

"I beg your pardon, Lady Ivy," The servant averted his gaze as Ivy donned her robes. "There are reports indicating the presence of Scorpion Talon in the city."

"And why should I be concerned?" Ivy rolled her eyes, exchanging a kiss with her partner as he rose from the bed.

"Gather some men and have Arthur lead them. That should suffice," She instructed dismissively.

"But—"

"No excuses. It's straightforward. This is precisely why I was reluctant to join this group," Ivy sighed, gesturing for the servant to depart. "Leave my chambers and spare me further details."

"Additionally, two members of New Order were spotted alongside the Scorpion Talon representative," The servant added before leaving.

Ivy turned toward him, slightly concerned. "Which members?"

"Blair and Aurora."

"Is that all?" She dully inquired, though deep down, she knew the odds of winning in a fair confrontation were slim. Their skill gap was undeniable.

"They were part of a group of four, the two New Order members, Emirus from Scorpion Talon, and an unidentified individual named Hajun," The messenger elaborated.

"Hajun... Enoch would love to hear this," She remarked, rising with a sly grin. "Dispatch this information to all Sakura members immediately. Mark it as top priority."

"Understood, Ma'am," The guard acknowledged before exiting the room.

"Are you worried?" A voice echoed from within the chamber, belonging to her partner, Malachi, her favorite plaything.

"Not at all, Darling. Just a minor inconvenience. Nothing I can't manage," She assured, pushing him back onto the bed and leaning in for a kiss. "Shall we continue?"

Emirus stifled a yawn as they navigated through the city, the unending rain proving more bothersome than the snow in Frosthaven. "Aurora, do you think you could provide cover now?" He asked.

"Already drained your mana?" Aurora raised an eyebrow, concerned about his resources.

"I woke up earlier, so the curse kicked in sooner," Emirus murmured, and Aurora nodded, activating an ice spell to shield them from the rain.

Hajun trailed behind them, accompanied by Blair, and although he was curious about Emirus's curse, he refrained from asking. "Still no sign of the Faction," He remarked.

"Finding them wasn't going to be that straightforward," Blair explained. "We're here for physical reconnaissance; Fiera handles most of the actual intel."

"What do you mean?" Hajun inquired.

"Oh, didn't you know?" Blair glanced at him, recalling that he had only recently joined the guild. "Fiera is a beastman, which means she's not bound by class limitations or weapon restrictions. This allows her to—" She paused, noticing Harvey's knowing expression.

"—Apologies," She interjected. "Fiera possesses a unique item that grants her the ability to pinpoint our exact locations and communicate with us players."

"Yeah, stinky adventurer, you didn't think the guild kept me around just because of my looks, did you?" Fiera's voice chimed in.

"Speaking of which," Blair muttered, "Any updates?"

"Not so much new, but rather peculiar. There's a section of the island that's been barren since your arrival, toward the far east. However, this morning, a large group of people headed in that direction," Fiera reported.

"What did they look like?" Harvey inquired.

"Oh..." Blair hesitated.

With a sigh, Fiera continued. "I can't see visuals, only mana signatures and dots. Each dot represents a living being, with yours being larger since we've met, making it easier for me to identify."

"I see," Harvey murmured.

"Do you want us to investigate?" Aurora offered, moving closer to them.

"Given the possibility that it could be the Azure or Faction, probably," Fiera responded.

"Do you have any reason to believe they're not just miners or something?" Emirus questioned.

"Not a concrete reason, more of a speculation. I can discern humans from other beings based on their mana signature, normal miners wouldn't have that high of a mana signature, but then again it's not foolproof," Fiera explained. "And before I forget, something was flickering on my radar, toward the sea that connects the island."

[Mana Signature; refers to the size of a character or being's mana presence. A larger mana signature indicates a greater amount of mana, making it easier to locate and identify. Characters can sense these mana signatures, which serve as a measure of magical power and presence within the environment.]

"What do you mean by flickering?" Aurora asked.

"Yosemite and Erra mentioned seeing a creature capable of using a Manifest, a skill unique to you 'guys'. I was skeptical at first, but I believe it's the creature they saw."

"Could it be a mistake?" Emirus suggested. "And if they did see it, it shouldn't be in Stormreach if they spotted it in Frosthaven."

"Alright, she was merely stating her speculations," Aurora intervened. "We'll investigate the Far East. Thanks for the information, Fiera."

"Lady Aurora is truly noble!" Fiera praised. "Unlike Emirus."

"When you've spent thirty years as a salaryman on the verge of a promotion, only to find yourself trapped in a game for what feels like eternity, then you'll understand how I feel," Emirus confessed, garnering sympathetic looks from the group.

"I may not have understood all that, but I'll watch your backs, Lady Aurora, Lady Blair, Stinky Adventurer,"

"Hm," Emirus muttered under his breath, feeling slightly left out.

"What about me?" Emirus added, but Fiera ignored his question as usual. "Figures."

"Let's get moving. If we spot anything, and I signal, Fiera, alert the others and direct them to our location," Blair commanded, addressing her team before they set off towards the location Fiera had mentioned.

As they approached the far eastern edge, they deactivated their spells to avoid detection. With night descending, the atmosphere grew eerie, and they peered down from a cliff overlooking the barren section resembling a mining site. Harvey switched to his infrared vision, confirming the presence of several individuals below. "They're using spells, players."

"What do you see, Fiera?" Blair inquired.

"I see people down there. I can't do much from here, but there are thirteen of them. Their mana signatures are substantial, each rivaling Blair's," Fiera responded.

"That's not exactly encouraging," Emirus remarked. "Maybe we should consider turning back."

At first, Harvey brushed off Emirus's comments, but slowly, irritation built within him. Emirus hadn't contributed much and yet seemed to act the most affected. "Why are you even here then?" Harvey muttered, his tone laced with frustration.

"Excuse me?" Emirus responded, looking toward Harvey.

"Let's break it up now, we're on the same side." Blair outstretched her hands, keeping the both of them away. "Let's just prepare for the ambush, we'll deal with this later."

"Listen to Blair guys," Aurora muttered, before feeling something amiss.

"Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood." A voice murmured, followed by footsteps approaching them.

They all spun around, drawing their weapons. A figure cloaked in white advanced towards them, with lightning flashing behind him, briefly illuminating an object in his hands—the Bible.

"There's definitely something wrong with this guy," Aurora muttered, a grimoire hovering beside her.

"He's holding the Bible in a world without God, of course, there's something wrong with him," Emirus observed.

"The earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence." The being spoke once more, looking at all their names. "You are the enemies of the Lord."

"Enemies?" Emirus muttered.

"An Azure member?" Blair pondered, still maintaining her defensive stance.

"Yes. I am with the Azure, you are our enemies. Your ways are devilish and violent," The man declared.

"Listen..." Aurora glanced at the name above his head, a skull next to it. Hypocritical. "Arthur, the Azure are far worse than us. You guys are tied to the faction, they're a group of player killers."

"Necessary violence is needed for the good of the world, the violence you bring upon the world is unfruitful and pointless. YOU ARE A VIRUS!" Arthur screamed, his hood falling off to reveal his features. "I will eliminate all the viruses in this world, ONCE AND FOR ALL!"

"Frost magic: Frozen Tide," Aurora commanded, closing her grimoire as she cast a spell that froze the man, the rain amplifying its effect to create a bond that couldn't be melted by regular methods. "That should keep him restrained for a while, psycho."

"He's smiling," Harvey observed as he looked at the frozen man, it was almost as if he knew he was going to get attacked, almost as if that was what he wanted.

It was a correct assumption because.

As they turned away from the frozen figure, they felt a surge of mana enveloping the atmosphere, converging into a single point. This sensation was familiar, marking the beginning of a particular event.

However, its source eluded them. Harvey attempted to erase the effect, but it proved futile. Moments later, they witnessed the source, the psycho, who had been frozen. Before Harvey or Blair could act, they found themselves ensnared within the effects of a zone manifest.

"Manifest: Perfect Eden."