I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City

The second named succubus fell surprisingly quickly due to a compatibility issue, leaving her stunned expression fixed in death. Rohan and Ichinose left her body behind as they exited the mansion strewn with frozen ward stones.

The path through the forest, crudely made, still enforced a one-way progression. Once again, upon crossing another boundary, a new scene unfolded.

"Could it be a village...?" Ichinose wondered aloud.

"It definitely looks like one," Rohan replied, not particularly surprised, though Ichinose remained silent, likely overwhelmed by the sight.

They decided not to venture directly into the well-built village within the forest but instead circled it warily from a distance.

"It might be a village inhabited by succubi. If that's the case, it would be dangerous for Rohan just to pass through," Ichinose speculated.

"True," Rohan agreed, knowing all too well that he couldn't be certain this was the same as any dungeon he remembered. Complacency could lead to death, making Ichinose's caution most prudent.

"How about we quietly search just to see if the Monolith is there?" Rohan suggested.

"Sounds good. Let's move as quietly as possible," Ichinose agreed.

"Okay." Rohan took the lead, his weapon at the ready as they stealthily moved through the village.

As they infiltrated deeper, observing the lifeless village, the scene was eerily reminiscent of a medieval fantasy game location — the buildings followed such an architectural style, but the rest felt starkly out of place.@@novelbin@@

Under a moon-dominated gloomy sky, the village was constructed of frozen ward stones, each seemingly assigned a specific role, repeating the same motions as if under some unspoken command.