The faces of the four people changed instantly. They spun around toward the source of the voice, their internal spirituality surging into their palms. Four spells streaked through the air, converging on the tree branch where the voice had originated.
Eros sighed internally. He had planned to just eat his "melon" in peace, but since the conversation shifted to a hunt for his own kind, he had no choice but to intervene. He pointed a finger forward, releasing a [Shadow Banishment].
He wasn't worried about his identity. Right now, he was acting as a "Night Remnant." As long as he didn't link this to his "Eros" persona or his Elven bloodline, any chaos tonight would simply be blamed on a rogue dark-element user near Indiles. After all, the Church was already hunting one—what was one more?
As the spell took effect, the four incoming attacks vanished into thin air, sucked into a void of shadow. But before Eros could call for a ceasefire, a dainty white fist blurred toward his face.
Natalia, seeing her spell fail, had closed the distance with predatory speed. Simultaneously, the stocky man launched a sweeping kick toward Eros’s waist.
Kids these days... Eros mused. He reached out, catching Natalia’s wrist and pulling her forward to break her balance, while his right leg snapped out, planting a kick into the stocky man’s chest. The man was sent flying.
Without missing a beat, Eros invoked [Night Bind]. Dozens of ink-black shadow tentacles erupted from the darkness, coiling around the four intruders and pinning them where they stood.
Eros rubbed his temples. Really? Do they not check the power levels before jumping in? How did three Sequence 8s and one Sequence 9 have the gall to charge at a man with double buffs and divine equipment?
But duty called. He looked down at what he was holding—and immediately got an eyeful of dazzling white skin peeking through a collar, forced upward by the proximity of their chests.
Truly, what healthy, red-blooded young man could withstand such an "attack"? Unless he... well, Eros could swear this wasn't intentional. It was purely a biological reflex.
Natalia, who had been struggling, suddenly stiffened. She stopped moving, but her gaze—fixed on the mysterious man hidden in the shadows—was a volatile mix of shame, fury, and murderous intent.
Eros coughed awkwardly, feeling the tension. "My bad."
Below them, Ayesha (Thomas), bound by shadow chains, glared at the shadowy figure on the tree. She hissed through gritted teeth, "You damned bastard! Let go of my mother!"
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Eros blinked in genuine surprise. He looked at the woman in his arms. "Mother? I thought she was your sister!"
Natalia didn't speak; she just continued to stare at him with eyes like ice.
Suddenly, a streak of mischief hit Eros. He reached out, pinching Natalia’s chin and tilting her face up. He leaned in and, in a fit of pure "villainous" parody, licked her cheek with a loud, exaggerated slurp.
Feeling the damp sensation on her face, Natalia looked utterly repulsed, twisting her head away in disgust. Eros looked down at the fuming Ayesha and let out a stereotypical, grating villainous laugh.
"Jie-jie-jie-jie! Look at that—not only am I not letting go, I just licked her!"
Honestly, he felt exactly like one of those perverted minor villains who usually died within three episodes. It was strangely fun.
Ayesha was speechless with rage, stammering "You... you..." without being able to form a sentence. Eros looked at her face—which was noticeably rounder thanks to his feeding—and chuckled. "Alright, I'm done teasing you."
He tossed Natalia down beside Ayesha. Natalia’s mind was a mess of revulsion and confusion; the sheer audacity of the move had left her skin crawling.
Eros sat back on the branch, casual as could be. "I just wanted to ask a question. Did we really need to get this violent?"
The stocky man spat on the ground. "We won't reveal a single word to a dog of the Church!"
The others looked equally resolute. Eros clicked his tongue. "You won't talk to a dog of the Church? Good thing I'm not with the Church, then."
The four of them froze. "You're not with the Three Great Churches?"
Eros touched his chin. "Could you not tell by the spells?"
They focused on the black tentacles binding them and their faces went pale. "You... you're a Night Remnant?"
Eros narrowed his eyes. He didn't like the word "Remnant," but he kept his smile. "Correct. But there’s no prize for the right answer."
The four exchanged bitter looks. They had just been planning to kill a Night Remnant to gain favor, and now they had fallen into the hands of one. Worse, they had discussed the murder plot right in front of him. It was, frankly, embarrassing.
"What do you want?" the stocky man grunted.
"I just want to know about the Church’s hunt for a 'Night Remnant' lately."
The group was baffled. The Church isn't hunting you? If it wasn't about him, and sharing the info would spite the Church, they saw no reason to hide it.
After listening to their report, Eros understood. About a week ago, in a city not far from the capital, a clan member had been exposed and was now fleeing toward Indiles.
Eros’s eyes turned cold. Normally, a clan member wouldn't flee toward a place where other members were staying unless they were sure they could lose the tail. The only reason to lead the enemy here was if they had a message or an object so critical that they had to risk exposing everyone else to deliver it.
He lost interest in playing with the group. He plucked a leaf from the tree, flicked it with his finger, and watched it embed itself near Natalia.
"I'm actually quite interested in your heist for that Forbidden Object. If your 'party' is ever short a member, feel free to call me. I might be of use."
"As for how to contact me, just pour your spirituality into that leaf. I'll know your location and come find you."
He stood up and stretched. "That’s all for today. My neighbor’s wife is about to give birth; I really should get back."
