I Possessed a Game Where I Die If I Don’t Clear the Tower - Chapter 74

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 74. The Gatekeeper of the Plague
Everyone checked their equipment and prepared to rush forward.
Among them, Camilia extended her arm toward Mina.
“Mina, transform.”
Mina, who had been preparing to run on instinct, blinked. Camilia added a brief explanation.
“Your pace can’t keep up with ours.”
Understanding at last, Mina entrusted her bag to Vlad and immediately transformed into a calico cat, leaping into Camilia’s arms.
The moment Camilia cradled the calico cat, Zehar Al Rashid struck the ground with his staff with a resonant thud.
Magical energy rippled outward from him, and a summoned creature with eight legs in the form of a crab materialized before them.
A large cushioned saddle was affixed to the creature’s broad back.
When I questioned it with my eyes, Zehar Al Rashid smiled and spoke.
“I prepared a summoned creature to supplement mobility, just in case something like this arose.”
‘…So I really despised being carried by Netanel Fragma.’
I had no desire to experience it twice. So that was it.
He had even prepared an amphibious mount for entering the Underground Sewers—there was no reason to refuse.
“Well prepared.”
Camilia offered him light praise and mounted the summoned creature.
It wasn’t particularly high, the surface was flat and easy to climb onto, and even while seated, my line of sight matched that of my companions—it was perfectly suited.
‘The party has a mage, and there’s work to be done.’
The differences in convenience lay in the smallest details, yet they were tremendous.
With mobility prepared for both her and Mina, there was no further need to hesitate.
“Let us depart.”
The party began rushing forward the moment Camilia gestured.
The adventurer who had informed them of the internal situation moved alongside them, explaining in detail what had transpired.
To summarize his account:
Thanks to the map, they had continued their exploration smoothly and discovered a location where the source likely existed.
Three parties combined and charged in, but demons appeared at the passage.
“The dog-shaped demons weren’t particularly threatening. However, the human-shaped demons leading those dogs employed strange sorcery, and….”
“Be specific.”
Camilia cut him off with a demand, and the adventurer, retracing his memory, answered.
“They seemed to be… enchanting people, making them switch sides.”
The adventurer added that more than half of his comrades had sided with the demons, and the formation collapsed in an instant before they could do anything.
‘A mental attack? If it affected three entire parties, they must have used high-level domination magic.’
Camilia mentally reviewed her list of demons who primarily wielded mental magic and asked.
“What did they look like? Were they attractive? Did they have tails? If so, were they covered in scales?”
“Pardon? Well, it was dark so I couldn’t see clearly, but they were beautiful… Ah, the tails had no scales.”
‘A Succubus, then.’
It was good to have identified the culprit. The problem was why a Succubus of all things.
Weren’t the Succubus and the Plague Lord on terms where they looked down on each other like a chicken and a dog?
‘Never mind. Let’s capture her first and think later.’
Camilia looked at Netanel and spoke.
“Netanel, blessings.”
“Yes.”
At Camilia’s command, Netanel began casting the necessary blessings upon the party.
“Solandir. Send a spirit to scout ahead.”
“Understood.”
Without hesitation, Solandir summoned Sylph, the wind spirit, and sent her forward to reconnoiter.
With that, our preparations were complete.
Camilia then ordered everyone to increase their pace.
Malorik, the Adventurer Guild Master, whose stocky frame moved with surprising swiftness, asked with a worried expression.
“Given the use of mind-altering magic, it appears to be a Succubus. Are you certain this level of preparation will suffice?”
As an experienced adventurer, he had deduced the creature’s identity.
The status ailments inflicted by a Succubus were notoriously troublesome, so his concern was understandable.
But regardless, it was still merely a monster.
Camilia replied with an unbothered expression.
“No problem.”
[Ah, delicious. So delicious. Why is human essence so sweet?]
[Indeed. It was worth squeezing the bank manager.]
The Succubus, who had been greedily draining the essence of the enchanted adventurers while cackling, turned her head.
Urgent footsteps echoed from beyond the corridor.
Cruel smiles spread across the Succubi’s faces.
[The bank manager said so, didn’t he? That the Lord wields power similar to puppet witches.]
[Even so, it’s magic cast with a half-broken body. It cannot overcome our innate charm.]
Even a mage called the demon slayer, the nightmare of nightmares, cannot ignore matchups.
[But we don’t need to face her head-on, do we?]
[That’s right.]
The Succubi exchanged cunning glances and gestured to the adventurers whose essence they had drained.
The adventurers, their eyes vacant and glassy, rose to their feet and blocked the corridor.
They had not forgotten to summon hellhounds and position them in ambush throughout the passage.
A crude trap, but it would work well. Humans always panic when their companions are right before their eyes.
‘Come now, enter and succumb to our charm.’
The Succubi licked their lips while concealing themselves in the shadows.
Before long, a pale-faced adventurer appeared from the opposite end of the corridor.
“They’re over there… Damn!”
Upon spotting his comrade, he twisted his face in anguish, and the Bald Sword Mage who followed him ground his teeth and charged forward.
“I’ll go first!”
He drew the rapier at his waist and plunged directly through the adventurers, attempting to cast magic.
At that moment, the ambushing hellhound burst forth as if it had been waiting.
[Grrrrrowl!]
The Sword Mage remained unflustered. With his rapier wreathed in flame, he swiftly cut them down.
When the Shield Knight and Dagger Boy joined the Bald Sword Mage, the hellhounds and the adventurers whose vitality had been drained collapsed in an instant.
All three were formidable.
Yet they were only human. They could not resist enchantment.
The Succubi waited until the vanguard grew sufficiently careless, then materialized from behind and cast their enchantment.
[Look this way….]
[Play with us!]
Thanks to the blessing, the enchantment only took partial effect—the vanguard wavered but managed to resist.
[Did you think once was enough?]
[We can enchant you as many times as we wish!]
The Succubi mocked them and cast their enchantment a second time.
The Shield Knight and Bald Sword Mage froze, and the Dagger Boy’s pace slowed.
The Shield Knight’s eyes grew unfocused—he was clearly under the enchantment’s spell.
The Succubi, smiling in victory, approached them.
[Protect us!]
[Go and kill Lord Camilia!]
At the Succubi’s command, the Shield Knight drew his blade.
And immediately swung it toward them.
[What—how is this possible!?]
[He’s enchanted, so why…!]
The Shield Knight was not alone in his strangeness. The Bald Sword Mage, despite his vacant gaze, thrust his rapier at them with the speed of lightning.
The wound was shallow, but flames erupted from it, making it difficult to shake off.
[How is this… Aaaaah!]
Last came the Dagger Boy. Just as the Succubi had done, he burst from the shadows and tore open their backs.
[Hellhounds, awaken! Protect us at once!]
[If you harm us, we will kill your companions!]
Even as blood sprayed, the Succubi desperately tried to protect one another and use the enchanted adventurers to block their attackers.
But even that failed completely.
“No. I will not permit it.”
A breathtakingly beautiful woman emerged from behind the vanguard—those she had enchanted—and commanded them.
“You will do nothing. That is an order.”
[Gasp, cough…!]
[Ugh, my body won’t move… why!?]
Domination.
She had cast domination.
They tried to resist upon realizing this, but their limbs would not obey.
Frozen in place, the Succubi watched the vanguard’s vacant gazes turn toward her and understood.
‘She enchanted the vanguard and sent them charging! That’s why our enchantment didn’t work!’
‘If that’s the case, she can certainly defend against enchantment… but even so, she enchanted her own allies?’
Even demons would not do such a thing.
What was more confusing was the magic Lord Camilia had employed.
The Succubus possessed a formidable resistance to mental magic.
How on earth had I managed to suppress them with mere human magic?
As I read every thought of the Succubi through my mind-reading ability, I couldn’t help but smile inwardly.
‘Well, it’s simply a matter of matchups.’
The mental magic cast by a Mind Sorcerer ignores the target’s mental resistance rolls.
Without an immunity trait like Crystal Clear Mind or a powerful enough trait to nullify my dice rolls, the spell was guaranteed to land.
In terms of mental magic alone, theoretically no one could defeat me.
Whoever sent these Succubi clearly didn’t understand the basic fundamentals of CRPG tactics and strategy.
‘If the goal was defense, they should have sent a diverse array of attributes so nothing could break through. They should have paired them with someone who warps space or applies debuffs. Then they might have actually bought themselves time.’
Regardless of their reasoning, they should have known better.
With that thought, I gazed down at the two gasping Succubi.
‘Dominate.’
[No, this can’t be…!]
[Kyieeeee!]
As I cast the incantation again, the Succubi shrieked, instinctively sensing what would come next.
[Critical Success!]
Regardless of their cries, I heard the notification confirming the spell’s success and spoke without emotion.
“Die.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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