The Temptation of the Female War God

"Let's discuss the contract after our next dungeon adventure," Henry suggested to Anna and Emily.

"Our main task right now is to level up, especially for two awakener novices and a crowd-control type magus who needs a massive amount of experience."

"It's not easy to establish a firm footing."

Both agreed with Henry's proposal, and after some discussion, they decided to rest in the morning and enter the dungeon in the afternoon the next day.

Seeing that there was nothing else to discuss, Emily stood up to leave, but Anna grabbed her arm, smiling mischievously.

"Stay for dinner today. You haven't yet had a chance to taste my cooking." Emily initially wanted to decline, but considering they were now teammates, she saw no need to be so formal and eventually agreed.

"Alright, then I'll help you out in a bit."

"No rush, there's plenty of time. It's just past 3 PM," Anna pointed to the clock on the wall, looking like she had succeeded in her scheme, then turned to Henry.

"Henry and I have some things to do. You can watch TV for a while, and we'll join you later."

"What are you guys going to..."

Before Emily could finish her sentence, she saw Anna leading Henry by the hand towards the bedroom.

"Damn it."

Emily's face flushed red, immediately understanding what Anna meant by 'doing some things'. 

Fortunately, she had prepared enough toilet paper today.

She took out a pack of tissues, took a deep breath, and readied herself.

Two hours later,

The trash can was filled with used tissues.

A limping Anna followed by Henry emerged from the bedroom.

Emily suppressed her awkward emotions and joined Anna in the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Suddenly, the door to Henry's house was gently pushed open, and a woman with a cold demeanor appeared at the entrance.

"Who are you?"

Henry looked puzzled at the stunning woman before him. 

Although he didn't recognize her, her face seemed somewhat familiar.

"My name is Fatima, and I am the sister of Emily, a new member of your team."

Her cool voice resonated in the living room.

Just moments before, the kitchen was filled with the chattering of the two girls. 

But upon hearing the name 'Fatima', silence fell like a dead weight.

Emily pushed open the kitchen door and walked out, staring intensely at Fatima.

"Why are you here?"

"As your sister and the head of our family, isn't it normal for me to come and check on you?"

Fatima replied with a calm smile, casually scanning Emily, instantly unraveling all her secrets.

"Not bad at all, level 19. I thought it would take you another year to reach this level. You've exceeded my expectations."

Emily clenched her fists tightly, her eyes red like a rabbit's.

"I'll have you know, I reached level 19 entirely with the help of my team, without relying even a bit on our family's power, so you can rest assured."

"Not using even a bit of the family's power?" 

Fatima said with a hint of mockery. 

"Only my naive and innocent sister could believe such a thing. You don't really think that a level 25 awakener would level up with you in low-level dungeons every day out of so-called friendship, do you?"

"What do you mean? Was Lanser arranged by you?"

Emily stood frozen in place,

Ever since she was kicked out of her last team, she had been disheartened.

Thankfully, her friend Lanser, a female awakener, had been there to accompany her, leveling up together.

She had thought it was pure friendship, not realizing it was still a family arrangement.

"Don't worry, sister. The family's motto of self-reliance and strength won't crumble over such a trivial matter," Fatima said calmly.

"What are you really here for!"

Emily was in agony. 

She had finally found a team where she felt truly integrated, escaping the trauma of her past teams and family. 

But now, her sister appeared at this moment, stabbing her already fragile heart once more.

"Don't worry, I'm not here for you."

Fatima turned her gaze to Henry.

"I've heard that your awakened hidden class can increase your team members' gains tenfold after battles, is that so?"

Henry nodded.

"In that case, I sincerely invite you to leave Emily and join my team."

Fatima dropped a bombshell, leaving everyone present momentarily stunned.

"How about it? Consider it. Although your skill is impressive, your level is still quite low. If you team up with me, I can forcefully level you up in high-level dungeons, and soon you'll reach level 50."

"All this, just for sacrificing Emily, whom you've known for less than two days. I believe you'll agree."

Emily turned ashen.

She couldn't believe her sister had traveled all this way to steal the teammate she had finally found, one who matched her attributes so well.

It seemed her awakener career was over.

Emily was despondent, unable to think of any reason why Henry would refuse.

A fast-track leveling up offer from a high-ranking female general in the military seemed far more appealing than a teammate she had known for only two days.

"I'm sorry, I can't abandon my teammates," Henry said expressionlessly.

"Don't you want to think it over? I might have forgotten to introduce myself properly. People outside usually call me General White Tiger."

General White Tiger?

The Rose of the Army, one of the top ten young elite masters in the military?

So Emily had such a powerful background, but her family seemed strict with her. No wonder she was reluctant to answer when he asked her before.

Henry recalled these facts, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

"General, I indeed admire your military achievements, but I must say, never underestimate our team."

"One day, all those achievements you are proud of will be surpassed by us. And Emily will exceed your expectations, becoming a true big shot among awakeners."

Henry declined.

For him, the offer to team up with General White Tiger was tempting, but not to the extent of abandoning everything else. 

Teaming up with an awakener much higher in level would mean losing his autonomy. 

He disliked the feeling of being led by someone else. 

Moreover, he had a good impression of Emily, who had recently joined his team. 

While he wasn't a saint, he wouldn't easily abandon a teammate for some benefits.

"General White Tiger, we won't keep you for dinner. Please leave now, as this house is my private territory," Henry said indifferently.

Fatima stared at Henry for a while, making him somewhat uneasy. 

Suddenly, she extended her hand, and a powerful whirlwind enveloped Henry. 

The two women left in the room immediately prepared for battle, sensing danger.

"Don't be nervous, I don't intend to harm him. I just want to talk to him about something outside," Fatima said indifferently, leading the whirlwind away from Henry's house.

"What should we do now?" Anna asked, visibly anxious. 

If anything happened to Henry, she was determined to make General White Tiger pay.

Emily nodded bitterly. "Don't worry, she still has some credibility."

...

"What are you taking me for?" Henry, realizing Fatima had no intention of harming him, calmed down and asked.

"Some time ago, did you acquire a token in the zombie dungeon?"

Henry was taken aback and asked,

"How did you know about that?"

"That token is filled with danger and has already caused the demise of a high-level awakener."

Someone died?! Henry was shocked, and at the same time, relieved that he hadn't been greedy and had sold the token.

"Seeing your reaction, it seems you've guessed something, which makes things simpler," Fatima said calmly.

"What exactly are you taking me to do?"

"You're the first to obtain a token from the zombie dungeon in many years, which suggests something special about you."

"I plan to take you to the dungeon where the awakener who bought the token died, to see if there's any resonance between you and that place."

"Damn it!" Henry couldn't help but curse.