Chapter 138 Temptation, Rescue (1)

- A few moments earlier -

The streets of Orario were mostly quiet as most of the population watched the war games in their favorite pub or at the central plaza.

The usually busy streets were now devoid of people, with only a few civilians here and there who were either heading towards the two hot spots, which are the central plaza or the Hostess of Fertility.

And for Bell and the adventurers he gathered... It was perfect. Most people were watching the anticipated clash between the Apollo familia and the Heracles familia. It is safe to assume that everyone in Orario held great excitement for the clash that was about to happen, especially since August, the hero of the city, is involved.

So it's safe to assume that no one would be expecting something to happen, especially not the lots of Soma familia.

They were enjoying the festivities, with some members even going out and mingling with the rowdy crowd at the plaza. This meant that only a handful of them were left in their home base, Zanis being one of them.

The captain of the Soma familia had no interest in the war; he only values one thing, and that thing is power and wealth. He was lucky, for him, joining the Soma familia and becoming its captain was nothing short of a goldmine, especially since the god has no interest in leading the familia and was only ever interested in making wine.

This had led him to the opportunity to control the familia, amassing a mountain of riches due to the legendary brew the god Soma created. The alcohol was like a drug, and people who tasted it, be it mortal or god, clamored to get more of it. It formed an addiction, and for Zanis, that addiction means more profit.

Yet despite that, it still did not quench his thirst for more. More power, more wealth, he craved it like a drug. That was his addiction.

This led to other businesses. Those that would be on the darker side of the spectrum. Businesses like loaning, trafficking, blackmail, and the most taboo of all... Rookie hunting.

Zanis had crossed that line multiple times, targeting unsuspecting rookies and exploiting them, taking their hard-earned work in the dungeon, and killing them, whether they cooperated or not. It was essential; they didn't want to have the authority breathing down their necks.

And killing inside the dungeon would be the quickest way to erase the evidence. An adventurer after all isn't a safe job, so death was a norm in Orario, plus the body would vanish as monsters would rip the flesh and gore on it. Quick and easy, with no trace going to them.

And Lili was their Golden goose when it comes to this part of their business. She was, to put it plainly, "cute and innocent," a face many would trust.

Make no mistake, Lili wanted no part of this; she finds it disgusting, but she didn't have a choice. She owed them a debt... No, it is more accurate to say that Soma familia owned her.

She blames it on her weakness; she had developed an addiction to the spirit Soma created, amassing a large sum of money just to have a taste of the brew. One of the favorite schemes of Zanis.

With the amount she owed, she had basically become a slave to Zanis and his whims, having no choice but to follow.

And she admits, she had done things she regretted; she had witnessed how Zanis laughed as his men tormented, tortured, robbed, and killed the rookies she led into the dungeon. Sometimes they would use monster bait and let the mob do the deed, having sadistic pleasure as they watched monsters tear them limb from limb.

As the years passed, Lili grew numb to it. She learned how to turn off her feelings, to detach herself. She now had a singular purpose, and that was to pay off the debt and to get out of the disgusting familia.

Yet she finds out that Zanis had other plans... Why would he let go of his golden goose? This made Lili take her fate into her own hands; she decided to run.

And that she did; she had successfully escaped the horror inside Soma familia. She had even met an old couple who took her in; the old couple ran a small business of selling flowers. She was happy, finally happy.

But that happiness was plucked in an instant. Zanis had somehow found out where she hid, and he had made sure that Lili would receive a message. A message that she cannot run from him, from the familia she didn't choose.

Soma familia trashed the small business of the old couple, even going as far as burning everything they had. And making sure that they knew that it was all because they took Lili in. The couple who used to look at Lili with loving eyes, like that of a parent to their child, morphed to that of blame and apprehension.

That was the moment she learned that she can never really run away. The hope she once held that maybe she can have a normal life, away from the dark and lonely familia that treated her as nothing more than a money bag, had completely vanished.

She returned back to Soma familia, surrendering herself to the unfair life that was given to her... Until she met Bell.

Bell had given her that hope again, and at first, he was only supposed to be a target, yet the young adventurer had shown him kindness. Kindness which she didn't deserve.

The young white-haired adventurer showed her that life is worth living, that her life is her own. And with renewed resolve, she once again found the courage to live for her own sake.

Bell had given her a purpose once again. And once again, she had found a semblance of happiness in her life. They even came out with a plan to get out of the clutches of Soma familia, faking her own death and using her magic "Cinder Ella" to change her appearance. The only problem is that tattoo on her back, and the connection she has with Soma.

Luckily for her, Soma had no interest in anything outside of brewing his spirit, so she's pretty safe in that aspect. And as months passed by, everything was going according to plan.

Until it didn't...

Somehow, Zanis kept on finding her. And everything came back, all that trauma, the fear, the resignation. It all came flooding back. Hopelessness had once again filled her heart.

And before things went to the extreme, she decided to go back, much to the dismay of the adventurers that tried to protect her.

And right now, she is currently being tempted by Zanis, a glass of wine created by Soma placed right in front of her. The smell alone made her heart beat faster, as the temptation of the divine drink filled her mind.

"Why are you stopping yourself? Come on, Lili..." Zanis's voice whispered in her ear, making her gulp in response. "I know you want to... The wine Lord Soma made, you do remember how amazing it felt once you drink it, right? So why are you holding yourself back?"

"N-no..." She stuttered as the smell filled her nostrils with the sweet scent and rich aroma of the brew. "I-I don't want it..."

Zanis smiled at the attempt of restraint Lili is showing, for he knew that sooner or later, the girl will break. "Just a sip... It will make you feel so good. And deep down, you know this to be true." He pushed the glass closer to the pallum, smiling sinisterly as he did.

Lili's hand momentarily reached for the glass; she pulled it back and bit her lips, blood trickling down the side of her chin. "NO!!!" She said with force, trying to convince herself not to fall down that hole once again.

Zanis clicked his tongue, his eyes momentarily faltering with annoyance, yet he tried to hide it. He looked back and saw his god, Soma, not having a care in the world, only interested in his winemaking. Not even sparing a glance towards them. "This wine is the new product that Lord Soma created; it's even more amazing than the last one." He calmed himself down and once again spoke to Lili, tempting her to take the plunge. "You of all people know how amazing Lord Soma's products are... Imagine just how good you'll feel once you taste this one."

Lili held her breath as those words entered her ears, her hand shaking as it slowly moved to the cup, her mouth filling with saliva as her brain imagined just how good the wine would taste. She tried to stop herself, but the temptation was too much.

As Lili's trembling fingers grazed the chilled surface of the glass, a shiver ran down her spine. The enticing aroma of Soma's divine wine enveloped her senses, clouding her thoughts with a seductive allure. Each breath she took seemed to deepen her longing, her resolve weakening with every passing moment.

Her hand quivered as it hovered over the glass, her heart pounding in her chest as if urging her to succumb. The memories of past pleasures intertwined with the fear of returning to the dark grasp of the Soma familia, creating a tumultuous storm of emotions within her.

Despite her desperate attempts to resist, the pull of temptation was undeniable. It whispered sweet promises of euphoria and escape, coaxing her closer to the brink of surrender. Her fingers, guided by a primal instinct, finally closed around the vessel, their touch sending a jolt of anticipation coursing through her veins.

With bated breath and trembling lips, Lili brought the glass to her quivering mouth, her senses ablaze with anticipation. Each sip was a bittersweet symphony, tantalizing her palate with the familiar taste of indulgence and despair.

As the liquid fire danced upon her tongue, Lili felt herself slipping further into the abyss of temptation, her defenses crumbling with each passing moment. It was a dangerous dance, one that threatened to consume her entirely, yet in that fleeting moment, she found herself unable to resist the siren song of desire.

Her eyes lost the shine it had as her face turned black, her cheeks turned red as blood rushed up her head. And as all of that was happening, Zanis was looking at it with a smile, growing bigger with every gulp Lili took. "There's a good girl." He whispered in triumph.

Before Zanis could bask in his success, the door of Soma's workshop flung open, a bald-headed man with a long scar on his face entered hurriedly, he was sweating and panting, trying hard to catch his breath.

"What's the meaning of this, Belto?" Zanis roared in anger; he explicitly ordered not to be disturbed with his talk with Lili.

"C-captain *pant* we-" he stopped momentarily, trying to catch his breath, as he forced the words out of his mouth. "We are being attacked!"

Zanis' eyes widened as he stood up from his seat. "WHAT?!! WHO WOULD DARE?!!" He spoke with fury as he slammed his fist on the table, making the wine fall and shatter on the ground.

"It's the little rookie!" Belto answered, frightened by the reaction of his captain. "He came here and demanded that we hand over that girl!" He pointed his fingers towards Lili. "The others are currently outside trying to stop them. While I sent Coco to-"

"Wait... Them?" Zanis cut him off; he walked towards the door, then pushed Belto out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him. "What do you mean them?" he whispered, not wanting Soma to hear what's happening.

"From what I could see, he has the Takemikazuchi familia with him; our forces are currently engaging with them as we speak. And I sent Coco to gather the others who are currently at the central plaza selling booze or watching the wargames."

"That fucker!" Zanis growled as he marched towards the front of their home base, with Belto moving closely behind him. "I want them dead by the end of the day, do you understand?!"

"Yes, captain!" Belto nodded as the two of them made it out of their base, seeing the chaos that is happening outside.

"What the fuck... We have the numbers, why the hell are they pushing us back!" Zanis roared as he saw his members hiding out, not even peeking out of cover.

"CAPTAIN GET DOWN!!!" One of them screamed towards Zanis, but by the time he was able to finish his sentence, it was already too late. An arrow pierced Zanis right at his left shoulder; it would have hit his heart if not for Belto pushing him down.

"ARGHHH!!!" Zanis roared in pain as he gripped the arrow that was stuck inside him, one of his men quickly dragged him towards cover and tried to remove the arrow, which he quickly stopped. "IDIOT GET THE POTION FIRST!!! DO YOU WANT ME TO BLEED TO DEATH?!!"

The man quickly pulled a red potion out from his bag; he gave it to Zanis who proceeded to pull the arrow and splash the wound with the potion, gulping the rest of it to ease the pain. "Fuck me! What the fuck is happening?"

"They got us pinned down, boss. We don't know where the shots are coming from." One of the men answered.

"Then fucking use your numbers!"

"We can't, the little rookie is too strong; whenever we came close to the archer, he and the members of the Takemikazuchi familia would meet us in the middle, where the archer would pick us one by one." One of the men pointed out the four bodies lying motionless on the ground. "We already have casualties on our side."

"Gods damn it!" Zanis could only curse in frustration as he learned the circumstances they are in right now.

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Meanwhile, Bell and the others are slowly moving in, inching closer and closer. Bell was in awe of what Froke did. She was all alone, yet she was able to pin all of Soma familia's adventurers in place, so much so that approaching the base felt like a walk in the park.

And she was doing it at a much greater distance than what most archers would be comfortable with. Maximizing the effective range of her weapon. Her shots in theory is doable, but the accuracy of it was something unheard of. And she was doing it without the aid of magic.

He failed to understand how such an amazing individual like her is stuck on level 1. The way she shoots was so awe-inspiring that he shudders even thinking about going against her. She was shooting from a good 250-260m away, yet her accuracy was still on point. It was as if her arrows had a mind of their own. Finding its target with deadly accuracy and precision.

"What the hell?" Yamato muttered, a sense of disbelief plastered on her voice. Being an archer herself, she could somehow gauge the skill level required to pull such a task. Yamato even saw how Froke shot when they rescued Bell in the dungeon; she had thought that Froke's skill was enough to push her as one of the best pure archers in Orario, but now, she understands that her estimation of Froke's skill is grossly inadequate.

Bell shook his head, trying to focus on the task at hand. Right now, their main goal is to rescue Lili, and they must not waste the opening Froke had given them. "Let's go, this is our chance to reach their base in one fell swoop."

The others nodded as they rushed forward, weapons at the ready. A singular goal in mind, with Bell leading the charge. 'Wait for me, Lili, I'm coming.' Bell gripped his daggers, his eyes blazing with a determined fire to rescue his friend.

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Chapter 138 is now complete. How are you all enjoying the story so far?

Yeah, I know, sorry about the late upload, and I admit, I don't have that much free time for the usual 3 chapters per week. The best I can do right now, given how busy I am with the opening is 1 chapter per week. Sorry about that. Untill i can get my business running smoothly, this would be the case on the update.

Again I apologize and I hope you guys can understand.

Anyway...

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Have a good day, everyone. Love y'all.