The Hero Became a Succubus, and the Only Way to Level is to… What?! Chapter 507 – Repairing the Arcane Engine

An extraordinary amount of damage had been done to the arcane engine. Most of the floor was charred black from the explosion. Glass shards and crystallized mana littered the ground. So of the tal pipes that ran along the wall were missing bolts and screws, as well as terribly bent. They traced the source of the blast to the furnace, where the front facing lid was missing. Considering the giant hole in the wall of the tower was across from it, the explosion appeared to have been directionally-focused.

Kanae and several guards helped Eliza clean the place up when Zadris returned with the mangled steel slab that was the furnace's lid.

"I didn't actually find it. One of the gardeners did. She said it smashed into Arenade's rose bush. Uprooted the entire plant. The gardener is thankfully uninjured," Zadris explained.

"Luckily, Arenade is too engrossed with Bright Cloister business to care about a rose bush." Kanae sighed, then turned to the guards in the middle of sweeping and picking up trash. "Thank you for your help. You can leave the rest of the ss to us."

"What? Already?" Eliza gasped.

A quick glare shad the sorceress back into silence. Nine guards shuffled out of the tower with bags of trash slung over their shoulders. Kanae dismissed Zadris, too, who took a bow before leaving.

"Well? Are you going to explain what happened?" Kanae asked, hands braced on her hips.

"Pressure builds even when the Arcen is idling," Eliza explained while walking along one of the broken pipes leading into the furnace. "The tower consus crystallized mana according to how far it teleports, so we often eyeball how much is needed. When consud, they produce a lot of heat and air. Heat dissipates through these pipes, which are embedded all along the walls of my tower for optimal thermal exchange with the environnt. With one pipe going down to my baths! Unfortunately, temperature doesn't always change quickly. Too many variables. I have a pipe connected to a water tank near the bath floor, which normally heats up and expels steam outside. One of the safety valves must have failed to activate in trafficking heat away from the pressurized furnace chamber. The likely culprit is that I strained it by teleporting too much recently. The addition of extra failsafes may be necessary to prevent this from happening in the future. If I can just—"

"Alright, stop. Stop. Science isn't my strong suit. All I'm hearing is gibberish. Just tell what we need to do to fix this and prevent it from happening again," she pleaded.

"I need to dwarven feltal to rebuild the arcane engine furnace and implent another heat exchange pipe. Petyr didn't take kindly to my asking if she could donate her hamr, and I am… out of feltal since our last trip," the sorceress explained deflatedly.

That was great and all, except for one big problem…

"And how do you suppose we get to a dwarven factory without your tower?" Kanae asked.

Eliza lifted a finger, her mouth wide open and prid to speak, only to not say a word.

"Tortuga is subrged in lava, which leaves Ha'Vavish and that one in the Under Roads. Both are on opposite ends of the continent," Kanae explained.

"My Arcen…" Eliza sulked.

"There's one place you haven't considered, and it's right under our noses." Alicia entered the engine room with Dawn latched to her teat. "The sunken temple."

Kanae shuddered. She didn't want to go back there if they could help it. However, they couldn't ignore the connection between the Cult of Lust and Depravity and the horny dwarves of the past. Those flying temples were far too complex, too fused with magic and machines to not have been the extinct race's doing.

"How can you be certain there is feltal in that temple?" Eliza asked.

"I've seen their bluish hue. There isn't a trove of it, at least. But likely enough for you to chip away and rebuild your furnace," Alicia explained.

"If I rember right, Gretchen, Arenade, and Andora foiled Labelle from seizing the temple. I'm not sure where around here it landed though. We'll need to ask one of them," Kanae said and had just the person in mind.

Today was one of Bright Cloister's weekly prayer sessions. 'Prayer' was doing the heavy lifting. Having attended one before, Kanae knew that it was just one big circle jerk with Arenade right in the center. Alicia had zero interest in ever returning to the temple for the rest of her life, so Kanae and Eliza went ahead to Heartgrove.

Neither of them were ready for what was going on there. Grimacing citizens squeezed their ears with both hands passing by the temple, which erupted with raucous words of love, praise, and devotion for Demigoddess Arenade.

"This is my first ti visiting Bright Cloister's temple. Is it always like this?" Eliza asked, eyes wide and taken aback.

"Sadly, yes…" Kanae sighed.

They approached the iron-wrought fence which surrounded the temple. It looked like Bright Cloister had security now. Two guards stood at the bottom of the steps leading up to the entrance. They wore full plate white as ivory, the right pauldron a feathery wing that flared up, and a tabard draped over the chest depicting the sun rising over the mountain. Each of them wielded a flanged mace and tower shield bearing the sa emblem.

"Empress Kanae! Hello, there! Have you co to join Bright Cloister?" The human bead with a bright smile.

"N-No, I just want to speak with Arenade," Kanae said.

"Ah. Her Voice is preoccupied with leading the sermon. Feel free to wait inside until she finishes!" the other insisted.

"Her Voice?" Eliza arched a brow.

The guards stepped aside to allow them in. Kanae and Eliza couldn't believe how much the echoing chants carried through the chamber. Inside the main worship hall, Arenade wasn't standing at the podium in the very front. She instead stood dead center like Kanae had imagined, surrounded by her followers. A column of light enveloped her thanks to a glass sunroof from the painted ceiling above.

"This is… a lot to take in! Is she, by any chance, on the path of Deification?" Eliza had to yell in order to be heard.

"I think she just likes the attention!" Kanae shouted back.

If anything, Deification would be a demotion for Arenade, whose true identity was best left hidden.

It wasn't looking like they were going to get anywhere near the high elf. Especially not with how many people were around her. Their powerful chorus reverberated in the depths of Kanae's chest. She didn't really like this, but their devotion was still worthy of praise. Kanae was about to suggest looking for Gretchen when a different high elf jumped in front of them.

"I can't take this anymore!" Andora Sempter grabbed Kanae by her cloak.

"What the?! Andora?" Kanae gasped.

Andora's eyes were bloodshot and her hair disheveled.

"They've been at it for hours with non-stop prayers! I thought their voices would give out by now, but no!" Andora cried.

"Well, you're in luck. Eliza and I need soone to take us to the Cult of Lust and Depravity's temple. Can you lead us there?" Kanae asked.

The high elf never looked more relieved. They left the temple in a hurry. Andora fetched her pegasus from the stables, and the party set off northeast while there was still daylight.

"It appears you do not share the sa devotion as your fellows, Lady Sempter!" Eliza laughed, tilting precariously to the side of her flying broom.

"Andora's fine, and no, I don't. Obviously, I'm deeply loyal to Arenade. I'll serve her until the end of my days. Bright Cloister's idea of faith is just… weird to ! I really hope Kanade doesn't grow up to be like her. I'd feel sorry for my children who will continue serving in my place." Andora threw her head back and groaned.

"Our Kanade is pretty grounded thanks to her sisters, especially Suvee. But you're thinking about the future already, huh? Found soone?" Kanae teased.

"Ehehe!" She let go of the reins, pressing both hands to her cheeks. "There's this very handso gentleman that's been courting . He's a dark elf. Works as a modest geological surveyor for mines around Ehmvier. I've never been a stickler for pure high elven bloodline like Ortesians, and his intellect is so attractive. Ah… I can listen to him talk about rocks and soil composition all day~"

"I-I see. Well, I'm happy for you!"

They spotted the temple in the distance. The dark and foreboding structure was still the sa as ever when Kanae had last seen it during the Ortesian invasion. It was kiloters away from where it used to be at the lake near Barkwen. She only learned that the temple moved after the fact from Arenade, while they were in Savir.

An outpost was situated outside the entrance. Commonwealth soldiers guarded the way in… or so Kanae had thought. Travelers and adventurers lined up at a tent booth, entering one at a ti.

"What's going on?" Kanae asked.

"Oh, that? Arenade decided to turn the temple into a nice little tourism spot. It's grown quite popular. People pay a fee to take a look inside," Andora explained as a matter of factly.

"WHY?"

"You'll have to ask her! I don't know!"

For all anyone knew, there could still be danger lurking within the temple. Kanae and the others had only gone through a small section, and plenty more chambers remained unchecked. The three landed next to the booth, where an elven man was taking a few gold coins and giving tickets in exchange. Visitors took the ticket and strolled right in.

"Empress! Welco to the Cult Temple Landmark #1," the elf said.

"And of course, Arenade shares the sa naming convention as Charron." Kanae groaned into her hand.

"For three, please!" Eliza dropped a couple of coins onto the counter and received three tickets in return.

They entered the temple, much to the complaints of others in line for cutting. Since the magic had long since dissipated after cutting off their source, burning torches replaced the mana-powered sconces to light the way. Kanae's eyes blurred a little from staring too long at the strange succubi texts on the walls. Voices seed to speak to her from the very etchings and stonework.

"Ugh." Kanae knocked on her own noggin in an attempt to drown them out.

"Are you alright, Athyst?" Eliza hung back and asked, hand to her back.

"I feel like I'm hearing talking," she said.

"That's probably from the visitors." Andora pointed beyond the vestibule entrance, to a group of adventurers inside posing in front of a succubus statue. So of them grabbed its breasts or stuck their tongue out near the crotch. The voices, however, definitely didn't co from them.

There were no signs of feltal, so Kanae suggested they take a detour to the lower floor. Specifically, to where they had discovered Alicia imprisoned under to manage the micro-Rift worlds. They reached the worship hall, at the center of which was a deep and dark hole, where a statue had previously sat until Claudia opened the way. Adventurers were peering in. One of them tossed a coin and leaned her ear over the hole. So dared each other to jump.

The group backed away when Kanae and her companions got close. They parted to give way. Eliza produced her flying broom, gesturing for Andora to sit atop. Kanae dove in first, unfurling her wings for a slow descent. Down here, the voices grew louder. She was able to make out so words.

World… in lust… Guided by depravity… My horned children… skies blotted… wings…

"Shut up already." Kanae groaned.

"But we didn't say anything," Eliza said from above. She and Andora exchanged worried glances.

"Sorry. The voices keep talking," Kanae said.

They finally touched down in pitch darkness. Eliza conjured many balls of fire from her staff, which floated around to light their surroundings. Rubble and debris buried most of the chanical parts that used to run this temple. Entire columns were toppled, statues fallen, and the ceiling had precarious cracks throughout. The whole left wall was made of different stone material, like soone did a poor patchwork job to close up the hole.

"I didn't even know such a place existed beneath the temple. It gives the creeps." Andora switched on an oil lamp in hand.

"It used to be an engine room of sorts. The recesses in the wall contained Rifts with hundreds of people inside them. Their constantly having sex within those worlds powered this place for centuries. These can even fly and exert a wide-reaching Mass Charm. When Athyst Hall and I traveled to Vanuis, a temple city in Avanesse, there was a ziggurat there, too. Unlike you, Gretchen, and Arenade, we failed to stop the Cult from taking it," Kanae explained.

"This certainly reeks of dwarven engineering. I recognize so of these designs from the schematics we had taken from Ha'Vavish. Now, where did they store their feltal?" Eliza wandered deeper in without them.

Kanae and Andora aided in the search, keeping an eye out for any tal with a blue hue. According to Eliza, anything would do. Even if it was already forged into sothing else. She had just the contacts to slt it back down to ingots for use. Kanae walked up to the man-sized crystal once connected by tal bands. A large crack snaked through it.

"Ah. Arenade accidentally destroyed the crystal during our battle. She created a tuning fork to deflect Labelle's vibrations, and it was apparently too much for the crystal to handle," Andora explained.

"Credit where credit is due. That was smart of her. Except for, you know, the part where you were all almost buried alive," Kanae said.

Sothing in the rubble caught her attention. Kanae kneeled down to unearth the tal bands that used to wrap around the crystal. The sa was true of the dais. They emitted a very gentle blue hue.

"I think we found the feltal!" Kanae shouted.

"Truly?" Eliza ca flying back and got down on all fours to check. "Yes, this is it!" Perfect." She pulled out a teleportation pellet. "There may or may not be enough. It's too dark here. We'll have to shift through the debris in my tower. Is everyone ready?"

Beca… you… can… my power… my power… my power…

"Kanae?"

Beco my champion, and you can wield my power.

"Athyst!" Eliza grabbed her shoulder and shook.

"Sorry, what?" Kanae snapped out of it.

"We've been asking if you're ready to leave. What happened? Are you hearing voices again? Whose?" the sorceress asked.

"Not sure… but I'd like to get out of here as soon as possible," she said.

Eliza eyed Kanae for a few seconds longer, turned to Andora, and then activated the teleportation pellet. She flicked it to the ground at their feet, and a bright light enveloped them. They appeared at the foot of the tower with all of the debris, back in Ehmvier. The sun was beginning to set.

"Oops. I must have calibrated the coordinates incorrectly. Close enough." Eliza clapped her hands for a job well done.

"My head… I— Oh, no! MY PEGASUS! I left her behind outside the temple!" Andora cried.

"Take this, and try not to fall." The sorceress handed her the flying broom, and Andora zipped off back to the temple struggling to maintain balance. "Okay!" She cracked her knuckles. "Ti to get started combing over all of this, Athyst. Athyst?"

A soft and taunting giggle echoed in Kanae's mind. It ca from every direction. When she looked around, there was no one else present besides Eliza and a few guards.

"I don't think we ca back alone," Kanae muttered.