Creating A Succubus Army In A Fantasy World!-Chapter 24: Infernal Ice Bastion. [Bonus]

[A/N: Here's a chap for completing our power stone goal this week!]

The inside of the carrier was eerily quiet, the kind of silence that came not from peace but from sheer, overwhelming exhaustion.

The air was thick with the scent of burned flesh, metal, and faint traces of blood from wounded passengers.

Every seat was packed, but no one spoke. The silence was louder than any scream.

Creed sat stiffly in his seat, wedged between Layla and the middle-aged woman who had saved his life with a single order.

The rumble of the engines beneath their feet was the only reminder that they were still moving. Still alive, for now.

He glanced around at the massive interior. The carrier was enormous, like a futuristic combination of a jet and a spaceship, designed for speed and efficiency.

It was nothing like the primitive airplanes from Earth that he remembered.

It was wider, sleeker, and equipped with engines that could cross entire regions in a matter of hours, it was the pinnacle of human engineering in this brutal new world.

Each row was lined with reinforced seats and emergency gear, a reminder that even inside, danger was never too far away.

But none of that mattered to Creed. His mind was still spinning.

The terror of the Beast Lord's roar echoed in his head like a drumbeat.

His heart hadn't stopped racing since the moment he slipped past the guards and boarded the carrier.

He was alive, but just barely. Every breath felt like a gift he didn't deserve.

Suddenly, a soft touch pulled him from his spiraling thoughts.

"Here, big brother," Layla's voice was quiet, almost hesitant.

Creed blinked and turned to her. She was holding out a small glass vial, the liquid inside shimmering with a faint blue glow.

A Stage 1 Healing Serum. Quite expensive, and probably worth more than anything Creed owned.

His pride flared for a moment. The instinct to refuse, to act like he didn't need it, sat heavy on his tongue.

But he stopped himself. This wasn't the time for false bravado or hypocritical pride.

Instead, he took the vial with a shaky hand and offered her a sincere nod.

"Thank you," he said, his voice low but genuine.

He uncorked the vial and swallowed the serum in one gulp.

Instantly, a cool wave of relief washed over him, easing the burning pain in his chest and numbing the raw agony of his open wounds.

The cuts on his arms stitched themselves together slowly, leaving behind faint scars as reminders of how close he'd come to death.

For a moment, Creed simply sat there, breathing deeply as strength returned to his battered body. Then, a thought hit him.

'I casually saved her life yesterday and she saved mine today.'

It had been such a small, almost thoughtless act of 'kindness'. Helping Layla kill that shaggy wolf outside the bastion.

At the time, he hadn't demanded anything much in return. Yet now, that simple decision had saved his life in return.

'She's... a good person,' Creed realized, stealing a quick glance at her as she wiped away the last traces of her tears. 'In a world like this, that's rarer than anything.'

Before Creed could say anything more, a long, tired sigh broke the moment.

The middle-aged woman beside him shifted in her seat, her sharp eyes staring out the reinforced glass windows, though all that was visible now was the endless stretch of sky and the faint glow of the engines.

"Moonlake has fallen," she said, her voice steady but hollow.

The words hit Creed like a sledgehammer to the gut.

Fallen?

His breath caught in his throat as the full weight of the situation slammed into him.

If Layla hadn't helped him, if the guards had stood firm for even a few minutes longer... he would've died there.

There would have been no last-minute rescue, no miracle.

Just death.

'I barely made it out...'

His fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white.

His mind replayed the scene in brutal detail—the screaming, the terrified faces, the people clawing desperately at the gates for a chance to live, only to be ignored by the system that valued status over survival.

He could still hear the thunderous footsteps of the Beast Tide echoing through his memory.

If those things had gotten through... no, when they got through, everyone left behind would've been torn apart like paper dolls.

This world was brutal beyond reason.

But worse than the fear was the anger. The rage boiling just beneath the surface. Not just at the beasts but at the system that let it happen.

'If I had been stronger... If I had higher status... I wouldn't have needed a miracle to survive.'

A chilling realization settled into his bones, colder than any serum could fix: In this world, power and status weren't luxuries—they were the only things that mattered.

Without them, even the strongest willpower meant nothing.

It was not just about living comfortably. It was about survival. And power was the only way to control ones fate in this world.

'And I will get that power...'

No more scrambling for scraps. No more relying on luck or the kindness of strangers.

If this world demanded strength, then Creed would become unstoppable.

Even if it killed him.

Then, a sudden crackle from the overhead intercom shattered the stillness like glass being smashed with a hammer.

"Attention all passengers," came the cool, robotic voice of the system announcer. "We have arrived at the Tier 3 Infernal Ice Bastion. Please prepare to disembark."

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For a heartbeat, no one moved. The words hung in the air, impossible to process after the sheer terror of their escape.

But then, like a wave breaking, soft murmurs rippled through the cabin.

Some gasped in disbelief, others whispered prayers of thanks, and a few simply broke down, their bodies shaking with the release of emotions they had been holding back for far too long.

Creed blinked slowly, his mind catching up to what had just been said.

Tier 3?

His breath caught in his throat as a flicker of something strange—almost foreign—lit up inside him. Relief. Maybe even... hope.

A Tier 3 Bastion wasn't just a safe haven; it was a fortress of power, luxury, and opportunity.

Compared to the crumbling mess that was Moonlake, this place was an entirely different world.

Even the lowest district, Section 7, would have facilities and living standards leagues ahead of what even Section 1 of a Tier 5 Bastion could offer.

Better food, stronger defenses, access to advanced technology, and most importantly—opportunities for advancement that someone like Creed could only dream of back in Moonlake.

This... this was huge!

Despite his battered body, despite the dried blood still staining his clothes, a spark of genuine excitement surged through him.

His whole life, it had felt like the world was designed to crush him under the weight of status and power. But now? For the first time, the game had changed.

'This isn't the end.'

His eyes burned with that same unbreakable fire that had carried him through the horrors outside Moonlake. This is just the beginning.

Thud!

The carrier gave a soft jolt as it touched down, the engines letting out a low, mechanical hum as they powered down.

The landing was smooth but carried the weight of finality—they had made it.

"We're back," Layla whispered beside him, her voice soft but full of relief as she stared out the window at the massive bastion rising in the distance.

Creed followed her gaze and felt his breath catch again.

Infernal Ice Bastion loomed like a giant of steel and ice, its towering walls shimmering under the faint glow of the artificial lights embedded in the sky-high barrier.

Huge defensive turrets lined every visible edge, their barrels crackling with dormant energy strong enough to vaporize a stage 4 Dimensional Beast in one shot.

Above it all, the sky was painted with faint streaks of blue and silver from the bastion's atmospheric shields, giving the whole place an ethereal, almost otherworldly glow.

'No wonder it's Tier 3... This place is a fortress.'

The voice over the intercom spoke again, cutting through the awe.

"All passengers, please proceed to the nearest exit in an orderly fashion. Be prepared for screening and identification checks upon arrival."

With a loud hiss, the carrier's doors finally slid open, revealing a brightly lit docking bay made entirely of polished metal and reinforced glass.

Soldiers in sleek white uniforms, armed with energy rifles, stood at attention, ready to handle any possible threats—human or otherwise.

Creed slowly rose from his seat, every muscle in his body screaming in protest.

The healing serum had done its job, but it wasn't a miracle cure. He was still bruised, bloodied, and exhausted beyond reason.

Layla stood beside him, her blue hair shimmering under the carrier's harsh lights.

She gave him a small, reassuring smile. One that seemed far too bright for someone who had survived the same horrors he had.

"Come on, big brother," she teased lightly, nudging his shoulder. "We've got a whole new life waiting for us."

For once, Creed couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.

"Yeah... A whole new life."

_____

Power stone Goal!

20 PS - 1 Bonus Chapter

50 PS - 2 Bonus Chapter

100 PS (Quite an achievement as of now) - 3 Bonus Chapters.

Castle - 20 Bonus Chapters!