Creating A Succubus Army In A Fantasy World!-Chapter 78: Rift Exploration! (8)

The group moved through the cavern with a noticeable bounce in their steps, their moods bright and triumphant as they collected more and more Yellow Snake Vines along the way.

The once-dark atmosphere of the underground tunnels now felt almost cheerful, as if the cavern itself was celebrating their success.

Every person in the team had managed to gather at least 200 meters’ worth of the vines, a haul that would easily fetch them millions when sold.

For awakened constantly on the grind for resources, this was already a massive win.

Some of them had probably never seen this much wealth in one place before, and now they were stuffing it into their storage rings like kids hoarding candy.

Yet, despite their good fortune, none of them could ignore the one person walking at the center of the group, wearing a slight, knowing smirk.

Creed.

If their harvests were impressive, then his was outright monstrous.

A whopping 670 meters of Yellow Snake Vine sat securely in his storage ring, a number so absurd that when it had been counted, the entire team had gone silent for a good five seconds, their brains struggling to process it!

When Creed had first summoned Lilith, they had already been impressed by how efficiently she cut down the vines.

But when he brought out Tierra as well, and the three of them went on an all-out rampage, turning the harvesting process into a chaotic yet surgical massacre of vines, the rest of the team could only watch in stunned silence.

It was the kind of display that made them both admire and resent him at the same time!

There were already a couple malicious gazes directed towards him at the moment. After all, this fool had no backing and took so much, a lot of them were quite dissatisfied.

They had tried to comfort themselves with the fact that everyone had gotten rich today, but as they glanced at Creed’s smug yet relaxed expression, a sharp pang of greed and envy twisted in their chests.

’This guy is walking away with the biggest fortune out of all of us.’ That thought alone made it hard for them to fully enjoy their own profits.

Meanwhile, Creed himself was deep in thought, his smirk hiding the calculations running through his mind.

’This is already more profit than that one million credits Fiona promised me before,’ he mused.

He had accepted her original offer because, at the time, one million seemed like a good deal. But now?

He had way more than that, and the best part was that no one could take a cut from it. It was all his.

At least for now, no one would openly make an attempt on his life during this exploration as it would inevitably break the temporary trust between the members.

Still, he didn’t let the excitement get to his head. ’I’m not rich yet.’

He had learned that lesson by now. No matter how much money he made, the expenses would always catch up.

He had debts to clear, cultivation to fund, and future plans that required a mountain of resources.

The moment he stepped out of this rift , there would be more things to spend on, more things to worry about.

Just as he was considering how much of his haul he’d need to reinvest into his own growth, the cavern path ahead suddenly split into two.

The group came to an abrupt stop, frowning at the unexpected development.

"Huh?" one of them muttered. "It was just one path before. Why did it suddenly split?"

They all exchanged glances, clearly puzzled. This was supposed to be a straightforward route, so why were there now two choices?

Was this a natural formation, or had they triggered something unknowingly?

"Which way do we go?" the dark-haired cultivator asked, scanning both paths. Both tunnels stretched into darkness, neither giving any obvious indication of where they led.

After a moment of contemplation, the silver-haired halberd wielder spoke. "Left. Let’s go left."

There were no objections. The group gathered themselves and pressed forward, heading into the left passage.

The cavern continued to slope downward, the walls narrowing slightly as they walked deeper into the underground network.

The air grew a bit warmer, and an odd, faint humming noise began to echo in the distance, though no one could quite pinpoint what was causing it.

Then, without warning, a high-pitched screech filled the cavern.

Swoosh!

Creed barely had time to react before the first wave of bats came flooding in like a black tidal wave!

Hundreds of them, shrieking and flapping wildly, their crimson eyes gleaming in the darkness.

It was an overwhelming sight, but the group had already faced similar challenges before, and they immediately snapped into action.

The Stage 5 woman, without hesitation, slammed down her hand and expanded her energy shield, creating a translucent barrier that separated the team from the incoming horde.

The bats slammed into it, their bodies bouncing off harmlessly, their sharp teeth unable to penetrate the protective energy.

"Same strategy as before!" someone shouted. "Long-range attacks!"

From behind the safety of the shield, the awakeneds unleashed a barrage of attacks.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Fiery projectiles, ice shards, and streaks of coloured light shot through the air, cutting down bats in waves.

The cavern filled with the sound of screeches and the sizzle of burning flesh as the creatures were wiped out before they could even become a real threat.

One wave. Then another. And another.

Each time, the group executed the same strategy flawlessly, eliminating the bats before they could pose any real danger.

It was almost effortless. Not a single person suffered a scratch, and by the end of it, hundreds of dead bats littered the ground.

The scent of burnt fur and blood filled the air, but no one paid it much attention. Indeed, money had motivated them!

But just as they were about to relax, a deep, earth-rumbling roar echoed through the cavern.

The air vibrated with the force of the sound, and then, emerging from the deeper darkness ahead, three hulking figures stepped into view.

Golems.

Towering, humanoid figures made entirely of solid rock and pulsing with eerie red veins.

But these weren’t just any golems—those crimson veins running across their bodies were filled with something far more dangerous. The Crimson Magma!

The glow of molten heat pulsed through their bodies, lighting up the cavern walls as they moved forward, heavy footsteps shaking the ground with each step.

Their glowing, hollow eyes locked onto the group, their intent unmistakable.

"Stage 5 golems," the silver-haired halberd wielder muttered, gripping his weapon.

The Stage 5 woman immediately raised her barrier again, blocking off the advancing enemies.

But these weren’t like the bats. These creatures were stronger, tougher. A simple energy shield wouldn’t hold forever.

"Let’s make this quick," the silver-haired cultivator said.

Bang!

Without wasting a second, he burst forward, his entire body surging with energy. For a brief moment, his power exploded, his speed and strength increasing exponentially.

With a mighty swing of his halberd, he struck one of the golems with full force, shattering its core in an instant.

The massive creature crumbled to the ground, reduced to nothing more than useless rubble.

Killed in one blow!

At the same time, the ruthless Stage 5 awakened disappeared into the shadows.

A heartbeat later, a flash of black light streaked across the cavern, and suddenly, the core of another golem cracked apart, its life force vanishing in an instant.

Two down. One left. After exploding with their full strength, the two stage 5 awakeneds were visibly weakened.

It was the price to pay to one shot an opponent of the same stage.

And the battle was far from over.

The last golem loomed before them, its massive, magma-infused body pulsing with eerie red veins that glowed like molten rivers coursing through solid rock.

The cavern trembled with each of its movements, the intense heat it emitted making the air shimmer around it.

Unlike the first two, which had been swiftly dispatched by the two Stage 5 powerhouses, this one remained standing, its glowing eyes locking onto the exhausted group with mechanical malice.

Creed quickly took stock of the situation. The female Stage 5 awakened, who had been the backbone of their defense, was visibly weakened.

Her normally radiant complexion had turned pale, and beads of sweat rolled down her forehead as she struggled to maintain her footing.

It wasn’t surprising—she had been holding up barrier after barrier, shielding the entire team from an onslaught of deadly attacks.

Even someone as powerful as her had limits, and she had clearly reached them.

That meant the rest of them; the Stage 4s, 3s, and even the remaining Stage 1s had to step up and deal with the last golem themselves.

"Alright, no holding back!" one of the Stage 4s barked. "Hit it with everything you’ve got!"

And just like that, a barrage of attacks filled the cavern.

Golden energy lights, compressed wind blades, searing fireballs, and streaks of lightning shot through the air, crashing into the golem’s hardened body.

Each impact sent cracks splintering across its rocky form, but it was tough—really tough.

Unlike the other two, which had been taken out with precise, high-powered strikes, this one was enduring the punishment like an immovable mountain.

Creed gritted his teeth, hurling a thunderclap orb toward its cracked chest, watching as it joined the countless other attacks in chipping away at the monstrous construct.

The battle became a slow, grueling war of attrition. Each blow they landed weakened it bit by bit, but with every second that passed, their exhaustion grew.

And the shield kept flickering!

Minutes felt like hours. The cavern rang with the sounds of explosions, the rumbling of stone breaking apart, and the heavy panting of cultivators pushing themselves to their limits.

It was only when a particularly well-aimed lightning spear from one of the Stage 3s struck its already fractured core that the golem finally shuddered, its molten veins flickering weakly.

With a final, thunderous crack, its body crumbled into pieces, the red light in its eyes dimming as it collapsed into a pile of lifeless rubble.

For a moment, silence filled the cavern.

Then someone exhaled shakily. "Finally... it’s over."

The group staggered backward, some slumping against the walls, others dropping to one knee as they tried to catch their breath.

The battle had drained them more than they’d expected.

But just as they were about to enjoy their hard-earned rest, the ground beneath them trembled again.

A deep, ominous rumbling echoed through the tunnels, and every single person in the group immediately knew what it meant.

The color drained from Creed’s face. "Oh, come on!"

"Run!" the dark-haired awakened shouted.

No one needed to be told twice.

They bolted down the cavern, moving as fast as their battered bodies would allow.

The same nightmare scenario was unfolding once again; thousands of red bats screeching from the front, their bloodthirsty eyes locking onto the incoming cultivators, while behind them, an unstoppable wave of crimson magma surged forward, devouring everything in its path.

"Block the magma!" someone yelled.

The weakened Stage 5 woman gritted her teeth, forcing herself to summon the last of her power to create a temporary energy barrier.

The scorching wave slammed against it, causing the entire cavern to tremble violently, but for now, the shield held.

That gave them only one choice.

"Push through the bats!"

The swarm descended upon them like a living storm, shrieking as they clawed and bit at anything they could reach.

Blades flashed, energy projectiles exploded, and awakeneds fought with every ounce of strength they had left. The battlefield was pure chaos, a blur of flashing lights and screeching monsters.

For the most part, the team fought in perfect sync, cutting through the bats with precision. But then—

"AARGH!"

A Stage 3 man at the back of the group screamed as a bat latched onto his throat, its fangs sinking in deep.

Blood gushed out in a horrific spray, and before anyone could react, the swarm descended upon him, tearing him apart in seconds!

His agonized cries were cut short, his body disappearing into a flurry of flapping wings and splattered blood.

One life lost. But there was no time to grieve.

Meanwhile, Creed’s gaze darted toward Trent, who was dangerously close to dying as well. His body was covered in shallow cuts, and his breathing was ragged, his movements sluggish.

He’s going to drop blood at this rate!

But just as one of the bats managed to get close enough to land a killing blow, Kent suddenly moved with terrifying speed, killing the bat in a single strike while his hand flashed out to absorb the blood on Trent’s body before it could hit the ground.

Pushing aside his slight shock at how well Kent had improved, Creed focused on the goal ahead. The next floor.

After what felt like an eternity, they finally reached the end of the cavern.

There was an enormous, ancient-looking stone door that blocked their path!

And there was one problem.

It was locked!

Creed’s heart slammed against his ribs as he skidded to a stop, his eyes frantically scanning the massive door.

Ancient symbols were engraved across its surface, glowing faintly with an unknown power.

Thousands of bats were still chasing them from behind, and the crimson magma was rapidly closing the distance.

His breathing grew erratic. "Why isn’t it opening?!"

The ruthless Stage 5 awakened stepped forward, his face dark as he ran his dimensional bracelet across the symbols, scanning their meaning.

Then, after a long, heavy pause, he exhaled coldly.

"This door has a condition to unlock."

Creed swallowed hard.

What was it?

The Stage 5 awakened turned his head slightly, his voice chillingly calm as he delivered the answer.

"One person must stay behind as a sacrifice."

The words crashed into them like a hammer, and instantly, the atmosphere in the cavern turned ice-cold.