As I headed out to meet with Leroy, I traveled through one of the busiest streets in Eastwatch. It was a bright and cheerful day. The tourists were out in full force, both riding in open-air carriages and walking around on foot. Their loud and obnoxious chatter sounded grating today. Meanwhile, the locals were working hard to earn a profit. Selling food and trinkets, playing music for coin, guiding tourists around the city, etc.

As usual, the smell of delicious food filled the air. Even though I ate breakfast not too long ago, my mouth watered. I considered buying something to eat while I walked, but decided against it.

After what happened last night, I found the idea of eating random street food less than appealing. Until we dealt with the succubus, or succubi, I decided to stick to restaurants and such. In fact, maybe it would be safer to cook my own food, just in case.

Man, this city was making me paranoid.

Even as I debated with myself whether or not to give in to my paranoia, I smelled an enticing aroma. It hooked me. Before I knew it, I took a few steps in the direction it came from. I stopped myself from going further, and shook my head to clear my thoughts, but the enticing aroma continued to tempt me.

I faced a choice. Resist the enticing aroma and leave? Or play along and see where it brought me? I suspected that this was related to the cursed skewer I ate last night. If I followed my nose(literally), it might lead me to another clue. However, this was also a risk. We were dealing with a succubus, or a group of succubi, who excelled at mental manipulation.

In the end, I decided to go with the flow, so to speak. As I thought that, I heard my companions' voices in my head, as they all called me a reckless idiot. I mean, they were right. It would've been smarter to get some back up. However, what if the enticing aroma disappeared? I didn't want to take that risk.

I followed the enticing aroma to a food stall located on a quiet corner. Well, as quiet as an area full of tourists could be. Before approaching it, I observed it from a distance. It was typical for its kind, just a wooden stall manned by a single person. A small grill, powered by a Fire elemental crystal, stood off to the side.

After a while, I noticed something strange going on. All the other food stalls nearby were making good business. However, no one approached the one with the enticing aroma.

More than that, I couldn't discern any details about the stall owner, even as I looked right at them. I couldn't tell if they were a man or a woman, what their build was, or anything about their appearance. No matter how hard I tried, my eyes kept gliding over them.

Ironically, this confirmed my suspicion. This food stall was related to the cursed skewers somehow. Last night, Cally mentioned that they must've used some kind of magic to avoid attracting attention. Now that I experienced it for myself, I realized just how powerful it was. Even knowing that this spell was influencing my perception made no difference.

After giving it some thought, I got an idea. If it worked, fantastic. If it didn't work, then no great loss. Cally said she would decipher this spell and break it, so it was just a matter of time before she followed this particular thread back to the succubus.

I steeled myself mentally, before I approached the food stall. I even put on an act and made sure to sniff the air in an exaggerated manner.

"Ah, a customer!" the stall owner said. Just like their appearance, I couldn't discern much about their voice. It was strange. I heard them, and understood their words, but that was all. "How may I help you?"

I looked down and noticed several skewers laid out atop the stall. Like the one I ate last night, they were all various kinds of seafood.

"What did you put in these?" I asked, drooling. "They smell so good."

"It's my family's secret recipe," the stall owner said in an amused tone. "Would you like to try one?"

As the person spoke, I tried to catch a glimpse of them in my peripheral vision. This was the idea I had earlier. If the direct approach wouldn't work, perhaps an indirect approach would. To my surprise, I succeeded. The stall owner's appearance flickered. It only lasted for a moment, but I thought I caught a glimpse of black hair.

I resisted the urge to grin.

"I don't know if I should," I said with a frown. "I had an… experience the last time I ate street food. I think it might've been drugged with some kind of elixir. Thankfully nothing too bad happened. However, according to my wife, it turned me into a beast. She could barely keep up."

I mean, it was in character for a tourist to share too much personal information with a random stranger. Right?

"Oh?" the stall owner said, sounding intrigued. "That's unfortunate. However, I can assure you that these skewers are not drugged with any kind of elixir."

No, they're just cursed with demon magic.

"Even so," I said in an uncertain tone.

"Come on," the stall owner said. "Just take a bite. I won't even charge you. Consider it a gift."

As they spoke, their voice took on a different quality. Their words became barbed hooks. They embedded themselves into my mind, pulling me along. I felt like a puppet on strings. My arm reached for one of the skewers, almost against my will. It was a compulsion, though a subtle and weak one. I could've resisted it, but I decided to continue playing along for now.

At the same time, I continued to observe the stall owner through my peripheral vision. They flickered every so often, revealing a new detail about their appearance. While I never saw the stall owner in full, I saw enough to put together a rough composite.

The stall owner was androgynous with a lean build. They had tanned skin, dark hair, and dark eyes. That was all. It wasn't much to go on, but it was better than nothing.

I picked up one of the skewers and brought it to my mouth. Now, I faced another choice. Do I continue playing along and eat the obviously cursed skewer? Or do I put an end to this charade and risk alerting the succubus?

Neither one appealed to me, so I decided on a third choice: act like a lovestruck fool.

"Actually," I said, pulling the skewer away from my mouth. "It would be a shame to enjoy these by myself. I should bring some back for my wife." I put on a dopey grin. "The two of us just got married and we came to Eastwatch to celebrate."

"How wonderful," the stall owner said in a strained voice. "Now why don't you-"

I cut them off and started gushing about Gwen(Anna) and how amazing she was. The best part was that I didn't have to make anything up. I mean, my (future)wife was amazing.

Huh. Maybe the lovestruck idiot act wasn't an act after all.

The stall owner kept trying to interject, but I never gave them the chance. After the fifth time, they gave up. As I spoke, I managed to see their face through my peripheral vision. Their expression looked like a mix of annoyance and exasperation.

"-and that's how we met," I said after five minutes of this.

"Yes, yes, that's wonderful," the stall owner said, no longer bothering to keep the annoyance out of their voice. "Now eat the skewer."

The compulsion to eat the skewer became stronger, but it was still weak enough to resist.

"I will," I said. "However, I want to share it with my wife." I put on another dopey grin. "She's so strong and beautiful. Someone like me doesn't deserve someone like her."

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The stall owner paused.

"Strong and beautiful, you say?" they asked.

I nodded vigorously.

"Yes, she's a wizard who specializes in internal magic," I said.

The stall owner paused, as if mulling something over.

"You're right," they said a moment later. "You should bring some skewers back for your wife. If you both eat them, I'm sure something wonderful will happen."

I resisted the urge to snicker. Sucker.

"Really?" I said. "Then I'll buy everything you have!"

I paid for all of the skewers and put them in a bag provided by the stall owner. As I left to meet with Leroy, I heard the stall owner call out to me.

"Make sure to come back tomorrow! I'll be here!"

They reinforced their words with a compulsion.

"I will!" I called back.

After making adequate preparations of course. This was an opportunity for us to catch a succubus. It would be a shame to waste it.

As I left the food stall and headed out to meet with Leroy, I continued with my lovestruck act. I walked through Eastwatch, taking in the sights and sounds while wearing a goofy smile on my face.

When I left Jackson's rented house, someone ended up following me. I didn't know if that would be the case here, since it seemed the stall owner bought my act, but it didn't hurt to be careful. Just because I sensed my stalker before, didn't mean I would sense them again.

In the end my vigilance paid off.

When I neared a dark alleyway, I heard the faintest sound of metal clinking, which barely gave me a second's warning. A metal chain shot out from the alleyway, whipping towards me. I used [Elusive Mist], contorting my body to evade the attack. Even then, it was a near thing. The wind brushed against my skin as the chain missed me by less than an inch. Somehow, I managed to keep hold of the bag filled with skewers.

A crowd of people filled the street, so I expected some kind of reaction. However, nothing of the sort happened. Everyone else continued with their business as normal. No one gave me odd looks. In fact, no one looked in my direction at all.

However, I didn't have time to think about this before the metal chain whipped towards me again. I used [Elusive Mist] to evade it once, before rushing inside the alley.

The alley was darker than I realized, though not enough to impede me too much. Deep inside stood a shadowy figure, the one wielding the metal chain. It was difficult to discern many details about them, but their build suggested they were a woman, or perhaps a short and skinny man.

When my attacker saw me rushing towards her, she abandoned the chain and drew a dagger. I threw the bag of skewers at her. She knocked it away, giving me enough time to draw my own hidden dagger.

The two of us met and exchanged several blows, neither one of us gaining the upper hand. Like the attacker I dealt with before, the one who followed me after I left Jackson's rented house, this one was a Third Star martial artist. Her strength made that obvious. However, despite this, I held my own thanks to my mastery.

When it became clear that I wasn't easy prey, my attacker tried to flee. However, I didn't give her an opening and pressed her hard. As if I would give her an opportunity to report back. If she turned her back, I'd kill her and I made sure she knew this.

After a few moments, my attacker gave up on trying to flee and focused on killing me, redoubling her efforts. Shadowy arms emerged from her body, each one wielding a dagger.

I blinked in surprise. When I saw my attacker was cloaked in shadows, I thought it was because of how dark the alleyway was. I hadn't realized it was a technique. Well, this made things more interesting.

My attacker swung at me with all of her arms. I didn't know if those shadow daggers could hurt me or not, but I used [Elusive Mist] to evade them just in case. However, some made it through and struck me, inflicting several injuries.

Alright, so these shadow daggers had substance after all.

I used [Freezing Mist] and breathed out a cold white mist, filling the entire alleyway. My attacker, caught off guard, didn't react right away. I took advantage of this opening to attack with a technique I hadn't used in a long time.

While I specialized in the sword, Teacher ensured that I had a well-rounded education, so I wouldn't be completely useless without one. She taught me a few other techniques, including a few for the dagger.

[Illusory Attack]

A layer of mist coated my arms and my dagger, concealing them from sight. I then swung my dagger towards my attacker, aiming for her throat. She blocked it with one of her shadow daggers, while attacking me with the rest. However, when our daggers collided, mine disappeared in a puff of mist. At the same time, I thrust my other hand towards her abdomen.

My attacker stiffened as I stabbed her. The mist that covered my arms dispersed to reveal my dagger, which was now in my other hand.

That was the nature of [Illusory Attack]. It was a feint. With my opponent's attention focused elsewhere, I moved the dagger to my other hand and attacked. However, I didn't come away from this exchange unscathed.

My attacker's shadow daggers, and her real dagger, struck me. I evaded them enough to keep her attacks from being lethal. Even so, each one cut deep into my flesh.

Before my attacker could strike me again, I sliced my dagger across her abdomen, opening it up. I pulled back, just as her guts spilled out. Despite this, she took a step towards me, as if to kill me at the price of her life. However, she didn't get far before she collapsed onto the ground. Even then, she kept crawling towards me, dragging her guts across the ground.

A chill ran down my spine and my stomach heaved at the sight before me. I stood there, staring at my attacker, frozen. What kind of madness was this? It was as if she hadn't noticed, or didn't care, that her guts were literally spilling out.

In my life as Brandon Norwood, I dealt with all kinds of people, fanatics included. However, this was beyond anything I had ever seen before.

Was this a result of a succubus' power?

My attacker didn't make it far before she collapsed completely and lay still. I breathed out a sight of relief, though I knew I would have nightmares about this moment for years to come.

I took a moment to assess my wounds. While none of them were fatal, they were still pretty bad. I could already hear Cally lecturing me about my recklessness. However, that was a problem for future Gabriel. Right now, I needed to tend to my wounds so I didn't bleed all over the place.

However, before I got a chance, I heard noises coming from outside the alleyway.

"What in the…? Where did this fog come from?"

Damn it. My attacker must've used an invisibility bracelet to hide our fight from outside observers. While I knew that the invisibility bracelets could hide up to three people, including the user, I hadn't realized that they could also be used in this manner. Was this how the succubus, or succubi, managed to kidnap people even in broad daylight? It appeared so.

I didn't get much time to ponder this further, before I heard people gathering at the mouth of the alleyway. A few brave souls even ventured to touch my [Freezing Mist]. One of them, a young boy, let out a yelp.

"It's cold!" he said, backing away from the mist.

"It must be magic!"

"Is there a wizard in there?"

Crap. I needed to leave. The last thing I needed was for people to find me in here with a gutted corpse. I pulled a Healing Potion out of my inventory ring and drank it. This dealt with the worst of my injuries, but I would need to see a healer for the rest.

Afterwards, I looked at my attacker's corpse. After debating with myself for a moment, I decided to bring it with me as well. Leaving a gutted corpse here seemed like a poor idea.

Thankfully, I had my own invisibility bracelet. I put it on and activated it. However, right after I did so, a wave of weakness washed over me and my legs buckled. I stumbled towards a nearby wall, leaning against it for support.

What was going on? While I had several injuries, none of them were severe. Most of them had stopped bleeding, thanks to the Healing Potion. Pushing through the wave of weakness, I gave myself a mental once over. That's when I noticed that a burning sensation was spreading from one of my injuries.

I thought back to the fight, and realized that this was the only injury my attacker managed to inflict on me with her real dagger and not a shadow one.

Fuck. It must've been poisoned. The poison was pretty powerful too, from the feel of it. I doubted it was meant to incapacitate. It was meant to kill.

When I realized this, I used my mana to block off the poison and slow it down. However, this was just a temporary measure. If I didn't find an antidote or see a healer, I was going to die.

So, I pushed myself away from the wall and stumbled towards my attacker's corpse. It wasn't easy, and I stumbled several times, but I made it. More and more people gathered at the mouth of the alley, but I ignored them. Right now, discovery mattered less than finding an antidote. With luck, my attacker would have it on her.

To my dismay, when I searched her body, I didn't find an antidote. Like the attacker from before, this one wore a skintight gray outfit, complete with a hooded mask to hide her face. An empty sheath hung from her waist, and she wore an invisibility bracelet. However, there was no antidote.

Fuck!

I needed to find Cally. Without an antidote, she was my best chance at survival. She specialized in healing and offensive magic. Maybe she knew a spell that could cure me. While there were other healers in Eastwatch, I didn't trust any of them with my life. That left only Cally.

I knew where she would be, the area where Anna bought the first cursed skewer, since she informed everyone else ahead of time. Now I just needed to make it to her.

So, I took my attacker's dagger and invisibility bracelet, before I stood up and headed out. I headed away from the crowd of people, towards the opposite end of the alley. At the same time, I dispersed my [Freezing Mist].

From behind me, I heard people let out exclamations.

"By the gods! Someone's dead!"

"Call the guards!"

That was the last thing I heard before I left the alley.

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