Alex's heart hammered, ready to burst out of his chest.
Behind him, Octavia's excited command still rang in his ears: "I want him alive."
The weakness from his Dragonification wearing off hit him hard, but his will to survive and his True Dragon Bloodline kept him going.
His senses were sharper than ever. He could clearly hear the faint footsteps and voices from a distance.
"Hurry! Split up and look! Lady Octavia said he's a black-haired, black-eyed human male, and very good-looking!" a clear voice rang out.
"I heard he gave Sister Violet a tough time~ How... interesting~" another sweeter voice giggled.
Alex's hair stood on end. They were here so fast!
He quickly pressed himself against a rock, holding his breath.
A search party of three or four low-level succubi walked right past him. They held pink-glowing crystals, shining them everywhere.
Alex could even smell their sweet scent. It made his blood stir again, but the cold fear was stronger.
Honestly, he wouldn't mind one or two, maybe even keeping a few as girlfriends in the human empire.
But this was the succubus kingdom! With his SSS-rank talent, if they caught him, he was screwed!
SSS-rank talent? From what he knew, there were only a few SS-rank people in the whole Lansha Empire.
SSS was unheard of! People with that kind of talent were national treasures, future game-changers who could decide the fate of a war.
And his True Dragon Bloodline and Extraordinary Fertility?
To a succubus, they weren't fighting talents. They were... the ultimate prize! A treasure that could fundamentally improve their whole race!
He could almost see what would happen if he got caught. It wouldn't just be about being drained.
Octavia would never let a treasure like him be used up so easily. He'd be locked up with the strongest chains, a stud for the succubus race.
They would take everything from him—not just his essence, but the massive power and genes in his SSS-rank bloodline.
His crazy fertility would be a gift from the heavens to the succubi who needed good genes.
He would be forced to work day and night, a tool for making high-quality kids.
They'd have special succubus breeders to feed him magic potions to make sure he could keep going.
It wouldn't be about just staying in bed all day. It would be a year, ten years, maybe even forever!
Until he was completely used up, or until the succubus race had enough new, terrifyingly powerful kids from him.
He might even be guarded and used by the strongest succubi, like Octavia herself, to make sure the best genes were passed on.
That future was more humiliating and horrifying than death! Losing his freedom, his dignity, becoming a machine for breeding and giving energy until he was nothing!
Thinking about this, cold sweat poured down his back. He had to escape! He couldn't let them get him!
He waited for them to leave before carefully moving on. The tunnels were a huge, confusing maze. A few times, he almost walked right into another search party.
Once, he peeked around a corner and saw two hot succubus guards in revealing leather armor walking his way.
He quickly pulled his head back, pressing against the cold stone wall, his clothes instantly soaked with sweat.
"Did you feel that? I think I smelled... something really good," one guard said, sniffing.
The other took a deep breath, her eyes turning pink, a dazed look on her face.
"Mmm... such a strong, hot male scent... not like those weak guys at all! Just smelling it makes my knees weak... if we catch him..."
The first guard licked her red lips, her eyes full of greed.
"You don't even have to say it! If I catch him first, I'm dragging him back to my room, locking him up, and giving him a good 'questioning' for a day and a night!
No, three days and three nights! I'll make sure he can't get out of bed!"
"Dream on! A good-looking guy like that isn't for you alone!"
Her friend playfully hit her. "We share! We take turns! Let's see who can get him to give up all his 'secrets' first~"
The two succubi giggled, a sound that made Alex's imagination run wild as they walked on.
Alex's scalp tingled, and his face was pale. He instinctively squeezed his legs together.
He used his boosted body—faster speed, more nimble moves, and what seemed like much better gut feelings—to get away from the search parties.
He moved through the dark, trying to stick to the weaker, more out-of-the-way tunnels.
After who knows how long, he finally felt the light ahead change.
It wasn't the weird pink glow of the caves anymore.
It was natural white light! At the same time, a cool breeze with the scent of grass blew in.
The exit!
Alex's heart soared. He used his last bit of energy to run toward the light!
He burst out of the cave. The bright sunlight made him squint. He was at the foot of the huge mountain.
Looking back, the cave that had swallowed countless men looked like a monstrous mouth.
He didn't stop. He picked a direction and ran, wanting to get as far away from that monster lair as possible.
He ran for a long time, until his lungs burned and his legs felt like lead.
Only then did he slow down. He found himself in a flat area. In the distance, there seemed to be a... a small town? Buildings! People!
Alex was so happy he almost cried. Was it a human town? Had he finally made it out?
He pushed his tired body forward, walking toward the town.
But the closer he got, the more worried he felt. It was too quiet. And... were all the people on the street... women?
He hid behind a big tree and watched. The town streets were full of "people," but they were all women!
They wore different clothes, talking and shopping like normal human women. But they were all beautiful, with great bodies, and a hint of seduction in their eyes.
What scared him even more was that his sharp senses told him the air was full of a very faint but familiar energy, the same as the succubus lair!
This wasn't a human town at all! He was still in succubus territory!
This town was probably a place where succubi lived! Or maybe a place for their servant races?
"I'm screwed..." Alex's heart sank. Out of the wolf's den and into the tiger's mouth?
If they found him, his fate would be obvious! The moment those "women" in town smelled him...
Just then, he heard a sound of laughter and footsteps coming from nearby, heading his way!
Alex was terrified. He looked around fast and saw a fancy-looking house with a nice garden and a white fence.
The second-floor window was open.
No time to think! He quickly jumped the fence, ran to the house, and used his hands and feet to climb in through the second-floor window.
He silently rolled inside, then quickly curled up behind a big closet, holding his breath, his heart pounding.
He hoped he could hide here until dark and then find a way to escape this scary "women's kingdom."
The room smelled elegant and tempting, decorated in a fancy, feminine way.
And it seemed to belong to someone important. Alex huddled in the dark, not daring to make a sound, praying the owner wouldn't come back soon.
But his luck seemed to have run out. A short time later, he heard the front door open, followed by the clicking sound of high heels on the floor.
Someone was back! And they were walking upstairs!
Cold sweat immediately ran down Alex's back.