Ch. 21The Hungry Succubus!
Key plot points and events
- Bai Xuan fights Xu Yan inside the World Book’s illusion but is badly outmatched. His Ghoul Weapon, Venom Scorpion, cracks under her attacks, and she eventually impales him through the collarbones and prepares to eat him alive.
- Bai Xuan attempts a desperate surprise attack with the Black Dragon Blade, but Xu Yan catches his wrist and crushes his bones. She kills and eats him, ending the illusion.
- Though the death was unreal, Bai Xuan retains the pain and terror of the experience. He recognizes that stronger stats cannot compensate for his lack of combat skill and experience, and resolves to prepare better before trying again.
- After the illusion, Xilin behaves strangely: her Succubus features appear, she responds pleasurably to Bai Xuan stroking her hair, and later her heart-tipped tail licks his face while she sleeps.
- The next morning, Xilin claims prayer has helped suppress her restlessness, but she suddenly becomes feverish and nearly collapses. A system message reveals that she is extremely weakened from hunger.
Character developments and interactions
- Bai Xuan experiences the limits of his fighting ability and is shaken by a vividly painful defeat. He also grows increasingly concerned about Xilin’s unusual condition and feels responsible for helping her.
- Xu Yan delights in overpowering Bai Xuan, taunting him and savoring the prospect of eating him alive.
- Xilin seems caught between her disciplined Holy Knight identity and her Succubus instincts. She does not appear to remember her tail’s behavior, making the two sides of her nature seem almost separate.
- Bai Xuan’s attempts to comfort and investigate Xilin lead to intimate, confusing moments, but their conversation is cut short by her sudden physical decline.
Significant themes
- Limits of strength: Raw power cannot replace experience and technique.
- Fear and consequence: Even an illusory death leaves Bai Xuan with real emotional and physical-seeming trauma.
- Conflicting nature and identity: Xilin’s vows and conscious self conflict with her body’s apparent Succubus instincts.
- Care and responsibility: Bai Xuan recognizes Xilin’s worsening condition and feels compelled to help her as her Master.