Creatures Lurking in the Dark

Sorry for the delay. My pc's motherboard got fried so I had to have it fixed. It's all good now.

 

Also, I have a good news and a bad news (don't worry, it does not relate to the release speed)

 

First is the good news. I commissioned an artist to draw a proper cover for this novel, and the result is perfect. The art piece is readied.

 

As for the bad news. I am planning to have this new cover only at the thick plot change which gonna happen at around chapter 40-ish. That means until then, I will not show it. Please look forward to it.

 

Anyway, that's it from me. Please enjoy the reading!

 

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Today was a big day.

 

The entire city was filled with a festive atmosphere.

 

Just a day before, the capital of Lutenburg successfully defended itself and liberated the last territory from the occupation of corrupted monsters.

 

Now that the threat was contained inside Lamiryu's border.

 

With this, the threat of corrupted monsters was one step away from being completely eradicated.

 

The country had decided to have a week-long festival to honor the soldiers' achievements and the loss of those brave souls.

 

After one day of rest, the castle was opened to the public today.

 

In the morning, there would be an audience with the King to reward for achievements, and at night, there would be a party to celebrate.

 

"And now, ladies and gentlemen. Leading a single platoon and bravely

defending against the invasion of the corrupted monsters, she singlehandedly defeated more than a dozen monsters. I present to you! Lady Jenna Arinetta!"

 

After the announcement, cheers and applauses exploded.

 

The giant door opened, presenting a beautiful woman in a green dress.

 

Her gaits were so mesmerizing that both the men and women in this room gasped as they couldn't take their eyes off her.

 

"Lady Jenna is so beautiful."

 

"She's so pretty with her dress."

 

"What do I give to have her on the bed with me."

 

"I hope she will accept to have a dance with me tonight."

 

"I'm going to propose to her this evening."

 

"Those breasts are so big. I want to have a taste."

 

All kinds of whispers overlapped each other. Some were praising, some were jealous, and some were lustful, creating incoherent noises.

 

Though Jenna could hear everything, she chose to ignore them.

 

She understood her own beauty; her head only looked forward as she walked with confidence.

 

Today was a big day. The entire city was filled with a festive atmosphere.

 

Just a day before, the capital of Lutenburg successfully defended itself and liberated the last territory from the occupation of corrupted monsters.

 

Now that the threat was contained inside Lamiryu's border.

 

With this, the threat of corrupted monsters was one step away from being completely eradicated.

 

The country had decided to have a week-long festival to honor the soldiers' achievements and the loss of those brave souls.

 

After one day of rest, the castle was opened to the public today.

 

In the morning, there would be an audience with the King to reward for achievements, and at night, there would be a party to celebrate.

 

"And now, ladies and gentlemen. Leading a single platoon and bravely

defending against the invasion of the corrupted monsters, she singlehandedly defeated more than a dozen monsters. I present to you! Lady Jenna Arinetta!"

 

After the announcement, cheers and applauses exploded.

 

The giant door opened, presenting a beautiful woman in a green dress.

 

Her gaits were so mesmerizing that both the men and women in this room gasped as they couldn't take their eyes off her.

 

"Lady Jenna is so beautiful."

 

"She's so pretty with her dress."

 

"What do I give to have her on the bed with me."

 

"I hope she will accept to have a dance with me tonight."

 

"I'm going to propose to her this evening."

 

"Those breasts are so big. I want to have a taste."

 

All kinds of whispers overlapped each other. Some were praising, some were jealous, and some were lustful, creating incoherent noises.

 

Though Jenna could hear everything, she chose to ignore them.

 

There were more than three hundred people in this audience hall, so it couldn't help that there were people who held malicious thoughts toward her.

 

Eventually, She reached the designated area, where she kneeled down and greeted the King.

 

"Your Majesty, Jenna Arinetta is present."  (Jenna)

 

The King was an old man in his late sixties. His hair and beard were grey.

 

Despite his old age, the air of authority surrounding him made him recognizable even without the crown and regal clothes he had on him.

 

"Uhm. You may rise."  (King)

 

"Yes, your Majesty."  Jenna bowed and then stood up.

 

"What a lovely figure. I could hardly believe in my ears from the report that you, a fair maiden, could possibly achieve such a feat. As the King of Lutenburg, I express my utmost gratitude for saving our country. Now tell me what you want as a reward; I will give you anything as long as it is within my power."  (King)

 

"No, you Majesty. It is my duty as a soldier to fight for the country. I do not desire anything but to be allowed to continue serving this country."  (Jenna)

 

Murmured rang out behind Jenna. It was a perfect opportunity to ask for anything from the King, yet Jenna declined the reward. Most people admired her loyalty, while others twisted their thoughts, thinking Jenna was a showoff.

 

"HAHAHA!"  The King's laugh instantly shut them out.

 

"While I do admire your loyalty. It simply will not do for a king to not reward his loyal subject."  (King)

 

Stroking his beard to think, he then stood up and whispered something to his aide. The aide went to the side to pick up a ceremonial sword and followed the King as he walked over to Jenna.

 

"I have decided! Jenna Arinetta, kneel!"  (King)

 

Jenna complied with his order.

 

"By my authority as the King of Lutenburg, I at this moment declare that Jenna Aniretta will continue to serve the country as its Royal Guard captain! She will also be rewarded with a house in the noble district, and the Royal family shall pay for all the renovations and upkeeps!"  The King slammed the butt of his staff to the floor as he handed out his decree.

 

"I am forever grateful for your grace. I will continue to protect the Royal family and this country as I have been."  Jenna accepted the sword that was handed to her by the aide.

 

"Good answer! And I will continue to count on you."

 

Cheers and applause exploded within the audience hall.

 

Despite the minority who bore ill thoughts about Jenna, the majority in this hall were those who distinguished themselves in battle and understood the importance of Jenna's achievement and her strength, so they sincerely cheered on her promotion.

 

Being a Royal Guard captain in this country was equal to being a General during emergencies. It was a position many wished to be in.

 

At night, a party was held in the form of a Ball.

 

Jenna now changed into a new dress that emphasized her large breasts.

 

It was a secret, but Jenna was very proud of her assets.

 

It was a light green dress that exposed almost all her upper breasts. Her naked back was covered by a thin, almost transparent sky-blue shawl.

 

All the men in the room couldn't take their eyes off Jenna. Many attempted to ask her for a dance, but she deftly declined.

 

No one knew Jenna was very bad at dancing, another secret she did not want anyone to know.

 

She only greeted and chatted with noblemen who came to get to know her as they introduced themselves. Some young noblemen even proposed to her, and the older ones offered a marriage with their sons.

 

Of course, Jenna declined such offers. She had been in a relationship before, but it didn't end well. Since then, she had lost interest in falling in love. She knew these young noblemen were just lusting after her body or fame.

 

Obviously, she didn't show any discomfort on her face as they pestered her. Not that she had any choice but to put up a smile.

 

It would be a problem to offense noblemen, after all.

 

As the talk went on, Jenna got thirsty. She intended to walk over to the counter to grab something to drink, but a young nobleman offered her a glass of wine.

 

"Oh, Lady Jenna. It seems that you are thirsty. I have deliberately made you a drink to quench your thirst. I hope you will accept this offer as a gratitude to our hero."

 

Jenna was not, in any way, appreciate the offered drink.

 

The reason was not the drink itself; it was the person who offered it.

 

The young man was called Bano. He had blonde hair and tanned skin. His clothes did not hide the toned muscles of his trained body. Despite his handsome face and muscular body, she could see how he kept sending flirty gazes as he leered lustfully at her chest. Moreover, she knew that the man led a debauchery lifestyle. Despite being born into nobility, he did not actively learn from his father working for the country. He had slept with countless women, and even some young daughters' purity of lower noblemen was ruined by him.

 

The reason she knew this was because she herself was in charge of investigating those cases. Still, there was no traces nor evidence she could use to establish his crime due to his influence in the nobility rank. He had many ways to hide and destroy the evidence simply by bribing.

 

It was really bad timing for Jenna. Many eyes were on her as she was a star at this party. She couldn't easily refuse the drink.

 

"Thank you for your kind offer, Mister Bano." So Jenna reluctantly accepted the glass, twirling the content, and downed it in one gulp. The sweetness was her sole consolation as the alcoholic drink warmed her up from the inside.

 

She couldn't see. On Bano's face, a grin formed subtly.

 

"I hope that the drink was to your liking."  (Bano)

 

"Thank you, Mister Bano. It was very delicious. I very much appreciate your thoughtfulness."  Jenna put up her business smile. She hated to admit it, but it was really good.

 

"Your words are too kind for me. But I must say, you are like a star shining in the darkness. Your beauty rivals that of the goddess."  Bano said with a bow. "I would be a happy man if you allow me to escort you to this dance."

 

"Thank you for your praise, Mister Bano. It would be an honor for any woman who you escort. But I must regretfully decline, as I still feel fatigued from the battle."  Jenna shook her head with a disappointed pretense.

 

"I see. That is truly unfortunate. Then, instead of the dance. Please allow me to treat you to one more drink."  Bano snapped his finger to signal a waiter to bring another glass.

 

"Cheers to the prosperity of Lutenburg."  Bano raised his own glass as he clinked with Jenna's.

 

As the party went on, Jenna continued to talk to many more people.

 

She felt a little hot, so she excused herself and exited the party room to rest in the hallway. She leaned over to the opened window to get some fresh air.

 

Despite the huge size of the party room, more than three hundred people in one place could make one feel overwhelmed.

 

Oddly enough, even though the cold air of the evening sky blew past Jenna, it couldn't relieve the rising heat coming from her body.

 

She could feel the heat slowly spread from the lower of her stomach. Her face felt hot as her cheeks reddened.

 

Jenna thought she had had one too many drinks. So she walked back to the room to get some water.

 

The moment her hand was on the door, it opened. It was Bano, followed by the four people who were sons of a lower-ranking noble that served his family.

 

"Oya? You don't look well, Lady Jenna. Are you feeling unwell?"

 

Bano asked as if he was really worried about her well-being.

 

"N...no, I just feel a little hot. So I'm just... going to get some water..."  (Jenna)

 

"Then allow me. Oi, you guys heard Lady Jenna? Go get her some water!"  Bano turned back to order his henchmen, then he leaned closer to them and whispered, "Remember to put 'that' in."

 

"Right away!" One of the men went back inside to pick up a glass of water. Before he handed it over to Bano, he slipped a transparent liquid stored in a small glass bottle in his inner pocket.

 

"Here you go, milady."  Bano grinned as he watched Jenna drink the content without suspicion.

 

Contrary to feeling better, her body became hotter. She felt dazed. Her eyes became moist. Her legs felt weak as they struggled to support her body.

 

"Oh no! Milady really needs to get some rest. Look, you can't even stand properly."  (Bano)

 

"N...no. I'm just feeling... a little... tired. I will... sit down... to rest... a little."  Jenna answered in a shaky voice.

 

"No no. As a gentleman, I simply cannot allow myself to abandon a damsel in distress! Luckily, my estate is close by. Let me escort you there to rest properly." (Bano)

 

"And you guys, prepare the carriage."  (Bano)

 

Bano walked over to Jenna, put his hand around her waist, and led her outside.

 

At this point, Jenna could barely muster a word or put up resistance.

 

On the way, Bano ensured he avoided places with people, so he took a little detour here and there.

 

At one point, the hand on Jenna's waist blatantly fondled her butt. But her mind was too muddled to realize.

 

It took longer than usual, but they finally arrived at the back gate. Jenna was ushered into the carriage, Bano and the two lackeys followed behind, and the third henchman was tasked with steering the horse. He sent the last one to go ahead to prepare the house.

 

"HAHAHAHA! Finally, how long have I been waiting for this moment." Bano said as he caressed Jenna's flustered cheek.

 

"Good job getting the Hemlock's extract, Nak. I will definitely reward you highly."  (Bano)

 

Nak had been following Bano since his childhood. As his parents served under Bano's parents, they also raised him up as Bano's retainer.

 

Nak himself was also smart. He knew how to suck up to Bano and how to make him pleased.

 

Seeing how Nak was loyal to him, Bano also entrusted Nak to do his bidding. In fact, of all the women he had brought to bed, he always let Nak have a share after him.

 

As a result, he could easily have Nak do the dirty work for him.

 

"Hehehe. Thank you for remembering me, young master. Of course, I have eliminated the smuggler who gave me the drug, so there will be no risk of having its origin traced back to us."  The man sitting next to Jenna on the other side replied

 

Hemlock's root extract, or Hemlock's extract for short, was a drug that had sedative properties. However, for members of the dryad race, the drug was incredibly dangerous.

 

The reason was that it was odorless and had a sweet fragrance, which could be perfectly disguised when mixed with wine. When consumed, it made the victim unable to think clearly, and the victim's muscles would be relaxed, making them unable to mutter any strength to defend themselves. Moreover, against dryad, it doubled as an aphrodisiac drug.

 

In other words, Hemlock's extract was a type of drug that should never be allowed to fall into the hand of evildoers.

 

Naturally, all countries banned the production and sale of such drugs. Anyone charged with the crime would be handed capital punishment.

 

During the party, Jenna drank two glasses of wine that were mixed with that drug. And the last glass of water had double the amount that was in the wine.

 

For regular dryads, the first glass of wine was enough to make them a puppet. In Jenna's case, however, the amount was considered overdosed. So despite her strength and high resistance, she was now at Bano's mercy.

 

"Hah... Hah... Pl...ease... stop..."  Jenna squeezed out broken words.

 

All the exposed skin on her cheeks, arms, and legs flushed red. Even when sitting, her legs couldn't stop shaking as she pressed her thighs together.

 

"Hehehe, even this strong and cool beauty became a female in heat with a dose of Hemlock's extract."  Nak stroke the other side of her cheek. His other hand slowly crept up from her knee to her thigh.

 

"Calm down now, moron. We will surely taste her later. But I will take the first dip. You guys can go after me."  Bano smirked and chided Nak, whose hand was trying to pry open Jenna's legs apart.

 

Opposite them, the last person inside the carriage looked enviously at the sight in front of him.

 

As Bano was their boss, he obviously had a seat next to Jenna; and on the other side sat Nak, who contributed significantly to this deed.

 

He could feel his crotch part getting tight as his penis grew hard. But after hearing Bano's words, he knew that he would also be allowed to dig into the pair of massive melons that were seducing him the entire time.

 

Similar to him, the driver also gulped as he heard that.

 

These two, who were unable to touch Jenna just yet, wore sloven faces as their imagination ran wild, thinking about how they could ravish Jenna.

 

"Remember this, you guys! Serve me well, and I shall reward your loyalty! GAHAHAHA!"  Bano stuffed his face into Jenna's neck and took a deep whiff.

 

"Despite being an uptight bitch, you sure smell sweet. Soon, we gonna put you on a platter and enjoy ourselves. Be a good bitch and spread your legs for me, eh."  Bano traced her lips with his finger.

 

"N...o. rele...ase me. I... will not... for...give you."  Jenna muttered weakly. She tried to push Bano away, but due to the drug, she couldn't muster any strength as her hand rested on his chest instead.

 

"HAHAHA! Bitch is trying to play hard to get. Or are you too horny that you can't wait to have my dick inside you?"  (Bano)

 

Taking her hand that was placed on his chest, he guided it down to his crotch.

 

Similar to the other men, there was a huge bulge inside his pants. Now that Jenna was in their grasp, they could do anything they wanted, just like other women who he had raped.

 

"Hehe, feel this big cock? It's gonna dance with you soon on the bed. It might be scary for a stuck-up bitch like you, so you can familiarize yourself with it for now. Be a good bitch and ride on it later, ok?"  Bano licked her ear.

 

"Y...ou! I... will k...ill you!"  Jenna tried to pull her head back, but with how weak she was right now, it didn't take much effort for Bano to restrain her.

 

Along the empty street of the back road, the carriage was headed to the suburb.

 

On this festive night, when everyone was celebrating their victory against the corrupted monster, Jenna's fate was in peril.

 

No one would have thought the irony that the heroine who protected the city and the people within would fall prey to one of the people she protected.

 

......

 

...

 

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