Elegy from Another World

The city of pleasure remains bathed in light and shadow, but a subtle gloom has quietly descended.

That day, Sakhozon personally visited the luxurious suite where Zoymem and Yisen were staying. Her smile was brighter than ever, and her dark purple eyes shone with an alluring light.

"How was your experience in the City of Pleasure, my two distinguished guests?" she asked languidly, leaning against the doorframe, her voice as sweet as melting honey.

"This is amazing!" Yisen exclaimed first, his face still flushed with the afterglow of last night's revelry. "This place is simply heaven!"

Zoemem nodded, her dragon eyes sparkling with satisfaction and curiosity: "Indeed impressive, Ms. Sakozun."

"That's good." Sakhozon's smile deepened. "To express my gratitude for your patience and to celebrate our collaboration, I would like to invite you to experience the ultimate pleasure in the City of Pleasure—'Eternal Paradise Sanctuary'."

"The Holy Land of Eternal Joy?" Both Zoemem and Yisen showed interest.

"What place is that?" Yisen pressed.

Sakhozon described it in an alluring tone: "It is a place of miracles, a sanctuary that touches the deepest desires of the soul. There, theoretically... any wish can be fulfilled. Whether it's reliving the most beautiful memories, experiencing unprecedented peaks, or even glimpsing fragments of the future... whatever you desire, the sanctuary can present it to you."

"Any wish?" Zoemem asked incredulously.

"How could any wish be granted?" Kawi, who had remained silent like a shadow, immediately issued a chilling warning. His sword trembled slightly, revealing extreme distrust. "Such a promise is itself the biggest trap. Zoimem, Yisen, stay alert."

Sakozon looked at Kawi, his smile unchanged, but his tone carried a hint of provocation: "This... Mr. Sword, always seems so suspicious. Why be so tense? It's just an experience; if you feel uncomfortable, you can leave at any time. Don't you want to know what you truly desire deep down?"

These words precisely struck at the curiosity of Zoymem and Yisen. Yisen was inherently eager to explore new things, and Zoymem, as a dragon, also possessed a strong instinct for experience and knowledge. Between Sakozun's enticement and Kawi's warning, the scales gradually tipped.

"That sounds... amazing," Zoemem said hesitantly.

"Yeah, Kawei, let's go check it out! If something doesn't seem right, we'll just come out!" Yisen chimed in.

Kawi's mind sent a strong wave of opposition, but Zoemem and Yisen ultimately decided to go and find out what was going on.

"Alright, let's give it a try," Zoimem said to Sakozun.

So, the group followed Sakozun through an even more secluded and magnificent passage, arriving before a grand building bathed in soft light—the Eternal Joy Sanctuary. The sanctuary's gates were made of pure energy, shimmering with light, as if leading to another dimension.

Kawi conducted an extremely detailed scan outside the sanctuary, confirming that no obvious deadly traps or energy weapons were detected at the entrance.

"I'll wait at the 'comma'," Kawi said resolutely. "Notify me immediately if anything goes wrong."

Sarkozy shrugged indifferently: "Go ahead."

Guided by Sakozun, Zoimem and Yisen, filled with curiosity and anticipation, stepped into the alluring curtain of light. Kawi, like the most loyal sentinel, hovered outside the sanctuary gate, his cold sword radiating an aura that kept strangers at bay.

However, Sakozun's plan went far beyond that. She looked at Kawi, a calculating glint in her dark eyes. As Kawi returned to the "Comma" ship to continue monitoring the repair progress of the pleasure converter, the succubi Sakozun had laid in ambush made their move.

Several carefully selected high-ranking succubi, skilled in mental seduction and sensory manipulation, quietly appeared, attempting to erode Kawi's will in the most direct way. Their glances could arouse the most primal desires of living beings, and their whispers could weave the sweetest illusions.

But all of this was like a gentle breeze brushing against steel to Kawi. He was the embodiment of the Holy Sword, his core being a pure belief in protection and cold logic, utterly devoid of the emotional desires of ordinary beings. The seductive energy of the succubi struck him like water hitting a reef, instantly dissipating without even making him pause.

Sakozun witnessed this scene through remote monitoring and was not surprised. She simply muttered to herself, "As expected, this won't work... It seems we can't finish this quickly." Her eyes turned cold, and she issued a new order: "Execute Plan B, use the 'Heart-Eating Worm' virus."

An invisible, microscopic virus composed of corrosive code was silently spread by the succubi in the air along Kawi's path. This virus itself is not offensive and is extremely difficult to detect by conventional methods; its goal is to infiltrate and penetrate.

Just as Kawei returned to the Comma and was about to enter the bridge, an extremely small amount of the "Heart-Eating Worm" virus took advantage of the subtle fluctuations in the energy exchange between the ship's interior and exterior to successfully attach itself to the surface of Kawei's sword and begin to attempt to invade his internal structure as a data consciousness.

Several hours passed. Kawi remained suspended at the repair site of the pleasure converter, his icy thoughts scanning every detail. Then, Sakozun's communication came through.

"Mr. Kawei, Ms. Zoimem and Mr. Yisen are having a very pleasant time at the Sanctuary. Would you like to take a look?" Sakozun's voice was tinged with laughter.

A communication screen popped up, displaying the scene inside the sanctuary: Zoimem was immersed in a magnificent dream woven from starlight, his face beaming with pure joy; Yisen, on the other hand, seemed to be in an endless ocean of wealth, excitedly dancing around. They truly appeared to be immersed in ultimate happiness.

Kawi stared at the screen, his cold, logical core supposed to remain unmoved. But suddenly, a strange thought surfaced without warning: "What does that kind of happiness feel like? Perhaps... I should try it too?"

The moment this thought crossed his mind, Kawi's entire body jolted violently! Something was wrong! This was absolutely not a thought he should have! His duty to protect and absolute rationality were his foundation; a thirst for sensory pleasure was utterly abnormal!

He immediately severed communication with Sakhozon, and the sword emitted a rapid hum as it quickly retreated from the repair site filled with various energy fluctuations.

"I need... a rest." Kavey transmitted a slightly disordered thought to a succubus engineer beside him, then quickly flew to a relatively quiet area on the upper deck of the ship. He needed to immediately examine himself, find the source of that abnormal thought, and eliminate it!

As Sakozon looked at the severed communications, a triumphant smile flashed in his dark purple eyes.

"Okay, please get some rest." She whispered into the empty communication channel, like a devil's murmur. The seed of the virus had been planted; all that was needed was patience to wait for it to take root and sprout.