In his previous life, Anyi had been swift to slay a succubus on sight. Now, he realized that defeating one could grant him a substantial amount of experience points—an enticing prospect. However, there lay a crucial difference: without their magic on display or the telltale glow of their pupils, a succubus could easily pass for an ordinary woman.

If Anyi were to strike them down, the patrons of the tavern wouldn’t care whether the victims were human or monster. The following day, the entire town would buzz with tales of the Hero who had taken a life, and that was a reputation he could not afford to tarnish. The events in the last village, where the slime disaster had stirred chaos, made it clear that the Hero depended on the goodwill of the people.

While the faithful of the Kami might lend their support, Anyi knew that slaying a “human” would provoke outrage among them. Even if he could remain resolute in his actions, what about the others? In this early stage of monster subjugation, the populace lacked a strong understanding of the necessity of such deeds. Any actions that jeopardized his standing were ill-advised.

Some might argue that as long as the succubi posed no threat, they could be allowed to live. But from the perspective of humanity, monsters were inherently dangerous. Their very existence was a threat, and Anyi had no desire to spare them. For now, however, he would have to bide his time.

'It’s a pity about the experience points,' he thought, lamenting the loss. Slaying a succubus would surely have elevated him three levels. After all, they were high-class monsters.

“I am the Hero, granted strength by the Kami to vanquish creatures like you,” Anyi declared, his voice steady and devoid of emotion. “Bold monsters that dare tread upon human lands will find their reckoning today. Speak! How do you wish to meet your end?”

“Oh no!” a cowardly succubus whimpered, her voice rising in panic.

Their charm magic was utterly useless against him, bolstered as he was by [Lustlessness]. The frail creatures stood no chance against his strength. If Anyi wished to end them, it would be as effortless as flipping a coin.

“Please, Hero-sama! We don’t want to die! Just give us one chance!” they pleaded, their voices merging into a chorus of desperation.

Anyi’s gaze hardened. “Give me a reason not to kill you.”

“W-We’ve never harmed anyone!” one cried out.

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“Exactly! We are monsters, yes, but we don't kill! We just want to make our guests feel… comfortable!” they chimed in, each statement punctuated by fear.

Anyi’s lips curled into a slight frown. Their definition of “comfort” had led to a troubling imbalance in the town’s demographics—an imbalance he was not inclined to overlook.

“You are succubi, aren’t you?” he pressed, his tone sharp.

The group froze, shock written across their faces.

How did he know that name?

Humans typically knew little of monsters; the term succubus was likely foreign to most.

“By rough estimation, there should be about a dozen of you here. If you claim to have never killed, what is your purpose for infiltrating human society?”

“Eat!” one succubus blurted out, her eyes wide.

Anyi raised an eyebrow. “Do you consume human flesh?”

“No, no, no!” they all exclaimed in unison, shaking their heads frantically, desperate to avoid inciting his wrath.

Anyi shook his head, dismissing the pleas of the succubi. “I understand your diet, and I know you don’t kill humans. But you are still monsters, and as the Hero, it’s my duty to slay you. Just because you don’t kill doesn’t warrant your lives being spared.”

“Then we can do things with you at any time and anywhere…” one succubus tried, her voice sultry.

“Not interested. Say something useful,” Anyi interrupted coldly.

Useful...?

The succubi's minds raced as they contemplated their situation. Simply stating they didn’t kill wouldn’t be enough to save them. If they offered Anyi valuable information, perhaps they could avoid death. What kind of intelligence could be deemed useful?

Despite their weak physical forms, their intelligence level was remarkably high—twenty points. They had to think quickly and figure out what Anyi truly needed. Dus was the local Hero, and the deaths of the other three Heroes in the recent monster attacks hinted that more aid was on its way.

One succubus finally spoke up, “There’s a type of monster called a [Goblin Centurion] in the jungle.”

“What’s a Goblin Centurion?” Anyi feigned skepticism, keeping his expression neutral.

“One Goblin Centurion commands ten Goblin Shamans and one hundred Hobgoblins. Each Hobgoblin leads twenty Goblins,” she explained, her tone urgent.

“In the forest in front of the town... there are three Goblin Centurions,” another succubus added, her voice trembling.

“Three...” Anyi’s fists clenched silently as he processed the information. It all made sense now. No wonder three Heroes had perished upon arrival.

Typically, new heroes faced Goblin Shamans as their leaders, who commanded ten Hobgoblins and two hundred Goblins. The Goblin Shaman, while powerful in numbers, was relatively weak on its own.

But Goblin Centurions were a different story entirely. The missions to kill the Slime King and the Goblin Shaman were only F-level mission, manageable for fresh Heroes. However, targeting a Goblin Centurion was classified as an E-level mission—recommended only for teams at level ten.

Yet, attempting to take down three Goblin Centurions? That was D-level difficulty, meant for parties at level twenty! Dus's team was barely at level five, and Anyi's own group didn’t exceed level seven. This tale was far too perilous!

Suddenly, a loud explosion rocked the building, causing the entire structure to shudder violently.

Anyi’s eyes widened in alarm. 'What was that?!'