The Hero Became a Succubus, and the Only Way to Level is to… What?!

After they rescued Renya, the vizier invited them back into the Cerulean Palace. Many of the guards and servants were rightfully confused. Kanae and her companions had attacked after all, but he reassured his people the real enemies were the ones who had just fled. It seemed much of the palace didn't even know that the Harpy Kings agents had infiltrated the city.

Renya sent someone to retrieve the Sceptre of Want from Thored. They returned with the real container that Praijya was searching for. Apparently, Thored decided against coming with after discovering a fine bottle of wine on the Songstress. In the privacy of his personal bedchamber, Vizier Duran opened the case, and he gawked at the weapon in shock. His fingers trembled. His mouth hung open. He seemed to shrink even more despite his already small stature.

"It's true… It really is the Sceptre of Want," Duran whispered.

Kanae closed the case and confronted him. "So, you did know what the artifact was. You lied to us about it having great symbolic and sentimental value."

"That was simply what Praijya wanted me to tell you! I swear, I would have told you if I could have… Yes, I did know the truth behind the artifact. But I wasn't in the right position to tell you," he pleaded earnestly.

The second Renya yanked the case away from the table, Vizier Duran's hands instinctively went to grab it. He was too slow. That little act, however, proved that there was a lot more value in an artifact containing a devil than he gave it credit for.

"Are we sure this thing is safe here? What if those harpies come flying back?" Arenade peeled the curtains back to peer outside.

"Hah! It's been centuries since anyone's seen the sceptre. I doubt a smooth-brained harpy like Praijya will know what the artifact looks like. My only regret is that I don't get to see her hand-deliver the fake to the Harpy King!" Duran bellowed with laughter.

"I've been meaning to bring this up: between Sultana Dudula, Cerberus, and the Harpy King, who is the bigger power in Savir?" Kanae asked.

"Obviously, my cousin, Sultana Dudula!" he exclaimed.

Unconvinced, the three of them continued to stare at him.

"The… Harpy King is…" Duran answered ashamedly.

"How about we try this again?" Kanae asked, placing a charm on the vizier. "Why do you really want the Sceptre of Want?"

"To… give… to Sultana Dudula. That way, she can defeat Cerberus and the Harpy King, thus claiming all of Savir for herself," he said.

Kanae and Arenade exchanged glances.

"Well, no way in three hells are we giving it to Sultana Dudula." Arenade folded her arms.

"At this point, we should just bring it back to Esta. Have her vault it in the Silver Hall," Kanae suggested.

"Nononononono! Uhh… What will it take? A million gold? Ten? A hundred million— after Sultana triumphs over the other two. You must allow me to bring it back to my cousin!" Vizier Duran dropped to his knees and was practically begging at this point.

"Keep your gold. I'd like VIP access into Kandis and any port along Savir for Rown Company!" Renya chimed in.

Kanae elbowed the pirate lord in the side.

"We're not giving the Sceptre of Want to anyone! The last thing we need is a devil running the show again. When we leave, we're going to take the artifact with us back to Aidenhall where it will be vaulted. That's that," Kanae said, putting her foot down.

Vizier Duran sulked, but there was ultimately nothing he could do about it. 

On their way out of the Cerulean Palace, Renya promised not to make any backroom deals with the vizier and returned to the Songstress with the artifact. It was going to stay on the ship until they decided to leave.

The very next day, Kanae and Arenade visited Kandis' adventurers hall. Sure enough, Theena, Kara, and Seven were there in their new equipment. Around her party though, she seemed right at home.

Seven waved energetically and beckoned them over. Kara was still the same timid feline beastman. As for Theena, the former agent of the Harpy King still looked ashamed of herself. She found it hard to look Kanae in the eyes.

"Is it just me, or does the hall look a little less crowded?" Kanae asked.

Never mind that almost everyone had gone dungeon-diving in Necro Lord's Tomb #3. Many of them should have returned by now. Kanae shuddered to think they might have died in the dungeon…

"About that…" Theena began reluctantly. "Some of the adventurers here were employed by the Harpy King, like me. They likely all left after seeing Praijya take off in the direction of Savir."

"In other words, peace has returned to Kandis thanks to the efforts of me! I'll take your praises in the form of worship and fealty now." Arenade beamed.

Only Seven and Kara applauded.

"What are you three up to for the day? Don't tell me you're going to pick up more quests?" Kanae asked.

"We were actually about to go to the beach! You guys come with us!" Seven exclaimed.

Although this was supposed to be their honeymoon, it occurred to Kanae that she and Arenade didn't do much honeymooning. The beach did sound nice… Kanae stole a look at the busty high elf and imagined her in a bikini back from Earth.

"A day out on the beach does sound nice, but do I really want to risk sunburning my beautifully divine skin?" Arenade asked herself.

Now, Kanae was imagining Arenade with a bikini tan and gulped hard.

"Let's go to the beach," Kanae insisted.

"That was fast. You don't have any ulterior motives, do you?" Arenade squinted.

"No…" She avoided eye-contact.

The beach Theena and the others were going to could only be reached by boat. Unfortunately, Kanae and Arenade needed to buy swimsuits before leaving. They agreed to meet them at the docks after picking some up.

Luckily for the newly-weds, Kandis had plenty of shops selling such apparel. They entered the first one they came across, which was a modest clothing boutique on the corner of a low-traffic block. One side of the store displayed common and traditional Saviran outfits. The other side had swimwear.

"Out of all the clothes you brought along, I'm surprised you didn't bring a swimsuit," Kanae said as they browsed.

"Sand gets everywhere. Have you seen how much hair I have? Do you know how miserable it's going to be getting all the grains out later? Since we're already here, I figured I might as well. Now… which one is going to accentuate my beauty the most?" Arenade wondered to herself.

Kanae discovered a coconut bikini and showed it to Arenade.

"How about this?" Kanae asked excitedly.

"I'm not wearing that…" Arenade shot it down immediately.

"There's not a bikini in the world that's going to contain those enormous tits of yours," she groaned, only to have two hands pinch her cheeks. "Waih… I'm shorry!"

Arenade eventually found a white bikini connected by a gaudy golden ring between the chest. An accompanying sarong, light and flowy, wrapped around her waist like a skirt. She even bought a wide-brimmed, woven sun hat to go with it. Kanae purchased a black slingshot bikini. Even though the Matron's Regalia was sparse enough to be its own bikini, she didn't want to get any sand in it.

On their way down to the docks, they grabbed Renya and Thored from the Songstress to come along. They might as well, since the alternative was to stay cooped up in the ship all day. In case Vizier Duran had any bright ideas, the Rown Company crew was also more than enough to keep an eye on the special cargo.

The whole party boarded a small ferry and sailed south along the coast. It was mostly cliffs until the land gave way to a large inlet cove populated with thousands of beachgoers, palm trees, and a boardwalk of stores and salons. Waves pushed and pulled gently against the sandy ivory shores. People swam as far as the rocky entrance. Others were content lying on beach towels to soak up the sun.

Seven leaped from the boat and soared into the sky, grinning from ear to ear as the wind coursed through his feathery wings. Kanae would have joined him, but she had the beautiful sight of the beach to share with her wife instead.

The ferry moored at the docks alongside a dozen other similar-sized ships. Seven landed next to his companions, and they took off running together towards the beach.

"Wow. Something like this was just a short sail away from the city? The beach looks so pristine!" Kanae gasped as they searched for a suitable place to put their things down.

"Kandis prides itself on tourism and natural beauty." Renya smirked. "I sail down here all the time until the port authority or some Saviran captain stops me."

They found a nice spot after a family of dark elves had enough playing for the day. Renya created multiple clones of herself to put up a beach umbrella and laid out a towel to rest on. Seven, Kara, and Theena bolted for the waters.

"Kanae, I need your help putting sunscreen on me!" Arenade tossed Kanae a glass bottle that contained gel, almost slime-like liquid inside it.

Here it comes, Kanae thought. She was going to get a chance to apply sunscreen on a beautiful woman. Moreover, it was her wife. This momentous occasion had been something she dreamed of for years.

"Don't think of doing anything lewd to me unless you want a holy beam in your face." Arenade laid face down on her towel and unhooked the bikini strap.

"I wouldn't dare…" Kanae lied.

The gel was cool to the touch. Kanae scooped some onto her palm, and the sensation very clearly contained properties from a slime. Probably made from one. Arenade must have paid a premium for something like this. She lathered it all over her hands, then kneeled down to get to work.

This wasn't the first, second, or third time Kanae had been Arenade naked from behind. Her bare back was quite the sight to behold, too. She worked both hands into every nook and cranny. The gel spread easily, too, gliding across the surface of her skin.

Though… Kanae wanted to feel more of her voluptuous, high elven wife.

"Hey, watch where those hands are going!" Arenade warned.

"You don't want your boobs to get sunburnt, do you?" Kanae cautioned mischievously.

"Nnh… Fine, but no touching any more than you need to!" she exclaimed.

Kanae grabbed some more gel and caressed the sides of Arenade's breasts. The elf's ears had turned red. She didn't stop there. Kanae applied the sunscreen gel to her plush thighs, rubbing them with the intent to turn her on. Arenade began to breathe heavily, burying her face into both arms.

Wherever Kanae's hands touched, Arenade would twitch and shudder. She got a little adventurous and grabbed two handfuls of her ass.

"Mmmmh!" Arenade suppressed a moan and was clearly climaxing. "I think… that's enough… sunscreen…"

"Geez. Do you two need a room?" Renya lifted her sunglasses and asked.

Arenade dealt Kanae a swift kick to her chest, and she went rolling across the ground into someone's abandoned half-built castle.

"I'll apply the rest, thank you very much!" Arenade shouted, red up to the tips of her ears.

"Damn." Kanae popped her head out of the sand and pouted.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying the beach in their own way except for Thored. The former Necro Lord of Tomb #3 sitting underneath the shade of a separate umbrella. He looked worse for wear and was hugging his knees.

"What's up with you?" Kanae asked.

"The sun… The sun is a powerful foe indeed," Thored replied wearily.

Right. This guy had been shut-in underground for five decades. He wasn't used to the sun, which was basically one giant fireball in the sky.

"Kanae!" The three Rookies raced up to her, nearly tripping on the sand as they did.

"I thought you three went for a swim?" Kanae noticed that none of them were wet.

"Later. More importantly, I bet Theena and Kara that I can beat you in a race. They think you're faster, so now we have a competition in our hands. Come on! Race me!" Seven insisted and tugged on her arm.

"We don't even think it's that big of a deal, but he really won't give it a rest. Sorry." Theena frowned.

Kara also lowered her head apologetically.

"Okay. Why not? Where's the finish line?" Kanae asked, raring to put a Rookie in his place.

"Around the cove." Seven traced a finger along the shore, around the inlet, and back to the starting point where they were standing. "No taking shortcuts, no spells, and no buffs. We'll fly all around, and whoever makes it back here wins!"

Kanae accepted Seven's challenge. The two got into positions, and Renya raised a gun into the air. They had even drawn a small crowd, lured in to making bets of their own. A lot of people seemed to bet money on the harpy though. Kanae would show them what a mistake that was going to be.

"On your marks!" Renya shouted, and both of them unfurled their wings. "Get set…" She fired a shot into the sky. "Go!"

They launched into the sky, kicking up a cloud of sand. Seven got a much better head start, thanks to his talons giving him a springy boost. The beach beneath them passed by in a blur, and people cheered on at the top of their lungs.

However, as soon as they reached the natural rocky barrier that surrounded the inlet, Kanae was beginning to catch up. Seven glanced behind her with a smirk, only to have that smile wiped from his face when she neared.

"You better not be using a buff to speed yourself up!" Seven yelled.

"I'm just giving you a head start!" Kanae teased.

The harpy boy beat his wings even harder. Too bad Kanae had a much larger wingspan and was naturally faster. By the half-way mark, they were neck and neck. Their speed created waves in the water, causing boats to rock and teeter. The rest of the race was—

"Look out!" someone on a nearby boat shouted.

A cluster of giant tentacles emerged from the ocean. Kanae deftly avoided being grabbed, but one of them snatched Seven by his ankle.

"Come on! You were about to win anyway! Did you charm a monster to do this?" Seven asked.

"Of course, not!" Kanae retorted.

"Oh," was all he uttered before being yanked into the water.

Shit!

"Seven!" Theena and Kara cried, both looking like they were about to dive in to help him.

"Stay there!" Kanae exclaimed before diving underwater.

The waters were mostly clear closer to the shore. A giant kraken dragged Seven, struggling and punching the tentacle, into the depths. She swam up to the appendage holding the boy but didn't have the strength to free him.

Alright… a different approach then. Kanae had learned in school that male cephalopods had their reproductive organs in one of the tentacles. But which one was it? Seven winced. Bubbles escaped his mouth. He was running out of air. She needed to hurry.

Kanae threw caution to the wind and grabbed each tentacle one by one. They fought back, pushing away and trying to constrict her with their suckers.

Another idea popped up in her mind. She switched on Versatile Womb. The kraken's aggression subsided. A particularly long tentacle drifted forth. Kanae pulled the crotch area of her slingshot bikini aside, offering to be inseminated. Something like a stringy, writhing snake slipped out from the tip of the tentacle and plunged into her pussy.

The impact knocked a few breaths of air from Kanae's lungs. The kraken cock wormed its way into her baby room and deposited a payload of spunk. A strange feeling overwhelmed her from within, like numerous tendrils tickled the inner walls of her womb. When it tried to pull out, Kanae held the dick in place with both hands. She drained the kraken until it looked like a husk similar to fried calamari, then finally let go. Its dick slipped out, and a cloud of white continued to burst out from the tip.

Seven drifted loose from the tentacle holding him. Kanae grabbed his hand and swam to the surface, but he wasn't breathing.

"Oh, no… Don't drown on me!" Kanae flew to shore, where their companions surrounded them right away.

"Was that a fucking kraken?" Renya cried, eyes glued to the waters in the distance.

"Forget the kraken! Seven isn't breathing!" she exclaimed.

"Let me!" Theena pushed Kanae aside to perform chest compressions.

Eventually, Seven coughed up seawater and opened his eyes.

"Ughh… What happened… did I win?" Seven asked groggily.

"Thank the Supreme One…" Theena threw her arms around him.

"I just remembered!" He gasped. "Before I fell unconscious, I remember Kanae was fighting a kraken! She made it shoot white stuff or something, and it kind of just let me go."

"About that…" Kanae's belly swelled as Versatile Womb enabled her to be impregnated by the kraken.

They cleared their belongings off the beach towel. Arenade had Kanae lie down with both knees up. One after another, egg sacks slipped out from her vagina for a total of 30. The kraken fries broke through their pouches and squirmed for the water.

"Seriously?" Arenade glared at Kanae with judging intent.

"I was running out of time, and luring it to screw me was the only way!" Kanae protested.

"Uh, huh." Her wife didn't look convinced in the slightest.

Thored picked up a kraken fry, and the critter wrapped its tiny tentacles around his much larger fingers.

"Are these edible? Can we cook them?" Thored asked curiously.

The party stared at him with a hint of disgust, but they started a fire and ate them anyway. Everyone except Kanae anyway.