Leveling Up by Seducing Milfs-Chapter 186. Temporary Victory

Myrissa caught Rick as he fell, his body finally succumbing to the trauma it had endured. Blood pooled around them, and Knight’s Endurance struggled to cope with the severity of his injuries.

His eyes were closed, and his breathing was shallow, yet his bond network was vibrant with life—alive but not aware.

She held him close to her chest. He was a surface dweller who had taken blow after blow meant for her and her corrupt partner.

This human had done everything possible to save ocean dwellers he didn’t even know. He had made her mother cry for the first time in fifty years, and now, he was somehow stirring feelings in Myrissa that she thought were long gone.

It was neither respect nor gratitude, but it was something far more serious and dangerous.

Love.

The realization struck her with a profound intensity. She was starting to love Rick Rolland.

She had been falling for him since she saw him reach out to her mother with such real kindness. She was completely shocked when she saw him give up his life over and over again to protect people he didn’t owe anything to.

Rick saw a system notification that only he could see, but Myrissa somehow sensed it because they were so close to each other:

[SCANNING TARGET]

[NAME: MYRISSA ABYSSRYN]

[AGE: OVER A HUNDRED]

[QUALIFIED: YES]

[AFFECTION GAINED: MYRISSA ABYSSRYN]

[CURRENT AFFECTION: 10/10 - MAXIMUM]

[Spirit Bond Now Available]

[Warning: Subject unconscious, cannot consent to bond formation]

Myrissa held him tighter, not caring that her scales were now covered in blood.

At the same time, Liora’s divine magic reached its peak. A sphere of golden light burst out, covering the whole plaza.

The Kraken’s twisted form was stuck in the middle, unable to get out of the purification field’s range.

The purple energy burned away like the morning mist does when the sun comes up. The Guardian’s painful scream slowly changed into something more natural and less corrupt.

Tentacles that had been thrashing around in a mindless way started to move with grace again, and confusion took the place of evil.

But the purification alone wouldn’t have been enough to get rid of the two hundred meters of corrupted Guardian and the corruption that had spread so deeply.

That’s when Nerissa finally did something.

For the first time in weeks, Ocean Empress Nerissa Abyssryn left her palace.

She went down to the plaza with oceanic magic carrying her like a tidal wave that had become aware. Her water dress was full of power that made the world shake.

The ocean dwellers gasped, looking at Nerissa. Many had never seen their empress outside of formal events, and no one had even seen her use magic in years.

Nerissa raised both hands. Her face was still empty, but her eyes held something new.

It was as if a long-buried emotion was attempting to break free after fifty years of being hardened.

Her melodic voice rang out across Meridia with the authority of an empress. "Enough!"

"You are mine, Guardian. You have protected my kingdom for six hundred years."

"The corruption does not claim what is mine."

The Empress’s ocean magic was so strong that it made Liora’s divine purification look like a candle next to the sun. The water itself became an extension of Nerissa’s will. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

The corruption wasn’t just burned away, but it was carefully taken apart at the molecular level, with every single piece of taint found and removed with surgical precision.

The Kraken’s twisted body shook, then stopped moving. The purple energy faded in waves, leaving the Guardian’s natural blue-purple color behind.

The bioluminescent patterns flickered back to their original soft glow. The mindless hunger in his eyes turned into smart awareness.

There was silence in Meridia for a moment.

The Kraken then made a sound that was both sad and relieved, realizing what she had almost done while she was corrupted. Her tentacles reached out to Nerissa, not to attack, but to ask for forgiveness from the Empress she had served for six hundred years.

Nerissa put one of her pale hands on the Kraken’s huge head. It was the first time in fifty years that she had touched one of her guardians.

"Take a break for now..."

"You did a good job of fighting corruption, and... it wasn’t your fault."

The plaza erupted with cheers as the ocean dwellers, who had just moments ago been fighting for their lives, now celebrated their Empress’s aid.

Children shouted with joy, while the guards saluted with trembling hands.

And the city kingdom was safe.

Myrissa didn’t pay much attention to their celebration. She was too focused on Rick’s unconscious body, which was still bleeding into the water even though Liora was already swimming toward them with healing magic ready.

The priestess’s divine energy flowed over Rick, healing his bones and closing his wounds with ease.

After thirty seconds of intense healing, Rick’s eyes opened. His health bar went from critical red to a more stable sixty percent.

He first saw Myrissa’s face above his, her blue-white eyes full of tears.

"Thank the ocean... you’re alive," she whispered, her voice thick with an emotion he couldn’t quite identify.

"You foolish, brave, self-sacrificing person who lives on the surface..."

"You really are alive."

Rick tried to talk, but all he could do was cough. Liora’s healing was closing up her internal wounds, but it took time for her to get better.

"Did we... win?"

"Yes... we all did it," Myrissa said as she helped him sit up. "Mother came down and saved the Kraken from the corruption."

"Meridia is now... safe."

Rick’s system notifications were overwhelming, with text scrolling by faster than he could comprehend. He received experience points for saving civilians, earned title achievements, and saw an increase in his reputation with the population of Meridia.

But most shocking was the affection notification that still hovered at the edge of his vision:

[MYRISSA ABYSSRYN - Affection: 10/10 - MAXIMUM]

Rick thought, "Holy shit," but he was too tired to panic. "When did that happen...?"

"We only met six hours ago!"

Sebastian appeared on his shoulder, but only Rick could see him. "Trauma bonding, near-death experiences, and seeing you give up your life for people she cares about."

"A classic recipe for instant love. Congratulations, you gooner!"

"You didn’t seduce the empress, but at least you seduced the ocean princess by accident, without even trying."

But Rick’s mind was already moving on from the shocking affection notification to the more important issue. Nerissa was coming down to them, and her blank face somehow seemed to have more presence than it had during their first meeting.

The empress, who had just hours before been unable to take his hand, was now walking toward him with purpose.

Rick forced himself to stand, despite his body’s protests. He needed to deliver a report on the Leviathan.

The report centered on the victims of genocide, who were fueled by corruption. It also addressed the persistent threat in the Abyssal Trenches.

The emergency was ongoing, and although they had achieved a single victory, the war was far from concluded.

Rick began by bowing slightly, even though he was hurt. "Your Majesty," he said.

"We need to have an important one now!"

"You need to know something about what we found in the Western Deep Caverns."

Rick’s eyes met Nerissa’s empty blue ones, and for a fleeting moment, he believed he witnessed something stirring in their depths. Something that could have been the start of real feelings breaking through fifty years of forced numbness.

"You may speak," Nerissa said in a flat, diplomatic voice. "Tell me what threat made you protect my kingdom while I watched from the windows like a coward."

The ocean dwellers around them went quiet when they heard their Empress admit to being weak. Rick took a deep breath, knowing that his next words would break the fragile peace they had made.

Rick said simply, "Leviathan has been corrupted."

"The Guardian who is missing is in the Abyssal Trenches, where corruption has taken over. And she’s not the only thing that’s down there!"

"The corruption has brought the victims of the genocide from fifty years ago back to life... thousands of undead ocean dwellers want to get back at Meridia and probably take revenge!"

Nerissa’s expression remained unchanged, but the water around her quivered slightly—just enough to be noticed.

The short-lived victory faded as everyone thought about what it meant. They had saved the city from one dangerous Guardian, but they found out that a much worse threat was waiting below.

And deep down, Leviathan was on the move.