Creating A Succubus Army In A Fantasy World!-Chapter 124: Catching Up With Friends.

Creed stepped down from the shuttle with calm grace. He looked around slowly, a nostalgic smile curling at the corners of his lips.

Ding!

He didn’t even hesitate as he pulled out his credit chip and tapped it against the reader, paying for the shuttle ride like a man who had finally arrived.

Two months ago, he’d rather face a rabid dimensional beast barehanded than willingly spend money on shuttle transport.

He used to walk everywhere, no matter how far, unless it was an emergency.

And even then, he’d grumble. But now? Now he was so rich he didn’t flinch while paying for the slightly overpriced, slightly bumpy, slightly suspicious ride.

It was still wild to him.

The academy exam had only just ended a few hours ago, and he hadn’t even begun selling all the loot he’d obtained from inside the trial.

Yet, from the sheer desperation and rich wallets of the candidates who had bought crystals from him in that mad sale back on the beach, Creed already had more than 2 million credits in cold, hard, glorious liquid cash.

And that was just sitting in his account—untouched. Like a dragon hoarding gold, except his hoard was digital and tax-free.

He could already imagine the number skyrocketing once he offloaded the rest of his loot.

But that could wait until tomorrow. Tonight, he simply needed to rest.

He wanted to eat something that wasn’t emergency rations or mystery meat, sleep in a proper bed without sand in his boots, and not have to worry about someone sneaking up behind him with a flaming sword.

Still, even with all that exhaustion creeping into his bones, Creed made his way toward the small café at the corner of the block.

Not because he wanted to eat (okay, maybe he did), but because the people waiting for him there mattered.

They had called him over, and despite how far he had climbed in just two months, he hadn’t forgotten them.

Not at all.

The moment he pushed open the café door, a rush of warm air and the smell of coffee and pastries hit him like a soft pillow to the face.

Before he could even look around, a familiar energetic voice chirped from across the room, "Creed! Over here!"

He followed the sound and spotted Mia waving at him with both hands like she was trying to signal an aircraft.

Her short pink hair bounced under a baggy hoodie and oversized beanie, her smile bright enough to power a small city. He chuckled.

At the table with her were Ivy, Rin, and Rai—all three of them smiling warmly at him.

Ivy, as usual, had that composed, calculating aura of someone who probably knew exactly how many spoons were on the table without even looking, but even her eyes softened when she saw him.

Rin looked like she was holding back excitement just to appear cool, and Rai was lounging like she didn’t care, but even she couldn’t completely hide the relief on her face.

Creed strolled over to them, sliding into the booth with an easy grin.

"Well, well, look at this reunion. I leave for a little survival death-match in a monster-infested dimensional rift, and suddenly everyone misses me. You guys sure know how to make a man feel special."

Mia giggled. "You are special! Did you not just drastically grow stronger in just one month? It’s like you’re glowing now or something!"

"I mean..." Creed leaned back with a smug look and flexed a little—not too much, just enough to look cool.

"I am pretty awesome. But you guys already knew that."

Ivy raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching into a rare smirk. "Looks like the trial didn’t just boost your wealth. Your ego’s been hitting the gym too."

How did she know that he made a lot of money?

They all laughed, and for a moment, it felt like no time had passed.

But Creed, being Creed, smoothly dialed the conversation back to a more humble tone, talking about how tough the trial was, how he barely scraped through, and how it was all thanks to luck and some good decisions.

He didn’t want to make them feel distant from him. The last thing he wanted was for his rapid rise to push away the people who had stood beside him when he had nothing.

Eventually, the conversation flowed into more casual territory—complaints about boring raids, jokes about terrible cafeteria food, Rin nearly crying over a ruined pair of boots.

And Creed just sat there, smiling and nodding and chiming in when needed.

He wasn’t just catching up with friends. He was reconnecting with the part of himself that wasn’t always strategizing, calculating, or thinking five moves ahead.

After returning from the Azure Sky Bastion a month prior, Creed had only ventured into dimensional rifts with his friends twice.

The rest of his time had been spent in seclusion, training and honing his abilities. This meant that his friends had little knowledge of his current strength.

Creed wasn’t being arrogant, but he was fairly certain he could handle the entire group simultaneously.​

Curious about their progress, Creed asked, "So, how have you all been progressing?"

Mia’s eyes lit up with excitement. "I’ve managed to break through to stage 2!"

Creed smiled warmly, reaching out to ruffle her short pink hair like an affectionate older brother.

"That’s fantastic, Mia. I’m really proud of you. Keep up the hard work."

Mia beamed under his praise, her cheeks turning a rosy hue.

Rin and Rai exchanged glances before Rin spoke up. "Rai and I have both broken through to stage 3."

Creed’s grin widened. "Impressive! At this rate, you’ll both be giving me a run for my money."

Both Rin and Rai blushed at his shameless compliment, but their smiles betrayed their pleasure.

Turning to Ivy, Creed inquired, "And what about you, Ivy?"

With her usual calm demeanor, Ivy replied, "I’ve reached stage 5."

Creed’s eyes widened slightly. Perhaps he had been a bit too confident earlier. Taking on all of them at once might not be as easy as he had thought.

Oops!

"Does this mean your team’s overall rating will increase?" he asked.

Ivy shook her head. "Not yet. We need to meet certain operational criteria before we can upgrade."

As their conversation continued, the group shared jokes and laughter, enjoying each other’s company.

The café buzzed with their camaraderie, creating a warm and lively atmosphere.​

Bam!

Suddenly, a loud slap echoed as a massive palm landed on their table, causing their drinks to tremble.

The group fell silent, turning their attention to the source of the disturbance.

Standing before them was an imposing figure—an 8-foot-tall, extremely overweight man with a pink Mohawk, wearing a tight singlet that did little to contain his bulk.

Behind him stood five other men, all tall and muscular, exuding menacing auras. Their eyes roved over the girls with lecherous intent.

Mia shrank back under their gazes, her earlier enthusiasm replaced by discomfort. Ivy’s eyes narrowed, and the twins, Rin and Rai, tensed, their expressions sharp and ready.

The leader sneered, deliberately knocking over Creed’s drink. The liquid arced through the air, aiming straight for Creed.

Bzzzzz!

But before it could make contact, a flash of purple lightning erupted, disintegrating the drink mid-air.

The tension at the table skyrocketed instantly.