Eternal Temptation: Awakening Sinful Desires

They continued moving through the swamp, their surroundings getting darker and darker as the sun went down.

The trees began to look like giant monsters looming over them, and the mist created an eerie atmosphere around them. Scarlet looked up at the sky to see clouds covering the moon and stars. She sighed before turning back to Cecil, who had stopped next to her.

"It looks like we are going to have to find somewhere to rest for the night." Scarlet whispered.

Cecil frowned as she gazed at the blackness surrounding them. "Do you even know where we are? How do we know there aren't any dangerous animals or beasts around?"

Scarlet shook her head. "No idea. But if we stay here too long, something could sneak up on us and attack us while we rest. So we need to find someplace safe, at least until morning comes. Then we can start looking again."

Cecil looked at a large tree that stood some distance away before glancing back at Scarlet.

"What about over there? We could climb up onto those thick branches and then try to find a place that looks secure enough to get some rest in." Cecil pointed at the tree.

Scarlet followed Cecil's gaze towards the tree she suggested climbing, finding a huge tree with a trunk almost thirty meters wide. Its size dwarfed all other trees in the area, and it towered over the surrounding vegetation like a giant.

The tree's bark was dark brown, with large patches of moss growing on its surface.

She couldn't see anything lurking in the shadows underneath the canopy, so she decided that it would be their best option for shelter tonight.

"Okay, let's try climbing up there," Scarlet agreed.

With a nod, Cecil walked forward towards the tree and started climbing it with smooth jumps, using the rough sections of bark as footholds. It wasn't long before she disappeared into the foliage above, leaving Scarlet behind.

Scarlet climbed after her, but compared to Cecil, she looked like a beautiful fairy fluttering about, hopping from branch to branch as she ascended the giant tree. Her movements were fluid and graceful, as though she weighed nothing at all.

It only took Scarlet a few seconds to land beside Cecil with ease, who was standing on a sturdy branch, looking around to see what lay in all directions.

She also glanced around the forest below before looking back at Cecil. "I think this spot should work well enough for tonight." Scarlet said.

"Yes...I don't see any signs of other creatures nearby either." Cecil nodded before asking Scarlet. "Should we get some rest now?"

Scarlet looked toward the ground once more before turning towards Cecil.

"Sure thing. Let's sleep together," Scarlet replied with a mischievous grin as she moved closer to Cecil.

"Huh?!" Cecil exclaimed. "What're you doing, Scarlet? Stay away!"

"Hehe, what's wrong, Cecil? Why do you look so nervous?" Scarlet teased, placing her hand on Cecil's shoulder and leaning in close to whisper in her ear.

"Stop messing around, Scarlet! This isn't funny!" Cecil cried out in panic as she backed away.

"Hahaha, look at your face. It's all red, Cecil~. Don't worry, I was just joking around, silly girl. If you keep reacting like that, someone might take you seriously, you know?" Scarlet giggled.

"I hate it when you tease me, Scarlet," Cecil said while pouting, unable to hide the blush that crept across her cheeks. She was embarrassed by the fact that she thought Scarlet was serious just then, but she was also angry at her friend for playing tricks on her.

"Sorry, sorry, I was just kidding with you, Cecil. Since everything around us was dark and gloomy, I just wanted to lighten things up with a joke."

"Hmph, you sure sounded pretty serious just now, Scarlet. Aren't you a bit too good at pretending? If I didn't know you, I'd probably be terrified of you." Cecil mumbled.

"Eeeehh, that's not true at all, Cecil. It's not like I'm planning on eating you or something... Hehe." Scarlet smiled brightly while winking at Cecil.

"Y-You..." Cecil stuttered.

"Thinking of eating, come on, Cecil. Take out the food you prepared, and let's have dinner. I'm starving from all that traveling we did today." Scarlet requested while licking her lips. She always liked the food made by Cecil and enjoyed it whenever they had the chance to eat it together.

"Alright, but let's hurry up. We need to get some rest as soon as possible. I want to get this mission over with and return home as soon as we can."

Cecil nodded in agreement and reached into her space ring to retrieve a basket filled with various types of dishes that she had brought along with her.

She also took out a large white cloth from her storage ring and laid it on the branch they were standing on before sitting down cross-legged with the basket in front of her.

She motioned for Scarlet to take a seat across from her, who sat down facing Cecil. The basket was filled with many dishes, and it smelled delicious.

Cecil picked up two plates from inside the basket and handed one to Scarlet before taking her own. She then began to place various dishes on the side, serving both herself and Scarlet.

"Wow, Cecil, you really made a lot of different things here," Scarlet remarked as she took her plate and started eating with relish.

Cecil gave a slight shrug as she ate her own meal. "I figured that it was best to have a variety of things available since you like trying new things. That way, we could both enjoy ourselves even more while we traveled together."

"Indeed," Scarlet said before continuing to dig into the delicious food.

The two girls ate while having light conversation, enjoying their meals, and savoring each bite.

After having a satisfying meal, they put everything away and relaxed while resting against the trunk of the giant tree, talking about random things and the sect.

They didn't need to sleep, as they used their spirit essence to restore their energy, keeping vigilant while guarding against any potential danger.

Scarlet, being stronger between the two, had sharper senses, which she utilized to make sure that neither she nor Cecil were attacked during their rest.

However, it wasn't long before she felt her eyelids grow heavy, and her consciousness became blurry, causing her to become disoriented. She shook her head and used her spirit essence to wash away the weariness from her body, but she realized something was amiss when it didn't work.

'What's happening to me? Why is my spirit essence not working?!'

Scarlet looked at Cecil beside her, who seemed to be unaffected by whatever was affecting her, making her wonder what was going on. She tried to stand up but found that she couldn't move.

No matter how hard she tried, it was as if something was preventing her from moving, like a giant invisible hand holding her in place.

A chill ran down her spine as Scarlet realized that she had no way of escaping from whatever it was that was attacking her, and a surge of panic welled up inside her chest.

"Cecil, it seems that your medicine has at last started affecting her." Suddenly, a man's voice echoed within their surroundings, making Scarlet gasp in surprise.