Chapter 114: A Bad Mood
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 114: A Bad Mood
"Dora!"
"Do—Don't call me Dora!"
Clang—!!
An Orc, standing well over two meters tall, swung its club with all its might. As it collided with Theodora’s two-handed sword, a thunderous roar erupted. The club shattered, sending wooden splinters flying in every direction.
As a lady of the Lymain family, the weapon she wielded was an expensive two-handed sword forged from the finest materials. However, the power a weapon could manifest ultimately depended on the capability of its wielder.
"Haah... there are so many of them...!"
Whenever she had entered the Labyrinth before, she had always been accompanied by high-ranking explorers hired by her family. With Theodora’s own martial prowess, she certainly could have earned a Silver Grade easily enough.
However, it was clear that her rank hadn't been earned through genuine, life-or-death combat. Lacking the endurance for a prolonged battle, Theodora was the first to show signs of exhaustion.
Forty more to go.
I couldn't even fathom how I’d fought off a horde of six hundred Orcs last time. This was just a single village of about eighty Orcs, yet I felt more drained than expected. What was the problem? I wasn't even alone this time.
—Swish!
"Urgh...!"
Lost in thought for a moment, I took a direct hit to my left shoulder from a club swinging in from the side. After being pushed back by the heavy impact, I tried moving my shoulder slightly.
It’s dislocated. I’m not a Lego set; how does it pop out just from getting hit once?!
Beside me, Theodora cried out in shock after seeing me get pummeled by the club.
"Aven! Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine, don't worry."
I could just replace it anyway. I summoned tendons that were fully relaxed to cover the dislocated joint, then pulled back hard with a surge of strength. It snapped right back into place.
Once a joint has been dislocated, it tends to pop out easily again. This happens because the strength of the connection weakens, so I’d have to rest the joint and avoid using it for a while.
—Graaaargh!!
"You crazy bastards...!"
What was the issue? Why couldn't I exert the same power as before?
My overall specs were much higher than they were back then. I was using a tail packed with tendons, and I was utilizing high-quality muscle fibers that packed a punch despite their low volume.
The difference between then and now was...
I remembered the fight with the Human Hunter. Since his speed was unavoidable, I had simply tanked most of his attacks and replaced the damaged parts as I went.
There had been massive blood loss and I’d felt the sensation of pain, but since I’d quickly swapped out the muscles screaming in agony, it hadn't lasted long.
I’m being too protective of my body.
One only grows stronger through bloodshed. By trying to fight while being cautious to prevent damage to these "high-quality" muscles, fatigue was accumulating faster—both in my muscles and my mind. This method didn't suit me.
"So, this is what enlightenment feels like."
As I shifted my mindset, the vision provided by the Umbra Valkyrie began to highlight the Orcs' weaknesses even more aggressively. The reason an animal's muscles have a limit on the power they can normally exert is, ultimately, to prevent damage to the muscle fibers.
It was a desperate struggle of the body to prevent loss and ensure a tomorrow.
But for me, none of that was necessary.
"Phew, alright. Let's fight until my whole body breaks."
* * *
Yoo Eon’s movements, which had been sluggish for a moment, suddenly changed.
"Aven...?"
He cast aside his upper garment. With only Drake scales wrapped around his forearms, he leapt high into the air and landed right in the middle of the Orc main force.
"Wait...!"
Slash—
Following the trajectory of the sword swung by his right hand, Orc blood sprayed into the air, leaving a vivid trail. It was a swing so powerful that the skin on his own arm tore away.
He had released the limits his body instinctively placed on itself to prevent muscle damage, and his muscle fibers began to exert the absolute maximum power they were capable of.
—Grrr...!!
—Graugh!!
The Orcs realized it instantly. Even the Orc that had been locked in a contest of strength with Theodora pulled back to compose itself. Rather than focusing on the opponent right in front of it, it was too busy worrying about the man slaughtering its kin from behind.
"Lady Lymain!"
"I—I know!"
While the Orcs were wary of Yoo Eon, Rubica and Theodora slowly whittled down their forces bit by bit.
Thrum—!!
A metal arrow, fired from a powerful great bow made of elastic material, pierced an Orc’s temple and exited through the other side, leaving a gaping hole. Theodora blocked an Orc charging at Rubica, and while they were locked in a struggle, Rubica retrieved an arrow and attacked again.
Boom—!!!!
Purple-blue flames erupted with a massive impact. The ground shook along with an explosion that battered the eardrums, making the sheer power of the attack felt.
"W-What is that?!"
"It's Aven's magic!"
Rubica was startled, as it was her first time seeing Yoo Eon use magic. Of course, Theodora was just as surprised; she hadn't yet seen the Skeleton Mage’s Fireball, which had been enhanced after consuming the Dragon Heart.
Why is the explosion purple...?!
Theodora was shocked that the explosion, which used to be a gloomy, murky dark green, had changed to an eerie purple-blue, but she quickly realized what it was.
"Aven! Are you really okay—?!"
A man walked calmly out from the center of the massive explosion.
"It's over."
"You scared me! How could you just jump forward like that?!"
"I know. I wonder what was wrong with me...?"
* * *
It was strange. When I got hit by the Orc’s club and my shoulder popped out, something felt off. I had easily dealt with hundreds of Orcs before, so I felt incredibly frustrated with myself for struggling against just a few dozen.
Has my brain gone soft?
Maybe my brain had started thinking like an Orc because I’d consumed dozens of them in such a short time. I had charged forward without a single thought for my own body, exactly like an Orc would in a fight.
"Aven, I had heard the stories, but you certainly aren't someone who belongs in the Gold Grade."
"Is that so? Rubica’s attacks were helpful as well. It seems there aren't any particular issues."
I had chosen to subjugate the Orc village on the 10th Floor specifically to test my synergy with Rubica. This seemed good enough. Theodora’s reaction was also positive. Combustion Acceleration, which could produce monstrous strength as long as one could eat, was truly excellent.
"So, why did you suddenly go charging off like that?"
"I really don't know. Did my head suddenly turn into an Orc's?"
This time, I hadn't just torn off and eaten Orc flesh and muscle like before. I had swallowed the Orcs whole on the spot. If there was a difference from last time...
"Could it be because I ate the Orc brains?"
"W-What...?"
Even when I’d handled the horde of hundreds of Orcs alone, I had eaten a lot of them, but I hadn't crushed their skulls and devoured their brains.
But this time, I had. I hadn't specifically crushed the skulls, but since I’d swallowed the corpses whole—excluding a few whose heads I’d cut off and tossed away—I had essentially eaten dozens of Orc brains.
"I feel gross. Give me a second."
It felt incredibly unpleasant. Even if I replaced most of my organs, muscles, and skeletal structure, I would never have a use for these brains. These were creatures that could barely say anything beyond "Kill human."
What use would I have for their brains?
Splat!
The brains of dozens of Orcs poured out from my fingertips. They were parts I had no use for anyway. Since I had extracted only the brains and left the blood behind, the dozens of dull-colored, bloodless brains clumped together as they hit the ground, getting squashed and mangled.
"Ugh...!"
"Ah, sorry, Theodora. Please don't look at this."
Rubica had already turned her head away. They were hideous to begin with, but seeing dozens of bloodless brains spill out in a mushy heap was definitely nauseating for a normal person.
"T-Those are brains, right...? Why did you take them out...?"
"I figured eating too many brains would be bad for me. Even in that fight just now... I felt like I was starting to think like an Orc for some reason."
It’s one thing to be frustrated if a fight isn't progressing, but there’s no reason to wreck my own body just to make headway. Even if I can negate the loss thanks to my skills.
"Good work. You look tired."
"I have a few things to think about. Let's head back to the surface."
"Ah, right. Let's go, quickly."
* * *
Rubica said she planned to stay at the Winking Kobold Inn for a while. Unlike Rubica, who was a full-time explorer, our party only entered the Labyrinth when Theodora had free time. I asked if that arrangement was okay with her.
"It doesn't matter. Combustion Acceleration is a skill that produces great power if you eat a lot; it's not a skill that kills you if you don't."
Surprisingly, she said Combustion Acceleration was a skill that allowed one to survive on the food intake of an average person. She said she usually ate like a normal person to save money and spent her time leisurely reading books.
"Understood. Then I'll contact you when the schedule for the next Labyrinth dive is set."
"I'll be waiting."
After returning to the surface and disbanding, I was about to head back to my inn when Theodora caught me.
"Aven. Are you really okay?"
"Yeah, why?"
"You're acting a bit strange. Are you sure eating those Orc brains didn't cause a real problem?"
"No way. Besides, I already took them all out. I'll be fine."
"Hmm..."
Theodora suddenly stepped closer and buried her nose in the crook of my neck, sniffing me.
"Theodora... why are you sniffing me?"
"I have my reasons! It doesn't seem like you're lying, but... hmmm."
She circled around me, looking me up and down, before poking something she’d discovered at my waist.
"This... who did you get this from?"
"Ah, this is..."
It was the scent pouch I’d received from Sera. It was just some fragrant flowers wrapped in cloth. Was that why she kept sniffing me?
"Someone from the inn I'm staying at gave it to me."
"A woman?"
"Well, yes."
"Hmph!"
Theodora crossed her arms and looked at me with narrowed eyes.
"Do you have time?"
"Uh... why?"
"Let's eat. You don't want to?"
"I'd love to. But I'm not really in the mood for an expensive place like last time."
"You mean you want to eat something light?"
The sky had already grown dark. Theodora, having exited the Labyrinth Portal toward the northwest, led me somewhere. She was trying hard not to show it, but her ears were drooping slightly.
I guess something put her in a bad mood.
Of course, that was merely the speculation of Yoo Eon, who remained blissfully unaware of the romantic significance behind a gift like a chamomile-filled scent pouch.