Chapter 10: Alraune.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 10: Alraune.
I watched Jung Hayeon as she transformed into an Alraune. The change had begun the moment she entered the tent. In an instant, her body began to creak and contort as she underwent an evolution, the kind only monsters should experience. For a moment, I raised my sword, wary of her, but soon found myself staring blankly at the flower petals sprouting from her lower body.
The ‘Alraune,’ classified as a rare monster even out on the continent.
Their individual combat strength isn't high, but they possess a degree of intelligence and magical ability, making them incredibly tricky opponents. In particular, they release pheromones with an aphrodisiac effect that works on both men and women, so even skilled adventurers are reluctant to face them.
‘What is this...’
A human turning into a monster... I'd never seen or heard of such a thing, not even in my past life. Of course, I also started as a goblin, but my case and this one were obviously different.
In my case, my body was simply swapped after I died. But Jung Hayeon, now changing into an Alraune, was a human truly being transformed into a ‘monster’.
‘Was something like this even possible?’
I couldn't help but be bewildered. Jung Hayeon's pale skin slowly began to take on a greenish hue.
“Aaaaaargh!”
As if in agony, she hugged herself with both arms and struggled, a sight that was strangely erotic. Finally, her evolution complete, Jung Hayeon slowly opened her eyes and looked at me.
“A-Are we... really... on the same side... now?”
It seemed she had chosen to abandon her humanity solely to survive. In truth, the existence of a monster that could understand human speech could be fatal to the humans on the continent, so I had already decided to ‘deal with’ Jung Hayeon to some extent before the 100 days were up.
She must have sensed my intentions and made the choice herself. Looking at Jung Hayeon, who stared at me with trembling eyes, I spoke quietly.
“Yes.”
Jung Hayeon's face instantly brightened.
To confirm that she had truly become an Alraune, I had to perform a few tests.
After speaking, I pulled her straight into my arms.
“Wh-What are you...”
She was startled but didn't refuse my touch. Considering her obsession with life was strong enough to turn her into a monster just to survive, it was only natural she wouldn't resist. However, that wasn't my objective.
Before her torso, the petals attached to her lower body brushed against mine. It was certainly impossible to kiss the small Jung Hayeon with an Orc's fanged mouth.
I immediately began to rub her waist with my hand. Her clothes had already been torn away by the evolution, so her large breasts came right into view.
With my large hand, I grasped her breast and slowly began to move.
“Ha... ah... ahh... Y-You... have a peculiar taste... don't you...”
She must have found it suspicious that I hadn't touched her when she was human, but was doing so now that she'd become a monster.
She seemed to be mistaken, thinking I was the type who could only get aroused by monsters, but I didn't care about such things.
Alraunes are fundamentally more sensitive than humans. It wasn't even enough to be called foreplay, but her body was already so aroused that she spread her legs and began to part her petals on her own.
Instinct, probably. If I had been caught by a high-level Alraune, I would have been dead by now, but unfortunately, the current Jung Hayeon could barely be called an Alraune. I could tell by the way her flower hadn't fully bloomed and was still a bud.
I didn't really need to go this far, but seeing a female body for the first time in a while, I too became slightly aroused and bit down on her breast.
“Mmph.”
It seemed she had forcibly covered her mouth to stifle a scream. As I began to suck hard on her nipple, I felt her body flinch and her back arch.
“Ah...”
Jung Hayeon looked at me as if expecting something and began to wrap her legs around my waist. My own breathing began to quicken, growing rougher. I could feel the Alraune's unique pheromones building up inside my body.
If this continued, I felt I would lose my reason as well. I gently pushed Jung Hayeon away and stroked her groin once.
“Ugh...”
Jung Hayeon's body twitched and trembled. As expected, a sticky liquid came away on my hand. I brought the unidentified liquid to my lips and tasted sweetness on the tip of my tongue. A strong fragrance, enough to make me lose my mind, wafted from it. I had only touched it to the tip of my tongue, but the flavor filled my entire mouth.
‘It's confirmed.’
The honey an Alraune produces when aroused. As they were a rare species, it was a delicacy that only the upper class could afford even out on the continent. It seemed certain that not just her appearance, but her entire being had changed.
I slowly left the blushing Jung Hayeon and began to get up.
“Eh?... Huh??”
Jung Hayeon's face, lying on the floor, twisted into a look of utter confusion, but I had to stop myself as I'd been sensing a presence running this way for a while. Looking at Jung Hayeon, who was staring at me blankly, I spoke.
“Tell me if you get hungry.”
“Y-Yes!”
She probably thinks it's just a polite courtesy for now, but as time passes, she'll come to understand what I meant.
And so, I finished preparing to greet the visitor who was coming this way. The perception that Orcs were dull-witted was widespread, but looking at my case, it didn't seem to be entirely true. The sound of footsteps heading this way was growing clearer. Judging by the light, skipping pace, it was most likely Mev.
“Chieftain!!”
Mev burst through the entrance without permission. But something was different. Although the voice was clearly Mev's, the one who flung open the entrance with a joyful expression was clearly a different species. Pale white skin, pointed ears, and fairy wings on her back.
‘A Fairy.’
I felt like I'd seen one of them in the Goff Clan evolve into an Orc Archer. It seemed that even if you chose the archer class, the species you could evolve into changed depending on your behavior patterns. I slowly took another look at Mev.
I'd heard she was the greatest beauty among the goblins, but seeing her in the body of a Fairy was a different experience altogether. She was slightly smaller than a Hobgoblin. Her sharp nose, large eyes, and lips were all incredibly dainty.
After entering, Mev began to stare around the inside of the tent in disbelief. She was probably looking at Jung Hayeon. Jung Hayeon, having completed her evolution into a monster, would be a surprising sight even for Mev. But Mev's expression was strange.
She was staring intently at Jung Hayeon, who was lying on the floor with her legs spread. But rather than focusing on her posture, she seemed to be looking at her transformed ‘green’ skin.
And then, she began to tear up. Fat tears started to stream from her large eyes.
“Wh-What is this... I'm completely ruined. Completely... Give me back my green skin!! My green skin!!”
With those words, Mev vanished back to her own tent like an arrow. I watched her retreating back with a dumbfounded expression.
As expected, I could also hear the surrounding goblins murmuring.
“Kireuk... Mev has become a total hag. Kireuk...”
“The goddess of goblins is no more. Kireuk.”
For a while, the sound of Mev's crying echoed through the Blood Dagger Clan's camp, but I had no choice but to pretend I didn't notice. It seemed she had evolved into a Fairy due to a ridiculous misunderstanding about my 'peculiar tastes,' but the choice itself wasn't bad.
In fact, it was even better, as it opened up the path for her to become a Magic Archer. I decided I would tell her sometime when I had the chance that my peculiar taste was actually for flesh-toned skin, not green, and for now, I decided to go to sleep with Jung Hayeon.
*
And from the next day on, our settlement began to achieve better results. To be precise, our hunting efficiency started to rise. Mev, having evolved into a Fairy Archer, was one reason, but the abilities of Jung Hayeon, our moving taunt totem, were truly the highlight.
But I could feel it. Now that I had reached the level of an Orc Warrior, hunting ordinary mobs was no longer helpful. No matter how much I hunted, I didn't feel my experience points increasing at all.
For someone like Jung Hayeon, who had just evolved into an Alraune, it still seemed to be effective, but for Goff of the Goff Clan, myself, and Mev, our growth seemed to have stopped completely.
Naturally, I couldn't help but feel anxious.
I was by no means talented. If I had been, I wouldn't have lived such a miserable life.
For now, I was managing to cover for it with my ten years of experience, but it probably wouldn't be long before Goff, who was growing by leaps and bounds right beside me, caught up. The one fortunate thing about becoming a monster was, of course, the ‘racial stats.’
Before truly talented individuals, race becomes meaningless, but even so, things like muscular strength and kinetic vision that surpass human physical abilities are hard to obtain no matter how much you train.
The point was, I had to evolve constantly before I hit my limit.
Thanks to this, I found myself clutching my aching head at a meeting with the Goff Clan and those who could be called the executives of our settlement.
“Urgh...”
“What is it, Chieftain?”
“I don't think hunting humans is meaningful anymore.”
At my words, Mev twisted a lock of her now-silver short hair and spoke.
“True... We already have more than enough food, and I can understand what you're thinking, Chieftain... Plus, a lot of gobs have been wanting to join our clan lately... Are you saying you want to rest a bit?”
Lately, her attachment to the Blood Dagger Clan had grown so strong that she now called it ‘our’ clan. It seemed my previous confession about having 'peculiar tastes' had been effective. However, she didn't seem to understand the meaning of my words at all. She was smart for a goblin, but it seemed she had zero talent in this area.
As I let out a soft sigh, Goff, who was eating at the same table, spoke to me.
“You desire an honorable battle... Kireuk...”
“I'll give you half credit for that.”
“Kireuk... There are still some goblins who call the Blood Dagger Clan a cowardly tribe that knows no honor, but I know for certain.”
I don't know what he knows, but I certainly don't know honor.
“That the recent battles are not to your satisfaction. Indeed, the humans around here are pathetically weak. If it weren't for that plant woman, we wouldn't even be able to enjoy battles like these. I, too, feel like my body is getting stiff these days...”
“........”
Our goals are different, but our desires are the same. A bigger fight. I nodded at Goff's words.
“There are no more worthy opponents in this forest. The goblins, too, are all worthless creatures not worth bringing into the tribe. I formally request that we move our settlement.”
“I... I accept.”
“I agree. Kirik!”