Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: A Fiery Night
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Gregor, the lizardgirl warrior who had just passed her twentieth year, brimmed with the confidence of a true fighter.
Even before arriving in Labyrinth City, there hadn't been a single tribe member worthy of following her.
And that hadn't changed much since coming to the city.
Reaching the third floor of the Labyrinth just two months after entry.
It wasn't an unprecedented record, but it was still impressive enough to rank in the upper tiers.
Thanks to that, several clans had already extended invitations. They'd spotted her talent early on.
A rosy future lay ahead—a path lined with nothing but glory.
Then one day, in a tavern, Gregor encountered her fated opponent.
Massive pecs ready to burst, bulging biceps, thick triceps sculpted like works of art, dense obliques, and the faint hint of a six-pack peeking from beneath his cloak.
A man who ignited mating instincts across his entire body sat alone in the corner of the inn's tavern.
Even to her, a reptile-kin, his physique screamed compatibility. She couldn't even imagine how humans, elves, or beastkin might see him.
No clue at all.
The sharp-eyed lizardgirl quickly noticed the gazes of the females in the inn slowly turning toward him.
The strong female claims the strong male. And a strong male tastes even better after a fierce battle and forcible conquest.
Recalling the ancient proverb of her lizardfolk, Gregor launched into an aggressive display.
Thus began the arm-wrestling match.
Gregor was overflowing with confidence.
Praised by her village kin as the greatest warrior to come, and now proving herself even in the infamous Labyrinth City.
Her achievements so far filled her with unshakeable self-assurance.
The man before her had the solid, sturdy build of a warrior, but he was still just a male.
If even other females couldn't beat her, how could a male possibly do it?
Overwhelming confidence. Absolute self-belief.
"...Huh?"
That confidence began crumbling the moment the helmeted man gripped her hand.
He was different.
Just from that grip alone, she knew it.
A huge, rock-hard hand covered in thick calluses.
'What the hell...?'
Palms pressed together, fingers interlocking over knuckles, the arm-wrestling stance set.
It wasn't her, the female, taking the lead—it was the male's strength forcing her posture into place.
"What, getting cold feet? You can back out if you're not confident."
The helmeted man smirked, tossing back the exact taunt she'd used on him.
"...Cold feet? Just testing your grip, male."
She shot back the provocation and squeezed his hand tight.
Gulp.
She swallowed without realizing it.
An explorer who'd reached the third floor of the Labyrinth was breaking into a cold sweat over a mere tavern arm-wrestle.
"Are both sides ready?"
A referee of sorts had appeared to confirm their intentions.
The moment they both nodded, he released his hold on their fists.
BAM!!
The match ended in an instant.
The pride of the third-floor great warrior lay shattered.
"Reverse bet jackpot!!"
Nam Sujin, who'd wagered his entire fortune on the upset, cheered and broke into a victory dance.
"Fuck! That's invalid!"
A dissenting voice erupted from the crowd of onlookers who'd gathered like spectators.
"You two rigged it, right?! The result makes no sense!"
"Hey, hey, look at Gregor losing her shit. If that's acting, she should quit exploring and join a theater troupe."
"His technique is seriously advanced."
"Never seen that face in Balerus before. Newbie explorer? Haven't heard any buzz about rookies lately..."
"Why's he wearing a helmet, though?"
"Why do you think? Face is either ugly as sin or totally fucked up—one or the other."
There were other murmurs too, but Nam Sujin tuned them out.
Losers throwing tantrums after losing bets? Nothing new.
What mattered was that he'd cashed in on the reverse bet, turning four silver coins into nine.
Grinning ear to ear, he counted his winnings when a red-faced drunk shoved through the crowd and burst in front of him.
"Money! Fuck, my money! Hand it over! You think I'll accept this scam?!"
From the voice, it was the same guy who'd been bitching earlier.
Indeed, alcohol's power was mighty—it gave one fool the courage to stand tall while everyone else stayed quiet.
"That idiot went and did it."
"Ballsy. Who does he think he is...?"
"Even the boss won't go easy just 'cause he's a guy..."
Ignoring the whispers around him, he flashed a friendly smile at the staggering drunk.
"What if you don't accept it? If you'd won, would you be throwing a fit in front of me like this? Nah, you'd buy more drinks with your pocket change. Look at everyone else—they accepted the result and moved on. If you're drunk, don't spew nonsense; just crash quietly."
Maybe the helmet hid his kind smile, or perhaps the warm advice touched him.
The man's face flushed purple with rage. Drunk head or not, his ears were working fine.
"You fucking—!"
"Hold it."
Hiss...
A single word cut through the tense standoff as the man raised his fist, and the inn's temperature plummeted.
Not figuratively—the air genuinely grew colder.
Skin prickled, breath fogged. The sudden chill made it feel like frostbite was setting in.
"No one-sided brawls in my inn."
Clack. Clack.
In the deathly silent tavern, only one person moved.
Diana approached with echoing footsteps, her slit eyes cracking open as she placed a hand on the drunk's shoulder.
"Got it?"
"Y-yes..."
The drunk paled as if sobriety had hit him like a truck, nodding frantically without a word.
"Hee hee. Good boy. Glad you understand."
The inn's chill gradually thawed back to normal. Diana's eyes drifted shut again.
The drunk bolted out like a scared rabbit, and the onlookers burst into laughter, resuming their merry drinking as if nothing had happened.
"Kahaha! Look at him hightail it! Should've picked somewhere else to act tough!"
"What a show tonight—Gregor's epic arm-wrestle flop and that glimpse of Diana's power! Whew!"
Some of the tougher-looking patrons said things like that.
A glimpse of Diana's power.
Yeah, she hadn't even flinched when he'd aimed an axe at her during their first meeting.
He'd thought she was no ordinary woman back then, but the crowd's reaction suggested she was something more.
"You alright? Looks like a lot happened while I was fetching water."
"Nothing major."
"Good to hear... Oh, here's your water."
Diana poured him a cup. He lifted his helmet just enough to drink, then sipped carefully while pondering.
'Should I... take a peek?'
Right before arm-wrestling Gregor, staring at her had brought up her status window.
The status window worked on others too, not just him.
Diana was right there, so he quietly focused on her and called it up.
He was curious. Just how strong was she to freeze the room with a word?
He expected a ding! like with Gregor, followed by her info.
But a different message appeared.
Di■■ Ordi■ lv.7■
■■ Dia■ holds ■■ Bles■■ Curse: 6
"Pfft!!"
"Kyaa?!"
I spat out the water in shock at the status window's contents—right onto Diana of all people.
"Cough, hack, hack...! S-sorry!"
"......"
Diana stared down at her gray dress, now soaked and clinging.
The already form-fitting front turned sheer, revealing the embroidery straining to contain her ample bosom and even her soft navel.
Witnessing the dizzying sight, my mind blanked, leading to an utterly brainless decision.
I grabbed a nearby towel, wrapped it around my hand, and pressed it firmly against her chest, rubbing away.
At first, it was just 'Gotta wipe the water first.' But only after contact did 'Wait, this is dangerous.' hit me.
Too late.
The rough towel and the thick, callused fingers beneath bore down on her sensitized, water-slicked breasts.
"Nnghhuuut?!"
Diana, who'd been dazed from the splash, jolted fully awake from the sudden intense stimulation, her body shivering violently.
Her slit eyes cracked open slightly.
It was a massive tremor. My hand on her breast quivered from it.
Caught off guard by the unfamiliar shake, my grip tightened instinctively, squeezing harder.
Something firm slipped between the soft mounds. My thumb dipped in and twisted it firmly.
"Hooook?!"
This time, it wasn't a weak quiver—her whole body convulsed explosively.
Her half-lidded pupils dilated fully, her beautiful amber eyes trembling.
Immediately after, Diana's waist and legs buckled as if all strength fled, and she collapsed onto the chair like she'd been toppled.
"Huu, ha, huuu..."
"D-Diana? You okay?"
As I reached cautiously to support her—face and neck flushed, breathing ragged—she slapped my hand away.
Slap!
She crossed her arms over her heaving chest peaks and bowed her head.
"Huu, ha... S-sorry...? I-I'm suddenly not feeling well. Time to close up shop...! Y-you head upstairs and rest...!"
Diana blurted it out and fled toward the kitchen like her life depended on it.
I stared blankly after her before slumping into my chair.
Considering the filtering, that put her in the 70s. First digit a solid 7.
Way stronger than me, and I'd just committed a colossal blunder.
Still, no regrets, honestly.
The inn's crowd had long since ebbed away like a receding tide after witnessing Diana get splashed by Nam Sujin.
But two remained.
One was Nam Sujin. The other, Gregor.
Her mentality shattered from the humiliation of trying to impress a male only to get utterly crushed by one, Gregor muttered softly after front-row seats to the fiasco.
"Just fuck already..."