Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: The Cherished Dildo Carried Another Woman's Scent (3)
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Explorer's Union top floor.
Ethelbert's training room echoed with ragged breaths.
“Hah... huuh...”
Collapsed on the floor, he fought to control his breathing. Not a finger could twitch.
Sweat poured like rain. His clothes were utterly soaked, and his helmet brimmed with moisture.
Glancing at his right arm, he saw the gravity control artifact fitted snugly.
A tool he usually saved for the final track sprints at the end of training— this time, he'd worn it from the very start of their spar.
Squish!
“Ugh...!”
The sensation of a firm buttock yielding under a soft yet toned foot.
A slight turn of the head revealed a sleek, light brown leg stretching taut.
As the leg shifted, the pressure on his butt grew even stronger.
Turning further, he saw a smooth, sockless sole grinding down his dignity and pride.
“Wh-where exactly are you stepping?”
He couldn't yell like he would at street thugs, so he asked softly. Her response was a spectacle.
“Seeing you sprawled out slacking off, I just couldn't stand it. Was all that talk about wanting to get stronger just a lie? Huh? How long are you planning to lie there resting? Your ambitions reach the heavens, but your drive is utterly pathetic~.”
“Kuuh...!”
A hot surge of emotion welled in his chest.
He couldn't just lie there after that.
'Time to school her. Today, I'll pay back every humiliation.'
Tensing his body fiercely, he overcame the crushing gravity and shot to his feet.
The foot lifted from his butt.
No axe on hand, so he raised fists instead.
Guard up to shield his head.
“Here I go.”
“Yes!”
His short shout, and Ethelbert's form vanished.
Combat basics: nine times out of ten, behind—
“Not behind, the side— ”
But he'd anticipated it.
Daily spars had honed his instincts against her.
Chin!
Her crisp punch grazed his guard.
“Hoo.”
A satisfied smile bloomed on Ethelbert's face amid a brief exclamation.
But he couldn't smile.
'Didn't block perfectly!'
The gravity artifact dulled his movements more than expected. In the end...
Clang!
Ethelbert's fist pierced his guard.
Hand met helmet with a steel-ringing clash. His vision shook like an earthquake.
Legs buckling, he gritted his teeth, spread his arms slightly, lowered his stance, and hurled his body left to evade her tackle attempt.
The moment he thought he'd dodged clean...
Sssslip—!
“This one's new, right?”
Something soft yet firm coiled tightly around his abdomen.
He knew its identity at once.
“Tail?!”
Ethelbert's vicious, whip-like tail, swaying menacingly. It had wrapped his belly.
“Green, disciple. In battle, account for racial traits.”
Her tail effortlessly hoisted his hefty frame. Destination: her embrace.
Thud!
Like a claw machine dumping a prize at the chute, her black cat tail slammed him back-first atop her body.
“Hup...”
A sharp exhale from Ethelbert as the weight of an adult male crashed onto her.
Squuuuish!
She swiftly coiled her limbs around his, binding him with expert precision.
The plush give of hefty breasts squishing under his back's weight registered near his spine.
Her sleek limbs clamped down like a vice, refusing to let go.
“Ku, uuugh...!”
He twisted wildly to break free.
“Hup, huu, eut...!”
Dynamic back arches smeared her breasts every which way with his movements.
“N-not that... huup, easy... to esca, huuun... noo... way...!”
The more he struggled, the tighter her hold grew.
He couldn't just take it lying down, ramping up his frantic writhing.
Breaths grew ragged. Body heated up.
Sweat drenched them naturally.
Unwittingly grinding fiercely against Ethelbert, they slathered each other in sticky sweat.
“Kut, eup...!”
Then, amid pressing her soft breast, a hard nub prodded his waist.
At the same instant, Ethelbert abruptly released her hold.
Before he could savor freedom, he lunged for a counter.
Squish!
But her quicker reaction pinned him once more.
“Kek!”
A plush, toned thigh naturally snared his neck.
'It's over.'
Defeat sank in. Trapped in Ethelbert's plush thigh prison.
Not once had he escaped it in all their spars.
Squuuuush!
The thigh vise tightened gradually, suffocation setting in.
Ethelbert's fingers sealed his helmet's eye slits, pressing firm.
The helmet's rear pressed into something soft. Angle-wise... her y-zone.
Thick labial folds.
The helmet's back crushed into Ethelbert's there.
Not his doing. Her hands locked his head; no turning possible.
Feeling the toasty warmth transmit through the helmet, he glanced down to bronze thighs encircling his neck.
Squuuuuuuush—!
'Ah, this is really dangerous now...'
The throat-strangling thighs clamped harder. Consciousness blurred.
Slap! Slap! Smack!
He urgently smacked her thigh thrice.
Yet Ethelbert, fixated on something, ignored the tap-out.
“Gurk...”
Thus, locked in the plush toned thigh prison, he blacked out.
Still, he'd held his own this time.
***
Familiar breasts.
Pitch darkness, no light.
Black leotard-clad breasts blocked his helmet's view.
“Awake, disciple?”
“...Why didn't you let go?”
Dazed atop her lap, he asked.
“Ahem. Well, no reason. Hm. Spars should mimic real combat, right? Black out in that scenario, and life's done. Wanted to instill endurance for any bind.”
A brief throat-clear, then Ethelbert unloaded plausible excuses with a straight face.
“...I see.”
“Yeah.”
She nodded as if obvious.
“Or do you think your sky-high master taught weird stuff for selfish gain?”
Yes.
“...No, ma'am.”
“Hmph. Good. Chug this first and get up. Training's just—”
She drew a potion from her waist mid-sentence.
Ting! Clink—
A coin tumbled from her waist.
'That coin from before?'
String-bound coin.
The one she'd chattered about with Professor Arpo—illusion magic, hypnosis tool vibes—hit the floor.
Instinctively reaching for the rolling coin, Ethelbert snatched it faster.
Pocketed it, offered the potion casually.
“Drink up nice and quiet.”
But his curiosity had latched onto the coin.
“What's that coin thing? You were talking about it with Professor Arpo earlier.”
“Too early for you.”
He puzzled internally. Too early?
“Some precious relic or artifact?”
“Yeah.”
“Ooh.”
If Ethelbert called it precious, it was.
Interest dropped.
“Hm... no, wait. On second thought, no issue...”
Now she stroked her chin, muttering.
“Disciple. Among foes you've fought, strongest opponent?”
“Strongest, you say?”
“Yeah. Labyrinth or outside, human or beast—doesn't matter.”
“Obviously you, master.”
Duh? She stared blankly a beat.
“...Ahem!”
Sudden loud throat-clear.
“Sly pup gilding your master's face. But excluding me or Diana—among those you've directly clashed with.”
Not gilding, chiding the thigh-choke, but she took it well.
Sighing, he calmly recalled.
'Strongest I've faced...'
Humans: Gourmimi, Blaz exec captured last time.
Beasts: that recent abomination.
'Both from last labyrinth run? Rotten luck. Fuck.'
Quiet curse, then answered.
“Humans: one outlaw bitch from Blaz. Beasts: this creepy fucker on 5th floor recently.”
“...5th floor encounter?”
Her eyes narrowed.
“Details.”
He briefed Ethelbert on 5th floor: black egg, maqi-shrouded horror awakening, ensuing fight.
“...The omen shattered [Gluttony]'s seal, huh. Pain in the ass. She dispatched a temple squad—why keep quiet...”
She pinched her brow like a boss handed late bad news, muttering.
Eerily like Nate Elin's reaction recounting 5th floor.
Ethelbert seemed even more in the know.
'High-up secret? Labyrinth intel?'
“Seal? Gluttony? Meaning?”
Casual query; she incredulously tapped his helmet.
“Drop it, disciple. That's too early knowledge. Ignore this crap, focus growing. Curious? Hit mid-explorer top tier first.”
Helmet-tapping hand shifted to awkward pat.
“Still, good job. Surviving Gluttony—killing it? Beyond your league. Reward's iffy, but as union head, I'll hook you up soon.”
“Uh... th-thanks.”
Dazed by sudden advice-praise barrage.
Ethelbert: usually stoic, gruff, sex-joke fan—but embracing here.
'Breasts that big for a reason.'
Big-titted women innately mam material.
“So. Gluttony toughest you've met?”
Seemed [Gluttony] was that 5th-floor horror.
“Yes. That one.”
“Hm. Might ramp difficulty too high... whatever. Big ordeals yield big growth. Won't die anyway.”
Gazing at string-bound coin, muttering, she met his eyes squarely.
“What even is that thing?”
“Experiencing beats hearing. Look straight at me.”
Straightening to face Ethelbert, she gripped the string, slowly swinging the coin before his eyes.
“Overcome the trial from your memory's remnants in this illusion.”
Watching her chant solemnly, he chuckled inwardly.
“Master. Kids don't fall for that hypnosis gag anymore...”
'...What?'
Consciousness sank.
Overwhelming drowsiness crashed in; vision dimmed.
“The strength you craved. Gut through the evil. Disciple...”
Her smirking face was the last sight before blackout.
***
Feet sodden. Waterlogged feel.
Glanced down: water seeping into greaves.
Strange. No greaves during Ethelbert spar.
Even Diana's gifted leather armor pristine.
Impossible.
“...What the fuck?”
Dazed scan of surroundings.
Unforgettable spot.
Labyrinth 5th floor terminus fountain. He stood atop it.
“Crazy...”
[Kieeeeeeeeek!]
Head whipped to the piercing shriek.
Abhorrent horror.
No— the entity called Gluttony swelled its massive bulk, bellowing.
Rumble rumble rumble!
Simple charge quaked the labyrinth like an earthquake.
Situation clicked.
—Overcome the trial from your memory's remnants in this illusion.
Illusion realm.
Dream, or akin.
Not reality.
Trial embodied that beast.
'Kill it, end the ordeal.'
Horror gaped its maw cavern-wide to devour him.
Inward grin; he gripped waist axe firm.
Handle molded perfectly to palm. Focus sharpened razor-like.
[Kieeeeeeeeek!]
Toward the charging fiend, his axe—cloaked in radiant light—swung viciously.