Chapter 93
Chapter 93
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: Balkan Unit 2, Production and Supply Plan (2)
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"Heheh. Nice. Reforging this one's gonna take a ton of prep."
Units 1, 2, and 3 pressed their fingertips and arm ends together, binding the soulstone tight.
The soulstone trembled like a prisoner surrounded by foes.
"The base material's obviously relic alloy, but do we amp up its weapon aspects... or highlight its identity powers...? Heh heh...!"
Zirnier grinned ear to ear as she eyed the soulstone infused with the Gluttony's identity.
She seemed deep in thought about how to reforge the weapon.
"You pros figure it out. I trust you'll handle it perfectly."
"You got it. Leave it to me. I'll make it sleek and tough as hell. Oh, right."
Zirnier spoke with a casual expression.
"Before you go, spit in here for me."
"Pardon?"
My mind blanked out for a second.
What kind of crazy talk was this?
Clatter!
Unit 1 fetched a transparent beaker from somewhere.
"I noticed earlier you wield some unique divine power. That's a sweet blessing. With that level of holy energy, it'll be perfect for controlling this thing too."
At Zirnier's words, the Gluttony's soulstone twitched in the grip of Units 2 and 3.
"What does my spit have to do with it?"
"Someone with that much divine power has traces of it flowing through their bodily fluids too. Mix a bit of your saliva—infused with holy power—into the reforging process, and we can train it into a weapon tailored to your tastes."
Shiver shiver shiver shiver.
The Gluttony's soulstone quaked at the glimpse of its horrifying future.
Trapped by mechanical arms, subjected to drug training.
Forced to be conditioned to my preferences, regardless of its own will—until it can't survive without obeying my commands.
"...That's actually genius."
"Right? Heh heh."
Zirnier's wild idea had me chuckling involuntarily.
We locked eyes and cackled like evil mad scientists plotting away.
Rattle rattle rattle rattle!
The Gluttony's soulstone stared at us, trembling violently.
It looked ready to burst into tears any second.
Serves you right. Why'd you come at me like that?
You could've lived quietly without attacking me, and you'd never have ended up like this.
This is your fate. Serve me now, just as you tormented me before.
I took the beaker from Unit 1.
"Just spit in here?"
"Yeah. As much as you can. Oh, here—booze... no, water."
Unit 2 started pulling out a dwarven liquor flask but switched to a water bottle instead.
I chugged the water in one go and gathered saliva in my mouth.
Slurp—
Zirnier was staring right at me.
Staring like that makes it kinda embarrassing.
Doing this face-to-face felt way too awkward, so I turned around and spat a thick glob into the beaker.
"Hand it to Unit 3 now."
"Got it."
Unit 3 took the slightly warmed beaker from the bottom and dashed over to Zirnier with it.
"Hooh..."
Zirnier gazed at the beaker with a strange look, then gently shook it by the rim.
"Oh..."
Slosh— slosh—
"Wow..."
The viscous fluid sloshed inside like premium liquor.
"P-Please don't shake it while admiring it so much. It's embarrassing."
"Ah. S-Sorry. Heh. Couldn't help it..."
Zirnier flushed red for a split second before quickly hiding behind her mask again.
Her faintly visible blue eyes vanished behind the plain mask once more.
Come to think of it, Zirnier wears a mask too.
Wonder what's her story.
But hey, I wear a helmet all the time, so who was I to judge? I let the thought drop.
"Unit 1, Unit 2. Grab a decent helmet and leather armor from that corner over there."
At Zirnier's command, the mechanical arms whirred into motion.
She inspected the gear they brought, gave it a thorough check, and handed it to me.
"Stuff I made ages ago, but you won't find better on the market. Should hold up fine through at least floor 12."
I dazedly accepted the equipment and examined it.
A great helm optimized for maximum defense.
Light yet sturdy leather armor that covered down to the shoulders.
It didn't glow, so not relic alloy, but the craftsmanship and details were top-notch.
Five gold coins—my entire fortune—wouldn't buy gear like this.
High-end junior explorer or entry-level mid-tier stuff. Even they couldn't snag it easily.
"I can't afford something like this. I'm broke."
"Just take it. I've already been paid."
Zirnier smirked and gently stroked the Gluttony's soulstone.
It shuddered in abject terror.
"Giving me the chance to reforge this thing? That's payment enough."
Not random kindness. Payment for the opportunity I'd handed her.
Turning it down would be rude. And I desperately needed the gear, so it felt reassuring to accept.
"Thank you. I'll put it to good use."
"Good. Swap helmets with that one, leave the busted one here. Repairs'll take time. My hands are shaking just thinking about reforging this bad boy."
Zirnier showed off her blacksmith's hands—scarred from quenching and hammering, thick with calluses, quivering with excitement.
"So, when should I come back?"
"Hmm... A month if it's quick? Could drag longer if it resists hard."
The Gluttony's soulstone growled threateningly.
Zirnier dipped her index finger in the beaker of my saliva and poked the soulstone.
The soulstone went limp, wobbling like jelly before plopping to the floor.
"Hmm. Judging by the effect, a month should do it."
For a moment, Zirnier's gaze lingered on her saliva-coated finger, but she quickly looked away and snatched up the soulstone.
"Anyway..."
Zirnier hesitated, glancing at my helmet before speaking.
"T-To repair the helmet properly, I might need another face mold... N-No! It's not like I have some weird urge to grope a guy's face or anything! Right? It's just for the helmet repair. You get it?!"
Her desperate expression drew a wry smile from me, and I nodded.
She's already done it twice, so whatever.
"Sure. Go ahead whenever."
"...!!"
Better to just rip the band-aid off quick.
I sat naturally in the chair Unit 1 offered and turned around. Then removed my helmet.
Excited breaths came from behind as Zirnier approached.
"...O-Okay then... Hah... I'm touching now...?"
I nodded slightly without looking back. Confirming the motion with the back of my head, Zirnier placed her hands on my face right away.
"Mmph—"
Then she kneaded the hell out of it.
As I climbed out of the underground workshop, feeling the heat from my flushed face—kneaded raw by Zirnier—and the coolness of the helmet now covering it...
"S-Sorry, everyone! As of now, Zirnier's Armory is closed for a month! Thank you for your understanding!"
A staff member's frantic voice rang out.
Word spread that fast, huh.
Zirnier had mentioned going into seclusion for a month to focus on reforging the gear.
"What?! What the hell?!"
"I've been waiting months for her to make me a weapon!"
"Meeeow! Head maid!!! Even if she's a master smith, isn't this straight-up tyranny?!"
"M-Master. Twisting our tails to go elsewhere won't help—the quality's all mid elsewhere. If we want the best gear, we wait here..."
"Meeeooow! Fine!!! Just this once!!!"
"Still, it's weird. I swear some guy went in earlier... Hmm... Could it be?"
Balkan sat on the stairs, waiting it out.
The crowd's complaints, gripes, and suspicions made it too dicey to strut out confidently.
Once the place mostly cleared, he finally left Zirnier's Armory.
Strolling down streets bathed in sunset glow, he arrived at Diana's inn.
"Balkan, you're here?"
Diana, prepping for evening service, greeted him with a soft smile as he opened the door.
The sight warmed a corner of his heart.
"New helmet?"
"Yeah. Sorry I'm late. I'll get ready for dinner service right away."
"Hee hee. No rush. Oh, your room's all cleaned up now. Good to go."
Balkan headed straight upstairs at her words.
To change out of the sweat-soaked clothes from his spar with Edelbert.
The moment he casually opened the door...
Whoosh—
"...?!"
Dense, humid female beastkin pheromones in heat slammed into his nostrils, fogging his brain.
Twitch.
His dick reacted to the sudden assault of arousal pheromones.
The intoxicating heat pheromones he'd inhaled nonstop for two days straight—the complex female scent unique to a virgin milf with kids.
The room should've aired out by now, but the whole place reeked of bitch in heat.
Diana just stayed here briefly to clean, and it's still this potent...?
Unaware that Diana had spent entire days masturbating in his room while he was dungeon-diving, Balkan could only assume as much.
He had no clue she'd sweated buckets scrubbing away her own female pheromone markings—only to soak the room anew with ripened bitch scent.
Short of ripping up every board, there was no erasing Diana's scent from this room now.
"...Hup."
Balkan held his breath and slipped inside. He cracked the windows for ventilation, then bolted out after grabbing his clothes.
Change in there? No way.
Stay over 20 seconds in that, and his dick—bewitched by Diana's pheromones—would go feral beyond control.
Dick-heat pheromone exposure... terrifying.
Even entering felt like mustering the resolve to probe Chernobyl's core.
He shook his head and headed back downstairs.
"Hm? You didn't change?"
Diana tilted her head innocently, drawing a hollow chuckle from him.
Whose fault is that?
"Nah. No decent clothes to switch into anyway. This is my cleanest outfit."
Brushing it off casually, Diana eyed him carefully from head to toe.
"Hmm... With Ellie's graduation coming up, maybe get a suit fitted."
"Suit for graduation?"
"Mhm. The academy's ceremony is pretty fancy."
Diana smiled softly, lost in old memories.
Sure enough, he'd heard the academy had plenty of noble students.
Dress code's fancier than a regular graduation, huh.
He chatted with Diana a bit while prepping for dinner service.
Time to clock back in as a waiter at the Cozy Winter Night inn.
The place filled with guests in a flash.
"Heh heh heh! Five more beers here!"
"Draysee sis, pacing yourself like that already?"
"Life's shit, whaddya gonna do! Can't sleep without booze?!"
Drunken human patrons.
"Doesn't something smell off from... somewhere in this inn?"
"Y-Yeah, been noticing it too. Right now, somewhere in here—a woman marinated in massive cum loads mixed with a guy who blasted thick semen everywhere. The cum's aged so long, the scent won't fade easy."
"G-Good lord. How's a guy exist who unloads that much?"
"T-Too many people! Can't pinpoint the smell!! It's torture! I wanna sniff cum toooo!"
Beastkin guests sniffing the air wildly the moment they entered.
Balkan calmly took orders, served beer and Diana's delicious dishes, and waited tables.
"Sniff sniff. No way...?"
"Guh...! Can't be sure!"
"Th-That guy's the one they call Union Master's disciple lately? Why's he waitering here...?"
Beastkin patrons tilted their heads whenever he got close, but none voiced certainty.
Newbie explorers to Diana's tavern gawked at the skilled waiter Balkan.
"Balkan! We're here!"
Then Joy Hog's party rolled in.
"Whoa! Everyone's here?! One sec!"
Balkan cheerfully greeted the crew—here to settle accounts and party—and showed them to seats.
As he seated them at a freshly cleared table and went for orders...
"Wh-What is this?! This filthy stench...!"
Hitollis, the cat beastkin priest who'd picked up a curse on the last labyrinth run, recoiled and pinched her nose.
"What's up?"
"Smells like nothing to me?"
Dwarf warrior Joy Hog and harpy mage Lamel just cocked their heads.
As the party puzzled over it...
"Sniff sniff. Holy shit."
Cow beastkin swordswoman Jubeol picked up the scent right away.
Squirt!
Thick milk jetted from Jubeol's udders, soaking the table and splattering the party's clothes.
"Kyaeeeeek!!!"
"You fuckin' cow!!! Graaah! Right on arrival, you psycho bitch!"
Ignoring Joy Hog and Lamel's freakouts, Jubeol gave Balkan a thumbs-up.
"Mmm. Smell is good."
Stunned by her unique brand of flirt, Balkan muttered blankly.
"...Crazy. Truly crazy bitch..."
"Krahahat! High praise, thanks! Don't need booze to feel the buzz! Beer here!!!"
The raucous night in the labyrinth city wound down.