Build-Up: Growth Required!

I rode back into Galewarz. I'd only been gone a short while, but somehow it felt like coming home after a long time away.

First thing I did was find Renata and share everything I'd picked up. I'd only skimmed them, sure, but the intel from those ancient texts was no joke.

"Good lord…"

Renata let out a short sigh once she'd gone through it all, her brow knitting as if the implications made her dizzy.

"So the cult leader's true identity really is…"

"I'm planning to launch an operation this time to pin down the decisive evidence."

"Do you really need to go that far?"

"There's an inspector nearby. Once things kick off, there's no telling what kind of obstruction he'll throw at me."

If Calsas decided to hand me full authority over what I was about to do, that would be a different story. But honestly? I don't trust bureaucrats. You've got to know what's worth believing.

"You're throwing yourself into danger again."

"It's for you, Mama Renata."

She knew exactly why I was going this far. The connection between the sickly young master Jaun and Kahloom — and the fact that Those Who Recite Sins were the ones circulating it. Her face flushed, but she nodded.

"What can I do to help?"

"Nothing. You could send private soldiers, but that risks blowing up into a territorial dispute."

If a war between territories broke out, the political situation would spiral even further into chaos. From what I remembered, this was around the time the Empire was getting hammered by foreign tribes and monsters. A civil war on top of that? The whole country could start coming apart. Better to keep doing things the way I was doing them now.

Renata took my hand, looking apologetic. She was so warm.

"I'm not much help at all, am I? And I… I really do care about you."

"Nngh, Mama Renata. Mwah."

"Mmnh… mph♥"

I stole a kiss and groped her chest. Those plump, generous breasts surged against my palms, almost too much to hold. Her breathing grew ragged, and Mama Renata's tongue pushed deeper — hot and sticky, just like always.

"Just existing is help enough, Mama Renata. The curviest, lewdest mama in the whole world…"

"Hahht♥ You're such a dog, I swear…♥"

Mama Renata smiled at me through half-lidded eyes. God, I wanted to pin her down right then and there. But I had work to do. Something that had to come first.

"Mm. Right."

Renata snapped back into serious mode, looking every bit the capable company executive.

"I'll compile the information properly."

"Yes. If the inspector comes around later asking questions, just shove all of this in his face. I'll be going, then."

"When will you be back?"

"If I get lucky, I might even drop by again later today."

I left wearing a sly fox's grin — not the cute vixen kind, the bastard kind. On my way out I snuck a glance back at Renata. She flinched, as if a jolt had run straight through her lower belly, and ducked her head.

Alright. Time to do my job.

I thought about stopping by the house, then decided against it and headed straight out of the territory. Stopping home first would feel too much like I was marching off to die.

I started hunting down the hidden pieces around Galewarz. The goal was to get my hands on Noble-grade items. Two places I needed to clear.

I blitzed through one dungeon first and picked up the item.

For anyone suffering through their nights, this thing would be worth more than the First Emperor's elixir of immortality. But I didn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠need it.

Every last option is pathetic. Infinite Virility? I was born with that. Aphrodisiac Semen? You're supposed to win a woman over with your heart, not your cum. I'm not some virgin shut-in.

The remaining one was the problem. One spot had an easy item with a great effect. The other had a hard item with a merely decent one.

I've got just a tiny bit of time to spare. So let's hit the hard one.

I mounted Lin in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a hurry and crossed several ridgelines. It would have been a slog before, but Lin had been growing right alongside me, so mountain-hopping was a joke now.

Eventually I arrived at a spot buried in a forgotten corner of the mountains. If my memory was right, it should be right here.

A low, resonant hum rolled out. The scenery around me warped the moment I approached, and a dungeon entrance revealed itself at once. Geographically, we were roughly halfway between Galewarz and Weaverpool.

The dungeon info popped up.

Keep in mind the Named mob might be different from last time.

I went in. Combat started the second I stepped through the door. That's the problem with tower-type dungeons — the simpler the floor layout, the less room you have for stealth assassinations.

"A human! A human!"

"Intruder!"

"Awooooooo!"

Gnolls and wild wolves. Neither was anything to worry about if you used the terrain.

The first floor was nothing but a wide-open lot with a handful of sculptures standing around. I drew my sword and charged. A wild wolf — bigger than a regular wolf, hide a lot tougher — leaped at me in a single bound. I ignored it and drove straight through.

The first floor greeted me with a handful of wild wolves and a whole lot of gnolls. The gnolls were trying to exploit the openings the wolves created to take me apart.

"Hahzat!"

I spun a full circle with my sword still in hand. The bamboo spears the gnolls had thrust out were sheared clean through. Another spin, and I took their heads.

"Perverted Hero Lashu — let the blade dance begin!"

I wrecked every monster I laid eyes on. The moment I sensed even a hint of coordinated movement, I ducked behind a sculpture or floated up and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ran hit-and-run tactics. That was enough to wipe them all out. Ugh, the animal stink.

I'd dropped close to twenty gnolls, and the title showed up. Titles are always welcome! I upgraded it on the spot.

I headed up to the second floor. Same problem — I was completely exposed the moment I arrived.

A handful of gnolls with crossbows. A whole pack of wild wolves.

This one was a little trickier. The wolves were already charging, drool flying. They were fast to begin with, their attacks caused bleeding, and if you were unlucky you could catch rabies.

And the second I show an opening — or rather, to force me into showing one — the gnolls start loosing bolts.

What a shitty combo. But who am I? A Hero, that's who. Thanks to my titles, my Technique had already broken a hundred a long time ago.

A sharp whistle of air — then a heavy rush of wind. I locked into a speed contest with the wolves at a transcendent pace. I ran full-out and the wolves came right after me. Mid-sprint I kicked off a nearby wall and launched myself somewhere else. The wolves skidded, whipping their heads around toward me in a panic — and in that exact instant.

A rush of air, then a rapid-fire thwip-thwip-thwip! Crossbow bolts streaked in, trying to pin down my movement. I swatted every last one aside with my sword and triggered my coat's effect.

The moment I tried to take flight, the gnolls pulled something out.

"Throw it at the human!"

"Keeeee, die! Half-goblin!"

Fuck off, who are you calling a half-goblin?

What they threw were grenades. Crude ones, sure. But if I took those hits while I was completely exposed in the air, I was going to fall. And if I fell, the wolves would pile on.

A do-or-die moment. I pulled a trick out of nowhere and dodged the incoming grenades, stomping off a nearby pillar and ricocheting somewhere else.

Boom. Ba-boom. Shink-shink-shink!

Iron shrapnel sprayed in every direction. I watched it friendly-fire the wolves instead. I used that opening to duck behind a sculpture. The monsters immediately lost their heads.

"What the— where's the human?!"

"Find the half-goblin!"

"Woof woof, awooooo!"

I sprinted in that gap, pouring everything I had into a run toward the loft where the gnolls were perched. Nobody noticed me the entire way. Why? The title, obviously. Bunch of idiots.

I slipped into the shadows, closed the distance, and picked them off one by one.

A wet thrust. A clean slice.

Once I'd finished off every last gnoll marksman, the wolves finally looked up and howled at me. I used the coat to stay airborne. Not particularly fast — I was deliberately trying to wear the wolves down.

"I'm over here! Hey! Awoooo!"

The second I taunted them, the wolves came at me with terrifying leaping power. Of course I made sure to drift just out of reach, then floated a little higher. I knew exactly how those things jumped, thank you very much.

I kept at it until I'd drained them dry. Before long the wolves were too exhausted to even howl, tongues lolling as they stared up at me. That was when I landed and cleaned them up with no trouble at all. Another title dropped.

Canine lifeforms — pretty broad category. This would come in handy. Upgrade time!

Look at that. I'd become a wolf specialist in my own right. Two brand-new titles — I was in a pretty good mood.

But where the hell was the Named?

I tore through the entire second floor and couldn't find anything resembling a hidden door. There was a door at the far end, but when I checked it, it was just a bedroom.

What the hell? Sometimes the Named mob is stashed in some hidden spot, and plenty of newbies wander ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠around until they just give up…

No good. Time to play the Goddess card.

"Goddess! A little help!"

I'd come all the way back down to the first floor, thought it over, and that was the conclusion I landed on. The Goddess's voice rang out, sounding delighted.

"This apostle is so incompetent, sob sob. Please forgive me!"

The Goddess was tossing out dirty lines like it was nothing these days. She exerted her power at once. One spot suddenly stood out — it looked like an entrance leading underground.

"Thank you so much, Goddess! Nngh."

I headed down. A fairly spacious cavern opened up below. Lanterns glowed here and there, and someone was standing stock-still at the center of it all.

A red mohawk that hung all the way to his waist. A lean, wiry build covered in tattoos. And inverted eyes like a demon's. He was staring up at the ceiling, and he spoke with grave solemnity.

"So. You have reached This One, human."

I looked him over carefully — then snorted. This little shit was hilarious.

"The hell are you posing for?"

"This One is the Heavenly Demon."

"I just came looking because you were hiding down here, you bastard."

"How foolish. To throw away your life for a single heavenly treasure."

"No, seriously, why are you posing so hard?"

"Do not act rashly. Do you fancy yourself special? The path of cultivation is one where thousands — tens of thousands — vanish like dust every single day."

"Oh, is that right? And who's making them vanish?"

"This One, of course."

I was speechless. The funniest thing about this bastard was— no. No, wait.

"…Don't talk like you're so strong. It just makes you look weak."

I walked toward him. That's right. He was a goblin. A bit tall for a goblin, sure. But a goblin was a goblin. And he was striking that ridiculous pose anyway.

"You intend to… reach This One?"

"Enough. Kneel."

"How foolish. In a single instant, it will be ov—"

Thud.

In a single instant, the self-proclaimed Heavenly Demon goblin dropped to his knees.

"Heavenly Demon or whatever the hell you are… as long as you're a goblin, you can't lay a finger on me."

"H-how? Why?!"

"Because I've got the Goblin Aura title, that's why. Full prostration. Now."

Flop.

The Goblin Heavenly Demon immediately pressed himself flat in a full bow. I cracked him across the skull with the flat of my blade.

"Gahk!"

I clicked my tongue, looking down at him as he crumpled.

"Heavenly Demon goblin, my ass. Hey, you getting up or what? Attention! Attention!"

"Y-yes, sir…!"

"Forget it. You've got an item on you, right? Hand it over. Let's settle this peacefully. How about it?"

The goblin hesitated. In this situation? He was actually hesitating?

"Th-this is my cherished heavenly treas—"

"Are you done with the shitty Heavenly Demon bit? What's your name?"

"Drom Heavensmile…"

"For fuck's sake, that name is a million light-years from 'Heavenly Demon.' Isn't that more of an orc name?"

I was so baffled I called him on it, and the goblin shot back like he was filing a complaint.

"No, we goblins are more intellectual than orcs, you know?"

"Intellectual, my ass. Hack!"

"Eek… I-I'll give it to you!"

The second I looked like I was about to hit him, he handed over the item all on his own. What a ridiculous little bastard.

I'd finally met every condition. The level, and three Noble-grade items.

The moment I gathered them all together, they burst into light and wrapped around my entire body. And at last—

I'd reached the early stage of Expert. The light that had been blazing so brilliantly unfurled in every direction like a river of stars.

Objective complete.

To celebrate… maybe I should go see Renata?