Week 2 (3)

Today, as always, the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Crow cried out. Kkweeeek!

I still haven't gotten used to it, so every time I hear those monsters' cries, my shoulders twitch involuntarily.

It was the same this time. That chilling sensation crawling up my spine.

It must've looked like I was totally startled, because Valerie burst out laughing with a "Pfft."

"What is it, Master? Scared by the Crow's cry?"

"Yeah, their cries are just... hard to get used to."

I scratched the back of my head sheepishly as I answered, and her eyes instantly turned to that look you give a cute kid.

"What about Kali?"

"She's still getting ready, I think."

Valerie gave a half-hearted reply to Ray's question from behind.

I turned around, and there she was, immediately catching my eye—still dressed in that utterly shameless outfit.

Her undergarments barely covering the important bits were basically just underwear, topped with a black cloak.

The indescribable embarrassment nearly made me whip my head away, but I barely held back.

If I made a big deal out of it, it'd just embarrass Ray more.

Meanwhile, Valerie... well, she was dressed a lot more comfortably.

Of course, only from her perspective.

Last time, she'd buttoned her jacket up tight to hide the fact she wasn't wearing underwear, but this time she'd loosened up a bit, just draping it over her shoulders.

Thanks to that, I could see she was wearing a crop top inside that boldly exposed her navel.

But in that case, her top is basically underwear too. Doesn't that make the penalty pointless...?

Anyway, the most important thing is wearing what she fights best in.

At least she was less exposed than Ray. ...No panties (presumed).

"I told you both last night to prep as much as you could."

"Yeah, you know how it is. Probably something like 'I can't wear anything~' again."

Ray let out a groan like she understood, then cleared her throat with a fake cough upon hearing Valerie.

It'd only been a few days since they went through it themselves, so of course it'd feel familiar.

I was just chuckling dryly, not thinking much of it anymore, when Valerie suddenly whipped around to me.

"By the way, Master-nim, you're not affected at all?"

"Huh? Oh..."

I reflexively echoed her before realizing what she meant.

They were in this state, while I was fully dressed without issue.

But I had something to say about that too.

"Hmm... Normally, men are affected more strongly by the madness, but it seems the Master is the exception."

"Huh, what a convenient curse."

Even so, she gave me a skeptical look.

I had no proof, so I couldn't blame her for doubting.

Even if I wanted to explain, I didn't know the details of this setting myself.

Plus, this was a mod setting, so it probably had nothing to do with Tombstone anyway.

With nothing else to say, I endured Valerie's piercing gaze when Kali cautiously emerged from the Barracks entrance.

"Oh, finally here."

Valerie teased.

But Kali didn't have the bandwidth to care, her face slightly flushed as she walked over to Ray.

"Ray-ssi, there's a bit of a... problem."

She fidgeted nervously, looking exactly like the two of them had last time.

Ray, aware of it, asked,

"What, can't wear something? ...You look properly dressed from the outside."

It was true. At least at a glance, she was neatly dressed, if a bit plain.

But after hesitating for a long time, Kali timidly pulled something out.

"Th-this..."

"...Restraints?"

The bundle of black enamel leather straps was the same Restraints she'd been bound with yesterday, right?

But we'd definitely cut those yesterday. Well, they looked similar anyway.

Ray took them absentmindedly, her face turning bewildered.

"This might sound weird, but... could you tie me up with these?"

"What."

The line was beyond imagination, leaving my mind in a haze.

Even just overhearing it as a bystander was like this—what must Ray be feeling as the main party?

Ray stared blankly at Kali and the Restraints alternately for a moment before whipping her head toward me.

"M-Master? You handle this."

"Uh... me?"

She was suddenly shoving the hot potato my way.

As I floundered in panic, Kali said with her face beet red,

"I just... feel like I absolutely need to have my body bound with these..."

She trailed off, as if even she found it ridiculous.

I had to agree.

Just yesterday she was spouting intellectual speech, and now not even a trace of it remained...

"Ah, this is it."

At that moment, Valerie—who'd snuck up, apparently intrigued—snatched the bundle from Ray's hand.

She unfolded it this way and that before diagnosing.

"It's Restraints, but the lewd play kind. Different from the ones I cut last time. Hey, Doc, where'd you get these?"

"Huh? Oh... I don't remember."

Kali blinked in slight confusion at Valerie's question, then said dazedly.

"Then this is that damn curse or whatever too. Ridiculous."

Valerie neatly summed it up with a snort, then handed the Restraints to me.

"Here, Master-nim. You're the only one unaffected, so you tie her up."

"What."

Kali's pitiful gaze followed the Restraints straight to me.

Valerie, having passed them off, grinned like she'd found an entertaining show and shoved Kali's back.

"Come on, no time. Just tie it so it doesn't hinder movement."

Ugh, easy for you to say when it's not your problem.

I glanced pleadingly at Ray, but she deliberately avoided my eyes.

She probably didn't want the role either.

No choice. I spread out the bundle like Valerie had.

It looked so obscene that the structure wasn't clicking...

"I know it's embarrassing to ask a man, but... p-please."

Kali stepped forward abruptly and spread her arms.

At this point, screw it—I steeled myself and slowly reached toward her thin clothes.

*

Ray roughly drew her Claymore.

With a seogeok, the bisected Hound corpse dissolved into Ether dust and scattered in the wind.

Gunshots rang out a couple more times right after, and the one behind tumbled with a yelp.

Valerie's shot. Right after taking down two Hounds without a scratch, she blew on the smoking barrel and said,

"Whew, way easier with backup firepower."

The first battle since entering the Labyrinth.

The enemies were on the weak side, sure, but bumping our team from two to three made the combat feel totally different.

That's Tombstone for you. Never tried hardcore two-man starts... well, I did solo clear constraint play, so not exactly.

Anyway, winning without a scratch was definitely encouraging.

"...You two are better than I thought."

Kali looked pretty surprised.

Ray and Valerie's movements seemed lighter than last time—not my imagination.

And she herself looked way more combat-savvy than she appeared.

"Good positioning. You know how to be in the right spots. Kali, lots of combat experience?"

"Thanks, Ray-ssi. Not ideal for a researcher, but I've had to."

Kali shrugged nonchalantly.

...If she weren't trussed up tight in black enamel straps, it'd have been kinda cool.

Of course, I'd tied her carefully to avoid hindering movement, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠but she kept asking for tighter during the process.

The result? Something straight out of an extreme fetish video.

Straps binding her chest top and bottom, running between her legs too—the so-called 'Rope Bondage.'

It was tied so well it looked pro, but I swear it wasn't intentional.

No point saying more; she insisted on it herself.

"...Uh, no issues with movement?"

"Hm? Oh, this..."

At my question, Kali wriggled a bit, then blushed for some reason as she answered.

"Yeah, it's fine. Nice handiwork."

"I doubt that."

For my dignity's sake, it better not be.

My only skill was Tombstone—last thing I needed was "hidden talent for tying up women."

"So, Doc. No need to hunt for that grass? It's everywhere here."

Then Valerie dropped the perfect question.

I'd been wondering too—how do you tell which grass has magic potential or medicinal value?

Kali paused to choose her words, then squatted and yanked up a handful from the ground.

"Here, take a close look at this grass."

"No clue even if I do."

Valerie curtly refused the grass Kali offered.

So it came to me.

I didn't know jack either, but I took it as instructed.

"How's it look?"

"Hmm, just normal to me."

I answered honestly when asked.

To a layman like me, it was just ordinary grass roots.

Kali chuckled at my reply.

"Right, it's just normal grass."

"...What."

Built up false tension for nothing. But Kali took the grass back and did something.

"But if you infuse it with mana like this—"

A faint glow shimmered from her fingertips, and the next instant, the grass lit up.

"Ooh, it's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠glowing."

"I artificially infused it now, so useless, but grass naturally exposed to mana over time sometimes mutates like this, emitting faint light. That's the medicinal stuff."

Oh, neat. Never knew that detail in the game.

I was internally impressed when Valerie, who'd been ignoring us, suddenly pointed somewhere.

"Then what about that? It's glowing too."

"Hm? Where..."

A lone tree stood where she pointed.

Faintly, but definitely glowing, just like she said.

Dim light, but the first external light source I'd seen in the dungeon.

Even so, Kali tilted her head suspiciously.

"Is there mana glow that color...?"

"—Ray-ssi, battle ready."

Of course not—that wasn't mana-infused flora.

Ray gripped her longsword and stepped forward.

Valerie and Kali, veteran mercenaries both, quickly sensed the off vibe and moved.

Already running into a tough one this early.

Realizing it'd been spotted, the tree—no, the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠thing—began wriggling its branches.

Eyes, eyes, and eyes slowly emerged from the dry bark.

Dozens of tiny eyeballs sprouted, then branches extended toward us.