Chapter 124
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: 7-Man Party (5)
Exploration Day 2.
"Nothing much different from yesterday."
"The monster numbers are way too low too. Aren't we operating at a loss here?"
"Dunno. It'll work out somehow."
Hawk and Loren trudged ahead, their faces showing a hint of disappointment.
Lizards... They felt like a downgraded version of the lizardmen from other fantasies.
Their combat power was a notch above goblins.
Goblins usually traveled in packs of ten or more unless they were scouts, but these guys stuck to groups of five at most.
Fighting them in swampy areas with mushy ground made it hard to keep your footing, turning battles into a hassle, but the solid dirt here let us take them down easily.
We only fought a handful of times during those three hours of scouting.
To accommodate Roy and Tanya, we rested five to ten minutes after each fight before moving on.
At some point, Tanya declared she had to do something and started harvesting lizard byproducts.
Roy flinched at the mere sight of monsters, but Tanya fearlessly sliced off their claws and nails with her dismantling dagger.
"Claude~ Look at this! I'm getting good at pulling claws now, right?"
"Whoa, sis, you're a natural."
"I help out in the kitchen sometimes when it's busy serving."
"For real? That's impressive."
"Hee hee."
Roy, looking a bit pale, turned his head away from the lizard corpse, while Tanya and Claude flirted shamelessly.
It was kinda like this when she stuck to Roy's little brother Robin, but Claude was like the ultimate upgrade—bigger build, better looks, superior skills. Put nicely, he had that fantasy novel protagonist vibe: handsome, charming personality, and a thing for women... which you could chalk up to the natural allure of a capable guy. It was magnetic.
Anyone could see Tanya was smitten just from her expression while chatting with him.
Hitomi
[Tanya]
[Cain] - 100%
That's why women are scary. When they put on a performance like that, even the savviest guy falls hook, line, and sinker. Top-tier acting.
Sluts from the village bus circuit really are on another level.
"Ahem!! Ahehem!!"
"What's up, old man? Thirsty? Want some water?"
"N-no...! Ahem...!"
When I introduced everyone, I even said Tanya was Roy's girlfriend and pregnant, but seeing her glued to Claude like this had Hawk looking a bit flustered.
He just cleared his throat awkwardly, probably figuring I'd step in and handle it, so he didn't say more.
"Loren sis!"
"Yeah? What's up, Sia?"
"About yesterday with this guy..."
Whisper whisper—
Sia, who still had energy to spare, sat shoulder-to-shoulder with Loren during a break, gossiping away.
As Sia whispered, Loren's face and ears flushed bright red.
What? Were they at the point where they casually swapped sex stories with me now?
Sia gestured wildly in the air, mumbling with puffed cheeks, and Loren flinched like she could picture it all.
Hawk and I checked the mapped route, discussing how to pace our scouting, until the break ended.
Then we pressed on at a leisurely, unhurried speed.
"Haah! Cain!!"
"Gonna cum."
Spluuuurt!!! Spluuuurt!! Spluuuurt!!!
"Haaah..."
In the Labyrinth, I'd told Sia we'd only do it once to save stamina, so I took my time pulling out and wiped down her body as she collapsed atop me.
She'd gotten into cowgirl lately.
"Wanna do more..."
"We can't burden the others, right Sia?"
"Hng..."
Stroke stroke—
I kissed her to soothe her as she gripped my still-hard dick and shook it with a face full of lingering desire.
We could've gone another round, but if we got carried away, her moans might reach Claude next door, so I held back.
I'd even kept kissing her nonstop to muffle them just now.
-Hng...! Huhk!!!!
"Hm? What's that sound?"
A sleazy male groan leaked faintly from Claude's tent right next door.
No way—jerking off on day two already?
Claude's heavy panting grew a bit louder before quickly going silent.
"Roy bro and Tanya sis must be having sex."
"Ah, got it."
Sia lost interest at my words and kept begging for more kisses, so I fondled her breasts while making out until we dozed off.
Hitomi
[Claude]
[Tanya] - 60%
[Hana] - 20%
[Loren Sarcil] - 20%
One handjob and it jumps that much.
If Claude's moans reached our tent, Roy definitely heard them too. I checked his expression.
"Ooh..."
"Hm? What's up, Cain?"
"Nah, nothing. Let's eat quick."
"Okay!"
Roy's face looked... refreshed? Relieved, somehow.
Looked like he'd eavesdropped on Tanya and Claude getting it on and jerked one out big time.
As I observed Roy, Tanya, and Claude, Tanya noticed my gaze, finished eating, and sidled over.
"Master..."
"Yeah."
"Yesterday... I unlocked Roy's chastity belt and snuck out?"
"Yep."
"He passed out after furiously jerking off. Pfft..!"
Tanya burst into mocking laughter. Yeah, total slut.
"That's why he looks so refreshed?"
"Yes, he really thinks it's his precious first time."
"What about Claude?"
"Claude's dick is bigger than Roy's... but smaller than yours, Master. A couple strokes with two fingers and he blew."
When was the last time I sent her to the brothel? Anyway.
"Got it. Suck Roy off once since it's been ages, hand only for Claude for now."
"Yes, Master...!"
She spun on her heel and trotted back to Claude and Roy.
Claude looked expectant for a sec, but relaxed when Tanya brushed it off casually.
Roy just seemed in a good mood.
We finished breakfast, packed up, and resumed scouting.
"Whoa... Old man, at this rate, aren't they all massed up near the core or the next floor portal?"
"Could be."
Exploration Day 6. Before heading out, Hawk and I reviewed the map we'd drawn over five days.
"Hope something shows up before the ten-day mark."
"Yeah."
"Even with Roy bro and Tanya sis keeping up better than expected, it's still this pace."
"This floor's bigger than I thought."
The layout was simple, but the whole layer seemed pretty expansive.
"Let's get going."
Splosh—
"Cain."
"Everyone, halt."
We'd trekked four hours and hit a bend, figuring today's scouting would wrap at the next corner, when Hawk and Loren's feet sank into the floor up ahead.
"Sia, kill the lantern."
"O-okay!!"
Click—
Sia fumbled for a second but doused it quick. I relayed the signal.
"Sia, fall back to Roy bro and Tanya sis. You three retreat. Claude, cover them up close."
"Got it."
"Roger."
Sia backed away slowly.
Claude nodded approvingly at her smooth move.
Once the rear group had some distance, I told Loren.
"You and old man hold mid-passage right there."
"Got it."
"Old man, Loren, gimme your packs."
The shift from solid ground to swamp hinted at trouble, so I took their gear to lighten them up.
I headed to the rear where Roy was, grabbing Claude's pack too.
"Claude, hand over your pack."
"Here."
I dropped everyone's gear. Lightened up the fighters and spoke low.
"I'll scout ahead and report back."
"Be careful, Cain..!"
"I will, Sia."
I stretched my freed-up body, waited for my eyes to adjust to the faint glow of the cave wall's luminous stones now that the lantern was off.
Shh—
I glided forward.
"...!"
Hawk's eyes widened faintly—first time seeing my post-mentoring moves in action.
I pressed on.
Not quite walking on water, but no squelching sounds as I advanced.
What lay before me was...
"Fuck..."
A vast swamp stretching at least a kilometer, teeming with countless lizards.
Small mercy: our passage didn't line up straight with any, so the lantern light hadn't tipped them off.
"Deeper in...?"
To gauge the full situation, I stifled my presence and crept another ten meters or so.
"Shhheek—?"
"..."
A nearby lizard cocked its head—maybe my body heat shifted the swamp temp.
Fuckin' lizard brat. I froze, then retreated.
Scanning the huge space as I went.
No trees or objects in sight—just open expanse.
In modern terms, about three cubic kilometers, the size of a district ward.
A third of that packed solid with lizards.
I backed to the group slowly.
"We're screwed. Fall back a bit and talk."
We retraced twenty minutes and I described the scene.