Chapter 29

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Translator: Ebonarch

Chapter: 29

Chapter Title: 1st Floor (8)

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"Ca...Cain... *sniff*."

The pain shooting through my arm nearly made me scream like a little girl, but I barely held it in. That's when Tanya approached, slinging a crossbag over her shoulder.

"You did great."

"M-My... arm!!!"

She knew I'd hurt my arm, but she hadn't realized how bad it was. Seeing the state of it now, Tanya ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠freaked out.

"It's fine. Just for a moment..."

I opened the bag she'd brought and pulled out a pill that worked like a painkiller from the assortment of first-aid supplies.

"We still have some of those potions the girls bought, right?"

"Y-Yeah..."

"Give Roy this pill and pour a potion on his ankle. Use them all."

"O-Okay!"

There were still two low-grade potions left from what Tanya's group had bought, so dumping them on should do the trick.

"I'll handle my own treatment, so look after Roy first."

"Got it!"

I rummaged through the bag with my left hand and found a potion.

"Fuck, the mid-grade ones cost 5 silver each..."

"Grrgh!!!"

As expected from something only sold by the church, the mid-grade potion was worth every coin. I sprinkled it evenly over my arm and drank the rest. The pain faded, and I could see the blisters and bubbles shrinking.

"Haa... I'll get the rest from Sia later..."

I flexed my somewhat improved arm, checking my fingers, wrist, shoulder, and elbow. Everything seemed fine.

Then I pulled out a high-grade bandage treated with herbs and called for Tanya.

"Sis. How's Roy?"

"Huh? H-He seems... okay."

"Come here and help me out a bit."

"Okay!"

I took off my leather armor, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tore my t-shirt, and had Tanya help wrap the bandage around it.

Once we'd patched things up, I checked on Roy. His face was pale as a ghost, and he was out cold.

"Phew... Let's move him first. We can sort out the rest later."

"O-Okay..."

"The passage is narrow, so can you catch him from the inside?"

"I-I'll try!"

With one arm out of commission, it took a while, but by pushing and pulling Roy through the tight corridor with Tanya's help, we finally got back to where the backpacks and sleeping bags were. The 12-hour hourglass had run out completely.

One lap around the block done...

"Ha... this is fucking exhausting."

"H-Hey... tired, right Cain? I-I'll set up the bed, so rest!!"

"Thanks."

Tanya's eyes welled up as she watched me slump against the wall with Roy propped beside me. She bustled around busily.

"I-I'll make food too, so wait just a sec!"

I dozed off for a bit and woke to find Tanya had laid out the sleeping bags. She'd set out jerky, hardtack, and a canteen, sitting between me and Roy.

"You're awake?"

"Yeah, no need to wake me."

"You were sweating buckets..."

"Let's eat something first."

"Okay, here."

We filled our stomachs with rations, then I crushed a painkiller into Roy's canteen and made him drink it before laying him in a sleeping bag.

"Phew... just a moment."

This passage wasn't a safe zone ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠unaffected by the portal either, so slimes could still show up. We needed to prepare.

"Sis, follow me."

"O-Okay? Got it."

After a short rest, I grabbed the empty potion bottles and lantern, heading back to the clearing.

"Ugh... *sob*!"

Tanya sniffled at the sight of the goblin corpses and the armor and clothes that must have been Robin's.

"Sis, break open that wooden box over there and gather some firewood."

"Okay..."

Where the goblin leader had been, there were a few wooden crates—probably brought to lean against. Tanya grunted as she pried one open.

"Phew... slime goo and..."

I scooped the scattered slime mucus into the empty potion bottles and collected the remnants of the shattered slime cores.

"Got it all?"

"Yeah!"

"Break the crates for more—we'll take extras. Let's drop this off first."

"Okay."

We dismantled three large crates and used the wood to move the barricade a bit farther out, blocking the passage. Then, between the backpacks and barricade, we lit a bonfire.

Around the fire, I spread slime mucus and cores, and set up the same in the portal passage.

"Ready to sleep now?"

"Y-Yeah..."

"What's up?"

"N-Nothing..."

With the slime defenses set, as I prepared to sleep, I noticed only one double sleeping bag laid out—besides the one Roy was in.

"Sis."

"I-It's not that... I'm just too scared to sleep alone... *sob*."

My expression must have soured because Tanya hesitated.

"Alright, let's sleep together."

"Okay..."

I stripped off my gear and crawled into the sleeping bag. Tanya slipped in after.

"Sis?"

"..."

I'd figured her mental state was too wrecked for anything physical, but after a while, Tanya entered the bag completely naked.

"In this situation?"

"N-No, it's not that... just... just..."

Her face showed she was confused about it herself.

"Fine, come here."

"Okay..."

I pillowed her head as she silently snuggled in. Soon, my chest grew damp where she'd buried her face.

"*sob*... *hic*... I-I never thought... this would happen!!"

When treating Roy's ankle, she'd worn a complicated expression looking at Robin. She'd planned to deal with Roy in the labyrinth, but seeing him hurt had stirred conflict in her.

And then the slime attack—watching Robin dissolve alive, Roy's ankle blasted off.

Plus, she'd nearly suffocated to death herself. Even for a weak-willed woman, that mental shock would be hard to bear.

"Shh... it was an accident. You didn't do anything wrong, sis."

"*hic*! *wail*..."

After sobbing in my arms for ages, Tanya looked up at me.

"Thanks, Cain... I'd be dead without you."

"Enough."

"You hurt your arm saving Roy too..."

She gently stroked my bandaged right arm.

Then she slowly leaned in, closing her eyes. Our lips met.

Holograms in the same color as the status window cluttered my vision with the alert chime.

I'll check it after sleep—too tired and sleepy right now.

*Slurp!! *Sluuurp!! *Gag!*

What was that noise?

"Mmmph!! *Slurrrp!!"

A pull in my groin woke me. Tanya had pulled down my pants and underwear, eagerly sucking my dick.

"Roy's right there, what are you doing."

"*Mmmph!! *Pop!* I checked—he's still out. Hehe."

I poked my head out and saw the 12-hour hourglass nearly done.

Slept longer thanks to the injury.

I flipped the hourglass, stroked Tanya's head as she bobbed diligently, and called up my status.

"Status window."

"Hm?"

"Nothing, keep going."

"*Slurp!*"

Name: Cain (Kim Sung-hoo)

Level: 3 (10.55%)

Stats all rose a bit overall... and EXP piled up nicely. With Claude's growth buff later, hitting level 4 during hunts should be quick.

Stolen List? Oh, right—the extra reward stole Roy's blessing. But it's a new menu, not a blessing.

"*Sluuuurp!! Cain... feel good?"

She looked up at me mid-blow. Less like she was enjoying it, more like devoted service—sucking with real care. My condition sucked, and sex was off the table, so I taught her some technique and blew a load down her throat.

"Haa... haa..."

"Clean up and check on Roy, okay?"

"Mmph... *slurp*!"

Body heating up, but knowing sex was impossible in my state, Tanya slurped every last drop.

As her greedy sucking echoed outside the bag, I ignored the faint gaze from beside us, stroked her head, and pondered.

'Roy's Hitomi on Tanya hit 100%, so I stole a blessing. Below that...?'

The system text said extra rewards for 80%+ targets steal a blessing.

'Johnson probably won't give much.'

No idea their relationship, but no sex in over 8 years? She wouldn't rate him high.

'Still, gotta test low levels to see what they give.'

"Cain... I'll watch Roy... *burp!*"

"Yeah."

After cleanup fellatio and a tiny cum burp, Tanya slipped out.

'Hitomi.'

Using Hitomi blessing to check levels—hers used to be blue text, but Tanya's is now pink.

'Does it drop if I ghost or neglect her?'

Need to check if it holds when visiting occasionally after returning to the city.

We filed for 5 days, but no need to fill it exactly.

Mentoring requires minimum 3+ days—it's noon on day 3. Rest more, tell Roy about Robin, let him process, then head back.

His head's messed up too. In this state, he'll cooperate plenty back in the city.

Thanks for the blessing, Roy.

Arm hurts like hell, but the gains make it worth it.