Chapter 5
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Johnson's General Store
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We'd barely finished dinner when Claude suddenly clutched his stomach, claiming indigestion, and headed off to walk it off. That left just Sia and me at the table, polishing off the leftovers.
"Um..."
"Yeah? What's up, Sia?"
"Cain... consultation..."
"I'm beat today, so how about we talk tomorrow while doing the gathering quest?"
"Right... Sorry, Cain. You seemed so normal, like always... I thought you were okay..."
Her dejected look tugged at my heartstrings a bit, but after everything that had happened today, I just wanted some rest.
"Don't beat yourself up. Let's both get some good sleep. You had a tough time in the Labyrinth too, Sia."
"Yeah... Thanks, Cain!"
"And grab your card. You're gonna forget it again."
"Ah!! Right!!"
At my words, Sia snatched up her Explorer Card from where she'd left it and tucked it straight into her cleavage.
"Hey, why'd you put it there?"
"Huh? Hehe..."
"Hurry up and eat so we can head up."
"Okay!"
With that, I wolfed down the last steak Claude had left behind as a finisher and crashed hard back at the inn.
Clank clank!!
"Ugh... what the hell."
"Uh... C-Cain... you up?"
The clanging of armor had jolted me awake, and it was still dim outside—like early dawn.
"You passed out right away last night, huh? Ran into old man Hawk at the tavern and scored a quick fill-in party spot."
"Ughhh... So you're heading out at this hour?"
"Yeah... Two level 1s who stuck around and applied for a temp party."
"Oh yeah?"
"Whew... Talk about lucky from day one. Good split ratio too. Alright, I'm off!"
"Sure... Watch out if there's a girl."
"Pfft, what do you take me for?"
"The type who'll try to bang her."
"Guh... Be back later."
"Yeah."
Screeech! Thud!
Claude bustled around getting ready and headed out.
"Hm..."
His reaction felt a little off, but whatever. What's the worst that could happen?
Morning with Sia for consultation and gathering, then hit that place in the afternoon.
"So... Claude went to the Pleasure House again..."
"Yeah."
Rustle rustle
"Am I really hopeless... Hing..."
"Why do you think that?"
"But..."
After breakfast, Sia and I headed to the Explorer Guild, picked up an easy gathering request, and made our way to the forest on the city's outskirts.
I was listening to Sia's whining while picking herbs.
"Sia, keep talking while you gather."
"Ah! Uh, yeah... So listen, Cain..."
Crunch!
"Focus!"
"Sorry... Whoa! When'd you get so good at gathering, Cain?"
"You just suck at it. Anyway, keep going."
"Okay... Sooo..."
We were collecting herbs used as neutralizers for potion-making, but Sia kept yanking them out wrong. I activated a blessing.
Hitomi
"Ugh!"
"...Huh? Cain, you okay?"
"Ah... Yeah, nothing."
[Sia]
[Claude] - 75%
[Cain] - 25%
A sharp pain stabbed my eyes, and weakness nearly buckled my knees, but I held it together and checked the info on Sia.
By lunchtime, we'd gathered enough herbs and headed back.
"Whew... Let's call it here."
"Good work! Cain!"
"Yeah, I did all the work... So, no more consultation needed?"
"Yeah! Thanks, you're the best, Cain!!"
Her bright smile made something swell up inside me.
"You handle reporting the request and head back to the inn? I gotta stop by the general store."
"Okay! Leave it to me!!"
She took the eco-bag-like gathering pouch from me, slung it across her chest, and her healing pouch stuck out noticeably. Damn...
"Wanna grab snacks for just us, without telling Claude?"
"For real?"
"I'll pick some up on the way back from the store."
"Awesome!!"
Whoosh!!
Sia hugged me tight. It was her usual move, but now that I'd awakened to my past life, the feel of her breasts was intense.
Honestly, I'd considered ditching the party and going solo if things got bad, but the sensation pressing against me now made abandoning it feel impossible—the destructive power of those tits was no joke.
"See you at the inn."
"Yeah!! Be safe."
I sent her off at the main street and headed to my usual general store.
Ding-a-ling-
"Welcome... Oh, Cain!"
"Hey. Camella."
For Labyrinth explorers, consumables are a matter of life and death.
Some explorers who strike it rich open shops after retiring. Others who can't delve deeper settle down and cater to fellow explorers.
Inns, restaurants, taverns, general stores, blacksmiths, brothels—you name it.
Most folks in this city have Labyrinth experience.
Camella here, the lady running Johnson's General Store, was an explorer about ten years back.
Word is, she got matched with Johnson through the Explorer Guild's newbie mentoring program. He fell for her, and since he was planning to retire and open a store anyway, he set it up and supported her fully. She fell for his devotion, married him, and quit exploring on the spot.
For the record, our party's mentor was old man Hawk.
"Weren't you supposed to arrive two days ago?"
"Ah... Yeah, I leveled up, but something went wrong. Coughed up blood and collapsed. Spent a day laid up at the Aid Station."
"Oh my!"
Grab!
I'd gritted my teeth and ignored it because of Sia, but Camella flirted every time I came to the store.
Hearing I'd collapsed, she rushed over, pressing close like she wanted to melt into me, wrapping my hands in hers. A faint, fishy blood scent wafted from her.
Her period must've hit, making her extra horny.
Before awakening, I'd put up with her discomfort because the store had good prices, turning a blind eye.
Now? Camella was early thirties, not much age gap from my past life's age. Her looks and body were plenty tempting, so I figured I'd test a few things while shopping.
"...Huh?"
"Yes??"
Expecting me to pull away, Camella looked flustered when I just smiled and chatted, even as she slyly buried my hands in her cleavage.
"H-How's your body feeling?"
"Better, thanks to your concern. Haha."
"I-I see... Hng..."
Squeeze!!
Her expression shifted, and she shoved my hands deeper into her breasts, making sure I felt them properly—thinking I hadn't before.
"Camella, I'm here for an explosion potion..."
"Oh, sorry! One sec..."
I managed our Labyrinth schedule, so I checked in the day after returning and the day before entering—twice per cycle. We did five days exploring, two resting.
She knew my routine, always greeting me in an off-shoulder blouse showing off her upper chest and a long skirt hugging her hips.
If I showed up off-schedule for forgotten items, she'd be in modest clothes—dead giveaway.
This time, she blatantly rubbed my hands in her cleavage, but I stayed calm—hell, smirked a bit—and kept talking. A faint flush of excitement crept onto her face.
"Explosion potions!! Ugh, my husband's always making a mess... Cain, mind helping?"
"Huh?"
"They're over here..."
Her eyes lit up at "explosion potion," and she let go, heading to the storeroom in the corner.
"Camella?"
"Cain~ Come here a sec?"
Now she was cooing, calling me to the storeroom.
In the year I'd been coming, I rarely saw owner Johnson around.
Rumors said he was money-hungry, leaving the store to his wife while chasing other gigs.
Anyway, I knew he was always busy, so no worries about him barging in. I strode confidently to the storeroom.
Shff!
Suddenly, Kleptomania triggered mid-stride, and my hand snagged a flint set from a display.
Normally I'd put it back, but to test hypotheses, I decided to steal it outright and pocketed it.
[Stolen Flint Set from Johnson: Gained 1 EXP]
Just like the message from pocketing the mana stone in the Labyrinth—which I couldn't read in Korean back then, but now with my memories back, yeah, it was something like this.
[Stolen Mana Stone from Labyrinth: Gained 1 EXP]
Mana stones are an explorer's livelihood, but technically, taking them from the Labyrinth means stealing from its "owner," right?
People say the Labyrinth isn't just a dungeon—it's alive, feeding on explorer corpses to endlessly spawn monsters.
After awakening, when Kleptomania made me snag the feather from Mion's hat at the Guild, I thought it was just the curse and gave it back. No intent to keep it.
That's why no message popped up.
Think I've got a handle on the NTL blessing now.
Blessings: NTL (EX), Hitomi, Awakening
Curse: Kleptomania
"Hm..."
Post-level up, all I'd done was gather herbs and steal that flint set—plus eat, rest, wander.
The EXP gain looks like bonus progress. Dexterity ticked up just a hair.
First hypothesis confirmed—
"Cain? Where are you??"
"Coming, Camella!"
Play around with this desperate housewife for a bit?