Chapter 48
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Ruins Underground (1)
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[Throw], [Mining], [Trap Setting], [Assassination] levels rise to 2.
[Stealth], [Physical Reinforcement], [Assassination], [Scent Detection] levels rise to 3.
A message announces the activation of the [Lust Absorption] skill, followed by a flood of notifications that various skills have leveled up. How could I not laugh at this? Right now, Lena's bitchy attitude doesn't bother me one bit. Thanks to her, my skill levels have shot up like this—who could hold a grudge?
On top of that, it feels like I've gained the most experience points yet. Not just one or two skills, but across the board for pretty much all of them. There are even some I don't remember acquiring whose levels went up... [Trap Setting]? When did I even get that?
[Lust Absorption] skill level rises to 3.
[Lust Absorption Lv. 3]: Acquire experience points through sexual intercourse. However, if no intercourse occurs for a period, experience points decrease, and you may occasionally enter a [Heat] status ailment.
*Sexual aspects receive a bonus, and you can discern information about the absorption target. You can partially alter the taste, scent, and properties of semen.
*[Lust Absorption] act grants an extremely low chance to acquire a skill from the target.
And the star of the show, [Lust Absorption], has finally hit level 3. On top of that, there's a brand-new effect. It says the odds are slim, but now I can steal skills from my [Lust Absorption] targets. Insane! Even if it's at level 1, this is a priceless ability that lets me snag skills I could never get otherwise!
I knew messing with skill experience points was beyond the norm, but I never imagined it'd unlock something like this! Plus, there's that semen-altering effect—who even knows what that's for...
"Why do you keep grinning like an idiot?"
"Ah... Didn't it all work out fine?"
"Hah, you groped my body without permission... Last time with the massage, I allowed you to touch me. I sure as hell didn't this time."
Lena's snapping at me, but the thrill of my growth drowns her out completely. She quiets down once she sees I'm not reacting.
Plus, I slip through the hole in the wall to the next room. Without massive tits or a tail like hers, it's a breeze for me. She looks annoyed watching me, but... whatever.
She glares for a moment, then whips her head away and tries to walk off—but her legs give out right as she steps forward, and she collapses.
"Huh?"
"Looks like your legs went weak from that awkward position for so long."
I sidle up to her with mock sympathy and start kneading her legs under the pretense of checking her condition.
"Hold on, what the hell are you—"
"You know how good my massages are, right? Nothing beats 'em for weak legs. Just trust me once."
Unlike before, I'm not blindly obeying her. I push my case, ignore her protests, and quietly activate [Heavenly Touch] while working her legs. Never tried it before, but it has that bonus where massages boost sexual sensitivity... Huh? Something feels off?
Lena starts to protest, but I tune her out and keep massaging. The weakness is probably orgasm afterglow, but that awkward position didn't help. Best part would've been rubbing her belly where it was pinned against the wall... but that'll wait.
I grab her leg and knead away. Sure enough, my freshly leveled [Lust Absorption] kicks in and feeds me her status. It used to just give name and erogenous zones, but now there's more.
-Lena: In [Heat]. Post-Climax.
Post-climax makes sense—I gave it to her. But according to the skill, she's still in heat. Now that I know... I'm planning to milk this alone time with her for all it's worth.
"...Stop! That's enough!"
Lena pulls away after a bit, stands like nothing happened, and starts scouting the sealed room. Hmm... I've already amped my sense of smell with [Sensory Amplification], and I can pick up the scent of my cum from her crotch mixed with that thick, aroused love juice from before... and it's even sweeter now.
Maybe I can fix her attitude a bit on this labyrinth run?
What kind of guy is this?
I've been treating him harsher than usual—worse than with other guys—to hide the heat that hit me out of nowhere this morning. But this Ian doesn't show a hint of displeasure.
He was clearly a little hurt earlier, but now that's gone, and he even seems happier. I tried to keep my distance, but suddenly he's all friendly and sticking close.
I keep cursing him out and making excuses to push him away, but he counters with his own excuses and clings right back. The closer he gets, the more my body heats up from his male scent.
Earlier, pinned against the wall, my condition flickered and calmed a bit... but then my legs gave out, and he massaged them without asking. Ever since touching a man, my heat's gotten way worse.
My panties have been soaked since morning, now even wetter. The silver lining? The love juice drenching my underwear doesn't disgust me anymore, somehow. Gotten used to wearing it soaked?
I wiped off that oil he used to squeeze through the wall, but a faint scent lingers on my skin. Sniffing it makes my body burn hotter. Like smelling a man's semen. The scent's a bit different, but...
Clearing bookshelves in the hidden room, we find a concealed door leading downward. If there's a path like the one Hiss fell through, maybe we can link up underground.
I've gotta reunite with Hiss fast. Staying alone with this guy... my head's gonna go weird. Even in heat, I've never been drawn to a man like this. My lower belly keeps throbbing, craving him. Like my body welcomes this male.
"Lena, your face has looked off since earlier..."
Here he comes again, closing in.
'Hngh♥'
His thick male scent hits me sudden, my nipples hardening instantly. I feign calm and snap back.
"I told you not to get too close."
"I'm serious—your face looks bad. It's all flushed, and your breathing's ragged..."
"Hmph! My body's fine, so don't worry..."
'Huh?'
I scoff to brush off his concern, but instinctively check my body. Something's off—not just heat heaviness. I notice subtle changes since entering these ruins underground. Heat delayed my awareness, but this is...
"A curse?"
"Huh? What was that?"
I'd been poking at Lena with [Lust Absorption] to check her status when she blurts something unexpected. A curse? What, like I cursed her?
"This space... it's thick with ominous mana. Just being here feels like constant curse exposure."
She's talking about the area itself being off. I stop teasing and sense the air. Yeah... that creepy vibe from cursed targets lingers low around us.
"Undead everywhere... Born from this place's mana?"
"What does it matter?"
"Yeah. Probably death mana. Curses the living on contact, buffs undead... Why this energy?"
Looking at her, it's not just heat flushing her face—she actually looks drained. No time for games. Damn, too bad.
"Holy water, then?"
"Useless with it permeating the space. Might work short-term, but better find the source first."
She drops her casual vibe, staying tense. A mid-level adventurer like her on edge... Something serious in these ruins?
Regretfully, I quit messing with her and draw my dagger, going alert. We could retreat, but...
"We push forward."
She's not backing down either. Neither am I. No way I'm chilling here blind. Gotta scout what's ahead. Hiss or Hiro might've dropped in there.
We creep forward. In the underground passage, undead appear—leagues beyond the skeletons from upstairs.
"Ignite!"
Lena's spell blasts, toppling the hulking brute ahead. A skeleton, sure... but nearly three meters tall, clad in heavy armor—a powerhouse. We run into zombies with clinging flesh too.
"Skeleton Knight... One of these roaming free? This surpasses Labyrinth floor 9..."
Lena handles it fine, thank god, but her face sours after casting. Right—her status ailment resistance is low. Cursed? Still in heat too. Can't fix heat, but curses I can.
I've been using [Heavenly Touch] on myself nonstop, so no curse vibe here. Cast it on her, and I could dispel the minor curses creeping in.
Situation's dire, so I'm even thinking of revealing its curse-dispel effect. Problem is...
"Don't even think about touching me."
She stonewalls my persuasion. I got grabby earlier, sure, but not now... Still, she felt something during that massage and flat-out refuses. In this mess...
If things worsen, I'll force it. For now, I back off. Her serious expression won't let me touch her.
As we smash undead and press on, Lena's condition worsens bit by bit... until we reach a spacious underground chamber with what looks like an altar.
Looks like some ritual—huge magic circle on the floor, corpses piled around...
"...Hiro?"
In the center stands Hiro, our scattered party member. No sign of Hiss after a quick scan.
Hiro's dazed, clutching something, staring blankly.
"Hiro, glad you're safe. Did you get separated from Hiss?"
I approach the spaced-out guy. But he ignores me, fixated on whatever's in his hand.
"...Hiro? What are you even staring at..."
"...It's mine..."
"Pardon?"
"Don't steal it!"
"Guh!"
As I near to check what he's holding, he snaps his gaze to me and screeches in a eerie voice. He draws his sword and swings my way.
I dodge back, but my armor gets nicked.
"Hiro, what the—"
"Get lost, scum!"
Something's wrong with him. Shit, nothing ever goes easy.