Chapter 56

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 56

Chapter Title: Great Witch Vivian (1)

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Lena and I switched watch shifts. It was pretty amusing to see her come wake me up and act like nothing had happened.

After watching Lena enter the tent, I sat by the fire and checked the system message that had popped into my head earlier.

It was definitely the extra effect of the [Lust Absorption] skill activating at a low probability, letting me acquire a new skill Lena had. It wasn't some unique skill, but it was still pretty useful. The message said the odds were low, but maybe they're higher than I thought?

And the next message: My semen properties had changed, partially reflecting the properties of the [Regeneration] skill.

'What the hell does that mean?'

When I first saw the message about the [Lust Absorption] skill being able to alter semen properties, I figured it was just texture or something like that. After all, at level 2 it changed the taste and smell, so as an extension of that effect, I assumed it'd be something similar. What skill properties are getting reflected here?

I pondered it for a bit, then just dropped my pants and started jerking off. When you don't know, sometimes you just have to try it out.

The lingering sensation of Lena's mouth from earlier made it easy to get into it. With my [Lust Absorption] skill leveled up, it felt like I could cum a few more times too.

I focused on wanting to change the semen's properties as I came, and the exact same message appeared as before.

'Hmm...'

But what do I do with this? It says the [Regeneration] skill properties are reflected, so does it work like a potion? And how the hell do I test that?

'...Do I have to eat it or something?'

I'd already cum to experiment, but now it was just sitting there uselessly. The [Regeneration] skill was mine anyway, so it didn't mean much to me... and even if it did, I wouldn't use my own cum on myself.

After thinking it over, I poured it into an empty potion bottle. Potion bottles preserve the properties of their contents, so my semen should hold ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠too. I could always jack off again topside... but since I had an empty one handy, I kept it.

Maybe hide that it's semen, slap a nondisclosure oath on someone, and commission an alchemist to analyze it?

An alchemist... Guld?

'Ugh.'

Table that thought. Entrusting my semen to another alchemist is off the table for now. I don't want to use it on myself... but hey, living life, I'll figure out how it works eventually. Should I have even bothered cumming? Nah, I was already feeling a bit pent up, so the masturbation was planned anyway.

I just pocketed the potion bottle. Then I jerked off a bit more to test if I could infuse other skills' properties.

I came three more times, but no dice. The one I was most curious about, [Heavenly Touch], didn't transfer. Low skill level? Or maybe this isn't how it works? Even the [Regeneration] reflection might not be the effect I think—maybe the semen itself regenerates?

-Kiiiii...

"!!"

A faint sound brushed past my ear. I instantly drew Hiro's sword—which I'd grabbed instead of my broken dagger—activated [Enemy Detection], and went on high alert.

What was that? Did I mishear? But it was definitely close.

I rushed to the tent and woke Lena. She'd only just fallen asleep and was annoyed, but the moment she saw me with my sword drawn and on guard, her irritation vanished, replaced by a serious expression as she geared up.

-S...ssshk...

The sound was unmistakable. It came from the door opposite the one we'd entered—the one with zombies and undead when Lena first checked it.

Were the undead trying to break in? Now? Had the magic sealing this room weakened, letting them approach again? But why wasn't [Enemy Detection] reacting?

-Kki...kkigik...

Keeping alert as the sound grew closer, I gripped my sword and positioned myself by the door, ready to ambush if it opened.

-Kkiiik...

'Here it comes!'

The sound was right there, and as the door creaked open, I swung down hard—but...

"...Hiss?"

"Nya?"

What appeared wasn't a grotesque undead head, but familiar cat ears. She had some scratches—probably from breaking through undead—but she looked better than I'd feared as she entered the room. Relief washed over me.

"Hiss!"

"Lena!"

Lena beamed and rushed to hug Hiss as she entered. I sheathed my sword, checked for trailing undead, then shut the door. A quick scan of the passage showed several undead smashed apart. Hiss's handiwork? I'd heard she was skilled, but...

"Oh my god! Hiss! Look at those injuries!"

"Lena... I'm fine. You look worse..."

Lena's eyes widened at Hiss's minor scratches, ignoring her words as she hunted for a potion. Her gear was in the tent, though, so instead of fetching it, she demanded one from me—properly armed and equipped.

I had no objections, so I rummaged through my potion belt for a healing one.

"Give it here!"

"Whoa, wait. That's..."

As I fumbled with the buckles, Lena snatched the outermost bottle. Yeah... the outermost one. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠The one I'd just hung there. She already knew from yesterday's recovery where I kept the healing potions—and fed Hiss whatever was in that "healing" bottle.

"Here, Hiss! Drink up!"

"No, that's..."

Before I could stop her, Lena force-fed it to Hiss.

'Shut up for a sec.'

I dismissed the familiar message and watched Hiss and Lena. What kind of erotic manga bullshit is this? Lena perfectly grabs the semen-filled bottle I'd just tested with—pushing aside the others—and feeds it to Hiss.

'Huh?'

As Hiss swallowed my semen, scabs formed over her scratches, and minor bleeding stopped. But it didn't heal further; the wounds remained. Just like when I used [Regeneration] myself, not a full potion. Absurd, but hey, skill effect confirmed.

"What? It's so weak? Is it counterfeit? Ian, gimme another!"

I handed Lena the real potion after she tossed the empty one. Hiss finally healed properly once she drank the legit stuff.

"Isn't it from the Alchemist Guild? The bottle looked like one of their healing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠potions..."

".........One I got from a personal alchemist workshop."

Sorry, Mr. Guld. Borrowing your name.

Thankfully, neither Hiss nor Lena dwelled on the potion and checked on each other. Aside from minor injuries from fighting undead outside, Hiss was fine.

Once we confirmed no serious wounds, Lena and I asked how Hiss found us.

Apparently, after splitting from Hiro, she'd fled when he acted weird. The ruins underground were thick with curse energy, too much for her low resistance, so she couldn't enter until it faded—then she came looking.

"Oh! And I found the exit!"

"What? For real?!"

Thrilled by the news, we packed up and headed out. The exit was shockingly close.

Following Hiss's lead, we emerged from the ruins and collectively sighed in relief—no one could hold it back.

Outside the ruins, monsters on floors 1-9 posed no threat. We returned to the surface safely.

"Ian, could you introduce me to that alchemist sometime?"

".....Later."

On the way up, Hiss licked her lips and asked for an intro, but I punted it to future me. Hang in there, me from later.

Back on the surface, we naturally faced an investigation. We'd killed a party member, even if it was self-defense.

We presented Hiro's adventurer ID and the torn book page from his body as evidence, claiming innocence. Soon, investigators were sent to the 9th-floor ruins. Adventurers flocked hearing the news, but like us, found no valuables.

After about a day detained by the Labyrinth Guild, Alensia—not a guild rep—brought word the probe was over.

"Ian. You did well. I heard the details."

Lena fangirled like a high schooler meeting an idol, but Alensia calmly relayed the results.

"The page you submitted was confirmed as part of some magic tome. Comparing the curse energy in it to Hiro's corpse proved he'd been brainwashed."

You can check that on a corpse? I'd suspected, but yeah, Hiro was mind-controlled. Bitter taste. No choice but to kill him then, and no ill will toward him.

"Ian... I don't know about adventurers as mentally tough as you, but most lack the mindset for their power. Especially those from peaceful otherworlds like this one. That's why we warn: Don't descend unprepared."

"......."

No idea why Alensia rates my mental strength so high, but I got her point. Labyrinth delving demands not just physical might, but mental fortitude too.

"This incident... was an accident. So Ian, don't beat yourself up."

Thinking I felt guilty—though it was more questions than guilt—Alensia awkwardly comforted me, out of character.

Why had we come to this world?

"And Ian, someone wants to see you."

"Me?"

"Yes. Someone you already know."

Alensia rarely used honorifics like "person"—maybe a high-up from the investigation? But who I knew... Ah.

"No way?"

"Figured it out? The Great Witch Vivian from the Labyrinth Guild's High Council wishes to meet you."

Labyrinth Guild High Council Seat 3: Great Witch Vivian.

She usually holes up in her lab researching whatever piques her interest. But rumors say she ventures out sometimes.

"Hi? Second time seeing you."

Few have spotted her, but as Vivian said, this was my second encounter. Last time in the labyrinth library, she peeked at my skills unasked, then gifted me the space-expansion gem I call "Inventory" as thanks.

"Grown fast, huh? You were nothing special then... Oh? Awakened mana too. Impressive."

Again, no hiding as she casually read my new [Mana Manipulation]-like skills.

"I heard you wanted to see me."

Her skill-scanning irked me oddly, so I cut to the chase.

"Hmm... Remember? Last time we met, what I said at the end?"

Last time? That'd be...

"...If I found a book in the labyrinth, come to the library?"

"Yes. Good memory. As I said, I'm into books from the labyrinth. Yours is just a torn page, but it's part of the one I've been seeking."

I swallowed involuntarily. A page from mere 9th floor was part of the Great Witch's target book?

"...But why me specifically? The page belongs to the whole party too."

"Settlements are prompt. Investigation's done—your party's loot split gave it to you."

"To me?"

"Yes. Precisely, the girl Lena—who split ownership with you—ceded hers to you. Sweet kid, right?"

Lena yielded her share? We took Hiro down together... I'll thank her later.

"So that's why you wanted to meet?"

"Yep. I want that thing you have."

I swallowed again. A High Council member—practically the pinnacle of this labyrinth city. If she wants it...

"...And what would the price be?"

Vivian gazed at me with an enigmatic smile.