Chapter 52
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Pink Mist
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"Alright. I've collected all the wandering ones...!"
Dragging the golem and Erzsebet around relentlessly, luring undead scattered throughout the vast underground levels—how many times had we repeated that? We'd gathered up miscellaneous skeletons, a few death knights, and a bunch of zombies and ghouls to boot.
"Hmm. No high-level undead, huh. Even so, do high-level undead really not wander around without liquor?"
Erzsebet had grumbled that the quality of the undead I'd collected was subpar, but for me, this was more than enough to be grateful for. And if some high-level undead had popped out only to turn out to be another freak like the previous archlich—half-alive or whatever—we wouldn't have been able to collect it anyway.
"You did good work too."
"Grrooong..."
I wasn't sure if it understood words, but I patted the golem's core in appreciation for coming along. Its exterior was caked with bone dust and bits of flesh from luring the undead, so I cleaned that off as a bonus.
"Grrooong...!"
"Seems like it likes that."
"Yeah. You like being clean too, right?"
I'd made the right call buying this golem. It listened well, was super useful, didn't make a mess of the surroundings, and even when it got dirty like this, it was easy to clean up...
"Master."
"Hm? What is it."
With the targeted undead collection complete, I was just about to head back to the surface when Erzsebet called out to me in an ominous tone.
I turned around without much thought—and froze a little.
'...What's this? Erzsebet's vibe...'
I wasn't sure if this was the right word, but the way Erzsebet was looking at me... it was lewd.
Different from her usual sleepy yet haughty gaze, her eyes now held a hungry glint, and the way she licked her lips... I stared at her blankly and found myself captivated before I knew it.
"Master. You've worked hard too... Won't you give me some of your blood?"
Caught off guard by her unusually sultry aura, I hesitated as her pupils gleamed more demonically than usual. Then she demanded my blood. She often asked for it like this, but since it risked her figuring out I was human, I'd desperately refused every time.
"No way."
"Come on... Just one sip, Master."
I hardened my expression and firmly rejected her, but unlike usual when she'd brush it off lightly, today she persisted clingily.
Had I overworked her? Her vibe felt different from normal... She seemed fine just moments ago?
"It won't hurt much..."
"Go rest."
[Fast Travel]
I hurriedly blasted the approaching Erzsebet—who ignored my refusal—with my [Fast Travel] ability. She usually obeyed me, but something was off about her just now.
It couldn't be blood starvation; she'd recently gotten some from the Red Demon Tribe members who'd joined us.
'No clue.'
Anyway, I'd sent her upstairs, so if she was thirsty, she'd get blood from the Bloodwood trees or the Red Demon Tribe.
Once [Fast Travel]'s cooldown was up, I'd head up too.
"Groong?"
"...Oh right, I need to get you up too."
Earlier, I'd brought the golem here with Erzsebet's help... Now that I'd sent her away, how was I supposed to get it back up?
It would take time, but I had no choice but to tell the golem to climb the stairs. I used [Fast Travel] to return to the upper level.
No need to climb stairs... [Fast Travel] was an incredible ability.
"Welcome back, Master."
The Red Demon Tribe had seen me pop in via [Fast Travel] multiple times now, so they didn't panic when I appeared suddenly. I nodded to those bowing their heads and asked,
"Where's Erzsebet?"
"She said she was tired from all the work and went to rest..."
"Hm."
I'd planned to check on her right away upon arriving, but she'd apparently gone to sleep already. She usually retreated to her coffin after finishing tasks anyway...
'Is she okay?'
I asked the Red Demon Tribe about her condition, but they said she seemed fine—no issues, and she hadn't demanded blood from them.
Her slightly off attitude worried me a bit, but I couldn't give her my blood, so I headed to the house they'd built for me. It wasn't much, but whatever.
"Erzsebet?"
I called out to her, who'd plopped her coffin on the first floor without asking, but no response came.
'Actually asleep?'
I'd thought about offering her something edible from the [Meals] category if she was awake—nothing as far as my blood went... Maybe next time. Blood demon or vampire, if such races existed, I'd want to try feeding her garlic.
"Sleep well."
It probably wouldn't hear if she was asleep, but I bid goodnight to Erzsebet for her hard work today, then hit the sack myself. Tomorrow, I'd practice summoning the undead from the [Collection List] on time, think about countermeasures for intruders, and plan golem and undead placements.
"Mm... Nom..."
Thinking about tomorrow's tasks, I succumbed to fatigue and passed out.
And that night.
-Thud! Thud!
The iron golem, abandoned by both Erzsebet and Eugene, slowly climbed the stairs all alone in the quiet.
-Hiss...
The pink mist leaking from a door crack in the underground didn't scatter everywhere—it clung around the golem's body. But the golem, faithful to orders yet lacking external judgment, simply trudged upward in silence.
"Groong..."
After a long while, when most demons and workers were asleep, the golem reached the surface. The faint pink mist that had stuck to its body began dispersing in all directions.
"Sss... Sss..."
The spreading mist entered the lungs of sleeping Red Demon Tribe farmers, humans polishing weapons bought from the city, and Erzsebet's kin.
"Urgh... Hellfire..."
It reached toward sleeping Rio, who muttered something strange in her sleep. Just as it tried to enter through her nostrils...
-Pffft...
The [Cleaning Mask (lv.1)] Rio wore even in sleep—given by her master—blocked the mist's intrusion.
As if possessing a will, the pink mist probed Rio's airways several more times but ultimately failed to breach the mask and retreated.
Not limited to demons, a small amount was absorbed by Dryad's roots spanning the forest, and it slipped into Erzsebet's coffin—lid tightly sealed as she slept.
"...Hm?"
Among them, one person stirred. Phantom, who once wielded dream demon magic despite now weakened by Eugene and Dryad's collaboration, sensed the anomaly and woke.
'Dream demon energy...?'
As Phantom puzzled over it upon waking, the mist entering Eugene's room clung to his airways too—but evaporated against the mask he never removed even in sleep.
"Cough..."
With the mist attaching to everyone except Eugene, Rio, and Phantom, it finally dissolved into the air, vanishing as if it had never existed.
"Ugh..."
Waking up, I let out a small cough. After nearly three weeks of cleaning without properly relieving urges, Erzsebet's odd behavior yesterday must've stimulated me in my dream.
My underwear... damn it.
'Shit. Gotta go clean up quick.'
Feeling the sticky dampness below, I bolted out of bed. Careful not to wake Erzsebet sleeping in the next room, I moved slowly.
-Slam!
'Crap.'
But was my luck rotten? The Erzsebet who usually slept like a log unless I woke her directly suddenly flung open her coffin lid and sat up.
'Her nose is sharp.'
Recalling how she sniffed out blood and all sorts of scents, I awkwardly grabbed the doorknob, desperate to escape before she could speak.
"Master."
But she beat me to it, her voice groggy from just waking, clearly recognizing me.
"Oh, Erzsebet. You had a tough day yesterday, right? Sleep more."
Half-listening, I hurriedly told her to sleep and yanked the door open.
-Bang!
"Wha...?"
But somehow she'd closed in, slamming the door shut as I opened it.
Turning to demand what she was doing, I froze again.
'This is...'
Her usually porcelain-white skin now had a faint flush. Her eyes glistened moistly, strikingly similar to the Erzsebet from last night's dream...
'No, what am I thinking.'
Shaking my head as the dream scene resurfaced, she suddenly sniffed my body, licked her lips, and murmured,
"Master... You smell delicious."
"...!!"
Her voice, distinctly different—dripping with sultry wetness—muttered as she bared her fangs and leaned her lips toward my neck.