Chapter 231
Chapter 231
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 231
Chapter Title: The Abyss of the Deep Valley, Erebus
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“Warrior of Mars, Hippolyte. Entering the abyss of the deep valley, Erebus-.”
Hippolyte raised her finger, then inscribed letters matching what she had just muttered onto the side of the cave entrance.
Tsss-.
The tip of her gauntlet, shimmering with an eerie golden light, engraved the characters into the rock like branding a criminal.
“Good, that’s done. Now let’s head in.”
The entrance, a crevice in the cliff’s rock face, was barely wide enough for one person to squeeze through. Hippolyte unhesitatingly crammed her body into that darkness.
Scraaape, claaang-.
The iron plates protecting her chest and shoulders scraped against the wall, producing a gruesome sound, but she paid it no mind and vanished completely.
Now it was just me, Antiope, and Elfride.
Antiope and Elfride were locked in a silent battle of nerves.
They’d never been on warm terms to begin with, but ever since Antiope had licked her own chest earlier, things had gotten even worse.
Antiope spoke.
“Why don’t you go first?”
Elfride shot back.
“Why don’t you? You’re the vanguard, warrior. You’re supposed to tank with your body, right?”
“You’re right, but I’m rear guard. Hurry up and go in first. Mages can’t do a thing without someone watching their backs.”
Antiope sidled up to me and slithered her arm around my waist.
“And besides, we have some things to talk about alone before heading in. Just the two of us.”
“...”
Elfride’s expression darkened further.
Thinking about it now, Elfride and Antiope shared a love for tormenting people, yet were polar opposites in every other way.
If Elfride was the class rep type who loved nagging and giving unwanted advice, Antiope was the complete opposite—a tattooed delinquent girl who smoked.
They were like oil and water, impossible to mix.
Pale skin and dark skin.
Mage and warrior.
Their hair was similar shades of white and ash, but aside from that, it was like they’d been designed as inverses, clashing in every way.
My father had often said people have elemental affinities, destined not to get along with certain others.
I’d dismissed it as pseudoscience, but seeing this, it rang true.
“...”
As I pondered this, Elfride flushed red, looking like she had a lot to say. I couldn’t help but panic.
Because whenever Elfride blushed like that, it meant either a fireball was incoming or a barrage of vicious whipping was about to commence.
So I watched them tensely, wondering what would happen next.
“Well, fine. I’ll go first.”
To my surprise, Elfride calmly entered the cave first.
She was probably pissed, but holding it in to avoid causing trouble.
She was the ‘A’ party who’d paid 120 gold for the commission, but also the ‘B’ party trying to clean up after her missing comrades.
Come to think of it, for all her hot temper, I’d never seen Elfride snap at anyone but me.
Ssslrp, ssslr-.
The elf’s rear, hidden by her leather pants, disappeared into the darkness. Only then did Antiope unwrap her arm from my waist.
“I don’t like that bitch.”
“But don’t we need to get along to complete the mission? Even you wouldn’t survive a fireball to the back of the head.”
“It’s just a gut feeling. Something off about that elf.”
Antiope’s instincts were actually pretty sharp.
She’d pegged me and Paranoy as cultists and tried to kill us over it.
Though she’d also dragged the unrelated Luna into it, showing her radical side.
If Hippolyte was the generous big-sister type, Antiope was narrow-minded.
Antiope continued.
“And my gut’s telling me you and that elf aren’t just casual acquaintances. What’s your relationship? You’ve got more girls around you than I thought. For a barbarian-.”
Ssslr-.
Her half-lidded eyes narrowed, and the corner of her mouth twitched upward.
Having been bullied plenty by delinquent girls, I instantly recognized the opening move for extortion.
Now that I’d revealed I wasn’t a god, putting us on equal footing, Antiope was like a leashless panther, ready to pounce and shake me down.
But I wasn’t about to take it lying down.
“I won’t go easy if you keep complicating things, Antiope.”
“Complicating? How? Gonna punish me again like last time, groping me everywhere? I’m not as uptight about purity as my sister, but that was still humiliating.”
Her words reminded me of the inn room, when I’d touched her thighs and between them. In hindsight, I had no idea what possessed me.
It was like a tiny Tinkerbell in my head egging me on to torment her.
“...Sorry about that. But you tried to kill me too. Compared to death, wasn’t that merciful?”
“You’ve got me there. Fine, if the lord of the underworld is worried, I’ll behave.”
Antiope was uncontainable energy. I’d never been near a lion tamer, but I could almost understand their mindset.
Just then, a voice echoed from inside the cave.
You two, come on in.
“Got it, sis-.”
Antiope replied half-heartedly, then continued in a whisper only for me.
“So, if you draw those things from last time again, I’ll play nice and cooperate this time, for your sake. Deal?”
“Draw what?”
“Those weird monsters. I felt their power spreading through every corner of my body. Things from the black wasteland? Gold-tier beasts?”
Weird monsters?
Gold-tier beasts?
The term jogged memories of Pikachu and Vulpix.
Antiope’s body was originally tattooed with images like twin-headed eagles, massive ogres, and other monsters she’d slain, absorbing their power.
She must’ve thought Pikachu and Vulpix were on that level. Similar in a way—. Though less gold-tier beasts and more Red Version Pokémon.
“Sure, no problem.”
“Yesss-!”
Ssslr-.
At my answer, Antiope shed her leather suit, exposing her back. Once covered in drawings, it was now a blank canvas.
“Draw it there. The back absorbs karma best!”
Apparently effects varied by body part.
With that in mind, I traced lightning bolt shapes onto her back with my finger.
Ssswish.
“Ahh-.”
“Why make that noise?”
“...You wouldn’t get it. Just hurry up and tattoo me.”
“Fine.”
I skipped Pikachu and Vulpix, opting for a simple lightning bolt like a Z. As the pattern trailed down her toned back, Antiope shivered.
“Hnngh, ugh….”
Weirdly erotic sounds escaped her lips, but I figured she was messing with me and ignored it.
Finally, the finished product.
Like Harry Potter’s forehead scar, a massive lightning bolt now adorned Antiope’s back.
“Done.”
“What? That fast? You barely drew a few strokes! I said redraw the ones from last time!”
“No, those were—. ”
Last time was punishment, a naughty drawing.
Sober, drawing Pikachu and Vulpix on a pretty girl’s body would be unforgivable.
If word got out, I’d be roasted. The lightning bolt had meaning, though.
She was a holy knight of Jupiter, god of lightning, and with the Harry Potter mark, who knew—maybe she’d wield magic.
“No lightning!”
“But rub your hands together. Like static electricity.”
“Static electricity? What’s that?”
Puzzled, Antiope rubbed her palms as instructed. She looked like a raccoon washing its hands.
“Oh, it works-.”
Zzzap-.
Sparks like static flew from her hands.
“With this, I’ll get stronger. Maybe even stronger than sis-.”
Her mouth gaped, brown eyes bloodshot with mania. I couldn’t help but question if I’d done the right thing.
“Spear of Lightning-, no, Thunder Spear-. Nah, need a better name-.”
Antiope drew her short spear from her belt, brandishing it wildly.
She looked like a kid unwrapping a gift. Just like me first discovering necromancy.
I said,
“I’ll add flames if you finish without incidents. So behave.”
“Yes, sir-. Hades-sama. But seriously, aren’t you some demigod? One of Jupiter’s countless kids?”
“If I were, would I be here? I’d have a cushy gig.”
“Huh. Weird. My blessing isn’t for just anyone. Anyway, I’m heading in.”
She finally sheathed her spear and entered the cave.
Last one left, I caught my breath, sighed, and looked up at the sky.
The sun blazed fiercely.
No sunlight for a while.
30 gold.
Silver-tier contribution.
Clinic setup required silver tier or higher.
Healing center.
Mass karma points.
“Wait for me-.”
I visualized my rewards, steeling my resolve, then squeezed into the darkness.
*
*
*
Clack, clack- whoosh-.
Sparks from flint lit the torch, illuminating the narrow cave that admitted no other light.
Stalactites grew sharp from floor to ceiling and vice versa, like peering down a giant’s throat.
Hippolyte, resting on a rock, spoke gravely.
“Keep the torch lit. You never know what lurks in the abyss’s darkness. Elf, you handle fire magic, right?”
“More or less.”
“Your mana’s finite. Save fire spells for last resorts. We’ll handle most with our blades, quietly.”
Hippolyte repeatedly warned to never let the flame die.
This was a deep, dark place.
Maintaining light was adventuring basics.
“Follow the markers down. Stick to the plan.”
We formed a diamond formation.
Hippolyte front, me left, Elfride right, Antiope rear.
Solid setup, though my left flank was the weak link. Everyone else pulled more than their weight.
First bus ride in ages.
I kept the torch steady and strained my ears for sounds.
But the cave was deathly silent.
Eerily so, like we were alone, with only occasional dripping water.
Is it always like this?
As I wondered, rear guard Antiope spoke.
“Sis, isn’t it too quiet?”
“In the abyss, hearing things start is more dangerous.”
“I know. But this is too quiet. Upper levels should have small beasts at least.”
“You’re right.”
Last night’s briefing covered the valley’s ecosystem.
Upper manticores’ valley hosted nasty critters: lizards, giant corpse-eating rats, killer locusts. Best descend quickly.
But reality was utter silence.
Even leader Hippolyte seemed unsure whether to celebrate no mobs or stay wary.
Then—clank!—her armor rattled loudly.
“There—ahead—something.”
Her finger pointed to manmade... something.
“A tower…?”