Chapter 32
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Go First
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"W-What the hell! Inside a dungeon! In a mutated dungeon, no less! How could you do something so blatant!"
"What's the big deal? Don't be so uptight. We're old enough for it anyway."
"I'm not asking about age—I'm asking about the situation! And sexual harassment on top of it!"
"I only asked because you were staring so hard... I thought maybe you were interested..."
...!!!
Airi had no real comeback to Kim Geon-ho's words and clamped her mouth shut.
She couldn't flat-out deny being interested, and she had been staring pretty intently.
No, even so—how could he say something like that to me!
She wanted to blurt out that he'd been chasing her with open confessions just a while ago, and now here he was asking if she'd join in after he'd already been with another girl.
This was a total trampling of her pride. And to do it so openly in a mutated dungeon! She had a million things she wanted to say, but she held back for now.
The biggest reason for her restraint was that no snappy retort came to mind for his comment.
"...Tatakum, bad timing?"
And just like that, Tatakum slotted seamlessly into the conversation. To be precise, he'd been hanging back nearby, waiting for the perfect moment to jump in.
Thanks to the Tatara Tribe's blessing overriding his instincts, he'd zeroed in on the moans echoing from the forest.
Unlike Airi, though, Tatakum was quick on the uptake with this sort of thing and pretty used to it.
Kim Geon-ho and Marren?
Whenever those two slipped off somewhere for a bit, it was usually thirty minutes at least, two hours tops.
And afterward, Marren would always come back with trembling legs or unable to stand at all, holing up in her private space to recover.
Tatakum had some experience himself, so sizing up the situation was child's play.
Anyway, that's why he'd been lurking nearby, suppressing his presence and biding his time for a natural entrance.
"What, everyone's here?"
"Glad you all overcame your instincts."
As he said it, Tatakum tilted his head up slightly to avoid looking anywhere near Marren.
The height difference usually kept things out of view anyway, but right now he could not look—his body knew it.
"Mm... Geon-ho helped me out..."
Marren responded to Tatakum's words looking pristine from her clothes alone—no one would believe she'd just had sex.
But that only went for her outfit. Her ragged breathing, flushed face, and the blatant air of satisfaction were impossible to hide.
"So now we just normalize the forest? Since we've beaten the instincts."
"The terrain did change from mountains to forest, but there's still a path up to the summit."
"Whoa, Airi spotted that too? You're so reliable."
"...Doesn't mean you're forgiven."
In the confused atmosphere, opinions could've splintered and gone off the rails, but Airi's competence prevented that.
The goal: head back to the summit. With that decided, they reformed positions with Tatakum in the lead and moved out together.
"Playboy, how could you do something so shameless right out in the open..."
"Geon-ho said it's just part of getting close."
"..."
Are these guys really okay? Tatakum's worries were par for the course.
Thud. Thud.
The Instinct Forest lived up to its name only in title—every living thing inside was dead.
The plants were devoid of any vitality, and the small animals you'd expect in a dense forest were all gone.
Naturally, no monsters showed up either, letting us reach the summit in total comfort.
"We're at the summit and nothing's here? Only one possibility."
The forest purification here must take the form of a boss.
Everyone nodded at Airi's words.
She's got real knowledge, that's for sure.
I marveled at Airi as I watched her. For a first-year freshman, she knew an impressive amount.
Even setting aside my walking encyclopedia status, it showed how much she'd studied to rebuild her family.
It's like Jack and the Beanstalk anyway.
The salaryman who mutated this dungeon—aka Jack—typically invaded standard mountain dungeons to grow a tree reaching the sky.
He'd mutate one of the tallest trees there, extend it to the heavens, and summon giants down. That was his goal.
Of course, he'd never fully succeeded, so no major disasters, but those failures always spawned a boss monster—the chieftain.
Shwooooooo!
"Incoming."
At Tatakum's word, we all looked skyward and scattered like we'd rehearsed it.
A meteor-like roar filled the air as something massive plummeted from above.
Boom!
Dirt and dust exploded instantly.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The thing that fell swept away the obscuring dust, revealing its full form.
A massive straight log for a body with a face attached, limbs fused from huge trees.
And eyes glowing with an ominous red light that screamed danger.
The Instinct Forest Chieftain, the Red-Eyed Ent, had arrived.
"Those who seek to destroy the forest! Those who try to escape the Instinct Forest! Death awaits!"
Sounds like a monster dialogue script from a game.
It was so textbook I had no urge to respond.
Not an unexpected foe either, so we moved fast based on our summit-climb strategy session.
"Taram!"
Tatakum lunged first to monopolize the Ent's aggro.
Crack!
One surefire aggro-puller: chopping nearby trees.
"Those who seek to destroy the forest! Death awaits!"
Tatakum toppled a bunch of surrounding trees with powerful strikes, claiming aggro instantly.
In that opening, Airi and Marren pooled their power for a massive fire spell.
I had no role in this seamless combo.
Go for it, go for it.
All I could do was hang back far enough not to disrupt the flow.
Everyone except Tatakum, who'd vaguely gauged my strength, saw me as the weak link.
If I drew attacks and split their focus, it'd be a disaster.
A club, the girl I just slept with, and the one I plan to—all fighting while I watch from behind?
It felt way too like a deadbeat wastrel husband, guilt creeping up inside.
But it's not time to show my hand yet. Unless things get dangerous...
Power that could flip the "weak" image in a heartbeat was a huge twist and promo opportunity.
To maximize it, I needed the perfect moment for full power.
Even a mutated low-grade dungeon wasn't that tough overall, so minimizing my contribution here was ideal.
Their trio was flawless—no room for me anyway.
Barring variables, we'd down the Ent, grab loot, and portal out.
Yeah, if not for the variables.
"High one! Come down!"
The Ent was moments from turning to charcoal under Tatakum's aggro and the girls' flames.
Then it suddenly severed its own arms and legs, slamming roots into the ground.
"Huh?"
The others found the sudden rooting and wilting of the fighting Ent bizarre.
Regardless, the Ent exploded in growth, shooting its body skyward.
"Shit!"
I bolted toward the group like a madman.
Fwoosh, fwoooosh!
Flames roared to life on my left hand, surging with presence.
The fire manifested by will took shape into the form I wanted without orders.
"Get out!"
I shaped it into a blade and slashed the Ent's trunk, red glow and all.
No time to worry about hiding strength—the situation was too dire.
But.
"Too late! High one! Come down!"
The Ent beat me to it.
Snap, craaaack.
Above the severed Ent's head.
A tree pillar reaching the sky groaned as life left it, toppling slowly.
"Something's coming down."
As Tatakum said, it wasn't just falling—something descended from the towering tree's peak.
A body excessively huge, like five apartment floors, yet with a somewhat youthful face belying the mass.
"So this is the human world adults talk about! Four tasty morsels already!"
Calling humans "tasty" and wielding a brutally massive axe telegraphed its intentions.
"A... giant?"
Airi blurted its identity in stunned disbelief, no intro needed.
At least we got the Ent... and it's not an adult giant.
Kindergarten age in human terms, just entering or graduating.
That didn't make it harmless, though.
"Tatakum!"
I made a snap call.
"Take the girls and run!"
Taking it down together was suicide. No solid intel on giants made it riskier.
"We got the Ent, so the guide's strat worked! Find the portal and go!"
With that, and the giant not down yet, I rushed to Marren and Airi, unleashing power.
Earthshaker.
A brain-rattling technique to destroy balance.
I cranked it up for temporary knockout, dropping Marren and Airi in seconds.
No choice—lingering opinions would waste time and amp the danger.
"Why... why..."
Airi's last words before blacking out questioned me.
"Because I want to do you."
My standard answer, as always.
"...? Not coming?"
Tatakum gaped, unable to fathom me staying behind.
"Go first."
If everyone escaped, the giant would burst the dungeon and hit the real mountain.
Fighting a giant in the outer world? Total loss, heavy casualties.
Meaning someone had to stay and kill it.
And that was me alone.
"Tatakum, I trust you."
"Obviously."
Bosses are always tougher than minions anyway.
"..."
Nod.
Tatakum nodded understanding, hoisted Marren and Airi, and bolted for the return portal.
"Hey, where you going! Come back!"
The giant accelerated, enraged at escaping prey.
"You're playing with me."
But it never reached the others.
Giant hunt begins.