Chapter 123
Chapter 123
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: Niki's Ecchi Slime Encounter
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Niki didn't believe it.
To think that a mere illusion could make it feel utterly real.
What a ridiculous notion.
Of course, Yuris seemed to place inexplicable deep trust in that man named Max.
But to Niki, who had even overcome the Demon King's illusion traps, illusion magic rang utterly hollow.
Even so, the reason she accepted Max's proposal—to experience it through illusion magic—was simple.
'It's better to try something than just sit idle without even attempting it.'
Plus, if it actually worked, all the better.
So, following his suggestion, she filled out the questionnaire and stood in the center of the magic circle.
Even when Max said they were starting, Niki remained apathetic.
Just a faint glimmer of expectation.
She waited for the results with a sliver of "what if."
And then the illusion magic was cast.
"...This is really supposed to work?"
Niki gaped at the scene unfolding before her eyes.
She had thought it was utterly impossible, of course.
After all, she was the Hero.
Yet there it was—Niki was clearly witnessing Max's illusion.
Penetrating the Hero's mental fortitude that even the Demon King couldn't breach.
"Stronger than the Demon King?"
It was unbelievable.
For an illusion mage who was merely a bit more extraordinary than average to achieve what even the Demon King couldn't.
'Well, illusion magic isn't dangerous anyway.'
She could take a little peek.
If that man had any ill intentions toward her, she could handle it somehow from the start.
Niki looked around.
It was an ordinary village.
And somehow, a familiar one at that.
'A small village near the capital.'
Not far from the capital.
A familiar space, and the village with the inn she frequented.
When her travels ended, she often stopped by for barbecued pork ribs and beer before heading to the capital.
They sold them in the capital too, but nothing beat the ribs here.
There was a raw, fresh taste to them.
That's why she always swung by this place.
'Even this is replicated?'
The detail was surprisingly vivid.
"Hero."
She turned at the voice calling her.
The owner of that small, whispering voice was the saintess Eirin, whose pink hair left a striking impression.
"Eirin?"
"E-Eirin? W-We aren't close enough for you to call me by name like that."
She mumbled in a voice that sounded half-dead.
It was that Eirin.
The Eirin from the early days when Niki had first met her.
Back when they had just met, they weren't on good terms.
Eirin, who was awkward around people and could barely speak due to her Divine Word.
And Niki herself, still unfamiliar with making friends back then.
A tough combination to warm up to.
'No sense of incongruity.'
Even though she knew this person and that this was an illusion, Niki felt no dissonance with Eirin's current appearance.
Impressive skill.
It was astonishing.
Niki admired inwardly as she scanned Eirin.
"Um... over there..."
"Yeah?"
"S-Staring like that is embarrassing..."
"Ah, sorry."
The fidgeting hands and hesitant demeanor were pure Saintess Eirin.
Watching her, Niki asked,
"We're going to travel together from now on, so wouldn't it be a problem if we stay this awkward?"
"I-Is that so?"
At those words, Niki extended her hand as if she'd been waiting.
"Let me introduce myself again. I'm Niki. Feel free to call me Niki casually. Let's get along well."
"Ah, yes... I-I'm Eirin."
She clasped Eirin's shyly offered hand.
'The texture feels real too.'
The saintess's hand was as soft as grasping a cushion.
That familiar sensation.
The hand of the Eirin that Niki knew.
Unlike Niki's, unmarred by a single callus because she'd never toiled.
Everything from one to ten was packed with elements that made it hard to believe it was illusion magic.
'Truly amazing.'
Now she could somewhat understand why Yuris recommended this man.
A bit of anticipation began to well up in Niki's heart.
Maybe she really could enjoy it, just as he'd boasted.
However, for now, only Eirin was around her.
Just like the early days when both were fresh Hero and saintess.
"Heading to work today too."
"Move it. They said no snacks if you're late again today."
"Threatening with food is cheating, isn't it?"
The village men chattered among themselves as they started toward work.
"You out doing laundry too?"
"The weather's so hot these days. Gonna finish quick in the morning and head back."
"Wanna cool off in the river while we're at it?"
"Sounds good."
The village women gathered in a cluster and headed to the river as well.
A perfectly peaceful village scene.
Every bit of it felt utterly lifelike.
"N-Niki... let's hurry."
Eirin approached Niki, who had been taking it in, and spoke.
"Hm? Where to?"
"We have to subjugate the dungeon that appeared near the village. We came here on the villagers' request, right?"
Ah, so that's the setup.
"Oh, right. Sorry."
Niki grabbed her weapon and headed straight out of the village.
A small dungeon located outside the village.
It had appeared recently due to the Demon King's blessing, they said.
If not subjugated quickly, it could go berserk and swallow the village at any moment.
Hence the urgent request to clear it within a short timeframe.
Truth be told, it wasn't a quest for the Hero party.
They traveled everywhere subjugating the Demon King and faced hordes of monsters, but this kind of subjugation was usually handled by the empire's standing army or adventurers.
Knight orders were dispatched only in truly dire cases.
These days, with nothing much to do, Niki cleared several dungeons herself, but during the Demon King's rampage, it wasn't a task for her.
'This is historically inaccurate.'
She thought she'd point it out to Max later.
Wouldn't it be better to heighten the realism?
But for now, enjoying the illusion took priority.
Niki arrived at the dungeon with the illusory Eirin.
It looked like an ordinary dungeon on the outside.
The kind she would have yawned through in the real world.
"Let's go."
[Entering the Ero Trap Dungeon.]
[All stats decreased.]
[Situations change drastically according to your imagination power.]
"Yes."
They entered, revealing a cave-like dungeon.
-Entering the Ero Trap Dungeon.
-All stats decreased.
-Situations change drastically according to your imagination power.
And a bizarre window popped up.
"What is this?"
Ero Trap Dungeon?
What the hell was this all of a sudden?
Just as she was about to ask Eirin if she saw it too—
- Kyu!
A pink slime appeared before the two.
Niki swallowed involuntarily at the sight of the slime's glossy, glistening, wobbly soft body.
In Niki's fantasies she'd imagined all this time, slimes were practically ideal masturbation toys in gel form.
Reacting like this was only natural.
"A slime, huh. Eirin, we're entering combat now, so support please."
"......"
Niki gripped her weapon and took the lead.
But no response came.
"Eirin?"
Turning back, the spot where Eirin should have been was empty.
"What the..."
Only then did Niki realize this was still within the illusion.
"Interesting. Using people and places I know to heighten realism, then isolating me?"
She could guess what kind of scenarios this illusion mage typically used.
"I won't go down easy."
Even if this place manifested her desires, she had no intention of losing easily.
Niki drew her sword to slice the slime's core and swung.
Or tried to.
"Huh?"
No strength came.
She held her familiar sword she wielded daily, yet her body wouldn't move as she willed.
'What the...'
In her moment of confusion—
-Kyuu!
Splurt!
The slime began spraying acidic fluid.
"Kyaa! Y-You, what are you doing!"
Pink liquid splattered all over her body.
Slimes were weak monsters, sure, but their acid wasn't to be ignored.
It could melt steel armor in one go, often disarming adventurers.
Some species even burned human flesh on contact.
Of course, her armor was leather etched with status immunity spells.
At least immune to slime acid.
But.
"M-My clothes..."
The pink slime's fluid wasn't dissolving her body—it was only melting her clothes.
"It should be blocked by the magic..."
And then, Niki saw a message appear before her eyes.
[Hit upper body with bodily fluid from Ero Trap 'Ecchi Slime'.]
[Status ailment 'Armor Unequippable' applied to upper body.]
"Ecchi Slime? Wait, more importantly, what is this message..."
A strange window suddenly appeared with a message.
It was that one from earlier.
The one she'd seen upon entering the dungeon.
As Niki floundered, unable to comprehend amid these first-time messages, the Ecchi Slime's fluid began slowly dissolving her upper armor.
Once the armor fully melted away, only her sky-blue bra remained on her upper body.
Bottoms still armored, but upper body fully exposed—like a total slut.
Her slim waist was bared.
A slender, Hero-worthy physique.
C-cup breasts with defined 11-shaped abs—Niki's figure exposed without a shred of cover.
Curvaceous lines, healthy glow on pale skin.
The sky-blue underwear on skin she'd never shown others stood out glaringly.
"Y-You bastard!"
-Kyu! Kyu!
Stunned by the sudden change, Niki swung at the Ecchi Slime that had sprayed her.
[Insufficient stats to swing holy sword.]
[Unequipping gear.]
"Huh?"
The holy sword slipped from Niki's hand and clattered to the ground.
"W-Wait a sec. Why is this happening?"
Her panic was short-lived.
-Kyu!
The Ecchi Slime's attacks continued.
Normally, an opponent she could beat yawning.
But now.
"S-Stop!"
Niki couldn't counter the pressing slime at all.
Weapon dropped, upper armor gone, body unresponsive.
Powerless in a way that shamed the title of Hero.
And another spray of pink fluid.
Sizzle!
"Kyaa!"
[Hit lower body with bodily fluid from Ero Trap 'Ecchi Slime'.]
[Status ailment 'Armor Unequippable' applied to lower body.]
[Disarmed state.]
[Unable to equip armor for a set duration.]
"Wh-Why is this happening!"
Her pants, gloves, even shoes—all melted away.
Only her sky-blue underwear covered Niki's body now.
"Urgh..."
Firm thighs, shapely calves and leg lines.
Slim yet curvaceous—her figure was perfection incarnate.
The problem was exposing it in a dungeon of all places.
"I won't let you get away with this!"
Niki charged the slime with renewed resolve.
"Kyaa!"
Without weapon or armor, the outcome was obvious.
"L-Let go!"
The pink slime bound her arms and legs, ensnaring her.
Total defeat.
Limbs restrained, stuck motionless in the dungeon's center—Niki couldn't even resist anymore.
And for the loser, only humiliation remained.
"D-Don't."
The slime's fluid began crawling up Niki's body.
Seeing the slime climb her, Niki urgently pleaded—but the corner of her mouth twitched upward ever so slightly.