Chapter 165: Revenge
Chapter 165: Revenge
Having safely overcome the crisis thanks to the effect of Pots’s shield, the party headed back to the secret dungeon, also known as the ant nest.
Learning from yesterday's failure, they knew that with a proper strategy, this ant nest could be a better hunting ground than anywhere else. Enemies swarmed them continuously like a monster wave, meaning all they had to do was kill them, and escaping was easy if things got dicey.
The strategy wasn't anything grand.
Sara, Diana, and Leia would simply stay near the entrance while Guwon advanced just far enough so they were out of range before using Holy Ground Proclamation.
Even though he could adjust the skill’s range, shrinking it might create gaps in the holy ground, allowing some monsters to slip past toward the rear guard.
Therefore, the calculation was that it was better for Guwon to keep his distance and use Holy Ground Proclamation at its maximum range.
It was also decided that Diana would only create light to illuminate their surroundings and would not provide support with attack magic.
Unless they were trying to wipe out everything at once, there was no need for Diana to attack as well.
So, Diana's mission was limited to providing light and, upon Guwon's signal, using the mosquito tail to open the passage immediately.
After coordinating with the party, Guwon opened the passage to the ant nest once more.
Unlike yesterday, the moment Guwon took the lead and descended, the ants began to charge at him furiously.
What the hell is this? Why are they all acting like this?
The answer, upon reflection, was simple. The ones that had been affected by the holy ground yesterday were rushing him on sight. Their current state was similar to Kate's after being left in a state of arousal for a full day.
Seeing the ant monsters go berserk, Guwon felt a slight pang of guilt toward Kate.
So this is what it’s like to be left like that for a whole day.
Vanessa was only okay because her level is so high.
In any case, he couldn't afford to fight them one by one here.
Guwon first ran toward the center of the space.
And so, surrounded by the swarm of ants, a fierce battle began.
He would fight the ants for a while, and when his life force was depleted, he would signal Diana to open the passage and escape.
Then, they would rest until his life force was fully recovered before entering the ant nest again.
It was a simple yet efficient routine.
And since our party recovered life force quickly, that efficiency was boosted even further.
“By the way, Diana. Do you really have to cling to me this tightly when you’re transferring mana?”
“O-Of course! Do you think I’m clinging to you because I enjoy it?”
Right? That’s a relief. A real relief.
Of course, it wasn't that he disliked having Diana cling to him. Not at all.
With Leia stroking him on one side, saying she was healing him, and Diana clinging to him on the other, it was a blissful moment. It was so blissful that he wondered if he was even allowed to experience such happiness during a hunt, even if it was a break. However…
Sara. Your glare is terrifying.
That was the real reason Guwon had bothered to ask Diana.
Now that it was established as a necessary action and not just them fooling around, Sara couldn't interfere. She could only glare at Guwon.
She was already a jealous girl, but it felt like it was getting worse and worse.
Anyway, after hunting in the ant nest for a while, we returned to the inn.
Since we could hunt so efficiently, we decided there was no need to hunt late into the night as before, so we finished a little earlier than usual.
We ran into Pots again in the restaurant, and the man was still skin and bones.
Either he hadn't recovered yet, or Kate had worn him out again in the meantime.
It looked like he hadn't been able to hunt properly, either. At this rate, wasn't he just going to head back up?
I had laid all the basic groundwork, but I wanted to establish a more definite relationship with Kate before he left.
Should I use the skill on her one more time?
But thinking back on the ants I’d seen during the day, I felt that doing that to a person multiple times was just cruel.
Kate was just a victim of a bad boyfriend; she hadn't really done anything wrong.
Right. Let’s just watch for a little longer.
Seeing Pots in that state, it was clear that Kate hadn't been able to forget her ecstatic experience with me.
And Kate’s decision came much faster than Guwon had anticipated.
It was triggered by a single sentence from Pots.
“I think we should head back up for now.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
After a passionate night with Diana, Guwon had come down to the restaurant first.
Pots was there, still emaciated, picking at his soup.
As soon as he saw Guwon, he said it as if boasting, though no one had asked.
“My Kate has been loving me so much lately. It’s too much. We need to go up so I can love her properly.”
It seemed that even in his sorry state, he still wanted to brag about his relationship with his girlfriend.
Said girlfriend, meanwhile, couldn't even meet Guwon's eyes and was fidgeting awkwardly. She was startled by Pots's declaration.
“Wait, Pots. We’re going up?”
In the past, she would have chided him for saying such things in front of others, but her reaction now showed that wasn't the problem.
“Yeah. Instead of doing it here, let’s go up and do it properly. You’d prefer that too, right, Kate?”
“W-Well… Y-Yeah…”
“Knew it.”
The man flashed a satisfied smile, then looked at Guwon as if to ask, how about that?
How about what? How can you see that reaction and still make that face?
The moment he said they were going up, Kate started glancing at me like crazy. Anyone could see she hated the idea of being separated from me.
But Pots, either too exhausted to pay proper attention to Kate’s face or just plain stupid, seemed completely oblivious.
“Yeah… whatever.”
No, he was probably just stupid. Maybe his eyes were just for decoration.
If the guy had eyes, he would have seen the three peerless beauties who were always by my side.
No, I could understand him not seeing Sara or Diana, since their faces were covered.
But he must have gotten a clear look at my angel’s face, right?
Did he really have the nerve to brag about his relatively plain girlfriend to a man who hangs out with a woman like that?
He was a piece of trash, but I had to admit, his love goggles were truly something else.
Though, the more he loved Kate, the more painful it would be for him.
That aside, what should I do now?
If they just left like this, Guwon would be out of options.
Finding out where they lived on the surface would be simple, but our party couldn't just pack up and go back up to match their schedule.
Besides, since I didn't know when I'd see her again, I couldn't use my skill on Kate.
I should have just used it yesterday. Then she would have been clinging to me again today. Maybe I made a mistake by giving in to a sudden bout of pity.
“…Hey.”
But it seemed Kate was even more desperate than Guwon.
When Guwon stood up from his meal to briefly visit the restroom, Kate, who must have been waiting for the right moment, immediately followed and called out to him.
“Hm?”
“U-Um… I… I’m going up today.”
Kate began hesitantly, as if the words were hard to get out.
“Yeah. I heard you earlier. I was right there, wasn’t I?”
But Guwon answered coldly.
Anyone could see this was the opportunity Guwon had been waiting for. But in moments like these, one had to remain calm. I couldn't lose the upper hand.
“Aren’t you… disappointed?”
“Hm? About what?”
“If we part ways like this, who knows when we’ll meet again? A great woman like me, I mean.”
Kate blushed beet-red, as if embarrassed by her own words.
“A great woman…”
“W-What is it?!”
“Well, I’m sure you have your own confidence. But for me, my girls are the best. Sorry to say, but you don’t seem as great as them.”
It was a roundabout way of putting it, but Guwon had made it clear: You’re a tier below the girls I hang out with.
Frankly, from Kate’s perspective, Guwon was the one who had seduced her for a one-night stand. Hearing something like this would be a massive blow to her pride.
I was aware that it was a harsh thing to say, but it was necessary to maintain the upper hand.
Adding the qualifier “for me” to soften the blow was the best I could do.
“You’re the one who seduced me first, aren’t you?!”
“I told you, I didn’t seduce you. I just helped you out once because you looked so pitifully frustrated.”
“So I’m not pitiful now? Even now…”
Seeing Guwon wouldn't waver, Kate changed her approach.
“Yeah. You’re not in a state of sexual frustration now. At least not to the point where you look pitiful like last time.”
Guwon stared steadily into Kate’s eyes before speaking in a dismissive tone.
It was the obvious truth, since he hadn't cast a skill on her.
“Looks like your job isn’t perfect after all. You’re wrong. I’m sexually frustrated right now.”
“No. Weren’t you perfectly satisfied when you were with Pots before? You’re still getting that level of satisfaction now. It’s just that you’re feeling a little mentally dissatisfied because you’re comparing it to your experience with me.”
Guwon replied as if he knew everything.
In truth, it was all just an educated guess, but it probably wasn't far from the mark.
As proof, Kate’s eyes were trembling faintly.
“I-If you know that, then you could satisfy me one more time…”
“Sorry, but if I had to satisfy every girl who came back because she couldn’t forget her experience with me, I’d spend my entire life having sex until I died. Do you have any idea how many girls like that there are?”
Guwon bluffed.
How many? Not a single one.
But from Kate’s perspective, having experienced the ecstasy Guwon could provide, she would never think he was bluffing.
“W-Wait. It’s because I’m really frustrated. Just once. Please, satisfy me just one more time.”
In the end, Kate was reduced to begging Guwon.
To think she’s clinging to me like this just because she can’t forget the experience I gave her, even without me using a Saint skill. The Saint really is a broken job.
“If we keep doing ‘just one more time,’ there’ll be no end to it.”
Even as he thrilled at the power of the Saint class, Guwon spoke coldly.
“B-But… Right. If you satisfy me now, then in return…”
Kate seemed about to offer something in exchange, but her voice trailed off as she seemed to realize she had nothing to give Guwon.
In the first place, Kate knew very little about Guwon. She had no way of knowing what to offer that he would like.
The only thing she knew was that he was good at sex. And since he must enjoy it to be that good, the only thing she could offer was herself. But Guwon had just clearly stated that she wasn't his type compared to his other women.
“In return…”
“Haa… Fine. Let’s do this.”
Watching her, Guwon spoke with a look of pity.
“From time to time, I’ll relieve your desires when you want. Of course, not always. I have my own life, too. It’ll just be occasionally, when I get the chance. In return, you have to relieve my desires when I want.”
“What do you mean? You just said that compared to your women…”
Kate hesitated, seemingly quite hurt by his earlier words.
“Of course, they’re the best for me. But I’m so potent that sometimes, they aren’t enough to handle it all.”
“W-What does that mean?”
“What do you think it means? It’s literal. You saw it the day before yesterday, didn’t you? Me moving from room to room. In the end, all three of them passed out.”
“Is that even human…?”
Kate stared at Guwon as if he were a monster.
“So. Are you in or out?”
“J-Just because you want it doesn’t mean I have to agree every time, right? I have my own life, too.”
Is she trying to guard against me making a move on her regardless of whether Pots is around?
It seemed she intended to maintain at least a minimum of loyalty to Pots.
“Of course. That goes without saying.”
Guwon replied coolly.
He said that, but he knew Kate would never be able to refuse him when he wanted it.
Because the thought, What if I refuse him now, and he refuses me next time I want it? would always be circling in her mind.
The moment she accepted this condition, Kate would be crossing a river of no return.
“Okay. I accept that condition.”
And just like that, Kate crossed the river of no return without any awareness of what she was doing.
“Good. Then to commemorate our deal, I’ll satisfy you once.”
“What? W-Wait. Here?”
“Yes. Here. Weren’t you just begging me to satisfy you one more time? Don’t worry. It won’t take long to satisfy you.”
Guwon slipped his hand under Kate’s skirt and immediately pulled down her panties.