Chapter 90: Territory of the Orcs
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 90: Territory of the Orcs
When I carved out the magic stone from the fallen creature, a stone larger than any I had seen before popped out.
Well, I had expected as much.
“So this is a Floor Boss… Isn’t it a little too weak?”
“You have some nerve saying that after launching a merciless surprise attack.”
“No, but even with a surprise attack, isn’t it a bit much for it to be taken down without putting up a fight? Couldn’t we just beat up the werewolves like this, then?”
“Don’t be so rash. This time, it was simply a matter of a good matchup.”
“A matchup? Come to think of it, you did say you’d never lose to a shaman. Did you do something, Diana?”
“No. I’m not talking about me, but its compatibility with you. After being attacked like that, a mere Orc Shaman wouldn’t have been able to concentrate enough to use its spells properly.”
…I see. So that’s what she meant.
The more I fought, the more I discovered the advantages of Saint’s Touch.
Does this mean that from now on, as long as I can land a single hit, I’ll always have the upper hand against mage-type enemies?
“It’s surprising that it was traveling alone, though. I thought a shaman would have a whole entourage of minions.”
“Hmm. It probably does, usually. The Transcendent Species on the 2nd Floor are the same. I suspect it might have been in the middle of some kind of ritual just now.”
I looked where Diana was pointing, and sure enough, there was a freshly painted symbol on the rock.
So she was saying we only caught it so easily because luck just piled on top of luck.
In any case, if it normally traveled with minions, it meant that a horde of them could swarm us at any moment.
The party quickly collected the dropped items and left the area.
And it seemed that was the right call.
As we moved to exit the orc territory, the frequency of our encounters with them seemed to increase.
Moreover, just this morning, the orcs we met here were lazily wandering around with their wolves, completely unprepared for battle.
But now, their eyes gleamed with killing intent, and they charged at us the moment they saw us.
Do they know their boss is dead?
How would they know? There was no one else around.
To get straight to the point, it seemed they didn’t know the Floor Boss was dead.
When we entered one of the Transcendent Species’ villages for lunch, we ran into a considerable number of orcs.
A rough headcount put them at around twenty.
Of course, considering the original population of the village, it wasn’t a large number, but it was still a number that would be impossible unless they were moving as an organized group.
That must mean the news that this place had been wiped out had already spread among the orcs.
Guwon sighed and raised his fists.
Looks like today is not a day for a peaceful meal.
“I won’t waste a single page dealing with you bastards anymore!”
I’ve come back after hunting monsters on the 2nd Floor.
I can’t keep dragging out fights with 1st Floor monsters forever.
With our party’s abilities, twenty orcs were nothing. After dealing with them in an instant, Guwon looked back at the party.
“Looks like having lunch here will be difficult, right?”
“Yes. Let’s get out of here quickly.”
“Indeed. If we delay, we don’t know what might have happened to the village near the entrance.”
Diana was right.
If the entrance was blocked and we got sandwiched by their sheer numbers, even a party as skilled as ours couldn’t escape unscathed.
Since there were only twenty here, we could probably assume there were still fewer at the entrance.
Let’s escape while we can.
Fortunately, just as Guwon predicted, the orcs had not yet been dispatched to the entrance.
We left the orc territory and headed for the place where the Mana Pools grew to finally have a meal.
By the time we arrived, it was already evening.
We had practically starved the entire day, and even Guwon was feeling the strain.
No matter how much beef jerky I chewed, it never felt like it was filling my stomach.
Most adventurers probably survive on jerky during long dungeon expeditions. How do they do it?
Is it just that I’m not used to it?
“What are you doing? Hurry up and take out the meat.”
But seeing Diana gulping as she stared at me, it didn’t seem like getting used to it was the issue.
“Alright, alright. Don’t rush me. Try waiting demurely like Leia over there. See how lovely she is?”
“Hah? What did you just say?”
“Ah, no. My mistake. I’m sorry. I apologize.”
Why the sudden change in tone? I flinched reflexively without even realizing it.
Even with Guwon’s apology, Diana didn’t seem to have calmed down.
She snorted lightly and said.
“What you find lovely isn’t her attitude, but those breasts. Things like that are nothing but lumps of fat!”
“Lumps of fat…? You’re going to get bigger too, you know.”
“Exactly! I will get bigger too! And that’s a certainty!”
Diana exclaimed, as if giving a passionate speech.
So what am I supposed to do about it?
“Alright, I get it. Just light the fire for me, future big-breasted mage.”
“Hmph.”
I’d meant that as a tease, but surprisingly, her reaction wasn’t negative.
Didn’t you just say they were nothing but fat?
Women are truly hard to understand.
As the meat cooked, this time it was Sara who was acting strange.
The girl who usually ate a ton without anyone noticing was now just picking at her food, not eating properly.
“Sara? What’s wrong?”
“Y-Yes? What is it?”
“Why are you eating like that? Is your stomach upset?”
“Oh my? Really? I’m sorry I didn’t notice. I’ll heal you right away.”
“I-I’m fine! It’s nothing! Cough! Cough!”
This time, she tried to force a huge bite into her mouth, only to start coughing as if she’d choked.
“Are you okay?”
Guwon quickly handed her some water.
“Cough! Yes. Thank you.”
As she said that, her eyes seemed to hold a strange hint of resentment.
“By the way. How about we head back around this point?”
Guwon made the suggestion to everyone during the meal.
Leia’s Priestess level hadn’t quite reached the point where she could learn Protect, but she had still managed to raise it far more than we’d anticipated when we entered the dungeon.
More importantly, we had been in the dungeon for far too long.
No matter how good the growth was, pushing ourselves too hard could be counterproductive.
It would be best to take a break here.
Diana probably wouldn’t care either way. She wasn’t the type to be particularly interested in dungeon conquering in the first place.
Leia was also doing her best for the party, but conquering the dungeon wasn’t her personal goal.
The problem was Sara…
“Okay. I think it’s about time we went back.”
But surprisingly, Sara agreed readily.
What a relief. I suppose she also knows that overworking herself isn’t good.
Having decided to return, the party finished their meal and headed straight for the secret base.
We could have slept perfectly fine at the Mana Pool habitat, but if we didn’t make it there today, it would be difficult to get back to town by tomorrow.
So, we decided to go to sleep as soon as we reached the secret base, but Guwon had a problem.
Will I be able to go without any weird sleep-talking tonight?
I had touched Leia, Diana, and Sara, one after another. There was no telling what I might do in my sleep tonight.
So far, it had been fortunate that I’d only done it to each of them once, but now, no matter who I did it to, it would be the second time.
They wouldn’t believe it was just sleep-talking a second time. Hell, even I wouldn’t believe it.
Should I really tie my hands before sleeping?
But I didn’t want to go that far.
I’m not into bondage play. At least, I don’t like being the one tied up.
In the end, Guwon decided to trust himself and went to sleep without any precautions.
And the next morning.
The first thing Guwon did upon waking was check the sensation in his hands.
Yep. They weren’t holding anything.
Thank goodness. Thank… goodness?
But Guwon immediately noticed something strange.
His hands weren’t holding anything, but something warm was clinging to his entire body. And it wasn’t just one something.
Stay calm. Right. Let’s count prime numbers… A prime number is a number that cannot be divided by anything else.
1, 2, 3, 5… Whoops! 1 isn’t a prime number!
Anyway, that helped me calm down a little.
Slowly opening my eyes, I looked to my sides and saw the faces of Sara and Diana.
They were so close that our lips would touch if I just leaned my head forward slightly.
How in the world did this happen…? What on earth did I do while I was sleeping?
They weren’t just clinging to me; their bodies were sensuously intertwined with mine.
Guwon could be certain that his towering member wasn’t just due to morning wood.
If he could have his way, he would forget the dungeon and everything else and pounce on them right this instant… but Guwon mobilized every ounce of his reason to barely suppress his desire.
Today’s the day we go back to town. Just hold on until tonight.
Guwon gently detached their bodies, careful not to wake Sara and Diana.
My son. Be patient just a little longer. Tonight, you will see an angel and heaven.
Guwon said, looking over at Leia.
Soon after Guwon moved away, Sara and Diana also opened their eyes.
That was close. If I had been a little later… wait, later for what? Come to think of it, this wasn’t my fault.
That position just now was clearly Sara and Diana clinging to me.
Damn it. To only realize that now.
I should have just stayed like that and enjoyed the sensation a little longer.
Well, no use crying over spilled milk. Let’s just be satisfied with having appreciated the angel’s bosom.
“Leia. It’s morning. Wake up.”
Sara woke Leia as soon as she got up.
Hey. I can’t see the angel’s holy breasts—I mean, her figure. Move a little to the side to wake her up.
“What are you doing? If you’re up, hurry and prepare breakfast.”
Diana said, her face slightly scrunched up, likely because she had just woken up.
“Yeah. Alright.”
Tch. I guess appreciation time is over.
It felt like it wasn’t quite enough, but there would be other chances. I’ll just have to wait until then.
Though no one said it, everyone seemed excited to be returning to town after a long journey.
The meal was over in an instant, with everyone eating in silence.
And on the way back.
We finally arrived in front of the secret passage. Guwon’s heart began to pound.
Was it because we were just a stone’s throw from town?
Of course, that was part of it. But I was more excited about what was about to happen.
Guwon quickly took off his leather armor, put it in his inventory, and said.
“Alright. Diana, on my back. Leia, come here.”
This was it.
The reason I obediently gave up on appreciating her breasts this morning was to build up the anticipation!
For the next two hours or so, it’s breast-appreciation time!
And since they’ll sway with my every step, I can subtly control the movement!
Today, I’ll walk with a fierce, driving rhythm!
Now that I’ve even taken off my armor, I should be able to enjoy the sensation through her clothes!
But Guwon’s expectations were shattered in an instant.
“It’s alright. I’ve leveled up a lot, so I should be able to walk on my own now. I can’t keep being a burden to you forever, Guwon-ssi.”
Leia said, her hands clenched in front of her chest, her face full of determination.
Such a kind heart. Even her determined expression looked so delicate that it naturally stimulated one’s protective instincts.
But for the first time, Guwon resented Leia’s kind consideration.
“Ah, no. It’ll still be tough, so…”
“No. You’ve worked much harder than I have, Guwon-ssi. I can’t make things even harder for you.”
Leia said with a pure smile, oblivious to Guwon’s feelings.
Ugh. No. That’s not it. Actually, carrying you is what relieves my fatigue.
Of course, he couldn’t say that out loud, so Guwon shed manly tears in his heart.
“Pfft. What are you doing? Come on, let’s go.”
Diana, who had already completed her boarding onto his back, said, lightly slapping Guwon’s shoulder.
Damn it. If it’s come to this, I’ll just indulge in the sensation of you!
Guwon reached his hands over his shoulders and pulled Diana’s arms forward.
“Heek! W-What is it?!”
“…No. It’s nothing. Just hold on tight like this.”
It wasn’t that he felt nothing at all, but the fact that he could only feel a faint sensation if he focused all his senses just made it even sadder.
Guwon cried tears in his heart for a completely different reason than before.