Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Otherworld Cheat Harem.

Episode 40: Promise (3).

Dungeon 6th Floor.

A grotesquely long-limbed monster swung its arms.

Raize let out a hiccup and gasped as she watched. The presence that caused fear in the darkness did not become any less terrifying, even if there was light.

She cut off its arms that flew at impossible angles, making it seem not like a living being.

Fortunately, aside from its bizarre appearance and its highly unpredictable attack trajectory, it wasn’t a particularly difficult monster to deal with.

‘It was troublesome when I couldn’t see.’

An attack flying from the darkness beyond five meters in an inconceivable trajectory.

Sharper than a blade, blunter than a blunt weapon, the attack could easily slice a person in half.

Now that the darkness of the dungeon had disappeared, it was just a bizarre-looking monster. If you could see the strange trajectory of its attack, you could cut it down.

“…Why do all monsters look like that anyway?”

“Well, they evolved to ambush humans in the dark. It’s just like how deep-sea fish are ugly.”

“Deep-sea fish? What’s that?”

“Don’t you know the fish that live deep in the ocean?”

“The ocean…? Have you seen it?”

With those words, I realized this was another world. A medieval fantasy where most people lived their entire lives without taking a single step outside their own domain, let alone travel to the sea.

“Yeah.”

“How? Even kings or nobles find it hard to see the sea since this is deep inland.”

“My hometown is near the sea.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“I want to go there someday. Can you take me?”

Raize showed considerable interest in my hometown. Unfortunately, it was a place I could never reach again.

“Sorry. It’s a place I can’t go to anymore.”

“Is that so? Then there’s nothing we can do.”

However, there wasn’t no way at all. The dungeon. Having confirmed that this underground cave with its mysterious power could even distort space.

Clearing the dungeon, perhaps I might be able to return to Earth. Such a thought crossed my mind.

Today was the last weekday of the week. In other words, Friday.

The temporary party formed with Raize was for a week, and naturally, the weekend was not included.

“Just remember what we did when you join another party. That way, you’ll be able to hold your own without any issues.”

“…Can’t we just keep going together?”

“Come on, we agreed from the start that it’d only be for a week. Besides, I’m not meant to be messing around on the fifth and sixth floors forever.”

At those words, Raize closed her mouth tightly. Indeed, Dojin was a level 2 adventurer, while she was level 1, a complete novice just starting to enter dungeons.

Even if she forced herself to go with Dojin, it was clear she’d only end up holding him back.

“If… I become level 2 and become an advanced adventurer like you, will you accept me then?”

“Sure, when that time comes, I’ll accept you. You can definitely do it.”

Dojin patted Raize’s head as he spoke. It was the adult’s duty to be a guidepost for the young.

Of course, she still disliked Dojin treating her like a child, but at the same time… behaving like a child allowed her to gain more, so she hadn’t revealed the truth yet.

“Take care.”

“…See you next time.”

“Someday.”

After parting with Raize, Dojin headed straight to the mansion. He changed clothes and headed to the meeting place with Ilone.

Upon arriving, someone tapped his shoulder while watching the sun set.

Poke. Fingers dug into his cheek. The other person chuckled as if they found the prank amusing.

Ilone leaned forward, seductively presenting her chest towards Dojin.

“Did you wait long?”

“No, I just got here…”

Seeing Ilone for the first time in a week, perhaps because she had dressed up for the date, she looked quite beautiful.

Her once slightly rough brown hair was now glossy and softly waved.

The mini dress clinging tightly to her body revealed her chest, a firm belly, and strong thighs and calves.

“Uh, how do I look?”

She seemed new to dressing up like this, twisting her hair with a slightly flushed face.

Dojin gave her a thumbs up, telling her she looked great. Honestly, she looked so sexy he wanted to take her right then and there, clothes on.

“Really? Hehe, is that so?”

Hearing those words, she seemed about to drool in excitement, so he quickly calmed her down and extended his hand.

“May I escort you? Miss?”

“…Please take care of me.”

Like a knight treating a princess, Ilone felt her heart pounding. Having only ever been called a tomboy, this was the first time she had been treated like a woman since she was three.

Even then, it was half-heartedly received from her family, so no man had genuinely treated her this way.

‘There were men who showed interest in my body, though.’

Her body, trained to the extreme with no equal in the guards, was often admired, even considered artistic.

A body without a single ounce of fat was that desirable to the males.

However, Dojin did not look at her that way. In fact, it was Ilone who looked at others like that.

‘I wonder if I can do it today as well.’

For that sole purpose, she went to a salon she never visited, got her hair done, applied makeup, and prepared clothes and lingerie as tools to seduce a man.

Even though he loved her enough in her everyday clothes, traditionally, women wish to appear even more beautiful to men.

With Dojin’s escort, Ilone strolled through the city. The chilly wind seeped under her skirt, and when others’ gazes landed on her smooth legs, she felt a blush rising naturally.

However, at the same time, attracting others’ attention led to a restoration of self-esteem as a woman. As her self-esteem increased, her confidence rose accordingly.

She glanced at Dojin. He was stealthily turning his eyes to sneak peeks at her legs or chest, trying not to get caught.

There was no real need to sneak a look, since both her body and heart already belonged to him.

It felt quite cute. Was he now trying to show off his younger charm? Not that she wasn’t already completely smitten.

“Dojin.”

“Yeah?”

“Why are you so cute, my darling?”

Ilone said this while pinching his cheek. She pinched hard enough for it to hurt a little, making his cheeks quickly turn red…

Dojin enjoyed the moment with her. It was a matter of manners and respect towards a lady.

“This place… the atmosphere is really nice.”

“That’s why it’s expensive.”

“…How much is it? If it’s too much, I can cover it.”

“It’d be about two months of your salary.”

“If I break my savings, I can somehow–”

While Ilone was trembling, thinking of the savings in her account, I calmly answered while cutting the meat.

“I’ll pay.”

“But… I can’t let a younger guy treat me when I’m the older one…”

“As much as you received, you can serve in return.”

Though I didn’t specify what to serve, she blushed and nodded.

True to the reputation of a restaurant where a single meal cost the captain of the guards’ monthly salary, an array of dishes not easily seen in a fantasy world was presented.

The most surprising was the fish. Perhaps to mask the fishy smell, it was seasoned with various spices, but the unique savoriness of fish, which I hadn’t tasted in a while due to eating only meat daily, lingered on my tongue. It was a taste that made me crave white rice.

“Is this fish?”

“Haven’t you tried it before?”

“No. How should I eat it?”

“I’ll debone it for you.”

I took her fish, removed the bones, and handed it back. It was quite difficult to debone the fish with a fork and spoon, but well, it wasn’t like I was eating fish for the first time.

Watching me debone the fish so naturally, Ilone exclaimed in admiration.

“Have you eaten a lot of fish before?”

“Yeah.”

“I see…”

Then she suddenly became quiet. As I pondered why, I recalled that in this inland area, fish were rare enough for only nobles to eat.

‘Did she think I was a noble?’

Well, fish was something you’d only see in high-end restaurants here, so it wouldn’t be hard to pinpoint someone’s past if they said they enjoyed eating it.

She must think I’m a noble or someone equally wealthy.

“It’s just that my hometown is near the sea.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah. It only took an hour or two to get to the sea.”

“You lived near the sea?”

At those words, Ilone relaxed her expression and smiled gently. I sighed in relief inwardly and continued eating.

After that, we each had a drink or two, and the atmosphere grew warmer. It seemed like today would be a perfect date.

After settling the bill, I walked with her, slightly tipsy, through the night streets. Most people had returned to their homes or inns, and a few guards were patrolling the area.

We quickly set off to find an inn to avoid the night inspection.

─Aaaaaah!

At that moment, a scream echoed from afar. Ilone and I immediately locked eyes.

“…Did you hear that?”

“Yeah. A scream.”

“It came from over there.”

Is this what professional duty feels like? Ilone took a hair tie from her pocket and began to tie up her loose hair.

Not wanting to ruin the date, I asked her.

“Won’t the guards take care of it?”

“No. At this hour, there aren’t any patrols around here.”

“How did you– Ah.”

She was the captain of the city’s guards. She would have the patrol routes of the guards perfectly memorized.

“On a date?”

At those words, Ilone looked at me and grinned.

“Sorry. Let’s hang out next time.”

Rip. She tore her dress for easier running and dashed towards where the scream came from.

I watched her retreating figure.

“Impressive, sister.”

And I immediately ran after her.

Low-level adventurers, who risk their lives daily for a pittance, often encounter intense temptations—drugs.

If you cook the monsters from the dungeon in a special way, their bodies and blood transform into excellent drugs.

Thanks to this, spreading drugs in the city was a very easy task. It was also the reason why the underground organization Blackjack was able to grow.

The ease of obtaining drugs, their main source of income, and their expansion of power due to economies of scale. Ultimately, they were all wiped out by Deokgu’s abilities because of their numbers…

Anyway, the organization that produced so many drug addicts disappeared, leaving behind countless drug addicts in the city.

While they were suffering from withdrawal symptoms, the dungeon upheaval drastically reduced their income.

Even the monsters on the third floor were nowhere to be found, making it impossible to obtain the raw materials for drugs.

As a result, the price of drugs began to skyrocket. It had become so expensive that even drug-addicted users couldn’t afford it, even if they sold their organs…

No matter how hard they tried, there were two outcomes for those who desired the unattainable: either give up having it or give up their humanity.

They easily gave up their humanity.

“Be quiet.”

“Mmph!”

The low-rank adventurer who kidnapped a prostitute held a dagger to her throat. Although looked down upon as a low-rank adventurer, it was a profession that constantly brushed with death.

If he decided to kill a woman, he could easily slit her throat. The woman, sensing his murderous intent, nodded quietly with tears in her eyes.

The adventurer subtly looked down at the woman’s body. She was alluring enough to desire, but lusting after her body wasn’t his goal.

If it were, he would have saved some money and confidently gone to the red-light district. Committing a crime like this meant he had to be prepared to face death.

‘If you bring a woman… I’d buy it for ten gold.’

He didn’t know the reason. But if there was demand, there must be supply. Moreover, ten gold was equivalent to three days’ worth of drugs, so it wasn’t his concern what the woman would be used for.

“Quietly, follow me. If you stop, I’ll kill you. If you try to scream–”

“Stop.”

Swish. At some point, the man felt his hand turn cold. As he looked at his wrist, nerves damaged by drugs belatedly started sending signals.

“Aaaaargh!”

Sizzle. Smoke rose from his wrist as it was cooked thoroughly. Seeing the severed wrist completely cooked without a drop of blood, Dojin threw the branch far away.

Ilone, who followed behind, frowned slightly at the severed wrist, then immediately subdued the criminal after seeing the trembling victim.

“You piece of trash.”

While she was subduing the criminal, Dojin reassured the victim. The trembling woman looked at him and began to cry in his arms.

“Are you okay?”

“Y-yes…”

“May I ask what happened?”

“O-on the way home, suddenly…”

Upon hearing the situation, Ilone immediately headed to the guards with the woman, the criminal, and the severed wrist.

The guards, caught off guard as if surprised in the middle of the night, welcomed Ilone.

“Captain? What’s with that outfit?”

“Lock him up first.”

“What’s this all of a sudden?”

“I’ll write the report, so get ready for interrogation.”

The security guard was slightly surprised to see Ilone looking so feminine, something he had never seen before, but upon hearing her words, he immediately prepared for interrogation.

The words that came out of the interrogated criminal’s mouth were quite hard to believe.

“…What? Lower-rank adventurers forming a criminal organization? They said they would exchange people for money or drugs?”