Chapter 128: The 12th floor (4)

Chapter 128: The 12th floor
(4)

I
stared blankly at the words in front of me.

Reorganizing
my body to be more efficient?

The
meaning of the sentence was immediately obvious.

Ding.
Tut-tut-tut!

“Crunch!”

It
feels like my body is being torn apart alive.

Muscle
fibers, cartilage, bones, blood vessels, and even nerves.

It
feels like everything that was slightly twisted and distorted is
being put back into place one by one.

Over
the course of our lives, we accumulate incorrect postures, behaviors,
and habits that slowly break down our bodies.

However,
no one is able to observe them completely and obsessively.

The
pain that comes from the accumulation of these little things doesn’t
show up right away.

They
accumulate and accumulate over a long period of time, interfering at
the most crucial moments.

Tsk.
Tsk, tsk, tsk!

And
the “body reorganization” that is happening to me now, it feels
like my body that was about to collapse is being forcibly torn apart
prematurely.

Literally,
my body is being reorganized to be more efficient…but the touch was
not gentle at all.

It
was like, ‘Fuck. I should just pass out!’

This
is what it feels like when your body is on fire from the inside.

Every
time my muscle fibers regenerated correctly, every time my bones and
nerves aligned, my body burned from the inside.

“Jubeel!
Move the fountain, scroll-”

“It’s
already torn! Come on-”

I
heard the urgent voices of my party members.

Soon,
I felt like I was drowning.

I
had fallen into the healing waters of the 10^th
Floor Fountain.

As
I quickly gulped down the water, the burning pain gradually
diminished.

I
was out of pain for now.

As
I bathed in the healing water, relieved, my earlier speculation came
back to me.

Upon
entering the multiplier of 5 floors and touching the fountain for the
first time I might be able to meet [the Light-Bathed One]

***

Thrrrr-

Someone
stroked my head gently.

[You’ve
worked hard.]

A
tickling, wistful touch.

A
warm, nostalgic touch.

My
heart melts at the words, “You’ve worked hard.”

At
the same time, my mind became clearer and clearer.

As
soon as I opened my eyes, I saw a woman bathed in a dazzling light.

[You’re
already on the tenth floor.]

I
could hear the woman’s voice clearly, whereas before it had been
muffled by noise.

The
more I enter this mysterious space, the more the censorship is
lifted.

I
asked in a slightly subdued voice.

“Who
the hell are you?”

-Hush.

The
woman brought her index finger, wrapped in light, to my lips.

With
her other hand, she pointed to the sky.

At
that touch, I spontaneously lifted my head and looked up.

Outside
the cage of light in which the woman and I were seated, there were
all sorts of unwelcoming energies.

They
were very similar to Magi, and they were radiating a sinister energy
toward this cage.

[There
is much more I wish to tell you, but there is much more I cannot tell
you at this time, I’m sorry.]

I
nodded slowly at the woman’s words.

The
warning the woman gave me last time was that the 5th floor is
dangerous.

With
those words, this cage nearly collapsed in on itself.

Who
are you, why did you contact me, why are you helping me, and so on…

There
were so many questions I wanted to ask, but I held my tongue.

I
knew enough from her behavior to realize that she was trying to help
me in some way.

[Time.
Write. Twice. Chance. Ask.]

Is
there a limit to the number of sentences she can say?

The
woman’s words were extremely short, but I interpreted them
appropriately.

‘Does
it mean I have two chances to ask something?’

Perhaps,
the things I was just thinking about wouldn’t be answered if I asked.

If
so, I needed an answer that would turn my immediate speculation into
certainty.

After
some thought, I decided on a question to ask the woman.

“Is
the condition for meeting you, to enter the multiplier of 5 floors
for the first time and touch the fountain?”

“For
now. That’s all.”

The
woman nodded.

The
reason she’d added the word ‘now’ was obvious.

Just
before being eaten by Gluttony, the woman told me there were no more
miracles left.

There
were other ways to make contact besides reaching the fountain, but I
guess that means I’ve exhausted all of those opportunities now.

On
the 5th and 10th floors, I had already come into contact with the
fountain and met the woman.

15th
floor, 20th floor, 25th floor, 30th floor.

If
I continue exploring the Labyrinth, I have four more chances to meet
the woman.

And
for me, I needed motivation to continue meeting her.

Should
I say it or not?

It’s
a question I shouldn’t have to ask now, but I felt like it would be a
relief.

After
a long hesitation, I opened my mouth.

“Are
you, are you related to my sister?”

The
woman’s body shuddered at my words.

The
light that enveloped her wavered slightly.

In
that split second, the corners of the woman’s mouth, which had been
shrouded by the light, turned up ever so slightly.

A
smile.

She
was smiling, very faintly.

[Curious?]

I
was half-assured by the woman’s question.

This
mysterious woman was somehow related to my sister.

“Yes.
I’m curious.”

My
sister’s whereabouts was the most important thing I wanted to know
right now, and the biggest reason for entering this dangerous
labyrinth.

“It’s
the most important thing to me.”

The
woman’s smile deepened a little more at my answer.

Sigh.

She
moved closer to me, inch by inch.

Kaang!
Kaang!

A
violent force from outside struck the cage of light.

But
the woman didn’t even pay attention to it, her eyes only on me.

Thrust.

The
woman’s arms, enveloped in light, wrapped around my neck.

I
didn’t resist.

-Kwuuk.

A
light embrace.

My
tense mind relaxed, and a warmth akin to holy power seeped into my
body.

After
holding me tightly for a moment, the woman whispered softly in my
ear.

“Come
to the depths of the Labyrinth.”

Her
hot breath mingled with my desperate pleas.

“Then,
you will have what you desire most.”

Immediately
after she said that, she hugged me as if to crush my body.

“Ugh?!”

The
woman, suddenly stronger, muttered in a frosty voice.

“And,
woman. Don’t have too many—”

The
woman tried to say something, but her voice was no longer audible.

Sighing
heavily, she wordlessly hugged me tightly once more, then gently
pulled away as if to say goodbye.

Or,
as if she hoped I’d come back for more.

The
woman waved at me.

With
that, my consciousness returned to the fountain.

***

“Balkan,
wake up!”

I
opened my eyes once more, and Joy Hog was in my face.

“Shit.
Hmmm. Sorry.”

I
don’t know about Zirnier, the half-dwarf, but I can’t stand the sight
of Joy Hog’s face up close.

When
I regained my senses, I took stock of my surroundings.

Ellie
was lying next to me.

No
longer masturbating her nipples, she was relaxed and soaking in the
healing waters of the fountain.

Hitolis
gave me a brief update on Ellie’s condition.

“She’s
doing much better, and the healing water has washed away most of the
aphrodisiac.”

“So
she’s fine now?”

“Mm⋯
but she’s been infected by the aphrodisiac for two days, so there
might be some lingering side effects if she’s unlucky⋯
but she should be fine for now.”

It
wasn’t long after Hitolis’ explanation that Ellie opened her eyes.

“Ah⋯
here⋯?”

Apparently,
her memory of the time she was infected by the aphrodisiac was fuzzy.

We
explained to her what was going on.

Of
course, we didn’t mention the frantic nipple-slapping and sneaky
masturbation in the middle of the night.

It
was too gruesome a story for a young Ellie to handle.

“I’m
sorry! I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry!”

“It’s
okay. It’s okay.”

“It’s
admirable that you didn’t rape a passing man.”

The
party accepted Ellie’s apology.

Being
the closest to a woman’s primal instincts, they were more forgiving
of her mistake.

Now
that Ellie had recovered and was rested, there was no reason to
linger at the fountain.

The
party packed up again and prepared to head to the eleventh floor.

From
the 11th floor onward, the floors are seasonal.

The
11th floor is fall and the 12th floor is winter.

It
made more sense to bundle up and cross the descent portal ahead of
time.

Ta-da!

I
hopped from the fountain to dry off my leather armor and put on my
winter gear.

The
water-soaked leather armor was quite heavy.

I’m
going to have a hard time managing this.

As
I casually rummaged through my subspace backpack for a change of
clothes, I felt a strange gaze upon me.

“⋯⋯”

“⋯⋯”

Ellie
and the rest of the party stared at me blankly.

“Why?
What’s wrong?”

“⋯Uhhhh.”

Ellie
looked up at me, confused.

“Oppa.
You look like you’re ⋯
taller?”

“⋯I’m
taller?”

I
shook my head at Ellie’s words, and then felt a twinge of discomfort
as my body shifted.

Sure
enough, my vision was a little higher.

Maybe
three centimeters?

My
height wasn’t the only thing that had changed.

My
movements are much lighter.

My
limbs are more elastic, and my movements are strangely more natural.

Boom!

I
swung the artifact axe in the air to test it out, and the motion was
cleaner than before.

Looking
at my forearms, the muscles seem to have changed shape slightly but
not in a bad way.

It
feels more aesthetically pleasing and more functional at the same
time.

There’s
no change in the status window, but overall the body’s functionality
has increased.

I
sneakily turn around and look at my lower half.

‘⋯Thicker.’

Even
without an erection, it had gained a bit more length and girth.

‘Is
this the effect of the body realignment?’

Something
similar happened on the fifth floor, but maybe I didn’t notice
because my growth was small.

‘This
is⋯
good.’

Isn’t
this practically free body realignment?

I
still don’t know exactly what to make of the question mark blessing,
but I have to take what I can get.

‘Serif
said she’d tell me about the blessing someday.’

As
I felt today, it was definitely a blessing that helped me.

“Somehow,
it feels like your body has become more arousing.”

“As
if your body was made by God ⋯”

“That’s
blasphemy, that God made such an erotic body. If God’s taste is that
kind of body, isn’t he just a rug wannabe female?”

“That,
don’t say that, Jubeel. It’s really blasphemy⋯”

“I,
please don’t say such bad things to my oppa.”

“Honestly,
it’s factual⋯”

As
I listened to the party members stare at my body and chatter, I
donned a cold-weather suit made from the skin and fur of a winter
bear.

‘Winters
in the Labyrinth are cold.’

If
I was going to survive, I had to be prepared.

I
stared alone at the descent portal to the eleventh floor.

-Come
to the depths of the Labyrinth.

I
could still hear the woman’s voice in my ears, her breath hot and
sharp.

-Yes,
you’ll get what you want most.

The
Abyss of the Labyrinth…deep, deep underground, filled with evil and
darkness.

I
have a clue to find my sister.

-Kaaaah!

My
clenched hands shook uncontrollably.

The
joy of finally finding a clue to my sister soon became the fuel that
set my body on fire.

“Just
a little longer.”

I’ll
find her, I promise.