Chapter 113: Let’s Tie Him Up For Now

“Shall we go up now?”

“Yes. Everyone has everything, right?”

“I don’t have anything in particular.”

“Me neither…”

“Then let’s go.”

After cutting up the giant’s corpse and sweeping it all into my inventory, we decided to go back up.

The garden district was already in ruins, so we could find the transfer stone more easily than expected. We found the transfer stone among the debris while searching through the burned buildings.

There seems to be a transfer stone connected to the labyrinth city’s sewer below the floor division of the tower district, but since we didn’t have the strength left to conquer the tower district and below, we decided to just go up slowly.

“It looks like we’ve come up to the breeding grounds.”

“Rabbit poop smell…”

Paramel frowned and covered his nose.

We transferred to the 4th floor of the breeding grounds.

This place was full of the unique smell of beasts and rabbit droppings because rabbit-type demons crawl out here.

Perhaps because it’s the place where I had a fierce battle with the Young Lady a few months ago, I was reminded of Young Lady Rea as soon as we arrived here.

I wonder what Young Lady Rea is doing now. She definitely said she would start training before I entered the labyrinth.

Having not seen them for almost two weeks, I really miss Yuria and the Young Lady.

“Oh? There’s a Bopal Rabbit.”

“You can see it?”

“Ah, I can’t see it. I just feel like it’s there..”

Is it thanks to the giant’s fruit? My senses have become extremely heightened.

I caught the presence of the Bopal Rabbit first, which even Rosie didn’t notice. It seems my senses have improved almost to Raphael’s level.

Tap tap tap tap.

I can hear the small sound of the Bopal Rabbit kicking the ground.

Whoosh-!

“Gotcha.”

“Squeak? Squeeeak!!!”

I grabbed the leg of the Bopal Rabbit that was flying towards my neck.

A slight cut appeared on my hand, but it healed quickly. My skin itself had become so tough that a wound that should have been a tear was reduced to a small cut, and even that healed quickly.

To think I’d be able to catch a Bopal Rabbit, the professional killer of novice adventurers, with my bare hands without any difficulty.

“Hey, don’t resist.”

The Bopal Rabbit can be considered to have lost its combat power from the moment its leg with the blade bone was caught.

I immediately slammed the rabbit to the ground of the labyrinth, smashing its head.

“…”

“Um, Porter-ssi.. Did you just… catch a Bopal Rabbit with your bare hands..?”

“Huh? Ah, yes. Somehow.”

“…That guy, after tearing into giant meat yesterday. Has he turned into a monster.. Hey, Porter.”

“Yes, Saint.”

“You, when we go up, let’s have you undergo a thorough examination at the Order. Suddenly becoming strong like this, and eating demon meat raw. These are precursor symptoms shown by those who have contracted with demons before they fall.”

“Excuse me, Saint.”

“Yes, Rosie.”

“What do you mean by eating demon meat raw?”

“Rosie didn’t see it, so you wouldn’t know. Can you believe it, the Porter was tearing into the giant’s flesh yesterday. When I approached, he was biting off chunks of giant flesh.”

“No, Saint. That was, well, a side effect of an accessory.”

“No matter how you try to excuse it, it’s no use. No matter how I think about it, it’s too suspicious. No, I should have killed you the moment I realized it was suspicious.”

“What? Whoa? Rosie! Why are you grabbing me? Do even you doubt me!?”

“I’m sorry, Sion. Since demon possession or contracts often progress without the person knowing, let’s receive a purification ritual at the Order. This is all out of concern for you.”

“No! That’s not it! I told you it’s an accessory side effect!”

“That’s the typical excuse of demon-possessed people.. Um.. Porter-ssi.. Considering the worst possibility.. Let’s quietly receive purification.?”

“Aaah! Praise the Goddess! The Goddess is the best! I love the Goddess! There! I praised the Goddess!”

“There’s no sincerity.”

“You crazy Saint!”

“Your increasing anger is indeed suspicious. Rosie. Knock him out.”

“Yes, Saint.”

“Wait! Rosie! How can you do this!?”

“This is all for your own good, Sion.”

Thwack!

Rosie struck the back of my neck.

She seemed to have hit me with the intention of knocking me out.

“Huh?”

“Oh?”

“Why isn’t he fainting?”

“Even if you ask me that…”

I’m not fainting?

‘What the. Just how strong have I become?’

If it were before, I would have lost consciousness and probably woken up about 3 days later?

But now, I didn’t even get stunned after taking Rosie’s neck chop head-on.

“Oh my. Why isn’t this working? I’ll try again.”

Thwack!

“Hmm?”

“Um, that hurts a bit.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I’ll try again.”

THWACK!!!

“Ugh…! That hurts!”

“No, why.. isn’t it working?”

“Hmm. Rosie. Step aside. Let me try knocking him out.”

“Uh.. Yes, Saint.”

In the end, the Saint stepped in, unable to stand by any longer.

Rosie stepped aside and Saint Fria stood behind me.

“Now then.”

“Eek! Wait a moment! There’s light coming from the Saint’s hand! Is this okay?!”

“Saint! You’ll kill Sion at this rate!”

“Is that so?”

A complete mess.

If she controls her strength, I won’t faint, and if she doesn’t control her strength, I’ll die.

These crazy people. There’s no middle ground.

In the end, while everyone was giving their opinions on what to do, Paramel timidly raised his hand.

“Um.. Why don’t we just tie him up and take him along.?”

“Oh! That’s a good idea, Paramel. Hey, Porter.”

“Yes?”

“Could you take out some rope or chains for us?”

“…”

Asking the person to be tied up to provide the binding materials. Is this right?

For now, I took out some rope from my inventory.

“This should be tight enough that he can’t easily untie it.”

The Saint wrapped the rope tightly around my wrists. She handed the rope over to Rosie.

“Pull him along well.”

“Yes, Saint.”

And so we walked through the labyrinth again.

“Are we really going like this?”

“Yes. Let’s go like this. Since we can’t knock you out, this is the only way I can feel at ease.”

“I see… Um, you need to go right, not left.”

“Oh my. Thank you, Porter.”

I guided the team members through mapping with my hands tied.

I wonder what on earth this is all about.

But if this is what it takes to put the Saint’s mind at ease, I’ll just go along with it.

-You’re really going through a lot.

‘It’s my fault for being suspicious.’

-Huhuhu. Still, it seems you’ve gained quite a bit of trust from the Saint.

‘Me?’

-Yes. That woman used to smash heads at the slightest suspicion or dislike since long ago. The fact that she hasn’t killed you yet, even though you’re acting blatantly like a demon-possessed person, shows how much Fria trusts you.

‘Huh..’

So because she trusts me, it ended at this level.

Apart from my wrists hurting a bit, there’s not much problem with movement, so it’s not bad.

But Rosie.. why does she keep getting so close?

“Ahem. Hem hem.”

“Um, Rosie.”

“Yes, Sion. What is it?”

“Aren’t you, um, too close?”

“Close? What do you mean? It’s natural to stay close for surveillance, isn’t it?”

Isn’t this too close?

You’re practically pressed against me.

“Even so, this is…”

“Please just think of it that way.”

Rosie pulled the rope tied to my wrists even tighter.

She had an expression like she was oddly trying to hold back laughter.

At that moment, Paramel, who had been glancing at us from the side, grinned and asked.

“What’s this.. you two.. spring romance..?”

“It’s not.”

“Heh.. Even the wild horse-like Rosie-ssi is having her spring day..”

“I said it’s not like that, Paramel.”

“Huhuhu.. Does Raphael know about this..?”

“Paramel!”

“Ow! Don’t hit me!”

“You’re asking for it, aren’t you?”

“Po, Porter-ssi.”

“Yes?”

“This woman.. she’s ferocio-ow!”

In the end, Rosie gave Paramel a knuckle to the head.

Paramel’s crown seemed to have dented somehow.

“Ugh… Damn it… That hurts..”

“I hope you won’t be cheeky again, Paramel.”

“Yes…”

“What are you all doing there? Hurry up!”

“Ah, sorry, Saint.”

At the Saint’s urging, we started moving again.

We could easily escape the breeding grounds because we already knew all the direct paths to the transfer stones. The Saint swept away the demons with a gesture, and we came up using the shortest routes between transfer stones.

“We’re up..!”

“Haah… It feels like I can breathe again.”

“Good work, everyone. Shall we go straight to the Order like this?”

“Um, just a moment please.”

“Hmm? Ah. Mana adaptation, right?”

“Yes…”

As we came up out of the labyrinth, along with the refreshing feeling of my chest opening up, the pain began. It seems my companions are already too high level to need mana adaptation, but since I’m still low level, I had to go through mana adaptation.

‘This makes it level 10.’

I think I heard that most silver badge holders went through mana adaptation at least ten times.

This means I’ve now become a silver badge level adventurer.

In terms of pure physical abilities, I think I might be higher than average silver badge holders.

I feel like I could definitely deal damage to Gon if I fought him now.

-Ah… the surface..

-Thank you… Thank you…

-Ah… outside…

As I was immersed in the afterglow of mana adaptation, the souls of the novice adventurers I had collected in the upper levels ascended, having attained enlightenment.

I couldn’t hold onto those souls since I had collected them before obtaining the soul chain.

They were also weak souls that wouldn’t have been much help even if I had held onto them.

I decided to just let them go.

‘I guess I didn’t gain an ability.’

Unfortunately, it seems I didn’t acquire an ability… Oh.

A headache started.

Once in the labyrinth, once here. Am I getting two abilities in a row?

It seems either incredible luck has come my way, or it’s due to the effect of the ability-fixing bracelet.

It might have an option to increase ability acquisition rate.

[Eternal Dominion]

‘This is…’

I soon gained a new ability.

This was an ability that could extract the souls of killed demons and make them my familiars.

“Crazy.”

It was a power that could bind chains to the souls of killed demons and make them summons. I’m not a shaman dealing with ancestral or animal spirits. To be able to extract and control the souls of killed demons.

With this… I might be able to create a legion of demon spirit bodies.

If I can handle human souls with the soul chain, and control demon souls with eternal dominion.. Hasn’t the labyrinth essentially fallen into my hands?

‘But… there’s a penalty.’

While dreaming of getting the labyrinth in my hands, there was a clear penalty to this newly acquired ability.

‘When using the ability… the Roas of the depths become interested.’

When I use the ability, the ancient beings sleeping in the depths of the labyrinth become interested in me. I couldn’t know how this would work. Maybe I could have my mind violated by a mad old god, or be thrown into some strange dimension.

I remember hearing that there are almost no Roas within the labyrinth that are friendly to humans.

Moreover, I already have the Three Evil Goddesses.

They’re already more than I can handle, and now other Roas are going to be interested in me? I have to deal with all of them?

This is a problem that needs some consideration. I felt the need to talk with the Evil Goddesses.

“Sion, are you alright?”

“Huh? Ah, yes. I’m fine.”

“Then let’s quickly go to the Order and receive the purification ritual.”

“Yes.”

Let’s go to the Order first for now.

We need to receive the purification ritual and hand over the corpses.