Chapter 176: Safe? Zone (5)

Chapter 176: Safe? Zone (5)

15th
Floor: Eden.

The
sole safe zone in the labyrinth teeming with monsters and traps—a
city within the labyrinth.

In
some ways, it could be said that this place is closer to being a
labyrinth city than Valerus, the labyrinth city on the surface.

While
most people coming and going from Valerus are greenhorn adventurers
and merchants living with aspirations, dreams, admiration, and
desires for the labyrinth…

Eden
felt like a place where such people had become seasoned adventurers.

Being
a city located on the 15th floor, the levels of those casually
passing by were quite high.

The
unconscious precision in their steps, the quality of their equipment,
even their gazes…

When
stepping out of Idelbert’s mansion, the outward appearance of the
scenery seemed not so different from the labyrinth city on the
surface, but the level of the people living here was different.

It
felt, for a moment, as though I had stepped into a new higher stage.

“A
male I haven’t seen before. Is this your first time descending? Why
are you with the Union Leader?”

“And
look at the woman hanging on his back—isn’t that Nuer?”

“But
wow, damn…That suit is unbelievably sexy…”

“Hoo!
Calling out to my ‘sacred treasure,’ huh? Hngh! Hngh!”

“What
kind of man has arm muscles that show through his coat like
that…Wow…I want to be hugged by those arms, stuffed, and
absolutely wrecked…”

In
the end, this was still a place where people lived.

Women
with ravenous gazes assaulted Balkan’s body mercilessly with their
eyes.

‘Special
techniques, reversed mating press, forced impregnation.’

If
the gaze-rape I had suffered from stepping out of the mansion until
now had turned into reality, I would already be the father of dozens
of children, forming a massive family.

The
words and gazes of these women, more primal and unrestrained than
those I had encountered in outlaw zones, made my ‘seed vault’ quiver.

“Master,
it seems like there are only women on the streets here. I’ve only
seen two or three men since we arrived.”

“Why
state the obvious, my disciple? This is Eden, after all, the 15th
floor.”

In
Valerus, the labyrinth city on the surface, not all men engage in
adventuring.

Some
are merchants, some run restaurants, others work in equipment shops,
or handle documents as employees of the adventurers’ union.

In
fact, men whose profession is adventuring are the minority.

As
a result, the ratio of men on the surface is relatively high.

“Male
adventurers capable of reaching the 15th floor are rare, and men
working in other professions have little reason to risk coming up
here.”

The
15th floor, Eden, was a place where the male-to-female ratio was
completely out of balance.

“There
are a few brothels in the back alleys, but if you’re selling your
body, you’d do it on the surface. Coming all the way here for sex
work isn’t worth the cost, and besides…”

Idelbert
shot a sharp glare at the women hungrily eyeing me, as if to punish
anyone daring to covet what was his.

“Eeek…!”

“…”

“Ahem.”

Those
rubbing their thighs together or slipping their hands into their
pants hastily turned away.

Idelbert
resumed speaking as if nothing had happened.

“Would
those lust-consumed women treat a man lightly?”

“Hmm…That
does make sense.”

I
wondered if I’d make it home alive today. With bad luck, I might be
ambushed, attacked, and violated on the street. It was absolutely
terrifying.

“Disciple,
be grateful you ended up at my mansion. Otherwise, you’d be the
father of some unknown woman’s children by now.”

What
if, during the moment I lost consciousness from body restructuring
upon arriving at the 15th floor, I had been assaulted by someone?

The
horrifying thought made me shudder briefly.

“But
Master, you raped me too. When I was unconscious, you tore off my
armor and even—”

“Ahem!
Just let that pass.”

While
chatting with Idelbert, who coughed and cut me off, we entered a
building.

Compared
to Valerus, it was much smaller, but it still stood out among the
surrounding structures.

The
Eden branch of the Adventurers’ Union.

Clank!

When
we opened the door and entered, no one really paid much attention.

“Surprisingly
quiet? There aren’t many people around either.”

“The
ones taking requests usually leave in the morning. Besides, being
inside the labyrinth, there’s no need to care about the portal’s
opening cycle here.”

In
Valerus, schedules had to align with the weekly opening of the
labyrinth portal, but not in Eden.

‘That’s
pretty appealing.’

The
convenience of tackling the labyrinth here was significant.

Assuming
we didn’t have help from Belle and Fusilini’s party, our party
could still handle up to the 14th floor.

‘Traversing
floors 1 through 14 repeatedly is too inefficient.’

Resources,
money, time—it all took too much.

Considering
we’d eventually ascend past the 16th floor, establishing a base in
Eden wasn’t just a decent option; it was essential.

I
recalled a conversation with Diana.

–”Are
you leaving?”

At
that time, I had shaken my head, saying I wouldn’t leave this place
behind.

But
in the future, as time passed, would I still be able to say the same?

I
pondered deeply.

“I’ll
let the staff know, so once you find your party members, come to my
office.”

“Understood.”

Idelbert
also headed to her office for work.

“Boop-bah.”

“Alright,
alright. Let’s take a little break.”

Balkan,
along with Nuer, sat at a table in the union’s lobby to enjoy a
brief moment of relaxation.

Though
some staff and adventurers whispered among themselves, there were so
few people that hardly anyone approached directly.

Of
course, there were exceptions.

“Splurt.
Male, become my seedbed. Splurt.”

A
rough-looking centaur approached, her mare-part dripping with fluids.

“Hey,
what’s your deal? Are you close with the Union Leader? She’s not
the type to speak kindly. Oh, wait. No way, is that Nuer?”

“Bap-boo.”

Some,
like a persistent squirrel beast-woman, showed sticky interest in my
suspicious connections.

I
rejected what needed rejecting, entertained curious individuals
appropriately, or ignored them, all while passing the time.

“Fancy
seeing you again in a place like this.”

Eventually,
a woman spoke to me. I turned toward her voice.

A
black-haired woman wearing an eyepatch.

“Oh,
Amel Drexia?”

“You
remembered?”

“Of
course. You were the one willing to join our party.”

Amel
Drexia, the dark magician who, alongside Rubia, had attended our
party recruitment interview.

We’d
chosen Rubia due to our need for a tank, but had we lacked a
magician, Amel would have been selected.

To
show gratitude and build connections, I’d responded kindly, causing
the usually stoic Amel Drexia to blush.

“Ahem.
I-I see. Well, um. If you ever need black magic… no, not just that.
Just call me if you need help. For a reasonable price, of course.”

“‘We’?”

“Ah,
uh, just a manner of speaking.”

Perhaps
drawn by the words Jubeel had written about ‘intense viewing
pleasure,’ her gaze and actions were sweet and gentle.

Well,
kindness should be accepted when offered.

“Sure.
I’ll count on you next time.”

“Hmph…
Y-Yeah…”

Amel
Drexia, blushing, squeezed her left breast with one hand before
hastily leaving.

After
dealing with everyone, observing the unfamiliar environment and
people, hours passed.

A
strange unease crossed my mind.

‘Why
aren’t they here yet?’

Crossing
the 15th floor still involves portal randomness.

It
didn’t make sense to think they’d already arrived. The timing
didn’t fit. Then what?

‘Could
they have ended up somewhere weird?’

If
not, their absence from the union until now was inexplicable.

Anxiously
tapping my foot, arms crossed, I waited when—

Boom!

Someone
slammed the adventurers’ union door open. I turned immediately.

It
wasn’t my party. It was a party of female adventurers I’d never
seen before.

Swallowing
my disappointment, I tried to look away, but—

“Oh,
hell no!! Eugh!!”

“The
smell! Ugh, reeking of breast milk!! Gross—”

Their
conversation caught my attention.

Their
armor and equipment were soaked, covered in milky-white liquid.

Sniff.

The
smell that wafted in was strangely familiar.

It
had the pungent, ripened scent of aged cheese—

Jubeel’s
breast milk.

I
shot up and approached the adventurers slathered in Jubeel’s milk.

“Excuse
me.”

“What
the…”

The
retching female adventurer stared blankly at my thighs encased in
tailored pants, then quickly adjusted her expression.

“Oh,
uh. Yes? What is it?”

“Where
did you get that milk on you?”

“Ah,
uh. This? Some crazy bitch at the Grand Fountain…”

No
need to hear more.

There
couldn’t be two such lunatics spraying breast milk in public.

In
fact, there must not
be more than one.

“Where’s
the Grand Fountain?”

“Ah,
out the union doors, just head straight down the visible road.”

Got
the location. As I prepared to leave, someone blocked my path.

Thick
horse thighs and hooves. A centaur woman with muscular upper and
lower bodies crossed her arms, snorting.

“Purruk.
Male. Where are you heading? I’ll give you a ride. Purruk.”

“You’ll
give me a ride?”

“Purruk.
Yes. Isn’t it urgent? Purruk.”

On
the back of the centaur beastman, two women were already riding.

“Ahem.”

“⋯⋯”

A
mouse beastman and Amel Drexia, the ones who had spoken to me
earlier.

“⋯When
you said ‘we,’ was it because you’re in the same party?”

“⋯Ahem.
Well, that’s not particularly important, is it?”

It
seemed like they had planned to team up and approach me, but on
reflection, they hadn’t really pushed or crossed any lines.

After
a brief hesitation, I carried Nuer on my back and climbed onto the
centaur’s back with a leap.

“Let’s
go.”

“Dda-daah!”

“Puhihihihing!”

The
centaur beastman reared up on her front legs and snorted fiercely.

And
then—

Clatter!
Clatter!

The
centaur, carrying three people and a child on her back, began to dash
forward with incredible speed.