Chapter 181: Rest (1)

Chapter 181: Rest (1)

Kyaek,
Kyaek–

Kyaaah!
Kyaah!

In
an underground cave filled with the cries of monsters.

“⋯Did
Bio⋯
fall victim⋯?”

The
woman in the white lab coat, who had been observing the actions of
the monsters trapped in the giant iron cage and writing them down in
a notebook, mumbled while staring at something.

“Ugh,
ugh⋯”

“Grr,
uuuu⋯”

From
inside the iron cage, the sounds of males being crushed beneath
various monsters like centaurs, wyverns, sirens, and trolls began to
be heard.

The
men who had appeared to be dead from Bio’s poison were now starting
to move again.

“Killed,
all⋯”

The
leader of the Rose Knights, Azencio, who was the strongest among the
males being used for breeding beneath the monsters, glared at the
woman in the white lab coat.

His
eyes, filled with rage and killing intent, were directed at her.

“Just
you, I will definitely kill–”

Screeetch!

“Ungggh–”

As
the troll squeezed Azencio’s manhood with its rock-like fist, his
eyes rolled back.

Azencio’s
eyes, filled with despair, reflected the surrounding scenery.

It
was like a breeding farm for monsters.

Men
who had been captured like livestock and dangerous monsters trapped
in iron cages.

The
monsters, as if under the influence of a heat-inducing drug, lusted
for men, tore them apart, and mated with them.

Squelch,
squelch.

The
seeds of the monsters, products of the breeding farm, began to break
out of their eggs and emerge into the world.

And
observing and studying them leisurely was the woman in the white lab
coat.

“⋯It’s
bothersome to confirm⋯”

The
woman, who worshiped the demon of sloth, lazily yawned, blinking her
eyes.

“I’ll
do it later⋯”

[Current
enslaved individuals: Denshi, Bellee]

A
satisfied smile appeared as I looked at the newly appeared status
window.

“Please
take good care of me, consort. For the world of plenty that my lady
will create!”

Bellee,
who had also stamped the slave contract, gave me a satisfied smile
and bowed her head.

Things
were going more smoothly than expected.

Perhaps
Belle had shown me loyalty, and it seemed that Idelbert had highly
valued that.

Having
her, a follower of the demon of gluttony, under the stability of a
slave contract was a considerable advantage.

“Alright.
I’m counting on you.”

“Yessir!”

When
I extended my hand to Belle, she wiped her hands on her clothes,
grabbed mine with both hands, and shook it vigorously.

I
wasn’t particularly interested in a world of plenty, but well, as
long as it’s good, that’s fine.

Since
our interests aligned, I was pleased.

With
the slave contract, I now had a strong subordinate who would follow
my orders, so this alone was enough of a harvest from this dungeon
journey.

But
there was still accounting to be done.

“Yo!
Balkan, over here!”

After
finishing my conversation with Idelbert and exiting the office with
Belle, Jubeel, who had been sitting at a corner table in the lobby,
raised her hand enthusiastically.

“How’s
everyone doing?”

“We’re
feeling fine. It’s hard to believe we were poisoned by Bio.”

“The
healing effects of the Great Fountain are beyond imagination!”

Jubeel,
Rubia, Hitolis, and Lammel, who had been poisoned by the deadly toxin
and injured by the local gang in the alley, had all healed their
wounds.

“Doo-lee-doo,
ba-ba-ba!”

“Thank
you, Balkan! That’s what I’m saying!”

The
Aldente and Fusilini duo, who had naturally joined the party, also
nodded toward me.

They
had been kidnapped by the gang too, so their condition wasn’t
particularly great.

“So,
how’s it going on your end?”

The
reason Fusilini’s party came to the 15th floor of the dungeon was
for money, but the main reason was the recovery of Gellan.

When
I asked if there had been any progress, Fusilini shook her head with
a bitter expression.

“It
doesn’t seem to work. I think the miracle of the Great Fountain
doesn’t work on a man who has become an idiot after being devoured
by a monster.”

Strictly
speaking, Gellan wasn’t devoured by a monster, but he had become an
idiot because of the Goblin Staff’s power.

It
didn’t seem to have any effect.

After
offering some consolation, her expression eased a little.

“No,
I thought we’d all die without a doubt on the 13th floor, but
thanks to your party, we survived and reached Eden. That’s
something to be thankful for. Oh, and as for my repayment…”

Swish.

Fusilini
took something out of her pocket. It was two small wooden boxes.

Balkan
looked into the boxes and saw the contents.

Small
blue pellets shaped like peas.

A
faint magical aura emanated from them. It was smaller than the
magical elixir I had received from Nuer before.

“It’s
a potion that amplifies your body’s magic. It’s a one-time use,
but it could be useful if you find yourself in a really tight spot.”

Emergency
doping, I suppose.

“Ah,
why are you giving me something like this?”

“I
can’t repay the help you gave me with this, but…our party is in a
rough situation, and this is all I can give you. Sorry. I’ll
definitely repay you for this debt later.”

“Doo-lee-doo,
doo-doo-doo…”

“Aldente
also said she’d repay you with her body.”

I
waved my hand at Fusilini and Aldente, who were bowing their heads.

“Take
your time repaying. Slowly.”

“⋯Thank
you. Really.”

Fusilini
bowed her head again.

It
wasn’t bad.

Instead
of pushing them to repay the debt immediately, letting them pay it
slowly over time was a way to leave a psychological burden and a
sense of gratitude.

The
time we spent together wasn’t long, but the place we had been was
the labyrinth underbelly, where one could easily see the ugliness of
humanity.

That
meant there was a lot to observe.

At
least, I didn’t think Fusilini and Aldente were the type to betray
me even after accumulating a debt, unlike the typical explorers who
would backstab others.

“So,
what will we do now?”

“Since
we’ve arrived at Eden, I plan to stay here for a while and make
some money. Oh, and I’ll need to recruit new party members.”

It
seemed Fusilini and Aldente’s party were planning to stay in Eden
and challenge the labyrinth 14th floor.

“So,
what will we do? Leader.”

At
Jubeel’s words, the eyes of the party members turned to me.

The
request from the sub-union leader, Yonel Freya, was to heal Nuer.

Since
the request had been successfully completed, our party now had two
options.

Should
we return to Valerus immediately to report the completion of the
request?

Or
should we head toward another unknown region to explore?

The
path to the labyrinth underbelly was always open.

The
problem was whether we were prepared to head into deeper, more
dangerous areas.

Looking
at my party members, who had been through a rough time to reach the
15th floor, I could see their disheveled condition.

Having
gone over a month without washing, their hair was matted, and their
bodies smelled of grime.

Although
I had at least washed in Idelbert’s bathroom last night, the others
had only been able to wash with the fountain water, and they were in
terrible condition.

This
labyrinth journey had been long, and there had been many
entanglements. Everyone was exhausted.

“Let’s
rest for about a week, then we’ll go back up to the surface.”

Phew…

With
those words, a sigh of relief escaped from everyone, and smiles and
ease appeared on faces previously marked with tension.

If
you push people too hard, they break.

Sometimes,
you need to grease the wheels, get some cold soda in your throat, and
soak in warm bathwater to work more efficiently.

In
a party, where each individual must move like a well-oiled machine,
rest is all the more crucial.

“I’m
in the mood. Do you know any good places to eat in Eden? I’ll treat
everyone today.”

“Kyaaah!
Party leader! You’re the best! Balkan is the best!!! Can I drink
alcohol! Is breast milk alcohol okay to drink?!!!”

“The
girl knows a decent tavern on the 15th floor! Hohoho!”

“Consort!
C-could I also eat⋯?”

“Of
course.”

“You’re
the best, consort!!”

Seeing
Jubeel, who was already excited to drink breast milk, Rubia laughing,
and Belle eagerly asking if she could eat, along with the other party
members looking happy, I couldn’t help but smile.

Indeed,
nothing beats a feast to lift one’s spirits.

“Juhahahahahaha!
Damn Balkan! What the hell is this drink! My body… keeps getting
hotter!”

“I’m
drinking alcohol like water, so I’m getting hotter–”

Jjieeeek!

“Crap!!!
Kwaaaaah! Jubel!!!”

“Kkiyaaaaah!”

“Uuuuup–
Cow, girl. I can’t stand this shiteee…”

“What
the hell is this noise – no, it’s my fucking shop!!!!”

The
bar owner, whose face turned pale upon seeing the table stained with
white liquid, grabbed Jubeel and the party members by the collar and
threw them outside.

“Get
out!!! You bastards! Don’t ever set foot in my shop again!”

“Hey.
It’s the boss. Drink my breast milk and feel better.”

Crack!

“Kkiyaaaaak!”

Crack!

The
party members who were kicked out of the bar in an instant were lying
down like drunks on the street and couldn’t get up.

No,
when I thought about it, they weren’t like drunks, they were real
drunks.

“Ugh…
Footslapping…”

“Ugh…
Move your tits away Jubeel…I’ll rip them off…”

“Ah,
I haven’t finished eating yet…”

“Who’s
the girl…? Where is this place…? Ahh …Still, this isn’t so bad.

“Tch.
What are those things? Go away.”

“No,
wait… “

Then
suddenly, I felt someone’s gaze staring at me.

A
pair of people wearing cloaks.

One
of the faces and voices sounded familiar to my ears.

When
I raised my head, drunk from alcohol, I saw the face of a woman
looking at me with shaking eyes.

“⋯Master…Sir…?”

The
reunion with Denshi was the worst.