Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Otherworld Cheat Harem.

Episode 22: Level Up (1).

“Today, I’m thinking of going down to the 10th floor.”

“…Suddenly?”

“Yeah.”

Eunha tilted her head in confusion at my sudden suggestion. Well, considering we were hunting on the 3rd floor just a couple of days ago, it would indeed be surprising to suddenly go down to the 10th floor.

“I heard some advice that with our abilities, we could hunt on the 10th floor without any issues.”

“Who did you hear that from?”

“From Hanyoung.”

At that, Eunha nodded, seemingly understanding. We headed straight to the 10th floor of the dungeon.

Unfortunately, from the 6th floor onwards, we couldn’t rely on Deokgu’s abilities. We had no choice but to purchase a map drafted by the guild’s professional mapper to ascend the dungeon.

‘What the…? This is so much easier to read.’

The map we purchased was far superior compared to the one Deokgu had drawn using his abilities.

If Deokgu’s map felt like doodles drawn by a child in a picture book, the sold map felt like looking at radar with 3D accumulation.

At a glance, paths, points of caution, and traps were easily laid out.

‘If I had known this… I should have bought it earlier.’

The map wasn’t even expensive. Just a few silver coins. With our current situation, we could earn enough to buy it in half a day’s work.

From next time on, we decided to just pay and get expert help, and we followed the map upstairs.

4th floor, a goblin shaman using magic appeared.

5th floor, a goblin warrior charged at us riding a red wolf.

6th floor, a goblin similar in size to us appeared.

7th floor…

8th floor.

…

And finally, the 10th floor.

“Ugh.”

A two-meter-tall orc greeted us. The muscles covering its entire body were so massive that it could easily crush a human to death with sheer strength alone, without any technique.

Its eyes, filled with murderous intent, burned fiercely as if ready to charge at any moment.

‘Looks damn scary.’

If someone told me to fight against a guy like this, I’d smash the head of the person who suggested it.

Just because I could handle a sword a bit didn’t mean I could win against a two-meter-tall muscular monster.

People would usually think that large muscles mean sluggishness, but the reality was the opposite. I doubted whether I could even dodge the explosive speed coming from those muscles, and if I got caught, it would be the end.

Even if I were a jiu-jitsu or wrestling champion, it would be the same. With this difference in physique, sheer strength could break through techniques.

However, just as the orcs had massive muscles, we had cheat abilities.

“Go, Seoyoon-mon.”

“…Do you think I’m some kind of Pokémon?”

Seoyoon grumbled but extended her hand. It was an action to use her ability more easily.

With her arm movement, a powerful chill burst forth, and moments later, a massive ice pillar shot out, piercing the orc.

Compared to its size, it was an absurdly empty death, but having seen it so often, I naturally picked up the mana stone the orc dropped.

Indeed, the color of the mana stones dropped by the goblins was different from the start. While the goblins’ mana stones sparkled as small as a fingernail, this mana stone was shining brilliantly in its entirety.

After hunting the orcs a few times, we naturally began to feel a sense of omnipotence rising from our whole bodies.

‘Ah, this is exactly…’

Even without anyone explaining, we could tell that this was leveling up.

There was no other way to describe it. It felt as if the very essence of our existence had been elevated.

It was an overwhelming euphoria, like our souls had climbed a step closer to heaven.

We stood blankly in the middle of the dungeon, immersed in the transcendent ecstasy that leveling up provided.

Targeting us as we stood blankly, orcs began to approach from the surroundings. We had known they were approaching, as the sound of their large footsteps was as big as their massive muscles.

Seoyoon unconsciously raised her hand, aiming at the orcs. I stopped her and drew my sword.

Intoxicated with a sense of omnipotence, it felt as if I could do anything right now. As if responding to my will, a hot energy began to boil inside me.

[Extreme Yang Body]

It’s hot. My body is hot.

When I exhaled lightly, a scalding hot breeze escaped, enough to burn my hand.

Instinctively, I realized how to handle this energy.

Ignition.

The sword began to blaze.

The orcs, seeing the blazing sword, began to be wary of us.

But it was already too late.

I swung my sword. My body moved faster than I had imagined, and the sword sliced through the orcs’ bodies as it passed.

Though it wasn’t a particularly sharp sword, it passed through the orc’s torso without any resistance.

Flame Sword Strike.

I swiftly sheathed my sword after slaying several orcs in an instant.

And at that moment, I fully realized the power of leveling up.

After picking up the mana stone dropped by the orc, we quickly exited the dungeon, taking the shortcut marked on the map.

Indeed, even though we had reached the 10th floor, the time it took to exit was similar to usual.

Outside, I looked at Seoyoon and Eunha. Both of them, still caught in the excitement of leveling up, had flushed faces.

I waited for them to regain their composure.

“Have you calmed down?”

“…Yes.”

“Me too.”

“Shall we go then?”

As we headed to the guild, calming our pounding hearts, the staff who always saw us greeted us warmly. We promptly handed her our guild cards.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes, Dojin. What is it…?”

“We think we leveled up.”

“…Please wait for a moment.”

Her voice suddenly became polite. The woman who always greeted us with a cheerful smile went inside for a moment, then came out to guide us to a quiet room.

“This place is…?”

“This is the examination room. It’s a place to verify if you’ve really leveled up, so don’t worry.”

The staff member smiled as she offered us refreshments. It was a level of hospitality not seen in the guild, where there was a strong atmosphere of everyone being responsible for their own tasks.

As we were slightly surprised by the suddenly changed atmosphere and enjoying the refreshments, a man appeared holding a crystal orb.

“Excuse me. Please place your hand here.”

“Okay.”

With a vague anxiety about whether what we felt wasn’t a level-up, we placed our hands on it, and the crystal orb began to glow.

The man who was gazing at the sparkle beamed widely and spoke.

“It’s confirmed. Congratulations.”

“Congratulations!”

As soon as the man’s words ended, the staff, equally delighted, began to clap.

After the check was done, the staff guided us to the second floor.

“This feels like… VIP treatment.”

“Indeed.”

“…It’s a bit intimidating.”

I chatted with the two as we ascended to the second floor. The moment we reached the second floor, which I hadn’t even had a chance to glimpse before, the atmosphere changed.

The walls gleaming with bright white material, a vast lobby completely empty, unlike the crowded and stifling first floor.

‘What on earth…?’

Momentarily stunned by the sight reminiscent of a modern bank, I was at a loss for words. The staff, seeing us like that, immediately attempted to make a sale.

“Um… On the second floor, you can have a dedicated staff member. If you don’t have a preference, we can assign someone randomly…”

“Can we choose?”

“Yes! Usually, people choose a staff member they’ve interacted with frequently.”

The staff member said this with a bright smile, making it clear what they meant, unless one was completely oblivious.

I looked at the two people. Since they seemed to have no objections, I requested our dedicated staff from the employee.

“Then would you like to do it?”

“Yes! Thank you! You won’t be disappointed. Oh, you don’t know my name, do you? I’m Pion.”

“You know our names, right?”

“Of course, Dojin, Seoyoon, Eunha. Isn’t that right?”

She seemed so pleased to be our dedicated staff that she couldn’t stop smiling broadly.

“Alright, let’s start today’s settlement, shall we?”

I carefully tucked the pouch jingling with gold coins into my pocket and stepped out of the guild.

‘Gold coins. They’re gold coins.’

Gold coins, worth a hundred times more than silver, were now in our hands. Roughly equivalent to ten million won in value.

Of course, we had to hunt down over hundreds of orcs to earn this… but it didn’t feel that difficult.

Resolute, I turned to look at Seoyoon and Eunha.

“Let’s keep the fact that we’ve leveled up a secret.”

“…Why?”

Seoyoon asked back. I explained that it was all for the kids’ sake.

“If they find out we’ve reached level 2… what do you think the kids will do?”

“They’ll congratulate us.”

“Is that all?”

“What else is there?”

“They’ll become a bit lazier, and a bit more wasteful.”

“…That’s true.”

When I thought about the kid’s actions so far, there was nothing good about letting them know we leveled up.

Since the money we earned easily would be spent just as easily.

“But, what are you going to do by hiding it?”

“I’m going to buy a house.”

“A house? Suddenly?”

“We can’t live in an inn forever. Even if long-term stays are cheap.”

By chance, there was a property I saw during the festival. The price of that property was about twenty gold coins.

‘Today we earned one gold coin..’

There were more small expenses, but I didn’t count those. After all, silver or bronze coins weren’t needed to buy a house.

“We can buy a house in a month at the latest.”

House, what a beautiful word. I thought owning a house in Korea would be forever impossible, but here I was in another world realizing the dream of having my own.

Life was unpredictable like this.

And the fact that you could buy a house with just a month’s effort seemed to have tempted Seoyoon, as she was deep in thought.

To ease her worries, I began to entice her.

“A large mansion.”

“…Mansion.”

“They say it’s a mansion once used by nobility, with a huge bath and over ten rooms…”

“Let’s buy it.”

“…What?”

“I said, let’s buy it.”

“Alright. Sounds good.”

Having persuaded Seoyoon, I immediately moved on to persuade Eunha. In truth, it wasn’t that difficult.

Eunha wasn’t the type to readily express a different opinion from others.

Just by asserting strongly, she followed without saying a word.

“Okay, then until we buy the mansion, we’ll save this money… and you mustn’t tell the others, alright?”

“Okay.”

“Got it…”

I went back to the guild to deposit the money in my name, and just in case, I went to real estate to put a deposit on a mansion.

In just a month, I’ll have my own house. Our mansion.

In the mansion provided by the church for the exclusive use of the Saintess, she lay sprawled naked on her bed.

Usually, because of the blessing of Virgo, she had to maintain a stifling attire, and as a result, at home, she stayed in an almost nude state.

“Saintess, it’s unbecoming.”

“No one’s watching, right?”

“I’m watching, God is watching, and the spirits are watching.”

“Eh, I don’t need to worry about them.”

“Saintess, I’m right in front of you, though?”

“So? Lotte, are you getting aroused by looking at my body?”

The Saintess playfully said, her golden hair lightly brushing over her naked body.

Her large breasts hidden by her hair were excessively provocative, a sight attractive enough to captivate even the same sex… Unfortunately, the Holy Knight did not respond.

“Why would I get aroused looking at you?”

“Right? I mean, how could you get aroused when we look so alike.”

Saying this, the Saintess looked at her Holy Knight, Charlotte. The two of them resembled each other so much that they could be mistaken for twins.

That was why Charlotte was assigned to guard the Saintess. While it was common for women to be aroused by an attractive same-sex, it was rare for someone to be aroused by their own body and face.

However, Charlotte felt more fatigue from this task than she had anticipated.

“Ah, right. Lotte. There’s someone I’d like you to find.”

“Who is it?”

“I don’t know the name. The face… black hair and black eyes?”

“Haa… How am I supposed to find someone with just that?”

It was precisely because of the Saintess’s free-spirited nature.