episode_0179

As the flash disappeared, Ryu-shin Jung opened his eyes and examined his body.

His height had not decreased.

He did not grow fluffy fur, nor did his snout lengthen, nor did sharp teeth appear.

Ryu-shin Jung raised a hand and touched his ears.

They were not long.

Was he not an elf?

Then what on earth was he?

While lost in thought. From afar, his party members, the priest, and the guards came running breathlessly.

“Sca!!!”

“Barbaroi!!!”

Ryu-shin Jung wore a bewildered expression.

“Have I changed somehow?”

The lion beastman, the dwarf, and Lena’s party members surrounded Ryu-shin Jung, observing him up and down.

Lena tilted her head.

“Not really… it doesn’t seem like anything has changed…?”

“He’s still blonde.”

The lion beastman, Leichel, said.

“I’m blonde…?”

“Yes. You’ve been blonde ever since you tore that scroll. I think it’s because of divine power.”

At that moment.

“Huh?!”

Suddenly, the party members shouted with surprised expressions.

“Why? What is it?”

“His hair color is returning.”

“That’s all?”

“Isn’t it…?”

The party members scrutinized Ryu-shin Jung from every angle, but they couldn’t seem to find anything particularly strange.

“But doesn’t Mr. Sca’s gaze seem a bit purplish?”

“My eyes?”

“Yes.”

The dwarf, who had been listening to Ryu-shin Jung and Lena’s conversation, interjected.

“Now that I hear it, it does seem that way, but what kind of engraving did he get…?”

The guard and the priest stepped forward and cut off the conversation.

“If you are not injured, please exit the magic circle.”

“Oh! I’m sorry.”

Ryu-shin Jung and his party members left the labyrinth exit and walked down the street together.

Their destination was the Explorer Guild headquarters in the central district.

Since there were no particular injuries, there was no reason to delay.

The dwarf, the beastman, and Lena’s party walked together, chatting amiably.

Ryu-shin Jung did not participate in the conversation and looked around.

Collapsed buildings due to the earthquake were noticeable.

Was reconstruction still underway?

He wanted to finish the report quickly and check the inn first.

As soon as the party members entered the guild headquarters, they were summoned to the vice-guild leader’s office, following the receptionist’s guidance.

Upon climbing the stairs and entering the office, Nelia, wearing a white uniform, was seated at her desk.

In addition to Nelia, people who appeared to be executives of the Explorer Guild were also gathered around a long table.

Were they having a meeting?

The people in the office quietly stared at the returned party members.

Nelia opened her mouth.

“Everyone has returned safely.”

“We seem to have caught you at a bad time. Shall we report later?”

Nelia shook her head at Lena’s question.

“We were just having a meeting about this matter. If you don’t mind, you can tell us now.”

“I understand. Then…”

Lena stepped forward to report on behalf of the party.

About 15 minutes passed.

“…We met the Lich Prince on the 10th floor of the labyrinth. We managed to defeat him, but we couldn’t completely eliminate him. We couldn’t find his life vessel.”

“Is that so?”

Nelia tapped the table with her finger and then spoke again.

“The report is factual. Lich Prince… Even if he had already been defeated once and his lower body was gone, he was a high-level magical creature that a mid-level explorer party would have had a hard time dealing with. How did you defeat him?”

Nelia asked persistently, as if there was something she found unsettling.

The lion beastman flared up and tried to say something, but Lena raised her hand to stop him.

“When Mr. Sca tore the magic scroll, all the undead monsters exploded. Not only that, but the party members’ stamina and magic were fully restored. And this is just my personal opinion, but thanks to Mr. Sca’s scroll, the Lich Prince didn’t seem to be able to use his power properly.”

Lena stepped forward to provide additional explanation.

However, Nelia and the guild executives wore even more puzzled expressions.

“…Excuse me? You said there were hundreds of monsters? What kind of magic scroll was it?”

Sartrang, who worshipped the water spirit god, stepped forward to answer instead of Lena.

“It was holy magic from the Earth Mother lineage. It was packed with dozens of spells? It’s a wonder it didn’t explode.”

“…”

All eyes turned to Ryu-shin Jung.

Ryu-shin Jung scratched his head.

“I received it from an Earth Mother priest I know through a mutual connection.”

“A concise explanation. And it’s also true. Are you perhaps talking about Priestess Mion?”

“Yes.”

“Ah! No wonder…”

The puzzled expressions relaxed one by one, and they nodded.

“Is Mion that strong?”

“She is the youngest person in the history of the spirit order to achieve the rank of Senior Priestess. I will only say this much as we are short on time.”

Ryu-shin Jung’s mouth fell open at Nelia’s answer.

Regardless, Nelia matched eyes with the guild executives and summarized.

“According to the testimonies of explorers who have returned from the labyrinth, a new monster has appeared this time. It is said to lead other monsters as a single entity and possess strong abilities, so it may be necessary to readjust its rank. In addition, it is time to investigate the Lich Prince, so each guild leader should keep this in mind.”

“Is it safe to assume that these newly appearing monsters only appear on certain floors?”

Ryu-shin Jung asked.

Nelia slightly raised her eyebrows and looked at Ryu-shin Jung before shaking her head.

“We don’t know yet. It’s a matter that needs to be organized after hearing more reports. We also need to consult with the Magic Tower and the Spirit Order separately.”

Ryu-shin Jung hesitated for a moment and then decided.

He couldn’t just gloss over the report.

“That… about the Lich Prince’s lower body?”

“Yes?”

“Didn’t the Barbaroi take it?”

“…?”

A quiet silence fell over the office.

“What are you talking about?”

“As Lena reported, didn’t the Lich Prince’s lower body disappear after the Barbaroi passed by? And there was no life vessel. Could these guys perhaps be using that lower body for…”

As Ryu-shin Jung gestured and continued his story, the faces of the people grew paler and paler.

Some covered their ears with expressions as if they were about to vomit.

Someone closed their eyes tightly, held the symbol of the Spirit Order, and muttered something incessantly.

“W-wait a minute!”

Vice-Guild Leader Nelia stammered and cut off Ryu-shin Jung’s words.

She had an imposing, meticulous air, but

Was she so impressed by his accurate deduction?

“W-we’ll think about it for now. I think we need to hear more reports from the explorers who are in the labyrinth floors.”

“I understand. I won’t accept any rebuttals. Because I’m right anyway.”

“…”

A tone so full of confidence that it bordered on arrogance.

Everyone in the office was speechless and stared blankly at Ryu-shin Jung’s face.

* * *

The party members received their compensation and left the office.

Each received 50 gold coins as allowance, and Ryu-shin Jung and Lena received an additional 10 gold coins each.

‘Substantial.’

He felt secure with a certain amount of money, as expected.

The party members reunited in front of the guild headquarters entrance.

“Mr. Sca.”

Lena called Ryu-shin Jung.

“Why?”

“Would you like to go to the library in the central district with me later?”

“Sure. Where are you staying?”

“I live with Brin in the central district. The rent is expensive, but it’s comfortable.”

Brin?

“Did that guy already graduate from the Labyrinth Academy?”

Lena nodded.

“Yes. It’s been quite a while.”

“But he’s been staying in the labyrinth city this whole time? Why haven’t I seen Brin even once?”

“Because he’s always at home. He refuses to go out, saying ‘Outside the blanket is dangerous!’”

“…”

Ryu-shin Jung nodded.

Maybe he would have a chance to see Brin later if he had time.

He finished saying goodbye to the rest of the party members.

Warrior Mick, Priest Sartrang, Wolf Varg.

They were unique people, but he didn’t think they were bad company.

Wouldn’t there be a chance to talk heart-to-heart if they became close later?

If they were still alive, of course.

“Then.”

Ryu-shin Jung raised his hand to say goodbye and turned his back to walk down the street.

His direction was south.

He wanted to see Darmong’s inn.

As evening approached, a noticeably chilly wind swept through his hair.

‘It seems a bit long?’

He stroked his hair as he passed through the shopping district and arrived in front of the inn.

A thumping sound could be heard.

Ryu-shin Jung blankly looked up at the inn.

“No. What the hell…?”

Were they building some kind of castle?

Darmong’s inn, which had been reminiscent of an old tavern, had clearly changed.

The exterior was enveloped in high-quality finishing materials, such as classic wood and heavy decorations.

It had an atmosphere more like a fancy bar than an inn.

Darmong would be so surprised that he would fall over.

If it looked like this from the outside, what would the inside look like?

“Yo!!! Barbaroi!!!”

A dwarf waved his hand at Ryu-shin Jung and approached.

It was a dwarf who had been dispatched from the construction guild to estimate the inn’s repair costs.

“Did you return from exploration? You came back quickly?”

“I don’t think it’s been a week, but it’s very fast?”

“Because I’m a dwarf.”

A simple and clear reason. No other explanation was needed.

“You could have waited a little longer. It was supposed to be finished sooner, but we ended up spending more time on it because we were working with the Night of Death clan leader to put in all sorts of things.”

That dark elf?

Well, since it was a magical tool that would go inside the building, he had no choice but to pay attention to it.

“Didn’t you receive any separate letters?”

The dwarf shook his head.

“No.”

“How much longer will we have to wait before construction is finished?”

“I think it will take at least a few more days. We’re going to replace all the furniture and kitchen equipment this time around.”

“That’s good service?”

“That dark elf spent some money.”

“Is that so?”

Only good things have happened.

Ryu-shin Jung smiled faintly.

“Then I’ll come back later.”

“Come back comfortably. We’ll take care of everything.”

It’s reassuring.

Ryu-shin Jung turned around and headed to the Earth Mother Temple.

He thought he should show his face since Karin and Delia would also be there.

He walked down the street towards the Earth Mother Temple.

“Sca!!!”

Delia came out to greet him as he passed through the entrance of the temple and arrived in the hall.

“Where are Karin and Barion?”

“Barion is taking care of the refugees. Karin left the labyrinth city for a while because she had something to do. I heard that Ingrid summoned her?”

Ingrid?

“When?”

“This morning. She said she’ll be back by tomorrow. By the way, how was the labyrinth exploration?! And why is your hair half blonde?”

Delia’s eyes sparkled as she asked.

Half blonde?

Was the light fading?

“I don’t know why my hair turned blonde. And let’s talk about the labyrinth exploration later. I need to unpack first and check my engraving.”

“Is that so?! You even got an engraving? Sca is so lucky! Give me your luggage and go to Priestess Mion!”

Ryu-shin Jung smiled and handed his luggage to Delia.

Thanks to Delia’s positive energy, he felt less anxious about the engraving.

He approached the reception priest.

“I would like to have Priestess Mion check my engraving. Is that possible? If Priestess Mion is resting because it’s evening, I’ll come back later.”

The reception priest smiled and replied.

“Priestess Mion said that anytime is fine. Would you like me to guide you?”

“No. I’ll go myself.”

Ryu-shin Jung passed the reception desk and arrived in front of Mion’s door and knocked.

Knock knock.

“Priestess Mion.”

Crash bang!!!

A sound of something falling over came from the room, and then Mion’s voice could be heard.

“Mr. Sca?! P-please wait a moment.”

Was something happening?

Creak.

A moment later, the door opened.

Mion’s face, which only peeked out through the door, was as red as a persimmon.

“Ah, Mr. Sca?! I’m sorry. I was changing my clothes.”

“Oh. Yes. Shall I come tomorrow?”

“No. It’s okay.”

Mion stepped back and opened the door.

Ryu-shin Jung carefully entered and immediately bowed his head without making eye contact with Mion.

“Priestess Mion, thank you. I was able to save my life thanks to the scroll you gave me.”

“Is that so? I’m glad.”

Mion’s soft voice was heard.

Ryu-shin Jung slowly raised his head, but suddenly froze.

It was definitely a tight one-piece black priestess uniform, but

Something was different.

The one-piece slit was so deep that you could see her hips.

The white garter belt revealed in between tightly constricted Mion’s chubby thighs.

Because the slit was so deep, it barely covered the important parts of her body in the front and back of the skirt.

But if you looked at it from the side, you could see everything, including her panties.

In a word, a harlot.

Gulp.

If he raised his hand and flipped up the fluttering front of her skirt, he would immediately see her underwear.

“I-I’m sorry. There have been stories among the female priests lately that the existing priestess clothes are uncomfortable. I thought we needed new priestess clothes, so I took several opinions and made a few to try on.”

“Ah. Yes.”

Ryu-shin Jung couldn’t lift his head.

“Oh, do you feel uncomfortable? I was wondering if it didn’t suit me…”

Ryu-shin Jung raised his head in a flash.

“No!!! I think it suits you very well!”

‘Chubby thighs pressed against a garter belt!!! I can’t stand it!!! Grrr!!!’

The demon within roared.

‘Shut up.’

There was something he had to do first.

“Priestess Mion, I would like to have my engraving checked.”

“Ah! I understand. Just a moment. I’ll tidy up my clothes first, so please wait.”

“Yes.”

While Mion turned around to tidy up the various styles of priestess clothes placed on the bed.

Ryu-shin Jung turned his head to look at the full-length mirror.

“My eyes…?”

His hair color had returned from blonde to black, but his eye color was a little strange.

What should he call it?

Should he say that it had a purplish hue?

When he looked closely, his eyes also seemed a little sharper.

What was it?

“Okay! I’m done. Please come here.”

Ryu-shin Jung approached Mion and knelt on one knee.

His heart was in turmoil.

Normally, he would have been curious about what kind of engraving he had obtained.

He felt the desire to flip up Mion’s fluttering apron and see her soft, plump buttocks.

‘What is it…?’

It was strange.

‘This isn’t like me.’

Contrary to his thoughts, Ryu-shin Jung’s face gradually approached Mion’s groin.

Sniff.

The steaming, racy smell of flesh and the sweet and sticky scent wafting from between Mion’s thighs.

Tap.

His nose lightly touched Mion’s buttocks.

“Hng?!”

Mion slightly shook her body, but continued chanting.

Ryu-shin Jung’s hair, which had been light gold, was now completely black.

His eyes were gradually becoming more and more eerily purple.

Mion trembled, but barely finished chanting.

“M-Mr. Sca’s engraving is…”

Ryu-shin Jung regained his senses and raised his head.

“Yes. What kind of engraving is it?”

Mion hesitated for a moment, then stepped back and knelt quietly in front of Sca.

“Your ear, please.”

“Yes.”

Mion’s lips touched his ear.

“…It’s a Lust engraving.”

Ryu-shin Jung’s eyes widened.

“Excuse me?!”