Volume 2 Chapter 17

In the end, we continued the celebration until it was extremely late at night and afterwards I continued to write a letter for Phil, resulting in lost time for sleep.

Between Greenwood and Rumberg, there is a delivery service carried out by trained bird-type monsters, by using that service my letter should arrive at Greenwood by tomorrow.

Somehow the futon feels much warmer than usual.

When I fully opened my eyes, there was the sight of a cute girl sleeping in front of me. It was Luna who was sleeping soundly. It is amazing how she somehow managed to find space to sleep on this small sofa while I was asleep.

Ever since we arrived at Greenwood, I was relieved that Luna’s habit of entering my bed had finally disappeared, I wonder what kind of wind will be blowing our way this time. Even more amazing, is the fact that somehow the Magic Egg was sandwiched between the two of us. With this, I think I can understand what Luna was thinking.

[Seriously.. This girl.] (Youya)

I smiled bitterly at this girl’s sneaky tricks. I began rubbing Luna’s ears as they had an interesting feeling to it, like a *kunyu* sensation to it. It is surprisingly really fun.

Luna began to become restless as she opens her eyes.

[Good morning Youya.] (Luna)

For the time being, let’s flick her forehead.

[Ouch. Youya is cruel.] (Luna)

[I’m not cruel. I told you not to sleep on the sofa did I not? It’ll be uncomfortable if we had to sleep together in such a small place.] (Youya)

Even though I have been sleeping alone, I haven’t been sleeping very comfortably. Luna who deliberately tried to squeeze herself into a small gap must be feeling even more tired.

[Uhn. But it was important. Luna wants to sleep with the egg together with Youya.] (Luna)

[Is it okay to tell me the reason?] (Youya)

[If Luna and Til slept with the egg, then it would be Luna and Til’s child. But if Youya slept with the egg together with Luna and Til then it would also be Youya’s child. Luna wants Youya’s child.] (Luna)

That was the case. I couldn’t be angry at that.

[Then are you satisfied now? Next time do not come onto the sofa again.] (Youya)

[Uhn. Luna won’t come onto the sofa with the egg again.] (Luna)

Wait, something feels strange about what she just said. Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me.

[Luna, you did great! Tomorrow will be my turn!] (Til)

It was Til who was laughing with a strange laugh. Behind her was another person.

[That’s wonderful isn’t it? If you weren’t against it then I would like to do it too.] (Selene)

It was…

[I’m an old man but I’m also a healthy man. Aren’t you afraid about sleeping together with a male?] (Youya)

I have to warn them although they are being extremely careless.

[Ahahahaha. You would never lay a hand on any of us you know.] (Til)

[That’s right. Even Luna and Til who may be young but they are certainly beautiful girls. Even with this much favor from them, we can rest assured that you would never do anything strange to us. On the other hand, even if you did to me..] (Selene)

Luna and Til who were listening to Selene’s words to the end had a shocked face.

[Just kidding. It’s a joke. That’s just how relaxed we are.] (Selene)

Luna and Til began to walk off as they began sneaking somewhere.

[Luna, what do you think?] (Til)

[It is dangerous. Youya is in danger.] (Luna)

[I have to send a report to my sister.] (Til)

[Luna is neutral.] (Luna) [

[Ahh that’s bad. Now that it comes to this, we have to bring Youya into our bed once he is asleep to protect him.] (Til)

[If thats the case then Luna will cooperate.] (Luna)

Whether they are seriously trying to hide it or not, their intentions are clear even though their voices were not completely audible. Selene face became red as the two children continued to tease her. Nonetheless, it was a perfect tease in every sense.

It is nice to be trusted to this extent however it isn’t good for them to lower their guard this much to a male. It could be a good thing for me to show them how ferocious a man can be before they have to experience any man outside.

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After that, we talked about various things.

Somehow, it was decided that I would sleep in Luna and Til’s bed with the egg tonight and tomorrow in Selene’s bed. Til was saying that it was unfair for Luna to be the only one to sleep together with me and the egg. Somehow unbeknownst to me Til had thought that way. Although I had refused that notion I eventually relented to their pleading. It was a strange request although there was a legitimate reason this time. Next time I’ll be sure to be firm on my stand.

[Youya, what dungeon will we be entering this time?] (Luna)

[If we were to search for the Starfish Larvae there is a chance for us to run into those people from Wolfgang again. Plus the monsters in the labyrinth are definitely becoming lesser. This time we will be entering a different dungeon.] (Youya)

Although many monsters were being eaten by the Starfish Larvae everyday, we had already been hunting in the labyrinth for more than five days. The number of monsters were evidently beginning to diminish. Due to this, we will be entering a different dungeon. The name of our destination is the Wailing Forest with a recommended level of 28. It is the most difficult dungeon available in Greenwood.

[Heh. I’m getting excited. Although the labyrinth is nice, I’m quickly getting bored of it.] (Til)

[The next dungeon will also have plenty of monsters. However, the monsters there can’t be defeated using the traditional methods easily. It is an extremely difficult place to fight monsters. However we will be hunting them down and raising our levels as quickly as possible.] (Youya)

For the Wailing Forest, although it was the most difficult dungeon available in Greenwood, there were many adventurers above the recommended level who came here looking to obtain the Magic Egg. Because of that, the monsters who weren’t usually being hunted were also being hunted.Those monsters weren’t the average run of the mill monsters that could be hunted.

[Uncle Youya, that sounds intriguing. Fighting a powerful opponent makes my heart beat with excitement.] (Selene)

[I feel the same way. However don’t get too excited. The monsters in the labyrinth were definitely not average by any means. However the monsters we will be facing aren’t ordinary monsters in the slightest. It is something similar to a boss. It is a special monster that can only exist as the only one of its kind. It is a totally different level from the monsters we have been hunting.] (Youya)

Bosses. There are three features that distinguishes them from normal monsters.

First would be that they are a unique monster that would never spawn another until it was killed.

Although it will respawn every week during the respawn day, it will definitely appear in the spot where it is supposed to be. And it will never leave that location.

Second would be their overwhelming strength. For this boss, the four of us together would barely be able to defeat it.

Thirdly, bosses have a dedicated list of item drops that can appear according to their rank in addition to the normal drops that can appear. Furthermore the drop rates for rare item drops will increase as the boss’s rank increases. At the boss’s current rank, it is possible to obtain the item which allows us to increase the number of party members to five. It’s drop rate right now is 30%. With Luna’s Increased Drop rate at level 4, the drop rate rises to 1.8times the original number to 54%. With that high of a drop rate, there is a good chance for us to obtain the item if we challenge the boss today and next week after it respawns. If we were unable to obtain this item then it is likely that we wouldn’t be able to head over to the new town.

[Is everyone ready?] (Youya)

[Uhn. Always ready!] (Luna)

[Today is a super ready day too.] (Til)

[Shall we leave?] (Selene)

Thus we finally left. However before we leave for the dungeon, first we have to confirm whether there are any quests for us to accept in the dungeon.

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I was facing the usual receptionist in the guild.

[Just to confirm. You’re heading over to the Wailing Forest right? You do know that the recommended level for that dungeon is 28?] (Receptionist)

[I understand that. However I am already level 26. Furthermore we already have a balanced four-men party.] (Youya)

[No matter how I look at this, there is something wrong with your party’s progress. How is your level increasing this quickly?] (Receptionist)

[Maximum effort, strategy and hunting efficiently.] (Youya)

Level 20 to 30 would take at least a year if the party has been hunting diligently. However even then it is considered an extremely fast pace. An average adventurer would usually take at least 3 years to break the level 30 barrier. It is often the case that adventurers would never be able to exit the level 20 range once they enter. However in our case, it is even more unusual to increase our levels by three in just 10 days.

[So are there any quests available?] (Youya)

[Yes there are. Let’s see.. If you encounter the monster that inhabits the river in the Grieving River, then you can look for Eel Meat (Average). It is a very tasty and popular item however the monster rarely appears on the surface of the river and prefers to stick to the bottom of the river, making it difficult to obtain the item and the supply for the meat is low. The item can be sold on the market at a very high price.] (Receptionist)

[I understand. I would like to accept that quest.] (Youya)

If we were to utilize some items and Til’s bow then we should be able to complete the quest. Eel is also one of my favourite foods. Especially eel wine stew. Let’s be sure to leave some of them to bring to the bar for us to enjoy a good meal. As a matter of fact, I was considering whether to hunt the eel to raise our levels. Adventurers do not often hunt monsters who reside in the water.. Or rather, most adventurers can’t hunt monsters that live underwater. At least not in the traditional way. Thanks to that, there is a high possibility that the monsters underwater would remain untouched.

The fact that we somehow managed to obtain an eel collection quest is an added bonus that just confirmed what we will be hunting in the dungeon.

[I’m expecting great things from your party. Youya-san’s party has a 100% success rate until now, and that has helped the guild a great deal.] (Receptionist)

[You can expect us to complete the quest this time as well. However if there are other adventurers who are hunting the same prey as us then you can expect to wait until the next respawn for the quest.] (Youya)

[You don’t have to worry about any competition since eel meat hasn’t been circulating at the market for awhile.] (Receptionist)

If that’s the case then I’m relieved. Rather than the rarity of the monsters themselves, there are also cases where the monsters themselves have been hunted and their materials have been sold to the guild. The guild often settles the matters about their quests after going through the standard material exchange with the adventurers, causing situations where adventurers unknowingly sell drop items that could otherwise be used to complete quests. That was a sign of a bad work ethic by the adventurer and it will be better to confirm the existence of such quests before anything. Even the guild wishes to increase the completion rate of their quests.

[With this the procedures for the quest has been completed. Now, there is something that I wish to ask of you. Do you know the name Wolfgang? We have gotten into some trouble with them and I am trying to gather information about them.] (Youya)

[That.. is definitely a problem. They are quite infamous in the area for causing trouble. Truth is most of us are of the consensus that they should have their adventurer privileges revoked however for some reason the higher ups seem to be pressured against it.] (Receptionist)

The guild was pressured? If that was the case then there should be someone powerful preventing the guild from taking any action. Probably a famous merchant or a noble. It seems that many things are happening behind the scenes

[That much information is enough. Thank you for the help.] (Youya)

[I am sorry that I couldn’t be much help to you.] (Receptionist)

[That isn’t the case. I am glad that I am able to rely on the guild when I am in trouble. There are also trashy guilds that perform dirty deeds without reforming. I am glad that this guild hasn’t lost its path.] (Youya)

I resolved myself with the intention of answering violence with violence. If they were the kind of people that came at you straight on with brute force, then they aren’t the kind of people who would accept a peaceful resolution. If we were to get mixed up with them, then I’ll be sure to repay the favor.

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When I was searching the the girls to rendezvous before heading to the dungeon, they were already caught up in an incident with four men. Out of the four men, two of them were the same men who tried to solicit Til and Luna into their party.

[So it’s you people who dared to enter the Wolfgang’s territory and steal our Magic Egg.]

A man with horrible facial features and a skinhead began throwing toxic words around. Looking at him, his age should be approaching 30. This time, crossing paths with them was within our expectations. They were likely expecting us to come to the guild sooner or later as it was our livelihood and waited for us to exit the guild so as to not cause any trouble in the guild. As evidence of the skinhead’s superior level, I am unable to see his level.

[Steal? There isn’t such a rule. We merely found and secured the Magic Egg. Don’t go around throwing false accusations onto us.] (Youya)

I shrugged my shoulders as I threw a casual reply. The blood vessels on the skinhead’s head began to pop out.

[Listen carefully old man. I will destroy you right here and now and have you return the egg to me. However that isn’t enough to repay the debt you owe us. You will be paying us for reparations for a total amount of one million gil! Plus the women behind you will be joining our clan. I will make full use of their abilities. I’m sure we will be able to get plenty of customers with them. They are wasted on an old man like you. I will be sure to make use of them to the fullest.] (Skinhead)

The skinhead began to scan the girls with his perverted eyes. Luna and Til hid behind my back while Selene glared back towards him.

[It seems that you are confident in your abilities.] (Selene)

[My level is 40. Far superior than any of you. You aren’t even in the same caliber as me.] (Skinhead)

Boasting about his level, I know firsthand how vain that can be. Levels are merely a measurement of experience points. What is important is the person’s status and his skills. That is something I came to understand painfully.

[If that’s the case then let’s decide it with a battle. I’ll comply with your request. And bet the egg, all our money and the girls as you wished. However, if you lose the battle then I want all of you to get out of Greenwood and never come back again.] (Youya)

It doesn’t feel pleasant to treat Luna and the girls as a trophy but even if we got them to back off from this incident then the disgusting eyes they would be subject to will never end. It would be better if we could decide everything in black and white right here and now.

[Old man. You may want to look good infront of the girls but it’s impossible. Your level doesn’t even come close to 30. Hahahahaha. However since the great me is kind. I’ll agree with this reckless old man’s duel.] (Skinhead)

The skinhead agreed with my battle terms. At that moment, a sharp sound rang inside my head. Similar to the game, in this world when two parties decide to have a duel, a Duel will be established and both parties will be forced to fulfill the agreements that have been decided beforehand.

[The battle starts the moment the coin falls to the ground.] (Youya)

The victor for a Duel is decided when a person surrenders, dies or gets knocked unconscious. There are many cases where the person loses their life.

[The great me is feeling generous today. Because I won’t torture you, and I’ll be killing you.] (Skinhead)

I flipped the coin into the air. A spinning coin flew through the air.

That instant, the skinhead came at me with a fiery charge, drawing his sword and throwing out a thrust. The battle had formally started the moment the Duel was accepted. Using the coin as a signal for the battle was merely something done for convenience. The moment my consciousness was focused on the coin, the skinhead threw a surprise attack. The skinhead is surprisingly knowledgeable about the Duel. However, that is the same for me.

[Honestly.. This guy. His character just doesn’t change for the better.] (Youya)

I am well informed about the kind of dirty tricks people with bad characters would perform. I pretended to focus my attention onto the coin while staying aware of the skinhead’s actions.

I lowered my body slightly. The skinhead who performed a large attack was careless and full of openings. I straightened my arm the same time the skinhead’s thrust cut through the air. With the added momentum of the enemy’s charge, I launched a cross as a counter.

[God’s Strength.] (Youya)

The instant my fist collided onto his face, using my customized magic spell to drastically increase my strength while reducing the effective time of the spell to several seconds. If I were to cast the spell the instant he acted, I wouldn’t be able to finish the chant in time. Having faith in his actions, I preemptively casted the spell and began the chant before flipping the coin.

The fist which had its power increased tenfold thrown in a counter against his charge blew the skinhead away. His body landed and bounced off the ground, continuing to bounce four times. All the bones in his body were likely broken as his body was convulsing. It was painful just looking at his pitiful state as all of his limbs were bent in impossible angles.

In the worst case scenario, even if I didn’t hold back he could had died. Looks like his level wasn’t just for show. There was the appropriate defensive force to back up his level.

[This Duel ends in my victory. You guys are that guy’s friends aren’t you? Are you going to bring him to a healer? Or would you like to continue in his stead?] (Youya)

I turned to face the remaining three men and the two men who were involved in the previous incident looked like they were about to flee at any time.

[Heee. This old man.. Is more dangerous than a wild monster. Oh. We aren’t part of Wolfgang. We don’t even know who that old man is. We were merely ordered to follow him!]

[That’s right. We are just bystanders. We have absolutely no relations to him!]

It was a magnificent showing of scum remaining as scum. With this kind of attitude they will never be able to find a suitable companion to stick through thick and thin together. However, the third man merely silently went over to the skinhead and carried him away, disappearing into the surroundings.

[Luna is shocked. Luna though that Youya is kind and would choose to forgive him. The last time Youya only smiled and let them go.] (Luna)

[Luna, I’m not kind to everybody in this world. I am only softer towards newcomers in this world. Every person is bound to make mistakes in their life. People who are able to learn from their mistakes will become amazing adventurers in the future. However, if they continue to perform bad deeds and make mistakes, then even I wouldn’t be able to help them.] (Youya)

Just like the skinhead from earlier. Forgiving someone of his character isn’t considered kindness, but rather foolishness.

[Huah, Youya is thinking about a lot of different things.] (Luna)

[However, you chose to use your fist rather than you sword. That was definitely very uncle-Youya like. If you were to use a sword then he would had definitely been killed.] (Selene)

[It might have been better to kill him earlier, however I’m not too fond of needlessly killing another. I may just be naive though.] (Youya)

I will reflect on this battle later. There is still some resistance in me towards killing other humans. If it is necessary then I would do it without hesitation, however I would like to avoid doing so as much as possible.

[Youya is great like this. Luna likes this side of Youya.] (Luna)

[Uhn. Me too.] (Til)

The two girls came over and hugged me. It doesn’t feel that bad.

[Despite the hindrances, it’s time for us to head towards the Wailing Forest.] (Youya)

Everyone nodded as we proceeded to walk through the magic door.

The next time we open our eyes, the battle between the eel-type monsters in the river that was left mostly untouched and us will begin. As well as the enemy of the hidden room. It is our first ever boss battle. We will not just be gaining experience points from this battle, but actual battle experience in a fierce battle for our lives. Just what will these girls learn and develop in the midst of an actual battle? I am excited to find out.