Chapter 164 Irethiel's Embarrassment!

Zziiiinng...

The arrow which was covered with mana started to glow.

With precise aim, I quickly drew back the bowstring and released the arrow toward the enemy.

Thwack!

A goblin at the head of the group that had been attacking me was struck by the arrow.

--You Have Killed A Goblin!

I quickly nocked another arrow and shot it toward another goblin.

Thwack!

Another goblin fell to the ground.

I continued to shoot arrows with deadly precision, taking down goblin after goblin.

Zzzoooomm!

With precision and skill, I now aimed for the leader of the group of goblins that had been closing in on me.

The arrow, imbued with mana, shot forward from my bow with lightning speed.

Thwack!

The arrow struck true, piercing the heart of the goblin chieftain.

--You Have Killed A Goblin Chieftain!

An alert from the wristwatch announcing the death of a goblin chieftain rang.

"That was the final one from my end," I declared, turning to face Irethiel. "How's it looking on your end?" I inquired.

"I've taken care of all of them on my end as well," Irethiel replied with a nod as she removed the head of the last goblin with her bare hands.

She was now in her true demon form as it was now dark and we were surrounded by no one except some low-level creatures.

"I can't understand why there are only weak monsters around here," I said. "We've ventured deep enough into the Kingdom that I expected to encounter some high-ranking monster."

"...They didn't even put up a fight and seemed scared," Irethiel added.

"Do you think there might be a powerful monster nearby, scaring them all like this?" I asked.

"Could be," Irethiel said with a frown. "Even if there was a high-ranking monster around, I would expect them to defend themselves from our attacks and fight back properly."

"Yeah, most of these creatures were just running around mindlessly," I agreed.

"Anyway, do you have any specific place in mind you want to go to, or should we just keep wandering around, killing any monsters we come across?" Irethiel asked.

"No, we're close to the location I wanted to visit," I answered, summoning the system to check on my quests.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

Ongoing Quests:

QUEST 1: Complete The Following.

1) Form A Faction. (Completed)

2) Become The Academy's Representative For The Upcoming Tournament. (Complete)

3) Win The Tournament. (Incomplete)

Quest Reward ~ Unlock A New Ability

◇◇◇

QUEST 2: Visit the Abandoned Kingdom. [New]

Location: ğŸ"�â–¡

***

"At this rate, we should arrive at our destination in about an hour or two, unless we run into any high-ranking monsters," I said, checking the location on my quest map.

"I still have no idea what we're going to face when we get there," I muttered to myself before dismissing the system window.

"Okay, let's keep moving," I said to Irethiel and started forward. She nodded in agreement and followed me.

As we journeyed towards the destination, we encountered several low-level monsters, but we easily dispatched them and continued on without wasting much time.

After a few more hours of walking, we finally arrived at the location indicated on my quest.

"So, this is it?" Irethiel said as we stood in front of a peculiar, dark gate similar to one we had cleared before.

'Well, this is the exact location listed on the quest, so it must just be a gate,' I thought to myself.

"Are we going in right now, or do you want to take a break so you can be in top form?" Irethiel asked.

"Hmm, what do you mean? I'm already in top form. We have only fought some low-level monsters on our way here so I didn't even have to use much of my mana," I replied.

"Aren't you tired? We've been walking for hours to get here," Irethiel said, giving me a quizzical look.

"...."

"Can't you just come out and say that you need a rest before we enter the gate?" I asked with a smile.

"W-What? I never said I need rest. I am still in perfect condition," Irethiel hurried to correct me.

"Yeah, yeah, no need to be embarrassed. You can just say so if you want to rest," I said as I stood in front of the gate. I reached out to touch it, but my hand went straight through.

"...Maybe the monsters were scared of something inside this gate," I muttered.

"That's a possibility. I can sense strong demonic energy seeping from it," Irethiel said as she approached me and attempted to touch the gate.

However, to our surprise, her hand was bounced back as if something was preventing her from touching it.

"What the hell?" she muttered and tried again, but with the same result. Her hand couldn't pass through the gate.

"...It looks like you won't be able to enter this gate with me," I remarked.

"Yeah, and I don't think you should enter either. Whatever is inside could be very dangerous. I have a bad feeling about this," Irethiel said with a worried tone.

"Oh, what's this? Are you worried about your master, my beloved servant?" I asked with a sly grin.

"...W-Who said I was worried about you? I'm just afraid that if something happens to you, my life will be in danger as well. I won't be able to save you if I'm not by your side," Irethiel clarified hastily.

"Ha! Do you really think I need someone to save me?" I asked, staring at her with a blank expression.

"I-I didn't mean it that way," Irethiel stammered, averting her gaze under my stare.

"Know your place, Demon! You're just a servant, so behave like one!" I scolded her.

"...."

Hearing me, Irethiel remained silent and looked at me with a nervous expression.

"Pfttt hahaha, I was just messing with you. You should have seen your face," I said, bursting into laughter.

!?

"Arghh, J-Just go inside and die. I don't care anymore," Irethiel looked away, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and tears welling up on the side of her eyes.

"Don't say such things, you realize that if something happens to me, you'll die as well, right?" I replied as I approached her and cupped her cheeks to look at me.

"...What are you doing--" She stated it irritably, but I silenced her with a kiss.

!?

"Erm!!?" Her eyes widened in surprise, and she rushed to push me away, but she couldn't since I was holding one of her hands behind her back.

She ultimately stopped struggling when she realized she couldn't push me away...and soon gave in to the moment and eagerly responded.

Our lips met in a passionate and intense kiss, our tongues exploring each other's mouths as our bodies pressed against each other.

The kiss was long and deep, and after a brief moment when we finally broke apart, we were both breathless.

Irethiel's eyes were still closed as she tried to catch her breath, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction seeing her in such a state.

I gently let go of her hand, which I had been holding behind her back, and watched as she slowly opened her eyes, still looking a bit dazed.

"Are you okay?" I asked with a smile, unable to resist teasing her just a bit.

Huff huff~

"Y-You bastard!" Iretheil cried, her face flushed red, still trying to catch her breath.

I couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction. 'Wasn't she enjoying herself a moment ago?' I pondered.

"I simply wanted to apologize for making you cry," I smiled mischievously, licking my lips.

"S-Shut up, who said I cried, you perverted bastard," she snapped back.

"Oh, I believe I was mistaken. Let me apologize to you again," I said as I tried to approach her once more.

"...S-Stay away from me, you perverted bastard," Irethiel shouted as she took a step back.

"OK, I was just kidding," I said, chuckling and raising my hands.

"I think it's time for me to enter the gate," I said, turning to face it. "But before that, here, take this storage ring. It holds all the items you brought with you. You can relax until my return," I said with a smile as I tossed the storage ring to Irethiel. She caught it reflexively and looked at it with confusion.

"...."

"All right, let's see what's waiting for me behind this gate," I smirked as I proceeded closer to the gate before entering it.

***

"Be Safe, you perverted master!" Irethiel whispered to herself as she stroked her lips, then blushed as she remembered the kiss.

'Arg, what's wrong with me?' she wondered, her heart pounding heavily.