Chapter 23: Crystal Valley

n--OVElbIn

Chapter 23: Crystal Valley

While stepping deeper into the dungeon, they soon glimpsed a blue glow within the valley.

"What's this?"

Mike called out while tightening the grip of his scythe, thinking that it might be dangerous.

"Hold on!"

Ary stopped them while showing his right palm, and while making a serious face, he stepped forward, saying,

"Let me have a look. If there is something dangerous, then I'll call you guys."

"Okay."

Mike, Emily, and Mary agreed. While Erica, with a worried expression, stopped him, saying,

"But Ary, it might be dangerous if you go alone."

After seeing her concern for him, Ary smiled at her, saying,

"Don't worry, Erica. I'll be fine. I'm an S-ranked Warrior."

"Umm, okay. Get back as soon as you can."

In a worried voice, Erica commanded.

"Haha. Yup."

With a little laugh, Ary agreed. Then his glare shifted toward the blue light of the dungeon, and while tightening the grip of his cutter blade, Ary stepped forward.

Erica was looking at him worriedly.

Suddenly, a soft hand landed on her right shoulder.

"Hmm?"

She reacted as her eyes shifted to her right. She saw Mary and Emily there.

"Don't panic. He will be fine."

Emily comforted her.

"Yeah, Ary is strong. Don't worry too much."

Mary assured Erica with a smile.

After hearing their positive comments, a smile formed on Erica's face. She nodded and said,

"Hmm. You're right."

Mike smiled at Emily and Mary after seeing them comfort Erica, then he glanced at Ary, who was stepping forward, and said inwardly,

'Ary, be careful.'

While Ary, who was stepping toward the blue light, asked while twisting his face toward his right shoulder,

"Almita, do you feel any sign of danger from that area?"

<No, host. The area is not dangerous, but you better have a look to assure yourself.>

Almita reported.

"Hmm."

Ary nodded.

Then, soon he arrived inside the blue-emitting cave-like area.

"Wow..."

An unexpected "wow," came out of his mouth as he saw something so beautiful.

The area was full of crystal and it was shining brightly and looked so glamorous as well.

It seemed like the valley of crystal.

"Man, that's so incredible."

Ary called out while looking around.

"Ding!"

Suddenly, Almita made a dinging sound.

"Hmm?"

Ary reacted as his gaze shifted to Almita.

<Crystal Valley was detected. Levelling up crystals detected.>

Almita reported.

"Levelling up crystals?"

Ary repeated this term in confinement after hearing it.

<Yes, host.>

Almita confirmed, adding,

<The crystal of this valley will help a warrior level up. However, It only helps when Warrior is on the verge of levelling up. If Warriors aren't on the verge of levelling up then It'll only boost the warrior's strength.>

After hearing this statement, Ary's face shaped into a bewildered expression. He said,

"The name of the crystal is wrong, I think. It will boost up crystal instead of levelling up."

Then, he sighed and asked,

"So, how will it help?"

<The warrior has to place it in the core area of their body.>

Almita reported.

"Core area? Chest?"

Ary questioned this since he thought that the core area would be the chest.

<Yes, host. However, there's a difference in the core areas of both males and females. The core area of males is the navel and the core area of females is the chest.>

Almita clarified.

"I see."

Ary nodded a little, then went forward and took the crystal from the ground.

It was a little hot, but Ary did as Almita said and placed the crystal in front of his navel, and as soon as it touched his navel, it became immersed within his body.

"H-Huuuh?! It vanishes?"

Ary was left stunned after seeing the disappearance of the crystal.

<Yes, host. It gets inside your core region now and it'll help you level up whenever you battle any strong beast.>

Almita reported.

"I see-Ah?!"

Suddenly, Ary started feeling a hot sensation in his body.

"Wh-What's going on?!"

He said to himself while grabbing his belly.

"Ding!"

Almita made a dinging sound again. It seemed like it had found something.

<Temporary heat is detected as a side effect of crystal leveling.>

"What?!"

Ary reacted.

He knelt while panting and pondered,

'Even if it's temporary, I'm feeling like I'm inside of hell or something. Goddamnit!!'

His body began to heat up, causing sweat to escape through his skin pores.

After a while of struggling, a cold sensation ran down his body.

"Hmm?"

Ary reacted as he opened his eyes. Somehow, he started to feel a little more energetic.

He stood up and asked, mumbling,

"Does the crystal start to affect now? I started feeling slightly powerful all of a sudden."

"Ding!"

Almita made a dinging sound again, reporting,

<Skill unlock:- Poison resistance LVL 1>

"Hmm? A new skill?"

Ary reacted, thinking,

'I think struggling like this also helps in unlocking a new skill. Hmm...not bad.'

Then, he turned around, saying,

"Let me tell others about it."

Then he started to go back.

While Erica and others, on the contrary, started to get worried about him.

"Hey...isn't he taking a little more time now?"

Mike mentioned while glaring at that blue-emitting area,

"D-Don't worry, Mike. He'll be here soon. Hahaha."

With a fake laugh, Emily assured.

She had started to look uneasy.

"Why hasn't he arrived yet?"

Erica finally called out in an anxious voice.

"Don't be afraid, Erica. He will be back soon."

Mary comforted her despite feeling uncomfortable as well.

"Hey, guys!!"

"Hmm?!"

They all reacted as they heard a familiar voice.

It was Ary.

"Ary!!"

Erica called out as she stepped forward.

While waving his right hand, Ary was walking toward them.

Erica arrived in front of him and, with a worried voice, she asked,

"What makes you take this long, dummy? Was there something dangerous?"

After seeing her worry, Ary started to laugh.

"Huh? What's so funny about it?"

Erica started to feel furious after seeing her laughing over her worry.

After realising that she had become furious now, Ary gently held Erica's silver hair and sniffed it. He claimed,

"Nothing, Honey. I'm just feeling so nice." "H-Honey?"

Erica repeated. The startling thing for her was to hear this word from Ary. Also, Mike, Emily, and Mary were there. Because of this, she started to feel slightly embarrassed.

She lowered her head, saying,

"Call me like this when we'll be alone."

Ary smiled after hearing her statement and whispered into her right ear,

"As you wish, Honey~"

Cough!

Mike coughed after seeing him being a love bird and asked,

"So? What did you find there, bro?"

Ary glanced at Mike and, with a smile, he hinted,

"Let's go, you'll find out."

Then, he started moving back to the cave.

After seeing him go back, they all started following him.

As soon as they arrived there, they all let out "wow," after glimpsing the crystal valley around them.

While Ary, who was standing on the left side, picked up a crystal and tossed it toward Mike, saying,

"Mike touched that crystal to your navel."

"Hmm? Okay...?"

Mike didn't understand, but he did what Ary instructed, and as he touched the crystal, the same started happening to him.

"Wh-What?!"

Mike whined, and he knelt while grabbing his belly.

"Mike!"

"Mike!"

Both Emily and Mary ran toward him and knelt while asking about his condition.

"A-Ary, what did you do just now?"

Erica, who was standing beside Ary on the left side, asked while glaring at Mike.

Ary, with a smile, replied,

"You'll find it soon."

"Hah..."

Mike let out a sigh as the cold sensation ran down his body.

He gradually got up and started to look around him as he felt something different.

"Ary, what was that crystal?"

Mike asked as his gaze fell on Ary.

"That was the levelling up crystal, although it only helps in levelling up when you're just a little step away from jumping onto another level. Yet it also boosts one's energy."

Ary clarified while raising his left index finger.

After hearing this testimony, a smile formed on Mike's face. He commented,

"I see. No wonder I am starting to feel so energetic now."

Then his eyes fell on Mary and Emily. He advised,

"Why don't you guys try it as well?"

"Hmm?"

"Huh?"

Both Emily and Mary responded.

"Yeah, it will be great."

Ary said then he added,

"But you guys have to place it on your chest, not on your navel."

"Hmm? Chest?"

Erica repeated.

"Yes," Ary confirmed, shifting his gaze to her and clarifying,

"Male Warriors must place it on their navel. But female warriors have to place it on their chest."

Sigh! Sigh! Sigh!

Erica, Emily, and Mary sighed, but then picked up the crystals and placed them on their chests, between their massive mountains of boobs.

"Umm~"

"Ahhh~"

"Nghh~"

With the soft moans, they all knelt on the ground while trying to resist the heat. They were moaning unconditionally. The sweat started running down their bodies and their eyes with some pearls of tears. Truthfully, the scene looked so erotic.

Gulp! Gulp!

Both Ary and Mike gulped down the saliva from their mouths after glimpsing this erotic scene.

"H-Hey, Mike."

Ary called out.

"Y-Yeah."

Mike responded.

"Are you also experiencing an unexpected rapidity in your heartbeat?"

Ary asked while glimpsing the scene in front of him.

Mike smiled and replied while showing a thumb up,

"Not only that, bro. I am also experiencing a nose bleed now."

"Eeeeh?!"

Ary reacted in surprise.

"Hah..."

All three of the girls sighed as they felt the coldness around them.

They got up and while looking around, they smiled.

"I feel so energetic."

Erica called out with a smile.

"Me too."

"Yeah, same."

Mary and Emily confirmed it.

Then, Erica glanced at Ary and Mike, and suddenly, her face shaped a bewildered expression, she asked,

"What's wrong with you two? You two are sweating."

"Nothing."

Ary and Mike replied while diverting their gazes in the opposite direction of each other.

"Hmm?"

Erica tilted her head as she didn't understand their reaction.

Cough!

While removing the blood from his blue sleeve, Mike coughed and commented,

"Well then, let's get moving now."

"Ah, right."

Ary replied.

"I have also collected some crystals in my storage bag."

Emily told Mike.

"Good."

Mike smiled at her.

Then, they started moving forward, and after moving some footsteps away, they glimpsed a terrible scene.

"Wha?!"

Ary was left flabbergasted as he saw the scene in front of him.

There was a valley of fire with some fire-wrapped beasts around it.

"Grrr!!"

They started to get furious as they saw Ary and others.

"Man, they are like hell beasts."

Mike panicked after seeing them.

While Erica, Emily, and Mary looked frantic at that time.

Ary didn't say anything but tightened his blade and pondered,

'Just how many beasts will we have to fight now?'