Chapter 113: The second dungeon

Oh my.

What’s this, a test of strength? They exerted so much force that I couldn’t help but match it.

"Hmm!"

What’s going on?

I continued to apply strength as well. It turned into a pointless battle of pride.

"You’re using quite a bit of strength, aren’t you, Pounding Senior?"

"Actually, I was discussing whether I may have been underestimated."

"I’m certain. If you were truly in Grade D, your hand bones would have been crushed just now."

"Why such a murderous handshake!?"

"It’s okay; it didn’t break! Haha!"

Did they want to see me kneel down, screaming in pain?

Regardless, ’Power’.

Hilaria embodied ’Power’ itself. The aura of healthy radiance emanating from her entire body made me feel like even my eyes were becoming healthier.

Reida’s body is impressively toned, giving the impression of low body fat. Yet, unlike the decadent feeling she exudes, Hilaria seems quite vibrant and fresh.

"Next time, leave the Imperial Army to me!"

"The scenario we just witnessed was a victory for the rebels, right?"

"Indeed. We rescued the immobilized leader, didn’t we? Now it’s time for a counterattack!"

"..."

I have Yuna, who was separated from the squad, on my mind.

Elle, who must be waiting for me, also preoccupies my thoughts.

These concerns are fleeting, though.

[Entering the next dungeon]

Quintia has already dived in and vanished.

"Let’s go too."

We’ll all meet up eventually.

The exchange war has only just begun.

"Since I’m solo, I’ll go first!"

Hila wraps her greatsword around her shoulder and disappears.

We followed suit and entered the next dungeon.

[In the forest, where the night breeze is cold]

Establish a base for the rebels! [Rumor has it that a terrifying monster resides here.]

Ugh.

Upon arrival, I thought I was going to freeze to death.

This region has always been cold, but when night fell, a full-fledged chilly wind began to blow.

Even snow blanketed the floor.

"Hi-yak!"

Sarika’s adorable scream pierced the air. The bone-chilling cold hit them as soon as they woke up, especially cruel to Sarika and Sol, who had their thighs exposed. It seemed Hila had vanished again, scattered somewhere out of sight.

"Are you guys all right?"

"Ch-chilly, sir."

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

"I’ll find a place for us to warm up."

[**Crimson Eye** activated]

It appeared they were now quite far from the castle. The unfolding scenario seemed to be: "The rebels flee with Isolde, their leader, and establish a new stronghold."

Was this the world they now inhabit? The situation had already diverged significantly from what they knew, but one certainty remained: if the rebels lost Isolde, defeat would follow.

"If you walk about 1.8 kilometers in this direction, there’s a cave. Let’s go."

"Will we be okay?"

"We don’t have time to ponder whether it’s safe or not. You’re both freezing to death."

Their thighs were already turning red. Feeling sympathy, I removed my school uniform top. The two huddled together beneath a shared coat, shivering and supporting one another.

The wind was fierce, threatening to transform into a blizzard at any moment.

"Do you have any issues with diving sickness? Let’s check our equipment and proceed."

Before I knew it, I was speaking like Aria. Fortunately, we managed to approach the cave entrance without any obstacles. And there...

"Hee... Hee... Run away...!"

We discovered a male student in a Veyron Academy uniform. His face was rigid, as though he had witnessed something unspeakably horrifying. Crawling out on all fours, he collapsed to the ground.

"..."

"..."

Hush. The frightened male student used a feather to escape the dungeon. From within, the muffled sounds of a second and a third scream echoed.

The noise of successive uses of the feathers reverberated in the air.

’There’s something going on.’

"What do we do now, Senior?"

"There’s no other way to avoid the cold. Let’s move forward."

"Just a moment."

Isolde seemed to have an idea.

She stopped at the entrance of a cave, barely sheltered from the wind, and waited for us.

"Hello~?! I’m your idol, Sol! Today’s content~!"

...Incredible.

She managed to keep up her charming act even in such dire circumstances.

About five hundred people instantly joined the surprise live stream.

*Sol-chan’s divine D-man next to her*

*What were you up to while the stream was off?*

*I bet you guys secretly sucked and licked everything already.*

"Of course~. Since you guys didn’t protect me with your donations, Ren and I had lots of fun together."

*Whoosh!*

The donations started pouring in again.

– Please don’t devour our dear Sol.

"Ah! Ren Asahi, the divine D-man, thank you for the 50-coin donation."

"Should we really be doing this right now?"

"Ichaam~ Our dear Senior Ren is just watching what Sol does."

Isolde playfully continued in that cute tone.

Sarika summoned a hot pack that had been received as a donation from the viewers.

"..."

A hot pack.

It was a much-needed item at the moment.

"Your talent is indeed very useful."

It wasn’t just weapons she could summon.

"I have a list of items I can receive as donations."

"What about the 800 coins you received earlier? Can you use those too?"

"If I turn off the broadcast, they’ll all disappear. Although they do remain in my bank account..."

Interesting...

"Why did you turn off the broadcast, then?"

"..."

Isolde tried to say something but bit her lip instead.

Her cheeks were flushed. Was it that cold?

"Take this hot pack~ Class D oppa."

"Ah. Yes. Thank you."

"Sarika too."

With the hot packs we received, not only did we warm our hands,

but we also found warmth and comfort for our cold bodies by tucking them into the inner pockets of our school uniforms.

[NTR Hot Pack]

A hot pack created by everyone’s idol, the precious and lovely Pink Sol, with NTR donations. Much warmer than ready-made products.

"..."

The item name was somewhat peculiar, but...

"In the spirit of warming up before we go..."

"That’s fine."

"Is it okay with it being so dark inside? Waiting at the entrance for daylight to come..."

"If an unknown monster emerges, we’ll be chased away immediately."

While waiting for the two of them, I checked the compensator mounted on the Glock 19.

Fortunately, I had felt the need for light during the zombie apocalypse dungeon and had played an amusing little trick on the pistol.

It’s a Surefire.

*Flash!!!*

"Darkness is no problem."

Don’t underestimate modern flashlight technology.

The Surefire is a flashlight designed for extreme situations, so once it’s turned on, it doesn’t merely "shine brightly."

Due to the insane light intensity, aiming it directly at a person’s eyes has the effect of causing temporary blindness, similar to a flashbang.

What happens if you aim it inside a cave?

It exposes every dark secret that the cave conceals.

Visibility increased in an instant.

"You’re well prepared, Senior."

"I didn’t think about bringing a hot pack."

I hadn’t expected to end up in such a remote area.

But as long as I have the god of indoor warfare, the Surefire,

there would be no sudden ambush in the darkness.

"With this much light, I believe I can be of some assistance as well."

Sarika unsheathed her sword.

"Shall we proceed once we’ve warmed up? It would be far more comfortable to rest inside."

"To obtain a sleeping bag... we need donations."

As Isolde devised an NTR scenario to acquire more donations, Sarika and I steadily ventured further inside.

[Calm Progression Pt + 3]

[Collaboration with Sarika Pt + 2]

Sarika, too, appeared to be receiving delightful score notifications.

"Do you think we’ll need to clear this area in order to establish a rebel base?"

"Yes. I would rather become a rebel warrior than remain a thief."

"Isn’t it possible for a leader to change their occupation?"

Isolde and Sarika hesitated for a moment. A brief role-play ensued.

"I hereby appoint you as a rebel warrior, Sarika Milphi."

"Thank you, the true king of this land."

[Role-Playing Pt + 3]

[Excellent Immersion Pt + 2]

Ah, I also received points.

"Is this it?"

"Yes. It seems so."

I exhaled deeply.

"Isolde, I’ll secure the safety inside first. Please follow me securely."

[Good Immersion, Pt + 2]

"Hehe. The bodyguard is quite handsome. Join me in my bedroom tonight."

"Sol... I don’t think that’s a good idea."

"..."

Sol didn’t say anything, her face turning as red as a tomato.

Crafting an NTR scenario isn’t an easy task either.

Messages in the chat window popped up around the smartphone.

– LOL

*Moment of creating dark history*

*This is our innocent Sol.*

"Senior, there’s a witchbeast ahead."

"Where?"

The witchbeast had a better grasp of the atmosphere.

As we reached the depths of the cave, where the sound of the wind was no longer audible, a skeleton greeted us.

[Tactical Shooting Activated]

*Bang! Bang!*

I immediately blew the skeleton’s head off.

Still, as it struggled back to its feet, Sarika struck it with a sword imbued with the energy of the wind.

*Whoomph!*

Bone fragments scattered cleanly under the force of the wind pressure.

"Isn’t that nice?"

"Thanks to your bright light... Ah!"

"Uh. Don’t look back. It’s blinding."

"Uh... yes..."

"When you fight in front, only look ahead. I’ll shine for you."