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Chapter 265 part 1

In one corner of the rolling hill nestled within Caravis Tower, there was a gapingly opened cave called 「Hegna Hell.」

It looked like a giant demon waiting patiently for its prey to jump into the cave, and it was a dangerous place with many demons residing within. At the same time, it was a place where rare minerals, natural Magicite, and Spirit stones could be obtained.

Among the magical creatures that thrived by consuming the high-concentration magic within the cave, some possessed high-purity magic crystals within their bodies. Adventurers with the skills and experience to fight these creatures came there day and night, risking their lives in fierce battles.

The deeper one dived, the more concentrated the magic became, making it a harsh environment where even breathing was painful for ordinary people.

On the other hand, in the shallow upper levels, even a novice warrior going there alone, who had only known training, could make it out alive if he was not so unlucky.

Even so, there were those who encountered bad luck. A young man ran with a desperate look on his face in the midst of the magical light embedded in the wall by Dragon Succubus that had discovered the Hegna Hell cave.

The young man aimed for a safe zone created by the Dragon Succubus, who had placed a barrier in front of the above-ground entrance and exit. If he jumped into that circular safe hall, the demons would not be able to penetrate the warding and would have no choice but to shuffle away.

The gear the young man carried showed no signs of having been used much yet. A tanned leather breastplate, gloves, a cheap dagger, and a small round shield.

Attached to his belt were a spare dagger, a leather pouch containing medicines and flint, and a leather canteen, giving him a typical rookie adventurer’s look.

Sweat dripped down his forehead and cheeks as he was trailed by Keevlin, a Keevlin frequently found in the upper reaches of Hegna Hell. The emergence of these demons, standing at the height of a child, was a result of the fusion of the magic filling the interior of the cave and its rocks.

The Keevlin’s ebony skin was like a patchwork of rocks, forming a protective layer. With no nose or mouth, their face was illuminated by a dim yellow light in place of their eyes. The blows delivered from the thickly developed arms were not something that a new adventurer or a new mercenary with poor equipment could take.

The standard tactic was to target the black orb-shaped core located around the yellow eyeballs or near the navel, as those were their weak points. However, being pursued by three or four of them in a group would likely overwhelm a single young man, even with this strategy.

The young man, who had been running away with a desperate look on his face, still showed no sign of having been hit by the Keevlin yet. That was likely why he could continue running away like this.

The boy, named Jirgu, mentally visualized the map of Hegna Hell Cave freely available at the management office. In his mind, he had a faint glimmer of hope that if he turned the next corner, he would be in a safe zone.

The fear of death left the throat parched and sticky, with sweat streaming down, occasionally stinging the eyes. His lungs were aching as he tried desperately to breathe. However, he knew that stopping here would mean facing unimaginable pain and fear.

Ignoring the pains echoing through his body, Jirgu relentlessly propelled his leaden legs forward.

The necklace was adorned with a rainbow-colored stone hung around his neck. While saying「life assurance」, it came with the condition that the user must confront life-to-death situations.

Even though one might understand that their life would be spared, no one would willingly and silently tolerate being assailed by agony for that reason. At the very least, Jirgu would vehemently say no.

「Oh, my!」

Noticing a faint white light emanating from the distant bend ahead, Jirgu felt relief. Neglecting to check his footing, he stepped on a small stone, leading to a fatal mistake, which caused him to wobble and fall.

Collapsing face-first onto the ground, Jirgu hastily shielded his face with his left hand. However, the fear of being caught by the Keevlin far outweighed the pain of hitting the ground.

There were four of these demons. Even just one of them would be a challenge to defeat. No matter how hard Jirgu would attempt, winning was not within his reach.

Imagining the club-like arms of the Keevlins being raised to strike him and the vision of himself being slammed, blood spraying, Jirgu shuddered with fear. However, when he turned to look at the Keevlin behind him with eyes trembling in terror, they were all sprawled on the ground, having lost the upper part of their bodies.

In stark contrast to what Jirgu had imagined, a squishy, wet sound echoed from the walls on both sides, leaving him bewildered.

Upon inspection, the upper portions of the Keevlin were smashed against the wall, completely unrecognizable and reduced to stains.

Jirgu’s gaze fell upon a Dragonian girl – Quinn, clad in silver-scaled armor with matching scales on all four limbs. Her impeccably adorned face rendered him speechless, and her intensely fierce eyes captured his attention.

Standing beside Quinn, in a posture with the left hand extended to the side, was the hulking Dragonian with white scales – Dreissen.

From the positions of the two, Jirgu vaguely grasped that they were the ones who somehow managed to bisect the bodies of the Keevlin.

In the presence of these individuals exuding an overwhelmingly dominant aura, Jirgu’s eyes, no, his very soul, couldn’t help but be captivated. These beings, beyond any comparison with him, embodied an absolute existence that repelled not only the threats of Hegna Hell Cave but also any dangers within a dungeon. Indeed, they even surpassed the ideal image that Jirgu aimed for.

Then, as the Keevlin standing in front raised its arm and fell with a resounding thud, a graceful shadow, hidden from view behind Jirgu, approached him.

From the back of her chaste-looking dress, which covered her neck, grew white wings and a tail with a heart-shaped tip, and white horns extended from both sides of her head, splitting her shiny black hair.

She was a woman with dragon-like biological features. The shape of the tip of her tail and her soul-stirring beauty and atmosphere that transcended physical instincts implicitly proved that she was a succubus.

She was Lilyeltiel, the chief of the Dragon Succubus who worshiped the Ancient-Celestial Dragon. Though of a lower rank, she was indeed a true goddess.

Jirgu’s soul, which had been trembling in the presence of the overwhelmingly powerful woman, forgot to tremble. With each approaching movement and gesture, his senses and soul became either numb or ablaze.

He forgot his breath, forgot his thoughts, and was filled with such an intense sensation and emotion that the thing in front of him became his whole world.

Lilyeltiel’s bare skin was exposed, and her fingers, akin to the icefish, wiped the mud from Jirgu’s left cheek. The mud held magical properties comparable to a Keevlin’s blood, making it a superb material for magic. The office frequently receives requests from wizards seeking this specific mud.

「I’m sorry for the stain on your cheek. I’m sorry」

「Oh, oh, no, no,…You don’t have t-…」

Jirgu’s repetitive string of meaningless words was a familiar reaction for Lilyeltiel, so she remained unruffled, continuing to wear a gentle and serene smile.

Receiving such genuine and straightforward responses was highly stimulating for a succubus. Still, with the presence of the dragon’s incarnate, whom she worshiped, Lilyeltiel discreetly suppressed the tingling sensations coursing through her body.

「A…, are you a goddess?」

Jirgu could only assume that Lilyeltiel, the woman in front of him, was the most beautiful he had ever seen. And he was not wrong.

Lilyeltiel’s smile grew broader as she gazed at the young man in front of her, who, though probably not knowing what he was saying, had accurately discerned her identity.

「Yes, I’m among the lowest ranks…」

＊

As Gwandan, Doran’s alternative identity, achieved milestones in the Romal Empire, straying from the initial strategy of maintaining a low profile, Dreissen, his additional alter ego, was simultaneously active within the domain of the Baron of Berne.

Gwandan, appearing as a Dragonian with a human-like form, pursued endeavors in the Romal Empire. On the other hand, Dreissen, characterized by a dragon-like appearance, had been acquiring knowledge and skills for navigating the mazes of Mazelinth, a labyrinth city in the archipelago countries of the southern seas within the Arkrest Kingdom.

With the earnest initiation of Caravis Tower’s use and operation in Berne, Dreissen was enlisted to comprehend the current state of the city and Caravis Tower explorers. This was a realm inaccessible to Doran in his role as an assistant to the lord.

When Dreissen took action, there were naturally those who followed suit, and among them were the women who were part of the same party in Mazelinth.

These women included Quinn, transformed into a Dragonian by the Ancient-Celestial Dragon Alexander; Hanma, transformed into a human priest-warrior by the Earth Mother Goddess Mairahl; and Dowben, transformed into a priest-warrior by the Goddess of Time Chrono Maze.

With a long history of adventuring, adventurers in Mazelinth commonly enlisted the help of experienced guides to learn from them. While in Caravis Tower, they were left to navigate independently as all were newcomers.