Chapter 84

 

 

 

Sunghee is alert while I’m still getting my bearings on where we are.

It seems the vertigo gravity thing I was feeling was partly our being dumped down a nearly sheer slope into this new area. It’s not only a new different feel but we’re not actually in the same room as before.

When we found ourselves on the floor I was the last to pick myself back up. That fall didn’t do well for my sore back, which wasn’t sore before the fall. My head didn’t feel too good hitting the ground either, and my ears were ringing for a bit. I risked a small heal on each of my sore spots, just in case. I think the damage was mostly psychological however, to scare us and not life threatening.

Sure enough it all goes away with the small heals.

Nice…

Fortunately my light spell is still working as I got used to our new surroundings. It had flickered a few times and almost went out in the fall but I’d managed to keep my concentration on it, to keep it going. It floated near my head with ease and a soft glow.

“Funny, how that light does very little, but is actually very comforting,” Sunghee said.

“I’d call not being able to see not ‘very little’,” Fox interrupts.

“Whatever, you get what I mean,” Sunghee retorted.

Interesting…Fox appears to have some kind of safe fall skill? No way! I hadn’t noticed it before the last time this happened because of things being so dark and not having perfected my light spell. But when we had fallen through this gravity well door or whatever it was, she’d landed on her feet lightly almost like a real cat or fox. Because she was a type of demi-human race it made sense that she would know and be able to do things humans couldn’t. Of course I’m sure there are limits to how much it can help out. She couldn’t like fall of a hundred foot drop with no damage, that would be unrealistic.

It seems that both Fox and Sunghee had been through this kind of thing before. Fox was the first to get back up, since she was used to the feeling of the whole gravity vertigo thing. But Sunghee gets up pretty quickly too.

Sunghee had landed by rolling to the ground to absorb the impact. She’s not hurt too badly but I use a small heal on her knees and ankles just in case. “I’m OK,” she grunted after dusting herself off.

How did they do it? My legs still felt like jelly. Looking up I can see whatever door we’d fallen through to get to this room was now gone and closed. When using the light heal on myself and the others I’d stayed on the ground because the fall had made me feet hurt a lot. I’m a bit surprised when Sunghee offers her hand. She helps me up. She has a good grip, and despite looking somewhat slender has strength to her with good balance.

I also never tire of seeing her buxom figure trying to spill out of a girl’s school uniform tight blouse and short skirt. The sneakers she’s somehow cleaned up too. Her top buttons are undone still, to tempt me bursting at the seems. And when she leaned over to dust off her feet she didn’t realize how much temptation that was causing…plus she has no bra on so her long hard nipples stick out in the thin cloth. It seems she wants to be close. I can see it in her eyes that she’s acting like I’m a sheep to her wolf…or vice versa.

I feel grateful to have Sunghee. She’s like the light spell to me psychologically. She has an inner strength not much different from Asakura but in a different way.

Part of being grateful was that that I realized having more than one girl around made me almost forget to appreciate them each as much as if I was only there with each. But they are totally unique and vary quite a bit in personality and demeanor. Just to have one of them is truly amazing, and I’ve got Fox, Sunghee, and Asakura…

That dastardly annoying Rina obviously doesn’t count obviously since she’s my crazy sister and I can’t think of her that way. I’d almost not counted Fox, but I began to think it didn’t have to do with who I’d gone all the way with, but rather who was loyal and with me the whole way. Fox was slowly but surely learning to be loyal and had accepted me, though her brain was reversing the roles.

I needed to appreciate the girls more individually I think. I would make that a goal from now onward. I also needed to do more things with them. I’d been stupid about this and needed to change my game.

Also I had no guarantee the pheromones would last forever. I believed the demon box’s powers had been permanent but I had no guarantee. What if the box was damaged or taken? I needed to be able to manage keeping and taking care of the girls without it.

Fox is regarding Sunghee coolly, who still has her hand lingering on me.

Does Fox pick that up?

It seems so.

Fox has changed her illusion uniform to match Sunghee’s, except she’s got the buttons done up all the way to the top. But she’s got the mini-skirt thing also dangerously cut really high on the hip also like Sunghee, maybe she didn’t know that most girls don’t keep skirts that short. She’s also added a neck tie, and a policeman’s hat? I can’t imagine where she got those parts from. The policeman’s hat is probably some attempt of hers to show superiority too. It adds to her feeling of mystery and gives a sort of suave effect to how she’s dressed.

But I’m curious if she added the neck tie as some sort of symbol of authority, falsely believing that she’s in charge as the magic master.

Fox has her hands on her hips. “We need to move soon.”

“So are we still in the box? Where are we? it’s so dark still,” I asked quickly.

Looking around the dungeon is still pretty dark and hard to see, but not pitch black dark.

“The evil box sure likes to torment us huh?” Fox snorts. “I think we’re not in the box or the demon realm. It seems to be a dungeon of some kind.”

“Shun, I can’t see well. Can you do two lights instead of one? I can’t fight if I can’t see,” Sunghee says worriedly.

I cast the light spell, but placed it on the end of Sunghee’s dwarven warhammer. I’d been using the dwarven warhammer more recently and hers perfectly matched mine, since it was lighter than my fireman’s axe. I still used the axe for big fights, but if I wasn’t engaged with things then I could keep the lighter weapon ready to save on stamina.

To my surprise it works! I hadn’t been able to do more than one light spell before now, except when one of them was temporary.

Success! I am getting stronger! Even if it is a simple light spell, it could have other applications to have more than one spell going if I can duplicate this idea with my other skills.

I notice that Fox isn’t using her energy weapon. I frowned, but it probably uses too much mana.

“It seems we’re at some kind of dead end,” Fox said after looking around.

“We’re not trapped are we?” I asked quickly.

“No, but it seems we’re like rats in a maze. It’s got us right where it wants us. Our only way out is to go forward,” she countered back to me.

“Is it a maze then?” I asked pointedly.

“I don’t know yet,” came the answer.

“I don’t like it Shun. It’s manipulating us and putting is on positions where it has the control,” Sunghee growls.

“I agree,” I said.

“But it’s also looking for a chance when we’ll stop caring about it getting control and then try to seize control then,” she added after that.

The girls are reluctant to move forward. We’re all very fearful because we know that if the box brought us to this place, there must be bad shit down here.

“I don’t like it either,” I said again.

“Let’s go. We can’t stay here at this dead end,” Fox whispered.

“Wait,” I said quickly.

I needed to change things. And make things better. My highest and best priority was to care for the girls. I needed to make things better.

“Come here,” I said.

“What?” they both echoed at once.

“I want to show my appreciation for you both. You’ve both helped me so much and been with me through everything.” I moved forward gave Fox a hug. To my surprise she doesn’t resist. She pats my back several times. In the past she would have hit me for sure. It’s also surprising how slender and clear her skin and body looks.

Gulp…have to think about something else.

“Just no kissing OK?” Fox says.

“No kissing? What are you afraid?” Sunghee says with a smirk. “I’m not afraid. You can kiss me if you want,” she adds looking me in the eye.

“Afraid of you now no, but afraid of the pheromones yes,” Fox said.

I do notice she holds me in the hug for a long time. She doesn’t release for a full minute. I then suddenly remember that her clothes are an illusion. I’m trying to control myself while it feels like I’m holding a naked girl. Wow, massive hard on. I’m guessing she also did something to make it so Sunghee can’t tell that when I hug her it feels like there’s no clothes, because she winked at me just now.

Fox is blushing when she realizes I’m affected by it. I’m glad that Sunghee hasn’t noticed this yet. I won’t tell her either, since it would only cause problems. Still it’s bizarre and strangely confusing to hug someone that has clothes on but feels like they don’t. I can’t get used to it.

Our hug breaks.

So then I hug Sunghee next.

It’s a little bit better since her clothes are real. Sunghee is more affected by the pheromones though. I should have realized it. She hugs me very tightly and ends up wrapping a tanned leg around me, kicking her knee up high. Then she starts French kissing me.

“Oh that’s hot,” she said.

“Come on, can we start already?” Fox complained.

“Sorry,” I said. But I’m not too sorry. Having a harem is awesome! I try to cover up my smile, so I don’t look like smug.

Sunghee won’t let go. I try to push her away.

It takes her some time to let go. And she almost rips my lips off when our French kiss ends.

“Ouch,” I said.

Finally the hug ends, “Well you beat my record. My hug was for a minute and thirty seconds. Yours was for two minutes and forty-five seconds,” Fox said to Sunghee.

“Bitch,” Sunghee said.

“Fuck off human trash,” Fox retorted back.

Yep, sure enough…the pheromones can create jealousy too. This isn’t good. I step between them and push them away from each other.

Not to mention Sunghee is way to sexy to be considered trash. She’d put most girls to shame. But maybe Fox Girl isn’t used to dealing with humans in a positive way.

“What? I thought you two get along,” I said.

“Normally we do. But what’s up with calling me bitch?” Fox asked giving Sunghee an angry leer.

“Err… well you are trying to take Shun from me,” Sunghee shrugged. “I have to protect my investment.”

“We’re on the same team,” I reminded both of them.

“Yeah, sorry about that. I don’t know what came over me,” Sunghee said.

We’re both red faced.

“Yeah, we’re wasting so much time too,” Fox admitted.

“I want to be more appreciative of you both for all you do for me. So I need you both OK. To survive we need to stay together,” I defended.

Fox is puzzled, but then smiles.

I’m shocked. I think it’s maybe the first time she’s smiled since I’ve met her. I’m used to her dour expression.

Sunghee looks back at me like she wants to continue it some more.

“Let’s begin scouting the tunnel. We need everyone’s eyes on the tunnels. Expect trouble,” I said.

“Got it,” Sunghee says.

“Copy that,” Fox said.

“Actually if that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to only have one light?” Sunghee said.

“Yeah you are probably right,” I said extinguishing the one I’d put on Sunghee’s equipment. We still had the one going, but I needed to be able to put it out if something comes close. I have to be ready to conceal it quickly.

They move down the tunnel ready to strike. Sometimes they leer at each other. Seriously? When are they going to stop?

“Ladies…” I reminded, whispering to them.

“Sorry,” they both whispered with cowed expressions.

We kept exploring around a tunnel system that keeps circling around itself and has plenty of dead ends. There were a few pits, probably designed for people blind to the dark; which wasn’t us thanks to light magic formation and Fox Girl’s skills.

Then we finally got to near an end of the current system. A new opening is ahead of us.

The tunnel is longer than we thought, and it’s hard to move quietly. But we do so, even though it takes extra time. A tunnel like this with hard surfaces would easily cause massive echoes. There’s tiles and real flooring here, suggesting some level of industrialization but not to the point of what you might find on a modern Earth city. In a strange way it doesn’t entirely seem like a place that resembled a mechanical culture either, but it’s clear the tunnel had been well built once.

Now it’s in ruins and we end up weaving in and out of fallen supports so that we don’t touch them. We’re right to handle it this way with extreme alertness however. Within a hundred feet of our tunnel we ran into imps.

Are they scouting or is this a lair? Before we can find out, we have to silence them as fast as possible and then look at the evidence afterwards. They appear to be a similar type of imp as when we’d ran into them at the beach.

The girls dispatch them quickly before I can do anything. Wow they are fast. Do the pheromones act like a steroid on them? Or is it just only removing all of their fears and making them protect the queen like bees would? It’s clear there’s some kind of effect. I’d like to study it out more.

Within seconds five evil imps that were going to ambush and kill us are dead. It was a blur that happened quite quickly. Sunghee killed two, and Fox had killed three.

And all of the imps had thought we’d be their lunch.

“Very smooth,” I said, giving them each a high five in a low quietly restrained voice. They both have looks in their eyes like we’re playing a game of some kind and they are ahead. Is that also influenced by the pheromones? Or it could be just that they both have vast amounts of experience. I’m surprised they aren’t more fearful, even though they are both way ahead of me.

Sunghee grunts, “Of course. What did you expect from us?” She flashed clean white teeth at me and rolled her shoulders to make other things on her upper chest…jiggle.

“We don’t want you wasting your mana. But I can kill more than Sunghee hands down no competition,” Fox said quickly, flashing a mischevious smile.

“Wanna bet?” came back the challenge from the other. They are momentarily sizing each other up again.

“But I can help,” I said. “Let’s get moving again.”

“So? I know you can but we want to save your power for if something heavy shows up,” Fox said.

“We also want to be the one protecting you,” Sunghee interjected.

“Yeah, like she said,” Fox admitted while frowning at her.

“I don’t want to be a support member,” I growled.

Sunghee giggled hearing it. “It’s OK, Shun. That’s why we’re here.”

“You aren’t being a support. We’ll actually have a high chance of needing your power saved for the boss,” Fox added.

“You think so?” I said. I felt like I’ve gotten stronger, but it’s amazing to see a more powerful mage like Fox having confidence in me. I’m eating it up like its candy for my confidence. Of course I tell myself I won’t get cocky.

“Your skills are good for bosses with the defensive power of that runic shielding. So I have special plans for you don’t worry,” Fox said nonchalantly.

But then she hurriedly adds, “that is, uh…if you…don’t mind my suggesting so?” She is now more submissive than before.

“Which way to you want to go? It seems like the tunnel splits?” Sunghee said. “Shine your light over there,” she added.

As I do so, her sharp eyes pick things out quicker than ours can.

“It looks like there’s like a main trail here going to this tunnel. The ground here looks more well used. There’s obviously more activity in this direction. The other way I can’t tell where it goes yet, but it’s less traveled,” Fox said.

“I concur,” Sunghee said after examining the well trodden ground. “There should be more dust and cobwebs here but there’s nothing. So I’m sure there things living here.”

“Ah, that’s really cool that you picked up on that,” I commented to her.

Fox frowned, not liking that I was showing her favor.

“So do we want to go the less traveled direction or the main direction?” Sunghee asked me.

“Wouldn’t it make sense to hide and take the less traveled route? It’s probably safer?” Fox said.

“They don’t know we’re here yet. They haven’t sounded any kind of alarm. They are also intelligent creatures. So we should hit the heavy numbers while they don’t know we’re here to make them the most afraid right away. If they discover us and start to get organized with only a few losses it won’t slow them down from engaging us. After we do some real damage, then we’ll head down the less traveled tunnel after looping back,” I said.

“Wow that’s a bold plan. Are you sure?” Sunghee asked.

“Well the best plan would be not getting in the dungeon in the first place. That’s already off the table,” I said, shrugging.

“You’re right. If it were a normal dungeon I’d like it and want to cash in on the loot and chance to grow, but…the box can’t be trusted. It’s not trying to ‘level us up’, but trying to eat us,” Sunghee said aloud.

“Actually it’s a good idea to hit the rest while we have the element of surprise. I do also think this is a nest rather than a military base that’s always alert judging by how the other imps acted. They hadn’t expected something to get in here, wherever we are. Cripple the nest while they don’t know we’re here. Even if they discover us there might be the chance they get organized and search the whole tunnel network. If they are really intelligent creatures then they could have gotten organized anyway right after we hit the smaller numbers anyway,” Fox said.

We start moving carefully again, going slowly to promote a chance of being as quiet as possible. Knowing that this is a real cave and tunnel system is way different than watching a movie or game. I keep wondering if I’m going to have fleas or insects crawling in my shirt or whatever. There’s also the thought of tripping and landing in a nest of snakes, or on something like a badger or just getting muddy in parts of the tunnel where there is moisture.

If course I can’t even mention that stuff to the others. Sunghee especially wouldn’t do well with bug talk, when she’s wearing skimpy clothing.

The tunnel is long and despite being a dungeon it curves and isn’t straight. I’m also curious how there’s so much detail, despite this being a so called dungeon. The supports are made of wood in this section but look old and worn, even though the doppelganger summoned this place and threw us in? It’s so confusing how that could be.

We then come across a crumbling doorway into another room. We stop to decide what to do, freezing in our tracks.

Who will go first? How many are in there? Will they be imps or other creatures too? How many traps are there going to be?

But before I can signal the others Fox takes the initiative. It seems she knows something is already in there because she’s sniffed the air and has a negative look on her face.

I’m ripped back to reality when Fox’s sends some kind of lightning flash into the room. I at first can’t see what’s happened, but the lightning bolt flash was pretty amazing even from like ten feet behind her and partly around the corner. As it went off it flashed quite a cool looking blue energy arcing into the doorway and all throughout the room inside. The way it flickers so loudly is much like how a welding torch echoes and sounds like when it splashes heavy flickering of light around a dark room when being used. It happens so fast that there’s not even any screams or crying out from whatever she’d hit.

We slowly peek around the door frame and see that she’d instantly killed about a dozen imps. Almost all of them are killed except two which are trying to crawl away but they are both paralyzed on the ground from the waist down and with weak pathetic screeching they are on the floor as they die slowly. They are then finished off by Sunghee who rushes them from behind to keep them quiet. Then she looks at Fox with obvious jealousy.

“That wasn’t too bad, I guess,” she admitted. It was painfully obvious she didn’t want to admit though.

Wow. Fox has a lightning bolt move?

I want it, I want it, I want it…I definitely want to learn that!

I try to mask my emotions. Right now Fox is preoccupied with what’s ahead, but I’m afraid if she looks at my face she’ll see a strange look on my face and that won’t help any since she’s still getting used to the idea that some humans are still good people…I think.

Was it a full blown lightning bolt or something else though? There might be types of variations I’m thinking. It could be a standalone spell ‘lightning bolt’ or something like a mana burst charged with a partial element that just looks like lightning or it could be something else. Am I compatible to learn it? Imps aren’t as weak as they look, I thought remembering what had happened the last time we’d fought imps. But that spell dispatched them easily.

Before we leave the room we have to check for imps that can hide. According to Fox some of them are good at blending in the shadows. So it means Sunghee gaurds the doorway that’s in front of us to block it while Fox and I go over every nook and cranny to make sure nothing else is hiding.

There’s no treasure either, but just rotting wood and torn up bits of rags. The imps also were defecating in the corner of the room…weird. Doesn’t the stench of their own business bother them?

Every once in awhile I check with Sunghee to go over the route we’ve just taken. Fox puts up with it, while Sunghee quizzes me on which way I’d go if we had to run quickly. We go over it again and again until I can recite the passage ways and maze we’ve gone through so far with it coming to my mind in a second. According to Sunghee this type of being able to think fast is the difference between adventurer’s that live and those that die, whether licensed or not.

After I got it down Sunghee tried to give me another full body hug, but Fox blocked her stepping between us quickly. It ended up making Fox and Sunghee hugging in a strange erotic manner, embarrassing both of them.

“Eep,” Fox said.

“Eh, why’d you cockblock me?!” Sunghee said with frustration.

Actually it was kind of hot…Fox is as good looking as Sunghee…and it was a weird pose like a couple of lesbians might end up having. Rina and Yumi would be totally having nose bleeds right now with Yumi having a bonus drool chin spam thing going on.

We keep going down the tunnel slowly and carefully after that. We’re lucky though that there wasn’t a nearby room that connected to this one. Our noise level was pretty small, but there’s no way to permanently have zero noise it seems.

Soon we reach another room. But I had to dim the light spell before we got too close, in case the light will spook any wary inhabitants if there is any.

Slowly I increase the light just enough to very carefully stake out the room’s choice for victims.

Like before Fox impales them on a lightning rod surge that arcs through the air and across the ruined floor. The imps this time are able to scream while they are dying. Were they a bit tougher and that’s why they got a scream out, or was it just that the previous room was less alert?

But even though they screamed, as we entered the room we held our noses so we don’t have to smell the burnt imp meat. The smell dissipates completely when the bodies dissolve however, just the previous room’s imps dissolved.

It seems like Sunghee and I are extra baggage here?

But I don’t know how long Fox can keep up this level of energy…Will she get tired eventually?

“Can you teach me that move later?” I asked.

“Of course,” Fox said. “After all I’m your master, and you’re my apprentice. But it will take you some time to get strong enough for this type of spell.” She seems eager to please right now.

“Eh? You think so?” I can’t hide that I’m disappointed.

“Well..it’s not like I’m holding back, it’s just that there are some miniature skills you have to practice first to make it work. Without those it just won’t hold a charge and it’ll fizzle before you can set it off,” she said.

“Hmm, so how long did it take you to learn that lightning bolt thing again?” I asked.

“About one year,” Fox said, making me wince.

“Crap. I don’t want to wait a year?!,” I accidentally said aloud. I covered my mouth quickly. That’s too long.

“Well humans have different physiology, and you learned a lot of stuff really fast. You probably won’t take that long. I’ll teach you that move for sure,” she winked at me and patted my back.

So in return I playfully slapped her on the ass, making her blush. Wow…it was really soft and felt good.

Sunghee has a smirk on her face, and rolls her eyes at me. “Don’t forget me boss.” She gives me a pleading look so I pat her head.

I shrug while I’m being behind Fox’s back. We let Fox take point.

To think…that pheromones could put a badass mage like Fox under my control…inside I’m trying to contain my excitement. I wonder how far my reach can end up being. Right now I feel like a petty lord almost with complete power. It makes me shiver, realizing how much power I have now that Fox is becoming little by little more submissive.

“Are you OK?” Sunghee asked me.

Shit. She noticed I was having some kind of reaction.

I try to cover up the massive grin on my face. It can’t be helped to have a look like this because of what I’m thinking. I’m glad the dark has masked my facial reactions.

“I’m good. Thanks.” I said trying to look serious.

We pass a series of rooms. One after another they fall pretty quickly, under lightning blitzkrieg style storming attacks. Even though this is a solid approach Sunghee and I keep our guard up.

Contrary to it being a summoned dungeon, it seems like it really does resemble a real mine. Everything has the look of being old and worn out but suggesting this is a real place somewhere. But it doesn’t look like it was made by the imps, but like they’d taken it from someone else.

That’s the biggest clue something is wrong here.

Who did the imps take this place from? Their bodies are probably too small to have carried the massive wooden support beams, let alone all the other evidences we’ve seen of this not being made by them.

“Try and see if you can see some kind of writing or identification marks,” I asked. “Please.”

“Got it,” Fox said.

“I haven’t seen anything so far. But did we miss anything?” Sunghee realizes it as a question.

“No, we haven’t missed anything yet. I also am curious where the imps got this place from. It’s not like them to work on their own. They are more cunning than goblins and orcs but they are predatory by nature too, not wanting to work with their own hands. It’s more likely they stole this place from someone else. I’ve been wondering who they stole it from and what it was before it became their lair,” Fox confirmed.

The next couple of rooms don’t have much in the way of resistance. Each is fairly similar to the previous with rotting wood furniture broken up into bits, sometimes broken barrels, and other broken trash from what must have once been some kind of humanoid ruins.

We dispatch several imps in each room, but they are in groups of less than four generally, but occasionally having a bigger room of eight to twelve at odd intervals usually after two or three of the smaller rooms but with varying patterns. Sometimes they screech and scream while dying, which we try to stop as quickly as we can.

Fox just makes them look weak from the way she kills them so easily. They are actually quite tough. When I tried to kill one solo, even with direct hits from my warhammer it didn’t die on the first try. It also raked through my runic shielding spell about five times leaving big savage looking gashes before I got in three hits on it. It dies on the fourth hit after that, but only after giving me two more slashes on my runic shielding. Imps are faster than orcs and goblins not just in their ability to move using their draconic wings to propel their inertia, but their smaller bodies can flit around easier while their long arms can rake several blows out for every blow that a normal person could do. Their resemblance to looking like small draconic like winged monkeys is amazing.

These were also probably a step above what Asakura and Rina are ready for in terms of combat ability, I noticed. Humans really are the bottom of the food chain I realized. I would have to step up their training too.

By the time I look up the other girls have already been watching my fight for some time, having finished off the others.

“I wasn’t leaving you alone,” Sunghee defends. “I thought it’s better for you to have the practice and experience, but I was still spotting you.”

Well…she was standing really close by…

“It’s OK, I want to try to help,” I said.

“I still want you to save your mana, even though you have an attack spell and some other things,” Fox reminded me when I wiped sweat off my brow. “Don’t be mad at me OK?”

“Got it,” I replied, since technically she was right.

Fox waves us forward, “seems like this used to be a supply room of some kind. See all the knocked over and ruined shelves?”

“They look pretty empty now,” I said.

“Yeah, it’s true we haven’t gained much information so far. We still don’t know the identity of whoever lived here before, but very possibly some human settlement they sacked,” Fox confirmed.

“I wonder if they’d even come back if you told them we cleaned out the place of monsters?” Sunghee asked.

“Rats…imps…guess they are kind of similar huh?” Fox said shrugging.

“I wouldn’t want to come back here. This place looks pretty dark and nothing usable here. Plus who knows what they’ve done to the wells here,” I said.

“Yeah imps don’t look very clean,” Sunghee nodded as we inspected the area.

“But it’s a place you can build upon. It’s a shelter and it’s roomy. It has potential to grow,” Fox reasoned with me carefully to show a different view but not be argumentative or show off. She has a gentle tone to her voice.

“But imps don’t work right? The storehouse’s shelves themselves are a hint at a people that practices work and industry don’t you think?” I said.

“I agree,” Sunghee said.

The next two rooms, we battle much like before. My runic shielding spell is looking like a mess after the third room of me solo on a few imps. Sunghee of course intervened to control how many of them could attack me at once.

It’s another confirmation that these imps are stronger than the ones we ran into the beach. But why is that? They really were trying to dog fight me and scratch me up. If not for the shield they would have done so significantly. I’d probably have my face peeled off by now by their razor sharp claws.

Realizing it that, I decide to add runic shielding to both Sunghee and Fox. Until now they hadn’t needed it much. I wanted to wait for the right time to get it going, in case we were down here for a long time. Now seems to be it.

“I don’t need that,” Fox said stiffly.

“Just a precaution,” I countered.

She looks offended. “I still don’t need it.”

“You are both too important to take a chance,” I said. She can’t argue with being praised like that, so I have my way this time.

Sunghee just shrugs. She reaches out and tousles my hair. “Thanks Shun.”

The next room I had to renew my runic shielding because I had two imps on me at once. They immediately pounced while the girls were on the other ones. I find my flimsy shield starting to cave in and got the renewal out in time.

The imps are fighting like lions. I can see small scratches flittering all over the shield’s face even while I’m trying my best to fight back. I almost lose my fighting and fall when they try to push me down. I smacked one in the wing, but he was durable enough to only be knocked back, instead of being knocked prone.

It’s hard to even swing properly with more than one opponent. Too late, I realized we didn’t have enough training on how to fight more than one opponent when I was being taught by Sunghee. I’ll have to have her train me better later.

I kept a grip on my weapon but had to be more careful as one of the imps tries to take it. Then I ended up renewing my shield after a series of new attacks hit me. I fight back like mad and unleash a starry missile burst into it. It’s wounded heavily but not dead. I did shake it off my weapon, while keeping my grip.

Then I had to renew my runic shielding again. I kicked out with my feet using my weight against it and send the other unwounded imp flying back about five feet. Then I’m able to have good ten seconds of a flurry of blows on the heavily wounded imp. Despite having the wind knocked out of it, it can still fight too well.

He finally collapses after a good solid third hit which connects so well I hear bones snapping. His death scream sounds like a crying cat somehow. I then crush his face by stepping on it heavily to ‘make sure’. There’s a loud crunch.

I’m not trying to be cruel though. I know that if any of them survive they can give away our position. They know this mine better than we do, as well. So there’s a chance if they escape they’d alert the others before we even got halfway through.

After that I’m able to fight the remaining imp while Sunghee and Fox have crushed the resistance in the room. The other bodies are already dissolving.

They are watching while I finish this little bitch off. It finally happens after the eighth hit. He of course tried to dog fight me until the end and made me renew my shield again. I’m sweating a lot too, because this takes a lot of exertion.

Dang they are strong.

Sunghee gives me a ‘thumbs up’ after I finished. “Nice job.” She had tried to go give me a pat on the back, but was intercepted by Fox, trying to block her from getting too cozy with me.

“How the hell are they so strong?” I asked.

Fox shrugs, “they’ve been cannibalizing demonic energy in this place for some time probably. Probably also practicing human sacrifice to pull that energy out. If they had captured any live humans here that’s how they’d be used, plus the remains being distributed for their dinner. That can do it after they absorb enough humans even if they do look small,” she shrugged it off like it was nothing.

Sunghee and I gave each other a look of surprise with big eyes.

“Can they really get that much power from…sacrificing people?” Sunghee questioned in mid step.

“Oh absolutely! Among demons it’s the total rage right now! Oh, but I’m not condoning it,” Fox said to me quickly, realizing how that sounded.

“Human sacrifice?” I asked.

“I’m wondering how you know that?” Sunghee said to Fox, who ignored the question.

“Don’t ask…just it’s enough that I’m not guilty of it and we’ll leave it at that,” she sullenly said, continuing to scout ahead.

“What does that mean?” Sunghee asked but didn’t get an answer back.

“This really is a world of monsters isn’t it?” I whispered to Sunghee.

She responds with a wide eyed expression staying silent but nodding slowly while we’re both behind Fox’s back, who is unaware of our concern still examinging the territory ahead of us for traps and monsters. A foxkin demi-human probably doesn’t get the full weight of how that might weird us out, being humans. Sunghee ended up squeezing my hand for comfort.

We move on to the next room. But something is wrong…

When Fox sends out her lightning flashes she doesn’t stop or relax after the first one.

“Spotter please!” she hurriedly barked.

“Got it,” Sunghee rushed to the door while I ran to the right side of the doorway to match her on the left with Fox in the middle. This doorway is a bit wider…which should have been the first clue of this being a much bigger room. This one has heavy resistance because there are so many of them here. I’ll admit I’m scared. Shit! This is really bad. We’d run into way too many of them here. There must be a good thirty or so of the imps here.

Fox starts throwing around lightning arcs like they are candy. I didn’t know she had some form of a chain cast ability like I did. But somehow hers looks a bit smoother and very fluid like a dancer that’s danced so long there’s no jerk between movement sequences. It’s like a smooth non-stop circle of repeating motions with no real stop or break in between. I can watch her and study her technique I think later on from pulling it out of my memory.

I think I just saw something that will help me develop my technique even further…

A group of seven imps is hit so hard two of the seven hit actually explode in a shower of guts and bone fragments. I don’t think she meant to have that much force but it’d come out from her being scared when the imps tried to rush us. Then the next arc hits a group of nine that were around a campfire in the middle of the room. Very quickly the amount of survivor imps is shrinking. But she has to be careful and not only aim for the ones going straight at us, but also for the ones that are trying to escape through the opposite side of the room’s doorway.

She barely got them all when one was almost out in the other hall to run. If she’s been even a tenth of a second later they’d have gotten an alarm off…

By the time that’s finished, the room is already devastated. The last of them are trying to rush against us with pitiful resistance and dying at our feet wanting to spite us with even their blood spilling on our shoes if they can.

Sunghee is mopping them up quickly in the smaller resistance pockets that are trying to get organized, having slipped sideways through the door and around the corner on the inside just out of the lightning bolt range. She clips the head off one that was trying to get the others organized, and then another right after that. It was a very cold calculated attempt at culling whichever imps were in charge and making them that much more confused and disorderly. Somehow she has the sense to pick out which ones are following whoever they think is the next chain in command or just having blind courage that the others will follow.

Is it a skill, I wonder?

I need to change. Sunghee even with no magic, is way beyond me in skills still. Despite everything I’ve gone through so far, I’m still feeling helpless. I didn’t realize how far I still had to go.

Should I just go total offense with magic? If I don’t I’ll never catch up to Sunghee and Fox.

But then I’m reminded of my healer role when Sunghee gets cut up on the arm when I heavy blow punctures through her runic shield. I hadn’t expected that. It’s rare for a hit to be that strong that it can puncture through, but it is possible. And if something also aims for the hole in a shield they can cause real damage, which is what just happened right now.

I renew the runic shielding spell while Sunghee is shouting for help, dodging a few attacks agiley but in a lot of pain. Having pain makes it difficult to fight it seems and she’s trying to just survive. She pulls back towards me near the other side of the room.

I’m already trying to move and get her shield back up.

“Stay back Shun, I got this,” Fox said, covering both of us.

She runs over and flashes her energy weapon briefly killing the rest of the imps.

“Ugh, I’m bleeding pretty badly,” Sunghee says while holding her arm. It’s already dripping a ton of blood and she’s trying to compress the wound. In real life you can’t help but notice there is way more blood than TV shows for even small wounds. It’s already dripped onto her skirt and her exposed legs.

“This is why you’ll always need more mana pool than other people Shun. Don’t forget it,” Fox says sincerely, while still trying to make sure all the imps are dead and not just faking. Sure enough the bodies are already dissolving.

“Would it still have happened if I’d been more offensively oriented though?” I asked.

She shakes her head. “People will always get hurt, no matter how good a plan is or how strong they are. That’s why even while I’m considered a pretty strong mage, I’m still jealous of your heal ability. You can always have courage with your health but once people are wounded or sick, no amount of extra attack power can get back the lost courage because of how pain overcomes your ability to fight so quickly,” she said.

“Yeah, I can’t do anything when I’m in pain like this,” Sunghee admitted, gritting her teeth.

I’m surprised to hear it. But it makes sense.

Now that the room is clear Fox is standing guard near a hallway while I treat Sunghee. Of course while I’m treating her Fox is acting like a watch dog and on the toes of her feet ready to jump at any sign of anything coming close.

We’re really tense as we are afraid of even the smallest noise while I work against the clock.

I cast a series of about five heals. By the fifth one, the wound is gone. Sheesh, it still takes so many and these weren’t the small heals but a larger type. But at least it’s not as bad as it used to be. I’m shocked too. This is the first time I’ve been good enough at healing that I could get a wound completely healed and not be totally exhausted and drained of mana. Normally it would take days of doing this at a time.

I still have a lot of mana left, even after renewing runic shielding on our team.

It seems I’m getting better?

“Nice. It feels as good as new. It doesn’t feel like I’ve hit my funny bone anymore,” Sunghee said. She stretches out and flexes her muscles to test it. Of course it’s hard not to stare at her when she does this. She’s surprised too. She then reaches in and gives me a kiss on the forehead, “thanks for caring about us,” she whispered hugging me before Fox can protest.

She stands up while I’m still in a kneeling position from getting up from the ground from before so she lifts me up with her extended hand when I grasp it. She has a solid grip of someone who knows how to work.

But it surprises me even more than people like Fox and Sunghee can still be as beautiful as they are and not let it go to their head. Especially Sunghee is very humble despite having amazingly high powered skills.

We proceed to the next room.

But I’ve got this itchy feeling in the back of my mind that the doppelganger probably put us in here thinking it had its victory secured.

What are we missing?

Is this a trap?

What’s ahead of us?