The interior resembled an aquarium. Although the map was set beneath the sea, it didn't have the dark and menacing ambiance of the actual ocean depths. Instead, it was an underwater dungeon where sunlight illuminated everything with a radiant glow.
Invisible, cave-like walls constrained our range of movement. Interspersed between were corals that gleamed like stars, resembling the stalactites found within caverns, delighting our eyes. The sea goddess must surely be female.
The mise-en-scène—the comprehensive arrangement of stage elements such as lighting and equipment—was entirely distinct from the one Stella and I had previously visited.
"…So beautiful," Henna and Yuuna murmured, their eyes wandering in admiration.
"I've never seen such a stunning dungeon."
In contrast, I felt uneasy. Even if this dungeon resembled a date course, it was still a B+ grade. There was no telling what might suddenly emerge.
'Kushina, you're dependable during times like these.'
Once upon a time, in a residential area, I assumed she was a pitiful villain when she was caught up in my unique martial arts. However, the calm and reliable demeanor she had displayed thus far allowed for an effortless imagining of what she must have been like as a student at the academy.
"There's a monster ahead, Master."
Yuuna appeared somewhat tense as she gazed upon the creature covered in green scales.
"It's a greenfish. Be careful; it fights much better than a bluefish."
Greenfish?
Is it called that due to its green scales?
It certainly lunged at us more aggressively than the bluefish.
"Bow your head! Covering your ears might help too."
I immediately drew my Glock.
"No, the gun won't pierce its scales. Let me handle this!"
As Yuuna had predicted, the bullets failed to penetrate the green scales, bouncing off instead.
Is the gun a useless weapon in this case?
Perhaps against a B+ rank monster like the Greenfish, it might be.
'But!'
If there's a weak point,.
If the impact isn't fully nullified, a critical hit is still possible.
Rather than retreating, I advanced, closing the distance. Dropping to one knee, I unloaded all my rounds at the charging greenfish.
*Bang bang bang bang!!*
The slide recoiled at an incredible speed.
Kim Sang-hyuk's ultimate technique!
「Personality Expulsion: Full Burst」!!
As the bullets ran out, I took out my Python to continue the assault.
"Gah!? Bughk!?"
"Discharge discreetly!!"
When the melting creature was nearly upon us, it collapsed, excreting jelly.
"Did you defeat it with a gun? The melting creature?"
"Become an Onahole."
[Green Spiked Onahole (Masterpiece)]
[High-quality onahole with an interior that tightens as if rotating]
[Tightness B Durability B Warmth D. Responsiveness B. [Personality remains intact (100%)]
[Melting Creature Onahole Collection Complete]
[[No Foul Odor] Collection bonus added]
[Health + 3]
[Strength + 3]
[Agility + 3]
[Dexterity + 3]
[Magic Power + 3]
"How about that?"
"When did you get so big? Kim Sang-hyuk!"
"It's all thanks to the magic potion you gave me."
"Kyaa! What are you saying?"
Yuuna blushed and playfully punched me in the side.
Bang, bang.
Where is the next area?
"Sang-hyuk, look over there."
Henna points to the ceiling with her wooden staff.
At a height of about 6 meters, a tunnel leading to the next area was visible.
Do I have to climb the wall?
It seems possible for me, but what about our female companions?
I have a feeling it will be challenging in the order of breast size.
"What should we do?"
"Why don't you put everyone in your Onahole inventory, and then you ascend?"
"Alright. Kushina, let's go in."
I placed Kushina in the Onaben.
"Are we going in too?"
"Let's see if there's another way."
I hope putting the heroine in the Onahole inventory will be the last resort.
Could my thoughts have been conveyed? Yuuna silently searched her surroundings.
"Henna?"
Henna simply gazes towards the tunnel.
She seems to be attempting something with her wall staff.
"A newly-learned spell. Let's try it."
Could it be some sort of levitation magic?
We intently observed what Henna might be capable of.
Henna's breast posture is insane!
"...."
"...."
Nothing happens.
Henna pressed the staff to her large chest and lowered her head.
"Uhm… If you stare... I can't do it because I'm embarrassed."
"...OK."
I wrap my arm around Yuuna's shoulders and lead her to a corner.
"Let's see what Henna is trying to do."
"Mmm, Henna should also receive the value of Sang-hyuk's guidance."
"Is he quite strict?"
"Of course. A squad held back by a single member cannot be a good squad. I've seen it enough to grow weary of it."
A squad was held back by one person.
I understand precisely what that feels like.
But did Henna truly hold us back in our first dungeon? She performed better than I did.
Just because she showed a timid and gloomy side at the academy,
It's a misconception to assume she'd be the same in a dungeon.
While dating Henna at her house, I came to know her brighter side and recognized her dedication and hard work.
It's not about taking advantage of others.
If it's Henna, she'll prove herself.
"…It's settled!"
Yuuna and I locked eyes and immediately ran towards Henna.
I wondered if, by any chance, I had used some floating magic.
and if she had ascended through the tunnel...
[「Detection·Red」activated]
[Void Step]
[Class C Support Skill]
[Creates a foothold using magic power.]. Duration and stability are determined by magic power, and the weight is light.
Henna had skillfully crafted a platform for us to ascend, step by step.
It's impressive, isn't it?
"Amazing, Henna!"
Yuuna immediately recognizes the value of Henna's work and praises her.
"Oh, it's not such a big deal."
"Not a big deal?! Wizards typically focus on learning offensive magic and dealing with... Hold on. Let me try again."
…Dill-daughter.
I had an idea of how a wizard's perception worked.
"It's far from trivial! It's a magic craft skill that greatly aids in dungeon exploration. Wizards who possess this ability are highly sought after in squads."
"…Really?"
"In the future, our squad won't need any climbing equipment, which will make us much lighter."
"…Hehe."
Henna smiles bashfully.
Sweeping her bangs aside was the right choice. I can see Henna's beautiful green eyes and lovely face more clearly now.
"Should I, the heaviest one, go up first?"
"If we go up one by one, it should be fine."
"Is the duration 2 minutes?"
I need to hurry.
I swiftly moved toward the tunnel opening.
Yuuna follows me.
"Henna, run!"
"Ah, yes!"
Despite having created the stepping stones herself, Henna's movements were sluggish, causing her to ascend the steps slowly. At the very end, she nearly fell due to her tardiness, but...
"Henna!"
I quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her into an embrace.
Tightly…
"S-sang-hyuk…"
"Goal reached."
"…Ehehe…"
I gently patted her head, as if praising her for a job well done.
"Now you can come out, Kushina."
"Seems you've been busy cuddling, Master?"
"Now we'll be busy fighting."
From the looks of it, this was undoubtedly a boss chamber. At the center stood a pink star coral, as big as a house, truly shimmering like a star. And behind that coral, far larger than any molten fish,
There were two shark giants, each towering well over 4 meters tall. One carried an enormous harpoon spear, reminiscent of a siege ballista, while the other bore an anchor used to secure ships upon its shoulder. Their intimidating presence was no joke.
"They're blue shark giants... This won't be easy."
"Is it a B+ grade?"
"Yes. Even for three A-class novice hunters, they're formidable opponents."
Yuuna fiddled with the shimmering feather—an escape item—taken out of her inventory.
"There is a way to give up and leave this place."
"But I think the reward will be considerable, don't you? Seeing two of them guarding that."
Kushina pointed to the massive star coral.
Indeed.
"They say a special demonic force appears in this dungeon. It's worth a challenge."
"...."
But Yuuna still looked lost in thought.
"Let's give up on this one. Someone might get seriously hurt."
"Is this the leader's decision?"
"Yes. Even if I or Kushina go first, marking both of them is too much."
This is an estimate made by Yuuna, who works solo in Class B.
It's probably safe to say that it's accurate.
She assessed that Henna and my combat abilities are not enough to handle that right now.
Yuuna, who has far more experience than me, insisted it's not possible, but it's hard to accept.
Do I want to consume the demonic power? Do I have to make money by selling Onaholes to a devilish merchant?
Well, if that's a reason, it's a reason, but...
Yuuna seemed to imply, "Kushina and I are fine, but Henna and I are in danger."
"You said it, Yuuna. A squad held back by one person can't be a good squad."
"Knowing how to avoid danger is also a hallmark of a good squad."
"What if there's no need to be on guard?"
"Hmm?"
"What if both of you could fight to your heart's content?"
Yuuna blinked.
It seemed she didn't quite understand what I was trying to say.
"If you don't need to protect me and Henna, can you fight?"
"We could fight, but..."
"Then let's do it. Henna can't just back down like this, right?"
Henna nodded her head repeatedly.
"I don't like... not being able to fight because of me."
"This isn't just about that. If they start attacking, this tunnel will become meaningless. They'll relentlessly pursue us back to the area where we first arrived."
"..."
A muscular shark monster over 4 meters tall
a weapon that could easily crush a person, right?
That's more than a little terrifying.
"It's partly my fault. I don't possess a skill strong enough to halt the Azure Shark Giant."
Kushina also raised her hand.
"Neither do I. I can only divert its attention momentarily."
"So, it's a misunderstanding if it sounded like a mage and a gunner were holding it back.
If there were a mage capable of dispatching them in an instant, it wouldn't make sense for them to be alongside a swordsman of my caliber."
"There's a way to flee where it can't pursue us."
Everyone turned to look at me.
The key lies in Henna's skill.
"The ceiling."
I pointed to the submerged ceiling that enveloped us like an aquarium.
"Using Henna's Void Platform, we can make the Shark Giant much more troublesome."
I explained the strategy.
In a dome-shaped space centered around a massive Star Coral, we first create a tiered platform, and Henna and I ascend it first.
Then, on top of that, we construct another Void Platform.
We remain airborne until our magical power is depleted.
During this time, I could provide support to Kushina and Yuuna, allowing them to focus solely on their battles.
This was the optimal strategy I had proposed.
Yuuna pondered, resting her chin on her hand, and began to think again.
"Henna, how long does the platform last?"
"I won't be able to use attack skills, but if I exert all my mana, it should last about 5 minutes."
"For a single one?"
"We'll have to try, but if it's thick enough for two people to climb, it'd be better to assume it lasts 3 minutes."
Since we need to ascend to a height of 8 to 9 meters,
There will be no more mana left. Ultimately, we could only maintain our position at that height for about 6 minutes.
"Six minutes…"
"In the worst-case scenario, I'll place Henna into my ona-in-ben and flee in a straight line along the tunnel. That should buy us up to 8 minutes."
"Is it worth a try?"
Kushina asked.
"With Kushina here as well, perhaps..."
"In my opinion, a truly great squad is like this. What we couldn't do alone, we can achieve by lifting each other up."
"The master seeks the ideal team play."
"In reality, it will be easier."
I applied the onahole buff to Yuuna.
"Ah!"
"I believe a blade will be more effective than a fist, don't you think?"
"Ah, I'm being treated like an onahole, aren't I? This…"
Although Yuuna's cheeks reddened, she gave a small nod as if accepting the situation.
"It's a necessary circumstance. We have no choice."
「I have chosen this onahole」
Yuuna, who received the Onahole buff, possesses the strength of an active A-class hunter.
"What about me, Master? I'm an onahole, but I don't have an onahole buff."
"Assist Yuuna. Do you have anything?"
"I do have an attention-drawing skill, but..."
"That's perfect."
"…Sigh."
Don't worry. If anything happens, I'll rush over immediately.
… However, it felt inappropriate to say such a thing to an Onahole in front of two girlfriends, so I held my tongue.
A true man shows his intentions through actions, not words. Hmm.
"Now that the stage is set, there's no choice but to proceed."
Yuuna unsheathed her sword.
"Let's perform a sword dance. We shall all feast on shark together."
*
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