Chapter – 37
The countess’s deadly temptation. I couldn’t refuse.
“Yeah!”
Because Bianca’s mattress was incredibly soft.
Having trained hard and showered early, I had nothing to worry about. I immediately climbed onto Bianca’s bed.
It wasn’t the first time, either. I had slept with Bianca a few times before, secretly.
If anyone found out that a commoner like me was so familiar with a countess, it could cause trouble. But no one entered Bianca’s room without permission, so it was fine.
I lifted the blanket and tapped the side of the bed.
“Bia, finish your homework quickly and come here.”
“I just finished. I’m coming.”
We lay down side by side. Bianca, clearly exhausted, fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
The gold on my necklace sparkled.
<She really looks just like Katleya when she was young. Annoyingly smart for a kid.>
It was a nostalgic voice, despite the teasing tone.
<But she doesn’t seem particularly strong. I wonder if she’ll be okay in this harsh world… Ailet, take good care of her.>
“Of course.”
I whispered softly and closed my eyes. It was time to get the restful sleep I needed to face a rewarding tomorrow.
✠
In the southwestern part of the Gillette territory was a C-rank dungeon called the Contaminated Crystal Cavern.
The boss had been defeated decades ago, but the dungeon remained open due to the valuable minerals it contained.
Even today, adventurers lined up early in the morning to enter the dungeon and earn a living.
Stripped to the waist and wielding pickaxes, they looked more like veteran miners than adventurers. A C-rank dungeon that had been cleared was practically just another mine.
Thunk! Bang! Thunk! Bang!
The rhythmic sound of pickaxes echoed throughout the cavern.
“You’re a new face, huh?”
“I’m just doing some day labor to earn a living. How long have you been working here, sir?”
“Oh, me? Since the boss was cleared. I could almost call myself a professional miner. Heh heh.”
“No wonder your biceps aren’t ordinary.”
“Glad you noticed, young friend! My pride, you see!”
Inside, the heat of labor was intense. Sweaty beads slid down their well-toned muscles, alive with motion.
They shared tips about nutritious foods, passed drinks around, and swung their pickaxes in camaraderie.
Thud! Clang! Thud! Clang!
A deep vibration shook the entire cavern.
“W-what’s that sound?! Could it… be a monster?!”
A young day laborer jumped in fright. He was only a beginner swordsman who hadn’t even awakened his Aura yet.
He had relied on the employment office saying the job was safe, but this was a nightmare.
But everyone else seemed unfazed.
The veteran chuckled.
“Ah, Fenrir’s here. You can tell by the swing alone—it’s on another level!”
“F-Fenrir?”
“Look over there.”
Thunk!
From a dark corner, the vibration intensified.
There stood a man.
A middle-aged man who had quietly been swinging his pickaxe here for about a month, known by everyone in the area.
And the reason was…
Thunk! Clang!
Crunch! Crack! Crash!
Pure physical strength, breaking through the dungeon with sheer muscle!
The young day laborer was in shock.
‘Hah! To think muscles alone could rival an Aura user!’
Fenrir’s biceps bulged, chest broad like a wall, and abs hard as a shield.
The curves formed by his muscles were nothing short of art, and his upper body resembled a perfectly balanced inverted triangle, worthy of praise in geometry.
Sweat rolled off his olive-toned skin, glinting in the light.
As he brushed his hair aside to wipe the sweat…
‘Gah.’
A face so handsome it took my breath away was revealed. He was the epitome of a muscular, handsome middle-aged man.
The young laborer snapped out of it, focusing on one thing.
“But… he looks younger than the old man.”
“Quiet! He may be younger, but he’s still my senior!”
That actually made sense to the young man.
Other adventurers watched Fenrir with admiration.
“I wish I could touch his muscles just once…”
“What does he eat? What kind of muscle supplements or nutrients?”
“I want to ask the secret to his muscles… but I dare not approach him!”
Meanwhile, Fenrir continued swinging his pickaxe.
He twisted his well-shaped waist and struck the wall with all his strength…
CRASH!
A path suddenly opened.
“Hmm!”
Fenrir surveyed his muscles in motion.
‘Chest and erector muscles feel great. Deltoids and lats are a bit grumpy… today I need to train them… ah! Time for my muscle supplement!’
He popped a round alchemical supplement into his mouth and chewed.
Bitter enough to numb the tongue, but he sacrificed taste for preventing muscle loss.
Then…
CRACK! CRUNCH!
“The ceiling… cracked?!”
“Ah! It’s collapsing! Everyone, move!”
A monster emerged as the ceiling fell. A massive body, toothy maw, dripping with acidic fluids.
Someone shouted its name.
“E-Exid Worm!”
“Why… why is a large monster still here?!”
“Aaaah!”
The Exid Worm sprayed acid, causing screams and burning smells.
“Call for anyone who can fight…!”
A C-rank mid-boss, requiring at least one Aura beginner to handle.
But no one skilled in Aura would just be doing pickaxe work in a cleared dungeon.
The rest had only slightly better than average human strength, and panic set in.
They tried to escape, but debris from the monster blocked the exit.
“Eeek!”
“Novice!”
A young laborer, trapped in acidic water, was about to be engulfed by the worm’s grotesque mouth.
Thwack!
A pickaxe struck the worm’s face. As it staggered, someone leapt into the air, cradling the young man.
“Are you alright, young man?”
“Y-yes! Y-yes!”
He realized he was lying against Fenrir’s broad chest.
“Fenrir? He saved the newbie!”
The adventurers cheered Fenrir’s name.
Someone noticed the young man’s hand brushing against Fenrir’s chest and chewed their lips in envy.
Grrr!
The worm, its teeth all gone and doomed to a diet of porridge, roared in anger and lunged at Fenrir, spraying acid.
“Fenrir! Danger!”
“Move, sir!”
Fenrir ignored the warnings.
His legs stood firm like breakwaters against a storm.
As the worm charged in a straight line, everyone closed their eyes.
Fenrir calmly raised his fist. Then…
BAM!
The worm froze, fist embedded in its forehead, like a compressed spring.
In the next instant, Fenrir lifted it like a barbell…
SHRED!
And tore it apart.
Witnesses were speechless.
“W-our senior… he’s an Aura user?”
“No. That was… pure muscle strength…”
“Whoa… amazing…”
Fenrir casually checked his muscles as if nothing happened.
“Hmm! The training isn’t wasted.”
He gave orders to those around him.
“Hurry and heal the wounded.”
“Yes, sir!”
While adventurers drank their healing potions, Fenrir finished looting and cleared the debris blocking the exit.
Just as he was about to return to his pickaxe, his composure faltered.
“No! My muscle supplement! I need it every 30 minutes to prevent loss…”
He saw the round supplements dissolve in the worm’s acid, a look of despair crossing his face.
At that moment, the young laborer who owed him his life timidly approached.
“Sir… at least take this…”
A neatly wrapped muscle supplement. It bore the Gillette Lord’s mark and the label “Rodel.”
To Fenrir, who had sampled every tonic imaginable, it seemed almost miraculous.
“It’s not nearly enough to repay your kindness, but please accept it.”
“Hmm! I don’t usually accept favors from anyone… but…”
“I know! Please, eat it! You’ll lose muscle otherwise!”
Fenrir popped the round supplement into his mouth and chewed.
He braced for bitterness, as was usual with health supplements.
But…
“This… this taste?!”
The flavor exploded like crispy fried pork with sweet sauce.
Even better than most gourmet dishes, it was a shock to someone who had strictly followed a low-carb, high-fat diet his whole life.
He suspected it might not even be a supplement. But judging by how delighted his muscles were, it definitely worked.
“More?”
“Cough! Yes… I won’t refuse… cough!”
“Be careful not to choke! Take the potion too!”
“Hmm! This green juice looks healthy. Thanks… but how is it juice from a potion?!”
Looking closely at the glass bottle, he saw the name Rodel again.
The adventurers who witnessed this remembered the name.
Unintentionally, Fenrir became a kind of influencer.
Ailet and Leonard’s collaboration quickly spread through word of mouth, centered on the Contaminated Crystal Cavern dungeon.
