Chapter 122: Enjoying the Game 2
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun
Illustrations: Posted in discord.
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Passing the 25th floor, moving to the 26th, 27th, 28th...
As we ascended the tower, the enemies gradually became stronger, and larger groups began to emerge.
Still, our climb was smooth sailing.
While initially, we'd encounter goblins and kobolds in groups of about thirty, now they roamed in packs exceeding fifty.
Cave spiders evolved to the point where their exoskeleton could deflect arrows, but our party, becoming more skilled as we climbed, could handle such challenges with ease.
Regardless of increasing numbers, methodical elimination was the solution.
And although the enemies exteriors became tougher, their vulnerabilities remained the same.
Han Se-ah's increasing magic proficiency, Grace's archery and Kaiden's swordsmanship improve day by day.
They had become worthy of the title 'intermediate adventurers.'
"It's incredible how much they're growing."
I mused.
Yet, amid these peaceful days, I faced a personal challenge: an invasion of privacy.
Even if Han Se-ah treated Grace warmly, like a sister, Grace remained an NPC.
No matter how endearing or real she seemed, interacting with her differed from interacting with a real person.
This isnt to say that Han Se-ah disregarded or looked down on her.
It's just that Han Se-ah began to be straightforward to the point of inconvenience.
Some behaviors, acceptable within the game, would be deemed rude in real life.
Like secretly following someone on a date, or encouraging someone to drink and afterwards share a room at an inn.
Her desires were becoming blatantly apparent.
"Should we take a break from adventuring this weekend?"
"Take a break from... Uh... huh?"
Either they're underestimating the heightened senses of a senior adventurer or they're so audacious they don't care if they're caught.
The two of them cheekily whisper, just a bit away from me.
With the two behaving like this, it was only natural for the others to grow curious.
Irene, who first discovered this during one of our outings, and Kaiden, who pretends to be stoic but is deep down like a teenage girl, were sneakily eavesdropping.
Grace, a little shy but never hesitant, and Han Se-ah, who would find any excuse to be near Grace, made for an intriguing duo.
Calling it a challenge isn't because I dislike Grace.
It's because of this damn camera.
"I should have just streamed..."
Han Se-ah is a professional streamer.
A true professional.
Instead of merely relying on her looks, she's authentic, even playfully interacting with her viewers and displaying her full unfiltered competitive side in games.
So, while she's live, I'm safe from the camera.
The issue arises when she turns off her stream during the monotonous parts since she promised her viewers to skip the boring bits.
With nothing left to film, the camera drone stalks me like a relentless paparazzo, and it's extremely annoying.
Han Se-ah herself isn't constantly watching me.
I just have the camera drone hovering by my side while Grace is nearby, guided in a purposeful trajectory by Han Se-ah.
However, due to that, there's the inconvenience of having to hide my fingers every time I secretly browse the internet, using being on the lookout as my excuse.
"Roland, after our adventure tomorrow, let's have the after-party we missed out on last time."
"Sounds good to me. Do you have a specific place in mind?"
While I was busily surfing the web at an angle where the camera drone can't see, Han Se-ah, who was chatting with Grace while organizing her inventory, approached me.
The aim is to reschedule the get-together that's been canceled twice already.
Our first gathering was postponed because Han Se-ah got involved with mercenaries and it turned into some kind of adventurer drinking party.
The second one got naturally canceled when Kaiden came running with a tip about a golem.
Glancing around, I notice three people staring at me from a distance, their eyes gleaming.
Grace, Irene, and even Kaiden seem to be highly anticipating it.
Maybe they're looking forward to enjoying a drink with friends after an adventure?
"We discussed going to the Lucky Scoundrel. I heard it's the best restaurant around in terms of food."
"It's worth the price, for sure."
To find better alcohol and food than the Lucky Scoundrel, you'd have to look not at inns that cater to adventurers but at more formal restaurants.
Irene might be a bit hesitant given that some of the women there openly sell their bodies... but it's better than having bland food during a get-together.
In cities with temples, open prostitution catering to adventurers isn't considered illegal or blasphemous.
"So, Lucky Scoundrel it is?"
"Yeah. To find a better place, we'd have to go to some high-end restaurant and sip wine."
"And dress up according to a dress code? Wearing expensive suits and dresses?"
"Some places even check your social status."
"Oh my, places that won't accept you unless you're a noble?"
After discussing food and restaurants for a while, Han Se-ah turns back to Grace.
Just by watching her light footsteps, I can tell it's not due to our success as adventurers.
She walks with a bounce as if she's a decorated general, and Grace greets her with a bright smile.
Honestly, if she were to ask me out on a date, I'd accept without hesitation.
But a woman's heart is always so complex.
Maybe one day, I should be the one to ask.
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Raei Translations
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After taking a brief nap, the responsibility of the middle watch fell on me, due to my sturdy stamina.
Han Se-ah, the mage with the weakest endurance, took the first watch. Irene, accustomed to rising early, took the last.
Our watch schedule went from Han Se-ah, to Grace, myself, Kaiden, and finally Irene.
As dawn approached inside the dimly lit cave, we swiftly packed the golem mana stones and the items we gathered for a request before heading out of the tower.
Venturing deeper into the 20th floors, the journey back was arduous.
Unlike the plains or forests, navigating winding paths extended our travel time.
Had Han Se-ah not activated her 'magic markers', we might have been greeted by a moonlit night as soon as we exited the tower.
"There seems to be a group of goblins up ahead... Should we ignore them and pass by? I think it might be quicker to avoid combat even if we have to take a detour."
"Right. In that case... Let's keep moving and take the right path up ahead."
Thankfully, our skilled scout, Grace, possessed an uncanny ability to detect monsters.
I wondered if players who didn't have a scout in their party were regretting it now.
Unless there are traps in the latter part where a rogue shines, the performance of a scout is overwhelmingly superior.
Whenever Grace pinpointed the location of monsters, Han Se-ah would pretend to cast a spell and use the mini-map to adjust our route.
Probably due to thoughts of our after-party, our steps are light.
Since all our requests were essentially complete, we avoided any monsters we could, breaking through the path of as least resistance possible.
Descending lower and lower, we exit the damp air of the caves and breathe in the fresh air of the forest.
"Ah, I feel so relaxed just being here."
"It's still inside the tower, though..."
Not just me, but the entire party seemed to feel the same.
Everyone naturally stretched and took deep breaths.
Leaving the dark caves and witnessing the sunlit beauty of the forest made everyone's lips curve into a smile.
It helps that monsters are also scarce here.
Curious, Han Se-ah murmurs,
"Aren't there almost no monsters between the gate of the 20th floor and the passage to the 21st floor? Is it just my imagination?"
"It's likely because most of the forest monsters are beast types. They're probably avoiding areas with frequent human activity. Even orc hunters feel intimidated. Of course, newly spawned ones will still attack adventurers."
"Like right now? There's a Moss Wolf crouching ahead in those bushes."
Responding to Han Se-ah's question, Grace casually pointed out.
Given its proximity, it must be a freshly spawned Moss Wolf.
Though I would prefer to ignore and bypass it, this new creature seemed unaware of humans.
Growling and hissing, it lunged, instinctively aiming for the throat.
The reward for aiming for a fatal point?
Passive reflective damage.
We picked up the Moss Wolf, now turned into a mana stone, and continued our way out of the tower.
Following the damp and musty air of the cave and the refreshing forest air, a mouth-watering aroma of freshly baked bread filled the nostrils.
As the setting sun dims the horizon, I wonder if there are any adventurers selling snacks near the gate.
My hunger is almost unbearable.
"Let's quickly complete the request and head straight to the inn."
At Han Se-ah's words, the women unanimously nodded in agreement.
Because we avoided as much combat as possible on the way back, they all still had a lot of energy.
With the two-day adventure concluded, all that remained was to settle our dues and celebrate.
Perhaps it was Ellis's day off; we were met by an unfamiliar receptionist who handed us a hefty pouch of silver coins.
We then headed towards the Lucky Scoundrel, followed closely by that persistent camera drone.
But why is it filming my face like that?
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