The Harem of Juicy MILFs

Chapter 34: New Lead [2]

* Forbidden Zone, South District, Seoul *

The sun beat down with a blinding intensity on the ruins of the old industrial complex that served as the setting for the spatial anomaly. The air vibrated under the effect of a heat that had nothing meteorological about it; it was the mana, dense and wild, escaping from the dimensional rift. Gerhman stood a few meters from the portal, his eyes scrutinizing the swirling structure of purplish blue that seemed to tear the fabric of reality. His protected hands were thrust into his pockets. The silver chains hanging from his left ear tinkled discreetly with each breath of wind.

Hae-neul stood at his side. She adjusted her black fingerless gloves, her eyes scanning the surroundings. Despite her status as vice-master, she always felt uneasy in Gerhman’s company.

"So... are you finally ready?" asked Hae-neul in a voice she tried to make firm, although the memory of their recent intimacy made her heart beat a little too fast. "Electhra told me the tower is unstable, we don’t know the exact structure of the upper floors."

"Let’s not waste time then..." replied Gerhman.

Without adding another word, Gerhman crossed the threshold of the portal. Hae-neul followed him immediately. A sensation of absolute cold enveloped them, followed by a brutal pressure on their eardrums as space-time folded around them.

They emerged into an immense hall whose walls seemed made of smoked glass and obsidian. The ceiling was lost in unfathomable heights, and a diffuse light of unknown origin bathed the place. The mana here was so thick it left a metallic taste on the tongue.

As Gerhman analyzed the place, the system message warned him of the environment change.

Ding...

[ INCURSION COMPLETED ]

[ ZONE: SOUTH ANOMALY TOWER ]

[ DIFFICULTY: RANK B+ ]

[ OBJECTIVE: REACH THE SUMMIT ]

"The magical density is 30% higher than Electhra’s predictions. Gerhman, we should..."

She interrupted herself upon seeing that Gerhman had already started walking toward the monumental staircase located in the center of the room. He didn’t seem to pay any attention to her words.

After a few minutes of walking they finally arrived in front of the exit that opened onto a vast plain. Without wasting time, Gerhman advanced followed by Hae-neul who began to look around, showing caution.

"You should prepare yourself..." warned Gerhman as he did some stretching movements.

"Huh!... prepare for what?" asked Hae-neul, perplexed by what he had just said.

---

They climbed the first floors at lightning speed. The monsters there, haunted armor specters and chimeras, were only minor obstacles for Gerhman.

"You’re not really planning to take any breaks?" asked Hae-neul while decapitating a chimera that was trying to take them from behind. "We’re already on the fifth floor in less than twenty minutes. Your body won’t hold this pace forever."

Gerhman continued walking, his boots crunching on the crystal debris that littered the floor. The black blood of a creature stained his white shirt, but he didn’t care.

"You should stop complaining, why is an awakened of your level so weak..." replied Gerhman.

Hae-neul felt a spike of rage rise to her face. "I’m not tired! I’m just worried about you."

"I didn’t ask you for anything, so just hit what’s in front of you and shut up," he replied without even deviating from his trajectory.

---

[One hour later]

The following floors were not difficult but the clearing had taken much more time. They reached the tenth floor without making the slightest stop. The environment changed abruptly, going from obsidian to an organic architecture, as if the walls were made of petrified muscles. The temperature rose several degrees, and the smell of sulfur became omnipresent.

A group of Stone Guardians, three-meter-high colossi imbued with earth mana, blocked their way in front of the door leading to the next landing.

Without waiting another second, Gerhman moved quickly to reappear behind the nearest guardian; with a punch he penetrated its chest. When he withdrew his hand, he held a red orb, then the guardian collapsed to the ground. Quickly he rushed toward the nearest one, but before he could reach it he stepped back a few paces the instant a spear fell where he had been standing.

Taking momentum he propelled himself onto the Lance Guardian and planted his knee in the colossus’s face, exploding its stone head in a rain of shards. Without waiting for the body to collapse, he spun around, grabbed the fallen spear and hurled it with devastating force through the skull of a third guardian approaching from the right.

The last colossus, seeing its companions reduced to rubble, emitted a low growl and charged. Gerhman didn’t move, his eyes following the creature’s trajectory. At the last second, he crouched, passed under the guardian’s arm, and with a circular movement broke its kneecap with a kick. The giant fell forward, and Gerhman plunged his fingers into its nape, extracting a glowing energy core.

Silence fell again, broken only by the cracking of stone debris rolling on the ground.

Hae-neul, who had observed the scene without intervening, felt a drop of sweat bead on her temple. It was not from effort, but from admiration mixed with a fear she couldn’t repress. She had seen experienced fighters, weapon masters, S-rank assassins... but never someone of low rank fight with such casualness.

"You could have left one for me," she said trying to mask her trouble behind a hint of humor.

"If you could stop staring at me, that would be better..." replied Gerhman.

---

Arriving at the nineteenth floor, Hae-neul finally placed her hand on Gerhman’s shoulder to force him to stop in front of the large bronze arch marking the entrance to the first intermediate landing. She was panting, her abs contracting under her short black top in rhythm with her labored breathing.

"One... one minute... Gerhman..." she breathed. "Let’s take a break..." said Hae-neul as steam escaped from her body.

Gerhman finally turned toward her. His gray gaze was of a frightening lucidity. He seized Hae-neul’s hand and removed it from his shoulder with a calm but irresistible force.

"It seems the continuous use of your skill requires a lot of effort," murmured Gerhman.

"Usually I only use it against high-rank monsters and I try to conserve my energy as much as possible, but right now I’m exhausted..." she explained.

"Since that’s the case, let’s take a break then," Gerhman agreed.