Going Deeper

I was once again impressed by the crafting abilities of the mountain orcs. The keys were not exactly intricate, but certainly functional and much more than I had ever expected. Nymeria followed behind me this time and watched me shove the key into the lock and turn it. It clicked and with a considerable effort of strength I managed to open the heavy door and reveal the dark tunnel beyond. Like a giant snake, the tunnel burrowed down through the stone. Roughly worked stairs allowed my boots to make purchase on the otherwise smooth rock. I was about to take the first step, when I felt Nymeria’s hand on my shoulder, “Wait. You should light a torch. Orcs and elves can see well in the dark, but for you it would be impossible to fight.”. For a moment I was confused as could see just fine, then I remembered that to her I was a regular human. “That is very considerate of you, Nymeria.”, I thanked her, “However it will completely eliminate any chance of sneaking up on the monsters if I wave around a bright light.”. Realization flashed beyond her eyes which prompted me to elaborate, “I can just follow you closely and should a fight begin, I will light a torch.”.

The elf nodded, then stepped past me and waited with an outstretched hand. I chuckled, “Are we that familiar already?”. “What? Of course not! I mean, this is only because you are useless in the dark!”, she went from blushing to angry to pouting in the few seconds it took her to stumble through those words. I quickly snatched her hand before she could retract her offer, “Of course. Thanks again.”, I beamed. She rolled her eyes and then put a finger on her lips. I understood her the gesture to remain quiet for now and acknowledged with a nod, then we started creeping down the stairs, holding hands. ‘How cute.’, I thought to myself.

The path was longer than expected and I noticed that Nymeria, who had barely broken a sweat fighting seven orcs, was breathing heavily. Her slender hand was sweating in mine, and she send multiple abashed glances my way, which she of course thought I couldn’t see. I thought it was a perfect opportunity to use this situation a bit more in my favour. I picked a particularly sloppy stair to act like I stumbled and fell against her. The girl was dextrous but not that strong, so my significantly larger body pushed her to the ground and landed on top of her. Our faces were suddenly very close, and Nymeria was keenly aware of that judging by her flushed face. I could feel her agile body tense beneath me like that of a cat which pushed her softer parts against me. I couldn’t wait to see her naked, to feel her, to own her completely. “Sorry…”, I whispered and carefully moved myself off of her, “It is quite difficult without sight.”. “It- it’s okay. I was an accident so, don’t worry.”, she replied in a hushed tone. She grabbed my hand again and continued dragging me further downstairs. I personally was very satisfied with this little accident.

You awakened a hidden desire in the heart of a virgin!
Major Incubus EXP gained, +400% boost by Demon King’s Heart!
Incubus LVL increased from 23 -> 25!
New Skill learned! (Demonic Blessing)

‘Oh, did I now?’, I mused inwardly, ‘Corrupting someone by way of shameless handholding and downright devious accidental physical contact.’. Soon after, we could see the tunnel widening into another cave. This cave was much smaller than the entry hall where we first fought and only offered access to two more tunnels. Two orcs leaned against the wall separating the tunnels, clearly bored out of their minds by the guard duty. There was also light here, so I didn’t have to pretend to be blind anymore. Nymeria pointed to the two orcs, then motioned to me and finally put her hands together as if they were cuffed. I considered intentionally misunderstanding her and restraining her wrists, but I decided against it. Instead, I nodded and waited for her signal, then summoned my Chains of Darkness to pull the orcs limbs tightly against the wall. They didn’t even get the chance to make a surprised noise before Nymeria was upon them, cleanly slicing both of their throats open in one wide swing.

Mountain Orc Slain!
Mountain Orc Slain!
2x Medium Incubus EXP gained, +400% by Demon King’s Heart!

This time I took the time to use God’s Eye on the creatures.

Mountain Orc Warrior (Dead)
Monster LVL 18
Skills: Battle Cry, Berserkers Rage, Axe Wielding (medium)

‘Not bad at all’, I was impressed by the strength of the dead creature. Even one of them was a threat to a skilled fighter such as Captain Claire or Darien. One orc alone wouldn’t defeat them, but two of the had a very good chance. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up. I had to get my hands on some of them as minions, but how could I do that with the elf next to me. I could hardly ask her to turn around for a minute and hurry a group of nervous orcs out of the cave behind her back. “We should split up.”, I suggested, “We explore the tunnels and meet again here if we see any monsters. Then we plan the next step.”. Nymeria was weighing my proposal. There were obvious risks in splitting up in the middle of a dungeon, but also benefits in exploring both tunnels before acting. Eventually she agreed, “Fine, but be careful and avoid fighting without me under any circumstances!”, she was imploring me, clearly worried about my safety. “Promise.”, I assured her with one hand raised and one over my heart. “Good.”, she approved, “I’ll take the left one.”.