In the quiet, late-night Loki Familia campsite, Riveria sat on a simple wooden bench in front of her tent.
On her lap rested Magna Alfs, her legendary magic staff, shimmering with intricate carvings and a magical gemstone emitting a subtle energy. With a soft cloth dampened with a special cleaning solution, she carefully polished every inch of the staff, removing any clinging dust.
The magic staff was worth 340 million valis!
That was an astronomical sum that most Orario adventurers could never hope to earn in a lifetime. After all, over 90% of adventurers were only Level 1, limited to exploring the Upper Floors of the Dungeon, their daily earnings barely better than a common laborer's.
"Hm? It's unusual for you to bathe this long, Ais. Did something happen?"
Riveria's voice broke the silence as she heard familiar footsteps. She looked up and saw Ais, her adopted daughter, approaching with her blonde hair still wet and damp.
"Nothing. Everything's fine—Nhn~"
Ais tried hard to sound normal, but a small groan slipped from her lips as she took a step.
If someone observed closely, they might notice something odd. Beneath her simple short skirt, along her smooth, pale thighs, a thick, white liquid slowly trickled down from her groin.
That fluid, carrying hundreds of millions of life seeds, was physical evidence of her intimate encounter with Charlie at a secluded lake on Floor 18.
"Are you okay, Ais? Your face is flushed—are you feverish?" Riveria asked, her voice full of concern.
She carefully set Magna Alfs on a nearby box and stood to approach Ais, her slender hand reaching to feel Ais's forehead.
"I'm fine, Riveria." Ais replied quickly, stepping back slightly to avoid the touch. "Maybe I'm just feeling a bit off from bathing too long."
Recalling her promise to Charlie to keep their relationship a secret, Ais didn't hesitate to lie to the elf woman who had raised her since childhood.
Though they weren't married, to Ais, it made no difference. They had already done things husbands and wives do. So, Charlie would marry her in the future, right?
It never once crossed her mind that Charlie might marry another woman. If that scenario ever came to pass, she might just stab him on their wedding day.
"Alright, get some rest. It's late—go to bed." Riveria said, still looking slightly worried.
"Mm." Ais nodded briefly before hurrying into her tent.
"…"
Riveria lingered outside for a moment, her sensitive nose catching a faint scent in the air.
"What's that smell? Is Ais using a new kind of soap?"
As a 99-year-old elf who had never been in a romantic relationship, Riveria lacked the experience to recognize the distinct, musky scent clinging to Ais—the scent of Charlie's semen still coating the girl's thighs.
Shaking her head, she dismissed it. After ensuring Magna Alfs was secure, she entered her own tent to rest, completely unaware that her innocent adopted daughter had taken a messy, significant step toward adulthood.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Behind the dense trees of Floor 18, far from prying eyes, Charlie trudged in a pitiful state. His hands gripped his aching waist, his steps faltering like those of an elderly man with brittle bones.
Every few steps, he had to lean against a tree trunk, taking deep breaths as his face flushed with a mix of exhaustion and embarrassment.
"Ow, my waist… It feels like it's been hammered. My kidneys must be shriveled up like prunes by now, right?"
His mind drifted back to a few hours earlier, to that hidden lake.
"Why was Ais so… wild and aggressive compared to before?" He muttered, puzzled. "The first time we made love, she was innocent, shy, and let me take the lead. But this time… she was like a completely different woman!"
The memory made him shiver slightly, not from arousal but from exhaustion. Charlie vividly recalled how he had started in control, only for the tables to turn swiftly and mercilessly. Ais had taken over completely.
"I'm so pathetic… Could it be because Ais leveled up to Level 6, and all her parameters skyrocketed, making her stamina inhuman and able to overpower me?"
It was the only logical explanation he could think of.
Then, an amusing thought popped into his head.
"That's terrifying… In the original story, if Bell and Ais ended up together, wouldn't Bell die of exhaustion? Acute kidney failure? It's not easy to satisfy a woman with that kind of libido without being neglected or cheated on…"
Charlie couldn't help but imagine the protagonist's tragic fate. But his smile faded as the ache in his waist struck again.
The outcome of their "battle" was clear: Charlie had been utterly defeated.
His face was pale, his eyes bagged, and his entire body felt drained, as if he'd fought the Evil Dragon Fafnir instead of making love to his dream girl.
"Thank goodness I didn't bring Aishia and Est. Honestly, my dignity would be gone if they saw me in this pathetic state."
The two spirit girls would surely look at him with pity or strange expressions—or worse, Aishia might try to "comfort" him in ways that would only worsen his condition.
With a final groan and the last of his strength, Charlie dragged his limp body toward the Loki Familia campsite. The tent prepared for him and the Takemikazuchi Familia members felt like an oasis in the desert—a place where he could finally collapse and recover the tattered remnants of his masculinity.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
The next morning, as the ceiling crystals of Floor 18 glowed brightly like the sun, signaling daytime, Charlie remained fast asleep in one of the Loki Familia tents, lost in deep dreams.
His late-night slumber and exhausting "physical activity" left him practically comatose. Even Ouka's call to join breakfast failed to rouse him.
But the depth of his sleep was finally broken by one presence.
"Yo, Charlie! It's almost noon! Time to wake up—I've got something to talk about."
The sly, enthusiastic voice pierced his consciousness. Charlie groaned, his eyes opening heavily to see Hermes crouching beside his bed, grinning widely with sly, narrowed eyes.
"God Hermes… Yawn~" Charlie let out a huge yawn, his mind still foggy. "Can't we just talk here?"
Lazily, he pushed himself to sit up, rubbing his heavy eyes.
"No can do." Hermes countered, his tone suddenly serious, though his sly smile didn't fully fade. "This is serious business! Let's talk somewhere more… private. No one else around."
"Ugh… Fine." Charlie grumbled, giving in. With sluggish movements, he raised his hand.
*BULP!*
A clear orb of water suddenly formed in the air, floating before his face. He dipped his face into it, refreshing himself with his Spirit Art.
"…"
Hermes watched silently. His usually cunning eyes were still, observing how Charlie used magic without a chant, as effortlessly as breathing. A glint of something—admiration, curiosity, perhaps scheming—flickered in his gaze.
"Hurry up. I'll be waiting outside."
Hermes turned and left the tent without waiting for a reply.
"…"
The tent flap closed, leaving Charlie alone, half-awake, wondering what Hermes could possibly want so early in the morning.