I Became a Barbarian Warrior Who Hid His Face in a World Where Everything Was Reversed

Chapter 181: Rest (1)

Kyaek, Kyaek–

Kyaaah! Kyaah!

In an underground cave filled with the cries of monsters.

“⋯Did Bio⋯ fall victim⋯?”

The woman in the white lab coat, who had been observing the actions of the monsters trapped in the giant iron cage and writing them down in a notebook, mumbled while staring at something.

“Ugh, ugh⋯”

“Grr, uuuu⋯”

From inside the iron cage, the sounds of males being crushed beneath various monsters like centaurs, wyverns, sirens, and trolls began to be heard.

The men who had appeared to be dead from Bio’s poison were now starting to move again.

“Killed, all⋯”

The leader of the Rose Knights, Azencio, who was the strongest among the males being used for breeding beneath the monsters, glared at the woman in the white lab coat.

His eyes, filled with rage and killing intent, were directed at her.

“Just you, I will definitely kill–”

Screeetch!

“Ungggh–”

As the troll squeezed Azencio’s manhood with its rock-like fist, his eyes rolled back.

Azencio’s eyes, filled with despair, reflected the surrounding scenery.

It was like a breeding farm for monsters.

Men who had been captured like livestock and dangerous monsters trapped in iron cages.

The monsters, as if under the influence of a heat-inducing drug, lusted for men, tore them apart, and mated with them.

Squelch, squelch.

The seeds of the monsters, products of the breeding farm, began to break out of their eggs and emerge into the world.

And observing and studying them leisurely was the woman in the white lab coat.

“⋯It’s bothersome to confirm⋯”

The woman, who worshiped the demon of sloth, lazily yawned, blinking her eyes.

“I’ll do it later⋯”

[Current enslaved individuals: Denshi, Bellee]

A satisfied smile appeared as I looked at the newly appeared status window.

“Please take good care of me, consort. For the world of plenty that my lady will create!”

Bellee, who had also stamped the slave contract, gave me a satisfied smile and bowed her head.

Things were going more smoothly than expected.

Perhaps Belle had shown me loyalty, and it seemed that Idelbert had highly valued that.

Having her, a follower of the demon of gluttony, under the stability of a slave contract was a considerable advantage.

“Alright. I’m counting on you.”

“Yessir!”

When I extended my hand to Belle, she wiped her hands on her clothes, grabbed mine with both hands, and shook it vigorously.

I wasn’t particularly interested in a world of plenty, but well, as long as it’s good, that’s fine.

Since our interests aligned, I was pleased.

With the slave contract, I now had a strong subordinate who would follow my orders, so this alone was enough of a harvest from this dungeon journey.

But there was still accounting to be done.

“Yo! Balkan, over here!”

After finishing my conversation with Idelbert and exiting the office with Belle, Jubeel, who had been sitting at a corner table in the lobby, raised her hand enthusiastically.

“How’s everyone doing?”

“We’re feeling fine. It’s hard to believe we were poisoned by Bio.”

“The healing effects of the Great Fountain are beyond imagination!”

Jubeel, Rubia, Hitolis, and Lammel, who had been poisoned by the deadly toxin and injured by the local gang in the alley, had all healed their wounds.

“Doo-lee-doo, ba-ba-ba!”

“Thank you, Balkan! That’s what I’m saying!”

The Aldente and Fusilini duo, who had naturally joined the party, also nodded toward me.

They had been kidnapped by the gang too, so their condition wasn’t particularly great.

“So, how’s it going on your end?”

The reason Fusilini’s party came to the 15th floor of the dungeon was for money, but the main reason was the recovery of Gellan.

When I asked if there had been any progress, Fusilini shook her head with a bitter expression.

“It doesn’t seem to work. I think the miracle of the Great Fountain doesn’t work on a man who has become an idiot after being devoured by a monster.”

Strictly speaking, Gellan wasn’t devoured by a monster, but he had become an idiot because of the Goblin Staff’s power.

It didn’t seem to have any effect.

After offering some consolation, her expression eased a little.

“No, I thought we’d all die without a doubt on the 13th floor, but thanks to your party, we survived and reached Eden. That’s something to be thankful for. Oh, and as for my repayment…”

Swish.

Fusilini took something out of her pocket. It was two small wooden boxes.

Balkan looked into the boxes and saw the contents.

Small blue pellets shaped like peas.

A faint magical aura emanated from them. It was smaller than the magical elixir I had received from Nuer before.

“It’s a potion that amplifies your body’s magic. It’s a one-time use, but it could be useful if you find yourself in a really tight spot.”

Emergency doping, I suppose.

“Ah, why are you giving me something like this?”

“I can’t repay the help you gave me with this, but…our party is in a rough situation, and this is all I can give you. Sorry. I’ll definitely repay you for this debt later.”

“Doo-lee-doo, doo-doo-doo…”

“Aldente also said she’d repay you with her body.”

I waved my hand at Fusilini and Aldente, who were bowing their heads.

“Take your time repaying. Slowly.”

“⋯Thank you. Really.”

Fusilini bowed her head again.

It wasn’t bad.

Instead of pushing them to repay the debt immediately, letting them pay it slowly over time was a way to leave a psychological burden and a sense of gratitude.

The time we spent together wasn’t long, but the place we had been was the labyrinth underbelly, where one could easily see the ugliness of humanity.

That meant there was a lot to observe.

At least, I didn’t think Fusilini and Aldente were the type to betray me even after accumulating a debt, unlike the typical explorers who would backstab others.

“So, what will we do now?”

“Since we’ve arrived at Eden, I plan to stay here for a while and make some money. Oh, and I’ll need to recruit new party members.”

It seemed Fusilini and Aldente’s party were planning to stay in Eden and challenge the labyrinth 14th floor.

“So, what will we do? Leader.”

At Jubeel’s words, the eyes of the party members turned to me.

The request from the sub-union leader, Yonel Freya, was to heal Nuer.

Since the request had been successfully completed, our party now had two options.

Should we return to Valerus immediately to report the completion of the request?

Or should we head toward another unknown region to explore?

The path to the labyrinth underbelly was always open.

The problem was whether we were prepared to head into deeper, more dangerous areas.

Looking at my party members, who had been through a rough time to reach the 15th floor, I could see their disheveled condition.

Having gone over a month without washing, their hair was matted, and their bodies smelled of grime.

Although I had at least washed in Idelbert’s bathroom last night, the others had only been able to wash with the fountain water, and they were in terrible condition.

This labyrinth journey had been long, and there had been many entanglements. Everyone was exhausted.

“Let’s rest for about a week, then we’ll go back up to the surface.”

Phew…

With those words, a sigh of relief escaped from everyone, and smiles and ease appeared on faces previously marked with tension.

If you push people too hard, they break.

Sometimes, you need to grease the wheels, get some cold soda in your throat, and soak in warm bathwater to work more efficiently.

In a party, where each individual must move like a well-oiled machine, rest is all the more crucial.

“I’m in the mood. Do you know any good places to eat in Eden? I’ll treat everyone today.”

“Kyaaah! Party leader! You’re the best! Balkan is the best!!! Can I drink alcohol! Is breast milk alcohol okay to drink?!!!”

“The girl knows a decent tavern on the 15th floor! Hohoho!”

“Consort! C-could I also eat⋯?”

“Of course.”

“You’re the best, consort!!”

Seeing Jubeel, who was already excited to drink breast milk, Rubia laughing, and Belle eagerly asking if she could eat, along with the other party members looking happy, I couldn’t help but smile.

Indeed, nothing beats a feast to lift one’s spirits.

“Juhahahahahaha! Damn Balkan! What the hell is this drink! My body… keeps getting hotter!”

“I’m drinking alcohol like water, so I’m getting hotter–”

Jjieeeek!

“Crap!!! Kwaaaaah! Jubel!!!”

“Kkiyaaaaah!”

“Uuuuup– Cow, girl. I can’t stand this shiteee…”

“What the hell is this noise – no, it’s my fucking shop!!!!”

The bar owner, whose face turned pale upon seeing the table stained with white liquid, grabbed Jubeel and the party members by the collar and threw them outside.

“Get out!!! You bastards! Don’t ever set foot in my shop again!”

“Hey. It’s the boss. Drink my breast milk and feel better.”

Crack!

“Kkiyaaaaak!”

Crack!

The party members who were kicked out of the bar in an instant were lying down like drunks on the street and couldn’t get up.

No, when I thought about it, they weren’t like drunks, they were real drunks.

“Ugh… Footslapping…”

“Ugh… Move your tits away Jubeel…I’ll rip them off…”

“Ah, I haven’t finished eating yet…”

“Who’s the girl…? Where is this place…? Ahh …Still, this isn’t so bad.

“Tch. What are those things? Go away.”

“No, wait… ”

Then suddenly, I felt someone’s gaze staring at me.

A pair of people wearing cloaks.

One of the faces and voices sounded familiar to my ears.

When I raised my head, drunk from alcohol, I saw the face of a woman looking at me with shaking eyes.

“⋯Master…Sir…?”

The reunion with Denshi was the worst.