Chapter 74: Pre-emptive Strike

Original: Chapter 74: Pre-emptive Strike

We had been walking for about thirty minutes.

We entered narrow trails many times and emerged into wide areas just as often. I think we had come quite deep into the Red Zone.

If I were alone, I definitely wouldn’t have come this deep.

A sense of tension was overflowing. There was a terrifying feeling of being watched from everywhere. I checked my left, right, and behind me repeatedly. It felt like if I let my guard down even for a moment, my life would be reaped.

Was it really okay to keep going deeper? Miss Himeka didn’t seem scared at all. She probably comes to places like this regularly and is used to it.

I gradually became quieter. My consciousness was entirely focused on my surroundings.

Just walking was incredibly oppressive.

Surely, ahead of us, monstrous-level Monsters I couldn’t possibly handle right now must be lying in wait, as numerous as mountains. I’m basically a timid and quiet person, so I was starting to think I really didn’t want to go any further.

We entered yet another trail. And then emerged into the next wide area.

The humidity was still high. I was sweating a little. It was a bit annoying how my blouse was sticking to my skin.

Clink. A metallic sound rang out.

Miss Himeka had placed her hand on the hilt of the sword hanging at her waist.

“…I feel like something’s here.”

“Eh, a Monster?”

“Yeah. But it’s okay. Don’t worry. I’ll show you something super cool as your senior.”

I still couldn’t sense anything. I immediately checked right, left, and above. …It’s okay. There shouldn’t be anything. I checked behind me too, and it was fine.

Miss Himeka put her bow away into her Item Space. I wondered why she was putting her weapon away.

“Um, is it okay to put your bow away?”

“I just ran out of arrows, so I was about to start replenishing them with my Skill 〈Arrow Create〉… Hmm?”

Miss Himeka made a gesture as if she disliked something. She hurriedly checked her own feet.

“Ah, crap! Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

“Eeeeeh! Miss Himeka! What happened?!”

Miss Himeka was suddenly lifted up high as if her left foot had been grabbed. Then, as if being pulled, she disappeared into the depths of the trees on the left.

I was left all alone. A tremendous wave of loneliness and anxiety surged up within me.

Miss Himeka’s movement just now was clearly not normal. She was probably forcibly yanked up by something. It happened too fast for me to understand the cause, but—

“Miss Himekaaaaaaa!”

I shouted towards the depths of the trees. But no reply came back.

Something terrible might have happened. What if Miss Himeka was being eaten by a powerful Monster?

“If that happened, it would be terrible…”

The Dungeon is a place where people die left and right. It’s too late after something happens. I have to chase after Miss Himeka immediately. I ran into the depths of the trees on the left.

Ugh, leaving the path and entering the Sea of Trees makes the humidity rise even more. It’s unpleasant, but I decided to ignore it and kept running.

I passed one tree, two trees, three trees, going further and further. And I passed the twelfth tree. Just ahead from here, there seemed to be a slightly open patch of ground.

In the center of that open area stood a thick, somewhat decayed-looking plant.

It was about 4 meters tall. It had scary-looking pitch-black eyes and a mouth. It also had thick, arm-like branches, from which several thinner branches extended.

Following a few of those branches with my eyes… to my surprise, Miss Himeka was completely restrained in mid-air.

“Miss Himeka, are you okay?!”

“Kuh, I got completely done in. And I was thinking of showing you something cool, Little Sayuki.”

The plant’s branches were coiled tightly around Miss Himeka’s wrists and ankles. With that, I don’t think Miss Himeka can grab a weapon or fight. And since she’s completely floating, she can’t plant her feet on the ground and brace herself either.

“If things stay like that, Miss Himeka will be done with as they please.”

I looked at the tree again.

『An Eval Woodfolk and an Acid Slime have appeared.』

A Message Window appeared and informed me.

“That’s the Conquest Target, the Eval Woodfolk—… Huh? Acid Slime?”

Looking closely, there was a pink Slime near the base of the Eval Woodfolk. That’s the perverted Slime that melts clothes. So its name is Acid Slime.

That Acid Slime was hopping and bouncing up the thick plant’s trunk. Then it got onto a branch and hopped along it.

I checked where the Acid Slime was heading. Ah, there’s Miss Himeka, restrained and unable to move.

“Miss Himekaaaaa, the perverted Slime is heading your wayyy. It seems to be called an Acid Slimmmmme.”

Miss Himeka was clearly shuddering.

“Wha, eeeeeeeeh. Wai—t, wai—t, wai—t! You’re kidding! I can’t move at all!”

“Miss Himeka, isn’t this a major discovery? The Acid Slime is in a symbiotic relationship with the Eval Woodfolk. And they work together to attack Adventurers. Couldn’t we provide this information to a Strategy Site?”

“It does seem like we could provide that information—. It does seem like we could—. But, little lady, it doesn’t seem like we have the leisure to be talking about such things right now—. If this continues, it looks like I’m going to show my adorable junior an unbelievable disgrace—.”

“Please do your absolute best!”

I gave a firm thumbs-up.

Miss Himeka struggled, trying somehow to move her limbs.

“What am I supposed to do and how am I supposed to do my best in this situation—! Ah—, don’t spread my legs open—!”

O…ohhh… The branches coiled around her ankles completely spread Miss Himeka’s legs apart. Because of that, the contents under her skirt were in full view…

“Tha…that’s cool…”

“Wh, where are you looking when you say that—?!”

They were mature and sexy panties. They fit her skin perfectly and were slightly sheer in places. A-and… I think they’re digging in a bit… That’s what’s under the skirt of the school’s number one beauty. This is educational.

Will I be wearing something like that in a year? Nah… I’m childish and don’t have a shred of sexiness like Miss Himeka, so a year from now is probably still impossible for me.

“Little Sayuki, Little Sayuki, don’t just watch, help me—!”

“Ah! I was completely engrossed in enjoying Miss Himeka’s desperate service scene.”

“I had no intention of providing any service scene—!”

“But I learned a lot of things.”

“What did you learn? Hey, what did you learn—?!”

My face flushed bright red in an instant. I’m too embarrassed to say. That her panties were super pervy.

“Wow, Little Sayuki is cute.”

“I-I’m flattered.”

“I’d like you to help me, even if you’re shy—!”

“I-I’m sorry, with my strength, I don’t think I can help you. The branches are too high to reach. So, please do your best!”

“How am I supposed to do my best to break this situa—… Huh, mmm—?”

Ugh, several branches of the Eval Woodfolk were approaching Miss Himeka. Miss Himeka was clearly shuddering.

“N-nooooooo! Some branches are wriggling and stretching towards me. Wh-what are they planning to do? Wh-what are they planning to do to innocent little me—?!”Whoa… The branches began to writhe and squirm, starting to caress Miss Himeka’s body.

“Th-this feels kinda lewd…”

Miss Himeka began to squirm with an indescribable expression on her face. Her movements were so sexy that I felt embarrassed just watching.

“Hahh, hahh, hahh… I-I’m the kind of person whose whole body is sensitive, so if you touch me like that, I’ll make weird sounds… Ahhyan!”

She was already making them. So people really do make sounds like that.

I was genuinely starting to blush. My face felt all warm and tingly.

“Fwaah… So women really are weak to tentacles…”

“Th-that’s not tentacles, Little Sayuki, they’re branches, branches! Aaaahhhh, the branches are going inside my clothes, aaaahhhh! And the Acid Slime is already up to my thighs, oooooohhhh!”

“Th-this is bad. I really want to keep watching, but I can’t just stand by…”

I glared sharply at the Eval Woodfolk. Gripping my Hammer tightly, I pointed it toward the Eval Woodfolk’s face.

“How dare you try to kill Miss Himeka!”

“I-I’m not being killed! I’m just having lewd things done to me!”

I was surprised by how accurate her retort was.

“E-enemies of women are my enemies! I’ll be the one to defeat you, so be prepared!”

Was that a threat? The Eval Woodfolk swung its branch-like arms wide. In the process, Miss Himeka was jostled violently.

“Kihihihihihihihihihihihihih!”

It was a laugh that seemed to mock me. It must think I’m way beneath it.

Well, you can mock me all you want for now. I’ll show you what I’m made of.