At Morning, 8.00 A.M.E
*Bip*Bip*…*Bip*Bip*
An alarm voice rings in my head and awakens me. I remember I casted an alarm magic on myself last night to prevent from waking up too late because today I will have many things that needed to be done. I slowly opened my eyes but I can't see anything except darkness. Oh shit, did the cave collapse and I'm buried alive?! No…if that's the case, I shouldn't be able to breathe now. Moreover, I'm pretty sure The Dwarves and Terra Elves had reinforced the cave with strengthening magic to prevent it from collapsing yesterday. But what on Gaia is pressing my body right now?
I tried to shake my head but suddenly I feel something soft is touching my face. From this sensation, I think someone is hugging me very tightly and pressing their chest onto my face. Wait, wait…I'm really sure that there are only boys in this room and none of the boys in my party has soft chest and fat body! Who the hell is this?!
"Mpph!...mpph!"
I can't breathe! From this sensation, I'm sure this is a woman's body. But this woman who is hugging me right now isn't Ayumi. From where I know? Well, let's just say I'm familiar with Ayumi's body…Eh, wait…forget that. The important question right now is how the hell a woman can sleep in the boy's room…moreover, on my bed!?
"Ahh…five more minerval…" Oh shit, this…this is Rania-san's voice! What the hell is she doing?!
"Mpphhhh!!!! Mpppphhh!!!" She is hugging me even tighter than before. Shit, I can't breathe now.
"Haru-san, the break— Weh?!" Oh, I could hear Ayumi's startled voice.
"HEY YOU STUPID SPIDER YOU ARE SQUEEZING HIM OUT HIS BREATH!" That was Luna's voice.
"Rania-san, Rania-san! You must let go off him!" Ayumi shakes Rania's body, trying to wake her up.
"Rania-san!" Luna smacked Rania's head with her bag since she shows no sign of waking up.
"Ow…ow…ow…ow…!!! What the heck are you doing Madwoman?! I'm still sleeping!"
"You squeezed Kaichou—" The three of them looked at a man with pale blue face and startled.
"Haru-san!!!!!!!!!"
I don't remember what happened next after I fainted. Robert said Ayumi gave me CPR and massaged my heart to wake me up. He said Rania chose to sleep again after she looked at me, much likely she doesn't care about me. Damn, that spider ignored her dying captain. But don't worry Rania, I will make you sleep outside this night. Just you wait for my revenge Rania-san…
I lied unconscious for two heverra straight without able to remember anything after I woke up. Meanwhile, Miral and Ayumi have properly keeping watch of my body when I was lying unconscious. After I thanked them for their care, I walked out from my room and headed to the men hot spring. I knew hot spring supposed to be enjoyed after a full day of tiring work, but since Rania hugged me really tight, she makes my back aching again a little. Well, guess I need to ask Miral for relaxant oil again after this.
"Fuuuh…" I rubbed my belly with satisfied expression.
Thankfully, Ayumi didn't forget to leave a breakfast for me even though today she is busy to replenish our herb stock. Then, I opened my party's chat group while waiting my stomach digests the breakfast that I ate before. Well, at the beginning of party's conversation, there was nothing happened. When I scrolled down and down, I found my party members sent out many photos with silly expressions and funny moments that make me burst out of laughter. There was even a photo about Toval hanging on the tree because he walked straight to the trap that Jack set beforehand to catch a deer.
"Oh Leader, I see…so you have been revived by a Princess's Kiss, hadn't you?"
"Hah…I had two bad mornings already…please don't tease me like that, Arnold…"
"Well, forget that. How's it Leader, do you like the cave we have redesigned for you"
Arnold said before I wake up, the Dwarves and Terra Elves have redesigned and rebuilt this cave with magic of course. Intrigued, I took a stroll inside the cave with Arnold and Toval until we met Luna, Yuna and Robert in the middle corridor. Along the way, I noticed they have perfectly redesigned and rebuilt every rooms inside the cave except the bedrooms, even installing traps and creating another tunnel. After witnessing all development that The Dwarves and Terra Elves did, I started to think that our base has turned into dungeon instead a hideout.
"I think all of you went too far…"
"Don't worry, we all love luxurious and complex hideout!" said Toval.
"The boys developed the base by their own and they also created the sketches. We girls only forced to tag along. Well, we thought it must be fun to design this place. Moreover, we need to make the bath by ourselves. Otherwise, the boys will make many holes to peek on us." Luna glanced at Toval and he smiled nervously.
"You know Kaichou, even a serious man like Julio along with his men also interested to develop this place you know? I'm sure boys just like boys after all. They love to make many secret bases outside." She continued.
"Oh, they did? I'm surprised. By the way, have you installed our special tents?"
"Yes, we have. But living in that luxurious magical tent is boring and there will not be "adventuring sensation" at all, so we just set them there and decided to rebuild this cave haha…" Robert pointed out two magical tents on the main hall.
True, the latest magical tent named [Tentriutum] has unlimited space for bedroom and it also has many features like toilets, kitchens, pool, massage area, hot spring and many others, both for personal use or public use. It also imbued with [Light] Attribute Magic so any kind of Demon can't enter this place. This tent has sold in market for extremely expensive price. It only circulated and created in Holy Elf Kingdoms and Yggdrasil World, Floor 99th and 100th. It said this tent was a gift from The Maker to one of His Prophets when the Prophet almost died from hypothermia on snowy mountains.
The Maker allowed The Prophet to produce this tent for his people (followers) and now it became a special product that only comes from Holy Elf Kingdoms. Someone can also obtain this by doing a trial in Light Dragon Gods Temple or Cathedral that located in Center of Holy Elf Kingdoms. Well, at that time, Ayumi and I asked for this trial and we finished it by ourselves. It said this trial is similar as if the trials to obtain most overpower weapons and armors from The Maker.
"Sigh…whatever…" I sighed because I think my party members are too creative or just hyperactive.
"By the way, have you received any instruction or order from the Guild Master, Kaichou?" asked Yuna.
"No, I haven't and that makes me worried. I'm afraid something has happened on him."
"Don't worry, that loud thief face can't be killed easily." said Arnold.
"…We encountered a Great Demon yesterday and it was the one who summoned the Demonic Dragons that we have defeated couple daesh ago. Well, from my perspective it's normal if you are worried right now. Oh, here you go Aniki." Robert came back with a warm mineral water.
"Oh, it's for intoxication isn't that right? Thanks. I also thought drinking tea every day is very unhealthy…eh…" I got unpleasant gaze from Ayumi. Oh shit, I need to change this topic quickly.
I asked Robert, Luna, Yuna, Arnold and Toval to gather everyone to the [Tentriutum] because I want to discuss something important with all of them regarding what we will do right now. They nodded and left me in the corridor alone. Then, I'm quickly going inside the tent to escape from Ayumi's angry gaze. Ugh, how scary…
"Osh, Leader…morning'cha."
"Oh…Erick, Lichtiash Morning…It's rare to see you wake up early."
"Heh, we are now in the wilderness and we have lost contact with other parties. Our supplies won't last forever…I only want to get the money and return back home…Oops! Almost fell!"
"Erick, how many times have I told you before? Please do not make explosive flasks inside [Tentriutum]!"
"Heh, dont'cha worry, I won't drop it because I'm fully awake right now…"
(So, you tell me…before I come here, you haven't fully awake when you are starting to make these dangerous flasks?!) While I am busy talking with Erick, I didn't realize that the Squads' Leaders has entered [Tentriutum] and stood behind me. I only realized after Toval called me while patting my shoulder. I then asked them to sit.
"Now let's begin the meeting. First, let me know the contour around this area, I guess all of you have drawn the map, haven't you? Oh, before that, I must thank all of you because you have rebuilt this cave into dungeon…I'm at loss of words here…Truly."
"Yer welcome boy, glad our fists can satisfy your taste!" said Khazim while showing off his muscle.
(I'm meant the opposite way Khazim-san…uh…) When thinking that, I can't help but sighing heavily.
"This is my map of the outside area. I also have shared other diagrams to everyone via magic"
"…and Aniki, these are maps for the natural tunnels, created tunnels and exit ways."
I rub my head, "Sigh, all of you are too creative…"
"I know right?" said Yuna proudly.
"Anyway, I have memorized and learned the entire inner tunnels map thanks to my [RA] [Racial Ability]. Now Jack, please explain the outside area to us."
According to Jack, there is a thick and dense forest on our surrounding. Our party's hideout located above mountain foot, surrounded by rocky area. The Mages have sealed the roads to here with [Earth] and [Light] Elemental Magic Barrier. The Rangers and Mages also have placed many traps and alarms around our surroundings, so we will get a signal if something is trying to disarm the alarms, traps or even break the barriers. Meanwhile, the trees below our hideout are perfect for the classes who have [Presence Concealment] Ability or stealth skills. Next, Jack said that target of our party's operation located on north of the mountain. According to his [Eagle's Eye] Ability, there is a lake, rivers, forest, hills, valley and grassland, but outside the grassland he can see the destroyed villages, along with one or two of "them" that roam or hide inside the houses and "they" will more active at evening. So, he recommends to go hunting on morning and come back before evening.
"Are there any monsters around here?" asked Erick while reading the map.
Jack said that he and his squad members have met many animal monsters on the forest below our hideout, but they neither corrupted nor transformed into demonic beasts. Jack predicted on the north, maybe we can meet many corrupted and demonic monsters. But for lesser demonic humanoid creatures like Goblins or Gremlins, Jack reported that there is no sign of their appearance or activity around our party's hideout. Normally, they will live in the small caves around our party's hideout, but fortunately, they aren't any. Jack also said Rania have sent many of her underlings in this cave and forest below us. But none of them encounters Goblin, Gremlin, Forest Giant or Troll. Jack himself finds this situation is quite strange…but he has no idea why this happened.
"How strange, you said those little Toval aren't spotted here…even though the forest itself has never touched by human's hands? Are they afraid of something…for example, their boss here?" said Erick with sarcastic tone.
"Hey, I'm not a Goblin…" Toval glares at Erick but before they start to fight, Zikiya smacked their head twice.
"Goblin…Goblin…Hmm…you mean that green little demon that loves to rape village girls and steal livestock?"
Robert started explaining to Eleza about Goblin since she rarely meets them. He told Eleza that Goblins love to live in dark, cold, places without sunlight and damp places like caves, ruins or dungeons. They really hate water, because they are created by demonic soil and fire from [Abyssia]. There are many revelations in Elementalism Religions that Goblin created by Demon Gods' King himself to spread terror and despair in [Outer World]. Another revelation even said if the Demon Gods' King wants to destroy a kingdom slowly, he would send the Goblins to destroy its foundations first, the villages and women.
If the villages destroyed, the kingdom won't able to feed its citizen and if the women have taken as hostages, the soldiers won't able to kill the Goblins frontally. They will be cornered, massacred and then eaten by the Goblins instead. There are many old tales that tell a story about glorious kingdom that fell into its destruction because they underestimated the Goblins and overlooked the requests that sent by villages' chief to eliminate them. Because that reason, the adventurer and mercenary guilds around the world labelled Goblins as a "dangerous creature" that can't be underestimated and needs to be exterminated as soon as possible. But, the numbers of Goblin itself never shows a sign of "decreasing" at all even though they have long been subjugated and exterminated.
"…Goblins will build a nest if the forest they used as hunting place is near human settlements, not 30 KMe far like this place. They also dislike grassland area because they can't hide when they are bringing the hostages from the villages. If the forest itself were abundant with mana, animals and fruits, they would never raid the villages, except if they need the girls for reproducing. But I must say again "if the forest itself is near with the settlement". They will never attack the villages with heavy security, except if they are desperate to get the women or livestock."
Jack crosses his arm on his chest, "Well, their targets are only women and foods, no more no less."
Khazim opened an ale bottle, "True, they can also ride the Direwolves we met back then, but only if the wolves don't eat them first hahahahaha….!"
Julio knitted his brows, "…Meanwhile, Hobgoblins and Goblin Shamans normally live with the normal Goblins in their nest as their leaders and commanders. I have met them when I received a mission to rescue captured village girls from the Guild back then. It was a quite nasty view when I arrived on the place."
"Yes, I also received a quest to save captured girls when I'm on human territory. The one who captured them were bandits, but the Goblins ambushed them and took them into their hideout. At that time, the bandits no, the "Slave Dealers" had "tasted" them before the Goblins. But they spared the "great merchandises" for the pervert nobles, but their efforts are wasted because the Goblins raided their caravan. Then, the "victims" tasted "two nightmares" in one daesh. So, they can't able to speak clearly when I came and rescued them."
"I remembered one of the victims has become your wife right now, isn't that right Jack-san?" asked Yuna.
"Yes, she was the one of "great merchandises". When Goblins raided the bandits' caravans inside the forest, luckily she and other "great merchandises" able to hide thanks to the destroyed caravan and stealth spell."
"Hmm…note it." Eleza nodded and she begins to type something on her [Status Screen].
"Did our lioness here never encounter a single of Goblin in her adventurer life?"
"Well duh...in Africanae Continent, there is no sign of Goblin because the continent itself is surrounded by two great deserts on northern and northeastern part of the continent. Even if they somehow want to live there, they need to cross the Arabian and Saharean Desert, which are famous with their burning hot temperature on the afternoon and freezing cold temperature on night, with small numbers of oases they will die of dehydration before even reaching Africanae. The weather itself is hot and dry there because rain rarely happened, and the continent is filled with vast savanna rather than cave. So, it's impossible for them to live there."
Khazim nodded after Yavia finished her explanation. Yep, she is right. It's normal if Eleza, which is a Lion Demi-Human that comes from Africanae doesn't know what "Goblin" is since she almost never sees them in her life before.
After the discussion about Goblin done, I asked Robert about the big river that located on the northern part of the mountain. Then, he explained to me that the river itself is deep, and has strong current. If we want to go across it, we will reach the northern forest and that's the shortest way to the ruined villages. But Robert thinks that place isn't safe since there are many demonic beasts and creatures there.