"Did you find a third grade relic?"
Our incapability of answering that simple question led us being strung up naked in the middle of the camp.
So here I am facing a very embarrassed Marulk hanging a few feet above the floor. Both of the our faces are red and I am struggling not to look down at Marulk's nether region.
"Lord Ozen! I told you! We found something better!" I exclaimed. "It's a freaking giant temple! With robots and deadly traps!"
Lord Ozen just took a sip of her drink. "How interesting," she spoke in laid back voice. "And you're saying that you need a white whistle to access it?"
I nodded vigorously. "Yes! Ask Marulk, he told me it has something to do with a voice reverberating with life!"
Marulk nodded mutely, though he couldn't bring himself to say anything.
"All right, we'll go down there later." Ozen replied.
"Really?"
"Later, for now, enjoy your punishment." Ozen stood up from her position and walked out of the living room. "I will tell the bandits to lower you down once they get back."
"When?"
"I don't know, they just departed."
Just like that, Marulk and I were left hanging in the air naked in front of one another. Marulk still won't open his eyes while I'm trying my best to keep my gaze up.
The string Ozen used to hang me up is different from Marulk. She decided to use thin iron strings for me and it dug deeper into my skin whenever I struggle to get out. So no, my strength isn't gonna help me now.
"Oi, Marulk, can you stop acting like you've never seen me naked before?" I said in slight annoyance. "I'm sure you've had quite an eyeful during and after that pin extraction process."
Marulk slowly opened his eyes and his face turned even redder than before. "I know… it's just that, looking at you like that…" he looked down, unable to meet my gaze. "I'm sorry."
Well he's a teenager, what else do you expect?
"Let's talk about something else," I told him. "So, do you have any hopes and dreams?"
"Not really…" Marulk replied. "I used to want to delve deeper into the abyss, but now I prefer helping Master with her works."
Hmm… I wonder how to make him more assertive…
"Say, Marulk, what do you think of me?"
The boy's eyes widened and he starts struggling in his binds. "Wh-what are you talking about?" he looked away from me. "I mean, I think you're cute but I'm not thinking about that at all!"
I would've face-palmed if I could. "Marulk, Ozen isn't here. So can you at least stop acting like a maid and more like a butler?" I asked him, getting tired of his insecurities. "You can't expect me to always take the lead you know!"
Marulk said nothing, he just looked down without another words, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
After what felt like hours, I can hear the gondola ascending and descending outside the camp. From the entrance, I see three familiar figures walking towards us.
The three of them smirked after seeing us. I glared back at them.
"Say something witty, I dare you, I double dare you motherfuckers, say something witty." I threatened before any of them can say a words.
Simred smirked a little. "Seems like you're in a tight spot huh?"
I glared at them, clenched my fists and struggled in my bindings. "That's it, you… Ahhn!" the iron strings dug deep into my body, drawing blood and sending waves of pleasure all over my body. "Nghhh… Goddammit…"
"Haios!" Marulk exclaimed suddenly. "Stop struggling!"
I gave him my best 'yeah, no kidding' look while resisting the temptation to press on even further.
Simred helped me out of the bindings while Yelme cut off Marulk's rope. "Those pins really messed up your head huh?" Simred asked while gently helping me get down from my bindings. "I heard if you get five more pins you will lose the capacity to feel anything."
"Isn't that… aah!" the string pressed hard against my lower region. "What… happened… to Ozen?"
Simred shrugged a little. "Maybe, there's gotta be a reason why they call her immovable you know…" he finally figured out the knot and freed myself from the bindings. "Wow, this might leave a scar…"
I looked at my body. Various wounds covered my entire body and blood softly trickle down my skin. "This is pretty darn hardcore actually." I muttered to myself.
Now that we're free, Marulk and I quickly walk into the bathroom to clean ourselves up.
[LINE BREAK]
Marulk and I stood in front of a double door inside an ancient temple. Behind us stood Ozen, garbed inside her full body armor that doubles her badass index. Her face was hidden below her hat, leaving only her wide grin that somehow glows in the dark.
"How interesting, I certainly hope you won't disappoint me after dragging me all the way here." Ozen spoke in that cool and terrifyingly calm voice. "Let's see what's waiting for us behind this door."
Ozen blow her whistle and the sound reverberated throughout the temple. Loud thumping and close clicking sound came from the door and I'm just gonna assume that the door is unlocked now.
Marulk and I nodded at each other and the two of us pushed open the door, revealing a huge room with a pedestal at the end of the room.
An odd device sat on top of the pedestal. It looks like a gauntlet of some sort, but the size is a bit too small for an adult. "Okay, that has to be at least second grade artifact right?"
I walked closer towards the pedestal, glancing around every now and then to see if anything would pop out.
"Look out! Above you!" Marulk yelled out suddenly.
I looked up and saw a robot the size of a grown men jumping down from above. The robot has giant retractable fists and a bright spherical purple optic replacing its face.
"Uhh…" I gulped a little at the sight of it. The robot has spikes covering its upper body and its optic seems to have some offensive purposes. "Hi?"
"Interference Unit Beta Fourteen, Intruder Alert. Intercepting Command Initiated!"
That probably means 'Imma kick your ass, prepare yourself', in which case I am more than happy to comply.
"All right, show me what you got Rusty!" The robot shot out its fist and I swiftly jumped back to dodge it. The fist lodged itself deep inside the stone floor before the robot pulled it back. "Okay, you are definitely stronger than your looks…"
I charged towards the robot and raised my fist. Then I jumped high in the air and delivered a five thousand men blow straight at its optic.
The robot was launched a few feet back from the force and I noticed cracks forming on its optic. "How do you like that Rusty?"
The robot charges in towards me and shot out both of its fists. I swiftly dodged both of them and jumped on the huge cable connecting it with the robot.
I ran up the cable towards the robot before delivering a powerful roundhouse straight at its cylindrical head.
The robot staggered back, but it doesn't seem to be hurt or anything. Instead, it's optic started to light up and I can guess what's about to happen in a few moments.
However, before it could shoot it, a powerful hand grabbed the robot's head from behind and forcefully aimed it downwards. "Sayonara…" The Immovable Lord whispered before jumping away the instant it shot its laser.
A powerful light beam shot out of its optic and burst through the floor below it. A huge hole formed in its wake and the robot fell down into the hole mere moments later.
"Tch, pathetic…" Ozen muttered in disdain. "Even that little dog proves to be more of a challenge than this," she turned around and walked towards Marulk. "Grab the gauntlets, they're yours."
Marulk gasped in disbelief after hearing that. "Mistress? Are you sure?"
"I do not need it and she…" Ozen pointed at me. "Certainly doesn't deserve it."
Ouch! That one hurts. "Aww come on Lord Ozen, at least give me some credit will ya?"
Ozen didn't say another word. She just turned around and walk away from the temple. "I'll meet you back in the Camp. Don't keep me waiting and pray to whatever God that this glove is at least second grade artifact."
With that, Marulk and I were alone once again in the middle of a giant temple with a hole filled with murder bot 9000.
"Well, that was anticlimactic…" I muttered to myself. Then I looked at the gauntlets sitting on the pedestal. "Go ahead Marulk, it's yours."
Marulk hesitated for a moment before walking towards the pedestal. He closed his eyes in slight fear before picking up the gauntlet. He sighed a little in relief when nothing happens afterwards. "We should go back now Haios-san…"
I bit my lip while observing the gauntlet closer. It's mostly blue in color, but it has this bright yellow crystals attached in a pattern on top of it. "Can you wear it?"
"N-no, that's too risky. It could be cursed." Marulk replied.
"Don't worry! I'll just kill myself if anything goes wrong." I replied.
Marulk shook his head. "That's not an excuse to…" his words were cut short when I lunged towards him and start forcing him to wear the gauntlets. "Ah! Haios-san! Stop it!"
The two of us rolled around on the temple floor, struggling against each other. "Come on Marulk, stop resisting…" I activated a little bit of my strength and managed to force Marulk into wearing them.
"Stop it!"
An invisible force shot out of the gauntlets and launched me back. I impacted the temple wall harshly, leaving a two inch deep crater resembling my body.
"Aaahn!" I gasped as the 'pain' from the impact coursed through my body. "Hah… hah… dammit Marulk…" I whispered, trying real hard to control myself.
Marulk quickly took off his gauntlet and crouched down in front of me. "Y-you okay?" He whispered. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't know what…"
I put a hand over his mouth, cutting him off. "Look, I am struggling to contain myself. So either you bash me on the wall a dozen more times or you can keep your distance before you arouse me into raping you to death. Got it?"
Marulk nodded mutely before distancing himself from me. "Should we go back now Haios-san?"
"Not yet, let me regain my…" I gritted my teeth when I realized that the impact opened up the wound from the iron strings. "bearings…"
"So it hurts that bad huh?" Marulk asked.
"Nghhh…" I gasped and gritted my teeth. "Yess…"