4 – Soul Protection #1
The explorers of the “Miracle Vanguard” looked at me with sly eyes. Their gaze, scanning up and down, was ominous. Some fixed their eyes on my crotch and licked their lips.
A chill ran down my spine.
Clearly, I have the appearance of a boy. These women don’t know that my soul is that of an adult.
I never thought I would receive such looks.
“…Come to think of it, the sisters from the “Dictator Sword” guild also…”
Surprisingly, the hurdle was low. They naturally hugged the boys and kissed their cheeks. It was just skinship that you could do with your younger brother. There was no resistance at all.
“You want me to take off my pants?”
When I became guarded and stared at her, the Guild Master aunty clapped her hands. She said it wasn’t that kind of meaning and tried to calm me down.
“You said it was an important matter.”
“…Why does it matter?”
“Didn’t Yuri explain it to you?”
Guildmaster ajumma, upon seeing my expression, let out a small laugh. There was a strong sense of disbelief in her tone.
“The reason I asked if you could take off your pants is to check an item.”
In a gentle voice that seemed to console me, ajumma explained.
“Did you receive the ‘Protection of the Incarnate God’ at the City Hall?”
“…Yes.”
The Incarnate’s Protection is the status window. It shows your stats, skills, and the blessings you possess.
“If you look at the contents there, you’ll see a skill called ‘Soul Protection’. Most of the male adventurers who have just registered have only that one skill.”
“Ah.”
There really is ‘Soul Protection’. Was this an important skill?
I didn’t know what was important in the status window since I didn’t know anything about being a dungeon explorer.
“There’s a theory that the rank of ‘Soul Protection’ is determined by the size of the water. That’s why I asked you to take off your pants to check.”
“Is the rank important?”
“For adventurers, it’s the most important skill. The higher the rank of ‘Soul Protection’, the safer you’ll be able to push away the darkness of the dungeon.”
“….”
Since it was related to their lives, I could somewhat understand their strange request.
“Shouldn’t I just tell you the rank of ‘Soul Protection’? Then there’s no need to take off your pants.”
“…Is that so?”
The guild master, the old lady, and the other adventurers raised their eyebrows as if my words were unpleasant. It revealed a sinister intention on the surface.
They tried to hide their emotions and expressions, but they couldn’t deceive my eyes.
“There were some sneaky ones.”
Crazy kids like Pedo. Whether they were men or women, they were definitely not human if they targeted someone much younger than themselves.
I already didn’t want to get close to these people, and now I felt even more repulsed.
I spoke firmly, with the determination not to dream.
“My ‘Soul Protection’ is B-rank.”
In reality, it was EX-rank. If what the women said was true, EX-rank would probably be a very high rank.
I didn’t want to say it outright.
“B-rank?”
“That’s ridiculous. What about you?”
“…But a guy wouldn’t lie for no reason…”
Eyes filled with surprise. Expression of disbelief. But eventually, a positive gesture.
Based on the reaction of the adventurers in the “Vanguard of Miracles” guild, I realized that even B-rank was a rare grade.
The guild master, the old lady, grabbed my hand tightly. Then, with a tone of doubt, she asked.
“Is it really B-rank?”
“Yes. It says B-rank, doesn’t it?”
“Oh, wow. You hit the jackpot.”
The corners of the guild master’s mouth twitched. She turned her head around and exchanged glances with the women on both sides.
“Yuri did it after all. For our sake.”
“Because she won’t betray us just because she became a city reporter? Why did Unni suspect Yoori so much?”
“Hey, did she not look suspicious? She was having such a good time and suddenly she’s scared and applies for a position at the City Hall?”
The women of the “Miracle Vanguard” burst into laughter. The atmosphere improved significantly.
Is being a B-rank in “Soul Protection” really that great?
I don’t even want to imagine what would have happened if they had revealed that it was an EX-rank. I applaud my momentary judgment.
“Hoho, did we talk too much amongst ourselves?”
“The kid seems uncomfortable. Unni.”
“Should we celebrate this occasion with a party? The labyrinth is opening soon. We won’t have time if not today.”
The Guild Master is a middle-aged woman. The rest appear to be in their 20s or 30s.
So overall, the atmosphere was light and lively.
The Guild Master spoke.
“Alright. We have a new male member joining us. Let’s drink and have a blast. Cheers!”
“Oh oh!”
Today, I found myself in the company of women I had never seen before. Of course, I couldn’t actually drink alcohol.
The women offered me a glass of milk.
“Warm milk from the older sisters. It must be delicious, right?”
“hehehe, Ray looks like he would enjoy milk. I’m excited to see how much you’ll enjoy it.”
The women lean in close and tease me.
“…Next is my turn.”
“To give me spoiled milk? What if I don’t want it? Just behave.”
And in the back, women whispering and arguing.
The atmosphere itself was good. To match the rising tension, I gulped down milk.
“Oh, oh!”
“Hey, Ray. You drink well. Like a man.”
“As expected of a rank B. You drink milk so well. Can you be reliable there too?”
There was subtle s*xual harassment, but I ignored it as if I didn’t notice. I instinctively felt that I would be the only one at a disadvantage if I confronted them.
“Let’s drink!”
The women gulped down their beer. The sound of fizzing carbonation rang in my ears. It felt good.
“Sister, give me another glass of milk!”
“Ray, you’re cool. You eat well.”
“Just wait a little. The sisters will bring some delicious milk!”
As the atmosphere grew warmer, I also melted into the midst of the women. Even though I hadn’t drunk any alcohol, I felt a sense of intoxication rising.
Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!
“Kuh!”
They might not be completely bad people, I thought.
* * *
It has been a week since I joined the “Miracle Vanguard” guild. During that time, I have completely adapted to the guild atmosphere.
A week was enough. A week was like the time a young man entering the army training camp relaxes, takes his first dump, and still has time left over.
“Today is finally the day the labyrinth opens.”
The guild master called me separately. It was to choose party members before heading to the labyrinth.
“You need to choose your party members wisely. They will protect you.”
In the labyrinth, battles are mostly fought by women. The boys don’t get involved much in combat.
The boys exist to cast the “Soul Protection” skill on female explorers. That’s their entire role.
“Well, I…”
I chose the sisters I had become close with. They could easily be considered the prettiest girls in the guild.
“hehehe, it’s worth taking care of Ray!”
“I’ll take good care of her. Ray will only follow the sisters.”
Nicola, Chesi. The sisters I spent a week getting close to. If we were to rate them, they would score about 6 points.
We were close enough to even hold hands.
The guildmaster calmed the two down. Their excitement was getting too high, so it was necessary to give them a warning.
“Both of you, calm down. Don’t torment her too much.”
“Okay.”
“We should think about the others too. Chesi, if Nicola tries to destroy things, stop her.”
“Yes, yes, I got it.”
We didn’t know when or where a sudden situation might arise. It was best to be cautious.
No matter how much of a veteran you were in the labyrinth, you weren’t invincible.
“I’ll be back!”
I waved goodbye to the members of the “Vanguard of Miracles” and left the guildhouse.
Wearing the leather armor I received in Horn Village and carrying a single dagger supplied by the guild, I hastened my steps with a backpack as big as my body.
All paths in Labyrinthus lead to the central labyrinth entrance. The closer I got to the entrance, the more explorers like me there were.
“Don’t be too scared. I’ll protect you, little sister.”
“Yeah, you don’t have to worry. Everyone will come back unharmed.”
They all looked anxious. The boy was crying, and the sisters were trying to comfort him.
“It feels like a training camp.”
I felt this way when I was drafted, but the expressions of those who force others to do things they don’t want are the same everywhere. From a third-person perspective, their faces were just funny.
“Ray is so mature. He doesn’t even cry.”
“…Of course. I’m an adult.”
I tightly grasped the hilt of the short sword in my sturdy hand and gathered my courage.
“Really? You’re an adult, Ray.”
“Don’t cry. I can’t stand seeing you cry, little sister.”
Nicola and Chesi giggled. From spending a week together, I noticed that their laughter was quite unique.
“Maybe it’s because of their appearance. They look ominous at first.”
I had gotten used to their laughter and accepted it without any concern. I got to know them well.
There were a lot of people in the central square.
Explorers, merchants, and spectators. Each of them was saying something, and their voices overlapped, creating a loud noise.
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“There are a lot of new guys. Most of them won’t last long. Sigh… poor things.”
“What can we do? We need the magic stones to maintain the barrier. Someone has to do it.”
“In a way, those kids are surviving thanks to the magic stones someone else mined. Let’s not look at them so negatively. Who knows? Maybe one of them will grow up to be a great adventurer?”
Ignoring the conversations of the people, I headed straight to the entrance of the labyrinth.
The entrance to the labyrinth was a blue portal. What lay beyond it was an unknown form.
“Please enter in order!”
“The parties going out first! Please let the parties going in go first!”
“Before entering, each guild should inform the staff of their guild affiliation and the number of members!”
The city hall employees were guarding the entrance. It would be chaotic if people tried to enter haphazardly. They tried to control the adventurers as forcefully as possible.
Fortunately, the adventurers followed the instructions well. It was more organized than expected.
“We’re coming out!”
When a party inside tried to come out, the portal turned red. Even when they were lining up to go in, if the color changed, they stopped and waited.
“….”
A party consisting of one boy and two girls came out. The three of them looked ridiculously small and twisted.
“You did well!”
“It’s a relief that you’re alive!”
The onlookers gathered near the portal shouted at them. They praised them as if they were welcoming the heroes’ improvement.
The expression on the face of the boy, who had exhaustion written all over his face, relaxed slightly. As soon as he heard the cheers of the people, he felt good and smiled faintly.
It seemed like the onlookers knew why they were gathered in the square.
They repeated the process of entering and exiting. The line got shorter and it was our turn.
“The ‘Vanguard of Miracles,’ three.”
When Nicola stepped forward and announced it, the city hall employee wrote down the guild name and the number of members in the logbook.
“You may enter.”
“Let’s go, Ray.”
After receiving permission, we stepped towards the portal. The air changed instantly. Just by taking a step.
The bright and warm sunlight vanished without a trace, replaced by the distinct smell of damp caves.
Knock, knock-.
Drip, drip!
I could hear the sound of water droplets falling into a puddle. In the distance, there were also cries of beasts.
Ding-!
“Leya, please activate ‘Soul Protection’ quickly….”
“My sisters are in so much pain.”
I was snapped out of my reverie by the notification sound from my status window. And the voices of my sisters, pleading in agony.
[Skill ‘Soul Protection EX’ has been activated.]
[Please designate a target.]