118 Array of Illusions (2)

"Pfff… Hahahahahahaha!" My laughter resounded through the dark cave.

The three girls looked away in embarrassment. Lena hid her face on her hands and refused to look at me and Claire laughed awkwardly a pair of times.

Louise, on the other hand, was looking as though she wanted to die.

"Hahahahaha… Damn, I just realized that this array is very dangerous. We just started and I already almost die." I chuckled and looked at the girls that almost caused my death.

Lena crouched down and moaned in shame.

"… God, a sixth-layer spell? Were you planning to cook all of us alive? Hahahaha…!"

Louise turned completely red. She looked away and started to write scribbles with her foot.

"And you, Claire, do I look like a rat? Moreover, why were you swinging the sword with the eyes closed?"

"… Tehee~?"

Yeah, no.

"Damn, I think we encountered the strongest second-layer rat in the world. It would have been a true joke if a rat exterminates us at the start. Pfff…!"

I laughed happily for more than one minute. The girls could only endure my laughter while looking away with their faces burning.

Finally, Louise was unable to bear with it.

"… You… Stop already!"

"Why, do you want to use another sixth-layer spell?"

Louise's ears became red. "Cough… I-It was an accident… I-I thought the monster was stronger…"

"… Yeah, so you decided to make the ultimate sacrifice and bring the monster down with us to hell."

"…" Louise was speechless.

At that moment, someone pulled the hem of my shirt.

"… Brother, I'm sorry. I could have hurt you." Lena looked at me with a depressed expression.

I smiled softly and stroked her blue hair. "Don't worry, it was an accident."

"… You are not angry with me?"

"Of course not." I caressed Lena's cheek and smile to relieve her. Seeing that, Lena sighed in relief.

"Right, cousin, you truly are strong." Claire looked at me with stars on her eyes. "Moreover, you were so calm. I think I'm falling in love with you even more."

Before she could finish her words, two sharp gazes pierced her back.

"… it's a joke, a joke. Geez, I can understand why Lena is like that, but why are you looking at me too, sister? I remember you have a fiancée." Claire felt cold sweat running down her back and hurriedly tried to find a way to save herself.

And as she expected, her words succeeded in redirecting Lena's attention towards Louise, who feigned disinterest and looked away.

Seeing that, Claire wiped the sweat off her forehead and sighed in relief. She then gave me a wink and mouthed three words.

'I'm serious.'

This precocious little succubus.

I chuckled in amusement and clapped my hands.

"Okay, we already lost too much time here. It's time to continue."

The girls nodded and stopped bickering, but Lena still sent one or two suspicious looks towards Louise. Fortunately, she quickly had to divert her attention towards the incoming monsters.

I must say, although the girls had an embarrassing first fight, the following combats were nothing like the first.

Each one of the girls could be considered a first-rate genius and they had followed a rigorous training from children. After they got used to the scary and dark atmosphere of the cave, the monsters became very pitiful.

Maybe because they wanted to make up for the humiliation of before, the girls attacked the monsters as bees attracted to honey. The poor monsters did not last more than one second before being overwhelmed by a barrage of spells and sword skills.

I could only smile wryly and shake my head while the girls wiped the floor with the monsters. After killing the rat, I had been unable to attack again.

Soon, the level of the monsters started to increase. But as the weakest of us was at the fourth-layer, none of the monsters was especially dangerous. Even when a fifth-layer wolf-like beast appeared, it was instantly killed by one of Louise's spells.

Generally, intelligent species such as humans, elves, beastmen, and demons, are stronger than monsters of the same level. After all, intelligent species can use tools to increase their combat strength, and their combat techniques left the monsters' crude methods of attack in the dust.

Of course, there are some exceptions, but it was generally the rule.

And even between humans, the girls could be considered geniuses between geniuses. They are prodigies able to face people stronger than them easily. Even for Lena and Claire, fighting a fifth-layer monster was a piece of cake.

Moreover, I could see that Lena and Claire were improving their combat techniques quickly. After all, they did not have much in terms of combat experience, so the constant horde of monsters served like a grindstone to sharpen their abilities.

We quickly passed the first half of the array while killing the monsters. But soon, the first obstacle of our adventure appeared.

After killing a group of monsters led by a fifth-layer tiger, a giant door appeared before us.

"… To open the door, two hearts must be connected." Lena read the line on the door. "What does it mean?" She tilted her head.

I looked at the door and thought for a moment before chuckling bitterly. It looks like the creators of this game want me dead.

But before I could speak the answer, five hidden presences appeared nearby.

At the same time, a well-hidden killing intent encompassed the four of us.

Lena and Claire, who had never faced a life-and-death fight, could not feel the killing intent. But Louise, however, turned alert instantly and got ready to fight.

I curved my lips up and chuckled.

"They are finally here, huh."

...

Guys, Science/Magic first nine chapters are out (and another three in patre0n). Give it a read and tell me what do you think about it. Unfortunately, my brother has not finished the cover yet, so It's without a cover...

Anyway, I'm going in a trip tomorrow. I have some chapters stocked to post them while I'm away, but you know that man proposes, but God disposes.

I guess the cover will be ready when I come back, so...

Support me on P4TRE0N! I have some new P4TRE0N so I'm pretty happy, but more is merrier, right?

My P4TRE0N is: pa-treon.com/aidnovels --> You can read until 20 chapters ahead there (Plus the three chapters of Science/Magic are 23 chapters).