~ Chapter 52: Once a Bucket, always a Bucket! ~

[Illsyore's point of view]

 With the nekatar in our company and constantly jumping around us like an excited kitten, we made our way towards the next settlement. Because we lacked any form of map, we didn't know its name or the road layout in the area. Basically, we were traveling blind.

Then again, was there anyone on this continent who would sell us or make us a map of the three continents? I for one didn't want to bet my luck on it, especially since such things could offer a strategic importance to an enemy country. Considering how things usually were in this world, I was expecting maps to even be forbidden.

“Should we camp here?” I asked.

“Looks good.” nodded Nanya.

“Wherever you wish, Master.” Shanteya made a polite bow.

Ayuseya simply smiled. When she wished to say something, she spoke, but in every other situation, she remained neutral. As for the cat, she simply stared at us with her big eyes and perked up ears.

“Then I’ll proceed to make a temporary home here.” I nodded and then extended my Dungeon Territory.

“Make a home?” the kitten was confused.

Earlier that day when I healed Tamara, I used about 2750 Magic Energy points in one go. It was a very small amount, especially since I didn’t feel tired at all afterwards. Thus, I began to imagine how this place would look like up to the most minuscule of details. Once I was done with this process, I cast the spell.

A huge amount of Magic Energy was pulled out of me and a big metal square room appeared in front of me between two big trees. It had a pair of thick windows with bars on the outside. The door was made out of steel, the lock was similar to one found on the entrance to a military bunker, having a big wheel instead of knob. Looking at this huge cube, it wasn’t very impressive. It looked rather similar to a prison cell, however, the inside was quite different.

“Nya?” the cat was shocked and hid behind me.

“Oh, I’m a Dungeon Lord. That’s why I can cast all sort of crazy spells.” I patted the cat on the head and then walked over to the front door.

The women followed me without complaint. They were used to me pulling stunts like this, but the nekatar had yet to get accustomed with my weirdness. Carefully, she stepped inside and perked her ears up at us.

“This is magic, nya?” she asked.

“Dungeon magic to be more precise.” Nanya replied with a shrug.

The inside of this small metal house was covered with polished wood. There was only one big bed with a soft mattress and a big, wool blanket covered in cozy cotton sheets. The pillows were made out of feathers and were equally cozy.

Normally, I should have used multiple spells in order to create all of these things, but in the past several months, I learned that building stuff with those spells was quite easy if I already knew what and how I want to build everything. Up until then, most of my spells worked on something like a default format. My control over them was minimal at best. Those that allowed me to use my imagination allowed me the most freedom, but even then, I felt quite limited.

The truth I uncovered about spell casting was that every single spell required the caster to understand, program, and control the flow of Magic Energy once outside of their body in a way that it would create the desired result. Of course, this process was extremely complex for non-Dungeons, so the normal biological lifeforms of this world, such as Ayuseya or Shanteya, relied a lot on their subconscious to deal with all the detailed work. Magic for them was closer to instinct than complex mathematics.

Still, easier said than done. If I wasn't a Dungeon with this complex body of mine, I probably wouldn't have been able to mess around too much with the variables inside each spell equation. Once I created a spell, it turned into a template stored in the back of my mind, which I could then access any time I desired.

“I’m going to start a fire in the center.” I said and closed the door after Tamara entered the room.

Carefully, the feline approached Ayuseya, who sat down on the wooden floor next to the big bed. With a soft mew, she was welcomed to cuddle up in her lap. Shortly after, the draconian princess began to pet the kitten, and she replied with a purr.

Before I let the fire loose inside, I made sure to fireproof the walls and floor with an enchant, but then I noticed that something was missing.

This place is airtight… I thought and sighed.

With another small burst of Magic Energy, I created a grill on the ceiling, through which fresh air could leak inside. Now, I was able to enchant the room, and all that was left to do was hang a smoke absorbent crystal on top of the ceiling. Nanya took care of that.

Shanteya brought some wood from outside and placed it in the center of the room, in a stone circle made especially for it. The fire was lit with my laser, and we all cuddled up around it. As for dinner, we had fish on a stick grilled over the warm flames.

“Tamara? Why aren’t you taking one?” asked Shanteya when she saw the kitten sitting back and looking at us gulping down the fish.

“Tamara will eat the leftovers. Tamara always ate the leftovers.” she replied with a smile.

“Not anymore… Here.” I said and then took one of the freshly cooked fish and handed it over to her.

The nekatar blinked surprised. Her ears perked up and whiskers twitched a few times as if she was not sure if she was allowed to take it or not.

“Can Tamara really eat this?” she asked looking at me with big eyes.

“Yup.” I nodded and pushed it forward.

The cat finally took it from my hand. She sniffed it a few times and then ate it with a big smile on her face.

I could hardly imagine how it would be like to live a life like hers filled with fear, pain, and oppression. After sixteen years of being nothing but a slave, I wouldn’t be able to smile like her.

Once we finished eating, we all got in bed.

“Why only one?” asked Nanya narrowing her eyes a me.

“Because I’m a pervert who wants to sleep in the same bed as all three of you. Besides, we’re just sleeping tonight.” I shrugged and then jumped in, right in the middle.

Ayuseya and Shanteya looked at me and then asked “Naked?”

“Erm…” I moved my eyes up and down on them. That was a trick question, I was 100% certain of it. “I’ll give you some nightgowns…” I said and then pulled out a couple from my Inner Mind.

For the draconian, I retrieved one of her coffers and allowed her to pick the one she wished. As for Nanya, she already had one stored inside her own Inner Mind. Thus, only Shanteya picked one, and I absorbed the rest.

While they changed, I looked at them like a grinning fool. At this point, none of them bothered about me looking at their semi-naked bodies. Ayuseya put on a sexy nightgown on, the mounds on her chest perking up through the thin cloth, giving her an irresistible allure. Nanya and Shanteya’s were rather simple in design.

The only one who didn’t change was Tamara. She walked over to a corner in the room and curled down in a ball of fur. This was probably due to her believing it was already good enough I allowed her inside and asking for more was too much.

“Tamara, you’re not sleeping there. If you don’t want to sleep under the cover with us, at least sleep on the bed.” I said and patted on the lower left corner.

“Can I really?” she asked surprised.

“Yes. Little one, don’t ever think yourself as a slave in my presence. If you want something, just ask for it. If you have an opinion about something, let it be known. If you don’t approve of something, let me know.” I told her.

The nekatar looked at me for a moment, however, it didn’t seem like she understood what I said.

“Time to sleep, the sun already went down.” pointed out Nanya as she slipped under the covers on the right side of the bed.

The demoness moved her arms around my chest and pulled herself closer, nuzzling at my neck. Then came Ayuseya, who was the biggest, but she didn’t hesitate to press her chest on my left side. The soft mounds and delicate forms of her body could be felt to their utmost perfection, while her tail coiled around my legs. Shanteya joined in as well, but she laid down next to Ayuseya. For now, I felt pretty happy about my current situation.

This is heaven! A beauty to my right, a beauty to my left, and the sweet perfume of both tickling my nose. I thought as I moved my arms around their waists and pulled them closer to me.

“Goodnight, everyone.” I told them.

“Goodnight, Illsy.” said Ayuseya and Nanya.

“Goodnight, Master.” said Shanteya.

“Goodnight, master, nya!” said Tamara.

Thus, I fell asleep while floating on the wings of heaven. In that moment, I was truly a blessed individual. But surely, many men would be jealous of me right now, unfortunately, I had no thoughts of sharing. These girls were mine! ALL MINE! MINE, I tell you!

When I woke up, I found myself in a rather strange predicament. Although I fell asleep while holding Nanya and Ayuseya, their positions were a bit awkward now. Nanya was holding my right hand between her legs and pressing her cheek into my neck. Ayuseya offered me her generous chest as a side-pillow, but she also had her legs wrapped around my left hand. Shanteya was sleeping on top of me, and the cat was using me right leg as a pillow.

I can’t move… I thought while trying to understand just how did they end up in these awkward positions.

At the very least, I was feeling a lot of delicious things from all three of them, especially from the demoness and draconian.

With a gulp, I tried to set my left hand free, but only ended up making Ayuseya release a cute moan.

“Ahn~!”

Trying to free my right hand ended up with Nanya telling me something weird and then suddenly kissing me in her sleep.

“Mmm~! A bit rougher… I like it there…”

What is she dreaming about?! I shouted in my mind.

But to be honest, I was very curious about it. I wanted to know.

As for her kiss, it was a bit rough, and she playfully bit my lip. Hot, sexy, and I totally couldn’t do anything except sit there and receive all the ‘punishment’.

At least, my arms didn’t fall asleep. I can feel everything… I thought and then let out a sigh.

About half an hour later, Nanya woke up from her dream and saw me tangled up like that. She giggled and then did what any other demoness would have done in her place. She took advantage of me!

“Stop rubbing! Hey!” I told her.

“Ahn~! But I want to…” she looked up at me with flirty eyes.

This woman was totally playing with me, and I sort of liked it.

“Come here. Give me a morning kiss…” she showed me a mischievous grin.

“Mmm…” Shanteya slowly opened her eyes and saw our kiss.

She blinked once and then rubbed her eyes.

“Good morning, Illsy…” she said with a yawn.

After Nanya released me from her kiss, Shanteya stole the next one.

“Mfmhm!” I tried to say something.

“Puha~!” she exhaled after the rather long kiss.

“You girls are…” I wasn’t able to finish my words because my head was turned to the left and now the draconian stole the third kiss.

I give up… I thought and then waited calmly until they released me from their grasp.

A few giggles and stretches later, I was finally free. Meanwhile, the cat was drooling on my foot and saying something about fish. I poked her cheek and then she turned into a ball of fur.

Cute. I thought as I got up and wiped the drool off my foot.

For breakfast, we had some fruits and bread. Afterwards, we changed back into our adventuring clothes and armors. We put out the fire and walked outside. For a moment, I thought about leaving that metal room there, but then I absorbed it.

“I’m a portable inn.” I joked.

“And a good kisser too.” Nanya winked.

“What can I say? I was blessed by the gods.” I shrugged.

“Yes, the god of perverts.” grinned the demoness.

In retaliation, I wanted to pinch her, but the armor she wore was too thick, so I gave up.

Tamara could benefit from a similar bonus in strength and speed like Shanteya did, but when I told the three women about applying it, they said that for now, 10% was enough. Unlike them, she might have had a harder time adjusting. There was also the matter of her clothes. I had to make her some new ones, but that was for another time.

About three hours later, Shanteya saw something ahead of us. There were seven men sitting on the side of the road. Among them was Bucket Head. It was a bit of surprise to see him there, and at the same time, it wasn’t. The man probably passed by us at one point or another and then decided to wait for us there in the event that we actually cleared the dungeon. With no point in returning to Petro, it was clear that we would continue forward towards the next city. On this road was where Bucket Head had planned to ambush us. It was a predictable plan.

Thus, we raised our Magic Armors and told Tamara to hide behind us. For the moment, I didn’t wish to absorb her.

“Well well! Fancy meeting you here!” said the annoyance as he stepped forward.

The other six in his group walked forward and unsheathed their swords. These guys were certainly not in the mood for a friendly chat. Looking at them, they all looked like adventurers or guards, but certainly not common bandits.

“So, it’s true… You really are a Bucket Head!” I declared with a smirk.

“I was actually thinking of simply robbing you and then letting you off with a warning, but it appears I need to kill you now.” he threatened me as he unsheathed his own sword.

I pretended to yawn.

“I’m honestly surprised you…” I didn’t wait for him to finish and jumped at him.

One punch shattered his armor, the next one broke three ribs and dropped him to the ground, squirming in pain. The others didn’t even realize the battle had begun. Everything happened too fast for them to understand, but my companions knew. They jumped at the seven. With fast, simple strikes, they finished them off.

All of them were on the ground, unconscious or trembling from pain.

“You… how?” asked the Bucket Head.

Kneeling down, I took off his helmet and then crushed it in my hands. The enchantment that could detect a demon through their disguise vanished alongside it.

“What did you do?” he asked surprised.

I had to admit, he looked better with the helmet on.

“Listen up, Bucket Head. All four of us here are Godlike at least. If you even so much as dare come after us or return to Petro Town, I’ll hunt you down and rip out one muscle at a time from your putrid bones while you are still alive. Do I make myself clear?” I asked him and then pressed one finger on his broken ribs, causing him excruciating pain.

“Argh! You will not get away with this!” he groaned.

“Sigh… So, you don’t understand.” I shook my head and then grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up. “If you survive this, rethink your position. Next time, I’ll cut you in half.” I warned him and then tossed him in the sky at over twenty meters or so.

“NOOO!” he screamed as he went flying.

As they say, what goes up, must come down, and Bucket Head came crashing down like a boulder tossed off a cliff. I stepped aside and let him smash into the ground with a loud thud. That body of his was wrecked from this fall, blood spilling from his mouth, and his muscles trembled from the shock. He was still alive, but barely.

“Oh! He survived!” I smirked and then looked back at the others. “Any of you want a ride too?” I asked those who were still conscious.

“No! Please forgive us!” they pleaded immediately.

“Very well, but next time, you are all dead. No more stealing from others, got it?” I showed them a small smile.

“Yes!” they bowed their heads all the way to the ground.

“You could have just killed them.” Nanya pointed out.

“I gave them a chance, and Bucket Head had it coming.” I shrugged and looked back at him. “I was thinking of simply ripping his hands off and beating him with them, but he wouldn’t have survived for too long.”

“Master is strong, nya~.” said Tamara with a gleam in her eyes.

“I am, ain’t I?” I smiled and scratched her between the ears.

“Normally, they would have been killed on the spot if a knight found them.” said Ayuseya.

“I’m not a knight. I’m a Dungeon.” I smiled back at her.

“You’re not afraid of him coming after you?” she asked me curiously.

“Why should I fear a weakling like him? Besides, you never know how an act of kindness or second chance at life could change an individual for the better. Still, truth be told, I was sort of hoping he wasn’t going to survive through that fall.” I said with a shrug.

Just like when I was a human… I think about punching someone in the face, but when I act, I merely slap him. I thought as I looked down at my hand and clenched it into a fist.

“In the end, it might have been the best decision.” said Nanya rubbing the back of her head. “He’s still one of the guild’s Watchers. They are supposed to have the final saying. We’ll report this at the next Guild Hall and if they want him dead, they will put a bounty on him. If not, he’ll most likely lose his job for his greed.” she looked back at him one last time and then walked after me.

“Is that so? Let’s do that then.” I said.

We left the scene of the defeated adventurers and continued to walk towards the next city. In a matter of hours, we would reach the gates of the capital. Who knew we were so close to it? Especially since there weren’t that many people on the road to begin with.