Chapter 8

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44th Floor

After crying for a while, I felt incredibly embarrassed. The fact that I had been seen crying and the softness of Lucifer's chest—when I thought about it calmly, it was a mix of embarrassing moments.

"Sorry... Lucifer."

When I said that and moved away, Lucifer looked a bit sad and pouted slightly.

"Lu... Lucifer?"

"It's just that I felt a bit lonely when your body heat disappeared, Luke-sama..."

"Eh, ah... I see... Ah!! Sorry... Your clothes got dirty...! I'll wash them right away!"

"No, don't worry about it! This is Luke-sama's sacred tears... I will never wash this dress again!!"

"Eh!! That's dirty!!"

I was flustered by the embarrassment and Lucifer's words, and as I reached out to touch Lucifer's clothes, my hand felt something soft...

"Lu... Luke-sama...! In a place like this...? Of course, it's fine if you want to..."

"Aaah!! Sorry!!"

I jumped back, trying to move away from Lucifer, but my feet got tangled, and I almost fell backward. Lucifer quickly pulled me back, but we both lost our balance, and I ended up in a position where it looked like I had pushed her down.

"Lu... Luke-sama... It's my first time... Please be gentle..."

Lucifer's face turned bright red with embarrassment. Her flushed face suited her fair skin well. The twelve white feathers stood out against the dimly lit dungeon floor.

I swallowed hard and thought to myself,

(What am I doing in a dungeon?!)

I tried to put some distance between us, but the image of Lucifer's beautiful, seductive face stuck in my mind. The feeling of her soft chest lingered in my hand.

"Sorry... Let's hurry up and move on!"

"...Luke-sama?"

"No!! Not in a monster's lair!!"

"Hehe. I see... I look forward to it as much as I do to the 'sky'..."

"Ah. No, that's not it! Ah, never mind! Sorry..."

"Don't worry about it. I'm happy that Luke-sama chose me... You are very impressive..."

Lucifer looked down at my lower abdomen, then looked away, her face turning bright red as she bit her lip tightly.

(This is unavoidable!! This is a physiological reaction!! It's because Lucifer... Lucifer is too beautiful!!)

I screamed in my mind, and we both blushed deeply. I waited for it to subside, but the more I tried to calm down, the more thoughts of Lucifer and everything else raced through my mind, making it even worse...

The awkward atmosphere continued for a while.

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After defeating about three Snake Spiders, I realized that using 'Magic Laundry' prevented me from obtaining items dropped by monsters.

When monsters usually disappear, they turn into black mist. But if I 'laundered' their bodies, everything was washed away, leaving nothing behind.

Normally, I would take magic stones and dropped items to the guild and exchange them for money. Since Kail and the others had taken all my belongings, I wanted to earn at least some money.

(I guess the magic stones from Snake Spiders should be fine...)

I continued experimenting. An unexpected discovery was that the 'Water Orb' and 'Fire Orb' I knew were much more powerful than I had thought.

According to Lucifer,

"Luke-sama's magic is very powerful! With such a high density of sacred magical energy, it's only natural..."

My simple magic was dealing damage to the monsters, which confirmed her words.

One question came to mind.

"What happens if I 'launder' the impurities of a simple magic spell?"

As I became more accustomed to combat, I started thinking about such things. Logically, 'laundering' the sacred magical energy should create a purified form of it.

The experiment wasn't over yet... 'Laundering' sins... or rather, the curiosity that arose after meeting Lucifer. My confidence in my abilities was growing, and I was enjoying the process of expanding my potential.

I spotted the stairs leading to the upper floor, and the last Snake Spider.

I took a deep breath and calmed my mind. This was the culmination of this floor. I had no room for arrogance... I was confident but not complacent.

I observed the Snake Spider's every move.

The Snake Spider suddenly changed direction.

('Adhesive Thread'...?)

I remained calm and prepared for the next move.

"Water Orb Laundry"

I generated a water orb in my palm and 'laundered' its impurities... its 'attribute.' A floating, rainbow-colored 'water' appeared.

(It's liquid... Even after 'laundering' the 'attribute,' the essential nature remains unchanged... I see, 'laundering' a 'Fire Orb' would just create 'rainbow-colored fire'...)

The question was its power... The Snake Spider, which had extended its thread from its rear, opened its snake head wide to swallow me as soon as the 'Adhesive Thread' detached.

"Luke-sama...!!"

Lucifer looked entranced by the glowing 'water.'

I threw it into the Snake Spider's open mouth.

Guaaahhh!!

The 'light water' exploded in its throat, and its neck spiraled and blew off, turning into black mist and disappearing.

I was amazed by the destructive power, which was different from the usual 'Water Orb.'

"...Amazing..."

I muttered to myself, realizing that a simple change in perspective could make 'Laundry' such an excellent skill.

I had always considered 'Laundry' a curse, never exploring its potential and accepting it without question.

I thought I had put in all my effort, but the fact that I had accepted it as a 'useless skill' just because others said so was evident.

I placed my hand on my chest and whispered,

"Sorry... Thank you..."

I stared at the Snake Spider's magic stone and 'venom fangs' and took a deep breath.

I had complained about the 'Laundry' skill countless times. I had even cursed the god who gave me such a skill.

In the midst of being looked down upon, I had even thought of myself as weak.

"Luke-sama?"

Lucifer seemed to sense something was off. She tilted her head in concern.

"Hehe. I'm fine! I just got a bit overwhelmed by my sudden strength..."

"That's good... Luke-sama must be very kind, very beautiful, and very hardworking. Your skills with fire and water magic, and your ability to predict your opponent's movements, seem to be the result of your hard work, not related to 'Laundry,' don't you think?"

Lucifer looked at me with her beautiful golden eyes, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Now that I knew I had such powerful abilities, I was tempted to pity myself for being treated like a slave and to despise my past efforts. But Lucifer's attitude and words deeply touched my heart.

"Thank you... Lucifer has helped me so many times. I'm glad you're with me..."

"...? Yes. I'm glad if I could be of help!!"

Lucifer seemed to not fully understand my inner thoughts but smiled happily.

Her words and attitude, which seemed so natural, were a source of comfort. I was grateful... I truly believed I was strong, but without Lucifer, I would have died.

I must not forget that.

I must not delude myself into thinking I can survive on my own strength alone... I must not become like Kail.

I will not forget to be grateful for everything and to be a champion for the weak. Knowing how it feels to be weak, I can do it. ...My goal, the 'hero,' no, the 'father' I aspire to be, must have been such a person.

"Shall we go?"

"Yes!"

Looking at Lucifer's carefree smile, I renewed my resolve and climbed another set of stairs.

Next chapter: "Kail's Party Rests"

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Lucifer is so cute (laughs)