Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 81

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 81

Just as the child’s breathing was about to become rough.

“It’s been well over ten minutes, Jui-bam-tol. Do you dare to hate me for longer than ten minutes?”

Belinda, who had released Cao to watch Leo’s movements and immediately chased after the child as soon as ten minutes passed, spoke coldly. The knight was with her as well.

“Be, Belinda, Knight.”

As soon as he saw their faces, his anxiety disappeared completely.

Leo left the gazebo and quickly ran toward Belinda and the knight.

Belinda continued with a sour expression.

“I’m sorry about the snowman.”

Since the person who had crushed the snowman with her own hands was saying this, it could only sound sarcastic.

But Leo shook his head as if he understood her true feelings.

“I’m sorry for saying mean things too. I didn’t mean it.”

“Hmph, of course you didn’t mean it.”

Belinda replied curtly and extended her hand.

Leo looked for a moment at Belinda’s hand, which wasn’t even wearing gloves.

It was after Leo’s hugging became part of Belinda’s morning routine that she began cutting her sharply trimmed, colorfully painted nails round, removing all the rings that decorated her slender fingers, and wearing dresses made of soft fabric instead of beautiful but rough-textured clothes.

Though Belinda never said it, Leo now knew the reason.

So her sharp nails wouldn’t scratch his cheek.

So he wouldn’t be startled by the cold touch of jewels.

So the rough fabric wouldn’t irritate his tender skin.

He could now understand her unspoken consideration.

Therefore, Leo took Belinda’s hand without hesitation and grasped Penandel’s hand with his other hand.

When coming here, he had left footprints alone in the white snow, but on the way back, three sets of footprints served as guideposts.

Leo completely forgot that he had been terrified just moments ago and felt greatly relieved by the warmth of their touch.

And that evening, three newly made snowmen stood guard in front of the Blanche Family’s Villa.

Absurdly, they were made with jewels embedded as the snowmen’s eyes – the largest and smallest snowmen had blue sapphires for eyes, while the medium-sized snowman had amethysts.

* * *

To the east of Shabert Forest, there is a small lake that locals avoid.

Though it did create a gloomy atmosphere with mist constantly rising from its waters, there was another reason people called it the ‘man-eating lake’ and shunned it.

“This is… a dungeon entrance.”

On the night of the full moon we had been waiting for so long.

Having rowed a boat to the center of the lake, we were right in front of the water surface where the full moon shimmered.

Penandel, with his keen intuition, surprisingly realized immediately that the full moon reflected on the water surface was an entrance to a dungeon.

Leo, who was clinging to me and looking around like a vigilant meerkat, asked quietly.

“A dungeon…? Then it’s not ghosts, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Phew.”

I don’t know how he grew up to fear ghosts more than dungeons teeming with monsters, but I suppose I should be grateful he’s not afraid of dungeons.

“How did you know this was a dungeon entrance?”

It was natural for Penandel to ask that.

In 【Hirome】, dungeons meant habitats of monsters.

Most commonly they appeared naturally in forests, rivers, or caves, but very rarely there were places that could only be entered when certain conditions were met.

Just like this lake in front of me.

On a night with a full moon, use the moon’s shadow reflected on the water surface as an entrance.

That was exactly the method to enter the dungeon I was looking for, and the reason this area often had missing people, earning the infamous name ‘man-eating lake.’

I voiced the excuse I had prepared in advance.

“This forest and lake belong to Blanche, or more precisely, they’re my marriage dowry. If strange phenomena have been detected, isn’t it natural for the owner to investigate?”

Of course, it was a lie.

Fortunately, my excuse seemed to work as Penandel didn’t ask any further.

He simply cast a demonic shadow that matched this gloomy lake frighteningly well over the water surface and observed the lake for a while.

“Bel! There’s space under the water! Suga just breathed underwater?”

Suga, who had been dipping only her head into the moon’s shadow, flew over to me chattering noisily.

As expected, the dungeon I was looking for was definitely down there.

“Must you practice shooting in a dungeon?”

Penandel asked about my intentions again in a reluctant tone.

I agreed that going to a dungeon for shooting practice was crazy, but that was only when you didn’t know what was down there.

“I’m tired of targeting snowballs. It’s time to practice against something that moves and lives. I can’t use people as targets, so there’s no choice, right?”

“We don’t know what monsters might be inside the dungeon. I’ll go first, so please enter with a time delay.”

Realizing he couldn’t change my mind, Penandel finally left only those words and threw himself into the lake without hesitation.

Even knowing he had moved to the dungeon rather than fallen into the water, the calm lake with no air bubbles rising somehow felt unsettling.

After some time had passed.

Leo carefully gripped my hand tightly and spoke with a determined expression.

“I’m ready. Even if ghosts appear, I’ll never run away and will stay right by your side to protect you, Belinda.”

I patted my small, adorable knight’s head exactly three times and stepped onto the full moon on the lake’s surface.

* * *

I braced myself to be drenched in the lake’s cold water and squeezed my eyes shut.

However, what enveloped me was a very brief floating sensation, chilly dampness, and a warm, solid embrace.

When I cautiously opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Leo’s round head pressed close to me.

And next, I saw Penandel holding both Leo and me in his arms.

Looking up at the ceiling, I could see the moon’s shadow faintly rippling on the dark cave ceiling.

It seemed Penandel had caught us as we fell from the ceiling.

As he set us down and my feet touched the ground, a system window appeared announcing our entry into the dungeon.

You have entered the dungeon ‘Slime Paradise.’

The exit will not open until you defeat 100 slimes.

Number of slimes defeated: 0/100

Finally, I’m here – Slime Paradise!

This place was like a bonus stage. Because it was a dungeon inhabited only by slimes, the weakest creatures at the very bottom of the monster pyramid.

“It doesn’t seem to be a dungeon with dangerous monsters, but I’ll take the lead.”

Penandel stepped forward, blocking me as I tried to advance boldly.

“Then I’ll follow from the very back.”

Leo quickly positioned himself behind me, watching for any monsters that might attack from behind.

I stood between the two of them, scratching my cheek awkwardly.

Since they didn’t know this was a dungeon inhabited only by slimes, it was natural for them to be so cautious.

I explored the dungeon with reliable protection both front and back.

Thanks to luminescent moss that glowed faintly spread like carpet throughout the limestone cave-like dungeon, the interior wasn’t very dark.

I occasionally checked to see if Leo was following well.

I had brought Leo to the dungeon specifically because the stats gained through monster hunting were considerable.

Moreover, this was purely my personal opinion, but it seemed like things not expressed in stats, like proficiency, also improved.

Then, even I could clearly sense a presence from deep within the cave.

Rather than the cry of some creature, it sounded like thick mud being kneaded.

I drew my pistol from the leather holster worn over my elegantly tailored hunting outfit.

Just in case, I had brought plenty of mana potions.

Using mana potions to kill just a few slimes was wasteful, I knew, but you never know what might happen.

Still, I wasn’t too worried. The opponent was a slime! The weakest among monsters….

Kuwooooooo-

The weak…est, or so I thought….

“….”

My thoughts came to a complete halt at the appearance of the slime that finally revealed itself.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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