The Last Place Hero’s Return - Chapter 264

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 264. Shedding Skin (2)
The Abyss, nestled beneath the Hero Academy.
Despite its ominous reputation as the place where the Demon God was sealed five hundred years ago, the Abyss emanated not a comforting warmth, but a scorching heat.
“That… oh, your clothes…?”
I caught a glimpse of Elisha’s bare form and swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry.
Though we were already lovers who had merged our bodies together, the mere sight of her nakedness set my heart racing as though it might burst from my chest.
‘And something else….’
My eyes met hers as she held me close.
Given her considerable height, our gazes aligned at nearly the same level.
‘She looks… younger somehow?’
Even before, I had never thought her appearance particularly aged, but now her face bore such youthful features that one might mistake her for a fellow Candidate.
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
“Well… it might be faster if you just looked in a mirror.”
“A mirror.”
Elisha glanced around before flicking her hand lightly.
A sharp whistle pierced the air.
Gossamer threads shot from her fingertips, retrieving a small hand mirror from a bag tucked in the corner.
“Do you always carry a mirror around?”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“I just didn’t picture you as the type to carry something like a mirror.”
“Hmph. What do you take me for, Dale Candidate? I’m a woman too.”
Elisha’s expression grew slightly sullen, her eyes narrowing.
‘Oh no.’
I scrambled to formulate an excuse.
“No, that’s not what I meant. It’s just that Elisha is so beautiful you wouldn’t need makeup or anything like that.”
“Hmm.”
Elisha crossed her arms, her eyes opening to a thin slit.
“Fifty points.”
“….”
“Your response was quick, but the compliment was far too crude. In the future, choose your words more carefully.”
“…Yes, ma’am.”
Truly a professor.
Merciless, indeed.
“Well, anyway. What exactly has changed….”
Elisha’s eyes widened as she gazed at her reflection in the hand mirror.
“Huh….”
A soft, hollow laugh escaped her lips as she felt the youthfulness of her own face, her fingers tracing her cheeks.
Her hand drifted to the corner of her left eye.
“…The scar remains.”
Just as she said, despite the reconstruction of her body, the scar that ran across the corner of her left eye remained exactly as it had been.
“The scar is so old that it’s been recognized as part of her body itself.”
“…That’s a reasonable hypothesis.”
Elisha touched the corner of her left eye and offered a wry smile.
I let out a soft chuckle and approached her, gently tracing the scar etched at the corner of her left eye.
“It suits you.”
“…Suits me?”
“Yeah. That scar is one of your charm points, isn’t it?”
The scar running across the corner of her left eye.
Some might find it unsightly, but to my eyes, it was undeniably attractive.
“Ahem, ahem.”
Elisha desperately suppressed the corners of her mouth from curling upward, forcing out a cough instead.
She quickly averted her gaze and turned her head away, but she couldn’t hide the flush creeping all the way to her earlobes.
“How many points would you give that line, Professor?”
“…Be quiet!”
Thwack.
I got a kick to the shin for fooling around.
“Anyway, shouldn’t you put some clothes on…?”
Elisha was still completely naked, not a single thread on her body.
I had no idea where to look.
“Hehe. You’ve seen me plenty of times already, so why act like this?”
“…That’s different from this.”
Seeing her in bed was entirely different from seeing her like this in the open air.
“Hmm. What should I do…?”
Elisha spun around with a mischievous smile, clearly enjoying my reaction.
Just as I was about to squeeze my eyes shut, unable to find anywhere else to look—
“Oh, how about this outfit?”
Elisha snapped her fingers lightly as if a brilliant idea had struck her.
Whirrr!
Strands of webbing burst from her fingertips, wrapping around her body and gradually weaving together into the form of clothing.
“You’re making clothes out of webbing…?”
I stared at Elisha as she wove the webbing into garments, my mouth falling open.
She had always woven webbing into nets and shields before, but this was different.
‘Making clothes is on a whole different level.’
Clothing had a far more complex structure than one might initially think.
Especially modern garments, rather than primitive ones.
“Hehe. Now that my realm has advanced, I can do things like this too.”
“Wow.”
To weave webbing strand by strand into clothing required such refined mana control.
‘It seems she’s surpassed me in mana control?’
I had always been confident that I didn’t fall short in mana control, but I couldn’t manipulate mana with the precision that Elisha displayed.
“It’s almost finished.”
“That’s….”
The outfit Elisha had woven from spider silk was the uniform worn by Candidate Program students at the Hero Academy.
“Ahem. It’s a bit silly, I’ll admit… but since my face looks younger now, I decided to make it and try it on.”
Elisha, unfamiliar with wearing skirts, grasped the hem of the uniform’s skirt and blushed softly.
“How is it? Does it suit me?”
Does it suit her?
Was there really any need to ask?
“It’s perfect.”
I thrust my thumb upward without hesitation and nodded decisively.
“Hehe. I’m glad.”
Elisha smiled with satisfaction.
“Then… how about this?”
She stepped closer to me and shyly took my hand.
“Dale, senior~♡ Want to play with me after class today?”
Elisha winked playfully and whispered in a coquettish voice.
“…Uh.”
Uh, well.
How was I supposed to say this without hurting Elisha’s feelings?
After deliberating, I slowly opened my mouth.
“It looks absolutely terrible.”
“….”
Elisha, who had been smiling coquettishly, froze in place.
“…Couldn’t you have softened that a bit?”
“I was being as kind as possible.”
“No.”
That was being kind?
“Ugh….”
Elisha’s shoulders drooped in shock.
I chuckled and shrugged.
“I’m joking.”
“…Joking?”
“Yeah. You look cute, actually. It has a fresh charm to it.”
Whether it was because her appearance had become younger or because of the Candidate Program uniform, I wasn’t sure.
But Elisha, who was far from the word “cute” in her usual state, looked remarkably adorable now.
‘Though I can’t quite bring myself to say it suits her.’
In any case.
It wasn’t bad that I could appreciate this different kind of charm.
“Hmm. Your reaction is a bit disappointing… but I’ll let it slide graciously.”
Elisha smiled faintly and approached me.
“Then, Dale….”
She pulled my hand closer and gently placed my fingertips into her mouth.
“Mmm….”
“…!”
A soft, warm sensation transmitted through my fingertips.
I tried to withdraw my hand urgently, but Elisha instead pushed my fingers deeper into her mouth, her tongue moving deliberately.
“W-Elisha…?”
“Hehe. There we go—finally showing a satisfying reaction.”
Haah.
Elisha exhaled with flushed breath and pressed her body against mine.
“Surely… you’re not thinking of doing this here?”
Elisha and I were in Abyss Layer 1.
There wasn’t a single soul—nor even a beast—in sight, but it was still undeniably ‘outside.’
“Thirty-seven days.”
“…What?”
“The duration of my secluded training.”
Slither.
Silk threads crawled across the ground like serpents, coiling around my body.
“And… the time I spent separated from Dale without even a single exchange of contact.”
Haah, haah.
Golden, reptilian pupils appeared in Elisha’s eyes.
“Did you really think I wasn’t planning to do this here? Hehe. What are you saying, Dale?”
Elisha’s fangs gleamed as she licked her lips.
“I had no intention but to do this here from the start.”
“….”
A ravenous, monstrous spider descended upon me savagely.
* * *
Hours passed in that manner.
Being within the Abyss, I could perceive the passage of time precisely, but regardless, a considerable amount of time had certainly elapsed.
“Phew.”
Elisha exhaled contentedly, smoothing down her now-disheveled hair.
“It’s been so long that I got far too excited.”
“…Tell me about it.”
In contrast, I nodded weakly with an exhausted expression.
‘Both Lanez and Elisha are like this.’
Where on earth did they find such inexhaustible stamina?
I staggered to my feet and turned to face Elisha.
“Your secluded training is finished, right?”
“Yes. I’ll need time to adjust to this new body, but… I’ll manage that once we leave.”
“You’ve worked hard.”
“Hehe. I’ve already received more than enough rewards, so it’s fine.”
Elisha approached me with a satisfied smile and kissed me lightly.
“But you really didn’t go outside at all during your secluded training?”
“Hmm? Isn’t it normal for secluded training to mean not going outside at all?”
“Then….”
A memory suddenly brushed across my mind.
“What was that trace at the Abyss Entrance?”
“…Trace?”
Elisha’s eyes narrowed.
“What trace are you talking about?”
“Ah, there seemed to be traces of someone passing through near the entrance.”
“….”
Elisha’s eyes opened slightly.
“When I arrived, there were no such traces. And during the break period, access to the Abyss is strictly forbidden—only faculty members are permitted entry.”
“Then….”
Our gazes met.
“…Could someone have infiltrated the Abyss without permission?”
“Possibly.”
Elisha nodded gravely.
“You didn’t encounter anyone during your secluded training?”
“No one.”
That made sense.
Abyss Layer 1 was so vast that it was difficult to encounter another person unless you actively searched for them.
“It seems… I’ll have one more task before I can leave.”
If someone had infiltrated the Abyss without permission, I couldn’t leave without finding them first.
“I’ll search for them.”
“Search, you say….”
I recalled the time when Elisha had spread webs throughout the entire Imperial Palace to find secret passages.
Spreading webs across the entire Imperial Palace was already remarkable, but Abyss Layer 1 was a place with an area dozens of times larger than that palace.
Even though Elisha had reached a new realm, I didn’t think it would be easy for her to accomplish.
“Shhh.”
Elisha slowly drew in a breath and spread both arms wide.
Whiiiing!
Thousands of threads of web spun from her fingertips extended throughout the entire Abyss.
And.
“…Found them.”
Elisha’s violet eyes gleamed as she turned her head toward the center of the Abyss.

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