Chapter 31: Dungeon’s Death
The group encountered more monstrous bugs before returning to the headquarters. This time, they faced a humongous tarantula accompanied by another centipede. Sven was visibly panicked as two monsters advanced simultaneously, but the girls remained calm—they knew they still had an ace up their sleeves: Hiro’s doping ability.
"We’ll handle the spider! Can you two take care of the centipede?" Rebecca asked.
"Eh? But that spider is tough! Sven should buy us some time with the centipede while the rest of us deal with the spider!" Garland protested. He was taken aback at the girl’s boldness against their foes.
"Alright," Rebecca agreed, nodding.
"Hiro, boost me, please," Cecile whispered. Tapping her stomach indicates that she wants to speak to Hiro. Instantly, she felt her body strengthen as Hiro’s skills activated. This time, Hiro used both his adrenaline and amphetamine boosts on both of them instead of the usual dexterity enhancement for Nana. Nana’s bow was new, and its string was a bit more rigid than the one she was used to. Cecile swiftly navigated through the tarantula’s legs, her glowing blue sword slashing through its limbs with precision.
Nana, meanwhile, peppered the tarantula with arrows, each one hitting its mark and puncturing its eyes. As the massive spider stumbled helplessly, Garland lunged forward and delivered a decisive blow to its head with his greatsword. Hiro immediately canceled his skills, letting the boosts fade. He was concerned about Cecile and Nana’s nutrient levels—they hadn’t eaten lunch, and his skills significantly accelerated their energy consumption. If he keeps his doping up, he will have to sacrifice his precious cell storage to counter the cost. He had autophagy and nutrient storage skills, so he definitely could forcefully inject some nutrients into Cecile and Nana. However, there was no need to do it now. Cecile and Nana should be able to fight against the centipede with Sven and Garland.
Cecile and Nana both glanced at their stomachs, where Hiro resided, wondering why the boost had stopped. A sudden wave of hunger surged through them before receding. They ignored it and engaged the centipede.
A few minutes later, the group sat sprawled on the ground, exhausted but victorious after defeating the centipede.
"Was that your secret skill?" Garland asked, intrigued. "If you’re willing to teach it to us, I could vouch for you to be accepted as knights—or even become commanders! Your strength seemed to double when you fought the tarantula."
"Well... ehehehe..." Cecile responded with a sheepish smile, avoiding the topic. She wanted to boast, but she knew it was not her ability.
"Here." Rebecca offered Cecile and Nana her lunch. It was a tasteless piece of hard bread. Through sense-sharing, Hiro could tell it was barely edible. The coarse bread was paired with pungent salted meat that hadn’t been preserved properly, leaving a faint taste of rot. Hiro thought grimly that he’d rather let them eat his tentacles if they were hungry—it might hurt a little, but it would surely be better than this kind of culinary torture.