Chapter 197: Burst Moment

“I’m so tired right now.”

“Wait, Kersey. Don’t go take a bath just yet.”

“Huh? You want to bathe together? That’s out of the question.”

Kersey, who had already stepped out the door, was called back. She looked somewhat tired. She really wanted to take a bath; her pink hair was even a little frazzled.

Bried had called Kersey back to ask her to help record a video. Then, a new message came through on the Ring Chart, which contained the requirements for the video recording.

“What is that Siloque guy saying…”

Bried, lying on the bed, held up the Ring Chart and stared at the content twice, still completely confused.

‘By the way, the message was clearly sent to me… why is it calling someone else’s name?’

Bried gently bit her red lip. She noticed a hint of irritation in her heart but dismissed it as annoyance from eating something too salty at dinner.

“Bried?”

Seeing her friend call her over and then not say anything, Kersey found it strange.

Bried unconsciously overlooked the truly strange point: how did Siloque know Kersey was about to leave?

Until the next message appeared. Bried’s eyes lit up, and she sat up straight on the hard bed with startling momentum, leaving Kersey bewildered.

Bried resolved to complete the video recording.

“Bried, haah—” Kersey yawned. “After I help you film, there’s nothing else, right?”

“Sorry to trouble you. As compensation, I’ll give you a croissant.”

“Thanks for the offer, but right now all I want is a bath…”

Kersey’s towel moved from her head to her shoulder. She stood outside the changing room, used the Ring Chart in her hand to bring up the recording mode window, and aimed it at Bried’s back.

Bried stood at the entrance of the changing room. In her hand was a wooden stick she had picked up outside, sharpened into an extremely sharp wooden rapier. This swordmaster with orange long hair assumed a middle stance, slightly lowering her hips, her center of gravity beginning to shift forward.

– Just grab any stick, start from the changing room entrance, aim at the largest black spot on the bathroom curtain, sprint and use [Velocity Layering] to thrust in with full force –

– Have Kersey record it as proof, and she can heal you if you get hurt –

– This little task should be easy for my good teacher Bried, right? –

That was Siloque’s request. In Bried’s view, it was a provocation.

Bried focused entirely on the bathroom curtain ahead. Her body automatically entered a combat-ready state, and every movement was flawless.

Starting from the edge of the changing room door where her toes touched, the distance to the bathroom was at most five meters. Once she began, it would be over in less than 0.00001 seconds.

Bried didn’t understand why Siloque wanted her to activate her talent here. The only reason she was willing to do this was because of the last three sentences of the message:

– If you complete it, I’ll make you a parfait when I get back. I’ve already learned how to do it –

“What have you been busy with on the first floor? How did gathering herbs turn into making desserts? Is it a new side story from an NPC?” Thinking this, Bried chuckled, drawing a puzzled look from Kersey.

“You think I can’t do it, Siloque? Don’t underestimate me.”

“Start recording.”

Oh right, it seemed she had to say something before starting.

Like a lit rocket engine, Bried turned into an orange meteor: “As expected, sword practice in the bathroom is the best (completely emotionless).”

A sonic boom resounded in the changing room.

Ever since Cass had visited, no one had entered the bathroom. Now for Baruma, this was a pleasant surprise. Two human girls bathing together—a megaton of satisfaction at once.

‘Not here yet? Not here yet?’

Baruma clearly caught a glimpse of a shadow under the curtain, and in the air he smelled the scent of women—two of them. Yet the other party didn’t move for a long time.

Oh well, this process of waiting was also quite interesting. Just as water is sweeter when you’re thirsty, the more carefully cultivated a peach is, the more delicious it tastes when eaten.

The shadow under the curtain was a bit strange… it seemed rather sharp?

With this question, Baruma slowly approached the curtain—

“As expected, sword practice in the bathroom is the best.”

The next moment, Baruma didn’t even see the person. He had no chance to react at all; in his current state, he couldn’t use defensive magic. The curtain became very sharp and silently pierced through Baruma’s abdomen, stopping only when it hit the right ilium of his pelvis. The curtain maintained its sharp angled shape in the air for a good while, then, with no void object blocking it, it hung back down.

That night, every foxman in the village, every fowl, every creature with auditory organs heard it—a wail that pierced the night sky from an unknown source.

Bried walked over to the wooden window to look out. She confirmed that there was no one nearby except for some insects flying around.

“Who was that screaming…”

“Bried, is it done?”

“Yeah… sorry, it’s done.”

Kersey operated the window and sent the video to Bried.

“Kersey, don’t come in yet.”

“Huh?”

Bried threw the wooden rapier out the wooden window. She had originally planned to stop her momentum at the seventh meter to show off her skill to Siloque. But just now, something as strong as resistance had stopped her wooden rapier and also brought her to a halt, ruining her plan.

There was something here. However, after looking around and checking once, there was no abnormality. She left the bathroom first and sent the video over.

– Four parfaits, and I want different flavors –

The video was immediately downloaded by the other side. Siloque was probably checking the content, and soon a message came:

– No problem –

– As expected of you, Bried –

– Fastest speed, highest explosive power. Only you could accurately hit before the other could react –

– Congratulations, you’ve defeated the bath monster. It’s a lecherous ghost that can only be touched with special weapons –

“Hit…” Bried recalled the resistance she felt from her full-force strike. “Ah?… Aah.”

It dawned on her. As she had guessed, the so-called “bath monster” was a type of spectral being. The foxmen probably hadn’t seen much of them, so they took it as a strange phenomenon.

“No wonder he told me to go pick up a stick outside. So that’s the logic. Special weapons can pierce ghosts.”

But she had already thrown away that sword. What if there were more ghosts…

– There won’t be any more specters, but there will be ghosts in the future –

“Amazing, Siloque. Reading too much has given you a half ability to predict the future?”

The new message that seemed to see through her thoughts raised Bried’s esteem for her childhood friend.

“By the same logic, there’s an armor-piercing sword I bought before that’s been blessed in the Ring Chart. That should work well enough.”

Thinking this, Bried pulled back her thoughts and walked out of the bathroom while sending a message:

– By the way, how did you know there was a bath monster? –

– From the data –

‘What kind of data was he looking at? And to predict the time so accurately, decide the attack direction, and even know Kersey was with me.’

Various questions flashed through Bried’s mind, but were then tossed into a corner, because there were more important things.

– The promise, the parfait –

– You don’t need to emphasize that many times. I remember. You did well, I’ll make you one more. Five parfaits –

– How about the herbs? Did you find them? You’ve been on the first floor for three weeks –

“Bried, you seem to be in a good mood.”

“Huh? Not at all.”

Bried responded casually. What she didn’t know was that the corner of her mouth was slowly curling up along with the speed at which she typed on the window.

Kersey put her towel on the coat rack, took out bottles and jars from her bath bag and arranged them, then noticed Bried was still there.

“A-Anyway, Bried, could you please step out? I’m embarrassed to undress in front of someone.”

“Oh, sorry sorry. Take your time bathing.”

Bried didn’t look at Kersey. She walked out while focusing on replying on the social app.

Kersey slid the bolt on the wooden door closed and entered the bathroom.

“Ooh, it’s bigger than Aunt’s bathroom, and quite clean.”

The bathroom had an elegantly shaped wooden bathtub filled with pale green hot water. According to Nuo Yi, it had cleaning and heating magic applied, and after each use, the hot water would refresh within minutes and maintain temperature all day.

Kersey reached out to test the water temperature. It felt comfortable. She grabbed the hem of her clothes with both hands and lifted it up—

“Rumble rumble rumble—”

The floor shook.

“Whoa!” Kersey quickly grabbed the bathtub to steady herself.

And at that moment, two clusters of bright red, flickering flames appeared outside the wooden window.

The scene was the secret room.

Under the dim yellow light, Baruma was experiencing pain worse than any injury he had ever suffered. He was curled up on his knees, the pierced part bleeding, pooling on the floor.

He was an old priest after all, and didn’t stop moving despite the pain. Still curled up, he extended a trembling hand to grasp the staff that reflected a dazzling light, and chanted a spell:

“Pure Spring Drops, Recovery Spring.”

A clear beam of light gushed from the gem at the top of the staff. The spring of light flowed into the wound on his body, and after a while, it was restored as if nothing had happened.

“If it weren’t for this clan’s artifact, the Holy Spring Staff, I might really have died here tonight.”

Baruma was covered in cold sweat, lying spread-eagled on the floor. It took a while for his reason and thinking ability to fully return. He punched the floor, and the entire space shook:

“That orange-haired damn human! Absolutely insane!!! Practicing swords in the bathroom? Out of her mind! Ugh—”

Though healed, a phantom pain lingered. Saliva dripped along his beard. Baruma covered the injured area and confirmed it was fine.

“No choice. Today I’ll first relieve myself with the women in the large bathhouse. That human female lunatic from Valoran’s house is truly not to be trifled with.”

Baruma wiped his sweat, walked over to the crystal ball, and infused it with magic.

—Shwoosh!

A violent shake came from the space. Sparks of magic crackled around the walls.

“Uwaaaaaah!!!”

The naked Baruma was covered by electric currents generated by the space.

“Earthquake? No, the dungeon doesn’t have earthquakes. This is probably—”

Pain like being burned by flames and struck by lightning spread throughout his body. Now, besides the pain, he couldn’t think of anything.