บท 134: Flaming Orb

"Is there nothing else?" Fiona asked, confused as she continued walking forward, looking slightly disappointed. Even the vitality-stealing smoke, which she was initially afraid of, was boring to her now,

'She is talented, though. If only I could bring her to my party….' Fiona thought as she looked back towards Aiena from the corner of her eyes.

It wasn't an understatement that they could only breathe right now due to Aiena; even though she took breaks twice for 5 mins, she kept singing the song of vitality for almost an hour before each time. It was almost miraculous for the Pearl Party. So, Fiona was basking in fantastic thoughts of having a party with Aiena, although it was something that wouldn't happen.

"Where are monsters!! It is boring as f@ck!!" exclaimed Flan, who was walking left to Ryu and was bored because after defeating the two Stabhearts they encountered at the beginning, they didn't encounter another monster for two hours now. The dungeon seemed to have no end in sight.

'It sure is weird,' thought Ryu, as in many dungeons they conquered, there hadn't been one this barren,

"Oii brat, do you think someone already conquered the dungeon?" asked Fiona as she twirled back, walking backwards,

"I don't think so. If someone has conquered it, it wouldn't be this calm," Ryu said as he used [Hide & Seek] to look forward,

[Nothing]

[Hide & Seek] detected nothing, and Ryu yawned due to boredom. Since they stepped into the dungeon, only Aiena had to give it her all. And Jue was feeling guilty as it seemed unfair in his eyes, but there wasn't much he could do to help.

'I hope monsters come…' Jue wished for what most adventurers would never, and suddenly a huge flame orb came rushing towards Fusion souls and Pearl Party,

"Dodge!!"

"Dodge!!" Ryu and Silvia shouted together, sensing the incoming attack. Even though Ryu's [Instantaneous Detection] detected it, Silvia sensed it way before.

Almost everyone who heard the warning felt right on their belly to save themselves from the orb. However, Aiena wholly focused on singing and failed to listen to it over her own singing.

"Aiena!!!!!" Ryu shouted, and when Aiena finally came to her senses, she realized it was too late. Her heart dropped a beat, and her body became warm as the giant flame orb neared her. It was too fast. Even at her top speed, she wouldn't be able to dodge it,

It already happened too fast, but time seemed to have slowed down further as the Fire orb was nearing Aiena. Ryu jumped toward her, and at the same time, Rafa jumped from behind. Rafa shielded them with her own body as Ryu fell along as he held Aiena.

"What happened?" Fiona asked. It was too fast, and she couldn't make sense of what she saw; Aiena and Ryu were on the floor, Rafa's clothes were partially charred, and even the iron from her armour melted, sweeping to the ground, but it was more shocking that Rafa didn't seem hurt or fazed even a bit,

'Just when did he move!?' Silvia was shocked to see that Ryu had moved in a period; she blinked her eyes.

"You all are crazy!!" Fiona exclaimed as she stood up. She couldn't make head and tail of how Rafa survived the flame orb; honestly, she gave up making sense of things long ago regarding Fusion Souls.

"Are you all right, Aiena?" Ryu asked in a voice filled with concern as he moved away from her sitting on the ground, and Aiena, who was beneath him just seconds before, breathed heavily as her panic from nearly being incinerated settled down,

"I am fine, Ryu… all thanks to you and Rafa sister..."

And Rafa, who took the flaming orb head-on, finally turned to face her comrades. Everyone's eyes got wide open as they gazed upon Rafa.

"Jue!! Close your eyes!!" Fiona said with her face bright red as she rushed to Jue putting her hands on both of his eyes, and Jue just like a growing teen was blushing hard at the sight he just watched and, at the same time, was ashamed as he replied with a voice that seemed as if his gear hadn't been oiled for centuries,

"I di.. didn't see anything, I didn't see anything!!" he said, but this only led to Fiona tightening her hand on his eyes,

"Miss Rafa…." Silvia was about to say something, but then, looking down and comparing things, she knew she had lost the battle before it began and couldn't teach victor anything,

'Why is Goddess of bounty so unfair!!' she wanted to shout out,

"Rafa… " Rafa, big sister," Ryu said as he gazed at the beasts finally released from their cage for the world to see.

'If it were an anime, I would've taken a screenshot!!!!' he thought as he looked forward to what most man desires, and Aiena, who was stunned by this sudden exposure, finally came to her senses,

"Ryu, don't look!!" she put her hands on Ryu's eyes, but her small hands couldn't hide the sight in front of Ryu. Even though Ryu was a bit guilty as he called Rafa his sister, he couldn't help it as it was an alluring sight.

And the one who had everyone shocked and was the star of the show looked at both Aiena and Ryu on the floor innocently as she spoke with a

"Ryu, Aiena, are you both unhurt?" her voice was filled with concern and purity to the level one would think she is used to moving around in her current appearance, Aiena who didn't know what to say to such Rafa spoke in a hurried voice,

"We are fine, Rafa sister!! We are both okay!!"

'Why is she covering Ryu's face?' As she moved towards them, Rafa asked Ryu, bending on her knees near him. Everyone's heart was beating loud, but no one uttered a word,

'Heaven, heaven… is it a dream!?' wondered Ryu, but no words came out of his mouth either,

"Ryu, are you okay?" Rafa asked with a concerned sisterly voice, but it sent a chill down Ryu's spine due to being near those uncovered bags of desire. Rafa's facial expression tickled his heart at the same time.

'I shouldn't have read all those ero-manga. This is a thousand times better!! If my friends from last life were to see this, they'd have a nosebleed!!' as Ryu finally collected himself and was about to speak, Rafa noticed him shaking and remembered something from a village earlier,

"Here, Ryu," Rafa said as she stood up, pulling Ryu onto his feet too, and then she hugged him, instantly pushing him in between those breasts that had everyone dazed and shocked as she spoke.

"It is fine… nothing happened… nothing happened"

'I must be dreaming, yes a good dream… a soft dream!!' thought Ryu as he felt softness all over his face, and Aiena was confused about what Rafa was doing,

"Just stop it already!!!!" finally, Fiona, who couldn't take it anymore, shouted as she moved towards Rafa, who was holding Ryu in her chest, and pulled on Ryu.

"This pervertedness in the middle of the dungeon!!" even though, due to Rafa's grip, Ryu wasn't moving a bit, Fiona kept pulling, and Rafa finally spoke.

"But can't you see Ryu is scared? It is my duty as big sister to help calm Ryu down."

"What would this brat be scared off!!" Fiona replied, and Aiena realized what Rafa was doing. A few dungeons before, when they reached a village, it was already being attacked by stampedes from the dungeon; there, a girl was comforting his little brother by hugging him, and now Rafa was copying her calming way.

It would've been fine to calm down this way unless

"Rafa sister, you shouldn't do it this way…." Aiena said, and when Rafa asked why Aiena finally explained to her moving near her and whispered her ears,

"Age… shame… Ryu is not a little kid… clothes are a must."

"Is that so!!" Rafa moved Ryu away as she put her hands on her chest, covering it as she learned a newfound concept of shame. Even though she didn't understand it properly, she knew what Aiena said would be right,

The party finally calmed, regrouped, and discussed their plan for continuing the dungeon as Aiena began to sing again because the vitality damage was starting to take effect again. After much discussion and debate, Ryu decided to continue the dungeon expedition as Fiona said,

"That was probably a mega trap. Some dungeons that have weak bosses have mega traps that wipe out parties before they even reach the boss room,"

'Grandpa chief told us about mega traps, but in a dungeon this small,' thought Ryu, but that makes continuing the expedition a more appealing option because if a dungeon this small has this dangerous mega trap,

'Than boss must be too weak!!' he thought as he continued walking forward, maintaining pace with the rest of their formation. Despite the trap, no one was hurt majorly even, Rafa, despite losing her, the armour was completely unhurt. It was as if her body was heat resistant; there was no sign of a minor burn.

"but this sure is a loss!!" Ryu felt let down as he looked toward Rafa, who now wore Silvia's cloak, which was too small for her to hide her breasts,

'In the first place, why was an archer even wearing a cloak!!' he wanted to complain out loud but held back,

Every one of them was confident that they'd face a weak boss until they finally came across it, something towering over standing on its four limbs, flames coming out of its mouth rising, and magma seething on its back, gaze strong enough to induce fear, something which is closest to dragon one can hope to meet and many adventurous wish to slay and many are killed by it,

A Drake