Chapter 141: The So-Called Courage

The boss lay sprawled on the ground, no longer emitting black mist, its surface covered in cracks before it suddenly exploded into pieces with a thunderous bang.

This time, the boss dropped not the usual exclusive materials like holy crystals that Zhao Tianhe collected, but a piece of armor—a set of plate greaves.

Without a doubt, this equipment was awarded to Tianxie.

Moore had been around here for a long time; with so many bosses, his gear was already complete.

In truth, Zhao Tianhe also hoped for more good equipment drops—even if he couldn't use them himself, he could pass them on to Artoria and the others.

In ordinary dungeons, such hopes were mere wishes, but here it was different. Daily bosses were common, and occasionally there were double or even triple boss encounters.

More equipment meant higher shares, and after about half a year, they estimated they could outfit Artoria and the others with highly enhanced boss gear.

However, the biggest haul from this dungeon was not the A-grade boss armor, but the pile of exclusive materials that were useless to them.

The materials gathered this trip were worth about 500 points—more than five times the normal amount.

“Other teams need at least half a month to gather enough materials for upgrades. Our team can go every five or six days,” said Seida with a smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you a B-grade boss right away.”

Displaying his abilities naturally drew attention, and Seida took the initiative to fly toward other familiar hero squads.

The price for a B-grade boss was roughly equivalent to a piece of same-level boss gear, which Seida could easily handle with his private stockpile.

Additionally, when upgrading equipment using the gambling mode, inserting same-level boss gear could boost the success rate, while the safe mode granted a substantial increase in material value.

But compared to Zhao Tianhe’s almost alchemical talent system, the slight boost from boss gear was negligible.

“Well then, I’m planning to collect today’s wages and take a stroll on the nearby island. Anyone want to come along?” Jellos asked Tianxie and the others.

Of course, his real intention was to pilot the airship and flirt, to which Tianxie and Moore eagerly raised their hands.

Li Mei returned to her room with a calm expression, feeling somewhat disappointed. She hadn’t been much help in the dungeon today; her effect maintaining the holy light barrier during the final boss was barely noticeable.

Tianxie’s incredibly powerful evil god-like external shell, Moore’s undead body plus taunt ability, and Jellos’s magic were all indispensable. As a summoner, Zhao Tianhe was the best performer, especially with his “alchemical” talent enhancing the team’s growth.

Moore’s talent, called “Body of Accumulated Evil,” was a powerful ability that drew strength from others’ malice. The more intense the killing intent and hostility directed at him, the greater his life regeneration and health bonuses.

Creatures in the dungeon were filled with murderous intent, as the energy of the alien lifeforms contained a “erasure of the old world,” causing them to harbor a hatred toward beings affiliated with the Holy Association akin to a genocidal grudge.

No matter if they were shattered or ground to dust, they couldn’t be truly destroyed.

Though the two veteran mages watched mostly from the sidelines, their presence was a guarantee of absolute safety—two level-eight mages were not to be taken lightly.

“Ah, even with the barrier master’s talent, it’s of little use...” Li Mei sighed, lying on her bed and pondering her role and which direction to take to keep up with Zhao Tianhe’s group. But the more she thought, the more hopeless she felt.

“If only I had a talent ability too... maybe then I could...”

Zhao Tianhe naturally wanted to take Elei and Artoria out for a walk and shopping—more precisely, just with Artoria.

But Elei seemed oblivious to the subtle changes between Artoria and Zhao Tianhe, following along as usual.

With different purposes in mind, Zhao Tianhe and Jellos set off on two separate airships.

“Last night, Miss Tina told me that this Seros Island is famous for its cuisine,” Zhao Tianhe said with a smile to Artoria. “Honestly, I used to think the world’s cooking methods and variety were pretty poor. Only now do I realize it’s just that Rog Town is a backwater.”

The existence of cuisine and gourmet food presupposed certain conditions. Think carefully: why does ancient China have such a vast variety of dishes? Why does its culinary tradition flourish so grandly and diversely?

Because for a long time, ancient China’s productivity and resources ranked first in the world, its people were affluent and had ample leisure time, especially yearning for enjoyment. With few entertainment options in ancient times, satisfying the appetite naturally expanded greatly...

Of course, there were likely many other aspects where they led the world, but those were not for discussion here.

After all... it had the largest population!

The territory governed by the Holy Council, called the Infinite Land, though occasionally plagued by disasters—like the recent terrifying attack that annihilated Saint Ross Port—was generally very peaceful and prosperous.

This was evident even from Li Mei’s father’s “slacker theory.”

The environment of the Endless Sea and the mainland differed greatly—not only were they wealthy and peaceful, but opportunities abounded, and product varieties were numerous. Over centuries, this naturally formed a unique culinary system.

Each island and sea area had distinct cooking styles due to different seafood, which was why Tina immediately noticed that Zhao Tianhe, despite his decent skills, lacked the local knowledge and experience to adapt.

In the restaurant, Elei ate while watching Zhao Tianhe and Artoria chatting and laughing, occasionally chiming in.

On the surface, all seemed well, but usually, Zhao Tianhe sat opposite Artoria with Elei beside him. Today, however, he deliberately sat next to Artoria.

“Hm? I’m the first to disappear?” Elei looked down at her fading body, glanced at Zhao Tianhe and Artoria, and smiled.

She seemed to have understood something.

“Elei-chan, I guess you’ve already figured it out?” Zhao Tianhe silently took a bite of fried shrimp, savoring the sweet juice. “Just quietly bless me and Artoria!”

“Well, we ate, finished shopping, so the next phase should be, right?” Zhao Tianhe looked at the young knight beside him, smiling as he imagined the soon-to-follow adult scenes.

“This crab is really delicious! And this cake!” Artoria raised her hand. “Waiter, two more portions, please!”

“Uwu~~ This looks awful, but it’s so tasty...” Artoria ate the purple tentacles, nodding in satisfaction.

Having never experienced the Third or Fourth Holy Grail Wars, Artoria had no aversion to various tentacles.

“Ah, today was truly enjoyable, Ah-wo,” Artoria said with a contented smile, waved, and vanished.

“...” Zhao Tianhe forgot one crucial thing—

Artoria’s eating time!

Although being officially recognized as a couple extended their time by an hour, it was still insufficient for her appetite!

“Hey! Slow down...” Zhao Tianhe reached out excitedly, trying to catch her, but the summoning time was up.

Meanwhile, a sweating waiter handed over the bill.

“Six gold, thirteen silver. We’ll round down the change, so six gold,” the waiter said cheerfully. After all, Artoria had eaten enough for thirty people.

“Got it...” Zhao Tianhe showed his hero’s ID and signed the bill.

He sighed, dragging his tired body out of the restaurant, only to be tapped on the shoulder.

“Hm?” Zhao Tianhe felt the touch was familiar and turned to see Elei.

“You? Uh... right, you can choose your daily schedule,” Zhao Tianhe sighed. “What’s up?”

“You confessed to that silly knight, didn’t you?” Elei asked with a smile.

“Oh.” Zhao Tianhe nodded.

“You look so down... Could it be... that she did nothing but eat as usual?” Elei covered her mouth, laughing. “Ah, that really is her style!”

“Well, what’s the matter?” Zhao Tianhe asked dejectedly.

“Of course there’s a matter.” Elei’s expression suddenly turned serious, as a series of notification sounds rang in Zhao Tianhe’s mind.

“You have confirmed lover status with Ereshkigal.”

“Ereshkigal’s war servant mode summoning time extended by one hour.”

“Ereshkigal’s affection level +3 (now level 13).”

“Hidden mode unlocked...”

?!

Zhao Tianhe’s expression instantly became priceless!

What on earth was going on?!

“I knew you’d be confused,” Elei said, holding his hand as they walked. “You just haven’t recognized the truth of our relationship.”

“Think carefully: our existence in this world depends entirely on your will,” Elei said, frowning, her gaze sharp and serious. “And you must have some feelings toward us, right? So, in practical terms, we’re all your consorts! As your power grows, you might not even need us to fight for you anymore.”

It seemed the appearance of the Rotating Victory Sword and the Unlimited Sword Formula had given Elei much to ponder.

“No matter how much you respect our wishes, as long as the system talent doesn’t change, the reality won’t.” Elei pierced to the core. “For example, if one of us really fell for a man in this world, like Jellos, would you allow us to date him?”

“...” Zhao Tianhe crouched on the ground, holding his head.

Just imagining the scene made him cringe all over.

Elei was right—they really had no choice!

“Well, I don’t dislike you and Artoria. You’re a good person, gentle and somewhat ambitious. That one...” Elei thought for a moment. “For some reason, I just can’t bring myself to dislike her. Though her personality isn’t charming, being around her isn’t bad.”

“So after a long time thinking, I’ve decided to accept this relationship. But the problem lies with Artoria and you! Are you ready to accept it? More precisely, it’s Artoria’s issue.”

“You must muster the courage to lay it all out to both me and Artoria at once—make this relationship clear. Otherwise... better not take things further!” Elei sighed. “But there’s a catch—I have no idea what that silly knight will do...”

“Oh? You want it all?” The girl’s emerald eyes, like precious jade, narrowed until they turned into fierce vertical slits...

“Oath... Victory Sword!”

“Ahhhhhh~~~” Zhao Tianhe shook his head, clutching Elei’s thigh tightly. “I don’t want to get cut down! But I want it all!”

“That’s why you have to work hard! Don’t lose to that one, at least gain the strength to avoid getting cut down!” Elei’s legs trembled as she looked at passersby, cheeks flushed and anxious. “Let go, idiot! Someone’s watching!”

“Let them watch! This is all the benefits I get!” Zhao Tianhe teared up, rubbing his cheek against Elei’s thigh, looking utterly foolish.

A few minutes later, a battered Zhao Tianhe sat calmly by the street, licking an ice cream.

Nearby, Elei sighed, covering her forehead. “Men really are like this. If they hold it in too long, their brains just break, don’t they?”