Chapter Forty-Two: The Perilous Sea

After wandering through the streets, Zhao Tianhe made a circuit around the food stalls by the beach. However, since the various grilled and fried snacks were difficult to carry and the stalls were scattered far apart, he didn’t bring anything back for Artoria.

“If there’s time tomorrow after we clear the dungeon, I’ll let her come herself,” Zhao Tianhe thought, nibbling on grilled squid and sipping juice as he returned to the street. Along the way, he picked up the dishes he had ordered in advance, then sat down in a restaurant to begin his daily routine.

The waiter was a bit shocked when Zhao Tianhe suddenly vanished, but not quite frightened—after all, this was a world where spatial magic existed. Even though the lowest tier of space magic was fifth-level, encountering a grand mage wasn’t unheard of.

But seeing the pixie, still seated at the table munching on snacks with a phone in hand, left the waiter puzzled. He simply assumed the mage had forgotten to take his fairy servant with him.

When Zhao Tianhe reappeared, the waiter couldn’t help but ask what had happened.

“I’m a heroic spirit from another world. I was just using my personal system to handle something,” Zhao Tianhe offered a casual explanation and then left with the pixie.

“Tian…” Pixie perched on Zhao Tianhe’s head, propping up her chin as she surveyed the bustling crowd on the street with a solemn expression. “So it turns out you’re actually rather ugly…”

“Ugh!” Zhao Tianhe’s face twitched, but glancing at the passing elven men and women around him, he could only clutch his chest and lower his head.

For some reason, elves in this world were the classic kind, reminiscent of those in The Lord of the Rings—ageless, long-lived, each one a handsome man or beautiful woman. No wonder that before the emergence of monsters, they’d long suffered from human slave trade. And no wonder that now, a large number of people in the human empire had elven blood, like Jeros.

“Hey, don’t be upset! Even if you’re ugly, your heroic spirits are much more beautiful than they are!” Pixie patted Zhao Tianhe’s neck in encouragement. “Tomorrow, have your heroic spirits outshine them all in looks!”

“Heh…” Zhao Tianhe curled his lip, resolving to return to his room and train hard in explosive techniques and Wind Scar. He would prove that a man’s true worth lay in his strength!

The next day, Zhao Tianhe and Jeros stood before a pale blue barrier.

“This is it—the Sunken Ship Catacombs. Did you read the information I gave you yesterday?” Jeros asked.

“Uh… I was a bit busy yesterday…” Zhao Tianhe hesitated. After Pixie’s remarks, he’d spent the night training magic and completely forgot about the materials. “But you’ll be with me, so it’s probably fine, right?”

He still remembered Jeros’ strength—any spell below fifth-level could be cast instantly without incantation, his mana was unfathomable, and he was like a one-man magical war machine.

“You’re underestimating a B-class dungeon,” Jeros said with a sigh, rubbing his temples. “If I just dragged you around every day to farm experience and gear, I’d only be hurting you! Unless you’ve built up enough skills or if your talent is truly exceptional, I won’t do that.”

Though the experience cap was lifted after the first advancement, skills remained a major issue. No one could just hand them to you, and the system wasn’t omnipotent enough to let you learn skills from books like in games—otherwise, the agility attribute’s perception would be pointless. Skills had to be learned and honed step by step. Of course, if your talent was strong enough to let you fit into a high-level dungeon role without much skill, the authorities wouldn’t mind giving you a shortcut for rapid advancement.

“Hm…” Zhao Tianhe pondered this. “Honestly, if I have enough experience, gear, and materials, Artoria and Eresh could grow without limit—but if that’s the case, wouldn’t I have no hope for myself in this lifetime? Strength must come from within! I have to develop a fighting style suited to me, or I’ll never break through that final barrier!”

With this in mind, Zhao Tianhe nodded in agreement. “You’re right. Please give me the information again.”

“Never mind, one more day won’t matter,” Jeros said with a sigh. “Today, I’ll guide you through the run and explain as we go.”

Zhao Tianhe nodded. That day, he didn’t summon Eresh or Artoria, but followed Jeros through this ominously named dungeon.

Because the owner of the C-class Hero’s Apartment associated with this dungeon hadn’t yet moved out their personal belongings, Zhao Tianhe and Jeros still stayed at the inn that night.

That evening, Zhao Tianhe summoned Eresh in a clothing store.

“Huh?! Swimsuits?!” Eresh glanced at the surrounding garments, momentarily confused.

“Of course! We’re at a vacation beach—it wouldn’t do not to try on swimsuits, right?” Zhao Tianhe grinned brightly, while the elven salesgirl nearby was dressed in a bikini and a thin shirt.

“I don’t mind, I just prefer outfits that are more ornate and decorative…” Eresh pouted, idly playing with her fingers. She wore a black dress adorned with golden patterns, black stockings, and a cascade of golden hair framing a face both lovely and subtly seductive—truly a beautiful sight.

“In that case, I’d recommend this one,” the elf salesgirl said with a smile. “You’re so beautiful—surely you must have elven heritage?”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Eresh frowned, not understanding the elf’s words, but she would not have anyone speak lightly of her lineage. She was a pure-blooded deity, second only to the Creator and the Father of Gods. “I am myself—Ereshkigal! What are elves to me? Are they supposed to be impressive?”

The faint aura of divine authority she exuded in her annoyance made the elf girl shudder. She had the distinct feeling she’d provoked someone she never should have and shrank back, looking suitably apologetic.

Zhao Tianhe sensed that faint divine power as well, but as the summoner, he remained calm, patting Eresh on the shoulder and explaining things to her.

“Oh, it was a compliment?” Eresh blinked, looking slightly embarrassed. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine! Uh, please look at this one,” the elf girl said quickly, eager to change the topic.

Following her gesture, they saw a two-piece black bikini displayed in a dark showcase.

The bikini was predominantly black with golden trim and patterns, golden star-shaped ornaments inlaid with blue-violet gems on the ties and at the center of the chest. It was dazzlingly ornate, yet not garish.

“This matches your style quite well…” Zhao Tianhe said, feeling a strange fascination as he gazed at the bikini. “What do you think?”

Eresh looked at the bikini, her eyes sparkling and her cheeks tinged with red.

“This is the one. How much is it? Uh…” Zhao Tianhe had no reason not to buy it, seeing her reaction.

But when he saw the price, he was stunned—thirty gold coins!

“This swimsuit is the work of a renowned designer, crafted from the wool naturally shed each year by the Sacred Mountain Sheep of the elves. The magisteel and magic gemstones have undergone multiple enchantments, providing a constant temperature barrier and…” The elf girl patiently explained, assuming from Eresh’s earlier display that Zhao Tianhe must be a grand mage.

“Can I pay in installments?” Zhao Tianhe interrupted, cutting straight to the point as he pulled out his C-class Hero certificate.

“Of course! Please register at the counter—I’ll pack it up for you right away!” The elf girl’s eyes changed when she saw the mark identifying Zhao Tianhe as a heroic spirit from another world.

After all, over ninety percent of B-class dungeons, and more than ninety-nine percent of A and S-class dungeons, were handled by otherworldly heroic spirits. The pay for clearing a B-class dungeon was five gold coins per day!

Every heroic spirit was a being of monstrous strength, destined to enter high-level dungeons and serve as pillars of safety in this world. They were all wealthy—this was common knowledge.

His previous assignment clearing the pre-mutation Slime Cavern was an almost unheard-of rarity…

“No need for packaging, Eresh. Just change into it now, and pack up her current outfit,” Zhao Tianhe instructed.

“No need to pack it—this outfit is spirit attire,” Eresh said with a smile, letting her dress disperse into nothingness and revealing a black bodysuit with gold patterns, its overall style closely matching the bikini.

Zhao Tianhe nearly lost control!

Even though Eresh revealed less skin than the elf girl, the sudden disappearance of her clothes was a sensory shock.

“Amazing—is that dungeon gear?” the elf girl exclaimed, though her surprise was of a different sort.

Dungeon gear could merge with the body and be manifested at will, but most people didn’t do so. If it wasn’t visible, they could don extra armor for more protection. Weapons worked the same way—after Zhao Tianhe fused his dagger, even a barehanded attack could have the cutting and piercing properties of a blade, though the attack power wouldn’t stack with normal weapons. Once ordinary weapons couldn’t keep up with dungeon weapons in terms of strength, they’d be phased out.

Zhao Tianhe said nothing, silently reciting mantras and recalling every philosophical video he knew to suppress his instincts.

Eresh, meanwhile, let her black stockings vanish, baring a pair of fair, slender legs—forcing Zhao Tianhe to flee to the counter to pay and escape.

“If this keeps up every day, my reason and will to survive won’t last…” Zhao Tianhe muttered under his breath. “The sea is just too dangerous…”

After composing himself, Zhao Tianhe slipped into the restroom and gave himself two punches below the belt to calm down completely.

Looking at Eresh, clad in a black bikini, golden hair tied back, regal as a queen, Zhao Tianhe managed a Zen-like smile. He hadn’t lost control on the spot, but his nose still began to bleed…