Story 13 Paladin of Shadows Chapter 7

Delta's face when handed a bundle of papers to fill out was just... Too damned adorable honestly! 

It was like we were asking her to sign off the release forms for her parents to be cremated with how she was sniffling and whining under her breath as each page was turnt and she carefully signed all the paperwork.

But once we finished with Delta finishing last of the paperwork one of the Guild workers gave us. She threw her hands up and cheered loudly. "Woohoo! We can go hunting now!" 

Her infectious cheer was great as it set the tone as we walked into the dungeon together even though I certainly got some looks for being the sole male being surrounded by seven extremely beautiful women.

Well six beautiful women with another riding on my shoulders as Delta was dramatically pointing in which directions for us to go and just cheering for us to go. 'Faster faster faster! I want to hunt!'

Once we however dived into the dungeon Delta flipped off my shoulders with surprising grace as her rolling off didnt throw me around at all. "The air... It stinks of death and despair." Zeta spoke weary with her cat ears twitching.

And Delta in an uncommon moment actually nodded with her ears going down as she growled. "Yeah... It's super bad news in here!"

I knowing a bunch of people endlessly died down here in the dungeon killing monsters, harvesting resources, and otherwise just killing monsters for the challenge of it to grow stronger... Only said. "This dungeon is the whetstone that opens the path to immortality via the Falna... The road to said immortality is one fraught with death and people tend to die here in the dungeon or killing one another back on the surface before reaching the peak." I finished somberly as I hefted my machete.

As Eta knowing I couldn't use the slime suits with no mana training at all to make a solid slime sword just got some stamped metal and last night just made a decent machete that wouldn't require any skill to use.

After all. A machete's whole purpose just to chop, there wasn't anything fancy to be done with it.

And so we went deeper into the dungeon with Delta loudly sniffing and pointing us in the direction of some monsters and once we reached a good-sized party of monsters... I realized my own growth was going to be a major problem.

"Monsters to hunt haha!" Delta cried out with joy and the goblins screamed in terror as Delta with her hands formed into terrible sharp claws due to her slime suit hardening around her hands into shiny black steel. And in but ten seconds Delta alone just butchered and tore apart the monsters while cackling madly in joy.

A sound of a palm hitting flesh rang out as I face palmed and the girls looked at me with a wry smile in acknowledgment as this was going to be impossible with our full group working together and just slaughtering all the monsters instantly.

As even if the girls had the majority of their mana sealed away to make them stronger in the future... They were still highly skilled combatants with supernaturally strong bodies.

"We should split up into parties of two, I think sticking with Epsilion for me is for the best as Delta obviously needs to stick with Alpha so she behaves," I spoke and the girls gave each other looks.

And instantly the complaints began.

"Why Epsilion?" Beta asked indignantly?

"Boss is bully Delta!?" Delta cried even more indignantly.

"You would be safer with me." Zeta spoke while giving the smug Epsilion a dirty look.

"Uhmmm I can help you get stronger too!" Gamma promised earnestly but I could still see her nose was bleeding after she tripped earlier.

And Eta's contribution to the situation was her rocking back and forth in place as she breathed deeply obviously already half asleep.

While Alpha waited for everyone to make their points, statements and other such words before saying bluntly. "It's for the best actually. Epsilion is the best out of all us in controlling their magic and their slime outfit. Plus she is sensible and doesn't have the same issues Delta, Gamma, and Eta would have in traveling with him." 

Alpha visibly was in thought and then she said. "That will work. Just be careful both of you and Jake... Cover your throat and head, that is the most important thing right now with only goblins and kobolds around us."

I nodded giving Alpha a thankful look and the blond elf visibly took a breath before speaking one last time. "Good. Now Jake you be careful while the rest of us will be working a bit faster to get us some finances for Gamma to work with." 

Ah so they were going to let Delta off her leash to slaughter while they collected the drops and such all in order to get Gamma started on her true path as a merchant. And all the girls nodded to their nominal leader's words before with a smacking noise Alpha clapped her hands and they all moved down the various hallways leading deeper into the first floor or the deeper floors while Epsilion bounced over towards me with her bountiful... Unfortunately, fake breasts bouncing hypnotically as she took my arm and pulled me down a hallway the other girls didn't go down.

"Come on. Let's get some blood on your hands Jake... Heheee it's just me and you and don't worry I won't do anything weird like Zeta did last night!" She promised and I couldn't help but tease her back.

"Ahh really? I started with some sadness in my tone making her eyes snap to mine in panic as I continued. "Having a soft gentle refined woman within my arms as I sleep... That is just a pure romantic dream isn't it?" I questioned.

And I could see the cogs in her head turning as she realized that she was the most 'refined' and gentle woman in Shadow Garden and then her shyness at such a situation hit her mind with a flush entering her pale elfin features.

'To bulli the elf with casual affection. I think I found a new fetish.' I thought as I pulled the arm she was still holding while stunned deeper into the dungeon as we headed to find some monsters.