Chapter Seventeen Naked in a Labyrinth

Arlie sighed as she held the outfit she’d been given up in front of the mirror. The guardian had shown them a changing room, took their clothes and tossed them inside. So here she stood naked, holding a plain grey top so short it would barely cover her chest, and matching pair of panties

Nearby, Lily squirmed in a similar outfit. “I can’t go out there wearing this!”

Rose giggled and pressed herself against Arlie. “I don’t know Arlie seems to like it.”

Arlie blushed, “Hey! Don’t drag me into this!”

Rose just giggled some more, her hands reaching down. “I don’t know, you seem pretty excited seeing us in these things.”

Lily groaned, “Rose! Stop teasing Arlie!”

“Why? It’s so fun!” But she pulled away regardless.

Arlie pouted a little, she’d actually been enjoying that. As the two sisters started bantering she reluctantly put on the outfit. Then looked back into the mirror and found herself looking at her chest. The fabric strained to contain them, and was so thin that her nipples stood out prominently, even the pink of her areolas was visible. She groaned, “Maybe I should just go naked?”

Rose looked over and grinned, “I don’t know, I think you look pretty sexy in that.”

Lily blinked, then looked down at herself. With her smaller bust the fabric wasn’t so strained, the effect less scandalous, “Um, maybe this isn’t as bad as I thought.”

There was a knock on the door, just before Horon called through the door, “You girl’s done changing?”

Lily blushed, “Um no!?”

“Why is that a question?” inquired Horon through the door.

Rose moved toward the door, and Lily shouted, “Wait! Rose! Don’t...’’

Only it was too late, as Rose threw open the door, revealing them in their outfits. Horon stood there in nothing more than a grey shirt and pants. He blinked, “Um...”

Arlie sighed, “I guess you know now.”

Horon just sputtered a bit, then Thron poked his head in. His face lit up when he saw her. He whistled, “Looking lovely ladies!”

Lily slumped a little, Arlie pulled her into a hug, whispering, “I know.”

Rose giggled, “This is going to be fun!”

Arlie didn’t agree, but it wasn’t like she could back out now. She’d made her choice, but if she had known about this outfit she might have picked another one. Maybe it wasn’t too late to just go naked instead? She glanced at Thron, then again, maybe that would be worse?

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The group stepped through a portal hanging between a pair of pillars and found themselves in a dungeon. Arlie quickly took stock of their position, it was a one way portal so there was no going back. The clothing they wore would offer no protection, it was mundane clothing, far too thin to stop anything. “Alright boys in front, keep your eyes peeled. Until we find some weapons we are going to be relying on my spells.”

“Are you going to be okay without your ring? Don’t you need it...”

“The ring is an aid, a tool, not a requirement. I can cast spells without it, but they will be... weaker.”

Horon sighed, “So fisticuffs and your magic is all we’ve got? Let’s hope we don’t run into anything we can’t handle.”

“If not, we can always try running,” said Thron.

Arlie scoffed, “Has that ever worked for you?”

He groaned, “Don’t remind me.”

Rose poked her head out the door of the room, “There is a corridor out there. No monsters in sight.”

Lily squirmed a little, “That’s good right?”

Arlie looked out, “Well either direction is good, which way?”

The group shared looks and after a moment chose to go left. They didn’t really have any better metric of a direction, but they did know the goal. To pass the test they had to finish the dungeon, all ten floors. This was going to be fun and not in a good way. Arlie just knew it.

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Lady Ange giggled as she came into the room to find the three a little more undressed than needed. The only one who actually had anything still on was Hikaru, but it wasn’t much just a pair of briefs that didn’t hide the fact he seemed blessed down there. “Having some fun, are we?”

Hikaru looked up, “Um? Help?

She chuckled, “Don’t look like you need much help,” she replied while lifting her measuring tools. “Now are you three ready for your measurements?”

Polca turned and spread her arms wide, her bare breasts bouncing a little. As much as her small boobs could anyway, “Yup!”

Ange gave her a second look and then took another look at their flushed faces, “Don’t tell me, you're drunk.”

“Maybe a little.”

She sighed and walked on over. Can’t say this wasn’t the first time she’d dealt with drunken adventurers, but she’d dealt with Polca before. She wasn’t the type to be drunk in the morning hours. Closing on her she started measuring her chest, the length of her limbs, her waist and every other measurement she would need for a good fit. Polca hadn’t changed that much from the last one, but she’d put on a bit of muscle and her breasts were a couple of centimeters larger. Enough of a change and the new measurements were needed. It was why she would do this every time someone needed a new suit. Bodies change with time afterall, so the old measurements might not work.

Eren moved in, bouncing, “Do me!”

“Careful, you know there..”

“Ah, he feels harmless, won’t do a thing.”

“Glad you trust him then.”

Polca suddenly hugged Hikaru, “He was so brave, cutting a swath through those vile Hellfiends! He even cried a bit when he saw the babies.”

Ange blinked, “Um, okay?”

Eren grinned, “Oh he was so cool swinging that sword.”

“I get the idea,” she replied, while measuring Eren best she could. However, the small fox had difficulty staying still. Glancing at Hikaru she commented, “You seem to have a way with the ladies.”

He shuffled awkwardly, “I think we had a little too much to drink.”

“You don’t say.” She replied dryly. “Anyway, your turn.”

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Arlie stepped around the corner, a step behind the boys and paused. They still had yet to find any equipment but it seemed they’d found a monster. Three of them to be precise, they stood about a meter tall with green skin, long ears, limbs that ended in claws and wild eyes, a Goblin or more specifically a Feral Goblin, not to be confused with their more civil kin. The Ferals were wild and dangerous, more importantly, they were practically a different species.

Feral Goblins as she recalled were always male, they wore little and were wild-like animals. They were well known for being horny little bastards, if they captured a girl they’d rape her, but they were also enthralled by anything shiny, coins, jewelry, anything with a shine.

Without missing a beat she started preparing a spell. “Lily, Rose, watch our backs. Boys hold them off.” 

Thron stepped forward quickly just as the ferals charged. He hit the first one with a right hook, then used a low sweep to send the second into the wall. Horon caught the third with three quick jabs to the face. It howled, then tried to strike back with its claws. Horon blocked the attack with another set of quick jabs, while Thron was fighting the other two.

Arlie watched one go flying back after Thron kicked it hard in the belly, albeit not without taking a slash across his shin, fresh blood flowing from the wound. It didn’t slow him though, as he transitioned into several kicks against the other. Arlie let loose her spell, a bolt of lightning shot across the space, hitting the one Thron kicked just as it started getting up. Its body spasmed and cooked on the spot from the force of the blow. The feral didn’t get back up and she started channeling mana for another spell, waiting for an opening.

It wasn’t long before Horon grabbed the one he was fighting and threw it into the wall. It crashed into the wall with a loud crack and she blasted it with lightning. The Feral howled as it was burned to a crisp by the high-power spell. The corpse slumped to the ground, leaving only the last one Thron was dealing with alive.

Horon joined him striking with a well-placed kick, then a solid slug knocking the thing off balance, letting Thron grapple with the smaller goblin. Arlie didn’t need to cast a third spell, as Horon soon killed the final goblin.

Panting the two boys turned back, and Thron noticed his leg, “Hey Arlie? Care to patch me up?”

She sighed. “You know, you need to be a bit more careful.”

Crouching down next to him, she started work on his leg. She didn’t have anything to properly clean it, so she just used her magic. Idly she wished she could use water magic, that would have been helpful, but it seemed the wound closed properly enough.

Closing her palms the healing light she’d been emitting vanished, then she spoke up, “Try not to get hurt too much. I only have so much mana and we don’t have the proper supplies. Worse, this spell can only heal minor wounds.”

Horon commented, “I’ll keep that in mind. How much mana do you have? Is it recovering?”

“Enough for now, and yes, but it recovers faster when I rest.”

“So we have to be careful, got it.”

The twins interjected at the moment, “More monsters, looks like Goblins, and, uh, golems.”

Arlie let out a breath, “Got it,” she looked between the boys. Goblins were one thing but golems were often harder to beat.

She rushed over for a look and cursed, Earth Golems, lesser ones from the look of it. They would be immune to kicks and punches, her spells might damage them but this was a little more than they could handle right now. Horon voiced her thoughts, “We should fall back, take a different path.”

She nodded and the party hurried away from the golems. Looking for a different route. Behind the corridor was filled the wails of howling goblins, the ferals having caught their scent. Two rounded a corner soon after and she hit them with quick cast firebolts. They burst into flames, howling in pain as the party hurried on to avoid the slower but more powerful golems they weren’t equipped to fight.

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Slamming a door behind them the group slumped to the floor, panting. Arlie wasn’t entirely sure where they were, but they’d managed to lose the golems, but not without picking up more goblins than she cared for. Thankfully none of them were evolved, that would have been worse.

Lily, panting said, “Think we lost them?”

Arlie replied, “Maybe? Horon, Thron hold the door.” She looked around, it seemed this side room had some stuff in it.

It was a little dusty, with some broken furniture in the room and more noticeable was the large wooden chest sitting prominently on a raised platform, three pristine white steps leading up to it. She wanted to check the chest out, but first she looked at the debris. “Girl’s help me find something to brace the door with.”

Rose picked up a long piece of wood, “I don’t know, this might make a good weapon.”

Horon commented, “I can use that, there are some bar holders on the door.”

She gave him the wood and he used it to lock the thing closed. Just in time, as something slammed against it. They jumped but the door seemed to hold. Another loud slam echoed as the door was struck again just as hard. A fight was coming, the only question was how long would the door hold. Arlie glanced at the chest, hoping something useful might be in it. Otherwise, they would have to make use of random rocks and lumber.