The giant ant turned towards the adventurers whilst letting out a high-pitched screech.

“Run!” Demi-Ura shouted at Sargon who was standing there frozen.

Her voice was just enough to wake him from his shock. He turned around and ran towards already fleeing Demi-Uma. He has quickly caught up to her and grabbed her by her hand, locking the fingers. Sargon didn't know why he did so but at that time it seemed something natural one might do.

Just as they were about to enter their that hole in a wall, a wet green ball of sludge hit the right side of the wall; barely missing the two. The green stuff splashed from the wall and some droplets hit Sargon’s exposed skin burning it; that stuff was acid.

“Ouch, it has ranged attack. Weren’t ants supposed to be blind?” He complained and wondered maybe it was the reason why it missed him. Yet he was mistaken most of the ants could see just not very well.

He had no time to think about such things as he was dragged inside the hole by his hand then guided through it all the way back to the tunnel entrance. They stopped there to catch their breath, the [Ant Guardian] was clearly too big to fit through and even if that monster started digging it would take some time.

After a couple more gasps of air Sargon no longer felt as if he was still fleeing from death. He looked down at his hand which was still tightly holding Demi-Ura’s hand. She did not seem too bothered about it but he suddenly felt embarrassed about it so he let the hand go.

“This was fun!” Demi-Ura exclaimed with glee.

Sargon wanted to protest, this recklessness was not his definition of fun. However, he did not want to spoil her fun and said “Yes” way too quietly. Then he brushed his sore skin, he had red patches on his arms and legs which felt like they were on fire.

“Know any healing magic?” Sargon asked fully aware how unrealistic his question was. She wouldn't have had been with no party then he met her if that was the case.

“No.” the answer was an obvious one.

“Then I will need to go to the temple to get all healed up but…” But there was a problem. If he left now it would be hard to find her again. This was because the dungeon layout will be changing and their usual meeting spot will most likely be gone or too hard to find again.

“Yes?” She asked seeing Sargon hesitating.

“How will I find you tomorrow? Are you sure you can’t come with me, just this one time?”

“Can’t.” She sounded certain.

“Then how will I…”

He could not finish his sentence as she cut him off with “I will find you.”

This sounded too convenient to be true and he once again doubted if she was a caster and not a rogue; maybe she was both.

“Okay then see you tomorrow.” He said waving goodbye.

Demi-Ura pointed at the pouch to his side, the one with all the cores they have gathered today.

“Get cookies.”

Sargon knew that most of the money will go to the temple for the healing he needed so badly but he didn't want to disappoint her just yet. In response, he just smiled to her and rushed out of sight past the curve in the wall.

He could have asked her to escort him up for a few floors but he opted not to do so. He was fully able to handle the weak monster by himself and he kind of felt embarrassed to be asking that sort of thing.

It did not take long for him to get out and head straight to the guild house. His wounds were no better, it burned and itched at the same time and if he tried to scratch it only made the things worse.

He exchanged the cores for Shekels and ran straight to the temple to get some healing.

It was the same temple where he used to work as a gardener, so he was well acquittanced with the people there. There was a one person there in particular who he was very well acquittanced with, they were actually childhood friends.

The person in question was priestess who dedicated her service to the water god, so she knew one or two healing spells. However, having a priestess as a friend didn't make the healing free as the money went not to the priestesses but to the temple itself.

He went looking for her and it did not take long to find her in a small library going through the old musky scrolls containing ancient wisdom and knowledge. The only item of clothing covering her modesty was a piece of white cloth fashioned into a sort of dress. White fabric barely contained her ample bosom which looked like it might spill out from the sides at any time, only the tight fitted cloth prevented it. Her sides and hips were left completely uncovered, the inner part of thighs was hidden by the rest of the fabric which dangled lose like a sort of skirt.

Asides from her clothes, she was actually a member of reptile races, a lizardfolk to be precise. This meant that she had green scally skin which was either smooth or rough depending on the area. Atop of her lower back was a long thick tail which helped to improve her balance since differently than humans she actually walked on her toes and not the soles. Her already slim waist looked even more narrow thanks to her massive rump and thick legs. The tips of her toes and fingers had sharp and sturdy claws, a natural weapon of sorts. Her head was similar to that of a lizard but her big blue eyes and blonde hair closely resembled that of a human.

“Hello, Lilith.” Sargon interrupted the priestess reading.

“Sargon! I have missed you.” She turned around and made him feel uncomfortable by him pressing her body tightly to his, she was getting too close. “How have you been?” She asked.

“Ouch” Sargon yelped, his wounds sore.

“You are injured!” She let the boy out of her embrace and inspected his wounds. “I told you that Babel is a dangerous place. I knew this will happen”. She said as if scolding him, but her tone carried no hostility.

“Yes, yes. I know what I have signed for. Can you heal me, I have already plaid at the reception?” He showed a carved wooden token as proof even though he did not need to do so since she trusted him.

“Sure, but while I do it tell me how did you get blistered so badly.” She put her hands on his wounds gently activating her healing spell. The blisters were shrinking and turning to normal skin, but it was slow and will take a lot of time.

The two were in close proximity of each other and touching. He was getting healed, a normal treatment, but the closeness of their faces made Sargon slightly uncomfortable. He momentarily gazed at the sky blue eyes and then briefly went through today's adventure.

“You smashed the baby eggs? Isn’t that a bit too cruel?” She asked while frowning.

“Amm… Yes. It’s a part of being an adventurer, I guess.” He could not really find a good justification for his actions and just brushed it off.

“You know, you could have sold them instead, right?” Lilith said while looking at Sargon intently.

He had a hunch that he should have.

“But at that time destroying them was a better option.” He reasoned. Not that he could have taken them all out to surface to sell anyway.

“At that time, maybe, but you need to look more into the future. You could have marked the nest’s location and then gotten more adventures to help transport the eggs sharing the profit.”

“You are right.” Somehow, he couldn’t think of this at that time, but now it sounded like an obvious thing to do. Of course, at that moment, he failed to remember that the dungeon layout will be changing so that was not an option either. His eyes and the globes he was seeing were clouding his judgment.

“You took small immediate gain instead of big future one. I thought you are better than that and can plan ahead.”

Sargon felt as if he was being lectured. He brushed it off as Lilith doing her thing out of habit as a temple priestess; she often lectured small children. Priestesses also took a role as teachers here. Temples hoarded various knowledge and priestesses were between the very small minority of people who could read and write.

Lilith noticed that she had irritated Sargon so she changed the topic instead “So how is your new companion?”

“She is very cool, albeit a bit antisocial.” He said while feeling up his arm which was completely healed, his legs were next.

“Ohhh… it is a she after all. You have forgotten to mention that it was a girl.”

“it wasn’t important.”

“Really? Tell me more about her.” Lilith sounded irked by a fact that it was a female.

She lowered her head and moved her hands to heal his legs. She was kneeling down and the type of her attire meant that she was in a precarious position. Sargon could see more of her bosom than he should have. As a man he did so; averting his gaze was not an option.

The boy brushed the thoughts about her ever-growing chest and considered what he should tell about his partner. He did not know that much about her, to begin with. Demi-Ura was not the one who talked much, unlike certain someone.

He told the little he knew and Lilith ‘hmm’ed and ‘ahh’ed as she listened. She clearly was pretending not to care too much about his partner but the fact that she was concentrating more on listening than healing proved otherwise.

“Very suspicious.” She concluded then Sargon finished. “And it seems you are with her just because of convenience, are you not?”

Sargon hatted to admit it but having Demi-Ura was definitely very convenient as she was more experienced and so much better at navigating the maze-like dungeon floors. However, he did not want it to be the case, he did not want their relationship to be just something convenient one might have. He wanted to form a bond certain parties would have, where they could die for each other.

“No. We are a proper party. It is just that we have formed up recently”

“Maybe so.” Lilith finished healing the last of the blisters “All done, feeling better?” She asked raising her chin and catching Sargon staring inappropriately.

She smiled at catching him doing something like that. She was not angry about something stupid like that. Yet still, Sargon might have had a different idea as his head jerked and his face became tinted red; probably out of embarrassment.

“Y-Yes, thank you.” He met her eyes properly this time and continued “Your skills are amazing. It would be brilliant to have someone like you in my party.” Sargon did not know why he said that so suddenly, probably out of being still flustered. He knew what he just has said was only wishful thinking.

If Lilith wanted to change careers, she could have done so years ago. And even now she would be more than welcome to join a good and experienced team, there was no need to party with a newbie like himself.

Instead of laughter or some sort of deflection, Sargon heard Lilith responding in a serious tone “I will consider it.”

“Eh?! Really!”

“I would not mind joining your adventures. Also, I would be able to keep an eye on you making sure you don’t hurt yourself likes this. Ever since you left the temple I don't see you that often anymore… It is not the same here. I don't feel the same.” This was her way of telling him that she missed him.

Sargon did not know how to respond. He wanted her to join his party but also he knew how much being a priestess meant for the Lilith. If she left, she would not be able to come back.

“Can you really do that? Forfeit being the priestess?”

“I do not know. That’s why I've said that I will consider it. I will tell you once I know it.”

Sargon sighted knowing how fickle and undeceive women can be, it could take decades until she gave him a clear answer. So instead Sargon changed the topic again and they have chatted for a bit more before he went back to his place.

Once back he could not relax or get any rest at all. He pondered and mused how the hell he will find his companion again. And even if he does, how will he have to weasel his way of not bringing any cookies. He spent almost all of the Shekels on healing.

He will have to do something about that tomorrow.