Chapter 20 - 20: Depths of Desire and Zenoite Chaos (Part 1)

The Zenoite quarry cave's air was thick, its glowing veins casting shadows across the rocky floor where we'd camped after yesterday's beast-slaying chaos. I crouched by a smoldering fire, roasting chunks of Rock Lizard meat from the beast we'd carved up last night, the savory scent making my mouth water almost as much as the view: Bera's skirt riding up as she stretched, Lila's tunic clinging to her earth-shaking curves, and Tira, that fiery minx with her dragon-thigh tattoo, sharpening a dagger with a smirk that screamed trouble. My split-leaf amulet pulsed faintly, probably whining about some ancient ruin, but I muttered, "Stuff it, sparkles. I'm busy drooling."Bera caught my stare, her Beginner Expert Fire aura flaring as she tossed her hair. "Eyes off my hips, Supreme Elf, unless you're buying me a new skirt." Her top strained against her chest, and I grinned, "Worth every coin, fire queen. That midriff's a felony." Lila, Beginner Master Earth, snorted, her hips swaying like a quarry breeze. "Keep gawking, Killyaen. My curves could crush you." Tira, Beginner Master Fire, smirked, her phoenix tattoo peeking from her low-cut vest. "All talk, Beacon Boy. My fire's the real heat." Their banter was my fuel, and I was ready to ignite. Tira's eyes had a glint—plotting something, her chaos a softer mirror of mine. I loved it.I tossed them each a chunk of roasted lizard, the meat dripping juice. "Breakfast, goddesses. Fuel up for beast-slaying and my charm." Bera bit into hers, juice trickling down her chin, and I nearly choked. Lila rolled her eyes, "Pervert." Tira licked her fingers, smirking, "Weak sauce, Killyaen. I'd spice it better." Her gaze flicked to a shadowy corner, and I caught her slipping something there—a trap, no doubt. This firecracker was gunning for me, and I was ready to flip her game.We pushed deeper into the cave, Zenoite glinting like stars in the glow of Luminous Oak shards we'd scavenged yesterday. The first chamber was a pit crawling with ten Rotting Blind Mice, their Darkness aura weak but annoying as hell. Non-sentient, dumber than Gromble spit, their chittering grated my nerves. "Showtime, ladies," I called, drawing my mithril swords—Wind's Rebuke and Thunder's Edge. I slashed two mice clean, dodging their nips as Wind's Rebuke sang. "Pesky rats," I growled, tossing a Moonflower sap vial. It splattered, dazing a cluster, and Lila's Earth Qi spiked three into the ground, her tunic stretching as she flexed. Tira's fireballs roasted four, and Bera's flames charred the rest, their squeals fading."Nice spike, earth queen," I grinned, eyeing Lila's backside. "Almost as sharp as your hips." Lila glared, her aura rumbling. "Keep staring, I'll bury you." Bera laughed, fireballs sizzling a stalactite. "He'd enjoy it." Tira, twirling a dagger, smirked. "Focus, Beacon Boy, or I'll singe that braid." She was circling, her prank brewing. Before I could taunt her, a Zenoite Krovar—Beginner Master Earth, its hide glinting—charged, snarling, "Fleshlings, leave my cave!" I dodged its claw, quipping, "Nice speech, rock-head. Bet I can carve you first." My Heaven Splitter cracked its shoulder, the curse's weight slowing my swing but amplifying the force. Tira's fireballs scorched its flank, Bera's flames lit its tail, and Lila's earth spikes pinned its leg. I finished it with Thunder's Edge, panting. We scavenged its claws, scales, and a Middle-grade Beast Core, plus Zenoite shards from the walls. Tira's smirk sharpened, her trap—a Glowvine-coated tripwire—hidden in the dust. I spotted it, ready to turn the tables.Crossing a rocky bridge, I caught Tira's sway, her trap primed. A snap echoed, and a net of Glowvine and Gromble oil launched—her prank, meant to coat me in glowing goo. I dove, yanking Bera and Lila with me. The net snared them instead, their shrieks echoing as neon goo dripped down their curves, Bera's skirt glowing, Lila's tunic plastered tight. "Supreme Elf strikes again!" I cackled, dodging Bera's fireball and Lila's earth spike. Tira's jaw dropped, her internal shock clear despite her cool smirk. He dodged my trap? No one's outpranked me, she thought, her phoenix tattoo glinting as she laughed, "Not bad, Beacon Boy, but you're still a pervert." Bera, neon-soaked, snarled, "You'll pay, Killyaen!" Lila hissed, "Your fault, Tira!" The three united, their glares promising pain, but I grinned, "Ladies, you're glowing brighter than my fantasies."Tira's prank flopped, and I loved it. Her chaos matched mine, but I was faster—a fact she didn't expect. I tossed a Feather-Tickler Trap, its Flaevyn feathers tickling their faces, sparking shrieks and laughter. "Teamwork, goddesses!" I called, sprinting deeper to dodge their wrath, their neon curves burned into my mind.Deeper in, we hit a beast's lair, a Silver Wolf named Vuk, Middle Master Ice, its howl chilling the air, flanked by two smaller wolves: one Beginner Knight Ice, the other Beginner Expert Ice. "Fancy puppies," I muttered, my swords flashing. Vuk's Ice Qi froze the ground, its pack snapping at my heels. Tira's fireballs melted the frost, Bera's flames scorched the smaller wolves, and Lila's earth wall blocked their lunge. My Heaven Splitter cracked Vuk's shoulder, the curse's pressure draining my stamina but powering the blow. The smaller wolves lunged harder, but we took them down—Tira's fire roasted the Beginner Knight, Lila's spikes crushed the Beginner Expert. Their bodies hit the ground, and we carved their claws, fangs, and Low-grade Beast Cores. Vuk, battered, whimpered, "Mercy, fleshling." I smirked, "Alright, Vuk. Head to Crestmoore, get directions to Opeka village, and guard it. But first, scare the piss out of some guy named Janko—say the Supreme Elf sends his regards." We signed a contract—Vuk's cultivation would drop to Beginner Novice if he bailed, a fate he dreaded. I handed him a letter for Goran, detailing our progress. "Don't screw it up, mutt," I said. He nodded, limping off alone, his pack dead. Tira watched, her smirk softer. "You're a vulture, Beacon Boy," she teased, but her eyes said, He's sharper than I thought. Bera nudged me, her chest brushing my arm. "Stop staring at her tattoo, pervert." Lila scoffed, "No standards." I grinned, "Standards? You three are my goldmine."We camped on a Zenoite slab, Tira stretching, her vest riding up, revealing that tattooed thigh. "Like the view?" she purred. Bera snapped, "My hips outshine that ink!" Lila countered, "My curves crush you both." I quipped, "I'd climb all three mountains," earning a triple glare and a dirt clod to the face. Tira's focus on me was new—her softer chaos zeroing in, and I was hooked. My amulet hummed, but I ignored it, my mind on their curves and the next fight.