Is it wrong to cultivate in the dungeon?

Chapter 29

I made my way through the dimming streets of Orario while glancing down to check the map I had in hand. The streetlights slowly came on and gave me plenty of light to read as I made my way to the job the Ishtar familia recommended. The map wasn’t too detailed, but the landmarks were easy enough to line up despite that.

I was slowly making my way to a part of the city I hadn’t visited before, and I updated my mental map as I went along. Well, even if this job doesn’t work out, I would have explored the city some more, so that was already a win in my book.

As I walked through the streets, I realized just how little the city slept. It wasn’t as busy as the cities from my world; the lack of cars made it almost peaceful in comparison. But there was still a shocking number of people out.

Hmm, then again, the sun went down only a few minutes ago. I shouldn’t be so surprised. They are probably going out to get dinner or just heading home after the workday. It’s not like it’s three in the morning or anything.

I weaved my way through the crowd, letting my thoughts roam about before I reached a stone archway in the path. I walked through, wondering why it was there before I stopped, as I stared at the sight.

The once faint yellow lighting had turned red with soft pinks and purples. The air was laced with wine, perfume, and something else that I couldn’t quite place, while the people were much more energetic and lively. They talked in loud voices while gesturing wildly towards those they were with.

They stumbled around, most of them obviously drunk, striking up conversations with anyone they ran into before they were pulled away. The person pulling them away varied between the friends that they were with before, or the person they were just talking to.

The smell, the lighting, and the noise all assaulted my senses and made me dizzy for a moment as I took the shift in atmosphere.

Still, as I recovered and resumed my walk using my map, I couldn’t help but notice a certain pattern emerging. 

There were lines of people, both women and men, lined up on the side of the street, calling out to those passing by with some very explicit offers. They all wore very little clothing and seemed very eager to drag whoever they got their hands on into the buildings they were waiting in front of. 

I had to dodge a few offers from them myself as I slowly realized this job may have been slightly different than what I had in mind. The vision of me just serving some drinks at a bar was slowly being replaced with something a bit more naughty.

Which I didn’t like all that much. The obvious sexual advances were slowly starting to get on my nerves and give me the ick. Seriously, you can only hear so many innuendos from strange women before you get sick of it.

The less said about the men who decided to try their luck when they saw me decline the women, the better. I was attracted to women, damnit! Just because I didn’t jump at the first chance to fuck and suck doesn’t mean I was gay!

I mean, for heaven’s sake, they aren’t even that hot!

Now, I wouldn’t have said yes even if they were hot. I value romance too much to just sleep with anyone, but I have to admit I would have been a little less annoyed if they were hot. Still, despite my annoyance, I did notice a pattern emerge.

I did notice that there were a lot of Amazons among the crowd, with humans being a close second. I think I saw a few beast people, but I couldn’t be sure.

I still haven’t seen an elf, and I was beginning to lose hope that I ever would. Maybe I do have to go back to that forest and risk being turned into a pincushion to finally meet one.

I’ll do it when I’m stronger. For now, I weaved my way through the streets and arrived at my destination. The Belit Babili, the sign said, which matched the destination on my map. 

It was an upscale building with three floors that had a constant slew of people coming in and out. The sides were carved with swirls that reminded me of sandstorms, while there were a lot of windows, each having a purple curtain that let just a little bit of light through.

I looked at the building, looked back at my map to confirm that I was supposed to be here and not somewhere else, before nodding. Yep, this was the place. 

It didn’t seem like the other establishments I had passed on the way here, since there wasn’t anyone selling their services at the entrance. Nope, from what I could tell, most everyone went in to just get drunk.

Then again, there was a lot of room on the other floors. They could just be running a hotel, but I’m not sure that was right, just based on the vibe everywhere else had here.

I looked at it and debated whether I should go in or not. On one hand, it did look more like a bar that served drinks. On the other hand, I didn’t want to get involved with that type of business at all.

I stood outside with my arms crossed, a slight scowl on my face as I debated my options. I kept flipping back and forth, trying to make a decision, when a voice called out and startled me from my thoughts.

“Ah, no way! Is that Leon? You came!” Layla’s voice sounded out before the woman herself appeared before me, smiling widely.

She was still wearing barely any clothing, but it had more see-through garments that covered her stomach and hips. She also seemed to have switched out her weapon for jewelry that clattered against each other when she walked.

“Hi, Layla. Yep, I figured I'd try out the job to see if I liked it or not before heading to bed,” I said lightly, making up my mind to at least give it a try since I’ve walked over here.

“That's great! Come on in, let’s get you in uniform,” Layla said happily before lightly taking my hand and pulling me into the building. I didn’t fight it, though I felt kinda itchy since I realized it looked exactly like what I had been seeing at the other establishments.

Layla guided me into the building, and the interior was nicer than I was expecting. The room was nicely lit with mood lighting, the bar was well stocked and taken care of by a bartender in a suit, and there was someone playing piano over in the corner. 

Most of the tables had people sitting in groups, eating and drinking, while waiters and waitresses milled about bringing everyone food. Most of the guests were in groups, and looking a bit closer at the Qi around them, were adventurers as well.

The whole place reminded me of one of those speakeasies. Mildly classy, yet casual enough that you didn’t feel suffocated by the atmosphere. It had a different feel to the clubs my friends dragged me to back home, but I didn’t hate it.

As we kept walking, I noticed that there were two areas sectioned off by curtains. One had a lot of male guests walking into it, and the other had a lot of female guests walking into it. Layla guided us toward the one where all the female guests were walking in.

Past the curtains was another sitting area, with small tables in the centers of circular booths that had men and women drinking and talking. The men wore professional suits that were well cleaned and poured drinks for the women, who were dressed more casually.

I guess this is where I’ll be working. I kept glancing around as we walked toward another door in the corner, labeled ‘Staff’, before being ushered into the back hall, where a bunch of men and women dressed in nice clothing milled about.

Layla stopped in front of another door labeled “men's dressing room” before gently pushing me forward and saying, “Go in and find an empty locker. There will be a uniform for you to change into and a small safe where you can keep any personal belongings. After you get changed, come back out, and I’ll give you the rundown.”

“Ah, got it,” I replied a bit late as the door had already closed, leaving me alone and giving me a moment to catch my breath. Alright, I’m here. It doesn't seem to be a brothel, let’s give this a shot.

The changing room was empty, with the muffled sounds from the halls and drinking rooms being my only companions as I slowly made my way through the room. The lockers were wooden cabinets with a small keyhole on the side, and each one had a number plate on it.

About halfway down the row, there were open cabinets, which I made my way over to and peeked inside to see a few cleaned uniforms sitting on shelves. The shelves had the size on them, which wasn’t as helpful since they weren’t the same size as my old world.

I had to go through a few of them, but I eventually found one that fit nicely and quickly changed into it. Afterwards, I threw my casual clothes into my ring and shut the cabinet before taking the key that was in the keyhole and locking it, marking it taken.

I wasn’t going to leave my necklace, ring, or even my clothes in there when I could carry all of them quite easily. Also, I didn’t trust this place's security, not when the wood looked like it would break if I punched it lightly. 

And that was before I started cultivating. Seriously, I’m pretty sure a normal person could break through the cabinets, so how that is supposed to protect against adventurers is a mystery to me. 

I straightened my new suit and turned to check myself in the mirror. I stopped my movements as I realized it had been a while since I saw myself. My hair had gotten longer, my skin tanner, and my muscles more defined.

I don’t think I had gotten more ‘refined’ though, as a lot of cultivation novels like to put it. I was still me, and I was strangely comforted by that. I flashed a small smile, checked the suit one last time before nodding and stepping out into the hallway to meet Layla.

“Ah, Leon! That looks great on you!” Layla said as she looked me up and down before she smiled.

“Thank you. I think it’s a big snug around the arms, but other than that it’s very comfortable,” I replied, fidgeting with the sleeves a bit.

“I’m glad. It’s made of some of the finest fabric we could afford. Got to be comfortable while you’re serving the customers,” She said and gestured to her own outfit. 

My gaze naturally went down, and I gotta admit, it was probably very comfortable considering how little cloth there was. Fabric can’t make you uncomfortable if it isn’t there to begin with.

“Speaking of which, can you give me a little detail about what I’m supposed to do?” I asked, changed the topic, and focused on her face again.

“Ah, of course. Come, follow me, and I’ll explain on the way,” She made a small come here motion with her hand before turning down the hall back where we came from. 

“So, it’s pretty simple, all things considered. The guest will sit down with you and order some drinks and food. Your job is to refill their cup when it gets empty, feed them if they ask for it, and just have a nice conversation with them. You get tips from them if they are happy with you, and we give you a ten percent commission on the wine that you get them to drink. So, try and get them to drink a lot!” She explained easily before we arrived at the sitting room again. 

“Do I have to eat and drink too?” I asked as she brought me to an empty booth and guided me to sit down. The seat was plush leather that seemed to cradle me as I leaned back.

“Only if the guests want you to, otherwise best to avoid it. Some of the guests will give you some, others will just eat and drink on their own. So, just go with the flow, and you’ll be alright,” Layla said before turning and gesturing to an adventurer standing by the entrance.

“Here’s your first client. She’s a bit of a regular, so she knows all the rules and shouldn’t give you too much trouble. Remember, be casual and try to get her to relax as much as possible. It’s why they come here after all,” Layla said before the client made her way over, and Layla turned to face her with a bright smile.

“Lena, this is Leon, he’s new here. Leon, this is Lena. Show her a good time. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” Layla said before she disappeared around a corner somewhere, leaving the two of us alone.

She was an Amazon woman, a bit on the shorter side, with a white bikini covered by an open orange and yellow vest with a similar piece of cloth serving as a ‘skirt’. She wore golden hoop earrings, a golden collar, and a necklace with a blue gemstone on it.

All in all, she looked pretty, with that usual Amazon flair they all seemed to have. Also, no shoes, once again. Well, she was an adventurer, level one by the looks of it, so I guess she didn’t need to worry about cutting her feet up.

We looked at each other, and I flashed a bright smile which she hesitantly returned. Alright, show time. 

“Lena, was it? It's great to meet you. As Layla said, I’m Leon, and I’m new here, but I’ll make sure you have a great time. So, can I offer you a drink?” I got up slightly and gestured at the spread of alcohol on the table.

“O-oh, yes! That would be great! And it’s nice to meet you too, Leon,” Lena stuttered a bit before sitting down next to me and starting making small talk.

It was slow at the start, Lena slowly sipping some beer and picking at a bread dish as we slowly got more and more comfortable with each other.

Or as she got more comfortable with me, I should say. She was rather tense when she first sat down and was constantly looking around like something was gonna grab her.

But after a few beers and a solid dinner in her stomach, she started to relax. Her shoulders untensed, her eyes started to focus on me rather than the room, and she actually started to smile a bit.

Perfect!

I reached over and grabbed another bottle of alcohol, checking the label, which seemed to be some sort of white wine, before pouring some in her cup and placing it back. She gulped it down with gusto and continued to talk.

“It’s just been so hard lately, you know? First, there was the whole thing with the lightning that my goddess still won’t tell me about, and now my familia is being annoying! It’s just too much,” She complained.

“Oh, no, that’s not good. What’s the matter with your familia?” I asked after I refilled her cup and watched as Lena took a few sips before responding.

“O-oh, you know… the usual stuff really. My captain asked me to do something crazy, and I’m not quite sure if I can handle it,” Lena replied, her face scrunched up in displeasure and worry. She then looked at her cup again before downing all of it in one go. 

Oh, damn. She's stressed. Alright, this might be an uphill battle, but nothing that can’t be solved with alcohol.

“Wow, that sounds rough. Do they usually do that to you?” I asked with as much concern and empathy in my voice as I could muster as I poured her another cup.

“Lately, it seems like it’s happening more and more often. Honestly, I don’t know how to handle it at times. Like, I’m so glad that I’m in the familia, but I feel like things are changing lately,” She sighed despondently before taking a few more gulps of her cup.

“Oh dear, that’s never good. Did something change to make it like that?” I asked, leaning a bit closer to check how much she had left in her cup. Oh damn, she drank a lot of it. 

Better fill her up again.

“No, it was all some new girl’s fault. Actually, it was two of them! They came in, and everyone started losing their minds! Meanwhile, I’m here just trying to do things like normal, but that’s not enough anymore,” She exclaimed, her shoulders loosening as she gestured broadly in the air. 

“What did they do to upset you so much?” I asked, genuinely curious. 

“Well, listen to this! This first girl, okay, she just came out of nowhere and has this suuuper special magic that everyone's obsessed over. She was brought personally by my goddess, and everyone just fawns over her. She’s a sweet girl, I like her a lot actually, I’m just annoyed that they all seem to focus on her nowadays,” Lena explained between sips of wine.

Hmm, maybe I should switch back to beer. I’m almost done with the wine bottle. Oh, wait, maybe I should try this!

I had found a hard liquor among the bottles as I was looking for something to switch her out since the wine was almost gone. I didn’t recognize the name of it, but the alcohol percentage was higher, and thus, the price was steeper. 

Meaning the more she drank of this, the more I was going to get paid. Sorry, Lena, but I do need to make some money tonight.

“It’s good that she is a sweet girl. Maybe you could even be friends with her? That way, you could get some of the attention too,” I suggested as I opened the new bottle and poured a little in her now-empty cup.

“Hm, it would be kinda hard though. The other new girl is nearly inseparable from her. She’s nice too, but she told my goddess something, and that’s when the executives lost their minds,” Lena grumbled, took a sip of the drink I just gave her, and raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“Hey, this is really good! Give me another cup, you've got to try this,” She said excitedly as she reached over the table to grab a spare cup.

She made it about halfway there before she lost her balance and fell backwards. I quickly shot out my arm to wrap around her shoulders and pull her toward me to steady her.

“Wow, easy there. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt trying to get something as silly as a cup,” I said worriedly, feeling her still sway gently against me despite my arm on her shoulders.

“No, Leon, you don’t understand! It’s sooo good! You have to try some,” She reiterated before her gaze wandered down to her own cup.

She stared at it for a few moments before her eyes lit up in excitement, and she brought it up toward me. The liquor in it splashed around violently as she did so, but luckily, she didn’t spill it.

“Here, drink from mine then! It’s great, I promise,” She said happily, and I was left a little dumbfounded on how to respond.

“Ah, alright, alright. Let me just reach over and get my own cup-” I started to say, only to get cut off, and Lena grabbed the hand I had around her shoulders, which kept me from leaning over far enough to get a new cup.

“No, you can’t let go of me! If you do, I’ll fall. You don’t want me to fall, do you, Leon? I could get hurt,” Lena whined, which made me stop and just stare at her.

Her face was flushed, though it was hard to tell since her skin was dark to begin with, and she had a giggling smile on her face. She started up at me through half-lidded eyes and offered her cup again.

Yep, she’s absolutely hammered. Not only that, but she’s a clingy drunk. I could pry my hand off her; she wasn’t that strong, but that would mean potentially upsetting her, and that’s the last thing I want to do.

Upset customers don’t leave tips after all.

Glancing around, I was shocked to find that almost all the other hosts were in similar positions to me. Their guests had clung to their arms, or they had their arms wrapped around the guests' shoulders, and they were all drinking as well. Some of them from the client’s cup, others nursing their own.

Well, when in Rome, do as the Romans do, I suppose. I glanced back down at the cup Lena was offering me and gently took it before taking a sip.

The flavor of strong alcohol flooded my tongue, and I almost grimaced due to how strong it was. It was only after that that I got to enjoy a rather nice aftertaste. It didn’t taste like anything from my old world, though I didn’t hate it.

“So, how is it? Good, right?” Lena asked eagerly when she saw me take a sip.

“Yep, you’re right! It’s really good,” I admitted freely, which made Lena smile smugly at me and preen.

“Told ya! I know my alcohol, and this is some good stuff. Make sure you drink it while you can, it's hard to come by,” She said as if she had won a great victory in proving I liked the taste.

It was kinda funny. I’m glad she was a fun drunk. I don’t think I could handle someone if they got mean or sad. 

“I’ll be sure to take a few sips. Still, you were telling me about the new girls at your familia?” I said, clumsily trying to divert the conversation away from my drinking. That shit was strong, and the less I drank of it, the better.

Luckily, Lena was too drunk to notice my terrible attempt to change topics as she happily went back to talking, “Yeah, them! Get this, this new girl comes in and whispers something to my goddess and the executives, and then they are all scrambling!”

“Even more so than with the other new girl, with the super special magic?” I asked, excitement burning inside of me at the mention of magic. Sure, I have my Qi, and I guess that’s kinda magic if you think about it, but I wanted to know what they called magic here. 

“Yes! I didn’t think it was possible, but she told them something, I don’t know what, and they were suddenly a blur of activity and stuff. They made everyone go around and look for something, but they never told me what it was. I was too low level to help out, apparently,” Lena whined some more as she drank more.

“Wow, that sucks. They totally should have let you help out a little!” I said and got an enthusiastic nod in return.

“Right?! That’s what I’m saying! At least let me be in the loop if you don’t want me looking for something. Curiosity is killing me!” Lena pouted and kicked her feet a little, which made the table shake.

“Yeah, I can see why. Still, what about the other new girl? Did they tell you about her super special magic?” I caught a bottle that was about to fall over as I asked. 

I somehow managed to pull my arm back from her shoulder, only for her to lock arms with me and lean on my shoulder as soon as I did so.

Well, at least this is more comfortable than before. Still, she had better not sip anything on me.

“No, they won’t tell me that either. Only that she’s super important, and it's good that she’s here to help us in the future. They said that once I get to level two, then I can find out,” she said, depressed, to which I felt the same.

I wanted to know about magic in this world, but if she doesn’t know, then she doesn’t know. Hmm, maybe I’ll go to the library and find a book about it. Now that I know for sure it exists, I have to research it.

After that, Lena and I talked about a lot of other things, mostly about how she was doing in the dungeon and getting stronger. I also couldn’t avoid drinking more of the alcohol, which let me get buzzed for the first time since I came to this world.

Still, I was careful not to drink too much and remained aware of everything. Something that could not be said for Lena, who had completely lost herself in the alcohol at this point.

I was worried she was drinking too much, but she didn’t pass out or start slurring her words until well after midnight. 

The clock had just struck one when, finally, Lena was too drunk to continue and was taken upstairs to rest in a room. I meanwhile got a new client.

I thought about not taking her, but I wasn’t that tired, nor was I drunk. Meaning I was still able to work and get some money. Besides, when they were guiding Lena upstairs, they told me they had rooms set aside for the staff, so I could just sleep here.

My next client was another Amazon with short silver hair and wearing less than Lena somehow. She was just rocking a white bikini with blue outlines on it. She had hoop earrings on and was level two.

Her name was Samira, and she was a lot rougher around the edges than Lena. She wasn’t as quick to talk about her familia, but she did seem very eager to talk about her fighting techniques. 

I mostly just listened to her ramble on about how fighting with her hands and feet was the best, and I was struck with the realization that I had found a fellow martial artist.

Well, not like a cultivator, but she was someone who didn’t like using weapons and preferred to just punch things. My kind of warrior right there.

Hence, I could say that I did learn a bit from her, even if most of it was just theory. She was mostly talking about how she focused mostly on reading her opponent and counterattacking once the time was right. 

I felt something tickle in the back of my head, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. My mind was a bit cloudy, and it was starting to get harder to focus on everything. Still, I made a note of it to think about it more when I was sober.

Despite my failing mental state, I was still able to outlast Samira as she drank herself below the table and soon went upstairs to get a room of her own.

By that point, it was past four in the morning, and the sitting area was practically deserted. I was dead tired and could hardly follow the directions Layla gave me to my guest room.

I don’t even remember the conversation I had with Layla at that point. I was pretty sure she showed up after some other staff took Samira away to the room, but when she got there was a mystery. 

I’m pretty sure she was pretty sloshed herself, though. Her face was flushed, and her words were very slurred from what I remember talking to her.

Rough night for everyone, it seems. So, I was very glad to see a big bed and crash into its embrace of soft blankets and plush pillows.

And then, probably because I was drunk and tired at this point, I started to cry. I just lay in bed, clutched the pillow, and let my tears flow outwards as I realized something.

I missed this.

I missed having a bed to sleep on, I missed having fluffy and clean pillows and blankets, I missed having drunk conversations and making new friends, I missed my friends who would have loved the mystery liquor I drank.

I missed everything, and this had somehow reminded me of all the fun and stupid nights my friends used to have bar hopping.

But they were gone. I was just drinking with random strangers for money since I was practically broke and had slept in a proper bed for months!

Heavens, it sounds so bad when I put it like that.

I eventually felt my vision go dark as I sniffed into my pillow. Memories of my friends dancing in my mind as I slowly drifted back to dreamland. 

Hopefully, I can see them there. At least then, I can say goodbye to them.

==========================

Yay! Chapter done.

Leon is allowed a drunken cry every once in a while. I let the dude get some of his pent-up emotions out. It’s a balance, I think. Too many stories just kinda brush aside the psychological toll it would have on you to get ripped away from everything and everyone you’ve ever known and then tossed into a world far more dangerous than your own.

On the other hand, plenty of stories get bogged down in it, too. They don’t let the protagonist ever move on or get better, and it kinda takes over the whole story. 

I’m trying to balance it, but I’m sure I could be doing it better. Please let me know what you think and how I’m doing, and I’ll consider that as I write more of these scenes.

Anywho, my current goal is to update at least twice a month. That means I should post at least once more in February, hopefully two more, but let’s not get too hasty there. I just have less time to write than when I first started this story, but it’s not gonna get dropped or anything.

I have plenty of ideas and a pretty good idea of how this arc is going to be. Hell, I currently plan to be about a third of the way done with the whole story in a couple of chapters. That may lessen to about one fourth depending on some things, but my point is that I have ideas for where we are going, and how long it’s going to take for us to get there.  Which is how a lot of fanfictions die, they simply run out of ideas or don’t know where to go from where they are.

I don’t have that problem; the only issue is that I can’t write as much as I would like to nowadays. So yeah, this is pretty safe from being dropped. The only reason I bring this up is that some people DM’d me, and I just wanted to put that out for everyone. 

I’m slow, but I’ll get it done. Eventually. 

That’s all from me. Sorry for the mini rant, just wanted to address concerns. 

Until next time, Friends!