"Welcome," a male voice draws me out of my reverie as I step into the room, Anastasia walking beside me.
Inside the room, there is only a Level 12 Slave Merchant and a red-haired girl seated on a chair. As soon as the Slave Merchant greets me, the girl promptly stands up.
"H-Huge!" I blurt out, my voice much louder than the earlier comment I had unintentionally murmured under my breath.
And how could I not? The woman—no, the girl, I should say—is absolutely enormous!
[Vesta
Villager Level 2]
Vesta. I had recognized her instantly the moment I entered the room. I had read about her in the original story and even seen her in the anime. While I already knew she was supposed to be tall, seeing her in person surpassed even my wildest imagination.
She towers over me by a full head; the top of my head barely reaches her shoulder. And that is after my recent growth spurt, courtesy of my level-up system. By my estimate, she is well over two meters—easily 6 feet 6 inch or taller! She is probably on par with those towering NBL players back on Earth.
"She is certainly very... tall," Anastasia comments from beside me, craning her neck slightly to look up at the towering girl. She even steps back a little to avoid straining herself further.
"Nice to meet you," the tall girl says softly, bowing politely before both of us.
...My mind went blank for a moment.
There was one detail that had been literally right in front of my eyes this entire time, something I had been consciously avoiding looking at. But the moment she bowed, it became impossible to ignore.
Her HUGE breasts!
In fact, half of my earlier exclamation had definitely been because of those enormous breasts! They were like two perfect watermelons attached to her chest, and as she bowed, those enormous breasts... moved enormously! They jiggled in a way that was almost hypnotic!
Glorious! I shouted internally, barely resisting the urge to ask her to bow again—just so I could see that mesmerizing motion one more time. The thought of watching her run in this outfit crossed my mind, and it was a struggle to keep my composure.
She wore a sleeveless white blouse with a daring design that showed off an ample portion of her cleavage. It wasn't hard to imagine that with just a simple tug, those magnificent breasts would spill out completely.
This sly slave merchant definitely knew how to highlight her... advantages.
"Her name is Vesta. She is from the Dragonkin tribe and has just turned 15, making her eligible to be sold. That is why I brought her here," the Slave Merchant explains with a smile, though my gaze remains fixed on Vesta.
"Vesta," I murmur, gazing up at her face. Her light brown skin radiates a healthy glow, and her face, smaller than her massive breasts, is framed by short red hair. Her striking red eyes, the same vivid shade as her hair, give her an air of elegance, making her look undeniably cute despite her towering stature.
I recall Vesta's role in the original story. She was the fifth party member that Michio had recruited in the original story, following Roxanne, Sherry, and Miria. Like now, he had first encountered her at an auction. However, based on the timeline, I know Michio hadn't attended this auction but a later one, months from now.
I had been skeptical about finding Vesta here. She might not have come of age yet for this auction—15 was the minimum legal age to be sold as a slave in this world. But then again, this is an Alternate Universe of the story, so deviations like this should have been expected.
Honestly, I should feel lucky—not only that I chose to participate in this auction but also that her gender wasn't cruelly swapped to a male in this AU!
"Vesta, are you willing to fight in the Labyrinths?" I ask, locking eyes with her striking red ones.
"Yes, I believe I should be able to hold my own," she replies, trying to sound confident. Her soft voice and polite demeanour take the edge off the height difference between us. Without those traits, anyone might mistake her for being condescending simply because she is speaking from so far above. It might have definitely felt like she is looking down on the person.
"The Dragonkin tribe is renowned for their combat abilities," the Slave Merchant interjects. "Although Vesta herself has not been specifically trained for that purpose. Her combat potential is still among the best in my establishment."
Through Appraisal, I can see her level is just Villager Level 2. Clearly, she has almost no experience in fighting or exploring labyrinths, just like in the original story.
"Have you been to a labyrinth before?" I ask her with a friendly smile.
"No, but I have killed a monster outside the labyrith. I wasn't hurt at all when the monster hit me, so I don't think I will have any problems fighting in a labyrinth," she replies with a small grin, trying to appear confident.
I recall my first encounter with a monster outside of a labyrinth which was also my first day in this world—a slow rabbit. Even at Level 1, it had been a struggle to kill without Durandal. I vividly remember the sharp, burning pain from the one time it managed to hit me.
But her claim makes me pause. Did she really not feel anything from a monster's attack? I glance at her slender arms and long legs. Though lean, she has thick thighs and broad hips, giving her an appeal surpassing the tall fashion models from runway shows back in my world.
It is then I notice a detail I must have overlooked before, probably because I hadn't been paying enough attention to that Dragonkin man earlier. Protrusions extend slightly from the outer part of her forearms—a unique trait of the Dragonkin tribe, no doubt.
"Also, there are a few things you should know about Dragonkin," the slave trader interjects kindly. "They are not nocturnal by nature, so it's best to avoid having them fight late at night; they won't be of much use. Additionally, their diet requires some unique components, which you will need to account for."
His explanation matches the original story. He is definitely a kind and conscientious slave merchant, much more thorough than the one who was selling that Dragonkin man earlier without bothering to mention any of these important details.
"Is there something she can't eat?" Anastasia asks the merchant curiously.
"No, I can eat anything, so any kind of food will be fine for me," Vesta replies with a wry smile. "However, members of the Dragonkin tribe need to consume volley at least once every ten days," she adds.
"Volley is an item dropped by Oyster Shells in the labyrinth," the slave merchant explains. "You can either hunt Oyster Shells yourself to obtain it or purchase it directly from the Guild. Dragonkin, especially the females, become physically weak if they don't consume volley regularly. If you are planning to take her into the labyrinth and want her to perform at peak physical condition, you will need to make sure she gets her intake of volley," he adds earnestly.
This merchant clearly recognizes that I am serious about buying her. His thoroughness reflects that. Not that I am doing much to hide my interest—my inability to take my eyes off her isn't exactly subtle.
If I recall correctly from the original story, Oyster Shells are Boss monsters, superior versions of Clamshells. Clamshells are aquatic demons typically found in the second half of the labyrinth, starting from the 12th floor onwards.
It is certainly strange that an entire species would depend so heavily on a specific item found only in the labyrinth. In my previous life, I had never heard of any connection between dragons and oysters, so I can't make sense of it. There must be some deeper reason for this dependency, but I will shelve that mystery for now. Maybe I can even ask Sherry about it later.
"It's no trouble for me to buy it," I say with a nod. Since we are currently on the 6th floor, it will probably take about a week to reach the necessary floors. Once we are there, we can start grinding for the Oyster Shell boss and its drops.
"Customer, I can assure you that she is a virgin, and she has consented to becoming a sex slave," the Slave Merchant whispers as he steps closer. "She has just turned 15, making this her first year of slavery. If you decide to buy her, I am confident you will thoroughly enjoy your time with her. Don't you think so?" He grins slyly.
I let my eyes travel over Vesta, starting at her long legs, then up to her thick thighs, her slim waist, and finally her massive breasts—easily larger than Lillia's or Roxanne's. My gaze settles on her beautiful face. She is tall, strikingly so. With her height, her curves, and her pretty face, she is a complete package.
Now I understand why people were obsessed with taller girlfriends in my past life. There is just more of her to touch, to feel, to caress. Also the thought of a towering, statuesque woman like her kneeling and giving me head or lying beneath me stirs something primal inside!
It must feel like scaling a mountain… and conquering it. Ugh, I have to reel in my thoughts; they are definitely getting out of hand. But seriously, just looking at her makes it impossible not to imagine... the sex that I will have with her!
"Well, I am definitely buying her," I say, grinning confidently.
"You have made an excellent choice, customer-san," the Slave Merchant replies with a satisfied smile.
Vesta looks genuinely stunned. "Thank you for considering me," she says, bowing deeply. Her ample breasts jiggle with the motion, nearly derailing my focus.
Damn it, she is tempting me to grab them right now!
Anastasia on the other hand remains silent besides me, showing no visible reaction to my choice.
"Vesta, let me welcome you to my family in advance," I declare, looking into her eyes with conviction. "Just hang tight for a few hours, and I will take you home." This is not just a promise to her—it's a vow to myself. I cannot afford to miss out on her. She is a canon waifu, after all.
"Uh… alright, thank you," she replies, her cheeks flushing a cute shade of red.
I grin and give the Slave Merchant a nod before turning to leave, Anastasia trailing silently behind me.
"Thank you for your time," the Slave Merchant says, bowing again.
"Thank you very much," Vesta adds, bowing as well. Her semi-bared breasts moves tantalizingly with the motion.
"Don't bow to anyone else from now on," I tell her firmly, pausing in the doorway. Her bow felt rehearsed, like a receptionist greeting a customer. "No one here is going to outbid me or take you away, so there is no need to sell yourself or try to flatter anyone else anymore," I add with a confident smile.
The Slave Merchant smirks at my words.
"Uh, alright," Vesta replies, her gaze dropping to the floor. "I will just tell the others that I can't enter the labyrinth then," she adds, her red eyes peeking up at me shyly.
"Good," I say, grinning as I leave the room. Another person steps inside as we go out.
Anastasia remains quiet as she walks beside me. Her silence gives me time to organize my thoughts.
If I didn't have the Level Up system, I would be royally screwed! As unlike the original protagonist, who slowly expanded his party over several months, I have been needed to acquire Roxanne, Sherry, and Vesta in quick succession—within a week! And If I failed, I would end up losing them forever.
Where would I have even gotten that kind of money so quickly? Without the system, I would be forced to grind endlessly in the labyrinth, pushing myself to exhaustion with Crystallization up activated 24x7.
At least I wouldn't have had to worry about Miria as she wasn't sold for months in the original story. And Anastasia and Lillia weren't even part of the original narrative, so I wouldn't have known they existed.
I let out a small sigh as this world might be set on hard difficulty, and only with the help of Level Up system I am making it manageable. Maybe that's why I got the system in the first place—to balance out the brutal challenges here!
***
Orvious has used his points to claim an extra chapter!
I sincerely thank you for your support!