Rise of the Eromancer

Chapter 128 Happy Birthday Again, Rhys Wilder

"How… many of them are there, Rhys? Are you sure we could even take care of all of them?"

"Doc. When I told you my plans, you said that the only way for you to stay is that I help more people than I destroy — I am helping people."

"Are you truly… helping them?"

Rhys was back in the Wilder's Harem HQ, standing on the roof of the building; his eyes, reflecting the slowly evolving community that they started — no. With their current number, they might as well be a city now.

When Rhys found this small building being sold, he had actually already thought of creating a settlement around it; after all, the land is incredibly cheap due to it being on the border of the Danger Zone.

Never did he think that 6 months after, however, his thoughts would already become a reality as he watched houses being built by the hands of his own people. Of course, there were some issues here and there since Rhys also had Commoner members in the guild, but it did not really last long as they were now all working together.

"They are helping themselves, Kat," Rhys could really only sigh as he glanced at Katarina; the 5 Hearts floating above her head, only 2 of them were filled up. It was three previously, but after Rhys had told her his plan, one of the hearts slowly drained its color. Rhys had thought he would be losing Katarina there and then, but she still remained by his side.

Her desires, however, still remained the same.

'I want you to be okay.'

For him to be 'okay'. Rhys was okay, he had never been this okay in his life — so what could Katarina actually mean by that? Of course, Rhys was not actually trying to conquer Katarina, that is the one thing he promised himself when he realized the potential of his abilities; whatever happens, he would just let it happen naturally.

"Why did you even become an Explorer, Rhys?" Katarina let out a tiny sigh as she also watched the people moving about. The area was once just filled with all sorts of trailers and tents, but now there seems to be a new house and a new road being built every day,

"I will support you, I have always supported your wish to become an Explorer. I even supported you when you revealed to me you're going to the Underworld Corps. But Rhys, when was the last time you've actually done something as an Explorer?"

"But isn't this more important?" Rhys gestured to the growing city.

"Do you remember when you told me that you wanted to explore the Underworld?" Katarina shook her head, "That you will create a map no one has ever drawn? I've never thought you could actually smile like that — that was the only time I have actually seen you happy despite everything that has happened to you."

"I was a child then, Kat."

"You don't even know what today is, do you?" Katarina closed her eyes.

"Today? Do I have a schedule somewhere?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he quickly checked his phone.

"It's your birthday, Rhys," Katarina took in a deep breath as she looked at Rhys, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his chest, "Happy birthday."

"My… birthday?" Rhys's eyes widened as he instinctively returned Katarina's embrace, "Wait… doesn't that mean your birthday also passed? When—"

"Can you, for once, just think about yourself?" Katarina tightened her embrace, causing Rhys to almost gasp from how heavy her arms were. Fortunately, her gigantic breasts served as a cushion and prevented Rhys's ribs from shattering there and then.

"Did… Did I ever tell you that you're unusually strong for a doctor?" Rhys whispered as he forced out a chuckle.

"More times than I could want," Katarina buried her face on Rhys's chest, "Rhys, please… please just promise me that you'll be okay, okay?"

"...Okay," Rhys nodded before just closing his eyes and letting both their warmth slowly meld together.

"Where's the birthday boy!?"

Unfortunately for them, their warmth did not have a chance to meld at all as Ayesha suddenly barged to the roof; almost destroying the door on her way in. It wasn't only her, Lina was also there; fighting for her life as Ayesha left her to carry a cake that was almost the size of her.

"Oh!" Rhys quickly rushed to help Lina, gently grabbing the cake from her and placing the cake on a nearby bench.

"H… happy birthday, Sir," Lina gasped as she quickly jumped into Rhys's embrace; her face, however, was currently filled with the cake's icing.

"...Thank you, Ma'am," Rhys, however, did not mind and even kissed away the icing on her face.

"I'll… let you do it in the ass again later," Lina whispered.

"I believe everyone heard that, Ms. Churchill."

"Maria!" Lina could not help but almost jump away as Maria's head suddenly popped out of her shadows, just casually emerging from it with a blank expression on her face.

"If you want, I actually have some toys you could borrow to make it more fun," Maria nodded to herself as she approached Rhys, "Happy birthday, Mr. Wilder."

"Oh, by the gods," Ayesha stood beside Katarina, "The freaks have gathered."

"Well…" Katarina could really only chuckle as she watched as Maria stoically placed icing on her face, gesturing to Rhys to also lick it away without a change in her expression. As for Rhys, he really only smiled as Lina blocked Maria's path,

"...Aren't we all freaks?"

***

"Okay, now that we are done here — I have something to report."

In just an hour, Rhys and the others managed to eat all of the cake. Granted, they might have played with the cake halfway through since all of them seemed to be covered in icing, but judging from Ayesha and Maria's almost bulging stomachs, they were the ones who devoured the cake the most.

Ayesha was completely laid down on the rooftop garden, but as for Maria, she was already wiping her lips as she approached Rhys, who was an inch away from puking everything he ate.

"...Report?"

Everyone woke up as Maria once again brought out her tablet — and nothing good usually comes after.

"You mean you weren't here just for the cake, Suit?" Ayesha groaned as she struggled to even sit up.

"No," Maria shook her head, "Mankappan is currently being overrun by monsters."

"...What?" And almost as if all the energy returned to her, Ayesha quickly stood up and approached Maria. Even Katarina and Lina, who seemed completely groggy from all the sugar they just consumed, could not help but stand up.

"Mankappan? The Domed city?" Rhys squinted his eyes as he also approached Maria.

"Where you fought off a monster storm inside a mall, yes," Maria nodded as she handed her tablet to Rhys, "And that is exactly where the monsters are rushing from again."

"...And you're only telling us now?" Katarina blinked a couple of times before looking at the tablet, only to see a drone's view of several monsters leaping out from the entrance of the mall; destroying everything they could see.

"We were having fun, I did not want to ruin the moment."

"Wait… that's a Minitaur."

Katarina pointed at a bipedal bull the size of a human; peach skin similar to that of a pig, pushing and throwing away all the cars parked outside the mall.

"Why are there minitaurs coming out from the Hole?"

"When the monster storm happened, I was one of the people tasked to investigate what happened," Maria shook her head as she started explaining, "We had them closed down indefinitely — but of course, the mall paid a hefty sum so they could continue their operations. My team and I disagreed with the government's decision, but it was useless."

"...Typical," Ayesha sighed.

"And so, the only thing the HIU could really do was to observe.

And for some reason, a lot more monsters started to gather within the perimeter of the Hole in the Underworld, causing the monsters they were keeping in captivity become wild again," Maria swiped her tablet, "The mall ignored this, however, as they were confident that their walls and security in the Underworld could keep the wild monsters out — but I suppose they were wrong."

"Is it possible…" Lina turned to look at Rhys.

"They might have caught Mr. Wilder's scent," Maria nodded, "After all, you did not fully kill all the monsters back then and even sent some back to the Underworld — your scent probably attached to them."

"This… is my fault?" Rhys's eyes widened.

"No, of course not," Maria scoffed, "We have already given many warnings to the mall, and they ignored all of them. By all means, they should not have even continued to operate after the incident."

"And what's the government's response to this?" Ayesha asked.

"They are sending out their own team, but they requested the Explorer Association to gather Explorers from the guilds," Maria looked Rhys in the eyes,

"Wilder's Harem is included in that list. Mandatory."