Twin-Headed Serpent Venom
The reason I chose this place was simple.
The venom of these giant dual-headed serpents was expensive.
It was an extremely potent poison, useful even when facing A-rank difficulty monsters. In particular, it was sometimes employed against boss monsters that were too much to handle in a subjugation. Once something got poisoned by this stuff, even most monsters couldn't do a damn thing about it. It was one of those items that countries short on Awoken or Transcendents scrambled over each other to secure, practically foaming at the mouth for it.
In truth, the dual-headed serpents themselves weren't particularly threatening monsters. The ones that appeared on the second island or the final island of this dungeon were far stronger. Even so, you couldn't let your guard down. That just went to show how dangerous this venom really was.
"Are you all right?"
"Ah, yes... I was startled. Suddenly from up in the tree..."
"We're heading deeper into this jungle, so be careful. Side and rear watch includes above your heads, too. Oh, and underground as well."
"Yes, CEO!"
Lee Sanghie had already recovered her composure. Kim Hyunjoo, on the other hand...
"Hyunjoo?"
"Ah, aah... Yes!"
In fact, the one most startled just now was Kim Hyunjoo. Her face had gone completely pale. It made sense—though she was a team leader, she'd been in charge of D-rank work, so this was probably her first time seeing a B-rank monster in the flesh. Same for Sanghie, but the terror an Awoken felt versus a regular person was on a completely different level. From the speed of reacting to a monster's movements, the reflexes, everything. They couldn't even enhance their hearing or vision with mana, so of course it was terrifying. I knew that feeling well.
"Don't worry. I'm here, aren't I? I'm confident I can get both of you back safely. I'm a Transcendent, after all."
"I trust you, CEO!"
"......"
I pressed near the fangs of the severed snake head and collected the venom into a prepared container. This task was quite bothersome. If it splashed on my face it would be a real disaster, so the work demanded caution. I had prepared antidotes as well as protective gear including masks, but putting them on and taking them off for every single hunt was too cumbersome and time-consuming. So I had no choice but to do this work myself. I had a shield, after all. Something like venom wouldn't work on me.
"Whew... Maybe I picked the wrong dungeon. I chose this place because the venom was expensive."
"But we've already filled one bottle. You said one bottle is worth over a hundred million, right? Wow..."
"We need to collect at least a hundred bottles."
"A h-hundred bottles would be ten billion... That many?"
I extracted the snake's venom while watching Sanghie's overreaction, still unable to tell if it was genuine. Maybe because it had two heads, from hunting just one we got nearly three small bottles. Was this a jackpot? My sense of money seemed to have gotten weird somehow. Three hundred million per snake... After auction fees, paying employee salaries, office rent... Ugh, my head hurts. I just had to hunt as many as possible. I hire employees so they can do these calculations instead, so why am I using my head on this?
Having fully recovered the venom, I immediately started walking again. Even then, Kim Hyunjoo just followed silently with a serious expression.
"Hmm... This is pretty good. Definitely better than dried rations. And you even brought fruit—you've got good sense."
"Hehe. CEO. Try this too. I woke up early this morning and made it myself by hand. It's a bit cold because of the ice pack, but try it."
"Oh? It's delicious. You can cook too?"
"Of course. A Supporter can't have things they can't do."
Lee Sanghie was a typical fox. If Senior Ahn were here, she'd be glaring daggers in disapproval. But from my perspective as a man, it was very satisfying. She cooked well, and even her preparedness seemed thorough.
"People who went on dungeon expeditions with Sanghie must have had it easy."
"Nah, not really. Back then I didn't have this much energy either."
"Haha, and whose fault is that?"
"Yours, CEO~ Thank you so much."
She even bowed her head cutely mid-meal. I almost patted her head but stopped. With severed snake heads rolling around in the distance, the lunch still went down my throat deliciously. Since I'd wiped out every snake in the vicinity, it was fine to sit leisurely like this and eat for a while. That said, I couldn't let my guard down completely, but it felt like we'd come out on a picnic.
"Hyunjoo. How is it? Tasty, right?"
"Yes. It's delicious."
Stiff. Way too stiff. Was she a soldier? With that body made of soft curves, why was she so rigid?
I blankly stared at Kim Hyunjoo's face as she chewed her food. I wondered what I was doing mid-meal, but her way of eating was so pretty and neat that I was using that sight as a side dish for my meal.
"Hyunjoo, don't you want to Awaken? Watching Sanghie's changed appearance up close, wouldn't most people want it even more?"
She gazed at me while chewing her food. Her clear, refreshing features were so beautiful I wanted to lick them right then and there. Her face with a light sheen of sweat was even more alluring. I stared so hard at her face that I forgot whether I was eating rice or what. The motion of her swallowing the food down her throat felt as if she were swallowing my semen.
Crazy bastard. Am I in heat or something... Why mid-meal...
"I'm envious. But still, I..."
What is it. I what? Finish your sentences properly!
The moment I started talking to Kim Hyunjoo, Sanghie clamped her mouth shut and quietly ate while gauging the atmosphere. Cute thing. Quick on the uptake too. With her acting like this, it felt like I could openly do perverted things or make a move on Kim Hyunjoo. Caught in that temptation, I was still just staring at Kim Hyunjoo's lips.
"I... that... no."
"Kim Hyunjoo, excuse me, but how old are you?"
"I'm twenty-seven."
"In all those years, has no one ever said anything to you?"
"Huh? About what... Did I make some kind of mistake...?"
"It's not that, but the way you start saying something and then trail off with 'no.' From the listener's perspective, it's extremely frustrating. Please be more definitive."
"Ah... I'm sorry. I've heard that a lot."
"You were quite firm when you said you'd bite your tongue and die, so from now on, please speak that clearly."
"I... understand. I'm sorry."
"No. I asked unnecessary questions while you were eating."
Trying to show favoritism only to Sanghie, I'd ended up nagging. There was no need to rush, yet I'd been too hasty. Kim Hyunjoo eventually stopped eating, and my appetite dropped too. But there was a fox immediately cooing up to me, so we managed to avoid the atmosphere turning awkward.
We finished lunch like that and immediately resumed the afternoon hunt. A Transcendent's mana was truly something—hunting all day long, and I hadn't even used 10 percent of my mana. Just swinging my sword, and a B-rank difficulty dungeon was only at this level, it seemed. Sanghie, who'd been moving with a huge bag, still looked energetic, and the only one tired was Kim Hyunjoo. The fear of a first-time B-rank difficulty dungeon plus the deadly poison. Due to the tension, she seemed to have exhausted her stamina faster than usual. Just looking at her body, you could tell how well-trained she was, but the limits of being a regular person were unavoidable after all. Even without me comparing her to Sanghie, she seemed to be keenly aware of it herself.
"It's hard, isn't it. Give me the bag. If Sanghie and I split it, it'll be fine."
"No. I can still..."
"Whoa, careful. Do you know how much is in this bag right now?"
"... I'm sorry."
I forcibly took the bag she was trying to carry. This one bag held tens of billions' worth of deadly venom. I'd said it thinking of her struggling, but Kim Hyunjoo seemed to misunderstand, making a teary face as the bag was taken. She seemed to have interpreted it as meaning a regular person's help wasn't needed. Just as I was fretting over how to comfort her, Sanghie spoke up.
"CEO. After returning the equipment, are we heading home, or booking a lodging to sleep?"
Obviously lodging.
"I've already finished booking the lodging. But since it's Seoul, if your home is close, you can do that."
Giving an answer I didn't mean once.
"But tomorrow we plan to enter the dungeon earlier than today. You can't be late."
"Aww... Then I'll sleep at the lodging too. I brought change of clothes anyway."
I slightly turned my head to look at Kim Hyunjoo. This expedition was only today and tomorrow, two days. If tonight didn't work out, it might be hard with her going forward. She might even quit the company this week. That would be too regrettable.
"I'll also stay at the lodging the company reserved..."
Hmm... Her saying she'll stay is good, but how do I call her to my room. That's a worry... is a lie. The setup was already prepared.
As we exited the gate, my head was completely filled with Kim Hyunjoo. Appreciating her thighs and swaying hips as she walked ahead, I was activating pervert uncle mode. I wanted to tear off her suit and thrust in right away, but the thrilling edge of the first time had a special flavor that could only be felt then. I had to endure it, what else. I could live with being called a pervert, but if I crossed the line even a little here, next was straight to prison. I had no choice but to thoroughly enjoy that ticklish feeling of gently seducing her until she was on the verge of falling for it.
"Th-this... this much... It's truly amazing. When you said you'd take 200 sets of special glass bottles for liquid collection, I thought the bluffing and pretension was severe, but I never dreamed you'd actually fill all 200 bottles. Transcendent."
"Please store them carefully so they don't break. I plan to add what we collect tomorrow and send them straight to Shinbaram."
"Of course. Please take care of us going forward as well."
Yes, that's it. Bowing like that is how it should be. Our company just doesn't have A-rank dungeon achievements yet, but just wait for some time to pass. All sorts of companies will be clamoring for us to rent equipment from them. Then they'll be beating the ground in regret. For not building connections now while we're the ones bowing and scraping out of need.
We returned the equipment and came out after washing. We finished dinner as well. The sky was already dark, so straight to the lodging, but there was one trap here. The one who booked the lodging wasn't the company, but me.
"Th-this is... a hotel?"
"Have you never been to a place like this?"
"No. At the company, we always booked nearby motels as lodging... As expected of the CEO!"
Sanghie openly linked arms with me. Anyone looking would mistake us for a couple. Is rubbing their chest against my elbow a female specialty? Well, not bad though. Meanwhile, Kim Hyunjoo put a little distance from us. When I turned my head to check her expression, she looked troubled. Sorry, but there's one more troubling thing—what to do about this?
"Here is the key card for the room you reserved. Take the elevator on the right up to the 17th floor. Checkout is by 2 PM tomorrow."
"Aww... CEO, you pervert. Why is there only one room?"
"I thought one hotel room would be more convenient than renting three motel rooms."
I glanced at Kim Hyunjoo's expression again. Our eyes met as her brow was fully furrowed. She quickly averted my gaze, but strangely said nothing. And she trailed after me onto the elevator.
Is tonight a sure thing? I might have to push back tomorrow's dungeon entry time. Not just one, but dealing with two...
Hiding the lewd smile rising up, I pressed the 17th floor button. Inside the elevator with just the three of us. I was looking over the two women in turn. Sanghie in casual clothes, her fashion sense not bad either. Meanwhile, Kim Hyunjoo looking neat and proper.
"It's a bit of a shame I won't get to eat Sanghie's lunchbox tomorrow."
"I'll pack one for you next time too."
Yeah. I'll pack one for you tonight as well.
"Hyunjoo, still haven't made up your mind? Tonight seems like the perfect opportunity..."
Though I was the one leading her that way.
"Um... Could I talk with you for a bit..."
"Yes. Anytime."
"In front of Sanghie... it's a bit hard to talk."
"Ah, I understand. The reserved room is quite nice. There should be separate rooms too. I'll listen once we go up to the room."
"Yes..."
Like that, the three of us headed up to the hotel room I'd reserved in advance. And upon arriving at the room, I became a wolf. A wolf hunting two soft, plump sheep.
Awooo.