Chapter 41
Chapter 41
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Han Yu-ra's Fan
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“That's a shame. But that's not your fault at all. Things like this can happen to anyone in a hellhole like this. So don't blame yourself too much.”
Han Yu-ra's face softened with emotion for a moment at my words of comfort. But she quickly regained her composure and fixed me with a sharp gaze.
“By the way, why are you traveling alone, Joo-hyuk? Someone with your skills would be welcomed into any group.”
'She's not going to let it slide that easily.'
“I don't trust people easily. Coming to this tower made me realize humans can be scarier than monsters. It's just more comfortable on my own. Ah, of course, I do have one comrade I can open up to. We're apart right now because our goals differ for the moment.”
I put on a sad expression, acting as if I'd been betrayed by a teammate in the past. Han Yu-ra's eyes wavered slightly at my performance.
'Good. Her guard's down a bit.'
Judging I'd achieved my goal, I stood up.
“Well, seems like we've gotten past the dangerous part, so I'll be on my way. Take care of yourself.”
As I turned to leave and took a few steps, urgent footsteps came from behind me.
“W-Wait a second!”
Han Yu-ra rushed over, reaching out to grab my arm. But perhaps due to the exhausting battle earlier, she didn't watch her step and tripped over a rock.
“Ah!”
I spun around quickly and caught her as she fell into my arms, naturally supporting her around the chest.
“Are you okay?”
Her heavy breasts pressed fully against my forearm.
Soon, their bursting fullness enveloped my entire arm, and through her thin clothes, her hot body heat transmitted directly to me. I focused all my senses on my arm, savoring the soft yet elastic feel of her breasts.
'Doing good deeds really pays off.'
“Ah, yes... I'm fine. Sorry about that.”
She hastily straightened up and pulled away from me.
Feeling a stiffness growing in my lower body from the excitement, I spoke in as gentlemanly a tone as possible.
“You seem more worn out than you look. If it's okay with you, let me escort you to your destination.”
“You don't have to go that far...”
“No, as a fan, this much is the least I can do. Besides, I wouldn't feel right if something happened to you in this condition.”
In the end, she couldn't overcome my persistence and reluctantly nodded.
“...Then, if you don't mind, I'll impose on you for a bit.”
I barely suppressed a grin that threatened to stretch from ear to ear.
“Relax your shoulders and lean into me. It'll make it easier for me to support you.”
As I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, her full breasts, unbound by a bra, rubbed softly against my forearm.
Pretending to steady her so she wouldn't slip, I wrapped my other arm firmly around her slender waist. Our bodies pressed even closer together.
'These tits feel amazing.'
As we began taking steps forward, the situation grew even more blatant. Her large breasts started rhythmically thumping against my chest with each step, due to the motion of walking.
I felt her body tense up with a twitch. At this point, even Han Yu-ra had clearly become aware of her chest brushing against me.
She tried to pull away by tensing her waist, but my arm wouldn't allow it.
“Um...”
Finally, she couldn't hold back and spoke up.
“Yes?”
I turned to her with an innocent expression, as if I had no idea.
“...It's nothing.”
Han Yu-ra bit her lip in the end. She knew she couldn't refuse my help in this situation. Swallowing her humiliation, she flushed red and stared straight ahead as she walked.
In my mind, plans for taming this prideful top-tier slave were steadily piling up.
'Fuck, I want to screw her so bad.'
Suppressing the urge to grab and knead her ass right then and there, I tightened my arm around her waist to test her patience. Her firm butt rubbed against my body, and her face grew even redder.
It would take about an hour to reach her destination.
I planned to fully enjoy Han Yu-ra's alluring body during that time.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The walk back to base, supported by a man named Kim Joo-hyuk, felt strangely longer than it should have.
His touch was polite, but there was something ticklish about it that stirred the heart. Especially the hot body heat radiating from him and the firm muscle brushing against her with every step—it all conspired to unsettle her mind.
'Get a grip. This isn't the time for those thoughts.'
Han Yu-ra shook her head to clear the distractions. Right now, her mind should be filled with her comrades' deaths and the reality before her.
Her original goal of revenge had succeeded, but not in the way she'd wanted.
It was Kim Joo-hyuk's sword, not her arrow, that had taken Krull's life. That fact left a heavy, empty feeling in a corner of her heart.
It wasn't just the emotion from relying on someone else's help.
'Without Joo-hyuk's aid, I would've achieved nothing and died right there.'
This battle had made her painfully aware of her own shortcomings.
'I have to get stronger. Much stronger!'
But the problem was how.
More battles like the last one?
Hunting solo meant she got 100% of the experience efficiency, but that's exactly why she couldn't handle the named orc Krull properly.
If she'd had a group of summoners with her instead of going alone, the outcome might have been different.
Moreover, losing her bow—which could fully handle her strength stat—in the fight with Krull was a massive loss.
'That one alone cost over 10,000 pt!!'
Ranged weapons like it cost 2-3 times more than melee weapons of similar performance.
'Oh, and my leather top got torn too.'
Which had fully exposed her breasts to Kim Joo-hyuk.
The memory made Han Yu-ra's face flush for no reason.
'That was an accident. A situation I couldn't control...'
Before, matching just shoes would complete the set for bonus stats, but now she'd need both the top and shoes.
'Sigh...'
The more she thought, the more problems piled up from one to ten!
'The biggest issue is we have no one who can fight right now.'
Jae-ho and Min-su, whom she'd carefully trained, were dead, and the reserve hunting team they'd been teaching was wiped out too.
'The people left at base are mostly civilians with zero hunting experience. How long would it take to train them into a new team? And how do we handle food for everyone in the meantime?'
No matter how she racked her brain, no answers came.
While Han Yu-ra was lost in deep thought, they arrived at the cave entrance of the base.
The people inside started murmuring when they saw her return with a strange man. Then they noticed the absence of her hunting team and looked at her with anxious eyes.
The first to speak was the middle-aged woman who'd criticized her yesterday.
“Yu-ra! You made it back safe? But that Hyuk-jin or whatever came back earlier spreading rumors that the hunting team was wiped out. That's all just lies to scare us, right?”
“...”
Han Yu-ra fell silent.
The murmurs grew.
“No way... The team that went out is all dead? Not a single survivor?”
“What about Jae-ho and Min-su? At least they're okay, right?”
After much deliberation, Han Yu-ra carefully opened her mouth.
“I'm sorry. I personally confirmed the deaths of both elite hunters and all 70 reserve team members who went on this expedition. There are... no survivors.”
In that instant, the cave's atmosphere froze. Soon, the silence turned to voices of anger and resentment, stabbing at Han Yu-ra like daggers.
“You crazy bitch! How the hell did this happen? Who's gonna feed us now?!”
“Why'd you let the hunting team go out on their own? If you'd led properly, this wouldn't have happened!”
“I'm sorry. It's all my fault.”
Amid the barrage of insults, Han Yu-ra bit her lip. As leader, she had to take responsibility. Their resentment and anger were hers to bear.
A few defended her, saying it wasn't her fault, but their voices were quickly drowned out by the majority.
That's when it happened.
Someone beside her burst out laughing.
“Pfft.”
“What? Who's the psycho laughing right now? Can't read the room?”
“Listening to this is quite the spectacle. All you can say in the face of those who risked their lives for you is worry about your own rice bowl. That's why I don't trust humans.”
“Outsider, butt out!”
“What do you know?!”
But Kim Joo-hyuk didn't flinch at their rage. He looked around pitifully and spoke calmly.
“What if I could solve all these problems? Then I wouldn't be an outsider anymore, right?”
“Joo-hyuk? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
Han Yu-ra was just as stunned by the unexpected words. She glanced at him, but he just lightly winked, as if telling her to watch silently.
Then, in front of the angry crowd, Kim Joo-hyuk manipulated his tablet, summoning a pile of weapons and armor at his feet.
Clatter-clatter-
The people gasped and backed away from the mountain of gear.
“What the fuck is all this?”
“Can't you tell? Freshly bought store equipment.”
“No more excuses about lacking gear to avoid fighting.”
“But some idiots might still think, 'Why should I fight?' For those morons, I've got a special service.”
Kim Joo-hyuk tapped his tablet again, producing modern foods like triangle kimbap, cup ramen, and choco pies at his feet. The crowd's eyes gleamed with greed.
“Anyone who fulfills their daily quota gets one convenience store item at dinner time, once a day.”
“What?! How'd you do that?”
“Selling modern goods from the store?”
“It's my unique ability to spend pt on Earth convenience store items—not something anyone can do. By the way, out of concern, I hope no one tries anything against me.”
Kim Joo-hyuk strode to the cave wall in full view and casually shoved his hand into the solid rock.
Crunch. Cruuunch.
The hard cave wall crumpled like rubber clay kids play with.
After a few playful scoops, the round lump he pulled out thudded heavily to the ground.
“Fuck... Is that guy really human?”
Someone's mutter spoke for everyone.
“Anyone who thinks their skull's harder than that, step up. I'll test it personally.”
“...”
“...”
“Some might wonder why someone's like me would help you.”
“Obviously, I'm not a charity. I invest in promising prospects, not trash like you. So why bother? Simple. I'm a huge fan of Han Yu-ra.”
The cave fell into complete silence at Kim Joo-hyuk's declaration. Those who'd been cursing her moments ago and the few defenders alike now stared at him with eyes full of awe and greed.
Han Yu-ra blankly watched the scene. All the problems she'd agonized over for days—equipment, food, people's discontent.
This man had solved them all in mere minutes with his overwhelming wealth and power.