The Exiles
In the thirty-odd years since gates began opening in the modern world, patterns had emerged. In the chaotic early days, they appeared irregularly everywhere—cities, countryside, seas, mountains, without discrimination. Over time, gates became less frequent in densely populated areas, while remote wilderness saw more. Academics largely accepted the hypothesis that mana, influenced by the will of living beings, was repelled by humanity's collective desire for safety and survival in urban centers.
Naturally, forests and mountains regressed to an era overrun by ferocious beasts threatening humans. Monsters, like humans, endured their own chaos of hierarchy and upheaval. Deep in the woods and peaks, powerful beasts claimed territory; toward the outskirts, the weak ones pushed out by competition settled. New monsters constantly poured in from fresh gates, keeping ecosystems in perpetual flux—but a baseline hierarchy had stabilized.
This meant the forest entrance where Shin Ye-hwa and Seong Ye-han now stood held no real threats for them. Top hunters sped through these fringes to hunt worthy prey, but the pair moved at a snail's pace—practically crawling at times. Their goal wasn't just slaying high-rank monsters. And leading the way, Seong Ye-han was still a total greenhorn clueless about elite hunts.
Imagine a human stepping cautiously, checking for ants on the path. They were an S-rank duo, after all. With strength stats at minimum S-rank, hunters gained immense power and durability—the perfect stat for one-sided beatdowns. Even without mana enhancement, Shin Ye-hwa and Seong Ye-han's raw toughness could tank B-rank monsters barehanded. Their naked bodies outclassed the C-rank gear they wore.
When Seong Ye-han bought it, she hadn't anticipated his stats recovering so fast; it was a lovers' gift, so she hadn't stopped him. Plus, the baby hunter all geared up for his thrilling debut was just too adorable. She'd followed silently, stifling laughs—like when he accidentally stamped a handprint into his spear shaft from poor strength control.
One more issue: he wasn't reining in his unconsciously leaking mana. Even A-rankers exuded an aura that scattered lesser mobs without effort, like herbivores fleeing a predator's scent. Variance existed by mana pool size, but at their level, every lowbie in this fringe had bolted.
Yet here he was, tense and scanning sharply, advancing one footprint at a time—oblivious. Too cute... Guild or team hunters learned this from seniors naturally. Unlucky for him, his "senior" Shin Ye-hwa was too busy panting over the sexy newbie.
"Haa. Seriously."
So dominant at night pinning her down... She wanted to tackle the cute rookie, straddle him, and fuck him senseless. Winter forest chill? One mouthful of his cock, and heat would flood her veins, making cold a joke. If she dropped her own mana control too—two S-rank presences—no lowbies would bother them.
Worry was other hunters stumbling by, but that edge-of-detection thrill was outdoor sex's true spice. She vividly recalled the toilet fuck just two days ago.
Slurp—
"Gotta hold back, though..."
Shin Ye-hwa swallowed rising drool, shook her head, and smack—lightly slapped her cheeks to refocus. First hunt in ages; let him have his way. Slice monsters, test his power, harvest magic stones. Even if her thighs were already slick...
Ignoring the insistent throbbing in her gut, she schooled her face and approached the still-fumbling Seong Ye-han. Now, she needed to be senior hunter Shin Ye-hwa, not bitch-in-heat Shin Ye-hwa.
Ah, got it. Heart-pounding newbie jitters faded fast. Constantly on edge for monsters, he'd grown mentally exhausted—wishing one would just show—only for the serene winter forest to disappoint. Just then, his senior approached, barely hiding a grin, with game-changing advice tickling his ears.
Concise words nailing his exact situation. Hearing her out, Seong Ye-han wanted to crawl into a hole.
"No way. Never heard that at the Hunter Academy..."
Shin Ye-hwa explained: cases like his—leaping straight to top hunter sans guild or team—were vanishingly rare, so no academy buzz.
Her eyes gleamed dangerously as she watched him blush and nod. Horny as hell; she wouldn't try anything out here, mid-hunt, daytime... right? Even Shin Ye-hwa wasn't that lewd... Who corrupted her? Him, obviously—self-inflicted karma.
Anyway. Crash-course in mana control from her; he scraped a passing grade. Now proper hunting—expectations dashed again. Post-control, the sunlit woods stayed deathly quiet.
Truly mankind's forsaken monster den? The peace grated. He showed it; she piped up: everything nearby had fled; none would return for a day. Blitz to high-rank zones or camp overnight and hunt tomorrow.
Seong Ye-han sighed. Her barely-suppressed smirk—infuriating. Could've said sooner... Natural resentment. He'd settle scores post-hunt. Pushing it aside, he asked the big choice: push to high-rank turf or overnight somewhere cozy?
"When hunting B-rank or above... will our weapons hold?"
He knew now: their specs could pulp B-ranks barehanded. But that trashed his goal—wielding his prized new gear for real combat experience.
Needed a straight yes/no. Shin Ye-hwa pondered.
"Dunno?"
"What?"
"Well... oppa. I started at A-rank, so... B-rank trash gear? Not my wheelhouse..."
Right, forgot: first awakening A-rank, S-rank academy grad—total freak. Damn.
"Attack power's fine... but can you mana-enhance to just the right level—tough enough for B+ without breaking gear? No clue."
She finished: Bet you'd hate using new toys as disposable chopsticks, huh oppa?
Spot on. Who'd cheer a prized first weapon snapping on round one? Day wasted. He deflated with a heavy sigh.
"No helping it."
"First times are always like this. Don't be too bummed, oppa."
Her cheerily gleeful consolation pissed him off. But energy to call her out? Gone.
Thus, his inaugural hunt's first day ended bloodless, sweatless. You're dead when we get back. Quietly nursing fiery vengeance toward someone.