Chapter 54
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: E-Rank Gate (3)
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What was my role in the current team?
"Hey, Park, stop slacking off and pick them up faster."
"Yes... ma'am!"
After giving an energetic reply to Park A-young's nagging, I diligently picked up the mana stones and items left behind by the dead monsters.
Sparkle, sparkle.
Sometimes, there were items that glittered like rare drops, flaunting their value,
Whoooosh-!
and others that emitted a smoky gray aura as if cursed.
The mana stones, humanity's new energy source since the gates appeared... I gathered them all and stuffed them into my bag.
Yeah.
My role in the team right now was the pack mule.
There was nothing I could do in a gate swarming with slimes and acid spiders as the main forces.
If it had been monsters like orcs that overwhelmed with numbers and brute strength, I could have at least stood at the front line as a tank...
Sizzle-!!
But there was no helping it.
The slimes and acid spiders' attacks flew at us with force, but they didn't even reach us—they just plopped weakly to the ground and corroded with a hiss.
Though slimes and acid spiders both had powerful attacks, their awkward range left me with absolutely nothing to do.
Swish-! Swoosh-!!
If I had a skill like Baek Hwa's Flying Sword, I might have been able to help a little. But I had no ranged skills.
All I could do in combat was check the ceiling or the rear for enemies!
'Go grab some popcorn...'
I recalled a meme from the internet and scanned the surroundings to make sure no enemies were approaching.
"Hey, we're all done here. Hurry up and pick them up, you punk~!!"
As I kept watch on the ceiling and behind us, Park A-young playfully kicked my butt and said.
Sex Master does not suit bitches! Experience decreased!
"Yes, yes. Ma'am."
Satisfied the bitch! Experience increased!
My little sister was one of the culprits dragging down my experience points, but on the flip side, she even boosted them without needing sex. Just messing around with her triggered a satisfaction message.
'Is it because she's family?'
I wasn't sure if her satisfaction threshold was just low or if it was because we were family. At first, I thought it was family-related, but lately, even Lee Ji-hyun gave me experience boosts whenever I called her "Young Lady" and buttered her up.
"Whew... Let's take a short break before moving on."
We'd already repelled about seven monster waves since entering the gate. I hadn't done much, so I wasn't tired, but the rest of the team was.
Cha Yu-rin's stamina-restoring bread kept physical fatigue at bay, but mental exhaustion was unavoidable, so we needed a breather.
This showed just how good Lee Ji-hyun was as a leader. Despite the pressure to clear an E-Rank gate, she suggested taking time to rest.
Some might think it was obvious, but most people failed at the obvious stuff.
History was full of leaders who fell because they skipped the basics—even when they had counterexamples to learn from.
Won Gyun was a prime example.
Back then, Joseon's navy could have scouted the Japanese fleet with reconnaissance ships, kept their distance, and crushed them with superior cannon range.
But Won Gyun sent no scouts and pushed endless forced marches without rest, leading to a Japanese ambush. His rowers were too exhausted to pull away, letting the enemy close in and nearly wiping them out.
And this despite generals trained under Admiral Yi Sun-sin advising him otherwise.
Another example was Xiang Yu, who massacred even surrendering foes, turning potential allies into desperate last-standers.
We think we wouldn't make those calls, but that's not true. We only think that because we know how it ends!
Won Gyun and Xiang Yu rose high enough to have at least basic training.
Sure, Won Gyun had scandals with bribes, but Joseon under King Seonjo wasn't fully corrupt. Without basic competence, reaching that position would've been near impossible.
So even if Won Gyun was incompetent, he had some minimal ability from his era's education...
Anyway, just like these examples, some people can't do the obvious.
Especially with time limits on clears like now.
In their haste, many skip rest entirely and chain battles until they drop.
That's why I see this break as excellent leadership.
Fighting while unfocused leads to mistakes, no matter how ideal the setup for the dealers.
"Then I'll take A-jun and scout the area real quick!"
"...Sure."
Suddenly, Cha Yu-rin grabbed me and dragged me off, while Lee Ji-hyun nodded like it was no big deal.
What the hell was this all about?
Scouting for enemies during a break made sense, but we weren't in combat. Lee Ji-hyun's hellhound wolves could detect anything fine.
Dragging me off like this was just weird.
"Here! You have some too, A-jun."
"...Huh?"
A bit away from the group, Cha Yu-rin shoved bread into my hand.
This is semen bread...
Was that why Lee Ji-hyun and Park A-young didn't bat an eye and just nodded when Cha Yu-rin took me aside...!
"Ahaha. N-No, I'm good. Don't get chewed out by Baek Hwa— just put it away."
"No way! Baek Hwa's being too much! Even if she hates A-jun, discriminating with food?! And hogging mana-recovery bread like this? Unacceptable!"
I'd never seen this side of the always gentle, smiling Cha Yu-rin. Her irritated outburst came from genuine care, but I couldn't eat this bread.
Of course not.
I knew what was in it—how could I eat it...!
"I'm fine, really."
"No, I'm not fine!"
And so began the battle: me refusing to eat it, her insisting I must.
Someone save me...!!
"That's what you're up to... Cha Yu-rin, I told you not to give any to that guy."
"Baek Hwa...! But we're a team! We can't just eat this good stuff ourselves!"
Just as I silently prayed for rescue, Baek Hwa appeared. Cha Yu-rin boldly faced her blank stare.
Puffing out her chest made her T-shirt strain against her bursting figure—my eyes went there automatically.
"Even if Baek Hwa hates it, we're a team! I get that he's important to Young Lady Lee Ji-hyun, so you won't push it further. But this is wrong!"
With hands on hips, showing off her firm butt, Cha Yu-rin stood her ground reliably.
'Not the time to look reliable...!'
Calling out my unfair treatment was nice, but the situation sucked.
Semen bread...
Bread with my semen.
Forcing it on me... Up close, it was tragedy; from afar, comedy. And I was right in the thick of the tragedy.
"It's not just because I hate it... This stuff has no effect on men... That's why!"
"Then why not say that from the start?"
"Hmph! If I'd said it upfront, he'd throw a fit about me tricking him! Better to just not give him any, right?"
"...Baek Hwa...!! Sacrificing your image to prevent team strife? I'm touched!"
Cha Yu-rin nodded like Baek Hwa's lame excuse made perfect sense.
She probably didn't fully buy it.
But retreating on this excuse was best for the team... Or maybe Cha Yu-rin actually believed it...
"Whew... At least know I don't hate all men outright. It's just... In a group of only women, someone has to stay vigilant... So I had no choice."
"Ahaha... If that's how you see it, Baek Hwa, nothing we can do."
After wrapping up her excuse to Cha Yu-rin, Baek Hwa came to apologize to me.
We'd agreed to hide our relationship, but constantly acting hostile would spark more incidents like this. We needed to show we weren't that at odds.
Thank god Baek Hwa showed up. I nearly ate semen bread with my semen in it!!
With a sigh of relief, I headed back to the team.
"Talk go okay?"
"Yes, Young Lady."
"Good. Just be honest from the start next time, Baek Hwa. Why hide that it doesn't work on men?"
"Sorry, Young Lady. But explaining it to him like that would make it seem like I care too much, right?"
From their chat, I realized Lee Ji-hyun had sent Baek Hwa.
"Anyway, don't hate on Baek Hwa too much."
Mana Recovery Bread
Details: Bread that restores mana. Made with an unknown rare ingredient, it greatly recovers mana. Unfortunately, it seems to have no effect on men.
Lee Ji-hyun handed me a sheet of paper.
I took it and read: details on the bread. She'd used an appraisal scroll, apparently.
'Dodged a bullet.'
Not high-end enough to reveal the semen inside—I breathed easier.
'It really has no effect?'
And Baek Hwa's excuse checked out: genuinely ineffective semen bread.
What a relief.
"Alright, let's head out again."
After sufficient rest, we resumed gate exploration.