Salt Field Tickets and Hot Spring Fever

Granite Fist had given Yeomje a rough outline of the salt field's structure.

"I see... Then from now on, we'll just evaporate everything except the sedimentation pools... And, ahem... There's actually something I'd like to request from the Dungeon Master."

Yeomje glanced at me hesitantly, hemming and hawing.

A request? Whatever it was, if this kind of talent wanted it, I'd make it happen.

"If it's something I can provide, sure... What do you need?"

At my words, Yeomje's face lit up as he spoke.

"Of course! It's something only the Dungeon Master can grant! Provide 'this one' with a hot spring...!! With your abilities, setting aside one dungeon shouldn't be hard at all!"

...A hot spring, huh.

Can I pull that off?

At least, I'd never seen an open-air onsen preset while creating dungeons.

That meant digging into the ground to make one... which was basically relying on pure luck, right?

Since it was uncertain, I couldn't give Yeomje a firm yes.

"I can allocate a dungeon for you, but I can't draw up the hot spring water myself... I don't even know where it is..."

But Yeomje spoke confidently, like it was no issue at all.

"Listen here. Have you already forgotten my ability?"

"Oh."

Yeomje's "Domain" skill let him spread a spherical barrier around himself and grasp all information within it.

Which meant he could detect hot spring water buried underground.

Then... yeah, we could make a hot spring...

"Yeomje."

"Speak."

"I'm just about to create a resort area. Could you keep helping scout out hot springs whenever we need? I'd like to provide onsen resorts for the shelter folks too."

Yeomje grinned good-naturedly and clapped my shoulders with both hands, clearly thrilled.

"Naturally! As expected of the Dungeon Master! Let's make several hot springs together! The best things are meant to be shared, right? Make the dungeon you provide me public too. A private bath just for me would satisfy this one."

"Hahaha! That's the spirit, Yeomje! Hot-blooded as your title suggests! I'd love to try a snowy mountain onsen too—soaking in steaming ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠water amid pristine white scenery... Ahh..."

Thick blankets and AC, basically. Pure bliss.

"Oh, you get it! And I've got plenty more ideas I've been dreaming up. Want to hear?"

"Absolutely! New ideas are always welcome!"

"Listen to this: In some mountain range, there's a cave packed with crystals that shimmer like they're holding starlight. I've always thought it'd be perfect to build a hot spring in its cavern! The crystals glow faintly normally, but they periodically shine bright, shifting through all colors of the rainbow—it's a total spectacle!"

Crystal cave onsen! And it even had periodic events!

An onsen with sights to see was the best kind.

"Whoa, that's awesome!! Got more?"

"Plenty! Let me tell you all about them..."

Yeomje launched into an excited rant about hot springs, and I listened with sparkling eyes.

And the dwarf triplets...

"...Bro, so we have to build all those?"

"...Looks like it."

A few more days passed like that.

Now it was time for Elise's magic class.

It had been quite a while since I'd been subjected to her daily "torture sessions," and finally, the end was in sight.

Elise placed her hand on my chest, closed her eyes, and said,

"Hmm... From the look of things, today should be the last one."

"Finally... Hell's over... Phew..."

It had been a long road. At first, I'd begged her to stop over and over. Midway, I couldn't quit even if I wanted to—it was too precious.

Had I gotten used to the pain...? Anyway, this hell ended today. Survive this, and I'd have a body that could use magic.

"Today... it'll probably hurt a bit."

"...It's hurt a lot every time so far?"

Elise moved behind me and hugged me from the back.

I could feel her ample breasts squishing against my back, changing shape.

"Back hug heaven..."

"You wanna die? No, this time it's really dangerous. You might explode if I'm not careful."

Her hands were at my heart from the front. Breasts pressed from behind. Like she was literally trying to contain an explosion.

"...Explode? What...?"

"We're breaking through the blocked mana channels... No time. Get ready—3... 2..."

Mana gathered visibly in Elise's hands.

Whoa... She's never concentrated this much mana before?

I tried to stop her too late.

"Wai—"

"GYAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

It felt like my body shattered into pieces. I blacked out and went limp.

When I opened my eyes again, I woke up on Elise's lap.

"Awake? You did great. Good job."

She gazed down at me with a faint smile.

"...Where... am I? Who are you?"

"...Huh? No way... Did the shock wipe your memory...?"

She started sweating coldly, sensing something wrong.

"No...? You... don't remember who ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I am?"

"Ugh... My head...!"

"Think hard!! Don't you know who I am?"

I stared at her face, pretending to rack my brain...

Grab—

I hugged her tight.

"Wh-what are you doing?! We're not that close—"

Then I tossed Elise onto the bed.

"Kyaa—!"

I leaped like a pro wrestler and dropped an elbow smash.

"Die, you fucking bitch—!!!!!!!!"

Elise rolled desperately, dodging my elbow.

She pointed at me accusingly, face full of betrayal.

"You... you!! I really thought something was wrong with you...!!!"

"Do I look fine to you? I just came back from the River Jordan after meeting Grandma!! I can't hold back from full-power gut-punching you... Die for me, Elise...!!!"

I really almost died, damn it.

"What crazy bullshit is that!!!!"

Elise jumped up, and we faced off on the bed, interlocking fingers in an arm-wrestling stance.

That day at the door, it'd been a draw.

But I'm different now!!

Did Elise sense it too? Her interlocked hands trembled as she was slowly pushed back.

"Baek Soo-chan...! You bastard, your strength...!!"

"100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, 10km walks with Kkomangi."

"...What?"

"Training I did to take you down."

Thanks, Elise. You motivated this lazy ass to exercise.

Elise's wrists started bending. She couldn't hold much longer. Last-ditch effort? She tried a kick to break my lower balance.

Thwack—

"Weak."

Thwack—

"Too weak, Elise."

With her upper body pinned, her kicks had no weight behind them.

"One gut punch and I'll forgive you. Take it like a good girl."

"Urgh...!"

Her wrists fully buckled. Her kick aimed for my inner thigh, but I didn't bother blocking.

Thwack—

"GYAH!!!"

But that kick went for my groin instead of my thigh. My vision went white in an instant.

Thud—

I released her hands and collapsed onto the bed.

"Ah, oops... Sor— Um— Sorry.... But you went nuts all of a sudden..."

Luckily, not a direct hit. Just grazed my right nut.

But the terror of nearly losing my family jewels forever unlocked something in my brain.

Flash—

I double-leg takedown'd Elise onto the bed.

"Kyaa!!"

Then swiftly grabbed both her ankles, getting into position.

"Wh-what are you doing!! Where are you putting your feet, you pervert bastard!!!"

"Hoo... Never thought I'd use this move on a girl. You're done for, Elise."

"Wh-what are you gonna do...!!"

...Time to unleash all the pain she'd inflicted on me. If she'd just taken the gut punch quietly, I wouldn't have gone this far...

"Motorcycle."

"Mo-motor...? KYAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Rattle rattle rattle rattle rattle—

"STOPYOUFUCKINGBASTARDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Elise flopped like a freshly caught fish. But I didn't let go.

"Did you stop when I begged through tears? Beg and cry all you want—it won't work. Just die quietly!!!!!"

Second gear... third... My engine, fired up after ages, warmed up and accelerated.

Rattle rattle rattle rattle rattle rattle rattle rattle—

"Vroom vroom."

"KYAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Murmur murmur—

Hundreds of people gathered at the newly established salt field management office.

These were folks with families to support and work ability, but no jobs—unable to pay the next tax right away.

Of course, the shelter was full of such people, so they'd been screened, and these hundreds were the ones who passed.

"Attention, please. You here are the ones from the vulnerable class who passed our selection."

"What does that mean? We came because you said you'd provide jobs... Is there really work we can do?"

"I'll explain now. You'll be working inside a 'dungeon' from here on."

"What?! Telling us to go into a dungeon now is the same as saying die!"

Most here had weak physiques, no money for monster-hunting gear—the most likely to be expelled first from the shelter.

"Everyone, calm down and look at this ticket!"

The staff pulled out a single ticket.

The infamous dungeon ticket everyone in the shelter knew.

Some among the crowd even made money secretly reselling them direct.

"That's... the famous dungeon ticket lately? You want us to hunt monsters with that?"

Murmur murmur—

The crowd grew noisy.

Ignoring it, the staff spoke calmly into the megaphone.

"No, you won't be hunting monsters. Because this isn't a dungeon ticket—it's a salt field ticket!"

A new piece of bait was slowly emerging in the gallery.