The Price of Endurance
Ding!
With a cheerful system chime, a translucent blue status window floated before Lee Han's eyes.
[Inventory Lv.1 (New!)]
Distorts the fabric of space and time to create a personal, independent sub-space. Currently, the allowed storage capacity is only equivalent to a standard backpack, but the size of the space will expand as the trait level increases.
Lee Han instinctively understood how to manipulate this power.
It wasn't something he grasped with his intellect.
Rather, it felt as if the tips of his fingers... naturally knew how to open a door.
Like this?
Lee Han slipped his hand into his pants pocket.
He could feel that the space, which should have been a shallow cloth pocket, had expanded immensely. It was a fascinating sensation.
Oh...
Lee Han marveled inwardly, deciding to stop his experimentation there for now.
This place where a game had become reality... Was that the right way to put it? He wasn't entirely sure.
Regardless, he needed to test how it functioned in this physical world.
Lee Han slid the Viagra Elin had given him directly into the sub-space within his pocket.
Slide.
The texture of the pill against his fingertips vanished into thin air, as if by magic.
Then, Lee Han focused his mind on his inventory.
The system window hovered before his eyes. This really is incredible...
Lee Han marveled in silence. Watching him, Elin let out a soft sigh.
"Ah..."
Elin's shoulders slumped.
To be completely honest, this wasn't the outcome she had hoped for.
If she had to put it into words... she wanted to see this seemingly stoic, composed man lose his mind and run wild.
Yes. That was it.
"Elin."
"Yeees...?"
"Thank you for today."
After offering his gratitude, Lee Han stepped outside.
With a light step, Lee Han made his way out of the bustling marketplace.
In the afternoon, Lindel Village hummed with its signature vitality, a chaotic blend of adventurers and merchants.
Rough-hewn wooden buildings lined the uneven cobblestone streets.
The scent of horse manure mingled with the rich, savory aroma of freshly baked rye bread—a quintessential medieval fantasy landscape.
Of course, this was no peaceful fairy-tale world.
At its core, this was the setting of a notoriously depraved 19+ hardcore erotic game.
In the deep shadows of the alleys, prostitutes tugged at the sleeves of passing men.
Even in broad daylight, panting silhouettes could occasionally be seen behind closed windows.
I suppose that's only natural here.
Lee Han took in the decadent, sultry sights as he walked.
Keeping his eyes straight ahead, he headed toward the outskirts of the village.
Naturally, his path took him past "that inn"—the dilapidated, damp building that exuded an ominous aura.
The very den of vice where Seria had been held captive, and which concealed a secret lab in its basement.
Without breaking his stride, Lee Han quickly scanned the inn's exterior out of the corner of his eye.
The first floor is a cheap pub where adventurers drink. The second floor consists of cramped, shabby guest rooms.
He began to map out a 3D wireframe of the layout in his mind.
The key is the hidden passage leading to the basement.
Descending the stairs would lead to a tightly locked iron door, behind which lay the secret lab producing illegal drugs.
If he launched a frontal assault and smashed the door down, the low-ranking demon would undoubtedly attempt to flee.
And the demon had only one escape route: the secret passage cleverly concealed deep inside the basement lab, leading to the village's old sewer system.
Lee Han estimated the location of the sewer manhole behind the inn.
I'll need to block it off with heavy rocks or a pile of firewood.
The real issue was the civilians staying on the first and second floors.
He needed a way to evacuate everyone inside simultaneously and in a completely natural manner.
Setting a fire would be the cleanest approach. If I utilize my Inventory, I can start a fire without getting caught. Once the smoke starts billowing, they'll run out on their own.
All that remained was timing the boss fight.
Lee Han turned his gaze toward the church spire rising in the center of the village.
The distance from the inn to the Lindel Church was about an hour's walk for an adult male. His efforts over the past three days, discreetly monitoring the church's schedule while moving about the village, were about to pay off.
Every two days, in the late afternoon, the church priests head out to the slums for a large-scale charity mission.
Crucially, a significant number of holy knights responsible for the village's security accompanied this procession as escorts to guard against any unforeseen incidents.
In other words, during that window, the church's defensive forces would be spread thin, creating a gap in the village patrols.
It also meant that any commotion near the inn would take much longer to reach the temple. Reporting it to the authorities would be the easiest way to handle this, but then he would lose out on the rewards. Such things had to be claimed personally.
We begin tomorrow afternoon. Right after the holy knights depart for the slums.
With a satisfied smile, Lee Han turned back toward the mountain.
Crunch, crunch.
As he climbed the forest slope and drew closer to his cottage, a familiar sound broke the silence.
Ding!
A cheerful notification chime rang out, and a message window materialized before his eyes.
Party member Ariel knocks on the door of her hidden talent!
Ariel has awakened Divine Power Lv.1!
A holy light begins to dwell within her soul.
Oh...
With an even lighter step, Lee Han continued his walk toward the cottage.
Night fell.
The cottage, nestled deep within the lush forest, was enveloped in a heavy darkness and silence so profound that not even the chirping of insects could be heard.
Lee Han sat alone on a wooden chair in his cramped room, staring intently at the flickering flame of his lamp.
The time had come.
Before hunting the tutorial boss, there was an essential defensive trait he absolutely had to acquire.
Endurance.
A unique defensive trait that permanently boosted physical durability. And he held the trigger to unlock it.
Lee Han opened his inventory and retrieved the blue pill Elin had given him earlier that day.
Viagra.
Its potency was on an entirely different level compared to the pharmaceutical on Earth—a natural consequence of this being a 19+ erotic game world.
He recalled reading somewhere that in the game, consuming just one of these would allow a character to engage in continuous intimacy from morning until night.
This is actually a bit terrifying.
With that thought, Lee Han tossed the pill into his mouth and swallowed it down.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.
And then, the reaction hit.
...!
Lee Han couldn't help but panic. The effects of this Viagra transcended all imagination.
Was it because this world was based on an erotic game?
Whew... The efficacy of items in this godforsaken game was terrifyingly potent.
He could feel his heart hammering against his ribs. He felt as though he could go five rounds in a row without breaking a sweat.
And then...
Click.
The sound of his firmly shut bedroom door unlocking echoed in the quiet room.
Through the opening door, Ariel stepped cautiously into the room, clad only in a thin, white slip.
Though the room was dark, the breathtaking silhouette of her voluptuous, curvaceous body was tantalizingly defined beneath the sheer fabric.
"Um... Master Lee Han... You weren't asleep."
Ariel approached him hesitantly.
"I have something to tell you..."
She gently clasped her hands together.
As she did, a soft glow began to emanate from between her palms.
It was a gentle, warm, sacred white light.
Though faint, the light radiating from Ariel's hands softly pushed back the darkness of the cramped room.
"Look at this. Just as you said, Master... I—I really think I've awakened Divine Power."
With those words, Ariel took another step closer.
"I thought... maybe this could be of help to you..."
Another step.
And one final step.
At that moment, Ariel finally realized exactly what state Lee Han was in.
"Ah..."
Where the light fell, Ariel's gaze instinctively drifted downward from Lee Han's face.
Whoosh!
Ariel's pale cheeks flushed a violent, burning crimson in an instant.
Her eyes shook wildly, as if struck by a sudden earthquake.
"..."
"..."
Lee Han said nothing, and Ariel remained silent as well.
However... she slowly, hesitantly drew closer.
She gently sank to her knees, kneeling at Lee Han's feet.
Looking up at him, she spoke, her tearful eyes shimmering with emotion.
"Um... would you... like me to... treat you...?"
Ding! Ding! Ding!
A pink system window flooded Lee Han's vision.
Event CG unlock conditions have been met!
Would you like to view the CG?
[CG Title: Confession - Mental Healing & Nightmare Sharing]
Honestly, as a man, this was almost impossible to resist.
He was about to reflexively select Yes when he suddenly froze.
It was because of that phrase: Nightmare Sharing.
"U-Um... Master Lee Han?"
"...Yes."
"You look like you're in pain..."
"..."
"If you would just tell me..."
"..."
"I'm really okay with it... truly."
You definitely won't be okay. Truly.
"You will regret this."
"I won't... regret it."
No, you really, really will.