Pungjin's Heat
Thus Pungjin set out in search of various medicinal herbs, including the wild ginseng Hyerim had mentioned, along with mana herbs.
The mana herbs were mentioned in the basic herbology manual he had picked up over Miwol's shoulder, and she had often sent him out to gather them for her magic experiments, so he had a rough idea of where to look.
Even so, finding mana herbs near the village rather than deep in the forest proved no easy task.
"Hmm… I suppose I'll have to go into the forest after all…"
"No… but… the f-forest has… m-monsters… d-d-d…"
The very forest that had nearly claimed his father's life was also the place where the mana herbs that could save him grew. The irony was almost too much to bear.
"Y-yeah… that's right, isn't it? Hmm… what should I do…"
Pungjin was at a loss. A few ordinary herbs and no mana herbs at all would never be enough to brew proper medicine. Besides, he doubted his own concoction would have much effect anyway.
What he really needed was the potent tonic he had painstakingly collected drop by drop from Miwol—the Bacchus energy drink. He had brought one bottle with him from her residence and hidden two more elsewhere.
Gathering the ingredients had taken an enormous amount of time, so the thought of wasting them pained him. Yet the risk was far greater. If he returned to Miwol's house for the bottles and she happened to be there… if she caught him again…
The danger to himself was simply too high.
"Ha… but if I can't get the mana herbs… Father will…"
Hyerim didn't know what to do. Venturing deep into the forest for the herbs might mean encountering the same monsters that had nearly killed her father. She might have to prepare for death. Yet if she didn't go deep enough, her father would surely die.
"Hmm… how about this," Pungjin said.
"Yes?"
"That flying horse we rode here last time…"
"Yes, the flying horse."
"Can anyone ride it?"
"Yes? Well… as long as you pay the magic-stone fee, you can ride it. It's a bit expensive, though…"
"Hmm… then let's rent it again and head to the forest near my house. There are plenty of mana herbs there. As for monsters… I've lived a long time and never seen any around there."
He said this even though he had fought goblins just recently, lying through his teeth. His real plan was to fetch the hidden tonic bottles while pretending to gather herbs.
"Ah, I see! Then I'll go with you, Jinjin-nim. I'll find a way to cover the magic-stone cost…"
"No, no. It would be faster and safer if I went alone. Who knows? New monsters might have appeared near my house as well."
"B-but then you would be in even more danger…"
"I'll be fine. I'm familiar with the forest near my house."
"Ha… but…"
In truth, Hyerim feared he was using this excuse to flee back home. She worried that after learning about her family's situation, he had realized there was nothing of value he could take as payment and was now scheming to steal the flying horse instead.
Tears threatened to spill, but she forced them back and made up her mind. Just like when she had first dragged him here, she would throw a tantrum if necessary.
She had nothing else to offer him, so she decided she would offer herself.
In the end, just as they had arrived at the village, Hyerim sat behind Pungjin on the flying horse in that awkward position, and the two of them took off once more toward Miwol's house.
'Aah… this… this rich, soft feeling of her breasts…'
Once again, Pungjin felt the warm, plush sensation of Hyerim's breasts pressing against his back and found himself growing hard.
'Ugh… it feels too good… I wish I could stay like this forever…'
Before he could savor the sensation any longer, the familiar forest appeared far too quickly. He had asked Hyerim beforehand not to land near the house but in a forest some distance away, so they touched down in a spot where Miwol's residence remained out of sight.
Pungjin tried to slip away under the pretense of searching for mana herbs to retrieve his hidden tonic bottles, but Hyerim watched him like a hawk, clearly suspecting he might try to run. Left with no choice, he had to bring her along to the places where he had stashed his belongings.
"Ah… what's this place?"
"It's where I keep a few things. Since we're here anyway, I figured I'd pick up some stuff…"
He had already harvested a fair amount of mana herbs. Pungjin made up natural-sounding excuses while gathering the tonic bottles and other items, stuffing them into his bag.
With so many herbs and supplies to carry, Hyerim ended up sitting in front this time while Pungjin sat behind her for the return trip.
"Hold on tight. If you fall, it'll be serious, Jinjin-nim."
"Y-yes, I understand, Hyerim-ssi… Could you… fly a little slower, please…"
The cowardly Pungjin made the request, and the flying horse began its slow ascent.
Only then did he realize the only place to hold on was right around Hyerim's waist.
'Ah… I'm… touching Hyerim-ssi's body…!! Uuugh!!'
He had almost no experience touching a woman's body directly. Even though the blue-eyed madwoman had repeatedly had sex with him—or rather, raped him, or rather, milked him—he had only ever been in contact with her through his cock and the area around it. He had never once placed his hands on a woman's body, not even over her clothes.
Even during that one-night stand with Eunbyul, when they had shared that sweet encounter, he had been in wolf form. Aside from his tongue and cock, he had never felt human skin against human skin.
Now Hyerim's warm, plump waist was right beneath his palms. The sweet scent of her body and hair filled his nose. His erect cock pressed directly against her soft backside.
He tried and tried and tried to hold back, but how could he possibly keep from getting hard?
??!!
Hyerim, who had been guiding the flying horse at a leisurely pace, suddenly felt something hard, springy, and long pressing against her from behind. She froze in surprise.
'Ah… this… this is…!!'
She had read about it in books and heard stories, but this was the first time she had felt it directly with her own body.
'Aah… what do I do…'
Her face flushed without her realizing it. Of course, with a man and woman pressed so tightly together like this, any healthy man would react this way—she had learned that much. Her friends had often told her, faces red, about their various experiences with men.
'Aah… so this really is the only way…'
Hyerim's face burned, but she reaffirmed her decision. There was nothing in her house that could repay Jinjin's efforts. In the end, the only thing she could offer was herself—Hyerim.
She had made that decision the moment she brought him here, keeping it secret even from herself. Now that she knew he was in heat for her, his cock hard and pressing against her, she felt strangely relieved. At least she wouldn't be rejected.
If she had gone through all the trouble of deciding and acting on it only to be turned down, how embarrassing and awkward would that be? Part of her had even thought that asking for money or magic stones instead of her less-than-beautiful body might have been the more natural thing to do.
Pungjin, his cock erect and rubbing against Hyerim while his arms trembled with shame as they flew, suddenly felt an unknown magical presence from the forest in the distance. It was in a completely different direction from where they had come, yet the sensation was deeply unsettling and unpleasant.
'What the hell… what is that…'
A wave of fear and dread washed over him. The presence vanished almost immediately, but the direction and distance left a strong, vivid impression on him.
Back at Hyerim's house, Pungjin secretly mixed a little of Miwol's Bacchus tonic with the juices of the wild ginseng and mana herbs he had gathered, then fed it to her father, Namgyu.
Whether by luck or the quality of the herbs, Namgyu's complexion improved noticeably and his breathing grew steadier.
"Ah… Father… sob… sob…"
"Ugh… ugh… g… r…"
Namgyu seemed to be regaining consciousness and beginning to recognize people again.
While Hyerim's father rested, Pungjin and Hyerim talked about various things. She was surprised by how little he knew about the village and this world, and patiently answered every question he asked.
The village was an ordinary human settlement that dug through mountain valleys for magic stones to sell, raised animals like sheep, cattle, horses, chickens, pigs, and camels, grew grains, vegetables, and fruits, and even cultivated silkworms and cotton-like plants for fabric. They did a bit of everything in a mixed economy.
Because they produced so many different resources, they could be largely self-sufficient, but they lacked blacksmiths, apothecaries, clinics, schools, clothing shops, shoe shops, and the like. They traded with distant cities for such goods.
Cities had mercenaries, adventurers, and formal armies to deal with monsters, but hiring mercenaries or adventurers was expensive, and the regular army rarely moved unless absolutely necessary. The village men formed a sort of vigilante group to protect themselves, but they couldn't afford to stand guard every day instead of working, nor did they have the numbers or skill to venture deep into the forest and exterminate monsters directly. Finding a reliable way to deal with the monsters was proving difficult.
The city's lord occasionally collected taxes, but it felt more like extortion—taking money and giving nothing in return. Hyerim had requested help from the temple's demon-subduing troops where she worked as an apprentice priestess, but the temple received so many requests from other villages that it was uncertain whether help would reach this remote place.
In the end, the only realistic option was for the villagers to pool money and hire adventurers through the city's adventurer guild, but opinions were divided. The village chief was expected to make a decision at the upcoming elders' meeting.
