Chapter 30

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: penny

Chapter: 30

Chapter Title: Perfect Couple (1)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm back."

It had been a while since I'd returned home, but only a few days had passed in real time.

That fact brought relief, but it also felt strangely awkward, making me look around my own place as if it were unfamiliar.

Having spent nearly three weeks in the quest world, the house did feel foreign.

Honestly, I'd been worried.

Toward the end of the quest, I'd stayed in nothing but expensive, high-end hotels every night, so I feared I'd feel disappointed coming back home.

It was unnecessary worry.

The computer I'd splurged on, the cheap blanket, the flat zero-sugar soda in the fridge—everything felt incredibly comforting.

Home really was the best.

An inexplicable sense of security wrapped around me.

I threw myself onto the bed, and the firm mattress pushed back against my body.

"Yeah, this is the bed I know."

A soft mattress that swallowed you up whole wasn't mine.

Lying there, I naturally opened the Quest Board.

After conquering Choi Ga-eun, the now Level 2 Quest Board had added two new features.

Linked Quests and Additional Rewards were the stars of the show.

I'd completed all three in this quest, so I got the additional rewards.

First, the main reward of 3 million won doubled to 6 million, deposited straight into my card.

I'd wondered how the money would come, but it showed up as a transfer from "Quest Board."

Beyond that, it upgraded one of the skills I'd used frequently in the quest.

I thought it might be Weapon Technique, but it was Stamina that leveled up.

One thing became clear.

Stamina seemed to affect stamina in bed.

The moment it hit Level 3, I felt my dick twitching in my pants.

The lingering fatigue in my body vanished like it'd been washed away.

I checked out the Linked Quests that came with Level 2.

Their details were right there on the Quest Board.

New quests had appeared as follow-ups to the ones I'd already cleared.

Curious, I checked them out. The Linked Quest for Corrupt the Hero was, surprisingly, to conquer Min-ji.

"Already cleared that one?"

To me, it was basically a break quest.

If I ever got tired of quests or missed the women from them, I could pick it up then.

I considered starting it right away, but after being away from reality for so long, I wanted to chill in the real world a bit.

Plus, I had money now.

Naturally, Han Na came to mind.

The message app showed a text from a few days ago.

[I'll be hard to reach for a while.]

"She said she'd be busy for a bit."

After her anorgasmia was cured and her expressions became more vivid, Han Na's popularity exploded, drawing love calls from advertisers left and right.

She'd mentioned she'd be swamped with shoots for a while.

I hadn't been able to reply while doing quests, so I sent a late response now.

I went with something simple: sorry for the delay, had some circumstances.

Immediately, a call came in.

From Han Na, of course.

"Hello?"

"Han Na? Didn't you say you'd be too busy to talk for a while?"

"I never imagined someone would ghost me even harder."

"...Sorry."

I had nothing to say, even if I had ten mouths.

Unless I told Han Na about the Quest Board someday.

But that day probably wouldn't come.

If it did, I'd have to confess that curing her anorgasmia was thanks to a skill, that I'd approached her because of a quest—everything.

"Something bothering you?"

"Bothering me?..."

She picked up on that brief silence and spoke as if she could see me through the phone.

Women's intuition was scary.

And honestly, I did have something weighing on me right now.

This quest had been different from the others.

I'd met so many women while doing it.

Conquered multiple in one ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠quest, even acted a bit excessively at times.

I'd told myself it was all for clearing the quest, but I'd definitely enjoyed it.

Ever since the Quest Board appeared, I'd been reveling ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in being the one who steals.

Truth be told, I wasn't all that different from Kim Tae-yang, who'd stolen my girlfriend.

If anything, maybe I was worse—

"It's hitting me now, but I feel like I'm no different from Kim Tae-yang."

"You're not."

"..."

Han Na affirmed it so easily.

I was at a loss for words.

Yeah, deep down, I knew.

For the quest, to gain new powers, to save her from a bad guy.

I'd made endless excuses to fool myself, but that wasn't the truth.

I quietly walked over to the mirror.

I had to admit it.

This was my fetish.

I wanted to be the one doing the stealing.

And this quest had turned me into that person.

"Yeah... you're right."

"Same bad boy."

"...Yeah."

"Guess I'm drawn to the even badder ones."

Han Na laughed playfully.

Hearing her say it, admitting it myself—it actually eased my mind.

The knot in my chest unraveled.

Now I could act honestly with my desires.

And with that, my lust surged.

"I wanna fuck you so bad right now."

"...I have a shoot soon, don't get me worked up... seriously..."

"Sorry."

"...After this schedule ends—then..."

I couldn't meet her with the shoot, which was a shame.

But her parting words filled me up inside.

Still, something felt a little unfulfilled.

Honestly, I wanted to relieve some sexual tension.

I hung up and chugged the flat cola.

Zero sugar—it didn't satisfy no matter how much I drank.

"...Maybe I should head out."

With money to spare, I wanted to enjoy the real world a bit.

I grabbed a hoodie and sweatpants and stepped outside.

Destination: Myeongdong.

The place I'd seen enough of in the Hero world.

Hero world exclusive, so first time in reality.

Yet the streets weren't much different.

Of course, posters and signs featured celebrities, not heroes.

Made sense, but it felt oddly unfamiliar to me.

Still, I subtly indulged in a new hobby.

Checking idols on posters with Fetish Emotion.

Before, I hadn't used it on just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠anyone.

But after talking with Han Na and facing my true self, I decided to be more honest.

So, passersby, actors on posters, idols in ads—I scanned them all.

Went ahead and tried it on guys too.

"Looks normal, though..."

Sometimes, stuff I wished I didn't know popped up.

Myeongdong had lots of foreigners, so fetishes were pretty open.

Then, my eyes met a couple's.

The two kept glancing between me and a black guy nearby, cheeks flushing.

No clue what was up, so I used Fetish Emotion and eavesdropped.

A couple whose fetishes matched perfectly.

And their conversation was anything but ordinary.

"That black guy..."

"...Don't you like someone you can talk to? Plus, a bit scary..."

"Then that guy."

"Yeah... sounds good."

"F-For real?"

"Mhm... let's do it."

There was a sense of resolve in their words.

And then the quest chimed.

Second real-world quest I'd received.

And my hunch was spot on.

"Real couples like this exist, huh."

Honestly, I was stunned.

But part of me felt it was fate.

Of all people, this couple shows up right in front of me.

Right when my lust was boiling over.

I slowly stood and approached them.

Just as I hadn't taken my eyes off them, they only had eyes for me.

"Um..."

"Yes?"

They spoke up as soon as I got close.

Good they'd called me over, but both looked tense, fidgeting without saying more.

The girl mustered the courage.

"Could you... help with our shoot?"

"Hmm..."

She'd phrased it indirectly.

I pretended to mull it over, looking down at them.

After Stamina leveled up, I felt a bit taller too.

"What kind of shoot?"

"Well—"

As they started clamming up again, I decided to help them out this time.

"You mean that kind of shoot?"

"...Y-Yes..."

With a lecherous grin, she nodded.

The guy nodded too.

"Sure."

"F-For real?"

"Yeah, I've got experience."

"E-Experience?"

Not roleplay—real deal videos.

Even done live video calls.

At my words, both blushed.

Their expressions matched perfectly.

A perfect couple.