Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Han So-young
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Inside the rift.
Choi Si-woo gripped Han So-young's butt tightly.
He could feel her body twitch slightly.
'She feels it?'
It should just hurt, nothing more. He found it suspicious.
Slap.
Han So-young smacked Si-woo and said,
"...Why are you suddenly groping my ass?"
"To lure that bastard."
She let out a snort at the ridiculous excuse.
"You think that'll actually bring him?"
Si-woo nodded. He was half-convinced.
"He'll come."
"I doubt it..."
Si-woo had realized just how many crazies there were in the world after the Iron Martial Workshop fiasco.
And it wasn't just about grabbing her ass.
Awakened less than a week ago. F-rank. Clueless newbie vibe. He'd scattered countless baits.
'If this doesn't work... whatever. Keep trying until it does.'
Truth be told, even if he were Gal Sang-in, he'd bite.
Si-woo said to Han So-young,
"Wanna bet?"
"Bet?"
"Loser grants the winner one wish."
Han So-young grinned.
"Hehe... Fine! If I win, you buy me something super expensive to eat?"
Si-woo nodded.
He had something he wanted, too.
*
A wolf slightly larger than your average one growled menacingly.
A Mane Wolf, with sharp bristles around its neck like a mane. Unlike regular wolves, they were stronger and harbored blind hostility toward humans.
They'd latch on and rub against you all over. Let your guard down, and those spine-like hairs would embed in your skin.
"Grrr..."
Whoosh!
The wolf lunged at Si-woo.
Slash!
Si-woo looked down at the beast he'd cleaved in one stroke and muttered,
"Mane Wolf, huh?"
Han So-young's mouth fell open slightly at the sight.
"Whoa... You're seriously strong."
Amazed, she began harvesting it. Si-woo started to stop her but ended up joining in.
It had been a while since he'd harvested. Memories of his porter days flooded back.
Han So-young whispered,
"What's this tail fur used for that makes it so pricey?"
The only soft fur on a Mane Wolf, from its tail. It felt good just touching it.
"Dunno? Maybe for brushes?"
Si-woo knew but played dumb. He'd heard it was mainly used for adult toys.
A brush made from this fur could send any woman over the edge with a tease.
'Should I buy one?'
*
Si-woo and Han So-young ventured deeper into the forest.
Yelp!
As Si-woo killed another Mane Wolf, he focused on the dispersing energy. Monsters released it upon death.
Hunters absorbed it to grow stronger.
Sensing the energy flow, Si-woo turned to Han So-young.
"So-young, let me check your wrist for a sec."
"Huh? Sure."
Her curiosity faded as she stared at Si-woo's face, pulse-checking her like a traditional doctor.
"What's up?"
Si-woo closed his eyes and concentrated.
He was curious about the difference between awakened and unawakened. Whether the Mixed Origin Qi Art could bridge it was key.
Her energy felt different from a regular person's on Martial Arts Earth.
'Cracked jar? Leaky balloon?'
Han So-young's energy resembled a broken jar.
The energy from the dead Mane Wolf seeped into her bit by bit, but it wouldn't accumulate.
It leaked out through the cracks.
In stark contrast to how it slowly built up in him.
"Hm..."
Si-woo frowned slightly. Watching her energy made something itch.
The tipping point.
The moment the jar filled and overflowed, a massive change would hit.
'Is this the awakening trigger?'
It felt certain.
The problem? Filling a cracked jar wasn't easy.
'Gotta fix the jar first.'
There was a way.
Bonding with her intimately could mend it. The Mixed Origin Qi Art handled others' energy best during sex.
The more her body and mind opened, the easier it'd be.
'How do I explain this...? "So-young, wanna have sex?"'
Si-woo pondered seriously, face grim. Explaining in detail gave him a headache.
Han So-young looked a bit scared.
"Why? Am I sick?"
"No, not that..."
*
Gal Sang-in entered the rift.
"Hmmm~ Smells like fresh meat!"
The telltale shoddiness of an F-rank rift wafted thickly.
'A guy awakened less than a week ago, boldly diving in solo...'
"Heh heh heh..."
He pondered how to punish him. Bragging about tailing into the rift would be annoying, so killing him was obvious.
'Sic a monster on him?'
The punk would flee at the sight of the boss. Had to find him first.
Letting him escape the rift would suck. Perfect setups like this were rare.
Gal Sang-in moved quickly.
'What the hell. Not even basics.'
Traces everywhere.
Clear enough for a civilian to follow.
And the harvesting was sloppy.
'Tsk tsk. This is why newbies...'
Obvious he'd cherry-picked light, pricey parts. Anything heavy? Left in the dirt.
'If you "bring" a porter, milk 'em dry! Pathetic! Came to the rift for romance?'
His veteran instincts writhed. Demanding a proper schooling.
He tracked the trail. They'd kindly marked the path.
Awooooo!
A Mane Wolf's howl echoed from afar.
'Finally!'
Soon, he spotted two lovebirds holding hands in a clearing. Just as expected, canoodling.
Gal Sang-in watched silently.
Final check needed.
'No holster... Nothing on the chest either.'
Neither had a pistol.
Gal Sang-in's grin stretched ear to ear.
"Heh heh heh heh. No guns! In an F-rank rift! Solo?!"
Porters didn't count as people to him.
Rustle!
He burst through the brush. No reason to hesitate.
*
Si-woo circulated energy through his body, heightening his senses. He felt Gal Sang-in watching stealthily.
The guy's level was trash, but you never knew.
A stray bullet could hurt.
Then the idiot charged out with a weird face.
"Heh heh heh heh. No guns! In an F-rank rift! Solo?!"
Gal Sang-in had no gun either. Si-woo was floored.
"Ha...!"
Gal Sang-in smirked viciously.
"Kid, say that again."
"What?"
"Didn't you yap at me earlier about why I'm your senior? Say it again."
Si-woo gritted his teeth. Hard to keep a straight face.
"Kuh...!"
"Pfft! What, scared now? Should've behaved if you didn't wanna get spanked?"
Si-woo clamped his mouth shut, teeth grinding.
It was about to burst out.
"Huh!? Why drag a porter along? For dates? That's what they teach at the Academy?"
"Kuhahaha!"
Si-woo finally doubled over laughing.
As he laughed, Gal Sang-in's voice dropped low.
"...Laughing? Sigh... Useless. An F-rank punk mouthing off to a D-rank?"
Gal Sang-in assumed a stance. Planning to slice off a chunk first, then talk.
Glare locked on Si-woo, he activated his ability.
The world slowed for Gal Sang-in.
His power: 'Acceleration.' Doubled his speed—a versatile ability.
Never failed a sneak attack since getting it.
Gal Sang-in kicked off the ground.
Clang!
His sword flew through the air.
"Huh?"
Blood dripped from his mangled hand. Gal Sang-in stared blankly at his palm.
The impact had forced him to drop it.
Throb!
His wrist ached, maybe sprained.
"Wha—huh?"
Si-woo had his sword aimed, drawn in an instant—who knew when.
Gal Sang-in stood dazed until Si-woo's needle pierced him.
*
Si-woo eyed the paralyzed Gal Sang-in.
Acupoint strike via needle.
Masters could do it with fingers, but not him yet.
Taught by Dang Hwa-rin. Handy technique.
"...!"
Gal Sang-in twitched helplessly, speechless. Si-woo nodded.
Han So-young pulled her pistol from the backpack and asked,
"Already done?"
"Yeah. Total pushover."
Han So-young asked Si-woo. Too much crap from this guy to put into words.
"Can't move? Can I hit him?"
Si-woo nodded. No reason not to.
"Obviously. Go wild."
Flick! Flick!
Han So-young started flicking his forehead.
"You think I'm some 'item' you 'bring'? Huh? Speak up."
Gal Sang-in glared, forehead red. Paralyzed, he couldn't respond.
His eyes just bulged redder.
Seeing his pained grimace, Si-woo felt a surge of satisfaction.
A memory surfaced.
'This psycho called me in as a proxy at dawn.'
After slaving as a porter all day, he'd exited the rift.
That's when the bullshit started.
Gal Sang-in tried to short him pay. Si-woo fought and got it.
Then a drunken dawn call: come out. Called Si-woo instead of a proxy.
Ignored it, so the harassment began.
Because of him, parties ditched Si-woo. He scraped by on temp gigs for a while.
A week ago, Han So-young's temp offer was right then.
Awakening frenzy had made him forget temporarily.
'Thinking about it pisses me off more. How not to kill him?'
Flick!
Han So-young shook her hand.
"Ow, my finger hurts. Thick-headed idiot."
A way to punish Gal Sang-in and awaken Han So-young hit him at once.
Looking at her, Si-woo blurted without thinking,
"So-young, wanna have sex with me?"