A Hidden Haven
The best place to build our shelter was somewhere out of sight. Even though the village was destroyed, people still wandered through from time to time. I had strolled in myself, drawn by the sea, after all.
So we moved. Priority one was staying hidden, which naturally meant heading toward the water. Korea’s three coastlines had already become monster-infested wastelands; no one looked inland from the sea anymore. We walked along the shore until the ruined fish farms near Land’s End Tower came into view. The sun had set, making everything hard to see. Only the sea glimmered faintly under the moonlight.
There was nothing we could do with the ocean itself, so we climbed into the mountains. No trails existed since no one traveled here, but the slope wasn’t steep enough to be exhausting. The darkness was so thick that I had to rely on Miya to lead the way.
“By the way, did you really have to bring that?”
“Heh? B-but… Minsoo grilled everything so deliciously with it…”
Despite my protests, Miya had packed the grill and its stand, hugging them tightly to her chest even though they must have still been hot. It showed how much she’d enjoyed the food, but we couldn’t light a fire up here. We’d have to go back down for that. Still, she’d insisted on bringing it, worried someone might steal it otherwise.
“Haa… Well, if it doesn’t bother you, I guess it’s fine.”
“Yeah! More importantly, you look tired, Minsoo!”
After thirty-five years of avoiding exercise, even a modest mountain felt brutal—especially without a path. I had no choice but to follow wherever Miya went.
“Ugh… I’m painfully aware of how out of shape I am right now…”
“Want a piggyback?”
“No. We’re not going any higher anyway. This should be far enough.”
“Really?”
We could gather food from the sea, so we didn’t want to stray too far. Staying close to the viewpoint also risked discovery. That left the middle slopes as our best option. It was already past eight in the evening.
“This spot’s pretty flat, too.”
Compared to the uneven ground between the huge trees, this clearing looked perfect for a house.
“Ah… Do you know how to build a house?”
“Nope. Do you?”
“Me neither. Hmm… Miya, do you know how to make a temporary shelter? Like a lean-to or something?”
“Nope. Do you?”
“No idea. This… might be a problem.”
“Eek? Then what do we do?”
“Ah…! We still have the magic stones, right?”
“Magic stones?”
Leaving a curious Miya behind, I opened my status window. Awakened individuals could buy and sell items through an auction house, or so I’d heard.
This is it.
I tapped the marketplace tab that appeared in the status window. The interface was structured exactly like an RPG auction house, so it was easy to navigate. I searched for 6th-grade magic stones. They were selling for an average of 1,000 gold. Gold, silver, and bronze served as the auction house’s currency—1 gold equaled 10,000 won, 1 silver 1,000 won, and 1 bronze 100 won. That meant a single 6th-grade magic stone was worth ten million won.
Daily necessities… tents…
I searched for tents next. They started at 1 gold, though the cheapest ones weren’t very good. I listed one of my 6th-grade magic stones at 994 gold—one gold below the lowest current price of 995. Magic stones sold quickly, but even discounting it didn’t trigger an instant sale. I put the other two up at 1,000 gold each.
Might as well browse the tents.
The space Miya and I had was limited, so large tents were out. Three or four people at most—though even that felt optimistic. Sharing a tent with Miya would probably be too much for me to handle. While scrolling through one-person options, an alert popped up: a magic stone had sold. Checking it, I saw 994 gold credited to my account.
The system was convenient—no fees, and I could exchange gold for real money at a currency exchange. In other words, I’d just earned 9.94 million won.
…That’s more than three months of my old salary.
Honestly, if I just asked Miya to sweep up a few monsters in the sea, I could become rich overnight. She was strong enough to reduce three 6th-grade Sea Groks to mincemeat in a single second. But would that make me happy? Maybe for a few days. Forever? I didn’t think so. My ability only worked if I treated my residents well; if I used Miya like a slave, she might literally rip my head off. Though she did seem happy whenever I cooked for her… but that was beside the point.
“I’ll buy these two and… take them out…”
“Eek! Minsoo really is a mage!”
“I keep telling you, anyone who’s awakened can do this.”
I purchased the 50-coin and 55-coin one-person pop-up tents I liked and summoned them. Miya looked amazed again. Come to think of it, the inventory was basically a magic pouch that let anyone pull items out of thin air. Most awakened people probably didn’t think twice about it. I decided not to dwell on it either.
I unfolded one of the tents. It assembled itself in seconds.
Normal pop-up tents don’t work this fast, of course.
The ones I’d bought had reinforcement and auto-assembly spells inscribed on their frames. That was why they cost 50 coins—500,000 won—each. They also regulated internal temperature, making them perfect for our situation.
“Eeeek! More magic!!! I mean, a magic tool!!!”
“Ah, this one actually is a magic tool.”
“I knew it!”
Once the tent finished assembling, I set it on the ground. The clearing was mostly flat, but a few spots still lifted slightly off the earth.
“Miya, could you find some big rocks nearby?”
“Why?”
“I need to weigh down the spots that aren’t touching the ground.”
“Can’t we just make the ground flat instead?”
“Huh?”
“Yeah?”
If the tent wasn’t anchored properly, wind could knock it over. I planned to stake it down too, but extra weight wouldn’t hurt. When I asked Miya for help, she gave me a puzzled look.
“You want this space flattened, right?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Then~ like this—shak! Tak-tak! How’s that?”
“Eh?”
Miya pointed at the assembled tent and waited for my nod. Then she swung her hand horizontally a few times beside it. With each swift slice and light tap, the ground sheared away, leaving a perfectly level patch exactly the size of the tent.
Holy crap—that’s what magic is supposed to look like!
The motion was so simple it reminded me of those old drawing tutorials, yet the result was undeniably magical.
“Make space for the other one here too.”
“Okay! Shak! Tak-tak! Done!”
She flattened another spot in seconds. I placed the second tent on it and drove in the stakes. Just like that, we had shelter.
“It might be a little rough, but let’s stay here for now.”
“Wow~ It looks so cozy! Can I go inside?”
“Sure. That one’s yours.”
“Waaah~!”
When I showed her the interior, Miya immediately wanted to try it. I gave permission, and she slipped right in.
“Ta-dah~”
She stuck her legs out and began removing her boots.
Oh… I thought she’d just walk in with them on, but apparently not.
Amused by the quirks of snow leopard culture, I headed into my own tent. It felt pleasantly snug inside, though very empty.
“I should buy some mats and sleeping bags for the floor, and lights too—since the fabric blocks light from escaping…”
“Minsoo! Minsoo!”
“What?”
“I just had a great idea!”
“What is it?”
While I was still arranging the interior, Miya’s voice called from outside. The zipper slid open with a soft ziiip.
“This is… Gyaaah~ Too bright!!!”
She poked just her head through the gap, then squeezed her eyes shut and tried to pull back—only for her neck to get caught on the zipper.
Was it too bright for a snow leopard?
I quickly turned off the light and checked on her.
“Sorry. Was it too bright? Are you okay?”
“Hek. Heek. I almost went blind…”
Her ears drooped, her face the only thing visible in the darkness. It was both cute and pitiful. I opened the zipper wider.
Ziiip—
“Hoek?”
She must have relaxed her weight, because she toppled straight forward. With her center of gravity near her head, she fell right into the tent—and straight onto me.
Thud. Our bodies collided. My vision went black as something warm, soft, and indescribably blissful enveloped my face.
“See! You were thinking the same thing as me, Minsoo!”
“Mmmph…!”
“Kyaaah! That tickles~”
I tried to speak, but my voice came out muffled against her skin. Suffocating, I grabbed at whatever was smothering me.
“Kyaaht?!”
My hands sank into something heavy, warm, and impossibly soft—yielding perfectly to my grip. It was the most heavenly sensation I could imagine.
This is… b-breasts…
“You’re really groping my chest like that? Does Minsoo want to mate?”
Mate? As in… the animal kind? The act that produces offspring? In human terms, that would be se—
“Mmmphhh!!!”
“Kyahaha~ Your voice is making my chest jiggle~”
I frantically let go and tried to deny it, but it was too late. All anyone would have seen was a lunatic pressing his face into a woman’s chest and vibrating like he was passing gas. The overwhelming stimulation—or maybe oxygen deprivation—proved too much. I blacked out.
My first fainting spell in life had been caused by being smothered by a beautiful woman’s chest, experiencing heaven and hell at the same time. It felt like a scene straight out of a romantic comedy.
