A Lesson in the Reeds
Entering the dungeon! After getting off the train, I head toward the designated meeting spot. A short walk followed by a bus ride brings me to a completely rural landscape. Fortunately, Gates rarely appear right in the middle of a city. Even when they do, they're usually peaceful ones. After traveling a bit further, I spot a few people gathered in a secluded area. Among them, Jia's striking white hair immediately catches my eye.
Next to her are the others Jia mentioned: a blue-haired woman holding a sword, and a man and woman standing close together. The latter pair must be the siblings I heard about. Judging by the stick-like object the girl is holding, that must be her magic tool. She's probably a novice mage, using a simple wand carved from dungeon wood. In this day and age, it's common knowledge that wood harvested from dungeons channels mana far better than normal timber.
"Hello!"
"Ah! You're here! Everyone, this is the super-rookie Awakener I was telling you about—the one who awakened an A-rank or higher trait!"
Holy crap... I smack my lips inwardly. It's a bit embarrassing for her to build me up like that.
"Haha... I appreciate the high praise, but... I don't really have any notable active skills, and this is my very first time in a dungeon."
"Well, now that the whole party is here... shall we head in?"
"Whoa...! I'm so nervous! My first dungeon!"
After showing our IDs and reservation slips to the guards watching the entrance, we are allowed inside. Of course, I make sure to turn off my Pheromone trait before entering. I need to keep my wits about me in case of any sudden emergencies; getting distracted could get me hurt.
"W-Wow... I heard it was a field-type dungeon, but... it's a complete reed field."
This might be more dangerous than I thought. While the monsters spawning here shouldn't be too high-level, the dense reeds mean we won't see them coming if they're lying in wait right in front of us. Perhaps sensing this, our party's timid-looking mage seems utterly terrified.
"It's okay, Shinhye... You have your party members with you. Don't be scared! Keep your eyes forward!"
Good grief. No matter how scared she is, we haven't even encountered a single monster yet, and she can't even look ahead. Even if mages are rear-line support, how is she supposed to aim properly like this?
"...Y-Yes... b-brother..."
What is she even saying? Why is her voice so incredibly quiet? I feel a sudden urge to snap at her, but I can't start a fight the moment we enter. Her brother, Hyunsu, seems to understand her mumbles perfectly, nodding and patting her head. There's definitely something gloomy and off about that mage girl.
With that, the blue-haired warrior, Choi Yura, and I take the lead, hacking away at the reeds as we advance.
Rustle... rustle... As we push through the reeds, an odd sound echoes nearby. Keeping my eyes forward, I glance back. The other party members have clearly heard it too, drawing their weapons and staring intently toward the source of the noise. Well, everyone except the mage.
She's just trembling behind her brother's back. Sigh... she's going to be completely useless. I swing my sword to clear the reeds ahead. Standing before us is a plump, boar-like creature. It looks almost exactly like a pig, but with a horn—similar to a wild boar, yet smaller. Is this thing going to charge us?
"Kweeeeeeek!"
Sure enough, the horned boar lets out a squeal and charges straight at us, lowering its horn. Fortunately, because of its small size, its collision path is narrow. I easily dodge to the side and slash its flank with my sword as it rushes past. While I managed to get out of the way, the rear-line mage doesn't seem so lucky. Her brother, the buffer...
"Kh!"
The buffer shoves his sister out of the way and tries to dodge at the last second, but the beast's flank grazes his side. It doesn't look like a deep wound, though.
"Get your head in the game!"
Unable to watch this trainwreck any longer, I shout in irritation. The horned boar wheels around, blood dripping from the slash wound on its flank. The buffer frantically whispers instructions to his sister, and the mage finally closes her eyes to cast a spell. But as she channels her magic, her aim points directly at Choi Yura's back, who is standing right behind me.
"That... fucking bitch...!"
Yura must be absolutely furious, because a curse slips right out of her mouth. She barely manages to twist her body to dodge the spell. However, the stray magic projectile flies straight toward my back.
Pure Body (EX-rank Passive)
Absolute immunity to all magical attacks, debuffs, and status effects.
The white clump of mana she fired simply vanishes the moment it makes contact with me. If not for my passive trait, I might have been knocked down and left completely vulnerable to the boar's charge. Even if its small size meant it wouldn't kill me, it still could have resulted in a severe injury. The boar, driven by its aggressive nature, charges at me again despite its bleeding wound. But beasts that charge blindly are slow to turn. Dodging its head-on rush is child's play.
"I've cast Haste!"
Just as I prepare to dodge, the buffer casts a speed buff on me. Moving with enhanced agility, I easily sidestep the boar. Since I have plenty of room to spare, I don't just slash at its old wound—I plunge my sword deep into it.
"Kweeeeeeek!"
The boar lets out a final, agonizing shriek and collapses onto its side.
"Nice!"
"Wow... it looked like a tough opponent, but you handled it so easily...!"
"That was amazing! Is this really your first time fighting?"
"..."
While everyone else is celebrating our victory, that damn mage bitch is silent once again. Since we've been walking through the reeds for quite some time, the sun is already beginning to set. Fortunately, the area where we fought the boar is relatively clear of reeds. There's a stream flowing nearby, making it the perfect spot to take a break. We also need to wash and butcher the horned boar in the water. Most creatures harvested from Gates are edible, and we should save our rations for emergencies or in case we get stranded. As I head down to the stream to prep the carcass, the mage quietly follows me.
"..."
Why is this girl following me without saying a single word?
"I-I'll... h-help..."
"We're doing it together, then."
"...Y-Yes..."
I'm still annoyed about earlier, so even though I know she's doing this out of guilt, my tone is harsh. Surprisingly, she doesn't complain. She quietly follows my instructions, skinning the carcass, removing the entrails, and draining the blood. She even cuts the meat into portions and washes them. She works so efficiently that I find myself wondering if she's really the same cowardly girl from earlier. All the prepped meat is neatly wrapped in the washed hide. Since it's a pig, it should taste pretty good, right? When we return with the butchered meat, the others have already started a campfire. Yura also seems to have cleared out more of the surrounding reeds to give us a better line of sight. As the meat begins to cook, a savory, mouth-watering aroma wafts through the air.
Since this is everyone's first time, the atmosphere is a bit awkward, and no one really knows what to do. The mage is, of course, the worst of the bunch. Because of the tension, we haven't even properly introduced ourselves yet, except for Yura. I decide to break the ice while we eat.
"Uh... I'm Im Hyunsu. I'm twenty-nine years old."
"I-I'm... Im Shinhye. I'm twenty-four."
"Ah, we're the same age! I'm twenty-four too. I'm Shin Myungho."
"That's great! My sister made a mistake earlier, but since you're the same age, please forgive her and let's get along. You weren't hurt, so it's all good, right?"
Hmm... He's technically right, but why does his tone rub me the wrong way? It feels incredibly cheeky. I understand him stepping in to defend his sister, but he's being excessively bold and shameless about it. Well, whatever. At least I know she's my age.
"I'm Choi Yura. Twenty-two."
She's quite blunt. She had no problem cursing out Shinhye during the fight, but now she's exuding a cold, aloof aura.
"Hehe, as you already know, I'm Han Jia! I'm twenty-five! I guess I'm the second oldest here!"
Everyone chats and laughs over the meat, but Shinhye is completely left out of the conversation. After a while, Jia and Yura head off to the stream to wash up. Feeling reasonably full, I decide it's time to take a leak. I slip into the uncleared reeds to find some privacy.
"...!"
Suddenly, I'm greeted by the sight of a pair of pale, bare buttocks. Someone is squatting and peeing right in front of me. She hasn't noticed me yet. Should I back away? It has to be Im Shinhye. The other two went to wash up, so she's the only female left around here. Realizing this, a sudden urge to punish her for her insolence earlier washes over me. Besides, seeing those lewd, plump cheeks—which completely contradict her timid personality—makes my cock instantly throb with anger. I reactivate my Pheromone trait, dialing it to Confusion, Fear, and Lust. Her buttocks begin to tremble violently. Terrified that a monster might be nearby, she frantically pulls up her clothes and looks around, quickly spotting me. The moment she sees me, she looks relieved and runs toward me. But she trips over a rock and falls face-first onto the damp ground, right where her own urine is trickling down.
"Hi... hic...! I-I'm scared...!"
I scoop her up into my arms.
"H-Heeg... Please spare me... I-I was wrong..."
With her eyes squeezed shut, she begs for forgiveness before I've even done anything. I carry her deeper into the reeds. Conveniently, I spot a rock that's just the right size to sit on. I sit down and flip her over, laying her face-down across my lap. My rock-hard cock presses firmly against her stomach, but I ignore it and yank her skirt up.
"Hic... ah...♡!? W-What... I-I was wrong..."