Master's Invited Woman (1)
Floor 48 was a section where demons came charging out in droves.
"Kill that bastard!"
Imps about 110cm tall came rushing in madly, brandishing red and black daggers.
They looked like they'd just been fried up in hell's cauldron, their appearances enough to scrunch up anyone's face just from looking.
"Ugly little shits!" "Focus! Collision in 5 seconds...!"
The imps were insanely fast. Blink, and their daggers were at your throat.
I'd let a few blades nick my fingers and neck too, spilling a ton of blood in the process.
"Focus!" "By the time you snap out of it, fingers and toes are flying off one by one—what the hell...!"
If the healer hadn't been pouring concentrated care into us, we'd have wiped several times over without question.
I'd even summoned two valkyries at once to fight, but the imps were so fast and strong that it barely made a dent.
"This difficulty spike came out of nowhere, didn't it? What kind of bullshit monsters are these?" "Gotta be 'cause they give fat EXP—the difficulty shoots up like crazy. This is some real fucked-up shit..."
The imps were disgustingly fast and strong. And unlike goblins, they were smart as hell, which made them all the more annoying.
"In the name of Odin, I'll burn you all to ash!"
Midway through, crazy mage demons popped out, blasting absurdly powerful spells that nearly wiped us multiple times.
But after some trial and error, the party started getting the hang of it, huh?
"Imp collision in 10 seconds! Careful not to get addled."
"Got it, just watch the front!"
As the imps came charging like maniacs, Chae-young and I held the front line, blocking as many as we could.
The mage summoned an ice golem for a wide-area mez, and we sliced through the frozen imps, barely breaking through the floor.
Floor 49 Arrived
Hellhound Territory
Floor 49 was a volcanic zone so hot it was hard to even breathe.
Gurgling lava occasionally erupted, drawing curses from my lips on reflex.
As we moved to avoid the heat, a pack of massive red wolves came barreling in, jaws gaping wide.
"Now we're fighting goddamn dogs too?" "Watch out—they breathe fire from their mouths!"
Maybe it was mixed with sulfur gas. Or some poison-infused fire magic.
Even without direct contact, the toxin paralyzed the body. It was so potent that one valkyrie I couldn't dodge in time melted like liquid.
"At least there aren't that many of them."
Each one was as strong as a named monster from the previous floor, but their low numbers meant we could handle them if we kept our heads.
Leveling up again, I could feel my physical abilities strengthening.
Now, each level felt like a tangible power boost.
Level 10 vs. 20 is 3:7 odds? But 50 vs. 51 is 2:8.
The higher you go, the steeper the stat gains per level—that's what it felt like. Keep this up steadily, and I'd hit 50 within a month, no problem.
"You okay, Hyunwoo? Leveled up again. One more and you'll unlock a trait."
"Yeah. Not even jealous anymore."
I wish they'd stop clapping every time I level. Why treat something so obvious like it's sacred?
It's been over half a year since I started as a player—heading into month nine now.
But I still can't get used to this industry.
They say it takes 100 days— a little over three months—for people to adapt to a new environment.
I've been at this more than twice that long, but for some reason, I still haven't adjusted.
Maybe 'cause I came from a world without any of this.
Fighting for my life is familiar now, at least. You adapt quick when not doing so means death.
But the death part? No getting used to that...
If not for Master, it'd be even harder.
Hate to admit it, but she's my mental anchor. Without her, forget adapting—I might not have survived this world at all.
"Dinner tonight?"
Ra Chae-young asked, right as I was lost in thoughts of Master. It irritated me a bit, but I held back and forced a smile.
"Sorry. Got an event tonight."
"Oh... An event? Uh, um. Got it."
Being oblivious isn't a crime, but it gets annoying sometimes.
Just back off quietly. Why keep butting in?
Women, man.
Truly incomprehensible.
Hyunwoo got back in the evening and sighed deeply at the massive box in front of the entrance.
"This the one I did last time, right."
Pandora's box, no doubt. He walked right past it casually.
Then the lid popped open, and Ryu Ga-eul jumped out in just her underwear.
"Hey! Why're you just walking by!"
She snarled. It was so pathetic he couldn't even respond, so she took the reins.
"It's your birthday today, right? So I was gonna give you the best gift."
"And this is your best gift? Really..."
"Was gonna say you're pathetic? I know. Now strip already!"
Perfectly natural progression. Hyunwoo sighed openly at his master.
"Master, you're such an admirable woman... but every time you pull this crap, I can't help sighing."
"I'll suck that dick dry, so how 'bout dropping those pants."
"...Saying vulgar shit like that so casually is one of your charms, I guess."
Hyunwoo stripped in resignation.
"Wait! Leave the underwear."
"Like unwrapping the last bit of packaging on food? Treating me like a sandwich or something."
"Don't you know it's been a month?"
Meaning her weird fetish was kicking in.
"Master... The play to start this month was that weird 'invited woman' thing, right? You didn't invite some other girl here, did you? If so, I'm out."
He couldn't tolerate another woman touching him. Ryu Ga-eul laughed and stroked his head.
"As if I'd hand you over to some other bitch. Don't think weird shit."
"You always think weird shit—how can I not? So who'd you invite?"
No sooner had he spoken than someone slipped out from the bedroom.
Ryu Gyeoul. She grinned and waved.
Hyunwoo felt a bad premonition.
"Sex with your clone? And you'll just watch? What the...?"
"A clone's basically part of me. Like an arm or a leg."
"That's some serious self-rationalization... Arms and legs share sensations. Clones don't."
More logical than expected. Ryu Ga-eul, who'd barely passed her high school equivalency, wasn't sharp enough to counter such philosophy.
"Well... but we're closer than family. Could happen in another country. Hell, maybe in another dimension, she's the main body?"
"Seeing you spout nonsense means I hit the nail on the head."
Ryu Ga-eul yelled in irritation. People tend to get aggressive toward others when pricked by truth.
"Sh-shut up! You think it's okay for a disciple to be this cheeky to his master?"
"You think it's okay for a master to pull this shit?"
"Yeah! Obviously."
"Your shamelessness knows no bounds."
Before she knew it, Ryu Ga-eul couldn't win verbal spars anymore. Not a schooling gap—pure intelligence difference.
"Fine, fine. It's not what you think. Just follow my lead for now."
"...Haa."
"Sex is only with me, got it?"
"Tch... This isn't some last-minute change?"
"Of, obviously!"
With that, Hyunwoo reluctantly agreed.
"Just this once."
"Yup!"
Ryu Ga-eul answered while thinking,
Why does it feel like the dynamic's flipping...?