Chapter 171
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 171
Chapter Title: Shock Therapy
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This peculiar relationship.
In other words, the starting point of this ambiguous connection that could turn into a weird NTR situation at any moment stems from Hong Si-jun's ignorance of my impregnation ability.
Which makes sense.
No matter how many wild guesses he makes, who could ever predict that my awakening ability activates by impregnating women?
It's the kind of premise you'd only see in some adult comic or doujin.
Unaware of that, women around me kept awakening right in front of his eyes because of me, so Hong Si-jun and Gye Yeon-su had no choice but to obsess over it.
For hunters, abilities and skills matter more than money.
Money? Even if you're flat broke with nothing to your name, you can make a living wage in a single day by raiding a dungeon. Hunters will pay any price—even their entire fortune—to quench that thirst for power.
Not just hunters, either.
Even ordinary people who envy and covet a hunter's strength feel the same.
Even Lee Soo-ah, who has everything, was ready to abandon her wealth and fame for awakening. She sold off her real estate, offered her virginity to me, and went through her first pregnancy with a man she'd just met.
Honestly, I couldn't be sure.
If I told Gye Yeon-su—or even mentioned it in front of Hong Si-jun—driven solely by her desire to awaken, she might really abandon her family and throw herself at me.
From my perspective, that was a hard no.
Gye Yeon-su is prime taboo material.
She'd probably taste amazing.
The packaging alone screams it: the epitome of a young married hottie, complete with the "SSS-rank hunter's wife" label.
Dopamine overload for sure.
But only if all the conditions and justifications line up just right.
In a situation like now, where she's tied to Hong Si-jun and it's half-forced down my throat with no real payoff, even my dick wouldn't twitch. Zero arousal.
Especially since her pussy's already been plowed by another guy—a massive turn-off for a half-unicorn fetishist like me.
That's why I called Hong Si-jun aside alone to tell him.
If he's not really into NTR, then normally, he'd give up his fortune before giving up his wife upon hearing this.
Would he really love her so much that he'd be okay watching her get railed by another man's cock for her sake?
Is that even love?
Skipping the philosophical debate.
Any man with a shred of pride would say no.
"...What did you... say?"
As expected.
Fury clouds Hong Si-jun's eyes in an instant.
I calmly prepared to bolt for the door.
"I'm telling you my secret."
"...Your secret?"
"Haven't you ever wondered why every additional SSS-rank hunter awakening around me is a woman?"
"..."
I don't think I'd ever explained myself this quickly in my life.
My eyes were glued to his arms, anxiously watching if he'd draw his greatsword or not.
"My ability is a reproduction power that impregnates women and makes them give birth to skills or abilities. Believe it or not, that's up to you. But I figured this uncomfortable situation keeps dragging on because you don't know, so this is the first time I'm telling a third party. I've shared my secret, so please, let go of any lingering attachments."
Relationships are such a pain.
With women, from Im Hyeji to Han Semi, I'd never found it hard.
I'd always steered things my way using my ability without much thought.
The power itself is specialized for impregnation, so the tools for that are practically omnipotent. Of course it'd be easy.
But now that I have to avoid impregnating someone, it feels like my shut-in virgin true colors are showing.
I was wrong to assume they'd just back off if I said no.
Should I not have invited him? Even then, he'd probably have found another way.
The real issue is, if this keeps up, not just Hong Si-jun but other hunters might start pulling the same annoying stunts.
"But you're just a civilian... Hunter abilities are..."
"If you really believed I had no ability, you wouldn't be bothering me like this, right?"
"..."
"I've been hiding it for a while, but this is the truth. And it's not a one-and-done deal. You need ongoing relations. For over two months. You seem like a decent guy from our time on Mars, and we'll cross paths again, so I don't want things awkward between us."
Hong Si-jun's face twisted in confusion.
Probably wrestling with whether I was telling the truth.
Not like there's an easy way to verify.
Unless I told him to try it with Gye Yeon-su himself.
"So, Lee Soo-ah too..."
"Yeah... pretty much."
"Then Kang Hana... she's not your real sister...? I get it."
"..."
What the hell? "I get it" at that timing?
Was that scanning look—like he was imagining himself doing it—just my imagination?
"I'm sorry. I was reckless."
After a long pause, Hong Si-jun apologized to me.
"No, it's fine. It happens. I'll have to deal with this stuff going forward anyway."
"I won't bother you with this again. For Yeon-su... I'll phrase it carefully..."
"Of course. That's why I talked to you directly."
"...Thank you."
An awkward, embarrassed atmosphere settled in.
Hong Si-jun confessing his infertility. Me confessing my impregnation power.
Can two guys like that even coexist in the same space?
Fortunately, his expression suggested we'd wrapped it up well.
Hong Si-jun stood first and headed out of the tent.
Before opening the door, he glanced back with lingering regret.
Like a final question hanging in the air.
Less a question, more a flicker of displeasure as he pondered something.
"Men..."
"...Pardon?"
"...Never mind."
He swallowed it and walked out.
He's been cutting off mid-sentence a lot today.
"...Sigh."
That look screamed: No men—absolutely none—should ever join our guild. Ever. (Even if it's impossible and shouldn't happen in my life.)
@
After that conversation, Hong Si-jun clearly changed his attitude in a meaningful way.
"Mr. Kang Jik. Isn't that guy acting weird? He kept pestering us, but now he barely looks our way."
Even Lee Soo-ah noticed right away.
"Told him if he didn't want his wife stolen, to knock it off. He snapped out of it."
A bit exaggerated, but true enough, so I shrugged as I said it.
Pregnancy power that tamed an SSS-rank hunter.
Lee Soo-ah eyed me with keen interest.
"Now you're after my wife too?"
"...I'm the type who only takes care of my own wife. Why'd you go there?"
"Right?"
Honestly, I was a little scared.
I'd spilled everything, even my ability, and if his face had flushed red right then with something like, "Then... would you impregnate Yeon-su for me?" I wouldn't have known how to respond—or even thought to.
Just screwing her and diving into the abyss? Not my kink. I'm not into watching someone else bang my wife for thrills. That would've been the start of even bigger stress.
Thank goodness Hong Si-jun truly loved Gye Yeon-su. He was the type who'd sell everything for her growth but not beg another man to impregnate her in his place.
I don't know what he told her, but now he goes out of his way to avoid drawing attention here.
He could've just left the dungeon—no one would've said a word—but acting naturally to avoid seeming like we had bad blood? Very Hong Si-jun.
Sharing snacks now and then, greeting us, nothing suspicious.
"So you two stay away from his wife too. Unless you wanna film Love and War for real."
"Tch. I was getting close to Yeon-su unnie."
"Bummer, but for oppa, no choice!!"
Anyway, that issue resolved smoothly, and the outpost was complete.
We moved on to the real purpose of entering this dungeon.
Hong Si-jun tagging along wasn't even on my radar.
The original goal for this S-rank dungeon: thoroughly check our pre-SS-rank strength and test Han Semi's skills while she's on deck for SS-rank promotion.
"Group of about ten monsters spotted 500m northeast, including one S-rank. Moving out."
Kang Hana's briefing lined up with what I saw.
Having fully absorbed the ability at level 5 first awakening, it used minimal mana and was easy to wield.
Less info overload in the city outskirts too.
The party at the target spot formed up, maintaining distance.
"Ready."
Han Semi stood beside Lee Soo-ah, both checking the monsters 100m out through magical binoculars.
One massive S-rank beast surrounded by its pack.
Even from this distance, they sensed us and turned wary—precise detection.
This vividness, like they were right in front of us.
Woooong.
Embers gathered one by one, weaving into larger fireballs.
One, two.
Fireballs squeezed from her mana near its limit floated above in varying sizes.
The monsters geared up for battle at the sight.
No fleeing.
They had confidence.
Under S-rank command, what was there to fear?
Fireballs incoming? They'd charge.
Already closing distance fast toward us.
At the same time, Han Semi said,
"Gate open."
With those words, Lee Soo-ah swung her wand high into the sky.
And then.
Whoooosh—
Dozens of fireballs poured into the "gate" that ripped open right above them.
KABOOM!!
No 0.001-second delay. They rained down from the gates spawned above the charging monsters' heads.