Chapter 262: Shin Yuna
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 262: Shin Yuna
In the north, the Seongbuk Choi Family.
In the west, the Jinryu Han Family.
And finally, in the east, the Cheonghae Shin Clan.
Together, these three are known as the Three Great Magic Noble Families.
In terms of recognition alone, they were more famous than the top conglomerates. It was safe to say that virtually no one in South Korea was unaware of the Three Great Families.
Among them, the Cheonghae Shin Clan was particularly well-known, thanks to Shin Yuna, the family's heir and a Hallyu star.
She was the most famous actress in all of Asia, and the youngest to sell 100 million tickets in the shortest amount of time.
A renowned Hollywood director once said of her, "The god of acting has returned.”
In the past, the Cheonghae Shin Clan had actually been the least recognized of the three families.
But over a decade ago, when the clan's heir, Shin Yuna, debuted as an actress, much had changed.
The public's interest in Shin Yuna naturally extended to her family, the Cheonghae Shin Clan, causing the stock prices of the family's various businesses to skyrocket.
Furthermore, unlike the other two families, which were predominantly human, the Cheonghae Shin Clan was a family of Dragonfolk, said to be descendants of dragons, which earned them the support of the beast-kin.
“...I'm Kang Hyun-woo.”
I swallowed dryly and sat down across from her.
I thought I'd built up a decent tolerance for pretty faces by now.
But with a celebrity I'd only ever seen on TV right in front of me, it was hard to stay calm.
And it wasn't just anyone—it was the Shin Yuna.
Voted the nation's number one first love, the most beautiful actress, and the woman everyone wants as their older sister.
For any man born and raised in South Korea, it would have been harder not to get excited. But above all, there was another reason I couldn't calm down.
Ting—
[First Step Towards an Alpha Male
Grade: Special
Take the virginity of the woman designated by the app.
Target: Shin Yuna (New!)
Reward: ‘Sex Expert’ Grade Up, ???]
[※ Any criminal acts such as blackmail or rape will result in automatic mission failure.]
I rubbed my eyes and checked the screen again.
[Target: Shin Yuna (New!)]
But nothing changed.
Are these bastards insane?
I cursed the dating app's operators, whether they existed or not.
They're telling me to fuck Shin Yuna?
The evolution mission for the Berserk skill, which was the same grade, was just to kill ten B-rank monsters with my bare hands. The difficulty gap was just too damn wide.
...Should I just give up?
There's an old saying: "Don't even look at a tree you can't climb.”
It was our ancestors' advice, essentially telling us that it's wiser to give up quickly than to cling to the impossible. If you're outmatched, run.
Logically, I should follow our ancestors' wisdom and back down, but it wasn't like I had no options at all.
[Celebrity Insertion Selection Ticket
Grade: Unique
You can choose either the pussy or anus of your desired celebrity and enjoy it as you wish. When the ticket is used, the actress's corresponding body part will be summoned, visible only to the user, and the sensations will be linked to the actress herself. ※There is no risk of pregnancy even if you cum inside, so feel free to finish as you please!]
It was an item I'd gotten when I first started the dating app. I'd never had a chance to use it, so it had been sitting in a corner of my inventory.
Anyone could see it was meant for a situation just like this, but there were more than a few things that made me hesitate.
First, even if I used this to fuck Shin Yuna, there was no guarantee the app would recognize it as completing the mission.
[Use Unicorn's Gaze on the target?]
[Y/N]
[Y]
[Shin Yuna
Status: Virgin]
More importantly, I felt weird about taking a virgin's first time like this.
It felt like a prick to my conscience, I guess?
After a moment of thought, I came to a decision.
Let's just give up.
I used to rely on my skills often, but lately, I rarely used them during sex.
Not only could I satisfy my partners without them, but it had reached a point where women struggled to handle me on their own.
I was already holding back on my pheromones, so why would I need a skill evolution?
There was no need to get hung up on it.
Of course, I was curious about the "???" in the rewards list, but that alone wasn't worth it. It's true that most mages are dying of curiosity, but they're also pragmatic above all else.
“Hehe, I've heard a lot about you. I hear you and our Lael are in a... special relationship?”
“...Excuse me?”
Lael?
Her informal use of the name caught me off guard, and a soft smile spread across Shin Yuna's lips.
“We're childhood friends. We've known each other for about 25 years now?”
25 years?
As far as I knew, Han Lael was 29. Shin Yuna's profile also listed her as 29.
That meant they had known each other since they were at least four years old.
Well, it would be stranger if the Three Great Families didn't interact.
Both were born as the eldest daughters of the Three Great Families.
Plus, they were the same gender and age, perfect conditions for fostering a friendship.
“We're too busy to see each other as often as we did when we were kids, but we still call to check in sometimes. If we're lucky, we even get to meet up.”
Shin Yuna kept beaming, looking so pleased about something. It made it hard for me to focus on the conversation.
It wasn't for nothing that her smile was called her signature gesture on TV.
My throat felt particularly dry today.
“Ahem!”
Seemingly displeased with my reaction, Han Lael shot me a glance and cleared her throat.
A high-level mage who wouldn't even flinch after drinking Cheongseongari, coughing like that.
At the sight, Shin Yuna's eyes crinkled beautifully.
For some reason, she reminded me of the nun who used to watch trashy morning dramas every day.
“Um, but what's this about me and the Tower Lord being in a... special relationship?”
“Playing innocent?”
“Not at all.”
I didn't know what they had talked about before I arrived, but I decided to deny everything for now.
No matter how close they were, I doubted Han Lael, with her social standing, would tell anyone she'd slept with a mere student like me.
The current head of the Jinryu Han Family and the future head of the Cheonghae Shin Clan—before being friends, they were also potential rivals.
She would never reveal something that could become a weakness to Shin Yuna.
For all I knew, the two of them could be testing me to see if I had a loose tongue.
“Well then, may I ask why you're here today?”
“It's simple. Because I'm a genius.”
“...A genius?”
I nodded.
If I was going to play dumb, I might as well be shameless about it.
“The Tower Lord, who holds my talent in high regard, personally gives me lessons every Monday.”
It wasn't a complete lie.
The Tower Lord had taken an interest in me because of my abnormally fast growth rate.
But it was still a flimsy excuse I'd come up with on the spot, and Shin Yuna just watched me with the corners of her lips turned up.
“Hehe, the last person I saw call themselves a genius was Lael back in middle school.”
At the sudden outing of her embarrassing past, Han Lael glared at Shin Yuna.
If I hadn't been there, she looked like she might have hurled a spell.
“But Lael had the talent to back it up. An overwhelming talent that could look down on the world.”
“Are you saying I don't?”
Shin Yuna shrugged at my response.
“I'm just saying you don't seem to be on that level. Besides, Lael isn't responsible enough to be interested in mentoring the next generation. And yet, she's regularly setting aside time for a mere student? Logically, one can only assume it's a... special relationship—”
At that moment, Shin Yuna's eyes widened. Her gaze was filled with shock and bewilderment.
Fire, lightning, light, and darkness.
Four elements were rotating in harmony above my hand.
“Do I still look like I'm not qualified to receive the Tower Lord's teachings?”
“...I heard you were a 2nd Circle Mage.”
“People grow.”
As far as I knew, Shin Yuna was a 5th Circle Mage like me. An Elementalist who wielded the water element, at that.
She, of all people, would know how difficult it was to handle four elements.
In the first place, unless you were a unique case like me who had mastered the Formless Vajra Art and expanded their astral plane, the number of Elementalists who could wield four elements was minuscule.
You could probably count them on one hand, even if you searched the entire world.
“Hyun-woo...?”
Han Lael's expression was also one of clear astonishment, as if she'd never imagined I could wield four elements.
It was a fresh reaction, but I averted my gaze, deciding to explain later.
She already knew I had reached the 5th Circle anyway.
“So, you two aren't in any kind of relationship?”
Shin Yuna's voice, when it came, was higher than before. For some reason, she sounded pleased.
The way she looked at me seemed to sparkle.
But I paid it no mind and nodded.
“No. If you had to define it, you could call it a short-term master-student relationship.”
Of course, it wasn't like I'd actually learned anything from Han Lael.
Still, maybe I would learn something soon?
I was personally interested in curse and space magic.
“Hmm, then what about me?”
“...Excuse me?”
Shin Yuna suddenly stood up, walked over, and promptly sat down next to me, taking my hand. I could feel the soft texture of her skin against my fingertips.
Things were starting to take a strange turn.
While I was flustered, Shin Yuna closed the distance with a gentle smile. Her breath tickled my ear.
“For the past few months, my father has been pestering me about when I'm going to get married. I hate the idea of a political marriage with someone I don't even like, so I've been putting off the blind dates, but it's getting harder and harder to delay.”
I listened quietly.
It definitely wasn't because of the feeling of her breasts pressing against my arm.
“Fortunately, since I'm the next head of the family, I don't have to worry too much about my partner's wealth or family background. My father said I could bring home anyone, as long as they're capable.”
“What does that have to do with...”
“You still don't get it?”
Shin Yuna's fingertips brushed against my thigh, tickling me.
“I'm seducing you right now.”
At her blatant touch, I swallowed dryly. I'd jerked off to her pictures a few times back in high school, so I felt especially nervous.
“I've never seen someone who can wield four elements at the age of 21. And you're not a 2nd Circle Mage, are you?”
A strange light flickered in Shin Yuna's eyes as she looked at me. Her pupils, now vertical slits, shone bewitchingly.
It was the Dragon's Eye, one of the abilities of the Dragonfolk who were called the descendants of dragons.
“A Necklace of Concealment isn't exactly a common item...”
Shin Yuna found the necklace hidden under my shirt. But she didn't try to rip it off.
Instead, she caressed my cheek with a look of fascination.
“If you're okay with it, Hyun-woo...”
“Shin Yuna.”
At that moment, a cold, low voice cut through the air, and the mana in the atmosphere roiled.
Shin Yuna, who had been half-leaning against me, turned her head.
“Get your hands off Hyun-woo.”
Standing there was Han Lael, glaring at us with an expression I had never seen before.
It was painfully obvious she was displeased.