Chapter 9. Everything is new.
Chapter 9. Everything is new.
The teaspoon stirred slowly inside the teacup. It was impossible for the glass teacup and the stainless steel teaspoon not to clink against each other.
Clink.
Choi Yeon-ju asked with a pleasant face.
"I'm grateful for your help with Byeong-jin-ssi's training."
"Oh, come on. It wasn't anything special! It wasn't even that difficult! Plus, I'm getting paid!"
Clink.
Lim Seo-yoon smiled bashfully, looking embarrassed. Choi Yeon-ju's smile deepened.
"Do you often help other people like this?"
"Huh? No? Honestly, you were the one who told me my ability could be used like this, Doctor. Byeong-jin-ssi is my first!"
"I see? How was it?"
Clink.
"Hmm... that it was easier than I thought? Even though I don't know much about exercise, he felt it on his own, so I didn't have to explain anything. It was nice."
"Still, didn't you teach him various basic postures? Regardless, Seo-yoon-ssi, you are his teacher."
"I guess I did? Though I did wonder if teaching him the postures was really that important..."
It wasn't professional PT. Therefore, it wouldn't be strange to call the postures Lim Seo-yoon taught Byeong-jin a sham. It was because she was just mimicking the outward appearance. Lim Seo-yoon's knowledge was such that she couldn't explain anything about the physical mechanisms, like which muscles to feel and how.
Since Lim Seo-yoon knew this too, she was proud of the part where she used her ability, but she could never be proud of the knowledge-based part.
Choi Yeon-ju looked at Lim Seo-yoon with a satisfied smile and shook her head.
"No, that's not true. Regardless, the fact that you 'taught' him doesn't change. You don't have to be proud of it, but I don't think you should dismiss that fact entirely."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Definitely."
Clink.
The sound rang out once more.
Lim Seo-yoon asked.
"You're stirring more than I thought? I guess the sugar cube isn't dissolving well. Do some sugars dissolve better than others?"
Lim Seo-yoon asked with a puzzled face. Choi Yeon-ju shook her head.
"No, it's just that the tea isn't as warm as I thought it would be. That's how water from a water purifier is, you know."
"Aha."
Lim Seo-yoon nodded as if she were convinced. From Choi Yeon-ju's perspective, it was a relief. She couldn't change the topic of conversation right now. The time wasn't very long. It couldn't be helped. No matter how famous a doctor she was, the truth was that if it weren't for Byeong-jin's problem, she would have had no connection to Lim Seo-yoon whatsoever. They had only met for the first time yesterday. It was near impossible to have a leisurely conversation and gaslight her in depth.
Choi Yeon-ju had a mission to make good use of this limited time.
Clink.
"Lim Seo-yoon-ssi, you can be proud. Honestly, you are his 'teacher', aren't you?"
"Oh, come on. How am I a teacher? Just, um... a helper? Shouldn't you call me a helper?"
Lim Seo-yoon waved her hands, smiling bashfully. Choi Yeon-ju stirred the black tea while smiling.
Clink.
"You're still a teacher. Do you know the difference between a professional and an amateur? Professionals get paid for their work. Since I paid you, Lim Seo-yoon-ssi, from Byeong-jin-ssi's perspective, you are naturally his 'teacher'."
"Uh... um. Is that so? But..."
Lim Seo-yoon hesitated. She knew it too. That it was impossible to teach Byeong-jin with pure knowledge rather than her ability. Naturally, it was a stretch to consider herself a teacher.
But Choi Yeon-ju didn't care. The teacup was stirred again.
"I can guarantee it. Lim Seo-yoon-ssi is his 'teacher'. As far as Byeong-jin-ssi is concerned, what else would you be if not his 'teacher'?"
"Ahaha. Thank you."
Lim Seo-yoon bowed her head with a bashful smile.
Clink.
"So, Lim Seo-yoon-ssi, please do your best in Byeong-jin-ssi's training. Enough so that the compensation I'm giving you doesn't go to waste. Because you are his 'teacher'."
"Ah... Yes! I'll do my best to teach him well!"
The teaspoon that had been circling the teacup finally stopped. Lim Seo-yoon smiled brightly.
"Has the sugar dissolved?"
"Ah. Yes. It's finally dissolved. But why didn't you drink your juice? By any chance, did you want something other than orange?"
"Huh? Oh? Why didn't I drink this?"
When Choi Yeon-ju, who finally lifted her teacup to take a sip, asked, Lim Seo-yoon's eyes went wide as she realized she hadn't taken a single sip of the orange juice Choi Yeon-ju had handed her.
Choi Yeon-ju's smile deepened.
"Take your time."
"Ah. Yes! Thank you! Is there nothing else you'd like to talk about?"
"I just wanted to share a little talk about Byeong-jin-ssi. And the talk went well, didn't it?"
Choi Yeon-ju asked. Lim Seo-yoon sipped her orange juice, then smiled brightly at the question and nodded.
"It did! Because I'm his 'teacher'!"
"Hehe. I'm counting on you, okay?"
"Just trust me! I'll teach him hard!"
Lim Seo-yoon patted her full chest.
ㅡ
"Ugh... uweeegh...."
As soon as I crossed the gate, my stomach felt horribly nauseous. I couldn't hold it back, so I started dry heaving. Of course, nothing came out. I didn't know if it was because stomach acid had refluxed, but I felt a nasty sour taste in my mouth. Having lived for 23 years, I realized that if I swallowed this sour saliva, I would actually throw up, so I spat it out on the ground as soon as it gathered.
"Oh, shit."
Even though it's my first time entering a gate, it doesn't give me any time to be nervous.
Still, after dry heaving once, I felt a bit better. My head was still a little dizzy, but it wasn't that hard to endure as long as my insides weren't churning.
"Wow."
Looking around, I couldn't help but be amazed. It was because it was a dense forest. It was a fairly dangerous area if there were monsters nearby, but that wasn't something I could worry about right now. It was impossible for me to regain my composure immediately after entering the world inside a gate for the first time in my life.
"It's not... that amazing."
It wasn't impossible.
What the hell. It's just a forest. I thought there would be plants or animals I'd never seen before, or trees growing as tall as the 63 Building, just like in the movies, but that wasn't the case. It's shittier than I thought? It's nothing, to the point where I feel like a fool for having entered with a pounding heart.
Now that I'm in, I'll check the equipment Choi Yeon-ju gave me one by one. There wasn't much to call equipment. Since it's impossible for me to fight right now, I naturally didn't receive any large weapons that would get in the way when running, just 2 flashbangs, one military dagger for unexpected situations, and a bag a little smaller than a fist to hide the Chaos Flowers.
According to the explanation, it was made of material that wouldn't be detected by the detectors used by the association staff at the entrance, so if I hid it well inside my body, it would be possible to get out without getting caught.
Now that I've confirmed that all the items are there without exception, it's time to walk around the gate and pick the medicinal herbs growing nearby. Naturally, I have no idea what the medicinal herbs look like, but I wasn't worried since I had been educated to some extent about the Chaos Flower and other fairly common medicinal herbs before entering.
At least, that was the case just thirty minutes ago.
"Is this it..."
The Chaos Flower was a very, very important item to me, so I memorized its shape perfectly, but the others were not. Should I have brought a picture or a photo? I didn't want to carry a lot of luggage, so I memorized them, but once I got to the scene, this grass looks like that grass, and that grass looks like this one.
I don't know a single thing.
The only fortunate thing was that I managed to collect one Chaos Flower while walking around. It was blooming right in the middle of the path out of nowhere, so I quickly dug it up. The flower was smaller than I thought, and I wondered what could be done with just three flowers. Well, since three flowers were what Choi Yeon-ju wanted, I figured she'd know what to do if I brought them. It's not like I know much about it.
The problem was that no matter where I looked, the other two flowers were nowhere to be found. I was digging up every medicinal herb I saw that I was even slightly unsure about, so my luggage was gradually increasing. Of course, medicinal herbs don't take up that much weight, but it's a different story if you dig up a whole basket full. Naturally, it was bound to be a hassle to walk around, starting with things dangling and shaking.
I said I was walking around the gate, but I realized after wandering for about two hours that it was absolutely impossible to collect Chaos Flowers if I only walked around where the gate was visible. It was when I had circled around the gate about 8 times.
The medicinal herbs in this vicinity have been wiped out.
I don't know if what I dug up were actually medicinal herbs or not, though.
In the end, I was in a position where I had to make a decision. And the decision was quick. I was someone who wanted the Chaos Flower even more than Choi Yeon-ju. For Choi Yeon-ju, it might just be research, but for me, my sex life was on the line. Men are sad creatures who think about that even when they're old and only have the strength to lift a spoon. Since I had the strength to lift a spoon thousands of times over, I was a thousands-of-times sadder creature who thought about it thousands of times more strongly.
It can't be helped.
It's the Hansel and Gretel operation.
After making the decision, I started moving in a straight line, making marks on the trees blocking my path with my dagger. I'll be able to find my way back later by following the marked trees. The forest seemed wider than I thought, so I walked looking only forward for about thirty minutes.
And I encountered them.
"Kieeeek!"
"...Fuck."
Goblins.
The goblins I saw in comic books weren't as disgusting as I thought, but seeing them in person, the visuals were insane. Why is the nose so big? Why are the ears so big too? Fortunately, the lower body was covered with something like leather, so I didn't have the shocking experience of seeing a goblin dick, but just seeing the creature called a goblin made my mood plummet through the basement and into the underground. Their height was small enough that they didn't even reach my chest, but since they were each holding a club that looked to be about 60 centimeters long, I immediately gave up on the idea of fighting.
Fortunately, it didn't seem like the goblins had discovered me first. There were two of them, and although it was a situation where I should normally run away without looking back, unfortunately, that was impossible.
Between the two goblins. There were two Chaos Flowers blooming right in the middle.
Why on earth are they blooming there?
It was so unfair that I couldn't even put it into words, so I just let out a lament and prayed for the goblins to leave the spot while holding my breath in the bushes. They looked like they were just shouting "Kieeeek!" at each other, but maybe they could communicate with each other because they were jumping around and making a fuss. Is this the mysterious animal kingdom? They don't make sounds that could be called language at all, yet they communicate well.
It's incredibly fascinating.
Apart from that thought, my heart was pounding like a drum. If I get caught, they'll run towards me. I don't know how fast those guys run, but it was better to consider today's gate run a failure the moment I get chased. I didn't know how to shake them off by changing paths here and there. And I didn't know how to find the gate again after shaking them off like that.
It means I'm a body that can only sprint to the gate if I get caught.
Therefore, the best choice was to wait for the goblins to leave without getting caught as much as possible, then take the Chaos Flowers blooming at the goblins' feet and run away. Since there are two wooden clubs, even if I have a dagger, if I started a fight, I'd get beaten like a dog and, as Choi Yeon-ju said, get torn to shreds and die. Why? Because I'm not a woman.
But now that I think about it, it's fortunate that I'm not a woman.
Every time I see the visuals of the goblins, I feel like I have a rough idea of how the women they mount must feel.
While I was holding my breath like that, I realized I had thought wrong. The two goblins each picked a Chaos Flower and shoved them into the leather covering their lower bodies.
I felt like my mind was going blank. I didn't know that goblins collected Chaos Flowers, but what was even more shocking was that it went between the goblins' crotches.
Even if I were to defeat the goblins, could I touch the Chaos Flowers that were between those crotches with my hands...?
That Chaos Flower was no longer a Chaos Flower, but a Chaos Cock.
How chaotic.
Since I couldn't move right now, I stayed hidden in that spot until the goblins who had collected the Chaos Flowers disappeared from my sight. And even after the goblins disappeared from my sight, I didn't move for about ten minutes.
When I was sure that my safety was guaranteed to some extent, I was finally able to get up and massage my numb legs. My legs were numb as if electricity was running through them because I had been squatting the whole time.
Phew.
That was a very tense moment.
Although I didn't fight the goblins, I was proud of myself just for holding back my scream after seeing those visuals. I thought that the job of a hunter might be quite doable after all.
And I also realized that I had stayed in the gate for quite a long time.
Should I go back?
I only found one Chaos Flower, but that's that, and dangerous is dangerous. I wanted to have sex right away, but I wasn't such an urgent person that I would risk my life to have a "makgora" (deathmatch) with goblins.
The important thing is that I entered this place without any real preparation. I had no drinking water and no food. It seems like about four hours have passed since I entered, and including the time to go back, it was clear that mealtime would have long since passed.
I was told to bring three flowers, but it couldn't be helped that I only brought one. Choi Yeon-ju is a doctor and gave me instructions, but strictly speaking, Choi Yeon-ju is under my hypnosis, so I'm the boss.
What is she going to do if I want to go home because I'm scared?
I walked toward the gate without any regrets.
It wouldn't matter much if I came back to dig up the rest the day after tomorrow, right?