Chapter 40. It keeps getting tangled.
Chapter 40. It keeps getting tangled.
"You worked hard again today?"
"Me? What did I do? Da-eun-ssi did all the fighting."
We exchanged words with Im Da-eun while handing over all of today's medicinal herbs to the Hunter Association staff. Im Da-eun seemed to be in a pretty good mood. Because she picked more herbs today than last time. I wonder if that's only natural. Last time, we met up midway and picked herbs somehow, but today we met from the start and picked herbs.
I also found out for the first time today that you could earn money in the millions with herbs.
"Should I send it to your account like last time?"
"Huh? Yeah. You know my account, right?"
"Of course."
The first woman I ever exchanged phone numbers with is Im Da-eun. I haven't even exchanged phone numbers with Lim Seo-yoon yet, so it's only natural that I should treasure this. Im Da-eun's account is even bookmarked.
After quickly depositing half of today's earnings into her account, I showed Im Da-eun the coolest smile I could and said.
"I just sent it. Money calculations have to be accurate, after all."
Keu. That must have been lethal, right?
"Oh. That was fast. Thank you?"
Im Da-eun whistled and raised her phone to check. No effect at all.
I knew this would happen, so I could get over the injury from this reaction in under a second.
While Im Da-eun was gleefully checking her phone, I thought a bit.
The promise to go together if our schedules aligned for herb picking didn't end after today.
But I wasn't unaware of how futile promises are. Originally, promises to women are meant to be broken. Just like how, among all the women who have passed through my life who promised "Let's grab a meal sometime," not a single one actually ate with me.
Even if we enter the gate together like this, the moment something slightly important comes up, I could end up being thrown into a pot and boiled like a dog that finished hunting.
If I don't want to build a proper relationship before that, I'm not human. The problem is, I have absolutely no idea how to do that. A girlfriend is out of the question, and a female friend is practically a legendary Pokémon from my perspective. Since I've never had any sweet flirting with women in my daily life, there's no way I can naturally flirt.
For now, it's good to keep the conversation going somehow. Because if I just stand here silently, Im Da-eun, after checking the money deposited in her account, seems like she'll leave without hesitation. Honestly, why would Im Da-eun want to talk to me more? I'd like to eat together with today's earnings, drink together, and eat Im Da-eun too, but wishes are just wishes. I know well that reality isn't a place where imagined things come true.
Perhaps no one knows that better than me.
"Is Da-eun-ssi's crew on break these days?"
I asked. Originally, I wasn't even expecting Im Da-eun to call me out today. As I mentioned last time, Im Da-eun is a woman who focuses more on her crew activities. Judging by how she fought in the gate today, Im Da-eun had no choice but to be passionate about her crew activities. Because the penalty on Im Da-eun's ability was more serious than I thought.
"Huh? Ah. I decided to sit out this crew activity."
Im Da-eun scratched her cheek with an embarrassed expression at my question. Why did she decide to sit out?
"Why?"
"This time they're going to hunt an Iron Lizard. Iron Lizards are fast and agile, so I'm not helpful. There are also few of them, so if one is found, they have to catch it no matter what, but if I'm there, it might cause trouble."
Did the crew vote to leave Im Da-eun out of the party? I see why Im Da-eun is embarrassed. It must be embarrassing to say something like that to an herb picker like me. Because she has to explain her own incompetence.
Not that I mind.
Speaking of Iron Lizards, my interest is piqued since it's a crew going to hunt a monster I currently need. How can I steal it? Just having that would mean I've acquired all the byproducts needed for the 1st Modification.
But since I know it's impossible for me to intercept it because they'll hand it over to the Association on the way out, my regret is minimal.
While I was thinking that, Im Da-eun cautiously asked me.
"You said you enter the gate once every two days, right...?"
"Ah. Yes. I exercise every other day too."
"Oh? You exercise too?"
"It hasn't been that long. About a week?"
"Still, starting is better than nothing. Starting is always the hardest."
It was never hard. If I see Lim Seo-yoon's face and body, I could say I want to exercise right now. Of course, I'm not going to tell Im Da-eun that.
"So, are you coming to the gate the day after tomorrow?"
"Yes. I have to, right?"
"Do you want to go together then?"
"Huh?"
It was an unexpected question, so I asked blankly. Im Da-eun smiled awkwardly.
"Well... I'm separated from my crew members, so I have free time until they come back. It's hard to expect the same income as today if I go into the gate alone. You benefit too because you can easily pick herbs with me. And... I... I need to earn money fast, you know?"
Im Da-eun avoided my gaze and made up excuses. It was a sweet deal beyond my expectations. I know well that she isn't conscious of me as a man, but doesn't this practically confirm that I can keep entering the gate with her until her crew members return?
I nodded enthusiastically.
"Of course! Absolutely! I'd rather be the one asking you!"
I thought I didn't need money, but now that's not the case. Because I know that with Im Da-eun, I can earn millions in herb money. Compared to the money Choi Yeon-ju earns, it's a drop in the bucket, but isn't it still good to have plenty of money in my pocket? Besides, I want to discipline Im Da-eun.
Im Da-eun smiled brightly at my words.
Returning to the mansion lululalla, as soon as Choi Yeon-ju got home from work, I dashed over to her.
"I'm going into the gate with Im Da-eun every two days, starting day after tomorrow! Tell me the right answer on how to discipline her!"
"It's impossible."
So this isn't a fake Choi Yeon-ju.
"What? Why?"
"You've only met twice. How can you discipline her? For you to put a suggestion on her like I did, Im Da-eun has to be unconscious or asleep, but how are you going to make her sleep during a one-day gate trip?"
That was too accurate a point, and even I couldn't come up with a clear answer.
I became sullen and asked.
"So I can never discipline Im Da-eun?"
"You can. But the problem is that the prerequisites are much more numerous compared to Lim Seo-yoon."
"Why could you put a suggestion on Lim Seo-yoon so quickly?"
"All thanks to me. Lim Seo-yoon felt at ease because of the name Choi Yeon-ju, and thanks to the genius Choi Yeon-ju, I could also put a suggestion on her. Of course, thanks to the person called Choi Yeon-ju, I could also make her drink Goblin fluid."
Aren't you embarrassed bragging about yourself like this?
But Choi Yeon-ju's self-praise was her own, and I am me. Since it's impossible to have Choi Yeon-ju with me during the time I spend with Im Da-eun, it seems the only thing I can do right now with Im Da-eun is to score points using herbs. Hearing that there's nothing I can do to Im Da-eun right now drains all my energy.
Choi Yeon-ju stared blankly at me and then casually opened her mouth.
"Make Im Da-eun drink your Cowper's fluid."
"Huh?"
"I'm telling you to make her drink your Cowper's fluid by any means. Once Im Da-eun drinks it, she'll become obsessed with you."
"Why? Like Lim Seo-yoon?"
At my question, Choi Yeon-ju shook her head.
"Lim Seo-yoon is a special case. Because of my request, Lim Seo-yoon was a woman who couldn't avoid the scene when the fluid's effects began to take hold. It means you were the only person around to soothe her aroused body. Since it was impossible for her to find another man in that situation, she clung to you."
"........"
"Not so with Im Da-eun. Although she's in the closed space of a gate, if she really gets aroused, she'll look for another man away from you to soothe herself. You're not very impressive, are you?"
"Man, that's harsh."
"That's an evaluation of you from an objective perspective. Don't think of it as belittling, but as bitter medicine."
I wish I could think it's a misunderstanding that she's saying she'll never give me sweet words.
"Im Da-eun's ability is Physical Enhancement. Compared to other enhancement ability users, her output is 2 to 3 times higher, but due to the penalty, her body has become very insensitive. Am I right?"
"Yeah. I saw her fighting properly today. It was ridiculous. Both her punches and kicks were all clumsy."
"But if you get hit, you'll die."
"That goes without saying."
Im Da-eun is a monster who could pop a child's head with a single flick.
Choi Yeon-ju walked through the living room and took off her coat. Even so, she didn't stop explaining to me. Since I'm a guy who knows I can't do anything without Choi Yeon-ju, I didn't bother her and focused on her words.
"Im Da-eun's penalty is Sensory Dulling. If she formed a crew with Lim Seo-yoon, the synergy would be high. Because if Lim Seo-yoon's buff is applied to Im Da-eun, the penalty would disappear."
"Oh. Now that you mention it, that's true?"
"But it's not good in terms of efficiency. Lim Seo-yoon's ability can only be applied to one target at a time. Lim Seo-yoon's ability is Sensory Amplification. Her ability is more specialized for debuffs than buffs. Because she's the natural enemy of biological monsters."
At Choi Yeon-ju's explanation, I recalled the day I first met Lim Seo-yoon. When I was fully hit by Sensory Amplification, even wearing clothes was so painful that I could barely stand. I understand what Choi Yeon-ju means. No living creature could remain unaffected when hit by that ability.
"If Lim Seo-yoon's ability is used on Im Da-eun, Lim Seo-yoon becomes nothing more than an ordinary person with a slingshot. Im Da-eun becomes special, but instead, Lim Seo-yoon becomes a subpar individual. It's not the best for them to act together as a crew."
"But her strength is still 2 to 3 times greater. Isn't that enough to be amazing?"
"You'd need ten to twenty times that for there to be merit in applying the ability to Im Da-eun. That way, Im Da-eun can fill the void left by Lim Seo-yoon after she drops out."
I didn't fully understand Choi Yeon-ju's words, but I had no choice but to nod. Because what Choi Yeon-ju says is definitely more accurate than what I say. She said ten to twenty times, but if Im Da-eun, who is already suffering because of the penalty right now, were that strong, the penalty would definitely be even worse. Actually, a special case like Im Da-eun has never been reported worldwide.
It was something I didn't know about.
"Lim Seo-yoon is a debuffer. At least once Lim Seo-yoon's transformation into a sow succeeds and she completely comes over to our side, I'm not even thinking about other matters. Because she's an ability user who shines when she's a debuffer."
"I get that now. But why my Cowper's fluid?"
"Your Cowper's fluid puts women into a state of heat. Along with the heat, it makes their bodies sensitive. Don't you remember how Lim Seo-yoon was spraying a water cannon from her cunt when hit by your Vagina Slash and then passed out?"
"If that was recorded on video, I would have asked them to play it at my funeral."
"Why do you keep thinking you're going to have a funeral? You can't. You can't."
"You bitch..."
She's talking about the unclaimed body thing, right? Every time that comes up, I'm genuinely hurt.
"Anyway, being sensitive means her senses became acute, doesn't it?"
"Huh?"
Oh, right?
"If Im Da-eun, who has drunk your Cowper's fluid, becomes an Im Da-eun with a mitigated penalty, do you think she'll be able to forget that sensation?"
"Oh!"
"It's similar to porn, masturbation, and sex. It's possible to never experience it, but it's impossible to experience it only once. Im Da-eun will come to crave her own body state with the penalty mitigated."
"Should I use juice this time too?"
"Sports drinks are fine too. Sports drinks are absorbed well by the body."
"You're a genius."
Since listening to Choi Yeon-ju gives me answers, I can't help but listen to her. When I gave a thumbs up, Choi Yeon-ju just nodded as if she was unimpressed. My praise didn't seem to make her happy.
"The problem is her wariness. If she drinks the beverage you gave her, becomes sensitive, and goes into heat, Im Da-eun will definitely suspect you. If you die inside the gate, your body won't even be found, so you could have a truly unclaimed funeral, though."
"Don't say that like you're looking forward to it."
"Therefore, when you hand her the drink, you can sell me out."
"Sell you out?"
"Yes. The drug made by Dr. Choi Yeon-ju. And in doing so, reveal that you are connected to me. We can discuss that part in detail before we sleep."
"Why can't we do it now?"
We've come this far in the conversation, so why does she want to talk about it when we sleep? Wouldn't it be better to finish now and talk about something else when we sleep? I can satisfy my curiosity right away, and Choi Yeon-ju can quickly resolve one problem. Isn't that good for both of us?
But Choi Yeon-ju shook her head.
"No. Because I have something I need to do right now."
"At home? What do you need to do?"
"This."
"Huh? Agagagagagagak!"
Ttadadadadadak!
Tasting the terrible sensation of electricity searing my entire body, my legs gave out and I collapsed right there on the spot. As my vision darkened, I immediately realized what was happening. Because I had experienced this once before.
"Yo...you fucking bitch..."
"Thanks for the compliment."
I lost consciousness.