Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Confirmation (1)
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Choi Da-eun didn't hit me!
This was a massive discovery. A huge change.
Lee Jin-seong had shot a fire arrow into my back.
A chaotic mess broke out because he botched his 'Fire Arrow'.
I seized that opening and bolted.
To devour the women of Training Team 4, I'd acted alone.
Of course, I figured Choi Da-eun would clobber me.
Even if it all stemmed from Lee Jin-seong's screw-up, I'd still pulled that reckless stunt.
I thought she'd take it out on me.
"Next time, for fuck's sake, stay in your damn position. A tank has to die right there, you idiot."
But Choi Da-eun forgave me.
She spewed curses, sure, but that was it.
Her fist was still trembling now, but it never connected with my face.
This was a monumental leap forward.
As I'd grown, my value had risen.
Choi Da-eun's opinion of me had improved.
That's why she held back instead of hitting me.
'This is it. This is what I've been waiting for.'
Praise makes even a whale dance.
She hadn't directly praised what I'd done well, but it was still good enough.
The validation from the group hit harder than I'd expected, filling me with a thrill.
"All you do is give the right answers, damn it. Tank with the mindset that you're gonna die in place."
"...Yes."
"Your stats have shot up a ton. You look like you've leveled up plenty—why the fuck are you still screwing around?"
"It hurts."
Was that not the answer she wanted?
Choi Da-eun ground her teeth.
But her attitude toward me had changed.
That much was clear.
Even the way she glared at me felt a tiny bit softer.
A strange pleasure rippled through me at that.
Yesterday's Park Sun-woo and today's were different.
Until last night, everyone in Training Team 4 had been fretting over dungeon hunts!
But after witnessing my awakening with their own eyes today, I hoped they'd feel the gap in our levels.
"A tank has to endure pain. If you hate it that much, you should've gone DPS. But you can't, right?"
Choi Da-eun zeroed in on my lack of talent.
Most tank hunters were like me.
With nothing but our bodies to offer, we started by throwing ourselves into the fray.
Those with some talent climbed ranks to become decent tanks, while worthless scum like me got weeded out, crawling at the bottom.
Of course, I was no longer some pathetic eternal F-Rank hunter.
I was like an imugi ready to ascend to dragonhood.
We were in a whole different league.
"Yes, I'll be careful."
Mission accomplished.
Through the Taming App, I'd devoured every woman in Training Team 4.
They weren't the kind I wanted to keep eating forever, so I'd used Dreamification to wipe it all away like it never happened.
'Not a single virgin among them.'
We spend ten months in our moms' bellies and come out with one each, right?
So why do hymens go nearly extinct the second adulthood hits?
Who the hell is eating up all those virgins?
Plenty of guys die without ever knowing what a hymen even is...
We need a system where every guy gets to taste one hymen in his life.
Some welfare program to teach clueless men the flavor of virginity...
In that sense, Choi Da-eun was precious.
Her mouth and hands were total rags, unlike her pristine pussy.
But the fact that she'd been a virgin gave her plenty of value.
'I've registered her in the Female Bestiary, so I'll fuck her forever.'
"Fuck, what's with that look? Does it burn your mouth 'cause it ain't true? Why're you flicking your tongue like that, you bitch...?"
"My lips were just dry."
"...You were thinking some shitty thoughts. No doubt about it."
"I wasn't."
Choi Da-eun shot me a half-lidded glare.
Like a thief feeling guilty, my chest twinged.
It took her a while to finally drop that suspicious stare.
"Finish repairs and let's head out again."
Choi Da-eun spun on her heel and approached the scattered members of Training Team 4.
They sat there in total disarray.
As team leader, she rallied them.
And ordered a swift takedown of the boss monster.
It was finally time to head back for real.
Snap! Zap!
I poured everything into slaughtering the monsters.
No monster could stand against the real Park Sun-woo.
At least not in this fourth-floor dungeon, the Polluted Sewer F Zone.
The boss monster was no different.
In front of me, it was just vermin.
"...Finally! Fuck, finally!"
We'd perfectly taken down the boss monster, the Chimera Slime.
Lee Jin-seong kept sniping my back and trolling, but that was nothing.
I was leagues ahead.
Choi Da-eun clapped in admiration at my skill.
Not quite a seal's applause, but praise in her own way.
I felt proud, my body wriggling with satisfaction.
"Yeah, fuck! You bastard, if you'd done this from the start, how great would've that been! Or wait—was it those shitty six months that made this possible? Whatever!"
Choi Da-eun pulled out her smartphone.
She snapped photos of the already-dead Chimera Slime corpse like crazy.
Clicking away from every angle!
"Those Milky Way Guild fuckers. I told them to watch."
Choi Da-eun muttered to herself, like she had a vendetta against the Milky Way Guild.
She gave off a murderous vibe, but not aimed at me.
"Sun-woo, did you snag some good items?"
"When did you get this strong? You didn't get pierced once."
The moment the boss was down, Training Team 4 crowded around me.
Questions poured in.
I didn't know where to start answering.
"I just worked hard. Wanted the team leader to acknowledge me."
Choi Da-eun was flipping through her phone's gallery.
I shot her a glance as I replied.
"I don't know everything, but I had to acknowledge it."
"Right? What you showed today was a real tank."
Lee Eun-seo flashed a thumbs-up.
The two women were thrilled we'd cleared the dungeon.
No clue I'd fucked them.
Because it was all a dream.
Behind them, Lee Jin-seong glared daggers at me.
He seemed pissed at me.
'Even normally, he'd mock me whenever I messed up.'
He clearly hated this situation.
I knew he had a crush on Lee Eun-seo...
Right now, she was throwing double thumbs-up.
Her admiration had doubled from one thumb to two.
'Nah, couldn't be.'
He'd been extra clumsy today.
Shooting 'Fire Arrow' at my back, and during the boss fight, it felt like he kept getting in my way.
Putting his own teammate in danger just to impress his crush? No way Lee Jin-seong would do something that stupid.
'I wouldn't either.'
I didn't think he was that much of an idiot.
"Great job, everyone!"
We looted minor items from the Chimera Slime corpse.
Choi Da-eun stuffed them all into her backpack, beaming as she checked on Training Team 4.
"No injuries, right?"
A voice I'd never heard from her before. Gentle tone.
Who knew Choi Da-eun could even say stuff like that?
Maybe she was a psychopath with split personalities.
That's how alien it felt.
"No, we're good."
"Sun-woo handled it all."
During the Chimera Slime fight, I hadn't let it slip back even once.
I held it locked down tight.
The backline just stood there watching the hunt wrap up.
Just needed to check my status.
"Park Sun-woo? You're fine?"
Choi Da-eun glanced at me as she asked.
Not out of worry.
She already knew I was unscathed.
"Yes, I'm good."
An F-Rank hunter taking zero damage from a fourth-floor boss.
That meant I was nearly E-Rank.
"About three weeks left?"
Choi Da-eun gathered Training Team 4 and explained the Milky Way Guild's ongoing project.
"We'll head to the tenth floor around then. Way too dangerous for F-Rank level, but Milky Way Guild's just gonna do it anyway?"
"......"
"Only the F-Rank training teams have to clear the tenth floor. Honestly, I was worried sick."
Her worry probably wasn't for us F-Rank hunters in Training Team 4.
Choi Da-eun would fret over her own reputation.
She still had some pride left...
Choi Da-eun looked at me, her expression full of expectation.
A faint smile tugged at her lips.
"But seeing us now, it seems doable. Didn't expect this fucker to grow like this outta nowhere. Hunters really can explode anywhere, anytime..."
Choi Da-eun patted my arm.
First time she'd touched me without being pissed.
"Keep it up like this. Got it?"
"...Yes."
Was this really it?
No beating from Choi Da-eun?
It felt refreshingly bittersweet.
I'd gotten hit every hunt, but here I was, limbs intact, calling it a day.
"Took longer than expected, but let's head home."
"Longer" carried a positive vibe.
At least from Choi Da-eun's perspective.
Training Team 4 hunts always ended early.
And disastrously so.
My screw-ups or accidents usually wrecked the day.
Most times, Choi Da-eun dragged us out by force.
But today was different.
First time since Training Team 4 formed: we'd cleared the dungeon safely and parted ways.
We'd stayed late, but that's why it felt enjoyable.
We retraced our steps in reverse.
Untouched Poison Rats and Poison Slimes popped out.
Dungeon cleared, no need to dawdle.
C-Rank hunter Choi Da-eun handled them herself.
We'd spent maybe two hours inside.
But exiting took under twenty minutes.
We burst from the sewer and ditched our boots.
The stench of rot vibrated off our bodies.
"Those heading to the city to wash up, do it. Others, go straight home."
No need to trek all the way to Gwanghwamun Square together.
We weren't kids; we were adults.
We disbanded right after exiting the Polluted Sewer F Zone.
"Good work."
We exchanged farewells and split.
Choi Da-eun looked ready to leave the Tower immediately.
As team leader, clearing the dungeon didn't end her duties.
More work awaited.
The women went their separate ways.
They'd acted buddy-buddy inside, but not outside.
Purely business.
Lee Jin-seong trailed Lee Eun-seo like a stray village mutt.
I headed home quick too.
Planned to wash up first, then summon Choi Da-eun.
That night.
"...That fucker again...!"
"Hello?"
Wearing the Perception Impairment Mask and Voice Modulation Butterfly Tie, I summoned Choi Da-eun to the Taming Room.