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"...Did you get hurt anywhere?"

Cheonghwa asked calmly, still drenched in body fluids.

"...I'm sorry."

"It's fine. If you'd been next to Jinyeol, you wouldn't have gotten hurt badly."

"...That..."

My mouth opened but no words came out. I couldn't even muster the feeling of guilt.

"While we were busting our asses killing monsters, the master was out there violating Jinyeol."

This time, Seolhye stepped in.

Her tone was dry, but her gaze was as sharp as a blade.

I bowed my head deeper.

Their gazes felt like they were piercing straight through my skull.

"You didn't even do it with me."

Yuyeon trailed her words lazily.

A gaze stabbed me from the side.

"...Yuyeon. That's not the important part, is it?"

"I'm sorry! Everyone's risking their lives for me, and I just sit in the corner... waaah... I really am sorry!"

The moment the words left my mouth, a crushing wave of self-loathing hit me.

Even so, all I could do right now was bow face-down in apology.

"Master, you should put Jinyeol down first."

"Ah."

—Squish! Splatter splatter!

"Ahheh..."

As my cock pulled free, the semen that had been building up all night came pouring out with a heavy thud-thud.

The white stain spreading across the floor was unmistakable.

"Sir, how many times did you do it? Ugh, it smells..."

"..."

"You should've used protection. What if someone gets pregnant?"

"...I'm sorry."

I'd lost count of how many times I'd apologized today.

After being subjected to everyone's stares like that, we got into the vehicle heading back to the Academy dormitory.

—Lick lick!

Cheonghwa kept licking her own clothes.

"So, how did you manage on the second gate?"

"Me and Seolhye got dropped right into a swarm of monsters as soon as we moved. After we cleared them all, we took a short break, and then the gate spat us out."

"Hmm, quite an entertaining fight. The wolves wrapped in iron stronger than steel, but the insides of their snouts were just ordinary."

Seolhye ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and Yuyeon apparently never encountered the alpha entity.

"So you're saying Cheonghwa caught the alpha?"

"Yes, I caught the alpha. This gate was a simple gimmick-type anyway."

"A gimmick?"

Now that I thought about it, Il Lena had been the one to select the gate.

"After breaking through the first gate, didn't three cores come out?"

"That's right. One core each, one per head."

"If it had been a normal party, how would they have distributed them?"

"Probably... the leader would destroy the core that came from the center, and the others would destroy the cores on either side, right?"

Generally speaking, that was the correct approach. Since destroying a gate core gives the reward to the person who broke it first, and then it gets divided, the strongest leader taking the central core was the standard party formation.

"That's exactly what I was going for. The core the master destroyed — the central one — led to a sealed-off cave where only one beta entity would spawn. The smallest core I destroyed led to the room where the alpha was."

"Wait, Lena. What cores did me and Seolhye break?"

"Same for us. If we'd just gone straight through, we would've run into the alpha."

"So let me summarize what you're saying..."

Of the three cores that came from the first alpha kill, the core that the strongest person could take was sent to a place where nothing could be done, and the remaining cores were routed toward the real alpha.

"Is that how it works? So basically, a boss raid without a leader gets designed."

"Exactly. If you know this beforehand, it's easy to clear."

So we survived because me and Jinyeol went to the sealed cave, while they went the other way.

Anyway, it was time to check the piled-up notifications.

A shoddy ice artifact. Since it was survival rather than a gate clear, the reward for an A-rank gate wasn't great.

"Did everyone get their rewards?"

"I got this. It says Frost Edged Sturdy Ice Artifact..."

"I just got Ice Artifact. Same for you, Yuyeon?"

"Ah, so the rewards differ depending on how the group split up, I see."

"I don't need it. You can keep it, Sir."

"Huh?"

"I've long since passed the level where something like this would help."

"Even so... you'd just give it to me?"

"Well, you could give it to someone else here too. Since you also brought back spirit herbs for Sir."

Spirit herbs? What's she talking about now.

"The place where Frost Edged Wolves live — Frost Prostrein — has plants that grow there packed with high-concentration magic power."

Wow, just like Il Lena. You always have a plan, don't you?

"Then I'll gladly accept it."

You should eat the rice cakes you're ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠given. It's rude to hope for favors first, but it's also rude to refuse incoming ones.

"We've arrived, miss."

Before I knew it, we were at the Academy.

**********

"Hyyyyyuk!!!"

"Jinyeol, are you awake?"

"...Seolhye?"

Finally, around evening, Jinyeol woke up. I wondered if I'd been too rough yesterday.

"You've finally come to. Was your first experience with the master enjoyable?"

"...How could I..."

"Don't you remember being used as my support?"

"Huh? ...Me?"

"Sigh..."

I said it was fine, but Cheonghwa had clearly been quite concerned.

"I-I couldn't help it! It felt too good..."

"Even so, the place was inside the gate. Didn't you feel you should be more careful?"

"Cheonghwa, knock it off. It's my fault for losing control."

When I cut in between them, Cheonghwa closed her mouth for a moment. But her eyes said plainly, I won't be so forgiving next time.

Jinyeol mumbled in a small voice while averting her gaze.

"Still... I am now the master's dedicated onahole, so... I wish Cheonghwa wouldn't interfere..."

"Hm? I can't hear you. Speak up a bit louder."

"Ugh..."

Jinyeol hesitated, then squeezed her eyes shut and opened her mouth.

"I'm now the master's dedicated onahole! Don't interfere!"

"...Huh?"

Cheonghwa was stunned. I was stunned too.

"God, how is there not a single normal person here?"

"Strictly speaking, we're not people."

"Seolhye, mind your own business."

Seolhye and Yuyeon were chatting again.

"Sigh... Jinyeol, you look really tired. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠We might have to go through another gate tomorrow, so go to sleep for now."

"Huh? Cheonghwa, tomorrow's Monday."

We'd gone to the gate on Saturday, spent the night there, so today should be Sunday.

"What are you talking about? Today is Saturday..."

"Ah, I didn't mention it, but Cheonghwa apparently came to her senses really late at the gate? She probably needs to sleep another day."

"...Is that so."

Cheonghwa had been unconscious and didn't come around until the next day?

"I was right next to you the whole time, so it's fine."

"I know my own body best. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I appreciate your concern, master, but there's no real problem."

"In that case... well, it doesn't matter, but—"

"That's right, Jinyeol. I have something to give you."

The gate rewards should probably go to Jinyeol first.

This would be useful for manipulating cold energy.

"Th-this is for me?"

"It's what Il Lena received. You said you can't use cold energy yet."

"But... receiving something like this... and it's something the Saintess received..."

"I don't need it, so use it however you like."

"R-really? Thank you!"

Jinyeol bounced around happily. It made sense she'd be thrilled — I was giving her something that could be a huge help to her.

"B-but... to properly absorb this, I'd need the Hall Master, I think..."

"The Hyunmu Hall Master?"

"Yes, our father."

"It's hard to do alone?"

"I'm not very friendly with cold energy... I need the help of a higher-ranked cultivator."

It seemed Jinyeol would have to return to her family.

"Doing it alone... must be tough."

**********

Before catching the alpha, Il Lena had said:

"Once we kill that, the gate will spit us out."

"Are you sure?"

"No, I thought I could trust it before, but why are you looking at me with suspicious eyes again? Can't you keep a pretty face?"

"...I'm sorry."

"Hmph. But, I'd appreciate it if you don't remember what I told you about regression."

"Is there a reason I shouldn't know about regression?"

Cheonghwa was puzzled. If that were the case, there'd be no reason to drag the conversation all the way into the dungeon's depths.

"If that thing shows up in your actions... the Blue Dragon Hall will start suspecting you too."

"There's no way that..."

'Hall Master... how far are you going to disgrace yourself.'

Distrust of the Blue Dragon Hall seeped into Cheonghwa's mind.

"But the contents of regression are already in my memory. How are you going to resolve that?"

"You're good at something like that, aren't you? Wasn't it called Soul Command?"

"..."

"Just do exactly what I say with Soul Command. I'll handle the measures."

Hearing that, Cheonghwa used Soul Command on Il Lena.

Words carry power.

The mysterious energy called spirit power forces the other person to obey commands.

But it didn't work on Il Lena.

*Thud.*

"Well, I've taken the measures. Now I need to wake her up..."

*Tickle tickle!

Il Lena tickled Cheonghwa with the plant she'd been chewing on earlier. Maybe this would wake her up faster.

"Wake up! We have to get out of here!"