Pheromone Monster

Back in reality, I stared blankly into empty air before shaking my head. Memories from the Dark Moon world had come flooding in like a rising tide.

It wasn't a headache, and my mind wasn't in chaos. I just needed a moment to sort things through.

I checked my points.

They'd stacked up nicely.

Originally I had more than this.

I'd spent about four thousand points easing one of the penalties — the memory part. Just enough to let a faint trickle of real-world recollection come through.

I need those real-world memories if I'm going to keep the business running smoothly.

Even so, a residual unease lingered. The me in Neo London had no business, no foundation of any kind.

My time in the Dark Moon world had felt stifling and incomplete. Especially when I'd parted ways with No. 31 and the rest of my classmates — that had left me genuinely depressed.

Every time a Play ended, it felt like force-feeding myself hundreds of raw sweet potatoes.

To ease that frustration, I'd used a Play World Companion Entry Ticket to drop Yuria into the Dark Moon world. If anyone could look after that version of me and help with the business side, it was her.

But I never expected Yuria to jump me first. I told her she could tempt me all she wanted — just don't make the first move… When we get back to the Baekhwan world, she's getting a proper scolding.

The moment I pictured Dark Moon Yuria, my cock started rising hard. I already had a detailed plan for how I'd punish her.

Speaking of which — that Play World Companion Entry Ticket. It's been damn useful… Should I buy another one?

Only seven thousand points.

Cheap, from my perspective. I could stock up and bring women from other Play Worlds along for the ride.

If I brought Yuria, Elena, Mi-ryeong, and Seong Ha-ri all at once, we could probably dominate an entire Play World without breaking a sweat.

I discarded the idle thought.

No need to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠buy a Companion Entry Ticket right now.

I already knew exactly where my points were going. I'd been saving them for a reason.

Do it.

Crackling blue current leapt across my body.

I clenched my jaw. Knowledge of Noecheonryu poured directly into my mind, and lightning qi began racing through my meridians — surging along pathways I'd never even considered before.

It was disorienting. This was slightly different from the Noecheonryu I already knew.

Wait… is this—!

The Noecheonryu created with Wi-yu's help had never been a finished art. It was nothing more than a basic foundation — Cheondanroegeol fused with Yeongcheonryu. There was far more left to build than what had already been established.

Is the Noecheonryu trait from the Play Life App… the completed form?!

Just as excitement surged through me, a notification window appeared.

"…Yeah, figures. Nothing's ever that easy."

I'd thought I'd reached the summit, only to find myself at a midpoint.

Still, not starting from Lv.1 was something to be grateful for.

I sat cross-legged in the center of the living room and focused. The moment I tried to circulate my qi, lightning qi crackled in natural response.

A smile tugged at my lips. The lightning qi reacted as if it had already become part of my body.

What do they call it… unity of body and blade? Something like that.

Either way, it wasn't bad.

Three thousand one hundred five points remaining. Where to spend them?

Gacha, obviously. Who knows — a Play World Companion Entry Ticket might drop. Let's do exactly three thousand pulls.

If even one Companion Entry Ticket came out of three thousand pulls, it'd be a jackpot.

I hit the random draw button with complete confidence.

I pulled ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠three thousand times until the sun went down. A mountain of useless junk had piled up around me.

"…Unbelievable."

The gacha hadn't been a total loss.

Out of three thousand pulls, I'd snagged two useful items. I'd more than broken even. What left me stunned was something else entirely.

I deliberately burned through three thousand pulls and only walked away with two decent things.

I shook my head and stood up. The junk piled around me would get dumped into the Baekhwan world for storage. Junk or not, everything obtained through the Play Life App was high quality when you examined it piece by piece.

I was especially fond of the Heavenly Wet Wipes. A single-point item, and wiping yourself down with them felt incredible. I always kept a stock in the bathroom.

Time to check out the two jackpot items from this round.

First, I picked up an elegant glass bottle. Inside was a pink liquid.

Now this I like.

Just reading the description made my chest flutter. Without a second thought, I sprayed the Pheromone Burst Perfume on myself.

Spritz, spritz!

Sniff. Sniff!

I pressed my nose to my body and kept sniffing. The perfume had definitely been applied, but I couldn't smell a thing.

Is it because it's a pheromone? I think I heard somewhere that pheromones can't be detected by the nose…

I resisted the urge to bolt outside and start testing immediately.

I checked the other item — a pill with a vivid color like blue mold.

I stared at the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Misunderstood Drug with a puzzled expression. I couldn't get a feel for how strong the effect was, or where I'd even use it.

Do I really need to make someone hated?

I thought about it more carefully.

Slip the drug to the husband of some hot married woman. She'd start hating her husband, and I'd swoop in to seduce her while the marriage crumbled.

Perfect plan…

I stashed the Misunderstood Drug in my inventory and hurried outside. First priority was testing the Pheromone Burst Perfume.

I stepped out onto the street and walked with full confidence. The perfume's effect hit immediately — every woman who saw me gave me at least one look. Some stared outright. Their eyes were hot. A few even approached me.

"Excuse me. Do you have a moment?"

I looked at the woman and firmly shook my head. She was ugly.

"Sorry. I've got plans with a friend…"

"Could I get your number? I'd really like to talk with you. And if you've got time… maybe a drink together?"

"I'm not that kind of easy guy."

I put up an iron wall and walked past her.

Other women drifted toward me with calculated casualness. Some struck up conversation. Others handed me coffee cups with their numbers written on them. A few flashed cleavage or stroked my shoulder, making their sexual interest completely obvious.

Hoo. So this is the life of a top-tier handsome guy… Kind of exhausting.

The problem was that most of them were either ugly or plain — nowhere near my standards.

I've only got one body, and time is finite. I don't have hours to waste on ugly bitches and average women.

I was hunting for big game.

I wasn't even hoping for Han Harin-level beauty. You could scour all of South Korea and find fewer than a hundred women who matched her looks.

Plenty of beauties come close to Harin in the face department… but Harin's body is pure fraud.

Thinking about Han Harin made me want to go home.

I already came all the way out. Might as well stick around a bit longer. A real catch might show up.

I walked a little farther. Married women, high school girls in uniform — all of them lit up when they saw me. They were women who felt sexual desire, after all.

Conversely, little kids and old grandmas paid me zero attention.

Most people just glance and keep walking.

The women who actively approached and hit on me all looked like the type with strong libidos.

Damn it. Not a single woman I actually want. Have my standards gotten too high?

I pulled out my smartphone.

Ha Seung-hee was buried in work related to HB-1 — the mass-produced replica of Hevil's Growth Accelerator — so meeting her was out of the question.

Jin Seyeong's in the middle of a dungeon raid… and Harin…

I called Han Harin, planning to tell her I was heading home and she should warm herself up for me.

But Han Harin had gone down to her family home.

No choice, then. Guess I'll call Park Su-ho or Oh Junhyeok and hit a club.

Oh Junhyeok was busy. Ever since joining some guild called Fivesad, he'd been hard to pin down.

Why'd he suddenly start taking life seriously? With his talent, even C-Class Hunter is a stretch. Used to be he'd just party at clubs nonstop.

I managed to drag Park Su-ho out. He'd been about to go monster hunting as usual, but I talked him around with one argument after another. Park Su-ho had received plenty from me over time — he couldn't just coldly refuse.

Should I secretly feed Park Su-ho the Misunderstood Drug? Kind of curious what would happen.

I considered it for a moment, then shook my head.

The Misunderstood Drug was a fifteen-thousand-point item. Way too valuable to waste on Park Su-ho out of idle curiosity.

"Hyung!"

After waiting a bit at the meeting spot, Park Su-ho showed up.

Recently promoted to C-Class Hunter, he'd arrived in what he considered casual wear — jeans and a black-and-white sweatshirt. The problem was that the clothes looked worn out.

"Where'd you get those clothes?"

"These? Bought them on Gaji Market. Jeans were five thousand won, sweatshirt was seven thousand. Real steal."

"There's a hole in the cuff of those jeans, and the sweatshirt's faded."

"Come on. You can barely tell unless you look close."

"…Fine. Whatever. You've got a decent body, so you'll still do alright at the club."

"Hyung. I'm not interested in women. I only came because you called."

Pfft.

I almost let out a snort of laughter. I barely managed to hold it in.

Park Su-ho and I went to a nearby Korean beef restaurant. He kept gulping as he watched the meat sizzle on the grill.

"Eat as much as you want. My treat."

"Thanks, hyung. It's been forever since I had Korean beef."

"I know you've been struggling. Of course I'm gonna look out for you."

"Hyung…"

Park Su-ho gazed at me with misty, moved eyes. It was kind of gross. I nearly flipped the grill.