Chapter 701: Eternal Spire (79)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 701: Eternal Spire (79)
The party dynamics became incredibly entertaining after Jessica joined.
Ryu Seol, who usually suppressed her true personality to act quiet and reserved, spent the entire day glaring at Jessica, while Jessica made it a point to stick shamelessly close to Park Min-jun.
"Taeyang, don't you think this is going to be a problem?"
Seo Eun-ha asked with a worried expression.
"Eh, what's the big deal? That's just youth for you~"
I replied, leaning back with my arms crossed casually.
"Sigh... I was wrong to even ask you. I should say something myself."
As Seo Eun-ha tried to step forward, I stopped her.
"Just leave them be."
"Why? The atmosphere in the party is getting weird."
"It’s not necessarily a bad thing. Besides, they haven't caused any real trouble yet."
Seo Eun-ha looked at me with a suspicious gaze.
"...You're plotting something, aren't you?"
"Hey, hey~ Do I really look like that kind of person to you?"
"Yes. Exactly like that."
I chuckled at her blunt response.
"Eun-ha-chan, you know me too well~"
"...There really is something going on."
Seo Eun-ha shook her head with a sigh.
Meanwhile, up ahead, Jessica was whispering into Park Min-jun’s ear with her hand on his shoulder.
"Min-jun~ Want to head out to the city together after we're done with the dungeon today?"
"Huh? Oh, yes... I'd love to, Instructor..."
Park Min-jun replied awkwardly, his face turning bright red.
Seeing that, sparks practically flew from Ryu Seol’s eyes.
Grind...
Ryu Seol gritted her teeth and marched forward, grabbing Park Min-jun’s other arm.
"Min-jun, you have extra training today. You didn't forget, did you?"
"Huh? Oh, that..."
While Park Min-jun stammered in confusion, Jessica cut in with a beaming smile.
"Oh my, training? Then should I help out? Since I'm a healer, I can manage his stamina too~"
"...That won't be necessary. I can help him just fine on my own."
Ryu Seol’s voice turned ice-cold.
"Hehe, but wouldn't it be better to have a professional look at him~?"
"Instructor, please just focus on your own job."
"My, but this is my job."
Invisible sparks flew between the two women.
Caught in the middle, Park Min-jun was breaking out in a cold sweat, not knowing what to do.
"U-um... you two..."
I watched the scene with a satisfied grin. From behind, Han So-young poked me in the side.
"Oppa... is this really okay? Look at Ryu Seol's face..."
"It's fine, it's fine. That much is just cute~"
Han So-young looked ahead with an uneasy expression.
Seo Eun-ha sighed once more.
"If a real problem starts, you're taking responsibility."
"Of course~"
I gave a lighthearted answer and walked forward.
"Alright, stop fighting! We've reached the dungeon entrance!"
At my voice, the three of them turned their heads simultaneously.
"Hey, hey~ Settle your personal feelings outside the dungeon. If you fight inside, we're all dead."
Ryu Seol let go of Park Min-jun’s arm with a dissatisfied look.
"...Fine."
Jessica, still smiling, took her hand off Park Min-jun’s shoulder.
"Right, Taeyang is correct. Safety comes first~"
Park Min-jun let out a sigh of relief as he escaped from between the two women.
"I'll start the dungeon briefing."
Seo Eun-ha stepped forward and spoke.
"The dungeon we're clearing today is 'Orc Chieftain's Rest.' The difficulty is Intermediate, and the estimated time is three hours. The boss is the Orc Chieftain."
"The Orc Chieftain... what level is it?"
Park Min-jun asked.
"Roughly level 20. Our average level is 21, so we should be more than a match for it."
Seo Eun-ha said, looking around at the party members.
"Eun-ha and Ryu Seol are the vanguard. Taeyang, move in the midguard while protecting Park Min-jun. In the rearguard, So-young will provide magic support, and Instructor Jessica will be in charge of healing."
Everyone nodded.
"Then, we're going in."
Seo Eun-ha walked into the dungeon entrance, and the rest followed.
The interior of the dungeon was dark and damp. Stone corridors stretched out like a maze.
"Be careful. There might be traps."
Seo Eun-ha led the way cautiously. As the porter, Park Min-jun had recently learned a trap-disarming skill, so he stepped forward to check for any dangers.
And then,
Kuruk... Kuik...
The cry of an orc echoed from somewhere.
"They're coming!"
Seo Eun-ha drew her rapier.
Pat-pat-pat!
Five goblins came rushing from the end of the corridor.
"Ryu Seol, left!"
"Yes!"
Ryu Seol lowered her stance and lunged at the orc on the left.
Thwack!
Her fist slammed into the orc's face.
"Kugh!"
The orcs collapsed with a scream.
Seo Eun-ha gracefully swung her rapier, taking care of the goblins on the right.
"So-young, magic support!"
"On it!"
As Han So-young chanted a spell, plants sprouted from the floor and lashed out at the orcs.
Boom!
"Nice job!"
I watched from behind while protecting Park Min-jun.
'Not bad.'
The party members' skills had improved significantly. At this rate, clearing an Intermediate dungeon seemed like it would be a breeze.
*
After clearing the Intermediate dungeon, we were assigned to the next one. As the difficulty gradually increased, everyone except Seo Eun-ha and Jessica began to find it overwhelming.
The porter, Park Min-jun, was a particular problem.
"I'm sorry..."
As the difficulty rose, he had made a mistake in detecting a trap.
"...Should we look for a professional trap disarmer?"
When Seo Eun-ha muttered that to herself, Park Min-jun’s shoulders slumped.
He had insisted on handling the trap disarming himself, but if he couldn't keep up with our pace, it was bound to become an issue.
As for Ryu Seol, she just lacked experience, so she would likely catch up soon.
And then there was the other problem.
"Haa... Oppa... I'm dying..."
Han So-young, whose stamina was far too low, was struggling. Perhaps because of her massive breasts, she was even more exhausted, her entire body drenched in sweat.
"I told you to work harder on your physical training, didn't I?"
"I've been training as hard as I can in my own way...! It's just that you and Eun-ha unnie are monsters!"
Han So-young protested, gasping for breath.
I sighed and placed a hand on her back.
"Hey, hey~ You have to at least endure this much. Otherwise, you can't even dream of higher-level dungeons."
"Ugh... I know..."
Han So-young nodded weakly. I looked around at the party members and spoke.
"Let's take a ten-minute break here. Everyone, recover your strength."
"Thank you!"
Park Min-jun collapsed onto the floor with a sigh of relief.
Ryu Seol leaned against the wall and drank some water. However, her expression was grim. This time, it didn't seem to be because of Jessica.
If I had to guess, the internal energy she had gained from my last massage was likely starting to dwindle, and that was causing her trouble.
'Looks like she's about to bite.'
Just then, Jessica approached and patted Park Min-jun on the shoulder.
"Min-jun, are you okay? If it's too hard, should I use some recovery magic on you?"
"Ah, I'm fine, Jessica-nuna. I just need a little rest."
Park Min-jun replied with an awkward smile. Somewhere along the line, they had started calling each other 'nuna' and 'dongsaeng.'
Ryu Seol’s gaze turned cold.
"Instructor, isn't it more efficient to use recovery magic during combat? There's no need to waste mana for no reason."
"Oh my, thank you for the concern~ but my mana is plenty, so it's fine."
Jessica replied with a beaming smile.
"...Still."
Ryu Seol made a dissatisfied face.
Seo Eun-ha glanced at me and let out a small sigh.
"Taeyang, are you really not going to do anything?"
"Hey, hey~ What do you want me to do?"
"Do something about the atmosphere between those two."
"I don't want to. It's fun~"
Seo Eun-ha gritted her teeth and stepped on my foot.
"Ow!"
"Be serious. The party atmosphere is going to be completely ruined at this rate."
"Alright, alright. I'll step in later~"
I brushed her off and stood up.
"Alright, if everyone's rested, let's move!"
"Already? It hasn't even been ten minutes..."
Han So-young said weakly.
"A dungeon isn't a place for lounging. Isn't it better to clear it quickly and rest outside?"
"Ugh... fine..."
Han So-young stood up, wobbling.
*
When our party returned looking like a mess, only Jessica and I remained perfectly clean.
"Ugh, Oppa, why are you always so clean!"
Han So-young, covered in dirt and monster blood, shouted in frustration.
"Heh, this body of mine is on a different level than you guys~"
I replied with a shrug.
Seo Eun-ha, also with monster blood in her hair, let out a sigh.
"...It really is mysterious. Sometimes when I look at Taeyang, I wonder if he's really a participant like us."
I felt a slight prick of guilt at those words, but I brushed it off coolly.
"Heh, it's all thanks to this body's natural talent."
"...I'm jealous."
"Now, everyone must be tired, so let's head back to rest."
At Jessica's words, everyone nodded and headed to their respective quarters. After taking a quick shower in my room, I found an unexpected guest waiting for me.
"Hey, hey~ Ryu Seol, sneaking into a man's room... are you planning to do that kind of thing with me?"
"Shut up."
Ryu Seol was sitting on the edge of the bed. Her expression was terrible.
"Oho, if you tell me to shut up, I'll just—"
"Hey, it's an order. Shut your mouth."
"......"
I stood still, pretending to be under hypnosis.
"Haa... this is so annoying..."
Her face looked like a literal demon's; something must have happened. She was clenching her fists and gritting her teeth.
"Hey, Geum Taeyang. That new energy in my lower abdomen has mostly disappeared... Why is this happening?"
"As I told you before... you need to receive massages consistently..."
"...That perverted massage?"
"Yes."
She sat in silence for a while, her face scrunched up. Then, she spoke.
"...How long do I have to get them to see a proper effect?"
"One month."
I just threw out a random number.
"A-a month?"
"Yes. You have to receive it consistently once a day for a month for the internal energy to properly settle in your Dantian."
"Ugh..."
Ryu Seol looked conflicted. Her clenched hands were trembling.
"...Fine. Let's do it."
"Understood."
"I'll do it for a month. But in exchange, you have to do it properly."
"Of course, Master."
Ryu Seol spoke as she lay down on the bed.
"...Do it right now."
"Yes."
I approached her and began to undress her.
"Wait, why are you taking my clothes off!"
"I have to take them off to do the massage."
"...You didn't take them off last time!"
"To do it properly, the clothes have to come off."
Ryu Seol looked dissatisfied, but she eventually complied and took off her clothes.
Her voluptuous breasts and firm abs were revealed. Her pink hair scattered across the pillow.
"...Hurry up and do it."
"Yes."
I applied oil to my hands and placed them on her stomach.
Slide...
"Hngh...!"
Ryu Seol’s body flinched.
"Hey, why... why is it so hot this time..."
"It's because I'm infusing it with internal energy."
I slowly moved my hands, massaging the area around her Dantian.
"Ugh..."
Ryu Seol gripped the blanket tightly, stifling a groan.
'Hehe, she seems more sensitive than before.'
I moved my hands deeper. I stimulated not just the area around the Dantian, but her entire lower abdomen.
"Haa... haa..."
Ryu Seol’s breathing grew ragged.
"Master, are you alright?"
"...I'm fine... keep going..."
Ryu Seol replied with a trembling voice.
I moved my hands even lower. Right down to her pubic bone.
"Hngh...! Hey, hey... not there...!"
"I have to massage here too for the internal energy to circulate properly."
"Ugh..."
Ryu Seol tried to protest, but she eventually fell silent.
I began to massage the insides of her thighs.
"Ah... ang...♡"
A sweet moan escaped Ryu Seol’s lips.
"Master, your sexy moans have given me an erection."
"Don't tell me things like that...!"
Ryu Seol hurriedly covered her mouth with her arm. But the moans continued to leak out.
"Hngh... ah... no...♡"
I moved my hands deeper and deeper. Her panties were already soaking wet.
Ryu Seol
