Chapter 19

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 19

Chapter Title: Academy Life Starting with Personality Excretion (2)

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"Interested in guns? Ever handled one before?"

I sure have. I still remember my K2 rifle number.

Having grown up around cold weapons like daggers, spears, swords, and knuckles, it was only natural I'd take an interest in firearms.

"Guns over swords, right."

Yuuna said it with a slight pout.

"Hmph. What if it jams during a dive?"

"You hate guns?"

"Ahem. In the hunter world, they're one of those weapons that don't count as 'pure skill.' I'm not that discriminatory myself, but even high-rankers tend to look down on gun users. Good to know."

"Then why the shade?"

Was she sulking because I wasn't into her kind of weapon?

Yuuna pursed her lips and muttered,

"Swords are better..."

...She's adorable.

"This one, maybe."

I picked up the Glock 19.

'Compact version?'

It felt a bit smaller than the one I'd fired at the gun shop, but the full grip was fine.

The magazine held 15 rounds of 9mm ammo.

"Sunbae, how much for this?"

"That? 600 coins."

"......"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

I quietly set the Glock down.

"Too pricey. How about these knuckles?"

"Those are made from special materials. 800 coins."

Knuckles more expensive than a gun? How is that possible...!!

As I pondered, Yuuna sidled up beside me.

"I'll buy it for you."

"No way. It's too much."

"You like the gun, right? I'll get it. Just pay me back!"

"...Haha."

How long ago did I clear my last debt, and now I'm racking up another one.

Still, having a firearm would make things feel a lot more secure.

"Then I'll need bandoliers and spare mags too..."

"Add 200 coins, and I'll throw in the set. Oh, your boyfriend's a looker, so if you buy together, I'll knock off 100."

"...Boyfriend."

"Oops. Not quite? Wanna rethink it? 700 coins isn't pocket change for a no-strings gift to a friend~?"

Yuuna's face stiffened slightly as she handed over her student ID.

"P-Please process the payment."

"Should we pass? Yuuna."

"No! It's fine......"

Even for a pro hunter, this is no small sum to drop on a classmate. Should I turn it down?

Yuuna glanced back at my concerned face and forced a smile.

"When I started out as a hunter, things were tough. Empty-handed, no one to help."

"Yuuna..."

"That's when I decided: if I ever get in a position to help someone, I will."

That's why she's dropping this huge gift on a weaponless guy like me...

"You'll make bank as a hunter, right?"

"Obviously."

I sidled up to the sunbae mid-transaction.

"Sunbae. Hold on. Can you knock off a bit more?"

"What? No."

"My face only worth 100 coins off? Take a closer look."

"......"

Might work since she's a woman.

I just leaned in and gazed steadily. Her face gradually flushed red.

"O-Okay, okay... Just stop shoving your face in mine."

Heh.

Face genius: discounts just for looking.

"200 coins...?"

"Throw in a photo together, 50 more off?"

"...P-Photo? Sure, then..."

"Arm in arm for another 30."

"Ah, ahn...!?"

"Smile like this~ and make it 50 off."

"...Hng...... Y-Yeah..."

I haggled her into a daze, knocking the full Glock package down to 400 coins.

Finally, I linked arms with the sunbae for a few selfies before heading back.

"Put in some effort. How'd I do?"

"...It actually worked."

The sunbae was off bragging the pics to her coworkers.

"If they were guy sunbaes, you could've done it too, Yuuna."

"N-No way! Just imagining it is embarrassing."

I knew she'd say that.

Girls are best when they're demure.

"Kim Sanghyeok. No one you like?"

"Huh?"

"Figured a guy as handsome as you must have a girlfriend~."

"Nope."

"If you wanted, you could date anyone, right?"

She thinks that way because my looks let me pick anyone...

"Don't wanna date just anyone. Only if it's someone I really like."

"Yeah. Has to be someone you really like..."

"You got a boyfriend?"

"No, no! Never had one!"

Would Yuuna date me if I asked?

I stared right into her eyes, and the air grew misty and heart-fluttery.

"L-Like the weapon?"

"Yeah. Goes great with Personality Excretion."

"......How's your main skill named Personality Excretion."

Sadly, the mood vanished the instant those words dropped.

Curse of the eroge?

"Hena's waiting. Let's head back."

"Y-Yeah."

"Thanks for the weapon."

"Work hard and pay me back! Not a freebie."

I slid the Glock into the holster we'd bought. Five spare mags.

Ammo goes in inventory; refill as needed.

'Now that I bought it, I'm eyeing compensators and such.'

No shame left to ask for more, though.

Upgrade as I pay off the debt.

'Gotta hustle. Academy life.'

We returned to fidgety Hena.

She'd gotten surrounded by guys while we were gone, so I quickened my pace.

"Hena, right? Come with us."

"Join our squad, better coin split. Double. What do ya say?"

"Duo with me? Promise no funny business......"

"N-No......"

Step away for a minute, and this happens...

"Hena!!"

"S-Sanghyeok!"

Hena's face lit up like a puppy hearing its owner, and she bolted over.

She stuck right to my side and gripped my hand tight.

"I-I'm... with Sanghyeok's party.... Sorry......"

"...D-rank......"

Why mutter? Admit defeat and scram.

Being tall and handsome packs insane advantages.

Like "don't work out if you're good-looking"—once my rank climbs, the other guys' envy will be off the charts...

Walking harem generator?

"You said 'No. Way.' properly?"

"Yeah...! They kept pushing, it was awkward......"

Yuuna stared at our exchange in disbelief.

"Hena's not a kid."

"Hena's a total baby."

"Don't spoil her. Not 'No way,' but 'Stop bothering me and fuck off.' Try ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it."

"......"

Won't stick with a baby.

Half of Class F had already dungeoned out while I shopped.

"Rest of you, form groups of three. Solo or duo? Tell the teacher first."

'Groups of three. Squads?'

I glanced between Yuuna and Hena.

"We're a team, right?"

"I usually solo, but I'll tag along. Worried about you two."

Hena's clinginess said she'd follow me anywhere.

"Oh? Yuuna, squad run? Who's leader?"

"Me, teacher. Best dungeon available."

"Perfect. Got a C-rank squad dungeon left. Head to B-3."

Three-person squads unlock higher-grade dungeons.

B-3 was one square on the chessboard-like indoor training ground grid.

Each square had a gravity wave inducer spawning dungeons, white ripples like before.

They looked similar,

but C-rank gravity waves felt subtly different. More turbulent, maybe.

Hard to pin down...

Yeah. Crystal clear like this.

Perception (Red) is one handy skill.

"Three of us should handle most situations. Let's go!"

That's when.

Dihirit popped out of nowhere, shoved Yuuna aside, and claimed the entrance.

"Oops."

"...Ugh! What the hell!"

"Sorry. We reserved this dungeon."

"What? No one was here. Reserved how?"

"We all had to hit the bathroom. Now, step aside? This C-rank's ours."

Dihirit had his squad too.

Sneering girl on one side, short-haired guy on the other.

"No cutting. Mind games like this are so childish, you know?"

"Mind games? Me? Our scores combined wouldn't touch mine."

When'd he check our scores?

"Even if I showed up late, shouldn't you top students yield to an A-grader like me?"

"What kinda logic is that?"

Hena clung to my hand, terrified.

Our leader showed no ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sign of backing down. Fight here, and both sides lose.

Dihirit Ade.

Hated me from day one. His crew doesn't like me either.

Because I'm an Onahole Collector?

Or because I, who should've left the academy ages ago, stuck around. An eyesore.

Ade's cold glare said as much.

"Hey, D. What's with the pistol? No way a D-rank affords that. Ah, pro hunter opened her wallet in a pinch?"

"...Spit it out."

"Fun lording over weaklings. You lot lick each other's asses—that suits you."

"Don't trash my friends."

Yuuna's hand went to her sword hilt.

"Friends? Friends are equals. FYI, my score's 2,500. Atal's 1,700, Wilhelm's 2,000. See? That's friend material."

"Grading friends by rank is just pathetic."

"Nakamori Yuuna. Hanging with D-ranks dumbs you down. Stick to 3D dungeons befitting you."

"You little...!"

I wanted to tell her not to engage, but too late.

Instead of bantering with Dihirit, I activated Red Eyes and scanned around.

My Mythic skill, Perception (Red), IDs dungeon grades from gravity waves alone.

Felt like a hidden gem might be nearby.

'Jackpot.'

Untouched honey pot.

No reason to fight over Dihirit's obsession now.

"I'm done holding back! I challenge you to a d—"

"Hold up!"

I wedged between Yuuna and Dihirit.

Yuuna looked flustered; Dihirit glared fiercer.

"What, D-rank."

"Calm down, Yuuna. They had bathroom emergencies."

"That lame excuse..."

"Dihirit. You take it. That dungeon."

No, please take it quick.

So we can honey up solo.

"D-rank knows his place. Crawlers crawl best, huh?"

"Was kinda scared, but you taking it? Relief."

"...Hahaha! Scared of a C-rank? Yuuna, what were you doing with this coward?"

"......"

"We'll do another. Yeah, a 3D dungeon. Good luck, Dihirit."

"Shut it. Don't need your cheer. See our haul on the rankings later."

Dihirit's crew laughed as they vanished into the dungeon.

Left-behind Yuuna was flushed with rage.

"He insulted you and Hena! Let him go without a duel? That's it for you, Kim Sanghyeok?"

"Chill. We're here to make money."

"But we got booted from our dungeon. Now what...?"

"Two options. Loser mindset: grind 3D dungeons."

Yuuna's eyes sharpened.

Her emotions screamed she'd ditch me.

"Hope the second beats the first."

"Second: Hit a quasi-B we found that even Dihirit missed."

"...What?"

I explained Perception to them.

Scans dungeon info pre-entry.

Spotted a better one during her spat.

Her anger deflated instantly.

"Y-You could've said..."

"Better I didn't. You pissed off and huffing? Dihirit enters C-rank smugger."

"...I wasn't huffing!"

"C'mon. Crush rank-obsessed pricks with rank later."

"But wow...... Never knew skills like that existed."

"Me too.... Sanghyeok's amazing..."

Hena and Yuuna gawked at my Perception skill in unison.

Rare even in hunter circles.

Mythic skill gifted by the eroge goddess, this world's Onahole Academy owner.

On par with reality-warping Lucky Pervert or Personality Excretion.

Trivial edge in academy info wars.

"Issue: This one's rank-up to B on conditions post-entry. If you can't hack it, Yuuna, we bail."

Clear fully depends on her skill.

I laid it out straight.

"You good, Yuuna?"

But.

Fueled by Dihirit? She burned with drive.

"Question that? This is our feast! Follow me!"

"Sweet, let's dive~!"

"G-Go together, Sanghyeok."

Exploration began.