Will You Abandon? (1)
Will You Abandon? (1)
─You have acquired the skill [Extreme Yang Body].
I stared at the system window floating in front of me, lost in deep thought.
'What the hell is this Extreme Yang Body bullshit?'
Extreme Yang Body.
Breaking it down, it meant a body that had reached the limit of heat.
The yang from yin-yang, the one where you push out yin energy with yang energy.
In Taiji, the world is divided into yin and yang, and all sunlight was seen as yang.
Conversely, land without sunlight was yin energy, shade, shadow—tended to be viewed negatively.
In other words, Extreme Yang Body meant a person as hot as the sun.
'What the hell does that even mean?'
Luckily, someone in our group knew this stuff well.
"Extreme Yang Body?"
"Yeah. You know what it is?"
Deokgu gave me a pitiful look, like even you don't know this? Then he pushed up his glasses and explained.
"Extreme Yang Body is one of the constitutions that mainly appears in wuxia novels, a setting where the body is filled with yang energy. It's often used synonymously with Nine Yang Meridian."
"...Can you explain it in one easy line?"
"You don't get tired easily, and fire comes out of your sword."
"Fire comes out of the sword?"
"Of course, you'd have to learn martial arts for that."
Obviously, there were no martial arts in this world. And I sure as hell hadn't learned any.
So, basically, sword-spitting fire was out of the question.
But...
'Doesn't get tired easily, huh.'
In a way, it felt like the everyday version of the Potency Skill. Nodding, I asked something else.
"Well, it's not some kind of illness, right?"
"Hmm? It depends on the setting, but... usually, if you don't consume strong yin energy before around twenty, you die. That's a common trope."
"...Around twenty?"
"In Korean, twenty years old."
Hearing that, I got a bit scared at first, but soon relaxed.
'Strong yin energy.'
If that's the case, didn't I have some right next to me?
"Good morning."
"Huh? Oh, good morning."
In the morning, while eating breakfast in the inn's dining hall, I greeted Seoyun back as she spoke first.
Her initiating a greeting was rare—no, it had never happened before, so it felt awkward.
Not caring about my reaction at all, Seoyun sat in the seat across from me and ordered food.
Since turnover rate was key in a dining hall, the innkeeper quickly brought out the morning set.
Seoyun stared silently at the unchanged menu she'd had for a month, then picked up her fork.
'...This feels awkward.'
After last night, when we'd had a steamy time and she collapsed from exhaustion, I'd gone back to my room.
This was the first time seeing her since, so normally, there should have been some lovey-dovey vibe...
'So what the hell are we now? Lovers? Fuckbuddies? Or just a one-night stand?'
The problem was on my end. Bragging that I needed her, telling her she needed me too.
I remembered spouting all sorts of nonsense in the heat of lust.
I didn't know how she'd taken it, but what followed was definitely rough, intense sex.
And that was it.
We'd fucked last night.
And?
'Nothing else...'
Did we whisper sweet nothings of love?
No.
Did we promise a bright future?
No.
Did we just mindlessly bang?
Yeah.
"...What're you staring at?"
"You."
I stared at Seoyun staring at my face. If I said there was no love, it'd be a lie. Seoyun was a beauty, and beauties get loved by everyone—that's why they're called beauties.
But if you asked if Seoyun loved me...
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
"Do... you like me?"
"...Like you?"
Seoyun tilted her head, scanning my face like she was appraising merchandise.
"Why ask that?"
"Well... after what happened yesterday."
"I like you."
"Huh?"
"I like you."
Seoyun stabbed her sausage with her fork repeatedly as she repeated it.
"You?"
"Me too... same deal?"
"Yeah?"
With that, the conversation cut off. I was flustered by the situation. Was I supposed to confess first?
'What the hell is this...'
We both knew we liked each other. We'd already done it. Yet we were nothing.
Unable to say a word in this ironic mess, I silently finished my meal.
Dungeon.
Now fully free of her ability's penalty, Seoyun used it without hesitation.
Up until now, she'd used just a tiny bit efficiently to take down monsters, but today she was wasting it on useless stuff like making wings, dresses, and crowns out of her ability.
"Done... wait a sec."
"Huh...?"
She even used her ability to collect the magic stones from the monsters she'd killed, completely taking away work for me and Eunha.
I just put the dozens of magic stones she brought into the bag and carried it. Felt like I was a living backpack.
"Um... Yun-ah, something wrong?"
Finally, worried Eunha spoke up first. Seoyun quietly looked at Eunha's face and shook her head.
"Nope."
"R-Really? But you seem extra hyped today..."
"Nothing's wrong."
"Oh..."
Eunha quickly looked dejected, hanging her head and stabbing the ground with her dagger.
Watching her, I scolded Seoyun.
"Hey, leave some monsters so we can warm up too."
"Is that necessary?"
"What?"
"Your abilities are inefficient. Better if I just take them all out in that time."
She wasn't wrong. If you only thought of the world in terms of rationality and efficiency.
But people weren't machines. They were emotional beings, delicate enough to hang themselves just from having nothing to do.
Eunha wouldn't hang herself in this otherworld, but she'd get depressed anyway.
"...Then for stress relief."
"Yeah. If that's it."
Luckily, Seoyun got it, and soon a goblin with frozen limbs came flying at us.
The goblin screamed and struggled, but once its limbs were twisted, it finally quieted.
Not dead, but it just let out tiny whimpers.
"...Not this kind—can't you bring something more proper?"
"Why? For stress relief, isn't a state where it can't resist at all the best? No worry about counterattacks..."
"Seoyun-ah."
I called her. Her eyes paused, looking at me.
"Just do it."
No need to explain further. Seoyun used her ability to drag a perfectly fine goblin to us, and watched as Eunha and I sweated it out hunting it.
"Inefficient."
She said that but didn't interfere. I taught Eunha while hunting goblins.
It was inevitable. What Seoyun did wasn't hunting—it was slaughter. And slaughter relying only on strong abilities didn't help growth.
'Someday a monster her ability won't work on will show up.'
If she tried to do something then, it'd be too late. While her ability backed our safety.
We had to learn bit by bit how to fight monsters.
'Though whether this'll let us fight monsters her ability doesn't work on... who knows.'
That part we'd have to bet on this world's Leveling System.
"Hup!"
Until then, we'd borrow Seoyun's help.
"Yes. Here's your payout: fifteen silver coins!"
"Whoa... no wonder the backpack felt heavy today."
As I picked up the silver coins from the Adventurer Guild employee, I glanced around warily.
Earning an amount equal to a month's salary in one go—I figured barbaric adventurers might get greedy.
But contrary to my expectations, not a single person eyed us.
'What the?'
Whether I was confused or not, the employee smiled and continued.
"Please use our guild next time too!"
"Got a question."
"Yes! What is it?"
"This Level-up thing—when does it happen?"
"...Ah. Level-up."
The employee's attitude, which had seemed ready to give their liver and gall, changed in an instant. With a very cautious demeanor, they said firmly.
"On average, 2 to 3 years... but it varies by individual, so we can't say for sure."
"Yes, thanks."
I thanked them for the answer, pocketed the money, and left the guild. No idea why they hid Level-up info, but there was probably a reason.
"You're late."
"Sorry."
"Money?"
"Got it. Let's head back."
"Yeah."
Seoyun, waiting outside, scolded me the moment I came out, then stuck right to my side.
Eunha watched from a step behind.
"...Hey, don't stick so close."
"Why?"
"People are watching."
"Doing something people shouldn't see?"
"No, well..."
Fair enough—objectively, we weren't doing anything bad. Not holding hands or kissing in public.
Just walking a bit close—others would probably think nothing of it.
In the end, I couldn't shake Seoyun off until we reached the inn.
Once there, she grabbed me and whispered in my ear.
"Drop your stuff in your room, then come straight to mine."
At that, I checked her Heat Level. 70. Pretty high.
'Wasting ability like crazy...'
Sighing, I went to my room and tossed my bag. Looked like a tough night ahead.
After handling Seoyun's side effect in her room, Dojin rolled his shoulders and returned to his own.
Hunting all day, moving around, no time to wash, and now night duties—his body was beat.
"Ah... gotta eat to avoid muscle loss."
As he lay on the bed saying that, Dojin spotted Eunha watching him from the corner and jolted up in surprise.
"W-What!"
"...Hi."
"Uh... why're you here?"
"Got something to talk about."
"Oh, yeah?"
Dojin slowly sat up and faced her.
"Why in the corner? Bed's right here."
"...Corner's comfier."
"I see."
Unable to comprehend her nonsense, Dojin asked.
"So? What is it?"
"...Um, sorry, but."
"It's fine."
"...You slept with Yun?"
"...Huh?"
Time seemed to freeze. Feeling cold sweat trickle, Dojin asked again.
"What?"
"You slept... with Yun...?"
"Uh... yeah."
He couldn't answer straight. But Eunha seemed to guess from his reaction, slowly standing and approaching him.
"Then how about me? I can do good. I'll do whatever you say."
"...What?"
What the hell was this? Dojin stared at Eunha, trying to read her mind.
'Oh, right. Haven't touched her pussy yet.'
Unfortunately, his ability only activated by touching the other's genitals... so he couldn't read her thoughts.