Fame (1)
Fame (1)
Jjeojeok, the sound of the air freezing echoes around us. At the creepy noise, Eunha and I instinctively cover our ears.
"Fuuu... It's done. Should I pick them up?"
"No. Rest."
"Yeah, then... I'll rest a bit."
Seoyun, having overused her ability, plops down on the ground and starts panting heavily.
Even setting aside the side effects of the ability, just using it consumed a ton of stamina, so it was unavoidable.
If there weren't even these restrictions, wouldn't Seoyun—willing to risk going into heat like a feral animal—be able to trigger a universe-ending Big Freeze?
We don't know who gave us these abilities, but Deokgu argued that even if it was some divine being, it was impossible.
While picking up Magic Stones from the 3rd floor monsters, Goblin Warriors, Eunha and I spotted one that was still alive.
It had dropped its weapon and was shivering from the cold, but the moment it saw us, it shot us a fierce glare of hostility.
"Hey, Dojin."
"I know. You wanna give it a shot, right?"
"...Yeah."
"I'll watch from behind. Don't get hurt."
With that, Eunha grips her dagger and steps forward. The goblin snickers at her, about the same size as itself.
Is its sympathetic nervous system wrecked from the cold? I think that while spectating the standoff between Eunha and the goblin.
The goblin couldn't even clench its fist from the chill, just raising it limply to its chin.
Bare hands versus dagger. Normally, bare hands wouldn't win, but dungeon monsters are innate hunters.
Little monsters that spot weaknesses and strike them. For Eunha, who'd only trained a few days, it was a tough opponent.
That's why Eunha always went all out. And it wasn't the "all out" that ordinary people talk about.
"Uwaaaah!"
Eunha's all out was the real deal. A strike unleashing even the muscle limiters.
Of course, normal people couldn't use it, and afterward they'd suffer killer muscle pain or disabilities...
'But it doesn't matter for us. The Class President can heal us.'
Lately, the Class President had gotten so good with her ability that she could heal down to microsecond precision.
So even if muscles tore, she could rewind to one second before the tear, maximizing muscle growth.
Using that method, Eunha had grown to superhuman levels.
Just one hit, but it packed the destructive power that reminded me of Han-young with his Super Strength.
Puk!
The dagger pierces the goblin's forearm and drives straight into its heart. A result way too grand for a little girl to produce, and the price was huge.
"Haa, haa..."
Eunha's arms swell up massively. I don't need to check to know: bilateral arm fractures and muscle tears, at least 12 weeks recovery.
"Failed today, huh."
"...Yeah."
"We'll do better next time?"
Seeing that, I gave Eunha a fail verdict. She'd used way too much power for just one goblin.
'Sure, her base strength is too low to begin with, but...'
For example, even if she tripled her max output. She'd still be weaker than a gym rat benching 500 for three.
It's what happens when your base power is low. Her limiter release doesn't overwhelm foes—it just barely evens the odds.
But if she ends up half-dead after one attack, what's the point? She needed control to last at least five minutes without collapsing.
"It wasn't that bad this time either... Want a piggyback?"
"...No, my arms are broken."
"Fair. Hug then?"
"...I'm good."
Eunha refuses my offer and walks on her own. Seoyun frowns at our return and Eunha's wrecked arms.
"Again?"
"There was one handy."
"Sigh... Aren't you pushing too hard?"
"Gotta do it this way to grow fast."
"...Whatever, do you. Got all the Magic Stones?"
Seoyun sighs heavily every time Eunha comes back battered like this. But no helping it. I'm a hard training believer, and we're seeing real results.
"Got 'em. More?"
"With her arms like that? We need to head back for healing."
"Hmm... Not really necessary."
"Shut up. We're going."
Thanks to Seoyun's iron will, we head back to the city. I glance back at the Dungeon entrance.
'Sure is... a weird place.'
We went down into the Dungeon. And inside, we climbed stairs to the 3rd floor.
Physically, that means the Dungeon should tower upward. But actually, it burrows deeper underground.
No one questions this physics-defying bullshit. More accurate to say we ignore it since we can't figure it out anyway.
"What're you doing? Coming?"
"Yeah, be right there."
After that, Seoyun takes Eunha back to the dormitory first. Can't make her wait at the guild with her arms ballooned up.
I head to the Adventurer's Guild alone, feeling kinda lonely. The now-familiar Guild Staff greets me.
"Hello, Dojin-ssi. Alone again today?"
"Yeah, well..."
"Adventuring's no joke. Always coming back injured..."
"Wanna hook me up with something else then?"
"Oh my, but your party's a top 10% prospect among adventurers? Quitting now would be a shame, no?"
"Really?"
I say that, but I know damn well she won't actually refer me elsewhere.
Magic Stones from the Dungeon sell worldwide. Meaning the guild skims fat commissions and rakes in cash.
No way they'd let prime producers like us jump ship.
'Even if we retire from injuries... They'd probably saddle us with debt to force us back.'
That's vested interests for ya. As long as they get theirs.
"Ah, sorry for the wait. Today's Magic Stones, all exchanged."
She says that and hands over dozens of Silver Coins.
Yeah, just like her. That's why we can't quit adventuring.
"Yo, back?"
"Yeah."
Back at the dormitory, I hand Deokgu the receipt. Proof our account's credited.
Since we hit the 3rd floor, our party's basically freed from manual labor.
3rd floor Goblin Warriors drop Magic Stones worth one and a half Dae-dong-hwa each. Ten gets you one and a half Silver Coins.
Seoyun bags dozens a day, so we make more in one day than the kids slaving a whole month.
No way the kids keep working in that setup. They ditched labor, cheering Seoyun coin pump and content with commie-style wealth redistribution.
Seoyun had no big complaints either. Her massive ego needed an excuse to mooch off me, and ability side effects were the perfect cop-out...
"Hngh— Livin' it up on my dime, huh?"
"Your dime? Why's it yours? It's your whore fee, bitch."
"Dummy♡ Whore fees are what men pay women..."
"Then you're sub-whore rag, paying cash and pussy."
"Haaht!"
So I torment Seoyun full throttle to keep her complaint-free.
Her masochist ass can't handle it and cums quick. After handling Seoyun, I train with Eunha late into the night.
Like that, we set up a five-day-a-week schedule: Dungeon five times, rest twice.
'Ah, shit.'
That's when I realize we've adapted to this world.
Living here, it doesn't feel half bad anymore.
"...Shopping today?"
"Yeah. With the girls."
Watching Seoyun grab clothes from the room, I ask, what about me? She shoots me a weird look.
"Go with Deokgu if you wanna. Why crash the girls' thing?"
"Ah... Yeah, got it."
She says that, but no way I'm wandering the city solo with Deokgu. Why should I hang with bros on my weekend off?
Deokgu feels the same—says he's staying in today.
His eyes say he hit the brothel district last night. Makes sense, with whore fees chump change now.
"Heading to the training ground then. Hit me up if something comes up."
"Cool."
I leave that and head solo to the training ground. Primitive compared to modern gyms, but top-tier for this era.
Jogging there for cardio, a scream echoes from an alley.
I whip around, startled, and lock eyes with a crew kidnapping a woman.
'...Ah, fuck.'
We're fucked. Feeling that, I slowly raise both hands and backpedal.
"Didn't see shit. For real. Em-chang."
I throw up thumb and pinky right away, but they take it as an insult—or don't wanna leave witnesses.
They signal each other and charge. Black daggers in hand, killer intent gleaming from masked eyes.
"Ah, I said I didn't see. Really."
Frowning, I go for my waist. Lucky—on the way to training, so I've got my training sword.
Draw it fast. No edge at all, but steel just like a real sword.
Meaning, one wrong hit and you're dead.
I line up the three kidnappers rushing in. Narrow alley, can't come more than two at once.
Use terrain advantage. Twist my body for swing angle, then as the first closes—swing.
Thwack! The unbelievable speed for a blunted blade smashes the kidnapper's head.
Sound alone tells me he's out cold. Next, backpedal with the falling body, thrust at the second.
"Gahk!"
Kidnapper lunges, but no dagger pierces longsword range, no matter what.
Shoulda thrown the dagger or bitched out with a shuriken.
With two down, I close on the last. He didn't expect me coming at him—steps tangle, freezes in place.
Moving target's time flows slower. My one second's longer than his.
A swordsman's second is enough to shred a man. Last one drops clean. No point describing.
All kidnappers down, I approach the victim.
"...You okay?"
"You."
Her eyes darken. She snaps at me in a rage.
"Who the hell are you! Ahh, we're screwed! Everything's ruined!"
"...Huh?"
"You fucked up the whole op! How're you gonna take responsibility!?"