Chapter 8. Samura Gorge
The rural town's night was profoundly quiet. Crickets chirped from some unseen corner, a relentless chirp-chirp. Occasionally, a dog's bark carried on the wind from far away. Yael lay in bed, wide awake despite the far more comfortable bedding than camping outdoors. Her mind raced sharper than ever.
She lay with her back to Ji-hyuk. But feeling the warmth of another body behind her stirred something strangely intimate. Of course, Ji-hyuk was awake too—not from insomnia like her, but because he had reasons not to sleep.
Naturally, he knew this junkie wasn't asleep.
"...Why aren't you sleeping?"
"...Ah, well... I just can't, for some reason."
Yael wondered how he'd known she was awake.
"I get it. Everything's unfamiliar and tough, right? ...That's how it always is at first. You adapt bit by bit, change little by little."
The mage's chest tightened at the deep, resonant timbre of Ji-hyuk's voice.
"The team's not bad once you get to know them, huh?"
"...Yeah."
"Plenty of mercenaries are scum, but not all of them. And I wouldn't have brought assholes in the first place. I scouted each one personally, checked them thoroughly."
Yael no longer saw her teammates as riffraff. They were all good people: Gid with his roguish charm and hidden heart of gold, ever-reliable Grendal who led by example, steadfast Kayak who quietly did his job without complaint.
If anyone had a major flaw, it was her—the junkie who trembled without her fix.
That thought made her crave it again. But she held back. No way to get more now; she had to ration what she had.
"How many days you held out?"
"Four."
"Tomorrow makes five?"
"Yeah."
"Then take a little now. We're heading out again tomorrow. Kinda awkward sucking it down while camping."
Agh— But Yael hesitated. She wanted it bad, but not in front of someone. No telling how she'd act.
"I'll be out soon anyway. Got stuff to do."
"...Okay?"
Ji-hyuk sat up and lit the candle. Yael slowly raised her upper body from the bed, her eyes pleading desperately for the drug.
"Pass out as soon as the effect kicks in."
He slipped quietly out of the room. His footsteps faded away.
Yael waited until the sound vanished completely, then scrambled off the bed like a madwoman, rummaging through her bag. She pulled out a leather pouch containing paper-wrapped powder—the stuff Ji-hyuk had given her before.
Ah, agh—
She dipped her pinky in, just a tiny bit, smearing it thickly on her red tongue. Not a grain wasted; she even sucked her finger clean.
She hastily repacked, then lay back down.
It's coming, coming, oh, cominggg...
Every sense sharpened to a razor's edge. The drug jolted her dormant nerves awake. Her entire nervous system honed itself keen. Her head spun wildly. Her body tingled all over.
She couldn't stay still.
Ah, aah—
Yael writhed on the bed like a worm. She felt the mana pulsing through her veins. She could do anything.
Mana surged forth; she spread it around her. She could sense the others as vividly as if seeing them. Then she drew it back in, deeper and deeper, to her limit.
High on the drug, she played with her mana like that. It was the habit of a theory TA.
If there'd been paper and quill, she'd have scribbled down the mana flows right then—
Suddenly, on the bed, thrashing, she pictured the boss. His handsome face flashed in her mind, and her body ignited.
Already hypersensitive, her flesh burned hot.
Boss... Boss!
Yael buried her face in the pillow he'd just used, inhaling his scent deeply—sniff sniff—as her hand dove to her crotch.
She knew she shouldn't. But she couldn't stop. Her surging lust burst like a dam breaking.
"Hahk, haat, ha-eung."
Even in her haze, the junkie forced herself off the bed. No way she'd stain the sheets and let the boss notice.
Her groping fingers finally plunged into her steaming folds, shlick shlick.
Finish quick. Clean up before boss got back.
"Hahk, ang, boss, boss...!"
Saliva drooling, Yael finger-fucked her pussy furiously. She climaxed hard, convulsing, squirting messily on the floor in vulgar spasms.
Only then did her mind clear a bit.
Forcing her still-sensitive body up, she grabbed the water basin, soaked a cloth, and scrubbed her crotch raw.
She wiped the floor clean, opened the door for ventilation.
No one could know about this secret act. Especially not the boss.
Room spotless, she emptied the basin and slipped back into bed like nothing happened.
Her body still burned hot. The drug's rush faded fast—not much taken, so it didn't last.
Dizziness hit. Her body ached like pinpricks all over. Aftereffects of handling more mana than she could safely manage.
Youth was her ally. The born researcher in her wanted to log it all as data. She'd even use her precious body as the test subject.
Someday, the junkie mage wanted to down a full dose. What would the reaction be? More ecstasy? What aftereffects? How much mana could she wield? How would it flow through her body? What other reactions...?
Lost in such thoughts, she heard the boss returning.
Agh—
Her heart pounded wildly. She feigned normalcy.
The door creaked open. Tension choked her breath.
Ji-hyuk closed it carefully, walked to the bed with soft steps.
Yael pretended to sleep, eyes shut.
He slid quietly into bed. Her heart thundered madly.
The candle snuffed out.
Ji-hyuk lay silent. Even breaths soon followed.
Yael exhaled long—whoosh. Tension fled; crushing fatigue crashed in. She passed out like a light.
The group rose at dawn, ate breakfast, and left the inn. The innkeeper's granddaughter pressed them with rice cakes for the road—good-hearted girl.
They boarded the wagon as day broke.
Yael dozed fitfully inside like a sick chick, still suffering the drug's hangover. A bit more, and she'd have been bedridden.
"Is that it? The important stuff...?"
Sharp-eyed lizardman Kayak spotted the cloth-wrapped bundle hanging from Ji-hyuk's bag and asked.
"Yeah."
"A sword?"
"Right."
He could guess where it'd come from. But everyone tactfully stayed silent on it.
"Straight to Parisia, then?"
Gid asked.
"Gotta. Need to cross the gorge."
Let's see... Gid scratched his scruffy chin with thick fingers.
"Full ten days, I'd say. That's what it took last time, memory serves."
"About that."
At least three or four nights camping. But they were seasoned; no one minded.
"Parisia... Any free time there?"
Gid eyed him expectantly.
Ji-hyuk pondered, then nodded.
"Yeah, one day."
"Sweet—!"
The bald brute hopped in glee. Parisia, key hub over the mountains, teemed with travelers. Naturally, vice thrived—brothels included.
Ji-hyuk didn't ignore his team's pent-up urges. Trivial at first, they could snowball into real issues.
Better nip it in the bud. No gain rushing a day early.
The wagon rattled steadily over the grassy plains.
As Gid predicted, they reached the great city of Parisia exactly ten days later. Not as vast as the capital, but the biggest around—three hundred thousand souls, endless transients. Especially merchant caravans crossing the gorge. Goods skyrocketed in price post-gorge; traders loved it.
Ji-hyuk was sure other hero candidate teams had passed through. Prime chokepoint.
Whoa—
Yael gawked at her first city. A broad river flanked it, sheer cliffs looming behind like a dramatic backdrop. Breathtaking.
Prime location drew nobles ditching estates to settle here—proxies collected taxes anyway. Even the imperial capital crawled with such types.
After identity checks, Ji-hyuk's group entered.
Utterly dwarfed poor Gudrak. Yael marveled at the disparity over mere ten days' travel. Geography thesis material right there.
They hit an inn first. Classy joint, elegant vibe.
At the counter, an old landlady dripping in necklaces and rings on neck and fingers.
"Welcome. Party of five?"
"Food now, two rooms."
"Upfront payment."
Ji-hyuk paid handsomely, took a hall table. Gid whistled at the prices.
"Boss, ain't this steep?"
"Might as well rest proper. Cheaper spots won't save much anyway."
Pinching coppers for a downgrade? Nah—food'd suck too.
"Well, works for us..."
Gid fretted over the boss's wallet. Ji-hyuk waved it off.
Glancing around, Ji-hyuk noted the crowd. Normal for inns, but this was pricey. Merchants, sure—miserly sorts rarely splurged like this en masse.
He flagged a server setting plates.
"Always this packed?"
"Oh, that."
The pretty waitress spilled the tea.
"Gorge rumors are nasty lately. Folks stuck, no rooms elsewhere."
"Rumors? What kind?"
"Monsters going berserk. Multiple caravans hit, they say."
"Gorge always crawls with 'em."
"Not breeding season, though—this bad? Rare. Happens sometimes, but never this prolonged. First for me."
Ji-hyuk's brow furrowed. He'd planned tagging a caravan for pay while crossing. Not this.
What the hell...?
Even on loop fifteen, he didn't know everything. Continent was huge. Memories faded on half-experienced events; unencountered ones? No clue—
Server left; team eyed the boss. Now what?
"...Boss?"
Silent Kayak prodded the pondering leader.
Ji-hyuk looked up, scanned them.
"Can't get stuck here. Some caravan's gotta be desperate—find one heading out, join up."
"You sure?"
Seasoned mercs dodged risks. Avoid stupid shit, live long—lesson learned.
Gid looked uneasy. Normally, he'd hunker till the gorge quieted.
"We go. If monsters scare us off, might as well quit the mission. That's way harder."
Full hundred-pointer. Ten such beasts? Child's play for their needed skill.
"Fuck it, we'll manage."
Unlike Gid, orc and lizardman showed no fear. Warlike blood ran hot, instincts twitching.
Rookie junkie mage seemed uneasy but read the room—no buzzkill.
Food arrived. They shoveled till stuffed.
...Ji-hyuk finished, resolved to scout caravans.