Growing Pains

I'd only heard about it in words before.

Growing pains. They come to hunters who enter higher-grade dungeons than usual or encounter some miraculous opportunity or inexplicable reason that triggers explosive growth.

Of course, not everyone has to endure the full agony. There are items—pricey ones, naturally—that can ease the pain.

Not every hunter experiences growing pains, and even those who do might only go through it once or twice in a lifetime. In other words, it's like hitting the jackpot—a blessing from the gods.

I kept lifting my hand from the mana measurement device on my desk and pressing it back down. I was hooked on the fanfare that blared every time I pulled away.

Good lord. Growing by the second? Was this even possible?

And for me, someone who'd lived a life utterly divorced from any hunter growth over the past ten years?

There could only be one reason for this. My encounter with Kim Seol-bi.

Just as I'd thought my sudden flu-like symptoms stemmed from attempting sex with an S-rank hunter—and that reasoning still held water—this explosive growth had to be because I'd met an S-rank hunter like Kim Seol-bi.

It hadn't happened in the last decade, after all. Maybe she had some ability to boost her partner's growth. As an S-rank hunter, her skill's power must be insanely potent. That was the only explanation for my current insane surge.

"Seol-bi..."

She'd already honored me beyond measure just by visiting out of the blue, and now this blessing on top? What on earth was happening? If this was a dream, I never wanted to wake up. If I'd warped to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠another dimension without realizing it, I had zero desire to return to my old world.

Lost in the endless fanfare from the device, I kept pressing and releasing my hand on the mana measurer when the doorbell rang.

Ding-dong!

My heart skipped a beat. No need to wonder who it might be like yesterday. I knew exactly who was standing outside.

As she'd texted earlier, it had to be Kim Seol-bi.

The goddess of blessings.

I rose from my chair. My muscles still felt weak, my head dizzy, but knowing this was growing pains made it all bearable.

I checked the intercom screen. Sure enough, it was Kim Seol-bi.

Today, she wore a white blouse and jeans—a simple outfit that made her shine like a model. If anything, the everyday clothes set her even further apart from everyone else.

Even through the monitor, the aura of an S-rank hunter radiated.

Heart pounding, I opened the front door.

Our eyes met, and Kim Seol-bi beamed. It was still surreal seeing an S-rank hunter blush at the sight of me.

"Sung-gi!"

"Seol-bi..."

She suddenly noticed my poor condition and asked with a worried look.

"Are you okay? Don't just stand there—get back to bed and lie down."

"Not okay, but it's fine."

"Pardon?"

She looked puzzled at my vague reply.

"What does that..."

"Come in. I'll explain inside."

I stepped back into the entryway and watched her enter the room. The plain blouse hugged her ample breasts honestly, while the tight jeans accentuated her curvaceous hips in a way that made you question if they were even Korean.

Even her socked feet, revealed as she slipped off her sneakers, set my heart racing. Remembering how those feet had teased my sensitive spots yesterday sent blood rushing straight to my groin.

No, can't go there!

Even amid real-time growth pains, that didn't mean I could jump into sex with Kim Seol-bi right away. I tried to avoid any sexual stimulation that might lead to frustrating conclusions.

Kim Seol-bi headed to the kitchen first. She reached into thin air and began pulling things out one by one. Food items.

I recalled her text about bringing porridge. But the porridge she produced looked nothing like what I'd imagined.

I rarely ordered out, but in my mind, porridge came in plastic containers. Or canned from a convenience store.

But hers was in luxurious containers. Ones that probably cost tens of thousands of won each.

Inventory.

Even though I was an awakener myself, I hadn't interacted much with hunters—least until working at the Dungeon Management Office—so I'd forgotten they all had inventories as standard.

I didn't have one. Inventories started from F-rank hunters, not regular awakeners. They were a key criterion for determining hunters with combat ability or support for combat—whether solo or in parties.

After pulling out several fancy containers, Kim Seol-bi looked troubled. No surprise—my tiny studio had no space for such elaborate dishware.

"Which one first? Abalone porridge? Or beef? I brought pumpkin and sesame too, just in case."

"Ah... thank you, Seol-bi."

A woman caring for me like this, aside from my mother? Unbelievable. And an S-rank hunter at that. I felt dizzy with gratitude.

Speaking of which, I was starving. I'd spent all day in bed without a single meal. Plus, growing pains for hunters always came with ravenous hunger.

Makes sense, right? Your body undergoes massive changes out of nowhere. Nothing like the "window of opportunity" bodybuilders talk about—nutrition was essential here on a whole other level.

Hunters often handled it with items, of course.

"And this."

As if on cue, she pulled another item from her inventory. A small vial the size of a Bacchus drink.

The transparent bottle held a shimmering pink liquid. I instantly knew what it was.

Potions came in varieties, so I couldn't pinpoint the exact type, but this was definitely a high-grade one. Blues were mid-to-low, reds high-grade. The ultra-high ones took on a translucent pink hue.

The vial she offered glowed with a beautiful pink sheen.

What the hell is this?

"No way. Why give something like this to me..."

High-grade potions for a regular awakener? They had to cost millions per unit at minimum.

"Drink it quick. And lie down in bed—no standing around. I'll feed you the porridge."

"No, really..."

A high-grade potion was overkill. It wasn't like a monster had pierced my heart in a dungeon.

This level could probably handle a destroyed heart if treated fast enough.

"If you don't drink it, I'll get mad?"

She pouted at my reluctance.

Ugh, too cute!

How did a woman like this survive her struggling actress days? Even without being an S-rank hunter, her face was stunning.

I couldn't resist her earnest plea and took the potion.

Truth be told, I had another reason for wanting it. My explosive growth meant massive energy drain. Downing a potion now would speed recovery and buff the growth itself.

Pearls before swine or not, her timing was perfect.

Her pout turned to a radiant smile the moment I accepted it. Every expression melted my heart.

Whew...

Did I even deserve this luck?

Kim Seol-bi watched intently, as if determined to see me drink it herself.

I uncapped the potion.

Whoosh—

A dizzyingly fragrant aroma hit me, making my head spin. A fierce craving surged.

Was this how a vampire felt craving blood? My body screamed to chug it down.

Contradicting my earlier refusal, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I tilted the bottle and gulped it in one go.

Gulp, gulp.

A refreshingly fizzy sensation slid down my throat.

Were potions always this delicious? High-grade ones were crafted by top technicians for exceptional taste and aroma, I'd heard.

Knowledge I'd only known intellectually was becoming real experience since meeting Kim Seol-bi.

I felt the potion settle in my stomach, then spread through my veins to every corner of my body.

Thump, thump.

My heart raced, and dormant cells sprang back to life.

"Sung-gi..."

Her pupils widened as I met her gaze, then looked down at myself. My entire body was glowing brilliantly.