Newbie's Dilemma?
“Oppa!”
Japanese trainee Yoko, watching as dark night fell, let out a sigh of relief at the sight of Kang-jun. She had been genuinely terrified that he might have gotten lost in the forest. How much she wanted to wrap him in a hug right now, but the presence of others stopped her.
“You’re back. I was starting to think you’d wandered off forever. What a relief.”
“It took longer than I expected because I went so far.”
Kang-jun flashed a carefree grin and settled down casually by the campfire, telling an obvious lie. At least a few rats had been caught—skewered and roasted to a perfect golden brown.
Only a short while ago, people who would panic at the mere sight of a rat’s long tail were now grilling and eating them. The world truly changed people in strange ways.
“I got water too! There’s a little stream just over there. Thank goodness!”
She handed him a full water pouch. Kang-jun took a sip. The cool, clean taste was refreshing. The cheerful Japanese girl clenched her fists, pumped with energy.
“We just have to endure today. Tomorrow we’ll be able to go home!”
Everyone clung to this hope and held on. After surviving death’s door, they had become noticeably tougher. After all, it was far better to lose a few and train the rest mentally than march into the dungeon blindly and get wiped out. Words and arguments would never convince anyone—there was a reason the old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” existed.
The dark forest quickly swallowed the night. Mysterious animal howls echoed from all directions. The team shivered with fear at every sound. They desperately wanted the night to pass quickly.
Kang-jun had taken the middle shift on night watch. He didn’t mind the hardest time of all. Blood and mana circulated naturally after a few rounds. In Murim terms, it was circulation of vital energy; in fantasy, mana flow. Murim techniques developed more refined methods for this kind of limited qi manipulation. Once you fought, your body grew weak, so quick recovery through qi circulation was essential.
Kang-jun lay back on his mat, opened the shop window, and dove into system shopping. He had 120 coupons left after spending ten on the previous purchase. Even the all-time record holders hadn’t come close.
Should he buy a consumable elixir or a weapon? Both would help early on, no doubt. The elixir was one-time use, and the weapon was a simple blade that wouldn’t last long, but it didn’t matter.
…Or maybe I should just go for the trait?
That was the one point he regretted from the last playthrough. The trait tied to sexual activity.
Even in this fourth playthrough, he would likely bed hundreds or thousands of women. Spending only a few coupons on that was horribly inefficient. He had hoped there might be better returns than just coupons for the time invested.
Of course, he had already filled his slots with strong traits at the time, so swapping them out felt wasteful. But now the situation was different—one trait slot and plenty of space left. Investing in it now would pay off handsomely later.
No more hesitation. A one-time consumable elixir or a crude wooden blade was far inferior to a single trait that could benefit him through the middle stages of the game. Even if coupons limited the options, buying with maximum value would still yield more than he paid.
Kang-jun scrolled through the trait list, comparing and analyzing each option. After a long time, he selected one. It cost 100 coupons.
Parkda (C / C): During sex, if the opponent has a stat higher than you, there is a very low chance that that stat will increase by 1.
The moment he read the description, he knew this was it. The non-growth trait was disappointing, but the permanent stat increase was tempting. He had already experienced how rarely the low-probability trigger worked, yet the name “Parkda” fit perfectly. At worst, two successful triggers would still break even compared to a 100-coupon elixir that raised two random stats by one.
The only downside was that the opponent had to be stronger, but early on such women were everywhere. Even weak female instructors had higher stats.
Trait purchase complete.
Kang-jun smiled as the trait line appeared. It felt strangely balanced, like one side of his nuts had been cut in half. He closed the status window, content.
Right… she went back.
Lying straight on his back, he spread mana to check the instructor’s location. No one nearby. She had clearly returned to the training center in a rage. She was definitely leaving the forest to die to some monster. It was like a bolt from the blue for the innocent trainees.
But I’m sitting on top of your head right now.
Knowing her personality, she would sacrifice the entire team to protect her pride. Honestly, without him, they would have no way to return to the training center. If his mana had been higher, he would have kept spreading it to find the way, but the range was limited. Getting lost here meant staying put.
Of course he could survive alone, but the rest of the team was the problem. There was no guarantee he could protect them forever from monsters.
That was why he had spent ten coupons earlier—to buy the Baekrihyang tracking item. The scent trail would last a hundred miles. He could simply follow her path. There were limitations, but for now it was perfect and the scent wouldn’t disappear anytime soon.
Now, how should I break this bitch’s habit in the next two weeks?
The thought of her expression when she returned alive safely made him grin.
· · ·
It’s not my fault.
The instructor reached the training center at dawn and started rationalizing.
It’s that bastard’s fault. If he hadn’t acted like that, none of this would have happened.
She felt some guilt, but not much. She had only killed five innocents besides Kang-jun. …Still, this world was already a place where people died every day. Losing the team to monsters was nothing unusual. They would receive punishment for the large loss, but it was far better than Kang-jun surviving.
She shook off the nightmare and headed back to the training center. As expected, the fourth-team instructor scolded her harshly. This was partly because of her own reputation.
“What the hell have you done to bring it to this?!”
“I’m truly sorry.”
“I liked you, but I’m very disappointed this time.”
“I have no face left, Instructor.”
The instructor softened a little when the woman admitted everything.
“…I suppose mistakes can happen from time to time. But this was too much. …Still, I know you’ve been trying, so I’ll speak to the supervisor nicely.”
“Thank you, Instructor.”
“Dismissed.”
The woman bowed her head and left the room. Phew. She could probably get away with two or three months of strict training.
Feeling much lighter, she returned to her room, showered, and ate. One by one her teammates from the nearby zone arrived. From what they said, the damage had been worse than expected, but that was actually good—more excuses to explain.
The instructor sat on her bed, lost in meditation, reflecting on her failure against Kang-jun. Suddenly, lightning struck.
“The fourth team has returned!”
She froze. No way. She had made sure there were no traces. And the area was the 21st Zone—deep in the forest. How could they have found the exact path they took hours earlier? The trees looked identical.
Her body trembled. Panic and fear crashed over her. Something had gone terribly wrong. Even if she blamed the instructor, if Kang-jun had spoken up, her pride would be shattered beyond repair. If he revealed she had abandoned them?
Stay calm. Breathe.
She forced her racing heart to slow. Her mind went blank for a second, but she recovered through sheer effort.
The instructor sensed she needed to kiss Kang-jun. Right now she was in a complete subordinate position. If she didn’t, everything she had built so far would be worthless.
She forced her legs to move and headed to the fourth-team dorm. Fortunately, everyone was safe. Their obvious complaints hit her face, but she said nothing. Kang-jun must have taken care of it. The mocking smile on his lips irked her.
She steadied her voice and called Kang-jun aside.
“Follow me.”
They walked down the corridor. Kang-jun behind her. His whisper reached her ear.
“Funny girl, aren’t you?”
The instructor clenched her fists until her knuckles whitened. Emotions swirled too complicated to describe. She didn’t know what to do.
They entered her room. The moment the door closed, she whirled on him.
“You little— what’s your scheme?”
Haha, look at this bitch. She was playing victim when she was the one who caused everything. The most backward logic she had ever seen. Kang-jun’s eyes nearly rolled back.
“Still don’t understand how the situation works? Who are you threatening right now, you fucking bitch?”
Kang-jun didn’t back down and pushed harder. The instructor bit her lip, lowered her gaze, and chewed on her upper lip while catching her breath.
“…So what do you want from me?”
“Hah, now even your stupid head is starting to turn.”
With a smirk, he sat on the bed, crossed his legs.
“Kneel.”
The instructor hesitated.
“I said kneel. You want to see what kind of face I make after you refuse?”
In the end she dropped to her knees in humiliation. It was only one person, so it was manageable.
“We’re going to get along for the next two weeks. No more awkwardness between us? …I’ll speak nicely to the instructor too. It was just an accident.”
One knot in her chest finally loosened.
“And whatever happened between you and me? I won’t tell anyone. …Well, depending on how you act. If you don’t, you bastard, answer me. I’m not guessing.”
The instructor lifted her head at the first part, then her face twisted at the second. She nodded, understanding.
Kang-jun felt pure joy from her twisted expression. She resisted, but he had cornered her perfectly. Watching her struggle was the best entertainment.
“You want this too, don’t you? No one else will know if you keep it secret. I’m leaving anyway. Right?”
“Say what you want.”
The instructor forced a calm tone. Kang-jun caught the slight tremor in her voice. She was acting tough while hiding her terror.
“I already told you. In two weeks, the loser becomes the winner’s dog. That’s all.”
No reply. The word “dog” clearly disgusted her.
“I don’t care if you hate it. You’re going to spill everything that happened. And we’re going to have a public challenge in front of everyone. …Wow, an instructor losing to a trainee? I can already imagine the look on your face.”
Haha. Kang-jun let out a lewd laugh. The instructor’s face twisted even more. She couldn’t be an instructor anymore. She wouldn’t be able to raise her head in front of the seniors. That was her fatal weakness—people had always called her a genius. If her reputation collapsed, it would be like dying.
There was a fundamental problem: Kang-jun could never beat her in a fair fight. Last night he had already proven it. Ten fights would end the same way. She needed another solution. A smart woman like her understood instantly.
She couldn’t reject his offer. He had cornered her too tightly. Kang-jun had encountered women like her while traveling through dungeons—how many times?
Especially those with strong pride. They would sacrifice some of their rights to protect it. If they only knelt to one person, they could still be treated with superiority by everyone else. Even if it seemed illogical, they usually accepted it.
“…Fine.”
In the end the instructor gave in. Resentment still clung to her face—the stubborn pride of a poorly trained bitch.
“Then come here and bow your head to your master?”
She gritted her teeth but didn’t refuse. She would endure the next two weeks no matter what. She dropped to her knees in front of Kang-jun and lowered her head. He placed his foot on her head and pressed gently. The humiliation throbbed clearly against his sole.
“Let’s do well together from now on.”
You fucking bitch.