Taking a Breather (3)
The next day, at 8:50 a.m. After showing my face at the Hunter Association guild building for the first time in a while during morning hours, I headed straight for one of the dungeon entrance counters as soon as I stepped inside.
"Ancient Tree Tomb, A Zone."
I had to enter the dungeon—our promised rendezvous spot—right on time for the appointment I'd made with Cha Yuri yesterday.
"Yes, Ancient Tree Tomb, A Zone. The Association maintenance fee is 100,000 won."
I handed over two 50,000-won bills featuring King Sejong to the Association guide, then stepped onto the white warp platform. A white light enveloped my body, and just like that, my physical form and mind were transported to the Ancient Tree Tomb.
It was a dim forest made of ancient, massive rotting trees, with the occasional sound of monsters shuffling through the darkness. But as expected, there wasn't a single sign of human presence.
People usually flocked to the Ancient Tree Tomb at night rather than during the day or morning. That was due to the time difference inside the dungeon.
Dungeons might look like virtual hunting grounds you warp to in a game at first glance, but in reality, they were more like portals connecting to monster-infested regions around the world via warp gates installed everywhere. As a result, some dungeons had time zone differences when entering from Korea.
This particular Ancient Tree Tomb was located in a region of South America called the Demon Continent, inhabited solely by monsters. Naturally, it had about a twelve-hour time difference from Korea.
On top of that, the local time played a huge role in monsters' conditions. Most weakened significantly under the blazing midday sun, and the same held true for the monsters here.
There was no benefit to hunting at night in terms of material prices, so it made far more sense to take them out when they were at their weakest. That meant the only people entering the Ancient Tree Tomb at what was locally around 9 p.m.—like me or Cha Yuri—were outliers with entirely different objectives.
Not that many people used dungeons as sex spots to begin with, regardless. And if they did, a D-rank dungeon would be the absolute limit for a male hunter to risk.
So the 100,000-won Association maintenance fee every time you entered felt less like a dungeon entry toll and more like motel rates.
With those idle thoughts crossing my mind, I followed the arrow pointing to Cha Yuri's location via the Real-Time Hunter Finder system.
"Nngh... Mm..."
A familiar woman's voice let out a strange moan right in my ear.
She's already here early, huh.
Moving quietly so she wouldn't notice, I approached the spot where we'd made love last time. There she was, perched on the rock bed, waiting for me.
"Ngh, hah..."
She was so focused on subtly rubbing the tip of her ancient tree staff between her thighs that she hadn't even noticed my arrival.
"Yuri."
"Mm... Oh, you're here?"
Her head turned toward me as she paused her frantic rubbing with the staff's shaft between her legs. Her face was still flushed, not quite over the excitement.
"Yeah, I am."
"Good, I've been waiting."
She answered with a brazen expression, making no effort to hide that she'd been up to something naughty while waiting for me. I decided not to call her out on it.
"Lie down already, Sungcheol. I'm all ready."
"Even if this is our third time doing it in a dungeon, aren't you skipping the mood-setting a bit too much?"
"Our first time wasn't exactly romantic either."
Her surprisingly straightforward words had me nodding despite myself. Her clothes were already coming undone, as if our sex was a done deal.
But first, I needed to say what I had to say, so I halted her actions for a moment.
"Hold on, Yuri."
"...Yeah?"
"Before we have sex, there's something important I need to tell you... Is that okay?"
"Important?"
"Yeah, something I absolutely have to tell you."
I wasn't sure what she was imagining, but her expression hardened at the words "important."
"...Can't you tell me after sex?"
Her voice trembled with anxiety as she made a surprisingly cute plea.
"We could, but I'd rather talk first if possible."
"..."
She rested her chin in her hand, pondering seriously, then finally nodded with effort.
"Fine, spill it."
Unlike Do Sihee, who'd vaguely sensed it from the start, or Han Mina, whose relationship began after catching me in the act, this was me confessing my sins first to Cha Yuri, just like with Hyeun. I worried what kind of backlash her cool exterior might unleash.
Of course, once I transferred to Silver and Jade Co., hiding it would be impossible anyway. Better to confess my promiscuity sooner and show her some respect.
"Yuri."
"W-Wait a sec..."
"Yeah?"
"I need... to prepare myself mentally."
"Mentally?"
"Yeah. So I can handle whatever sad words you have to say, Sungcheol."
...Oh boy.
I'd thought her stoic personality meant she hadn't noticed, but like Sihee, she seemed to have already pegged me as a playboy.
For someone like me who wanted to confess first, it only piled on the guilt.
"Okay, go ahead."
She clasped her hands over her chest as if calming her pounding heart, looking up at me tensely. I met her eyes and spoke gravely.
"...Yuri."
"Yeah."
"You probably already knew, but... I've been sinning against you this whole time."
"Yeah."
"Truth is, I've slept with other hunters multiple times besides you, and I'm still doing it. I'm a total slut."
"...Yeah."
"Sorry for keeping it secret so shamelessly, Yuri."
After hearing my full confession, she stared at my mouth with a still-tense face.
"..."
When no more words came, she tilted her head cautiously.
"...That's it?"
"Huh?"
"I thought there was more... Like, you're not just saying you're a slut and that's the end?"
This reaction was unexpected.
"More?"
"Yeah..."
"Like what?"
I was genuinely curious, but her response was terrifyingly imaginative—I was left speechless by her wild assumptions.
"Like, 'I'm tired of a short, flat girl like you, so don't contact me anymore,' or 'I've met someone way better than you and we're getting married, so don't be clingy.' Or maybe you'd snap that you can't keep putting up with my perverted sex drive anymore..."
"..."
"Y-You're really not gonna say stuff like that? Right, Sungcheol?"
Looking up at me with anxious eyes, she seemed so pitiful. Before I knew it, my arms had crushed her against me in a tight embrace.
"...Sungcheol?"
"Why would I ever say that? I told you I love spending time with you."
"You insisted on telling me before sex, so I thought you were gonna say you don't want to be with me anymore..."
"Is that why you asked to do it first?"
"Yeah... I wanted at least one last time with you before we broke up..."
What an adorably twisted idea.
By old-world standards, it might seem pathetic, but to me, it was just endearingly cute—no repulsion, only affection. Even clingy behavior looks cute when the person's cute.
Her hamster-like trembling in my arms tugged at my heart. I'd only made her worry needlessly by building tension.
"Sorry, Yuri. I didn't mean to make you imagine the worst."
"I-It's fine, kinda..."
"Yeah."
"I don't mind you seeing other girls, just... don't dump me. Even once every month—no, every few months is fine. I won't be a bother..."
It hit me then: she was a hunter seeking "psychological therapy" through sex. Not long ago, she'd lost her will to live, and now I'd become her new reason.
What she really needed wasn't my confession—it was assurance I'd never abandon her, no matter what.
"I won't dump you on a whim. I promise."
"Really?"
"If someday a guy more attractive than me appears, one who only has eyes for you, I might have to let you go. But I won't abandon you first. I swear on the heavens."
"...You can promise that?"
"We could go to a magic contract office and make a verbal oath if you want."
She shook her head firmly, as if it wasn't necessary.
"Your word is enough."
"Thanks for believing me, Yuri."
"But you're wrong about one thing."
"Huh?"
"There are no men more attractive than you in the world. And even if there were, none could love me as much as you do."
"I can't promise the first, but the second? Definitely. When we're together, you're all I focus on."
"That's enough."
She seemed pleased, flashing a faint smile as she pulled her face from my chest. Then she resumed her dungeon striptease, paused only briefly.
"We're done talking? Anything else?"
"Nope, that's it."
"Then strip already. Time to get to it."
With the tense conversation over, it was time for our bodies to do the talking.