Taking a Breather (5)

After Cha Yuri returned from her brief absence, I explained the circumstances of how I'd ended up sleeping with the other women. I gave a suitably vague rundown of my awakening ability—something along the lines of how having sex boosted a female hunter's prowess, and in turn, mine rose as well. I also mentioned that I hadn't known she was in the same party as Hyeun and Mina until after the fact.

Objectively speaking, it might've looked like I'd been targeting the whole party from the start, seducing them one by one. But she bought my explanation that each encounter had been a completely separate coincidence. Thankfully, I didn't have to waste time convincing her of the near-miraculous chain of events.

"Well, yeah, I met you inside a joint dungeon, Sungcheol. Still, what a crazy coincidence."

"That's why, since things have turned out like this, I'm planning to transfer to the company and join Sky Blue Shield outright. That way, I'd get to spend way more time with you, Hyeun, and Mina."

"...What rank are you right now, anyway?"

"C-rank by Association standards."

"Just get yourself up to B-rank somehow. I'll write you a recommendation letter when you transfer."

I hadn't even brought it up first, but here she was offering one off the bat. Come to think of it, Hyeun had said the exact same thing last time. It felt good hearing indirectly that Mina, Hyeun, and now Yuri all saw me as trustworthy.

Mina had already promised to write one, so I politely declined.

"...She's doing it, huh."

"Yeah, sorry to make you go out of your way."

"No, hers will carry more weight than mine anyway."

"Aren't you both A-rank? What's the difference?"

"Mina spent a bit longer at B-rank than me or Hyeun, so her take on B-rank standards might hold more credibility. Plus, she's got the rep right now as the most diligent hunter in the company. No one would think a hardworking girl like her would vouch for someone lightly."

"Mina's that dedicated?"

"If you added up all her official days off this year, it'd probably be less than a week. Her longest streak is five straight months of showing up."

I knew she rarely missed work because of family issues, but I hadn't realized she was grinding a schedule that'd break a sane person. Hearing about her work log from Yuri's mouth drew an incredulous sigh from me.

"Honestly, she could've collapsed any day. She probably thought she was hiding it, but anyone could tell."

"I had no idea it was that bad."

"Then one day, her condition noticeably improved. Right after that unauthorized day off. Pretty sure that's the day you two hooked up."

"Really?"

"Because the next day, she came to me asking for a contraception spell."

That had to be the day I'd slept with Mina. It was the first and last time I'd creampied her.

"Looking back, it was your stuff inside her that day, Sungcheol."

"Sorry for the hassle."

"It's fine. Honestly, now I can help her without any awkwardness. Animal awakening heat cycles don't really settle without a creampie, from what I hear."

"Pretty much."

My semen was already adjusted to be non-viable for a while even without the spell, but I didn't mention that. It was too outlandish, and a bit embarrassing to say out loud.

"Anyway, smart thinking."

"Huh?"

"About transferring to the company. I think it's a good plan."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"You think so too, Yuri?"

"Yeah. We'd get to see each other more, like you said."

Yuri flushed faintly, her voice tinged with real anticipation for what lay ahead.

"Oh, right—our party leader's boyfriend had a slightly different name from yours."

"That's because the one I use at the Association is an alias. I've got a real name separate from it."

"...I see."

"It's Sung Taekyung. Probably the name Hyeun mentioned."

"Yeah, that's it. Definitely."

She stroked her chin with her right hand, murmuring my real name cautiously.

"...Tae, Taekyung."

"Yeah."

"...Sung Taekyung."

"Yeah."

"Taekyung-ssi? Junior Taekyung? Taekyungie?"

"What's with the sudden name-testing?"

She muttered variations like none of them sat right, then hesitantly tried my alias again.

"...Sungcheol."

"Yeah?"

"...This feels better."

"......Yeah?"

"Can I just keep calling you Sungcheol from now on? Sung Taekyung feels... kinda awkward."

Ah. She'd first met "Kim Sungcheol," so my real name probably didn't click. If Hyeun suddenly called me something else out of the blue, I'd be thrown off too. I got why she felt that way.

"Doesn't matter to me. Call me whatever's comfy."

"Really okay?"

"It's an alias, but Kim Sungcheol is one of my names. You met me as that first, so no helping it."

Truth be told, hearing her say "Sungcheol" in that voice felt more natural than my real name by now. She nodded shyly.

"...Then take care of me from now on, Sungcheol."

"You too, Yuri."

With that, I'd confessed my "sins" to Hyeun and now Yuri, earning forgiveness from both. The second condition of my plan was complete.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

And that night.

"Ngh, hng, ngh...."

As if it even needed saying, we didn't stop at the two rounds in the dungeon that afternoon. Naturally, Yuri and I tangled bodies again under the cover of night.

The difference from usual? The stubborn Yuri, who always resisted ending up on the bottom, was meekly spreading her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠legs beneath me tonight, welcoming my cock.

Had she finally acknowledged me as a man who could move atop her? I hadn't puzzled out her true intent yet, but either way, I preferred topping over bottoming. Whether this was acceptance or just a whim, I made the most of it.

"Hngh, ah, haa!"

I teased her folds gently with my fingers—just enough not to startle her pussy—then slid my hardened shaft into the pretty slit between her spread thighs.

"Hrgh!"

The moment I entered, her intoxicating moan whispered in my ear, and her warm, soft walls enveloped my cock.

"Your pussy's always delicious, no matter when I fuck it, Yuri."

"Sh-shut up.... Just move already...."

"You're awfully docile tonight. Finally admitting I'm a stronger man than you?"

"Don't make me laugh.... Who do you think you're getting cocky with...."

Too bad—she still hadn't granted me full rights to thrust freely from above.

"You'd just force it in anyway if I resisted...."

"Well, yeah."

"No point wasting stamina on strength when I know I'd lose. If I could use magic, I'd crush you easy...."

But Yuri was a civilized woman of the modern age, schooled in basics. She wouldn't swing her staff around a hotel room just because she hated being on bottom.

Thanks to that, tonight we made love in male superior without her usual fight.

"But if you do that again from earlier, you're dead...."

"That thing from earlier?"

"In the dungeon today—you held me like a baby and bounced me up and down...."

"Oh, that."

"Try it again and see. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I won't forgive that...."

Hmm. She always spat threats like "I won't let you off next time," but thinking back, she'd never followed through on a single one. Deep down, maybe ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she craved me taking charge.

It made perfect sense. Back at our first meeting, even exhausted, she'd insisted on riding me. For her walls to soften this much by the third time...

It sparked the thought that next time, her defenses might crumble even further.

"Guess we can't do tonight's thing next time either."

"...What."

"Sex while casting magic. Hard to do unless I'm holding you up. Sitting and channeling would mess up your staff grip, and riding while spellcasting's a no-go."

"......"

"Right?"

Her face below me twisted in clear conflict, reminiscing the forest scene. Soon enough, her response was as good as agreement.

"Th-that... we'll see when the time comes...."

Dungeon sex with pounding next time confirmed.