First Combat in the Academy
"Hey, why are you cleaning that gun so thoroughly? You just got it, right?"
I approached Jaehee, who was diligently wiping down her firearm, hoping to strike up a conversation and get closer.
Even though the only guy in the group had spoken to her, she kept her gaze fixed on the gun without much reaction.
"...It's not my gun. And this thing's never been fired, so it hasn't been broken in yet."
"Broken in?"
I couldn't quite grasp what she meant by "breaking it in," like some kind of anal training session.
"Just think of it as being too new, so it doesn't feel right yet. You'd normally need to fire a few rounds to get used to it, but... the bullets are too precious to waste like that."
"I see. Jaehee, you're pretty good with firearms, huh?"
"It's not that hard. You seem to be using a pistol too—want some help?"
"I'd appreciate it."
Even a little praise could draw a big reaction from the opposite sex in this world. It was a peculiar phenomenon you could only witness here.
People online called this effect "sakkasi," but with a slight twist it became known as kakasi.
'Sounds like something out of a water buffalo joke, but it's still fascinating.'
Whenever I encountered these bizarrely twisted terms, it reminded me that I still hadn't fully adapted to this place.
"Here. By the way, could you also teach me the proper stance after cleaning?"
"Hmm, if you picked it as your main weapon, shouldn't you already know the basics?"
"Yeah, but... I'm not exactly a combat-focused cadet..."
She hid her eyes behind her hair and looked down at the ground, avoiding eye contact.
After a brief moment of thought, Jaehee nodded as if it wasn't a big deal and stood up.
She naturally took the gun in front of her and assumed a shooting stance.
"Spread your legs to about shoulder width. Posture matters, but being able to shoot naturally from any position is more important."
"L-like this? Or should I raise my arms like this?"
"Haah... Come here. I'll help you."
I deliberately fumbled the stance like an idiot, trying to create as much physical contact as possible.
Jaehee stood behind me, gently wrapping her arms around me to correct my posture.
I leaned back slightly, savoring the soft sensation of her breasts pressing against me.
'Definitely bigger than Yerin's. Might be even more impressive once the clothes come off.'
Her face had that cool beauty vibe, but her figure was easily the best among all the women I'd seen so far.
"Focus. Look down the sights and gently squeeze the trigger..."
"Huh? Sorry, I didn't catch that~."
"Hup."
When I turned my head with a bright smile, I caught her pale skin flushing slightly.
She stepped back, her eyes darting around in embarrassment.
At least she wasn't some emotionless stone statue of a woman.
'So she does notice the opposite sex after all.'
I was about to press a little closer when two other women approached from behind, forcing me to stop.
"I-if it's too difficult, should I teach you instead? I... I know how to handle a pistol too."
"Yeah... Don't just talk to her. Let us join in."
'Orcs and goblins, huh. The difference is so huge I don't even want to talk to them.'
My standards had risen because of Yerin and Jaehee, but ugly people existed everywhere you went.
Just looking at their faces made my dick go soft, and the longer I stared, the more grotesque they seemed, turning my stomach.
'Alright... I'll stop for today and try again later.'
If I pushed too hard all at once, I might end up disliked, so I decided to back off for now.
"It's fine. I think I get it now."
"Really? Well, that's a shame... Are you thirsty? I brought some water—want a sip?"
"I just drank, so I'm good for now... Looks like our turn's coming up soon, so let's get ready."
"Okay!"
I brushed off the women still trying to pull kakasi and gave my gun another once-over.
It looked different from the pistols I knew—more like something straight out of a cyberpunk movie.
The ammunition wasn't regular bullets either. They were called mana bullets, which converted my own mana into projectiles.
A weapon that could endlessly draw ammunition from its wielder as the medium.
'The stronger the gun, the more mana it demands—enough for an archmage.'
Even a pistol left me dizzy after a dozen shots. How powerful must someone be to spray these like a machine gun?
Besides firearms, there were also cadets wielding cold weapons like spears and swords, each facing their own struggles.
Some wrapped their blades in sword aura to prevent chipping, while others with soft hands quickly drew blood from calluses.
"We're heading in soon. Everyone get ready... Sihyun, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. So let's focus on taking care of ourselves first, okay?"
'Please don't worry about me. I wouldn't touch any of you even if you paid me.'
Sleeping with someone for money was fine, but only if my dick actually got hard. That was my ironclad rule.
Once we entered the forest, the first thing I felt was heightened alertness.
My heart beat a little faster, tension coiling in my chest at the thought that practice monsters could appear at any moment.
Blood rushed through my veins, my vision narrowing then widening as focus sharpened.
'Having the girls cover front and back isn't so bad.'
Whether by instinct or design, they formed a protective formation around the only man in the group.
"I hear something on the right."
The human orc walking behind us turned her head and whispered.
-Bang!
"It's real. Stay focused."
"Whoa..."
Jaehee's skill surprised me—she had aimed and fired without hesitation the moment she received the order.
I wiped the sweat from my palms, worried I might accidentally pull the trigger, and widened my eyes.
"It's hotter than I thought."
Summer was still in full swing, and I could feel my forehead growing damp with sweat.
My clothes clung uncomfortably to my skin, and the constant cicada chirping from the surroundings kept grating on my nerves.
Flap, flap. I tugged at my shirt to cool off, and a sudden snort came from beside me.
'Huh?'
A snort? I glanced sideways without turning my head.
"Ahem, phew..."
"Aah... Ah, ahh."
'Fucking perverts.'
Even in that brief moment, those ugly bitches were trying to get something out of it. The sound of their eyeballs rolling was way too loud.
I wanted to smash the butt of my gun into their faces right then and there, but I held back, reminding myself they were valuable combat power.
"Stop. That thing over there looks like what the instructor mentioned."
"But aren't the monsters next to it all defenders guarding the treasure?"
"Probably. Seeing how they're surrounding it, I'd say that's confirmed."
I didn't know what these "defenders" were, but I understood one thing clearly: if we wanted that treasure, we'd have to kill them.
Roughly counting, there were three monsters.
One was massive and clearly the leader, while the other two looked smaller—obviously its underlings.
"I think I can snipe one. What about you, Sihyun?"
"Sorry... That's too far for me."
"It's fine."
This world was so kind that it even accepted incompetent men.
"Then Jaehee snipes one while the two of us take another. Sihyun, you..."
"Since you're a guy, why don't you just wait here?"
Of course I didn't want to fight, but I wasn't some fragile man either.
I wasn't sugar that would melt in the rain—I was a man who had grown up tough.
In the name of manhood, I had to join this battle too.
"I'll help too. That big one's over there, right?"
"Eek... Are you sure? A guy facing something like that alone..."
"Who said I'd face it alone? I'm just going to hold out until you guys finish the others."
I never picked fights I couldn't win, but I was confident in my ability to keep running.
At least until I was actually cornered.
"Uh, uhh... You're bigger than I expected?"
A massive gorilla-like beast growled down at me. It licked its lips hungrily, red eyes fixed on me.
The overwhelming presence of a predator combined with my pathetically low stats made my body start to freeze up.
"R-run...!!"
I tried to dodge sideways like in the movies and counterattack stylishly, but reality wasn't a film.
If that giant hand connected, my stamina wouldn't be enough—one hit might take my head clean off.
I desperately ran backward while pulling the trigger.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Mana flowed from my right arm as the monster chased after me.
Its massive frame forced me to run with every ounce of strength I had.
Stopping meant death. Not stopping also meant death. My legs trembled from the terror, yet the will to survive made them even stronger.
'Why am I so fast? My legs have never been this strong...?'
I had surpassed my physical limits. In that moment of panic, I realized how to channel mana into my legs.
Before I could even savor the joy of this beautiful growth born from survival instinct, I kept running.
Praying desperately that someone would help me.
"At... this distance, it's enough."
With those chilling words from behind the beast, Jaehee's blue eyes gleamed as she raised her gun.
Bang.
***
"That was scary..."
To someone who had lived an ordinary modern life, the existence of monsters brought a fear born from sheer dissonance.
'I need to get stronger.'
This time I had my allies' help, but I couldn't stay this weak forever.
Selling my body had its limits. If I didn't want to get expelled, I had to improve my skills.
"What are you thinking about?"
"I was waiting for you to suck my dick."
"Mmgh, hnn... It's so hard♥"
In the women's restroom, pants down, receiving a blowjob while standing on the toilet.
Yerin, her face flushed with excitement, was on her knees with juices dripping from her pussy, rubbing her cheek against my cock. The sight was incredibly arousing.
'Growth can wait until the dreams.'
Fucking was way more important than training.
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