Pheromone Queen
A black-furred werewolf clutched its sword, sensing something amiss. The savage, piercing glares raining down on it. Especially the wariness and outright hostility.
-Kruuung!
The surrounding werewolves lunged at it.
"What the—?!"
Shin Gaon, gripping her sword, jolted in surprise and swung her arm. They had no choice but to be startled when the beasts suddenly turned on each other.
Shin Gaon outright booted the sword-wielding one away.
-Kruuung!
A werewolf's razor-sharp claws slashed toward the armed beast.
-......Whine?
Confusion at the kin's attack was fleeting. Soon, werewolves swarmed from all sides.
-Kruk, kruuurrr!
The beast bared its gums, flashing especially vicious fangs among its kind in a show of intimidation, but it was futile. In the end, survival instinct took over, forcing it to swing its sword wildly.
"Ha. Yeonwoo! What the hell are you, seriously?"
Shin Gaon demanded, though her rough tone belied a face alight with exhilaration. A complex mix of laughter, envy, and pure admiration twisted her features.
"Not yet. Gotta take down these two first."
Yeonwoo reached out her hand. Watching, Shin Gaon smirked and slapped her palm atop Yeonwoo's.
Perfect teamwork, no room for boredom...
Smack.
Yeonwoo recoiled in horror and swatted Shin Gaon's hand away.
"Huh?"
"Ow, cut it out. Not you."
It was just to Recall Weapon and retrieve the cursed branch. She had no idea why Shin Gaon suddenly grabbed her hand.
"Fuckin' hell..."
Rejected out of nowhere. But Shin Gaon wasn't one to back down easily. Instead, she channeled her rage straight into her axe, unleashing it on the werewolf.
"Dieeee!"
Shin Gaon swept her two-handed axe upward in a diagonal slash. No specific target. Anything blocking her path would do. It was purely to clear them out.
Kwaduduk—!
A diagonal gash split the air. Then,
Plop, plop.
Chunks of werewolf slid along the fissure.
-Kwoooaaar!
But one slipped through the gap. The two armed ones charged Shin Gaon simultaneously.
"Yeah, come at me without your trash minions—let's do this proper!"
Shin Gaon didn't retreat. If anything, she welcomed the lack of fodder, boldly facing off against the two elite armed specimens.
"Why isn't this coming?"
Meanwhile, Yeonwoo kept her hand outstretched. No weapon returned despite the wait. She hurriedly scanned around.
-Hehek, hek...!
Far off, one werewolf gleefully dashed across the plain with the glowing branch in its jaws. Gums fully bared in apparent bliss, it bounded on all fours. A pack trailed eagerly behind.
"Damn."
Too late to chase it. But it had drawn the werewolves' attention, so maybe a net gain. No choice.
Yeonwoo twisted her wrist. If she'd given up one, she could just reshape the remaining weapon.
"Huh?"
Nothing. Yeonwoo tilted her head and twisted again. Finally, it shifted into an iron sword.
Guess I can't go big until I merge 'em.
She'd aimed for a greatsword initially. With her trait Dual Weapons active and one hand empty, it seemed limited to one-handers.
"Whatever. Doesn't matter."
Yeonwoo joined Shin Gaon. The woman held her own against the duo. Tier III prowess plus her lunatic edge made her formidable.
That's not Tier III level.
Yeonwoo, a veteran who'd clawed to Tier IV like a dog, could gauge skill gaps at a glance from the trenches. Raw power from tiers and stages mattered, but personal traits and talent trumped it.
Shin Gaon overflowed with that talent.
Too much potential to die screaming in some freak accident.
If gates were humanity's trial to overcome, she was a boon—albeit a dangerously unhinged one.
"Alright, one more quick."
Yeonwoo dove in, wedging between Shin Gaon and the armed pair.
Shlick—slash—
Yeonwoo peppered shallow strikes on the dagger-wielder. With Shin Gaon pulling weight, it was easy. Soon, the beast was covered in minor cuts.
-Kruuurrr!
-Kruung...?
Pheromone marking finally stacked max. It too became public enemy.
"Ha. Wild."
Shin Gaon whistled. What had been a crisis moments ago flipped in seconds after Yeonwoo's entry. Under three minutes.
Just one elite left.
"That one's no good."
"Some condition blocking it?"
"Nah."
Yeonwoo shook her head. A vivid sense of something missing.
This what it meant?
Base Effect: Accumulates pheromones based on the Queen's capacity.
The base effect referred to Yeonwoo's own capacity, not the targets'. Total pheromone pool available.
Stronger foes guzzle more pheromones.
Negligible on regular wolves. But these two armed ones had drained it noticeably. Plenty left, but veteran instincts held her back. Sanctuary phase unfinished.
"Pheromones low."
Yeonwoo shrugged casually. Half-mumbled.
"Pheromones? You got that too?"
"......Shut up and kill it fast."
Yeonwoo scowled. Lost in thought, she'd voiced it aloud—to the most annoying person present.
"Heh. Cute."
"Shut up and hurry!"
"No wonder you smell so damn good."
"That's....... No, it's not."
She started to explain, then quit. Obviously not pheromones. But admitting the truth felt iffy.
Amid the untimely flirting, Yeonwoo averted her eyes. Just casual praise, but unrelated to her old male life. That unfamiliar tickle of fluster from the offhand compliment.
Work first. As the dagger-wielder faced inexplicable assaults from its pack,
the lone elite had to duel both. It crumbled fast. As Shin Gaon raised her axe for the kill,
"Wait! Hold up!"
Yeonwoo yelped urgently.
"What?!"
Her desperation halted Shin Gaon cold. No losses from heeding Yeonwoo since the event started.
"No, it's mine."
Yeonwoo darted in, plunging her sword into the elite's throat.
-Kruk...!
Foam bubbled from its gaping maw, then it slumped dead.
"You crazy bitch."
"We agreed on this."
Yeonwoo shrugged shamelessly. Satisfying result. Elite status refilled her inner power. Enough for another stage-up mid-Sanctuary.
"Now, bricks."
"Do whatever, Yeonwoo."
-Kruk! Kruuung!
-Kyaaak!
-Whine, kuheung!
Chaos erupted around the fallen elites. Yeonwoo and Shin Gaon calmly headed for the bricks. Just bricks now.
Somehow closer. Shin Gaon pressed right behind, even hunching her tall frame to nuzzle Yeonwoo's face side-to-side.
Especially when she stretched her face out—like a sniffing wolf.
"Stop."
"Busted?"
"Your breath's impure!"
Whatever her game, neck felt the hot snuffle vividly. A chill of scheming prickled Yeonwoo's spine.
"Move bricks quick, Shin."
"Tch. Fine."
Yeonwoo stacked bricks for max load. Shin Gaon mimicked, then slyly struck as Yeonwoo lifted.
"Eek!"
Sudden arm graze made Yeonwoo squeak. Inner armpit flesh, soft and ticklish. No resistance before the girly yelp escaped.
Sniff sniff.
Shin Gaon buried her nose, still pheromone-obsessed. A beast through and through.
"Ah. Here it is. So addictive and ni—"
"For fuck's sake!"
Crack!
"Owch!"
Yeonwoo smashed a brick on her. One red brick powdered, zero regrets.
"Move. Now."
Short, firm threat.
"......Got it."
Shin Gaon dusted her head obediently, restacking bricks.
Fuck fuck ugh fuck.
Yeonwoo was dying inside. Indescribable mood. Mortified yet blameless, she smashed bricks with murder in her eyes.
Words failed; even mentioning it was mortifying. Face burned beet-red matching the bricks.
"Nngh."
Lips clenched, she grabbed bricks. Nothing else.
"Hurry up!"
She nagged Shin Gaon relentlessly as they hustled bricks.
* * *
While Yeonwoo and Shin Gaon frantically hauled bricks,
other hunters faced escalating tension. More chopped wood to fortify safe zones. Reeds shifted from resource to harassment tool.
Hunters had awakened to territorial shadows amid endless raids.
"They're filling that side!"
"What? Don't hog it solo."
"Hah, stop! Don't take it, damn it!"
They checked frontrunners. Resource grabs were selfish, but dragging down common foes united them.
Wood was hardest to block. Raid persistence notwithstanding, average completion rose steadily.
Forcing Yeonwoo and Shin Gaon to hustle harder.
"Your Majesty. Hurry."
"Great job, Your Majesty."
"Almost full now, right, Queen?"
Shin Gaon's jabs irked during hauls. Already embarrassed, her pokes blurred anger from blush.
Fists clenched—definitely rage.
"Just haul. If those fall, it's trouble—more bricks before then."
Armed werewolves strong, not invincible. Max bricks before collapse.
"Heh."
Shin Gaon shrugged nonchalantly.
"Just make 'em go feral again? You're the pro."
Her cheeky barbs—maybe playful to her—made Yeonwoo itch to smack her.
"Your pheromones are killer. Like this. Haha!"
Pheromone chants fueled urges to demonstrate personally. Inner angel and devil clashed: devil urged payback on the brat; angel noted hitting others risky, so Shin Gaon fair game.
True.
Curious too. Long Live the Queen was legendary. Specials pheromone trio, but base option: Supporter.
Yeonwoo subtly drew her whip. Hesitant on others, fine for Shin Gaon.
"What, really going Queen mode?"
"Yeah, you damn bitch!"
Crack!
Whip lashed Shin Gaon's back mid-haul. Crisp snap drew Yeonwoo's smile.
"Ow!"
Shin Gaon yelped but held bricks, glancing between Yeonwoo and herself bewildered.
Oddly painless. Rather,
"What. Why's this feel so light?"
She even bounced in place with bricks.