Chapter 84
Chapter 84
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: First Love and Clandestine Shadows
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Erika's body heat felt scorching hot in my arms.
It couldn't possibly be that intense, but somehow the temperature seemed sky-high, like I might get burned.
Warm, soft, and...
'Small.'
This woman burying her face in my chest, sniffling happily...
The swordswoman who split a C-rank raid boss clean in half with one strike just a few days ago?
Right now, in my arms, she was nothing more than a love-struck, frightened girl.
Her arms wrapped around my back from behind, squeezing so tight it felt like she might crush me.
Her trembling transmitted to me, putting me on edge too.
I swallowed hard, the saliva pooling in my mouth. What the hell was this adorable creature?
My heart pounded like crazy, my mind went blank white—like my brain had short-circuited.
It seemed ridiculous to get this worked up over a single hug, but...
In the world of Quack Healer's Lies, I'd tumbled through countless beds, but that was always under the guise of treatment—purely physical intimacy.
Exploring each other's bodies, venting desires.
There was skill, leisure, a sense of conquest.
Just carnal indulgence. Even whispering "I love you" was merely foreplay to make it easier to bed them.
None of it was ever sincere.
They were all just fucktoys in that world.
Pound them down with your dick, and hearts popped up in their eyes in no time.
Anyone who fucked well could've had the same result; it didn't have to be me.
But this was different.
This... well, what was it?
A sharp tingle at the pit of my stomach—a brand-new kind of tension I'd never felt before.
"...Hic, sob."
Erika kept sniffling into my chest, so I slowly patted her back to soothe her.
Tap, tap, tap.
Was this right? Too rhythmic?
Gentler, slower?
Pat, pat, pat.
"Stop crying. Your eyes'll swell up."
"Y-Yes... Sorry... It's just... I'm so happy..."
Crying from happiness.
She was driving me insane.
The emotion was short-lived as practical worries reared their heads.
She confessed, I said yes, hugged her.
So far, so good.
I'd even dropped some pretty cool lines, if I do say so myself.
'But now what?'
Drag her straight to the inn?
No way, you lunatic. Right after accepting her confession?
After just confirming our fresh feelings?
[Alright, let's go fuck. It'll hurt and scare you since it's your first time, but don't worry. I'm good at it—just trust me.]
Say that out of nowhere?
Was that human? Beastly.
If I were the girl and heard that in this touching moment, even a millennium of love would cool off.
No matter how desire-driven I am, I didn't want Erika—who saw me in such a good light—to remember me as some cum-brained horndog.
What did that bastard Kyle say in situations like this?
Thinking back, in the original story, he'd only ever flirted—never actually dated Erika, Luna, or the other heroines.
True to his shonen protag roots, he was impotent.
'Fucking useless prick.'
But just standing here hugging forever?
I could feel passersby glancing our way.
That was kinda nice, actually.
Though it irked me how they stared at my face, then Erika's, back to mine, and stuck out their tongues in awe.
I wanted to brag that this beauty was my girlfriend.
Oh, right—better not.
Had to be careful not to let Luna find out.
Anyway, pride, excitement, and utter bewilderment at what to do next swirled chaotically in my head.
After a while, Erika moved first.
Her emotions had calmed; she slowly pulled away. Her eyes were bloodshot, nose tip red.
"Hiiing... sniff..."
Tears pooling around her eyes as she sniffled—it was strangely stimulating.
No makeup, yet how was she this pretty?
We sat side by side on the bench, lips sealed like we'd made a pact.
Awkward silence.
Our eyes met and we'd jolt away; fingers fidgeted.
This silence had to break.
The man takes the lead.
What topic first?
"Nice weather today" safe?
No, idiot—this late? Can't you see the sunset?
"Um, Lee Jun."
Luckily, Erika spoke first.
"Yeah?"
"We're... lovers now, right?"
"Yeah. We both said... we like each other. Unless you've changed your mind, Erika..."
Saying it made my face burn.
Damn, why was I such a total dork?
A simple first line would've sufficed, but nooo.
I had to slip in that nuance like "it's okay if you have"—self-sabotage hitting hard, sour mood incoming.
"So... what do we do now?"
"Huh?"
"I've only ever read about this stuff in fairy tales and books as a kid. I don't really know what lovers usually do..."
Oh, she doesn't know either.
Shonen heroines with dating experience would shatter immersion these days, so it made sense.
But asking me? I had nothing either. What now?
My knowledge came from comics, porn, and the fucktoy world.
Per that, lovers fuck.
But that's not wholesome romance.
Had I learned even worse than Erika?
'Screw it.'
Honesty's the best policy here.
"Truth is... I don't know either."
"What? No way... You, Lee Jun?"
Shocked expression.
Guess she had me on a heavy pedestal.
Even now, doubting I'd ever been single?
Did she see me as some prince charming?
"For real. You're my first girlfriend. Too busy surviving... no time for anyone. And no one caught my eye anyway."
"So... I'm your first?"
"Yeah. So... I might mess up. Cut me some slack if I do. It'll happen a lot, so be generous..."
Erika covered her mouth, bursting into a "pfft" laugh.
A smile worth more than a million flowers.
The awkward silence shattered for good.
"What a relief..."
"Huh?"
"Truth is... you're mine too. I always saw men as threats—never imagined dating one..."
Men as threats.
Line from the original.
She'd learned that from her parents back home.
But she trusted Kyle, who'd risked his life for her.
Now she shared it with me, her boyfriend.
"B-Both newbies... somehow that reassures me."
"...Really? Not anxious?"
"Not at all. We can... figure it out together, step by step."
Erika smiled shyly, layering her hand over mine.
Tiny, pale hand.
Expected calluses from swordplay, but it was incredibly soft.
"...Yeah. You're right."
I flipped my palm, grasping hers, interlacing our fingers.
This okay?
We were dating—hand-holding wasn't hentai-level.
Felt like navigating a minefield.
"Ah... Your hand's so warm."
"Yours too."
Her faint heartbeat pulsed through our touching fingertips, tickling my chest.
My palm was sweaty from nerves—hers too.
'This is dating?'
Dopamine different from Quack Healer's Lies pleasure.
Sharing hearts, connecting—it felt insanely good.
Even clichéd wishes for time to stop.
Mood ripening.
Streets dimming, streetlamps glowing softly.
Now?
Manly instincts whispered.
I glanced at Erika—she was looking too.
Gazes locked; neither looked away.
I leaned in slowly, so slowly.
She squeezed her eyes shut, long lashes quivering.
First time this close, maybe.
Fresh realization:
'Erika's lashes are crazy long.'
That thought as distance closed.
"Hoo..."
Breaths brushed noses.
Mwah.
Lips met for an instant.
Soft, yielding touch grazed by.
Nothing like mid-sex kisses with tongues and saliva—pure, light.
But the impact? Unmatched.
Shiver.
Electricity shot from my toes up.
Lips parted; Erika dazedly opened her eyes.
Groovy, half-lidded gaze—like dreaming.
I probably matched.
"..."
"..."
Speechless.
Did she hate it? Too sudden?
"...Can we do it one more time?"
Her whisper nearly snapped my reason.
One more, and it wouldn't end at kissing.
Outdoors or not, I'd pin her down or kidnap her to the inn.
Ruin her first time beyond endurance.
Hold it together, Lee Jun.
You're no beast.
A rational man.
[Grrr. I can't hold back.]
Suppressing my groin’s hallucination, I spoke.
"Let's stop here for today. I'm beat."
"Oh..."
"We've got time. Take it slow, learn together."
"...Okay."
Her own words, yet that dissatisfied pout.
Seductive little minx.
If she knew how much I was holding back, she'd freak.
You couldn't handle it, trust me.
"See you tomorrow, Erika."
"Yes, Lee Jun. Get home safe."
"Hope I show up in your dreams."
"Tch, already reserved 'em."
She teased back, then surprise-pecked my cheek and bolted.
So sudden, like the hug—I just rubbed my cheek, watching her retreating figure.
"Ha... She's gonna drive me nuts."
Back at the inn, first order: jerk off.
Come to think, yesterday Lee Ah-rin interrupted too.
* * *
Stopped by the general store on the way back.
Had something to grab before the inn.
"Welcome! Oh, Lee Jun? Back again?"
The owner—now a regular's regular—greeted warmly.
Monster parts galore? No wonder.
"Plenty of pens and ink, please."
"Studying? Good on ya. Here's the finest quill and ink."
"Haha."
Had a notepad, but needed writing tools.
Ideal if bundled, but no—inventory slot hog.
Every world has stationery, though.
Just tote the notepad.
Pricey: 2,500 lumina.
Chump change now.
'About 270k lumina left.'
The B-rank artifact Bloodcalling Morningstar was 650k here.
Real-world equivalent: tens of millions won minimum.
Ten, twenty million easy.
Way more than my real life's 500k bank balance.
Thanks to Blessing of the Earth's near-infinite stamina, opportunities, rare monsters and ores—insane early luck.
Without billionaire-level fortune, I'd still be scraping by on low floors.
Save up, buy a house later?
Big one for multiple girls—soundproofed, disguised with magic tools or barriers.
Start stacking cash.
Into my inn room, stripped, hit the bath.
Warm water as I replayed the day.
Progress with Erika.
Very positive.
But couldn't fully celebrate—original plot loomed.
'Erika's murder frame-up episode.'
Roughly three months after protag arrives, in-story time.
About two months left?
Miners murdered serially one night; Erika framed.
Original: alone, prickly personality—no defenders.
Fled to mine, suffered there.
'But now I've got her back.'
She's on floor 1, decent village rep.
Not prickly—approachable, friendly.
My influence snowballing?
Flashback: first meet, kobolds chasing her on 1F.
Original: met protag post-frame-up in mine—so prior events unknown to me.
How'd she survive kobolds?
Something bad happened then?
Plausible.
Anyway, when it hits, I'll vouch for her.
No frame-up.
Issue: real culprit.
Might frame another or keep killing.
Village chaos hurts me; endangers Luna, Lisa, old man Hans—my people.
'Nip it early.'
Who was it? Runaway kingdom noble, sure—but details fuzzy.
Comic villain lookalike; too many similar.
Too much content overload.
Folks trust memory blindly, but it's pathetically frail—forget quick.
Funny: forget often, yet swear by it.
'Soon as back to reality, reread comics thoroughly.'
Brain ain't great; can't risk missing key via memory alone.
Rough plan set, jerked a few times, out of bath.
Lying in bed for sleep...
'Can't sleep.'
Too excited?
Dopamine overload—brain won't shut down.
Crack the window for air.
Cool night breeze, bright moon draping the village like a curtain.
Dating Erika? Everything prettier, nicer.
No sleep, head too buzzy—night walk it is.
Grabbed clothes, headed out.
Night in Lumina Mining Village: tavern alleys noisy nonstop, residential quiet.
Streetlamps guide aimless stroll.
Step, step.
Familiar silhouette ahead.
Blond hair.
Annoyingly perfect proportions at a glance.
Just walking, yet melancholic aura.
'Kyle?'
Original protag of Abyssal Miner world.
What’s he doing out this late?
Not bar-bound attire.
Curiosity piqued—tail him stealthily.
Daoist Leegildong gigs honed presence-concealment, even sans skill.