Terraforming - Ding! [Quest: Make a Friend!]
Make one friend!
Reward: 80 Karma
Failure Penalty: None
‘Make a friend...? I’m not a kid...’
He was baffled by the quest description, but then he remembered this system had been made for Park Chanyoung before the body swap. Viewed that way, even a kindergarten-level quest like this made sense.
Fortunately, there was no penalty, and the content was ridiculously easy. If he had one complaint, it was that the quest hadn’t popped up before he’d gotten close to Lee Kangin.
How many minutes had he walked while pondering the quest window? It wasn’t long before they arrived at the Northern Training Camp.
The sun was already setting, painting the sky red. While the facilities grew more rundown the farther out you went from the Shelter’s core, the training camp’s exterior was surprisingly pristine. It wasn’t up to the alloy standards of the central command center, but the well-finished wood suggested it could withstand rain and wind just fine.
Not that it’d matter—Chris Bennett, that total nutjob known as Gwangnyeon-i, wouldn’t stand for shitty facilities here.
He might even get to enjoy some civilized comforts, contrary to his low expectations.
“Huff... finally... we’re here...”
“Ugh... got blisters on my feet...”
Most of the trainees looked relieved. After trudging along in tense silence, reaching their destination had eased the pressure. Above all, the promise of real rest had lightened the mood.
According to the novel, proper training started tomorrow. He planned to relax, clear the quest, and spend the earned Karma—his heart raced at the thought.
“It’s late, so rest up! Five per room! Pick your own roommates!”
“Hm... Trainee Lee Kangin, come with me for a moment.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Ah, damn it. Special treatment already? I can’t wrap my head around it.”
Instructor Brack called out Lee Kangin. Chris Bennett grumbled at him in response.
“We still need to talk, though. You saw it yourself—his skills are the real deal.”
“So what.”
“Spotting promising trainees who stand out is part of our job too.”
“...Fine, you’re fucking great at your job!”
Chris’s face twisted in irritation. She shot Lee Kangin a venomous glare and spat her words like daggers.
“Listen up, you little shit. Brack might coddle you, but don’t expect jack from me. Don’t get cocky, got it?”
“...Understood.”
Tsk.
The friction between Lee Kangin and Chris wasn’t familiar. In his mental simulation, drawn from memorizing the original story beat-for-beat, things hadn’t been this sharp.
“...I should head off separately. Let’s talk more later, Chanyoung.”
“Sure. Go on ahead.”
Brack led Lee Kangin toward the building. It was probably about the morning scuffle with Chris.
Damn... no telling how this’ll play out.
Lee Kangin getting pulled aside for a private instructor chat wasn’t in the main story. Chris had liked him enough that no fight had even happened.
He could only pray no major variables cropped up.
*
The training camp wasn’t near any residential areas. It sat at the end of a cleared path through the artificially thinned forest.
From outside, the building looked fairly large—a long, rectangular two-story structure. Nothing special, just your standard shape.
Thud. Thud.
“Yawn...”
“Uh... Instructor? Where do we...?”
“What? I said rest. Why aren’t you?”
“No, I mean...”
“Don’t know. It’s my quitting time.”
Chris ditched the dumbfounded group and headed inside. Sure, she’d said rest—but with who-knew-how-many rooms in there, they had no clue which were the dorms.
They just stood there blankly. No one dared grab her as she walked off. Everyone knew she wasn’t exactly the rational type.
Of course, he knew where the dorms were. But playing know-it-all here would just look suspicious, so he kept quiet. Waiting it out would reveal everything soon enough.
“Uh... what do we do...?”
“Guess we follow her...?”
“Standing here does nothing...”
Consensus reached, the trainees trailed after the receding Chris. If she vanished from sight, they’d be like ducks in the Nakdong River—utterly helpless.
Rumble...
The exterior was clean, and so was the interior. Regular cleaning was obvious at a glance.
Who handled laundry, cleaning, cooking? Not the trainees, thankfully—hired staff did.
Rustle. Rustle!
Sure enough, signs of life echoed from everywhere.
First impressions of the interior? Spotless cleanliness alone was a passing grade. And best of all—electricity.
Outside, dusk had deepened into near-darkness. No glass windows here, just wooden ones for ventilation. The inside should’ve been dim by rights.
Yet ceiling lights hung everywhere, bathing the space in brightness.
As they followed Chris, taking it all in, she started up the stairs to the second floor. They moved to follow.
“Huh? What’re you lot doing up here?”
“Uh? We... don’t know where the dorms are...”
“Oh! Didn’t I say? Whole building’s dorms. Training’s all outside. First floor for trainees, second for instructors and staff.”
“Th-thank you.”
“Yeah. Five per room, remember. Oh, and there’s a cafeteria and baths on the first floor—don’t be idiots who crash in the damn cafeteria.”
Atop the stairs, she flashed a sly smile down at them.
Whoa... random, but he got it now. She was definitely a knockout when she smiled.
And they were looking up at her from a few steps below—the worst angle, the one that nerfed even movie stars with its unflattering perspective.
Yet Chris still looked stunning. Like she had a halo.
Ah!
While everyone else gawked at her beauty, he noticed it.
Intentional? Or pure coincidence?
Mid-stair landing. Sunset poured through the wide-open wooden window, bathing her in light. Her crimson hair matched the glow perfectly, creating an optical illusion.
Her locks were just reflecting the sunset, but blended with the red-orange sky, it looked like she glowed from within. The shitty angle didn’t stand a chance against that ethereal allure.
If anything, this vantage let him appreciate it without the glare overwhelming his eyes.
Could she ever get a more perfect photo than this moment? It felt too staged to be chance—more like a miracle she’d planned.
And her figure? Her outfit exposed far more skin than it covered, showcasing her slim, toned build. The sidelong sunset highlighted her soft musculature.
Her pale skin would’ve been killer without the scars. Hell, the scars actually made it sexier, pairing perfectly with her revealing clothes.
Did all guys worldwide lose it for a beauty like this? Despite her antics so far, most male trainees ogled her hungrily.
He wasn’t immune either, playboy that he was.
Gulp...
The brief silence amplified someone’s swallow. And it reached her ears, of course—her hearing far exceeded human limits.
Chris arched a brow in mock surprise, her expression unreadable.
“Ho ho?”
Then a mischievous grin spread across her face.
Ah... shit, that look explained it. Why she stayed popular with the guys despite her personality.
It was pure sensuality, stirring something primal in every man there.
“What, this the thing I’m thinking?”
Her tongue—redder than her hair—flicked across her lips. Every gesture, every word dripped with impish temptation.
Her soft hand—impossible to imagine brimming with superhuman strength—slowly rose toward her torso.
Focus, Park Chanyoung!!
Before the swap, his eyesight had sucked. This body’s? Crystal clear.
He knew what was coming. He ramped up his focus, zeroing in on her chest.
“Fine. Not like I hate it.”
Her pale hand touched her top. Calling it a “top” was generous—it was basically a skin-tight leather camisole, sports-bra style, baring her abs and waist.
Whoosh!
She lifted it herself, flashing her breasts.
“Wha—?!”
Swoosh!
About half a second later, it dropped back down.
Too fast for most to catch, but he’d prepped and saw everything: unexpectedly full breasts on that slim frame, and...
P... pink...
Thank you... thank you so much...
“Whoa...”
“Crazy bitch...”
“Fucking insane...”
The guys were awestruck; the women horrified. Who flashes her tits to strangers—not even a lover—in front of dozens?
No one but him could’ve predicted the stunt. It fully justified her “Gwangnyeon-i” nickname.
But her prank wasn’t over. That was just the opener. Her voice turned husky as she whispered,
“Third room from the left end on the second floor. Anyone who wants to... come find me tonight... Heh!”
Thud. Thud!
Sticking out her tongue playfully, she dropped that final bombshell and sauntered upstairs.
Fuck... it’s standing up.