After deciding to head to the Imp hunting grounds, we first stopped by the Adventurer’s Guild.
Since the request itself ca from the guild, I had to register for the task here. This worked out perfectly. I needed to take on a few more quests anyway to level up. Now, I was aiming to hit the S-rank.
Since I had been around here a few tis, there was no strange reaction from the adventurers even when the Manifestors walked around.
As I was looking at the bulletin board for a mont, soone approached and greeted .
“Hmm? What brings you here, hyung? Are you here to hunt the Imps too?”
It was none other than Bepuri.
You know, the one I had a quarrel with when I first arrived here, who accepted my challenge for a duel? A woman with a particularly large fra and thick build.
In fact, I had t her several more tis after that, probably because we used the sa guild. We kept running into each other.
And every ti, she would approach and strike up a conversation. It seed like we had so kind of rivalry back then, but now, she was talking to with a sowhat more respectful tone. It was unclear whether she was just friendly or rough around the edges, but now she was speaking more politely and trying to engage in conversation.
Thanks to that, I was getting along just fine.
“Don’t call hyung. You’re older than ,” I said.
“If you’re stronger than , you’re hyung. It boosts my pride, after all... So, you’re heading to the hunting grounds?” Bepuri asked.
I nodded, and she frowned slightly as she spoke.
“Hmm... it might be dangerous. If you’re ready to risk your life like those otherworlders, then maybe it’s fine. But that place is full of monsters, and one wrong move could get you killed. I also heard... there are so strange creatures wandering around.”
She added that she wasn’t planning to join us. Apparently, she would soon reach S-rank, too. I wondered how dangerous the place really was for her to give such a warning.
Co to think of it, both Chae-rin and Haneul had warned not to go as well. Even though I was strong, they said the place had too many variables. If they could be resurrected like , maybe it wouldn’t be too bad, but it was better to be cautious, they said.
Back then, I nodded along, sensing their concern.
Of course, now I had different thoughts.
Even after hearing those warnings, I didn’t plan to back down. I looked at Bepuri and said:
“Don’t worry. I don’t plan on going too deep. I’m just going to explore a bit.”
“Well, if that’s the case... when you get back, let’s grab a drink together,” she said, before turning and leaving.
Shin Hanbyeol seed a bit irritated, giving Bepuri a slight glare, but we proceeded with the quest anyway.
I climbed onto the cart and asked Hanbyeol:
“How long do you think it’ll take to get there?”
“I’ve been there before, and it wasn’t that far. Maybe a day or so?”
Considering we were traveling to another country, it wasn’t as far as I expected.
It was a neighboring kingdom, after all.
For , that was a relief. I now had Neria with , so I couldn’t be gone for too long. A round trip of about two days would be perfect.
We got on the cart and began our journey.
Not long after we set off, a quiet silence fell over us.
“......”
“......”
Now that I thought about it, we were in this small cart, just the two of us. Since she wasn’t the talkative type, the awkwardness was inevitable.
I wondered if we’d have to sit in silence for the whole 24 hours... but thankfully, that didn’t last too long. Hanbyeol spoke up first.
“Are we not going to the arena anymore?”
That was a bit of an unexpected question. But if it helped reduce the awkwardness, I didn’t mind, so I answered her honestly.
“Yeah, not for now. I’ve been there too much, and honestly, I’m kind of bored of it.”
The reason I had been going to the arena in the first place was because I thought it would help improve. It did help a little at first.
But that was only for a couple of tis. The fights started to feel repetitive, and since I’d been going so often, my interest started to wane.
“...I see.”
She nodded after hearing my explanation. Her expression seed to carry so unexpected disappointnt. I wasn’t sure why she was disappointed since I had just said I wasn’t going to the arena. Maybe she was still holding onto the duel we hadn’t finished last ti.
The conversation continued.
“What’s that on your arm?”
“Oh, this? It’s an item that Beleth dropped.”
The item that Beleth had dropped eventually ended up with . I wasn’t sure how to use it yet, but I had it with .
“I saw it could transform flesh. Since I didn’t want to carry it around, I’m wearing it as a bracelet.”
“...Doesn’t it feel weird wearing it?”
“It’s a bit squishy and moist, so it’s a little uncomfortable, but you get used to it. And when I’m bored, I ss with it, and it’s actually kind of fun.”
“I don’t get it...”
Not long after, I pointed out sothing that had been bothering .
“By the way... don’t you have any armor for your upper body?”
She had told that she lost the steel chestplate, the only armor protecting her torso, when she died last ti. It was expensive armor she had recently bought. She was planning to look for it first in the hunting grounds.
Up until then, everything was fine.
But the problem was, she was still without armor, just wearing black tights that clung to her body beneath the chestplate. Her droplet-shaped chest was unmistakably visible above the tights.
Her large chest and slender waist resembled a well-proportioned model’s body.
I hadn’t thought much of it until now, but being alone with her in the cart, it was hard not to notice.
‘Is she wearing a bra...?’
It looked like the middle part was slightly popping out.
“Armor? Nope. As soon as I got new gear, I sold it.”
She didn’t seem to mind. Apparently, in this place, that level of exposure wasn’t even considered much of a big deal.
I guess it was only uncomfortable for .
I had no other clothes to offer her, so it was what it was. I just had to be extra careful to not let my “precious” react to the situation.
Anyway, ti passed, and the awkwardness began to fade as we talked and enjoyed the scenery outside.
But then...
Clank—!
The cart suddenly jolted and rocked. At the sa ti, Hanbyeol’s body was lifted into the air. Since she was lighter than , she couldn’t resist the shock.
“Wah?!”
Thud!
Her voice was panicked as she collided with . The soft sensation pressed against my body. When I opened my eyes again, I found her hand pressed against the area of my pants.
“......”
“...!”
After a brief awkward silence, Hanbyeol quickly returned to her seat. Her face was as red as a tomato. Embarrassed, she scolded the driver.
“Hey, drive properly!”
“Ah, sorry. It seems the horse ate sothing wrong and went wild...”
It was a brief mishap. But that brief mont made the atmosphere even more awkward.
I briefly recalled that sensation and guessed her chest size.
‘D...? No, it’s probably E...’
The surroundings were large, after all. She wasn’t a small weapon herself.
Hanbyeol kept glancing down.
“Ugh... anyway. Can I start the broadcast?”
“Do whatever you want.”
Looking for sowhere to divert her gaze, Hanbyeol decided to start the broadcast.
[Hanbyeol, you idiot, aren’t you streaming on ti?!] [Hello, unnie ㅎㅎ] [You should at least be in the chat for three days if you died...] [Who’s that in front of you?] [Isn’t that Yor...?] [Ah, I see, you were preparing for a collab. Why didn’t you say anything earlier?] [Why are the two of you together? Why are the two of you together? Why are the two of you together?] [Why is his face so red...?]
It seed like the noise picked up a bit once the broadcast started.
After the broadcast started, the chatter in the chat room beca a bit more lively.
“Alright, we’ve arrived~”
The next day, by midday, we finally reached the hunting grounds.
Naturally, we hadn’t slept together. She could log out into reality, after all.
“Ugh.”
I stretched, loosening my stiff body, and looked ahead. The vast hunting grounds spread out before .
It seed the otherworlders had set up camp near the border, as there were several tents pitched nearby.
Far in the distance, I could see red and black monsters roaming among the crumbled buildings, and adventurers were out hunting them.
There were enough people gathered that they could probably build a small village. I had heard it was crowded, but not to this extent.
We quietly blended into the crowd and, as an Imp charged toward , I swung my spear.
“Keyaek!”
The creature didn’t even have ti to defend itself and died instantly.
“They’re weaker than I expected.”
“Most of them are manageable. The problem is when a higher-level one shows up.”
“So of them are pretty tough, huh.”
Well, just because they were the sa species didn’t an they were all the sa. Even Imps probably varied in strength.
We continued hunting quietly. Shin Hanbyeol was looking for her lost chestplate, and I was just experiencing the Imp hunting.
[One hit, they’re all dead ;] [I can do that too, hehe] [Yeah, yeah, I’m sure you can] [Hanbyeol, don’t go in too deep like last ti. If you die alone, it’s one thing, but Yor’s right there with you.] [Let’s see if your clothes stay intact today...]
The viewers seed to be focused on the fight, as the chat ssages had decreased slightly.
Just then, as we moved a bit further ahead, I caught sight of two figures in the distance.
A female thief with silver hair and a black-haired mage with an unusually prominent chest.
It was none other than Lee Chae-rin and Im Haneul.
They seed to be hunting, as beads of sweat were visible on their foreheads.
Imdiately, their eyes t Hanbyeol’s.
“Hmm...?”
“...Huh?”
A brief but awkward silence passed between them.
“Hello.”
I waved casually.
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