Chapter 91
Chapter 91 Was this the practice they meant? (2)
Pre-assignment for the S-grade gate. Gate strategy practice.
The first partner was decided to be Yu Shia.
[Cadet Yu Shia on Tuesday, and Cadet Alice on Wednesday will do.]
There was no particular reason for the order.
Whether one went first or later, the experience gained would be similar.
It was just an order the Chairman decided on a whim.
[Hmph. I’m the first one. As expected of the Chairman.]
[Why am I second?! I’ve already strategized a gate with Yu-jin before, so this time too.]
[Tsk. Don’t attach too much meaning to such an order.]
[But no matter how I think about it, being first suits me the most.]
[Stop whining. Instead, let me tell you something good….]
… For some reason, Alice was fixated on the order, and the Chairman had a hard time pacifying her.
[Gate? I’m going too. It’s only natural for a teacher to follow when their student goes.]
[Please, stay put. The kids are going to build their skills, not on a picnic.]
[I don’t want to. I’m going. Don’t stop me. Even if you’re the 4th rank S-grade.]
[I’ll get something for you later too. Please, just please restrain yourself….]
Because of the teacher insisting on following us, the Chairman had to persuade him for quite a while, but other preparations went smoothly.
After one night, it was Tuesday.
The Cheonhwa Clan came out to greet us.
“Young lady. Awakened Seo Yu-jin. I’ll escort you.”
“Have a safe trip. Yu-jin, just in case, be careful.”
“Are you worrying about me? Oh, I’m a little touched.”
-Mutter.
“…It’s the speeding violation I’m worried about.”
“Pardon?”
“Never mind. Just come back soon.”
“Yes.”
Before we left, the Chairman muttered something…
But it was just the usual old man’s worry.
* * *
In modern times, gates are largely divided into two types.
The first is the guerrilla-type gate, which accounts for the vast majority.
Like the A+ grade gate I strategized last time, if not closed after strategizing, it causes enormous damage.
And the second is,
—
※Military Restricted Area※
A C-grade gate is located 100m ahead from this point.
All civilian access is strictly prohibited.
Unauthorized entry may expose you to significant risks and result in legal penalties.
※Precautions※
Even if someone tempts you at night, do not follow.
It could be an illusion or hallucination caused by the magical power of the monster ‘Jangsanbeom.’
The Cheonhwa Clan is working hard to regularly subjugate to prevent such incidents….
—
‘It’s been a long time. Has it been 10 years?’
It was a gate that had already been strategized but deliberately left open.
…Leaving a gate open might seem strange, but there were benefits to doing so.
Gate strategizing guarantees the most definite increase in abilities, making it perfect for training new recruits.
Even gaining real combat experience was possible.
Therefore, gates with low risk, located in remote areas, were intentionally left open by the clan.
As long as the monsters were regularly subjugated to prevent an overflow, the gate could be maintained continuously.
The gate in front of us was also of that type.
“Phew. I didn’t expect to come here so soon….”
“Are you nervous, Shia?”
“To be honest, a little. I’ve heard so many stories of new recruits crying, so I’m a bit nervous.”
Next to me, Shia was taking deep breaths, unable to hide her tension.
Her nervousness was quite cute, making me smile.
-Giggle.
“Oh? Our junior, why are you grinning like that? Do you enjoy going on a date with our young lady?”
“Sister?! This is not a date but a gate….”
“Just one letter different. It’s the same thing~.”
The awakened ones around us reacted similarly to me.
They couldn’t help but giggle at Shia, who smelled like a fresh newbie.
‘…Those are mostly A-grades. Is this really necessary for just breaking a C-grade gate?’
The problem was, they were the executives even within the Cheonhwa Clan.
It felt like using a cow butcher knife to kill a chicken, dispatching the core force of the strongest clan to strategize a mere C-grade gate.
It showed how much the patriarch loved his daughter.
I bowed deeply.
-Bow.
“Senior, I apologize. You shouldn’t have to come to such a humble place because of us….”
“Junior, don’t be so formal~. If you’re a friend of the young lady, you’re our friend too. Right, guys?”
“Of course!”
The seniors laughed cheerfully at my apology.
…It felt strange. Before the regression, I was treated like a thief. It took years to get close to them.
Was this the effect of my achievements?
‘It was worth the trouble for the past two weeks.’
“Thank you. Then, let’s start moving.”
In a warm atmosphere, we began strategizing the gate…
“Oh, junior? You should hold the young lady’s hand while entering?”
“…What?”
“Sister?”
…We were about to start when I heard something strange.
“For the first gate, it’s a rule to enter holding hands with the opposite sex.”
“No, there’s no such rule.”
“It’s a business practice that the young lady wouldn’t know~. Come on, hold hands tight! Hurry!”
A sigh came out naturally.
The reason for saying such nonsensical things was obvious.
To tease the newbie.
If I fell for it, I would be teased for years with “Remember that time?”
So, I…
-Grab.
“If that’s the case, I have no choice. Shia, hold my hand tight.”
“…Yu-jin?”
Oh, I’d appreciate it if you did. Legitimate skinship, sweet.
I even interlocked our fingers.
-Murmur.
“Oh? He really did it.”
“Senior. That friend, he’s more naive than I thought?”
“This might be worth pushing…?”
The seniors laughed at my appearance, but…
Tease all you want. I only gain from this. Definitely.
* * *
After entering the gate.
The two cadets began to easily take down the monsters.
Their compatibility was so good that it was hard to believe it was their first time working together.
“Shia, behind you!”
“I know!!”
“I’ll cover all the close-range….”
Shia used her ability to manipulate shadows to trample the monsters.
Yu-jin took charge of the front line, watching out for any potential danger to his wife.
It was a model example of party play.
So much so that the spectators were naturally satisfied.
“Junior, you two really get along well~.”
“Look at how perfectly they’re in sync. They’re just a match made in heaven, right?”
“Should we just leave them to it?”
…Though their satisfaction stemmed from a slightly different reason.
After all, they had been with the Cheonhwa Clan for at least 10 years.
For an A-grade awakened, it took a long time to be promoted.
And, there was always someone in the Cheonhwa Clan.
The angel who used to roam around the clan building, shouting, “I’m an executive of the Cheonhwa Clan!” That was Shia.
In other words, to them, Shia was like a niece they had watched grow up since she was very young.
She was ‘Our Lady.’
But now, she had brought a man?
Not only that, but he was so handsome, talented, and even had a good personality?
‘This is irresistible, definitely.’
‘It’s our Lady’s first love. We have to support it, right?’
This was why even the A-grade awakened ones had eagerly volunteered for a mere C-grade gate escort mission.
Supporting our Lady’s love life, wholeheartedly. Leave it to us.
“Phew. All the monsters here are….”
“Junior~? After the battle, it’s buddy time! Hydrate and wipe each other’s sweat!”
“Sister, what are you saying since earlier!! I can do that alone….”
“This is how awakened ones build trust~.”
So, they earnestly lied.
After fighting? You should wipe each other’s sweat.
Why is there only one water bottle? Come on, how hard is it to get drinking water inside a gate? Just use it together~.
You might get ambushed, so you need to stick together during reconnaissance~.
What? Embarrassed?
Awakened ones are all like this~.
They kept lying.
Thanks to this, Shia was dying inside.
“Sister, you want me to drink this? He drank from it…?”
“Oops. Sorry, Shia. I assumed there was one per person and drank from it. Hold on, let me get another one from the seniors.”
“N-no. We need to conserve water in the gate, so I guess I have to drink….”
-Gulp.
‘Isn’t this an indirect kiss? And I’m doing it knowingly!? I have no choice but to drink it, but if you think about it strangely….’
Forced to increase skinship under the guise of pushing her without her realizing it.
Every time, her heart would beat faster.
Her face would get hot, and her saliva would thicken.
Her lips, which had touched the bottle’s mouth, would keep curling up into a smile.
In the end, Shia’s rationality reached its limit.
She couldn’t think of anything but fighting.
She was fighting purely out of instinct from the sense of crisis.
Her mind kept chanting, “What to do, what to do.”
-Kwaang.
“Phew. We’ve reached the boss room, so it’s over, seniors?”
“Yes. The dungeon’s owner won’t respawn. Good job, Junior. Lady.”
“Especially Lady, you fought amazingly! You were in the zone! Better focus than me!”
Thanks to Shia’s extreme focus, the gate was quickly cleared.
Before they knew it, the group was facing the return portal.
Once they returned, their practice would be over.
‘Finally, it’s over… I feel like my head is going crazy, I need some fresh air soon.’
-Whip. Grab.
“What’s with the book, senior?”
“Since you finished early, you two should do your homework together.”
“…What?”
Just when they thought it was over.
The sudden words from the senior awakened ones.
They couldn’t hide their smiles anymore.
‘We really did a big thing today.’
‘It’s cute how much Lady likes him.’
‘We’ll leave now, so you two enjoy some alone time.’
“The respawn will be in a month, so take your time and talk while you rest~.”
-Swoosh.
With that, they stepped into the return portal.
Shia and Yu-jin blinked in disbelief.
Even if it was a C-grade gate and all monsters were cleared.
Leaving cadets behind in a gate and going home first felt wrong.
“What on earth is this….”
“Homework, what could it be.”
Their eyes focused on the book.
Curious about what the senior awakened ones had thrown at them as homework.
[48 Ways to Subdue Mutants (Villains) – Written by Seol Ha-yeon]
‘When was this written? This is so old.’
The book was a manual on subduing villains.
It was an old manual that had become worn over decades.
The senior awakened ones had thrown them something ancient, telling them to practice.
Yu-jin tried to ignore it.
“Hey, Shia, let’s just go. Where would we use learning this?”
“No, it’s homework. We should practice a little and then go.”
“…Shia?”
Shia was now half-instinctual.
Her heart, excited from the skinship with Yu-jin, spoke without filtering through her brain.
Wanting to stay with Yu-jin a little longer.
Just like she did at the amusement park back then.
“Just a little bit. Okay?”
“Ha. Alright. But I can’t bring myself to subdue you, so I’ll play the villain.”
“Okay. Then, first….”
After that, they started practicing the subduing techniques.
Alone in the gate. Secretly.
“First, kick the shin to knock them down….”
-Thud. Thump.
“Ouch. I’m down~.”
“Pfft. Then next….”
[Once they’re down, immediately mount them and punch the face. Teeth are formidable weapons, so destroy them if possible. Aiming for the temple to induce a concussion is also effective.]
“Oh. This is brutal.”
“…I’ll just pretend to punch.”
“Okay~.”
Yu-jin pretended to be a villain and lay down.
Shia mounted him.
And then…
-Thump.
“……!!!!? Sh-Shia?”
“This is practice, practice….”
—Shia sat down right on top of Yu-jin.
Crushing him with her butt. Decisively.
Justifying it as practice.
Yu-jin was startled.
‘This, this is touching. Shia, it’s touching!!?’
-Ding.
[Skill ‘Complete Hypnosis’ is activating.]
His face turned red.
Given Shia’s outfit and position, inappropriate physical contact was inevitable.
Despite the hypnosis to suppress sexual desire, the embarrassment couldn’t be helped.
“Shia, wait. Wait!! If you sit there….”
“It’s okay. It’s practice, so it’s fine.”
“It’s not fine!!?”
But Shia didn’t stop rampaging.
She kept saying it’s fine, it’s fine.
‘Really, our Shia is too innocent? I have no choice. Even if it means losing some favor….’
-Grip.
“You, you’re sitting on my part, right? It’s not that I have weird thoughts, but a man naturally….”
“It’s okay.”
“…What?”
“It’s okay. If it’s you, Yu-jin.”
She was rampaging so much she didn’t even know what she was saying.
Words came out without passing through the filter of her thoughts.
“What, what do you mean.”
“If you like me, then….”
-Swish.
“It’s okay. Whatever it is.”
“………!!!!!!!?”
‘What? No matter how you look at it, she’s suggesting something. Unless Shia likes me, this wouldn’t happen.’
-Ding!
[Skill ‘Complete Hypnosis’ screams in shock!!!]
This happened just three minutes before the complete hypnosis was broken.
