An hour had passed since the two began their hunt.
Suho reached out toward a blue pillar not far away and said to Min Ha-yeon, "There's a safe zone over there. Should we take a break?"
"Yes, let's do that."
Min Ha-yeon followed Suho leisurely, not a single drop of sweat on her. She genuinely admired his back as she walked behind him.
'An hour... If I roughly calculate, it's about the same number of monsters we hunted all day yesterday... So, 20,000... 20,000 in an hour...'
Min Ha-yeon hadn't been able to perform well during Han Yeo-reum's party.
Her archery skills were effective here, but actual combat was different. Everyone was fighting monsters head-on, and shooting arrows toward that area was incredibly stressful for her. As a result, her arrows mostly targeted monsters that were separated from the party.
But now, fighting alone, the situation had changed significantly. Suho was behind her, and Min Ha-yeon could freely shoot her arrows. If she had been alone, she would never have been able to hunt like this. However, after drinking Suho's potion, her attack power and concentration had increased significantly.
'It's not Yeo-reum's luck that's overpowered... It's people like him who are truly overpowered...'
Min Ha-yeon chuckled to herself as she entered the safe zone.
Safe zones were areas prepared for summoners scattered throughout the hunting grounds. In the future, dangerous areas would have almost no safe zones, but Zephyrum was overflowing with them.
As soon as Suho entered the safe zone, he began diligently practicing alchemy again. Min Ha-yeon couldn't help but smile as she watched him.
'What should I call it... He's so diligent. Most people would take a proper break before doing anything.'
As a sports athlete, Min Ha-yeon valued one thing above all when judging people: diligence. She liked people who could focus and put in effort when it was time to work, even if they played hard otherwise. And the person who lacked that was Han Yeo-reum.
She stared blankly at Suho and wondered, '...Why did I like Yeo-reum so much?'*
They had been together for so long that she couldn't even remember when they became close. Han Yeo-reum, who was always popular, went through relationships with other women like they were nothing. But to Min Ha-yeon, he always acted differently. He was always by her side, so it was inevitable that she would misunderstand. She thought he would treat her differently from the other women.
Even though they attended different schools, they started dating, and Min Ha-yeon trusted Han Yeo-reum completely. But the price of that trust was him cheating with other women. Not only that, but he justified it by saying Min Ha-yeon had allowed it, so he felt free to fool around.
As Min Ha-yeon's heart sank with contempt for Han Yeo-reum, Suho made a puzzled sound.
"Huh? Why is this like this...?"
"...? Is there a problem?"
"Ah... No. I accidentally mixed in some other ingredients, but the potion turned out fine."
"Ah... Well, if it's not a problem, can't we just use it?"
"Yeah, it should be fine. The mixed ingredient was just green herb, so it shouldn't be a problem."
Green herb was a material for low-grade recovery potions called green potions.
Suho handed Min Ha-yeon 10 bottles of Artemis potions for beginners. As she received them, she felt both grateful and sorry.
'Even though we're in the same party... I'm just receiving...'
But the only thing Min Ha-yeon could do for him right now was to hunt diligently. However, that wasn't something only she could do. Anyone could do that. If someone could continuously produce 10 bottles of potions like that, they could probably make close-combat potions as well.
'Sigh... I'll think about that later.'
After resting for a while, Min Ha-yeon and Suho resumed hunting.
***
"Good work."
"Good job."
Min Ha-yeon and Suho returned to the village as the sun set. After settling their earnings...
"Wow... Ten... 120,000 points..."
Min Ha-yeon was stunned as she looked at the settlement screen. Not 12,000, but 120,000 points. The number before her eyes was so overwhelming that she felt dizzy.
And then there were the reactions to that number...
└Crazy lololololol
└What the hell, it's like a level 5 dungeon in Zephyrum Field lololol
└That guy must be using a bug.
└Is Yggdrasil a joke? Huh?
└Right. If he were really doing something weird, he would've been caught already.
Min Ha-yeon skimmed through the chat, but the general consensus was that there was no issue. If Suho were causing problems, he would have been sanctioned already.
'Let's settle first and think later... I can't just settle like this, right?'
Dazed, Min Ha-yeon snapped out of it and began the settlement. Since she was the party leader, she coordinated the settlement and started the distribution.
After finishing the distribution, Suho looked surprised and said to Min Ha-yeon, "I think the settlement was done wrong. I received 70,000 points."
"...Then it went through correctly."
Min Ha-yeon smiled and said, "We were able to earn this much thanks to you. So, you deserve to be treated accordingly."
"..."
Suho fell deep into thought. Without much hesitation, he grabbed Min Ha-yeon's wrist.
"Huh? Why, what are you doing?"
Min Ha-yeon thought he might be scolding her for not giving him enough. She thought he might be implying that providing potions worth 50,000 points per hour wasn't enough.
But it was different from what she expected.
"This is..."
"If we do this, you and I will both receive 60,000 points per day, right?"
"Ah..."
Suho had transferred 10,000 points to Min Ha-yeon while holding her wrist. Then, he smiled and returned the words she had said to him on the first day.
"Let's get along..."
Min Ha-yeon genuinely wanted to get closer to him after seeing that. For her, there was only one way she could think of to get closer to him.
"Hey..."
"...Yes?"
"...Would you like to have dinner together?"
For the first time in her life, Min Ha-yeon invited a man to dinner.
***
Min Ha-yeon and Suho were sitting at a table in the first-floor dining room of the Zephyrum inn.
Min Ha-yeon pouted her lips and said, "You know... I'm treating, so we could've gone somewhere more expensive..."
"Haha... I actually like this kind of atmosphere better."
Min Ha-yeon, who had suggested the meal, had asked Suho to choose where he wanted to go, and he had headed to the Zephyrum inn's dining room, where he ate every day.
The dining room was very quiet. No, it was more than quiet—the only people in the first-floor dining room were Suho, Min Ha-yeon, and the innkeeper in the kitchen. It was definitely different from the hotel where Min Ha-yeon was staying.
'...Most people stay there.'
When Min Ha-yeon's group finished hunting and returned to the hotel, it was always bustling with people. The massive dining room was packed to the brim with people... Summoners who desperately saved points to stay in the best facilities...
Min Ha-yeon reflected as she looked at Suho.
'...Should I stay here from tomorrow?'
And what changed her mind the most was the interior environment. Although the inn looked a bit shabby from the outside, once inside, it was filled with a friendly owner and good facilities. It couldn't compare to the hotel, but to Min Ha-yeon, these facilities were more than enough.
As the awkward atmosphere between the two lingered, the meal was served, and the innkeeper's cheerful voice rang out.
"Here, here! Eat as much as you want!"
"Thank you."
"Let's eat."
"And this is on the house!"
What was placed on the table was... soju. Real soju from Korea.
Min Ha-yeon and Suho smiled at the thought.
'How interesting. They have everything here.'
Suho looked surprised as he saw the soju and said to the innkeeper, "Huh? This is..."
"It's on the house. It's always empty here, but since you keep coming, I thought I'd give it to you as a thank you."
"Haha, thank you. But what should we do? It's a bit early for me to drink with the person here..."
As Suho was explaining to the innkeeper, Min Ha-yeon immediately twisted the cap off the soju bottle.
Pop!
With a refreshing sound, the soju cap opened.
Min Ha-yeon smirked provocatively and said, "Don't tell me... you're weak with alcohol?"
***
'Damn... What kind of alcohol is this strong...?'
[You should be careful now.]
As Min Ha-yeon opened the soju bottle, the table we were sitting at turned from a dining table to a drinking table.
There were already seven empty bottles scattered on the table. Out of those, I had only drunk two.
Even though I was drunk and couldn't think straight, I stubbornly straightened my back.
Min Ha-yeon, who was grinning in front of me, teased, "Don't tell me you're giving up?"
"...Two more bottles..."
"Pfft... You're still fine."
Even though five bottles of soju had already gone into her stomach, Min Ha-yeon leisurely filled my glass.
But even she was starting to get drunk, her face turning slightly red.
Instead of the calm and collected expression she usually showed, she was grinning and happily chatting with me.
No, it was less of a chat and more of Min Ha-yeon venting.
The content of her venting was gossip about Han Yeo-reum.
And it wasn't just ordinary gossip.
She was spilling all the stupid things Han Yeo-reum had done to her.
'Han Yeo-reum... What a crazy bastard... Ugh... I'm dying...'
The real problem wasn't Han Yeo-reum—it was me.
After just two bottles of soju, my liver was screaming.
[Suho, don't hurt your body out of pride. Just use Enel to sober up...]
'No, no... I can still hold on...'
Using Enel to recover stamina was bearable.
But... I wouldn't use a cowardly trick while drinking with a woman!
'I'm still fine!!!'
[...]
I continued to listen to Min Ha-yeon's venting while sobering up.
It was good to gather information through this accidental drinking session, but there was something even better.
"Hey, Suho... Can you understand? Han Yeo-reum... What that bastard does?"
"Sigh... He's a bad guy... Ha-yeon... I really feel sorry for you... Sigh..."
Before I knew it, Min Ha-yeon and I were calling each other by name and getting along openly.
Even though the distance had shortened due to the alcohol, it was a great situation.
The day before, Min Ha-yeon had highly praised my abilities and even left her boyfriend to join my party.
Not only that, but she suggested having a meal together, and it even led to a drinking session.
'Armonia... Sigh... Just in case I forget...'
[Yes, I'll record it. Don't worry.]
'I love only you...'
[...It seems like you're almost at your limit. I'll sober you up at my discretion.]
Unable to bear my nonsense any longer, Armonia used Enel to sober me up.
'...Huh? What... Where am I?'
[Focus on Min Ha-yeon in front of you. This is an opportunity that won't come easily.]
Fortunately, I didn't black out and listened to Min Ha-yeon's venting for a few more hours.
Even after drinking so much soju, Min Ha-yeon was only slightly drunk, showing no signs of being completely wasted.
I tried my best to endure the drunkenness and opened my mouth.
"Still, I envy you, Ha-yeon..."
"Sigh... What are you talking about..."
Min Ha-yeon, who was also somewhat drunk, immediately stiffened her expression upon hearing something unpleasant.
I looked at her furrowed brows and said, "You... can still meet him. I've been summoned here like this... and I can't even promise when I'll meet her again. Sigh..."
"...Ah! That... You have a girlfriend?"
"Yeah..."
I lowered my head and made a gloomy expression.
└Gurdian of the Gay-Like Dick: LOLOLOL You have a girlfriend? LOLOLOL
I ignored the troll and continued.
"Every time... I go to a new world, people look at me with strange eyes... When I finally get close to someone, I have to leave again."
"..."
It wasn't a lie.
So far, the only place I had returned to during my missions was the Illunia continent, where Viola lived.
Even then, the locations were completely different...
I had only visited the Stura and the Hero Academy once each so far.
'Hah... This is what it means to have sex with a woman but not cheat on her, right?'
[...]
I downed a glass of soju and continued.
"Ugh... But I think I'll be here for a long time... It seems like we can't leave this place until we clear all the floors."
"That... I'm sorry..."
"Thank you..."
"Huh?"
I smiled at Min Ha-yeon, who was about to apologize, and said, "If it weren't for you, I would've been alone again... Sigh..."
I pretended to fall asleep on the table.
The reason was...
'Damn, I might really die from drinking... Let's rest for now...'
Min Ha-yeon approached me as I lay slumped over.
"Hey... You can't sleep like this..."
Min Ha-yeon, flustered by the sudden situation, started trying to wake me up.
As I remained slumped over, the innkeeper's voice came.
"Oh dear... What should we do... I've already prepared a room, but I don't have the strength to carry the young man..."
"Ah, I'll take him to the room."
"Oh, thank you!"
Min Ha-yeon shook me while holding my shoulder.
"Suho! Seong Suho! Ah... He's completely out..."
"..."
I didn't show any reaction to Min Ha-yeon and continued pretending to sleep.
She somehow managed to carry me to the room.
'Hah! Hah! Her breasts is bouncing!!!'
[Please don't make a mistake because of the alcohol. You sobered up earlier, but you drank a lot again, so I'm worried.]
My reason was gradually being corrupted by Min Ha-yeon's bouncing chest.
Her roughly D-cup chest was well-covered by her white blouse, but the bouncing waves of her skin couldn't be hidden.
As I admired the swaying of her white blouse, we arrived at the room entrance.
Min Ha-yeon, grunting, brought me to the room and then looked embarrassed.
"Ah, right... Without permission, you can't enter someone else's room..."
Due to the lodging facility's characteristics, outsiders were completely blocked from entering.
Min Ha-yeon pondered for a moment and decided to at least lay me down inside the room.
"Huh? It's letting me in?"
She felt her hand entering the room and went inside.
'Phew... If she hadn't said that, it would've been a disaster...'
Upon hearing Min Ha-yeon's words, I immediately allowed her into my personal space.
Min Ha-yeon looked at me, who she was holding, and let out a hollow laugh.
"Hey... If you just let party members in like this, what will you do... I'll have to tell you tomorrow when you wake up."
Min Ha-yeon laughed and carefully laid me down on the bed.
She stayed quietly in the room for a while and then said to me, "...Thank you... I'm the one who should be thankful... Thank you for listening to me today."
Min Ha-yeon probably thought I was really asleep and said something embarrassing due to the alcohol.
After finishing her words, she left the room, leaving me pretending to sleep.
"...Is she gone?"
└Gurdian of the Gay-Like Dick: Crazy... You were pretending to sleep? LOLOLOLOL
"...If I drank any more, I would've died."
The Enel required to sober up was 100.
It wasn't much, but I thought it was wasteful to keep using it unnecessarily.
Besides, it wasn't good to keep drinking until Min Ha-yeon was completely drunk.
If I made Min Ha-yeon drunk and slept with her, only for her to get angry and report it to Han Yeo-reum, it would be crossing an irreversible line.
"Anyway, today... It's time to sleep."
I roughly washed up and lay down on the bed, then said to Armonia.
'Armonia. Play the 5th round video for me. That last boss scene.'
[Understood. Suho, I'll cut the communication for a while. If you have an urgent matter, call my name.]
'Huh? Is something wrong?'
Armonia values communication highly.
For Armonia to cut communication, even briefly, made me anxious.
[Don't worry. It's for Lena's education.]
'Ah, I see!'
One of the reasons I brought Lena to the ship.
It was to ensure Armonia's sleep time.
I had been worried because there had been no news so far, but I decided to trust Armonia and leave it to her.
Now that Lena had adapted to the ship, it seemed like Armonia was gradually teaching her how to use the ship's systems.
'Alright, teach her well~'
[Understood. Then...]
The communication went silent, and a video appeared before my eyes.
I had already watched it quite a few times over the past few days, but no helpful hints caught my eye.
'Sigh... Ah, it's over.'
As the 5th round me shouted for a hint, the video stopped.
But then...
(Ughhh!! Now, what should I do?)
(Oh no... Why at this moment...)
(...? Armonia?)
I was deep in thought about what scene it was when I quickly realized.
'Ah... It was me from this round.'
It was me stretching after leaving the coliseum.
Normally, Armonia would keep replaying it, but this time, since there was no one controlling it, it just skipped ahead.
'...She really took care of me a lot.'
I smiled as I watched the video.
I already knew Armonia was competent.
And she always understood my actions as much as possible and dealt with them calmly.
It was a trivial situation, but perhaps because I was drunk, I felt grateful to her.
'Sigh... If I'm so grateful, I should find the hint quickly... Right?'
I was about to call Armonia when I suddenly felt something strange.
The 6th round me was having countless conversations with Armonia.
But...
Something felt off.
But I couldn't tell what it was...
I didn't know if this feeling was due to the drunken confusion or if I had really seen something strange.
At that moment.
[I'm sorry. I was teaching Lena how to operate, so the playback...]
'No, wait... Hold on...'
[...?]
I lay on the bed and continued watching the 6th round scene, trying to find the indescribable information I felt.
What was it... Why did I suddenly think this scene was strange...
And then it hit me.
As the 6th round video continued playing, one part caught my eye.
It was the scene where Armonia was communicating with me.
(Suho, you are currently caught in the 5th regression. Seven days have passed.)
It was what she had said right after booking the room in the 6th round.
As soon as I saw that video, I quietly called Armonia.
'...Armonia.'
[Yes.]
'Why don't you...'
'Regress?'
I had found the clue to break through the regression.
***
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