I stretched and shook off the drowsiness.
"Mmm..."
My body felt numb in places as consciousness slowly returned.
Checking my phone, I saw it was past eight. I must have slept at least four hours.
"Sleep well?"
"Yeah. You started driving this early?"
"Ah, I only woke up ten minutes ago myself."
"Really? Aren't you tired?"
"Nah, I've got good stamina."
We drove into the city and arrived at a company that specialized in buying monster byproducts.
Si-hyun sold the tusks there for 10,000 won per kilogram, totaling 2.12 million won. But the actual amount deposited was less after taxes.
Magic Stones weren't taxed since the government used them for energy and gave bonuses for seawater purification. Byproducts, however, counted as special income and were taxed.
This was my first time selling monster byproducts, so I only learned about the tax now.
On the other hand, tax rates decreased as your hunter class rose. High-class Hunters were important forces protecting the nation, so the government offered tax benefits to retain them.
I already knew this because both Oppa and Mom had benefited from it. Progressive tax reductions started from B-Class, so I needed to raise my class quickly.
"I should reach B-Class soon for the tax break."
"Tax break?"
"Huh? You didn't know? Hunters B-Class and above get tax reductions. S-Class barely pays any taxes."
"Really? First I've heard of it."
"Weren't you a civil servant?"
"Different departments don't share information."
After selling the tusks, we stopped by the nearby Magic Stone management office to exchange our Magic Stones.
Though the tusk sale got taxed, our final income still exceeded two million won.
-
-
Back in Seoul, Si-hyun said he would teach me mana usage, but we disagreed about where to train.
I naturally suggested training at home, but Si-hyun wanted to rent a dedicated training facility from the Hunter Management Department.
"So! Why waste money!"
Exactly! My backyard had the training ground Oppa and Mom used, and I'd been using it since my Awakening.
"But wouldn't that bother your mother..."
"What's the problem? I'm using existing facilities. What could Mom possibly say?"
"That's not it. It would disturb her!"
"Mom and Oppa hardly use it anyway."
In the end, Si-hyun gave in to my insistence and resigned himself to coming home with me.
When we arrived, Oppa was there for some reason. And he was staring hard at Si-hyun.
"My little sister finally returns?"
Why was he being extra disgusting today?
"Get lost."
"Tired? Go rest."
What did this disgusting Oppa want? He pushed me inside and closed the door.
Si-hyun hadn't even come in yet.
"Oppa? I'm training with Si-hyun today."
I tried to open the front door but found it locked.
"Oppa! What are you doing!"
"Nothing major. Just some private talk between men."
I'm a man too... With no other choice, I went to my room to shower and change.
When I came back down, Si-hyun had also washed up and changed.
"What did you and Oppa do?"
"Ah? N-nothing special."
Si-hyun's reaction was highly suspicious.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"Why does he keep targeting you?"
"Not at all! Let's go train!"
His anxious expression only deepened my suspicions, but I remembered today's goal was to learn Mana control.
"Fine. Anyway, that guy acts strangely around you."
It had been over three months since I started working as Hunters with Si-hyun, and he occasionally visited my home. Every time Oppa saw him, they would disappear together for private conversations.
No matter how much I pressed for details, he never revealed what they discussed.
We left through the back door heading toward the training grounds.
"Sit down first."
I settled cross-legged on the training ground floor, and Si-hyun sat facing me.
Then he reached out his hand.
"Can you see anything?"
When I focused, I could detect faint ripples in the air.
Like heat haze shimmering above asphalt on a scorching day.
"Yes, there's something like mirage-like tremors."
"It seems you have talent. I've been releasing Mana from my hand this whole time."
So that's what those ripples were.
Then Si-hyun took my hand. The sudden physical contact made me slightly flustered.
A tingling sensation immediately traveled through my fingertips.
"How does it feel?"
"Is this... Mana?"
"Correct. You need to learn how to draw out this sensation from within yourself."
I closed my eyes, searching inside for that tingling Energy I'd felt in my fingertips.
I concentrated inward, exploring through internal focus, but only perceived the inherent Spear existing within my body.
When I opened my eyes, thirty minutes had passed.
"Hmm... It's not working."
I collapsed backward onto the floor.
"Rest and try again."
"Okay."
I repeatedly received Mana transfers from Si-hyun, attempting to draw out my internal Mana but failing each time.
Finally, I lay flat in frustration.
Meanwhile, Si-hyun continued his physical training alone.
My mind felt tangled. I was so close, just barely missing something I couldn't quite grasp.
Being able to perceive Mana visually confirmed I had talent. Yet I couldn't channel my hidden Mana, and the frustration burned.
There was still plenty of time. Giving up now would be too early.
"Transfer your Mana to me again."
"Okay."
Si-hyun, who had been stretching, stood before me again and took my hand.
The tingling sensation returned. That unique sensation only my palm could perceive became something I craved.
"Si-hyun, can't this Mana be sensed elsewhere in the body?"
"Theoretically, yes."
"Then try using another area besides my hand, like my chest or something."
For some reason, Si-hyun blushed. I was being completely serious. I felt certain I just needed to find the right trigger. This was so frustrating.
"In that case... I'd need to touch there with my fingers..."
Ah, I understood.
"Whatever, this is training."
I removed my training jacket. Since I wore a crop top underneath, it was fine.
"Go ahead, please."
"Wait? Uh..."
I pulled Si-hyun's hesitant hand directly inside my top. When his hand touched my abdomen, the coolness made me gasp softly.
"Mmm..."
Then I positioned his fingertips against my chest between my breasts.
"Hey! What are you doing suddenly?"
I was serious. I genuinely wanted to feel and wield Mana.
I met Si-hyun's eyes with complete determination.
"Please."
"Sigh... Tch."
Si-hyun silently closed his eyes, and the familiar tingling spread through my chest. I refocused, desperately searching for the Mana within myself.
Gradually, I became intoxicated by Si-hyun's Mana flowing through my chest.
This felt entirely different from palm contact. My entire body grew warm.
"Haah... Hah..."
The continuous influx of external Mana made my whole body feel like it was tingling.
"Hnngh...ahh..."
I fought to focus through the sensation. Though strange sounds escaped my lips, I kept searching for the mana. My persistence paid off, I found something deeper than the connection with my Spear.
The moment I recognized it, the mana coiled inside me suddenly spread throughout my body.
A tidal wave of mana swept through every sensitive part of my being.
An intense, dizzying pleasure instantly enveloped me.
"Ah, haa...ahhh!"
This feeling was familiar. Yes, it was exactly like reaching climax during masturbation. That sensation called pleasure.
"Hey!?"
Just like back then, the overwhelming pleasure left me paralyzed and unable to move.
I could faintly hear Si-hyun pulling his hand away, but I couldn't move or speak.
My limit was just trying to process the sensory overload from the mana released within me.
"Ahhh..."
The moan escaping my lips sounded obscene, while strange sensations pulsed in my chest and between my legs.
Peeking under my bra, I found my nipples already hardened.
When the fabric brushed against them, sharp tingles shot through me.
"Ngh!"
I decided to first control the rampaging mana, gradually guiding its flow.
As the wild mana came under control, my heated body began to cool.
The feeling of manipulating mana at will was unfamiliar. Just this made me understand why Si-hyun had grown so strong.
My Status Panel showed a new Additional Ability: [Mana Manipulation].
And my femininity attribute had become D-Class. For some reason.
Though I'd controlled the mana and my body was cooling down, the aftereffects remained.
"Damn it..."
Only now did I realize I'd just had an orgasm in front of Si-hyun.
It wasn't just sensory, my body had genuinely experienced sexual climax.
I covered my face with my hands.
Fucking humiliation.
"Um...are you okay?"
Si-hyun's voice came from outside the training area. When I tried to stand, my legs didn't quite obey.
"I-I'm fine. And thank you.. I learned mana manipulation!"
I exhaled, adjusted my breathing, and rose to my feet.
Si-hyun stood at the training area entrance, his face bright red.
After we both calmed down, Si-hyun lectured me about the strange noises I'd made.
Of course I protested indignantly, but he clearly didn't fully believe me.
"Mana overload?"
"That's exactly it!"
"Sounds ridiculous. Never happened to me."
"Then why make those sounds!"
"That! It's just..."
I couldn't say it. Was I supposed to admit I came?
"Intentional mischief?"
"No."
"Then what?"
"There's...an embarrassing reason?"
The back-and-forth eventually faded without resolution. What mattered most was I'd learned mana usage.
Two techniques: [Enhancement] using mana to strengthen physical abilities, and [Release] projecting mana outward for offense and defense.
Enhancement came relatively easily. After all, it just required circulating mana through my body to grow stronger.
Of course, this method had inefficiencies. I needed to master focusing enhancement on specific body parts at critical moments, plus methods for stronger enhancements using more mana.
Since Release's principles eluded me, I decided to set it aside for now.
But today, having Awakened to mana, I was stronger than before.
This meant I'd hinder Si-hyun's movements less often.
While learning mana usage methods, evening had crept up on us.
Mom said she and Dad were going on their first date in ages and would return late.
Si-hyun, having finished his work for the day, said he was heading home.
Thinking it would be a shame to let Si-hyun leave after his hard day, I made a suggestion.
"Want to eat some instant noodles before you go?"
Though I'm not great at cooking, I can handle instant noodles, so I thought I could at least offer him that.
"What?"
At my words, Si-hyun suddenly grabbed me and started lecturing.
He called it an indirect temptation and warned me to be careful how I speak to men.
"Oppa is here anyway!"
"You still need to be careful! It could be misunderstood!"
"Only a pervert would interpret it that way!"
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