Chapter 280: 3rd Circle Magic (4)

After starting the proper monster hunt using the 3rd circle magic I created myself in the Flame Ruins.

After unleashing magic dozens of times with only minimal rest, time had somehow slipped past three hours, reaching 4 PM.

This was a completely different kind of battle than simply slashing enemies in front of me with a sword or spamming high-powered magic.

Especially overcoming crisis situations using only magic under various restrictions had pushed me into a corner in many ways.

Perhaps because it was already humid inside the dungeon, my stamina was gradually reaching its limit as the battle dragged on.

“Hooo, hooo…”

With every breath, hot air dug into my lungs, heating my entire body.

It felt like doing squats in a sauna for over three hours.

My body was already so heated through my clothes that it wouldn’t be strange to feel that way.

The sticky sweat was flowing to a level beyond mere discomfort, reaching outright inconvenience. It was flowing so much that I worried I might slip and drop my sword if I were holding one.

It would have been better if I could cool down with ice magic, but the 1st circle magic Hwayoung Sunbae had permitted was strictly limited to fire magic.

To avoid being picked on for any other reason, the only magic I could use was 1st circle fire magic and the three types of 3rd circle magic I created myself.

Besides, in a situation where I didn’t know how long the battle would last, I couldn’t afford to waste mana on unnecessary things.

Since even using potions was restricted, if I ran out of mana mid-battle by spamming spells, it would be problematic in many ways.

Since such a situation would obviously delay things further, I continued the battle in the most efficient way possible, luring and gathering the monsters’ movements even while exhausted.

Gathering just enough monsters that my Ice Shard Bomb could eliminate at once and detonating it at the most efficient moment.

At first, I made quite a few mistakes because I couldn’t gauge the power of the Ice Shard Bomb, but now I had reached a point where I could perfectly grasp its power and range.

And, another fact I realized as the battle dragged on.

The other two fire magic spells, which I initially thought were failures, surprisingly proved useful in such an extremely restricted situation.

The Flame Whip, which swung flames like a whip using fire magic, could be used to temporarily bind the monsters, gather them in one place, and increase the efficiency of the Ice Shard Bomb.

The Fire Punch, which covered my fist with fire magic to deliver an elemental blow, could be used to push back monsters that got too close.

Of course, neither spell had much killing power, but the Ice Shard Bomb was already taking care of that part anyway.

This battle also taught me that the two spells I had created earlier weren’t entirely useless.

Perhaps Hwayoung Sunbae imposed the restriction of not being able to use other magic to teach me this.

Maybe to make me realize that there’s no magic in the world that can’t be used if you set your mind to it…

“Haaahm, uuhm…. Still far away…?”

…Seeing her like that, it seems that wasn’t the case.

At first, it seemed like she was hunting with fire magic from a distance away from me, but as the fight dragged on, she seemed to be getting bored and had even laid down on the dungeon floor, dozing off.

She had created an overwhelming fire wall, a Flame Citadel, around herself to keep other monsters from approaching.

That Flame Citadel made the already hot space feel even hotter.

Maybe it was her indirect way of pressuring me to finish quickly.

After hunting monsters with magic for another three hours and twenty minutes, I somehow managed to reach the standard Hwayoung Sunbae had set.

The C-rank monster cores I obtained totaled 52.

These were cores collected from hunting Flame Lizards, Fire Elementals, and Fire Bats.

“Finally, it’s over…”

After securing the last collected core in my spatial pouch, I approached the flames where Sunbae was resting. Seeing me walk towards her, she immediately dispelled the Flame Citadel and smiled brightly.

“Oh, you finished now, Hubae?”

“…Somehow.”

“It took longer than I thought. I figured you’d finish in about two hours.”

“…Are you serious? These aren’t formalized spells, so they take a long time to cast and consume a massive amount of mana. How could I possibly finish in two hours?”

“But I did.”

“Please don’t view the entire world based on your standards, Sunbae.”

At least Eunyoung Noona knew how to adjust the difficulty to a student’s level.

It was the moment I unconsciously thought I might have chosen the wrong teacher.

“Still, you did well. Well, your talent isn’t bad.”

“Is that so?”

“Honestly, I didn’t have high expectations. It would have been better if you had created 3rd circle magic purely with fire magic, but since this is based on fire magic, I’ll accept it. The other two aren’t quite up to par, but they’re passable.”

That’s a relief. I wasn’t criticized for creating unorthodox magic.

“Now that it’s all done, use some ice magic to cool things down. I’m literally dying of heat, man.”

“…Yes.”

To say something like that after watching me struggle through the battle until just now.

Seeing her fanning herself as if she were tired, despite having rested the whole time, I momentarily felt the urge to smack her on the head.

…We’ll settle this later in bed.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

After exiting the dungeon and finishing the material price settlement at the guild’s purchasing counter.

Stepping out of the heated guild hall, I naturally felt a sense of relief wash over me.

It was only natural, considering I had been hunting fire-attribute monsters with fire magic inside a dungeon that was practically a steamer. Not to mention I had been moving my body non-stop in there.

The guild staff, seeing me drenched in sweat, offered the use of the hunter shower room, but I politely declined.

Unlike a large company or foundation, depending on the branch, the guild might not have a men’s shower room, only a women’s.

Of course, even if I, currently wearing a mysterious mask, were to enter the women’s shower room, no one would notice except Hwayoung Sunbae.

While there was a possibility of some unexpected eye candy if I really wanted to, I didn’t feel the need to satisfy my twisted desires that way.

If I wanted to see a naked woman, I could just undress Sunbae at the hotel; there was no need to do something that would weigh on my conscience.

Also, there was a possibility that I might reveal my identity as a male hunter within the guild someday, and I didn’t want to create a past that could become a weakness.

As soon as I stepped outside the guild, the chilly early winter wind seemed to penetrate my body, instantly cooling me down from the sweat.

“Whew, I feel human again.”

As I let out the sigh of relief that naturally escaped my lips and looked at Hwayoung Sunbae, she tilted her head towards me with a peculiar expression.

“…Hey, Hubae.”

“Yes, Sunbae?”

Hwayoung Sunbae spoke to me with a slightly embarrassed look.

I paid close attention, wondering what she was going to say, as she awkwardly beat around the bush with a strange expression.

“Do you happen to have any plans… after this?”

“Huh?”

“No, well… I know you’re busy, Hubae, but if you happen to be free today, I was wondering if we could get a meal together before parting…”

Hwayoung Sunbae spoke hesitantly, twisting her body slightly like someone lacking confidence.

Her attitude and question were completely unexpected for me.

Because today was the day I was meeting Hwayoung Sunbae, I had naturally cleared all my other schedules well in advance.

I had planned not just for a meal, but for other things too (eating or being fed), thinking we’d part tomorrow morning. So I wondered why she was awkwardly trying to seduce me like this.

It was only then that I realized the reason I was meeting Hwayoung Sunbae today was merely a ‘homework check’.

Going into a dungeon together and then heading to a hotel afterward was such a natural routine for me that it didn’t need explanation. But thinking about it, Hwayoung Sunbae had never done that routine with me.

It seemed to be a habit I’d picked up from meeting Cha Yuri so often. In fact, I had enjoyed almost the exact same kind of date when I met her yesterday.

“W-well, if you’re busy, it can’t be helped… I, I wanted to praise your growth, so I, I, as your Sunbae, was going to treat you…”

…I can see right through you, Sunbae.

In a world where chastity concepts were reversed, being seduced by someone made their intentions feel shamelessly blatant.

“I’m not particularly busy, so would you like to get a meal together then?”

Actually, it was me who had come into this meeting with more sinister intentions from the start.

But seeing Sunbae so desperately trying felt somewhat amusing, so I pretended not to know and accepted her offer.

…It was also a small revenge for treating me like an air conditioner shuttle in the dungeon.

“Oh, r-really?”

“Yes, Sunbae. It wouldn’t be polite to refuse a meal that you’re treating me to.”

“R-right…! It wouldn’t be polite to refuse! So, is there anything you want to eat? Pasta? Or pizza?”

“Let’s go wherever you want to eat, Sunbae. Since I’m the one being treated, we should go somewhere you like.”

“W-well then……”

My suggestion seemed to make Sunbae ponder deeply, then her face lit up with an idea, and she made a rather blatant proposal.

“D-do you like alcohol? How about some drinks with grilled pork belly?”

…Oh ho, now she wants to get me drunk too.

Hwayoung Sunbae’s seduction was becoming increasingly clear in its objective.

I suppressed a laugh inwardly at her behavior, met her gaze, and naturally nodded.

“Sounds good, Sunbae. Let’s have a drink with our late lunch.”

“……R-right!”

I noticed Sunbae secretly clench her fist in victory, but out of respect for her honor, I didn’t mention it.

…It was more amusing that way.