Chapter 34: Don’t Touch My Oppa! [R-18]

I soothed Stella until she finally calmed down.

“We’re family. It’s okay.”

It’s okay to show your weakness.

I’ll always be on your side.

If an only child like me had ever had a cute little sister like this…

I would have bought her everything she wanted and doted on her endlessly.

Even though we didn’t grow up together, and we aren’t even related by blood…

Still, I like being the older brother who protects his little sister.

“Are you done crying?”

“……”

As if a wave of embarrassment had just hit her, Stella turned her head away.

“I’m going to change.”

“Use that room over there.”

“Don’t you dare peek…”

The building’s walls were so full of holes they were practically useless; I could see almost everything with just a turn of my head.

Including the sight of Stella lifting her skirt and pulling down her panties.

Of course, I didn’t look. I only happened to catch a glimpse while I was on the lookout for zombies.

“Oppa, are you there?”

“I’m here.”

Rather than being suspicious, she seemed more anxious that I might have disappeared.

…She’s become so meek.

Is this the sanitary pad effect?

Compared to the girl who was constantly sneering and attacking me, the Stella right now was like an angel.

“Need any help?”

“No. How is the underwear a perfect fit?”

That old man…

How in the world did he know Stella’s underwear size? Using a transcendent power for something like that…

I had confirmed it was a brand-new, unopened package, but it still felt strange.

Once she was ready, Stella’s expression was noticeably brighter.

“Can you walk?”

“A little, if I bear with it.”

Blood was already seeping into the bandage.

Moving slowly would probably be fine, but if she had to run suddenly, the wound would likely tear wide open.

In other words, we couldn’t engage in any chases or mobile combat.

“What about your magic? How much more can you use?”

“I have plenty of that. If it’s just zombies like the one from before, I can handle hundreds of them without a problem.”

As expected of an A-rank mana wielder.

At least her firepower was reliable.

A strategy where Stella is used as a designated marksman—no, a stationary turret—seems best, but…

That kind of plan is impossible without mutual trust.

Could we really say we were united by that level of trust right now?

“So, how about I go out front and wipe them all out?”

“That would be too wasteful.”

If Stella ran out of mana, we’d be in immediate danger.

Especially since this dungeon was still hiding the variable of a rank increase, we had to use her mana as efficiently as possible.

I should at least suggest it.

In the end, I had no choice but to talk it over with Stella.

“Let’s move to a wide-open area. I’ll draw their attention with my pistol, and you wait for my signal, then wipe them out.”

Since the zombies reacted to sound, fighting quietly was out of the question anyway.

The moment I fired my gun, zombies would swarm us.

The plan was to use that to our advantage and annihilate them all at once.

The problem is, if things go wrong, Stella, who can’t move her legs, will be in extreme danger.

“Even if the plan doesn’t go as expected, I’ll get you out of here.”

“You, Oppa?”

“Yeah. I’ll never leave you behind. Will you trust me?”

“……”

The idea was to lure a horde of zombies toward Stella, who couldn’t run away, in order to maximize the effect of her magic.

From a mage’s perspective, if you couldn’t trust your comrade to save you when things went south, it was a plan you could never say YES to.

There were many variables.

More zombies than expected could show up, or her magic might not be powerful enough to annihilate them…

Either way, the moment it failed, we’d be surrounded and in grave danger.

“If it works, we can wipe them all out.”

“That’s right.”

“I’ll do it.”

I was touched.

If this were the Stella from when we first entered the dungeon, she would have said, “Are you crazy? Trust my back to a D-rank scrub like you?”

But Stella accepted my plan without complaint.

It was the moment that trust, something that hadn’t existed between us, a precious bond of faith, was born.

In that case, I have to live up to her expectations.

Even if things go wrong, I will protect Stella.

If my gun breaks, I’ll use my fists and feet. Even if I’m buried under a horde of zombies.

I won’t leave Stella alone.

…Of course, it would be best if we didn’t end up in such a worst-case scenario.

Leaning on me for support, Stella stepped out of the ruined building and looked up at my face.

“What are you thinking about, Oppa?”

“For some reason, I felt like buying a revolver on the way here. I didn’t because I thought you’d be waiting…”

I had a plan to collect a few handguns and rotate through them whenever one malfunctioned.

Guns with integrated magazines and chambers, like manually loaded revolvers, don’t jam. Structurally, it’s impossible.

I was just thinking how great it would be to have a revolver right now.

“…Pfft.”

As if her tension had eased, Stella let out a small laugh.

“Did you really think you’d get a turn? Aren’t you underestimating me a little?”

“I can’t trust an airheaded mage who went all-in on mana.”

“What’s wrong with going all-in on mana? A mage speaks through her firepower.”

“…No, seriously. There’s this manga I read with a female mage who’s obsessed with explosions and says the exact same thing as you.”

I just got the fucking creeps thinking about it.

“Otaku.”

“…I’m allowed to talk about manga!”

“So what happens to that girl?”

“She collapses after squeezing out all her power… and the male protagonist has to carry her on his back every time.”

Stella gripped my sleeve tightly.

“Then you’re the protagonist, Oppa?”

“……”

She was so cute it took my breath away.

Her slightly damp eyes, her voice tinged with moisture.

And the blush tinting her shy cheeks—I wondered if this was really the same Stella I knew.

“…If you collapse, I’ll carry you.”

She nodded.

Before the big operation began, we shared one last look, confirming our resolve.

Up until now, my dungeon crawling had been like a picnic.

I’d taken it for granted that I could just use Insight to find a high-rank dungeon and waltz in without any real sense of crisis.

That’s just how comforting it was to be under the wing of a pro Hunter like Yuuna.

This is a life-or-death industry, after all.

Stella was also a clumsy beginner when it came to clearing dungeons. A first crisis, a first alliance.

We were clumsily playing the part of Hunters as we began our assault.

Bang! Bang!

After confirming that Stella had moved to the designated point—the widest area in the city center—I fired a few shots into the air.

Moans of 「Uuuuuu」 echoed from all around.

I ran swiftly around the perimeter with Stella at the center, continuously firing my gun.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

They’re gathering in droves.

A quick check with my Insight skill showed there were nearly 200 of them.

I had clearly drawn out every single zombie in this dungeon.

Is the boss here yet?

[Nightmare’s Minion]
[Rank: C+]
[A zombie-type familiar known as “The Revived” within the Nightmare’s Domain. Characterized by its massive body and bloated arms, it pulverizes enemies with immense strength.]

A giant zombie. Found it.

Now I just had to wait for the enemies to enter Stella’s attack range and give the signal!

Unlike me, who could survey the entire situation with my vision-correcting skill, Stella must be terrified.

Standing perfectly still while hearing the moans of zombies swarming from every direction…

“Oppa! Not yet?”

“Wait a little longer!”

A little more. Draw them in a little more.

When the optimal moment to finish them in one go arrived…!

“Now!!”

Bang!

The instant I gave the signal with a gunshot, crimson lightning erupted from Stella, illuminating the city center.

It was incredible.

I could feel the mana churning in the atmosphere against my skin.

It was like a storm was brewing!

[Insight – Red Activated]

[Crimson Lightning]
[Mana Discharge]
[Power A, Range A, Power Correction +2]
[For a mage possessing the rare talent 「Devil’s Thunder」, the mana discharge itself becomes an attacking thunderbolt that engulfs the enemy.]

A rare talent.

I teased her for being an all-in-on-mana mage, but her talent is top-tier. That’s my little sister.

She’s so much cooler and stronger than some onahole collector!!

Crackle-crackle-crackle!!

The discharged Crimson Lightning instantly turned hundreds of zombies, including the boss, into charcoal.

Amazing…!

She’s more than capable of farming dungeons below C-rank!

Stella grinned, as if thrilled by the power.

“Told you you wouldn’t get a turn, Oppa.”

[Condition 『Zombie Annihilation』 Met]
[Nightmare’s Domain strengthening… Dungeon Rank increased to B.]
[Additional rewards added.]

It wasn’t a dungeon clear.

There was still a rank increase left!

“Stella!”

I rushed toward her.

The boss zombie, which I thought was dead, was already being reborn, like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, tearing its own body apart.

“Oppa?”

[Nightmare’s Familiar, Hummingbird]
[Rank: B+]
[An extremely rare form where “The Revived” dies but is resurrected even stronger by its lingering obsession. Possesses the ability to fly.]

Vwooom.

The winged zombie shot into the air and lunged at Stella.

I used 「Asura Charge」 to dive between them, but—

“Keuk!”

Just the impact of the collision sent me flying, tumbling across the ground.

“Oppa!”

Wait, is my arm bent weirdly?

[Power 「Saintess’s Protection」 activates.]
[Your wound is healed by the power of the otherworldy Saintess, Erin!!]

Huh? It’s healed? Before I could even feel the pain…

It was the manifestation of a power I didn’t even know I had. “Usable 3 times a day, cannot be used while Erin is taking care of her child”… is what it says.

I don’t know who she is, but I feel a little guilty knowing I was healed by taking up the precious time of a busy mother.

“I’m fine!”

The one in danger is Stella…!

To stop the flying zombie, I pulled out my Glock from my lying position and emptied every magazine I had.

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

The slide snapped back rapidly, ejecting shell casings in a flurry.

I was firing with the hope that just one shot would land, but as expected, the creature wouldn’t let itself be hit.

It won’t get hit unless I break its posture!

The zombie pulled a bone knife from its right hand and charged at me.

“Aargh!”

Crackle!

Crimson Lightning shot from Stella’s hand, grazing past my eyes. Thanks to that, the zombie couldn’t get close to me.

Stella was panting, her eyes blazing with fury.

“Don’t you dare touch my Oppa!”

An amount of mana incomparable to when she fought the hundreds of zombies swirled violently around her.

Facing Stella as she prepared a major attack, the creature quickly flew into the sky to hide.

“Stella, save your strength! A long-range attack won’t hit it!”

But Stella had no intention of stopping. Her mana continued to concentrate. A lightning spear, shimmering like a lion’s mane, formed in her hand.

She launched it.

The lightning spear shot into the sky and pierced the flying zombie with incredible force.

“Keeeghk!!”

As if it were the physical manifestation of Stella’s rage, the violent discharge dyed the sky of the ruins red.

“My magic doesn’t miss.”

[Crimson Lightning – Skewer]
[A-rank Attack Magic]
[Power A+, Range C, Tracking]
[An offensive lightning magic usable only by those with the rare talent 「Devil’s Thunder」. Just as sinners are put on skewers in hell, it pierces the entire body with lightning spears, inflicting extreme pain upon death.]

It was the first attack magic Stella had used, having only discharged raw mana until now.

“Kkeghk! Kkieeeghk!”

While the flying zombie writhed in agony, impaled on the lightning spear, several more spears were created.

At Stella’s gesture, the spears flew from all directions, piercing their target.

And once a spear was embedded, it discharged electricity as if having a seizure. The current scattered like a maiden’s hair.

Kzzzzzzzzzzzt!

“Kkieeeghk!”

[Dungeon Cleared]
[Contribution 839% – Stella]
[Other – Kim Sang-hyeok]

“Die, die!!”

The spears continued to impale the monster zombie’s body.

The embedded spears periodically flashed like Christmas tree ornaments, burning the victim’s body.

It was over… in an instant.

“Stella!”

The dungeon was collapsing.

I quickly ran over and caught the falling Stella in my arms, checking to see if she was okay.

Stella was smiling faintly, as if refreshed after letting it all out.

“See? I told you. You’re not even 1% a match for me, Oppa.”

“Yeah, you’re amazing, Stella.”

I hugged my proud little sister tightly.

“Still, you should work on your strength and stamina. At least enough to forcefully break Oppa’s chokeholds.”

“…Stop lecturing me. Just carry me… since you’re the protagonist…”

Stella lost consciousness.

It seemed to be the aftermath of squeezing out all her mana.

You should think about the consequences.

How could you just pass out so peacefully? Don’t you know what your pervert Oppa might do?

I carried her on my back and took her to the nurse’s office.

“Oppa, what happened?”

“Stella got a little hurt protecting me. Watch over her until she wakes up.”

“Stella did…? You have to tell me the story later!?”

Leaving things to Serena, whose eyes were sparkling as if she’d just heard a fun rumor, I headed to the student cafeteria.

Hena and Yuuna looked a little surprised when they saw the state I was in.

“…Was the dungeon crawl tough?”

It seems I looked like I’d been rolling around on the floor.

“Yuuna… I’ve finally realized how precious you are.”

“Wh-wh-what are you saying all of a sudden… with so many people listening!”

Yuuna’s cheeks turned bright red.

I clung to her.

“Kya, kyaa! K-Kim Sang-hyeok, what’s wrong… What happened?!”

“Teacher Yuuna… please keep taking care of me…”

“Ah, geez… Okay. I get it, so…”

It was my turn to order my food.

[Beep]

[Insufficient Funds]

“…First, let me borrow some money for food. Hena.”

“Here’s my student ID.”

“Weren’t you rich…?”

“I spent it all buying sanitary pads.”

“Sanitary pads?”

Even Hena tilted her head, looking puzzled.

That was really the whole story, so I had nothing more to say.

“Well, it was a fucking expensive sanitary pad.”

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Translated By: Meher (RaidenTL)

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