Chapter 373: New Year’s Resolution (3)

After sending Jin-ah and Seon-ah home, the first thing I did was open the system to check the Awakening Points I had collected so far. Lately, I’d been so swamped with my schedule that I didn’t even have the leeway to check how many points I had gathered. I’d been excitedly using features like the Lust Manual or the Estimated Point Acquisition function of the Hunter Lust Manager System, but in reality, I hadn’t been able to estimate how many points I had gathered. With the thought that maybe quite a lot of points had accumulated, I opened the system window and checked its contents.

『Skill Unlocking >>

Point Shop >>

Accomplished Achievements (NEW!) >>

Current Lust Management Hunter List (NEW!)>>

Find Nearby Hunters >>

Remaining Awakening Points: 2435』

Keu-eu.

Is anything else sex? This is sex.

I had spent quite a lot of points buying the Lust Manual, but now, more than double the points I used back then had been newly filled up. A smile naturally blooming on my lips was unavoidable. Moreover, seeing the Accomplished Achievements menu sparkling, it seemed there were additional bonuses too. While I hadn’t been checking, I wondered just how many new achievements had actually been completed, so I opened that screen and immediately checked its contents.

『Bringing a sleeping Hunter’s body to climax』

『Bringing a Hunter in a crowded space to climax』

『Resolving the lust of Hunters Rank C or below』

『Resolving the lust of twin Hunters, individually』

“…Quite a lot has piled up compared to what I thought?”

The last time I checked, I thought I had obtained all the achievable achievements, but it seemed there were still some new ones left. The last time I checked the Accomplished Achievements in the system window was when I purchased the Lust Manual I was currently using so often. If that’s the case, the event that triggered the topmost item, 『Bringing a sleeping Hunter’s body to climax』, was probably the achievement from back then when I first used the Lust Manual on Hye-eun. That was the first time I learned Hye-eun had a lust fetish called ‘sleeping intercourse,’ and whether she was asleep or not, I slowly heated her body up and brought her to climax. She might have woken up midway, but it meant she reached climax at least once while asleep, with only her body reacting. Her body alone reaching climax by my hand in an unconscious state… It’s definitely hot.

I’d thought this for a while, but the Accomplished Achievements menu of the Hunter Lust Manager System was, in many ways, like a collection of dark desires. I still had no clue why this system operated this way, but one thing was certain: My awakened ability was quite the connoisseur of arousal, at least.

The item written right below 『Bringing a Hunter in a crowded space to climax』 was also so impressive that the situation and the person involved immediately came to mind. I could recall it instantly – how I had brought Han Min-ah to climax inside the elevator of a movie theater building, using her as a workplace sex toy. Normally, it was an act I would never have done due to the risk, but back then, the situation was truly urgent. As a result, thanks to sending her off once back then, Han Min-ah didn’t lose consciousness on the street or start making cat noises, so it was truly fortunate. It was also the day I first learned that through the acts I performed or didn’t perform on her, I could also hasten her heat period.

And the last two items were obviously achievements I had just accomplished this very dawn. It struck me anew, but the fact that all the Hunters I had fucked so far were Rank B or higher was surprising. Based on my first experience, the lowest rank was the Rank B Hunter Do Sihee, who was going through a slump at the time. Hye-eun, Cha Yuri, Min-ah, and Eunbyul were all Rank A Hunters. And although they had retired, there was no need to even mention Eunyoung Noona or Hwayoung Sunbae, who had once achieved Rank S.

Actually, I never intended to pick and choose based on Hunter rank, but somehow, the Hunters who had accumulated lust just happened to be mostly high-ranked ones. Come to think of it, high-ranked Hunters meant they had been active as Hunters for a longer time and thus accumulated more lust, so it wasn’t really that strange a phenomenon. Anyway, getting two additional new achievements thanks to the twins was a small joy in its own way. It wasn’t the bonus of 50 points per item that was important, but the fact that the empty slots in the Accomplished Achievements menu were being filled one by one was the most enjoyable element.

『Remaining Awakening Points: 2635』

Thus, after adding the remaining Awakening Points earned as a bonus, the total accumulated points reached this amount. Even assuming I kept about 1000 points as an emergency fund, the points I could freely operate with were at least around 1600 points.

…If I didn’t keep an emergency fund and poured all the remaining points, what I could do was… raise my Swordsmanship level, which was level 7, to 10 all at once, or alternatively, invest that much into other skills.

‘…Come to think of it, how high can skill levels be raised?’

“The level of skills that Master can raise using points is limited to 10.”

As I pondered the question that suddenly came to mind, a sharp, swift answer returned from Esila, resolving my curiosity. Seeing that the limit is level 10 for now, it doesn’t seem to be the kind of awakened ability that allows one to break through the wall and grow infinitely stronger just by raising skill levels. Of course, even looking only at the awakened abilities I’ve used so far, level 10 seems like a very high level.

To secure more definite information, I requested information about the limits of my awakened ability from Esila again.

‘If I raise a skill to level 10, how strong does that ability become?’

“It’s a factor that varies based on an individual’s fundamentals, their skill application ability, experience, and other capabilities. When utilizing an awakened ability gained solely through skills, without any fundamentals, it can be estimated to be comparable to an S-class Hunter within 5 years of experience, based on level 10 of a single skill.”

‘The limit of growing stronger solely through skills is up to the level of an S-class Hunter within 5 years…’ In fact, even looking only at this level, it was an absurdly high level of ability. Considering that about 97-98% of Hunters retire without ever achieving S-class, it’s safe to say that achieving S-class Hunter level capabilities just by having sex and raising skills is by no means insufficient. Even so, the place I’m aiming for is even higher than S-class Hunters.

‘Being at the level of a 5-year S-class Hunter without any fundamentals means it’s fully possible to go beyond that if I raise my fundamentals or capabilities, right?’

“That is correct.”

‘Then that’s fine. Thanks, Esila.’

“I’m glad I could help.”

This made it certain: to become an S-class Hunter or higher, the best Hunter in the world, consistent training is essential besides gathering Awakening Points. From that perspective, my current self learning swordsmanship and magic from Eunyoung Noona and Hwayoung Sunbae was also a necessary process in the long run. Therefore, from now on too, I have no choice but to actively participate in my two masters’ training.

…To do that, I first need to somehow resolve the assignment Hwayoung Sunbae gave me. Improving the Flame Whip and the Explosive Fist. Fortunately, I had a general direction for improving the Flame Whip, but no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t come up with a good direction for the Explosive Fist at all. It was magic created with fire magic usable in close combat in mind, but once used, its power was too weak, making it impractical. Moreover, for me, who could handle swordsmanship and shield techniques, it was much more efficient to simply block with my sword or shield than using a 3rd Circle magic of mediocre power. If I increase the firepower, its stability becomes unstable, and if I prioritize stability, the magic circle’s tier increases, making it inefficient in terms of mana consumption and casting time…

“It’s a real headache…”

Even this trivial magic had potential for reuse in Hwayoung Sunbae’s eyes, which is why she probably gave me the assignment to improve it. Perhaps there were definitely things to learn only through the process of researching magic myself. Hwayoung Sunbae knew that, which is probably why she could reach Rank S Hunter status during her active years. …Actually, considering Sunbae’s race, achieving Rank S or so just by enduring over time wouldn’t be impossible, but…

After having such a somewhat disrespectful thought in my mind, I had roughly sorted out where to use the newly acquired points. Of the 1600 points I had available, I boldly invested 1500 points into Swordsmanship, raising it to level 9. The remaining 100 points would be invested in Blessing, whose usage frequency had increased in recent party hunts. It might seem like a crude way to use them, but anyway, spending points on ‘what I use often’ is probably the most reliable method. Especially in my case, since my fundamentals and experience in handling a greatsword were sufficiently established, even just raising it to around level 9 would be enough to display the power of an S-class Hunter.

More than anything else, increasing the power of my swordsmanship was important right now. Since I realized that defeating the White Crystal Spider Queen using a combination of fire and wind magic wasn’t a very good strategy, the existing hunting structure in Sky Blue Shield needed to be thoroughly reorganized. In previous party hunts, I provided combat support and Cha Yuri dealt the main attacks, using a standard, conventional combat style. With Cha Yuri’s current level, she wouldn’t be able to generate the power to fully handle the White Crystal Spider Queen. So, conversely, switching roles where I become the main attacker and Cha Yuri takes on the combat support role is the best positional change I could think of right now. To do that, raising the level of Swordsmanship itself was essential.

And although it was quite some time ago, I had experience defeating S-class monsters directly with my swordsmanship in Indonesia in the past. Of course, compared to the Kraken, the White Crystal Spider Queen has a much harder exoskeleton and its weak points are deep and hard to target, which is a disadvantage, but I could surely compensate for that with my much stronger swordsmanship and other newly acquired support skills. Plus, there would be the support of the other party members, with whom I’ve trained multiple times already.

“Gathering points seemed to take quite a long time, but spending them is truly instantaneous.”

Even though these were Awakening Points I had gathered while resolving the heat periods for three beast-type Hunters, spending them took only a moment. It felt strangely hollow, but objectively speaking, the growth rate itself was unbelievably fast. In exactly half a year since the time before I had awakened abilities, I had risen to Rank B Hunter, and my actual skill level could be considered close to Rank A or S. Even the duel I had recently – and not a practice one, but a real one – allowed me to gauge my abilities to some extent. The Rank A+ Earth Mage, Do Yehee. Through the serious duel with her, it became an opportunity to roughly understand my current abilities, so in that sense, the duel itself back then had its own meaning.

Of course, I had already gained a lot of practical combat experience with Eunyoung Noona recently, and although I didn’t use magic in the duel, I had a decent understanding of magic, and due to the structural difference between a swordsman and a mage, I could gain the upper hand, etc. – there were various reasons, but still, if my swordsmanship skill wasn’t even at the level of an A-class Hunter, I couldn’t have achieved such an easy victory against her.

“…Surely she won’t appear again.”

For now, Do Yehee hasn’t appeared before my eyes since that duel back then. Maybe she had a change of heart after getting thoroughly beaten by me back then, or maybe the recording Sihee secured is properly taking effect – I don’t know. If not, maybe she simply hasn’t been able to find out who I am. Back then, since I hadn’t expected to meet Sihee and Eunbyul, I faced her wearing a mask of unknown identity, so that possibility was quite high.

Well, if she appears before my eyes again and shows that annoying face, I’ll deal with her the same way as before.

Anyway, my goal for this year is to at least raise my rank to A-class Hunter. At least reaching that level would allow me to formally claim being on the same level as the other Sky Blue Shield party members. And even for the purpose of raising the party rank of Sky Blue Shield as a whole, it would be much easier if all party members were Rank A.

Rank A Hunter, and raising the party rank of Sky Blue Shield. It was the moment I resolved to achieve new goals, fitting for the new year.