Chapter 45: If It’s to Become Stronger (2)

If I were to briefly describe my experience using 3rd Circle Fire Magic, it performed exactly as I expected in terms of power and skills.

Flame Burst, which causes an explosion of fire in a specific area; Fire Lance, which fires multiple spears made of flames; and Flame Citadel, which creates a wall of fire on the ground.

I couldn’t test the last spell for fear of starting a wildfire, but seeing as the first two spells activated properly, I’m sure I can use Flame Citadel without any issues.

However, since the Black-headed Eagle itself was a special type of monster that learned and adapted from the deaths of its companions, it was impossible to defeat all of them with just fire magic, and I had to utilize swordsmanship to some extent for the finishing blows. Still, it’s an undeniable fact that it became much faster and easier compared to before, when I had to rely almost entirely on swordsmanship.

After hunting two groups of Black-headed Eagles alone for an hour, I ended up with thirty C-rank monster cores.

Twenty of these were taken down purely with fire magic, so the Black-headed Eagles faithfully served their role as teaching materials for learning how to use and test the power of 3rd Circle Fire Magic.

At this point, I think I can confidently call myself a C-rank Fire Mage anywhere. Or maybe ‘Flame Swordsman’ fits better since I use my sword alongside magic.

After settling the thirty C-rank monster materials I obtained and adding them to my record, I took up a spot in a corner of the guild lobby instead of heading outside today.

The objective, naturally, was to scout the other hunters milling about inside the guild.

The first thing I checked was, of course, whether she was attractive enough to make my dick hard, and the second was, naturally, the magnitude of the potential points I could gain from the first sex.

I know it might look like I’m obsessed with points to anyone watching. And honestly, I am.

After nearly 10 years of effort, I’m finally getting my reward, and I don’t want to miss the chance to become a Hunter by being bound by the morals of a typical relationship.

The disappointing part is that even with just these two conditions met, it was hard to find hunters who could yield even 30 potential points, let alone 50. The process of accumulating Awakening Points is still not exactly smooth sailing.

Of course, if I lowered my standards a bit to relatively less attractive women-or rather, women who were slightly lacking in appearance by the standards of my previous life-I could occasionally spot hunters with potential points around 30 or 40, though not quite 50. However, the thought of accumulating Awakening Points that way brought back a visceral sense of revulsion.

‘Well, considering my first partner was Hye-eun, followed by Cha Yuri and Do Sihee… I guess it can’t be helped.’

Kang Hye-eun, with her well-defined body built from solid muscle, flaunting unnaturally large breasts, who obediently followed along without complaint, even in the positions I led.

Cha Yuri, slightly short but with great proportions and a soft body, and most importantly, cute and fun to tease.

And Do Sihee, with her noble lady facade hiding a perverted libido, who turned into a bitch the moment my dick went inside-a truly surprising charm.

If it were me in my previous life, I couldn’t have even gotten involved with one of these beautiful female hunters, let alone three. To be honest, my standards have definitely risen.

And more importantly, I felt I could enjoy it more if I genuinely felt a desire to connect with them.

If I targeted someone attractive from the start and led them to sex, it would provide me with ample physical and mental pleasure, allowing me to conclude the act with maximum satisfaction. But if I had to forgo mental pleasure solely for Awakening Points and only satisfy the other person, honestly, I’d wonder what the difference was between that and being a gigolo.

Even if the act itself isn’t different and the rewards aren’t different, my principle has always been that sex isn’t just about physical contact; it must be accompanied by mental connection.

This was one element I couldn’t easily compromise on, so naturally, my search for the next partner became more complicated.

‘Maybe I should try changing how I meet people.’

Except for Hye-eun, whom I’ve known since before my awakening, my first conversations with both Cha Yuri and Do Sihee happened ‘inside a dungeon.’ So, perhaps pursuing encounters within dungeons, rather than this guild lobby, might be a better way to build connections with other hunters.

…Or maybe I’m just rushing things.

I’ve been through so many high-density events lately that it feels like over a month and a half has passed, but in reality, only ten days have gone by since I gained my awakening abilities.

Yet, I’ve already slept with three female hunters alternately, and the number of times I’ve gained Awakening Points through sex is several times that. Maybe the right answer is to strengthen my relationships with the hunters I’m currently managing, instead of stirring up new trouble.

Of course, that’s only applicable if they actually want to sleep with me every day.

‘Just in case, maybe I should check.’

Thinking that gathering points with one of the existing three if I couldn’t find anyone else was also an option, I accessed the system’s current ‘Lust Management Hunter List’ to check each person’s potential acquisition points.

『001. Name: Kang Hye-eun Awakening Ability: Warrior of the Guardian Shield Current Potential Acquisition Points: 20』

I expected as much, but it seems Hye-eun hasn’t accumulated much lust.

Even though we had sex six rounds in a row the last time we met, the fact that her lust accumulates so slowly even after five days suggests that my declaration of not being her boyfriend really hit her hard.

Personally, I hope my childhood friend, who has given me the most points so far, will somehow feel lust for me again. But if my trampling on her pure heart is the reason Kang Hye-eun’s lust isn’t accumulating, then it’s something I just have to endure.

Of course, even so, I just stated the facts. It’s better to tell the truth when the shock is slightly less, rather than giving false hope.

Since I already had a history of sleeping with the other two, excluding Kang Hye-eun, like a slut to earn Awakening Points, if Kang Hye-eun and I became a couple, it would actually be me doing something wrong to her.

In my previous world, I think they called this ‘making someone wash the dishes.’ If that’s the case, I can’t possibly make one of the most precious people to me, Hye-eun, do that.

If Kang Hye-eun wanted to date me as her boyfriend or even marry me, the more reason I needed to firmly draw the line and decisively tell her so, to avoid ruining her life.

For starters, I, who must handle these awakening abilities to grow stronger, had no intention of marrying anyone. Until the system disappears, my plan was to repeatedly have sex with as many people as possible to gather Awakening Points, as long as circumstances allowed.

If I did such things after becoming someone’s boyfriend or husband, it would be cheating and adultery. Of course, one could argue my current situation is similar, but cheating while having a partner and sleeping with multiple people without a partner are obviously different in the weight of their sin.

It’s actually more guilt-inducing for me to refer to the partner of my childhood friend, who has been actively hunting since middle school after awakening, as a ‘slut’-a term I use myself.

Anyway, checking Hye-eun’s points, it seems her lust hasn’t accumulated much, and more importantly, the fact that she hasn’t contacted me yet suggests she’s still sulking over that last text message.

I’ll just have to wait a bit longer for her lust to build up or for her mood to improve. If I wait for her to weaken due to instinct, it’ll probably be much easier to ask for forgiveness.

Therefore, I gave up on Kang Hye-eun and immediately turned the page to the next hunter’s profile.

『002. Name: Cha Yuri Awakening Ability: Sylph’s Blessing Current Potential Acquisition Points: 30』

As expected, this one showed the same numbers as when I parted ways with her this morning.

Around 30 points is a considerable amount, potentially reaching 40 or 50 with various bonuses, but it’s just awkward to call her again in the evening after breaking up this morning.

This time, I’d definitely be called a ‘lust demon’ by Cha Yuri and wouldn’t be able to make excuses, so the option of calling Cha Yuri was naturally discarded. Lastly, I checked the profile of Do Sihee, the most anticipated among the three.

『003. Name: Do Sihee Awakening Ability: Artemis’s Archer Current Potential Acquisition Points: 45』

I already knew it was an archery skill related to a bow, but the exact name was Artemis’s Archer.

Recalling her shooting arrows with beautiful trajectories, conjuring arcane arrows out of thin air, the ability name ‘Artemis’s Archer’ certainly fit well.

And the potential acquisition points of 45 were quite good. Based on my previous experiences, I knew this amount could yield at least 100 points after spending a night together.

The only issue is….

‘It’s only been two days since we last had sex. Calling her again so soon might look a bit strange.’

Even at the moment we parted ways, I made sure to firmly imprint that I held the upper hand in my relationship with Do Sihee. Contacting her less than 48 hours later would look awkward in many ways.

First off, as a woman from the Foundation, I absolutely cannot appear desperate. My intuition screamed that I must never show weakness to her.

If it looks like I’m calling her just two days later, succumbing to lust, Do Sihee would sense something was off. More importantly, I wanted the anxious Do Sihee, waiting for my call, to become even more dependent on me.

‘Hmm….’

All three women presented a reason for hesitation, making it difficult to contact them immediately.

Just as I was thinking maybe I should just give up for today and head back, and started to get up from my seat.

“……Huh?”

Suddenly, the hunter profile screen slid to the right, revealing the profile of a fourth ‘Lust Management Hunter.’

『004. Name: Han Min-ah Awakening Ability: Power of the Wild (Species: Russian Blue) Current Potential Acquisition Points: 200』

…Han Min-ah?

What is she doing here?