Chapter 54: Irresponsible Pleasure (2)

Although I was momentarily dumbfounded seeing the product description that didn’t change no matter how many times I checked, objectively speaking, it was an item that was undeniably necessary.

Checking for safe days every time or buying condoms was no small hassle, and moreover, internal ejaculation was a prerequisite for resolving Han Min-ah’s heat.

Besides, the 5-point bonus for internal ejaculation would add up to a considerable amount over time, so about 50 points could certainly be seen as an investment for the future.

『0%-●—50%』

As soon as I purchased the item called ‘Sperm Concentration Control Function,’ a horizontal volume bar, presumably made with a UI similar to the system window, appeared before my eyes.

I guess the middle button signifies the current concentration.

“A Sperm Concentration Control Function, seriously….”

Chewing on it again, I still found it absurd.

First off, I could fully understand the system’s purpose in selling me this ability.

There was a possibility that I’d have to get intimate with hunters who needed to resolve their heat, like Han Min-ah, so it was probably intended to prevent me from bearing the risks of indiscriminate internal ejaculation.

Unlike other hunters who could avoid pregnancy through condoms or anal sex, internal ejaculation was the most effective way to resolve the heat of beast-type hunters.

It felt like the system, deeming it necessary for future lust management, deliberately added this option to the point shop.

…Or maybe it was just a coincidence, and I’m overthinking it.

Anyway, it wasn’t particularly important that the items sold in the point shop were more bizarre than imagined, or that they sold things with content I’d never seen before.

What mattered now was simply whether it was useful to me or not.

The advantage of not having to worry about pregnancy, even when dealing with others, let alone the risk involved when resolving Han Min-ah’s heat, was an unbelievable benefit.

You could call it irresponsible pleasure, couldn’t you? It’s not like the pregnancy function is gone forever.

It was definitely absurd that it wasn’t like a vasectomy, but rather an ability that even allowed for concentration control.

It was possible to achieve a 0% pregnancy rate even after ejaculating inside, and if pregnancy was actually the goal, it even came with a bonus function to ensure pregnancy with over 90% probability; while the latter might not be useful, the former was definitely helpful.

Considering the 5-point bonus received for a single internal ejaculation, just unleashing ten internal ejaculations without any anxiety would be more than enough to break even.

『0%●—-50%』

The moment I thought that, I dragged the black button on the volume bar all the way to the left, setting it to 0%. With this, I wouldn’t have to worry about contraception anymore, right?

Especially in Han Min-ah’s case, unlike with others, pregnancy would be a huge disaster for her the moment it happened.

It was impossible to place an additional burden on Han Min-ah, who was already carrying the burden of her two younger siblings’ tuition and debts.

Even if I said I would raise the child, it was impossible for her, with her strong sense of responsibility, not to feel a psychological burden, so considering various factors, it was important to prepare in advance.

After spending 50 points like that, I had a total of 400 points remaining.

With only 100 points left until the 500 points needed to unlock Swordsmanship Level 6, I thought I could gather them in just one night if I set my mind to it, and opened my smartphone to check the most recently registered contact.

Eun & Ok Co., Ltd. Gangdong District Branch.

The Sky Blue Shield, led by the warrior Kang Hye-eun of the Guardian Shield, gathered in the company cafeteria after their morning expedition to chat over lunch.

“It’s a relief you recovered safely, Min-ah.”

Hearing the encouragement from Kang Hye-eun, her longtime friend and party leader, Han Min-ah flinched slightly like a startled cat.

“Ah, uh-huh…. Well, being healthy is my only strength, isn’t it?!”

“It’s not your only strength. The Sky Blue Shield isn’t complete without you, Min-ah.”

“Don’t get sick next time… If you’re not here, Hye-eun has to suffer.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

Normally, Han Min-ah should have felt grateful for Kang Hye-eun’s sincere concern, but today, the attention the party leader showed her felt strangely burdensome.

Everything, from the reason she had to take a day off to the result of being able to return to work like this, was related to Sung Taekyung, Kang Hye-eun’s childhood friend.

Han Min-ah, who had even witnessed her overjoyed just recently, thinking he might be dating her, was all the more cautious.

Han Min-ah unintentionally learned that Sung Taekyung didn’t consider Kang Hye-eun his lover, that he had passionate sex with her yesterday to resolve her heat, and furthermore, that he was involved physically not just with her, but with other party members as well.

Her body felt better as her heat subsided, but her mind became even more uneasy.

“So? What made you so sick?”

“Huh, uh-huh?!”

“If you were sick enough to miss work, Min-ah, it must have been serious. Did you go to the hospital? It could have been a dangerous illness, you know.”

“It-it was just a cold! A normal cold!”

“…Really?”

“Yeah, uh-huh! I guess I was just really tired. Ha, haha…”

Most of the company staff knew how much Han Min-ah usually overworked herself, so the excuse of collapsing from a cold due to accumulated fatigue was quite convincing.

“Okay, I get it. Take better care of yourself next time.”

“Of, of course! I’m Han Min-ah!”

“That’s why I’m saying this, because you’re Han Min-ah. You need to take more days off. I heard you were coming in every day, not just on Sky Blue Shield party call days?”

“……”

“If you collapse, it’s like a pillar of our party falling. If you don’t scout the safety, even entering the same dungeon becomes much more precarious.”

“Ah, okay…. I’ll be careful next time…”

Han Min-ah still avoided her friend’s gaze and replied in an uncertain voice.

For her right now, the answer ‘I’ll be careful next time’ was tantamount to saying she’d have to rely on Sung Taekyung again when her heat became unbearable.

Compared to Kang Hye-eun, who had liked him since she was very young, she felt her own love was bound to be shallow, and she couldn’t shake off the guilt of feeling like she had stolen her friend’s pure affection.

“Hye-eun-ah, what about me?”

“Hm?”

“If I collapse, not Min-ah, what would you think?”

“You, Jihee-ssi?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re also an important person who absolutely shouldn’t collapse, Jihee-ssi. We definitely need you when facing monsters like the Yellow Crystal Spider or the Bear Shark.”

Kang Hye-eun, while finding Cheon Jihee’s sudden, out-of-the-blue question a bit strange, calmly responded with kind words befitting a party leader.

“Right.”

“But why ask that all of a sudden? Do you perhaps have summer vacation plans?”

“No, it’s nothing like that. I just wanted to let you know how necessary I am to you, Hye-eun.”

“Yes, well. Min-ah, Jihee-ssi, and Yuri-ssi too are all essential members of our party right now.”

Of course, she had often thought alone that it would be even better if just one healer or support dealer was added, but it remained just a thought, never leading to actual attempts to recruit.

Firstly, the sheer number of A-rank hunters wasn’t that high.

Secondly, among them, healer hunters, the nobility among nobles, were so few they could be counted on one hand across the entire company.

Lastly, the third reason was that most hunters tended to prefer staying with their existing lower-level group members instead of seeking new parties, even after ranking up.

It might be different for groups that formed properly from the lower ranks and climbed up, but it was probably impossible for the Sky Blue Shield, which had only recently received its A-rank hunter certification with Han Min-ah as the last member, to accept new personnel.

In the first place, being a hunter wasn’t a particularly long-lived or stable profession; most hunters typically retired before their thirties.

Hunters who lost a significant portion of their peak abilities around their late twenties often couldn’t generate efficient profits relative to the effort invested.

Even if they could still use all their abilities, there were many cases where their skills declined to the point where they could no longer function as hunters.

When that time came, most hunters would quickly liquidate their unstable careers and spend the rest of their lives with the money saved up until then, or find other work; this was the typical ecosystem for hunters.

…Although there were occasional hunters who remained active into old age, they were rare exceptions; the mid-twenties was generally the time to start preparing for retirement.

Of course, even with such risks, the profession of hunter remained a popular career choice.

It was an attractive profession because, by working intensely in their twenties to secure enough funds to live comfortably through retirement, one could enjoy the remaining 60 years of life at a more relaxed pace.

Of course, even after retiring as hunters, very few lived doing absolutely nothing; many women built social careers early on instead of pursuing a hunter’s life, but at the very least, hunters were such a common profession in this world that over half the women worldwide were either hunters or had experience as one.

Even Kang Hye-eun’s mother, Kang Eunyoung, remained active until she was nearly thirty, so as long as their skills didn’t decline, most hunters would likely postpone their retirement.

Considering all these various reasons, Kang Hye-eun decided not to seek additional members for the ‘Sky Blue Shield’.

She believed the current lineup was sufficient until retirement.

Although she had felt a little worried recently when Cha Yuri showed signs of typical skill decline and nearing retirement, fortunately, she recovered her abilities safely within a month and returned, allowing the four members of the Sky Blue Shield to maintain their lineage a little longer.

“Haa…”

Even so, she couldn’t help but let out a sigh due to the many events she had recently experienced.

She had reached the position of an A-rank hunter with the intention of fulfilling her childhood friend’s dream for her, whom she had liked since long ago, yet he drew a line, saying they weren’t in a romantic relationship, despite her considering marriage.

Not understanding the fickle heart of a man, she often felt suffocated lately.

…Meanwhile, Han Min-ah, who had been quietly observing Kang Hye-eun and Cheon Jihee talking…

“…Yuri Unnie.”

“What?”

“I have a small favor to ask… Could we talk outside for a moment?”

She carefully called out to Cha Yuri, who was quietly eating beside her.