Harvest

“Ah, fuck. A pay cut? Seriously?”

“I knew it, you son of a bitch. Who told you to go around beating up the merchants?”

“It’s because they wouldn’t fucking listen.”

“Hah, you idiot.”

“I’m already in a shitty mood, so don’t you start. Anyway, can’t we just ditch today? The market isn’t even open.”

“You’ll really get fired if you do.”

“Ah, whatever. If I get fired, I’ll just report them and run.”

“You really want to commit suicide? If you’re going to do that—”

“It was a joke. Don’t take it so seriously. Damn it, if I get fired, where am I supposed to go now?”

“You’re kinda handsome, so why don’t you join one of those ladies’ parties? I’m telling you, a guy like you would sell.”

“Fuck you, I told you not to bring that up.”

“But you’d make a lot of money, you bastard.”

“Money, my ass. Forget being a gigolo, I can’t even get hard looking at those bitches. And if they got on top of me, my pelvis and back would be toast. I’d turn to dust, I’m telling you.”

“Then don’t get fired if you don’t like it.”

“Hah, fuck… Is that the team leader? Is he calling me?”

“Looks like it. What did you do wrong this time? Anyway, see you later. Go practice getting hard while looking at fat women. You know they’ll abandon you in the gate if you can’t get it up, right?”

“Shut up. But seriously, what is it? I really haven’t done a single thing this time.”

I entered the team leader’s office. He beckoned me over with a flick of his hand. Fucking hell, I’m not a dog.

I’m only putting up with this because I really don’t want to become a gigolo.

“Why did you call for me?”

“Go guide the merchant waiting outside. And don’t slack off. Be friendly and attentive. Got it?”

“Why me?”

“Why? Did you just ask why? Hah, this little shit. When you’re given a chance to make up for your mistakes, you should be grateful. Do you have any idea how much we lost because you pissed off the merchants? If you don’t want to do it, then get lost. I was only giving you a chance because you’ve got a decent face.”

“Hey, I’ll do it. But about last time—”

“If you’re going to do it, then hurry up and go! Cut the excuses. The merchant is waiting. Be attentive, you hear me? Focus on showing her the expensive spots.”

“Yeah, yeah. But what you said about picking me for my face—”

“It’s a woman. Try to charm her a little with that lazy smile of yours. Just do what you’re told for once. I’ll decide whether to cancel your pay cut based on how you do.”

“Yeees. Understood.”

Hah, so I have to play the gigolo here too?

If I were just a C-rank, no, even a D-rank, I swear…

In the distance, a robed figure sat in a chair. Seeing their slender frame, they passed the first test.

But I couldn’t let my guard down. There was no bottom to the abyss. Last time, really… no, I swear I sugarcoated it for them. If I had lied about that too, there would have been no truth left at all.

Even the team leader was barely holding back his laughter. The deal fell through because she got pissed off, so how is that my fault?

Who is it this time? If she asks me to serve her drinks like the last one—

As the woman pulled back her hood, a cascade of black hair spilled out.

Holy shit. She’s fucking incredible.

Her large, clear eyes stared at my chest, right at my name tag.

“My name is Kim Seo-hoon, and I’ll be your guide. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Yes. It’s a pleasure… to meet you too.”

Her smile made my heart pound.

*

“To be honest, it’s better for me if I show you the expensive spots, but I’ll just show you the cheap places where a lot of people gather.”

“Over there? No, definitely not there. The cheap spots are cheap for a reason.”

“This place is pretty big, right? Blue Forest is huge. If you can’t decide, just come back another time. I’ll guide you again.”

“Or would you like to spend the night here? We have lodging for merchants. It’s a bit shabby, but I can bring you a few things. Oh? You will? Understood. I’ll go make a reservation right now.”

“You can use this room. It’s nice, right? It’s the best one we have. I’ll go get you some more things, so please wait here for a bit.”

“Here are some blankets… and this is a simple snack. It’s a bit of a hassle to go back and forth since we’re far from the gate.”

“If you’re bored being alone, shall I keep you company? I’m on duty tonight anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”

And now.

“Don’t even get me started. The merchants here—ah, except for you, A-gyeol—are such tyrants.”

“Oh my, that must have been difficult for you.”

Several bottles of liquor sat on the table between us.

It was my private stash, but I didn’t regret it one bit.

Look at those flushed red cheeks.

Those lips, smiling so gently.

Just a little… a little more to drink…

“What are you looking at so intently?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. You’re just so beautiful.”

She gazed into my eyes for a moment before letting out a small chuckle. Then she moved closer to me.

“Am I pretty?”

“Ah, yes. Of course.”

“Hmm… So polite and patient… Why were you on the list?”

“Sorry?”

On the list? What list?

“It’s nothing. I was just warned before I came. They said you have a short temper.”

“What? Ah, that was because the other party was such a son of a bitch—ah, sorry. The power-tripping was insane. It was just… I couldn’t take it anymore, so I hit him a few times. How am I supposed to even explain this?”

Damn that team leader, what the hell did he tell her? I really want to kill him.

“What kind of power trip was it? Depending on the abuse, maybe it could be… taken into consideration?”

“I got slapped and cursed at for getting a little lost, they told me to kneel because they were in a bad mood for some reason… They really order you around for everything, just because they’re the ones with the power.”

“Hmm. Is that so?”

“Yes. It’s absolutely ridiculous. They act like they don’t need to be here, but in the end, there’s no place better, yet they still pull that power-play bullshit. They’re just taking it out on the lower-level staff to get a better deal in negotiations.”

“Is that why all the merchants left?”

“Honestly, that’s what’s really unfair. I mean, yeah, I hit someone, but the fact that the other guys didn’t handle it properly got bundled together and dumped entirely on me. Wow, just thinking about it again makes me feel wronged.”

“Hmph, this is a little problematic… You must have felt very wronged.”

“I really did. Wow, you’re the first person to understand, A-gyeol. It’s so unfair. Instead of comforting the person who was abused, they were just like, ‘You take the fall for this.’”

“That does sound like a problem.”

“Ah, you’re the first person to say that, A-gyeol. Really.”

Taking this chance, I inched closer to her.

“Oh my?”

She noticed I was trying to get closer.

“Ah, does this make you uncomfortable?”

“Umm—no. It’s not that—”

Even when our shoulders touched, she didn’t move. And even when I brought my face close to her flushed cheek…

She didn’t pull away.

Nice.

*

What’s with the uterine tattoo? Is she a slut?

Well, not that it matters to me.

“Hah… Does the tattoo… bother you?”

“No? It’s pretty.”

To think she’d get something like this tattooed on her lower abdomen.

Anyway, is it really okay not to use a condom? If I get her pregnant, will there be damages or—

Whatever.

—I don’t mind.

She said she didn’t mind.

Her breasts swayed like pudding with the movement of her hips.

They were firm, and more importantly—

Soft.

Fuck, now these are breasts.

I grabbed a handful of her breast, too large to fit in one hand, and held her hips as I thrusted—

Her body is so damn lewd.

But judging by that tattoo, is she some kind of high-class prostitute?

Then again, even prostitutes probably prefer a handsome guy’s dick.

Maybe she’s on a short vacation, looking to have fun with a good-looking guy—

Wait, I can feel a bit of magic from her. Is she an Awakener? No way. Why would an Awakener be a prostitute?

Unless her trait is Succubus—

…Huh?

“By any chance, are you…”

“Yes?”

“A succubus—”

“Oh my.”

Her smile deepened.

“You found out?”

Fuck.

*

“Heuk. Heuk—”

He’s a sharp one.

I flicked my finger, tapping his forehead lightly. Thump, thump.

Seo-hoon’s red, swollen dick twitched in response.

White fluid still beaded at the tip of his fully erect member.

The information in ‘kill_list.pdf’ was a little different from reality, so I was just planning to drain him moderately.

But he figured it out.

I have no choice but to take his Innate Vital Energy.

“Heuk—haah… I’m… I’m sorry…”

“What is there to be sorry about? It looks like you were just a scapegoat.”

The file (the kill list) made him out to be a complete degenerate, but listening to him, it sounds like he just took the blame for others.

He’s not entirely innocent, but not to the point where he deserves to be drained of his Innate Vital Energy and die.

Are the other people on the kill list like this too?

No wonder all the guys I thought would have been fired were still around. I guess they all had the blame shifted onto them.

Draining someone with minor sins to death feels a bit wrong.

‘Blue Forest.’ Is this organization really okay?

“I swear, I won’t tell anyone… Please spare me…”

“Hey, now. Why would I kill you, Seo-hoon? By the way, how did you know I was a succubus?”

“Because of… the tattoo…”

“The tattoo? Ahh.”

It is a bit unusual. Both its location and its shape.

I’ll have to hide it as much as possible from now on.

“I thought you were a prostitute because of the tattoo, but since you’re an Awakener—”

“A prostitute?”

One more order of Innate Vital Energy, please.

*

“…So that’s what happened.”

“Ah… I am truly sorry. I will re-verify everything. Since Blue Forest is pretty much the last resort for many Awakeners,”

“Last resort?”

“Yes. For E or F-rank Awakeners, or those who have committed minor crimes, this is a pretty decent place to work. It’s illegal, but the work is tolerated to a certain extent, and the Guild Master isn’t very greedy, so, yes.”

An apology from Ahn Yu-su, the author of the kill list.

“Then what about other places?”

“Other places either pay less, involve more serious crimes, or don’t hire low-rank Awakeners at all. That’s probably why they ganged up on him like that, to avoid getting kicked out.”

“I see…”

“This is all because the Guild Master is so merciful—”

“Merciful? Enough with the flattery. Can this kill list be revised? To the point where we’re certain they deserve to die. I felt a little bad for Seo-hoon.”

Seo-hoon… I heard he’s still bedridden.

If he hadn’t said that thing about me being a prostitute, I would have let him off in better condition.

“Those… truly deserving people have probably all been kicked out by now, haven’t they? Since all the reports are distorted… I apologize. From now on, I will be sure to handle these reports properly. First, I will review the current kill list again—”

“No need to review it again. We can just start recording things properly from now on. It’s fine. I was hoping to drain some Innate Vital Energy for the first time in a while… It’s a shame, but I’ll just postpone the kill list. That’s better than doing something that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”

“Yes. Then—”

“Ah. And one more thing. Do the merchants abuse their power?”

“Abuse their power? …I have heard that it happens.”

“What other black markets are there besides ours? I mean places that could be viable alternatives. Do we have any advantages over them?”

“Honestly, there are very few places like ours. The location isn’t bad, so we get a good amount of foot traffic, we don’t charge high stall fees, and the Gate Management Bureau agent in charge of this area is a bit lax, so it’s also stable.”

“Is that so? Then tell the merchants to tone down the power-tripping.”

“The power-tripping? Hmm… I think I understand what you’re trying to say… I will pass on the message for now.”

“…Is it difficult?”

“Well… It’s a bit awkward for me to say it directly, but it’s tied up with… the issue of entertaining them and various other things…”

“Really? How so?”

Ahn Yu-su’s explanation followed.

To summarize, the low-rank Awakeners they had hired indiscriminately when they were short-staffed after taking over the gate had become useless once the black market operations stabilized.

They were about to fire these people but instead put them on merchant-entertainment duty. The merchants, it turned out, liked being treated in a way that catered to all their power trips.

The executives who survived the transition from ‘Nokrim’ to ‘Blue Forest’ had some experience with this kind of entertainment, so they decided to make it their competitive edge.

This ‘entertainment’ was apparently one of the key factors that got the black market, which had been unstable after the change in guild leadership, back on track.

The types of entertainment were… varied.

No wonder I got a bit of a host bar vibe when I was waiting for Kim Seo-hoon earlier.

Ah… the underworld is complicated.

I may be living with a foot in both the light and the dark, but these people…

…

What’s the best thing to do when you’re feeling conflicted?

“You remember we’re going to clear a gate, right? Give me the data.”

I’ll just go clear a gate.