[Mission: Hunt 1,000 Bubble-scaled Carp (Incomplete)]

While Ryu Seoha was trying to find words to respond after checking the special dungeon mission, Choi Kanghu suddenly swatted his left hand as if he were chasing a fly. In an instant, a creature the size of a small car appeared from the empty air and fell with a thud at their feet.

It was a C-rank monster, a Balloon Venomous Spider, which approached them in the form of a tiny thread spider, rapidly expanding its body to devour its prey whole. Immediately after, a familiar tree trunk shape flew from the dense bushes behind them.

[Status effect "Paralysis" has been applied to the designated target (D-rank Shadow Thorn Tree, 1 entity).]

[Debuff "Defense Reduction" has been applied to the designated target (D-rank Shadow Thorn Tree, 1 entity).]

Ryu Seoha quickly restrained the tree trunk with debuffs and was about to throw the shuriken she had already drawn, but she hesitated when she heard the thudding sounds of something heavy crashing to the ground.

Trusting in Choi Kanghu and the defense of [Sanctification], she turned her gaze to see that all the scattered Shadow Thorn Trees planted throughout the jungle area had been felled, leaving only their stumps behind.

"Since we’re already here, why don’t we start with a little hunting game?"

Choi Kanghu smiled leisurely as he telekinetically cut off the eight legs of the Balloon Venomous Spider he had pinned down. His calmness carried an eerie undertone, reminiscent of a child’s cruel enjoyment in a game.

Despite its agonized screeching, the monster didn’t return to its smaller form, seemingly because Choi Kanghu was suppressing its skills with his mana. But why?

"…A game?"

"Oh, that came out wrong. A hunting practice."

When Ryu Seoha asked with a puzzled expression, Choi Kanghu quickly corrected himself, tracing his finger through the air, slicing the spider’s abdomen open. Its core, the life-sustaining magic stone, was exposed to the air.

Without saying anything further, he just smiled at her, making Ryu Seoha blink slowly. Could he be offering her the so-called "last hit"?

"You want me to kill it?"

"You need to level up and raise your stats quickly."

His soft, soothing voice brushed her ears, contrasting starkly with the horrific state of the monster that was now conveniently served to her like an easy meal.

"It is necessary, but…"

Honestly, it wasn’t an urgent matter at the moment. Due to a system error, even if she gained level-up points, she still couldn’t raise her mana stat. Plus, other stats weren’t strictly necessary for setting up barriers.

Meanwhile, the outside world must be growing more anxious by the minute, with viral infections continuing to appear sporadically. It meant they needed to prioritize their actions carefully.

"For my satisfaction, I’d really appreciate your cooperation."

"What do you mean?"

Ryu Seoha was contemplating finishing the material collection quickly and getting out, but Choi Kanghu’s unexpected remark made her tilt her head in confusion. What did his satisfaction have to do with this?

"I finally found a way for us to kiss and confirmed it, but we haven’t done it since yesterday."

“…What?”

Ryu Seoha’s eyes widened at his seemingly out-of-nowhere statement. He was about to ask what on earth kissing had to do with leveling up when he suddenly recalled how Choi Kanghu had rushed to kiss him last night right after she mentioned her sensory stat had increased from consuming the enhanced ginseng.

"Don’t tell me—"

"By using a moisturizing skill, I can fully encase the inside of your mouth, dulling the sensation a little."

His explanation made logical sense but was still strange the more she thought about it.

"But Choi Kanghu, your sensory stat is high, so you should still feel everything, right?"

She asked softly, feeling weird about the whole situation. It felt odd and somehow embarrassing to discuss such impractical matters, as though she were saying something completely out of line.

"What’s the point if I’m the only one enjoying it?"

His answer was so casual, as if this sort of conversation was entirely natural in relationships, leaving her wondering if this really was the norm.

"You should also feel the ecstasy when we kiss, Ryu Seoha. That’s what makes it meaningful."

"…"

"It’s the same in bed, too."

His bold declaration made her face turn completely red, unable to hide her embarrassment.

"Is that why you’ve been so proactive lately?"

Ryu Seoha asked, recalling how Choi Kanghu had shown more enthusiasm than usual during the strategy meetings. She had found it odd, considering he normally had no interest in the well-being of others, yet here he was being so proactive in finding ways to protect people.

She had assumed it was because he knew that if he ascended to a higher dimension without preparing safeguards, Ryu Seoha’s empathetic nature would make her worry incessantly. Or perhaps he simply wanted to prevent her from pushing herself too hard. Though this guess wasn't entirely wrong, it seemed his actions also had a more personal motivation—his earnest desire for intimacy was no joke.

"…Wait a moment."

Whether it was a yes or no answer didn’t seem like something Choi Kanghu was able to respond to quickly, as his brow furrowed in contemplation. Meanwhile, Ryu Seoha pulled out her dagger and approached the screeching monster.

With one swift motion, she cut out the magic stone, silencing the creature at last.

[Your level has increased.]

The system message announcing the Balloon Venomous Spider’s release from its pain was so brief that it almost felt cruel. She let out a small sigh and lightly shook off the blood on her hands.

"It would’ve been nice if I could transfer skills, too."

Choi Kanghu sighed as well, wiping her hands clean with a handkerchief, muttering quietly.

[You are exposed to the range of the skill ‘Purification.’]

The skill, which removed all impurities, washed over her entire body, but his expression remained less than pleased.

"Transfer… skills?"

"If I could give you my telekinesis skill, you wouldn’t have to dirty your hands."

Although he had encouraged her to hunt and level up, now that she had actually done it, it seemed he felt uncomfortable about it. It was surprising to see a man who wouldn't bat an eye even if a mountain crumbled get so hung up on something so small.

"Even if I can’t allocate the level-up points to the sensory stat, you’re still okay with this?"

Ryu Seoha didn’t hide the warmth she felt, softly brushing her now-clean hands over her lover’s furrowed brow as she asked in a gentle voice.

"Why? Other stats wouldn’t synergize well with mana control, would they?"

His rebuttal was so grounded in logic that the joke she had prepared—something along the lines of, "If I don’t invest in stamina, I won’t be able to get out of bed even if I still have years of life left"—quickly fizzled out.

"You’re right."

In the end, she responded with a boring answer, shifting the conversation by promising to do her best since he had already "given her a ride on the bus." Then she quickly lowered her gaze, avoiding his as she pretended to inspect her dagger.

Just then, another monster rushed toward them, only to be flung to the ground in a completely helpless state. Even without being an awakened hunter, any decent weapon could easily finish off the creature now.

Ryu Seoha swiftly dispatched the miserable beast, her movements precise and efficient. And so, the delightful period of leveling up, courtesy of Choi Kanghu's "bus," continued.

[Your level has increased.]

[Your level has increased.]

.

.

.

[You have successfully defeated the A-rank boss monster.]

[Your level has increased.]

Her level rose by three in no time. It was a ridiculously comfortable ride. She wondered if this had been his plan all along when he’d mentioned Han Gangseok’s one-hour limit.

"Well done."

As always, his gentle touch came with words of praise as Choi Kanghu stroked her hair. Against the backdrop of the dark sky filled with softly glowing pale-yellow fireflies, he smiled charmingly.

These fireflies, known as Magnifying Lens Fireflies, were today’s collection target. They were E-rank passive monsters, rare in nature, and could magnify the strength of any attack they reflected, much like a convex mirror.

Though they lived in large colonies, they only inhabited special dungeons, specifically jungle environments with ice or fire-type boss monsters.

These creatures gained fame when hunters discovered that their glowing abdomens could be used to create items that significantly amplified hunter abilities.

Magnifying Lens Fireflies, when captured alive, were often a highly sought-after material by crafting hunters. Now, all they had to do was capture these and complete the mission.

"Shall we eat first before finishing up?"

However, it seemed Choi Kanghu had no intention of finishing up so quickly. From his [Subspace], he pulled out a large picnic mat, a basket, and an assortment of picnic supplies.

Waving his hand lazily at the surrounding jungle, trees were uprooted, and the rough ground was leveled. A finely woven mat was laid across the flat surface, followed by a table and chairs, along with a variety of camping gear neatly arranged in place.

Choi Kanghu opened the picnic basket with the enthusiasm of a boy going on his first outing, revealing a steaming hot dish of freshly cooked steamed crabs placed in the center of the table.

"What is this…?"

"You missed mealtime while rushing around, didn’t you?"

The man, who could go a month without feeling hunger, had a determined look on his face as he pulled out a chair for her. Dazed, Ryu Seoha sat down and stared blankly at the seemingly endless stream of food emerging from the picnic basket.