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Translator: penny
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Lee Soo-ah's FLEX
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Lee Soo-ah ran a search.
- Ways to absorb a mana stone and impregnate a higher grade.
Something like that was never going to come up in the results.
- Hunters who absorb mana stones
There was a little information on this one, but it said that nowadays it was practically impossible, and even SSS-grade Hunters could only inefficiently draw out a tiny amount of mana from mana stones at best.
"Then... does that mean Kang Jik is an SSS-grade Hunter?"
She'd made up her mind to go through with it, but every time, rationality reared its head and grabbed at her ankles, making it far from easy.
Still, she started by searching for mana stone prices first.
Lee Soo-ah's strength was that once she set her mind to something, she saw it through completely.
She'd been that way since she was young.
Looks, figure.
Even before she'd fully grown into them, Lee Soo-ah had believed in her singing talent and prepared to become an idol.
Her parents' unwavering trust and support played a part, but the things she'd pursued with that kind of conviction from a young age had never once failed her up to now. Even after earning her share of "world's top singer" titles, she hadn't hesitated to take on new challenges.
When she started acting, people said,
Why risk a reckless challenge when she had a perfect career as an idol and singer-songwriter?
Lee Soo-ah replied,
"There's no reason not to, right?"
She'd dived headfirst into becoming an idol with nothing but bare ground beneath her. In a situation where failure carried no risk at all and she could just try again, was there any reason not to?
Out of fear of becoming a "bad actor" complaint despite her perfect singer career, or an idol riding on popularity?
If anything, she felt more nervous and scared now than back then.
This was giving away the virginity she'd guarded with 28 years of conviction.
It wasn't just receiving seed once and done; if it didn't take, she might have to keep receiving until it did.
Honestly, what scared her most was if that seed turned out to be just a scam by this guy Kang Jik.
If it was even a 1% chance of some ridiculous con where he just wanted to sleep with her by any means necessary.
Then Lee Soo-ah's mental state would really break.
It felt like there'd be nothing left in the world to believe in.
At the same time, she thought that if he was that kind of man, he might be terrifying.
To deceive just her, he'd recruited an SS-grade Hunter, scripted it all out meticulously like a movie?
Even roped in the Semi Guild?
Since it was a challenge with an unknown outcome, worries bordering on delusions crept in.
She buried the anxiety in a corner of her heart and headed to the Hunter Association to buy a mana stone.
"...You'd like to purchase an S-grade mana stone?"
"Yes. Can't civilians buy them?"
"It's not impossible, but S-grade mana stones usually only appear at auctions, so only Hunters with auction participation rights can bid."
The Hunter Association's mana stone sales staff explained kindly while looking at Lee Soo-ah.
If it had been someone else, especially a civilian, there wouldn't even have been an explanation.
S-grade mana stones cost over 50 billion won.
And prices had been steadily rising, so tomorrow's auction for an S-grade mana stone had a minimum bid of 50 billion, but estimates put it over 55 billion, maybe even nearing 60 billion.
The staff member, a fan of Lee Soo-ah, didn't know why a civilian wanted one but politely explained how anyway.
"Thank you."
Lee Soo-ah immediately contacted Han Se-mi.
Han Se-mi agreed readily without hearing the details.
The S-grade mana stone auction at the Hunter Association auction house drew representatives from various guilds and companies that used mana stones.
The bidding was fierce.
The moment it surpassed 60 billion.
Even Han Se-mi watching from the side found it steep, but the bidding dragged on and finally closed at 68 billion.
"...Soo-ah, what do you need an S-grade mana stone for? At 68 billion, it's too pricey for investment."
It wasn't the time to ask right after the auction, but Han Se-mi cautiously inquired.
Mana stone prices did rise gradually, but not by leaps like this.
From B-grade to A-grade to S-grade, prices skyrocketed, but the total mana amount didn't increase that much.
Instead, the mana density deepened.
It allowed high efficiency from small amounts, so S-grade stones weren't often used as widespread energy sources like B-grades unless for highly concentrated work.
They were limited to specific applications.
So buying way above market price didn't mean supply shortages would send prices jumping like Seoul real estate.
Of course, if some massive new use case emerged, that'd be different.
But did Lee Soo-ah have any reason to invest like that? Especially at such a premium?
Lee Soo-ah smiled and said,
"I read somewhere that having an S-grade mana stone raises your awakening odds."
"...Was there research like that?"
It was pure fabrication, of course, but Han Se-mi had once pushed to enter a dungeon just because it supposedly raised awakening chances, so she let it slide without pressing.
It had been just two days since she'd decided to get pregnant.
But this wasn't the end.
"Tomorrow, right..."
The day Kang Jik was heading to Hwaseong.
Lee Soo-ah wanted to get pregnant before he left for Hwaseong, no matter what.
If it was real, she could wait a full month gladly, but if not, she'd have to wait anxiously again.
At least trying first would put her mind more at ease.
She sent a DM, and Kang Jik said he was coming.
While waiting, Lee Soo-ah pondered.
"...What should I wear?"
Today was the day she really got pregnant.
The thought made her face burn as she recalled the rough hand that had gripped her breast that day.
It had felt good.
No, weird.
It was the first time in her life some strange man had groped her body like that.
Nothing like the somewhat forceful hands of the professional female masseuse she'd had before.
Not even comparable.
What was it? Kang Jik's touch carried the scent—or intent—of a male toying with a female.
And strangely, she couldn't forget that feeling.
Her breasts heated up at his brushing touches, and when he squeezed hard—something that should hurt—she let out an indecent sound.
His stubbly lips against her earlobe sent such a thrilling chill through it that she blurted out "Here?" without thinking.
Today wouldn't end there.
Breasts fondled, earlobe nibbled.
And further—her intimate place touched, seen, penetrated by his dick.
No fresh 20-year-old expectations or fears.
She had no experience, but she'd seen and heard about it enough to be sick of it.
The conflict was only over how to approach the process.
It wasn't a normal relationship.
If she'd called her loving boyfriend over for bed and told him to have some ramen first, she'd have donned a thin slip like an apron over nothing, matching the mood to draw out his instincts, just like last time.
But this was a transaction.
Sex solely for impregnation, no love or emotions involved.
"Just... hmm..."
No woman going for a massage dresses in pretty or sexy underwear.
Thinking of it that way, there was no need to wear a slip to look pretty.
But still? Why bother?
It was her house, sex was obvious—dressing to deliberately cover up felt like she was conscious of him, which she didn't want.
In the end, she made her own choice.
"Hello."
"Hey. Oh... nice outfit."
"...Just what I wear at home."
"You looked pretty last time too. No cardigan makes it even hotter."
"..."
A single thin slip.
Normally she'd wear a cardigan to cover her shoulders, but not today.
Like someone moderately preparing for sex.
But not overly so.
Kang Jik's casual, blatant compliment eased the tension in Lee Soo-ah's heart a bit.
Why did such straightforward words feel more professional somehow?
This guy had said Im Hyeji was his first, and he didn't have much impregnation experience.
Did that mean he'd been with lots of women?
Absolutely not.
His face and body alone made any worry of feelings developing vanish—she felt confident he could treat it purely as business.
Kang Jik looked around the house before eyeing her curvier-than-mouth-suggests body.
"The mana stone?"
"Ah!"
Lee Soo-ah went to her room and brought out the mana stone she'd won at auction.
A small, luxurious box held the stone.
"Absorb it, right? You absorb it here and use it right away?"
She asked before handing it over.
She'd already crossed the point of no return, but she still wanted to see him absorb it rather than take it away.
Only then could she dispel that last handful of doubt it wasn't a scam.
Kang Jik replied matter-of-factly.
"Of course. I'll absorb it right here and pump that mana straight into your womb through my semen, Lee Soo-ah. Fill you up and get you pregnant."
"..."
Why did his confident demeanor look so manly?
Silly, stupid thought in a silly, stupid situation.
She carefully offered the box, and he took it.
"Gonna use it anyway, why the fancy packaging... or did Semi Guild just toss it in a plastic bag...?"
He grumbled while undoing the clasp and opened the box.
Seeing the fairly large stone, he said,
"Whoa. If A-grade's this big..."
Then he checked the stone.
".....Huh? S-grade? You bought an S-grade?"
He didn't drop the stone but let the box fall with a thud, staring at Lee Soo-ah in shock.
Grabbing her hands tightly, Kang Jik said with blazing eyes,
"I'll definitely get you pregnant."
"...!"
In a flash, he scooped her up princess-style and headed to the bedroom.
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