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Translator: penny
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Dangling Down There
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I spent the time waiting for Dokgo Hwaryeon, deliberately dragging it out to build her anticipation. Her judgment must have clouded just a bit by now.
Dokgo Hwaryeon lived in the Level 2 dormitory. She had high growth potential, but she wasn't overwhelmingly strong right now—somewhere between mid-tier and upper-mid.
"Whoa, this is amazing."
Dokgo Hwaryeon stepped inside cautiously, but she was soon completely captivated by the allure of the Level 3 dorm. The more she looked around, the more her enthusiasm visibly swelled.
"Hwaryeon, this is our tribe's exclusive training method. You must never tell anyone else. Never—it's our little secret, just between us two."
"O-okay. Got it. I won't tell a soul. Not even my mom."
Dokgo Hwaryeon nodded. She swallowed hard, focusing intently on my words. I could sense the presence of her spirit, the Flame Tiger, hovering around her.
'That's the mark of a true hero.'
A hero has to be able to sense spirits. One who can't commune with them isn't a hero at all. Both she and I could detect each other's spirits, of course. Though it's possible to hide their presence too.
"So..."
Now it was time to teach her the training method I'd made up. One with zero connection to actually getting stronger. I casually stripped off my shirt.
"J-Johnson!?"
Dokgo Hwaryeon jumped in shock, covering her eyes. It was a girlish reaction, uncharacteristic of her bold personality. Then, peeking through slightly spread fingers, she started scanning the situation.
For now, I'd only taken off my shirt. As a male specimen, my upper body was impressive—muscles rippling powerfully. I'd finished pumping iron before she arrived, boasting a body that looked ready to burst.
"Hwaryeon, to practice our tribe's handed-down method, we must disrobe."
"...Disrobe?"
"Yes."
Dokgo Hwaryeon hugged her chest protectively. It was like she was trying to hide her ample breasts—anyone would think she was the one stripping.
I stood tall and confident. No hesitation or fumbling allowed here. I acted like this was the proper procedure for getting stronger. Take it or leave it—that was my vibe.
"It's to sense the spirits more clearly with your whole body."
"W-wait! Hold on! Stop! Stop!"
I started unbuckling my belt, looking ready to drop my pants right then. Dokgo Hwaryeon frantically grabbed my wrist, blocking my lower undressing.
"What's wrong? Don't you want to get stronger, Hwaryeon?"
"I do! But I didn't expect it'd be like this...!"
Dokgo Hwaryeon's hand was tiny. Compared to Black Johnson, it felt adorably precious—a cute little fist that dreamed of protecting others. Ambitious.
"Everyone in our tribe gets strong this way. If you can't do it, Hwaryeon, no hard feelings, yo."
"..."
I let go of my belt. Slipped my shirt back on from where it'd been tossed on the floor. I radiated the vibe that I was done sharing the method. Dokgo Hwaryeon mumbled something.
"N-no, it's not that I can't. J-just caught me off guard, that's all. Our cultures are so different, huh."
Dokgo Hwaryeon tried to justify her reaction. Honestly, from Black Johnson's perspective, sharing or not sharing the method changed nothing for me. She was the desperate one.
'We've only known each other less than a week, so some wariness is natural.'
It hadn't been long since the entrance ceremony. Baring one's chest—or breasts—in front of a strange guy? Not easy. But to get stronger, it was a hurdle she had to clear.
"Hwaryeon, do you really want to get stronger?"
"...I do."
"Then empty your mind of distractions, yo."
There was one way for Dokgo Hwaryeon to get stronger: awaken her communion with her spirit, the Flame Tiger. Her link failed because her bond with it was weaker than her experience level suggested.
'She's hit the level requirement, but lacks the conditions.'
There are plenty of ways to get stronger without linking. The most efficient is feeding spirit stones. Give the Flame Tiger a fire spirit stone, and it'd power up instantly. But that wouldn't enable linking.
Easy if you know, impossible if you don't. Spirit stones cost a fortune anyway—hard for a cadet to afford. Supply couldn't keep up with demand.
"I know what you're thinking, why you're hesitating. It saddens me you see me that way, but I get it, yo."
"That's not it. I was rude. You're not hurt, right?"
"I'm fine."
I made my disappointment obvious. She'd treated me like a pervert trash—how could that feel good? Dokgo Hwaryeon glanced at me cautiously.
She was the one begging for link training to get stronger. I was just the generous saint trying to help—not some creep deserving that treatment.
Dokgo Hwaryeon knew it too. If she had any shame, she'd recognize her fault. I tossed my shirt off again, baring my solid muscles right in front of her watching eyes.
Dokgo Hwaryeon's face flushed beet red, blending perfectly with her hair color. It was so red you couldn't tell where her face ended.
"You too, Hwaryeon—bare your skin, yo. Feel it with your whole body."
"..."
Dokgo Hwaryeon pressed her lips tight. She squeezed her eyes shut and unzipped her hoodie. Underneath was a light t-shirt. Her slender, pale arms looked deliciously tempting.
'Compared to my skin, it turns me on even more.'
Mine was darker than tanned bronze. Heroine-like snow-white skin wafting feminine allure. I suppressed the urge to pounce.
Even in a novel world, reality is reality. Rampage without prep, and you're done. I didn't want to play villain, so I had to take it step by step.
"Fully bare. Everything down below too—must contact the air for it to work, yo."
"Everything... down below?"
"I'll demonstrate first, Hwaryeon."
Before Dokgo Hwaryeon could stop me, I dropped my pants.
"Kyaaak!"
Dokgo Hwaryeon freaked, covering her eyes and turning away. I stripped off my underwear too, tossing it at her feet.
"Heok!"
My underwear touched her foot. Realizing what it was, she gasped dramatically, stomping and kicking it away.
"Spirit possession means inviting the spirit into your body. Key is allowing it free passage."
Dokgo Hwaryeon had her back fully turned. No reason to wait for her to compose herself—I naturally began explaining the method.
"That's why more communion stacks the odds, yo. Trust with the spirit, embracing each other's existence—that's the first step to linking."
I wove in some appropriate lore. Novel foundation stuff—it always blew characters' minds. Dokgo Hwaryeon's head tilted slightly my way.
Still covering her eyes, but peeking. Our gazes met. She struggled not to look down.
'Spirit possession fuses hero and spirit as one.'
Hero and spirit must trust each other. Spirit permeates the hero's flesh; hero infuses will into the spirit's core. Beyond normal communion.
'Show her the link first.'
Start by telling her the heights she could reach if she followed well. Earth or stone spirits are messy to clean up after, so I invited Iron into my body.
"Yes, the spirit lends me its power."
"...Really?"
As I prepared to show the link, her fingers spread wider. Round eyes stared at me. Desire to grow stronger overrode shame.
"Check out my arm, yo."
"You're linking right now?"
"Yes, exactly."
I let Iron dwell in my right arm. Strength no human muscle could match. In that state, I approached Dokgo Hwaryeon.
"Eek...!"
"Hwaryeon, touch and feel it. This is the link—the realm you crave..."
I took her hand and placed it on my arm. She recoiled but didn't pull away. Feeling my linked body, she sensed the changes.
"Is your spirit just the one fire spirit, Hwaryeon?"
"Y-yeah. The Flame Tiger is all I have."
"Succeed in linking, and your body'll blaze like flames, yo. Can't wait."
Heroes who can link vs. those who can't—the gap is huge. Borrowing and unleashing spirit power vs. firing it directly. Worlds apart.
Dokgo Hwaryeon gazed at me with a strange look. Admired my body, turned to iron itself by Iron's power.
No lust in her eyes. Pure awe and envy for someone in another league. She genuinely wanted strength.
"First link successes are narrow. One arm, one leg—even a single finger for some tribesfolk, yo."
"You can expand it over time? Keep repeating the training?"
"No, training hits limits. It's a degraded version of our tribe's secret arts, yo."
I strengthened my link with Iron, ramping from 10% to 100%. My whole body turned to iron. I guided her hand to explore it slowly.
"I sense the spirit fully. Not limited to one spot—whole body infused. Thanks to our tribe's secrets."
"Whoa, so solid. This is linking with an iron spirit...!"
Dokgo Hwaryeon stroked my body dreamily. Less like touching a man's body, more like a iron statue.
But it didn't last—she snapped to what she was doing. Because I'd guided her hand lower.
"Linking changes that part's material to the spirit's element. Link with Iron, and even your dick turns iron, yo."
"...Wh-what? Huh?"
I slyly placed her hand on my dick. Lost in exploring my body, she groped it—like squeezing iron muscle.
Not erect, just hanging limp, but massive beyond Asian standards. Satisfying heft.
"What is this—ah, aaah! J-J-Johnson?! What the hell! Why make me touch your dick all of a sudden?!"
"Contract a tough spirit, and you gain defense. Link converts your build to deflect attacks, yo."
"I know that! Why'd you make me touch your dick?!"
"Hwaryeon?"
"Y-you trash...!"
Dokgo Hwaryeon shoved my body away. Klang—solid impact echoed. Tears welled as she whimpered.
"Eek, ow! It hurts...!"
"Hwaryeon, what's wrong?"
"G-get away! Unlink before you come closer! Your dick's dangling everywhere! Kyaaaa!"
I barely held back laughter, keeping distance. But no dressing. We were here for official reasons.
"Full body exposure to air for link training, yo. Planning to keep your clothes on, Hwaryeon?"
"M-maybe normal in Johnson's country! But in Korea, boys and girls sit separately after seven—can't see each other naked... Agh, it's growing! Don't get it up! No boner!"
"Okay, I'll try."
Too much for today, but someday we'd train fully nude. Already looking forward to it.
Dokgo Hwaryeon followed along in just a short-sleeve tee for now. Day one—no effects felt. Not that there were any to begin with.