Si-hyun didn’t contact me until Wednesday, the day we were scheduled to depart for the Gate expedition.

  For some reason, reaching out to him first felt like admitting defeat, so I didn’t even try. In the end, I just killed time training at home.

  My Ability was still lacking, but with decent gear in actual combat, things should be different. Thinking that, I practiced my spear thrusts diligently.

  Still, getting no word from Si-hyun until the day of left me feeling a little down.

  It took me a while to wonder why I felt that way.

  Maybe it was my period, but more than that, my mood had been shifting more often lately.

  Was my mind changing along with my body? The thought scared me.

  And the conclusion was always the same:

  What could I do? It was like a natural disaster. I’d resist as much as I could, but in the end, I’d change.

  Then, on the long-awaited Wednesday morning, another worry hit me:

  Should I wear my combat gear from the start, or carry it separately and change just before entering the Gate?

  I’d worn it a few times during training to get used to it, but the rider-style suit was skin-tight, leaving nothing to the imagination.

  The idea of being seen in it by others made me shy.

  So I was stressing over what to do about the outfit.

  In the end, I decided to wear it from the beginning.

  I figured I could just throw a long coat over it to hide my figure, that thought sealed the deal.

  I checked my reflection in the mirror again, fully geared up, boots and gloves included.

  Hmm… If I were still a guy, I’d probably whistle at the sight, that’s how I looked in the mirror now.

  But now… Being the one being looked at felt strange. Ashamed, and just the thought of being judged made me inexplicably irritated.

  I met Si-hyun wrapped in my thigh-length coat. He looked exhausted.

  “Hey.”

  “You’re here? Let’s go.”

  Si-hyun was in casual clothes.

  Probably planning to change into his gear near the Gate.

  It took about an hour to reach the Gate site. Besides lodging, there were Magic Stone dealers and Hunters who’d arrived early.

  “There are more people than I expected.”

  “Yeah. We might not even see a single Monster.”

  I agreed with Si-hyun.

  This Gate had weak Monsters and low danger, making it a popular spot for Hunters.

  Si-hyun quickly started changing into his combat wear.

  He’d been wearing loose clothes and just layered the Armor over them.

  He had a leather chest piece, sturdy-looking walking boots, and gauntlets.

  A fairly light getup.

  “Didn’t Oppa get you gear?”

  Remembering I’d asked Oppa to prepare equipment for Si-hyun, I spoke up.

  “This is from him. It’s all good stuff.”

  “Really? But a lot of areas seem unprotected…”

  “Thanks to my awakened ability, my body’s tougher than normal Armor. Don’t worry.”

  It might be true, but how could I not worry when it involved a friend.

  “Ahem!”

  I cleared my throat and took off my coat.

  Even with the chest binder, I was embarrassed about how my breasts still showed.

  Si-hyun’s cheeks flushed slightly when he saw me like this.

  Damn… That reaction just made me shyer.

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  At first I thought it was fine, but facing this situation made me realize I should probably change my equipment.

  "Is... is that your gear?"

  "Yeah, my brother gave it to me. Is it weird?"

  "No? It suits you."

  Even though it was a compliment, I couldn't simply accept it.

  "Anyway, let's go."

  We headed toward the Gate and showed our Hunter licenses to the administration official.

  "Do you need guidance for your first expedition?"

  "No."

  "Then you must register both when entering and exiting. Please remember that capturing Monsters alive inside the Gate is prohibited."

  "Understood."

  "Please act within your limits and prioritize safety."

  What a kind official.

  Standing before the Gate, I trembled slightly.

  Not from fear of the other world-

  That must have been excitement. The thrill of stepping into the unknown. And also, the excitement of becoming a real Hunter.

  "Let's go."

  Si-hyun said as he stepped into the Gate.

  Not romantic at all.

  I jumped straight into the Gate right in front of me.

  Though darkness briefly enveloped my vision, in less than a second I saw the scenery, an endless grassland.

  "Wow~ So this is the other world?"

  The clear air was completely different from the city, and in the distance was an emerald green grassland rarely seen even in the countryside... along with other Hunters running around chasing Wild Oxen...

  Watching them, this mysterious other world suddenly felt different.

  "Alright, let's get moving too."

  While I was mysteriously touring the other world, Si-hyun still prioritized acting as a Hunter.

  "Yeah, let's go."

  I drew my spear and followed Si-hyun.

  The area near the Gate entrance had already been cleared of Monsters by earlier Hunters, so we headed deeper in.

  Soon we spotted three Wild Oxen.

  With no other Hunters around, it was our chance.

  "There are three."

  "Yeah, how should we handle this?"

  "Can you retrieve that spear if you throw it?"

  "Uh, I can retrieve it, but I'm not sure I can hit."

  Thanks to the Artifact boosting my power to C-Class, but my accuracy was still unknown.

  "Hitting would be best, but even if you miss, it should at least draw the Monsters' attention. Let's do that."

  "Okay, should I throw it then?"

  "Yeah, remember the formation?"

  "You frontline, I backline."

  "Don't hold back. This is our first battle, go all out."

  I nodded and took a javelin throw stance.

  Though Mother had taught me javelin throwing, I wasn't skilled at it.

  After a short run-up, I leaned forward and put my whole body's strength into my arm as I threw the spear.

  Perhaps due to C-Class strength, the spear cut through the air with a whistle and pierced one of the Wild Oxen's bodies.

  "They're coming!"

  I immediately recalled my Artifact spear and gripped it again.

  The injured Wild Ox couldn't charge at full strength due to its wound, while the remaining two rushed at us.

  Si-hyun struck the lead Wild Ox's head with a knife-hand chop, its skull cracking with a crunch. The last one he stopped by intercepting its charge with his body.

  I moved to Si-hyun's left and drove my spear into the Wild Ox's neck.

  I felt the blade cutting through flesh, but I didn't panic.

  I quickly pulled the spear out and delivered multiple rapid thrusts to vital areas including internal organs.

  The Artifact-enhanced strength showed remarkable results, my doubled arm strength made spear handling much easier.

  After about a dozen thrusts from me, the Wild Ox collapsed.

  Si-hyun released the subdued Wild Ox, and it thudded to the ground.

  The initially speared Wild Ox charged belatedly, but Si-hyun's front kick directly broke its neck, killing it.

  Our first battle ended in overwhelming victory.

  After confirming our victory, my hands began to tremble, this was the ecstasy of a Hunter fulfilling their mission.

  "Haha! We did it! We actually did it!"

  I looked at Si-hyun, who also wore a relieved expression.

  "Yeah, it's our victory."

  Unable to contain my joy, I grabbed Si-hyun's hand and shook it excitedly.

  "I did well, right? I was helpful, wasn't I!"

  "Yeah, you did good."

  "Really?"

  "You landed precise spear strikes and even took down one alone when you understood my intention, right?"

  Si-hyun's praise made me ecstatic, and I started jumping around to vent my excitement.

  "Hooray! I'm a Hunter now too!"

  My near-hysterical celebration was stopped when Si-hyun placed a hand on my shoulder.

  "Enough. I know you're happy."

  "Ah! Sorry. But I'm just so thrilled."

  "Time to wrap things up."

  The final step of hunting was collecting Magic Stones from the Monsters' bodies.

  I sliced open the Wild Ox's belly with my spear, quickly cutting through flesh to reveal a glowing blue Magic Stone.

  We collected stones from all three Wild Oxen and stored a suitable amount in our backpack.

  Initially, Magic Stones were useless, serving only as proof that Awakened had slain Monsters. But after energy conversion technology was invented, sparking a global energy revolution, their value skyrocketed to one million won per kilogram.

  The three Wild Oxen had yielded only about five grams total.

  To earn today's pay, we'd need to hunt at least a hundred.

  Riding the momentum of our first victory, we searched intently for Monster traces.

  Whether I was naturally suited for combat or Si-hyun's commands were just that effective, we hunted smoothly without any incidents, eventually taking down over seventy Monsters.

  Unfortunately, the total Magic Stones weighed only around 100 grams, worth about 100,000 won.

  "Kind of underwhelming."

  "Yeah, this income alone won't cover living expenses."

  Though we encountered more Monsters, the competition was too fierce.

  "We chose this mid-level Gate for practical training today. If we went to a C-Class Gate with fewer competitors, it'd be different."

  C-Class Gates not only had Monsters with larger Magic Stones but also valuable byproducts from their corpses.

  The problem was me, even with the Artifact's adjustments, my lacking skills remained a weak link.

  Si-hyun could probably handle C-Class with ease, maybe even B-Class.

  Suddenly feeling like I was holding Si-hyun back, my mood soured.

  We'd been in the Gate for over eight hours and decided to head back.

  On the return path, we passed other returning Hunters or those heading deeper.

  Earlier, distracted by first-expedition nerves, the thrill of initial success, and the monotony of repeated hunts, I hadn't noticed. But now, with the adrenaline faded, I looked around and realized everyone's eyes were on me.

  The problem was my outfit.

  Even with the straps tightened, this rider suit accentuated my prominent chest and figure, making it perfect bait for male attention, every passerby stared openly.

  Worse, once I noticed their gazes, I felt them sticking to me everywhere.

  I wished it was paranoia, but these stares were undeniably real.

  "Ugh..."

  I tried to act normal, but the lewd looks were hard to bear.

  With no other options, I pressed close behind Si-hyun, using him as a shield.

  Grabbing onto this human barrier reduced the staring somewhat, so I clung even tighter.

  I stayed so close I bumped into his back multiple times, but that was the least of my concerns.

  I just wanted to get out of this Gate as fast as possible.

  -

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