ERO ACADEMY

[Ordinary Orc Onahole]
[A creation by imbuing the persona of an orc from the beastly lineage into an onahole. Characterized by its coarse texture]
[Rarity: C]
[Tightness: C+ Durability: C Warmth: D Responsiveness: D] [Personality remains intact (100%)]

[Achieved first collection of Orc Onahole!]
[Strength: +3]
[Agility: +3]
[Skill: +3]
[Stamina: +3]

[Orc Onahole (Masterpiece)]
[Rarity: C+]
[Tightness: C+ Durability: C+ Warmth: C Responsiveness: D] [Personality remains intact (100%)]

[Collected the Orc Onahole (Masterpiece)]
[Strength: +2]

"Onahole inventory open."

Regrettably, it did not possess the touch of a masterful work.
Henna squats down and joins me in collecting the onaholes.

"It looks cute. I feel all jittery."
"…"

Yuuna, seemingly not wanting to touch it with her hands, folds her arms and pretends not to care.
Her reaction is understandable; I don't feel particularly eager to handle it either.
I am merely gathering them as an unavoidable byproduct of my abilities.

Even so, the Onahole was substantial, far too enticing.

"If you've obtained the collection bonus, there's no need to gather the rest, right?"
"True. It's not like I'm going to use them."
"Then let's leave them and go. When would we have time to find all those things and take them?"

Picking them up had become tiresome, as they were mixed in with the orc shells.
I agreed with Yuuna's words and stood up.

"The leader should be nearby."

Yuuna was right.
In a nearby room, an orc with the appearance of a warrior awaited us.

[Orc Champion]
[The leader of the orcs. Possesses advanced combat skills and a massive stature.]

"Grrroooaaarrr!"

Bang!
I immediately pulled the trigger on my Glock. But this brute deflected my bullet with the sword in his hand, as if he had seen it coming.

'Really has it in for firearms…'

Anyone could tell that his swing was aided by some system correction. That.
It was as if in a game, the orc's arm moved simultaneously with the pull of my trigger, as though saying, "You can't cheap-shot me from afar~."

"Don't worry. We'll create an opening for you."

With that, Yuuna dashed forward to pave the way for me.

"I'll shatter their defenses! Henna, follow up!"
"Understood!"

I merely observed, my weapon lowered.

"Grrraaargh!"

Yuuna evaded the Orc Champion's mighty sword swing as if flowing like water while leaping,
slicing through the hefty orc's thigh with her own blade and forcing it to its knees.
Henna struck the orc's torso with a magical assault as if she had been waiting, rendering the creature a defenseless target.

"Kuuuugh!?"
"Now's the time! Kim Sang-hyuk!"

In reverence of the duo's collaboration, I aimed my Glock.

'Ejection chamber.'

Bang! Bang!

"Urrrggh!?"

The Orc Champion collapsed, expelling a viscous substance as it fell.
I smirked, lowering the muzzle and steadying my stance.

"Break free from the mundane world and become an Onahole…"

With a soft *pop*, the orc's viscous remains transformed into a masterpiece.

"If it weren't for your good looks, that comment would be criminal."
"Become an Onahole! Yap!"
"Henna, you're always imitating Kim Sang-hyuk."

"What does it matter? I'm a grown adult."

I collect the last Onahole that fell beneath the champion.
I had a good feeling about it from the moment I caught it.

[Orc Onahole (Masterpiece)]
[Orc Onahole (Masterpiece), which appears about one in every 1,000, has excellent jelly quality due to being acquired by capturing the champion. Exquisite roughness and strong tightening]
[Tightening B, Durability B, Warmth C, Reaction D] [Personality does not collapse (100%)]

[Collected Orc Onahole (Masterpiece)]
[Technique +5]
[Agility +4]
[Strength +5]
[Magic +3]

[Level has increased]
[Level has increased]

[Achievement "Conqueror of Orc Onahole" obtained]
[Strength +3]

[[You never knew you'd become a hole]Collection bonus achieved!]

Ah~~.
Sweet. Oh, so sweet!

"How is it? Do you like the Glock?"
"Except for the frequent breakdowns."
"If you improve your skills, it will be resolved."

'Skills'…
I need the power to detach the curse clinging to Henna. Perhaps I should focus on strength for the second priority.

"You mentioned we could purchase stats, right? Can I buy them from a devil merchant?"

Yuuna gazed at me as if I were a ghost.

"A devil merchant? How do you, a D-class, know about that?"

In Yuuna's voice, rather than a feeling of dismissing me as a D-class, there was a sense of astonishment, as if to say, 'There's no way a D-class would know of such an entity.'

"I thought I saw it emerge from this dungeon."
"…"

Yuuna's expression turned grave.

"Did I make a mistake?"
"No… I'll explain later."

Koo-goo-goo-goo. At that moment, the dungeon began to tremble.

[『Orc Extermination』 condition fulfilled]
[Strengthening the golden zone… Dungeon rank rises to B]
[Reward added]

The underground ruins suddenly ascended to the surface, transforming into a scorching desert where the relentless sun blazed down. The change wasn't limited to the setting. The bodies of the orcs we had slain were coated in gold and began to rise once more.

"Henna! Come this way!"
"Okay!"

All the orcs we had defeated were resurrected.

'Did they lose their personalities?'

Their movements appeared devoid of intellect, as if controlled by an unseen force.

[「Insight・Crimson」Activation]
[Golden Orc]
[Class B]
[Reborn under the dominion of the Golden Territory, this monster has grown stronger.]
[Golden Orc Champion]
[Class B+]
[An elite beast reborn under the dominion of the Golden Territory. It has become much more powerful.]

"Stay right behind me!"

Yuuna gripped her sword tightly and spoke with a tense expression.

"Our opponent is a B-rank monster. There might not be time to protect you, so stay alert."

The battle began immediately, without any time for preparation.
Henna swiftly unleashed an intangible magical attack, but the Golden Orc's body didn't budge an inch.

"Ah…! Magic isn't working…"

Yuuna swung her sword with precision, felling the advancing Orcs like autumn leaves.
From this point on, it was truly Yuuna's solo performance.

'Personality expulsion might help, but…'

In this situation, there was a chance that Yuuna's back might be exposed to an attack.
That thought held Sang-hyuk back from stepping forward too quickly.
For now, he focused on maintaining distance to protect Henna.

"You're doing well, Kim Sang-hyuk."
"Princess! I believe in you!"
"I'll show you why I'm a B-rank solo fighter."

It wasn't merely a tough girl fighting in her school uniform.

'Is this a pro?'

Yuuna seemed to shine even more, far from being intimidated, despite the vicious golden monsters swarming around her.
The sword techniques she displayed when blocking the passage were truly just the tip of the iceberg.

The wide-reaching 「Mountain Stream Slash」
The rapid 「Furious Dance」 that instantly hacked away at the clinging enemies

Yuuna's A-class attack skills demolished the sturdy bodies of the golden orcs.

"One went that way!"

Henna promptly utilized her magic, but it only served to excite the golden orc even more.

"Eek!!"

The terrified Henna clung to me.

"Sa, Sang-hyuk. Let's run away…!"
"No."

Now that the mob's level has increased, I should finally be able to show off my true form.
If I falter now, I'll really hold a grudge against you, Enn.
Please let me make a cool impression in front of the heroine…

I aimed my Glock and fired three shots into the golden orc's chest.
The standard Mozambique drill involves two rounds to the chest and one to the head to increase stopping power.
But…

'Two shots to the chest and one to the stomach with the excretion drill.'

A single shot to the stomach is the decisive blow.
Bang! Bang! Bang!

The orcs were being controlled by the power of gold, so there were no amusing reactions.

[Level has increased]

They collapsed easily.
I had wondered what they would excrete when they didn't even have a personality for it, and golden jelly emerged.
But soon the jelly dissipated along with the orc's golden coating.

It seemed like it was a pseudo-personality used to manipulate the orcs.
I even managed to make them excrete that.

"It's okay now."
"Is it really okay…?"

Henna holds me tightly and looks up at me with tearful eyes.

'Hmm. This is what being the main character tastes like.'

It's obvious but delicious.
As much as the warmth and softness of her breasts touching my body.
Soon, Yuuna was nearly finished clearing the other side.

And then,
Finally, she faces the boss.

"Argh!"

This time, even B-rank soloist Yuuna seemed to be struggling quite a bit.
The opponent was an enhanced B-rank boss. Breaking their posture was no easy task.

"Yuuna! Can you do it?"
"I can do it… or not!!"

Compared to the Orcs, Yuuna was much smaller and more petite, yet she was still able to compete with them in strength. It was truly amazing. Soon, the gleam of her sword flashed, and her landscape-cutting strike, which sliced through the vast space in three swift motions, hit its mark.

"Kurreuk!?"
"Deherit… you despicable fiend!"

'Haha…'

With the spirit befitting a leader, Yuuna deftly vanquished the B-class elite boss.

[Dungeon Clear]
[Contribution 71% MVP Yuuna Nakamori]
[Others – Kim Sang-hyuk, Henna Isis]

"Wow, Yuuna is incredible!" Henna exclaimed in admiration.

This time, the protagonist was none other than Yuuna. She struck down the massive, unruly monster with a single sword, and walked towards them with an air of confidence. Never had they expected to feel such awe from a girl strolling in her fluttering school uniform skirt.

"You worked hard, Yuuna."
"Did you fill in some contributions this time, Kim Sang-hyuk?"
"Thanks to the weapon someone bought me. What?"

As if parched, Yuuna rummaged through her bag for water and drank it without any hesitation.

"Do you want some?"

Could it be due to the scorching sun? Since they had come outside, everyone had broken into quite a sweat.

I obediently take it and drink.

"Will it be demolished soon?"
"Not yet. If it's true that a demon merchant is coming out…"

What on earth is that?

"Is there a problem?"
"First, I'll distribute the earnings."

[Leader Yuuna Nakamori requests a deal]
[Henna Isis – 960 coins]
[Kim Sang-hyuk – 1,188 coins]

"It's less than I thought."
"This is a considerable amount for a single B-class dungeon. For your information, I have two thousand coins."

Is the distribution at the leader's discretion?

"If you want to raise an objection, tell me now."

Henna shook her head.

"It's my first time receiving a share, so I'm happy… Hehe…"
"...."

Yuuna's eyes sharpen.

"Did you steal his money…?"
"I, I don't know anything about that…"

I seize her first, but Yuuna's suspicious gaze doesn't vanish.

"You know that if you steal money in the hunter industry, you'll be buried alive, right?"
"I didn't know before, but I have no intention of stealing…"
"Uh! Yes… Sa, Sang-hyuk, it's okay to give it all to me. I am…"

"Even if the person involved is okay with it, it's not allowed! That's the law!"

Considering Yuuna's personality, if she had given me more, she would have, without holding back. Instead, I took 400 coins from those deposited on my student ID and handed them to Yuuna.

"I'll pay you back right away, Yuuna."
"I already deducted it from the money you were supposed to receive."
"Was my contribution that high…?"

Yuuna can't meet my gaze.

"Well, you did better than I thought… so consider it a reward."
"As you suggested, I did consider choosing something other than a gun."
"It certainly suited you better than a knife."

It seems she recognized my fighting style.
A style that involves attaching an easy-to-handle handgun to a melee combat base.

"I'm sorry I wasn't helpful at the end…"
"Is it because of the contribution? Don't be so nervous! Stand up straight."

Yuuna pats Henna on the back as her shoulders droop.
I got that too.

"But… it was actually low…"
"Contributions are usually swept away by the main dealer. However, the person who receives the most recognition at the party is the one who supports well."

"If I didn't have Henna, I would have been rolling around on the ground with an orc."
"...."

As I added my praise, Henna's cheeks flushed red. I rolled up my sleeves and gazed up at the brightly shining sun.

'It's getting hot, so I want to go back…'

As I thought that,
In the distance, I saw a small figure with rags covering their body and face. They carried a bundle larger than themselves on their back.

'Is that the one?'

"I'll answer the question you asked earlier," Yuuna said.

"Buying stats from the devil merchant is correct. The devil merchant sells everything that exists and doesn't exist in this world."
"I need to buy a lot of cunning skills."
"I, I have magical power…"
"Is this your first time meeting a devil merchant?"

Naturally, it was my first time, and Henna nodded her head as well.
Devil merchants don't seem to appear at lower levels.
But why is Yuuna so cautious?

She didn't look like this even when the B-class elite boss led a swarm of golden orcs into battle.

"Don't assume that as a merchant, you'll receive service equivalent to the money you've kindly paid."
"What do you mean?"
"Demon merchants are enigmatic beings that only appear sporadically in dungeons. I heard their actual power is on par with S-class magical beasts."
"...."

So,
Does that mean we're helpless if it suddenly attacks us?

"If we were in a dire situation on the brink of collapse, they might've tried to sell a single bottle of water for 500,000 coins without a second thought."
"Ah, we're not that malevolent."

The silhouette, which appeared distant against the horizon,
Had approached us before we realized it.

Yuuna, startled, retreated and closed her mouth.

"Nice to meet you, adorable aspiring hunters."

[「Perception·Red」activated]
[Goblin King] [Demon Merchant]
[The one who leads the magical beast『Goblin』. Their power, which once defied the gods, rivals that of an SS-class Hunter]

'I shouldn't underestimate them…'

Their stature may be that of an ordinary goblin, but the information gathered by Perception was far from ordinary.
At the very least, they're not an adversary we can handle with our current strength.

But isn't there no reason to fight? Perhaps it would be best if we can make a reasonable deal… It might be because I'm looking at the situation too optimistically.

It's moments like these when the courage to confront the goddess comes in handy. In place of the tense Yuuna and Henna, I greeted the Goblin King.

"Hello, Goblin King."
"Oh, it's been quite a while since someone greeted me with such politeness. I'm touched, Kim Sang-hyuk."

…I didn't tell him my name.
He never introduced himself as the Goblin King either, so I guess we're even.

"It's destiny that we've met like this. I will release what I possess and exchange it for your coins."

Surprisingly, it seems like we might communicate well.

"How much for the skill?"
"Skill~~~I'm not really in the mood to sell it right now."
"Hey, don't be like that."
"No, it's not the mood for skill. Unfortunately…"

What is he trying to say…

"Then, how about strength?"
"Ah, the weather is too bright to sell strength."
"Endurance?"

"I couldn't possibly sell my stamina after watching such a heart-wrenching drama last night."

…Damn it. What's to be done?

"I'm actually in the mood to sell some magic. Upon reviewing your stats…"

If it's magic, it belongs to Henna.

"Sell it to Henna."
"I'll accept only 5,000 coins per piece."
"What!"

Yuuna cried out in shock.

"If it's Henna's magic stat, the regular market price should be around 200 coins!"
"But I'm charging 5,000 coins."
"....."

Henna hesitated and spoke.

"I, um, don't have that kind of money…"
"Haha. Such a pity."

'Hmm.'

I have a general idea of the sort of system this devil merchant operates under.
For instance, consider a student who inherited hundreds of millions of coins before enrolling in the academy. To increase their stats, they'd have to clear a high-level dungeon and encounter a demon merchant, but what if that merchant demanded 10 billion coins for a single strength stat?

'One must possess strength to strike a reasonable deal with the devil merchant.'

In other words, it's impossible to buy it right now.

"Do you ever purchase anything of value, Goblin King?"

"Ah, Sang-hyuk. Of course, I do. Have you found something noteworthy?"

"I'm just curious, but you don't deal with precious metals, do you?"

"…"

The Goblin King's expression twisted.
His mouth seemed to bear a sinister grin.

"If you've come to me to purchase items just to sell such trash, I might impose a penalty on you, Sang-hyuk."

"…"

"Now, now, what do you intend to sell? Do you know what might pique my interest, someone who possesses everything?"

"S, Sang-hyuk…"

Yuuna clutches my sleeve.
She was rarely this frightened.

"Let's stop talking…"
"I have something to sell."

Who are you to threaten me?
I possess something that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
There was a sense of certainty even before I revealed it. 'Isn't this how it's used?' I thought.

"Onahole inventory open."

I presented to him an ordinary goblin onahole.

"What, what is this…"

The Goblin King's visage contorted and relaxed in a ceaseless dance of emotion.

"Something like this. What do you think?"
"This… the dignity of my kin, so ruthlessly desecrated!"
"It's merely a tool, so don't get agitated."
"Kwoooooooah!"

The Goblin King accepted the Onahole I offered and dropped to his knees.

"Beautiful! Magnificent!"

The demonic merchant hoisted the Onahole I had handed him like a sacred idol, exclaiming in awe.