HG Ch 9

<9>

Eunho let out a startled scream.

“Lovely!”

「What is it this time?」

The butterfly, now accustomed to Eunho’s strange outbursts—Lovely! Meow! Flower lid!—asked indifferently. But Eunho couldn’t stay indifferent.

“What kind of blatant, thick-thighed fanservice game^[1] is this?! Isn’t this a violation of the Telecommunication Media Obscenity Act? No, actually, this calls for a national petition! This deserves capital punishment!”

「Sigh.」

The butterfly sighed as if it had decided to just accept Eunho’s nonsense. At the same time, a system window popped up.

[SYSTEM] Tarakjuk is a porridge made by boiling milk with starch and was a nourishing health food consumed by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty.

It was infuriating how the system toyed with him and then had the audacity to act all strict, solemn, and serious. How was this any different from those who made inappropriate jokes under the guise of humor? Here Eunho was, trying to fight against fate, yet the system was—

“You think I don’t know what tarakjuk is? But you added a heart just now! Emphasizing tarak like that! Explain what you meant immediately!”

[SYSTEM] Tarakjuk is a porridge made by boiling milk with starch and was a nourishing health food consumed by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty.

“Don’t play dumb, you wretched system. Do you not realize that such blatant implications could have a negative impact on the youth playing this game? You’re so screwed. What’s the age rating for this game, huh?!”

Eunho’s face was now flushed red, resembling a drunkard storming into a convenience store to lecture a night-shift worker.

「Child.」

At that moment, the butterfly gently landed on Eunho’s left cheek. Feeling the ticklish sensation, Eunho twitched his cheek and opened his mouth.

“What? Master, just stay out of this for a bit. I still have things to say to that—”

「One who has not completed coming-of-age ceremony (gwanrye^[2]) cannot become a practitioner. Does that answer your question?」

The thunderous words made Eunho freeze in place.

“……”

So… this really is an adult game?

No way. The novel never said anything like that. Wasn’t this supposed to be an all-ages game where preschoolers humiliated adults with their absurd verbal agility? No matter how chaotic the worldbuilding was, at least the original’s content rating should have been respected.

At that moment, something glaringly red, almost fatally so, flashed through Eunho’s mind.

<[Restricted to Readers 19+ Only] The Newbie’s Circumstances>

A 19+^[3] label.

Unable to withstand the overwhelming despair, Eunho collapsed onto the floor. A massive wave of fear washed over him, and he pleaded instinctively.

“Ahhh, please stop. I’m a high school graduate. I haven’t even gone to college yet. Trapping someone like me here and messing with me—this is a serious crime, you know!”

「The fact that you are here means you have already completed the coming-of-age ceremony.」

“No, I haven’t! Didn’t you hear me? I got trapped in this thick-thighed fanservice game and haven’t even gone to college yet!”

「What does that matter? Whether one enjoys wealth and honor or fails to make a name for oneself is irrelevant. A person who can take responsibility for their own life is an adult.」

“That would be such a meaningful and touching line in any other context, but I’m seriously not an adult^[4]! I skipped a grade, so I’m still nineteen^[5]! Ahhh, ahhhhhhh^[6]!”

Driven into a corner, Eunho had no choice but to reveal even the truth he had been keeping hidden. Was he being punished for pretending to be an adult and reading explicit content^[7] after taking the college entrance exam and ringing in the new year, despite being a fast-track student? But it wasn’t like he had sought it out on purpose—he had just been looking for a game novel, and there was nothing else to read!

So please, just let this slide.

Trembling in fear, Eunho sobbed.

「I have no idea what you’re talking about. You are already a practitioner.」

“I’m going to report this. This is a sexual crime against minors, you hear me ?! So please, just send me home!”

As Eunho continued whining, the system ruthlessly delivered the finishing blow.

[SYSTEM] Reflecting the player’s unstable psychological state, fatigue accumulation speed has increased by 20%.

Could a system really be this hostile toward its player? At this point, it was so absurd that he couldn’t even get angry anymore.

[SYSTEM] Fatigue: 270/300 [SYSTEM] Your fatigue level has exceeded the threshold. You can reduce fatigue by sitting down and consuming food or by resting at the village tavern.

Immediately after, another message popped up.

[Proverb: Tears fall downward, but the spoon rises.[8] (In Progress)] [SYSTEM] Even when lonely and exhausted, you must take care of your sleep and meals. Let’s go to the village to eat or rest.

Eunho scoffed. So now the system was trying to exploit him in his moment of distress?

“I’m not going. You think I don’t know? I know that pervert is in the village.”

Did they take him for a fool?

Eunho was using the damn [Thread of Fate] system to keep constant track of that perverted creep— Ryeongyul, or whatever his name was. He knew for a fact that the guy was “Sleeping at the Tavern.” As if he’d be stupid enough to go anywhere near the village.

That pervert was clearly assigned as his love interest. But Eunho had sworn to avoid any and all interactions with him.  

Even knowing that the pervert was asleep at the tavern, Eunho had still activated his exclusive trait, <Even If a Tiger Bites You, Stay Calm and You’ll Survive>. For reference, this trait increased movement speed by 10% and granted a stealth effect when active. It worked even better outside the village, making it an incredibly useful trait for Eunho—an unwilling fugitive. 

However, this trait had one major downside.

When activated, fatigue accumulation increased by 30%. (Originally, this effect was censored as “■■■ speed increases by 30%,” but the game had finally revealed it.)

Even if my fatigue maxes out, it’s not like I’ll die. Worst case, my movement and attack speed will slow down a little, and my EXP gain might decrease a bit. Whatever. I am not going to that tavern. And I am definitely not eating any Tarak♥Juk.

And then, moments later—

[SYSTEM] Fatigue: 285/300 [SYSTEM] When stamina is completely depleted, your cheeks will flush a rosy red, your body temperature will rise, your breathing will become labored, your vision will blur, your entire body will weaken, and every word you speak may be laced with seductive moans.

All traits will be deactivated, and you will be unable to use any of your Class-related abilities.

Nyaa-ruined erotic game!

* * *

Eunho’s vision turned stark white, and in an instant, the scent of the surrounding forest vanished.

Having been forcibly teleported back to the village through a teleportation spell, Eunho immediately checked the [Thread of Fate] list.

[Thread of Fate: Ryeongyul] [SYSTEM] Current Favorability: 55 [SYSTEM] “Ryeongyul” is dreaming about you. [SYSTEM] Current Status: Sleeping at the tavern. [SYSTEM] You have achieved a favorability of 50 or more. “Ryeongyul’s” status message is now visible to you. [SYSTEM] “Ryeongyul’s” Status Message: zZZ

Next, Eunho checked the time.

[SYSTEM] Current Time: Early Morning (Hour of the Ox[9])

Good. He just needed to quickly get some tarakjuk and other consumables, give the trinket to the old woman, and get out of the village.

Just as he was about to shoot off like a bullet, Eunho suddenly hesitated.

…Wait, but how was he supposed to get tarakjuk?

“Master! Tarak… uh, juk! Where do I get it? Do I have to do a sub-quest?”

「It would be best to head to Jukmuljeom Street. Follow me.」

Eunho knew that Jukmuljeom Street referred to the village’s shopping district. So it was just a regular purchasable item, after all.

As he followed the fluttering butterfly, his brows furrowed.

But wasn’t tarakjuk a rare and precious dish, something that would only appear on the king’s table for a special morning meal? Was it really okay to just walk into a village shop and buy it like a pound of meat? Historically, according to the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, even King Yeongjo had only allowed his grandson to eat tarakjuk after he was formally designated as crown prince. Meanwhile, Queen Myeongjong’s maternal relative, Yun Wonyeong, had nearly been exiled after being caught feeding tarakjuk to his wife, children, and concubines.

Ding!

[SYSTEM] Fatigue: 290/300

Nope. I was wrong, and the game developers were right. Thank you, devs, for prioritizing user convenience and making this rare delicacy easy to obtain.

“Master, hurry up! Quickly!”

「Do not rush like a commoner.」

“Ugh, you and your ‘commoner’ talk. You do realize that eventually, all those distinctions will become meaningless, right?”

Upon arriving at Jukmuljeom Street, Eunho scanned his surroundings.

Being a game, the area was bustling despite the late hour. In front of the NPC-run shops, various street stalls were set up, displaying their wares. Instead of a traditional marketplace bulletin board, it seemed people either sat down to sell their items directly or set up unattended stalls for transactions.

As he weaved between the stalls searching for tarakjuk, a particularly straightforward sign caught his eye.

[“Milk-Selling Youth’s Stall”]

Approaching the stall, Eunho saw that, true to its name, the display was filled with various dairy-related items.

Grade 1 Tarak^[10], Sorak^[11], Tarakjuk, Soyu^[12].

Found it! Tarakjuk!

“Hello, young man. I’d like to buy some tarakjuk.”

Eunho reached into the small pouch slung across his body as he spoke.

Thankfully, he had diligently collected dropped items and coins from defeated monsters. Now, he just needed to count his savings and wait for the Milk-Selling Youth’s response.

Soon, the scholar wearing a gat^[13] and sitting at the stall—Milk-Selling Youth—opened his mouth to speak.

“Name your price first.”

Eunho was impressed.

Wow, daebak^[14]. This level of seamless roleplaying… He’s probably a professional vendor, yet he’s completely immersed in the game. Definitely a seasoned social gamer.