Her hand had just finished wiping the last sticky trace from her lips when the voice rang out inside her head, clear and absolute:
[You advanced from Level 1 to Level 2. Congratulations!]
She froze, her eyes widening as though she had just been struck by lightning. For a heartbeat, her mind went completely blank.
"L-Level… up?!" she stammered, clutching the wooden branch tight against her chest. Her heart thundered in her ears, body trembling with both exhaustion and the overwhelming thrill of the message.
She had fought—eight goblins with her branch, each victory dripping in sweat and bruises, each kill earning her modest chunks of experience. Then the last one, that humiliating, desperate struggle with her lips and throat, yielding far more than she'd ever expected. And now… the total had carried her over some invisible threshold.
Her breathing quickened, lips parting in disbelief. I… I actually did it. I reached Level 2…
Her cheeks flushed pink, heat rushing over her skin as she laughed nervously, half in joy and half in embarrassment.
"Wh-what a ridiculous way to grow stronger…" she muttered aloud, stamping one foot against the cavern floor as though scolding herself. Yet her eyes shone with an undeniable, childish delight.
Inside her mind, a second notification blinked faintly, as though waiting.
[You have advanced. Please choose your Level-Up Reward.]
She gasped softly, covering her mouth, excitement and anxiety tangling together. A choice? Already? What… what kind of things could it offer me? Strength? Defense? Or… Her thighs pressed together unconsciously, her body betraying her thoughts. Maybe… something that helps in those other kinds of battles…
She shook her head furiously, cheeks burning. "N-no! Don't even think that way! This is about becoming a proper adventurer!"
And yet, the shy giggles that bubbled out of her throat made it clear—she couldn't stop the secret happiness that swelled inside her chest.
The glowing letters hovered in her vision, sharp and unyielding:
[Level-Up Reward Selection Initiated]
Three shimmering icons appeared before her, as if carved from light itself. Each pulsed with a subtle rhythm, inviting her to reach out.
Combat Path – "Strength of the Vanguard"
Increase base physical attack power by 15%.
Useful for her branch or any real weapon she might one day acquire. Clear, reliable power.
Defense Path – "Enduring Spirit"
Reduce damage received by 10% and recover stamina faster outside combat.
Practical survival. A guarantee she could last longer in future fights.
Wrestling Path – "Sensual Resistance"
Increases stamina recovery while engaged in wrestling battles. Increases opponent exhaustion rate by 20%.
The description glowed faintly pink, almost teasing, and her heart jumped at the thought of it.
Her fingers trembled. Her rational side—the head-in-the-clouds adventurer who wanted to prove herself—was shouting that Strength or Defense were the "normal" choices.
But her body, still buzzing with the memory of warm, heavy seed filling her throat, remembered how alive she had felt in that moment. The thought made her press her knees together, shivering with secret joy.
She covered her red face with both hands. "Th-this is so shameful… b-but… it would help me win faster, wouldn't it? If I'm destined to end up in those battles again…"
A soft laugh escaped her lips. "Hehehe… maybe this is fate after all."
The options waited silently for her final choice.
She bit her lip, cheeks flushed with embarrassment at even thinking about it. Still, she began counting with her fingers, voice soft and uneven.
"First time… I got 150 experience total for those three goblins. Yes… that was fixed." She nodded to herself, then moved on to today's hunt. "Then… seven goblins beaten with just my stick… their points… I think it was something like… twenty-five, fifteen, thirty-three, eighteen, forty, twenty-two, and… twenty-eight…" Her brows knitted as she struggled to keep track, but eventually she smiled. "That makes… one hundred eighty-one."
She shivered, remembering the last one. Her thighs pressed together as her body recalled the heat. "…And then that one… when I lost my balance, and—" she shook her head quickly, face red, "—I had to… suck him until the end. That one gave me seventy."
Adding them together on her trembling hands, she whispered, "One hundred eighty-one… plus seventy… two hundred fifty-one… plus the original one hundred fifty from before…" Her eyes widened as the number formed. "Four hundred and one…"
Her mouth opened slightly, stunned. "So… that was the threshold. Four hundred experience points. That's all it took to advance?"
She recalled what the guild receptionist had told her the day before—that some people needed thousands of points, years of work, endless battles… and even humiliating wrestling losses. But for her… barely four hundred.
Her chest tightened with a mix of pride and shame. "I'm… I'm special… or maybe I'm just weak in the strangest way…" She covered her face, muffling a nervous giggle, her body writhing unconsciously as if savoring the secret.
But she couldn't deny it. Her path was different. And the system had acknowledged her with a level-up already.