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Chapter 14 - [14] First quest

The first thing Lin felt was warmth.

Not just the kind that came from a sleeping bag, but a soft, squishy kind of warmth pressed up against his side—and something wet. His eyes blinked open groggily, crusty from sleep. Light leaked through the tarp above, hazy golden beams cutting across the tent.

And then he looked down.

Yuzuki was curled up against his chest like a clingy kitten, one leg tossed over his thigh, her cheek smooshed right over his heart, mouth slightly open and drooling onto his shirt.

His whole body went stiff.

Except his morning wood, which… yeah, that wasn't stiff in the same way.

"O-oh fuck," he whispered.

He looked down at the tent in his blanket. Not the tent. The tent tent. The one his dick was making. Under the covers. Fuck.

His entire face went red.

Okay, okay, okay—just breathe. It's morning wood. Totally normal. She's probably still asleep. Don't move. Don't think. Don't—

"...Nnnnhh?" Yuzuki stirred.

Lin froze.

Her eyes blinked open, big brown orbs filled with sleepy confusion. She yawned and looked up at him… and then noticed where her face was. And what was poking her thigh.

She blinked again.

Then gave a mischievous little smile.

"Oh~? Producer-sama~? Did you wake up… excited, desu~?"

"I-I-I-I—t-this—!!" Lin stammered, flailing like a deer in headlights. "I-I didn't mean—I mean it's not my fault—you were on me and—!"

Yuzuki rolled slightly, dragging her leg across his lap like a cat marking territory. "Naughty~ You dreamed about something lewd, didn't you? Tell me~ Was it me~? Or Sierra-chan~? Or Yue-chan with her scary ice powers~?"

"W-WHY WOULD I—THAT'S NOT—!!"

Yuzuki giggled and wiped her drool off his shirt. "Don't worry, Producer-sama~ I won't tell the others~ As long as you remember your number one idol loves you no matter how dirty your dreams are~!"

"I—Please stop talking—!"

Suddenly, the tent flap flung open.

Sierra's head poked in, her messy ponytail catching the morning sun, sunglasses already on like she was hungover from a frat party. "Wakey wakey, lovers. The hell are y'all still cuddlin' for?"

"I-I'm not—!" Lin shot up halfway, trying to escape both the moment and the mortification. Yuzuki just purred and nestled closer.

"Uh huh," Sierra smirked. "You're red as a boiled nut, pretty boy. What, she try to ride you in your dreams?"

Lin wheezed like a deflating balloon. "C-CAN WE PLEASE JUST GET UP ALREADY!?"

Yuzuki beamed like a shit-stirring gremlin. "Producer-sama was very happy this morning~!"

Sierra cackled. "No fuckin' way. Virgin boy got his first taste of tent wood? We growin' up fast out here."

"I-I-I hate you both," Lin muttered, zipping up his bag and curling into the fetal position.

Yuzuki kissed her fingers and tapped his forehead. "Ganbatte~! I believe in your dirty little heart~!"

"Fuck my life," Lin groaned.

And that was how their morning started.

Just another day in the horny, fucked-up apocalypse.

***

By noon, the camp was fully awake.

Celestine emerged from one of the spare tents like a barefoot wraith, her dark hair tangled like ivy vines, purple eyes half-lidded as she muttered something about "fractured light" and "the whispering dawn."

Yue came next, buttoning the neck clasp of her frost-lined combat suit with stiff, practiced movements. Her eyes scanned the perimeter first, then Lin, then the distance again. Always calculating. Always watching.

Lin stood near the center of camp, awkwardly clearing his throat.

The fire pit from last night was still smoking, and someone—probably a bandit hoping to earn brownie points—had stacked some extra dry wood nearby. He took that as a win.

Once the girls gathered around, Lin tapped his fingers together nervously.

"U-uh, alright, everyone," he said, voice cracking like a teenager giving a PowerPoint. "So, um, I wanted to, y'know, just h-hold a little team meeting. Nothing crazy. Just a little strategic alignment."

"Strategic what?" Sierra raised a brow, leaning back on a crate, arms crossed under her chest.

Lin scratched his head. "N-never mind. Look, it's—it's about our next objective."

Celestine tilted her head. "A vision?"

"No," Lin sighed. "A quest. You know. The actual system thing."

Yue nodded slightly. "Proceed."

Yuzuki bounced on her heels. "Ooh~ Is it, like, treasure hunting~? Or monster slaying~? Or fan letter collecting~?"

"I—I mean technically monster slaying," Lin muttered, shifting on his feet. "It says we have to… uh… k-kill a mutant wolf."

Silence fell over the group for half a second.

Then—

"That's it?" Sierra said, unimpressed. "One dog? Pfft. Cakewalk."

"Mutant wolf," Lin clarified, raising a trembling finger. "M-mutant."

"You think I can't handle a fuckin' mutt?" Sierra grinned, reaching down to check her thigh holster. "I once headshotted a two-headed bear in the dark, naked, with one arm in a sling."

Lin blinked. "W-wait, really?"

"No," she smirked. "But I'd try."

Celestine, who had begun humming to herself, finally said, "The blood-hound of the black valley… It howls when the moons align. A cursed beast born of decay."

"...Okay, you're not helping," Lin muttered.

Yue stepped forward. "Do we know its location?"

Lin shook his head. "Not yet. E-Esi didn't exactly drop us a GPS pin. But she said we've got a week to kill it. And, uh… she said if we don't—there's penalties."

"Define 'penalties,' Captain." Yue's tone was cool as ever.

"I… I dunno," Lin admitted. "She just smirked and said I wouldn't like it. Which, y'know, isn't exactly comforting."

Sierra whistled. "So we're on a timer, with no clue where the damn thing is?"

"P-pretty much," Lin nodded. "Which means… w-we should probably scout soon. I-I mean if everyone's okay with that?"

Yue folded her arms. "We'll need to divide duties. One group scouts the north perimeter. One takes the south. We regroup at sunset."

"Eh, let's not split again," Sierra said, twirling a bullet between her fingers. "Not until we know what this thing looks like. Mutant wolf could mean oversized mange dog, or it could mean ten-foot murderhound with acid breath."

Yuzuki raised her hand. "Can I name it if we catch it~? How about 'Fluffy-chan~!'?"

Lin sighed. "Yuzuki, we're not adopting it…"

"But what if it's cute?" she whined.

"It won't be."

"You don't know that~!"

Lin pinched his nose. "Alright, listen. We'll all head out together. Take the hill route, fan out in a shallow V. If we see anything wolfy—or mutanty—we regroup. Sound good?"

Yue gave a short nod. "Acceptable."

Celestine smiled dreamily. "I'll listen for the echoes of fangs in the wind."

"…I'll just assume that's a yes."

"Hell yeah," Sierra said, standing and stretching. "I've been itchin' to shoot something ever since we got here."

Lin looked over the group. His group. A flirty gunbunny, a prophetic cultist, a human frostbite machine, and an idol who thinks murder is a concert.

And him.

Virgin simp with noodle arms and negative stamina.

He swallowed hard.

"Okay. W-we eat, gear up, and move out in an hour. Let's get this fucking wolf."

Yuzuki gave him a thumbs-up. "Producer-sama's got that leadership energy~!"

"I-it's not really—"

"Commanding and sexy~!"

"I'm not—!"

Sierra slapped his back. "Better get used to it, Cap. You're stuck with us."

Celestine twirled her fingers through her black hair. "Fate binds the pack. Let the hunt begin."

Yue simply stared at him. "Understood. Awaiting orders."

Lin tried to stand taller.

"...Let's go kill this damn wolf."

Q: Have you ever gone hunting before?

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