Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Premium Fever!
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#014_Premium Fever!
#039
1.
[ 1. Kill Ceres Cassian. ]
[ 2. Kill Arbel Montraven. ]
"No, what the hell is this now?"
Kill my attachment cushion and bonsai pet Arbel, or kill that old hag Ceres?
"You picking a fight with the user right now? Should I grab the gong and start banging it?"
You some pure love Taliban?
I try to go down the harem route for once, and you hit me with Allahu Akbar right away.
"Fuck... I'm so pissed my head's itching...."
What the hell is going on here?
"It's the Premium Route, right? Premium means good stuff!!! Ah...."
I realized.
It is premium.
If the previous choices were simple 'branch points,' these feel full-on quest vibes.
Time limit to clear. Rewards.
And the clear condition itself is super easy.
Simple.
Pick the choice to kill Arbel Montraven.
Then kill Arbel, who can only make sounds like 'Ugh... ugh...' and 'Umm....'
Just killing Arbel in her defenseless state gets me an SSR-grade perk.
A cheat reward equivalent to God's Dropped Pouch handed right to me.
"No? I can't give up the bunny girl."
Then kill Ceres. What about that one?
This one's... honestly a balance failure.
Ceres is a 5th Rank Mage.
Even pure combat power makes conversation impossible, and combat isn't even all she's got.
I recalled the conversation with Ceres just moments ago.
The talk after learning about Ceres's masquerade and her flesh puppet.
'Director Ceres, what happens if the flesh puppet dies?'
"You're asking something weird."
'Just curious.'
'Her consciousness shifts to another body.'
'What if the flesh puppet died before I released the precept?'
'Because of the precept, she'd have fleshed into another masquerade body instead of the main one. Why?'
Right after the answer, something clicked, so I asked one more thing.
What if I hadn't been there or failed.
In other words, if Eiming hadn't reported Project Z.
If Eiming and Gisella had teamed up to attack, what then?
'Impressive. Sedric, you saw that far?'
Ceres grinned.
'You guess. Why do you think I gave the original documents to Eiming?'
Even seeing the future, I only realized it late.
'Originally, I planned to fake my death, lure them in, tie them to a conspiracy, and kill them. From then on, I'd have the justification.'
In the 4th loop, Ceres didn't die getting backstabbed while chasing leads.
That death itself was a trap she set.
Eiming and Gisella took the bait.
No wonder she so readily built a united front....
To Ceres, I was a high-risk, high-reward option: jackpot if successful, no big loss if not.
Twilight Resource Development's director Ceres sits at the top of my head in strategy too.
Totally different difficulty from defenseless Arbel.
"Hoo."
I let out a deep sigh.
My head heats up like a cockroach in crisis, turning gears.
What to do?
Think through every possible variable.
What if I don't clear within the time limit?
What happens if I don't follow the choices?
Is it just the difference between branch point and quest?
Exact save point? The moment I pick?
After clearing, that result gets 'confirmed,' right?
No option to not pick?
-Ding ding ding
Notification rings, system message pops up.
[Please select an option]
"I waited 5 hours! And you bitch out in 3 minutes!"
-Ding ding ding ding ding
[Option will be auto-selected...]
"Fuck!!!!"
Countdown looming, I finally decide.
[ 2. Kill Arbel Montraven. ]
Feels like my blood's rushing backward.
Wish I could boycott the status window and all that bullshit....
But in investments, picking an exit is key.
Both options suck dick, both hard to choose....
But when things are this fucked, 'Kill Ceres Cassian' is straight-up impossible to escape.
I'd be trapped in a loop.
"...Hah, what the fuck is all this?"
Pick the choice, and fatigue, doubt, and exhaustion hit me triple combo.
Curled up sleeping Arbel comes into view.
Powerless, pitiful, defenseless pose.
Pretty. Cute.
But that's it. Do I really need to take care of her like this?
We weren't even close. In Aden, we were awkward, one kiss from a misunderstanding. That's all.
I've fulfilled duty and righteousness.
What bullshit is this, throwing away a bunny girl peek for this.
Don't even need to kill her directly.
Skip the meds, no treatment from Isis, she'll wither on her own in 10 days.
Guilt fades with time.
"Sorry, Arbel...."
Today, I discard my attachment doll Arbel and become a real adult.
"You think I'd say that?"
I don't know what the choices want.
Exactly what this is. Helping me? Hindering? What it wants from me. What path it's leading me down. Or just laughing at a clown dancing to fate.
I know nothing.
But.
"Do I look like the type to obediently do as told?"
Wrong guy.
Fuck, try to screw me over.
I'll thrash to the very end.
I'll achieve Arbel, hag Ceres, petite Ceres triple bunny girl no matter what.
"I'll show you exactly how tenacious I am. Status window, you fucker."
The moment I resolve that.
-Ding!
Another system alert.
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★★ [PREMIUM FEVER!] ★★
≪Premium Route entered! 'Premium Fever' active during route progression!≫
✧ [Growth Acceleration]: All growth proficiency gains ≪500%≫ UP!
✧ [Shop Pickup]: R-grade+ item pickup rate ≪200%≫ UP!
✧ [Fateful Encounters]: Scenario major character encounter rate ▲massively increased▲!
✧ [Special Enhancement]: Enhance 3 'Jokers' for free!
✧ [Immunity Clause]: No ※death penalty※ for 3 deaths.
Time remaining [ 479h : 59m : 02s ]
======
Quick scan of the benefits.
Eye-popping perks.
Almost lost my poker face.
Premium Fever? Runs the whole loop?
"Hmm...."
Not all bad, but....
After killing Arbel, what's the point?
"Wait.... Look at this shit?"
Gears turn fast.
Something's off.
SSR reward on clear, overly generous 20-day limit, plus fever time.
Way too much for a route clearable in 1 second if I want.
Why?
Don't forget genre grammar.
Suspicious from the start.
Choices being kill Ceres/Arbel from 1/2? Balance is nonsense.
And killing Arbel makes it Premium Route?
All these benefits for that?
I think it's unnatural.
Imagine.
No matter how, I break this route, save Arbel.
Growth buffs, probability boosts, death penalty immunity—devour them all, become genius Necromancer Sedric stronger than ever.
Fastest growth possible laid out.
"Status window kun! I bitched every time... complained you only gave shit...! But I knew you weren't all bad!!"
Hope surges.
Maybe clear a different way.
Status window set the board?
[Special Enhancement]: Enhance 3 'Jokers' for free!
This clause first.
Tap the shiny alert, new Joker in inventory.
「Premium Joker Enhancement Ticket」
- Grade: Event
- Description: Try Joker enhancement for free!
- Effect: Enhances Jokers SR-grade or below.
- Note: Vanishes at Premium Route end. Uses remaining: 3.
My current Jokers....
Pathetic Pardon(C)
Lost Receipt(R)
Polite Speech Coupon(C)
The Abyss Hotel, Suite Stay Voucher(UC)
Sudden Festival(C)
Grave-Digging Monocle(UC) 1/3
Warding Talisman(R) 2/5
Mysterious Contract Stamp(R) 1/2
"Kinda meh."
Up to SR-grade.
Enhancements go to good gear anyway.
Wastes on scraps, right?
"Alright, decided."
Finally see this route's direction.
Opportunities like this don't come daily.
Premium Fever's 3 'immunity' is basically time-limited warding talismans.
Die generously, max growth via 'growth acceleration.'
Farm points via point quests, pull R+ Jokers via 'shop pickup,' value up with tickets.
"Alright, let's do it."
Variant clear to save Arbel.
2.
Woke up hugging Arbel tight.
'Necropolis citizens, good morning today too....'
Heard the downer street broadcast heading to Aquarium Street.
Having picked kill Arbel.
How to clear this loop without killing her?
Answer.
1) Kill Arbel first.
2) Clear the route.
3) Revive her after.
Went to quack doctor Isis to verify this Nietzsche-level theory.
"Is this possible?"
"You trying to commit insurance fraud?"
"This shithole Necropolis got insurance companies? Probably all bankrupt."
"Think about it, nope."
Isis, sleepy-faced opening the door, answered with her usual deadpan.
Man, this woman's walls are high.
Most people warm up easy, but none of my charm works.
"Hey, I'm not freeloading, answer properly."
"Who's asking for money?"
"You said pay to enter outside hours!"
"Only 3,000 BIOS."
"...Here, more. Happy?"
"Should've from the start."
Isis snatched 10,000 BIOS, smirked sourly.
"You save so desperately, what's it for? Honeymoon suite?"
"Social responsibility via volunteer medical service."
"Ugh... even your bullshit...."
Hah, wanna slap her.
If not a mage, I'd show her Death Verdict's terror.
"So, way to revive the dead. Yes or no?"
Isis, meticulously checking my gold coins by lamplight, spoke.
"Can't."
"What rank are you?"
"You can't beat me."
Hoo.
If not Arbel's doc, I'd go to big bro Eiming now, gift stockings, commission a hit.
"Really can't?"
"Arbel that bad? Bring her if so."
Press her, she sets coins down, eyes lighting up.
"Not that, but just in case. Even if Overnus Pharma or Twilight Resource Development pulls strings, impossible?"
"Impossible. No existing mage revives the dead. Could 'revive,' but not how you expect."
Was gonna ask Ceres or Eiming if needed, but no.
"Even with Universal Currency?"
"...Hmm, probably not. Death's irreversible, that's why it's death."
No easy way, huh?
Complicates things.
Whatever, no time for despair now.
Farm points, check shop for variables.
Shop's got everything, maybe a death-reversal Joker.
Last relic 'Blazing Life' trades lifespan for 3 min power.
"Got it. Thanks."
Turning to leave, Isis pokes my shoulder.
"Thought about it, there is a way to revive the dead."
Not serious answer face, rare playful look for her.
"Hey, life hanging by thread, doctor's joking?!"
"I'm a quack, it's fine."
"What is it? Let's hear."
Isis grinned.
"True Ancestor."
True Ancestor?
"True Ancestor's blood can revive the dead."
Heard that term somewhere?
Flashback hits.
'The document says 'Awakening Serum Z,' but I believe that biochemical weapon is True Ancestor blood diluted.'
'This experiment's goal is probably clinical trials to control the True Ancestor. Resource gathering's just a pretext.'
Yeah.
Definitely heard it.