Chapter 110
Chapter 110
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Shift in Perception (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Is that sincere? That's not something I can just let slide.”
“Of course it is.”
“You think Cadet Lee Si-heon is stronger?”
Isabella leaned in at Jeong Si-woo's firm affirmation.
“I've been watching him closely for a long time, so—”
Isabella trailed her nail along the coffee cup on the table as she asked him.
The cult leader's sharpened, fervent eyes pierced right through Jeong Si-woo.
“—From what I've seen, you always undervalue your own talent. And you're well aware that you tend to overrate others' talents.”
“...Yes.”
“So honestly, it's hard for me to believe that.”
Jeong Si-woo.
Isabella had met him four years ago, during her time volunteering as a nun.
Her role was to spread the World Tree's teachings at the officer academy and instruct the students. She remembered how much trouble Jeong Si-woo had caused her back then.
-You skipped my class again.
-I'm sorry.
-What are you even doing holed up in the training room instead of attending class?
Jeong Si-woo, a student at the officer academy... was a problem child who required a lot of attention.
The kind of guy who'd skip class but could always be found in the training room if you went looking.
Isabella's duty was to convey the World Tree's will, which inevitably entangled her with Jeong Si-woo during her service.
They clashed a lot, and that's how she developed a soft spot for him despite herself. Before she knew it, they'd grown strangely close.
Isabella had often counseled him too.
After her service ended, they drifted back to occasional contact, but both acknowledged their bond.
Jeong Si-woo was now undeniably the top talent, no matter what anyone said. But it hadn't always been that way.
“You're too humble.”
Before becoming a candidate for the World Tree's husband, Jeong Si-woo had been dismissed as a nobody.
He wasn't nobility, nor a Wood Person—just a human man grinding away desperately.
Having watched him from back then, Isabella knew.
Jeong Si-woo's efforts deserved reward.
“Sigh.”
...Though right now, he just looked like a fool kicking away a pumpkin that had rolled right to him.
“Fine. Lee Si-heon... I'll keep that in mind.”
He was recommended by someone as accomplished as Jeong Si-woo.
She swallowed the thought that birds of a feather really do flock together.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ “Status window.”
How long had it been since I'd last checked it?
Instead of the translucent window, what hit me first was excruciating pain.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 【 Main Quest 3: To Higher Places. 】 【 Your Current Rank: 35th 】 。 。 。 【 Quest Failed. Penalty Applied! 】 I lurched forward, collapsing with a splat as my heart burned like fire.
It hurt.
I desperately braced against the ground in my sprawled position, focusing my mind to shatter the status window.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 【 Connection to World Tree Temporarily Severed. 】 The pain subsided. My heart, squeezed to the bursting point, barely held on.
“...Fuck.”
A thin trail of blood dripped from my mouth. The pain had come without warning, impossible to ignore.
Mana overflowed through my body, but it was useless.
I wiped sweat from my face while still prone, then pushed myself up.
Baek-do stood blankly ahead, staring at me.
“...What the hell are you doing?”
“I almost died just now. Opened the status window, and bam—penalty hit.”
“Should've just dropped dead.”
Harsh words.
I rubbed my wounded heart inwardly, lay back on the bed, and my shoulders ached terribly.
A few minutes later, the status window returned.
“Status window.”
This time... it was fine.
I read through the window before my eyes line by line.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ ⚡ Strength: 7.5 💨 Agility: 7.2 ✨ Magic Power: 8.7 💪 Stamina: 6.7 🍀 Luck: 10 🛡️ Endurance: 6.6 Potential: 20 | Intellect: 7 | Charm: 9 Unique Traits (2): [Tree Encyclopedia (S)] [Combat-Type Physique (S)]
Skills (1): [Black Path (-)]
Temperaments (4): [Wood Spirit King (-)] [Sword Talent (B)] [Magic Talent (B)] [Lewd Demon (F)]
Compared to when they were all 1, they'd grown a lot.
Guess I don't really need to check the status window anymore.
Unless I drew more stats, anyway.
Come to think of it, I hadn't drawn any in a while.
How I'd boosted my luck...
But meeting these people—wasn't that all thanks to luck?
There was some coercion involved, but if that's luck, then it counts.
Baek-do, sitting in the chair by the nightstand reading a magazine, glanced at me and tossed it over.
“What're you staring at?”
Thwack!
I dodged the magazine, and it hit the wall behind me with a rustle.
“Getting a bit prickly, aren't you?”
“...”
“Not much time left before we part ways. You gonna keep this up?”
Baek-do closed her eyes and turned her head. Clear sign she wasn't talking.
I muttered softly to myself as I watched her.
“...Loser.”
Wham!
The magazine flew and smacked my face.
“Wh-who-who's a loser?! I heard that, shut up!”
“...You said it yourself.”
Baek-do slapped my cheek.
Her palm hit so hard my face stung.
I peeled off the clinging magazine and gently rubbed my sore nose bridge.
“I said I'm sorry. Accept my apology.”
“Not a loser.”
“Okay, fine...”
“Said I'm not a loser.”
“Then prove it.”
Crunch.
“Talking like that again. You really wanna die by my hand today?”
What was so wrong with that?
I just wanted to say that one thing.
“We're splitting soon anyway. Let's get friendly first for a touching goodbye. How long you gonna fight?”
No reply. Baek-do had some sense, so she probably agreed deep down.
I tossed out one last playful apology.
“Right? No more fighting, let's fu—er, make up.”
“You're right.”
A blanket flew from Baek-do's hand. It draped over me so fast I couldn't react.
I was wrapped up and stomped on for a good while.
“Deserve a beating.”
Felt like a human doormat. Hell, I was one.
“Urk! Ack!”
After about 30 minutes, Baek-do panted and agreed with me.
“You're right.”
...I'm gonna lose it.
“Y-you beat a guy half to death and that's all you say?”
“You deserved it.”
Fair enough.
It felt harsh for someone who'd nearly died, but...
“Deserved it.”
Fair enough.
“Alright, fine. One hit evens the score. So what do you want to eat today?”
Baek-do shut her mouth at my question, then cautiously spoke.
“...Budae jjigae.”
“Got it.”
Now just clear up the misunderstanding with Hwang-do.
I clutched my numb knee and scanned the fridge in the kitchen.
Normally, I'd use the salad bar on the dorm's first floor—way easier. But living with the Peach sisters made home cooking routine.
Even Shiba preferred what I made. Guess it made sense since I was the best cook in this dump.
...Or was Cheon-do better? I'd have to try hers to know.
Rice... pick up Shiba from daycare... pack... sleep, wake, academy. Perfect.
I mentally scheduled it out, rinsed rice for cooking, and prepped ingredients and sauce in beef bone broth.
My bachelor cooking skills had leveled up to pro these days.
Clink, clink.
With the pressure cooker whistling as BGM, I chopped ingredients, and the gacha came to mind.
Come to think of it, haven't checked favorability in ages...
I'd neglected it since it wasn't crucial.
Back when failing to make friends meant death, I'd obsessed over it. Not anymore.
Plus, knowing others' favorability toward me felt a bit creepy.
Great ability, though.
Favorability wasn't just for romance.
It let me judge if someone would sacrifice for me.
Like lending money.
Or even their life.
Seeing through favorability meant I could exploit it if I wanted.
This person will listen. Will give for me.
Without power, it's begging. With it, my whole mindset toward people changes.
Power corrupts, not just authority. Talent too.
Like getting arrogant from my gifts.
The system's value was immense, which made using it iffy.
Knowing it could be abused if I let it.
-Get even more ruthless.
Cheon-do's voice suddenly whispered in my ear. It felt like she was saying:
Use your damn ability, you idiot disciple.
...Yeah, okay.
Not using it out of fear makes me the idiot.
With a glance, I summoned the long-unused favorability system.
Shimmering fragments gathered before my eyes into a window.
♥ FAVORABILITY MENU ♥ [World Trees (2)]
▶ World Tree of Purity: ♥♥♥♥♥ (100/100) ▶ World Tree of Healing: ♥♥♥♡♡ (71/100) [Wood People/Humans (9)]
▶ Lee Se-young: ♥♥♥♥♡ (95/100) ▶ Hwang-do: ♥♥♥♥♡ (93/100) ▶ Azalea: ♥♥♥♥♡ (93/100) ▶ Star: ♥♥♥♡♡ (65/100) ▶ Jeong Si-woo: ■■■□□ (65/100) ▶ Baek-do: ♥♥♥♡♡ (61/100) ▶ Cheon-do: ♥♥♥♡♡ (58/100) ▶ Cornus: ♥♥♥♡♡ (57/100) -View More The long window scrolled down.
Reading through, my eyes locked on one spot.
Jeong Si-woo's sudden surge wasn't surprising.
What made me doubt my eyes was this.
♥ FAVORABILITY MENU ♥ ▶ Hwang-do: ♥♥♥♥♡ (93/100) ▶ Azalea: ♥♥♥♥♡ (93/100) Why'd Noona and her suddenly jump...?
Hwang-do, who I hadn't even talked to lately.
Azalea, beyond the post-exam gift, no real chats.
I instinctively checked their details.
Name/Gender: Hwang-do (Female) Age/Height: 26 / 167cm Sex Fantasy: Big Sis and Little Bro Slave Play Romance Fantasy: Endless Embrace in the Sweltering Summer Current Status (Additional): Jealousy, Temporary Favorability Amplification Name/Gender: Azalea (Female) Age/Height: 20 / 165cm Sex Fantasy: Spanking Romance Fantasy: Zoo Date with the Guy I Like Current Status (Additional): Obsession, Temporary Favorability Amplification “...What the hell is this?”
Jealousy. The weight of that word.
Obsession. Sudden emotional shift.
Their statuses were plainly labeled.
I floundered, clueless.
The women around me were perceiving me differently as I moved.
Hwang-do, fine. But had I ever flirted with Azalea...?
She'd texted endlessly before.
When she looked down, I'd shown up drunk, slapped her to snap her out of it.
Went to the zoo with Shiba. Stuck together like close friends at the academy. Did assignments as a team.
Ah.
I'd thought Azalea clung to me as a friend.
Lost her dad young, no one to share emotions with. I'd figured I'd fill that role late, as a friend.
But could it be...
Bzzz, bzzz!
Vibration buzzed from my left pocket then.
My heart pounded.
I swallowed, turned off the gas first, and pulled out my phone.
Three letters lit up the messenger screen.
That was when.
“Dong-sang.”
A muffled voice came from behind.
“...Noona, long time no see.”
My neck creaked unnaturally as I took in Hwang-do's face.
“Was thinking of eating with Master Baek-do... wanna join?”
“Baek-do's asleep for now.”
“No way...”
Since that sleepless night with Baek-do, Hwang-do—who hadn't shown up—gazed at me with loaded eyes.
“Dong-sang.”
She smiled.
“Cheon-do too.”
Faint traces of mana lingered on her skin.