Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: Return
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“Alright. We're partners now too, right, Kim Joo-hyuk?”
Pellios hooked her arm through mine, deliberately rubbing her breasts against me. I didn't sense any Charm skill active.
Thanks to that, I could purely savor the heavy, soft sensation of Pellios's breasts.
“Something like that.”
“So, haven't we gotten a bit closer than before? Mind clearing up exactly what your deal is with Demon Lilith? I'd appreciate it~”
Pellios leaned into me, playing coy.
“Sorry, but let's save that talk for later.”
“Why~?”
I jerked my chin to the side.
“Ariel's right there. No point letting angel-side intel leak out.”
“Fair enough. My bad—I wasn't thinking.”
Ariel snapped to her senses and spotted Pellios arm-in-arm with me. Her eyes went wide as she bolted over.
“J-Joo-hyuk...? You didn't partner up with Pellios while I was out cold, did you?”
Ariel's voice shook.
“Sorry, Ariel~ Hate to say it, but Kim Joo-hyuk's mine now.”
“Sniff! How could you cut me out like that! I...! I wanted to partner with Joo-hyuk too...!”
“Do it.”
“You kneaded and groped my tits like crazy every single day! But all I got were a few lousy snacks!”
“That's why I'm telling you to do it.”
“I really trusted you, Joo-hyuk...! Kyaa?!”
Slap!
Seeing Ariel lost in her emotions, babbling away, my hand just naturally swung toward her ass.
Ariel's butt was soft and jiggly.
'Hmm. Pellios had a point—plenty of reason to smack it while pretending to test elasticity.'
“Ariel. Who said anything about not partnering with you? Time's running out—grab the contract quick.”
“R-Really!?”
Ariel's face lit up.
“Hold on. Kim Joo-hyuk, you just partnered with me, and now you're doing Ariel too?”
Pellios stared at me like I'd lost my mind.
“Why not? Nothing stopping me.”
“Nothing stopping—? Didn't you hear me earlier? Demons and angels are mortal enemies! Partner with Ariel, and both sides come gunning for you!”
“So what? I've got you, Pellios.”
“?”
“Contract says demons guarantee limited safety if I don't strike first. But offing anyone who swings at me first? That's fair game, right?”
“You... you planned this all along?”
“Planned what.”
I just go for whatever maxes my gains. That's it.
“Haaah... My first partner's some common-sense-defying lunatic. Not sure if I should be thrilled or horrified... Ariel, your call. Can't find a reason to object if he's dead set on the risk.”
“Then I'll do it! Pellios did it—no reason I can't!”
⚙ CONTRACT ⚙ [Partner Contract with Angel Ariel] 1. Summoner Kim Joo-hyuk becomes the partner of Angel Ariel. Merit points from good-aligned quests increase by 30%. 2. Summoner Kim Joo-hyuk receives limited safety within angel territory under Ariel's influence, provided no first strikes occur. └ No safety guaranteed if first strike initiated.
Up to here, it matched Pellios's contract almost exactly.
3. Angel Ariel pledges to devote her body and serve Summoner Kim Joo-hyuk with utmost sincerity.
But the third clause was way different.
Pellios had specified onahole set rentals. Ariel's was vague as hell.
'Eh, this feels like a throwaway clause.'
She couldn't offer me shit right now anyway. Probably just meant she'd support me hard.
Right then, Pellios—plastered against me while reading the contract—got a glint in her eye. She whispered so Ariel couldn't hear.
[Demon Pellios: Joo-hyuk? If possible, how about adding 'heart' to the third clause?] 'Heart?'
Body or heart—same difference to me. No harm anyway. Might as well take Pellios's advice this time.
“Add 'heart' to clause three? Hmm... Sure! If I can be Joo-hyuk's partner, I'll devote body and heart to support him with everything I've got!!”
Ariel agreed, and the contract updated.
3. Angel Ariel pledges to devote her body and heart to serve Summoner Kim Joo-hyuk with utmost sincerity.
Like with Pellios, once signed, the contract floated up, flashed, rocketed into the sky, and vanished.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [First to form a partner contract with a 'Angel Administrator' on Tower Floor 1!] ⚙ ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED ⚙ [Achievement: 『Purity』 acquired!] ✨ ACHIEVEMENT: PURITY ✨ Effect: Good-aligned NPCs instinctively recognize your goodness, increasing chances of favorable offers. └ Higher favorability yields better offers.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [『Pioneer』 effect activated!] [『Purity』 evolves to 『Idol』!] ✨ ACHIEVEMENT: IDOL ✨ Effect: Good-aligned NPCs are inspired by your goodness, increasing chances of special offers. └ Higher favorability yields more special offers.
'Vague clauses must be an angel racial trait.'
Idol effect? Write it off for now. Favor grinding? Sounds tedious and time-sink-y.
Plus, safe-zone village NPCs only hand out fetch quests like 'find my cat' or 'fix the fence.' Boosting rapport with useless scrubs? Pointless.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [First to partner with administrators from both demon and angel factions!] ⚙ ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED ⚙ [Achievement: 『Double Agent』 acquired!] ✨ ACHIEVEMENT: DOUBLE AGENT ✨ Effect: Contribution and merit from angel/demon factions increased by 10%. ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [『Pioneer』 effect activated!] [『Double Agent』 evolves to 『Dangerous Tightrope』!] ✨ ACHIEVEMENT: DANGEROUS TIGHTROPE ✨ Effect: Contribution and merit from angel/demon factions increased by 20%. 'Oh. With partner bonuses, that's a net 50% extra? Not bad.'
Under the assumption I can hold my own, more resources are always better. Straight facts.
Contracts wrapped smoothly, rewards checked—about 10 seconds left.
“Joo-hyuk, swing by the village when you've got time. I'll drain you like today, now and then. Oh, and as my partner, questions are 50% off.”
Drain offer's nice, but until I dig more on Demon Lilith, best avoid Pellios.
Questions? Ariel's free anyway.
“See you soon, Joo-hyuk!”
Maybe the contract, but Ariel's goodbye was way brighter than usual.
⚙ COUNTDOWN ⚙ [3… 2… 1…] [Returning to original location.] ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ✨ ACHIEVEMENT: MURDER GHOST ✨ 📋 Achievement Conditions: Kill 100 Summoners (764/100) ⚔ Effect: +76.4% damage to humanoid enemies incl. Summoners 📊 Total Summoner Kills: 764 💰 POINTS BALANCE 12,570,200 pt “Sweet as hell.”
Sweet enough to rot my teeth.
Just yesterday, killing one Summoner netted a few hundred points...
Now? Wild personal-mission full clears, gutting Summoner packs by the hundreds—points poured in. Even after buying Ariel's body, I stacked another 600k.
Time well spent.
“Master!”
Im Ji-hye spotted me and came sprinting. Looked like she'd been stressing hard.
Only Im Ji-hye worries about me among the Summoners.
I opened my arms for a hug, but she skidded to a stop short.
“I'm starving! Food, please!”
“?”
“Those 1pt hardtacks are inedible garbage. Waited all day for you, ended up fasting.”
“No worries for me?”
“Huh? Why would I? You're OP enough to handle anything. Though... you were late, so I worried a bit. Thought maybe you ditched me for a new bitch on the sly.”
Im Ji-hye adapted to the Tower way too fast. Kinda disorienting sometimes. Anyway, hungry—so food it was.
“...”
But she eyes me instead of digging in.
“What?”
“Normally you'd be groping my tits and fucking by now. Not doing it... Plus, I smell other women on you.”
Im Ji-hye straight-up shoved her nose in my crotch and muttered.
“At least two... no, three?”
Sharp as hell.
“And that Han Yu-ra bitch's scent too... No wonder she wouldn't look me in the eye after her quest. Figures.”
That's when it hit me—the outpost was dead quiet.
I asked about it.
“Oh, that? After you left, Han Yu-ra and her tail-chasing Summoner bitch split. Got rowdy. Then some male Summoners blamed me for you vanishing, started barking.”
“What?”
Touching my woman? Big no-no.
“Where are those fuckers.”
“All good. I talked 'em down.”
“Talked?”
“Yeah. They couldn't read the room, so I severed their tendons and fed 'em to the orcs. Orcs loved their new toys. Used it to discipline the outpost—made all the Summoners watch. Shut 'em right up. Now they just watch my mood.”