Chapter 166
Chapter 166
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 166
Chapter Title: How to Steal the Protagonist's Woman
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Her request was simple.
She wanted time with Seong Su-ho to test if he was truly decent.
Min Ha-yeon pondered long and hard.
It wasn't about distrusting Han Bom.
'Seong Su-ho... Something feels off.'
She loved Seong Su-ho.
That was unshakeable.
Their bond wasn't some casual friendship.
They'd been summoned to Yggdrasil at the same time, regressed together, helped each other through crises.
Every time Regression swept her away, Seong Su-ho had been there in her darkest moments, embedding himself as the most vital person in her heart.
But...
'The way he looked at Bom at first wasn't normal.'
When they'd met Han Bom, Min Ha-yeon had caught Seong Su-ho's gaze in less than a second.
She intuited that Seong Su-ho was interested in Han Bom.
She understood it.
Even Min Ha-yeon had to admit that Han Bom's beauty far surpassed that of any celebrity.
That was why she had let it slide.
She figured it was just a simple attraction.
Up to that point, there was no problem.
'He came to me even though there was a woman named Luna. Seong Su-ho... if Bom seduces him, he'll probably fall for her instantly...'
Living with Han Yeo-reum had taught Min Ha-yeon one thing.
Absolute trust didn't exist.
Still, she understood Han Bom's position.
'Sigh... She probably wants to give Han Yeo-reum another shot somehow.'
Truth be told, Min Ha-yeon had sensed it from day one—Han Bom's determination to patch things up between her and Han Yeo-reum.
Meanwhile, Min Ha-yeon thought to herself.
'Fine... If he goes for Han Bom... I won't let Seong Su-ho off easy.'
Ugh... Sudden chills...
I shook myself vigorously to shake it off.
Han Bom and Min Ha-yeon were talking off in the distance, while the others rested.
Yang Ji-hyun treated me like I didn't exist, not sparing me a single glance as she vigilantly scanned the surroundings.
'Guess being in that kind of group trains you well for this.'
Most people would sneak a curious peek, but Yang Ji-hyun ignored me completely.
The only one staring daggers was Han Yeo-reum.
'He really wants me dead.'
According to Yang Ji-hyun, the waterway splits into three paths.
They reconverge at the end, which is the dungeon's crux.
'Two lead to villages... One to a remote outpost...'
She explained that if the two villages are located at the 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock positions from the center, the remote area is at the 12 o'clock position.
Mess up the final waterway, and you teleport to the wrong one.
'...Yang Ji-hyun said she'd pair me with Han Bom. But will Han Yeo-reum actually drug her?'
Yang Ji-hyun had her subordinates slip Han Yeo-reum simple orders: at the waterway's end, drug whoever's with me.
The drug induces hallucinations, making allies look like enemies.
Effects kick in about an hour after ingestion.
But could that even work?
You could inspect even low-grade potions for contents.
Who'd drink a mystery hallucinogen?
Only two guys here: me and Han Yeo-reum.
He seemed confident women would drink whatever he offered without question.
Yang Ji-hyun's plan: team me with Han Bom at the end, drop us at the outpost.
Then, in three days back to the village, turn Han Bom into a Red Summoner and kill me.
What would Han Yeo-reum do if we teamed up?
Would he actually drug Han Bom?
'...I'll think about it when it happens.'
'Yeah?'
... .
Yang Ji-hyun was now under my thumb.
She obeyed most orders.
Yet, I hadn't specifically stopped her assassination plan.
(I will communicate immediately and halt the assassination plan.)
(No, just leave it.)
(B-but... at this rate, the subordinates will proceed as planned...)
(That's why I'm saying, leave it.)
(...?)
(I want to see their skills.)
(...!)
Yang Ji-hyeon seemed to accept my words, though she looked worried.
Of course, that wasn't the real reason.
I wanted to see Han Yeo-reum's blunders firsthand, and second, erase any lingering doubts Yang Ji-hyun might have.
'Anyway, I've got the numbers and plan. What matters is Han Bom. Even if it's a hassle, Yang Ji-hyun's scheme helps me.'
'I know, I'll be careful.'
Getting back from the outpost takes three days.
Just me and Han Bom heading to the village.
Alone time was priority one, however it happened.
And if Han Yeo-reum drugs her as planned...
'That trash... Would he really stoop that low?'
As I glared back at Han Yeo-reum's glare, Min Ha-yeon and Han Bom finished talking and returned.
'...What's with her?'
I couldn't understand the sudden change in Han Bom's attitude.
Until just before we split at the waterway, Han Bom had occasionally caught my eye and smiled, but now she wore a freezing expression.
One thing was certain: she was angry.
And the reason was me.
'Did that bastard Han Yeo-reum say something weird again?'
From my perspective, there was no other reason for Han Bom's attitude toward me to flip so suddenly.
I wondered what on earth Han Yeo-reum had said to cause this...
-Guardian of the Gay Little Dick
If he told her you're a rapist, you're finished lololol
"Damn it...."
-Guardian of the Gay Little Dick
But it doesn't feel like she actually hates you or anything?
"Oh...."
That guy's intuition was surprisingly reliable.
He was an expert when it came to these kinds of things.
-Guardian of the Gay Little Dick
For someone with a man-hating streak, she seems to think you're alright.
"But if she hates men, could she really think a man like me is alright?"
In truth, I was trying to close the distance to erase that man-hating tendency, but it didn't seem easy.
-Guardian of the Gay Little Dick
Nope, there are different types of man-haters
According to him, some women are born with that Trait, while others acquire it later in life.
And there are sub-categories—physical, mental, or a complex of both...
-Guardian of the Gay Little Dick
In my view, the man-hatred that girl has is just a level of avoidance. Plus, it feels like she hates the fact that she even has those feelings.
"That's vague...."
-Guardian of the Gay Little Dick
That's how it always is lol. It's just a simplification. Some people die if you pluck a nose hair, while others survive having their limbs chopped off. It's like that.
What a great analogy...
I stole a glance at Han Bom, who was walking beside me.
As if she were starting to feel the heat again, she began fanning herself with her hand.
Feeling bad for her, I sent a small breeze her way.
"Hieek! You scared me!"
"Are you okay?"
"...Hmph."
...Why on earth is she acting like this?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
According to Yang Ji-hyeon, this dungeon was structured so that once you split, you wouldn't meet the others again until the very end.
In other words, Han Bom and I were scheduled to be alone together until the following evening.
But...
"...Why is she suddenly acting like this?"
-Guardian of the Gay Little Dick
lololol don't ask me, I'm lost now too.
Han Bom, who had been huffing like a tsundere until a moment ago, suddenly began peppering me with questions.
'What did you do before coming here?', 'What's your job?', 'Where did you live?'... she started grilling me as if she were searching for a needle in a haystack.
The girl who hadn't shown much interest in me suddenly lunged at me with questions.
I answered her with all my heart, but it didn't seem like she heard the answers she wanted.
This time, I asked.
"What did you do back home, Han Bom-ssi?"
"...What do you think I did?"
She listens intently to my story, but tells me to guess hers.
-Guardian of the Gay Little Dick
lololol is her life a riddle now lol
I immediately checked Han Bom's Trait.
What caught my eye was the very first one—[Dance].
Expanding the Dance trait revealed...
-[Ballet LV 32]-
'Oh... looking at her build, she definitely fits ballet.'
A slender frame, beautiful looks, and just the right hair length.
Furthermore, having a ballet level that high meant she was considered quite talented in that field.
Even if ballet was useless in this world...
I pretended to be deep in thought while staring intently at her.
Since it had come to this, I might as well admire her body.
When Han Bom realized I was staring, she became flustered, twisting her body slightly in caution.
"Why are you staring so intently...."
"I bet you did ballet."
"Eh!? H-how...."
I smiled at the bewildered Han Bom and said,
"I just took a guess."
"...Why did you think that?"
"I just felt like it suited you, Han Bom-ssi."
I was about to add that it was because she was beautiful.
After all, ballet is a dance that requires exceptional beauty to perform.
But an unexpected counterattack came.
"Wow... are you making fun of my small breasts right now?"
"???????????"
What the hell is she talking about now...
-Guardian of the Gay Little Dick
lol she's fucking hilarious lolololol
...I don't find this funny at all.
Looking at the fuming Han Bom, I asked Armonia.
'Armonia... why is she like this?'
[I'm not entirely sure, but perhaps it's because the profession of a ballerina prefers a small chest.]
'...? There are plenty of big-chested ones in games.'
[...This is not a game.]
Stop treating me like an addict...
After hearing Armonia's explanation, I could roughly grasp the situation.
But it was still hard to fully comprehend.
Why on earth would she suddenly link ballet to breast size...
"T-that's not what I meant...."
"Forget it! Let's just go. I'm annoyed...."
"...."
Damn it...
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
In the end, Han Bom and I didn't exchange a single word until we reached the next safe zone.
The problem was what came next.
"...I think we should pitch the tent and sleep here. It's already 10 PM. It'll be troublesome if we move further and can't find a place to rest."
"...."
Han Bom gnawed on her lip, glared at me for a long time, then set up her tent and ducked inside.
This is driving me crazy...
-Guardian of the Gay Little Dick
In my opinion, she was managing her man-hatred just fine, but because of you, she's caught a breakthrough infection of man-hatred.
"...I'm closing the channel."
-Guardian of the Gay Little Dick
Aaaah!!! Don't close it!!!!
For the first time since coming to Yggdrasil, I closed the channel and looked intently at Han Bom's tent.
'This is bad.... I have no idea how to approach her.'
[From my perspective, I believe you should make good use of Dream Intrusion.]
Armonia's suggestion was the most persuasive.
The only way to carefully observe the erratic Han Bom and find a gap in her defenses was through Dream Intrusion .
'...Wait.'
[...?]
'Let's try forcing a Dream Intrusion before she falls asleep.'
When I had used Dream Intrusion on Lena in the past, I had tried it while she was still awake and had a unique experience.
If you force a Dream Invasion on someone who isn't sleeping, they experience a lucid dream.
'First, let's check what she thinks of me.'
Once she realizes it's a lucid dream and sees me, she'll likely pour out her true feelings without hesitation.
My thought was that because it's a dream, she would lose all her inhibitions.
'...She won't just beat the hell out of me as revenge for earlier, right?'
[It is a possibility.]
'....'
Getting beaten is fine... just please don't kill me brutally...
After setting up my own tent and climbing in, I cast Dream Invasion on Han Bom.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Han Bom looked around in sudden surprise.
"Huh? What? Where am I?"
Until a moment ago, Han Bom had been lying in her tent, racking her brain while looking at Seong Su-ho's silhouette.
At some point, her breast complex flared up, and she had been lamenting her own self for exploding at such a useless point.
While lying in the tent wondering how to apologize, her vision suddenly went black, and the place she was in had changed.
However, it was a familiar place.
"...Oh? It's the practice room."
It was the practice room of the National Ballet Company from when Han Bom was actively dancing.
Han Bom looked at the clothes she was wearing with wonder.
"Oh.... is this a dream? How strange."
To Han Bom, who had never had a lucid dream in her life, this phenomenon was more than just strange.
Moreover, she was wearing the ballet attire she thought she would never wear again.
"...It was fucking hard, but I really loved it."
Han Bom had practiced ballet with everything she had and attained enough skill to enter the National Ballet Company at a young age.
Looks, physique, skill, effort... everything was perfect.
Except for one thing...
"Fuck, it's not like I wanted to sweat so much...."
As she became an adult, a change in her constitution caused her to suddenly become extremely sensitive to heat.
No matter how hard she tried, that single flaw brought her ballet career to an end.
"Well... it's not like I could just throw a tantrum about it..."
Still wearing her ballet clothes, Han Bom began to move slowly and dance.
People might think ballet is all bright atmospheres and laughter, but the reality was different.
Strict training, legs that eventually became inflamed, lower body cramps, and performances where a single mistake branded you a sinner.
It was certainly nothing but painful memories.
But because it was so hard, she never wanted to let it go.
She wanted to climb higher and reach further.
But in the end, her ballet life ended at the age of twenty-two.
Though the practice room was empty, she began to showcase dazzling movements as if performing a solo on stage.
After dancing for several minutes, Han Bom finished with a final bow and straightened her back.
She repeatedly opened and closed her hands, smiling brightly.
"Wow, that was seriously sick."
While she was admiring herself, she saw someone passing by outside the practice room.
"Huh...? Surely..."
Still in her ballet clothes, she stepped outside and could immediately tell who it was just by looking at the back of the person who had just passed.
"...Ajeossi?"