Chapter 168
Chapter 168
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 168
Chapter Title: How to Steal the Protagonist's Woman
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"...I'm sorry."
"..."
Han Bom barely managed to drag me back to the Safe Zone before apologizing to me.
But evacuating to safety took priority over apologies.
She hauled me into her tent, laid me down, and sat there with a tearful face.
As I struggled to look up at her distressed expression, Armonia commed in.
'...Yeah, don't.'
Even replying via communication was a struggle.
Perhaps because I had raised my magical power and lightning-attribute level significantly, I hadn't reached the state of total collapse I had experienced before.
Still, it was true that even speaking was not easy.
Breathing heavily, I spoke to Han Bom.
"I'm okay. Hoo... I just burned through mana too fast and crashed. Don't worry."
"..."
Her expression had gone beyond tearful—tears were welling up now.
'Heh heh heh, see? I was right.'
I'd skipped treatment to avoid any slip-ups that might expose the act.
Her impulsive behavior had ultimately given me a step closer to my goal.
Even if she didn't realize it...
Han Bom wiped her tears with her arm and forced her mouth open.
"Sorry... Because of me... I don't know why I..."
"You don't have to explain."
"...?"
When she started trying to justify herself, I cut her off, making a sorry face as I said,
"I knew you didn't like me from the start. I got too close and made you uncomfortable. I'll be more careful starting tomorrow."
"N-no, that's not it!"
Han Bom frantically denied my words.
She didn't hate me, wasn't uncomfortable, and even liked hunting together.
She went on like that, desperately trying to convey that she thought positively about being with me.
After rambling on for a while, Han Bom suddenly fell silent.
She bit her lip, looking deep in thought.
After agonizing for a long time, she finally seemed to make up her mind and spoke.
"Ajusshi... Am I not your type?"
"...Pardon?"
'Ugh... goosebumps...'
Han Bom shivered at the lines she'd never uttered in her life.
Her sudden behavior was all part of the plan she'd intended to execute from the start.
'This atmosphere should be just right, yeah?'
Though she hadn't cleared up the rape misunderstanding, Han Bom figured an opportunity like this—where the two of them were alone and natural—wouldn't come again.
Just as she'd told Min Ha-yeon earlier, she was testing him.
'If he falls for it, he's a bad guy—out. If not, he's decent, so we can get friendly enough.'
Han Bom's scheme was to grab leverage if Seong Su-ho bit, then drive a wedge between him and Min Ha-yeon.
If he didn't, she'd deem him okay and befriend him moderately.
'Ah, here we go again.'
If Han Bom had to pick one thing she'd struggled to adapt to since arriving here, it'd be the channel hands down.
Back in Zephyrium Village, their nonstop sexual harassment had soured her mood so much she'd kept the channel closed the whole time.
But desperation hit once they reached the 1st Floor, and thanks to their help, she'd scraped by without incident for a month.
Without them, she'd have been homeless long ago, suffering who-knows-what horrors.
Whenever they went nuts talking to Han Bom, it was always that Saintess crap.
'What the hell is that, you weebs...'
They'd mention Saintesses existed but never explained what they were.
Something about it tying into Strategy or whatever...
'So noisy. Not like I'm seriously seducing him anyway...'
Han Bom shook her head and looked at Seong Su-ho.
"Why so quiet?"
"H-how could I think someone like you, Han Bom, is anything less than amazing?"
"No... that's not what I mean."
Frustrated, Han Bom grabbed Seong Su-ho's hand.
"I... I want to repay you for saving me earlier..."
"Ah..."
Lying down, Seong Su-ho eyed her thoughtfully, then sat up with a resolved expression.
He gripped her shoulders with both hands and spoke.
"Then..."
"Uh..."
Catching her off guard, Han Bom's face flushed as her body trembled.
Gripping her shoulders, Seong Su-ho stared into her eyes and quietly said,
"Um... got anything to drink?"
"...Pardon?"
Thinking she'd misheard, Han Bom blankly stared at him as he repeated,
"My throat's so dry. Anything besides water?"
"I-I've got... m-milk... packed away."
"Could I have some of that?"
Flustered, Han Bom dug through her inventory and handed him one from her milk stockpile.
Seong Su-ho lit up like he'd found an oasis, smiled, took the milk, stood, and said,
"Thanks. Only water around was killing me. I'll head to bed then. Rest well."
"...Okay."
Seong Su-ho straightened up and went to his tent.
Han Bom sat stunned in her tent long after he left.
The chat exploded.
Han Bom clenched her fists, trembling as she read the chat.
It was pure rage.
No matter how much she tried to endure it, she couldn't.
If she hadn't looked at the chat from the beginning, she might have avoided these misunderstandings, but the contents of the chat were already etched into Han Bom's mind.
As she stewed silently, one chat caught her eye.
"...Fengyu Pills? What's that?"
""What!? Something like that actually exists? Why are you only telling me now!""
The channel dwellers explained to Han Bom.
Body-altering potions mostly required rare materials from Yggdrasil's top or bottom layers.
"...But it exists, right?"
Han Bom pondered briefly.
He was a stranger—a guy.
She'd have to ask him straight-up if he could make Fengyu Pills.
But Han Bom's hesitation didn't last long. She stood up and headed straight for Seong Su-ho's tent.
'Fuck, the embarrassment is only temporary. If I can at least find out the materials, then later....'
She'd have to ask someone eventually for the materials.
Might as well be Seong Su-ho, who'd already seen it all—she'd swallow her pride.
She stood in front of Seong Su-ho's tent and knocked carefully.
"Hmm? Is something wrong?"
"...There's something I want to ask."
"...Got a question."
..
..
Swallowing her shame, the answer Han Bom got was utterly disappointing.
"...So, you can't pinpoint the materials?"
"Yes, most items in the Codex have their materials listed... but the item you're looking for is showing up entirely as question marks."
"... "
Seong Su-ho didn't seem to be lying.
The chat consensus was he wasn't bullshitting either.
After mustering the courage, Han Bom got a deflating response and pouted.
She wanted to bolt from embarrassment, but even that took energy her legs lacked.
As she sulked, Seong Su-ho spoke hesitantly.
"How about... this?"
"...?"
Seong Su-ho hesitated, debating whether to say it.
Impatient, Han Bom prodded,
"What? Spit it out."
"Don't... misunderstand."
"I won't."
"There's a similar item in the list... 'Lactation Stimulant'."
"...Pardon?"
Han Bom scowled at the absurdity, and Seong Su-ho quickly clarified to avoid misconception.
It induced lactation for a month, enlarging breasts during that time.
"And... maybe... it keeps them bigger...?"
"... "
Neither knew much about that stuff.
But Han Bom perked up at it being legit Codex text.
'Already exposed anyway... if it works like described...'
Water under the bridge.
Her dignity hit rock bottom asking about Fengyu Pills.
"Can... you make that?"
"Phew..."
I sighed, drained, and handed Han Bom a potion vial.
"Lucky—this one was doable."
"D-did you use Mana?"
"Yeah, Alchemy takes Mana, and material conversion too."
"Ugh... sorry."
Guilt washed over Han Bom's face as she apologized nonstop.
I smiled at her.
"Don't sweat it. Anytime you need something, just ask—no pressure. I won't tell a soul."
"Y-yes... thank you so much! Get some rest!"
Face a mix of shame and gratitude, Han Bom bolted from the tent.
I couldn't help chuckling at her retreating figure.
'Wow... must be a real complex... Takes guts to ask outright.'
Pitiful yet cute.
Honestly, what's the big deal about breasts...
But thinking about it from another perspective, it would be horrifying if I thought my dick was small.
If Ha-yeon told me, 'I'm happy even if your dick is small,' I would absolutely not be happy.
'Ugh, thinking about it sucks...'
[...? What's wrong?]
'Nah, nothing... let's sleep...'
I asked Armonia for Mana recovery, felt pity for Han Bom, and turned in.
..
..
A few hours of sleep later, Han Bom and I headed back into the waterway.
After everything that happened yesterday, Han Bom wasn't particularly keeping her distance from me anymore.
We'd discussed Fengyu Pills and Lactation Stimulant, but she chatted casually, like it'd never happened.
'Well, it's not exactly the kind of story she'd go around broadcasting to the whole neighborhood....'
An hour in, we ran into the trio of beauties.
The waterway converged for our two teams.
The other team seemed to push straight ahead.
"But it's really humid here...."
"Seriously... I never want to come back here again...."
"And those monsters are gross..."
The three women were grumbling as they walked in the lead.
Unlike when they were in Zephyrum village, they had gained some confidence in their skills, so they didn't hide behind anyone.
Rather, they seemed only interested in breaking through this dungeon as quickly as possible to reach the village.
As the five of us were walking, Han Bom began to whimper beside me.
"Hng... ah...."
"...? Is something wrong?"
Han Bom whispered to me, making sure the three women in front couldn't hear, while tugging at my clothes.
"J-just a moment... alone...."
"P-please wait a moment."
"Ah... okay."
The women stopped, puzzled by the sudden behavior of myself and Han Bom, and in that moment, Han Bom hurriedly dragged me into a waterway passage where the women couldn't see us.
As soon as she pulled me into the passage, Han Bom clutched her chest and began to complain of pain.
""Ah... Ajusshi... my chest... it suddenly hurts....""