Chapter 31
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Chapter 31
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Lifetime Slave Contract
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There was a brief commotion, but we had dinner as planned.
It started off fairly normally.
"Wow, this pasta is really delicious~ Harin, you weren't exaggerating when you bragged about it~!"
"The steak is perfectly cooked too. The meat came out nice and even."
Right? Tasty, huh? I had a feeling when I saw Rowoon grilling the meat. Knew he'd make good pasta too.
"Yeah, it's really good. I tried making it after seeing a NewTube video, but I should do it more often from now on."
"?"
"?"
?
Ah, according to what the Doctor told me later, the dinner atmosphere got a bit frosty because of me.
I was too busy scarfing down the pasta I'd made to notice.
Eventually, after the Doctor turned things around, the meal went back to normal.
Urgh... Our Rowoon does that sometimes... Completely oblivious...
"?"
No, don't worry about it. Eat up. Anyway, it's been ages since we all got together, so we should have a drink, right?
Since Rowoon doesn't know booze, I prepared a bunch of wines. Let's try one by one.
Start light...
My memory of the wine party that kicked off like that... honestly, pretty much zilch.
Just that whenever the Doctor pulled out some wine with a fancy hard-to-pronounce name, the two sitting across from me would freak out.
We'd just take a glass each and sip.
"Oh my, I heard this wine got discontinued. How'd you snag it?"
Amazed like that, one glass down.
"I don't know much about wine honestly, but everything the teacher's poured hits just right."
First time trying it but delicious, another glass.
"Harin, you've really done a number on me today? Pulling out something this pricey."
"Is the teacher's wine that expensive?"
"Super expensive~ One bottle could probably rebuild our entire workshop?"
"!!!"
One glass at a time, calling it crazy expensive, before we knew it we'd drunk a fair amount.
Eventually, buzzed one by one, their drinking habits started peeking out.
"Some fire priestess bitch trying to snatch my Heonkyu...? So that day I marched right to Heonkyu's place, stole his lips, and devoured him on the spot...!"
Yeah, yeah. Got it. You devoured Heonkyu.
"Harin... Listen up to what this Garam unnie's saying... A girl who just waits around...! She's doomed to be the losing heroine...! So first knock him flat and make it a fait accompli..."
Yeah, yeah. Got it. Knock him flat first.
Hm, yeah, the Doctor and Garam are definitely smashed.
Garam's habit seems to be spilling her love life stories.
The Doctor's is nodding along positively to anything.
Explains why those two drink together so often.
And Heonkyu sitting in front of me...
"Rowoon-ssi... I'm jealous of you..."
"...Me?"
"See...? I look decent on the outside, but I'm super fragile inside... So every night I tap out first... Garam acts unsatisfied daily but says it's fine... But after that guild expedition accident? Can't even get hard anymore..."
"Uh, Heonkyu-ssi? You're drunk. Time to stop drinking..."
"I! Ever! Since! I couldn't get hard! Every night Garam dreams of fooling around with other guys...! Kugh...! Rowoon-ssi... It's hell... Can't cope without booze..."
"Uh, why'd you suddenly go all red...?"
"...Not red...?"
"Huh? What're you talking about... Huh? That's not red, you're on fire?! Hey! Stop drinking! I said stop! You're literally burning, you maniac!!!"
"Hahaha! Right, Rowoon-ssi! Maybe I wanna torch this rotten world after all! Hahaha!!!"
Turns out his drinking habit was erupting the anxieties he'd bottled deep down.
Even whipped out some mystery skill to vent his pent-up feelings.
Apparently Heonkyu's a blacksmith by trade but later picked up warrior class too—a rare dual-classer in Korea.
If I hadn't snagged Murderous Intent today, I couldn't have taken him down.
Oh, and why climbers' superhuman bodies can even get drunk?
-[Ah, that? Tons of us climbers are dead serious about booze.]
-[Pooled our efforts and figured out how to tank alcohol resistance to zero.]
-[Put on this bracelet, and climbers get drunk like normals.]
Of course, she added it doesn't work on high-floor climbers.
The Doctor modded it with her [Get-Drunk Magic].
Now we can all get sloshed like regular folks.
Well, except me.
Dunno if it's the Marrow Cleansing or the half-orc blood, but...
No matter how much I pounded, zero buzz.
"Rowoon-ssi... I... mumble mumble..."
"Sigh... Booze really is best avoided..."
After pinning the self-igniting Heonkyu and laying him out on the floor.
Figured the Doctor and Garam were probably out of it too, so I went to check.
Good work, Rowoon. Didn't expect a skill from him.
"Sorry~ Heonkyu's weak to liquor. Probably hit harder with his funk lately."
"?"
The drunken ramblers from before? Vanished.
There they sat, serene as if nothing happened.
Sorry's cheap without action, right?
"Always gotta come out even... Fine! Throw it on the tab!"
Obviously.
"???"
After that, they haggled compensation in code I couldn't crack.
Soon the Doctor pinged me a new window.
Rowoon. That healing potion you 'stumbled on' in the tower last time?
I was handling sales, and Garam unnie wants it bad.
OK with me selling to her?
Say no and deal's off anytime. Your call.
"Um... Rowoon-ssi. Whatever it costs, name it—sell it to me...? Heonkyu needs that potion... Please? Begging you."
"Ah."
So that's it.
My gut screamed, and I clocked the full picture—the situation, the Doctor's angle.
"Does Heonkyu know?"
"...No clue. Didn't tell him. Got him plastered and magicked him asleep for it."
"So 'anything goes' means...?"
"Whatever I've got that you need—money, magic, my magic-tool crafting. Hell... even my body..."
"Huh? No, what the—? What do you think I am...?"
Glance!
'Whoa, damn. That figure.'
"...That's why you're offering?"
...Rowoon? What was that?
"Huh? What do you mean, Doctor?"
You just leered at unnie's body all sleazy.
"Huh? Me? No way. Absolutely not."
...We'll see.
"..."
...That was dicey.
For a split second, raw dude instinct had me eyeing Garam's killer curves.
Doctor caught it and grilled me.
'Gotta watch myself closer from now on...'
I already went out of my way not to ogle the Doctor, staring elsewhere mid-chat.
But that one line from Garam? Nuke-level temptation.
'If she weren't married... might've bitten.'
Anyway.
Shook it off, back to business.
"Garam-ssi! No clue what you take me for, but I'm not that guy! I rage with 5700-char fury rants at NTR drifts in pure-love stories or dudes crashing yuri..."
Rowoon, zip it.
"...Yes'm."
"Ahaha... Arin. Gets why you're keeping him glued to your side. Total handsy type, eh Rowoon-ssi?"
Told ya, unnie. Not like that.
"Hmm~ Dunno? Man and woman shacking up? Bound to happen."
Think what you want, unnie.
Anyway, Rowoon. Got a wish list for the healing potion trade?
"Hmm... Lemme think...?"
Call me trash, but...
Money? Doctor's covering it, no need.
If anything, wanted something money can't buy easy... Ah!
Wonder if this works?
"Doctor. Heonkyu's a pro blacksmith, right?"
Yup. One of Korea's few dual-classers.
"And Garam's a mage ace at magic tools?"
Spot on. Top dog in Korea for magic tools.
"Then how 'bout lifetime free service passes from both as pay?"
That... Garam unnie?
"Doable! Totally! Gimme the potion, I'll craft anything! Heonkyu'll agree—hell, I'll make him if not!"
One healing potion for lifetime free top-tier blacksmith and magic-tool smith?
I floated it, but biting that hard? Slave contract territory.
'They really need that potion...'
Part of me thought dial it to ten years maybe?
Nah. Steel resolve—lifetime it is.
'If they deliver, can fold 'em into my crew.'
They make primo gear free for me?
Then trust 'em, recruit, gift my elixirs.
My potions outvalue their favors anyway.
Not straight exploitation... a test.
Qualify as future top alchemist's allies? Or nah.
With that, the Doctor handed Garam the potion I'd given her.
And some weirdly shaped scroll too.
"Haa... Never dreamed I'd break this out..."
Her reaction? Bad news.
Asked the Doctor what it was.
Contract Scroll item.
Reward from Tower of the Conqueror. Sign it, break terms? Brutal penalty.
"Sounds sketchy AF..."
Yeah. Ends your climber career. Rarely used... but ways to force it? Too many.
Korea's shitshow? This scroll's a big culprit.
Works on civilians too. Tons muted and slaved out silent.
So if anyone pushes a signature? Never.
"...Noted."
No wonder it's weirdly peaceful for a country going down the tubes.
Gagged 'em silent with bindings...?
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