Chapter 71
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Rumor (4)
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After that, even the stamina training wrapped up with just the three of us—me, Cheon Seo-yun, and Park So-yul—eating on top of the mountain peak.
However, Park So-yul seemed inwardly concerned about Oh Ye-rin, who wasn't there, and opened her mouth with a thoughtful expression.
"Shouldn't we tell Oh Ye-rin too?"
"It doesn't matter if we do, as long as she keeps the secret."
At my conditional approval, Park So-yul responded with a troubled look once more.
"That's easy to say, but hard to do."
She apparently didn't think the secret would be kept absolutely.
Besides, Oh Ye-rin had a chatty personality, so she might accidentally spill it to someone else.
"It'd be easier to gather points if Oh Ye-rin was in too."
With that, Park So-yul turned her head to look at Cheon Seo-yun.
If Cheon Seo-yun had chipped in points, we'd have enough to form the club by now, but unfortunately, that hadn't happened.
"Cheon Seo-yun. How many points do you have?"
"None."
"...Why? Did you use them all on personal training rooms and virtual training rooms again?"
"Yeah."
Cheon Seo-yun nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Park So-yul stared at her for a while, clearly feeling unfairly burdened with gathering points all by herself.
"It feels unfair doing this alone. Lee Seongmin. How many points do you have?"
I paused at Park So-yul's question about my points, then decided to tease her a bit by answering honestly.
"315 points."
"... ."
"... ."
At that, not just Park So-yul but Cheon Seo-yun started staring at me intently too.
"I told you, I have to save up for a Skill Stone I want."
"I get that, but... can't you just buy it later?"
"What if someone else buys it first?"
Park So-yul shifted her target to Cheon Seo-yun, speaking as if nailing down that it wouldn't happen.
"Cheon Seo-yun. Think about it. If we form the club, we can earn 15 points a day—morning, lunch, and dinner."
From what she said, it was based on the premise that I'd summon food in the club room for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
But Cheon Seo-yun seemed tempted by the 15 points a day, furrowing her brow in thought before asking me.
"You'll give me food?"
"From breakfast to dinner? I can do it when I have time, but I can't promise every day."
Honestly, I already thought that was a big concession.
Cheon Seo-yun and Park So-yul weren't my comrades or anything yet.
'Besides, they're not pets or anything.'
I didn't think just feeding them would boost their favorability.
Still, one advantage was that we'd spend more time together.
'It'd give us a chance to get closer.'
As I mulled it over, Cheon Seo-yun made me an offer for those 15 points a day.
"If you provide food in the club room, I'll let you touch me for 10 minutes."
10 minutes?
I paused at the mention of 10 minutes, recalling the two times I'd groped her body before.
It seemed she meant letting me do that for 10 minutes, and after thinking about it, I figured I knew why she'd made the offer.
'Probably because she thinks I confessed to her or something.'
Cheon Seo-yun must have believed I liked her and made what she thought was an appealing proposal.
It was tempting, honestly, but I hesitated because I'd used a technique to vent the sensations from touching her body somewhere else before.
'Still, just in case.'
I decided to clarify.
"10 minutes a day?"
"Once."
"Then no deal."
When I flatly refused, Cheon Seo-yun looked unusually flustered and upped the offer.
"...Twice?"
"Considering all the points I've earned so far and providing three meals a day, anyone would say I'm taking a loss."
Cheon Seo-yun was smarter than anyone, so she'd understand what I meant.
Anyway, at my refusal that nothing like that would sway me, Park So-yul, who had been listening, tilted her head.
"What are you letting him do?"
Cheon Seo-yun dodged the question and just stared at me intently.
It felt like her eyes were saying that if I didn't want Park So-yul to know, I should accept right now.
'Switching to blackmail since negotiation failed?'
Of course, I just acted like she could do whatever.
Spotting my attitude, Cheon Seo-yun immediately turned to Park So-yul.
"Lee Seongmin likes touching my body."
"... ."
Park So-yul's eyes widened in shock and confusion as Cheon Seo-yun blurted it out.
Getting dragged into this kind of blackmail would only lead to more later, so refusing was the right call.
"...I see. So Lee Seongmin's just a guy after all."
Park So-yul's gaze turned pitying, but she responded calmly.
She must have grown numb to lewd thoughts after hearing all sorts of people's inner voices before I sealed them.
"Is Cheon Seo-yun your type?"
How should I answer?
Regardless, I noticed Lee Seojun watching with keen interest from the side.
This situation was my own doing, but I didn't like that he wasn't helping and was just spectating.
'No choice.'
Anyway, for the future, I decided to be upfront.
"I like all pretty girls. Cheon Seo-yun, Joo Ha-yeon, all of them."
"... ."
"... ."
Cheon Seo-yun and Park So-yul were both speechless for a moment.
"You're brutally honest."
Park So-yul relaxed her expression and commented on my bluntness.
I'd considered softening it, but I figured it wouldn't work on Cheon Seo-yun.
"Cheon Seo-yun can read eyes to some extent."
"Eyes?"
"She spots lies instantly, so I answered honestly."
That said, if I used the [Acting] card ability, I could probably fool even her.
With the +10 boost, it was beyond human limits, so I thought it could handle her level.
"Lies... So Cheon Seo-yun has that kind of ability."
Park So-yul looked at Cheon Seo-yun anew with admiration, then turned to me.
"Anyway, if that's how you feel, shouldn't we form the club? Everyone else would be girls besides you."
"Just you and Cheon Seo-yun."
"Oh Ye-rin's in too. And it'd feel bad excluding Jeong Yu-mi, so if we let her join, that's four. Total harem."
I glanced at Park So-yul, who was staring at me as if asking if this was what I wanted.
She was pretending to help, but I wasn't blind to the faint contempt underneath.
"You look like you hate it. If you do, forget I said anything about the club."
As I spoke like I was rejecting the club, Park So-yul switched attitudes.
"No, we can't do that. But since your desires are mixed in, I'm asking you to contribute points."
"Donating points and my abilities on top."
I stayed negative, and Park So-yul frowned, frustrated that things weren't going her way.
"Then should I let you touch my body too?"
"10 minutes a day?"
"Didn't think you'd actually consider it."
Park So-yul muttered, surprised since she'd expected rejection.
But it was outright sexual harassment, so she hesitated and pondered.
"Cheon Seo-yun. Can you tell me what Lee Seongmin did?"
"He kissed me. Touched my breasts and butt too."
"...Better than I imagined."
Having once read people's darkest desires, Park So-yul had expected worse and called it mild.
"Fine. 10 minutes a day like you said. But no kissing."
I watched Park So-yul try to negotiate to the end, lost in thought.
'Accepting would delay buying the Skill Stone.'
But I had other ways to get one.
I could go to Joo Tae-ho as a healer, or hunt in the tower or gates myself.
"Alright, deal."
In the end, I accepted Park So-yul's offer and turned to Cheon Seo-yun.
"Cheon Seo-yun. What about you?"
"... ."
Cheon Seo-yun, on the other hand, had already experienced the sexual arousal side effect of my Limit Break.
She hesitated to accept easily but glanced at Oh Ye-rin and conditionally agreed.
"If you alternate between me and Park So-yul."
In other words, touch her today, Park So-yul tomorrow.
It was disappointing, but since I'd achieved once a day, I nodded in acceptance.
"With conditions like this, we can't recruit anyone else."
Park So-yul noted that the club wouldn't grow beyond three members.
Indeed, applying the same to others would deter most recruits.
'Or maybe not—some might join for the points.'
I pondered how big a club room to rent.
Afterward, during practical combat class, I saw students whispering just like in stamina training.
"Huh? Instructor Kang Ju-young over there. She looks different."
"Idiot. Her eyes are fixed. No more eyepatch."
"Oh, right. So the healer rumor is true?"
Most students were buzzing about Kang Ju-young's changed appearance.
Oh Ye-rin, my teammate, also brought up the healer upon seeing her.
"The healer's power must be incredible. I heard Instructor Kang Ju-young lost her eyes ages ago."
Not just that—crowds had gathered around the group combat arena.
Some faces I recognized were Hero Association people, specifically the ones I'd seen with the Destroyer.
-It's Hero Association folks. Probably here to ask Kang Ju-young about the healer.
Lee Seojun shared his guess upon seeing them.
Honestly, nothing else made sense besides the healer, so my thoughts aligned with his.
"So noisy."
In the meantime, Kang Ju-young's low voice pierced straight into our ears.
Using the mana technique she'd shown before, she silenced the cadets at once.
"Save the chatter for after class."
Instructor Kang Ju-young announced the lesson for today.
Separately, Lee Seojun looked somewhat pleased as he spoke.
-Thanks to you doing well, Lee Seongmin, we'll get through without incident. Normally, an assault event happens this week or next.
The assault probably meant an attack by the Villain Alliance or Geneva Cult.
'Makes sense. Those two must be tied up right now.'
The Villain Alliance was forcibly restrained by my sowing discord and the Destroyer's movements.
The Geneva Cult had lost the Holy Grail, so they'd prioritize finding it over everything.
'And the Doomsday Cultists haven't moved yet.'
As Lee Seojun said, no assault event would happen.
Woooong—
The moment I thought that.
"...?"
Kang Ju-young, me, and a few heroes all turned our heads at the sudden anomaly.
The instant we sensed an alien energy from a nearby group combat arena.
Flash!
Suddenly, a blinding light engulfed everyone in the group combat arena.