Chapter 11
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Raising a Princess
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Zhiiing—
A blue hologram floated into the air.
I pulled out the [Leader's Qualification] card from my bag and activated it.
"Accept it."
"Pardon? What... Kyaa!"
As Park Yumin instinctively reached out her hand, a beam of light extended from the card and seeped into the area around her heart.
Party member 'Park Yumin' has been registered.
By party leader authority, item and experience distribution method has been set to [Contribution Priority].
Of course, the distribution method was structured so that I took everything.
She had no reason to complain anyway.
She had barely been pulled back from the brink of a gruesome death.
"O-Oppa... Something just slipped right into my chest..."
Park Yumin touched the area around her chest with a strange expression.
'After going through all that, she's still so blatant about those huge things... She has zero sense of caution.'
"Is this... a party?"
"For now, yeah. Think of it like a one-time contract just for this run, so no need to feel burdened. Of course, if you don't follow my lead, you're out immediately."
"A contract..."
Despite my chilling warning, her cheeks flushed pink.
"So now, Oppa and I... are connected by our souls?"
"......"
'Yeah. Think whatever you want.'
I let out a sigh.
It was just a temporary party for this one time anyway.
No point explaining the system to her—she wouldn't get it, and even if she did, it wouldn't make her any more useful.
'I'll just teach her bit by bit as needed. She's only level 1 anyway.'
I gathered my thoughts and looked straight at her.
"Stay put for a sec."
"Huh? Why...?"
"Got something to take care of. While I'm gone, Yumin, do something about that. Seriously, I don't even know where to look."
She had thrown the leather armor on so hastily that her massive chest was practically spilling out between the gaps.
"Wha...? Wha? Kyaa—! D-Don't look!"
Park Yumin jumped in shock, clutching her chest as she spun around and crouched down.
Confirming that, I quickly headed to the opposite side of the thicket.
My goal wasn't the bathroom.
The man was still sprawled on the ground.
Foam at his mouth, passed out, but his chest was rising and falling faintly.
Left like this, he'd wake up eventually.
And then he'd come after me or spread rumors that I'd hogged the hidden piece.
'Not a single percent reason to let him live.'
I drew the dagger I'd used in the tutorial from my pocket.
No hesitation.
He'd crossed the line, and I was just cleaning up for survival.
Puuk—!
The dagger pierced his heart dead center.
His body convulsed violently once, then went limp.
That was the moment.
Hwaaak—!
A crimson pillar of blood—unlike anything from killing monsters—erupted from the corpse.
And a barrage of messages flooded the system window.
Player Kill achieved.
Congratulations on your first PvP victory! The Karma system has been added.
Soul Binder system is already unlocked. One additional slot has been expanded.
The corpse dissolved into particles of light, and the items he had been carrying dropped to the ground with soft thuds.
[Faded Leather Robe], [Rusty Longsword], [Miscellaneous Leather Scraps], [Low-grade Potion], [Goblin Boots]...
And the [Leader's Qualification] card he had.
I casually picked up the card, then did a double-take.
PvP spoils acquisition perk activated!
Items acquired via PK are temporarily stripped of all ownership and enter 'Soulless' state.
To use, register your soul—hold it and will it to register instantly.
To export externally, register Soulless items in the Soul Vault and clear the stage.
"...Ha!"
A hollow laugh escaped me.
Chills ran down my spine.
It all clicked into place now.
'So that's why. That damn heterorace bastard charged at me right away to kill me?'
In the game, killing humans or heteroraces just dropped loot—no Soul whatever explanations.
Of course not.
You couldn't take items from inside the game out to the real world.
But here? Different story.
I'd already returned to Earth while keeping the physical changes from level rewards.
'Items from killing people can be taken out?'
I checked the Soul Vault slots in the system window.
Two open empty slots.
One from the unique card, the other from this PvP victory reward.
'So I can have two now?'
As a test, I slotted the card I'd gotten from him.
It was useless since I'd already used one [Leader's Qualification].
I tried slotting another item.
Second one failed.
[This item is not in Soulless state.]
Meaning only items from killing people could be taken out.
'In the tutorial, the unique card effect must've allowed registering any item.'
Thoughts raced through my mind.
This system was probably known to anyone who'd killed in the dungeon.
'Designed to drive murderers insane.'
In this world, monsters weren't the only enemies.
Humans might be the biggest threat.
'A system where human lives turn into cash.'
I didn't know if it was gods or aliens who made this, but whoever created this world was utterly deranged.
Ding—
Right then.
As a sinister smile crept across my face unbidden, a red warning message blinked in the corner of my vision.
Warning: Kin-slaying count accumulates.
Karma settles into your soul.
????? takes interest in your cruelty.
"......"
A deeply unsettling message.
But no immediate visible changes or penalties.
'If game-exclusive systems like this exist, does that mean [Dungeon Odyssey] and this place aren't 100% identical?'
No time to ponder it here.
I ignored it and swept up all the loot.
I wiped the bloodied dagger on the bushes and turned away as if nothing had happened.
'Don't know yet, but I'll figure it out as I go.'
"Oppa! You're back?"
Park Yumin lit up like a puppy wagging its tail when I returned.
She must've been anxious about getting attacked again while I was gone.
"Handled it nice and clean."
"Pardon?"
Double meaning.
Cleaned up the trash and secured a new income source.
To her, who was blushing unnecessarily, I tossed the [Goblin Boots] I'd just acquired from my bag.
"Put these on. Better than barefoot."
"Shoes...! Thank you!"
Park Yumin caught them and beamed with gratitude.
She had no idea whose they were, so they seemed like a blessing to her.
"Ugh..."
"What?"
"Um, Oppa... Could you help me with this? It keeps catching here..."
She made a pitiful face and asked for help.
Couldn't even put on a single shoe properly.
Tsking, I approached.
"Relax your ankle and stretch your foot out."
"Okay. Hng!"
A man's shoe on a woman's foot wouldn't fit easily—what kind of system was this?
Riiip!
"Huh?"
Managed to get the shoe on.
But the way she strained—her thin leather top tore right down the front, spilling out two pale mounds.
"Kyaaak—!"
What kind of chest was built like that?
"S-Stop looking... Please..."
Her cleavage surged upward, compressed by her small hands and arms.
"W-Wait... I'll give you other clothes."
"Huaang..."
Park Yumin sniffled, making an odd sound.
Her heaving breaths made that massive cleavage...
'If I hadn't taken that bastard's items, I'd have been dragging around a naked girl.'
Trash had its uses after all.
This was exactly that case.
"Put this on carefully. If it rips again, you'll really have to go naked."
"Hiiing... Okay..."
Suddenly not shy anymore, she took the new clothes and openly bared her chest to change.
'Wonder what's in that head of hers.'
Shaking my head, I took the lead.
A bit unhinged, but better than cowering in terror like in the tutorial.
"All dressed? Hurry up and follow. Time to earn your keep."
Fuu...
Finally, our party's real hunting began.
"Kieeeek!"
A skeleton soldier burst from the fog.
I lightly dodged its rusty sword and kneed its knee, toppling its stance.
As it staggered, I smashed my elbow into its skull.
Kwajajak!
Skull fragments rained to the ground.
"Yumin. Don't just stand there—pick up the items and put them in the bag."
"Y-Yes?! Me?"
"Hurry!"
"O-Okay! Hoi!"
I sighed again and said,
"You see the gauge filling in your view? When it's full, that's a level up. Tell me if you're about to level."
"Yes!"
Five minutes later.
"Eek. O-Oppa. Y-You're pushing too hard!"
"You're right on the verge of level up!"
Pagagak—
I'd lured dozens of skeletons around the rock where Park Yumin stood, then mercilessly pulverized the nearest skull.
Kwaaaang—!
With the level up, a powerful wave of light burst from her body.
The shockwave swept away about twenty skeletons that had been swarming nearby, toppling them like dominoes.
"Wow..."
She looked down at her hands in awe.
The unfamiliar euphoria for the first time.
The thrilling pleasure enveloping her body erased her fear.
"My body... It's suddenly so light! I feel like I could fly!"
As she bounced in place excitedly, something heavy jiggled inside the tight leather.
Visual assault.
"Selection window popped up? If only Normal options, pick Speed Up!"
"Yes! I'll do whatever Oppa says!"
She invested in Speed without hesitation, just as I instructed.
Loyalty confirmed.
"Take this."
I tossed her one of the two dropped [Skeleton Bone Gloves].
"Another gift? Wow, thank you!"
Park Yumin slipped on the bone gloves happily.
"Oppa, I can do more! Lure more and take them down!"
Hooked on the level-up high, she was fired up.
A bit ridiculous, but not a bad attitude.
"Got it. Let's go."
A relentless storm of level-ups.
The mood was heating up nicely.
Piuwoong—!
An eerie tearing sound.
Before the sound of slicing wind even reached us, the gravestone right next to where Park Yumin stood exploded with a thunk.
"Kyaaak!"
"Down!"
I reflexively grabbed her waist and hurled us behind a gravestone.
Kwaduduk!
A black arrow fletched with feathers embedded deeply where we'd just been standing.
Powerful enough to pierce stone flooring.
Not a monster.
"O-Oppa...?"
Park Yumin, clutched in my arms, looked up at me with a pale face.
I pressed a finger to my lips and stared into the fog beyond.
'Already here?'