Chapter 152
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 152
Chapter Title: The Talk of the Town
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Oh."
Shin Seo-yeon's eyes lit up.
"I was just about to give her an earful for lounging around and just eating her fill. Perfect timing."
Yeah, she was bored out of her mind all day in the dorm anyway. Telling her to grow crops was spot on.
"But can our Langi really handle it? She's still so young..."
The Saintess voiced her slight concern. Langi just grinned ear to ear in the Saintess's embrace, clearly loving it.
"Just look at her chest—she's no kid. She's already bigger than you, Auntie."
"Hey! You keep bringing up my boobs?!"
"You're always the first one bragging about them, Auntie."
"What? These are cliffs!"
I left the two squabbling kids alone and turned to the Saintess.
"No need to worry. She'll do great."
"You think so?"
I nodded. I'd told her to periodically run [Whispering Silver Grass] through the [Fresh Core], and the status hadn't changed since we left—meaning she'd been doing it every day like clockwork.
She wasn't dumb, that was for sure. Farming would be a breeze for her.
With the group's agreement, I bought up the land around the building.
"Let's start with 3,000 pyeong."
Just like that, 30 million points vanished, and a vast stretch of lakeside land became ours.
"Whoa, now we're talking!"
"Kyaaang!"
The two little ones excitedly dashed and flew around the expanded space.
'The Goddess is probably watching this.'
She wouldn't impose restrictions since nothing seemed off. She'd just think it was a bit unusual.
'Honestly, if you tell most people to blow 78 million points in 12 hours, they'll panic and splurge without thinking.'
Maybe on luxuries, expanding the house and decking it out fancy.
Or even stacking floors to make it like a hotel and dreaming of high-society life.
The smarter ones might load up on [Training Systems].
But I knew what was coming, so I knew the efficient way to spend it.
'The training systems we have are plenty. Any real threats, I'll handle most of them anyway. We just need to rack up experience from the occasional fights.'
So how would I use the points?
I planned to invest them.
It might feel like waste now, but it'd pay back later.
'If we chase immediate gains, the Goddess and Management Bureau will flag us for sure and slap on restrictions.'
But what if we didn't chase quick profits?
What if we tricked them into thinking it was an investment?
That was my angle.
'For now, pretend to plant Earth crops. Later, swap in pricier plants bit by bit. Alchemy ingredients, elixirs, that sort of thing.'
Growing stuff others have to farm from trial zones.
Items that vanish after one farm run, forcing them to buy at insane shop prices—I'd produce them myself.
'We'll rake in a fortune.'
More than enough to recoup the investment.
'By then, they won't be able to restrict us even if they wanted to.'
We started with pure intentions, and they'd let it slide the whole time.
By the time it's all set up, it'll be too late to nitpick—like getting soaked in a drizzle until you're drenched.
I chuckled inwardly at the thought, and Shin Seo-yeon snorted beside me.
"Hmph, I still can't believe this is real."
I patted her butt reassuringly, then slipped my hand under her panties.
The Crimson Flame Witch glanced at the kids, then spread her legs to welcome my fingers.
Squelch, squelch.
"Don't worry. It'll all work out."
"Hmph, easy for you to say."
Of course, 10,000 points per pyeong was ridiculous. Why? Because expanding indoors cost just a few hundred per pyeong.
But for crops to thrive, open fields were best, no contest. We had to suck it up.
"It'd be nice if we could include the lake too..."
Then the Saintess approached, giving me puppy eyes. The lake... yeah, sure. If it's for our Saintess, how could I say no?
[Outdoor Expansion Stage 2: 10,000,000 points]
[Description: Grants access to the lake.]
I didn't stop there—I expanded the land further. Note that water areas cost more per pyeong.
[1 pyeong = 20,000 points]
Double the open field price.
But with points to burn, I went for it.
Figured it'd come in handy later, so I grabbed 1,000 pyeong worth.
Splash, splash.
"Wow! This is amazing!"
The Saintess beamed, swimming happily in the water.
"!!"
The two little ones' eyes went wide at the sight, and they zoomed over. Isera clung to Langi's leg as they flew straight in with a splash, while Langi hesitated a moment.
Probably scared of the fish from the [Crimson Sea Cliffs]. Those vicious things that devoured anything that dropped in without mercy.
But seeing the Saintess and Isera splashing and playing...
"Ooh, this feels great. So refreshing."
Even Shin Seo-yeon waded in, floating like an old lady, and Langi couldn't resist dipping in. Soon, she was splashing around like a kid.
Splash splash splash!
Like it was her first time in water, she went wild with joy.
"Oh? You picking a fight with me now?"
"Kyaaang!"
Isera and Langi splashed each other, darting around playfully. Langi had some serious power—each arm stroke sent waves churning. Made me a bit uneasy, actually.
"Hey! You two better play nice!"
Shin Seo-yeon finally snapped after getting drenched, yelling at them. The pair bolted, fleeing to the far side to whip up more waves on their own.
'But looking at it now, 4,000 pyeong is pretty huge.'
Others were lucky with a single motel-room plot, but we had dorms, fields, and a lake—all spacious.
'Buy more land, and we might outsize the rest area itself.'
It was called a rest area, but compared to the still-dangerous outside that barely functioned as one, this was paradise.
Anyone else would be green with envy.
Healing here would melt away most trial stress.
'Stress management trumps training if you want to last in the selection process.'
Especially this round—I was dead set on protecting the Saintess's mental state, no matter what. Lake, whatever—she could have it all.
"Min-jun, come on in!"
"Haha, I'm good."
I waved back with a smile at the happily grinning Saintess.
Han So-hee, elegantly dipping just her feet in the lake like me, asked,
"So, 8 million points left. What's the plan for those?"
"Hmm."
I glanced at the kids' discarded clothes and gear, then said,
"Let's head out first and decide then."
"Huh? Do we have to go out? Can't we just summon shopkeepers with the letter envelopes? No need to risk it."
Fair point.
"But the envelopes are on cooldown, so we'd need new ones anyway."
"Oh, right."
"And even without that, we have to go out once."
"?"
I tightened my loosened stance and said,
"Gotta do the [Challenge Quest]."
"I see."
Challenge quests only trigger once you're in the area. No choice—we had to go in person, hassle or not.
"We'll sort out shopping on the way back too."
"Got it. I'll round up the kids."
We pulled our hoods low and stepped out into the rest area's streets.
Bustling crowds everywhere.
Being daytime with the sun still up, the streets teemed with people in all sorts of gear, milling about in groups or chatting animatedly.
Of course, even in broad daylight, some sketchy types lurked. But not many.
"Where to first?"
"General store to start. Grab letter envelopes, then hit the shops one by one."
We'd stumble on the [Challenge Quest] spot eventually. We left the dorm entrance and headed toward the general store district.
"Feels like the rest area's growing a bit, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, I noticed too."
I nodded.
The rest area expands gradually. As participants push through trials stage by stage, more flock here.
Accommodating the influx.
Proof was in the nearby chatter—accents from all over mixing in.
"Hey, hey, you hear about that?"
"Aigoo, what gossip you got now? Fine, spill it."
"Story's good and all, but can't we eat while we talk?"
Dialects from every region poured into my ears. Seemed like everywhere except Jeju.
'Korean peninsula folks are all gathered here now.'
Next trial would include Jeju, and after that, North Korea and Japan would join in earnest.
"No, listen—some party that hit [Island of Sacrifices] apparently wrecked the place and looted the whole city."
"Hah? That make any sense? [Island of Sacrifices] is the worst of the third trials, everyone says. But they trashed it? Possible?"
We exchanged glances.
"That's us, right?"
"Sure sounds like it."
"Ha, can't hide a damn thing from survivors."
Overhearing, plenty were buzzing about our exploits on [Island of Sacrifices]. Probably from folks who'd arrived before us.
Maybe the backup bitches, or Meibh, or the Saintess's new followers.
"Bullshit. Like that place lets you pull that off? Anyone who's been there wouldn't even dream it—pure nightmare."
"Exactly. Countless died mouthing off to the city folk. We're barely better than sewer rats."
But a few outright dismissed it.
Mostly early clearers of [Island of Sacrifices], or from other dimensions' versions.
To them, our tale was pure fantasy, absurd fiction.
"Someone's full of crap!"
"Pfft, if it's true, I'll change my name!"
Especially the bit about farming with shopkeepers—they blew up, calling it impossible, snapping at the storytellers.
The gossipers scratched their cheeks awkwardly.
"Yeah, when you put it that way, it doesn't add up."
"Why would shopkeepers be there?"
"Drunk idiots talking out their asses."
In the end, the NPC money-making claims were debunked as lies, and all Haran tales dismissed as fiction.
My companions, who'd listened the whole way, shook their heads.
"That's why loudmouths are trouble."
"Yeah, thinking everyone struggles like them since they did. Idiots."
"It wasn't that hard, really."
"True."
...That's 'cause your specs are monstrous.
Ranks 2 through 5 might not get normal thinking.
Anyway, streets were packed, letting us gauge the hottest topics just by passing through.
And after [Island of Sacrifices], the next big buzz was [Guilds].
"On my way here, this guy got a recruit offer from the New World side."
"For real? Awesome! Can we join too?!"
Guild creation unlocked here. Former parties were rallying under guild banners.
Debating which guilds were best, pros and cons—guild reps hit the streets, hyping hard like party recruiting.
"Mythos Guild! 1,700 members already! There's a reason we're top choice—apply now!"
"Join Volcano Sect to conquer crises together! Combat specialists prioritized!"
...Ah, right. That's why the fourth rest area streets were always so lively.
Normally prime time for [Human Hunters] to strut with slaves.
But not the fourth.
'Even Human Hunters eye guilds.'
Like mob syndicates craving legitimacy, they're using this to go mainstream.
Build legit fronts to hide their filth.
"...Join our family! Noob skills okay if you've got grit—apply now!"
Sweet-talking to lure, wording it to make everyone bite.
Some street recruiters ran Human Hunter guilds—join wrong, and it's group beatdown into slavery.
'Stick to big crowds, dodge most traps.'
Hunters are few, even dominant.
Most have basic decency, recoil at inhumanity.
So Hunter guilds stay small.
'That's why Grand Lords later mulch them effortlessly.'
Anyway, guilds rising meant organized Hunter rampages—but also their end nearing.
"Oh yeah, there was guild talk."
"Yeah, forgot while washing up."
"Guilds... any perks?"
The women eyed me expectantly. I snorted and explained.
"Special benefits, yeah."
"Like what?"
"Guild-exclusive [Challenge Quests] you can support."
Members only.
Decent rewards.
"Ah."
"And when heading to trials, less chance of getting solo-bounced if the party's full."
Bounce as a group. Hard to scatter.
Biggest plus.
"Then joining a guild's always better?"
"Pretty much."
The women glanced at each other, then Shin Seo-yeon grabbed my hand.
"Hey, let's go."
"Huh?"
"Quit dragging your feet."
She yanked me toward a bustling building ahead.
"Screw it—we'll make our own guild!"