Chapter 162

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 162

Chapter Title: Inope's Disposition

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"From now on, I'll be Master's loyal slave! So please, forgive me!"

Inope's desperate voice echoed through the air.

Hearing it, the rest of the party members approached one by one. When they saw Inope naked, the Saintess rushed over, took off her own robe, and draped it over her.

"Are you okay?"

As she cast Recovery again, Inope nodded with a moved expression, sniffling.

Not just because she'd covered her up, but because she realized her battered body had returned to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠normal thanks to the Saintess.

"Thank you for helping me."

Inope prostrated herself before the Saintess, overflowing with gratitude.

But that was that. As I stood there with my arms crossed, staring down at Inope, Shin Seo-yeon walked up and asked,

"So, what are you gonna do with her? Kill her?"

I flinched.

"Well... Do we really need to? She might still be useful for something."

Inope's face paled.

She shook her head frantically from side to side, as if screaming that she never wanted to go back to studying abroad.

Honestly, though, taking Inope along felt a bit iffy. Especially having to keep her at the lodging.

As my gaze grew colder, Inope crawled forward and pleaded,

"I-I'm yours, Min-jun! You said so that day! You said you'd take me in! A-after studying abroad, you'd definitely take me in!"

"......"

"P-please let me stay!"

My original plan had been to chop off her limbs and hand her over to the bitch squad for stress relief.

But after flipping [Black Anchor Merchant Company] upside down and seeing Varkus's mistake, I'd impulsively turned her into a fish trap instead.

And now, I'd just fished her out for the first time and used her once.

'Still, using her like that again would be awkward.'

Like it or not, she was Varkus's biological daughter.

"Fine. I'll give you one more chance."

"!!"

Her face lit up like fireworks.

The Saintess cheered beside her, celebrating.

"Hah?"

Shin Seo-yeon shot me a glare.

"What are you planning? Don't you know what she did? She killed her own dad."

I flinched.

"Taking a girl like that is way too risky. Just ditch her."

That was true, but...

Before, it might've been dangerous, but now with the spirit around, there was no worry of Inope harming us.

As long as the spirit protected us, Inope's power couldn't touch us. The spirit took zero physical damage.

"And keeping her around won't even cover her food costs, right?"

I flinched.

"I'm telling you upfront, I hate freeloaders. Not supporting anyone."

"Don't worry about that."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"We just happen to need a worker, don't we?"

I glanced at the farmland next to the lodging building, and Shin Seo-yeon went, "Oh," nodding in understanding.

Of course, I needed to check if the person in question was willing, so I asked Inope,

"I'll give you a choice right now. One: Live here in this rest area for a few months until the Day of Annihilation comes and you vanish. Two: Follow us as we hop dimensions, help with our tasks."

"R-rest area?"

She seemed confused, so I gave a simple explanation about rest areas and trials. Past areas annihilate one by one, and we hop dimensions clearing these things called trials.

Inope's eyes widened more and more until her mouth hung open.

"H-hopping dimensions... Does that mean you all are gods...?"

I could see why she'd think that.

Unlike powerless locals from Haran, all players had extraordinary abilities and could travel between worlds.

That must've been why Inope looked terrified. The people her kind had massacred and sacrificed to were actually godlike beings.

"You have to decide. Work for us and delay your death, or end your life on your terms. Like I said before, dying is your choice. What'll it be?"

I already knew her answer.

She was obsessed with life, greedy, and crucially, her body had been thoroughly conditioned by me—it wouldn't let her choose death.

Inope trembled between her legs as she replied,

"F-from now on, I'll serve Master diligently. Please take me with you."

"Good. Remember this: From this moment, you're part of our group, our party slave. Obey any order from any of us without question."

"Got it."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

And so, Inope became a slave at our lodging.

"Hey, take care of us."

"Looking forward to it."

"Y-yes... Looking forward to working with you..."

As soon as I finished, the two brats approached grinning lewdly under the pretense of introductions. Inope must've sensed it instinctively—her fate from here on out.

'Alright, secured two farmers.'

I immediately activated the [Lodging Upgrade] window.

The sun was already hiding behind the mountain. The day was ending.

'Gotta spend this money before it flies away.'

Out of that, 8 million points would vanish if not spent by tonight.

"So, where are you spending it?"

Shin Seo-yeon asked while sitting on Inope's face, getting her ass eaten out.

"Hmm."

I'd pondered it while out. I double-checked my thoughts and got to work.

"First, I'll decorate each of your rooms."

"Whoa, really?"

"Oppa, you're the best!"

Even living together, everyone needs ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠their own space. So I decided to customize the girls' rooms to their liking, one by one.

And I learned something interesting.

"Huh. Dickhead, my lodging gets upgraded too?"

The connected lodgings via [Dimensional Gate] could be upgraded too!

Of course, only I saw the upgrade window, but that implied huge potential.

Sharing multiple lodgings across dimensions could yield endless benefits depending on how you used it.

'Think about that later. No time now.'

Once I confirmed the party's lodgings could be upgraded, I went room by room, remodeling as requested.

The modest motel rooms instantly transformed into vast, vibrant spaces.

"Dickhead, for me!"

Shin Seo-yeon went for opulent luxury—a room fit for an American billionaire from the movies.

Han So-hee wanted a clean, spacious room; the Saintess a high-end but simple one.

"Oppa! Hurry! Over here!"

Yi-se-ra bounced around excitedly, making demands as wild as Shin Seo-yeon's.

"Make it pink!"

"Pink!"

"Everything pink!"

Yi-se-ra turned her entire room pink.

Everything—walls, furniture, decorations, even the bedspread and stuffed animals on it!

If the first-round grim reaper fans saw this, they'd puke in shock.

"...Happy now?"

"Yup! Oppa best!"

Yi-se-ra pecked my lips and dashed to her bed, rolling around. My head throbbed from the pink overload, so I quickly escaped.

'...Demon Realm feels cozier. Must be my imagination.'

Anyway, interior work done.

After upgrading Rang's balcony home at the Saintess's request, I stepped outside.

We needed basic farming tools, equipment, and storage too.

Rumble rumble rumble.

Let's see—warehouse and tools like this should do.

"H-how'd you do that?"

Inope gawked. From her view, buildings popping up instantly and tools materializing from thin air must've been shocking.

"That's not important."

"Huh?"

I built another structure next to the warehouse—a 30-pyeong building divided into bathroom, bedroom, and living room.

"How should I decorate your house?"

Inope's eyes went wide.

"Y-you're giving me a place to live too?"

Shin Seo-yeon, who'd come out curious about the popping buildings, protested immediately.

"Hey, why give this one a place? Just tell her to sleep outside."

Inope shrank back, glancing nervously. Ever since mistaking us for gods, she was completely cowed.

I shrugged.

"You gotta take good care of hardworking laborers."

Honestly, it was overkill. But you couldn't just leave her out in the rain and dew, right?

To squeeze max value, you needed to set up conditions for long-term work.

"But if your harvest sucks, be prepared."

"Y-yes! I'll farm hard for a bumper crop!"

"Do well, and you'll get bonuses."

"Bonuses?"

She tilted her head, confused, so when Shin Seo-yeon's gaze shifted, I subtly nodded toward my crotch.

Inope's eyes lit up with motivation. Gone was the cowering; she clenched her fist and declared,

"I'll work super hard! Watch me!"

"Dickhead, what's with her sudden energy? Did you feed her something weird?"

"I'll make it a great harvest no matter what!"

"?"

That's why [Stripped Night] is scary. Even after studying abroad, she hadn't forgotten the taste of my cock.

As Shin Seo-yeon left Inope's lodging and headed to ours, she muttered,

"But is it really okay entrusting her with a lodging?"

"Hm?"

"Just feels sketchy."

Fair enough.

I knew from [Stripped Night]'s effects that Inope wouldn't screw up, but Shin Seo-yeon had no clue, so her worry was natural.

Especially since they'd once crossed blades.

But she needed to understand this.

'In organizations, trouble comes from those on equal footing who underestimate you.'

Once you instill fear like with Inope and clearly establish hierarchy, they won't rebel or cause issues.

Humans are like that.

Why not just kill her in a rage for revenge?

Some might say that, but it's delusion from those who haven't experienced true fear or PTSD.

'...Humans don't live by their will as much as they think.'

Trapped in the vessel of flesh and limits of experience, they get dragged along.

Remember why so many can't quit desires or drugs, or go bankrupt trading stocks.

'Still, just in case, I don't want Inope inside the house.'

Nothing's absolute.

Then a notification popped up.

In short, since it was my lodging, I could control who enters where.

'Perfect.'

Handy feature.

So I set it so Inope couldn't enter our main building.

When I told her to try coming in, like with Rang before, she bounced off an invisible barrier.

"Ah."

Inope looked disappointed.

The party breathed a sigh of relief.

'This should be safe enough.'

Now, 1.14 million points left.

To keep my promise to Han So-hee, I suggested a library.

"Huh? A library?"

"I hate books."

"Can't you just make something else with that? Water slide on the lake."

The two brats protested, and Han So-hee whispered in my ear,

"You don't have to build a library just for me."

But a promise was a promise.

Even casual verbal ones—keeping or breaking them affects trust in the leader.

I pushed ahead with the library.

A 500-pyeong space quickly took shape—shelves lined up, reading seats everywhere, all furnishings ready.

I filled the shelves half with Earth books, half with otherworld ones.

"Intriguing books. Ones containing otherworld info."

I was just as fascinated. Any book I'd ever touched could go in? And there were so many, they couldn't all fit in 500 pyeong?

'From trials, rest areas... All the books I read eagerly to survive.'

Han So-hee flipped through books rapidly, her face lighting up unusually excited.

"Incredibly useful contents. Otherworld lore, myths, weapon and herb descriptions."

Yeah, I'd read a lot like that. As she read an example aloud, memories of reading them surfaced naturally.

'Good she likes it.'

It was for keeping promises and stocking useful books from trials...

Didn't expect auto-filling.

It'd be a huge help.

'Plenty of survival guides in there.'

Could educate the party early.

Plus, if I ever needed an excuse, "I read it in a book" would convince them.

"Oops, got too absorbed. Should thank you first. Thank you."

"No big deal. Just kept a promise."

Han So-hee smiled warmly.

"You're a fine man indeed. Teaming up with you is my life's greatest fortune. Remember that."

Then she slipped between my legs, knelt politely, and sucked my cock eagerly.

'By the way, where'd they all go?'

Not just the brats—even the Saintess and Rang hated books, judging by the noise outside.

I snorted, twitching at So-hee's tongue work, then blasted my load down her throat.

Lady from a rich family, yet she gulped it down smoothly. She even sucked out ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the remnants from my urethra, cleaning me spotless.

'Now 40k points left.'

The final spending spot was decided. I headed to the lodging basement, expanded it, created a morgue, and placed the two bodies there.

'Varkus and Arkannon.'

If lucky, we'd meet them again next rest area. Key materials from the next trial.

"See you then."

I closed the morgue door and exited.

'Whew, money all spent, I guess?'

Felt a bit empty.

78 million points, gone in a day.

Mostly on land, sure...

My wallet felt lighter, a bittersweet pang.

Crunch crunch.

But under the pitch-black night sky twinkling with countless stars, the lake below, our upgraded lodging, fields, warehouse,

and the party splashing happily in the water laughing—it washed away the feeling, leaving a satisfied exhale.

"Min-jun, come on in!"

"Oppa, here here!"

"Gyaang...!"

...Well, worth the spend.

Now, time to prep for the next trial.