Chapter 281
Chapter 281
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 281
Chapter Title: 64. Retribution (2)
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‘Huh? The Logistics Director…?’
Youngwoo blinked his eyes wide.
「Black Eyes, Desirak the Logistics Director is preparing the grade sheet.」
The one currently filling out the grade sheet was unmistakably that ‘Desirak’ he’d seen in the dungeon, no matter how he looked at it.
‘No way, he’s still alive?’
From the First Prince’s direct guard to the logistics director of a pan-galactic arms corporation.
“…….”
What kind of life had Desirak lived?
It also hinted that a royal guard had taken a job at a company.
Didn’t that mean the Besedel royal family might no longer exist?
‘Of course, he could’ve followed the prince he served into the secular world… but the chairman Desirak served was the First Prince, right?’
That meant the designated heir to the throne.
In other words, if nothing major had happened afterward, the chairman would now be King of Besedel, not just some company head.
But as far as Youngwoo knew.
‘The chairman isn’t the king now, is he? He has that “Destruction King” moniker, but it doesn’t seem like that king.’
His head was getting complicated.
Either way, what was certain was that the company ‘Dogo’ had been founded by the chairman—who was once the First Prince of the Besedel royal family—along with his subordinates.
With actual royals, no less.
「Grading complete.」
Finally, the four instructors finished their grading, and the grade sheet from Logistics Director Desirak—who at least had some faint connection to Youngwoo from the past—was revealed first.
[Logistics Director Desirak]
“Feels like watching the chairman in his youth.”
|Total Score: 113/100
“Oh, Director.”
Desirak the director had given a whopping 113 out of 100. Extra points.
His one-liner seemed to dredge up some nostalgia from the past, suggesting he was more sentimental than he appeared.
In contrast, the next one revealed was from the Development Director.
[Development Director Talgia]
“The second step toward transcendence.”
|Total Score: 101/100
‘101? That’s kinda iffy…?’
101, just one point over the max.
He did well, but maybe didn’t want to hand out too many points.
The one-liner carried a double meaning too.
—Second step toward transcendence.
It referred to the second transcendent language Youngwoo had learned, and at the same time, meant that lowly creature Jeong Youngwoo was transcending his very origins.
‘No, if it’s the second step, shouldn’t it be 102? Man, he’s strict.’
Either way, the score said it all.
The Development Director was pretty satisfied. Giving over 100 was statement enough.
‘Alright, next up.’
As Youngwoo turned his eyes to the next evaluation, the Shareholder Alliance’s grade sheet popped up immediately.
Flash!
[Shareholder Alliance]
“Bullish for stock prices. But no-kill policy is a bit disappointing.”
|Total Score: 92/100
‘Ugh, what the hell do these guys want from me?’
92 points.
Plenty high, sure, but after seeing the two extra-point sheets, it pissed him off.
Maybe because it was the Shareholder Alliance with so many members.
They seemed to want Youngwoo—as Dogo’s promo model—to stick to the company’s existing style.
‘Still, the average’s over 100.’
Current average: 102.
So the chairman’s score as the last grader was crucial.
If the chairman gave a score that dragged the average below 100, he’d likely miss out on the dungeon’s hidden reward.
In other words, he needed at least 98 from the chairman.
‘We’re business partners in Earth development now, right? Think about it.’
Youngwoo muttered inwardly as he waited, and soon a glow spread from the center of his vision.
Whoosh!
Then the title ‘Chairman Dogo’ etched itself into the air, followed by his grade sheet.
[Chairman Dogo]
“Surpassing the limits of the violence business.”
|Total Score: 120/100
“Whoa…!”
A full 120.
Youngwoo flung both arms into the air without thinking.
“Chaaaairman!”
And almost at the same moment.
Fwoosh!
The portal holding him in place deactivated, sending his body back to Earth.
Whoooosh!
“Gah?”
The sudden portal reactivation caught him mid-air-pump, and he tumbled forward.
Thud!
Seoul’s freakish cold snap and massive blizzard engulfed him right after, but it didn’t matter.
「Dungeon completion rewards incoming soon. Prepare yourself.」
He’d scored extra rewards even from that insane Dogo dungeon.
‘Reward delivery? Falling from the sky again?’
Youngwoo peered through the blizzard from his face-planted position, and the two slaves waiting at the exit tilted their heads.
-Keek?
-Bat…?
And soon, their pupils reflected it too.
Shiiiiiiek!
A massive steel box hurtling through the snow like a comet with a long tail.
“…Huh?”
Youngwoo’s expression turned odd as he saw the reward boxed up.
“Not an index?”
Dungeon extra rewards had always been fixed as indices before, delivered instantly via system instead of boxes.
So a physical delivery like this meant…
‘If not an index, what the hell?’
Youngwoo got up stealthily, and the steel box accelerated further.
KABOOM!
It slammed down in front of him with a deafening roar that made his ears ring.
“……?”
Up close, the box was container-sized—way bigger than expected.
“Did they stuff a monster in here or what?”
At his words, the Golden Goblin drooped its ears and backed away.
Meanwhile, Popu Tenta had pulled a trumpet from its gut, ready to support with battle music.
That was the difference between a porter and a combat bard.
But Popu Tenta didn’t get to play its godawful tune.
Clank! Clunk!
Locks inside the steel box disengaged with a racket.
BOOM!
The lid blasted off into the distance with a massive explosion.
“……?”
Then all four sides unfolded at once, revealing the reward inside.
-Kweeeee…!
Neugg raised a front paw and let out a long wail at the sight.
And for good reason—the extra reward that had pierced the atmosphere was none other than armor just like the chairman’s.
Displayed on a massive wedge-shaped stand like a mountain, the pristine suit showed not a single scratch.
As if they’d taken the First Prince Dogo’s own straight off him.
「Legitimacy」 - Besedel Full-Body Armor
【Besedel Royal Family’s Protection】
【Elastic Defense】
【Adapts to any planet.】
【Max supernatural resistance +5%.】
【--Empty Slot--】
【--Empty Slot--】
【--Empty Slot--】
◇ Dogo: Ad Space
‘Ho-ly… how many lines of options?’
Two special tooltip options, two standard ones, three empty slots, and a Dogo custom.
Eight lines total on this armor.
“…My god.”
Youngwoo approached with his mouth agape, and the special option tooltips finally appeared.
【Besedel Royal Family’s Protection】
|This armor serves as the royal crest.
【Elastic Defense】
|30% of incoming damage distributed over 3 seconds.
“Huh…?”
The royal protection sounded hugely promising, but ‘Elastic Defense’ grabbed his attention first.
Spreading 30% of damage over 3 seconds meant the first hit only landed for 70%.
‘Rank’s just straight-up “Besedel.” Special treatment for royal gear, huh.’
「Legitimacy」 - Besedel Full-Body Armor
Where the rank should’ve been, it simply read ‘Besedel’ with no other marker.
Sure, Dogo-made gear said ◇ Dogo there too, but with a ‘crafted by’ tag.
But ‘Besedel’ was treated like an official rank: Unique, Epic, Legendary.
A rank certified by this world—no, the universe itself.
‘What the hell does “royal family” mean in space? If it’s recognized like this, they must have some real juice.’
Youngwoo approached the ‘Legitimacy’ full-body armor with a newly tense expression.
Sized perfectly to his height, it covered everything but the head.
Delivered without a helmet, since no one could match the chairman’s look.
“Oh?”
That’s when Youngwoo remembered.
‘The advance statue!’
The one his friends were assembling in the returnee room—it was exactly this.
‘No way Toma knew about this ahead of time.’
A chill crawled up his spine, but Neugg snorted from behind.
Snort!
-Kwee!
Hurry up and try it on, maybe.
Come to think of it, this armor’s third option matched Neugg’s word-for-word.
「Neugg」 - Rank Unknown
【Adapts to any planet.】
He didn’t know Neugg’s full backstory, but the creature clearly had ties to the Besedel royal family.
“Alright, let’s suit up.”
As Youngwoo finally touched ‘Legitimacy’s surface, the armor shattered into hundreds of metal pieces, scattering before swarming him.
Shrash!
“Guh, gaaah!”
Popu Tenta hurriedly blew its trumpet in response, but it had no effect on the armor.
“What kind of…!”
Youngwoo staggered in panic, but ‘Legitimacy’—now wrapping his body—began reforming into full armor.
Clink, clank!
That’s just how this aggressive thing equipped.
From toes to chin, Youngwoo was now clad head-to-toe in solid metal, looking exactly like Chairman Dogo to anyone’s eyes.
But he couldn’t hide his lowly origins.
Fwoosh!
With equipping complete, Dogo’s wedge emblem appeared as a hologram on his right upper arm.
“Huh, this is…”
It was the ad tattoo ‘Blank Space’ under the armor, broadcasting the Dogo emblem.
The Dogo option at the bottom of ‘Legitimacy’ was a feature to project ads over the armor too.
◇ Dogo: Ad Space
‘They modded royal armor just to obsess over ads?’
Well, 「Dogo」 was a profit-driven outfit at heart.
And from the shareholder grades, a publicly traded cosmic megacorp somewhere.
‘Why work this hard, though?’
Youngwoo gazed skyward with an incredulous look, spotting starlight flicker at the tip of the ‘Tower’ piercing Gangnam.
“……?”
He blinked and stared harder. Moments later…
Blink, blink!
The tower’s peak flashed a couple more times.
His ‘brothers’ were using the vanguard’s cleared path to keep building the elevated highway.
“What the…”
Youngwoo checked the time in a hurry.
Swipe.
2:38 AM.
Smack in the middle of the flesh-cutting freak weather at dawn.
Another starlight glint from the Gangnam tower, and Youngwoo was convinced.
“No way.”
While he’d been rolling around in the dungeon, the orcs—no, his brothers—had been building the road all night.
Thinking of the brothers who’d endured each nation’s freak weather, united by their will to open the path of vengeance—becoming stars in the process—made Youngwoo’s steel heart burn.
“They really aren’t human, working without rights…!”
Then another beam sliced through the blizzard toward China.