Chapter 71
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Reinforcement
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"U-Um... P-President...?"
"This spot should do."
"...Huh?"
I'd sent the rest of the group back to the safe zone and arrived at the luxury goods corner connected to the first floor via escalator with Jiyeong.
We sliced through the zombies that spotted us and hid in a suitable spot.
I sat Jiyeong down in a chair and looked down at her.
"Uh... Um..."
She fidgeted nonstop, unable to meet my gaze as I stared at her in silence.
The dark circles under her eyes only added to the effect, making me doubt this was the same woman who'd blushed while looking at corpses just moments ago.
I reached out and placed my hand on top of her head.
"Hm..."
"Eek?!"
Ignoring her startled reaction, I slowly stroked her soft hair.
She shrank back but opened her mouth in flustered surprise.
I was looking at her right now, but not really.
More precisely, at the area around her forehead.
I was reading the translucent system message floating there.
Discovered a Vassal candidate. Taming is now possible.
It felt like ages since I'd seen a system message like this—even longer than the alerts from killing zombies, which I'd turned off.
And this alert had appeared ever since she'd tortured and killed Mr. Kim with that kitchen knife.
That was why I'd brought her here alone.
'Even if I overlook the word "taming"—something you'd use on animals—for a person... Vassal candidate, huh.'
Vassal.
It gave off a similar vibe to my Enslave skill, which still had about ten days left on cooldown.
The image that came to mind with "vassal" was a loyal subordinate who followed their master's every command.
And since a separate system message had popped up, it didn't seem like just a random label.
It had to mean something more, especially with "candidate"—like it was up to me to decide.
The system would probably do something specific.
'Maybe grant her special abilities like mine.'
But as always with this unhelpful system, there was no way to know in advance.
I'd have to try it myself to find out.
Which was exactly what I planned to do now.
"Taming... is that it?"
"Huh? What do you mean... Kyaa?!"
Woooong—
The moment I said "taming," her entire body lit up.
It wasn't blinding, but a sharp white light filled my vision.
"Stay still. It's nothing weird."
"Ah... Y-Yes!"
She froze at my words after screaming in confusion from the glow.
But with her eyes squeezed shut, she still looked terrified.
Soon, the bright light faded, revealing her figure once more.
"Oh..."
A gasp of admiration slipped from my lips.
"N-Nothing's changed... right? What is this... Usually, it'd be evolution or race change or something..."
Was she the otaku type who looked plain on the outside?
She seemed to have some inkling of what happened and twisted around, checking her body for changes.
She muttered a bunch of otaku knowledge I didn't know, making my head spin, so I tuned it out.
The changes weren't external.
So of course she wouldn't notice anything by inspecting herself like that.
Then why had I gasped?
Because of another system message that appeared above her head.
Acquired your first Vassal! Gained 20 points!
Lee Jiyeong is your Vassal. You can invest points to reinforce her.
Vassal reinforcement.
The 20 points I'd gained just from making a vassal were nice enough.
But the follow-up message piqued my interest even more.
'A vassal I can reinforce with points... I don't know exactly how it works, but it probably boosts her stats.'
To confirm, I decided to invest the 20 points I'd just gotten into Jiyeong.
Hunting zombies on the way here had made 20 points a piece of cake anyway.
The method was simple: click the system window above her head, and hit the reinforce button that appeared.
I entered 20 in the number field and pressed reinforce.
Fwaaash—!!
Her body flashed with light 20 times in succession before fading.
Jiyeong screamed in surprise, as expected.
But I was too busy watching the changes happen in real time, eyes wide, to pay her any mind.
Once the flashing stopped, Jiyeong finally calmed down.
I silently pulled a hand mirror from my inventory and held it out to her.
"I-Is this really me...?"
That was the first thing she said after staring into the mirror for a solid 20 seconds, frozen.
Her pupils dilated, and her mouth hung open.
She'd been trembling before, but now it was even worse—her mind clearly in total chaos.
And her reaction was completely understandable.
'I didn't see this coming either...'
To put it bluntly, skipping all the fancy talk: with each flash, her appearance changed in real time.
Freckles vanished from her skin, her hair grew silkier, her features sharpened into beauty.
Her body grew more feminine, curves emphasizing; her slight belly pulled in, hips and breasts swelled fuller.
I'd witnessed her feminine allure evolve right before my eyes.
By the end of the 20 flashes, Jiyeong had gone from a gloomy, average woman to a striking, glamorous beauty who drew the eye despite her lingering gloom.
'That reinforcement boosts her feminine appeal instead of stats... Total curveball.'
Honestly, when I thought "reinforcement," I figured physical abilities or stats, like mine.
Who could've guessed it'd enhance her looks?
'Backup for when I run out of beauties? ...But really?'
The thought crossed my mind, but on reflection, true beauty was like a flower in a greenhouse—delicate and high-maintenance.
This world was no greenhouse; it was the wild, where even flowers couldn't survive.
Women who could maintain their looks would dwindle over time, so without something like this, things could get tricky.
'And since not just anyone triggers this, there must be conditions.'
The safe zone had plenty of women prettier than old Jiyeong.
But only she got the vassal message, so...
"Her most beautiful potential form, brought out with care?"
"Care...? Well, I never really did skincare or makeup... B-But when I was younger, people said I was pretty a lot..."
I'd just muttered the thought aloud, but her response confirmed it.
Vassalization triggered on those who'd lost their innate beauty due to neglect.
That was my working theory for this feature.
I sat next to the chair she was in and looked at her.
She blushed faintly at the sudden closeness, flustered.
Her old self? No thanks. But now? She was on par with Yuri Sister and Sua—gorgeous.
Naturally, the moment I saw her, I was hooked.
"How's the new you feel?"
"Ah. Um... I-I think it's amazing... really pretty..."
"You like it?"
"Yes...! I love it... A-And President made me like this... S-So, it must be for that, right...?"
With that, her eyes drifted to the bulge straining my pants.
I nodded immediately, unzipped, and pulled out my cock, already radiating heat.
Pop—!
It sprang up like it made that sound itself—my massive erection.
Jiyeong's eyes widened in awe, mouth agape.
"I-It's huge... Bigger than Jinpo-kun..."
"Jinpo-kun? Who's that?"
"Ah...! U-Um... M-My usual... d-dildo..."
"...?"
'Thought it was a boyfriend since she named it Jinpo-kun, but a dildo?'
I was so thrown that my erection faltered a bit.
Tastes vary as much as people, sure, but...
Naming your dildo?
Maybe she was even more of a gloomy perv than I'd thought.
"Boyfriend?"
"N-No..."
"Ever had one?"
"N-Never..."
A boyfriendless gloomy girl who'd named her dildo.
Probably no experience either.
Why did the image of a shut-in wanking all day, pussy aching, pop into my head?
'Lucky me, I guess.'
I was a little thrown by the arrival of this cliché character.