Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Bachinum Learning Comics
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Dun kept squeezing Rahee to churn out more Bachinum learning comics.
"Deadline, baldy author. Not many volumes left."
"R-review... how is it?"
She'd speed-read the text, draw the illustrations, and whip up the comics, while Dun sipped fresh fruit juice beside her and read them aloud.
Rahee had poured tremendous imagination and creativity into turning the dense material into comics, but the lukewarm response was killing her motivation.
"Fun. Deadline."
"...But you're, too, harsh. Unpaid, forced labor..."
As Rahee looked like she was on the verge of collapse, Dun tossed her an epic strength-boosting item from his inventory.
"Sh-shut up then."
"Good catch."
Dun flipped through the comic pages, offering praise.
[On the Abilities of the Bachinum, Volume 1]
[Would you like to view this as a comic illusion?]
"Yes."
An illusion appeared before Dun.
Lacking a real story, the informational book had Rahee invent fictional characters 'Thumb' and 'Knuckle' to drive the narrative.
Thumb and Knuckle appeared, bantering as they explained what a Bachinum was.
This was it.
Not words over images. Not images over immersion. Straight into the scenario. Dun focused on the illusion.
[Hey Knuckle, know this? Bachinums rarely face life-threatening danger, so they live out their full lifespan, but there are ways to kill them.]
[What?]
[Knock out the Bachinum, transfer its power elsewhere, then kill it. But this doesn't work on adult Bachinums over 100 years old.]
[How do you kill them then?]
[Only with a suicide attack fueled by another Bachinum's life force!]
[Wait, isn't there only one Bachinum per generation?]
[Exactly. Killing an adult Bachinum over 100 is impossible. Unless you connect the two worlds and draw in the other Bachinum.]
[Anyway, if a Bachinum shows signs of corruption, kill it before 100 and a new one will be born.]
'So that's how they tried to knock out Prim and kill her. With her power stripped away...'
There were two key pieces of info on the current Bachinum.
First: how to transfer the power, and how to block the transfer.
Second: how to reclaim divided power.
This mattered because that coward dubbed 'the monsters' boss' would try to kill him this way.
Since he was on a wanted list, it seemed less about killing outright—impossible anyway—and more about knocking him out.
[Thumb! I love you! You won't die. I'll make sure of it.]
[Sob, my Knuckle. But I'll kill you?]
As romance and twists heated up the tale, Dun paused the illusion and closed the comic to save it.
A sudden question about Prim popped into his head, so he sent her a note.
{Dun: Prim. Do you remember how you lost your power in Montghell?}
{Primavera: Hmm... I don't remember.}
When he asked Prim via note, she said she didn't recall the power theft process clearly.
Once Rahee succeeded at her first job change quest and advanced to the second, changing her class traits, she could draw an autobiography comic. Better ask then.
"Hurry with the deadline. Finish quick, and I'll lift your house arrest."
"Eh..."
Not that she minded if he didn't.
She almost voiced it, but swallowed it down, fearing he'd see her as a pervert.
She didn't know the exact taste, but eating Rihao-well's cooking, chatting idly together, basking in the envy and jealousy from players coming to buy stuff—it was pure bliss.
Rahee drew sluggishly under Dun's watchful eye, scrambling into action whenever he shot her a suspicious glare.
* * *
After countless days confined in Dun's room drawing comics, Rahee finally got released, pockets stuffed with items from him.
She'd burned herself out white. Game body, so no wrist pain, but the creativity drain felt like her energy was sapped.
"Accessible after second job change. Come snag more items then."
Dun dropped Rahee at his door and moved to close it.
"More than items, your favor, favorability..."
Dun looked down at Rahee yearning for favorability, patted her hair, then locked the door with a click.
"No way... So cute and ruthless..."
She scratched at the door like a puppy, but it stayed shut.
'Guess first job change only gets me this far...'
Current favorability: 4. Even Yoo Hyun-oppa, who'd known Dun forever, was around 5. No one higher yet.
She'd thought her favor was skyrocketing, getting closer, but the line drawn at task's end brought tears to her inner self.
Dun calling her "sis" echoed in her ears. And she'd just seen Lee Saebyeok.
'Pfft, f***ing sis is hilarious. A game character holds you captive for slave labor? She's a riot too, but sis stays consistently funny.'
'Am I, funny...? But she, you, similar personality.'
'What? That make sense? You think I'd hold someone captive and pull thug crap?'
'...Yeah. You, totally could.'
While Rahee logged out for real-world food, Lee Saebyeok visited briefly.
Her cheeky grin whenever seeing Rahee's face was stunningly pretty.
Unlike Seol Do-yun's constant beaming, Lee Saebyeok's rare small smiles hit hard.
Lee Saebyeok mainly visited the hospital room; Seol Do-yun dropped by occasionally, just checking vitals after a few words.
Seol Do-yun was insanely pretty, tempting friendship, but her cold-blooded smile wasn't Rahee's taste.
More than that, her genuineness scared Rahee. This was reality, not comics. Facing that character would drain her soul.
Subtle psychological probing vibe.
Any slip-up felt like game over; she couldn't relax.
Thinking of soul-draining Seol Do-yun made her crave rough-yet-clear, warm Saebyeok more.
Dun carried a similar scent to that girl. Dun seemed a tad more vibrant, relaxed, mature—that was the difference.
'But both so busy, hard to see them.'
For now, more chances with always-busy Dun than Saebyeok, so Rahee set off on training for her second job change.
Telling Dun about Saebyeok later would amuse him.
* * *
Dun eyed the gold coins in the glass jar.
Too busy lately—no earnings, just spending on army gear and such—money was gone.
"One, two, three, four... Jar broke? Where'd all the money go?"
Dun sighed at the jar's exposed bottom.
Premium item trader profits vanished too. Helping Prim briefly shouldn't punch such a hole. This'd mess up his upcoming plans.
'Ah, that Seol Do-yun jerk... Tricky to rope in after all.'
Earning cash was to recruit Seol Do-yun.
Dun pulled the soul contract from inventory, lost in thought, damp paper texture lingering on his fingertips.
'Push the original plan?'
His plan: Fill Seol Do-yun's inventory with premium items and Tigo, then force his name on the soul contract.
Money-grubbing him wouldn't delete his account over it—solid, he'd thought.
But time with Prim prompted reevaluating Seol Do-yun's sincerity; hesitating on the original push.
With time easing things, broader emotions let him grasp his personality deeper.
'Is Seol Do-yun swayed by money or goods?'
He'd said money first, but imagining him bowing for huge sums didn't fit.
'Stuff him with items and cash, soul contract—he'd delete the account on sight.'
Then, hating it, he'd vanish—behavior predictable.
Master of hiding.
His aliases prepped for bailouts when things soured. Easy escapes rigged.
Barring special cases, he never showed his real name or face.
If he hid for real, tracking him was hell.
Dun racked his brain to understand Seol Do-yun's motives. Know the drive to sway the mad dog.
Digging memories unearthed a dusty fragment.
'Kim Woo-sung's a B-grade mass-produced narcissist delusionally thinking he's a movie protag. Expresses inferiority-laced B-grade superiority via extreme sadism. Drunk on underdog dark hero role. Pathetic motive shaking my life—embarrassing.'
'F***, hates him detailed... Tribal self-loathing? Empathy score or what?'
'...Bury Kim Woo-sung with me.'
That was it.
Teasing wrinkled his brow hilariously—remembered giggling.
On reflection, his money obsession stemmed from hating those wielding cash over him.
Repaying them in kind made him seem money-mad, using it as a tool.
Even if nuts to kill the association president.
Push, he bounced back; force, he rebelled. Soft speech, constant smiles hid it, but he was a rabid mad dog.
Trying to control him like the president with goods? Instant revulsion.
Maybe show trust first.
If he were Lee Saebyeok, it'd be easy—mutual debts. No awkwardness in tasks.
But now, to Seol Do-yun, he was outsider Dun, not Saebyeok.
'Then... How to earn trust without being Saebyeok?'
Soul contract essential.
Needed ongoing weakness items/debuffs supplied timely. Excuse for power-weakening on demand, whatever reason.
But Seol Do-yun wouldn't step up for others...
One idea hit.
Mutual soul contracts.
Tied together, mutual checks; requests smoother.
He'd likely make Dun sign first: "You first, then me."
Show trust by yielding first.
'Wait, why bend over backward? I have the legendary item. I'm NPC—contract weight differs. Unfair. Screw it. No contract.'
Another idea.
'Wait, just tell him I'm Saebyeok.'
With living Saebyeok nearby, credibility iffy.
Might spark more suspicion: hacker AI puppet.
Explain fully before he dox-and-bolts? Some players dodged him for that.
Unpredictable reaction headache-inducing. Brainwork suddenly tedious.
'...Ah. Just force it?'
Force contract, disrupt job changes if broken.
But blocking his path shakes Abyss's future. No desire to.
Just axed the annoying president, but he'd successfully saved Abyss kids.
Subtly watching his back while pretending otherwise.
Face during high-risk awakening drugs. Seemed oblivious then; now, hurt expression clear.
Bringing Saebyeok's dying body from gate corners to his place, sliding weak coffee—recalled.
Repetition led to weird proposals.
Olympic ski jump athlete. Coach scout. Sudden ski jump team.
Then Olympic swimmer. Coach. Sudden swim team.
Then gymnast. Coach. Sudden gymnastics team.
Thought persistent teasing; now, maybe not.
'Aw, damn, what to do.'
Plenty time before he arrived—good.
Dun crossed arms, pondering how to sway him.