Entanglement
Entanglement
[Transaction Accepted.]
[Held Coins 1323 > 1353]
[Transaction Accepted.]
[Held Coins 1353 > 1383]
[Transaction Accepted....]
...
As expected, business was booming.
To be honest, it was sluggish at first, but after one user left a review, sales had exploded upward.
They really seemed to love it, promoting it enthusiastically and in a downright friendly tone.
So, feeling they deserved a little something, I threw in an extra stamina enhancer.
'Loyalty, loyalty! I'll spread the word to the boys even harder from now on!'
And just like that, an even more fervently loyal customer was born.
Judging by the way they talked, they were probably forcing their underlings to buy it and then lording the stamina enhancer I'd gifted them over everyone... but whatever. It wasn't exactly a bad thing for me, so I decided to let it slide.
"Hoo-ah...! Hey, isn't this basically hard labor? How many damn water bottles have we moved?"
"Yeah, no kidding..."
As Ha Hui-ryeong grumbled, I put on an exasperated expression and agreed with her.
Honestly, having the coins duplicate was fantastic.
More than fantastic.
Wasn't this a setup where you could rake in massive profits from simple, repetitive labor with zero complicated steps?
My happiness level ticked up in direct proportion every time I saw the growing coin balance. There was no reason to hate it.
The only problem was that after repeating that simple labor for hours on end, we were slowly wearing down.
Even something as trivial as taking a water bottle from the vending machine and slotting it into the trade window—hours of that piled up fatigue that ground down our minds and bodies.
Not just hours, actually.
It was practically half a day.
Glancing up at the sky, I could see the sun that had once been high overhead now hanging right on the horizon line.
"Ha-yoon, you okay?"
"..."
"Guess not. Yeah, all right. Just keep lying there, then."
No answer came.
Kim Ha-yoon, seemingly drained of every last drop of stamina, lay sprawled across the bench without even twitching.
"Huff...! Stop! Stop! I can't take any more! Let's take a break!"
Ha Hui-ryeong set down her water bottle and flopped onto the floor, announcing she couldn't go on either.
It was about time we wrapped this up.
Coincidentally, my arms were starting to go numb and tingly too.
"All right. Let's stop here for today. Good work, everyone."
"Ugh, but do we have to do this shit again tomorrow?"
"Well... probably for a while longer, yeah?"
To be honest, I wasn't thrilled about it either.
But getting to Gangnam required serious preparation.
Bolstering our forces.
It was clearly going to be a long haul, so we needed to shore up our strength more thoroughly to handle whatever came at us.
Even though this rest stop vending machine didn't stock things like skill scrolls or attribute imbuing scrolls, it was the perfect place to use the bulletin board to inflate our coin count.
First, we'd amass a huge pile of coins, then head into the city center and scout out a decent vending machine.
Until then, we couldn't avoid using this rest stop as our base.
It was wide open on all sides, but that made it easy to spot who was trying to sneak in and how.
"This is insane. I'm definitely getting muscle aches tomorrow."
"I'm beat too. Lost count of how many water bottles I've lifted. My arms are completely tingling."
"That one over there's already dead. Thanks to that, she probably won't be acting up tonight."
Ha Hui-ryeong giggled as she looked at Kim Ha-yoon sprawled out on the bench.
I chuckled and nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, looking at the state she's in, she definitely doesn't have the energy to climb on top of you and run her mouth."
"I've always wondered about that. Why does she want to get on top of me like that? Is she into doing that with another girl?"
"Must mean she likes you that much."
"Eugh. That was some novel-grade bullshit."
After pretending to gag, Ha Hui-ryeong shot me a subtle little hand gesture.
The meaning was clear as day.
It hadn't been just a couple of days now; what else could it be?
Without hesitation, I fished the pack out of my pocket and handed her a cigarette.
"Hmm."
As I was popping a cigarette into my own mouth, she let out a peculiar dry cough.
Was she asking me to light it too? She really doesn't miss a trick.
"Hold on. Let me light mine first."
Sssss.
The cigarette caught and smoke rose up.
The moment I moved to bring the lighter over to her—
"What are you dawdling for?"
She suddenly shoved her face toward me.
Close enough that our noses nearly touched.
Sssss.
The timing was so unexpected that I froze, eyes wide open.
That fleeting instant stretched like an eternity.
Her dark pupils were deep and shadowy as always.
But staring straight into them, they occasionally glimmered faintly, like stars in the night sky.
"..."
Another puff of smoke rose.
Once the ember had caught on her cigarette, Ha Hui-ryeong finally put some distance between us.
"Hehe. What's this? Why are you blushing?"
"...I am not."
"Is that so? Well, if you say so~."
Ha Hui-ryeong puffed away at her cigarette with a sly little smile.
I stiffened my face, trying hard to act nonchalant, and stared at the poor, blameless sunset.
The sky had been dyed a deep scarlet before I knew it.
Beneath it, two streams of white smoke rose upward.
I barely managed to work my dry lips.
"It's going to be pretty rough if it's just us again tomorrow, isn't it?"
"Wouldn't it be? Honestly, the volume is way too much."
"Hmm. That's what I figured..."
*
"So that's why you came looking for us?"
Kang Ha-rin's complexion was haggard, but her eyes were sharply alert.
A gaze that held unmistakable hostility.
No, it went beyond mere killing intent—it was so thick with murderous rage it felt like she'd chew me up and kill me on the spot.
Very defiant, I see.
I gave a light shrug.
"Yeah. To be honest, it's beyond what we can handle alone. Looks like we'll need your help. Or to be more precise, we need just the two of you."
At those words, a very lively response came from Jeong Ji-min's side.
"Yes, yes! I'll do it! I'll do anything, so please just untie this. Please! If you tell me to lick, I'll lick; if you tell me to spread, I'll spread!"
"Oh? Then you're going to be my personal bidet from now on. Every morning and evening, you clean my asshole spotless with your tongue. Got it?"
"Yep! I'll work hard!"
Wait, she actually accepted that.
Honestly, I'd just said it on a whim. I hadn't expected her to agree so easily, so I couldn't help but be a little thrown.
"Should I do it right now? Just say the word, anytime. Heh, hehehe..."
Squirming and crawling all the way to my feet, she let out a sycophantic giggle and rubbed her cheek against my shoe.
...This woman was definitely not this groveling when we first met... Did the shock back at Hansarang Apartment scramble her that badly?
With a somewhat uncomfortable look on my face, I continued.
"So, Kang Ha-rin, what's it going to be? Cooperate and get your body free? Or do you want to keep crawling around like a worm like this?"
"..."
She didn't answer right away.
She glared at me for a brief moment, then her eyes flicked downward.
Down there, her younger siblings still sat, mouths gagged with balls.
Was she running the mental calculations? After staying silent for a long stretch, she finally let out a long sigh and spoke.
"Huuu... Fine. I'll cooperate. We just have to help you move the water, right?"
"Yep. Easy, right? I'll feed you according to your output, so give it your best shot. Ah, but do you have to inspect my anus along with her too?"
"...You want me to lick your ass?"
"Honestly, I wasn't really planning on it, but Ji-min here jumped at it so eagerly, you know. So you've gotta do it too. People say favoritism is bad, don't they?"
"...."
Wow, now she's cursing me with her face.
Not that it felt like anything but petty.
As I grinned shamelessly, Kang Ha-rin let out another sigh.
Unlike her out-of-control, runaway-train state yesterday, she was remarkably composed now.
This must be her normal state.
Seems she only loses the reins when she gets worked up.
But that observation didn't last long; Kang Ha-rin slipped in a quietly defiant suggestion.
"Do you have no intention of letting Ha-jun go? If I talk to him properly, he'll help. He's a guy, so he'll be strong."
"The guy who's supposedly Ha-yoon's old schoolmate? That's a no. He's a man. I can't trust that."
"...You're being very narrow-minded."
"Provoking me like that doesn't turn a no into a yes. I don't fully trust you either, so why would I add more risk here? Try looking at it from the other side, huh?"
Besides, I don't have even a speck of intention of wasting a subordination scroll on a man.
Why the hell would I do something so wasteful?
Maybe squirters would be a different story, but him? Absolutely not.
"Anyway. Ji-min?"
"Yes, yes."
"You know what? Scratch that. I'll just call you Ji-min now."
"Yes, yes. Do whatever's comfortable for you. Hahaha..."
"Right, Ji-min. I heard from Ha-yoon that you should be able to see special things now too... Is that true?"
At that, Jeong Ji-min froze with an awkward look on her face.
She was clearly rattled, like she had something to hide.
But wisely, she didn't try to lie.
"Y-yes... well... it just... sort of happened that way."
"By kicking your boyfriend to death. Isn't that sort of thing a little hard to chalk up to 'it just happened'?"
"Ha, haha..."
I shoved away the woman clinging tightly to my leg, then planted my foot firmly on her head.
"So, what ability did you get? What does it say it is?"
"Knggh...! It's, it's nothing special...! Really, truly...! It's called 'Crafting Module,' it's not threatening at all, I swear...! That's why I didn't mention it! I never, ever planned to hide it!"
Yeah, right.
She would've kept it buried to the very end if I hadn't brought it up.
"Crafting Module? What does that do?"
"Well, it's... I mean... it says it makes items by consuming coins... But you even have to unlock the blueprints with coins."
That was a seriously tantalizing bit of info.
Wasn't this the first utility-type ability I'd run into besides my own?
This might actually have some potential to shine in unexpected ways.
"Hmm. I see. Well, we'll go over that step by step later, during my chat with Hui-ryeong."
"Aaaagh! Please, anything but that...! I'm, I'm sorry! I won't do it again! So please just spare me from that unnie, please...!"
Is Hui-ryeong really that scary?
And I'm considered fine?
Feeling dumbfounded, I let out a hollow laugh.
"Sorry, but you're not getting out of that one. Hui-ryeong's been itching to test out her ability. You're going to be the memorable first test subject."
"But... from what I overheard, she said it was a healing ability... that she'd find out by hitting..."
"You heard right. That's exactly the plan."
"Nooooooo...! No no noooooo...!!!!"
God, so noisy.
Ugh, whatever. Let's just use the scroll and get this over with.
"Hold still. This'll be over soon."
"Ye, yes...? Wha, what? Kyahahahaht, it tickles...! Sto, stop...!"
At my sudden words, she'd put on a bewildered look.
But only for a moment. As I pulled the parchment from my pocket and rubbed it against her collarbone, she burst into a ticklish laugh.
The parchment smoothly seeped into her body.
[Use of Spell Scroll confirmed. Please wait a moment.]
1... 2...
[Activating Trait 'Lucky One'. A correction is applied to the enhancement probability. 0.1% ▷ 10%]
But then.
3.... 4... Ding!
[Enhancement Failed! The spell scroll loses its effect!]
"Wha, what? It popped...?"
My first failure.
Maybe because everything had gone through on the very first try until now, the shock was indescribable.
"Ah jeez. It'll work if I do it again."
"Wh-what is that...! Kyahahahahng...!"
3.... 4... Ding!
[Enhancement Failed! The spell scroll loses its effect!]
3.... 4... Ding!
[Enhancement Failed! The spell scroll loses its effect!]
3.... 4... Ding!
[Enhancement Failed! The spell scroll...
No, is this for real...?
After faceplanting four times in a row, I couldn't help but be utterly appalled.
Was this crazy bitch cursed or something? Why were all the results coming out like this?
Blowing 200 coins into thin air was extremely problematic, to put it mildly.
I let out a short sigh and spoke.
"Hey, do you seriously have something wrong with you? Everyone else works on the first try, so how do you manage to crash and burn four times in a row?"
"I, I don't know what you're talking about... Did I do something wrong? Should I lick your feet?"
"Haah... Forget it."
This was the last one.
If this doesn't work either, I'm just leaving her as is.
Resolved to that, I applied the scroll.
3.... 4... Ding!
[Enhancement Success! Player 'Crafting Module' is now subordinated under 'Lucky One'!]
Finally, a notification signaling success appeared.
Simultaneously, a rose-shaped tattoo surfaced near Jeong Ji-min's collarbone as well.
But I couldn't bring myself to feel purely happy about it.
I'd sunk a total of 250 coins into her.
Maybe because of that, the way I looked at Jeong Ji-min grew naturally prickly.
"Ehh, guess luck just wasn't on my side..."
"Ah, no! What is it really...! Was it my fault? Is that it? Huh??"
"You're partly right... but I can't exactly say it's entirely your fault either. Anyway, forget it. Next."
I jerked my chin toward Kang Ha-rin.
Kang Ha-rin had a distinctly displeased expression.
"...How exactly do you expect me to get to you in this state?"
"You can just crawl. You know that, so why ask?"
"..."
Another sigh.
I'd lost count of how many that was now.
From the moment she'd faced me, she had been letting out sigh after sigh, as if she were wiping out her own good fortune.
"Uugh... like this... is it... okay...! Satisfied...?"
Then, as if finally surrendering to despair, she actually crawled like a worm, wriggling all the way to my feet.
Admirable effort, I must say.
Bet it wasn't easy doing this in front of your own younger siblings, heh.
"In its own way? That was a decent show. Don't forget this feeling going forward."
After that, just as with Jeong Ji-min, I brought out a parchment and rubbed it in.
"Hng...!"
The target area was her pelvis.
As I tugged her pants down slightly and grazed it ticklishly, the scroll seeped into her body like flowing ink.
[Use of Spell Scroll confirmed. Please wait a moment.]
1... 2...
[Activating Trait 'Lucky One'. A correction is applied to the enhancement probability. 0.1% ▷ 10%]
3.... 4... Ding!
[Enhancement Success! Non-Player 'Kang Ha-rin' is now subordinated under 'Lucky One'!]
The rest went off without a hitch.
Unlike my worries, this woman had been bound on the very first try.
A wing-shaped tattoo surfaced on her pelvis.
After confirming it, I narrowed my eyes and glared at Jeong Ji-min.
"Wow, look at this. Even she worked in one shot. So what the hell are you?"
"Ah, no... I mean it's... what are you talking abouuut..."
"There's no real need for you to know. I'll just call it insurance."
At those words, Kang Ha-rin murmured softly.
"...Insurance. Insurance, huh. Does that thing you just used have some function that stops us from resisting?"
Sharp as a tack.
Instead of answering, I shrugged.
"More importantly, I'll untie those ropes first. They must be uncomfortable."
"...Changing the subject."
"Uh-oh. Keep that up and maybe I won't untie you? What if my generous heart goes all crooked?"
Kang Ha-rin shut her eyes and fell silent.
I smirked as I freed them, and the two of them, finally at liberty, stretched out their stiff bodies with simple exercises.
"My guess was right. I can't throw a punch at you."
"Sharp as ever. Now that you know, behave yourself. Don't even try to free your siblings without permission."
"...If you hadn't said those words, I could've freed them."
"Yeah. That's how it works. There's no physical force behind it, but once I give a warning like this, it becomes a restriction. Now, even if you want to free them, if I don't allow it, I bet you can't even lay a hand on your siblings now, can you?"
Kang Ha-rin's expression crumpled harshly.
She really hated the fact that she was completely bound.
"Right, then. You, follow me."
"Wh-what about me...?"
"You've got your chat with Hui-ryeong to attend."
"Why, why...! Take me with you too...!"
"Jesus, why are you being so grimy and needy about it?"
I peeled Jeong Ji-min off as she clung like a leech, then signaled Kang Ha-rin to follow me.
She fell into step behind me in silence.
'It turned out the way I wanted anyway.'
I hummed a tune under my breath as I walked ahead.
All right then, let's see how good you are with that tongue first.