Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Receiving the Reward with My Two Dear Slaves (2)
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'Steven's Pillar' materialized out of thin air.
Fortunately, I had anticipated an item this time, so I managed to snatch it out of the air before it could fall.
“Ugh... What is this?”
I grimaced at the sensation of grabbing a lumpy, bouncy silicone mass.
It was a strange object that felt oddly warm and was coated in a slightly sticky, viscous slime.
It was a... 'rod' of some bizarre shape.
“Huh.”
“Oppa, this looks just like...”
“A dildo...?”
At this point, it's not 'Steven's Pillar,' it's 'Steven's *Rod*,' isn't it?
What is with these kinds of strange, grotesque male implements... Good grief.
'They say offering this to a demonic god will increase favorability? I still don't get it. Do demonic gods feel good when they receive things like this? What are they thinking? Well, I guess I wouldn't understand the mind of a demonic god anyway.'
What is this thing? I can't figure out its purpose. It can't possibly be a real dildo, right?
Well, it's not like they'd tell me to gift a demonic god a masturbation tool. Besides, do demonic gods even have genders?
The only demonic gods I know are Kshnak and Indicron. And I can't figure out the gender of either of them.
With Kshnak, it communicates through a telepathic hum that buzzes in your head, so it's hard to distinguish male from female. And with Indicron, even though I faced it directly, I couldn't determine its gender.
It was just a vague feeling of a form resembling a cloud of countless insects writhing together.
It didn't even have a vocal cord, mimicking human language with the sound of crushed bugs, and even then, its voice was so forced and strained I could barely understand what it was saying, let alone its gender.
Basically, I assume both are male, but secretly, I wish they were goddesses.
'Maybe they're gender-neutral.'
Anyway, I'll offer this to Kshnak later. I figured I needed to raise Kshnak's favorability, as it seemed indifferent to me.
“Oppa. But where is this reward used?”
“This? This is...”
Thinking about it, I just decided on the reward without consulting them. I hadn't even told them in detail about the demonic gods in the first place.
“I heard you can build favorability with a god by offering this.”
“A... god?”
Ha-rin showed obvious signs of anxiety. It's understandable; even I would be flustered if I heard there were unknown gods out there in a world already turned upside down by rampaging corpses.
“Don't be too scared. They're on our side. On our side.”
To be honest, I don't even know if they're really on our side.
I might just be a simple pawn to them.
'Besides, they're both insane demonic gods. They're such unsettling beings that calling them 'on our side' feels wrong.'
Still, they're helping me right now, so I guess I can call them allies? Or not? Anyway, I kept quiet about the full truth because I thought they'd get anxious if I told them everything.
'Still, I've become their servant, and I'm a class that borrows their power...'
In the end, I didn't give Eun-ji and Ha-rin a detailed explanation of the demonic gods I'd met. I just told them they were on our side for now to reassure them.
'Since the topic of gods came up, I should tell them about the impending attack as well.'
I was planning to tell them after I got all the achievement rewards, but since the topic of gods came up, I should explain everything now.
“So, soon, other gods' messengers? Or gods? Whatever they are, they'll be coming?”
“Master. This is quite a dangerous situation, isn't it?”
“Exactly. We might have to kill a lot of people soon.”
Both Eun-ji and Ha-rin turned pale at the news that other gods' messengers were coming to kill me. Well, they didn't know anything about gods or whatever, and the conversation just suddenly went in that direction. They must be flustered.
“I've already experienced killing. I'm fine.”
“Me too. I've accepted it, Master.”
Luckily, both of them accepted it. Well, it's a world where a Calamity Update notice is coming down, so what wouldn't they accept?
“Let's move on to the next reward.”
“Yes!” “Yes...”
Neither of them asked any further about the gods or their messengers coming to attack us. Their eyes just looked a little different.
Eun-ji's eyes held a resolve, as if she was determined to kill many people, while Ha-rin looked annoyed, wondering why they were being targeted.
“Next is the achievement reward for 'The Unforgivable.'”
📜 SELECT A REWARD 📜 [1. Sinner's Last Bullet]
[2. Fugitive's Black Hood]
[3. Lawless One's Crimson Dagger]
Some decent-looking items came out.
[Sinner's Last Bullet: Swallow the bullet. Once you swallow the bullet, you can unconditionally end your life whenever and wherever you want, if you wish to die.]
'This is...'
The Sinner's Last Bullet. This reward contains the meaning of escaping through death when cornered in an extreme situation. It's like creating an escape hatch when living is worse than dying. For instance, it would be useful if you were captured by an enemy and trapped in perpetual torment. A very apocalypse-like reward.
'Of course, it's not for me to choose.'
My soul and spirit are already the property of the demonic gods. If I die, my soul will be torn in half and go to Kshnak and Indicron. I've already been marked by two great evil gods. So, death can no longer be an escape for me.
'I'll be in torment for eternity.'
I don't want to think about what happens after death right now. I'll focus on surviving for now. Let's check the next reward.
[Fugitive's Black Hood: Tie the hood to your body and survive for one month without killing anything or taking a life. Then, you will obtain 'Enlightenment'.]
'Interesting. It's definitely interesting, but...'
I'm very curious what kind of enlightenment I would get after enduring for a month.
Maybe I'd get a new job or be able to break another achievement through that enlightenment.
But not only me, but my subordinates will have to kill people soon. It's a useless reward for now.
'Besides, they're asking me to survive for a month without taking a life, not just a week. It's a no-go. It's not a pre-apocalypse world anymore. Surviving for a month without killing in a world where you don't know what's targeting you from where is a pretty difficult task.'
The era has come where there are plenty of people and things to kill. It's a bit much to ask not to kill anything in a world like this. And 'no life-taking' means I'd have to survive for a month without killing even a single bug. Is that even possible?
'Neither the bullet nor the hood is very useful right now. I hope the last dagger is worth choosing.'
[Lawless One's Crimson Dagger: Induces bleeding. A dagger that has taken a human life will provide its owner with a deep sense of exhilaration and ecstasy.]
Exhilaration and ecstasy... the cost is another's life.
'They're telling me to kill someone to get a mental pleasure. That must be like a drug. Will this item even be helpful in combat?'
The Crimson Dagger creates a murderer. In this shitty world, killing someone makes you feel good. Is there any reason not to kill?
If someone who gets this tastes the pleasure of murder once, they'll definitely go crazy with bloodlust.
'This one should probably go to Kang Hwa-yeong.'
I considered giving it to Eun-ji, who is of the assassin class, but I felt a little pained imagining Eun-ji getting addicted to the pleasure the dagger offers and turning into a drug addict. So, it seems better to give it to Kang Hwa-yeong, whose mind was already broken from the start.
'The reward is called Lawless One's Crimson Dagger. It suits Kang Hwa-yeong, the vampire.'
Perhaps the dagger would improve Kang Hwa-yeong's condition, as she's already crazy about blood. When she drinks blood, her expression is filled with ecstasy. If she can get a similar feeling from killing people, wouldn't that be amazing? Maybe her mind would clear up and she'd be easier to talk to.
Even now, if I were to release the reins of the Slave Mark, she'd go around killing people like a madman to drink blood. But if she realizes that killing people itself brings her happiness, she'll become a true slaughterer and a blood-crazed madman.
'She's a bit hard to control sometimes. Still, as my slave, she tries her best to follow my orders. Most importantly, it's an item that suits the Carnage Vampire class perfectly.'
The Fugitive's Hood and Sinner's Bullet aren't bad rewards either, but I can't stand the thought of Kang Hwa-yeong wielding the Crimson Dagger and slaughtering our enemies.
“Of these three, I want to choose the dagger.”
“I unconditionally agree with Oppa's opinion.”
“Ha-rin, what about you? Is there anything else that catches your eye?”
“Hmm... This time, there isn't really an item that screams 'this is it' for me.”
“Alright. Then I'll choose the reward.”
Soon, a dagger dripping with crimson blood appeared before me.
It was a dagger with jagged, saw-like teeth like a beast's fangs. The fact that it was red and its overall appearance was unsettling made it even worse.
“It looks deadly...”
Luckily, a strange beast-hide sheath came with it, so if I put it away, the blade wouldn't be visible, which made it a little less creepy.
“Hey. Kang Hwa-yeong. Wake up.”
“Hnngh... Yes?”
“If you don't wake up, no dinner.”
“I-I'm up! I'm up, Master!”
The moment I said I wouldn't give her blood, Kang Hwa-yeong shot up.
I handed her the Crimson Dagger.
“What's this? A dagger? Oh... The blade is pretty. A pretty dagger. Is it a gift?”
“Yeah. Fight with this from now on.”
“Wow. A gift. Blood is a better gift though... I'm hungry. When are we eating dinner, Master? When are those people from before coming back? Aren't you hungry, Master?”
My ears hurt. The moment she woke up, she started chattering nonstop about being hungry and wanting dinner.
I definitely fed her enough blood to drain the color from Kim Do-kyung and Gu Ji-hwan's faces earlier. How much does she have to consume to be satisfied? It's troublesome not knowing her limit.
“Just hold on for now. Go back to sleep.”
“Yees... Haaam...”
Kang Hwa-yeong, who had become instantly depressed at the thought of not getting any blood, hugged the dagger and quickly fell asleep.
“Hmph...”
Ha-rin was still glaring at Kang Hwa-yeong with displeased eyes. She still regarded Hwa-yeong as a dangerous being.
“Alright, let's quickly move to the next reward.”
The next achievement is 'Kshnak's Servant'. I couldn't even imagine what kind of reward would come out. The fact that all the previous rewards were unique also played a part.
'I wonder what it will be.'
📜 SELECT A REWARD 📜 [Kshnak's Mark]
'What's this...'
So far, the achievement rewards have been a choice of one out of three options.
But this time, there was only one choice.
Is it different from the previous achievements? It seems like they differentiated it, but what kind of item is it?
[Kshnak's Mark: This alone has no meaning.]
'What?'
The description is strange too. It says it has no meaning on its own. So, I must need to collect more for it to have some effect.
In my opinion, the 'Indicron's Servant' achievement reward will be the same.
'It's not like an Infinity Stone or anything. They're saying I have to collect all the different types.'
To properly use the mark, it means I'll have to get entangled with other demonic gods besides Kshnak and Indicron. This is a headache.
'A choice...'
Soon, I felt a burning sensation on the back of my right hand.
“Ugh...!”
“W-what's wrong now...!”
“Oh... On the back of your hand, Master...”
Something was being engraved on the back of my right hand. It was a pattern resembling a cluster of tentacles, as if drawn from an octopus or squid.
“Huh? It was there just a moment ago... It's gone.”
As Ha-rin said, the mark quickly disappeared.
“Oppa, that was an achievement reward too, right?”
“Yeah. There was no choice or anything. I just received it, but it hurts a bit?”
Eun-ji worriedly stroked the back of my hand.
But what should I do, it feels like it's going to hurt again.
I decided to receive the 'Indicron's Servant' achievement reward as well, now that I'd received the 'Kshnak's Servant' one.
📜 SELECT A REWARD 📜 [Indicron's Mark: This alone has no meaning.]
Just as expected, it had the same description as the 'Kshnak's Servant' reward.
'Acquired.'
This time, along with the burning sensation on the back of my right hand, something was engraved.
“Hoo...”
I've had a lot of painful experiences, and this was a pain I'd felt before, so I was able to swallow it without showing much of a reaction this time.
'That one looked like a bug's face...'
I'll take it since it's given, but I don't know how many more of these I'll have to collect, and it's not immediately useful, so I'm not that happy about it.
'When will I ever meet all the demonic gods to complete this?'
At least it's not a reward with a bad effect, so that's a relief.
“Next reward.”
The remaining achievement rewards are 'Vengeance Faith,' 'Overflowing Mana,' and 'Life Pledge,' for a total of three.
'Vengeance Faith' was achieved while serving Kshnak and becoming Indicron's servant. 'Overflowing Mana' was achieved when my Mana stat surpassed 500.
'Life Pledge' was achieved after eating the Twisted Innards of the Black Serpent and surviving.
I decided to choose the 'Vengeance Faith' achievement reward first.
📜 SELECT A REWARD 📜 [1. Invitation to the Pantheon of Gods]
[2. Invitation to the Pantheon of Demons]
[3. Invitation to the Pantheon of Ghosts]
“An invitation?”
“An invitation?”
“Yeah. Wait a sec. Let me read the description.”
Where did an invitation suddenly come from?
'And I have a general idea that Pantheon of Gods and Pantheon of Demons are the factions of benevolent gods and evil gods, but what is the Pantheon of Ghosts?'
It suggests there's a type of god other than benevolent or evil gods. Is this crazy world actually in a three-way war between benevolent gods, evil gods, and ghosts?
My head is already spinning from the complexity of the conflict between evil and benevolent gods. Now another unidentified group is thrown into the mix.
'I should read the description first.'
[Invitation to the Pantheon of Gods: You can encounter one of the benevolent gods. Seize the opportunity to become their apostle.]
[Warning: If you are of the evil god faction, you may be killed!]
So, I absolutely cannot go there. If I go, I'll be killed on the spot.
'Of course, I could send someone else, but they're already sending players to kill me. I don't know what tricks they might play on someone else I send, so I'll pass on this one.'
I could send someone else instead of going myself, but they'd be my comrades, so I don't know what the benevolent gods might do. So, I excluded this from my options.
[Invitation to the Pantheon of Demons: You can encounter one of the evil gods. It is unknown what will happen.]
'What's this. It says it's unknown what will happen... Isn't that insane?'
Still, I'm in the evil god faction, so they wouldn't just try to kill me out of the blue, right?
'They might...'
Even now that I have the 'Favor of the Demon King' skill, my favorability with Kshnak isn't that high. I'm afraid that if I meet it directly, it might eat me. Other evil gods would be even worse, if not better.
Maybe Indicron, who was strangely friendly to me from the start, is the anomaly. Or maybe I just have too great a fear of evil gods, but it doesn't hurt to be cautious.
'I'll probably get entangled with evil gods anyway. Let's put this on hold for now. The treatment I received would be different depending on whether I got involved through a class-related matter or simply showed up with this reward alone.'
This is a troublesome reward for various reasons.
'By the way, what is the Pantheon of Ghosts?'
[Invitation to the Pantheon of Ghosts: You can encounter one of the ancient gods. Endure the trial to become the incarnation of an ancient god.]
[Warning: If you are of a different faction, you may not be able to meet an ancient god.]
Based on what Indicron said, the Pantheon of Demons and Pantheon of Gods are clearly opposed, but there was no mention of this place. My guess is that this might be a place where neutral beings gather.
'The Pantheon of Ghosts seems the safest of the three. And I don't have to go myself. I can send Eun-ji or Ha-rin.'
If that doesn't work, I'll have to choose the Invitation to the Pantheon of Demons and face an evil god, but since a new option, the Pantheon of Ghosts, has appeared, I asked the two for their opinions.
“I... I'd like to go.”
“To the Pantheon of Ghosts?”
“Yes. I feel drawn to it for some reason. This is just my intuition, though.”
Ha-rin surprisingly showed a lot of interest in the Pantheon of Ghosts.
“Should we do that then?”
“Yes. Please leave it to me. I'll come back as that incarnation.”
“Alright. You seem pretty eager to go.”
That doesn't mean I'll send her right away. We're in a crisis in many ways right now, so I can't send a key combatant to a place where I don't know when she'll be back.
I need to crush those benevolent god champions who are coming to kill me first, and then I can send Ha-rin to the Pantheon of Ghosts when the time is right.
“I choose the Pantheon of Ghosts.”
The Invitation to the Pantheon of Ghosts was a small stone engraved with a tree pattern. It seems I can go there if I break it.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you. You received this as a reward, yet you're sharing it with me. Thank you.”
“Don't mention it. It's good for me if you get stronger.”
If my comrades get stronger, they're more useful in many ways and our survival rate goes up, so I don't even have to protect them myself. It's a win-win.
'I've gathered one for Ha-rin, Kang Hwa-yeong, and Hwang Su-min, but Eun-ji didn't get anything.'
Next time something useful for Eun-ji comes up, I'll give it to her.
“Next.”
Now it's the 'Overflowing Mana' achievement reward. Since it's an achievement earned by surpassing 500 Mana, I expect a pretty good reward.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Class check...] [Confirmed as Cultist.] [Rewards for the mage class will be designated.] Again, there was a class-specific reward.
📜 SELECT A REWARD 📜 [1. Archmage's Necklace]
[2. Archmage's Earring]
[3. Archmage's Circlet]
[Archmage's Necklace: Mana projectiles are doubled.]
'This is insane...'
This is a crazy reward.
If you shoot one Fireball, two are launched. If you use a Wind Blade, it doubles and tears the enemy apart.
'Would tentacles also double? Ah, no, they wouldn't.'
Tentacles are summons, not projectiles.
'It's limited to projectiles, but it's still an amazing reward.'
It doesn't apply to skills like Tentacle Summon or Profane Touch that can't shoot projectiles, but anyway, if Hwang Su-min gets this, she'll be one step closer to being a magical bombardier.
[Archmage's Earring: 45% chance to use a skill without consuming Mana. Must have at least 1 Mana.]
“Cough...!”
I almost choked on my spit. What is this nonsense?
A 45% chance to use a skill for free.
'45% isn't some dog's name, it's a high enough probability. This is driving me crazy. To be able to use a skill without consuming Mana.'
This is another ridiculously insane reward.
Gulp.
I couldn't help but salivate.
[Archmage's Circlet: Doubles Mana recovery speed.]
It doubles the recovery speed.
“Two times...”
It helps recover Mana even without sitting down to rest, but if you combine it with the Green Jade Ring, which recovers very slowly, and the Archmage's Circlet, which fills it twice as fast, you'd get the best efficiency.
“This is tough.”
I asked the two again.
“This one is a bit difficult. Right, Ha-rin?”
“Yes, Unnie. I don't know about this one either. I don't have a strong feeling about any of them.”
“What do you like, Oppa? Let's choose what you want to pick this time.”
“Should I?”
To be honest, the earring appeals to me. The ability to use skills without consuming Mana is a huge advantage.
“I choose!”
A crudely shaped silver earring popped out. Since her ears weren't pierced, I gave it to Eun-ji for now. I wanted to give it to her.
“Then, it's finally the last reward.”
“Oh!”
The last one is the 'Life Pledge' achievement reward.
It was achieved by surviving after eating the Twisted Innards of the Black Serpent.
📜 SELECT A REWARD 📜 [1. Gambler's Black Chip]
[2. Loan Shark's White Chip]
[3. Croupier's Gold Chip]
Again, rewards related to gambling appeared.
Is this another reward I can use on merchant NPCs?
[Gambler's Black Chip: If handed to a merchant NPC, you will be issued a permanent pass to the 'Black Market'.]
'Black Market...?'
It seems there's a place called the Black Market.
'The name alone smells like a jackpot...'
I'll put this on hold for now and check the next reward.
[Loan Shark's White Chip: If handed to a merchant NPC, you will be issued a permanent pass to the 'Pawn Shop'.]
'Wow... I'll keep this one too...'
[Croupier's Gold Chip: If handed to a merchant NPC, the merchant NPC will accompany you.]
This reward will also be quite difficult to choose.