Let's Eat in My Room

Had events unfolded according to the Witch of Rot's design, it would have taken the subjugation force far longer to reach the boss chamber. Gathering every scattered unit would have dragged the process out even more. Yet all of that agonizing slog had been erased with a single Crow Branch.

During the climax, I had anticipated that the Witch of Rot would personally intervene, lured her straight into my trap, and driven the Mystic Yin Jade Demonic Finger into her twice. Crippled by the frostbite, she could barely harness her black magic, leaving her utterly defenseless against the two instructors. Lee Soo-dok may have struck the finishing blow, but no one could deny that my contribution carried immense weight.

Thanks to all these accomplishments snowballing together, the encounter went far smoother than any normal A-rank dungeon had any right to be, wrapping up with losses far below our grimmest forecasts.

And when compounding multipliers stacked atop compounding multipliers, the final verdict arrived.

Another fearsome authority had returned to my grasp.

Penance was technically a non-combat skill. Even so, it was one of the cornerstone abilities that had earned me the moniker of an 'S-Rank Hero Factory.' I set it aside to examine later.

Once the dust settled, an overwhelmingly joyous mood swept through the subjugation force.

"Incredible work, everyone!"

"To bring down that infamous witch with barely any casualties... this is nothing short of miraculous!"

Slaying the Witch of Rot was a monumental ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠achievement in its own right, but doing so without a single soul lost or crippled was cause for outright celebration. Not a shred of gloom could linger in the air.

Still, quite a few raiders wore puzzled expressions.

"By the way, what was with those spatial gates?"

"I nearly had a heart attack when they opened out of nowhere."

"Everything worked out in our favor, but I couldn't help suspecting it was another one of the witch's foul tricks."

I played dumb, keeping a straight face. It wasn't as though I could puff out my chest and announce, 'It was me! Caaaw—!'

Right as their curiosity reached a boiling point—

Caaaw—!

A piercing cry echoed from empty air, drawing every eye in the chamber toward it. An ancient, gnarled branch jutted directly out of empty space, and perched upon it stood the Crow Great Sage.

Someone gasped in astonishment.

"A-A Dimensional Crow?"

"To see one of those mythical beasts in a place like this..."

Dimensional Crows were elusive phantoms of legend. Flitting from one dungeon realm to another as they pleased, catching a glimpse of one required astronomical luck. Of course, backed by the vast player data compiled over years of community research, I could deduce their migratory paths and pinpoint their hidden sanctuaries with ease. But to these hunters, the sight was nothing short of an omen.

"..."

The Crow Great Sage preened its feathers with its curved beak, fixing its beady gaze across the crowd—aimed squarely at me. Then, without the slightest warning, it flapped its dark wings and vanished, slipping effortlessly into another dimensional stratum.

To those kept in the dark, it looked like a passing spirit pausing for a fleeting rest. But I knew better. I had received something from it.

Talk about premium after-sales service.

I casually inspected my inventory.

The single-use skill Caaaw—! was gone, replaced by an enigmatic material description.

It converted the spent relic into crafting material.

As a supreme-grade spatial catalyst, its intrinsic authority could be woven into high-tier equipment without losing an ounce of potency. Granted, craftsmen capable of handling such volatile dimensional essence were practically non-existent, but that was a dilemma for another day.

Conveniently, the appearance of the crow put the rest of the raid's doubts to rest.

"I think I understand what those portals were now."

"The Dimensional Crow must have intervened to help us."

"Probably got tired of the racket outside its nest and decided to speed up the cleanup, don't you think?"

The explanation held enough internal logic that most hunters nodded in agreement and let the matter drop. Others, however, were not so easily fooled. Tang Gyu-young and Zhuge Soso sidled up on either side of me, leaning in close to whisper mischievous taunts.

"Our widdle baby Sovereign~"

"Goo-goo gaga Sovereign~"

"Can we take this outside?" I hissed through gritted teeth. "Outside, please."

The last thing I needed was the whole world eavesdropping on my business. Besides, our departure was long overdue.

Rumbleeee...

With the boss dead and the dungeon core shattered, the fabric of the pocket realm had begun to destabilize. Before long, it would collapse entirely and undergo structural reset. Under Seo Cheong-yong's direction, the subjugation force formed ranks and marched toward the exit portal.

A cluster of A-Rank Random Boxes lay piled near the gate, glowing faintly.

Looting those on top of everything else would just be greedy.

Whatever dropped from those chests would be channeled into reimbursing the exorbitant costs of organizing this raid. Even liquidating the entire haul wouldn't balance the ledger; the A-rank tactical scrolls and elite potions consumed in the boss fight alone had cost a fortune. Having already secured the lion's share of the spoils, I felt not the slightest pang of regret.

A transcendent skill, an S-rank dimensional crafting material, and on top of that—

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

A blank check from the top.

As recompense for joining the subjugation of the Witch of Rot, the former generation's Hero—the academy's Principal himself—had promised to grant me one 'small favor.' Of course, size was purely a matter of perspective. Whether my request proved truly small remained to be seen.

The journey back went without incident. Stepping onto the grand teleportation array with the main contingent deposited us directly onto the F-floor, and from there, exiting the Dungeon Building was a simple formality.

Once the team officially disbanded, I arranged a quiet meeting with Lee Soo-dok and Seo Cheong-yong to return the loaned gear. The Totem of Mimicry was a top-grade cloaking artifact capable of deceiving even academy faculty, making its retrieval mandatory to prevent misuse. The specialized battle suit was similarly under strict institutional oversight. Parting with them stung, but since they weren't mine to begin with, I brushed off the lingering attachment without a fuss.

"..."

Seo Cheong-yong took the items, fixing me with a quiet, penetrating stare. Lee Soo-dok was practically shooting twin laser beams from his eyes beside him. Both men looked as if they had a mountain of questions bottled up in their chests. It was only natural; beyond distributing Immunity to Ten Thousand Poisons, I had flashed far too many hidden cards. While the Mystic Yin Jade Demonic Finger and Ghost Steps might blend into high-level martial arts, Inferno Fist and Distortion were impossible to brush aside. Distortion in particular was an anomaly they had likely never witnessed in their lifetimes.

Yet Seo Cheong-yong merely offered a mild smile, choosing not to press the issue.

"You must be exhausted. Head back and get some rest. Make sure you check your messages tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir. Understood."

"You did exceptionally well."

I offered a respectful bow to both instructors before taking my leave.

After walking a short distance across the courtyard, I spotted Tang Gyu-young waiting beneath a streetlamp, waving cheerfully in my direction. When I waved back, she trotted over with brisk steps, falling into stride beside me.

"Kim Ho, guess what surprising fact I just learned?"

"What?"

"It's already Thursday evening."

We had stepped into the breach on Tuesday, meaning we had spent over two full days inside. Having anticipated a protracted struggle from the start, I merely nodded.

"We were fighting non-stop, after all. Easy to lose track of time."

"I think I skipped at least two meals."

"Probably the same here."

"Aren't you starving?"

At her mention of food, a dull ache stirred in my stomach. I gave her an honest shrug.

"Now that you bring it up, yeah. A little peckish."

"Late-night snack? My treat."

"I won't say no to that. Where are we eating?"

Tang Gyu-young raised a finger, pointing toward a tall, illuminated structure in the distance: the Girls' Dormitory.

"My room."

"There are a dozen places on campus. Why your room?"

"Too lazy to go back out once I sit down."

Given the sheer physical strain of clearing an A-rank raid, her reluctance to wander around was understandable. The problem, however, lay elsewhere.

"And how exactly do you expect me to get in there?"

To prevent 'regrettable incidents,' male students were strictly forbidden from setting foot in the female dormitories, and vice versa. It was one of the most strictly enforced codes in the handbook. Tang Gyu-young merely blinked, utterly unimpressed by the objection.

"Who do you think I am?"

"The esteemed president of the Thief Club."

"Then you should know petty school rules don't apply to me."

"Keep tempting fate like that and you're going to catch serious hell one of these days."

Tang Gyu-young shook her head vigorously, waving away my warning with both hands.

"Ah, whatever, whatever~ Tonight it's my room, period~" Then, suddenly pausing, she narrowed her eyes and shot me a sideways glance. "...Unless you hate the idea?"

"It's not that I hate it, but..."

"My room, then?"

"Fine. Let's do it."

I decided to stop fighting the current. If disciplinary action came knocking, that was tomorrow's Kim Ho's problem.

Tang Gyu-young mentioned needing a bit of time to freshen up, so I stopped by my own quarters first before heading over to the girls' dorm at the appointed hour. Waiting near the building's outer perimeter, I ran into an entirely unexpected face.

Shin Byungchul arched an eyebrow high as our eyes met.

"Whoa there, what are you doing prowling around here at this hour?"

"I should be asking you that."

At my retort, Shin Byungchul smugly lifted a thick, insulated paper bag. Waves of mouth-watering heat radiated through the packaging, leaving no doubt as to what lay inside.

"Running an errand for Lady Tang, of course."

"Look at you, eager beaver. Since when were you such a dedicated delivery boy?"

"I've got a balance sheet to fix, that's why."

During the last Ban Wave, Shin Byungchul had been caught red-handed hauling armfuls of illicit goods and stripped bare. Even though Tang Gyu-young and I had managed to salvage a decent chunk from the Temporary Storage, the club had still eaten a sizable loss. Running late-night food deliveries was his way of working off his debt to the syndicate.

Well, he has to play along if he wants to stay in that line of work.

It wasn't as though Tang Gyu-young would break his kneecaps if he failed to recoup the losses, but a student's track record within the Thief Club dictated their standing upon entering the professional Thief Guild after graduation. Carrying the stain of having ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠caused catastrophic club deficits would be career suicide. Shin Byungchul needed tangible proof that he had busted his back for the organization's welfare.

Shin Byungchul leaned in closer, his merchant senses tingling.

"So what about you? ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Who're you lurking around here to meet?"

The answer arrived from the shadows behind him.

"You're here."

"Ah, Boss, the food..."

Shin Byungchul extended the bag, his eyes flicking back and forth between the two of us with mounting shock. Tang Gyu-young accepted the package without batting an eye.

"Yeah, Kim Ho and I are having a late dinner."

"R-Right! Understood! Have a wonderful evening, Boss!"

Reading the room with terrifying speed, Shin Byungchul vanished into the night before another word could be spoken. Watching his retreating back, Tang Gyu-young motioned for me to follow.

"Hurry up. It's getting cold."

With that, she slipped into the darkness ahead.

While the security in the residential quadrant wasn't quite as impenetrable as the Dungeon Building, the Girls' Dormitory was still blanketed in automated sensory wards and roving prefects. Of course, slipping past those defenses was child's play for the head of the Thief Club.

After deploying an entirely unnecessary barrage of maximum-output shadow magic—weaving from Shadow Safehouses straight into Shadow Leaps—I found myself standing safely on the third-floor corridor outside a locked door.

Tang Gyu-young undid the latch and stepped inside.

"Come on in."

Following her over the threshold, I took in the surroundings. The room was surprisingly immaculate. Rather than having been hastily tidied for a guest, it looked as though she simply owned very little clutter. Most of her contraband was likely stashed away in the club room or sealed within her dimensional inventory.

A moment later, Tang Gyu-young produced a solid mahogany table and two matching chairs from her spatial ring, setting them down with practiced ease. The furniture looked oddly familiar.

"Wait a minute... aren't those Shin Byungchul's?"

"Yep."

"He threw a fit whenever I even tried to sit on them."

Tang Gyu-young flashed a wicked, triumphant grin.

"Shin Byungchul's assets belong to the Thief Club. And what belongs to the Thief Club belongs to me."

The sorrow of being in debt was truly a tragic sight. I made a solemn mental note never to cross her in financial matters as I pulled up a chair opposite her.

Just as we broke the seal on the first steaming container—

Knock, knock, knock.

A sudden rap struck the wooden door.

"...?"

"...?"

Our eyes locked across the table in an instant, a flurry of silent questions passing between us. Who could possibly be knocking at this hour? I was certain we hadn't triggered any alarms on the way up.

Knock, knock, knock, knock!

The rapping grew more persistent. Realizing we couldn't just sit there playing statue, Tang Gyu-young pressed an index finger to her lips, signaling for complete silence, before creeping toward the entrance on silent feet.

Clearing her throat, she adopted an airy, innocent tone.

"...Who is it?"

"Ggyu!! It's me!"

Zhuge Soso's cheerful shout rang right through the door.