137
Chapter 137
"Kkuaaak! Spinning Punch!"
The Giant Fist Lesser Panda threw a punch at the Fake Doll.
This time, it wasn't a playful tap.
It was a full-force punch filled with genuine effort.
We were currently in the middle of Red Panda's training.
"Go for it, Babo-jjang!"
"Gom-gom!"
Fox and I cheered as we watched the mock battle.
Encouraged by our cheers, Red Panda pushed the Fake Doll even harder.
While the mock battle was in full swing.
"Bear Baby, do you have a moment?"
"Gom?"
Ailee approached quietly and spoke to me.
Why? I always have time.
"Well, you know the Domain that Heuksuni belongs to? That Mythical rank Domain called the Dimension Domain."
"Gom-gom."
"Heuksuni said that if anyone doesn't belong to a Domain yet, she can help them join the same Dimension Domain as her. She told me to just say the word whenever we want, so I came to tell you first, Bear Baby. Some of our kids haven't joined a Domain yet, after all."
"Gom-gom?"
She can help us join the Dimension Domain?
How? What authority does Heuksuni have?
I thought you couldn't choose a Domain yourself?
.......
Helper, answer me.
I'm asking you.
[Question confirmed.]
[Living beings cannot choose a Domain on their own.]
[They must be chosen by a Domain to belong to it.]
[However, it is possible to attract a Domain's attention.]
[It is presumed that the Human named Heuksuni isn't helping them choose a Domain directly, but rather knows how to maximize the Dimension Domain's attention.]
It's possible to attract a Domain's attention?
That's the first time I'm hearing of this.
Then can you attract the Luck Domain's attention too?
[Only a few Domains can be attracted through specific methods.]
[It is impossible to artificially attract the Luck Domain's attention.]
[The Luck Domain shows interest when a living being's soul inherently possesses a lot of Luck Power. Therefore, specific Action cannot attract its attention. Even if Luck Power is forcibly increased through things like a Luck Increase Buff, it will not show interest.]
Ah, I see.
I guess my soul inherently had a lot of Luck.
Now that I think about it, my luck was pretty good in my past life too, even if the memories are a bit hazy.
...But wait a minute.
Helper, aren't you getting a little too informal lately?
[Ending explanation.]
[I hope this was helpful.]
Helper became polite again.
I really need to discipline it from time to time.
Anyway.
I decided to head to the Labor Camp with Ailee to hear more details from Heuksuni.
"Kkua? Teddy Bear, where are you going! Keep watching me!!!"
"I'll watch you for Gom-jjang too, so don't worry!"
***
We arrived at the Labor Camp.
And with Ailee's Interpretation, I talked to Heuksuni.
This is what Heuksuni told us.
She was abandoned by her birth parents as soon as she was born, and an Old Man took her in when he found her crying under a tree. Ah, for reference, the Old Man is not the Mercenary King. I was told he passed away a long time ago.
Anyway, back to the main point.
When Heuksuni was just a newborn.
The Old Man, who was both her adoptive father and Master, used some method to help her join the Dimension Domain. And when Heuksuni turned five, he passed that method down to her.
She had never taught this method to anyone else until now.
She also hadn't helped anyone else join the Dimension Domain.
She said that important figures from every country coveted the method because they wanted their children to belong to the Dimension Domain, but whether she was threatened, bribed, or even kidnapped and tortured, she never revealed it. She even added that she took revenge by stealing the wives of the bastards who threatened, kidnapped, and tortured her.
"■□■□■, ■■■, ■□□□."
"She said it wasn't a secret that couldn't be leaked. She just didn't want to tell anyone because of her desire to monopolize it."
So as far as Heuksuni knows, she is currently the only one monopolizing this method.
Since the Old Man who originally monopolized it had already died.
Just like Heuksuni, that Old Man also joined the Dimension Domain with his father's help as a newborn and was taught the method when he grew up a bit. As a side note, the Old Man supposedly had no biological children.
"■□■■■, ■□□."
"But there's only one reason why she's breaking her conviction to monopolize this Domain until her death and going out of her way to tell us."
"■■□."
"Because she wants to be praised."
"Gom?"
What?
Did I hear that wrong?
Because she wants to be praised?
She's going to reveal a secret she's kept safe all this time for a reason as trivial as that?
Ailee, who was doing the Interpretation, must have belatedly realized something was off,
"...Huh?"
because she asked Heuksuni if she had heard her right.
With a dumbfounded expression.
"Heuksuni, did you just say it's because you want to be praised?"
"■□."
"You did...."
Surprisingly, she had heard correctly.
"Gom......."
Hehehehe.
Heuksuni was smiling foolishly while looking at me.
It seems she has completely lost her mind.
I didn't even make her do any particularly hard work, so why is she like this?
On the surface, she seemed to be adapting well and acting perfectly fine, but was she actually struggling immensely on the inside?
...Hmm, I guess that must be it.
Even if Slave life isn't physically difficult, she must have been having a hard time mentally because she became a woman.
What a weak Human.
What's the big deal about a simple gender change?
Anyway, it can't be helped.
I'll just have to pay more attention and take better care of her welfare from now on.
Because Heuksuni is a Slave who is increasingly obedient and works diligently.
***
I called Urami and Jjokkomi over.
For now, I decided to try and have both of them join the Dimension Domain.
It would be a waste to throw away an opportunity to belong to a Mythical rank Domain.
Mythical is the second-highest rank.
It didn't seem like a negative Domain either, so it was right to grab the chance to join if it arose.
Of course, I got both of their consent.
Their own opinions are what's important, after all.
I wasn't going to force them if they were reluctant, but thankfully, they both said they were fine with it.
"Kkuoo! Finally, a Domain for me too!"
"Goo, goooo!"
Hooray!
Jjokkomi and Urami raised both hands in the air, cheering in delight.
Urami was currently out of his Doll body.
Heuksuni jumped in surprise at the sight.
It seemed it was her first time seeing his Ghost form.
"Ueooh!"
Mother Bear, who was next to them, also cheered along.
She must be happy that her children have a chance to join a good Domain.
But why did she pop out of her Doll body?
Could it be she's happy because she thinks she'll also get to join the Dimension Domain?
Looking closely, her face was full of anticipation.
"Gom-gom, gom-gom-gom-gom."
I'm just telling you just in case,
Mother Bear, you're already in a Domain, so you can't even try.
"Ueoh?!"
Mother Bear put on a shocked expression.
Soon after, she sulked and went back inside her Teddy Bear body.
I guess she really was expecting to join....
Anyway.
Even if we try, there's no guarantee that they will definitely join the Dimension Domain.
As Helper guessed, the method Heuksuni mentioned is about drawing the maximum attention of the Dimension Domain.
And to perform that method, she said you absolutely need the help of someone already belonging to the Dimension Domain.
The method went like this.
Focus your mind, pour out all your Mana, and create a small crack deep inside the Subspace Storage.
And wait.
As you wait, if your Luck is good, an Otherworldly Remnant will occasionally flow in.
An Otherworldly Remnant.
In other words, materials from another dimension.
The more you touch them, the higher the chance that the Dimension Domain will take an interest.
─That was what Heuksuni explained.
"■□■■, ■■■■□, □□■■□□□."
"She says it's a battle against time. The crack inside the Subspace Storage only lasts for a very short time, so you have to keep making new ones while replenishing Mana."
Collecting the remnants takes a long time.
And it requires a vast amount of Mana resources.
You have to keep creating cracks and wait endlessly until an Otherworldly Remnant flows in, and once you collect a remnant, you have to create a completely new crack to collect a remnant from a different dimension.
She said the probability only goes up significantly if you touch materials from various dimensions evenly.
"■□■■."
After opening the Subspace Storage.
Heuksuni closed her eyes and focused her mind.
I didn't talk to her.
She said the crack would automatically repair itself if her concentration broke.
But didn't she say remnants would flow in if we had good Luck?
If it's about Luck, I could just boost it for her.
I immediately fired my Luck Breath at Heuksuni in rapid succession.
The time would be shortened if I stacked the Luck Buff.
And so, when the baitless dimension fishing began.
The Fake Dolls poked their heads out from inside the Subspace Storage.
"Oh my."
"Gom?"
That's right.
I had put the Fake Dolls inside Heuksuni's Subspace Storage.
I had briefly forgotten that I dispatched the Fake Dolls to act as the Warehouse Keeper.
I'm sorry, Fake Dolls.
But couldn't our Fake Dolls inside the Subspace Storage be of some help?
Even if they can't create or expand the crack, they should be able to at least reach through it and snatch materials from another Dimension.......
It wouldn't hurt to try.
I immediately gave them an order.
To find where the crack opened and reach inside.
And to grab whatever touched their hands.
Nod, nod.
The Fake Dolls nodded their heads before disappearing into the darkness of the Subspace Storage.
...Wait.
Can I go in there too?
Fake Dolls are not treated as living creatures.
Thanks to that, they were able to enter the Subspace Storage.
I'm closer to a living creature than the Fake Dolls, but sometimes I'm treated as an inanimate object too.
So maybe it's possible for me to enter the Subspace Storage as well?
"Gom!"
Whoosh!
I threw myself toward the Subspace Storage.
However,
Thud-! I was blocked by an invisible wall and couldn't get in.
Then, I was bounced back by some unknown force.
...I guess it's a no-go.
"Dongsaeng-Oppa, what are you doing?"
"Goo?"
"U, ueoh...?"
"Gom......."
Scratch, scratch.
Getting up from the ground, I scratched my head in embarrassment.
Actually, is there any need to be embarrassed?
I failed, but the Action of trying itself was meaningful enough.
I changed my expression to a confident one.
"Kkuo? Why are you suddenly looking so confident?"
Jjokkomi.
I'm working hard for You, so stop finding fault with me.
Do you want to be scolded?
"Kkuo?"
***
About five minutes had passed.
"■■, ■■□□!"
Heuksuni opened her eyes and shouted.
"She says she already got an Otherworldly Remnant!"
The moment Ailee provided her Interpretation.
Hop!
One of the Fake Dolls jumped out from the Subspace Storage.
The little guy was holding a purple object in each of its hands.
"■■■, ■■□......."
"Heuksuni says it didn't just flow in, but our Warehouse Keeper Doll reached through the crack and snatched the Otherworldly Remnant?"
That method actually works?
If we keep doing this, we'll be done in no time!