Starting with the thaw between Dang Gyu-young and her father, good things kept rolling in.
The household mbers ca to see us one after another, like they were lining up.
They’ve probably changed their minds a lot.
When we first visited the Dang family, their reaction had been cold beyond belief.
They treated Dang Gyu-young like she was worse than a stranger, and even tried underhanded tricks to chase her out as fast as possible.
Considering that, we didn’t really have many reasons to help them.
If the Blood Cult’s raid wiped them all out, we could’ve just pulled out and not cared.
But we threw ourselves into that fight with our lives on the line, and we saved a whole lot of household mbers.
No matter how shaless they were, they must’ve looked back on what they’d done at least once.
The middle-aged man in front of us was a perfect example.
He’d taken a massive injury from the Blood Jiangshi and survived thanks to us.
He spoke in a heavy tone.
“I think I’ve been far too narrow-minded all this ti. Please forgive .”
“I accept your apology.”
Dang Gyu-young answered with a faint smile.
Her willingness to accept it probably had sothing to do with his sincerity—but it definitely also had sothing to do with the elegant wooden box he’d handed over.
There were definitely rare pills inside.
The man’s complexion brightened.
“Thank you. I know it’s long overdue, but from now on I’ll do my best to act properly.”
Among the next visitors were the siblings Dang Junyeop and Dang Huiyeon.
They opened their mouths with faces that looked a little embarrassed.
“I heard you have ★All-Poison Immunity★. Not knowing that and trying to poison you so confidently... this must be how the Monkey King felt in front of the Buddha.”
“I won’t apologize.”
“Of course. It’s only that our judgnt was lacking.”
Dang Huiyeon picked up where her older sibling left off.
“If anything, we’re the ones who should be apologizing. We ca here looking for a fight for no reason, bringing up Dragonslayer Academy and all that.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry.”
And just like before, Dang Gyu-young accepted their apologies without hesitation.
Along with the token of reconciliation (items).
And while the Dang family’s storehouses were being emptied out and Dang Gyu-young’s inventory was getting fatter and fatter—
At last, the Elder Council Head showed himself.
“.......”
Unlike the other household mbers, he didn’t co in humble or offer an apology.
He simply stared straight at Dang Gyu-young and began speaking with his usual stubborn, strict attitude.
“Do you rember? The difference between the rabble who suddenly inflated their influence—and a prestigious family.”
“Tradition,” she said.
“That’s right. Tradition accumulated and maintained over long years. If that collapses, we beco no different from that rabble.”
“.......”
“That is why soone must take on the role of protecting it. Even if they’re pointed at and mocked for being old-fashioned and rigid. Since the day I chose that path, I have never once regretted it. Not even now.”
The Elder Council Head’s gaze grew even sharper.
“As a direct descendant, you committed a sin—one that must never be committed—by abandoning your duty. You crossed a river that cannot be crossed back with .”
“I understand.”
“However.”
He paused, then continued.
“Repaying debts and grudges clearly is also a tradition of the main family. Regardless of past stains, it is right to repay what is owed.”
“......!”
What erged from his robes was a booklet with a disturbingly black cover.
A necromancer grimoire.
“I heard you are walking the path of black magic. It was only gathering dust on the shelves, but you should be able to use it more usefully than anyone.”
“...Thank you.”
Dang Gyu-young accepted the grimoire and exchanged a quick look with .
This works, right?
Yes. Your slots increase.
Ironically, the Elder Council Head—who still didn’t like Dang Gyu-young—ended up giving her the item she needed the most.
Then he turned his head to look at .
“I heard the family head has begun searching for a few items. Sothing that grand is difficult for an old man like , but if possible, I’d like to show my own sincerity.”
“There is sothing I need.”
“Speak.”
“If you have good materials, I’d like to receive them.”
“Materials... you an tal and the like?”
“Yes.”
The Elder Council Head spoke as if it were nothing.
“I’ll give the smithy a word. Take as much as you want.”
“I’ll need quite a lot, though.”
“No need to worry. The main family’s generosity isn’t that stingy.”
After that, he exchanged a final goodbye with us and left.
As much as you want.
He probably assud I’d cut it off at a reasonable, guest-like limit even if he said it that way.
But what the Elder Council Head had gotten wrong was—
I’m a man with absolutely no conscience.
In the face of world peace, that kind of thing was a trivial problem.
*****
The smithy—also known as the forge.
The place where secret weapons and countless tools were made.
The one who greeted us was a man whose entire body was muscle, which felt oddly un-Dang-like.
Just looking at him, you could tell he’d swung a hamr a few tis.
Probably just a mont ago, too.
“Co this way.”
He led us to the storage area in the back.
Then he nodded toward ingots and lumber piled up like mountains.
“Take as much as you want.”
“Are you sure that’s okay?”
“The Elder Council Head has already given the order. And compared to the lives of the household mbers, it’s cheap.”
“Thank you for saying that. Then I’ll begin.”
With even the final permission granted, I pulled an item from my inventory.
[Greedy Material Selection Ticket(C)]
▷Growth-type item
▷You can consu material items to increase experience.
▷Exp:88.65%
Eat well.
The ingots began vanishing at a terrifying speed.
SHASHASHASHASH—
[Greedy Material Selection Ticket(C)]
▷Exp:95.33%
[Greedy Material Selection Ticket(B)]
▷Exp:8.78%→26.53%→55.88%
In the blink of an eye, one side of the warehouse was completely empty.
Only then did the man seem to sense sothing was off.
“Wait.”
“I’ll keep taking them~”
SHASHASHASHASHASH—
[Greedy Material Selection Ticket(B)]
▷Exp:70.31%→91.53%
[Greedy Material Selection Ticket(A)]
▷Exp:3.14%
In an instant, it crossed B-rank and reached A-rank.
Of course, the warehouse was also more than half emptied in an instant.
Deciding it couldn’t go any further, the man coughed awkwardly.
“Ahem, you—”
“Like I said, I’m truly grateful.”
“Gratitude is fine, but at this point—”
“Your words, ‘Compared to the lives of the household mbers, it’s cheap,’ really moved . I swear on my na I’ll use what you’ve given for sothing good.”
“.......”
The man had no choice but to shut his mouth again.
If he took back what he’d said, he’d beco ‘the kind of guy who thinks materials matter more than lives.’
While he was trapped by his own words, the selection ticket devoured ingots greedily, living up to its na.
SHASHASH— SHASHASH—
[Greedy Material Selection Ticket(A)]
▷Exp:32.00%
Even after reaching A-rank, it still gained a ton of experience.
Now, all that was left until S-rank—the materials for the golden pocket watch—was just 68%.
Once the sester started and I ran a few dungeons, I figured I could finish it.
“Thanks for the al~”
I bowed as politely as possible.
Then I turned and walked away, leaving behind the hollow-eyed man and the emptied warehouse.
*****
We’d crushed the enemies outside and settled the internal discord.
So now there was only one thing left to do at the Dang family.
Training.
Stack as much power as possible until winter break ended.
Seo Ye-in was also working through the [Austerity] quest.
She charged bravely with a pot flipped over her head, and Ahn Jeongmi’s toy hamr ca down without rcy.
BONK! BONKBONKBONK!
In the anti, a hologram Seo Ye-in—Fast-Luckless—approached from the side.
She swung hard at the hologram pot, but no crisp impact sound rang out.
Ahn Jeongmi had dodged in an instant and appeared behind Fast-Luckless.
Before she could even react, the toy hamr dropped.
BONK!
The two of them looked at each other and lanted—Wooden-Luckless and Fast-Luckless.
“Tired.......”
Sohow I feel like my body’s dragging.
“No luck.......”
Must be the ultra-first kill move’s side effect.
Ahn Jeongmi encouraged the two sloths as they drooped and wobbled.
“My lady, this is exactly when you must find your strength. If you overco it, it will beco a precious asset later.”
“Impossible to overco.......”
“I firmly believe you can do it. Then I will be going.”
BONKBONK! BONKBONKBONK! BONKBONK!
She kept swinging the toy hamr in a flurry.
She looked... kind of excited for so reason.
anwhile, Dang Gyu-young and Zhuge Soso seed to have paused their spar and were taking a break.
When our eyes t, Zhuge Soso made a dissatisfied face and walked over.
“Kim Ho Kim Ho.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I heard you learned a new skill.”
“I did.”
“Then why did you leave out and only give a chance to Lazy-Gyu?”
She seed upset that I’d tested [Invitation] when she wasn’t around.
Dang Gyu-young snorted and answered instead.
“What kind of obvious question is that? You take care of VIPs first.”
“You still have to pay attention to new arrivals!”
“No more new arrivals! We’re full!”
“But you said Ghost Demon wasn’t it.”
“From what I saw, he was a quack.”
“Seems right, though? I heard you’re greedy.”
It looked like they were about to start bickering again, so I stepped in.
“It’s not like we didn’t prioritize VIPs, and more than anything it was an efficiency issue. Please understand.”
If I used it normally, it was a 10-day cooldown. If I used it on a bonded target, it was a 7-day cooldown.
Zhuge Soso pouted slightly.
“I get it, but I’m still a little hurt. You could’ve at least let watch.”
“Then let’s do this. I actually learned two skills.”
“You’re going to test the second one on ?”
“If you’re willing.”
“Let’s do it right now.”
Zhuge Soso grabbed my suggestion imdiately.
Soon, we faced each other on one side of the training grounds.
As we began our spar, I pulled up the skill description again.
[Diamond Freeze(F)]
▷The next freeze effect you apply becos ‘cannot be dispelled’ for 10 seconds.
▷Cooldown:10 minutes
A kind of buff skill.
After casting it, you chain into a freezing spell.
For example, like this.
[‘Diamond Freeze’ will be used.]
[Cooldown 00:09:58]
I t the eyes of Zhuge Soso as she stepped in with footwork.
[‘Octopus Arms’ will be used.]
[‘Mutual-Destruction Eye’ will be used.] *5
[A ‘Poisoned(B)’ status effect is applied to the target.]
[A ‘Frozen(B)’ status effect is.......]
[A ‘Frozen(B)’ status effect is.......]
.......
[Cooldown 00:24:59]
CLANG-CLANG,
A chunk ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) of ice covered Zhuge Soso’s left ankle.
She glanced down to confirm it, then casually used a debuff removal skill.
WHOOM—!
A faint burst of energy spread out...
And her ankle was still frozen solid.
“Huh? What is this?”
WHOOM—!
Another wave of energy spread, but it still didn’t budge.
Only then did Zhuge Soso look at .
“Why isn’t this coming off?”
“It’ll co off now.”
Because the 10 seconds had passed.
For the record, after 10 seconds it doesn’t automatically thaw—it just changes from ‘cannot be dispelled’ to ‘can be dispelled.’
aning she had to use a debuff remover again.
Zhuge Soso seed to realize that too, and an awkward look rose on her face.
“Everything’s on cooldown.”
“Then you’ll have to wait.”
If you use a debuff removal skill while [Diamond Freeze] is active like this?
Of course it won’t dispel—and it’ll only burn the cooldown.
In plain terms, it gets eaten.
Zhuge Soso, dragging ice on one foot, hobbled over to Dang Gyu-young.
“Kind Gyu-Gyu, won’t you remove this for ?”
“I don’t have it either, Ice Soso.”
“Co on, remove it for . My foot is cold.”
“I really don’t have it. Think of it as heat therapy and wait.”
Most people have one or two debuff removers, but surprisingly few can be used on allies too.
The more universal a skill or trait is, the harder it is to get—and people don’t invest that heavily into debuff counterasures.
In the end, Zhuge Soso had no choice but to wait several minutes before she could escape her Ice Soso fate.
She shot a very unfriendly look.
“This seems ethically problematic in a serious way.”
“It’s my favorite skill.”
I answered with an innocent smile.
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