Conquest Complete, So Why Is the Affection Dropping? - Chapter 16
‘The Demon Race’s technology is incredible…’
While making things is one thing, maintaining them without rust underwater is no easy feat – something difficult even with modern technology, yet the Demon Race of Niflheim accomplished it. It’s truly admirable.
“The floors seem quite deep, wouldn’t it be faster to take this down?”
“….”
“Marvis?”
When I turned around, he was looking at me with a strangely dark expression.
Shouldn’t he be impressed or amazed that I fixed an ancient relic? Why does he look so displeased?
Quest Complete! Congratulations! You have successfully completed the surprise quest [Open the Dawn Sky]. You have been awarded Marvis’s affection increase (random) as a success reward. Beginning random value measurement.
My heart was already tightening at the last line added. What value would it be?
‘Surely it won’t be negative? If they say increase but make it decrease, I won’t let that slide!’
Desperately hoping it wouldn’t show a negative number, I watched the measurement window. Several numbers flowed through the black screen, and with a childish sound effect, the result was displayed.
Affection increased by 8!
“….”
Though I said anything but negative would be fine, why is this so disappointing?
Cutting 30 of Hexion’s affection to gain just 8 of Marvis’s – the math doesn’t add up at all.
Adding 8 to 1 only makes 9. It’s still single digits anyway. They could have at least made it 10. Single digits and double digits feel completely different!
While glaring at the result window, I met Marvis’s gaze beyond it. He was watching me with tightly sealed lips.
Oh no, I hadn’t meant to make that face at Marvis.
“…Let’s go down, Joo-ah.”
Tick.
A faint ticking sound mixed with his sigh.
[Marvis]’s current affection: 9 The level of affection where he would rush to cover you with a white cloth and call 119 if he saw you slip on ice.
I wish it wouldn’t give explanations when I can’t tell if it’s gotten better or worse.
Besides, why cover with a white cloth? Don’t kill me off on your own!
“Marvis, which floor do we need to go to?”
“The lowest floor.”
Since I couldn’t read the floor numbers properly as they weren’t Arabic numerals, Marvis pressed the elevator button for me. His movements were natural.
‘Didn’t he say the method of use was lost?’
That brief question arose but soon disappeared, buried under the changing scenery around us.
Clank. Clank. Whirr.
As we descended in the thin-barred elevator, I could see large and small windows lined up beyond the circular stairs. On each floor, thin rising smoke diffused the streetlight’s glow.
‘Wow…’
Unlike the quiet water surface, the underground city was quite lively and vibrant. Though it should have been dark underwater, colorful lights shone everywhere, giving no sense of gloominess at all.
I could see small people busily moving along narrow streets lined with heat extractors and complex, long pipes. They were moving things with carts and waving to each other.
Would this be what it feels like if you stacked layers of old foreign streets? I observed the strangely-shaped people passing beyond the elevator.
Quiet yet busy, peaceful despite the hustle – it felt like watching a living toy train.
With a thud, the elevator arrived at the lowest floor, and the barred doors opened to both sides with a rattling sound.
I followed Marvis through the streets. While the upper floors had many winding alleys, down here the roads were wider with many streetlights.
Deflated balloons dangled from pipes crossing the walls, and below them, various colored graffiti filled the space densely.
“Where are you taking me?”
“The plaza.”
“You’re a kidnapper. Shouldn’t you be locking me up somewhere?”
“I’m not a kidnapper. I’m a day guide showing a runaway teenager around the Dark City. You can pay the tour fee later when you earn it.”
“…There’s not a single true thing in that statement, I don’t even know where to start correcting you.”
First, since the temple isn’t my home, calling it running away isn’t quite right, and I’m not a teenager either.
‘If I were really a teenager, you’d already be in handcuffs for kissing me, you jerk!’
Besides, I didn’t ask for a guide. Dragging me here on your own and trying to collect tour fees – to think there’d be a robber without a knife even here.
“There’s nothing much to see here anyway since it’s dark.”
“Haven’t you been looking at my body this whole time?”
“N-no, I haven’t…”
I quickly turned my head and covered my eyes with my hands.
“Shin Joo-ah. Spreading your fingers like that defeats the purpose of covering your eyes, doesn’t it?”
This sharp guy. I returned my peeking gaze to normal. Meaning I looked straight at him.
His body was too obscene to look away from. Please put the viewing fee on credit.
The sound of heat warming the pipes’ interior grew quieter. The small lights hanging from the wires began blinking faster, then suddenly everything went dark.
When it suddenly went pitch black, I instinctively stopped. Sssss. A burning sound came from somewhere.
“Marvis. Is something broken and burning?”
“Look up.”
Up?
When I slightly raised my head, I saw a thin circle floating up in the darkness.
‘What’s this circle?’
Given its yellow glow, it seemed to be a light. One by one, lines of light passed between the circles, soon forming a sphere.
The way the sparkling lights gathered resembled a reversed scene of summoned beasts disappearing into water.
As the gathered light illuminated the surroundings, I could finally see numerous loose electric wires hanging beneath the large sphere.
‘An artificial sun…!’
Perhaps they want to see sunlight even underground. The light filling the large plaza had a soft, warm color.
“Do you like it? It’s Niflheim’s specialty.”
“It’s certainly pretty. Though completely different from the real sun.”
“Well, it’s fake, so it should be fake-like.”
“….”
“No matter how much it resembles the real thing, it’s still fake. Isn’t it better not to hide its fake nature?”
His words had a strangely pointed meaning. I looked up at Marvis.
The villain who attacked the temple as soon as the portal opened.
The demon who controls summoned beasts.
The kidnapper who abducted me, the Divine Master.
The playboy who casually kisses a woman he just met.
The loner whose summoned beast is his best friend.
The liar who knows how to operate an elevator despite claiming its method was lost, and…
“Do you need my help?”
Despite every reason to be wary, strangely, I wanted to reach out my hand.
Marvis said nothing to my question. I continued slowly.
“The Dark City is already running well with its own system. There’s no real reason to covet the Holy City where humans live. Yet you wage war against humans – isn’t it because you have a different purpose?”
“You catch on quick.”
“What’s your purpose?”
“Come with me.”
Marvis turned and walked away. Being tall, his stride was wide, and the distance between us quickly grew.
“Hey, wait up!”
I hurried after him. Past the plaza where the artificial sun had risen, a street lined with various stalls appeared along a long road. Like a night market?
“Joo-ah, what do you want to eat?”
“I asked about your purpose. Why are you suddenly changing the subject?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to talk after filling our stomachs?”
Marvis smiled slightly. Actually, now that I smelled the food, I did feel hungry.
“…Fine.”
The meals at the temple were rather simple after all. Besides, I’d skipped breakfast today because I was busy doing my makeup since dawn. I haven’t eaten anything.
I sighed and approached the stall with the most delicious smell.
“Two cream waffles and one butter potato.”
When Marvis tried to pay, I slapped his hand away.
“No thanks. I have my own money. No reason to let you treat me.”
After raising your affection and conquering you, you’ll probably earn the money and take care of the household, but before entering romance mode, it would all be debt, and I didn’t want to owe anything.
Purchased 2 waffles for 1 gold each and 1 butter potato for 3 gold. Spending 5 gold. Current funds: 9,980G
I didn’t notice when I was at the temple since I never had to use money directly, but prices are definitely cheap here.
If situations requiring money to reset skill usage don’t occur, the initial 10,000 gold should be enough until the ending without running short.
3 brokerage fees have occurred. Each fee costs 25 gold. Current funds: 9,905G
“…”.
I forgot that this system is the worst robber of all.
My past self who thought online currency’s double exchange fee was the worst scam was too naive.
‘How can 5 gold spent result in 75 gold in fees? You evil system!’
Even though I paid at once, they deliberately split the items to charge separate fees.
Even loan sharks would be impressed by this calculation method. There’s a reason Satan is losing his jobs these days.
Could the world be heading toward destruction because we can’t get rid of this broken system?
