Chapter: 62
Angsho, shocked by Lian, returned to his room only to reflect on himself immediately.
‘I’ve completely lost my original resolve.’
Was it because he had never failed up until now? Compared to when he started this game, he’d become quite the lazy bum.
‘I need to get my act together.’
Determined, Angsho decided he’d be way more serious, just like when he first began.
The first thing he did? Information gathering, baby!
To get close to someone, you gotta know what they like, what they hate, and if possible, their weak points too. Angsho craved even juicier details than what he’d picked up from Ottugi.
Gathering info wasn’t rocket science. There were a bunch of slaves hanging around the arena, and plenty of them would spill the beans for just a few coins. Just like that, he snagged some juicy intel.
Angsho skimmed through the documents.
Lian liked to spend all day playing with Iris in their room, but he wasn’t a total hermit. Sometimes he went for strolls and even graced the training grounds with his presence.
‘Looks like he’s more capable than I thought!’
Every time Lian left the room, the other slaves on the same floor seemed to shrink back and carefully dodge him.
‘Is that confident attitude all skills, I wonder?’
There were also lots of random bits of info. Stuff he wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t been snooping around. The more he gathered, the clearer things got for how he should move.
‘But the real golden nuggets? The scoop on Bansook and Totojen…’
For some reason, neither of them were talking easily, probably due to their pride. Bansook, especially, looked like he had seen a ghost and could barely get the words out.
‘By the looks of him, he seems close to meeting his maker.’
Angsho sank deeper into his chair, reminiscing about the stuttering Bansook.
‘Well, I don’t need to rely on those two, there are plenty of other mouths out there.’
With that thought, he quickly jotted down a summary of what he had gathered.
Lian was super protective of his sister and was way stronger than expected. It seemed like his innocent appearance might be nothing but an act, given how he once showed off his strength in a showdown with a slave who tried to pick a fight with a knife.
‘Targeting his sister might just be the easier route.’
Lian was a powerhouse and quick to read situations. How on earth could Angsho easily overpower someone like that?
Simple. One sharp knife penetrating that defense would be enough. You know, like a beloved sweetheart or family member—just think romance!
Lucky for him, Lian had one such sharp knife right at his side.
‘Hmm, this is a pickle. No matter which path I take, it seems like it’d be a load of fun!’
The thought of making a mighty figure hurt his one cherished sister or witnessing a slave despair after backstabbing her brother sounded exciting.
‘Going for the sister looks fun, but it seems a bit too easy. Boring!’
When compared to Lian, Iris appeared totally broken, barely able to form coherent sentences and just blindly following her brother. If Angsho set his mind to it, he could easily manipulate her into stabbing her brother within a single week.
But Lian, on the other hand? He looked like the toughest nut he had ever tried to crack.
After all, experienced players seek out trouble, right?
More importantly, if he wanted to heal his bruised pride, he had no choice but to target Lian! Angsho gave up on Iris and focused all his energy on Lian.
‘A stage! Yes… I need a solid stage.’
With his eyes closed, he started sketching out a grand plan in his head.
“Alright.”
Having made his decision, it was time to put his plan into action! He immediately sought out the help of those attending to Bansook and Totojen in the arena, asking for any info they had on Lian.
Both Bansook and Totojen always kept their closest aides around or none at all when with Lian, which meant info was pretty much nonexistent. The scant bits he could gather indicated either they were scared stiff or there was blood all over the floor.
Angsho naturally jumped to the conclusion that the blood on the floor belonged to Bansook or Totojen. The mighty Lian must have attacked them, and in an embarrassing moment, they treated their wounds with potions, hiding the whole mess.
That was about the only conclusion he could reach.
There was no way that Bansook and Totojen could’ve attacked Lian and then been shocked by the amount of blood he lost.
Though, as ridiculous as that sounded, Angsho had no way of knowing the true reality.
“What’s the best way to cook this up?”
Scores of ideas flashed across his mind only to be erased soon after. Finally, he managed to pin down a plan that seemed actually useful.
“First off… gotta find a female slave.”
*
“Hey there?”
“…?”
A new female slave, one Iris had never seen before, approached her and Lian during their walk to greet them. She was looking at Lian with slightly shaky eyes before breaking into a sly smile.
“Ah, hey there.”
Her voice quivered just a bit, but it wasn’t too weird.
“Hello.”
Lian readily returned her greeting, there was no need to be hostile, after all. The female slave turned her gaze to Iris and said with a big, bright smile,
“I’ve seen you around before and thought you were so cute that I wanted to get to know you! Would it be okay if we said hello from now on?”
“Ahaha, my kid really is cute, right?”
Lian grinned widely, looking like a doting dad hearing compliments about his daughter. His handsome face just exaggerated his sheepish smile.
The female slave, who had been tense around Lian, turned red and stared at his smile like she was in a trance. Iris’s brow furrowed up.
“Brother… let’s go.”
“Hmm?”
“I need to go to the bathroom.”
“What?! Really? Alright, let’s hurry back to the room!”
At Iris’s words, Lian jumped into action, turning around in a flash. The female slave’s flustered voice rang out,
“Ah, um…! What about your answer?”
“Brother, I’m emergency hurry!”
“Uwaah! Terribly sorry! I’ll give you an answer next time!”
Lian scooped Iris up and swiftly dashed back to the room.
What seemed like a minor incident in the moment was only the beginning.
“Hey, Iris? I bought way too much, want some of this snack? I can’t finish it.”
“Good morning, Iris!”
“You’re adorable today too!”
People who usually acted like she was invisible suddenly approached Iris with friendly greetings. Honestly, Iris couldn’t care less about what other slaves said, whether good or bad.
“Gosh, why all this? Thanks, I’ll enjoy it!”
“Good morning, haha.”
“Thanks for the compliment. My kid’s got her own cuteness, doesn’t she?”
But the real problem? These ordinary folks were turning beet red while ogling her brother. Lian, being the sweet guy he was, didn’t have the heart to push them away.
Because of that, a ton of clueless peeps crowded around them. As they shifted their gazes from Iris to Lian more often, Iris felt her emotions cloud up.
Once the girls left and it was just the two of them left in the room, Iris suddenly announced,
“Brother, I don’t like this.”
“…?!?!”
At Iris’s words, Lian dramatically flopped to the ground, looking like the star of a tragic story. He flailed around like a confused robot.
“Wha-why? Did… did brother do something wroooong?”
Iris pouted, causing her chubby cheeks to jiggle. Lian could hardly hold back a laugh at how adorably out of place this moment was.
“I don’t like girls.”
“Eh?”
“The girls… who keep coming every day.”
Finally, it clicked for Lian what Iris was talking about.
“Ahh -.. you mean the other visitors?”
“Yeah.”
“Why don’t you like them?”
“Just don’t.”
Iris struggled to explain why she was upset, just saying she didn’t like them and rolling her eyes to gauge Lian’s reaction.
‘What if he starts liking them more than me…?’
Iris genuinely worried that if Lian preferred the female slaves over her, she might end up getting the boot. It sounded silly, but it was an honest concern.
Just as her little anxiety began snowballing, Lian calmly said,
“Got it. If it bothers you, I’ll tell them to stay away.”
“…!”
Iris’s eyes widened and she quickly snuggled into his embrace. She loved him so, so much.
…Just like that, Angsho’s first plan tanked oh so easily.
“Ugh, guess I gotta whip out the next plan.”
Realizing he hadn’t even progressed past the first stage of his master plan, Angsho felt his pride getting a good old scratch. He dug into his stash of bolder, more daring plans.
The next day, Lian found himself taking an elevator guided by a rat. Expecting to meet either the last guest or a new one, the place he landed was…
“Welcome to your new home starting today!”
“…Excuse me?”
It was a new floor, several levels up from where he and Iris had been living. Lian and Iris were about to be torn apart.
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