Chapter 76

<Episode 78> I could sense the smell of eel in the wobbling Ketchup.

Cough (Newbie Must-Read) NTR Game Part 2: Ultimate Takedown Guide!!

Yo.

It’s me, the night owl who just pulled an all-nighter to beat Jung Jeonbyeong.

That lil’ brat Ji-kil was almost as slippery as a fish.

No, putting mind control AND NTR mechanics in the same game is just evil, yo.

But I think we’re all on the same page here, so let’s dive into the guide.

First off, this method works starting from the Jung Jeonbyeong round.

In Round 1, Cheol-soo’s such a dumbass he doesn’t even notice his girlfriend’s been mind-controlled – no way it works there.

Here’s the kicker though – there’s an item that breaks Ji-kil’s mind control.

Technically, it’s more like a glitch or cheat code kinda thing.

The developers probably didn’t even realize this was possible.

There are two key points:

1. Ji-kil’s mind control is recognized by the game as a debuff

2. There’s an item that removes ANY debuff

Point 1 is pretty straightforward, no need to explain further.

And while it’s technically not “removal” but more like absorption…

Since debuffs are rare in this game, this item wasn’t really useful before.

But turns out it can remove mind control too, making it super OP.

What’s more, this item comes from a hidden dungeon.

Sure, it’s called “hidden”, but you can actually access it anytime.

It’s not easy, but not impossible either.

You might turn into a monster if you screw up midway…

But with decent control, it’s definitely doable.

So currently, the best way to beat Ji-kil is to get this item first and break the mind control.

Then you can enjoy the game without that annoying NTR route.

Though keep in mind, getting rid of the NTR route doesn’t mean you’re done.

Once Young-hee’s mind control is fully lifted, it transitions into a battle with Ji-kil.

That guy’s crazy strong.

He’s probably been juiced up with some kind of drug, plus there are lots of minions, so be careful.

On the bright side, the skill EXP is great for leveling up your sword skills.

Which will come in handy during the upcoming Academy events.

Anyway, thanks to this item, you can skip that awful NTR route completely.

If you’re eager to progress the story, grab this item and go for it.

I’ll write down the dungeon location and item name below for reference.

Oh, and FYI, this item is single-use only.

Enjoy the game!

When I went to the hidden dungeon, these NPCs from the Hero’s Guild showed up.

Eh, you can safely ignore them. Cheol-soo’s good friends with the Hero’s Guild anyway, so no problems there.

Unless you bring Yu-jin along – story-wise he doesn’t go that far anyway.

L—1人—I人

…*

Yu-jin, Rime, Young-hee, and Class President were sitting together having dinner in Yu-jin’s room.

Even though there’s a separate dining hall, they deliberately skipped it.

Considering Rime’s identity needs to remain secret from Hwagcheon.

Besides, antisocial Yu-jin always finds eating in his room most convenient.

“Hmm… This menu’s awfully suggestive, isn’t it?”

The staff had brought out eel, oysters, and garlic for their meal.

Of course, being filthy rich, there were other dishes too,

And they tasted like fine restaurant-quality cuisine,

But coincidentally, these were all very famous foods associated with…you know.

What exactly does this household expect from me?

“Woah, what a feast!”

“••••••.”

Unaware of the implications, both Rime and Young-hee simply looked forward to a tasty meal.

Only the Class President seemed to catch the meaning, her face turning slightly red.

“So, shall we eat?”

With an awkward smile, Yu-jin spoke up.

Soon after, the four began eating together.

For a while, only the clinking of cutlery could be heard.

Then Rime started poking at her fried egg with her fork, complaining.

“Pfft, I prefer my eggs well-done.”

“Oh dear, fried eggs should be over-easy.”

“What!?”

“Umm…”

Rime and the Class President exchanged glances.

Both wore masks of calm, but their eyes betrayed intense sparks.

They’re arguing over something so trivial now, huh?

At this point, they probably just needed an excuse to fight.

Yu-jin took a sip of water to soothe his burning throat.

“Why do you like mushy things that get dirty so easily?”

“The moistness is precisely the charm of eggs! They’re also more nutritious when cooked over-easy.”

“……Ugh, you clearly don’t know good food.”

A vein popped on the Class President’s forehead.

Wearing a smug smile, she gave Rime a once-over.

“Hmm~ Speaking of nutrition… Now I see why you’re so frail, Miss Rime.”

“What? What are you implying?”

“Not at all, just thinking aloud. Your malnutrition explains your scrawny figure… Though you do give off dangerous vibes when provoked.”

“••••••.”

“Oh dear, looks like spending a few days with Yu-jin hasn’t harmed you at all. Must be nice to have no worries.”

Snap!

Rime crushed the oyster shell in her hand.

Poor Yu-jin carefully picked out the shell fragments from his bowl without a word.

Meanwhile, Rime smirked mischievously.

“Hey~ You know, I’m starting to understand why you like over-easy eggs.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah! Must be because you’re both equally fragile – one touch and you break. If you’re gonna be useless, at least be good at housework.”

Crunch!

The Class President stabbed her eel forcefully with her fork.

After taking a bite, she smiled sweetly.

“Mmm, delicious.”

“Haha, glad you like it.”

For a moment, they shared laughter without exchanging words.

Their eyes met, sparking electricity between them.

What am I supposed to do with these two?

Yu-jin glanced at Young-hee hopefully.

“Mm, nom nom. Mm??”

…Looks like Young-hee’s really enjoying the eel.

Yeah, that’s right.

At least someone’s happy.

We’ll let Young-hee do whatever she wants.

“Do you like eel, Young-hee?”

“Ahh, yes! Actually, I wasn’t that into it before… But since someone else liked it, I thought I would too…”

Young-hee tilted her head in confusion mid-sentence.

“That’s… strange. I feel like someone really liked eel… My thoughts are…”

Cheol-soo, huh.

Yu-jin nodded silently to himself.

Seems like Rime’s treatment is showing some effect.

Still, for her to think about him even during such a simple meal…

Their connection must run deeper than mere thoughts.

‘I need to help Young-hee recover her memories soon.’

While watching the two elegantly sipping their drinks while glaring at each other, Yu-jin thought to himself.

Anyway, despite all the commotion, the meal eventually ended.

Thanks to the dessert of cake and ice cream, the two calmed down somewhat.

Taking this opportunity, Yu-jin broached the topic.

“Let’s decide our plan for helping Young-hee regain her magic power.”

“Magic power?”

The Class President’s question was answered by Rime.

“Right now, Young-hee’s body is a mess due to her magic power going berserk. Mind and magic are deeply connected, you see.”

Understanding immediately, the Class President nodded.

“Indeed. The principle is that stabilizing the magic flow first will allow the mental state to return to normal.”

“To achieve that, emotional adjustment is necessary,” Rime continued. “Whether through relaxing daily activities or appropriate stimulation through safe hunting is the issue.”

“Given Young-hee’s familiarity with monsters from the Academy, maybe we should deliberately stimulate her stress resistance?”

“I think that’s a good idea. With Yu-jin around for stability, it shouldn’t be a problem. Is she able to participate in combat now?”

“At first, she would have refused, but now she seems somewhat adapted. Perhaps we could focus on memory recovery while clearing dungeons. What’s Young-hee’s current magic capacity?”

“About 2MG.”

“Isn’t that pushing it for someone who was just discharged recently?”

“She’s in an awakened state, so she’ll be fine. We haven’t handled her carelessly enough for her to collapse at that level.”

Um, what exactly are they talking about?! Totally lost!

What language are these two speaking?

As Yu-jin turned his gaze, his eyes met Young-hee’s.

Young-hee gave him an awkward grin.

Wow, I’m feeling some serious relatability here.

Though the fact that the person facing memory loss is a friend is kinda rough.

“For that capacity, dungeons are better than open fields. Easier to protect with our numbers.”

“With Yu-jin around, that shouldn’t be a problem. The question is where to find such a dungeon.”

?!

!……

……

“……Am I hearing things, or did that sound like I’m useless?”

“Nope, you heard correctly. Good ears on you.”

The two exchanged amused glances.

Oh boy, here we go again.

Thought they were doing better…

– Vroooom

Yu-jin’s phone ringing startled him greatly.

His phone ringing?!?

‘This isn’t a watch?!’

There’s no company brave enough to spam call Lord Hwagcheon.

Not to mention Secretary Park is competent enough that unnecessary contact is never needed.

Turns out this expensive piece actually works as a phone!

Feels kinda touching, honestly.

“Excuse me, I’ll take this call.”

Seeking permission from his friends, Yu-jin answered the call.

A familiar girl’s voice came through.

-Hi there, long time no see.

“Ah, Soo-hyun?”

Soo-hyun, his frequent conversational partner from the Academy.

-Or rather, another entity possessing Soo-hyun’s body.

Now that he thinks about it, they haven’t talked in a while due to busyness.

Though this is the first time she’s ever called.

What’s going on?

-Saying “nothing’s wrong” would be weird, wouldn’t it? There’s no way everything’s fine.

“Well, yeah.”

Word of Young-hee’s condition has probably reached the Academy by now.

Between the magic overload, memory loss, and social withdrawal…

It’d be hard to say everything’s okay even as a formality.

Had they not monitored public opinion from Hwagcheon’s side, it would have become quite a controversy.

-How’s Young-hee doing?

“Much better compared to before, but her memories still haven’t returned.”

-Hmm, nothing like this has happened in any story I know of… Where did things go so wrong…

Ah, so the delusion setting is still active.

Soo-hyun still has her quirky side.

Yet dismissing it all as delusions feels somehow incomplete.

Her statements often contain elements of information and reasoning.

‘Maybe she has some capable intelligence source like Secretary Park?’

True, her claims are often inaccurate due to being delusions.

But surprisingly often, things line up like puzzle pieces.

For that reason, Yu-jin personally enjoys their conversations.

It’s like getting one’s fortune told by a renowned fortune teller.

After pondering for a bit, Soo-hyun spoke up.

-Um, this information may or may not apply to the current Young-hee…

“Hmm?”

-But I know of a hidden dungeon where there’s an item that might help.

Contrary to her words, her tone carried a strange certainty.

-Are you interested in checking it out?

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