681 – Irresponsible Pleasure (29)
Galik Fried Chicken is considered weak, but in reality, it has received various support from the Fried Chicken Family, resulting in significantly enhanced base stats.
The reason it could survive Oknodie’s automatic attack performance without instant death lies in the support it received from the family since childhood.
“Huh…!”
In other words, it meant that it suffered substantial damage, to the extent of barely escaping instant death.
Impending Fear
Oknodie’s BGM was infused with soul.
Not in metaphor or description, but literally, its very soul was playing, grinding through it.
Oknodie injected memories of scenes suitable for the current situation, expressing the corresponding emotions through musical motifs.
Elettrico.
Executive of the Blood Band.
He didn’t want to cooperate willingly from the start.
However, the mental terror inflicted in every moment he resisted was something a fragile human soul could barely withstand.
Even though he wished to close his consciousness and become numb to external stimuli, memories forced him to feel his soul against his will.
Development where Heroine C, who liked the protagonist for 300 chapters, gets assassinated.
Development where the female character, who had a fling with the protagonist for 350 chapters, succumbs to her father’s threats and marries the villain.
500 times more frustrating development where the protagonist gives up on revenge against the family’s enemy because they have a family too.
Moments of horror that made him want to scream, “Please don’t show me stuff like this!” gnawed at his soul endlessly.
Like pressing a refined trauma button, Oknodie mocked and controlled human emotions, forcing Elettrico, who didn’t understand the cruelty of modern civilization, into the role of a weak NPC.
The only way to escape the repeated fear was to collaborate fully in the performance.
Status Effect – Confusion
Status Effect – Madness
Status Effect – Despair
As a result, the severe abuse ceased to worsen in front of his submissive attitude, but the stress he endured had not dissipated.
It had accumulated as a constant bane gnawing at his soul, and now, others could feel just how colossal that stress had become.
Mystical Lake
Plains of the Mind
Tomb of Madness
The Butler used numerous mysteries to lift various status effects manifesting upon him.
Equivalent Exchange – Additional Loss of Humanity
Pasible Yep quickly let go of his useless humanity for an extended period, allowing his soul to avoid damage it couldn’t handle.
Pierce Eye – Status Effect Mana Dispersion Analysis
Mana Technique – Isolation of Aberrant Techniques
Mana Control Technique – Status Effect Clearance via Technique Modification
Darknodi leveraged equal knowledge and talent as Oknodie to shake off the annoying status effects and glared at Oknodie, questioning him boldly about whom he dared to test.
Ring of Mental Protection
Ring of Forced Awakening
Galik Fried Chicken, while utilizing the power of magic tools accumulated from activities within the family, could at least lift minor status effects; however, unlike the other executives, its clearance wasn’t perfect.
As a result, one person started drooling, rolling their eyes back, and twitching uncontrollably.
“Aaggghhh”
“…That one’s going to die!”
“Haha. The weakest executive of the Foundation, I see.”
Neither Darknodi nor Pasible Yep showed the faintest sign of help.
Darknodi personally disliked Galik Fried Chicken, who had fed him garlic chicken.
‘Unlike the original, I don’t receive the invariant protection of Backpack Backpack.’
The status doesn’t change.
This doesn’t just mean gaining height or losing it.
It also indicates changes in weight.
In other words, no matter how much food Oknodie ate while wearing Backpack Backpack, it wouldn’t gain weight!
Optimized magic tools for collecting the Cooking Handbook.
While the cleverness of using curses like buffs is admirable, the Underworld’s enhancement tech has not progressed.
Just like Oknodie, who could gain a vast amount of enhancement materials at the Tower of Training, Darknodi could not obtain the same, as her cloak had storage effects but no constancy penalties.
Given that she was presented with a garlic chicken she didn’t particularly desire, it was only natural Darknodi had a chill attitude towards Galik Fried Chicken.
‘If the author dies, the frequency of the Dark Princess’s pranks directed at us will increase and become dangerous. But for now, there’s someone I need to protect first.’
Pasible Yep applied his alchemical prowess, temporarily lifting the effects of the performance that tormented Sing’s soul.
Despite enduring extreme mental stress and agony to the point his mouth bled while biting down hard, it was still early for Sing to endure this.
If he harmed the Dark Princess’s ‘friend’ he had drawn in himself, he would bear that responsibility.
His act of drawing Sing was a consideration of the Dark Princess sending Sing toward him.
As always, he was doing a favor for Sing’s growth.
Oknodie would never gladly accept such favors after losing a friend.
‘Hmm. Perhaps she might truly take it as a favor.’
-Wow, Sing is dead! Opening the Undead Swordsman Route!
That kid could possibly say something like that.
But if the brakes came off even once.
If the reins snapped.
How severely would the pranks directed at him worsen afterward?
Could the people he wished to protect from his days as a being with humanity withstand the Dark Princess’s special kindness?
Pasible Yep did not want to embark on that kind of adventure.
Consequently, both executives merely watched as Galik Fried Chicken lay on the ground, frothing at the mouth and trembling, while the Butler clicked his tongue and stepped in.
“Tch. Are you planning to reduce the workforce that’s already dwindling even further? While trying to leave only the executives from my faction, you dare still test them? The Dark Princess is proving more ruthless than the Director.”
Three mysteries manifested simultaneously in the Butler’s possession, reversing Galik Fried Chicken’s physical time to the past, temporarily storing its soul in a unique space to avoid additional damage, and employing a mental defense mystery to protect its body and soul from potential piercing attacks.
“Wow, truly the Executive Meeting of the Foundation! I was trying to implement a Demon King-level BGM effect, yet no one has fallen into a state of near-death. How impressive!”
“I’ve got a general idea of the severity of your brutal tests. Given your experience with comparable materials, retract that terrifying strength already.”
As Oknodie withdrew the mana he had imbued into the instrument, the hellish tune of the red violin finally began to wane.
“That instrument, where did you acquire it? The one inside and the skills of the guy handling it are impressive, but honestly, the instrument itself is extraordinary. It feels oddly familiar, as if I’ve seen similar ones somewhere.”
The Butler’s words were a refreshing stimulus that sparked an unexpected memory within Oknodie.
The sensation was reminiscent of forcing himself to recall and analyze memories in areas where a veteran player like him was not very knowledgeable.
-It’s a gift from Reap. Considering the Lady’s growth rate, I brought improved flavored candies and necessary assassination weapons for Academy life, along with a secret instrument.
-Understood. I just need to grab this handle and strike it down like this! Like this!
-Detailed steps are written in the textbook, but be careful not to shake it carelessly; you might cut your hand or cause the instrument to explode!
In the first semester of 981, Jonnas had gifted him a mini violin along with a candy basket during his visit.
-That’s the Bloody Collection, made in the same manner as the magic tools given to the executives of the Blood Band.
-Ooh! Bloody Collection!
-Do you know it?
-The name sounds cool!
-…The Bloody Collection is a mass destruction instrument that sends sound waves with various additional effects when mana is injected as specified.
-How did Reap give that to me?
-Could you tell me who Reap is?
-She’s the Cleaning Maid!
Currently, Elettrico, who was trapped within the instrument, spoke while gazing at it.
-That instrument oddly shows potential. It can store specific sounds… That’s right. Storage. This instrument specializes in storing.
-Oh, I see! How do I store it?
-First, place your finger on the needle visible inside the string and inject blood. It’s the owner’s process.
-The resonance phenomenon that causes the string to vibrate automatically indicates that the bonding is complete. Now grasp the instrument and operate the Mana Flow Technique while drawing mana into the instrument. It will reveal its usage.
-Ah, got it. It’s an instrument that consumes sounds!
The blood-soaked instrument unveiled its own temperament, responding proactively to Oknodie’s energy.
-Don’t worry too much. Uncle Elettrico also enjoyed playing screams and wails, right? While playing the BGM, you can hear the screams of enemies nearby, so I can totally ensure job satisfaction! Optimal welfare, right?
Gahhh!
-Sometimes when I’m busy and can’t collect suitable sounds, if the instrument becomes hungry, you have to scream until it’s satisfied. Otherwise, your soul might be totally devoured by the instrument!
From that point on, they played around with the instrument excitedly, and the executive, who wished to avoid death, actively collaborated in screaming, treating it merely as a commonplace BGM generator, while shoving aside the instrument’s suspicious secret!
However, after hearing the Butler’s story, an idea suddenly popped into Oknodie’s head.
“Oh! Is it okay if I do some item farming?”
“Suddenly?”
“I’ll be right back!”
Quickly scanning the area where the executives had collapsed, Oknodie emerged with a few magic tools in hand.
The Bloody Collection and magic tools made in the same manner as the blood-soaked mini violin handed out to the executives.
Moreover, the materials of this world possess the property that when using identical materials, enhancements occur, increasing performance.
Enhance enhance boom boom!
Before anyone could stop him, Oknodie whipped out the blacksmith’s hammer that he stealthily swiped from Professor Ferguson’s forge and began pounding the violin!
As dazzling light enveloped the violin, everyone was left in shock.
‘Is he really enhancing that precious thing without a second thought?’
‘Whoa. Is that kind of formidable magic tool dispensable to the Dark Princess?’
‘Hii! If the thing inside is obliterated like that, the next instrument might come after me! I must pretend to faint, pretend to faint!’
‘Is that… capacity enhancement?’
The Butler’s astonishment soon turned into reality.
“Wow! Success! And by gathering magic tools from executives who died elsewhere, it jumped straight to +2 enhancement!”
Now, additional ‘instruments’ could be stored within her instrument alongside Elettrico.
The Butler felt a sense of chill for a long time, realizing that anyone opposing Oknodie would have to constantly bear the risk of becoming her next instrument.
