Chapter 93 - Chapter 95

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: penny

Chapter: 95

Chapter Title: Angels and Demons

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"This way."

The staff member clicked ahead through the dimly lit reddish interior of the restaurant.

"Hey, Dickhead. This is really okay, right?"

It was code for whether they should follow.

Everyone was on high alert after seeing the [Challenge Quest] notification.

The Saintess gripped my arm tightly.

"Min-jun... that's the one from before, right?"

I nodded.

It was that guy we'd encountered alone with the Saintess in the first rest area.

The so-called shadow monster.

A special monster that only appeared in [Challenge Quests], boasting insane specs—with strength and speed that could turn a person into mincemeat in an instant.

'Even its stats are higher than before.'

When we didn't follow, the thing stopped dead in its tracks, turning to stare right at us.

"Customers...?"

The question came with a creepy head tilt under the red lights—straight out of a horror flick.

"Hey, what do we do? Follow or bail?"

Shin Seo-yeon asked with a reluctant frown, flames already flickering in her palm—like she was ready to torch the place if needed.

But once you're in, completing the quest is the only way out.

'Challenge Quests take place in special subspaces. Sure, transcendent powers could shatter them outright, but who knows what backlash that might trigger.'

So my call was to watch and wait.

Instead of answering, I stepped forward.

The others followed suit, and we crossed the familiar restaurant interior once more, trailing the staff.

Click. Click.

Identical frames and tiny sculptures popped up ahead and vanished behind—like the exact same space.

But the frames' contents were unsettling.

A person stood in the center, surrounded by indistinct shapes peering down.

"Min-jun."

"Huh? Oh, yeah."

"Why isn't it attacking us? It's moving around way more than last time, even with us watching."

Back then, the [Gloomy Specter] couldn't budge while observed.

That's why the Saintess and I had slipped to the corner, fending off killers while hunting the real one.

I pointed above the monster staff's head.

"Look closely—you'll spot the difference from before."

The Saintess focused her gaze along my finger. Her eyes widened.

"...Threads?"

Faint threads connected to the [Gloomy Specter]'s body, stretching into the unnatural darkness beyond the ceiling lanterns.

And those threads writhed like living things, pulling it forward step by step—like a fish on a hook.

It shot killing intent our way now and then with a grind of teeth, but couldn't move—the threads held it back.

"Looks like we've arrived."

The dark corridor ended, bright lights revealing the long table. But not our usual spot.

"Rotating sushi...?"

Under the persistent red glow sat a massive conveyor belt sushi setup for at least forty.

Square booths seated ten per side with rails running through. Inside one, a featureless [Gloomy Specter] in chef whites stood bowed—straightening with a mechanical crick as we approached, bowing politely.

"Welcome."

The party grimaced at the puppet-like motions, turning to me.

"What's the plan now?"

"Hm. Guess we sit... Plenty of seats. What do you think, Min-jun?"

"Fuck, there must be some rule to this."

Shin Seo-yeon glared at the seats, brows furrowed tight.

Sorry, but seats don't matter. We just need to chat and observe, so I herded the group to one side.

Sitting center with the Saintess, the rails whirred to life with an unoiled grind—clack-clack.

'Here we go.'

I eyed the rails tensely.

First time running this quest myself. I knew the gist from stories, but details? Fuzzy. Tellers held back, or maybe the tales were too wild to swallow whole.

"Whoa, check this out!"

"Wow!"

The mood flipped as the chef bustled. Plates rode the rails, each topped with a miniature model under a clear dome.

"Min-jun, look! A tiny sword—so cute!"

Swords, spears, shields, armor, mystery trinkets—like toys, gliding past, domes keeping dust off.

"Like that auction? Pay per plate?"

"Yeah, think Auntie's onto something."

Even Han So-hee nodded, stroking her chin.

"...Recalling the auction vibe, [Challenge Quests] seem to stick to themes."

Solid theory.

Challenges follow themes—mostly.

"Ugh, what to pick? Need the real deal."

"Mmm, want 'em all."

Watching plates roll by, I was sure—this was the quest I thought.

Branches diverged here... testimonies split. Multiple routes real, or embellished? Unclear.

One more check needed, but first:

"Listen up, everyone. Don't touch a thing till I say."

Whatever the path, calm handling would net us the good ending.

"Uh, too late...?"

"..."

I turned right. Shin Seo-yeon had snatched a plate; Yi Sera was about to.

Seo-yeon tried returning it, but an invisible force plopped it on her table.

Yi Sera hadn't grabbed, so no issue.

"W-what now...?"

"Why'd you grab it?!"

"I-it just... the staff looked cool."

We tried standing—asses glued to seats. Stuck peeking at her plate.

'...Nice pick.'

What a staff—radiant, high-tier trial worthy.

Gemstones etched with runes, intricate masterwork patterns.

Strikingly, it matched one from Seo-yeon's 1st-run collection—right before death.

Her taste, spot-on.

Does she know?

"C-can I open it?"

"Too late now. Open it. Saintess, get ready."

"Huh?"

While the Saintess tilted her head, Seo-yeon lifted the dome. Pop! Red smoke billowed, acrid and thick.

"Ugh! What the—where's my staff?!"

Staff gone. Dud. She raged, sensing the miss.

"Fuck! My staff!"

But bigger issues. The smoke coalesced midair, sinister, then latched onto her.

"Ack! What is this?!"

Smoke vanished magically; red haze ignited around her, blazing.

Her face hardened.

"W-whoa? W-what's...?"

Panic clear.

I checked her status. New debuff under stats:

No hesitation:

"Ha-na!"

"Y-yeah?!"

Saintess purged it instantly with recovery.

"Sh-shit..."

Heart still pounding, Seo-yeon spat curses wide-eyed.

"Don't fuck around. Nearly died over one grab?"

No joke—without Saintess, she'd be gone in 20 seconds. I turned firm:

"Saw that? No touching."

"Y-yeah."

"Got it."

Her pale face froze the mood. Phew, hurdle cleared. I glared at passing plates.

'One of the random challenges in a Japanese omakase spot.'

Plates brim with rewards—not just items.

Perks too, some rare outside normal routes.

All treasures, hard to resist.

'Proper grab guarantees survival boosts.'

Issue: most illusions.

Open to reveal dud or trap.

'Duds galore.'

Each lethal.

...And mandatory: one per person.

-No other exit. One pick each to clear. Plates: twenty times people. Real: one in twenty.

For us: 100 plates, 5 real.

5% death gamble.

-Deaths vary: curses, disease, dismemberment, impaling... Staff asks corpse-sellers: 'Sell the body? We'll pay survivors.'

-Survivors hawk corpses to monster-staff. It drags legs singing into dark.

-After deaths, terror: sobbing, fainting, despair...

"W-would you sell the body to us?"

"Gah! What the fuck?!"

Seo-yeon, catching breath, screamed at the faceless mug popping up beside her.

Gloomy Specter stared.

"What?! Fuck off, let's go!"

"..."

-Know what breaks the flow?

Flicker-flicker.

"Wh-what?"

Lights strobed. Table shook. Rails spun wildly below—like broken.

Whoosh—

Plates blurred past, afterimages dizzying. Then halt.

Flicker.

Lights steadied. Tint shifted orange...

"Huh? What? Table's brand new!"

Previously worn; now pristine, fresh-open vibe. Smooth, no stickiness.

"What the...?"

-Breaking flow doubles odds? Fun, right! Heh heh heh!

I smiled faintly.

'Down to the dimensional crevice at last.'

Heard once:

Long ago, ancient beings ruled the selection process.

New gods seized it, split spacetime, copied—became today's version.

Exiled ancients fled worlds away.

A few residents commune, await return in world-edge crevices...

Anyway. I surveyed the spotless sushi bar.

'Dimensional crevice: shrine to forgotten ancients.'

Influence lingers here.

Bypass limits, snag transcendent rewards.

'Why everyone chased it.'

Imagine: limit-free prizes.

Theoretically, early-game endgame gear.

But costly—we lack funds.

"Welcome. How many?"

"Huh? How many times you gonna ask?!"

Seo-yeon snapped, rattled by near-death and face-in-face specter. I answered coolly.

"Forty."

"???"

"Eh? M-Min-jun?"

"Oppa...?"

"Forty what?!"

Crazy talk. Ignoring protests, I repeated to the chef.

"Forty."

"Understood."

Rails quadrupled. Plates halved in size.

800 filled instantly—forty shares gliding by.

"What the hell just happened?!"

"Plates... so many..."

"...Insane."

Seo-yeon whipped to me, eyes screaming madness.

I get it. 100 nearly killed her; now 800?

But our Crimson Flame Witch earned this. Thanks to her, crevice unlocked.

"What? Why the look? Dickhead, you high?"

I stood.

"Huh? Can stand here...?"

"For real."

Party rose, approached. I walked the rail, stopped, beckoned Saintess.

"Ha-na, grab this one."

"But...?"

"Trust me?"

Eyes wide, she clenched fist, nodded fiercely.

"Yes!"

Haha, no need that gung-ho.

Anyway, tiny palm-sized plate. She grabbed; it slid smoothly to her spot.

Gulp.

Saintess swallowed, tense. All eyes on her dome-lifting hand.

Failure meant death. 'Please be safe!'

"Ah?"

No pop.

"No smoke?"

"Success...?"

"Yes!"

Cheers. Saintess blinked stunned.

"Th-this real?"

Mini grew to bracelet-size.

"Whoa! Mythic!"

"Jackpot! Stats are nuts!"

[Robes of Lumina] gave +40; this trinket +70.

"Congrats."

"Thanks, So-hee."

"Unnie, congrats!"

Saintess beamed, clutching it.

All 'gear' here: Mythic only. No lower, no transcendent. Pros/cons balanced.

"Equip it."

"Yes!"

Click—bound to wrist. Exquisite. Seo-yeon eyed jealously, clung to me.

"How'd you know?"

"Hm?"

"Don't play dumb! You knew it was real!"

Scratched head, eyed plates, activated [Full Appraisal].

Truths unveiled: traps and treasures among 800.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Read 314 more chapters ahead on NovelDex!

https://noveldex.io/series/ive-been-preying-on-s-tier-women-since-i-was-a-newbie

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━