[Chaotic Old Sapphire Temple Random Box (D+)] *2

[Even More Chaotic Old Sapphire Temple Random Box (B)] *1

The default clear reward was three D-rank random boxes.

But after being enhanced once with the Book of Chaos, they gained a + rank, and when I tore out another page, they were enhanced again.

I distributed the rewards on the spot.

“I’ll take the B-rank. That okay?”

“Mhmm, th-that’s fine.”

Hong Yeon-hwa nodded her head, though she still seemed a bit shaken as if the lingering impact of witnessing Inferno Fist hadn’t worn off yet.

That might have been why she didn’t voice any complaints, but my method of distribution had its own fair reasoning.

I was the one who brought the Book of Chaos.

I was the one who borrowed it, used two pages from it, and dealt with the aftermath.

So, if anything, splitting the rewards evenly would have been unfair.

Hong Yeon-hwa would acknowledge that too.

In the end, I kept the B-rank box, one D+ rank went to Hong Yeon-hwa, and the last one went to our guide Shin Byeong-cheol.

Of course, since a D+ rank box was quite the reward, this didn’t mean his job as our guide for this dungeon run was fully paid off. He still owed me a couple more trips for free.

As soon as we stepped through the teleportation portal and emerged outside, Shin Byeong-cheol who had been waiting for us bowed at a sharp 90-degree angle.

“You’ve returned~”

“Yeah~”

Of course, the one he was bowing to wasn’t me or Hong Yeon-hwa. It was the random box in my hand.

Since we had already agreed on the terms before entering, I handed over the D+ rank box to him.

Then I casually asked,

“Opening it right away today too?”

“Well... yeah, I guess.”

His response was noticeably less enthusiastic than usual.

Until now, he had never once hit the jackpot, so his expectations had dropped to rock bottom.

“If that’s the case, why not just sell the box as is?”

“That won’t do.”

Shin Byeong-cheol shook his index finger from side to side.

Even though selling it unopened would guarantee a certain value, he insisted on opening it himself.

Then he added,

“I read a book recently.”

“What book?”

“The Art of Never Failing at Gacha.”

“That title already sounds like a scam. Anyway, what did it say?”

“If you want to hit the jackpot, never stop trying! How inspiring, right?”

In other words, just keep opening until you win.

When I thought about it, it wasn’t exactly wrong, so I let it slide.

If he really did hit the jackpot, it would be something to celebrate. And if not, it’s good because I’ll be collecting stamp coupons.

“So are you opening it now?”

“Of course.”

Keeping his expectations low, Shin Byeong-cheol pried open the random box—

Flash!

A dazzling light burst forth.

It was far too extravagant to be a mere D+ rank random box effect.

Noticing this, Shin Byeong-cheol’s previously indifferent expression immediately shifted into one of triumphant satisfaction.

“See that? I kept trying, and now I’ve finally hit the jackpot!”

“Looks like your Indian rain dance finally worked.”

A win was a win, so I congratulated him.

I was curious to see what he had pulled so I took a look—

[Recipe: Renaissance-Style Tea Party Set (C)]

? Make a tea party set using the following items as materials.

? Teacups (0/2)

? Teapot (0/1)

? Tablecloth (0/1)

? Table (0/1)

? Chair (0/1)

I let out an exaggerated exclamation.

“Wow, a jackpot is a jackpot. You got a C-rank.”

“What is it with me and these things?”

Shin Byeong-cheol, on the other hand, looked dumbfounded.

Of all things, even his rare jackpot turned out to be a tea party set.

Still, compared to everything he’d gotten so far, this was the best one yet.

“You might as well complete the set now.”

“Ugh, yeah, I guess...”

The effect of a [Recipe]:

If you place the listed items into it, they all transform into their corresponding themed versions.

In this case, everything would get the “Renaissance-Style” prefix. Like a Renaissance-style table for example.

Even if you put in F-rank or E-rank items, the final product would still be C-rank.

Another advantage was that it could bundle random items into a single set.

Luckily, Shin Byeong-cheol had already gathered most of the materials.

If Kim Ho and Seo Ye-in were in a relationship, her younger sister might have given up to some extent. But since they weren’t...

Even so, just because there was a possibility didn’t mean she intended to let her sister get distracted by romance.

Right now, Hong Yeon-hwa was fiercely competing with other promising students.

Hesitation would only mean falling behind.

Because of that, Hong Ye-hwa fixed her gaze on her younger sister and emphasized once again.

“Don’t let your mind wander. Focus. Finals are next week.”

“Ah! I know, okay?”

Hong Yeon-hwa grumbled in response.

***

She said that, but she couldn’t shake off her restless feelings.

After barely listening to her sister’s nagging, she eventually left the clubroom.

Come to think of it, this has nothing to do with me.

She had thought the same thing in the dungeon. From the start, Kim Ho’s comment about being greedy wasn’t directed at her.

He had simply shared his views on relationships.

So there was no reason for her attitude to change.

Just like before, she would occasionally team up with him for duel battles or strategy battles, and that would be it when they entered a dungeon.

...Then why does it bother me so much?

Why did she feel so unsettled?

Why couldn’t she just brush it off and move on?

More importantly, what exactly did she want to do about it?

She had no clear answers.

She wandered aimlessly, lost in thought, but no matter how much she mulled over it, she couldn’t find a solution.

This is frustrating. I have no one to talk to.

Until now, she had gone to her sister for most of her worries.

But this time, that wasn’t an option.

Every time she brought up Kim Ho, things took a turn for the worse.

And she was always the one who suffered the consequences. Usually in the form of a fiery smack to the back.

So she had to find someone else.

But who could I even talk to about this?

There wasn’t a good option.

She knew a lot of people, but none she was close enough with to confide in.

The closest person she had was her childhood friend, Baek Jun-seok.

But that big oaf is useless.

When it came to things like this, talking to him was like talking to a brick wall.

She might as well just talk to an actual wall.

Moreover, he was surprisingly loose-lipped, so there was a good chance that if she talked to him, word would eventually make its way to her sister’s ears.

With yet another concern added to her list, she kept walking, but she still couldn’t come to a conclusion.

Hong Yeon-hwa let out a deep sigh.

...I should just drink something first.

Maybe a cup of coffee would help calm her down.

Just as she reached the campus store, she spotted a familiar face.

Go Hyeon-woo.

He seemed to have recognized her as well, greeting her with a nod.

“Greetings, Miss Hong.”

“Mhmm, hello.”

Hong Yeon-hwa’s impression of Go Hyeon-woo wasn’t particularly bad.

Since he was close to Kim Ho, they had naturally crossed paths from time to time. He always had a friendly smile and good manners, so at the very least, she never felt uncomfortable around him.

Maybe I should just talk to him instead?

They weren’t exactly close, but maybe that was for the best.

Besides, from what she had gathered, Go Hyeon-woo was the textbook definition of a model student.

People like that often had an unexpectedly naive side.

If that was the case, even if she confided in him, he probably wouldn’t realize that she was talking about Kim Ho.

Hong Yeon-hwa spoke with her mind made up.

“Do you want some coffee? My treat.”

“What’s the occasion, Miss Hong?”

“Nothing much, just felt like chatting.”

Using the need for conversation as an excuse, Hong Yeon-hwa planned to ease into discussing her concerns over coffee.

But she failed to notice it.

The brief glint in Go Hyeon-woo’s eyes.

Miss Hong suddenly offering coffee...

They had always maintained a certain distance, yet now she was closing that gap. There had to be a reason.

Something more than just idle conversation.

And soon enough, he could see it in her expression.

She looks troubled.

He guessed that she had been struggling with something on her own, unable to confide in anyone, and had approached him thinking he might be a safe option.

And he had a pretty good idea of what it was about.

This is about Kim-hyung.

Go Hyeon-woo was much sharper than Hong Yeon-hwa had expected.

Far more than she expected.