You Will Be Blessed If You Do Good Deeds¿

Kwa-jik!
As I tore through the stalk of the Butterfly Tooth with my bare hands, thick sap began to flow from within.
While collecting the sap, I hummed a little tune. The side income was pretty substantial.

"King!"
The robot that followed me began to spin around excitedly as I filled the glass bottle with sap, and then, at some point, it leapt high.
Crack! Crack!

When I turned around, the robot had a half-destroyed Butterfly Tooth flower, now lodged in its mouth.
"Bark!"
Whack!

The robot, perhaps having learned from Leo, began to pound the flower with its front paws.
The flower, full of sharp teeth, hopelessly rolled around on the ground. It seemed to think it was on a walk in a strange place and was thoroughly excited. Leaves were stuck to its back.
"If you keep doing that, you'll need a bath before we go back home."

"Bark!"
When I saw the look in its eyes, full of disbelief, I realized that its recent experience of getting thoroughly washed after rolling in mud had left quite an impression.
"We’re not living in the wasteland anymore, you know? We’re living in a villa, so I have no choice."

Grrr...
"Hang in there. Once we find Orbis and take care of things, we might be able to move somewhere else."
The robot wanted to move to a larger space instead of the house it was currently in, but that wasn’t going to happen.

After all, I had already spent too much on defensive magic, and with the opportunity cost in mind, moving was not something I could afford right now.
"When we get home, we’ll definitely have a bath."
"Grurrr!"
Maybe it was shocked by the word "bath," or maybe it thought the bath had something to do with the Butterfly Tooth—the robot growled and bared its teeth at the half-ruined flower head. It looked ready to smash it further, so I hurriedly stopped it.

"Don’t kill it, I told you."
Grrr?
"If we clear it, it’s fine... maybe."

I stopped collecting sap and placed my hand on the stalk, channeling magic through it.
The sap was valuable as a potion ingredient, and the Butterfly Tooth's life force was quite resilient. Although the core flower had been partially torn off, once I sent magic into it, the remaining roots of the Butterfly Tooth began absorbing the magic like rain to a thirsty plant.
Swish!

Soon enough, a new bud began to sprout at the tip of the stalk that the robot had ripped apart.
The flower that bloomed from the absorbed magic appeared even more luscious than the original.
The system suspects the user, 'Jeong Da-on,' has ulterior motives.
 

"Suspicious motives? What’s that supposed to mean?"
I shook the glass bottle filled with the sap.
"Do you, like, not understand how much magic reagent this one bottle could make? A stupid cluster intelligence like you could never understand. This is just a minor setback for progress. How much will this Butterfly Tooth sap help when infused with my magic?"

The system questions the user's, 'Jeong Da-on,' motives.
Ignoring endangered allies is considered ‘antisocial behavior.’
 

"Ignoring? What do you mean by that!"
I exaggeratedly shouted.
"It was all because I was dizzy from the Butterfly Tooth pheromones. I couldn’t help it!"

As soon as I entered the dungeon, I could smell the pheromones emitted by the Butterfly Tooth colony.
Sometimes, the Butterfly Tooth uses its pheromones to attract prey or fend off stronger enemies.
Thanks to that, I had to endure a horrible stench since the moment I entered the dungeon.

"I have an even more sensitive sense of smell than most."
The lower-tier hunters might have just assumed that the Butterfly Tooth was spraying pheromones, but I was different. The colony of Butterfly Tooth considered me the greatest threat, so naturally, it made sense.
When I got too close to the colony, the stench only intensified. Though I succeeded in casting the buff magic on the guild members, that was all I managed to do.

"I can't afford to die here looking all pathetic."
I had been too close and exposed for too long, and if I stayed near the colony for much longer, I might have lost the ability to move.
‘Theoretically, anyway.’

After casting the buff magic, I couldn’t stand the pheromone and had no choice but to distance myself from the guild members, leaving them behind in the forest.
The smell was so unbearable!
Afterward, the pheromones messed with my sense of direction, and I ended up wandering in the forest, alone, until I came across another Butterfly Tooth and decided to gather some extra income.

The system reminds the user, 'Jeong Da-on,' of their abilities.
 
"Ah, sorry, but my body’s not in the condition to use high-level detox magic yet."
Though my physical strength and stamina were almost on par with the recommended stats, they weren’t perfect yet.

That said, my magic reserves were overflowing, and objectively, I had to admit it was a dangerous state.
Using detox magic now might have worsened things.
Of course, that was just the theory.

"And... if I were intentionally ignoring the others, I wouldn’t have cast the buff magic in the first place. Right?"
In any case, I had done everything I could in that situation.
The system was analyzing my actions... hopefully, it would consider all of them.

The system is considering the user's, 'Jeong Da-on,' actions...
The system reminds the user, 'Jeong Da-on,' of the presence of others in the dungeon.
 

Yes, yes.
I smiled, raising the corner of my lips.
"I’m sure it’ll be fine without me. James Chen, an S-rank Hunter, is here after all."

After all, that’s why I brought him along.
"James even has a mask with an air purification function, so he won’t be running away like I did when intoxicated by the pheromones."
I laughed, glancing at the air.

"Good thing I brought that trash... I mean, the Hunter."
I thought I was getting better at acting. If a few more years pass, I might even end up as a saint, at this rate.
The system questions why the user, 'Jeong Da-on,' has not completed the dungeon's objectives.

Objective: Defeat at least one B-rank monster.
 
"If I finish the dungeon first, I’d feel bad for Hunter Ham Se-rin. After all, Ham Se-rin came to me because he needed the money."

According to the plan, they should still be gathering materials over there. If I just clear it by myself, what would that serve?
"Considering everything, I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong. Don’t you think?"
I can say whatever I want.

I risked my body to help the low-tier hunters and even brought James Chen along as backup in case of situations like this.
I even thought about Ham Se-rin’s feelings.
Everything I did was for good intentions.

"…"
I waited for a moment.
And then…

‘I’ve been caught.’
No matter how long I waited, the system messages no longer appeared.
"Good deeds lead to blessings" quest is now in progress.
 

The system failed to find any reason to object to my actions, and the quest was still on track.
Everything was going according to plan.
Now all that remained was…

[Three hours later, after the dungeon’s clearing notification]
"Sorry, everyone."
I said this after stepping out of the dungeon, my eyebrows lowered in a remorseful look.

"Who would’ve thought I’d fall victim to the Butterfly Tooth's pheromones..."
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than .net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
The guild members, including Ham Se-rin, didn’t respond to my words at all. They looked like they had been through a lot.

Perhaps they were so exhausted that they couldn’t even comprehend my words.
Seeing their condition, I clicked my tongue in sympathy.
"You all seem to have gone through a lot... but I’m glad I brought a Hunter to cover for me. The materials were gathered, right?"

"Of course."
The only one who responded enthusiastically was James Chen, his face glistening. He then glanced at the rest of the guild members.
When their eyes met his, their shoulders tensed.

"... Yes, yes! That’s right!"
"We survived because of you. Thank you!"
"All thanks to Hunter Jeong Da-on!"

"Thank you, but it's no big deal. We’re all connected by fate..."
I said this while glancing at James Chen.
"Be sure to stay close. He’s an S-rank Hunter, and he’ll be a huge help."

"Yes, I’ve just signed a mercenary contract with the entire guild."
Flap!
James Chen smiled, hiding his face behind his fan.

"... I believe we’ll have a good relationship with them moving forward."
With his face hidden, his narrowed eyes became even more sinister, emphasizing his scheming demeanor.
‘He definitely looks like a villain.’

Well, it wasn’t much of a stretch.
The low-tier hunters, including Ham Se-rin, walked back with their shoulders slumped, looking like defeated soldiers.
On the way back, Ham Se-rin tried to make eye contact with me a few times, likely wanting to convey something, but I simply smiled and urged him to hurry and rest.

He shouldn’t have believed those rumors about me.
Rumors are never something to trust.
 

"Master."
After the others had disappeared from view, James Chen knelt before me.
"I’ve put them under my control, just as you wished. Please, show mercy..."

The look in his eyes as he gazed up at me, pleading for something, seemed both pitiful and, at the same time, utterly revolting.
I could see droplets of blood collecting around his neck, where his collar couldn’t completely hide the scratches. It was clear he'd been unable to resist the itching, scratching at it painfully.
However...

"Orders?"
Gahk!
Thud!

I kicked him in the stomach, and he coughed up air.
"I haven’t given any orders."
After all, everything James Chen had done was his own decision, wasn't it?

‘Seriously, with the system keeping quiet, this guy just doesn’t pick up on anything...’
James looked stunned, nearly fainting, and slammed his forehead onto the ground.
"I-I’m sorry. I misinterpreted your intentions. I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have...!"

"Right, don’t misinterpret my intentions. I only gave advice."
The system wasn’t silent for no reason.
I had never physically interfered with the low-tier hunters like Ham Se-rin or anyone else, nor had I given James Chen any specific orders.

All I did was suggest that James Chen join my dungeon exploration, hoping he would expand his influence in Korea.
What he did afterward was his own responsibility.
Certainly, as a result, James Chen had gained control over the entire guild, and the profits from this dungeon were now in my pocket.

Ah, it seems like I've accumulated a few more words to discard, just like a used tissue.
But none of this was part of my plan.
And now, whatever they did, it wasn’t my responsibility.

Even major corporations don’t take responsibility for the mistakes of subcontractors.
Why should I take the blame for a subordinate’s actions?
"Your words are right, Master. I did it all because I wanted to..."

"Good, you're doing well."
Did my mood seem off?
James Chen, in front of me, was now prostrating himself like a dog, a far cry from the cocky attitude he had shown during the New York dungeon.

It seemed the agony of the loneliness curse had been incredibly painful for him.
As Layla Lopez had once said, James Chen must have felt that the curse was like an oasis in the desert.
"Yes, I showed kindness to you. Right?"

"Yes, Master!"
That was exactly why James Chen had sought me out. The hunger for my magic had driven him here.
Of course, the pain he would experience when the illusion shatters would only be more intense.

But that wasn’t my problem, was it?
I am a demon.
"King!"

Suddenly, Robo approached me as if it had seen James Chen as a competitor, playfully bumping into him.
I patted Robo’s back, still looking up at the system messages hovering above me.
Quest "Good Deeds Lead to Blessings" is in progress.
 

"Good deeds lead to blessings..."
It felt somewhat laughable.
For that phrase to truly carry weight, the society must be one that supports it.

After all, bad deeds should be punished.
That’s what human society is supposed to be about, and as a hero... this demon will take the burden instead.
If this isn’t a good deed, what is?

I smiled from the heart for the first time in a while.
This time, it’s my victory.