The Devil's Cage

Kieran glanced at the two items before looking at Wu.

He waited for her to answer.

Wu, knowing Kieran’s character, didn’t waste time.

“It can give you some help in your next dungeon—I really wanted to give you more, but the situation that I ‘see’ doesn’t allow me to. If I do, it will only complicate things and make it worse. This? This is an accidental reward!”

Wu first pointed at the straw-knitted bracelet and took the [Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card].

She took in a deep breath. “Chance! A rare chance for you! If it’s possible, enter your next dungeon right away. You will have a… Cough Cough! Hard to come by chance…”

Before she could finish, she coughed fiercely as if her lungs were being tortured.

Kieran frowned.

“Did you forget what I told you before? I don’t need you helping me like this.”

Kieran’s voice was plain, it could even be considered cold, but Wu didn’t care; instead, she smiled lightly.

“I didn’t forget, but it’s out of my control. What can I do then? When I realized it, I’d done already everything. Don’t worry though, it’s non-lethal; the aftereffects will be erased effectively as well.”

Wu, with her smile, stood up. She smacked Lawless’ hand when he tried to help her up and fliittered out of the living room.

“Is she sick?” Lawless rubbed the red spot on his arm from the smack and looked at his friend.

“Em. Quite heavily, I reckon.” Kieran took the bracelet and [Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card].

[Name: Reverse Bracelet]

[Type: Accessory]

[Rarity: IV]

[Attribute: Turnaround 1/1]

[Prerequisite: Bound to player 2567]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Remark: The bracelet knitted by the Wisher’s blood and fate, it holds the sincerity of the Wisher]

…

[Turnaround: Twist the rules within acceptance of the existing rules]

…

After looking through the attributes and rarity of [Reverse Bracelet], Kieran’s cold gaze looked a little complicated before it quickly disappeared.

He put everything into his bag and walked out of the little living room.

Rachel was wiping glasses at the bar counter. In fact, she was always wiping glasses most of the time; thus, the glasses in Harvest Inn were the cleanest.

“I know what you want to ask, but I would advise you not to. Otherwise… I may not hold back from chopping you,” Rachel said calmly.

“Thanks.”

Kieran nodded at Rachel. He turned around, wanting to leave the inn.

He didn’t have to ask anything else, as Rachel had told him everything he wanted to know.

‘It wasn’t a trap.’

That would be enough.

Rachel looked at Kieran’s back as he left. She sighed and placed the glass down. She really had no idea how to persuade her friend.

One side poured all her efforts into him, the other side was cold and unappreciative.

If this continued…

No! It couldn’t go on like this.

She had checked on Wu before this. If she didn’t receive treatment and care soon, when the cold-hearted bastard returned from the dungeon world, he would have to attend Wu’s funeral.

Rachel was beginning to regret talking her friend into this in the first place.

If he knew, she would have… would have…

Sigh.

Another sigh. What would she have done?”

Had she not instilled some hope in Wu, Wu might have been dead a long time ago. She wouldn’t have lived until now.

However, quenching thirst with poison wasn’t the best way to solve the problem.

“Damn you, fate! Always playing with some pitiful souls. They are already pitiful enough, and you still want to wreck them like this?” Rachel muttered to herself.

“What’s pitiful? What’s wrecking?”

Hearing Rachel’s mutters, Lawless came in from the front door after having made a detour from the secret passage. He didn’t need Rachel’s permission to enter because he had been given authority to enter as he wished by Rachel herself.

“50% increase in interest of the debt you owe me,” Rachel said calmly.

“????????” Lawless was dumbstruck. He didn’t know what was going on and looked at Rachel blankly.

“50% more! Why are you still standing there, get your ass to work!” Rachel screamed.

“F-Fine.” Lawless shrunk his neck, took out the mop from the storage and started to clean the place.

Looking at the bedazzlement and helplessness in Lawless’ eyes, Rachel took in a deep breath again. She somehow felt better.

Then, she opened her message tab and started to contact some people.

After smoothly conversing with the people on her friend list, Rachel clicked on the one and last name that she was hesitant to contact before: Starbeck.

Rachel: Hey, Starbeck, I need to buy something from you.

Starbeck: What is it?

Rachel: Do you have Angel’s Feather at your place?

Starbeck: Hold on, let me check.

Rachel: Ok.

…

Rachel heaved a long breath when she saw Starbeck’s reply.

Everything before her eyes had gone easier than expected, and the thing that worried her the most hadn’t happened.

A few minutes later, Starbeck replied.

Starbeck: I have normal Angel’s Feathers and some Archangel’s Feathers, plus one Principalities’ Feather. Which one do you want?

…

Archangel? Principalities?

Rachel, who had heard certain rumours about Starbeck, had known this, but she was still shaken, nevertheless.

But soon enough, she returned to calmness. She made a reply.

Rachel: How many Points for the Archangel’s Feather? What can I barter for the Principalities’ Feather?

Starbeck: No need, it’s just some cheap stuff. You are 2567’s friend, so I’ll give them to you. You want the Principalities’ Feather, right? I’ll send a courier over.

…

Cheap stuff?!

Rachel’s face twitched. She suddenly felt sad for her friend again.

Just how powerful is your opponent?!

The exclamation in her heart didn’t stop her from replying.

Rachel: No, I’ll send someone over to get it.

Rachel: Thank you again for your help.

Starbeck: No problem, I’ll send someone to receive you.

…

Looking at the casual replies, Rachel had to take a few deep breaths to return to normal.

Then?

She changed her mind.

She wanted to meet this legendary person with her own eyes.

While Rachel was heading towards Starbeck’s place, Kieran had returned to his own.

After tidying and arranging things, he used [Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card].

Kieran immediately appeared in that familiar transporting space.

However, when he saw the words in his vision and heard the voice of the system, his face turned sour right away.

The situation was much worse than he had imagined!