How did I turn my victim into a phoenix-like hero?

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She gasped for breath and pointed at the paper bag, asking, "This... Assen store... Cranberry Fig Walnut Frosting Bread?"

14. Deceiving Brid

My dad caught something amazing with his bread.

"You really know, do you like to eat?"

"It wasn't me... it was Dad, he likes to eat..."

Sirocco shook the bread in his hand, and Brid's eyes followed suit.

You like it too...

Doesn't your father usually go for a morning run?

"He said the tuner headquarters wanted him to provide guidance, so he went over there."

"How long will it take for you to be back?"

Brid frowned, perhaps wondering why Sirocco was asking so many questions. Finally, she replied, "It will take at least two weeks."

It seems we won't need this bread.

Sorry, Dad.

"Give it to you."

When Brid received it, her eyes lit up like a hungry puppy: "Really? This is a bread that's limited to 100 pieces a day, something you can only get by queuing for, not by reservation!"

After hearing this, Sirocco felt even more favorably toward his father.

"If you don't want it, give it back to me."

"I want!"

Brid opened the bag and devoured the bread with gusto, her blissful eating making Sirocco hungry just watching.

I realized I hadn't eaten anything since I woke up this morning.

So, the protagonist's opportunities and plot are indeed something I can't share?

I was hoping to get some resources to become stronger, but it seems I'll have to find someone else to train with.

"Speaking of which, Sirocco... what are you doing here?"

Brid asked the question only when she had finished the first loaf of bread and was about to finish the second.

"Find your dad."

"What do you want with him?"

"Become stronger."

"Huh? Cough cough...cough cough!...cough!"

"Hey, hey, hey, don't eat so fast, look, you're choking."

Sirocco quickly used his remaining money to buy the cheapest bottle of water from the vending machine, and Brid drank it gratefully.

"Give me my money back, 4R."

"Ah good."

While scanning the code for Sirocco with the ring clock, Brid asked, "Why do you suddenly want to become stronger? This is so unlike you."

"Did you buy this bread as a way to get help from Dad? Food won't win him over."

Brid took this as a bribe.

The bread, however, won over Brid.

"It's a small gift. My dad asked your dad beforehand, and he agreed to help me get some experience. If there's nothing else, I'll head back now."

No time to dawdle, let's start with some basic training using the free version of the 'Dungeon Veteran Professional Explorer's Guide'.

"Wait, you haven't answered my question yet. If you just want to graduate, you can just join any squad. There's no need to work hard to become stronger."

Brid is right.

The school's credits can be calculated on a team basis. Even if an individual doesn't have enough credits, the team can still help them graduate.

"Dungeons aren't zoos. Monsters will attack, the environment changes constantly, and traps can spawn from any unexpected location. One mistake..."

Brid simply didn't want the people around her to suddenly disappear.

“Bride, just as you enjoy the process of gaining power, I also need power for some things.”

"what's up?"

Kill the Minotaur and protect your family.

Of course you can't say that.

"So that I can buy a house after graduation."

".....ah?"

This completely baffled Brid.

"But is it really necessary to risk your life as an explorer for money..."

“Bride, you know that being an explorer is the easiest way to make money.”

“I know you’re risking your life for money. Have you thought this through? The danger is real and unavoidable. If you encounter something like a cursed crystal, you won’t even have a complete corpse.”

Sirocco nodded and coughed lightly:

“You’re right, but my dad’s mortgage will take another 30 years to pay off, and he also has to support my sister and me through school. It won’t just take 30 years.”

I don't want to be a couch potato at home for the rest of my life.

It's possible to coast through the ranks in a small group until graduation, but that's just an ordinary graduation. You'll end up working in a regular company and won't make any money. I don't want to end up like my dad, paying off a mortgage for 30 years.

My dream is to live comfortably in a 100-square-meter apartment that I could afford with my own down payment.

I woke up to delicious food, and the room had the latest gaming console—top-of-the-line hardware and software! The internet was reliable and uninterrupted, and the sofa was soft and comfortable.

Never have to leave the house again!

Therefore, money is essential, the more the better.

"...In the end, aren't they still just parasites?!"

Brid instantly snapped back to reality, clutching her head in utter disbelief.

"As expected, people aren't that easy to change. But I'm also a little relieved; this is more like you."

This statement was half true and half false, and Sirocco almost convinced himself.

Brid was struggling to think about and process Sirocco's words.

It's true that you can make a lot of money in the underground city.

Most people just pick up bargains on the first floor or resell decent dungeon equipment to make a profit.

If you really want to make money from the "Explorer" profession itself, you need to go deeper into dungeons, where the danger will increase exponentially. It's best to join a high-level guild or a large organization like the Tuners.

So, if you calculate it this way, "graduating from Explorers Academy with excellent grades" and then being recruited by a large company is actually the simplest condition?

Seeing that she was trapped by his rambling words, Sirocco quietly left...

"Wait a moment."

Sirocco was speechless: Is this not over yet?

Brid quickly stuffed the rest of the bread into her mouth: "Huluck, I'll help you. No, please let me help you."

"What do you mean by 'help'?"

“It’s what you said.” Brid licked the crumbs and butter from the corner of her mouth: “It’s about getting stronger. If you’re serious and truly determined, I can lend you a hand.”

She is, after all, the daughter of a former professional kendo coach, and she can teach you some knowledge related to dungeon combat.

You should also be mentally prepared; I won't show any mercy during our cultivation just because we're childhood friends.

Mmm...

Having received ample and reliable training, Brid is a woman of her word in the game; if she says she can do something, she definitely can.

But that means spending a lot of time with Brid, which is too dangerous...

If the protagonist's woman gets so close to a random passerby, the player's negative review rate will be off the charts.

No, this game is aimed at Tauren fans, so it should have an overwhelmingly positive review rate?

Seeing Sirocco's silence, Brid realized he was starting to back down again: "If you don't want to..."

“I accept. Please help me, Brid Talos.”

What am I hesitating for? I have no other choice. I'm already in this state, what's the point of worrying about this? I don't want to be incompetent at a crucial moment.

"Oh!"

Brid laughed heartily. Just as she was beginning to feel a sense of感慨 (gan3kai3, a feeling of mixed emotions, including nostalgia and a touch of sadness) that Sirocco had truly changed, Sirocco uttered a strange statement that she never expected:

"Let me make this clear first: you mustn't fall in love with me during your cultivation journey, Brid."