Episode 23: I Thought She’d Be Too Haughty and Fail, But This Lady’s Surprisingly Easy? Lucky~☆
At night, Pomi escaped from Chloe’s dorm and came to me.
We agreed not to interfere during the constellation swap, but what am I supposed to do if Pomi decides to run off?
Blame Lashara for not having legs~?
After evening training, Seol Harin and I showered and met up again.
She’d brought a pile of winter clothes as I’d instructed.
“Are we going to Antarctica or something?”
“Something like that.”
“What…? For real…? Okay, fine, but why are you still in that shirt? Are you messing with me?”
“Huh? You think this body would shiver in the cold?!”
I’m immune to cold.
Thanks to Pomi’s stigma, I don’t feel it at all.
Anyway.
All that’s left is to activate the constellation event.
The method’s simple.
Just recite dialogue similar to the game’s choices.
“Hey, Pomi. You look down today. Something up?”
“Well… There’s this race I have to join today… But I’m not confident doing it alone…”
“Hey!! Stop being annoying!!!”
“Woof…?”
“If something’s up, you should’ve said so earlier!! When a super cute SSS-grade fluffy constellation needs help, obviously her master’s gonna step up!!!”
“Woof…♡”
Pomi tackle-hugged me.
Moments later, she was enveloped in a brilliant white light.
Pop-!
A gate formed as the light burst.
It was the path to the constellation world.
“W-What the heck is this…?”
Seol Harin, seeing it for the first time, looked a bit scared.
“Sow! Get in!!”
“What? You know what this is…?”
“Don’t know, so I’m sending the slave in first!!!”
“I know it’s a joke, but that’s a terrible thing to say! Not like you—?”
Thud!
Too lazy to explain, I tossed Seol Harin into the gate.
“Woof woof!!”
Pomi followed her.
I held Lashara up, facing her.
“Hey, Kkubburi.”
“…”
“Get ready for a ton of freaking awesome fun~ Heh heh heh.”
I jumped into the gate.
After a brief wave of nausea,
A vast snowy plain and an ice castle stretched before us.
Pomi’s hometown, the Glacial Empire.
***
“Where… are we…?”
Seol Harin’s eyes were wide with shock.
Even Kim Taeyang was looking around, unusually curious.
Pomi, thrilled, explained to them.
“This is my hometown!! Today’s the Sled Dog Race!! I’m gonna win it!! Awooo-”
As Pomi howled, a pack of sled dogs came running from somewhere.
Eight of them.
With Pomi, there were nine sled dogs gathered in one place.
“So cute… Pomi, are they all your friends?”
“Yup! They’re also my teammates for pulling the sled today!”
“Hi, guys…!”
Seol Harin reached out to pet them.
At that moment—
Grrrrrrrr…!!!
Bark bark bark bark bark!!!!
Woof!! Woof!!!!
They immediately turned hostile toward her.
“W-Why…?”
“Heh heh heh. Why? You think Pomi would talk you up to her friends after how awful you were as her master?!”
“What are you saying…? Pomi! Is that true? Did you badmouth me to your friends?!”
“Woof…? Pomi’s turning back into a dog now, so I can’t talk.”
Feigning ignorance, Pomi reverted to her dog form.
Even if she had bad feelings toward her former master, getting caught gossiping stung a bit.
Seol Harin, shocked, muttered, “Badmouthed by a dog…”
Just then,
A group of sled dogs approached Pomi.
Grrrrrr…
The dogs suddenly wrinkled their snouts.
Pomi recognized the leader of the pack.
‘Kailas…!’
He was the champion of the last sled dog race, Kailas.
Grrrrrr…!!
Pomi growled back in response.
“Pomi…? You okay?”
“Hey, sow. Leave her be. Dogs have their own drama.”
Her master was right.
Kailas.
He was the enemy who killed Pomi’s sister…!
Pomi and Kailas’s pack began conversing in dog language.
To Kim Taeyang and Seol Harin, it was just “grrr” and “woof woof!”—literally barking—but it was a language of its own.
“(Well, who do we have here? Isn’t it Glacial’s pathetic little sister, Glacis?)”
“(Don’t you dare speak my sister’s name, you filthy mutt!! And my name’s not Glacis anymore—it’s Pomi!!)”
Pomi boldly declared her new name.
Kailas flinched at the rustic moniker.
“(P-Pomi…?)”
“(That’s right! Pomi!)”
Kailas’s pack muttered among themselves, flustered.
“(Tch… That’s kinda cool…)”
“(Pomi, huh? Freaking badass name…)”
“(I want a new name like Choco or Kami…)”
Human-friendly names were trendy among sled dogs.
“(Shut your muzzles!)”
Kailas snapped at his envious pack, and they whimpered, silencing themselves.
“(Fine, Pomi. Gotta admit, it’s a damn cool name. But a name’s just a name. I’m winning this race too. A weakling like you can’t keep up with me.)”
“(We’ll see who’s better when it’s over!)”
“(Keep yapping, and you’ll regret it. You might end up crossing the rainbow bridge like your sister. Heh heh heh.)”
The rainbow bridge…!
It was a vicious curse among dogs…!!
“(Kailas! How dare you…!)”
Pomi growled, thinking of her sister.
Her sister, Glacial.
The top contender in the last race.
The vile Kailas had eliminated his rival underhandedly.
He’d bribed an assassin dog to tear Glacial apart.
The thought of her sister fueled Pomi’s rage.
Unable to hold back, she unleashed a torrent of curses.
“(You… you cat-like bastard!!)”
“(What did you just say…?! Cat?!?!)”
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!
Woof woof woof!!! Woof-woof-woof-woof-woof!!
Bark bark bark bark bark bark!!! Bark-bark-bark-bark!!!
Awooooooo──────────!!
(Note: The barrage of unspeakable cat insults has been replaced with barking sounds.)
The scene turned into absolute chaos…!
Kim Taeyang and the rival hero had to step in to calm the dogs.
“(You dumb bitch! I’ll make sure you join your sister…!)”
Kailas shot a murderous glare before stalking off.
Meanwhile, Pomi was gripped with worry.
‘I said all that, but… can I really win…?’
Despite his vile nature, Kailas was a true powerhouse.
He might not match her sister Glacial, but he was undoubtedly the strongest sled dog constellation alive.
Then, Kim Taeyang petted Pomi.
“Hey, Pomi.”
“Woof?”
“Don’t get intimidated. You’re the best sled dog, no matter what anyone says.”
“Woof…!”
Those words massively boosted Pomi’s confidence.
‘My master said I’m the best…!’
Nothing excites a dog more than their master’s praise.
‘My master’s amazing! So Pomi can win!!’
Pomi stretched and stomped, preparing for the race.
“Awooo!!”
Her loud howl rallied her teammates.
“Awooo!”
“Awooooo!!”
Morale was at its peak.
‘Big sis! I’ll avenge you!! I’ve got an awesome master by my side!!!’
Pomi’s confidence was soaring.
After the chaotic dogfight,
The race was finally about to start.
***
Welcome to the 2,837th Glacial Empire Sled Dog Race!
If you’ve been chosen by a sled dog constellation, you can participate from any dimension!!
----
About 100 teams were competing.
That meant over 1,000 sled dog constellations and more than 100 bound heroes gathered in one place.
But the competitors here were all extras.
Heroes with bizarre hairstyles, clearly thrown together for individuality.
Some looked like aliens, barely fitting this world.
There were even characters from the developer’s previous games.
Basically, NPCs made just for this event…?
The mention of “all dimensions” suggests Academia’s constellations share a broader universe.
But I don’t know much about that.
The game never elaborated.
Anyway.
That’s not the important part.
----
Make unforgettable memories with your sled dog constellation!!
The winner will receive a gold medal and a commemorative collar!!
----
The prize for winning.
It’s a pretty sweet deal.
True to the game’s spicy nature, the collar’s ability is quite provocative.
Put it on someone, and they’ll obey you.
An overpowered item—get it, and you can use it however you want.
----
Participants, please prepare for the race!!
----
I climbed onto the prepared sled with Seol Harin.
Pomi and her friends were hooking themselves up, ready to pull.
3… 2… 1…!
Bang!!
The race begins!! Incredible!! They’re speeding off so fast you can barely see them!!!
With that simple announcement, the race kicked off!
The sloppy pacing is exactly what makes a spicy game like this fun…!
“Hey, Pomi! We’re going full throttle from the start!!”
“Woof woof!!”
In the game, this event was a mini-game.
Just nail the directional inputs, and you’d win easily.
So I figured it wouldn’t be too hard in reality…
“What the heck is that?!”
“Huh? A snowball, obviously!!”
A massive snowball was rolling down the hill…!
“Can we dodge it?! It’s too big!!!”
It was so huge that getting hit would bury us and send us tumbling.
I glanced at other teams—they were blasting the snowball with ranged attacks.
The only one on our team capable of a ranged attack… was Lashara, kinda…!
“Hey, Kkubburi! Take out that snowball!!”
I swung the whip with perfect timing.
But—
Flop…
The whip just flailed limply.
It wasn’t because I didn’t know how to use a whip.
Lashara simply had no will to act.
“Pathetic… Handle it yourselves…”
“You little…!!!!”
BOOM!!
We couldn’t dodge, and the snowball crashed into us.
Yelp…!
CRASH!!
Our sled flipped over.
“Urgh… You…! You okay?!”
“Worry about yourself! This body’s made of steel! Pomi, you good?!”
“Woof!”
Pomi and her friends seemed unharmed.
The problem was the sled.
“The sled… it’s completely wrecked…”
The impact with the snowball had shattered it.
No sled, no race.
Realizing the race was ruined, Pomi transformed into her human form.
She sank to the ground, crying.
“Uuu… Big sis, I wanted to avenge you… I’m such an idiot… I’m sorry, big sis…”
“…”
“…”
The atmosphere turned somber in an instant.
Pomi’s cries were genuinely heart-wrenching.
Seol Harin tried to comfort her, but it had little effect.
The mood grew colder than the weather.
‘Just as I planned.’
There was a way to dodge the snowball.
In the game, there’s a side path for a free pass.
But I deliberately used Lashara.
To make her feel responsible for this mess…!
“Hey, Kkubburi. You screwed everything up, didn’t you?”
“Why… is it my fault…?”
“Playing dumb? Look at Pomi crying her heart out! If you’d hit that snowball properly, we wouldn’t be in this mess!! Got it?!?!”
“…Tch, I suppose…”
“Pomi’s sitting there, unable to avenge her sister, all because of your pathetic pride! No matter our relationship, if we’re in this race, you should give it your all!!! This isn’t even my thing—it’s Pomi’s!!!”
“I… I see. I misjudged this time…”
Finally, Lashara admitted her mistake.
She’s a highly moral constellation.
A character who can’t help but feel guilt when blamed.
Gaslighting her is pretty easy.
“Kkubburi. You reflecting?”
“I’m sorry… I’ll make it up to Pomi personally…”
“Nah, forget that. If you’re really sorry, start pulling your weight now.”
“Now…? Our sled’s broken…”
Yeah.
Ours is broken.
But there are plenty of others still intact, right?
Why not just NTR a sled?!!
Swish-
I put on the orange sunglasses tucked into my shirt.
Flip-flops.
Swim trunks.
Hawaiian shirt.
And orange sunglasses—the full beach set…!
The full set comes with bonus effects!!
[Beach Full Set Effect Activated.]
[Hunting Power Increased by 500%!]
[Charm +85 to Women You Meet for the First Time!]
A ton of sleds were still lagging behind, dodging snowballs.
I waved at a pretty silver-haired woman among them.
“Hey, lady! Got time to hang out?”
“Oh my?”
Whoosh!!
Her sled stopped right in front of me.
“Is this… a pickup?”
A guy in a full beach set picking up women in a snowy wasteland.
That’s Kim Taeyang.
“Man, she looked haughty, so I thought I’d strike out, but this lady’s surprisingly easy? Lucky~☆”
“Hehe. I was just feeling bored. But hitting on someone during a race… that’s odd.”
“Obviously, I’m joking!!! Who picks up girls in the middle of a race?!?!”
“Huh…?”
CRASH────────!
Exchanging a glance with Seol Harin, I flipped her sled.
The woman, caught in a rolling snowball, tumbled down the hill and vanished.
Kim Taeyang, succeeding in both pickup and assassination.
That’s the power of the beach full set!
“Hey! Hurry up and hitch it up!!”
We swiftly hijacked the sled.
Our movements were as precise and frenetic as an F1 pit stop.
“Pomi!! We’re running again!!! It’s not too late!!!”
“Woof woof!!”
“Hey, Kkubburi!! Cooperate properly this time!! Got it?!?!”
“…Understood.”
Crack!! Crack!!!
Lashara finally started whipping properly.
Her lashes made Pomi stronger and faster.
Thanks to Pomi’s trait.
----
◆ Sled Dog Instinct
◆ Description
+ When Glacis is attacked with a whip-type weapon, instead of taking damage, her focus increases.
---
Sled Dog Instinct is a kind of key.
A key to unlocking Lashara’s hidden trait, SM Whip.
----
◆ SM Whip (Locked)
◆ Description
+ Can be unlocked when Lashara pleases someone through whipping.
----
The key to unlocking her hidden trait is to make someone happy with her whip.
“Woof woof! I love the whip!!”
For Pomi, being whipped is practically a buff.
[Lashara’s favorability slightly increases.]
[Lashara’s favorability slightly increases.]
[Lashara’s favorability slightly increases.]
Each time, Lashara’s favorability ticked up.
She’ll gradually awaken to her true nature.
That she’s not a weapon made to harm others,
But an SM tool created to bring pleasure…!
Now, all that’s left is to stage a comeback and win.
Then, I’ll hit Lashara with a close-up confession press while she’s drowning in ecstasy!!!
While I was focused on the race, Seol Harin spoke up beside me.
“Um…”
“Huh? What?!”
“That woman earlier… Did you know her?”
“No way!”
“…Okay then.”
Why ask such a pointless question?
Is she seriously jealous in a tense situation like this?
Seol Harin! You shameless thing…!!
Just how in heat are you?!!
***
Roll roll roll roll… roll.
Thud.
A massive snowball rolled down from the hill.
It finally stopped far behind the starting line.
A woman, sprawled in the snow, sighed and got up.
“Phew… So close.”
She’d had high hopes for the race.
But a delinquent-like guy’s pickup ruined it.
An uncharacteristic slip-up for her.
‘Something about him just drew me in… Was it his physique?’
As she brushed snow off herself, a sled dog ran up to her.
Unlike typical sled dogs, it was scrawny and gaunt, with a horrific scar on its neck.
“Whine…”
“It’s okay, Glacial. It’s not really your fault… Good job. Back to the ground now.”
She tapped the dog’s nose.
Instantly, Glacial lost its life, collapsing as its flesh rotted away.
In moments, only yellowed bones remained.
She opened her bag and started collecting the bones.
“But… wasn’t Harin next to him?”
The woman recalled the face of the girl beside the man.
Caught up in his charm at the time, she hadn’t noticed, but it was definitely Seol Harin.
“My little sister… Why’s she hanging out with a delinquent like that?”
Her name was Seol Hajeong.
The eldest daughter of South Korea’s top conglomerate,
And Seol Harin’s older sister.
Also…
“Well, I’ll find out once the third-year internship ends.”
An active third-year student at Ark.
Clatter-
Having gathered all the bones, she trudged away from the arena.
The first to be disqualified, dead last, but she wasn’t in a bad mood.
“It’ll get interesting when I’m back. As Harin’s sister… and as student council president…”
A different kind of anticipation simmered in her heart.