Gathering Wives with a System Chapter 434: Sleaziness, Are You Sure This Is A Hell-Difficulty Quest And Not A High-Rank Treasure Trove?

Alice nibbled her lower lip while gazing at Isaac's continued silence.

Briefly, she questioned if her words had upset him. The notion of Isaac feeling discontent with her struck her heart in an oddly painful way.

Yet she grasped the reason for his potential displeasure.

Alice had long been possessive regarding Isaac. She once shielded him from other women, but now she urged the contrary. She was urging him to pair with another.

Her very own sister.

Alice cast her eyes downward a bit.

Did Isaac harbor romantic feelings for Selene? Alice recognized that Isaac had gradually grown fond of her. Their chats flowed smoothly, and Selene obviously relished his company. Still, Isaac tended to nurse grudges far longer than others might expect.

Perhaps he concealed his annoyance for Alice's sake. Perhaps he merely endured Selene due to her sibling bond with Alice. And now Alice pressed him to approach Selene on purpose.

For her personal reasons.

That idea stirred an odd sensation in her chest.

However, she couldn't stand witnessing Selene's sorrow, and Selene's joy brought her own delight.

Selene likely hadn't noticed it herself yet. She displayed no jealousy during Isaac's talks with other females. That wasn't the issue. The real concern lay in the subdued expression she wore at times while observing them as a pair.

It wasn't jealousy.

It stemmed from knowing she held no spot in such a bond with him.

Alice let out a slow breath, attempting to sort her mind.

Complex feelings had never been her strength. Faced with troubles, she favored direct action. After deciding, any wavering only worsened matters.

Thus, she pressed on.

"Isaac, Selene likes you."

Isaac offered no response.

Alice pressed her lips together and forged ahead regardless.

"So be with her."

A faint, ironic grin gradually formed on Isaac’s face.

He observed Alice in silence for an instant. Her voice rang resolute, her gaze holding a familiar unyielding resolve.

"What about my feelings?" he queried in a playful tone. "You didn’t ask how I feel about this."

"...do you dislike her?" she replied, biting her lip once more.

Isaac let out a gentle chuckle and advanced.

His steps showed no doubt. Deep down, surprise filled him at his sudden lightness. Alice's declaration had lifted a weight he hadn't acknowledged bearing.

It aided him in embracing what he'd dodged inwardly.

Externally, he retained his mocking grin.

He encircled Alice’s waist with his arms, drawing her near.

"Are you truly certain you want me to attempt a relationship with Selene? I figured you despised the thought of my hands on other women," he remarked offhandedly.

Alice glanced upward at him yet stayed quiet.

Isaac pressed on with mock gravity.

"What if seducing Selene corrupts me and I enjoy it excessively? I might then start groping every woman around. I ought to exercise some self-control."

"Isaac," Alice stated bluntly. "This isn't the time for jokes."

"I’m serious. Don’t you know my God Domains are harem, lustful, and NTR? Destiny has plainly shaped the man I must become," he countered with a glum look.

Alice attempted a scowl, yet her mouth corners quivered.

She knew Isaac loathed those domains above all. His humor about them rendered the situation absurdly funny.

He aimed to ease the tension clearly.

Nevertheless, this remained crucial.

"Isaac, about Selene—"

"I’ll tell you what," Isaac cut in smoothly, his face shifting back to teasing. "Let’s share a bed tonight. If you perform well, I’ll weigh your suggestion."

Alice blinked in surprise.

His statement brimmed with audacity.

But his delivery sounded so contrived that laughter nearly escaped her.

Isaac evidently believed he'd landed a slick quip. Truthfully, it came off as overly forced effort.

Before Alice could steer back to the core topic, Isaac abruptly hoisted her up.

"Isaac—"

"Discussion tabled," he declared evenly.

He bore her directly to his chamber.

Usually, he'd fret over seeming suspicious to the soldiers at the Ladder of Heavens outpost.

But circumstances had shifted.

Departure loomed tomorrow.

His primary form would linger in the outpost, concealed and cultivating. Outwardly, all would assume Isaac and Alice fell 'captured' by the Sword Empress’s forces during an outing.

It formed flawless camouflage.

With exit set for tomorrow, Isaac saw no point in maintaining pretense this evening.

Thus, he had zero cause to hide escorting Alice to his quarters.

The following dawn, Isaac and Alice slipped from the outpost undetected.

The whole bastion lay under tight watch. Sentries patrolled the ramparts nonstop, while numerous sensing arrays blanketed the vicinity.

Escaping unnoticed would typically prove nearly impossible.

Yet aiding from two top Ladder of Heavens figures altered everything.

Dean Avery.

And Dean Selene.

Their covert coordination let Isaac and Alice evade the intense monitoring entirely.

Simultaneously, another Isaac clone had ventured out beforehand. That duplicate headed to adjacent realms to forge pacts with the Ladder of Heavens.

That task demanded discretion too.

Meanwhile, Isaac’s true form remained.

Precisely, within the Soulbind Pendant.

The amulet lay still with Selene and Avery as Isaac toiled in its inner realm.

He chose to spend the period fruitfully.

Farming.

Initial phase: land clearance.

That proved simpler than anticipated. Isaac’s summons managed the bulk of toil. Through unified work, they felled trees, smoothed terrain, and set up water conduits.

In little time, they readied a vast expanse.

About one thousand hectares.

Isaac positioned himself at the field's border, surveying the broad terrain.

He could enlarge the arable area more. The Soulbind Pendant held ample room for expansion.

But efficiency posed the hurdle.

His agrarian talents drained mana based on cultivated scope. Beyond a threshold size, costs skyrocketed.

Exceeding one thousand hectares would waste mana excessively, slashing net output.

Maintaining this scale maximized gains instead.

His abilities hastened crop growth. During maturation, mana regenerated, enabling cycles. Across a day, repeated loops yielded massive hauls.

Isaac folded his arms in contemplation.

"Now, what to sow?"

He accessed his inventory, eyeing seeds hauled from the future.

Most served a precise role.

Peak nourishment.

Peak caloric density.

In his origin future, such staples fed masses and fueled troops in prolonged wars.

But this age differed.

"These might not adapt to local soil," he grumbled.

He consulted Avery for local grains.

Surprisingly, his futuristic yields held demand. Avery had noted kingdoms clashed over Celestial Kitsune Race relics—ideal markets for his nutrient-rich produce.

The real shock came elsewhere.

Dean Avery and Dean Selene ranked atop Ladder of Heavens forces post-Stronghold General (teleported off with Sword Empress, unreturned).

Thus, their command proved vast. A finger snap summoned scores of elite seeds to Isaac.

"...is this paradise?" he whispered. He seized the provided catalog listing each variety.

He scanned it.

"Sungrain Wheat."

"Crimson Iron Barley."

"Moonroot Tuber."

"Azure Spirit Rice."

"Silverleaf Millet."

"Golden Pulse Beans."

Each boasted distinct properties for alchemy.

Isaac’s eyes gleamed brightly.

Selene observed with mirth. Her spirits lifted post-Quest solution discovery.

"Are you genuinely this thrilled?" she inquired.

"Yes. I’m thrilled," Isaac affirmed promptly.

He eyed the seeds anew.

"These yield diverse outputs. Some serve as meals, others as alchemical bases, harvesting ample materials. Returning them futureward promises huge gains."

Visions swirled in his head.

Superior elixirs.

Enhanced sustenance.

Abundant alchemical stock.

Ideas flooded his thoughts.

Selene chuckled lightly, shaking her head.

"Your farming fervor is oddly entertaining."

"Farming brings massive profits," Isaac stated gravely. "Oh, livestock?"

"Due shortly. Avery set it up. Upon arrival, harvest their genes and needs," Selene answered.

Isaac nodded thoughtfully.

Selene regarded him briefly, noting her unwitting smile.

They occupied the Soulbind Pendant interior now. Avery handled outpost duties outside, granting them serene moments amid Isaac's farm setup.

Isaac sorted Avery's seeds already. Vessels arrayed on the bench as he examined and noted priority plantings.

He appeared deeply engrossed.

Or exhilarated fit better.

Selene propped her chin, viewing his fieldwork bustle.

Summons finalized soil tweaks.

Crimson Sky Wyrm hovered with a massive pail, drenching fields in mana potion mid-flight. N’theris Serpent practiced directing summons via Mammoth commands. Genos—the Metavore Hivemind—crafted bots for tillage aid.

Isaac traversed the plot, pausing for checks.

Selene likened watching him to a kid with fresh plaything.

Suddenly, Isaac halted.

An idea struck.

He pivoted toward Selene.

"Hey," he called.

"Yes?"

"Isn’t leveraging your and Avery’s Dean status an overpowered exploit for my Talent?"

Selene arched a brow.

"What do you mean?"

Isaac approached, arms crossed in reflection.

"My Talent struggles with mana reserves and seed access. Yet Avery snaps, and rare seeds materialize. It feels like abusing your rank. Plus..."

He appended deliberately,

"What if we extract potions or treasures from here to our world? Swords, relics, rarities. Quest items usually vanish on exit, even in spatial rings."

Selene nodded. Standard lore.

Isaac went on.

"But Soulbind Pendant might evade that. Can we smuggle goods back?"

"Ah..."

Selene quieted.

She hadn't considered it.

Moments later, she responded cautiously.

"I suspect... yes. Soulbind Pendant stands unique. It ferries people within, defying Quest norms already."

She halted, glancing at the fields.

"This Quest targets solo completers. Yet we imported multiples, System unopposed."

Isaac nodded deliberately.

Selene proceeded.

"System could counter overreach though. Hoarding excess might trigger backlash. Thus—"

"We smuggle within bounds."

Selene blinked.

Isaac deduced ahead of her finish.

"Consult Avery. She grasps System quirks in grand Quests better."

His smile emerged.

Hauling this era's potions, arms, treasures futureward...

Monumental boon.

Isaac envisioned it all.

Rare blades.

Primeval relics.

Lost alchemical staples.

Quest's close could net him insane riches.

Selene eyed him wordlessly.

His beaming grin drew her reluctant smirk.

Since when did Isaac crave wealth so?

His dragon lineage stirring?

...

Author’s Note:

Concerning last week's sluggish releases. I hesitated sharing the cause—personal matters—but decided transparency suits you readers funding this tale (gratitude eternal).

My mother’s in hospital. I’ve camped by her side.

Hospital offers writing windows, yet motivation flees amid poor spirits. Gathering Wives with a System aims as ’chill read’ for reader and writer relief. Crafting amid turmoil proves tough.

I’ll strive for steady posts. Apologies.