The Treasure Chest Monster’s Dilemma

“Eat? I never eat anything…”

“Every time something comes in, I welcome it properly. If someone’s magic smells sweet, I’ll… sip a little. But I’ve never met anyone as sweet as you… it’s so sad.”

“But for some reason… those people can’t stomach the food here, and they die after a few days… To honor my friends, I turned them into this.”

She proudly transformed a platter of food.

The so-called food was a plate connected to the ground, made entirely of meat that matched the surrounding environment.

On it, a few bones were roughly arranged.

Considering the treasure chest monster in front of me was also connected to the ground…

This food, along with the treasure chest monster girl, were organs of the treasure chest monster itself.

It was truly difficult to swallow…

Even if someone were to force themselves to eat it, the treasure chest monster couldn’t supply its own flesh endlessly, and starvation was inevitable.

Moreover, the lack of water was the key issue.

After all, the water the treasure chest monster served was also a block of meat shaped like a cup.

“You… don’t like it either?”

“But it’s okay! Your magic is so immense, we can stay together forever and ever!”

She looked at Lin Ran, her eyes dimming for a moment before brightening again with a fanatical glint of anticipation.

After speaking, she embraced him once more.

From behind, several soft pink tentacles emerged, tightly wrapping around Lin Ran.

Next, her behavior escalated—

From smelling and rubbing, to licking.

“Sweat… is also a high-quality magic reservoir… it can’t be wasted.”

As she licked, she savored the taste.

Meanwhile, Lin Ran found himself in a dilemma.

First, the treasure chest monster was clearly eating people, even if she wasn’t aware of it.

The creatures that entered were starved and dehydrated to death, then turned into bones within the treasure chest monster, serving as her nourishment.

If he did nothing, he would meet the same fate.

Another issue was…

Lin Ran, being a functional and vigorous male college student, was being hugged, smelled, and licked by a high-value, bomb-like beauty…

Who could resist that?

Even if he knew the treasure chest monster was just an organ similar to a tongue, even if he knew her bomb-like appearance and beautiful face were simulated…

A beautiful girl.

Looking like a beautiful girl, feeling like a beautiful girl, and smelling like a beautiful girl…

That was a beautiful girl!!

What official could withstand such a test?

At home, one knew nothing, one was timid, and one was bold enough to act, but her methods were too simple and brutal.

He finally understood why men with beautiful wives at home would have affairs.

Whether small Lin Ran controlled big Lin Ran, or vice versa, it was all in the blink of an eye.

In the end, rational big Lin Ran overpowered small Lin Ran.

“That kind of thing should be left for after the conquest!”

Lin Ran muttered to himself as he transformed into a slime, easily escaping the tentacles.

Then, he took out the affection pistol and loaded it with a corrosive bullet, shooting it at the tentacles.

“Bang!”

The tentacles, hit by the corrosive liquid, immediately withdrew.

Next, he tried releasing a thread, using the control ability of the self-disciplined doll…

But it failed.

The moment the thread touched the treasure chest monster, it didn’t wrap around or control, but simply fell to the ground, nothing happening.

As expected, the girl in front of him wasn’t the main body.

In the end, the treasure chest monster’s main body couldn’t appear.

Because this entire space—

was her main body.

“Why are you attacking me…? Do you hate me?”

The treasure chest monster girl retracted her tentacles, her eyes welling up with tears, her voice choked with sobs:

“I just wanted to be friends with you… I wanted you to stay and keep me company… Why did you hurt me…”

Like a teenager being beaten up in a bathroom by the person she liked, feeling wronged and miserable.

Seeing that the treasure chest monster wasn’t attacking him, Lin Ran didn’t explain at first, just gently patted her head.

Then, he found a remote spot and sat down.

In this space, the door was just a decoration.

To truly get out, there were only three methods: forcibly break the treasure chest, rely on Vera and Lim to save him, or have the treasure chest monster release him.

The first two methods would destroy a conquest target, which Lin Ran immediately rejected.

So, he could only proceed to the conquest stage—

“It surprised me that no one attacked you before… Oh, they were probably restrained by you? What did those people, who you brought in and couldn’t leave, say at the end? Remember what you can.”

After Lin Ran spoke, the treasure chest monster girl actually tilted her head, deep in thought.

It seemed her nature wasn’t entirely bad, just that staying in the treasure chest had stunted her mental growth.

“That kid… kept crying ‘Ah-let me go!’ It was too noisy, so I gently covered her mouth and nose with my tentacles… then she quieted down and didn’t make a sound anymore…”

“She suffocated, you idiot!”

“There was another who wanted to go back to her husband. I didn’t want to let her go, so I locked her in a small dark room. A month later, when I checked on her, she was motionless… Humans are so fragile, I don’t even eat, but they still die like that.”

“Because you eat humans…”

“Oh, and that goblin, who wanted to report to the king that I ate my colleagues, I never did! I was afraid the king would misunderstand, so I didn’t let it go… It later begged me for water, I thought it was trying to trick me into letting it go, so I ignored it… it also became motionless.”

“…That was clearly intentional.”

Lin Ran was too exhausted to comment.

Her nature wasn’t entirely good.

He sighed deeply, then took out the affection pistol again.

He fired it into the air and greatly increased its corrosiveness.

“Let me go, and I can frequently let you absorb magic, I can also come to be your friend.”

“But if you keep me trapped, I’ll die just like them.”

“This shot is a warning, to show you that I have the ability to escape. It’s just that you letting me go is better for everyone.”

The corrosive liquid hit the meat ceiling, sizzling as it corroded, causing the entire space to tremble.

After speaking, Lin Ran looked at the treasure chest monster.

She was looking down, clearly feeling the pain from the corrosive liquid.

After a few seconds of silence, she suddenly looked up, tears in her eyes:

“You… you’re lying! I let a few go, and they promised to come back! But once they left, they never returned!”

“I don’t care! I refuse to believe you this time! You have to stay! You must stay!”

“We agreed to be together forever! You can’t go back on your word!”

“I…”

Lin Ran wanted to say something, but the treasure chest monster suddenly embraced him.

Then, she pressed tightly against him, her tentacles growing larger, wider, and transforming into a cocoon of flesh, tightly and firmly enclosing Lin Ran.

The space no longer felt spacious, and even breathing became a luxury.

Overwhelming pressure came from all directions, crushing Lin Ran’s body with such force that a grown man had no chance of resistance.

The air was dissipating, his consciousness fading, and his vision darkening.

“Did I go too far? Did I make her angry…?”

But—

[Ching! The treasure chest monster’s feelings were stirred, affection +20! Current affection: 40 (Innate Dependence)]

Affection… actually increased?

…