Chapter 129: New Time-Limited Shop Items, Isaac’s Anger

Her lips twitched, and she looked at him.

“You must’ve been tired too, Isaac,” she said softly, as if talking to a child. “Don’t worry about cooking. From tomorrow, I’ll leave after preparing your meals.”

Isaac gave her a deadpan stare.

Then, Emily quickly stood up. “Actually, I’ll cook something quickly now. We should celebrate the Tier 2 crops! I saw the different vitality grains in the farm!”

Before Isaac could say anything, Emily swiftly left for the kitchen.

He turned to Alice. “Is my cooking that bad?”

Alice looked away. She kept eating, but she didn’t praise him at all. Gritting his teeth, Isaac used Inspect to find the truth.

[Status 2: She would eat even poison if it’s prepared by you.]

Isaac was stunned. Why was this damned status insulting him in such a roundabout way?

Or was this what Alice was thinking?

His eyes went to Emily’s plate. Unlike Alice, Emily had taken only a single bite, and never touched again.

He grumbled as Emily cooked dinner, and Professor Catherine returned.

“Emily, I knew something smelled delicious,” she said with a smile, knowing Isaac could hear her.

Dinner passed without much conversation.

Afterward, Alice and Emily went off to bathe.

Emily had lazily asked for a massage before she stepped into the bathroom, stretching her arms and grinning like she already knew he’d say yes.

Isaac didn’t respond, still grumbling about the dinner, but she took his silence as agreement anyway.

Warm water echoed from behind the door as he cleaned up the kitchen, packed away leftovers, and wiped the counters.

He went to his room after finishing the work.

Eventually, the two returned, wrapped in oversized bathrobes.

Alice’s hair was damp and neatly tied, while Emily’s had become a fluffy mess around her shoulders. She flopped onto the couch like a ragdoll and stuck her arms out.

“Massage time,” she said, eyes closed but grinning.

Alice rolled her eyes and sat down more gracefully beside her. “Don’t overdo it.”

Isaac walked over and knelt behind them, stretching his fingers before getting to work.

His palms moved across Emily’s shoulders first, slow and firm, pressing against the knots. She sighed in relief, leaning into his touch like a cat settling into a sunbeam.

“You’re really good at this,” she murmured. “And don’t worry about the food, Isaac. Not everyone’s good at everything. You’re still good at massages.”

Her voice was innocent enough, but Isaac narrowed his eyes slightly.

He couldn’t tell if she was genuinely complimenting him or taking a quiet jab with a straight face.

Actually, he was pretty sure she had changed after the physique awakening.

Isaac was happy she was growing mentally, but he wished she would give him a break.

“Thanks,” he said flatly. “Glad to know I have some redeeming qualities.”

Emily giggled, turning her head slightly but keeping her eyes closed. “More than some.”

He worked in silence for a bit longer.

After finishing with Emily, he moved to Alice. She didn’t say anything, but her posture relaxed noticeably under his touch.

Unlike Emily, who reacted with every press and shift, Alice just stayed still, calm, letting him work.

By the time he was done, both girls looked far more at ease.

Emily leaned back with a sigh, arms stretching above her head.

“That was perfect,” she said. “I might sleep for twelve hours.”

“You should,” Isaac replied. “You’re drooling again.”

She blinked, wiped the side of her mouth, and gave him a lazy smile. “Oops.”

Alice stood up and nodded to him. “Thank you.”

Isaac gave her a small nod back, then watched as they both slowly made their way toward bed.

Watching them, a fiery heat began to build up inside him.

“Isaac? Why are you standing there?” Alice turned to him as she lay on the bed.

The night passed pleasantly.

Maybe it was their way of thanking him for the massage, or maybe they felt bad for teasing him over dinner earlier, either way, he couldn’t resist the night with them.

He woke up in a daze, groggy but rested in the morning.

The early light filtered in through the window, casting a soft glow across the bed.

Emily’s hand was wrapped around his, and Alice’s hand rested lightly on his abdomen. They were still asleep, and by the look of it, deeply so.

Isaac blinked a few times as memories of the previous night trickled back.

’Maybe I should give them more massages’, he thought.

Carefully, he began slipping out of their loose embrace.

Emily mumbled something unintelligible and tugged at his hand once, but didn’t wake up. Alice’s eyes twitched beneath her lids, then stilled.

He stood up and stretched, then headed to the bathroom.

Under the steady stream of warm water, he let his mind settle. The day was going to be busy with the opening of the new shop in Sector 4.

Sure enough, just as he reached for the soap, a screen popped up in front of him.

[Time-Limited Store Items have been refreshed]

[Please check the new items in the shop!]

“Finally.” Isaac grinned. “I was beginning to wonder when the new items would come.”

He tapped the notification, and the shop menu opened with a soft hum. Three new entries blinked at him under the Time-Limited tag.

[All Stat +10 Potion (x5) – 50,000 AP] [Innate SSS-rank Understanding of Sword – 55,000 AP] [Innate SSS-rank Marksmanship – 45,000 AP]

He raised an eyebrow.

’The items this time are quite different…’

In the normal shop, a stat potion that increased just one stat by +10 cost around 10,000 AP.

But this batch offered all stats increased by 10, and was still priced at 10,000 each, just bundled into a five-pack.

A sudden thought came to him.

’Can we consume multiple stat potions from the shop without consequences?’

’That might allow me to skyrocket Emily and Alice’s stats to the peak.’

Normally, stacking even two stat-increasing potions would lead to mana poisoning, or something worse.

But system items should, in theory, be built to avoid those issues. They were supposed to be top-notch products in their rank, or so he believed.

It’s an idea worth testing, he decided.

His eyes shifted to the other two items.

’Innate Understanding of Sword, and Marksmanship.’

It wasn’t hard to guess what they did. They’d likely infuse the user with deep, instinctive mastery over the respective domain.

But…

His gaze narrowed slightly.

Emily and Alice didn’t use swords or firearms.

Their focus was elsewhere—summons, close combat, or support skills.

While the innate abilities were tempting, the immediate priority remained the stat potions. Strengthening them was more important right now, than giving them skills they did not need urgently.

He closed the limited shop tab and opened the general system store. A few scrolls later, he found what he was looking for.

Bloodline Upgrade Potion (High Rank → Apex Rank Species): 300,000 AP

He sucked in a sharp breath. “Three hundred thousand…”

That was far beyond his current AP generation. Even if he spent everything he had right now, he wouldn’t reach one fourth of that number.

His fingers rubbed at his brow. ’I need a lot of AP, huh.’

The only feasible way to gather that much AP would be to maximize Affection Point generation.

The fastest method would be to get Alice’s affection to 100.

But that had been a thorn in his side for a while.

No matter what he did, it remained stuck at 99.

’She clearly loves me. Her words, her actions, the way she looks at me. It all says the same thing. So why won’t the number budge?’

He stared blankly at the screen, then sighed.

’If I can’t figure that out, even if I pour love into both of them, I might still fall short of affording everything this week.’

’Should I…’

His thoughts drifted. There was one more way to gain a major Affection Point boost.

Another wife.

Professor Catherine had suggested him increasing his ’harem’.

He had dismissed her words, but it was a good idea for Lord Subject, and Affection point.

Another wife could give a huge AP boost every day. It would ease the pressure on his shoulders.

He already had a few potential candidates.

Celia Rae. Eleanor. Selene.

Celia was brilliant and composed, but distant. They weren’t even friends yet, only acquaintances.

Proposing to her in the next two days was nearly impossible. Even if she accepted after two days, then the time left wouldn’t be enough to collect enough AP to buy new items.

Eleanor was… old.

At least, she carried herself that way.

Sometimes Isaac wondered if the elderly appearance was a disguise.

Her younger form seemed more natural, but even then, she treated him like a child instead of a man.

Forming a romantic relationship with her anytime soon was impossible.

’Even if I ignore anything, Eleanor disappeared yesterday, and I have no idea when she would return.’

Then there was Selene.

Selene was different. Isaac had a gut feeling that if he asked, she’d say yes.

That thought made him freeze.

’What am I thinking?’

He stood under the water motionlessly.

When did he start evaluating women based on how many points they could give>

He was thinking of tricking them into loving him, so that he could get AP?

’When did I become like this?’

Isaac realized what was happening.

His Hollow Crown Physique strengthened his Phantom Emperor Bloodline, and the bearings of an emperor, making his thoughts naturally lean toward dominance and conquest.

And the dragon instincts inside him—greedy for treasures—made him want to collect everything precious and powerful for himself.

But this… wasn’t who he wanted to be.

“What sort of bullshit thoughts were going through my head?” he muttered.

Power had never been the goal. It was the tool. He only ever wanted enough strength to be happy and protect those he loved.

But now?

He clenched his fists.

’I don’t care if it’s the Hollow Crown Physique, dragon’s instincts, or my own greed, I refuse to become someone who’s led around by power.’

Alice was overprotective and greedy for him, but she never let her instincts force Isaac to only look at her.

Emily had awakened the same Hollow Crown Physique as him. However, she easily suppressed her instincts of dominance, and acted normally.

So why couldn’t Isaac?

He refused to act like a beast who was driven by instincts.

He wouldn’t marry someone just for strength, stats, or upgrades.

He’d marry them because he loved them.

That was the line he drew for himself.

The decision settled heavily in his chest. But it felt right.

His path forward was clear.

He’d raise Alice’s affection to 100. Not through manipulation, but by being the man she already believed in.

He’d shower her and Emily with affection. Support them, cherish them, stand by them. Because they deserved that, not because it gave him points.

And if that gave him the strength he needed?

Even better.

He stepped out of the shower, dried off, and stared at himself in the mirror.

“I’ll find a way,” he muttered.

Isaac refused to compromise.

He would walk on the path he believed in, without giving up his values, without treating people like tools, without letting greed twist his purpose.

Even if it took longer, he’d make it work, and live happily with his loved one.

He took a deep breath, shook his head lightly, and stepped outside.

The morning air was crisp. It helped clear the lingering weight from his thoughts. His footsteps carried him across the small yard as he made his way toward the fields.

First came the harvest.

After he was done with the harvest, he stored the life energy droplets in the container he had brought, and the other crops in their respective boxes.

He fertilized the field with the burnt ashes, and used the seeds from Vitality Grain Seed Tree to sow the next batch.

Currently, his farmland was split simply.

Five hectares were dedicated to Tier 0 Vitality Grain. Eighteen hectares were for Tier 1 Vitality Grain, which remained the highest-selling item. Half a hectare each was used for vegetables and standard wheat, enough to provide fresh produce for the house and create a stock for the new shop. Another half hectare was set aside solely for the seed tree’s growth.

The rest—four and a half hectares—was for the Tier 2 Vitality Grain.

The tangerines? They were growing steadily in the backyard.

The area behind the house had come with the house itself. Technically, he wasn’t supposed to sell produce from there, not until he bought the land and the house.

The rule wasn’t written anywhere, but it was understood. Isaac had no intention of pushing boundaries when the Sanctum was treating him nicely.

He finished his tasks with efficiency, then double-checked the harvest.

Everything was packed and ready. He loaded the containers of Tier 0 and Tier 1 grains onto the back of the jeep. As he glanced toward the house, he saw Tyr standing near the entrance.

The wooden creature had returned late last night. It was a good sign, showing Tyr’s mental growth.

Tyr followed and got in the jeep before they set off for the market.

Their stop was the Family Shop. The building stood tall and reliable as ever. Kael, on today’s duty, waved as Isaac approached.

“Morning, Isaac,” Kael called, opening the doors.

Isaac greeted him back and handed over the containers.

“Thanks. We’ll keep the displays stocked.”

Tyr stayed behind at the shop as always. Meeting new customers daily was helping him wonders with his learning ability. Now, he no longer acted like a child, and was as smart as a young teenager.

With that settled, Isaac returned to the jeep.

When he arrived, Professor Catherine was already there.

She stood next to the vehicle, leaning slightly against the side of the hood. Her sleeves were rolled up, and her black pants gave her a mature yet casual look.

She held a stack of papers in one hand, scanning them with sharp focus.

She didn’t look up when he approached. That wasn’t unusual, she was serious when it mattered. What was unusual was how unsurprised Isaac had become at her sudden appearances.

He greeted her anyway. “Morning, Professor.”

Professor Catherine finally looked up and smiled faintly. “Morning. Give me a lift back home.”

He almost asked, Since when was it your home? But he bit his tongue.

Technically, she’d never asked for permission to move in. She just started staying there, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

But truth be told, he didn’t mind. Her presence, while sometimes overwhelming, offered a strange sense of security.

Besides, she was there to protect him, Alice, and Emily. He wasn’t ungrateful enough to make a fuss.

He climbed into the driver’s seat.

Professor Catherine circled around and sat beside him, setting the papers on her lap but not looking up from them. As he drove, she flipped through the documents.

It wasn’t long before curiosity got the better of him.

“What are those?” he asked, keeping his eyes on the road.

“Lab results of your Tier 2 Vitality Grains, and the life energy potions made from them.”

That made Isaac glance sideways at her for a moment. “The tests are done already?”

“Yes,” Catherine replied without looking up. “Honestly, seeing the results I can understand why they called me urgently at the midnight.”

Isaac raised an eyebrow. “So? Are the results surprising in a good way, or a bad way?”

She turned toward him slightly and handed over a portion of the documents. “See for yourself.”

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