Re:Crafting in Another World
Chapter 54: Punishment

Chapter 54: Punishment

Inside the vast storage chamber, Yenissa glanced around, her golden eyes scanning the sheer abundance of materials stacked neatly within. The place, once a simple storage area, now resembled the treasury of a grand nation, overflowing with resources.

"This is becoming more and more like the treasury of a massive nation..." Yenissa mused aloud, crossing her arms. "If not for the special chests Shennong created, this place wouldn’t even be enough to store everything."

Rilith, standing beside her, tilted her head. "These chests... how exactly do they work?"

Yenissa smirked. "They function just like Shennong’s skill, [Inventory]. I would say these are just part of him, but as wood and metal."

Rilith’s eyes widened. "Wait, really?"

She nodded. "They aren’t limitless, but they can store up to ten different things without any regard for their weight. As long as whatever you store matches a type already inside, you can keep adding to it infinitely, and they won’t even overflow. Also, none of us can use these chests."

Rilith blinked in disbelief. "That’s... that’s absurd."

Velara hesitated, looking as if she wanted to say something but was unsure. After a moment, she finally spoke. "Isn’t... isn’t his skill kind of broken? More powerful than even the Succubus Queen herself? The one we consider the peak of power?"

Yenissa paused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "If we’re talking pure strength, then the Queen definitely wins. But when it comes to skills like this..." She glanced at Rilith, then back at Velara. "Not even the Queen has something like this. Shennong is truly extraordinary."

Then, with a sudden shift, her expression darkened. "But that’s not why I called you both here."

The atmosphere in the room changed instantly. The playful and confident Yenissa they knew faded away, replaced by something far more sinister. Rilith and Velara stiffened as an oppressive aura engulfed the chamber.

They knew this presence all too well. It was not the Yenissa that Shennong knew—it was the one they feared. The sadistic, cruel Yenissa.

Their hearts pounded as they instinctively lowered their gazes.

Yenissa’s voice turned sharp, her tone cutting through them like a blade. "How dare you lowlives insult me like that? How dare you act so pathetic in front of our boy Shennong? And in front of that human, Romina? Us, Succubi are supposed to be higher ranking even in our realm but you two...you two disgraced that pride."

Rilith and Velara trembled, their bodies instinctively lowering to the ground. Before they even realized it, they were on all fours, heads bowed in submission.

"F-Forgive us...!" Rilith stammered.

"W-We didn’t mean any offense!" Velara added desperately.

Yenissa stepped forward, her heeled boot clicking against the stone floor. She reached Rilith first, pushing her onto her stomach with ease before settling herself on top of her back as though she were nothing more than a cushion. Then, with slow deliberation, she lifted her foot and placed it firmly on Velara’s head, forcing her even lower.

Velara bit her lip, suppressing a whimper. Rilith clenched her whole body making sure she wasn’t shaking, her pride shattered under the weight of their merciless mistress.

Yenissa tilted her head, feigning curiosity. "Now then... what kind of punishment should I give you? Tell me!"

A cold shiver ran down both their spines.

Normally, in the Succubus Realm, punishments for failure were severe—banishment to the human world after having one’s horns and wings brutally cut off. A fate worse than death for a succubus.

But Yenissa wasn’t going to do something as crude as that. She knew she had to maintain her appearance in front of Shennong. If not for him, would she do something so cruel? Absolutely—she would, because she was known to be the cruelest of the cruel when she was in the Succubi Realm.

Rilith swallowed hard. "A-Anything our mistress desires..."

Velara nodded frantically. "We will accept any punishment without question...!"

Yenissa hummed, pressing her foot slightly harder on Velara’s head, making her groan. "Anything, huh?"

She thought for a moment before a wicked smile spread across her lips. An idea, something rather... amusing, had come to her.

"Oh, this is going to be quite interesting," she purred.

***

Shennong wiped the sweat off his forehead, smearing more dirt onto his already dust-covered face. Even though all the soil and mud he dug went straight into his inventory, that didn’t mean he stayed clean. The loose dirt that he didn’t personally dig still clung to his skin, and dragging his body along the tunnel walls didn’t help either.

When digging deep, he always had to consider how he was going to get back to the surface and ensure he had enough oxygen to breathe. To solve this, he had been using ropes attached to the surface to climb back up. But that didn’t stop him from getting even filthier—dragging his body along the soil only coated him in more grime.

"Damn... I look like I just wrestled with the earth itself," he muttered, flexing his sore shoulders. He was only wearing a pair of trousers, his upper body completely bare. It was simply easier to move that way while digging.

As he stepped out of the tunnel and into the dim torchlight near the entrance, he clicked his tongue in annoyance. "These torches... They aren’t enough. The deeper I go, the darker it gets, and I have to stop every few minutes to place more. It’s too inefficient." He sighed, rubbing his chin in thought. "I need a better light source. Something that lasts longer, something that I don’t have to keep replacing."

As he dug deeper, the heat became unbearable. He had already tunneled nearly 500 meters underground, where rare minerals glowed faintly in the dim torchlight. He knew that the deeper he went, the more valuable the resources became—but so did the dangers. The air grew thin, making it harder to breathe, and the heat radiating from below was suffocating.

Once, curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to see just how deep he could go. At around 700 meters, the rock had turned nearly black, infused with strange molten veins pulsing with an eerie glow. The moment he struck his pickaxe into the layer, a wave of scorching heat blasted upward, nearly burning his whole body. The ground itself was blisteringly hot, warping the air with its intensity. He barely managed to scramble back before the tunnel walls began to crack, small embers flickering in the darkness. That was the day he learned—some depths weren’t meant to be disturbed at least until he was properly geared up.

He made a mental note to figure that out later. Right now, he was exhausted. His body ached from hours of mining, and his muscles burned from constantly swinging his pickaxe. He stepped through the door of the underground shelter, letting out a long sigh as the familiar warmth of the place greeted him.

Waiting right at the entrance was Yenissa. She had her arms crossed, her golden eyes observing him with a mixture of amusement and concern.

"How did the digging go?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

Shennong sighed again, this time heavier. "Not great. I only managed to find a few pieces of Lunamarite slightly below the surface that merchants claim they found them." He reached into his inventory and pulled out the ore, showing it to her. The small, slightly dark blue stones glistened faintly under the light.

Yenissa’s eyes widened as she reached out, gently touching one of the pieces. "Even a small amount of this... It’s a huge deal, Shennong. If we can find it in large amounts—"

"I know," Shennong interrupted, shaking his head. "But the merchants were right. This stuff is rarer than most gemstones. You wouldn’t believe how many emeralds and rubies I found today. More than ten of each." He scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. "If I sold them, I’d be richer than a high end merchant in the capital."

Yenissa raised an eyebrow. "You’re not going to sell them, are you?"

"Of course not," Shennong smirked. "I like collecting them. Maybe I’ll even make some nice ornaments later."

Yenissa let out a soft sigh, but there was fondness in her expression. "You and your collection..." She stepped closer, brushing some of the dirt off his cheek with her fingers. "For now, rest, my darling. Let’s forget about this for now."

Shennong raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in her tone. "Hmm~ this is strange. Why are you acting like this?"

A small, mysterious smile played on Yenissa’s lips. "I’ve already prepared a special bath for you."

Shennong narrowed his eyes. "Special?"

"Oh yes." Her voice was smooth, almost teasing. "You’re going to enjoy this bath very much."

Shennong felt a shiver run down his spine. Something about the way she said that made him feel both intrigued and slightly suspicious. "Yenissa..."

"Yes, dear?"

"...What did you do to the bath?"

She merely giggled and grabbed his hand, tugging him toward the bathing room. "Come and find out."

Shennong let himself be pulled along, feeling both exhausted and wary. One thing was certain—whatever Yenissa had planned, it was going to be interesting.

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