Morning inside the dungeon space turned unusually lively after everyone realized D-29 had finally returned successfully.
"Host, did you hear that? They called me reliable!" D-29 chirped proudly.
"And they all said they missed having me around! Just like you said, maybe I really should’ve taken my time with the upgrade! There was no need to rush everything like that after all!"
"That’s true. And yes, we all missed you," the golden-eyed Host replied with complete sincerity.
And honestly, the warmth directed toward the hardworking manager of managers was more than deserved. Amid the relieved greetings, emotional reunions, and endless praise, the atmosphere inside the dungeon had become remarkably cheerful—a stark contrast to the anxious tension hanging over them the past few days.
Unfortunately, there was just one slight problem.
While everyone else looked relieved, there was also one person who appeared as though he had personally witnessed the collapse of civilization overnight.
Namely—
The dungeon owner himself.
See, breakfast came with a whopping price tag of two million CP, which was critical for one essential upgrade.
However, that hadn’t really been the issue, because after comparing the two, the number suddenly seemed extremely small compared to something far more ambitious.
Fifty million CP.
Not even counting the unheard-of materials that may have to be purchased from the Trove.
It was an amount that, even after passing out and waking up, didn’t disappear as just a nightmare.
Just where in the heavens were they even supposed to find that kind of amount when, after saving for so long and even conquering an MCZ, they’d only managed to accumulate a little over 40 million CP?
Oh, not to mention that even the remaining CP was about to vanish the moment they started the relegated updates that had once flashed before his traumatized eyes.
Thus, upon waking, Luca sat quietly at the edge of the bed, staring blankly at his own hands. His shoulders slumped heavily under the crushing weight of the looming expenses waiting for him outside.
But before he could completely succumb to the pressure of having to fork over CP they didn’t even have, the Imperial Crown Prince seated beside him quietly pulled him into a gentle embrace.
The knowing husband rubbed slow and comforting circles along Luca’s back before leaning closer.
"Everything’s going to be alright," Xavier reassured softly, his voice calm and steady enough to ground even someone spiraling over financial ruin. "There’s absolutely nothing to worry about."
"Even if it ends up costing more than that, we’ll still find a way."
He paused before adding gently,
"So just breathe in and out..."
And the sincere husband genuinely waited.
He matched his breathing with Luca’s until the tense rise and fall of the little chipmunk’s chest gradually eased into one long defeated sigh.
"I think I’m alright now. If it’s CP, then we can just earn more, right?"
"Yes, definitely. Doing that is even a good thing because it would mean ridding more places of corruption."
"So even if it doesn’t sound like it, the situation is actually a win-win for us."
Luca took a deep breath because that was true. Provided he didn’t think too hard about sending more people into dangerous situations—or what might happen once they managed to absorb all the corruption—then yes, things were technically fine.
__
In the end, it really became a matter of compartmentalization.
One horrifying expense at a time.


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