Building a New Family - 11
A chill tension hung in the air of the safe zone. "Hoo..." For the first time since arriving here, I scanned the people around me, nerves on edge.
Is this the right choice? Everything could end in an instant. I calmly reviewed everything that had happened so far. My options boiled down to two: take a step forward or step back. I knew advancing now was dangerous. But retreating would mean I might never advance again—I couldn't even imagine when another chance might come. Before it did, everything would be over. In the end, I had to choose. I had to move forward.
I took a deep breath and began to act. The moment I did, An Sua's eyes flashed. Seeing her eyes and hands, I knew the game was over.
"One card! And right after, Spade 6!"
Sua was grinning ear to ear. "You're good."
Seohee tossed her cards down, pouting. "It's just luck! That bitch Sua's got shit luck! How the hell does her hand come together at the perfect timing like that?!"
It was downtime. We'd spread out a blanket and huddled together playing cards. It was fun. Compared to the tense mind games with barely-known survivors just to coexist, relaxing like this with people I knew felt worlds better.
"Let's call it here and sleep. We've got endless dungeon grinding tomorrow too." I gathered and sorted the cards.
Hari's hand overlapped mine. "...Leader."
"Hm?"
"Be honest. Do we... really need to be here? You could wipe out a dungeon like this solo, right?"
I shook my head with a smile. "I could. Tried it once. Never again. Normally, I'd have to swing my sword through corpse piles for over ten minutes straight to clear it."
"If you used that shiny light sword..."
"Can't just spam that." Basic body enhancements or slightly extending my sword aura took minimal mana. If that was all, I could fight non-stop for a month or two. It was my power, after all. But that massive shining blade, the AoE or ranged checks? They guzzled mana like crazy. Technically, not fully my power. Even if it recovered after a day or two of rest, I didn't want that risk.
"Dungeons have rooms by the dozen. Imagine burning mana mountains to clear each one... nightmare."
Occupational hazard. Like people who can't stand their phone battery dipping below half, I hated my mana dropping too low. Hero fights were that perilous—enemies I'd pour everything into without guaranteed wins swarmed if I wasted mana carelessly.
"They're helping. Don't worry."
"...Want me to rub your shoulders?"
"You girls are probably more beat than me—"
"Sit still!"
I had no idea why Hari was suddenly like this when I was about to crash. Anyway, she placed her hands on my shoulders.
"Ooh... that's cool."
"They're so tense. Feel anything?"
"Of course I do." Her fingers weren't weak. She kneaded slowly, working the knots.
"Good thing. Director always praised how refreshing it felt."
"Our Hari's always been sweet. She'd check if I hurt first, always look after the kids..."
Haena edged closer, glancing nervously. "Um, should I rub too?"
"No need if you're tired..."
"I-I'll do it." Haena shuffled over timidly and massaged my legs. More ticklish than soothing, but thinking of her decent looks "tickling" my legs? Not bad at all.
"...I want to help."
Hari's fingers dug in harder.
"Why?"
"Now Director and I... we're serving you, Leader. We're family, so we should help each other."
I tilted my head. "Does family have to help each other?"
"Isn't it obvious? If not, why stay together—"
"Honestly? Not necessary." Family was just family. No need for ledgers. Calling orphanage folks family felt odd since we hadn't known each other long, but I liked them anyway. It felt good.
"And... you are helping." I opened my mouth to explain my feelings, then realized Hari could never understand. Folks who'd never starved couldn't grasp true hunger. Those untouched by "failing to save someone" couldn't get me.
Villages had welcomed my journeying self warmly. All died. Demon King's forces pursued them. I could've protected them swinging my sword an hour, but didn't. Two hours waiting, one fighting—three pointless hours would've cost me the speed race to the Demon King.
A city supported and cheered me. I failed to protect it from threats. Sailing back would've doomed the kingdom before me.
A king coveted my sword, tried killing me. Secret society members shielded me. I saved neither kingdom nor society. Demon King battle loomed; no time.
Once, I desperately carried a girl to save her. Despite her pleas it was pointless, I denied her fiercely and got her to a doctor. She was right. Pointless. Doctor exhausted treating thousands of wounded. Even cured, she needed massive meds and long care—unfightable.
My order as Hero might've done it. But it'd mean abandoning ten-plus soldiers for her. She died.
"..."
What I did now was vacation compared to then. No returning Hero. This was for me.
"Feeling like I can do something, actually doing it... makes me happy." I turned, flashing the women a bright smile. "Thanks."
Pure, unfeigned sincerity.
/////
We grinded the dungeon endlessly. My level rose; the women with me weren't low either. Fun chats during breaks made fatigue fade. Two days. By the second night, we'd reached the end.
"Let's go."
Opening the door revealed a massive boss room. The monster was smaller than past bosses but still objectively huge. Elongated body, withered skin—like a giant humanoid tree.
"Wait here. If it shoots something, dodge—"
A massive thorn shot at me mid-sentence.
"Hm?"
I infused mana into my plastic toy sword, swatting it aside easily.
"Ha..." What it fired was thorn-sized embarrassing: drill bigger than a pole, razor-sharp.
"I'll solo. Don't aggro it. Stay sharp." I advanced step by deliberate step. Full speed would close gap fast, but then I couldn't protect them in crisis. I walked calmly, pressuring the spindly tree zombie.
Its body sharpened. Shoulders, gut, sides—thorns flew at me. I deflected. Two, three in a row—knocked aside effortlessly. Slashable foes? Hack 'em down, no matter strength.
They didn't scare me.
"Rewards'll be fat after this... What to buy first with the cash?" Orphanage might have upgradable facilities too, unasked.
"Scout who can use stuff there too—"
I casually batted thorns, walking forward. Now I had family. Protect via actions, gain something. Reason enough to fight.
"Die."
Sword aura doubled, slicing it in half effortlessly.
"Greeeeek!"
Unlike tough shell, inside writhed maggoty flesh. I dodged and slashed the falling torso. Even then, thorns burst—deflected all.
Soon, it collapsed. Sealed door opened.
Dungeon cleared.