Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: The Tower of Distrust (10)
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Just as his vision went completely white, Sa-yoon's body was instantly transported to a space enclosed by pristine white walls. A single table sat in the center, giving the place an eerie vibe that could pass for either a temple or a psychiatric ward.
A window announced that the transfer to the Reward Room was complete, and the restrictions on his movement lifted. Sa-yoon spun around and quickly checked on Geon-ju first.
"Tch."
He couldn't help clicking his tongue at the sight of him clutching his right leg, sitting on the floor. Blood was pouring from his thigh. Slicing off Unknown's wrist right before the gate closed had been a success, but there was no way to stop the monster's scythe from slashing into Geon-ju's leg once the wrist came free.
If Unknown's wrist hadn't been severed, Geon-ju's head would have been pierced instead—so in a positive light, it was a relief. But Sa-yoon had intended to protect him without a single scratch, and this bruised his pride.
More cowardly than any human, you glitch-spawn bastard.
Sa-yoon inwardly cursed Unknown's antics with venom, then let out a sigh as he eyed the wound with subdued eyes.
"You okay?"
"Yeah. But Guild Leader, your shoulder looks worse."
Geon-ju glanced at Sa-yoon's shoulder, where blood was still trickling out despite the makeshift bandage—thanks to his reckless movements.
It was a foolish attitude.
"'Okay'? You're breaking out in cold sweats."
Sa-yoon might be numb to pain from years of torture, but Geon-ju had been an ordinary guy just a few weeks ago. No way he was used to the agony of a scythe slashing into him.
"Move your hand."
"..."
"I'm gonna heal it, so move your hand."
Sa-yoon grabbed Geon-ju's hand—which was already tearing his clothes for a bandage—and knelt on one knee. He pulled a recovery potion from his inventory.
"Stop ripping your clothes every time and carry some bandages, would you? Your shirt's a total rag now."
He gave a short scolding, then bit the cap off with his teeth and poured the red liquid onto the gruesome wound. The gash healed quickly and cleanly. It was an expensive potion.
After using half the bottle to close the wound, Sa-yoon capped it and handed the rest to Geon-ju.
"What's this?"
"Figure it out. It's a potion—keep it for when you get hurt."
"What about your shoulder?"
"This one's too good to waste on a potion."
He could just call a healer back at the guild for this. It was bandaged, and as long as he hurried, it wasn't life-threatening enough to burn a consumable. Sa-yoon stood to head for the white table and check the rewards—
Grab.
Suddenly, his wrist was seized. A forceful tug pulled him downward, making his shoulder throb.
"Hey, come down here."
He could easily resist, but he held his ground on purpose. Geon-ju gripped tighter, tugging a few more times before furrowing his brow in dissatisfaction.
"Not checking the rewards?"
"Is that important right now?"
"Yeah."
"...Hah."
Geon-ju let out a deep sigh from the depths of his dantian. His half-lidded eyes stared at Sa-yoon like he was pathetic. After saving him—even offering his shoulder—the kid's arrogance was piercing the heavens.
"Just sit down already."
Sa-yoon was about to snap back—Why the look? Forgot I saved your ass?—when Geon-ju beat him to it. Sa-yoon placed his uninjured hand on the table, ruffling his hair. Time was gold, especially after encountering Unknown. Every minute counted.
"What's your deal?"
"Stay put."
Reluctantly crouching by the table, Sa-yoon watched as Geon-ju unwrapped the rag from his shoulder with one hand and uncapped the potion with his mouth—just like Sa-yoon had done. Sa-yoon froze, realizing too late.
"Hey, you don't mean...!"
Pour.
Before he could stop him, Geon-ju dumped the rest of the potion onto Sa-yoon's shoulder.
An S-rank potion, Essence of Elraim, gone in an instant. Sa-yoon wanted to pass out.
One bottle cost at least 3 billion. You had to raid the S-rank Elraim's Nest gate a hundred times for even a slim chance of one dropping—and this idiot just wasted it on a shoulder wound?
"Why the hell would you...!"
There weren't even a thousand left worldwide, and Night Rat held about thirty percent of them. Less than four hundred bottles total, and he'd blown one just like that. Utterly absurd.
It was like throwing away half a top-tier potion. Sa-yoon yelled, and Geon-ju had the nerve to furrow his brow right back.
"Why are you mad?"
"Do you know how much this costs?!"
"Then why'd you use it on me?"
"You think you and I are the same?"
"Aren't we?"
"No!"
Sa-yoon shot back, locking eyes with Geon-ju's blatant bewilderment. He drew a deep breath, calming his rising temper. Geon-ju's expression wasn't normal—if he snapped now, the kid might pull back emotionally.
He inhaled long and slow, filling his lungs with the clean air, then exhaled gradually. Feeling the potion's effect heal his shoulder cleanly, Sa-yoon spoke up.
"Listen up, pretty boy. You're B-rank—you could bleed out from that injury. Me? I'm S-rank. Unless my head's chopped off, I don't die easy. Got it?"
"So no pain if you don't die, huh."
"If that pain killed me, I'd have been dead ages ago."
Technically, Sa-yoon had died plenty—hundreds of revivals kept him going—but he shoved that aside. He eyed Geon-ju: Still gonna argue? The kid fidgeted, momentarily confused.
"...You gave it to me to use anyway."
"Yeah, for you to use. Not for me."
He'd meant save it for a real emergency. If he'd known it'd get wasted like this, he wouldn't have handed it over.
Still felt wasteful. Sa-yoon stared mournfully at the empty bottle he'd snatched back. Not a drop left—used so thoroughly.
Heartbreaking. He swallowed a groan, about to lecture again—
"If you gave it to me, you shouldn't care how I use it. Is this really worth yelling about?"
Geon-ju, who'd been listening quietly, shot back with clear dissatisfaction.
"First time doing a good deed and getting chewed out. I was trying to pay back the favor, but if this is how you react, what am I supposed to think? Don't give me an expensive potion if you're gonna be like that. Explain it first, or just say 'thanks, good job.' Is that so hard?"
"I gave it for you to use, not..."
"So I should've just let the guy you protected for me bleed out? Maybe you can live with that, but I've got a proper moral compass. Who you calling a bastard..."
So I'm the bastard?
Pretty boy's mouth was getting fouler by the second. Sa-yoon swallowed his bewilderment, watching Geon-ju rattle on without breathing. He'd started the argument, but how had it flipped? Why was Geon-ju acting so aggrieved?
Would've been better if he'd played the sly debtor like usual. Why act like a dumb, innocent bear cub now, when he couldn't even counter properly?
Suddenly, some song lyric flitted through his mind—something about pretending to be a fox but not quite.
The mood soured. In the heavy silence pressing down like a weight on his shoulders, Sa-yoon mulled over Geon-ju's words. He'd snapped in surprise, but it wasn't worth this much anger. 3 billion? Pocket change compared to The Resistor trait.
Drag it out more, and the kid would sulk for real. Time to play along with his pretty boy's tantrum, like it or not.
"Sor..."
"Not only was I useless baggage who couldn't do shit, but I can't even heal the one wound you took for me without guilt-tripping myself? What, you a psychopath? 'Feel guilty every time you see it since it's your fault'—that's your vibe?"
But pretty boy gave no opening. Just as Sa-yoon thought it was winding down, Geon-ju unleashed another torrent of complaints, glaring with dark, venomous eyes.
Something's wrong here.
Sa-yoon's ideal outcome: Rescue Geon-ju unscathed from Unknown, have him witness the feat and revere him, bond through the near-death escape, and exit the gate on good terms.
This? Just fueled Geon-ju's resentment more.
Sa-yoon tried denying it, but Geon-ju's momentum didn't falter. Sensing that opening his mouth would make it worse, Sa-yoon stayed silent. Heavy quiet stretched on. Finally, the system chimed impatiently.
The window appeared before both Sa-yoon and Geon-ju. Finally snapping to it, Sa-yoon realized he needed to defuse this and check the rewards. After agonizing deliberation, he spoke.
"So what made you feel wronged? What's this really about?"
He knew lack of communication bred misunderstandings and grudges. Asking out of "generosity," Geon-ju let out a hollow laugh.
"'What's this about?'"
His echoed question was chilling.
Did I step on another landmine?
Sa-yoon genuinely wondered what the right words even were. Swallowing his own grievance and absurdity, he watched Geon-ju exhale something sigh-like and stand.
"Hyung, you're really..."
...a pro at pissing people off.
Eyes narrowed, he snatched the empty potion bottle Sa-yoon had pocketed and headed for the table. Judging by his footsteps echoing through the space, his mood was thoroughly twisted.