No Charity Cases
What the hell is she going on about, barging in out of nowhere with this bullshit?
Yujin stared at the Fly with a thoroughly unimpressed look on his face.
It clearly wasn’t something she’d discussed with the Junkie beforehand—Logan’s eyes were just as wide as hers.
“Why? Why can’t I?”
Had she never even considered the possibility of being turned down?
The Fly—Jane—looked genuinely stunned.
“Funny. I was about to ask you the same thing.”
Yujin set down the fork in his hand and fixed her with a direct stare.
“Why would I take you with me? What’s so special about you?”
Instant Acceleration [D].
Sure, it was a decent skill. It even paired well with Logan’s Skill Enhancement [D].
Both of them were good enough that people had slapped the nicknames Ray and Overclock on them.
But so what?
Talent and skill at that level couldn’t keep up with Yujin’s plans.
Even the Sword Empress and the Fighting Demon were barely scraping by, limping along just to keep pace.
And these two thought Ray and Overclock meant anything?
He’d rather drag Kang Mu-hyun along than turn those two into his slaves.
That man actually had real talent. As long as he stayed alive, he’d bloom into something spectacular someday.
These two? Not a chance.
“I’m fast.”
“I’m faster.”
Try using Near-Light Speed [B] instead of Instant Acceleration [D]. See if I’m slower than you then.
He could beat her without even activating a skill—just by dumping mana into his body.
His level alone was more than double hers to begin with.
Level, experience, physical control, mana control—Yujin crushed Jane in every single category.
“I’ve got money too.”
“I’ve got Vivian.”
“And I’m good in a fight…”
“This kid’s nickname is Fighting Demon, you know.”
Sia never even got a chance to jump in.
If Jane had claimed to have a nasty personality, Sia would have shouted her own name with more confidence than she’d ever shown in her life.
Unfortunately Jane only bit her lip, unable to continue.
“Hey.”
Yujin called out to her.
No answer. She just glared at him with bloodshot eyes.
“Why do you even want to join?”
He decided he might as well hear her out first.
He didn’t feel like dealing with the misunderstanding that he’d made some guy’s girlfriend cry for no reason.
“Everyone next to you is strong.”
“And?”
“I want to get stronger too. With Logan. Stronger than anyone, so we can climb this Tower.”
“Hmm.”
Yujin stroked his chin.
Didn’t see that coming.
He’d expected some nonsense about wanting to freeload off him.
But she wanted to get stronger?
It wasn’t empty flattery. Her body language said so. Jane was telling the truth right now.
“Why do you want to get stronger?”
Just reaching the top of the Tower couldn’t be the whole goal.
“Got some wish you want granted?”
Honestly, the Jane he’d observed so far hadn’t seemed all that deep.
She gave off the vibe of a spoiled youngest daughter from a well-off family who’d never had a real worry in her life.
Climbing the Tower felt half like a game to her—an unfounded confidence that she would never die.
That was the impression he’d gotten.
Which was exactly why he’d asked about a wish. He wanted to hear that childish answer for himself.
And yet…
“Isn’t it obvious? We have to stop the world from ending. That’s why you’re climbing too, right?”
Wrong.
She was far more mature than he’d given her credit for.
And here I thought she was just a brat.
He looked at Jane with new eyes.
“I want to reach the top of the Tower as soon as possible and end this nightmare. I want to tell my mom and dad—who are still terrified—and Oliver that everything’s okay now.”
“…Who’s Oliver?”
“Our dog.”
“Ah. Right.”
Dogs mattered too. Yujin nodded.
“I’ll admit I misjudged you.”
Not that it was worth an apology.
“But I still can’t take you two in.”
There was no impurity in her thinking. Pure. Transparent. That alone made it valuable.
That was Jane.
Even so, Yujin still refused.
“Why?”
“Because you’re not useful.”
Jane chewed her lip again.
“Am I really that lacking?”
“You are.”
Cold, but true.
She was already hopelessly behind. Catching up to the 3 No at this point was impossible for Jane.
And funneling every resource into her instead? Completely out of the question.
An eternal, unbridgeable gap.
Even just reaching the 21st Floor, Jane and Logan would be nothing but dead weight.
Protecting them would almost certainly split the party’s combat power. That only hurt everyone. It helped no one.
“I’m not running a charity.”
“…Okay. I get it.”
Jane hung her head.
“Sorry for the nonsense.”
“Nothing to be sorry about.”
Yujin waved a hand.
Completely unexpected, but the meal was already finished anyway. And Jane’s true colors had been different enough from what he’d imagined that his thinking had shifted a little.
“I’ll go then. Keep eating.”
Jane took Logan’s hand and turned away.
“Hey, Fly.”
Yujin called after her.
“…Fly?”
She looked back with an expression that clearly said, Surely he’s not talking to me.
Yujin offered her one proposal.
“You know Kang Mu-hyun, right? The guy we moved with down below.”
“The uncle who’s good with a spear?”
“Yeah, that’s him.”
Yujin nodded.
“What about him?”
“Go to him. He’ll probably be useful.”
Useful for Kang Mu-hyun, and useful for this couple. A win for everyone.
“You can refuse if you want, but you’d be smart to trust me on this one. I happen to be pretty talented at raising people.”
He felt Park Ji-hoo flinch beside him while quietly listening in, but deliberately ignored it.
“If you stick with that uncle, you’ll get stronger. Same goes for the Junkie next to you.”
“J-Junkie?”
Logan looked utterly bewildered.
“You sure?”
“I already said so.”
Faced with Yujin’s absolute certainty, Jane whipped her head away with a pouty face.
“I’ll think about it.”
Yujin snorted.
“Do whatever you want.”
“I’m leaving then.”
“Ah—then I’ll be going as well. Please enjoy the rest of your meal.”
The Fly and Junkie couple left the inn.
Yujin watched their backs for a moment, then picked up his fork again.
“They’re pretty entertaining kids, don’t you think?”
“Ah, yes.”
Park Ji-hoo looked like he had no idea what was entertaining about them, but he was a good kid who answered properly every time.
“Alright, finish the rest of this and let’s get some rest too.”
“Ah, yes!”
“Is that all you know how to say?”
“Ah… yes…”
“Whatever. Just eat.”
Yujin sighed and started working through the remaining food.
The image of the Fly boldly declaring that she was climbing to stop the world from ending floated back into his mind.
He couldn’t help but smile.
“Uuuuuugh… water… please…”
A zombie croaked desperately for water.
A zombie named Lee Sia.
With a headache that felt like her entire skull was about to launch into orbit, she ground her teeth and forced herself upright.
“W-what the hell…”
What on earth had happened?
Had monsters attacked them all night? Nothing else could explain pain this brutal.
Did my head get cracked open or something?
It might be a serious injury. Her memories had been wiped clean, and even moving was a struggle.
No—first things first, she needed water.
Her trembling hands groped around until they found something cool. A water bottle.
Sia snatched it up like lightning and dumped the entire thing down her throat.
Gulp, gulp—
“Ugh… I’m alive.”
Her stomach still churned like it wanted to eject everything inside her, but at least her mind was a tiny bit clearer.
Must’ve fought something vicious.
A boss monster?
Come to think of it, she had a vague recollection of seeing a black dragon… or maybe not…
I need to get up first.
She had to assess the situation properly.
If she was this badly hurt, the others might be in even worse shape.
Especially Vivian.
If Vivian had been fine, she would’ve used a healing skill already. The fact that Sia still hadn’t recovered meant Vivian was probably critical too.
No.
Sia summoned superhuman willpower and dragged herself off the bed.
Her legs shook. The sense that she might collapse any second pressed in on her.
She endured it anyway. She had to check on Ji-hoo and Vivian.
Uncle doesn’t matter.
That monster wouldn’t have a single hair out of place anyway.
Sia staggered toward the tightly closed door.
One step. Another.
It was barely two meters, yet sweat poured off her in rivers.
At last she gripped the doorknob and pulled the door open.
“Aaaagh!”
It felt like her eyeballs were burning.
The sudden flood of light multiplied her headache several times over.
Sia covered both eyes with her hands and collapsed on the spot. She couldn’t hold out any longer.
“Unnie! Ji-hoo!”
She could only cry out for the two of them in a helpless heap.
“You two are seriously fucking around as a matching set.”
A familiar string of curses reached her ears.
“…Uncle? A-are you okay? You’re not hurt?”
“Almost was. Thanks to certain people.”
“What do you mean? Was the monster we fought last night that stro—blaaargh!”
Maybe she’d talked too much. The water she’d just drunk came surging straight back up her throat.
“Uuuuuurgh!”
Someone else was retching nearby as well.
“Ah! Disgusting as hell. If I ever give you two alcohol again, I’m a dog. A dog.”
“…Alcohol?”
What?
Something flashed through Sia’s mind.
A bright, sweet fruit scent. Seong Yujin’s sly grin as he kept refilling their glasses. Herself greedily accepting every pour because it tasted so good.
Understanding hit her like a truck.
I didn’t fight a monster.
This was just the most vicious hangover she’d ever experienced in her life.
Then who just threw up?
“Go throw up somewhere else! How many times is this already?!”
“Pa… panacea… blaaargh!”
Unnie!
No doubt about it. That voice belonged to Vivian.
“If you’re going to use a skill, use it properly. You two are driving me insane.”
Seong Yujin’s voice, dripping with pure contempt, stabbed her right in the chest.
“W-water… please…”
Vivian begged for water like someone who’d been stranded in Ezhara for a month.
“I told you not to drink that crap! Hey, brat—go ask the owner for some honey water.”
“Yes, sir!”
Unlike her own voice and Vivian’s, Park Ji-hoo’s reply was bright and energetic.
So only Unnie and I got wasted.
Sia wanted to crawl into a mouse hole and die. Unfortunately there were no mouse holes large enough for her in the vicinity.
She carefully lowered the hand covering her eyes.
They still stung, but at least she could see her surroundings now.
An unfamiliar place. A beautifully arranged garden and a modest pond.
Vivian had her head dunked straight into that pond, gulping water like a dying animal.
“Ah…”
Unnie… me too… some water…