The Weight of Taking a Life
The sun was just beginning to rise, casting its first light over the residential zone on the first floor of the Tower of Trials. Several guards stood gathered in front of Jin Hong's house, murmuring among themselves, while Uncle Ben began explaining the situation from beside them.
"I'm telling you, can't you see it? That bastard was the one who broke into the house first!"
Uncle Ben spoke with heartfelt conviction, shielding both Yeon Cheong and Jin Hong. By all accounts, they were the victims. After all, Kim Tae-gil had come to the house brandishing a massive blade.
"All right, we understand. We're not here to cause trouble."
The guards let out a collective sigh. Incidents like this happening one after another during Cleanup Week were wearing on them as well. The black market had opened, the Neck-Cutting Ghost had appeared and killed people, and it felt as though crime had actually surged during the week meant to suppress it.
"Kim Tae-gil... never thought he'd go out like that."
"Yeah. Who's going to cut the meat now that he's gone?"
"Don't say such gruesome things. Just move the body. Plenty of people can cut meat. You really want to ask a guy who slices up humans for help?"
The guards spoke as they collected the body of the infamous murderer from the first floor. After picking up the severed head from the floor and placing it on the stretcher, they turned to Uncle Ben.
"Stay put for now. We'll need to conduct a proper investigation."
"Understood. I'll look after the kids."
"Do they really need looking after? They killed a murderer."
"You think killing is easy? They're bound to be shaken up mentally."
When Uncle Ben frowned, the guards flinched.
"I was just... trying to say they're skilled, that's all."
"You really have no tact, do you? Just get going already."
Uncle Ben snapped at the guard who had spoken carelessly and waved his hand dismissively. The guards grumbled as they walked away, and Uncle Ben slowly stepped into Jin Hong's house, glancing around.
"You two all right?"
Jin Hong sat wrapped in a blanket, staring blankly at the bloodstains on the floor. Yeon Cheong waved a hand in front of her.
"You okay?"
"...Yeah."
The events of the night were still vivid in her memory. Especially the thought of what might have happened to her if Yeon Cheong hadn't been there.
"Cheong... thank you."
"...It was nothing."
Yeon Cheong sighed as he answered. Seeing her lose that bright smile left him feeling uneasy as well. Uncle Ben pulled them both into a hug and continued.
"Still, I'm just glad you're both alive."
"..."
"..."
At his words, Yeon Cheong and Jin Hong quietly felt the warmth of another person. In this ruined world, all kinds of people existed. Psychopaths who felt joy in killing others. Selfish people who would gladly sacrifice a friend's life for their own gain. Hollow people who died without ever thinking about anything.
'But this place...'
It was still warm. Humanity hadn't completely faded away.
"By the way, you two fought pretty well. I don't know how, but still."
"Cheong waited while holding his breath, then attacked from behind."
"And he finished it in one strike?"
Uncle Ben stared at Yeon Cheong. Swinging a blade at another person without hesitation wasn't easy, and ending the life of a murderer like Kim Tae-gil with a single blow was remarkable.
"Jin Hong helped me."
"Can you really call that helping?"
"It wasn't completely useless. She definitely created an opening."
At Yeon Cheong's words, Jin Hong nodded. If her body tackle hadn't connected, the fight would have dragged on, and one of them might have been injured by Kim Tae-gil's attacks.
"Anyway, lay low for a while. At least until the guards finish their investigation..."
"Got it."
Yeon Cheong nodded. During Cleanup Week, no crime on the first floor would be overlooked. Until it was proven that their actions were self-defense, it was best to stay out of sight.
"Cheong... will this affect the deliveryman exam...?"
"Absolutely not. Don't worry."
Jin Hong seemed to regain her energy, speaking with her usual liveliness and flashing a small smile. Yeon Cheong patted her shoulder in response.
"These kids... they never worry about anything."
Uncle Ben laughed along with them and stayed behind. With his connections to the guards, his presence would be a great help.
*
"Grandma gave us a real scolding."
Jin Hong spoke with a sniffle, and Yeon Cheong sighed as well. The moment Grandmother heard what had happened, she had clutched the back of her neck as if she might collapse. Uncle Ben had barely managed to calm her down.
'She's even more upset than last time.'
When Jin Hong had lost several fingers, Grandmother had simply wiped her tears and wrapped the bandages. Now that they were both unharmed, her relief seemed to make her reaction even stronger.
"By the way, do you know how the deliveryman exam works?"
Yeon Cheong changed the subject as they arrived near the training area. That was the reason they had come here in the first place.
"No, I don't really know."
Yeon Cheong rubbed his forehead at Jin Hong's confident reply. The truth was, his own memories were vague as well. The horrific events of that day remained, but the specific details of the exam would only become clear once they experienced it again.
"I think they checked the number of applicants and had us choose weapons."
"Choose weapons?"
"We'll each pick one weapon from those provided in the training area. There were quite a few different types... I think."
He tried to recall more, but the details remained frustratingly out of reach. It was simply too distant a memory to remember clearly.
"I see... I thought it was just about physical strength."
Jin Hong flexed her arm as she spoke. Her recent training had begun to show—subtle muscles were visible beneath her skin. Though her arms were still slender, there was real strength in them now.
"Heh, so that's how you pushed Kim Tae-gil back?"
"...Is that what happened?"
The size difference between Kim Tae-gil and Jin Hong had been nearly twofold. It seemed odd that such a small girl could push him with a body tackle. But if she had been training her body, that changed things. At the very least, the explosive power from her training was enough to shove an adult.
'I've put on a bit of muscle myself.'
Though he hadn't trained separately, Yeon Cheong had grown stronger by taking down the Red Guardian, surviving the black market, and killing the murderer Kim Tae-gil. The experience had clearly changed him, and he was finally starting to look less like a boy.
"How do you usually train?"
"Just running around the first floor?"
"That's not bad. The first floor is pretty big, after all. Are you doing any other exercises?"
"I'm doing it for the deliveryman exam. They said I need to build muscle, so I've been doing bodyweight exercises at home."
Jin Hong nodded as she answered. Then her face suddenly flushed bright red, and she stared at Yeon Cheong. She twisted her body awkwardly, looking embarrassed, and Yeon Cheong tilted his head.
"Something wrong?"
"Ah... no, it's nothing."
At her words, a memory surfaced in Yeon Cheong's mind. It had been after the deliveryman exam, during one of their training sessions. He had entered her room to ask something and caught a glimpse before quickly closing the door.
'She was training with her shirt off.'
He understood why Jin Hong's face had turned red. When training got intense, it became hot, so she trained alone without clothes. Especially back then, with several fingers missing, it must have been even harder.
"As long as you're working hard, it doesn't matter."
"R... right?"
Jin Hong laughed loudly, clearly embarrassed. But seeing how everything she did was for the sake of becoming a deliveryman, there was nothing funny about it. She was striving toward her dream and the person she admired.
"Want me to help you?"
"W-what... with what?"
Jin Hong stammered in surprise at Yeon Cheong's words.
"Not physical training. Mental training. You'll need it anyway."
"You know how to do that too?"
"I only learned it by watching."
Jin Hong hesitated for a moment before nodding. If it was something necessary to become a deliveryman, she was willing to do anything. Especially if it was her closest friend's suggestion.
"Okay! What do I need to do, Cheong?"
At her question, Yeon Cheong looked around for a suitable spot. Training on the dusty ground wouldn't work, so he searched for somewhere to sit. Finding a decent place, he told her to sit down and began explaining.
"Physical training shows clear changes in your body, so it's easy to tell how much stronger you're getting. But mental training is different. How well you can concentrate varies from person to person."
"..."
"And unfortunately, Jin Hong, you're not exactly great at concentrating."
"You're not just messing with me, are you?"
Yeon Cheong smiled at her words.
"Of course not. You already know you're lacking in focus."
"..."
Jin Hong fell silent at his reply.
'I don't know if I have any talent for teaching, but I can at least give her the basics of mental training.'
When he had first learned Yeongdeung, it had felt like discovering a whole new world. It was as if he had awakened to everything around him. But that had been an illusion. Mental strength could be trained endlessly, and the more you trained it, the greater its effects became. Realizing this, Yeon Cheong had devoted himself entirely to Yeongdeung. That dedication had made him the strongest Janitor in the Tower of Trials, recognized even by those above.
"Close your eyes and focus. Try to sense even the smallest movements around you."
"What kind of movements?"
"It would be good if you could feel grains of sand or dust being blown by the wind."
"...That's hard."
It was by no means an easy task. Yeon Cheong himself had quickly felt his own limits when he first tried.
"Before the world ended, there were techniques called martial arts."
"..."
"People used those techniques to fight monsters."
And because they failed to prevent the world's end, most martial arts had disappeared. Though some lineages barely survived and were passed down, their limitations were clear. Yeongdeung was no exception. Who knew how many alterations it had undergone over time?
"And what allows you to control and use all those martial arts..."
Mental strength. The most ideal power that could emerge from the human mind.
"Can you feel anything?"
"Not at all."
"Guess you have no talent for Yeongdeung."
"Is that an insult?"
At Jin Hong's question, Yeon Cheong patted her back.
"No, it's not an insult. It's just... a factual observation."
"Cheong..."
Jin Hong's voice wavered, and Yeon Cheong chuckled. Still, he gave her high marks for maintaining her focus.
"Even so, there's potential. Even if it's not Yeongdeung."
"...?"
"Everyone has the power to change the world."
It was a hopeful statement, but perhaps that hope was the most important mindset for anyone living as a person.
"Let's do our best on the deliveryman exam, Jin Hong."
"Yeah, Cheong! I'll be counting on you."
The two smiled at each other.