Chapter 113
Translator: uly
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: Became the Gallery's Only Reptile
Somehow it wasn't unfamiliar, but it didn't suddenly click either—just an ordinary voice.
By Earth standards, it felt like someone who'd done a bit of exercise, but by this place's standards, it was just a flashy glass body.
And finally, a youthful face that seemed around the same age as Isoha.
'Who the hell is this.'
No matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn't place him.
The face gave off a student vibe, so maybe someone from the same school?
"I-it's me, Kang Hosu! We're in the same class! Y-you're dating Lee Yerin!"
"Kang Hosu. Lee Yerin?"
Same school, even same class.
But even hearing the names didn't ring any bells.
No, if she thought about it carefully, something was starting to come back...
Isoha began sifting through her memories, and soon enough, she pulled up info on Kang Hosu and Lee Yerin.
"Ah."
She didn't know about Kang Hosu, but his girlfriend Lee Yerin was someone she'd had quite a deep connection with back on Earth.
Not a good one, though—definitely the bad kind.
The ringleader who'd bullied her regularly, and the delinquent girl who'd suddenly grabbed her hair right after regression when she shared info in class—remember her?
Yeah, that's the Lee Yerin Kang Hosu was talking about.
'And she's trying to talk to me like this?'
The boyfriend of the delinquent girl who'd tormented her just moments ago.
When Lee Yerin was messing with her, he'd been right there, laughing and cheering her on, egging her on—that trash was Kang Hosu.
And now he was brazenly trying to chat her up.
Honestly, she had zero interest in talking to him.
"That reaction! You remember me, right?!"
But this guy was acting like he was desperate to pretend they knew each other, freaking out.
The emotions raging inside him: anxiety, anger... and hope?
"...?"
Suddenly, hope? What the hell?
Isoha couldn't help but question the emotions clearly picked up by her mana detection.
What the hell was making him react like this to her?
And feeling an ominous vibe, she tilted her head slightly, kept her expression blank, and asked,
"Who might you be?"
Isoha had no intention of giving Kang Hosu the reaction he wanted.
Look at all the eyes on them already.
"You two know each other?"
"How should I know."
"Isn't that one of the trainees you're teaching?"
"Not me—the sturdy knights of Hong Yeom are the ones training them. I'm just watching from behind."
The Sword Saint and Divine Archer were already staring over here.
And that's not all.
The exchange staff weren't saying anything, but the climbers who'd retreated inside the building after the long wait were all focused on this side too.
No way was she going to act like she knew this guy in a situation like this.
'One slip and they might figure out I'm an Earth climber too.'
In the worst case, the Sword Saint might force her into the training camp, saying it's dangerous for her to live alone.
Of course, training would yield nothing useful—just a waste of time—so her origins absolutely could not be exposed.
"Don't pretend you don't know me!"
"This is the first I'm seeing you."
"Y-you're Isoha, right! That glare of yours! Your face too!!"
What was with this guy.
Glare? What glare.
Typical bully girlfriend's boyfriend—mouthy as hell.
"Hmm? So you do know each other?"
"Looks like it. Though it seems like the guy's just hitting on her."
"Ha! Bold for someone who hasn't even cleared the 1st floor."
For now, the climbers were mostly viewing Kang Hosu's behavior negatively.
The exchange had been blocked because of the trainees, and his rough speech just now amplified the already unfavorable stares.
"Before you came here, you said it, right? Take a sword and shield! Train hard on the 0th floor too! Y-you know about this place, don't you? Huh? Is it like in games? Or from a novel? Then you know where the treasures are too! So-ha, help me out a bit. Yeah? Just one hidden piece. Really, just one, please, yeah? So-ha!"
'Crazy.'
Has he lost his mind?
Spouting that crap in front of a huge crowd.
'Doesn't seem right in the head.'
His words felt like they were blurted out instinctively, without any thought.
"You're saying you're classmates with that Hosu guy? Is that true?"
"That one seems like she knew about this place. Help us out!"
"Yeah! We Earthlings gotta stick together!"
"H-hey, do you know how to get back home by any chance?"
The problem started when the Earth climbers, who'd been hanging back quietly, suddenly stepped forward, stimulated by Kang Hosu's words.
"What nonsense is that."
"Listening in, sounds like that woman shared info about the tower?"
"Possible?"
"Obviously not. We didn't even know the tower existed before coming here."
The climbers who'd been watching out of idle curiosity began shifting their gazes one by one.
'Shouldn't have spilled that info.'
Isoha, at the center of it all, was the first to notice the changing atmosphere in the exchange.
She gritted her teeth inwardly at the varied stares directed her way, seriously questioning if sharing info right after regression had been the right call.
She was already on guard after those mystery attackers, and now this mess.
"...I have no idea what you've been yapping about since earlier. You guys seem from a similar dimension to me, but maybe you're mistaken?"
She was furious enough to want to take a limb as payment right there, but Isoha didn't show it outwardly.
'What if reacting like that gives me away.'
Reacting here would be as good as admitting the words weren't entirely wrong and she had something to hide.
But staying quiet might lead to another bomb dropping.
To break this situation...
Glance.
Isoha's mana detection quickly swept through the exchange interior.
She was looking for witnesses to help her navigate this safely.
And the ones who could do that here were the Sword Saint and Divine Archer.
Factoring in the exchange and trainees, probably one of those two.
"How long do I have to put up with these trainees' nonsense? Hong Yeom manages them so I won't touch them, but this is getting uncomfortable for me too."
"Sorry about that. From what the trainees said, you seemed to know each other, so I held back from intervening."
"Know each other? Aren't they all newbies who just entered the tower?"
"Ahem."
Pulling in the Sword Saint seemed more likely to work.
"That reaction—is it because you think I'm from the same place as them?"
"My mistake."
"To the Sword Saint's eyes, me and those trainees probably look the same. I understand."
With that, Isoha naturally drew a line between herself and the trainees.
I'm not like them.
That's what she appealed to the Sword Saint.
'To prevent this needless commotion from spreading, I need the Sword Saint's confirmation.'
Isoha wasn't from Earth.
The climbers needed to hear that here.
Well, she wasn't worried.
There was a massive gap between her and them that could never be bridged.
"But I'm a climber who's reached the 3rd floor. Even so, being lumped with these fresh tower newbies feels off."
It was the presence or absence of power.
The Sword Saint, who'd watched the Earth climbers' training from behind, had no choice but to nod at that reason.
"Mm."
"She's right."
Even the Divine Archer beside him was nodding in agreement.
"From the start, unlike those guys, that woman has all the basics a climber needs... Mm, Constellation?"
The basics a climber needs.
Nothing impressive.
Simply handling mana, having the power essential for climbing, and whether they had qualms about killing living beings—basic stuff.
Or in other words, none of the current Earth climbers have that yet.
The Earth climbers were still just training, without the resolve of true climbers.
Compare to Isoha.
Based solely on her pre-regression record, she was the top climber here.
No way someone with those intact memories would be like lifelong sheltered civilians.
"You there. What's your name?"
"I'm Isoha."
"Matches what that guy called you."
She didn't bother with a fake name.
Times like this, boldness was key.
"Your contracted constellation?"
"Ah, I don't have a contracted constellation yet."
"There must be one watching you right now at least."
"Ah, yeah... there is."
"Title."
But the Divine Archer's reaction was off.
Was she always this talkative?
Earlier she'd reacted like a constellation spoke to her—was this related?
'Some issue again like last time?'
Last time it was Aphrodite and Freyja; now the Divine Archer's contracted constellation too?
Worried it might blow up again, Isoha mentioned the constellation's title backing her up, looking a bit timid unlike before.
"Th-the one called [Black Despair]..."
Pew.
"Heup."
"Divine Archer, what is this?"
But Isoha's words didn't finish.
The moment "[Black Despair]" left her lips, her hand moved on its own, loosing an arrow.
She was bewildered.
Why was the Divine Archer aiming at her?
"Isoha. And Black Despair."
Ting.
"It's you after all. Contractor of the insolent constellation who dared refuse Olympus."
"Huh?"
What the hell was that?
Constellation, what have you done now!