Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Interlude, Promise
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My house is a two-story home.
It even comes with a small yard, which is pretty spacious compared to other houses in the neighborhood.
We'd been living in a much smaller place until my father passed away, and then we moved here.
A green front gate and red brick walls.
White paint accents here and there.
Wooden floors and trim, sliding doors.
Even as a kid, I thought this house was great.
Because it was just Mom and me living here together.
That feeling has stayed with me all these years.
The traces left around the house have become cherished memories.
Squeak.
I stepped inside.
Now, every time I move, the floor creaks underfoot now and then.
"I've just gathered up the trash for now. I figured you'd want to check this stuff out yourself."
While I was dealing with the uninvited guests,
the four of them had been diligently cleaning the house.
Everyone had taken off their shoes at the entrance and was padding around in socks.
Which was only natural.
"You all worked hard. Thank you."
I thanked Lee Yu-na as she came up beside me.
Thanks to her skill, the house was spotless in no time.
"No, it's nothing. And... I'm sorry. Because of me..."
I shook my head.
The blood splattered inside was from those guys, and that mess was taken care of.
"Hyung-nim. You wanna check this stuff right away?"
"Just toss it all."
Jang Ho-seop asked about the pile of junk stacked up.
None of it had anything to do with me.
"Got it. But what should we do with the trash...?"
"Just put it out in the yard for now. We'll finish sorting later. Everyone, take a break."
We'd also finished organizing the supplies we'd brought.
The broken living room window was boarded up with thin panels.
We placed a Spirit Stone in the living room and fed it Mana Stones.
"Oh? The Orc Mana Stone is way more efficient."
Mana Stone size and weight.
The range and duration of the safe waves emitted by the Spirit Stone.
Jang Ho-seop was meticulously recording it all.
"Looks like each Mana Stone has a different concentration... or purity, I guess?"
"The weights are almost the same, though. Weird."
If you assume Orc Mana Stones are on average twice the size of Goblin ones,
the difference in safe wave range and duration is more than double.
We didn't have enough human-sourced Mana Stones for comparison.
"We can lump Goblin and Gnoll Mana Stones as F-rank... and Orcs as D-rank."
Jang Ho-seop, creating yet another new standard.
I left him to it.
"Hyung-nim. Time for dinner?"
"Eat with the others. I'm not hungry yet."
"Huh? Oh... should we wait?"
"Nah. Go ahead without me. I'll grab something later."
They'd held out long enough already.
Food could wait.
Jang Ho-seop didn't press and went off to prepare dinner.
"Lee Yu-na-ssi."
I called out to Lee Yu-na, who was standing awkwardly.
"Yes!"
"Can you use your skill a bit more?"
I wanted to get to the master bedroom quickly.
And if possible, with her help first.
"Yes, I can."
"Then, same as this afternoon, please."
Lee Yu-na smiled and said sure.
What was she so happy about?
"Let's head to the yard."
We went out to the yard.
I stripped right in front of her, and a stream of water washed over my body.
All the grime clinging to me vanished.
"Lee Yu-na-ssi?"
"Sniff... Y-yes?"
"Your nose is bleeding."
"Ah, yes? I mean... it's just..."
Lee Yu-na had a nosebleed.
"You okay? Did you push too hard?"
"Oh, yeah. A little..."
"That's enough. Go inside and rest."
I learned that overusing her skill causes nosebleeds.
The first floor of my house has the living room, kitchen, bathroom, and master bedroom.
The second floor has two bedrooms and a multipurpose room.
I sent the group upstairs.
Told them to make themselves at home.
Slide.
I opened the sliding door and entered the master bedroom.
Mom used to use it, but now it's mine.
Creeeak.
I picked up the lantern and headed to the wall.
Stood in front of the display cabinet.
My heart pounded.
Even though I'd already confirmed visually that it was intact.
Click.
I opened the cabinet.
Set down the lantern and took out the small white porcelain urn.
A plain porcelain jar.
Carefully, I lifted the lid.
Clatter.
I held my breath.
Just in case some dust got in.
Or my spit.
I peered inside briefly, then closed the lid.
"Haa."
Only after sealing it did I exhale.
This was why I had to come home, no matter if the world collapsed.
It was safe.
"Mom."
Mom's urn.
My mom was in this little porcelain jar that held no warmth.
"I'm home."
Finally, it felt like I was back.
Sadness and joy coexisted.
I stood there for a long while before snapping out of it.
"What... should I do?"
I already knew the answer.
On the day Mom passed.
'Son. You have to live happily.'
'Get married, have kids. Let me see my grandkids.'
'And when it all gets too boring, come find me then.'
We'd pinky-swore.
To live well until life got boring.
Mom said we'd meet again when I kept that promise.
I hadn't kept my promise to Mom yet.
And.
[Survive.]
I vividly remembered the System's words.
In Mom's voice.
Whether it was my imagination didn't matter anymore.
I just believed it.
'I can hear Mom's voice when I level up.'
Every time I leveled or gained a skill, I heard Mom's voice.
That's what mattered.
So.
"Don't worry. I'll survive somehow."
I'll live happily.
Until this life gets boring.
"Mom. I promise I'll keep it."
I carefully placed the urn back in the cabinet.
Thud.
Closed the door and turned away.
Time to eat.
I stayed up all night so the group could sleep soundly.
Cleaning the master bedroom and sorting my thoughts took me right up to morning.
Jang Ho-seop woke early and came into the master bedroom to nap.
"Uncle."
I'd only dozed off briefly, it seemed.
"Uncle? You up?"
It was already lunchtime, probably.
Lee Yu-na was leaning in close, waking me.
"Eat up."
We gathered in the kitchen and ate together.
This was the first time the house had so many people.
After days of proper rest, everyone's faces looked brighter.
After finishing the meal and cleanup,
"Ho-seop-ah."
"Yes. Farming comes first, I think."
We started talking over coffee.
We needed to discuss how to move forward.
"Hyung-nim knows the local geography best..."
Jang Ho-seop listed immediate needs.
Food, clothes, daily necessities, etc.
"The awakened folks from Inspector Kang Hye-seon's group patched their clothes with whatever. That could work too."
Jang Ho-seop took the lead naturally.
The others chimed in with ideas, and he organized them.
I mostly just listened.
"So, we'll keep updating the farming list... Hyung-nim? Anything else?"
His plan rested on one assumption.
That everyone here would stick together.
And they all accepted it naturally.
So I had something to say.
"Yeah. Leveling up is the top priority."
"Yes? Oh, right. Of course."
"Starting tomorrow, we kick off leveling operations."
Farming meant going out anyway.
Two birds with one stone.
"The EXP for me to gain one level would get one person to level 10."
"Right. Actually, all three of them could hit it."
"Yeah. So I'll funnel it to them. I won't take any."
I was already at level 30.
Me hitting 31 was less efficient than the others reaching 10.
"Ah! Carry? You're gonna bus us?"
"Yeah. But you'll need personal effort too."
From what I'd observed on the way here,
none of my group knew how to fight.
"I'm no expert in martial techniques myself, but I can teach you basics that help against monsters."
"Oh... yeah. I was gonna bring that up."
Jang Ho-seop looked pleased.
"Mom. Uncle. And Lee Yu-na-ssi."
"Yeah."
"You saw Gates on the way, right?"
We'd spotted Gates occasionally during travel.
All inactive.
"What if those Gates activate? I see two possibilities."
Jang Ho-seop held up fingers.
"One: We can enter them. Two: Something comes out."
He wasn't just planning short-term.
"The System mentioned the immune system closing the Gates."
"So... activation means danger?"
"Yes. High chance. So we need to get stronger."
Jang Ho-seop looked at me.
"Hyung-nim. Please. If you're okay, teach us. Your... footwork? Whatever it's called... and basics..."
Truth be told, they could level without fighting.
I could spoon-feed them kills.
Leveling would make them stronger anyway.
Sticking to roles fitting their skills might suffice.
I'd considered that.
"Handicapping monsters for even shares... I don't think so."
But their expressions showed eagerness.
Especially Lee Yu-na, eyes sparkling.
I liked that attitude.
'Not sure about Lee Jang-su-ssi.'
Anyway, Jang Ho-seop voiced what I wanted to say.
"For everyone's sake. I know it's a hassle..."
"Nah. Not a hassle. I won't force it, but if you want to learn, I'll help with training."
Jang Ho-seop had wanted to learn from me for a while.
Hesitated thinking I'd find it annoying.
Planned to ask after earning some merit.
"Thank you. Hyung-nim, I'll work hard!"
"Me too! Thank you."
I liked this about Jang Ho-seop.
He'd said it this way on purpose.
His words turned it from me forcing lessons into me generously offering.
'It is that way, but perception matters.'
And so, everyone training under me was settled.
The meeting dragged on.
Talking survival naturally got everyone chatty.
Knock knock.
"Hyung-nim. It's me."
"Come in."
After the meeting, I called Jang Ho-seop to the master bedroom.
"Sit."
I hadn't mentioned it earlier, but I had private words for him.
"We're gonna gather people."
"Yes."
"Not right away. Long-term view."
Jang Ho-seop nodded.
"Yeah... we'll have to eventually. Five won't cut it."
"Right. We could scrape by, but that's not what I want."
I need to live happily.
But my standard of "well" is hard in this situation.
Same for everyone.
High standards.
Modern abundance vanished in a blink.
"Even using the bathroom is a headache. Clothes stink of sweat."
"Yes... true."
"We need people to handle that."
Jang Ho-seop pondered.
"Hyung-nim. We'll need farming eventually. Some fish, some build houses..."
"Yeah. But not that level. More. I want more."
If I want a hot bath,
it's not just fetching water.
Build a tub, fill it, heat it.
"When I want it, have it ready. Get me?"
"Hyung-nim..."
Jang Ho-seop looked impressed.
"As expected, your ambitions are on another level."
Not sarcasm.
"Why tell me this...?"
"Think about it. Like always."
"Yes. Got it. Wow... Hyung-nim's already a step ahead while others worry day-to-day."
Jang Ho-seop gazed admiringly.
I felt his emotions stirring.
No idea what part impressed him so much.
He'd call me great even if I made bean paste from beans.
"Got it? Not scooping up anyone on sight. Base first. Prep needed."
"Yes. Core is leveling, especially yours..."
Even now.
While Jang Ho-seop and I talked, the others kept busy.
Lee Yu-na washing dishes, Soo-jung auntie tidying yesterday's leftovers.
Lee Jang-su maintaining my weapons.
If I'd returned alone, it'd all be on me.
'Not that I'd slack.'
Jang Ho-seop finished notes and looked up.
More to discuss.
"And Lee Jang-su-ssi..."
"Hyung-nim?"
I sensed Lee Yu-na's presence approaching and paused.
Knock knock knock.
"Uncle. Sorry to interrupt your talk."
"Yes."
Lee Yu-na peeked in.
"Can I do some laundry?"
"Just toss it. We'll get new tomorrow."
"But... underwear right now..."
Lee Yu-na blushed, trailing off.
Jang Ho-seop muttered about turning them inside out.
Quietly, for my ears only.
"Go ahead."
I ignored him and gave permission.
She'd use minimal water.
"Laundry rack behind the stairs to the roof. Dries well up there."
"Oh, yes. Thank you!"
Lee Yu-na beamed.
Laundry that joyful?
"Um, Uncle."
"Yes."
"Want me to wash yours too?"
"No. I'm good."
"Okay then."
Lee Yu-na bowed and left.
Jang Ho-seop muttered again.
"Why not ask me..."
"Want me to call her back?"
"N-no! No, hyung-nim. Why Lee Jang-su-ssi?"
Jang Ho-seop waved it off, changing topics.
"Watch him closely for now."
"Yes. But why...?"
"Fear. He's too scared of me."
I'd initially thought it natural.
Sometimes felt it from others too.
"Prolonged intense fear... could cause issues."
"Ah... yeah, possible."
The doctor said when I was young.
Fear is part of survival instinct.
Avoid the scary.
Or fight it.
That's human evolution.
But Lee Jang-su can't do that with me.
"Got it. I'll keep an eye."
"Yeah. And training..."
I paused again.
Thump thump thump thump.
Lee Yu-na was rushing back from the roof.
The footsteps made Jang Ho-seop turn too.
"Uncle!"
Lee Yu-na called loudly.
Jang Ho-seop stood and opened the door.
"This! This! It was on the roof!"
She ran right up and held out her hand.
Something in it.
"A Spirit Stone!"
We'd found a new Spirit Stone.