Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Tomorrow's Worries for Tomorrow's Me
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“What's this?”
“Huh? You mean what's on the news right now? They're saying to be careful because vampires have been showing up in the city lately. Vampires are wandering around these days. We wiped them all out back in my time. Burned them to death.”
Not that. Ignoring the chattering Raphael, I stared at the blue window. Unless my eyes were broken, the screen right now said:
Is that right? I calmly walked to the bathroom.
“What're you doing?”
[It's his usual freakout. Nyang.]
“Hmm. Is it?”
After that, I turned on the faucet at the sink and scrubbed my eyes hard. I washed away every speck of grime and impurity, dried my face with a towel, and came out to reverently sit on the bed.
Okay. Calm down and read it. Take in each word one by one, understand it, connect the words, and mull over the meaning.
And the conclusion I reached was one.
“For real?!”
“It's lasting a bit long today.”
[That's how it always is. Nyang.]
For real? Really? Does it mean what I think it does? My [Inventory] has become Benia's [Lair]?
Lair.
The term for a dragon's nest, the home of territorial creatures called dragons, a space filled with the high-density mana they exhale.
What that means is, just being there makes items or creatures absorb mana and grow stronger. A place where you can get stronger just by breathing.
Such a place in my inventory? I hurriedly opened my inventory.
Oh. It's certainly an amazing window, but what surprised me even more were the blue windows that popped up next.
“Ah.”
As I looked at that screen, tears welled up in my eyes and trickled down. To sum it up in one word: jackpot.
My inventory has become a magic jar that evolves anything you put inside by one step. Am I gonna be filthy rich now? Long live dragons. Long live me. Lairs forever.
“Benia. You asleep? Benia?”
No response. Probably sleeping to recover. Even so, I had to say it.
“You're the best dragon ever...”
Feeling great, I looked at Raphael and Lachesis, who were giggling to themselves while watching TV.
Sensing my gaze, I smiled at them—the smile of the world's nicest person—and said,
“Want something to eat? Just say it. I'll buy anything today.”
Raphael and Lachesis looked at each other. They seemed confused about the situation, but soon spoke up.
“Are you feeling okay?”
[Don't fall for it, nyang. It's a trap. Who knows what she'll make us do, nyang.]
“.......”
Can they really brush off someone's sincerity like this? I was starting to feel a little hurt.
“Got it. You got caught by that detective earlier and now you're trying to pin the blame on us! Do you think I'm an idiot? You trash!!”
[Knew it, nyang. I'm a cat, after all. I'll eat with you, but pin it all on Raphael, nyang.]
“Ack! That's cheating!!”
“...”
What do these guys think I am? I thought I was being nice.
“What do you think I am?”
“Trash.”
[Scum of humanity.]
Fine. Time for these illegal squatters to learn the wrath of the landlord—!!
The next day.
Julia finished her rough investigation on the half-demon and returned to Seoul, and I went to school as usual, spitting blood to keep up with classes from morning until they ended.
In the middle, I glared murderously at Kim Tae-hyun when I ran into him, and had Isia solidify the money—truly rewarding.
At the end of that day, dismissal time. That's when I heard thunderbolt news.
“Seong-hoon.”
“Yes.”
“The dungeon experience ticket I gave you a while back. I'd appreciate it if you gathered four people and registered. There's still some time left, but you have to register the team now to go.”
“.... Pardon?”
“So gather 'em well.”
I froze like a statue, staring at the back of the grinning, mysterious teacher as she walked away. Sure, the organizers need to prepare too, so forming teams in advance makes sense. But here's the thing.
Since enrolling, I haven't made friends except Isia. Is even she a friend if I call her one?
Definitely not. She's just a maid.
At least I can bring her, so that's lucky—
“What about the fourth?”
“No friends?”
“Nope. You?”
“Do I seem like I'd have any? I have no desire to get close to anyone here except you, Seong-hoon.”
Oh. Excluding me, huh? Thanks, I guess. Probably because I'm the only one who can send her back to the Heaven Realm.
“Joo Seung-jun's a no.”
“I hate him too.”
You too? Me too. He'd obviously say no if I asked, but since we were on a team before, I can't just say 'we're going without you,' so maybe I should ask—
“Hate it? What's in it for us in dungeon experience? And I don't wanna hang with a weakling like you and catch something. If you sit it out and it's just me, Raphael, and Isia—”
I left without listening further. Yeah, he'd say that. Dungeon experience is just that—an event for experiencing. It's like field trip practice in a cleared dungeon. No grades involved, no real need to go.
“What now.”
But this dungeon experience is pretty important. The core of Kim Tae-hyun's growth is events, but equally vital is his weapon.
Among weapons graded Common, Rare, Heroic, Legendary, Mythic, Kim Tae-hyun's is a growth-type weapon.
A weapon that levels up with its owner. Starts off seeming like trash but reveals its true value through events—the classic setup.
He gets it early in the story, during dungeon experience. That's right. I'm stealing it. With this gone, he's half as strong.
Simply put, it's like taking the holy sword from the hero. A hero without a holy sword? Unimaginable.
So I have to go this time—
“Seong-hoon, keep hesitating and everyone'll be gone.”
Who to ask? Not many come to mind in this situation.
Oh Seung-jin, Park Ho-soo, Kim Tae-hyun—obvious nos. Isia's coming, and I don't want to get tangled with Yang Min-ji.
One person pops up. Someone who wouldn't slam the door, might even say yes. One of the main heroines I haven't checked on because Isia got kidnapped and I skipped the literature club.
Problem is, she's a heroine too.
“Raphael.”
“Yes?”
“Put out the urgent fire first? Fix this, or it might flare up bigger later.”
Raphael gave me a look like 'why's this guy asking that?' then stuck out her thumb.
“That's my motto. Procrastinate until you can't anymore. Tomorrow's worries for tomorrow's me. Put out the urgent fire first. Leave the rest to future you—that's the best!”
“!!”
I was impressed. Even if she's a bit messed up, she's still an angel at heart? Thinks on a whole other level.
Calmly pondering what no human could imagine. Shivers! I'm in awe!
“Sometimes I think it, but yeah, you really are an angel.”
“Not 'seem like'—I am one.”
Anyway. If I can't snag the weapon here, I can't stop Kim Tae-hyun's growth. Can't fill four slots, can't go to dungeon experience? So yeah, urgent fire first.
Good luck, future me!
With that thought, I boldly walked toward the blue-haired girl.
Isia sat on the flower bed with her cheeks puffed out. It was the flower bed in front of the academy's school gate path, and she had come out before Lee Seong-hoon to wait for him.
Lately, she'd been short on sleep and kept yawning, but she stared wide-eyed at the gate. Determined not to miss when that black-haired guy came out.
The reason was simple. She still hadn't thanked him properly, and she was curious how he knew about the half-demon. But no way to find out.
So she planned to ask directly. But there's an order to these things. Thank him first.
How to thank him, though. With that blonde stuck to his side, she couldn't do it right. She'd thought that before, but Isia had found a workaround.
The conversation she'd had with Lee Seong-hoon last time.
—The heart shows through sincerity. If you're grateful, show it with action.
So, first, as thanks, gift him a cellphone since he doesn't have one. Even she thought it was brilliant.
'Can't contact you—that's inconvenient too. Yeah, perfect.'
Then ask about the half-demon. That had to be when they were alone, but Lee Seong-hoon never separated from the blonde.
—You're the maid. I've got three others excluding you, so prep for dungeon experience.
“Ah!”
Isia smacked her fist into her palm. She remembered what she'd heard before dismissal. It might make others chuckle, but she was too busy admiring her own genius.
Dungeon experience meant even that woman would separate sometimes. Aim for then.
“Am I a genius, maybe?”
Hee hee. She giggled, swinging her legs.
“When's he coming.”
She'd waited quite a while, but no Lee Seong-hoon. Isia cleared her throat.
“Hmm. What to say? 'Thanks for the help'? Nah. Hmm. 'I-I'm not really grateful or anything?! No, that's not a thank you. Then—”
“What're you doing?”
“!!”
Isia jumped in shock and looked toward the voice. The black-haired guy grinning annoyingly, and the blonde so beautiful even a girl would admit it.
“Haha.”
Isia did her best to calm her face, which felt like it would burst.
Long story short: success. My decisiveness is really something.
“Why the smug face? You were stammering and couldn't even talk properly earlier?”
“Don't expect too much from me. I get shy too. I get nervous. Know how hard it is to approach someone you've never even talked to?”
“You treated me like crap from the start, though?”
You're the exception. Who'd be nice to someone sneering at them from the first meeting?
“Why no answer? Weird? I thought I was being plenty nice— what's that look? Wanna try me?”
Ignoring Raphael, I walked on. Something odd caught my eye.
The quiet after-school path, mostly emptied. One ditzy-looking girl muttering to herself.
—'I-I'm not really grateful or anything?! No, that's not a thank you...'
What really? Headache maybe? Worried, I hurried over and asked.
“What're you doing?”
“Eek!!!”
What a fun reaction. As I stared at Isia, whose face was beet red, she let out a hollow laugh, jumped up, and pointed at me.
“T-Tomorrow!! Come shopping district with me!! I wanna give you something as thanks!!”
I exchanged looks with Raphael. What the hell's with her?
“Maid duties drove her nuts? Should've gone easier on her.”
“What'd I do? I only told her to buy water, buy food, buy snacks, take notes for me. That's it?!”
“Saying that without knowing what's wrong is the problem.”
Is it? I tilted my head at Isia, but she wasn't listening to us.
She was lost in thought, face beet red. Like chewing over what she said. Then suddenly—
“N-Not like a date or anything?! B-Bring her too!! Come together!!”
“Uh. Sure—”
Whoosh.
She said that and bolted at top speed. Fast. That embarrassed by getting caught mumbling?
“Is she an idiot?”
“Yeah.”
Not as much as you, though. I kept nodding.