No Time to Rest

"...What?" I narrowed my eyes. A skill called 'Tower' that I could get upon reaching Level 3. It automatically attacks enemies within a certain area. Why show me something like this all of a sudden? This is just...

'Isn't this just them screaming at me not to let my guard down?'

I had been worried about Yu-ah because of what just happened. This was a skill I desperately needed. It meant that even if I were challenged, I could hold my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ground or resolve the situation if I had this tower. To have this text pop up at this exact timing...

'The Spoiler is really... hard to read.'

I cast my gaze toward the sky, then shook my head. I tucked my short sword into my waistband and approached the man.

"I know. That you blocked those guys for our kids."

Park Dong-bae’s eyes widened at my polite, gentle tone.

"Thank you. Because of you, my sister didn't get hurt."

I picked up the pipe wrench that had fallen to the floor and handed it to him. Park Dong-bae stammered, his face looking bewildered.

"Ah, no... I just did what any adult would naturally do. I didn't really provide much help, either."

"No, you were a huge help."

I patted the man’s shoulder lightly and got to the point. "You said your name was Park Dong-bae, right? It seems your trait is in the architectural field."

"Huh? H-how did you know my name... Yes, that’s correct, but..."

"Do you not have any companions? You’ve seemed to be alone for a while now."

At my question, a dark shadow fell over his face. The man toyed with the pipe wrench and answered weakly.

"For now... yes. We got scattered while running away, and I barely made it here alone."

His voice was laced with bitterness and guilt. I didn't ask any further. Even if it had only been three days, this was a world where anything could happen.

"Then that’s fortunate. If you don't intend to challenge us like you said earlier, you’ll need a place to stay right now."

"Yes? Ah, of course that’s true, but I truly have no intention of taking anything from you...!"

"I know. That’s why I’m making this offer."

I spoke calmly to the stiffened man. "If you want, I can let you stay here with us."

For a moment, Park Dong-bae’s jaw dropped. It must have been something he never imagined. He answered in a trembling voice. "Y-yes? What does that mean... Y-you’re going to just let me into this Safe Zone?"

His pupils shook. Lee Seol-ah also stared at me with wide, rabbit-like eyes. I smiled and added a condition.

"But you know there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world, right? It’s a reward for protecting our kids, and if there’s ever a time we need your strength later, you’ll have to earn your keep then. Think of it as employment with room and board provided."

Park Dong-bae looked dazed. Then, his eyes reddened, and he bowed his head repeatedly.

"I, I will do it! I’ll do whatever work needs to be done right away! Just leave anything that requires technical skill to me! I’ll work until my bones break!"

His voice was choked with emotion. It was a natural reaction. He had just been given a chance not to die. Of course, my inner thoughts were a bit different.

'Please hurry up and reach Level 3 so you can build me a tower, mister.'

I gestured with my chin toward the boundary of the magic circle. "Come on in for now."

'Accept.'

Park Dong-bae’s body trembled as he cautiously crossed the line.

"Ah..." A faint gasp escaped his lips. There must have been many reasons for it—the 100% stamina recovery, the temperature, the humidity. There was a distinct difference from the outside.

Just then, Lee Seol-ah, who had been watching from behind, crept up and tugged on my sleeve.

"U-um, Si-woo... i-is it really okay to do this?"

Her voice was clearly filled with anxiety.

"What is."

"I mean, is it okay to just let a complete stranger in like this... You saw how people turn on each other outside earlier. What if he harbors bad intentions later..."

She wasn't wrong. She didn't know my abilities. I spoke to Lee Seol-ah dryly.

"If you have a complaint, you can leave."

"Y-yes!?"

"I make the decisions, and I control things. If you’re that anxious, pack your bags and leave right now. I saw plenty of spots outside earlier."

My words drew a sharp line. Lee Seol-ah flinched and hurriedly waved her hands.

"N-no! I have no complaints! I will follow your decision entirely! I’ll keep my mouth shut!"

She made a motion of zipping her lips and stepped back. She was certainly quick to catch on.

A small figure approached Park Dong-bae, who was standing there blankly.

"Mister."

It was Yu-ah. My sister bowed her head to him.

"Thank you so much for protecting us earlier."

"O-oh. N-no. I’m just glad you weren't hurt, little one."

Park Dong-bae waved his hands in a fluster at the sudden greeting. He looked at Yu-ah with a smile.

"My name is Park Yu-ah. And this is my older brother."

Yu-ah added, pointing at me. Park Dong-bae’s gaze shifted between me and Yu-ah. His eyes grew round once again.

"Y-you were siblings? No... the two of you don't look alike at all... I didn't know."

"See! I wasn't the only one who thought that!" Lee Seol-ah chimed in, jumping at the chance to agree. I clicked my tongue briefly.

"Since you know now, everyone take a seat."

People began to sit down in their respective spots. Lee Seol-ah and Yu-ah near the sleeping bags. Park Dong-bae leaned his back against the wall. I did the same, briefly scanning the surroundings before sitting down on the floor. Now that the immediate crisis was averted, it was time to clear my head.

'Someone...'

What bothered me most was, indeed, that 'someone.' Someone who intervened because the story was moving too slowly, and felt interest once it was resolved. No, to be precise.

'Should I say "someones"?'

There was nothing I could know about them through the Spoiler. However, if I were to think about it on my own—first of all, I suspect they are god-like beings. Well, even if that doesn't make sense, the world itself didn't make sense right now, so it was the same thing.

'Then, assuming that...'

There must be multiple gods. A god who hindered me, a god who felt interest, and perhaps a god who is just watching from somewhere. Also, through this opportunity, I could infer three things. One, they are not omnipotent. Two, the more you stand out, the more attention you receive.

'Whether that’s in a good direction or a bad one.'

And the third thing—if they could hinder me, then conversely.

'There is a possibility they could help.'

They have the ability to turn a D-grade weapon into a B-grade one in an instant. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Then, what if they used that ability on me? I could literally become an overpowered character.

"Haa..." A sigh escaped me. The more I thought about it, the more my head hurt. It felt like my worries doubled with every passing day.

'No way...'

I shook my head at a sudden, ominous thought. If they were interested enough to pay attention to an ordinary person like me, what about a regressor? What if some gods felt interest in Choi Kang-min and helped him...?

'There's no answer, no answer at all.'

It was only the third day. I had to become stronger. Whether it’s a god, a regressor, or a possessor. To avoid being hindered by these damn things, I cannot stop. That way.

'..I can protect Yu-ah.'

My gaze shifted to Park Dong-bae. For now, I have to make this man stronger. Only then can I leave the outside with peace of mind.

'The problem is that to level him up, I have to go hunting with him.'

Is it okay to leave the Safe Zone empty during that time?

'It’s something I have to do anyway. I have no choice but to head out early tomorrow morning and quickly get him up to speed.'

If you have to take a hit, it’s better to take it early. Having reached a conclusion, I called up the manager menu. Just as I was about to check the status of the Safe Zone again, a small, blinking text at the top of the menu window caught my eye.

[UPDATE]

"Huh?" It was a notification I hadn't seen before. I narrowed my brows and touched the update history.

"A shower room..." The moment I saw that word, a nauseating smell pierced my nose. It was the stench coming from myself. Orc blood, goblin intestines, and the accumulated dust and sweat. I hadn't noticed it because of the adrenaline, but I was in a sorry state.

'100 coins, huh.'

It wasn't a small amount of money. However, my current assets were over 500 coins. There was no reason to hesitate.

"Add shower room."

"No, they should have told me that beforehand. Their sales tactics are truly incredible." I muttered, clicking my tongue. At the same time—

Zzzzing!

A change occurred inside the waiting room. The empty wall next to the station employee restroom. The space there distorted, and a cluster of blue light gathered. And where the light faded, a clean shower booth had sprung up in its entirety.

'It’s still mind-boggling even while watching it.'

I shook myself off and stood up. "Everyone, a new shower room appeared next to the restroom over there. You all haven't been able to wash, so anyone who needs to, go ahead and wash up."

"What!? A-a shower!?" Lee Seol-ah sprang up like a spring. Yu-ah’s eyes also sparkled, and her face lit up. It was a face that made me feel good just looking at it. Well, not Lee Seol-ah, though.

"You said it earlier. You’d pay back the water bill with interest. Remember that clearly, seriously. Huh? Don't think you can just hide behind Yu-ah and get away with it. You hear?"

"O-of course, of course! I’ll pay it all back later, so just keep adding it to my tab!"

She had good spirit. Truly, just spirit. Lee Seol-ah grabbed Yu-ah’s hand and ran inside immediately. I let out a dry laugh and opened the shop window. Now that they were going to wash, I needed clean supplies. It was for a change of clothes, towels, new sleeping bags, and extra daily necessities.

'And combat rations...'

My finger hesitated for a moment. With over 400 coins left, wouldn't it be okay to feed Yu-ah something a bit tastier? As I scrolled down the list, a better-looking meal caught my eye.

There was no big description. It meant you had to eat it to know. I bought three lunchbox sets. "How is a single meal the same price as a set of clothes..." The cost of living was absurd. The purchased items fell to the floor immediately. Square lunchboxes in plastic packaging. Three sleeping bags, ten towels, and clothing consisting of black plain t-shirts and long pants. Then, my gaze turned to Park Dong-bae, who was standing awkwardly in the corner.

"Park Dong-bae."

"Y-yes! Did you call me!"

"You can open the shop window, right? How many copper coins do you have right now?"

At my question, he fumbled in the air in a fluster. He scratched his neck, looking embarrassed. "That is... I couldn't catch any monsters, and I just picked up a few that were lying next to corpses while running away... I have exactly 15 right now."

'15, huh.'

It was pocket change that would barely last a day. I stared at him blankly for a moment. I had no obligation to take care of someone else's welfare. However.

This man was the key personnel to protect Yu-ah.

"Haa..." I let out a short sigh. I then additionally purchased one sleeping bag, toiletries, extra clothes, and a lunchbox.

Thump.

"Oh!" Park Dong-bae caught the items I threw in his arms in a daze. His eyes widened.

"W-what is this? Why are you giving this to me...?"

"Didn't we agree to live together from now on? Like I said earlier, it’s not free." I replied indifferently, grabbing the extra clothes and towels and standing up.

"There’s work you need to do with me outside starting early tomorrow morning, so wash up and eat a hearty meal today."

Park Dong-bae bowed his head repeatedly while ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠clutching the items he had received. His eyes were half-moistened. "Thank you, thank you so much! I will work until my bones break, whatever work you give me tomorrow!"

"Oh my... that’s enough, be careful not to actually break your bones. You should wash up and change too, mister."

"Y-yes!! Understood!!"

I moved toward the shower room. I placed the towels and extra clothes neatly on the shelf in front of the door. Then, I shouted toward the inside.

"Yu-ah, I left towels and clothes in front of the shower room, so wash up and change. You too, Seol-ah."

"Wow! Thank you so much, brother!"

"Si-woo is the best! I’ll be out after a quick wash!"

Lively voices came from inside. How much time had passed? The sound of water stopped, and Yu-ah and Lee Seol-ah appeared with fresh, clean faces. The new plain t-shirts and pants suited them quite well. I pointed to the old sleeping bags that had been spread out on the floor.

"Let’s throw those old sleeping bags away now. They’re gross. There are three new ones here, so each of you can use one."

"Wow, it’s so fluffy!" Yu-ah smiled brightly as she touched the new sleeping bag. How could she be so pretty when she smiles? My lips curled up before I knew it. I then looked at the lunchboxes and said.

"Alright, let’s eat first. Yu-ah, you’re hungry, right?"

"Yes! Very!" Yu-ah stopped as she came toward me and looked up at me. "But... aren't you going to wash, brother?"

"I’m going to wash slowly after you all finish eating. I’m hungry, so I need to eat first."

Just as I was about to open the lunchbox lid, Lee Seol-ah sniffed the air and recoiled.

"Ugh... Si-woo, seriously, don't come near me. The smell of blood and sweat mixed together is no joke. I feel like my nose is going to go numb."

She looked at me with a straight face, waving her hands. I clicked my tongue and tried to take back the lunchbox in my hand.

"Is that so? Then don't eat. How can you eat food bought by someone who smells?"

"Ack! No! My nose was wrong! It’s not a smell, it’s evidence of your hard work! Thank you!" Lee Seol-ah laughed obsequiously and defended her lunchbox.

We sat together on the waiting room floor and began to eat. The lunchbox I opened was more satisfying than I thought. Warm rice, stir-fried pork, and even a small container of seaweed soup.

"Wow..."

"T-thank you for the meal!! Si-woo is the best!!"

It was a time so peaceful it felt unreal. Mr. Park Dong-bae also bowed his head repeatedly and finished his tear-soaked lunchbox. Yu-ah and Lee Seol-ah chatted and laughed together. A rest I hadn't been able to feel in this hellish world. But then.

Ding!

A sharp notification sound rang out. A red system window floated in the air.

"Ha..." I’m going to choke, I’m seriously going to choke.