The Time to Grow Stronger
Yu-ah’s spoon stopped mid-air. She stared at us, confused, as we stood there blankly, lost in our own thoughts. Lee Seol-ah’s playful expression vanished in an instant, and Park Dong-bae’s hands began to tremble.
“O-oppa? What’s wrong? And you too, Unnie, and Mr. Park... is something the matter?”
My younger sister’s voice was laced with anxiety. I chewed the rice in my mouth slowly, swallowed, and swiped the red window away with my hand.
“It’s nothing. They say a pretty big monster is going to appear in Gwangjin-gu the day after tomorrow.”
“A big monster?”
“Yeah. A huge one. But you don’t need to worry, Yu-ah. Oppa will take care of it.”
I spoke calmly and opened the community window. As expected, it was in total chaos.
There were some people talking sense, and others spouting nonsense like they’d lost their minds. I scoffed.
'Cooperation, my foot.'
Hardly anyone on the community board was saying anything useful to begin with. If everyone gathered in this situation? There was no way they’d be in sync. Someone would be sacrificed, and someone else would run away. Besides, there was that, too...
'Choi Kang-min will be coming, too.'
I turned on my smartphone to check the time. 6:30 PM. There was only about a day and a quarter left. At this rate, I didn’t have the luxury of waiting until tomorrow morning. My gaze shifted to Park Dong-bae.
“Mr. Park.”
His shoulders jumped at my call. “Yes? Ah, yes...”
“Finish your meal. You’ll need to be well-fed. The plan has changed. We aren’t going tomorrow; we’re leaving right now, as soon as you’re done.”
“R-right now? It’ll be pitch black outside soon...”
“I know. But you saw it just now. We don’t have time.”
Park Dong-bae swallowed hard at my firm response. That was when Lee Seol-ah carefully spoke up.
“Um, Si-woo...”
“What.”
“I... I’ll go with you, too.”
It was an unexpected statement. I narrowed my eyes slightly and looked at her.
“You’re coming too? You do realize why we’re going out, right?”
“...Yes, but... you saw the notification just now. Hiding isn’t going to solve the problem. If I want to earn my keep, I have to do something.”
Her attitude was completely different from before. There was a genuine, sharp resolve in her eyes. It didn’t matter much to me. If she got stronger, it was a gain for me.
'But if I take them both out...'
My gaze naturally drifted to Yu-ah. If I did that, Yu-ah would end up left alone. And there was still one challenge left to face. A brief silence followed. Yu-ah, who had been meeting my eyes, pressed her lips together and offered a faint smile.
“I’m fine, Oppa.”
“Yu-ah.”
“Go ahead. If you think that’s what you need to do, I’m truly okay with it. We promised earlier, remember? That I wouldn’t be a crybaby anymore.”
Fourteen. An age where she couldn’t help but be afraid. Even though she must have felt alienated, she gave me a brave answer she’d forced out. It was admirable, yet it made my heart ache.
“...Are you really okay?”
“Yes. Don’t worry. If anything happens, I’ll scream as loud as I can, so you have to come running right away, okay?”
She answered with a smile. I gently stroked her hair and said, “Stay by yourself for a little while. I’ll be back soon. And don’t take a single step outside the magic circle.”
“Okay!”
“And you have the scroll I gave you, right? If something happens, don’t save it—use it. Got it?”
Yu-ah touched her chest and nodded vigorously. Only then did I stand up. I was still uneasy, but it was time to go.
“Let’s go. It looks like today and tomorrow are going to be very busy.”
Above ground at Konkuk University Entrance Station, shrouded in darkness. Faint screams of people echoed from here and there. Nighttime monsters were far more ferocious than those in the day. The smell of blood, stinging the nose, only added to the terror.
“Hiiik...” Lee Seol-ah gasped, pressing herself close to my back. Park Dong-bae was also so tense that all the color had drained from his face.
We hadn’t walked far before they appeared.
— *Kwoooar!*
Glowing eyes flashed in the darkness. Three Blood Orcs, wielding massive axes and clubs, roared. I watched them with a light heart, but the other two were different. Park Dong-bae and Lee Seol-ah froze, their bodies trembling.
“First, let’s see how you fight.”
“...Excuse me?”
Ignoring Park Dong-bae’s voice, I drew my short sword. Then, I kicked off the ground.
— *Swoosh!*
“K-kuh...?”
The head of the Orc standing in front flew into the air. It felt like slicing through tofu. At the same time, the blood touching the blade was absorbed into the hilt. A strange energy surged into my body.
'...Is this Bloodthirst?'
— *Thud!*
I would have liked to experiment on the remaining ones, but there were no opponents left. The remaining two hesitated, looking flustered. I shook the blood off my short sword and stepped back, gesturing with my chin toward the two.
“Alright, start.”
“W-wait, what? Wasn’t Si-woo supposed to beat them all up while I just landed the final hit...?” Lee Seol-ah stammered, her face pale. I swallowed a dry laugh.
'And she was just saying she’d get stronger...'
I said to her firmly, “Don’t talk nonsense. You were so confident earlier... Do you want to starve to death inside the magic circle for the rest of your life? Get in front, now.”
“Y-yes!?”
“Mr. Park. If you can’t kill them, do it with the resolve that you’ll die here instead. If you can’t even win this, you won’t be able to survive in the future.”
Lee Seol-ah’s pupils shook violently at my words. Park Dong-bae, on the other hand, bit his lip hard. He gripped his weapon tightly and looked ahead.
“Hoo... ha...”
After a deep breath, he shouted, “Haaaaaaah!!!”
He lunged forward, letting out a war cry. The weapon in his hand reached toward the Orc’s solar plexus.
— *Clang!*
But the attack didn’t connect. The monster easily swatted it away with its club. Park Dong-bae’s body was knocked back like a fallen leaf.
“Ugh!”
“Mr. Park!”
— *Kwoooar!*
Park Dong-bae lost his balance. The Orc raised its axe high above him. It was too late to dodge.
“T-three steps to the right! No, just roll to the right!!!” Lee Seol-ah, watching from behind, screamed at the top of her lungs.
'Oh...'
It seemed to be her Explorer trait. The ability I’d seen when we first met. There was a reason I called her my human navigation system. Park Dong-bae rolled on the ground reflexively.
— *Kwang!*
The Orc’s weapon grazed the tip of Park Dong-bae’s nose and embedded itself in the asphalt. The axe didn’t come out immediately. Just as its stance crumbled, Park Dong-bae’s eyes flashed.
“T-there!!!!”
His eyes scanned the Orc’s body rapidly and stopped at its left knee.
“Uraaaah!”
He swung his wrench with all his might. The target was exactly the Orc’s left knee joint.
— *Crunch!!*
“Kuaaaack!”
The monster’s leg bent halfway, and it fell to its knees. Park Dong-bae didn’t stop. He rushed in and drove the wrench mercilessly into the Orc’s temple.
— *Thwack! Thwack!!*
A horrific tearing sound echoed through the space. The skull caved in, and the Orc collapsed, covered in blood. But there was no time to rejoice. The last one was charging toward Lee Seol-ah, swinging its club.
“Eek! Don’t come! Don’t comeaaa!!” She squeezed her eyes shut and swung the iron pipe she’d just picked up wildly through the air.
The trajectory was a mess.
'It looks like she’s just swinging it randomly...'
Yet, miraculously, it was aimed exactly at the Orc.
— *Thwack!*
“...Kek?”
The blind iron pipe struck the center of the Orc’s forehead. The monster staggered and stopped, as if suffering from a concussion. At the same time, Park Dong-bae moved.
“Y-you monster bastard!!”
He rushed from behind and bashed the back of the Orc’s head. Finally, even the last Orc collapsed to the floor, foaming at the mouth.
“Huff, huff, huff...”
Only heavy breathing filled the alleyway. Park Dong-bae was trembling while holding his weapon. Lee Seol-ah sat down, her legs giving out, gasping for air. The two were covered in blood. They stared at the scene before them as if they couldn’t believe it.
“Wow...”
I walked over quietly and poked the corpses with my foot. There was no movement.
“...You’re better than I thought?”
As soon as I finished speaking, brilliant light poured down over their heads.
Party member Park Dong-bae has leveled up! (Lv.1 ➔ Lv.2)
Party member Lee Seol-ah has leveled up! (Lv.1 ➔ Lv.2)
A faster level-up than expected. Had the experience gained increased over time? While I was tilting my head, other uninvited guests began to swarm in.
— *Kieeeek!*
— *Grrr...*
Cries echoed from both sides of the alley. A pack of dark-skinned Goblins. And gray wild dogs were slowly closing the encirclement. About fifteen of them.
“H-hiik...!”
“Si-woo! They’re in a swarm...!”
The two naturally stuck to my back. They were trembling, but they gripped their weapons tightly. I spun my short sword and said, “No need to be scared. You fought well just now. It’s the same this time. I’ll clear out half, and you two handle the rest.”
“W-what!? But just now there were two, and now there are fifteen!! Even if you split them, that’s seven each!!” Lee Seol-ah grabbed my sleeve and shouted as if screaming. She was already reducing the count by one. I shook off her hand and said shortly, “Then die.”
“W-what did you say!?”
At the same time, the monster pack rushed in all at once.
— *Kyaaaak!*
I immediately kicked off the ground and lunged out. I’d said that, but of course, I had no intention of letting them die.
“Let’s clear out about half first.”
My body quickly tore through their formation.
— *Swoosh! Thwack!*
“Kieeeek!!!”
Three movements. Five or six Goblins fell in an instant, spraying blood. Meanwhile, the wild dogs and Goblins on the right attacked Park Dong-bae and Lee Seol-ah.
“T-this... really!!! Mr. Park!!! Two at three o’clock!!! Goblins have good jumping power, so aim for their lower bodies!!!” Lee Seol-ah’s voice cut through the darkness. Quick situational judgment. Even if she lacked combat power, her trait was special.
“Got it! Haaaat!” Park Dong-bae swung his wrench wide, following Lee Seol-ah’s words. He was looking straight ahead.
Veteran Architect’s ability is activated.
A weak point has been discovered.
At some point, a red light appeared on the opponent’s body. The front leg of a lunging wild dog. It was flashing red.
'H-here!!!'
— *Clang! Crunch!*
“Yelp!”
His strike shattered the joint precisely. As the beast’s body collapsed, Lee Seol-ah hurriedly brought down the iron pipe, smashing the dog’s head. The combination was indeed good.
“Behind! One more Goblin!”
“Hup!”
I watched the situation from behind and gripped my short sword tighter.
“Blood-red Trajectory.”
The moment I whispered it, I felt a strange sensation, as if something were being pulled out of my body. At the same time, the sword began to vibrate.
Special effect ‘Blood-red Trajectory’ is activated.
A dark red sword aura shimmered over the blade. At the precarious moment when the two were about to take a fatal blow, I lightly swung my short sword toward the air.
— *Swoosh!*
The blood-red energy spewing from the tip of the sword cut through the darkness.
— *Swoosh!*
“Kieeeek!”
Both legs of the Goblin that had been leaping from Lee Seol-ah’s blind spot were severed. The two didn’t miss the opening. They drove their wrench and iron pipe in.
'Blood-red Trajectory...'
I nodded. I liked it quite a bit. What followed was a repetition of the same actions. They fought, and I blocked any dangerous situations. Thus, a fierce battle continued for about 10 minutes. Finally.
“Kieeeek...”
The last Goblin collapsed, vomiting blood.
“Huff, huff...!”
“W-we caught them all... We caught them all!”
The two, covered in blood and sweat, sat down on the ground.
'They were acting like they were going to die, but they’re actually good at it.'
Their breathing filled the alleyway. That was when—
— *Ding! Ding!*
Party member Park Dong-bae has leveled up! (Lv.2 ➔ Lv.3)
Party member Lee Seol-ah has leveled up! (Lv.2 ➔ Lv.3)
The notification window I’d been waiting for rang out. Level 3, achieved faster than expected.
“A-already level 3!!” Park Dong-bae shouted in a voice choked with emotion.
“Yes, you did very well. Now that you’ve actually done it, it’s not a big deal, right?”
“I... I think I’m going to die...”
I heard Lee Seol-ah’s trembling voice from the side. I ignored her and continued speaking to Park Dong-bae.
“By any chance, has anything changed? Like your skill window, or did you gain any new abilities?”
“Oh... w-wait a moment, please!” Park Dong-bae began to wave his hands in the air. And soon, his eyes went round.
“...Tower?”
I clenched my fists. Yes, that was it. As expected, the Spoiler didn’t lie. However, Park Dong-bae’s face, which had been reading the screen in front of him, turned ashen.
“Oh... huh?”
“Why? Is there something strange?”
At my question, he stammered with a tearful face.
“N-no... this...”
Park Dong-bae met my eyes.
“To use the skill, I need a massive amount of coins...”