The Day of the Decisive Battle

Back at the Safe Zone at Konkuk University Entrance Station Exit 3, a small shadow leaped up the moment I stepped into the blue light. "Oppa!!" It was Yu-ah. As soon as she confirmed it was me, she came running, her face pale. Park Dong-bae followed, his eyes wide as he approached.

"S-Si-woo! Goodness, you're covered in so much blood..."

"It's monster blood. I'm fine." I brushed off the debris and looked at Yu-ah. Her anxiety was palpable. Her small lips parted. "You're really okay, right?"

Lee Seol-ah shrugged as she followed behind. "Don't worry, Yu-ah. If you saw your brother out there, you'd know he's flying around like a whirlwind. I almost feel bad for the monsters."

"Phew, that's a relief. I'm so glad both of you returned safely. Yu-ah was so worried." Park Dong-bae let out a long sigh of relief.

Between the cave exploration and the consecutive boss battles, the time had already slipped into late afternoon. I sat down on the floor and pulled up the shop window.

Thanks to killing a significant number of monsters in the dungeon, I had some breathing room. I’d made a promise, and I had to keep it. I scrolled through the categories and stopped at one.

[Special Chef's Lunchbox Set]

- A set prepared by a top-tier chef using premium ingredients and vacuum-sealed. Upon opening, you can feel the warmth and taste of a freshly made meal.

- Price: 20 Copper Coins.

Twenty coins for a single meal. It was a product I’d only looked at until now, hesitant to actually spend the money. Considering a single monster gave about 5 coins, it was an absurd luxury.

Just then, "..." I felt an intense gaze from the side. I turned my head to see Lee Seol-ah swallowing hard, staring at the screen. Her eyes were sparkling to an uncomfortable degree, radiating fierce anticipation.

"Ugh, seriously." I let out a short, dry laugh. I set the quantity to four and pressed the purchase button.

Whoosh!

Warm light gathered in the air, and four lunchboxes dropped to the floor. They were packaged in high-quality wood.

"Oh...?"

"What's this, Oppa?"

Everyone's gaze turned downward.

"We need to eat. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠You must all be hungry." I added, glancing at Lee Seol-ah. "You worked hard today, too. I promised, after all."

Her eyes were fixed solely on the lunchboxes. I couldn't help but chuckle again. "Everyone, take one. Yu-ah and Mr. Park, you worked hard guarding this place."

"Ah... no, no one came by... it was nothing..."

"That's right! I wasn't tired at all because I was with Mr. Park!"

At my words, the three of them cautiously pulled the boxes toward them. The moment they flipped the lids open:

"Oh...?"

"Hah..."

Exclamations burst from Lee Seol-ah and Park Dong-bae simultaneously. Dishes with steam rising from them filled the waiting room with the scent of meat. Shiny white rice. Thick, grilled pork belly. A bubbling soybean paste stew, and various side dishes.

'...It's this good?'

Even I was surprised. Even accounting for the high price, the food was far better than I had expected.

'How does it come out of thin air?' Lee Seol-ah stammered, "S-Si-woo! Are you sure I'm allowed to eat this...!? I mean, they actually sell stuff like this in the shop?!"

"You can't buy it if it's too expensive. You earned your keep today, so eat as much as you want. Mr. Park, you and Yu-ah eat plenty too."

"Oh my... goodness. To think I'd see such a feast." Park Dong-bae gripped his chopsticks with a moved expression. His fingertips were trembling slightly. Yu-ah put a piece of meat in her mouth and beamed.

'She's my sister, but she's just too cute...'

"Oppa, it's so, so delicious...!"

"Yeah, yeah, eat slowly. You'll choke."

I smiled and put some rice in my mouth. It tasted exactly as I’d imagined. The previous lunchboxes were definitely good, but this was on a different level.

That was when it happened.

Tap, tap-tap.

Park Dong-bae’s chopsticks, sitting across from me, stopped. Tears were dripping from his chin as he kept his head bowed low. He was shaking, sobbing silently.

"Mr. Park. What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?"

At my question, he jumped in surprise and scrubbed his eyes with his sleeve. "N-no! It's just... the rice, the rice is so delicious, I'm acting like a fool..."

He forced the corners of his mouth up, but the sadness lingering in his eyes couldn't be hidden. I clicked my tongue briefly.

"It's a good thing if it's delicious. Eat slowly so you don't choke."

I didn't ask any further. The world had ended. Everyone had at least one story buried in their hearts. There was no need to dig it up.

"*Sniff*... it's just so good..."

I looked over to see Lee Seol-ah stuffing her face until her cheeks were bulging. She was tearing up, clearly moved. "I'll serve you for the rest of my life, Boss! I'll do whatever you say!"

The two had completely different attitudes. I sighed and replied, "Don't talk while you're eating. You're spitting food everywhere."

Everyone focused on eating. I placed my share of the meat on top of Yu-ah's rice and gave another piece to Lee Seol-ah.

"Oh, I'm fine though..."

"Thank you!!!!"

My sister looked embarrassed, while Lee Seol-ah was shameless. I gave it to them because they were eating like starving ghosts, but... 'I shouldn't have given it to one of them.' Still, it didn't feel bad. It was peaceful. Perhaps it was a feeling I hadn't even experienced before the world changed.

However, that sense of relief didn't last long.

BEEP!

Just as we finished our meal, a warning sound that tore through the air rang out in the waiting room.

"Oh... they, they came again!" Lee Seol-ah stood up, startled. A group of survivors was thumping down the stairs. Men armed with pipes and kitchen knives. Their eyes were gleaming as they looked inside.

"Drag those bastards out and kill them!! Two men and two women!!" They howled like beasts. Yu-ah grabbed my clothes in terror. I didn't stand up. Instead, I gestured with my chin toward the bizarre structure blocking the entrance.

"Mr. Park. Let's see if it's worth the money against people, too."

"Yes? Ah, yes...!" Park Dong-bae swallowed hard. The challengers rushed toward the magic circle. At that moment, the floating smiley balloon distorted grotesquely.

Kreeeeek!

The smiling mouth gaped wide, and red light condensed within it.

BOOM! BOOM!

Cannon-like bone spikes erupted in succession.

"AAAAAAARGH!!"

"Wh-what is this!! Aaaargh!!"

"Fuck!! Run!! Run away!!!"

Along with screams, the sound of flesh tearing echoed. Yu-ah's small shoulders flinched. I reached out with my left hand and covered my sister's eyes. There was no need for her to see such a sight.

BOOM!!! BOOM! BOOM!

The overwhelming rate of fire from the balloon tower. The survivors couldn't even get close to the magic circle. Shoulders were pierced. Legs collapsed. They fled back up the stairs, leaving only trails of blood behind.

"Wow... that thing is the real deal."

"It's no joke..."

I rested my chin on my hand and watched the scene leisurely. It was different from its unimpressive appearance. Lee Seol-ah also let out an exclamation of admiration. The balloon had easily cleaned up the intruders.

"Th-thank goodness... it earned its keep." Park Dong-bae wiped the sweat from his forehead in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠relief. Hearing the sound, Yu-ah loosened her grip on my clothes. I spun my sister around and took my hand away from her eyes.

"Is it over?"

"Yes. It's over now. The tower Mr. Park made is really amazing."

"Really...? As expected, Mr. Park is the best...!" Yu-ah gave a thumbs up to Park Dong-bae. He scratched the back of his head, looking bashful. The atmosphere turned peaceful in an instant. I looked back and forth between their faint smiles and nodded slightly.

'With this, I can go outside without worrying.'

A definitive safety device. 50 coins—no, even more than that—wasn't a waste at all.

Time passed like that. There was one more challenge later, but the result was the same. They couldn't break through the tower.

"Alright, finished digesting?"

It was evening by now. I stood up and tightened the strap of my short sword. Lee Seol-ah blinked at my question.

"Yes? Ah, yes! I feel like I've rested well..."

"What about you, Mr. Park?"

"I'm finished digesting too!"

After confirming their answers, I immediately curled the corners of my mouth up. "Then let's go. To get stronger."

"Whaaaat!?" Their shocked screams echoed through the waiting room.

"No, we just ate! It's night outside now, so monsters will be crawling everywhere!" Lee Seol-ah recoiled in horror. Park Dong-bae also looked clearly flustered.

"'Just' ate? It feels like two hours have passed. And, that's exactly why we have to go. Didn't you see the notice that the Gwangjin-gu intermediate boss is appearing tomorrow?" I said firmly.

"If you wait until tomorrow, you might end up resting forever even if you don't want to. If that's what you really want, should I make that happen for you now?"

"Ah... no, that's not what I meant..."

"If you don't want to die, move quickly. You too, Mr. Park."

In the end, the two sighed and stood up. What could they do? It was still better than dying. Thus began the night hunt. The area around Konkuk University Entrance Station was a hotbed for monsters.

"Everyone, get ready."

No sooner had I spoken than three Orcs popped out.

"Kwooooor...!!!"

"H-hieek! Si-woo! They're coming!"

"Mr. Park! Be careful!! From the right!"

Lee Seol-ah's urgent briefing rang out. I took a step back and crossed my arms. At my behavior, their faces turned pale.

"What are you doing? Aren't you going to block them?" Park Dong-bae shouted, gripping his wrench tighter.

"N-now! That guy's left knee!" Lee Seol-ah shouted, pointing at the monster's leg. Park Dong-bae swung his blunt weapon in time.

"Haaaaah!"

CRACK!

"Kuaaaargh...!"

The knee shattered precisely, and the Orc toppled over. This time, Lee Seol-ah didn't hesitate. She rushed forward and brought her iron pipe down on its neck.

THUD! THUD!

The two showed better teamwork than before. Lee Seol-ah, in particular, had improved. Perhaps it was because she had been to the dungeon with me; her briefings and lack of hesitation were much better than before.

The blood-curdling struggle continued for an hour. It was when three or four Orcs had fallen to the floor in succession.

Ding!

The moment they leveled up, Park Dong-bae opened his eyes wide and shouted, "Oh, oh!! Si-woo!! I got a skill!!"

"What skill is it?" At my words, he stared intently into the air. Soon, his lips parted slowly.

"Portable Mini Tower...? It says it creates a small tower to help attack."

"Then use it quickly. You look like you're about to collapse from exhaustion."

He hurriedly reached out into the air. "Mini Tower!"

Vrrrrm!

A faint vibration sounded in the air over his shoulder. A round iron ball the size of a fist. A small propeller was spinning at the head. The glass lens embedded in the center flashed red, and the barrel protruding from beneath it aimed at the monsters.

Pew-pew-pew!

"Kuaaaargh!"

Iron balls the size of a thumb were fired. Cute size. But the power was sufficient.

Thwack-thwack-thwack!

"Kwooooor!"

When the projectiles hit bare skin, the Orc's thick hide dented inward. Heavy impacts poured out incessantly. The Orc turned its head toward the tower, swinging its arms in vain. Even so, it couldn't easily approach.

"Huff, huff... Si-woo... I'm really going to die..."

"You're still level 5. Don't whine."

I ignored Lee Seol-ah's resentful gaze. Since the tower joined, the situation had become noticeably easier. With the aggro dispersed, the burden on the two was significantly reduced. The hunting speed became much faster. The blood-curdling hunt continued for about two more hours.

THWACK!

The moment the head of the last remaining Blood Goblin was smashed.

Ding! Ding!

The notification sound I had been waiting for. The two were sprawled out on the road, covered in blood.

"Huff, huff... I, I'm really going to die... I can't... do any more..."

"I-it's over, right? Si-woo...!"

I nodded briefly, looking at the two gasping for breath. I wanted to level up more, but it was late, and there was a high possibility it would interfere with tomorrow. That was when Lee Seol-ah, who had been sprawled on the floor, opened her eyes wide.

"Oh, oh? Si-woo! I got two skills!"

"Are they Explorer skills?"

"Yes! Weakness Sight and Treasure Hunt! Wow, looking at it now, I can see red marks on the hearts of the dead Goblins! It's completely clear, unlike before!"

Lee Seol-ah's hands waved through the air. It seemed her existing traits had been strengthened. 'Weakness Sight is obvious. Treasure Hunt...' That might be the one I'm looking forward to more. We might find a dungeon like the one this morning right away.

"Well, anyway, everyone worked hard. Let's go back. Tomorrow is the main event."

The two, excluding me, walked sluggishly toward the waiting room. As soon as we arrived at the Safe Zone, Lee Seol-ah ran to the shower room. Yu-ah was already fast asleep in her sleeping bag. The peaceful face of my precious sister. Every time I see that face, I make a vow. I must become stronger. I must protect Yu-ah at all costs.

'...Finally, tomorrow.'

Thus, the night of the fourth day came to an end.

****

Ding!

The day of the decisive battle had dawned.