Chapter 62: In Bed (2)
Chapter 62: In Bed (2)
Click. Sizzle.
The flame rising from the lighter met the white stick.
It took quite a while to light because it was damp, but eventually, the cigarette caught fire.
I drew in a breath of tobacco that I could no longer even taste.
It was a product made by refining cheap chewing tobacco. True to the reputation of being even more foul than Soviet cigarettes, pitch-black smoke billowed from the tip.
I’d picked it up at some random black market I passed by, so I had no idea just how nasty it would be.
After lighting it, I took a deep drag.
The merchant’s words came to mind—he’d told me to inhale slowly, warning that I might collapse from acute nicotine poisoning.
As if I cared. I’d rather just pass out.
I held it in with that faint hope.
But I felt nothing.
The only sensation was the irritation of hot air tickling my throat.
As expected, it was the same.
Ever since that day, cigarettes had lost all flavor. Now, only the sensation of hot smoke choking my lungs remained.
Even so, the reason I kept lighting these white sticks was likely due to lingering habit.
Or perhaps, it was to remember the old body that could actually taste them.
I thought of this while watching the tower steadily grow taller.
The Management Bureau’s tower, destined to be the symbol of a new era. Under the direction of the Lord of Infinite Castles, these towers, to be erected at every major stronghold, soared into the sky.
It was a speed impossible with ordinary construction technology.
In the brief moment I looked away, another floor went up, and then another.
I didn't see why anyone else was needed.
The Lord of Infinite Castles himself claimed he couldn't handle the fine decorations or magical elements, but there was surely no need to drag me along.
What did he mean, my hammer was "perfect for foundation work"? Senile old geezer.
I’d swing The Hammer a few times, then wait weeks for the building to be finished. I was stuck in a cycle of waiting for a call that might never come.
The rest of my time was spent sightseeing or sitting blankly like this, staring at the tower.
A world tour I never asked for.
"Ugh. Cough. What the... why is this cigarette so strong?"
Hearing a familiar voice, I took the cigarette from my lips and crushed it into a portable ashtray.
"Sorry. I was experimenting to see how strong it had to be for me to feel something."
As the smoke cleared, she walked toward me, sparks flying from her body.
It probably wasn't intentional. She had already lost the ability to fully control her own electricity.
"And the result?"
I gave her a bitter smile and showed her through my actions.
"Not even close."
I crushed all the remaining cigarettes in my pocket with my bare hands and shoved them into the ashtray to be discarded.
Unless there was a refreshing taste, there was no point in smoking something that tasted like literal trash.
"I figured as much."
Thunder God said as she sat down beside me, staring blankly at the tower.
"Don't you have work to do?"
"They said the electrical work comes later. Apparently, they messed up the building and have to fix it."
"Messed up the building? The Lord of Infinite Castles did?"
That couldn't be right. Unless he tore it down on a whim because he didn't like the design, how could he mess up a building?
"Someone bought fake cement, so the structural integrity failed. He was swearing up a storm."
Whoever that was, they're dead meat.
"Did they embezzle the money?"
"Bingo. Prohibition got all excited, grabbed a minigun, and stormed off to find them."
...
To get caught by that drunkard. I offered a silent prayer for whoever it was, hoping they’d at least die quickly.
A brief silence followed. Neither of us could find a topic to keep the conversation going.
With nothing left to say, I found myself staring intently at Thunder God sitting next to me.
Ever since I ended up in this body, I couldn't help but check. It was something I never had to care about before, but now it constantly nagged at me.
Height. Shifting my gaze slightly to compare, I saw Thunder God, who was now about a head taller than me.
She’s taller than me now.
She used to be a head shorter than my original body, and now she’s a head taller. What a cruel irony.
"Does the height still bother you?"
Perhaps she noticed my gaze. Thunder God asked, her yellow hair swaying.
"Yeah."
"I don't mind it. I kind of like the feeling of looking down on the person I used to look up to."
"Tsk."
"Don't click your tongue. It doesn't suit you."
"I have no intention of changing."
As if I’d start acting like a girl just to please someone.
"Is there really no way to go back to normal?"
"Un-ho said, 'Yeah, this is a no-go. Poyo.'"
For speaking as if it weren't his problem, Un-ho was probably being turned into dumpling filling somewhere by now. I’d rolled him up and tossed him into the street, after all. He’d likely been turned into ground meat and sold on the black market.
"Hmm... then would you like to ask this adult woman about how a girl should behave?"
"A brat like you, a woman? Please."
A woman. Give me a break.
Zap. Crackle.
No sooner had the words left my mouth than a bolt of lightning struck, guided by Thunder God.
Heat raced through my entire frame, delivering a jolt of pain. My nervous system twisted, and I forced my body to stay still as it tried to move against my will.
I wasn't about to dance like a fool.
"That stings. Stop it."
"Then at least act a little flustered."
I don't think so.
Since being fixed in this body, I’ve had better control over it than expected. I feel less pain, too.
Though other sensations have dulled in exchange.
"Even if I wanted to, it's hard to do."
"Is that so~?"
Zap.
The intensity of the electricity gradually increased. Step by step. Level by level.
Was she determined to see me dance no matter what?
I endured it through sheer will for about ten seconds. When it reached an unbearable level, I swatted away her hand, which was gripping mine to channel the current.
"Enough. I can't take any more."
"I feel like I'm almost there, though."
"Almost where?"
"To making you my plaything."
She licked her lips and leaned in closer.
"When you were in your original form, I gave up because a mistake in electrical manipulation would just kill you. But in this form, you can endure quite a bit, can't you?"
Ah, so you want to control me? Her personality has really twisted, too.
A technique to disrupt internal electrical signals and use someone like a puppet. It seemed she intended to use that to mess with me.
Not a chance.
I backed away, avoiding her reaching hand.
"I know perfectly well you can't emit electricity that strong without contact. Do you think I'd let you touch me?"
The moment she touched me, I’d already be gone.
"First, I'll dull your sense of touch..."
"Stop the jokes right there."
Honestly, I couldn't tell. I knew her heart was racing from excitement, but...
Was it because she was lying, or was there some other reason?
"Fine, then."
Thunder God said, standing up. She brushed the dust off her backside and walked away slowly with short steps that didn't suit her.
"Where are you going?"
"To pick flowers."
Flowers? Why is she going to pick flowers?
* * *
Time flows quickly.
It’s only natural. Back then, I was busy establishing the Management Bureau and helping weak Heroes. Of course I was busy.
There was plenty of dirty work, but that too was a necessary action for the sake of the world.
There were countless deaths.
There were those who died in place of new Heroes, and those who held the front lines alone until the new generation could grow.
It is only natural for time to pass quickly.
Time that flows as fast as a dream.
Now, we are gathered in a tavern.
A celebration party to commemorate someone's retirement. Only those who knew each other gathered to share drinks.
As the atmosphere ripened and time passed, one by one, they fell asleep drunk or went outside to throw punches, until only two remained.
The protagonist of this event.
And me, who never gets drunk.
"So you're finally retiring, too."
I took a sip of the soju sloshing in my beer mug and turned my gaze toward today's guest of honor.
"The world is stable now. I should get some rest, too."
Thunder God. She had more than earned her rest.
The first two digits of her Hero Registration Number were 02. Aside from me, she was likely one of the oldest Heroes.
"I'm jealous. How much is the pension?"
"Enough to live on."
Enough to live on, huh.
Since Thunder God had wiped all her records, it would probably be at the basic salary level. Still, the fact that it was enough to live on meant that the perception of the Awakened had improved.
"It feels cheap considering the price my body paid, but I have no regrets."
Her body.
She had certainly made many sacrifices. Perhaps because her superpower involved turning her body into electricity, her entire being had become synchronized with it.
She was blind, lightning constantly crackled around her, and her hands had turned into electricity, forcing her to wear thin silicone gloves.
Even after finishing her story and retiring, that curse did not lift. Her eyes remained blind, static electricity always flowed through her body, and her hands made of electricity passed through physical matter. The only hopeful fact was that her ability to sense electricity remained, allowing her to perceive her surroundings.
"No regrets?"
"Well, life's become worth living, hasn't it? It's a world away from the old days."
"That's true."
At least people stopped throwing stones at us just for being Awakened.
As the conversation wound down, she gradually moved closer to my side. Since everyone else was passed out, it was likely so she could talk to me more easily.
Her face, which had been pale since she lost her sight, was slightly flushed.
Was she drunk? A bit of color had returned to her cheeks.
She sat next to me, leaning against my small frame, and spoke.
"Actually, I didn't want to retire."
"Then you should have stayed longer."
I had already prepared many ways for her to delay her retirement. Although nothing could be done about the side effects of her body turning into electricity, she could have stayed for a few more years.
"It's hard. I can't stand it anymore."
Can't stand it...
For her to say something like that...
"Are you talking about the business underground?"
"Yeah. No matter what I do, whenever I'm around people, that's all I can think about."
As I thought, she had been overextending herself. It seemed her anthropophobia had reached its limit.
As the Awakened transitioned into Heroes and contact with people increased, it must have been a massive burden on her. She only associated closely with old Heroes, old friends, and old comrades. And since even their numbers had dwindled, it meant she could no longer endure it.
"You should have told me. It might have been easier if you'd let it out."
"You're busy too, how could I?"
She continued in a low voice. Perhaps because of the alcohol, her deep tone trailed off slightly.
"So, I'm going to build a house in a place where there are no people and live there. I'll probably be better after about ten years."
Ten years. That’s a long time.
"I can visit, right?"
"No. You wait ten years, too. And the other kids passed out over there."
Everyone, without exception. She must have really made up her mind.
"At least leave your location with the Management Bureau. That way I can find you in ten years, whether I want to or not."
"I'll do that."
She said, pressing her body even closer to mine. Perhaps she wanted to feel a final bit of warmth.
I could feel her intense heat. Was it because she was flushed from the alcohol? For some reason, she had drunk much more than usual today.
"Stop drinking. You've quit being a Hero; you'll ruin your health."
"Stuuuuupid."
"What are you suddenly..."
I turned my head to argue with her.
Her lips touched my forehead.
I felt her touch through my hair.
Squelch.
Squelch?
Thud.
Thud?
* * *
Squelch.
Thud.
It was the worst possible awakening.
My head was damp, and a fist was buried in my cheek.
One "water dispenser" was hugging me and drooling on my hair.
One "electric fan" was swinging her arms and punching someone else in the face.
Is this that "killer fan" thing people talk about?
Yumil had plenty to say about Chong So-rim’s sleeping habits, but she was in no position to judge.
My dreams were unpleasant enough, but to have the awakening be even worse.
This was all Yumil’s fault.
This disastrous sleeping arrangement.
The nightmare.
It was all because Yumil had set a trap and made me see Thunder God’s face.
Squelch.
Once again, I felt something wet trickling down my head.
I had to get out of here.
I slowly twisted my body to slip out of Chong So-rim’s grasp. It was difficult because she was holding on so tightly.
I need to wash my hair first.
That was the only thought in my mind as I escaped the bed. I just wanted to do something about this slimy spit.
As I climbed out, I saw the two remaining on the bed struggling.
Yumil, swinging her fists.
Chong So-rim, searching for something to hug and moving closer to Yumil despite being hit.
So that was it.
It seemed Yumil had developed a habit of swinging her fists in her sleep to avoid being caught. No wonder her sleeping habits were so foul.
In the end, Yumil couldn't withstand Chong So-rim’s assault and was captured. She tried to swing her fists while tucked into So-rim's chest, but she was caught in a bear hug and could only flail helplessly.
I did feel a bit sorry for her. To think she always slept like that.
Still, she brought it on herself. If she planned to use me as a sacrifice, she should have considered that she might get caught too.
"Good luck, Yumil."
Leaving those words behind, I exited the bedroom.