Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Black History
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The Boss Mob Gallery had been peaceful.
A storm of blood had swept through once to eliminate the "poison" spread by the newbie Do-yoon for the first time.
The armband holder, the Wine Lord, and the true progenitor herself wielded her blade silently, convinced that what she was doing was right.
💬 Comments — Paper Enthusiast Hold on, let's talk. — Short-Eared Goblin Hmm~ At this rate, half the gallery's gonna vanish~ "...Just vanish, then."
The true progenitor found the armband holders' carefree remarks utterly infuriating.
Could they really maintain that relaxed attitude if they were in her position?
Absolutely not.
— Aged Wine is... Don't stop me. I'm enforcing justice in the gallery. — Paper Enthusiast Justice my ass; what if the owner pops out? You handle that? — Aged Wine is... ... — Paper Enthusiast I heard you even messed with the 'system.' At least us armbands should talk it out first, right? Paper Enthusiast persuaded the Wine Lord with perfectly reasonable words.
"......"
The Wine Lord swallowed her anger amid a throbbing headache.
What she hated more than her black history being exposed in detail...
Was that era, when she had been sincere in her own way, turning into the gallery users' laughingstock.
She wasn't ready yet.
To look back on her past self and accept it.
— Paper Enthusiast So, why interfere? Owner summoning spell? — Short-Eared Goblin I get how you feel, but be careful~ It puts us in danger too~ — War God Pipque ppupop! — Aged Wine is... ...I saw potential in the newbie. — Paper Enthusiast Potential? She couldn't explain it precisely.
But she definitely felt it.
The conviction that, from her position as the tower's master, she faced a feat no hunter had ever achieved.
When she saw him connect with her replica object and perform that "resonance"—
The Wine Lord unwittingly raised her hand to interfere, trying to save her past self for Do-yoon.
— Aged Wine is... The newbie resonated with the object and completed the theme stage. — Aged Wine is... That's why I saw potential. Seeing him different from the other trash, I couldn't help but get my hopes up. — Paper Enthusiast ...So that's why you interfered? — Aged Wine is... If he failed or died here, I'd regret it forever. — Paper Enthusiast You sure about that? The armbands' attention shifted to the potential in the newbie.
He had spotted the Hidden Piece condition solo and communicated with low-tier boss mobs in the same plight through resonance.
It was an ability unheard of anywhere, and his individual combat prowess held up against other hunters.
With the Wine Lord expressing such confidence, the armbands could no longer criticize her.
They were in the same boat, trapped in the tower, clinging to faint hopes.
— Paper Enthusiast That's fair, but still — Paper Enthusiast Don't abuse your power ㅇㅇ; you'll really kill everyone — Aged Wine is... ...I'll hold back. Acknowledging she'd gone too far, the Wine Lord chose restraint and decided to observe.
...
....
Until she saw the vicious newbie naming the object modeled after her "Eira" and tossing memes willy-nilly.
— Paper Enthusiast Whoa, stop that one — Short-Eared Goblin The newbie's lighting a fire under the Wine Lord's firewood~ — Aged Wine is... Purge. Purge is the only answer. Meanwhile, she couldn't touch the newbie at the center of the juicy bait.
Innocent users were left wailing in the storm of blood.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 📰 Post So who the hell is Eira< — Anonymous Who's this making all the bros go crazy all of a sudden? — Reply Well, see... — Reply Yes~ Here's the info~ — Reply Wow! Thanks for the detailed answer! — OP Fuck
📰 Post Gallery drama summary.txt — OP Eira is The object the newbie farmed in the theme stage ㅇㅇ Obedient, plump-cheeked, cute, innocent, healing just to look at Dunno who, but wanna protect her so bad her future self doesn't even cross my mind ㅇㅇ; — Reply No fuck, an object what? — Reply First time hearing? Us too — Reply Don't think, just enjoy~
📰 Post Just watch and enjoy (Meme of Eira smiling while eating kimchi)
— OP If this doesn't heal you— (This account has been banned.)
— Anonymous Whoa, who just died — Anonymous Don't look or you'll die too "...Whoa."
Even as the private chat with Do-yoon was open, users were dropping in real-time in the gallery.
Was this the armband's power?
Users posting while chatting with her were being purged.
— Aged Wine is... Hehe! I hate the newbie bullying my past self...! Watching the Wine Lord resume her concept act, Do-yoon continued the chat via his skill window.
— What I Wrote: It's you, right? — Aged Wine is...: What do you mean~? — Aged Wine is...: (Meme of a bat smoking elsewhere) — What I Wrote: It is you The Wine Lord helped then played dumb.
But Do-yoon was convinced.
That the interference during the resonance with the object was none other than the tower's master, the Wine Lord.
— Aged Wine is...: That's why I hate sharp newbies...! — What I Wrote: You straight-up helped then what;; — What I Wrote: So. What did you do exactly? — Aged Wine is...: The newbie interfered with the system first, so as tower lord I just adjusted things..! "....?"
Staring at the status window in disbelief, another message popped up.
— Aged Wine is...: Simply put, I 'normalized' the theme stage area my way~ — What I Wrote: I interfered first? — Aged Wine is...: Yes..! Without my help, the broken object would've turned the theme stage into total chaos..! That he interfered first.
Do-yoon felt wronged.
Should he have just stood by and watched the object rampage?
'Wait.'
Thinking about it, something was off.
According to other hunters, the object was supposed to be sealed in the zealots' altar.
Stopping its rampage was the theme stage's trial.
'Why me, though.'
Why did this variable hit on the day he entered the theme stage?
"Oppa...?"
A warm touch on his hand drew his gaze to Eira, looking at him with curious eyes.
"Did I do good?"
"Huh...?"
He didn't know why this young true progenitor was asking, but.
He couldn't ignore the child suffering those horrific memories.
— What I Wrote: If anything, the Hidden Piece timing was too perfect, no? — Aged Wine is...: I really didn't know that..! The Hidden Piece condition being helping my black history self and crushing the zealots instead— "What."
Suddenly, the chat disconnected.
Bounced back to the gallery, Do-yoon looked at the posts in confusion.
— Anonymous If the aged Wine Lord is mature vintage tower lord, then her past self Eira is grape juice? — Anonymous Oh, genius? — Anonymous Grape juice ㄷㄷㄷ — Anonymous Tart and tasteless Wine Lord vs. grape juice? Upvote lololol "Dizzying."
Summing up, nothing seemed different from the original plan.
Once the other hunters finished prepping, he'd enter the boss room via Eira.
For now, Do-yoon just needed to kill time.
"Might as well stretch."
He stretched to loosen his stiff muscles.
"Play with meee...!"
He played with Eira, who came toddling over alone.
"...."
He occasionally met eyes with passing hunters in the distance but paid them no mind.
For those worried about the object wandering the village, he'd settled on the outskirts.
No monster threats from ruins or elsewhere, no prying eyes.
A prime spot, really.
Unlike other floors, the theme stage had a flow of time.
Sun set, moon rose after certain hours.
A whole new world.
-Crackle. Crackle.
Do-yoon roasted meat from a past floor boss over a campfire, sating his rising hunger.
"Wooow..."
Eira, sitting beside, stared blankly at the flames, then her eyes sparkled at the sizzling meat chunk above.
"Looks tasty."
"Yeah...!"
"Just a bit longer."
Still pinkish; not fully cooked.
Drawing on his construction site pork belly grilling experience, Do-yoon applied his meat philosophy.
-Sizzle...!
Minutes of watching fat drip into the fire.
Finally, he pulled out skewers and sliced off a big piece.
"Here."
"....!"
Eira took the skewer with a cloth scrap, careful not to burn herself.
Her flushed cheeks anticipated the flavor storm ahead.
"Nom."
Biting heartily with her tiny lips, Eira looked up at Do-yoon in surprise.
"Tasty?"
"Mmm...!"
Unable to show her full mouth, she nodded vigorously in affirmation.
Seeing this, Do-yoon ate his skewer with warm contentment.
'Fucking delicious.'
Tower provisions or not, deeper flavor than any meat before.
Maybe pricier post-battle.
Thus, their private night deepened.
"Time to go."
Hunters gathered before the boss room for the full 5th floor clear.