Decisions at the Shelter
Joyeon stepped into the first-floor lobby and immediately issued orders to his skeletons.
"Karl, Ron. Keep an eye on what's happening outside. Jack, May. Looks like breakfast was too light after all. Get lunch ready."
Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!
The skeletons saluted sharply at Joyeon's command before moving to their respective positions.
"Lara, put House down."
"Yes."
Tiasia carefully lowered House into Joyeon's shadow. Joyeon approached the roach, while Tiasia watched from the side, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something.
Jack mentioned that Master's demeanor changes when he kills people, but I never imagined it would be to this extent...
Tiasia had always believed that killing was an inevitable occurrence in this world. She had expected her master, Ju Joyeon, to experience it someday and had hoped he would grow accustomed to it. Yet Joyeon showed not even the slightest resistance toward taking lives. When he killed Changbaeksoo, she could understand it as clear hostility toward an enemy. But watching him order the deaths of over fifty people—most of whom he had never even seen, knowing only that they had done bad things—without a hint of hesitation, and observing the dying without so much as a change in expression, made her realize this was not something to simply celebrate as good adaptation.
Adapting to killing is unavoidable, but he mustn't develop a taste for it. I need to speak up before Master heads down the wrong path...
"Haaaah~~~"
Tiasia snapped out of her thoughts at Joyeon's sudden deep sigh. He was stroking House with his hand, his expression relaxed as he stared blankly at the sky.
"M-Master? Is something wrong?"
"Huh~? Nah, I just feel like the tension's finally wearing off. If I'd hesitated even a little, you guys could've gotten hurt, and the people still inside would've been in danger too... It's been a while since I acted this seriously. Actually, first time in twenty years of living. Thanks to that, I feel kinda weird."
Seeing Joyeon grumble like that, Tiasia smiled in relief, realizing her master hadn't killed those people thoughtlessly.
"Master, what you did today was no small feat. It's only natural to feel conflicted. You showed the responsibility and decisiveness befitting a true Dominator."
"Cut the cheesy talk. Dominator, my ass. I'm just a twenty-year-old punk."
"Most twenty-year-olds couldn't do what you did. Don't worry too much. I'll support you to the best of my ability. You just need to keep walking your own path as you feel is right, like today."
"...Got it. Well, with you around, things'll work out somehow."
"Yes. I'll make sure of it."
****
Half a day passed.
Karl and Ron were still watching the people arguing loudly in front of the building. Jack, May, and Tiasia stayed by Joyeon's side as he spoke with House.
"Alright, House. This is a power outlet for electronics. Most devices have something like this. And this bread-like stuff is food I can eat. Think you can tell them apart?"
- Confirmed.
"Good. So where are the things I just mentioned?"
- Floors 6, 19, and 20.
"Ooh, really?"
"Judging by the fact that those are the floors where people mainly lived, it seems roughly correct."
"Jack, May. Go check it out. House, tell them what you're looking for."
- Confirmed.
Several baby roaches emerged from House and guided Jack and May away. Less than ten minutes later, they returned with electronics and bread in both hands. Some of the bread, however, was moldy from age.
Clack.
It seems House has fully understood electronics. Perhaps we only need to teach it the different types.
Clack.
Food might take considerably longer. It appears to think anything it can eat counts as food.
"This is good enough. Understanding electronics in half a day is plenty. Where else would you find such a smart cockroach? If we teach it step by step, it'll be a huge help in figuring out our surroundings."
"I agree. With House around, we won't have to experience disgusting situations like this one firsthand to assess what's inside."
"Good... But they're still not done over there? They've been arguing this whole time."
At Joyeon's words, Karl approached him.
Tap.
They're discussing what to do with Kim Changkyung. The group is split almost evenly between those who want him dead and those who don't, so no decision has been reached.
"Hmm. So that guy's still alive."
"You don't seem particularly surprised. Did you expect this?"
"Well... You did too, right, Lara?"
"May I ask why?"
"What, are you testing me now?"
"Not at all. I'm simply curious whether your thoughts align with mine."
Tiasia shook her head, denying any intent to test him, but Joyeon knew better. She had tested him like this several times before. Pouting slightly, he shared his thoughts anyway.
"It's basically the same reason I didn't kill him. After hearing your story and talking to him directly, I got the feeling he's pretty shrewd. The type who acts to survive and doesn't leave loose ends. If someone doesn't suit him, he cuts them off completely. Even if they do suit him, he just leaves them alone. On the surface he's neutral, but deep down he sees everyone except himself as outsiders."
"And that's why they haven't killed Kim Changkyung?"
"No one here was directly harmed by him. Even if there were, the people who tortured them on the 19th floor would stand out more in their memories. So the ones pushing to kill him think he's the boss of the villain responsible for all this evil, while the ones against it figure he never directly harmed them and could be useful for surviving in this world going forward."
When Joyeon finished, Tiasia nodded with a satisfied expression—the kind she only showed when his thinking pleased her.
"An excellent judgment."
"Excellent, my ass. Anyone could think this much. Stop flattering me."
"If that were true, those two hundred-plus people wouldn't still be arguing."
"They're just too many to reach a compromise."
Tiasia nodded again at his rebuttal and smiled.
"As expected, Master is very wise."
"Enough already. Karl, Ron. We're heading out n—"
"E-Excuse me..."
Kim Eunhye interrupted Joyeon just as he was about to force the crowd to disperse. She had been talking with the others but suddenly came looking for him.
"Ma'am, what's going on?"
"I... wanted to say the discussion went well, thanks to you..."
"...Huh? It ended?"
When Joyeon looked outside again, Kim Changkyung was still alive, bowing deeply to the crowd. He had survived after all. Joyeon stared at Kim Eunhye with wide eyes, unable to believe the matter had actually been resolved.
Meeting his gaze, Kim Eunhye hesitated with an uneasy expression before steeling herself.
"He was definitely wrong, but... I thought using him would be much better for surviving in this world, so... I managed to persuade everyone..."
"She speaks quite well despite her stutter. The simplest way to handle this situation would've been to ask Master for help, yet she resolved it without doing so."
Tiasia offered Kim Eunhye a compliment that wasn't quite a compliment, her voice as surprised as Joyeon's.
"I-I wanted to ask, but you'd already saved my life... I thought asking for more would be too much..."
"...You're too kind, Eunhye. You'll die young at this rate."
Kim Eunhye could only smile awkwardly at Joyeon's words, unable to respond. Joyeon didn't think she would become ruthless anytime soon either.
"Well, anyway, let's all do our best to survive. Kids, time to go back to your graves."
At Joyeon's command, all his followers except Tiasia sank into the ground and vanished. He walked past the people still worrying about their future and approached Kim Changkyung.
Kim Changkyung was kneeling on the floor in relief at having survived. Upon spotting Joyeon approaching, he sprang to his feet and straightened his posture despite having just had his life handed over to the crowd.
"...You're quite the character, mister. I literally said I didn't care whether you lived or died."
"N-No, sir! Someone like you would naturally see my life as worth less than a bug! Thank you for sparing me instead of killing me! Thanks to you, I'm still alive! I'll live diligently from now on!"
"...Right. Since you're alive, live diligently. That's what I plan to do too. And Lara says Eunhye seems pretty good with words, so try working together."
"Of course! I saw how hard Kim Eunhye tried to save me! I'll consider her my second lifesaver! Ah, of course, the first is you, Joyeon-nim!"
Kim Changkyung's excessively deferential attitude made even Joyeon feel burdened.
"...What a weird guy. Anyway, I'm leaving now. Bye... Oh, right."
Joyeon had been waving goodbye when he noticed Kim Eunhye also approaching to see him off. He walked over to her.
"Let me touch your neck for a sec, ma'am."
"H-Huh?"
Joyeon gently grasped Kim Eunhye's neck. She flinched at the sudden contact but didn't pull away or resist. She didn't believe the man who had saved her life would harm her.
Still holding her neck, Joyeon began murmuring something under his breath. A faint light soon flowed from his hand.
"[Mini Heal]"
It was the only recovery magic Joyeon could use. The gentle, warm energy from his hand seeped into Kim Eunhye's neck.
"There. Try speaking a little."
"...A-Ah. Ah. My voice..."
Kim Eunhye's voice, once cracked and unpleasant to hear, now carried a slightly hoarse tone.
"Whoa, magic really is something. It actually worked."
"H-How..."
"Your voice changed because of the big wound on your neck. Mini Heal can handle scars and injuries to some extent. It won't return completely to normal, though. There might still be some damage left, so try not to strain your voice too much for a while. I'm really going now."
"Thank you... Thank you so much..."
"I'm really leaving now. Bye~"
After waving at Kim Eunhye, who bowed in gratitude, Joyeon left the university. Tiasia followed, carrying his iron ball and chain.
"Are we heading to the hospital where your mother works now, Master?"
"Yeah, we should. Seeing this place makes me a bit worried. Still, I'm glad we came here. If I hadn't, these people would've suffered much longer."
"Indeed. To them, you must have seemed like a hero."
"Hero, my ass. I'm just a lucky brat compared to everyone else. Enough flattery—search for 'Central National Hospital' on your phone and check which way it is."
"Understood."