Chapter 15
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Naughty Status Window, Huh?
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What a naughty status window...
'There wasn't even a chance to talk about it in the first place.'
No matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn't recall ever mentioning anything about the first floor.
It had been months since I'd last seen my landlord sister, and all we'd talked about today was rent and my awakener registration card.
"Um, sis? How did you know I had business on the first floor?"
When I asked cautiously, my landlord sister flinched and subtly averted her gaze, turning her head away.
"I think I overheard you mumbling something like, 'Eunha has to go to the first floor without even realizing it...'?"
"M-me?"
"Yeah. You know how some people blurt out their thoughts without realizing it? It was probably something like that."
"I see..."
As I nodded in understanding, she gently placed her hand on my shoulder and said,
"Don't worry about those little details. Let's just head out for now. Got it?"
"Okay."
My landlord sister naturally wrapped her palm around my shoulder and led me to the parking lot.
'Still looks like a really nice car.'
I climbed straight into my landlord sister's car.
"Eunha, sit in the back seat like before."
"Got it."
I didn't know much about cars, but just sitting in my landlord sister's felt luxurious right away.
The seats were so plush that leaning back made my eyes droop... made my eyes droop...
"Kuhk. Kuuul..."
***
"Eunha, time to wake up. We're here."
"Huh? Was I asleep?"
"Yeah, you sleep a lot, Eunha."
"I-I don't think I'm that sleepy of a person though..."
"Really?"
I jolted awake at my landlord sister's call and peered out the window.
The park surrounding the tower entrance looked vastly different from when I'd come here with Awakens Then Leaves Gallery last time.
The reason was obvious: portals popping up all over the city lately, with goblins showing up everywhere.
"Can we even get in?"
I pressed my cheek flat against the window to scan outside.
The area around the tower entrance looked heavily guarded at a glance.
Suits were stationed everywhere, and awakeners decked out in gear straight out of a game were chatting near the entrance.
Last time I'd come alone, I'd at least made it to the entrance, but this time? No chance.
I shot my landlord sister a worried look, and she smirked with just one corner of her mouth.
"It'll be fine if you're with me. Come on, let's get out."
"Oh, okay!"
I hurried out of the car.
My landlord sister grabbed my hand firmly and strode straight toward the tower entrance guarded by the awakeners.
'Her hand's freezing cold.'
Her hand was so icy that I instinctively gripped it tighter as we walked.
"You two there, hold up a moment."
Eventually, a burly awakener guy spotted us approaching and raised his hand with a stern expression.
"Sure. What's up?"
As we stopped, a man in a suit stepped forward from beside the awakener.
"Due to recent emergencies involving the tower, only those with association permits are allowed inside right now."
"And?"
"Yes, so could we check your awakener association permits, please?"
"Huh?"
Wait, we'd only applied for registration cards at the association earlier—no tower entry permits or anything.
Did we have to turn back?
As I took a small step back, my landlord sister squeezed my hand harder and pulled me to her side.
Then she fixed her gaze on the suited man.
"Come on, think hard. We're scheduled to enter the tower today, aren't we?"
"Pardon? I didn't receive any such no—"
"You'll remember if you think again."
Her soft, silky voice lingered in the air, reaching my ears.
At the same time, the suited man went blank for a moment, then checked his phone.
"Ah... right, of course. My apologies, must've been a mix-up on my end. Please, go ahead."
The man bowed deeply to my landlord sister and cleared the path for us.
'Is my landlord sister way more amazing than I thought?'
I gaped up at her for a second, her face somehow sparkling with light.
'But how come I never knew? Someone this incredible should've been super famous...'
Anyway, once the suit stepped aside, the others naturally made way too.
'Finally, back to the first floor.'
Gripping my landlord sister's hand, I plunged into the blue portal.
That same bizarre sensation enveloped me, and the scenery flipped in an instant.
"Ah..."
I blinked, and the first thing I saw was the dim forest landscape.
Dense trees and the thick scent of grass tickling my nose. It was exactly like the tower's first floor I remembered.
Except for one thing.
"It's super quiet."
Just like those posts on the Awakener Aspirant Gallery said—no monsters in sight anywhere.
Sure, this was the safe zone, so maybe that explained it, but last time I'd heard fighting noises from the outer edges.
"Huh?"
I was about to leave the safe zone when I suddenly remembered something I'd totally forgotten.
"I should've brought Blackie and Juju!"
How had I forgotten them? They were always on my mind.
Hmm. Probably because everything today wrapped up so fast, my head was spinning.
"Huh?"
"Well, my awakening ability seems to be summoning, so without my summons, it might be risky if monsters show up..."
My landlord sister shrugged lightly.
"Your ability seems way cooler than just summoning..., no, why would you need those when you've got me? Just stick close to sis."
"Is that okay?"
"Of course it is."
Her reassuring words made me nod. She felt so grown-up.
Im Ji-won was grown-up and reliable too, but she said weird stuff on the gallery, so she felt more like a big sis close in age. My landlord sister, though? Super mature.
Gripping her hand tight, I stepped past the safe zone boundary.
The moment we did, a familiar system window popped up before my eyes.
The master of the Forest of Beginnings, 'Eunha', has returned.
But... who's that scoundrel next to her?
"Wha? Scoundrel?"
I blinked repeatedly at the sudden status window.
Scoundrel? What did that even mean? The only one next to me was my landlord sister—was it talking about her?
Ding! The system window chimed again.
*Caution: Beware of the yellow-clad tentacle monster...*
Whoosh!
As I stared blankly at the system window, my landlord sister waved her hand right in front of my face.
The window scattered into the air and vanished.
"Eunha's system window seems different from other awakeners'. All it does is spout nonsense."
"R-right? That's what I think too! The skill descriptions are hard to understand, and it never warns me about anything important. I was getting pretty annoyed..."
Huh? Wait a sec. Could awakeners normally see each other's system windows and status screens?
I widened my eyes at her, and she gently stroked my head.
"Huh? You can see mine too, sis?"
"Uh...?"
My words barely finished when her stroking hand froze.
"M-maybe you read it out loud without realizing?"
"I don't think so..."
"Mumbled it?"
"I was being really quiet just now, though?"
Suddenly, she pointed off to the side and shouted loudly.
"Oh! Eunha, what's that over there? I thought there were no monsters on the first floor, but that thing looks alive??"
"M-monster?"
I whipped my gaze toward where she pointed. Shockingly, there really was a live monster.
A bizarre creature with bat-like wings—kind of like a giant bee or maybe a lizard.
No idea why a non-goblin was on the first floor, but I grabbed my landlord sister's hand and tugged.
"W-we should chase it!"
"Sigh..."
Until now, I'd become the first floor's master, and suddenly the monsters vanished??
They'd even fled to the city everywhere, which had me worried sick. Spotting one here? No way I was letting it go.
We chased the weird winged monster together, but it vanished right before the boss room where the Goblin King had been.
I stared at the citadel door and let out a big sigh.
"Uuu."
"Oh, right, Eunha. I forgot to ask—why'd you come to the first floor anyway?"
At her question, I pulled my eyes from the gate and answered.
"Oh, well. Last time, I beat the Goblin King here and became the first floor's owner."
"Yeah, you did."
"But after I took over, the goblins all fled to the city. I wondered if it was my fault..."
I fidgeted with my fingers and continued.
"If it was because of me, um, I figured I should fix the problem first, then apologize. My orphanage teacher always said you have to take responsibility..."
Hearing my serious dilemma, my landlord sister went blank for a moment, then burst out laughing, shoulders shaking.
"Pfft, heh, ahahaha!"
"S-sis? Why are you laughing?"
I hadn't said anything funny—maybe she was a little weird.
"Sorry for laughing. You're just so admirable and cute, Eunha. You came all the way here for something so trivial—no, so purely kind?"
She poked my cheek and said it with a delighted grin.
"Then shall we head into the Refugee's Citadel? Byakhee..., no, that monster vanished around here, so maybe it went inside?"
I nodded and approached the massive stone door of the citadel.
Come to think of it, last time Im Ji-won had knocked three times— was that how you opened it?
I knocked on the door three times just like her, and the gate creaked open wide.
Kreeeeak——
You have entered the Refugee's Citadel.
As I stepped inside the boss room, another system window appeared, as expected.
But one difference from before...
[Forest of Beginnings Administrator Mode Executed]
...another system window popped up.