Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Floor 33 (1)
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The moment I opened the front door and stepped inside.
I couldn't believe my eyes.
The house looked like it had been hit by a bomb.
"What the...?"
The floor was covered in sand.
Blankets and cushions were scattered everywhere haphazardly.
A bag of snacks lay on the floor, half its contents spilled out.
And some unidentified sticky liquid pooled on the ground.
It was like a thief had ransacked the place.
No, even a thief would have left it cleaner than this.
"Little Sage of the Desert, one who possesses the wealth of a hundred chickens, god of civil engineering...."
The visual shock wasn't the only thing filling the house.
In the middle of the living room stood a flag planted firmly.
A noisy voice kept blaring from it nonstop.
"I definitely turned that function off...."
Booming sound effects and a mechanical voice echoed through the entire house, way too loud for no reason.
The culprit was obvious.
"That damn Ultra-1...."
My hands trembled as I clenched them into fists.
All the fatigue from running around Seoul all day turned to rage in an instant.
But the culprit was nowhere to be seen.
"Hey! Where are you?"
My shout was answered only by the echo of the empty house.
Ultra-1 had vanished without a trace.
I rubbed my forehead.
"Oh, my head...."
I flung open every door in the house, searching for the little guy.
The underground training room, bedroom, bathroom.
But he was nowhere.
The last place left was the glass door leading to the backyard.
I opened it and stepped outside.
And there, I finally found the culprit.
"What are you doing here?"
Ultra-1 was locked in a bizarre wrestling match with a creature about his size.
He seemed completely engrossed, not even noticing I'd arrived.
"A cat?"
His opponent was a stray with black fur.
The cat eyed Ultra-1 warily, hissing fiercely.
Ultra-1 cautiously extended a sandy finger, trying to pet the cat's head.
Every time his hand got close, the cat swiped with its paw like a cotton swab.
Each time those sharp claws scraped against Ultra-1's body, it made a sound like nails on stone.
"...?"
Ultra-1 didn't seem to feel a thing, just tilting his head in confusion.
Undeterred by the attacks, Ultra-1 grabbed the cat.
It was more play than fight.
Finally, after persistent tries, Ultra-1 succeeded in grabbing the cat around the waist and climbing on top.
The cat dashed this way and that to shake him off, but Ultra-1 was thrilled.
"Hey."
"...!"
At my low voice, Ultra-1's shoulders jerked.
Only then did he notice me, slowly turning his head.
Panic was written all over his face.
"Sigh...."
I let out a breath and approached the cat.
I stomped my foot lightly and waved my hand.
"Hey, shoo. Go on, get lost."
"Kyaa!"
The cat hesitated for a second, then bolted over the fence like a shot.
"Whew...."
I sighed in relief, thinking the problem was finally solved.
But that was just my illusion.
Ultra-1, standing beside me, tugged at my clothes.
He stared sadly at the spot where the cat had vanished.
And then a clear thread of intent transmitted straight into my mind.
I looked up in shock.
"What? You want to keep the cat?"
I shook my head firmly.
"No way in hell."
At my refusal, Ultra-1's body slumped.
Undaunted, he looked up at me with pleading eyes, sending more intent.
"You're bored when you're alone?"
I pointed toward the house.
The trashed interior.
"You wrecked the place like this, and now you want a cat? How much more destruction do you plan?"
At my words, Ultra-1 flinched and hung his head.
He must have finally remembered what he'd done.
His sandy face turned pitiful.
His shoulders trembled like he was about to burst into tears.
Looking at him like that, my rage from moments ago melted away like snow, and my resolve weakened.
"...No, still not happening."
But that didn't mean I could just let a cat move in.
I had zero confidence in raising a living creature.
I'd never owned a pet.
What food to give it? How do vaccinations work?
I knew nothing.
Above all, I was a lazy slob who could barely take care of myself.
I doubted either of us had that level of responsibility.
"..."
Still, Ultra-1's dejected form tugged at me.
I couldn't bear to see him staring at the ground with slumped shoulders anymore.
"Sigh... Fine, fine, just stop looking so down."
At my words, Ultra-1's head snapped up.
A faint spark of hope lit his face.
Pretending to give in, I compromised a step.
"No bringing it inside the house, ever. Instead...."
I pointed to the backyard.
"We compromise on just playing here in the yard. I'll even allow it if the cat comes while I'm out."
That was the best concession I could offer.
I wasn't ready to play full-time pet owner, but turning the yard into a playground was doable.
At my proposal, the gloom around Ultra-1 visibly lifted.
He nodded slightly.
Not fully satisfied, but accepting it.
'I'll look into pet care later.'
I thought to myself.
Or make him a sibling, Unit 2.
Now that I had a prosthetic, I was even thinking of a forge-exclusive Unit 2.
But first, deal with the immediate mess.
"Alright, you know what to do now, right?"
I jerked my chin toward the wrecked house.
Without a word, Ultra-1 turned and silently began cleaning.
***
Before heading to Floor 33.
I'd learned one lesson from Floor 32.
The importance of a flag.
In this world, at least, a flag was one way to prove who you were.
If I'd carried one, I wouldn't have been dismissed as a kid.
I wasn't repeating that mistake.
"Hold this."
I handed Ultra-1 the pristine white flag embroidered with a golden hourglass.
He took it and started waving it vigorously side to side.
"Don't shake it.... Actually, whatever. Do what you want."
This flag had a function to declare territory and grandly introduce its owner.
Of course, I had no plans to activate that option.
I'd inputted a short, simple message myself.
[Tower Floor 33 (EXTREME) Entry.]
The starting point wasn't the battlefield this time either.
When I opened my eyes, I was in a strategy room with a table.
Almost identical to the scene on Floor 32.
No one seemed to notice my sudden appearance.
They were still deep in serious discussion.
I quietly scanned the room.
'That guy's....'
A familiar face caught my eye.
Court Mage Gerard.
He still wore his ornate robe, but he didn't look the same.
The wrinkles on his face were deeper, his hair pure white.
The marks of time were clear.
"What do you know to say something like that!"
But his personality hadn't changed.
Gerard was sharply berating one of the young commanders.
"Kids who haven't even lived through the war fifteen years ago!"
"But Sir Gerard, if we keep going like this...."
"Quiet! How dare a puny knight argue with a mage?"
I let out a small chuckle at the sight.
That old man's the same as ever.
Looking closer, even the king's face was different.
Not the old king from Floor 32.
A much younger, boyish king watched the group with an anxious expression.
'Quite some time has passed, huh....'
It seemed like a few years after the previous floor.
Feeling glad to see them, I walked over and spoke.
"Hello."
My voice cut through the room's noise like a lie.
Every gaze snapped to me.
And among them was Gerard.
He turned toward the sound, and the moment our eyes met, he froze solid.
His eyes twitched.
"Gasp... Hnng...!"
Gerard gasped raggedly.
His mouth worked like he was trying to speak, but no coherent sound came out.
With his face drained white, he pointed a trembling finger at me.
"Th-that thing... A-ah...!"
"Long time no see. You look like you've aged a lot."
"Aaah... Aaagh...!"
Unable to even respond to my cheerful greeting, Gerard's body toppled backward.
Thud—he hit the floor.
"Huh?"
"Sir Gerard!"
"Master!"
Chaos erupted in an instant.
A young mage who seemed to be his apprentice rushed over to check on him.
After taking his pulse, the apprentice sighed in relief.
"He's just fainted. His age must have caught up.... He couldn't handle the sudden shock."
The apprentice called soldiers to carry his master out.
Then he turned to me with a troubled look.
"I'm sorry. Master is quite elderly.... Anyway, who might you be...?"
The others in the room, including the king, mostly didn't recognize me.
To them, I was just some mysterious kid who'd appeared out of nowhere.
Wary stares pierced me.
I glanced around.
No Seymour to introduce me.
'No, how much time has passed?'
No one recognized me.
Of course, I didn't recognize any of them either.
"Hmm.... Is Seymour not here?"
My question froze the room's air.
Everyone fell silent, faces grim.
The young king spoke heavily.
"To dare utter Sir Seymour's name in this situation. Are you mocking me?"
The knights' hands went to their sword hilts in unison.
I sensed things were getting complicated.
That's why I'd brought the flag.
I nodded to Ultra-1.
"Wave it."
Ultra-1 stepped forward and raised the flag high.
As he shook it excitedly, a booming roar shook the room in sync.
"The Savior of the Kingdom and the Little Sage of the Desert arrives—!"
"Ahem."
Embarrassing, but that should suffice for an intro.
Sure enough, the wariness in their eyes vanished instantly.
Replaced by shock.
The young king asked me in a trembling voice.
"Are you... that legendary sage from the tales...?"
I nodded.
Now we're talking.
I walked to the table and sat in an empty chair.
"Mind explaining what's going on? And how much time has passed?"
An old prime minister beside the king stepped forward to explain.
"Fifteen years...."
Since my last appearance, fifteen years had passed.
The kingdom had been at peace until recently, when the orcs launched a massive invasion.
And a few days ago, the kingdom's pride, Seymour and his elite knights, suffered a crushing defeat.
"Sir Seymour and the surviving knights were all taken prisoner."
Despair shadowed the king's face again.
"According to their barbaric customs, they'll be publicly executed at a victory festival soon."
The room's mood was bleak.
They were planning a rescue, but discussions were going in circles with no real plan.
I listened quietly as it all sank in.
'So the quest for this floor is rescuing Seymour.'
I nodded readily.
"Got it. I'll bring them back."