The One Exception

…Yumina held her for a good long while until the child finally calmed down. Thankfully, this time she didn't slink off wordlessly to a corner like before. Instead…

"…I didn't cry, yang."

"Pardon?"

"I was just sighing a teensy bit, and then I yawned, yang."

"…I see."

"That's right, yang."

…We'll go with that, Mijeong child.

A little time passed, but we're still inside the gate. No exit in sight. So right now, I'm sitting ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in a corner with the child, taking a short rest.

Looking at her beside me, she's recovered so well it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠makes that earlier staggering seem like a lie. Her voice is clear, and the wound on her hand has already vanished. Impressive regeneration, Mijeong child.

Her mood seems much better too… from that happy little meeeh.

Good.

…Now I can probably ask the questions I've been wondering about.

"Mijeong child."

"Yessum!"

"Earlier… it seemed like you used the Taunt skill, correct?"

"Meeeh! That's right, yang! Yumina sis!! I leveled up earlier… Eek!"

"……Leveled up? But your job is Warrior, Mijeong child."

"Uh, w-well… yang…."

Mijeong child's job is Warrior. But where in her actions earlier was anything resembling a warrior's behavior?

…Ah.

"I see how it is. Understood."

"…Whine?"

"Warrior is a very basic job. Which means a wide range of actions qualify as job-appropriate behavior."

"Like that stuff, yang?"

"Yes. So I suspect the status window recognized your enthusiastic yelling as warrior-like action."

"…Why would yelling hard count as warrior stuff, yang?"

"More precisely, it was evaluating the effort itself—circling around the enemy."

Of course, effort alone rarely leads to a level-up. But Mijeong child had never leveled up before, and her opponent was far superior in rank. She might have gotten bonus points for that.

Level-ups are ultimately up to the status window's judgment, after all.

I explained my thoughts, and Mijeong child seemed convinced.

"Mmm… sounds right, yang!"

"But you got lucky. The status window gives appropriate rewards with each level-up, so getting Taunt isn't odd…."

"…But?"

"An F-rank Taunt had very low odds of working on that wolf."

"Whine? Yumina sis!! My Taunt isn't F-rank or anything, yang!! It's A-rank, yang!!"

"……Pardon?"

An A-rank skill right from the first level-up? And with the most basic job, Warrior? Normally, you start with F or E-rank skills and gradually improve them through level-ups.

"Whine… d-did something weird happen, yang?"

"…No, nothing like that. Don't worry. It seems you've quickly found ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠your true talent, Mijeong child."

Regardless of what the status window lists as your job, everyone has their own talents and preferences. When those align with job actions, level-ups come faster, and rewards are a bit better.

I started out as an Archer myself. But focusing on sniping actions sped up my level-ups and improved rewards dramatically. Before I knew it, I'd advanced to Sniper.

…Even so, I'd never gotten an A-rank skill from a single level-up.

Which means, within the broad Warrior category, Mijeong child has… tremendous talent for drawing aggro, blocking attacks, dodging… in simple terms, tanking at the front lines.

"……."

"Yumina sis? What's wrong, yang?"

…An 8-year-old child with abnormally high agility and regeneration… right at the vanguard… as a tank….

"Yumina sis? You okay, yang?"

She dodges well… minor grazes heal fast, but… one solid hit… could be fatal…?

"……Heavens above."

"Whine?"

"It's nothing."

Why does such a small, adorable child have talent in that direction of all things?

…I have to protect her.

A bit more time passed. Mijeong child seems a little anxious now.

…Me too, a little.

"Yumina sis, we really beat the boss, right, yang?"

"Yes. I confirmed it earlier—it's definite."

"Whine… then why hasn't the escape message popped up yet, yang?"

"…I can't pinpoint the cause either."

Maybe because it's not a normal gate. Normally, after killing the boss, the status window prompts whether to exit.

But there's no response from the status window, and no rescue team's arrived.

"Eek! Yumina sis! I just realized something weird, yang!!!"

"What is it?"

"Why hasn't that wolf's body disappeared even though it's been dead a while, yang?"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Hm? Ah… that's not unusual. It's the boss, after all."

"Whaa?"

"Bosses—and powerful monsters in general—take time to despawn."

The bigger and stronger the monster, the slower the body vanishes. Especially bosses. That's why you stick around inside after the gate closes—to collect the valuable boss byproducts.

"Whine, still… it makes me uneasy, yang."

"I understand, Mijeong child. When I was little, I worried dead bosses might revive too."

…But even for a boss, it should be gone by now. We've rested plenty, and my mana has recovered substantially. For the anxious child's sake, maybe check once more.

Yep, definitely dead.

That was my thought when—

Shwaaaaa—

The anomaly struck suddenly.

A brilliant light poured down from the sky. At first, I thought it was the exit manifesting. We'd entered through a gate on the ground, after all.

But no.

The light cascaded onto the dead wolf.

My Golden Eye fed me updated info.

"Mijeong child, behind me."

A blessing is, simply put… a buff from another being. But I've never heard of one that revives the dead.

…Even Europe's Saint couldn't revive the already deceased.

Then this light… who cast it? And from where?

From within the light, the dead wolf rose. A new head sprouted beside the hole-ridden old one.

I've already deployed Panoptica. No potions left, but rest was ample.

One more strike—

It moved.

"Meeeeh!"

Yumina sis grabbed me from behind and hurled me away. Why all of a sudden?

Before I could figure it out—

Thud!!

"Aaaah!!"

The wolf rising from the light instantly shoved Yumina sis aside, sending her flying.

"Sis yang!!!"

Yumina sis crashed into the wall far away and collapsed.

In her place stood the massive wolf… now with two heads.

…If sis hadn't thrown me, I'd be—

[Grrrrrr]

Why? That light just now….

…Figure it out later! No way I'm curling up again now.

First things first….

Whoosh.

The wolf glanced at where sis fell, then turned to stare at me.

But whatever! Not scary at all!!

If it charges, I'll dodge whoosh again and head straight for sis—

[Poor thing.]

"…Huh? Did you just… talk, yang?"

…It's different from before. It was just a raging beast howling and attacking.

Now… it's speaking.

What? Not just revived—evolved too?

The wolf, once a mere beast, kept staring at me.

[I won't help you. But I won't kill you either.]

"What… the heck does that even mean, yang!!"

No answer.

It glanced once at sis collapsed in the corner, then ignored us both and walked to the cave's center.

…Fine, I won't pay attention to you either.

I bolted straight to sis. Her condition's what matters now.

"Yumina sis! You okay, yang!?"

"…Ugh… uuu…."

Good. She's still alive.

…But not good. Blood's flowing from her head, and she's unconscious.

What can I do right now? Heal sis? Can't. Take down the wolf? Can't. Give up and curl up? No way.

…Keep thinking. Something… please, you're not an idiot!

"……Meeeh!"

I pulled a small item from my pocket. The emergency escape device Yumina sis gave me earlier. I'd forgotten to give it back, so I still had it.

First, check the details.

No good. This only works on me. Sis is out cold—she can't use it alone.

Another way! Think… something I can do….

"Ugh! Get lost, yang!"

Again?! Last time it popped up, they started fighting among themselves or whatever.

You're just gonna block it anyway! Quit blocking my view for nothing!

Wait a sec.

…This is the dark red status window.

Why? Last time, this one was the one trying to stop the release.

Doesn't matter. Pointless.

"…Even if you let me release it now, I'm not gonna, yang."

First, emergency aid. Head wound's bleeding bad right now.

That wolf seems content to leave us alone, so if I cut my clothes or pants with Partner—

"I said get lost, yang!!!"

"What's with you from earlier, yang!!"

"You!! You're the one who told me to remember my wish, yang!"

"The one who said no exceptions to Little Lamb's details, yang!"

"You kept blocking me, so why now offer release, yang!?"

"Thanks from earlier, yang! I remembered it crystal clear!!"

"Why I made that wish! The vow I swore back then!!"

"So I won't get swept up in weird situations anymore, yang!"

"Thanks to the wish you told me to remember, yang!!"

"I'll save Yumina sis myself, yang!!"

"You think I'd just say yes and release now?! "

"You could talk to me anyway, yang!!"

"If you really want me to release, say something—anything—yang!!!"

"……Whaa?"

The text vanishes.

And then.

"Exception?… Yumina sis dying right now is that exception, yang?"

"…You think I'd release without the most important part, yang?"

"……!"

The dark red status window asks again.

And sis… she's lost a lot of blood. I can smell it.

…Yeah. I've decided.

"I'll release it, yang."

Reasons aplenty, but since it's urgent, just one: I liked hearing "your choice."

Not forcing me with power or circumstances—truly asking my choice.

…It felt sincere. That even if I abandoned sis, it wouldn't do anything to me.

Not that I'd ever abandon her.

This time, it really released.

…No clue what happens next.

Anything's fine. Just… please let me save sis quick.

My consciousness fades. Exhaustion crashes in.

…My final thought… a twinge of regret.

Say what you will, in the end.

I ended up wishing to some unknowable existence again—

—No need.

I remembered.

Who I am.

What I can do.

Who in the world makes a wish… to themselves?