Ch.109A Numbing Day

# 109. A Heavy Day

After the reward room collapsed, we postponed our floor exploration and prepared to camp first. There seemed to be no danger around, and it didn’t feel like anything would suddenly attack us.

Besides, even though there had been no danger on floor 3-2, we needed to recharge, and above all, Arang had just joined us.

Standing on two legs, Arang was smaller than I expected and older than she looked.

“Huh? You’re twenty-two with that face? Isn’t that fraud?”

“Wow. You’re older than us. Arang unni.”

The comparison was particularly stark against our two physically strongest members, who were twenty and twenty-one. Seyeon was originally 170cm tall, and Yuri was 173cm. And they weren’t model-skinny either—Yuri was even muscular.

In contrast, Arang was maybe in the mid-150s. What’s certain is that she wasn’t 160cm. Of course, no one directly mentioned her body size or height. Everyone had enough tact and common sense for that. So we were all surprised by how young Arang looked despite her age.

“I’m… unni…?”

Arang was also surprised. Maybe it was visual shock to be called “unni” by two women who were a head taller than her, or perhaps she was shocked that these two sexy amazons were more normal than expected and calling her “unni.”

I didn’t bother asking which it was.

After setting up camp and completing our introductions, we washed up, changed clothes, and gathered around the campfire.

Maybe it was because we had successfully completed the mission, safely brought back a new raid member, washed up, and were sitting in front of a warm fire. My body and mind felt relaxed and drowsy.

But I couldn’t doze off when everyone was waiting for me to speak.

“It started after I cleared Mensi Mapercle, when I checked my achievements.”

From the moment I entered the tower until the moment I summoned Arang.

I kept my promise to tell them everything later. Sometimes when I missed something, the raid members would fill in the gaps (mostly Subin), or they would just brag about what they wanted to say or their own accomplishments (mostly Yuri).

Arang listened to us silently. She didn’t seem like a talkative person by nature. It could be that she was still shy around us, but that was the impression I got.

Anyway, after all the explanations were finished, I was drinking water for my parched throat when Arang finally spoke.

“What I’ve heard would make a decent novel if I wrote it down.”

“Does what we’ve been through really sound like a novel?”

“You’ve all been through a lot. And I’m glad everyone’s safe. I was really worried.”

“How can even your way of speaking be so cute?!”

Yehyun noona, who was sitting next to her, couldn’t resist and hugged Arang again. After resisting a few times, Arang gave up and continued talking while being embraced.

“I’m not particularly angry about being brought to this world.”

“Really?”

“If I had been the first one summoned, it might have been different. Because I’m… like this.”

“What’s wrong with our Arang!”

“Ugh.”

Yehyun noona clung to Arang’s face like a cat. Arang’s pale face turned completely strawberry red.

“The doctor told me that if I did rehabilitation consistently for a long time, I would be able to walk. But what does ‘able to walk’ really mean? It means I can’t run, can’t walk fast, can’t walk like others.”

It was actually a miracle that I survived then, and being able to walk at all was a miracle too.

We all nodded at her quietly added words.

I still can’t forget.

Young Arang’s legs…

“Ahem, ahem. Ah, sorry. This is the first time I’ve talked so much.”

“It’s okay. No need to rush. Tell us if it hurts.”

Soyu noona looked ready to shoot light again if necessary. Arang, who even drank water cutely, let out a deep sigh.

“I don’t want to dwell on how my legs got better, just like how the raid leader didn’t want to dwell on being dragged here. It feels like I received two gifts when I was about to give up on everything.”

“Two gifts? I understand one, but what’s the other?”

“…”

Arang avoided eye contact. But unfortunately, Yuri was right there. And Yuri didn’t miss it.

“Hmm? What could this gift be that’s making our Arang unni look so embarrassed? Man, I’m really curious!”

“S-stop it!”

“When someone says stop, it just makes me want to do it more! Yehyun unni! Hold her tight!”

Yuri jumped up, wiggling her fingers creepily as she approached Arang and…

“Eek! S-stop!”

Started tickling her mercilessly.

Seyeon, unable to watch anymore, pulled Yuri away, but Arang was already in shambles.

“Yuri.”

“Hehe, yes?”

“You need to know when to stop.”

“Ack! Aah! Ugh!”

Seyeon and I punished Yuri on Arang’s behalf. Arang, who had been catching her breath while leaning against Yehyun noona, sat up with a small smile at Yuri’s exaggerated gestures.

“So very sexy.”

“Right? Ack!”

“When I’m completely better, be prepared. I’ll pay you back double.”

“Oh? I’m looking forward to that.”

Whether Yuri intended it or not, the atmosphere improved even more. Arang fidgeted with her hands as she spoke.

“It’s strange. To think that I’ll be drawing bowstrings and wielding daggers with these hands.”

“I never imagined I’d be swinging dual axes either!”

“Me too. This might be called a shield, but isn’t it a weapon when swung at people?”

“Hey. At least you guys have something tangible. Do you know how much my head hurt trying to research magic that doesn’t even exist? Especially with that Ban Sunghyun constantly staring at me with expectant eyes.”

“And what about holy power?”

“Hey, the spirits somehow worked when I desperately wished for them. Wasn’t it like that for everyone?”

The raid members rambled about how they awakened and mastered their skills. The gist was:

‘Somehow learned it, and it improves with practice.’

We couldn’t explain it any better than that. At least Arang was a physical DPS, so Seyeon and Yuri’s advice might be helpful.

So I told her not to worry too much. There was a high probability we’d reach a neutral city soon, so there would be plenty of time.

Besides, it seemed almost certain that there was some kind of adjustment for those summoned later. I believed Arang would do well.

The night grew deep.

We agreed to continue our unfinished conversations later and dispersed into three tents. Arang went into tent #3 with Yehyun noona and Soyu noona (someone had strongly insisted on this arrangement).

“See you tomorrow.”

“…Yes, raid leader.”

“Sleep well.”

Arang, who had practically become Yehyun noona’s attachment doll, walked slowly but with sure steps toward tent #3.

As I watched her back, silently cheering her on, I heard the voices of three women deciding who would sleep in tent #1 with me.

I hurriedly intervened.

“I’m sorry, but could I sleep alone tonight?”

“What?”

“Please.”

“But why—”

Instead of answering, I pulled Yuri close and kissed her hard. This was becoming addictive—it was too effective at postponing most situations.

While Yuri was still dazed, I gave Seyeon and Subin each a fair kiss too. They seemed to understand I had my reasons and obediently went to tent #2.

Of course, this was just postponing the issue, not resolving it…

“When we reach the city, you know, oppa?”

Deciding to leave that problem to my future self, I picked up the black cat who had been staring at the stars in the corner and headed to tent #1.

“Danya. Let’s have a proper talk now.”

“…”

“Aren’t you happy, Danya?”

Danya jumped out of my arms and curled up in the corner of the tent.

“Of course, it would be inappropriate to say everything was enjoyable. For you, a legendary Ayor, seeing what happened to your kind must have been painful. But we crushed them. Thoroughly and properly. So badly that they won’t even spit in the direction of Ayord for a while.”

“…”

“Danya. This is the freedom and adventure you wanted so much. And… I can’t tell you how grateful I am that thanks to you, I was able to save Yuri, my companion and lover.”

“Nyaang.”

[You’re right. I’m definitely not unaffected.]

Finally, Danya spoke.

“Nyaaang…”

[I’ve only left Ayord a little, only been with a few new humans, but each day has changed so much. Freedom. Adventure. It was thrilling. But…]

Only Danya’s eyes gleamed in the darkness.

“Nyat. Nyaaat.”

[I just… felt it. You and I really were born in different worlds. Fundamentally different. This feeling. You treat me very well, and kindly explain things I don’t understand. I think that’s really fortunate. But… there’s a wall. Maybe I feel it more because my soul is bound. Sometimes, you feel too alien to me. That scares me.]

“Me?”

“Nyaaaa…”

[This game thing you talked about. The tower, portals, quests… I had this thought. What if your swords had been pointed at Ayors instead of Albs? What would have happened?]

“That would never happen.”

“Nyat.”

[The quest? The story? That’s what matters, right? That’s why. What I thought was a whole new adventure, from your perspective seems like… just a path to get through as quickly as possible.]

It wasn’t easy to argue against that.

“Nyaaang… nyat.”

[I just felt complicated about it. It’s a privileged complaint, so don’t worry about me and focus on your tasks. I’ll continue to help you as best I can. But… I think I need some time.]

Danya didn’t come to my side. Instead of picking her up, I covered her with my clothes. She didn’t reject that much at least.

In many ways, it had been a heavy day.