Ch.120Steadfast Backdoor

# 120. Stubborn Back Door

“….”

“….”

“Why are you standing there so awkwardly? Come in.”

Rewinding time a bit, about two hours before Seonghyun woke up.

Soyu was in room 301.

“Um, well, you see…”

“Sit down first. Would you like some tea? I still have some tea leaves that Seyeon brought from Albrant.”

“Ah, yes.”

Subin took out two teacups from her inventory, scooped an appropriate amount of tea leaves into them, and poured water. Then she snapped her fingers.

“I’m always amazed by that delicate skill every time I see it.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

A small flame sphere floated above the tea water. It was for heating the tea.

“Seyeon and Yuri are training with Arang this morning, as usual.”

“I see.”

“I can guess what happened last night and what you’re about to say. But I should hear it from you first.”

When the water started to boil, Subin snapped her fingers again. The flame sphere disappeared, and Subin pushed a teacup toward Soyu.

For a while, room 301 was filled with the sound of slurping tea.

“I came to report.”

“…Report?”

“Yes. A report that I also became Seonghyun’s woman last night.”

*Click*

Subin put down her teacup and rubbed between her eyebrows.

“Is that all?”

“And that Seonghyun seemed very tired, so it might be better not to wake him up until lunchtime today.”

“Very tired? Him?”

“Yes.”

Subin, who had been trying to take this expected news as calmly as possible, was bothered by this unexpected detail.

“He’s not usually like that.”

“Well, at the end… he just collapsed while we were doing it.”

“…”

Looking at Soyu, who was blushing with embarrassment, Subin felt strangely offended.

But getting angry over something she didn’t fully understand would be silly. She hadn’t planned to get angry in the first place. She could always ask Seonghyun about it later.

“Okay. I understand.”

“Huh? That’s it?”

“What else? Did you want me to get angry and pull your hair out?”

“Ah, no. Not that.”

Soyu was taken aback by how coolly Subin was taking it.

“Going from one of three to one of four isn’t great, of course. But you’re not a stranger… I’ve already decided to think of our guild as half-family. So I’m just going to consider yesterday as gaining a new, closer family member. That’s easier for me. Regardless of how I feel.”

“Subin.”

*I knew having Seonghyun all to myself was impossible from the start.*

“If you want, the three spots in room 301 will rotate now. Would you like that?”

“…Yes.”

“Alright. I’ll let Seyeon and Yuri know.”

“No. I should be the one to tell them.”

Subin and Soyu’s eyes met briefly.

“Fine. Do as you wish.”

“Yes. The tea was good. Thank you.”

After Soyu left, Subin poured more water into the teacup and closed her eyes.

*Just a little while.

Let me stay like this for just 30 minutes.*

Until her emotions completely settle down.

**

[Stubborn Back Door]

[Level 12][Title: Tower Entrant]

[Class: Blitz Ranger]

[Strength: 10][Agility: 10][Endurance: 10][Magic Power: 10][Will: 10]

[Remaining Points: 13]

[Skills 10]

[Common Skills 4]

– Rest(2)

– Basic Body Techniques(2)

– Basic Dagger Skills(3)

– Basic Archery(3)

[Class Skills 6]

– Human Expert(1)

– Ambush(2)

– Pinpoint Strike(2)

– Ranger’s Sprint(2)

– Silent Steps(2)

– Ranger’s Observation(1)

Arang sighed looking at her specs. She felt like her previously steep progress had already hit a speed bump.

“What’s wrong, Arang unni?”

“I just feel like I’m still far from becoming a force that would satisfy the guild leader.”

“Come on, you’ve already gained 5 levels with a body that couldn’t even run properly! And you’ve learned so many skills too.”

“That’s right. Skill levels rise quickly once you go into actual combat. But unni, you haven’t even experienced real combat yet and you’ve already awakened major skills despite your previously ill body. Oppa said there might be some compensation effect, but even considering that, you’re doing really well.”

“You think so?”

“Definitely!”

Arang was so grateful for her dongsaengs. Though she looked like the youngest on the outside, these reliable dongsaengs were helping her as if it were their own business, even though they must be eager for their own growth too.

That’s why she worked even harder. She wanted to repay them quickly. She wanted to stand as their equal, not just receive help one-sidedly.

And it was so exciting to be able to move freely in a healthy body until she was drenched in sweat.

She got goosebumps when killing monsters with a bow and crossbow, and nearly vomited for a while when killing with a dagger… but she had mostly overcome that now.

“So what quest did you get today?”

Arang asked cheerfully for the sake of her dongsaengs who were comforting her. They immediately changed their expressions to serious ones and handed her a piece of paper.

「Bandit Extermination」

Incapacitate or eliminate the bandits who are particularly active around Venas. See attachments for high-crime areas, bandit list with sketches, and reward details.

“This is…”

“It’s the final stage of the tutorial for Arang unni.”

“Final stage?”

“Killing monsters and killing people are completely different things. Even if they’re bad guys.”

Yuri recalled what happened on the third floor and Soyu’s panic.

“I don’t know if it’s because I was always like this or because I get excited at the sight of blood, but I didn’t have much hesitation. Seyeon unni rarely kills enemies directly, so she gets a pass. But Arang unni, you’ll be doing a lot of sniping and assassination work in the future, right?”

“…Right.”

“Plus, doesn’t unni have that passive in your class? The one that gives extra damage against human-types?”

“Yes.”

“Oppa will probably use Arang unni a lot for that kind of work. When things get rough, they get really rough, and while your body might suffer, at least your mind needs to stay intact. I experienced it myself. If your mind breaks… hah, it’s really dangerous.”

If your body is tired or injured, it’s a visible injury that can be treated immediately or you can retire and return after healing.

But what if your mind breaks?

It’s hard to notice right away, which makes it more dangerous. It’s not just dangerous for that person alone, but could involve teammates too.

Yuri had learned this through painfully bitter experience, so she gave sincere advice with all playfulness removed.

“And don’t hold it in thinking you’ll be a burden. You need to let us know right away. I’m not sure if this is the right advice to give, but I think you need to face human opponents before you start climbing the tower in earnest.”

“Yes. We should make it so Soyu unni doesn’t have to use attack magic if possible. Now that Yehyun unni is here, and Arang unni has joined too.”

Arang’s hand tightened around her dagger.

*Killing people, or enemies that look like people.*

It was something she used to do so easily.

As a ‘character.’

Now, thinking about having to do it herself, running on two feet and using her own two hands…

“Nervous?”

“Yes. But… I’m okay.”

Along with the tension and fear, there was a different kind of trembling coexisting. Though she didn’t know the reason for that trembling, Arang had confidence in herself.

A confidence bordering on baseless self-assurance that she would do well.

So Arang didn’t say anything more to her dongsaengs and calmly followed them.

“Oh right. We’re going outside Venas, so do we have to pay the entrance fee again when we come back?”

“No, unni. It says here in tiny print in the corner that you can use this quest token as your entrance fee.”

“That’s so shady! They’re not selling insurance or something, why write it so small? If we hadn’t noticed, we would have paid the entrance fee again!”

Arang felt a bit uneasy leaving Venas with just the three of them, but it seemed silly to be the only one worried when her two dongsaengs showed no tension at all.

*I might be shorter, with a less impressive face and body than them, but I don’t want to fall behind in this too!*

So Arang pretended to be nonchalant and chatted with her dongsaengs. Then suddenly, Yuri, who was walking ahead, stopped and looked back. When Seyeon asked with hand gestures if there were ‘enemies,’ Yuri nodded.

*’Enemies’?*

“Well, if it’s strategy-obsessed oppa, he’d probably remember this exactly too. This quest’s appropriate level is around early level 10 or so. Depending on the situation, it might be a bit tough for Arang unni. But with me and Seyeon unni here, there’s no risk of dying. That’s for sure.”

“Yuri. You shouldn’t be overconfident or careless.”

“Unni’s right. But I’m not alone. And knowing the level means we don’t need to be too cautious either. Arang unni. Over there. No, that way. Yeah, can you see something there? Focus and look carefully.”

Arang activated ‘Ranger’s Observation’ by moving her magic power. Then she noticed a subtle discrepancy in what she had thought was just an ordinary part of the background.

“There seems to be something a bit off there.”

“Right. It’s probably the bandits’ camouflage. It’s only visible like that because we’re far away, but when we get closer, you’ll see it’s not that high-level disguise.”

*Bandits.*

Arang secretly gulped as the quest targets drew nearer.

“Seyeon unni. What should we do?”

“In the game, they were annoying enemies who would run away at the first sign of trouble, so let’s approach as stealthily as possible. It’ll also be a good chance to use Arang unni’s specialty. What do you think?”

“Okay. Arang unni! We’ll follow right behind you, so want to try infiltrating?”

“…Yes. I’ll give it a try.”

Arang’s heart began to pound harder than ever before.