Ch.2323 – I’m Perfectly Fine

<23 – I’m Perfectly Fine>

Cute. While watching the shy Oknodie, the examinees felt both healing and confusion.

The ridiculously large monkey beastkin was one thing, but her companions—the female adventurer and the man with a decent beard—didn’t look particularly strong.

If it wasn’t for her companions’ help, how could such a small child become the top scorer?

“I will grant a special privilege to Miss Oknodie, who passed the first gate with the highest score. This privilege allows you to skip the remaining gates and immediately pass the entrance exam.”

Envious gazes poured in from all directions.

“Congratulations.”

“Lucky you, little mouse.”

“Go ahead and take it. You deserve to pass.”

Giselle, Son Ocheon, Isabelle.

Everyone offered their congratulations.

Even Examiner Monk Myungho was waiting, wondering why she wasn’t using the privilege yet.

Such expectations.

Oknodie casually shattered them.

“I don’t want to.”

“You’re refusing to use the privilege?”

“If I use it, only I would pass.”

“Immediate acceptance is a privilege granted only to the top scorer.”

“I don’t abandon my companions.”

Her companions’ eyes filled with emotion.

“How childlike.”

“What a foolish thing to do.”

“That’s what makes her so pure.”

The examinees each had something to say about her decision.

Some criticized, some praised, some envied.

But there was one fact everyone agreed on.

This child is pure.

No one could deny that.

Which made the shock of her next statement even greater.

“Unless I’m the one being abandoned.”

* * *

Graduating from the Academy with luck.

The NPCs in this game have an affinity feature.

It’s not just an entertainment function attached to extras like the straw hat girl who doesn’t matter.

All major and supporting characters have their own affinity parameters.

Even close friends who hang out together, even classmates who join forces on assignments—they all have affinity levels.

‘When affinity reaches a certain level, the companion system opens up, right?’

The problem lies with this affinity system.

Dungeons are typically long and difficult.

Choosing a dungeon with difficulty not matching the party members’ skills, entering a dungeon with disliked monsters, experiencing negative events, or having poor companion synergy.

Affinity decreases for all sorts of reasons.

And what happens when it decreases beyond a certain point?

Even if you build up affinity diligently and become companions who enter dungeons together, you might come out having a huge fight, parting ways, and becoming strangers.

Beyond becoming strangers, if it reaches negative levels, you become enemies.

So no matter how much I want to stay together, companions sometimes betray me.

-You’re not my friend anymore.

-Don’t ever call me again.

-If I see you again, I won’t let it slide.

-You’re boring.

-Your muscles are too big. It’s burdensome.

-Because you’re unnecessarily large, we trigger all the weight traps! Don’t even dream of going to dungeons with me!

Ah, it hurts to remember even now.

But somehow, the looks my companions are showing now contain the same shock I received in my muscular male character days.

“Miss Oknodie. Why do you think we would abandon you?”

“This little mouse… saying quite unsettling things. I understand why the employer is concerned.”

“Why do you say things that sound like you’re used to being abandoned? At such a young age.”

Ah. These people don’t know this is a game world modeled after a game, do they?

It would be difficult to explain the affinity function too.

“Just because… that’s how it’s always been.”

Just as chicken is delicious and stat stones are beneficial, companions parting ways is also natural.

It’s inevitable that I don’t have a good answer when asked why.

“Hmm…”

Examiner Monk Myungho let out a long sigh.

“Please don’t misunderstand. What I offered was not a punishment but a reward. If you don’t want it, no one will stop you from taking the test with your companions.”

[You have passed the first gate’s tower stacking event with the highest score.]

[You have not used the top scorer’s special privilege <Immediate Admission> given as a reward.]

As a result, the test continued.

“How annoying.”

“What’s that? Companionship?”

“Only an ignorant kid would do something like that.”

Whispers of jealousy, envy, and criticism never ceased.

People who said things like “that’s too bad” or “how brave” with kind faces would curse behind her back.

“Ah- I’m hungry. Don’t they feed us during the test?”

“We have plenty of dried squid if you’d like.”

“Give me some of that then.”

A gluttonous monkey who loudly complains about food without understanding others’ feelings.

“Little mouse. Want one too?”

“Only if it’s not one you’ve touched.”

[You have consumed the common dish <Honey Butter Jerky>.]

[Consumption count increased (2/1000)]

I usually try not to eat the same dish twice, but I’ll make an exception today.

“You’re a friendly team.”

“With this little mouse? Me?”

“With this noisy muscle-head? Me?”

“You look enviably good together. That’s how my captain and veteran seniors were in the Esonia Adventure Guild days.”

Isabelle said her captain had died.

I don’t particularly want to get close to this monkey beastkin, but if our cook finds comfort in seeing us get along…

“Actually, we are close. Uncle Ocheon is strong and tall. I find him reassuring.”

“Oh. So that’s how you’ve been seeing me? Pretty admirable words coming from a little mouse.”

“That’s a lie. Go die outside.”

I ended up bickering again, irritated by how he immediately got cocky when I gave him a little credit.

* * *

She’s a thoughtful child.

Despite her own unfortunate past, she’s considerate toward adults who are several years older than her.

Isabelle thought that she wanted to stay by this child’s side, not just because she was her lifesaver.

‘I’ve seen plenty of dirty and ugly things. But truly shining people don’t succumb to their environment.’

There are gems that shine even in the mud.

Most lose their luster under the greed of those around them, and eventually even their dim light disappears.

But with luck, those who notice that light will pull the gem out, clean it thoroughly, and carefully polish it to make it shine brighter.

‘She’s quite considerate for a beastkin.’

This beastkin called Son Ocheon.

Though he acts indifferent, his actions to shield the child’s ears from filthy voices are obvious.

The man called Giselle is the same.

While the child’s attention is focused on the beastkin, he glares coldly at those who speak dirty words, keeping them away.

Good children and good adults.

A rare team in today’s world.

‘Adults who know gratitude are rare.’

Society teaches desire and selfishness.

It makes you physically experience that you can’t survive unless you covet more and act more selfishly.

If someone hasn’t forgotten purity despite going through such times.

If they can accept a child’s pure desire to simply be with their companions as it is.

They are excellent adults.

Giselle and Son Ocheon were sufficiently excellent.

“I’ll cook for you sometime when I have time.”

“Ooh. Really?”

“An adventurer’s cooking. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Can I make requests?”

“As long as I have the ingredients.”

Perhaps that’s why Isabelle developed a desire.

A desire to become a good adult.

“Do you dislike vegetarian dishes?”

“I eat anything well.”

“That’s good.”

The forest area on the way to the second gate.

Every noticeable ingredient was nothing but vegetables.

* * *

Just like before the first gate, the special scenery visible on the way to the test site is a hint about the upcoming test.

This time, what stands out is the forest.

Unlike the rocky mountain that was cleanly split by the earthquake earlier, this is a perfectly intact forest with no trace of earthquake damage.

Not an ordinary forest, that is.

The potential tests I can imagine are all terrible.

Wilderness survival.

Hunting competition.

Forest escape.

If it’s survival, we’ll have to stay in this dense forest for days.

If it’s a hunting competition, we’ll have to compete for prey among the main characters who just got aggravated.

If it’s forest escape, the environment gets harsher the deeper we go into the forest.

The common point among the three.

This is the most important.

Bzzzz-

Smack

Something flying crookedly past my outstretched hand.

Dirty blood thief.

There are mosquitoes.

“Little mouse, with hands that slow, can you even catch anything?”

Son Ocheon spread his pot-lid-sized hands wide and clapped them together with a loud smack.

What’s with him, he missed too.

I was about to say something when I saw the mosquito escape his palms, but I was surprised.

Plop

The mosquito fell weakly onto a nearby bush.

“What was that just now?”

“If you clap fast enough, mosquitoes faint.”

“Amazing.”

My internal affinity toward Son Ocheon increased.

I could give him a candy I’ve tasted before now.

“Want one?”

“Oh, candy? Nice.”

I carefully opened my candy pouch and placed one candy on his large palm.

The size difference makes it look ridiculous.

Crunch crunch

As soon as he popped the candy into his mouth, the sound of crushing it mercilessly echoed.

Rather than savoring the taste with his tongue, he seems to prefer the fun of crushing everything with his teeth.

Our candy-eating methods don’t match at all.

‘He really is hard to like.’

Candy should be rolled around in your mouth.

While I was grumbling internally and fidgeting with my candy, the monkey suddenly spat his out.

Smack

Crack

He spat it out so hard that the candy hit a tree and split in half.

“Ah! What are you doing!”

“What are YOU eating?”

Son Ocheon looked down at the candy pouch in bewilderment.

“This is poison candy, isn’t it?”

“I’m perfectly fine though?”

The gazes around us grew piercing once again.