Chapter 102 – ?th Floor. Savior Candidate

Gulp-

Despite having asked to be filled completely, Blue Tongue couldn’t contain it all, and snow-white seeds were leaking out from inside her with a gulp gulp sound.

Watching the white turbid fluid that kept flowing and disappearing into the water, I gently massaged Blue Tongue’s lower abdomen with my palm.

Despite so much flowing out, her bulging, soft belly remained firm, meaning her insides were still full.

“Gruk…”

Blue Tongue shifted her body, perhaps finding the pressure from my palm slightly uncomfortable.

Even so, it seemed she had found her first experience satisfying, as the tip of her tail swayed gently, splashing the water’s surface.

“Is it time to go now?”

“Yeah. My wounds have all healed… and if I go up to look for the hairpin object, most of it will probably be broken and nothing will be left.”

“Hairpin?”

Not only the 14th floor—which collapsed completely due to the elemental’s erratic temperament—but the entire abandoned mine would be in shambles, as if hit by a massive earthquake.

If anything remained, it would be a miracle.

“The cover I put on Kali doesn’t need to be there anymore.”

“Ah, that strange thing. Human, I thought it was your preference, but I guess not.”

“…”

What exactly does she think of me? Of course, it has its own charm, but I won’t forgive this slander!

Vowing to get my revenge later, I stood up on Blue Tongue’s tail, holding the mimic.

“Then try using this. Though it’s mixed, if it’s part of a natural incarnation, it might have an effect, human.”

Crack—

Blue Tongue suddenly broke off what was ambiguously either a claw or a fingernail, a keratin-like material.

She must have pulled it out quite deeply, as I could see blood flowing, but it didn’t seem to bother her at all as she extended it to me.

“Hmm…”

“Something imbued with the power of a powerful being has the ability to release by itself. If it doesn’t work, so be it.”

I took the sharp fragment she offered and rolled it in my palm.

“Doesn’t it hurt?”

Drip- Drip- Red droplets of blood formed at her fingertip and fell onto the water’s surface.

Blue Tongue’s expression at my question seemed to ask what I was talking about.

I was quite annoyed by her reaction to my concern, but when I dipped my finger into the water with a plop, I suddenly realized—Ah.

Of course, this entire body of water was a healing spring, so why would she make a fuss about a broken fingernail?

“Hmm… anyway, thanks! I’ll be going!”

Feeling my face grow hot, I threw my robe to Blue Tongue and hurriedly ran toward the portal.

Though Blue Tongue was a head taller than me, the robe was basically loose enough to cover her body adequately.

Blue Tongue said something behind me, but feeling extremely embarrassed, I didn’t stop my determined charge toward the dimensional rift.

And with my leap into the portal, a flash engulfed my vision. A white space that could blind the eyes, completely different from the dark cavern, spread before me after a long time.

“I’m back, you bastard.”

Bzzzzzzt—

An old television emitting white noise that stings the ears.

Looking at it for countless hours might make one feel like their mind would break, but unfortunately, the contract wouldn’t allow that.

The blessing—no, it’s hard to call it a blessing, more like shackles or a curse—of restoring the brain to a clear state until the contract is fulfilled, even if one tried to pierce their head with a sharp awl, had made me the most perfect observer in the world.

“I’m back, you bastard.”

Perhaps in a rather twisted mood this time as well, I prepared myself to be hit once at the low, throat-scratching voice.

Since I would come back anyway, a moment’s pain or bleeding wasn’t a big issue.

“Welcome back.”

As I turned my head, I saw a man who, though he wouldn’t remember it himself, had faced me dozens of times.

He is one of the people in whom my current self has the most hope.

“…I wish you had come wearing clothes.”

Though I had been observing his actions through that noise until just now and already knew, would he really be so brazen?

I closed my eyes out of embarrassment, but he became angry instead.

“You think I didn’t wear clothes because I didn’t want to? I don’t like being naked in front of some dark, smelly man either! If it weren’t for K-culture’s public bathhouses, this would be something worth calling a lawyer over.”

“I think I’m the one who should be calling a lawyer…”

Aren’t I unilaterally the victim this time?

Forgetting what to say in the face of his brazen self-defense, I simply conjured a comfortable sofa for him.

“Phew! It’s been so long since I sat in a soft chair. My whole body aches from sleeping on stone floors.”

Rustle- Without hesitation, he laid back on the sofa with his wet body, placing the mimic—now used as a bag substitute—beside him.

I halfheartedly responded as he boasted about how much he had suffered, all while naked.

Though his behavior seemed like that of a mentally unstable person, his achievements thus far would be difficult for most heroes to endure.

‘His ability itself is excellent. Of course, that would have an influence too.’

A random ability bestowed with calibration at each restart after returning from death.

What the simulator, disguised as the game title D.D, begins to call starting magic or starting characteristics.

Bestowed upon him as 『Onahole Creation』, a variation of the highest-level summoning school magic that boasts overwhelming efficiency compared to its cost.

‘Can the ability change by itself?’

Of course, I didn’t know that such a modification of magic was possible or that such an ability could be bestowed, so he is an incalculable variable for me.

But I don’t deny that this variable is currently the talent I most desire.

“So.”

Thump-

Feeling a light hit on my arm, I turned my face to see him looking at me with an indifferent expression.

“What are you thinking about with your ‘uh- yeah- uh- wow-‘ pattern? Annoyed? Want to die?”

“Haha… I just had something to consider…”

Others might not think of attacking someone like me, who is god-like in this space, but whether due to his aggressive nature or because he deeply understands his own usefulness, he shows no signs of backing down.

If he were the type to back down over something like that, he wouldn’t have punched me right away in the first place.

Yes, what does it matter if his mind is a bit strange? As long as he moves as I want, I have nothing to ask for.

With such a loving heart…

WHACK—!

A shock like my neck vertebrae stretching and the sensation of several teeth rolling around in my mouth.

“YOU BASTARD!!! DON’T IGNORE ME!!!”

‘…Crazy bastard.’

Crack- Crack-

Watching Youden grab his jaw and move it around to align the bones, I laid back on the sofa arrogantly like a chairman in a drama, languidly staring at the noisy television.

It seems there’s only one channel available here.

That must be why he’s so out of his mind that he doesn’t respond even after being called several times.

Poor guy.

“So… is there no way to restore the cult’s victims?”

“Oh. You said I could ask a few questions.”

Hmm… Youden, either considering or hesitating, typically rolled his blue eyes that matched his blonde hair.

I thought this much wouldn’t affect the exploration significantly, nor was it directly questioning this nonsense, so it should be fine, but perhaps not.

His deliberation was long.

I leaned in to listen to his words that were dropping reluctantly.

“By victims, you mean… those who have transformed, like the meat flowers or meat pillars?”

“That’s right. Why are you so hesitant?”

In my position, wanting to quickly return home and rest, it was extremely annoying.

“I’m afraid that once they’ve transformed into something no longer human, there’s no possibility of return.”

“…”

“I’m sorry. But this is a fact I can assure you of.”

At his assertion that they couldn’t return, I briefly glanced at the mimic. I had brought it hoping there might be a way to restore them, but it seemed not everyone could be saved.

“It’s okay…”

“It can’t be helped. If there’s no way to turn them back, what can I do? Can I have another question instead?”

Youden blinked his eyes as if surprised, perhaps thinking I would throw another punch.

I’m not a mentally unstable person; if he says something can’t be done, I wouldn’t smash his face. I wonder how he sees me…

I resolved to really bury him in cement next time.

But I couldn’t waste a question opportunity.

With only two more, it was time to be cautious.

“Fine. It’s essentially the same as not answering at all.”

“Then…”

Something I had been thinking of asking.

Every time I returned to reality, he would casually drop a cryptic remark that seemed suspicious. As if he wanted me to ask about it.

If that’s the case, it’s only natural to ask what he wants.

“What do you mean by ‘you all’?”

With that question, he smiled slightly and extended his arm to the side as if to show me directly.

Chwaaaaaarrrrrrrrr———

The place where he stretched his hand lengthened like an endless mirror reflecting a film strip, showing countless versions of him sitting on sofas, staring at televisions filled with white noise.

And what was in front of, beside, and behind him was not me.

A man who was short but carried a huge axe disproportionate to his height, a one-armed woman wearing glasses and sobbing, a thin man holding a magic staff and bleeding from his eyes…

From countless extended windows, an equal number of figures were saying something to him.

“What is this?”

“Explorers like you. And savior candidates.”

He rested his chin on the arm of the sofa and began to look at the faces of the people reflected in the windows one by one.

“This person… was a firefighter. His basic abilities were excellent, but he died many times due to his reluctance to kill humans in confrontations with criminals.”

“And this woman was an ordinary college student. Unfortunately, she must not have had talent for battle, as her arm was torn off the first time she fought rats.”

“That one behind was a shut-in who only played games, but unexpectedly showed talent for magic and has already passed the rainforest.”

As he explained each one to me, I could only open and close my mouth, not knowing what to say.

Then he turned around with the same calm gaze he always had for me.

“Who are these people, you ask? Don’t you already know?”

“…I was wondering why DunGal had become strangely quiet.”

Though I was too busy filling the void created by entering and leaving the dungeon or resting, so I hadn’t checked properly, I suddenly remembered that DunGal had become quite quiet with fewer people when I visited it once.

“They’re gamers.”

“Correct.”

I could finally understand why he had used the expression “you all.”

“Don’t worry too much. If someone really saves the world… I’ll restore everything to its original state.”

“You crazy bastard…”

I closed my eyes.