episode_0086

I couldn’t be sure if my life had been unhappy up to this point.

But one thing was certain – I was happy in this moment.

It had been a few days since I woke up. I could count on one hand the times I had been out of the healing room during that time.

That’s how serious my condition was.

While being held in Professor Atla’s arms, I listened to the explanation from the healer.

Something about… full-body compound fractures, circuit damage…

In summary, my bones were broken all over, muscles torn, circuits destroyed, core damaged, organs ruptured…

And my left arm was severed…

In any case, it seemed like I was in a worse state than a corpse.

Upon hearing that diagnosis, my head involuntarily tilted in confusion.

‘Why am I still alive.’

I can’t speak for others, but I definitely wanted to live.

Realistically, though, I thought surviving was out of the question.

Even considering my current condition, I thought I should be dead with that level of injuries.

In fact, calling me a corpse might be more fitting than calling me a human.

Driven by my own stubbornness, I clashed with the monster, and when I thought it was over, I killed Aelus in a desperate move.

Just before losing consciousness, I thought I was going to die too.

I had a similar experience before.

A similar mistake led me to be hit by a truck while trying to save someone.

I thought I was going to die then too.

But I woke up. Blinking my blurry eyes in confusion, the doctor was babbling about miracles and luck…

In summary, I should have died like before, but I survived.

A similar experience.

While pondering over this, someone’s hand was placed on my head.

‘Waaah…’

Soon, my body melted under the touch as if handling something very precious.

As I relaxed under the touch, another hand wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer. I naturally snuggled into Professor Atla’s arms.

Warm and cozy. The sensation of pushing away worries and anxieties made my mind relax once again.

My head was being caressed, and my back felt comforting pats. My body relaxed into the soft, warm embrace…

A smile crept onto my lips. Instinctively, my body moved closer. I wrapped my right arm around Professor Atla’s waist, feeling a bit lighter and more comfortable.

Our bodies clung together. Sharing body heat, we felt incredibly warm.

I could hear her heartbeat.

Turning my head and pressing my ear against Professor Atla’s chest, her heartbeat sounded clearer than before.

‘Hehe…’

At our first meeting, Professor Atla was intimidating.

She was so tall that I had to tilt my head up to meet her eyes, and her physical presence and magical aura felt overwhelming.

I felt like one punch from her would shatter me into pieces without leaving a trace.

Her demeanor was always firm and cold. It felt like a wrong move would lead to a scolding or a piercing gaze.

She gave off the impression of what I thought an adult should be like.

And now, that same person was holding me in her arms, gently caressing and comforting me.

– Sigh

Sometimes she would chuckle and ask if I was feeling good.

A sense of calm filled my body. I felt unreasonably confident that everything would be okay as long as I was in her embrace.

‘Hehe…’

My thoughts drifted on. I was happy. That thought crossed my mind.

The rationality I had tried to hold onto was once again overwhelmed.

They say that if you live life too complicated, you’ll end up unhappy.

Suddenly, such a thought came to mind.

.

.

.

For the past few days, the world has been in an uproar. The flames were still burning fiercely.

Siphna… the chain explosion of dungeons that occurred in Scotland.

Commonly known as the ‘Siphna Dungeon Explosion’ incident.

With hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries, it was a disaster of catastrophic proportions.

Amidst the unsuspecting peaceful atmosphere, a massive dungeon explosion with significant loss of life occurred.

Naturally, investigations followed.

Starting from the national investigation that was still somewhat blurry, to the investigation team dispatched by the Association, the wheels were set in motion.

The results were quite shocking.

The calamity in Siphna was strictly speaking a man-made disaster.

Involved in this disaster was a clan known as the ‘Guardians of the North Mountain’.

The Guardians of the North Mountain were a clan representing Siphna, consisting of numerous high-ranking heroes as its core.

Being high-ranking heroes, they were not to be underestimated anywhere they went, be it as heroes or hunters.

However, with the absence of high-ranking heroes, the evaluation that their strength was insufficient to enter other high-level dungeons was dominant.

In other words, they were the head of the snake.

Profits were made from the snake to the top, but with the dragon’s tail tantalizingly close, their greed soared.

In the end, they made various preparations to become the dragon’s tail, and one of them was the breeding ground.

Breeding ground.

Maintaining the dungeon without intentionally collapsing it, while periodically harvesting the resources and monster byproducts of the dungeon.

It was not illegal. There are various types of dungeons, and among them, there are dungeons where resources are created that could rival gold mines.

In such cases, limited breeding grounds are allowed through the Association’s strict inspection and management.

The Guardians of the North Mountain had been operating breeding grounds illegally without undergoing the Association’s review.

And not just one, but several.

The results were disastrous.

Whether it was due to the mismanagement of the breeding ground, or whether the dungeon was simply an exceptional one without any signs of explosion.

The breeding ground exploded massively, causing terrible loss of life.

And I was deeply involved in it.

“Damn.”

The shock was so great that it made my rationality, which had been mocking, rise up in an instant.

No, damn.

Even if I was involved in a shitty natural disaster, it felt like crap, but to think that it was caused by damn people?

If Professor Atla hadn’t hugged and subdued me, I might have thrashed around in this state.

Even after being subdued with a hug, my teeth involuntarily ground together.

There were sharp teeth.

For some reason, new teeth had grown.

I remember that I had destroyed my gums by grinding my teeth in frustration, but now they were restored.

Restored.

I reached this point. The excitement subsided.

There is a similar memory.

When my leg was completely severed, it was automatically restored as time passed.

My leg was cut off. It was completely chopped off. My leg was empty, and I remember not being in my right mind for a few days.

I received compensation, and I wondered how many months had passed since I moved into a new house.

I tried to wake up several times, thinking it was a dream when I saw my leg growing back in the empty space.

Realizing it was reality, I was too scared to tell anyone. I hid it tightly in case I was treated like a test subject.

But before long, I came to this world.

I still don’t know about that part. Considering the unique ability called innate ability, there might be a special ability that I don’t know about.

So, I could still turn the wheel of happiness slightly. If I waited, could new arms grow like my legs? A hopeful cycle of happiness.

Anyway.

The cause of the calamity that occurred in Siphna this time and the remaining tragic loss of life that followed spread throughout the world.

In the news, when it was boring, they reported on videos related to Sifna and Hwa.

Experts from various places came forward to extract records of past incidents and reminded people of the dangers of dungeons and monsters.

Thanks to them, people were reminded not to get too comfortable in peace and to always be prepared for dungeons and monsters.

For a few days, the internet was buzzing.

News also came out about members of the Buksan Guardians clan and those who had benefited directly or indirectly from the clan being investigated and caught one by one.

Watching the chaotic situation, I couldn’t help but think that this is the world where people live.

There were crazy people blinded by greed, people with just the right amount of ambition, ordinary people, and those who were moderately kind.

It was a world where everyone lived differently.

With a vague expression, I scrolled through the internet.

Sometimes, when I saw the deaths that occurred in Sifna and Hwa, I felt a sense of self-loathing…

“Don’t make that face. You did something worthy of praise and respect, not something to be gloomy about.”

– Ugh…

Whenever I felt that way, Professor Atra somehow knew how I was feeling and patted my cheek, telling me not to think like that.

Feeling the touch on my cheek, the gloominess quickly dissipated, and I just wanted my cheek to be touched.

I felt like a fool.

As a way to pass the time, I absentmindedly listened to the breaking news on the hologram that appeared in the air.

[“The City Turned Hell, Where the ‘Life-saving Hero’ Shone” Let’s read the article.]

‘?’

—

[Player Adjustment System: Pioneering]

[Quest “Rescue 1 person” achieved]

[Quest “Rescue 5 people” achieved]

…

[Quest “Rescue 100 people” achieved]

…

[Quest “Rescue 500 people” achieved]

…

[Quest “Rescue 10,000 people” achieved]

…

[Quest “Collapse of 4th Grade Dungeon” achieved]

[Quest “Subjugation of numerous 7th-grade monsters” achieved]

…

[Quest “Subjugation of 5th-grade Alpha Entity” achieved]

…

[Quest “Beast of the Crimson Mist” achieved]

…

[Remaining points are accumulated]

…

[Savior Adjustment System: Pioneering]

[Quest “First Trial” achieved]

[Quest “Qualification of the Savior” achieved]

[A large number of points are accumulated]