CH 53

Chapter 53

The next day arrived.

“……Sangyoon-ssi?” I had left home a little earlier than agreed, but when I arrived, the redhead had already been waiting for who knows how long.

When I called his name, he looked at me with his face an absolute mess. In particular, I was surprised by the dark circles that surrounded his eyes.

“Why is your face…Why do you look so emaciated?”

“…..” Kim Sangyoon opened his mouth as if he were about to say something but suddenly thought better of it. “Ah, No. It’s nothing. I’m fine!” With militaristic discipline, he took the lead of our party.

I asked Seo Dawon, “Is it okay if he’s like that?”

Coincidentally, Seo Dawon had a strange expression as he stared at Kim Sangyoon.

How should I say this…He exuded the same aura as the Senior who would often harass me in the past? I only had a hunch–one that I barely believed–so I carefully probed, “Why does Kim Sangyoon look so haggard?…. Do you know anything about that?”

“What about Kim Sangyoon?” Seo Dawon feigned ignorance, but the corners of his lips pulled up.

I asked him, alarmed, “You didn’t beat him up yesterday, right?”

Seo Dawon looked down at me, mockingly disappointed. “Who do you think I am….?” Then, with a contemplative expression on his face, he said, “Actually, it’s the opposite. I’ve done him a great favor.”

“A favor?”

Would a person who’s received a great favor become only skin and bones in a single day….?

However, Seo Dawon had the audacity to nod. “I’ve allowed even a shabby punk like him to do his part. About Kim Sangyoon…He surprisingly has a natural talent.” He added a rare compliment at the end of his scathing dismissal.

“Huh?”

“It’s just that his brain can’t keep up with that talent. He’s especially bad with multitasking and can’t do anything without support. He didn’t really do anything yesterday.”

“Ah…..”

Is that right?

Well, recalling yesterday’s raid, I guess Kim Sangyoon didn’t do anything particularly impressive in the Dungeon. He didn’t even seem to be able to use the new skill that Seo Dawon had given him either… But I didn’t really do anything yesterday either, so I had no justification to throw stones at his performance.

However, it seemed that Seo Dawon was exceedingly frustrated with the Warrior. Did he take some ‘special‘ measures yesterday because of his annoyance? From the look on Kim Sangyoon’s face, it doesn’t seem as if he received a patient theory class as I did, yesterday…

“Since I taught him ‘well,’ let’s keep an eye on him today.” Seo Dawon was half a beat faster than me and steered my curiosity away from the poor Warrior. Eventually, I abandoned my questions to prepare as Kim Sangyoon and I created a party and entered [Owl’s Ghost Ship].

“Chest Slash!”

I was truly surprised.

Kim Sangyoon demonstrated a completely different grace from his clumsiness yesterday.

We entered the food storage room with the poker-playing birds–just like yesterday–but Kim Sangyoon quickly smashed the poker table and lightly attacked two of the birds that escaped in surprise. After driving the two away, he fell back to my side and began engaging one of the birds in battle.

It had only been a day, but, unlike the previous helplessness that he displayed, he predictively stepped to avoid the crane’s attack. In 15 minutes, he sent its neck flying. At the same time, he dug his blade into the charging crow’s embrace and shouted ‘Buster Blade,’ showcasing his new skill.

As soon as he used the skill, Berserker’s sword blade was covered in a reddish aura that began to burn violently.

The crow defensively stuck its wings forward to prevent Kim Sangyoon from further burrowing his sword into its torso. At that point, the crow’s blue-tinged wings successfully blocked the blade.

However, when the [Buster Blade] skill was finally executed, the blocking wings were easily sliced into pieces. Soon, fragments of the crow’s corpse rolled around on the floor.

“T-that’s unbelievable…” I couldn’t stop my gaping mouth from hanging open as I watched his transformation.

Seo Dawon snorted, “He’s at least pulling one person’s worth in weight now.” 1

Even when the goose appeared, later on, the situation still felt relatively relaxed as Kim Sangyoon countered its attacks. So, Lackey and I were able to focus on destroying the perches–to trigger the ‘scenario.’

The goose boss battle yesterday took three hours; with Sangyoon’s great performance, though, the time was successfully reduced to 50 minutes!

╔═════ ∘◦ ✾ ◦∘ ══════╗

Event Scenario – You have achieved ‘Tremendous noise’ which triggers ‘Owl’s Insomnia.’ Boss monster ‘Owl’ is soon arriving…

╚═════ ∘◦ ❈ ◦∘ ══════╝

If Seo Dawon borrowed my body through [Possession] to finish off the goose yesterday, then today Kim Sangyoon finished the monster by slashing it from behind.

To be honest, Kim Sangyoon was so cool at that moment that I could ignore the goose’s blood that splattered all over his weapon and body.

But, after finishing in such a cool manner, as soon as our eyes met Kim Sangyoon’s expressionless face turned timid.

He rushed to my side and began to offer pitiful excuses, “I-I couldn’t finish this in forty minutes…’

That he was in a bad condition after staying awake all night…That the goose had awoken five minutes earlier than he had predicted…Later, he began to speak faster and faster until all his words blended into an unintelligible mess. Bewildered, I looked at Seo Dawon who simply shrugged back at me.

What a spiteful gesture–it indicated that he had no desire to explain anything.

Instead, I grabbed Kim Sangyoon’s arm and said, “That’s enough. You did well. Since the boss is here…Let’s get out.” I expelled him from the party.

╔═════ ∘◦ ✾ ◦∘ ══════╗

The party has been dissolved…Do you want to use the ’emergency escape kit’?

╚═════ ∘◦ ❈ ◦∘ ══════╝

Again, I used an escape kit to leave the Dungeon.

As soon as I stepped outside, I couldn’t see Kim Sangyoon, who had left the Dungeon first.

What’s this? He appeared right next to me yesterday…It takes less than a minute to follow after him. Did he leave first?

Confused, I looked around for him. Seo Dawon said, “There he is,” pointing out Kim Sangyoon sitting in an alley a little ways away from the Dungeon.

What’s this? Why is he like this? Is he injured somewhere?

I ran towards Kim Sangyoon, searching for wounds, but as soon as I approached him, he jumped up, covered his face, and shook his hands in front of him. “P-please don’t come near!”

“…What’s wrong?”

However, he didn’t answer; I noticed that his uncovered ears flushed bright red. Was this the fault of the ‘vow of submission’ again?

Honestly, this was really annoying…Why are the conditions so trigger-happy? Shouldn’t the contract only deliver the ‘reward’ when I wish it? In the future, will we continue to have scuffles due to this imprecise vow?

As I angrily contemplated, Kim Sangyoon slowly lowered his hands.

To my surprise, his face was a little wet, as if he had been crying. For a man of his stature and striking appearance to be brought low like this…I stared, fascinated, at how small he seemed.

Kim Sangyoon seemed to have noticed that I was underestimating him.

Suddenly, he frowned and pushed me against the wall, locking me in between his arms. His muscles threatened me–dared me to see him as an easy opponent.

If it were just a few days ago, I would have been fairly scared at his efforts to intimidate me…

But, Kim Sangyoon couldn’t even look me in the eye as he pushed me against the wall. Regardless of his size, his fragile expression made him feel weak.

“What are you doing?” So, even as I was trapped in Kim Sangyoon’s arms, I calmly spoke without trembling or wavering.

Kim Sangyoon also seemed to instinctively know that he started on the wrong step. Eventually, he slowly removed his huge cauldron-like hands from my face and tearfully said, “S-stop it. Damn it…..I’m not a pervert….”

His curse didn’t have a bite. When I heard the word, ‘pervert’ or whatever, I casually looked at his leg in shock.

This–!! He’s crazy!

I suddenly also felt shy and raised my gaze high in the air. “Ahem….” I cleared my throat.

Wait a minute, so whenever I tried to extend a friendly gesture or told him how well he did…he got…stiff….like this?

Damn it, what kind of ‘reward’ is this?

I now understood why Kim Sangyoon convulsed whenever I touched him…..Are you insane, Seo Dawon?

“Excuse me…This wasn’t what I had intended.” I comforted Kim Sangyoon while glaring at Seo Dawon.

However, Seo Dawon also denied my suspicions. “Hey, this isn’t what I intended either!”

“The ‘reward’ induces powerful feelings of happiness or pleasure…it shouldn’t cause erections.”

“…….”

TL: Thanks for reading~ (No upload tomorrow, probably, but I’ll be back afterwards!) I’m as horrified as MC tbh. When I was translating I was like… “Oh no. is this ‘stiff,’ what I think it is…..???”

Footnotes

The original said that he’s now ‘one serving’ as in serving size in food. Aka, he’s ‘enough’ for one person, skill-wise. I just found the English equivalent for the saying.