The Fifth Evolution (1)
“Looking good, boss.” Lee Chan-yu raised his thumb when he saw me wearing the Baptism of Blood. “You’re like a ninja turtle or something.”
“My mother taught me not to hit my friends.”
“She taught you that? Are you trying to do something contrary to your mother’s teachings, boss?!”
Compared to the armor, I knew well that the cloth was a bit tacky. A 250 cm tall monster is in a situation where he’s wearing a dark red fabric that fits snuggly. The world is going to laugh at me.
I felt pathetic and put my fist down. I looked back at Lee Chan-yu. He was wearing a pair of pants, with his claws as his weapon.
“Lee Chan-yu, will you really keep going like that?”
“This is my strength. To develop regeneration skills, your body has to take damage. My combat skill is also related to my claws, so I really don’t need any armor or weapons.”
“Is that so?”
So, to develop regeneration skills, my body has to take a lot of damage the same way as him. It was a strange way of thinking that only among the Fallen Werewolves would think. I’ve seen it from the beginning, but his regeneration was really unusual. I wouldn’t be surprised if, among the Fallen, he survived to the end. That’s why I thought he and I make a good team.
Okay, let’s get the job done and carry on.
“I’m going somewhere for a while.”
“Sure thing, boss. I’ll sniff around for the boss room’s location.”
I called the entrance to the dedicated store. Before I challenged the boss, I always stopped by. And there was something I wanted to hear from Rain before I leave.
And I think now is the right time.
The first time, I was disappointed with the entrance store fee. 10 silver to enter the dedicated store? But now, I was able to hunt monsters that give me 20 silver or more per head, and now I’m holding money close to 30,000 gold. Even so, some would still call it spare change.
Still, I shouldn’t make light of this. The dedicated store’s entrance fee is only 10 silver, but it costs 100 gold to enter the Garden of Nak.
You could say that the first game I passed relatively smoothly. But I’m not sure about the second and third games.
It may not even be a castle building game anymore. Maybe it’s a game leaning into her favor. Besides, her power that fascinated me at the first game was not the limit. She was just limiting herself to the rules of the game.
I pinched myself on the cheek. When I opened my eyes, it was only the thought of L in my head. This is difficult. If you become overly conscious of her, you may lose the second game before you even know it.
Of course, she is beautiful. Men from different walks of life will be compelled to fall for her. Even women will concede and praise her beauty. It was the violent kind of beauty that makes everyone fall in love with her no matter their standards.
Moreover, she gives me a feeling… one that’s deeper, more passionate, more sensual emotions.
That’s why it was dangerous. It’s difficult to be loved for things I didn’t remember. And L in the same league as Rain and A. It was a fear of mine to be able to share emotions with such a transcendent being.
And above all.
I was afraid of being weak because of someone else, someone full of both life and strength.
My ego weakened, my concentration and determination weakened, I was afraid of it. I was scared to change because of her.
In fact, to some degree, it was also the case when it comes to Lee Chan-yu.
I have been fighting alone since I opened my eyes as a goblin. Even though I had face-to-face encounters with Rain, A, and others, there were only occasional allies. Though I’m still not sure whether or not A is an ally.
But meeting Lee Chan-yu and joining him changed me a little.
I was no longer alone, and even if I wasn’t wholly trusting, I relied on him little by little in battle. The burden of fighting was definitely reduced—the burden of death, the burden of loneliness.
Is that the effect? I laugh and talk more. Didn’t I exchange jokes with Lee Chan-yu just a little while ago?
I don’t think it was terrible, but any more would be difficult. I’d be complacent.
Where I am, it has not changed since I opened my eyes.
A dungeon. A dangerous place where you can lose your life at any moment.
“Boss, are you not going?”
I stopped being in my own thoughts. Lee Chan-yu’s voice brought me back to reality. As I felt his wondering gaze at me, I shook off all unnecessary thoughts.
Just this much. Nothing more.
“I’ll be back.”
I answered him with a slightly firm voice, opening the door to the dedicated store.
There, as always, was the figure of Rain smiling and welcoming me.
“Fate, welcome back.”
The last time I came to the dedicated store was when I went to see L.
Compared to that time, my level, my money, everything changed tremendously, but he didn’t show any surprised expressions. I was especially happy that he didn’t react when he saw my clothes.
Rain seemed to be interested in other things.
“How is she?”
“I made a lot of mistakes.”
“…I thought you would.”
After all, it seemed to be heard. Rain shrugged.
“I couldn’t help it. It’s too harsh for her to stop seeing Fate. No one can temper her.”
“She is lovely.”
“She is… it is the best in the world.”
Rain, who has never exaggerated except when talking to me, said so in a solemn tone. I never mentioned it, but I noticed it.
“As long as it is like this, I can’t be fooled. Because her attitude is so obvious. Her affection for Fate is real without any disingenuity.”
“I am trapped in the body of a bugbear like this.”
“Haha, that’s not important to her.”
“Huh…”
I opened my mouth casually. Rain looked at me with a comfortable smile, but it didn’t shake me at all.
It went well. I was thinking about how I could tell the story, but Rain took care of explaining it to L.
It wasn’t L’s story I was talking about, but it was deeply related because I came to think after meeting her.
“I was a human being.”
Rain looked at me and affirmed.
“You were. At one time, Fate emphasized humanity.”
“I’m right. I’m Kang Si-ha, who lived as the eldest son of a poor family on Earth, went to college, tried to eat jjajangmyeon with a friend, and died because his partner was unlucky, right?”
I couldn’t stand it without asking.
I was afraid to hear the answer, but I wanted to know before it was too late.
Am I right? Am I really human? This was a question that I had been asking little by little from when I first opened my eyes as a goblin’s body, but it never reached the point where I really wanted to know the answer.
After meeting a Fallen who thought he was the same, I felt relieved. For a moment, I realized that my situation was different from other Fallen. As it happened, I had to be afraid.
What am I so special? Initially, I was nothing—a nobody.
Why is Rain so kind to me? Why is A expecting so much from me? L… Why does L look at me with such a gaze?
One by one, doubts about myself spread out of control, and after the encounter with L, it reached a point where I could no longer stand it.
I held it up to this moment today because I needed some time to organize my thoughts until I met Rain. And he concluded in his own mind.
I could no longer deceive myself by saying, “Because I know there’s nothing I can do about it.” Even though there was nothing I could do, I wanted to know.
What does Rain, A, and L want me to do? No, who the hell are they seeing in me?
Was I really human? Maybe someone else misunderstood? If so, who am I, and why did I become a goblin?
Rain answered my question with another question.
“What does Fate think about the soul?”
“It’s the intangible, inviolable part of a person.”
“That is a very accurate understanding.”
The soul is a sacred thing that no one can touch. This is the conclusion I was able to come to. I, who saw a glimpse of the relationship between the soul and the body through the Tower of Jinma and the Garden of Nak.
It was thanks to Rain that I discovered the existence of the trickster in Jinma’s Tower. It was thanks to him that I was able to win the game without much confusion in the Garden of Nak.
“You already know, but why are you suffering?”
“But, Rain, it’s a different problem.”
“It’s the same problem,” Rain asserted. He was smiling. “Fate-nim is the same as Fate-nim from the moment he was born up to this moment. It’s Fate-nim who hasn’t dared to intervene or share and has existed alone. No one can scratch Fate-nim’s soul.”
“What about your partner?”
“Ha!”
I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears for a moment. Rain snorted!
“Don’t be fooled, Fate… And please, judge yourself later.”
I realized that this was the end of the conversation. But the price for courage was definitely paid.
Only
Rain told me many things I wouldn’t have wished to hear a few months ago, and those words made me feel at ease. Even though there is no evidence that he is entirely reliable for me.
“Now then, Fate, you brought 30,000 gold. So why not go see a special product on sale after a long time? Now, we can offer you a set of jjajangmyeon and sweet and sour pork for 17 gold.”
After the serious conversation was over, Rain spoke in a cheerful tone and recommended me something. I replied with a smile, “Give me a glass of luck for the day, bartender.”
The all-clear alcohol, today’s luck gave me a buff that I missed somewhere that increased my experience by 50% for three hours. I took one shot of it, then took a seat.
The only special sale items he gave me were food. What does that mean?
The boss of the 3F, Powered Reaper, is a guy I can quickly deal with my current strength.
With all of the weak fears, hesitations, and delusions in my heart, I returned to the dungeon.
All that was left was to get to the end of this dungeon.
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