Chapter 32 (1/2)

Chapter 32 –  Day 7, 7th Floor Change

'Citizen. How can I help you?' That was the question that the golems always asked before they struck. Although I didn't see it myself, most people would have either replied in Korean or ran away. Thus, they were recognized as 'barbarians.' This was a fact that I heard directly from the golems.

”Ack!”

”N-no!”

It was pandemonium as the golems started attacking people. A golem ignored the flames blowing from a staff and crushed the hand that held it. A woman shrieked. A man struck a golem's leg with a hammer, causing the golem to pause for a moment. However, the man's legs were destroyed by another golem.

Yoon Ji-hee's order wasn't to 'kill' but to 'catch' them. Indeed, the golems didn't kill anybody. This was possible due to the overwhelming difference in power.

”… Oh my G.o.d.” Yang Su-jin watched with an expression of incredulity. She gazed at the mess, Yoon Ji-hee and then back towards me.

'Excuse me. Oppa.' Yang Su-jin spoke with her eyes. She nodded towards Yoon Ji-hee. There was slight unease on Yang Su-jin's face. 'That woman, isn't she dangerous?'

Yoon Ji-hee was the only one who could control 200 golems. If she wanted to eat us then Yang Su-jin and I wouldn't be able to escape death. Yang Su-jin was worried about it.

I just smiled and shook my head. I approached Yoon Ji-hee, raised a hand to her shoulder and instructed her in a soft voice. ”When it is over, make them kneel down in that building. Have a few golems watch over them.” Over the last two days, my relations.h.i.+p with Yoon Ji-hee had changed a lot.

Was it a little strange to say there was a relations.h.i.+p? At least, her att.i.tude towards me was definitely different. She didn't have the timid att.i.tude anymore. Instead of gazing elsewhere, she now looked into my eyes from time to time.

I didn't tell her to do it, but she would occasionally come up to me to report on her learning or ask a question that seemed quite basic. Of course, her intentions in doing so were obvious.

'Know me. Praise me more. Recognize me.'

No one had ever praised Yoon Ji-hee. Despite being the granddaughter of a chaebol, she was always treated as rabble. She always received praise from those 'under' her. She wouldn't hear the praise of a person in that position.

Parents and grandparents. The prestigious teachers and her cousins all ignored her. She wanted to receive a compliment from them. Until an hour ago, I was her lifeline. Whether it was in reality or the dungeon, she was always overwhelmed.

The act itself was a calculation, but my words of praise were sincere. She wasn't stupid, and she knew it as well. In addition, she knew that I knew it.

Yoon Ji-hee responded to my instructions. ”Yes.” She nodded with a firm expression. In fact, she only spoke a few words because she was busy concentrating on her task.

It took less than 10 minutes to subdue the other group. A total of 31 people, including Yoon Sang-ah and Yoon Sang-min, were kneeling down in the building. There were originally 36 people, but some died due to unfortunate incidents.

”I'm sorry… I should have given my orders more carefully…”

”Don’t blame yourself. This is good enough.” I counted the ratio of males and females. Out of 31 people, nine were females. There were 22 males. ”I will eat the men. The females will be handed over to Ji-hee. I think that men and women will have talents that suit that their respective genders well.”

This was obvious to Yoon Ji-hee. Yoon Ji-hee nodded. She didn't show any signs of resentment for being unfairly deprived. Rather, she was surprised at the share she was given.

Hrmm. I looked towards Yang Su-jin and smiled. “W-What?” She asked.

”Looking at this situation, Yang Su-jin didn't do anything but…” In my case, there was a clear justification in eating more of the profits. ”Still… Should there be some distribution to you? If Ji-hee is willing, then it would be good to divide your share with Su-jin.”

Yoon Ji-hee nodded a few times before I finished speaking. ”Yes, I will.” It felt like it was her own decision, rather than her paying attention to my reaction… It wasn't a bad thing.

Yang Su-jin approached me and whispered in a puzzled voice. ”What is this?”

”Don't you like it? She is giving it freely.”

”No…” Until one hour ago, Yoon Ji-hee was just excess baggage to Yang Su-jin. That excess baggage suddenly became the core of the seventh floor.

”Even though pride is important, it is useless in front of everything else.”

”…”

”Well, let's split it in two.” His experience for Persuasion seemed to rise a little bit.

I didn't intent to intervene directly but… ”Don't do this Unni! Please!” I looked back to see Yoon Sang-ah on her knees before Yoon Ji-hee. She was begging with a face full of tears and a runny nose. ”I'll apologize, huh? I really didn't know what I was doing… I apologize for the whole thing.”

”…”

”T-that, we are still family! Yes? I really don't want it to end here, I don't want it. Unni, please… Please…” If she was an ordinary person, then it would already be too late. I would have yelled 'bad girl!' but Yoon Ji-hee just looked down with a miserable expression.

I approached her from behind. She turned to me. ”That… How…?”

”If you want her to live then I will allow it.” I said, despite it being contrary to my thoughts.

”Still… Are you sure?”

”Like I said, didn't I entrust the females to Yoon Ji-hee? The method of disposing of them is up to you.” Hope flashed through Yoon Sang-ah's eyes. I continued speaking.

”But if I had to add my personal opinion, remember the words and actions that this person did to Ji-hee not long ago. Honestly, humans don't change that much. Ji-hee's mind will simply become easier. That is it. Of course, Ji-hee's autonomy is what matters most. Unfortunately, I can't insert my intentions.”

”…”

”I want you to make a choice that you can accept.” Yoon Ji-hee's mood changed subtly. I said it. She had autonomy.

What choice would she make? There was no way to figure out what Yoon Ji-hee, who was timid, would choose. Moreover, her complicated relations.h.i.+p with her cousins made it hard to decide if she would kill them or not.

It wasn't hesitation that filled her eyes now. She made a decision, so it was filled with the intent to act. She desperately made a decision. After coming to a conclusion, there was a slight chill in her eyes as she watched her cousin.

”Unni…”

”D-Do you remember? The winter vacation in high school… W-what did you say to my friends who visited South Korea…?”

”I was immature at that time. Unni! You know. I seriously…”

”S-S-Shut up!”

Squas.h.!.+

Yoon Ji-hee slapped Yoon Sang-ah's cheek. Tears flowed down from Yoon Ji-hee’s eyes. She could barely speak properly as she let out all the things that had piled up in the meantime. It was just like the bullies commonly seen in dramas, or even worse.

I wasn't the one who tapped on the shoulder of the agitated Yoon Ji-hee. It was Yang Su-jin. ”Can I help?”

”… Yes?”

”A hit like that isn't really good. Watch.”

There was no need for my intervention, so I turned away. I stood in front of one of the golems outside the building. Due to Yoon Ji-hee's instructions, they recognized me as a civilized person. I wanted to try an experiment.