Chapter 33 (1/2)
Chapter 33 – Day 7, 7th Floor Favour
My eyes opened. ”Ah…” Except for a little headache, my body felt strangely refreshed. It felt like I had a shower after waking up. I confirmed that I was alive. Where was this place?
It was the dungeon. Perhaps it was still the seventh floor, but I was laid on a stone bed in a clean room. The blanket on the bed and clothes laid out looked like they came from the store on the fifth floor.
Yoon Ji-hee and Yang Su-jin?
The answers to my questions were soon revealed. Footsteps were heard on the other side of the door and Yang Su-jin entered with a plate of food.
”Oppa!” Yang Su-jin was so surprised that she almost dropped the plate.
I asked a question. ”How long was I out?”
”Oh, a week or so.” It was a time frame I hadn't imagined, so I was surprised.
”And is it right to express it as 'sleep'? Oppa wasn't a real person until a few hours ago.”
”What?”
Yang Su-jin sighed. ”You were constantly bleeding and a strange liquid kept flowing from you… There were also many sounds. In fact, I almost sent Oppa rolling down the stairs.”
Immediately after I collapsed, Yang Su-jin tried to open the door to the next floor before the sun was fully up. But she had to wait a few hours because the locusts had already emerged.
”At first, Oppa's condition was really bad. Your ribs were even exposed. But as I watched, something strange happened. Your body collapsed but was recovering at the same time.” Yang Su-jin made a decision at this point. She could drag him down the stairs at any time, so she just watched his status.
”Oppa, were you attacked or something? But that doesn't make sense does it? You don't have a recovery ability like me. After examining everything, there was nothing related to poison.”
”You tested for ingredients?”
Yang Su-jin hesitated for a moment before shyly poking out her tongue. ”That… I tasted some of Oppa's blood as well as the liquid.”
”…”
”It was really very sharp.” She was an abnormal person.
”Uh, anyway. So after taking a disinfectant potion, I took turns taking care of Oppa with Ji-hee unni. After the third day, your skin wasn't so bad and food pa.s.sed down your throat.” Yang Su-jin spoke while handing me the plate.
It contained a bowl of something that seemed like steaming hot porridge. It was bread sold on the fifth floor that was covered in hot water. From the fifth day onwards, I was moved to this room for better hygiene.
”Once every six hours, I would wipe your body with some vinegar water in order to calm down the sores… I-I learnt it while caring for my grandmother, so don't look at me with that expression.”
”…” As Yang Su-jin said, my body smelt faintly of vinegar, but it was really clean.
”Thank you.”
”Huh?”
One week. If Yang Su-jin had sent me down the stairs, then wouldn't my body be collapsed even outside the dungeon? Even if I survived, one week would have pa.s.sed in reality. Although the stairs would appear in my room, I would be unconscious and unable to enter.
”Thank you. If you weren't there then I might have died.” The success rate of 42% might have risen due to her actions. I beckoned to Yang Su-jin. After she came over, I stroked her head with my hand.
”Ah!” Yang Su-jin reacted like a cat having water poured on it. ”Why do that all of a sudden? Don't do that! Do you think I am Ji-hee unni? I won't be twisted by praise.”
”Ji-hee unni?” Speaking of which, the suffix had changed.
”While taking care of you, Unni was the only one I could speak with for a week. She isn't as stupid as I thought.” I sat up on the bed.
[Muscle strength: 20] [Health: 18] [Reflexes: 18]
[Agility: 17] [Charisma: 15] [Concentration: 15]
[Willpower: 15] [Memory: 14] [Endurance: 14]
[Sense of Balance: 14] [Planning: 13] [Insight: 13]
[Emotional Control: 13] [Spatial perception: 13]
[Eloquence: 13] [Thinking Power: 13] [Karma: 13]
[Descriptive Ability: 12] [Logic: 12] [Charm: 12]
[Dexterity: 12]
My physical abilities were significantly higher, probably due to the Atlas talent. To be honest, I didn't get the feeling that I had changed just by the numbers alone. The first change I felt was my nose.
Allergic Rhinitis*. It was a chronic illness that I had been living with since I was a child. It wasn't really severe, but it was sometimes hard during dusty days.
(*Editor's note: Seasonal Allergies)
I closed my eyes and my mouth, then breathed in. Originally, it would feel very uncomfortable if I didn't breath with my mouth… Now there was the exhilarating feeling of something cool entering my nose! It was different from the air I had been breathing all this time.
The second change could be felt in my mouth. I had a molar removed. Due to my home life, I was too late to get the nerve treatment to stop the rotting. Due to the rotten root, the tooth had to be pulled out. I didn't get an implant, but the empty s.p.a.ce now had a very strong tooth. It wasn't just that. As I ran my tongue around my mouth, I could feel a smooth texture.
”What's changed?”
”It seems like… many things.” It felt like my eye level with Yang Su-jin had changed. Was I taller? It didn't seem like I grew that much. At most, three centimetres?
”Maybe it is more than Oppa thinks.”
”Really?”
Yang Su-jin was staring blankly at my face. ”Well, there is no mirror here… Come. You should eat.” I accepted the bowl that Yang Su-jin handed me. The bowl containing the bread porridge was warm.
”How did you boil this?”
”Look out the window.” I took a few steps. I almost spat the moment I looked out the window. The city had changed so much in just one week. Locusts couldn't be seen anywhere. The ruined buildings and most of the broken roads were neatly repaired. The golems could be seen working hard on the streets.
Rather than holding weapons, their hands were carrying various materials from the ruin.
”According to Ji-hee unni, they're not just guards. From the maintenance of the city, to the purification of the environment, they seemed to have done everything for the people living here.” Yang Su-jin explained.
”… Great.”
“The generator also supplies power to the whole city, not just the door. There is heating at night, a pump that pulls up water from underground, and even something similar to gas stoves. That's how I boiled this.”
I left the building. Yoon Ji-hee was sitting on a street bench and reading a book. She looked up as my shadow moved over her. Her face stiffened for a moment, before tears formed in her eyes. Both hands covered her nose and mouth as she sniffled.
”I heard from Su-jin. It was really hard work.” Unlike with Yang Su-jin, I felt a bit awkward. I hurriedly changed to another topic. ”Before I collapsed, I asked the golem something…”
Kung! Kukung!
At the sound of something heavy falling, Yoon Ji-hee and I stared down the street with surprise. The golems were all laying their materials on the ground. Then their heads turned this way. Were they looking at me?
Soon, the golems headed this way. It wasn't just the golems near here. In an instant, more than 100 golems were flocking to my side. The confused Yoon Ji-hee shouted something to the golems but they didn't even pretend to listen.
”Go inside the building.”
”Huh? But…”
”There is no need to be scared. If I'm right, they won't stop Ji-hee from moving. Go on.” I was right. The golems showed no reaction to Yoon Ji-hee who moved past them. As more and more golems came from the streets in every direction, the wave of golems was the only thing that could be seen.