Chapter 18 (2/2)
An ear-grating voice came from the corner of the lab. Seol and Yi Sung-Jin spotted a figure squatting down there, just like how Yun Seo-Rah did back in the library. Checking the appearance of this figure, Seol's brows instinctively furrowed. It was his first time seeing a Deceased, and sure enough, it was as grotesque as he had imagined.
”Noona!!” (Yi Sung-Jin)
Yi Sung-Jin quickly recovered from shock and jumped up and down.
”You can live again!! Really!” (Yi Sung-Jin)
”Llliiivvveee….?”
”This hyung, this hyung got the potion to revive you!!” (Yi Sung-Jin)
At the same time, Seol could feel his hand getting rapidly warmer. The miniature bottle in his hand began emitting bright light.
He didn't know what to do next, so he simply removed the cork to see what might happen - then, the clear liquid inside the bottle flowed out by itself and slowly danced in the air.
The way it wiggled like that, it seemed to be asking Seol Who do you want to revive? So, he pointed at Yi Surl-Ah. The liquid then smoothly flew over as if it understood his command. It disappeared as soon as coming in contact with the Deceased in the blink of an eye, as if it got sucked in.
*SFX for bright lights exploding out*
A bright light exploded out from Yi Surl-Ah's figure. It was so blinding, Yi Sung-Jin near her had to squeeze his eyes shut.
However, Seol could still see a blurry but amazing sight unfolding amongst the cascading rays of brilliant light. He saw her wounds slowly disappear, and new flesh grew to replace the missing parts.
Then, with a sudden paht!, the blinding light shower came to an abrupt end. At the spot where the light had died down, a girl was sitting on the floor, her eyes wide open and blinking non-stop. The previously-grotesque appearance was nowhere to be found, only to be replaced by the warmth and prettiness she used to have.
Finally, Yi Surl-Ah had been revived.
”N, noonaaaa!!” (Yi Sung-Jin)
Yi Sung-Jin ran as if he was flying and embraced his older sister tightly.
The two of them must have more tears left to shed - Yi Surl-Ah remained confused for a while, but when she saw Yi Sung-Jin crying his eyes out, she too began sobbing as well.
Seol quietly left the laboratory while closing the door behind him. It was a moving reunion, but he didn't belong there.
He hesitated slightly, wondering whether he should leave them alone, before he leaned against the door and crossed his arms. While listening to the siblings cry their hearts out, he fidgeted around with the steel bar.
He was staying, just in case a Deceased overheard their cries and sauntered over here.
When Seol returned with the Yi siblings, chaos unfolded inside the safe zone. Hyun Sahng-Min was in the middle of chewing a piece of bread, but his jaw dropped so much that the piece actually fell out. s.h.i.+n Sahng-Ah's reaction wasn't all that much different from his.
”Seriously now. The revival thing was all true.” (Hyun Sahng-Min)
After listening to a brief explanation, Hyun Sahng-Min laughed out loudly.
Seol handed over a packet of food from the convenience store to Yun Seo-Rah as well as to the Yi siblings, who had been expressing their grat.i.tude non-stop since from a while ago. Seol completely ignored their thanks and began roughly chomping on a convenience store riceball, as if he was completely fed up.
When Hyun Sahng-Min threw him a questioning look, Seol finally relented and opened his mouth.
”I heard them thanking me a thousand times while coming here. Now I understand why some people develop neurosis.” (Seol)
”Stop exaggerating.” (Hyun Sahng-Min)
”No, it's the truth. It started to get annoying around the 300th time they thanked me. I told them it's enough, but they won't listen.” (Seol)
Even then, the siblings were expressing their grat.i.tude in mult.i.tude of ways and gestures. Seol ended up facepalming, before pointing towards Yun Seo-Rah, who happened to be sitting away from them a light distance away.
”Miss Yi Surl-Ah?” (Seol)
”Yes, yes! Thank you! I am truly grateful! How should I go about repaying your kindness? You revived me, and helped me to meet my little brother again, so I'd like to somehow….” (Yi Surl-Ah)
”Wait, wait. I got you. I hear you, but here's the thing - I didn't find the revival potion, but she did. She gave it to me.” (Seol)
Yun Seo-Rah stopped quietly biting into her sandwich and threw him a look of protest. Seol resolutely ignored her.
”Is that true?” (Yi Surl-Ah)
”Yes. If it weren't for Miss Yun Seo-Rah drawing the potion, reviving you wouldn't have been possible.” (Seol)
”Y, yeah! That's right, noona! That lady gave the revival potion to hyung!” (Yi Sung-Jin)
”Lady Yun Seo-Rah!” (Yi Surl-Ah)
Yi Surl-Ah finally left Seol's side. He breathed out a sigh of relief and changed his target to Yi Sung-Jin this time. He pulled out 100 coins and handed it over to the boy.
”Your noona's pa.s.sage fee.” (Seol)
”…Ahh!” (Yi Sung-Jin)
As if he hadn't thought about that until now, the boy went Oh, d.a.m.n it! I forgot! Just as the boy was about to say something else….
”Please, just stop.” (Seol)
Seol pleaded with the boy.
”Do not even think of saying ‘thank you'. Don't even bow to me. You even mention ‘tha' of ‘thanks', I'm not going to give you these coins. Got it?” (Seol)
”…………”
”If you're grateful, then you quickly scoot over to Miss Yun Seo-Rah and tell her that. Just like your sister.” (Seol)
Yi Sung-Jin carefully received the coins with both of his hands. And, like a good boy, he did as he was told and after joining his sister, combined together with her to land as many attacks of grat.i.tude on poor Yun Seo-Rah as possible.
Only after somehow taking care of the crisis did Seol get to enjoy his meal in peace. s.h.i.+n Sahng-Ah and Hyun Sahng-Min simply giggled while watching this unfold.
”I might die of laughter here, you know? Just look at Miss Yun Seo-Rah's expressions.” (s.h.i.+n Sahng-Ah)
”Yeah, that's quite something else, really. By the way, hey man. How many coins do you have on you now? Besides the pa.s.sage fee, that is.” (Hyun Sahng-Min)
Seol replied '85'; Hyun Sahng-Min used his eyes to send him a signal, telling him to look to his side.
A trio of two men and a woman couldn't partic.i.p.ate in the relaxed meal time, and they could only look on in daze from the corner of the cla.s.sroom. Seeing them, Seol quietly asked Hyun Sahng-Min.
”Aren't they going to have a meal, too?” (Seol)
”Oh, please. Why should I waste my precious food on those guys? Well, if they were my comrades-in-arms, sure, I might have spared some.” (Hyun Sahng-Min)
Even s.h.i.+n Sahng-Ah nodded her head in agreement.
”And, also…. Not too long ago, they asked me if I could spare them any coins.” (Hyun Sahng-Min)
”Ah, that's right - their pa.s.sage fees. They are short by how many?” (Seol)
”All three of them combined, around twenty, maybe thirty.” (Hyun Sahng-Min)
Hyun Sahng-Min whispered the information, before snorting out in dissatisfaction.
”What a bunch of shameless fools. Hey man, you aren't thinking of helping them out, right?” (Hyun Sahng-Min)
”Don't help them. Like, never.” (s.h.i.+n Sahng-Ah)
For some reason, even s.h.i.+n Sahng-Ah piped in with a small voice.
After the incident on the second floor, her relations.h.i.+p with the trio had been soured somewhat. If they were like Yi Sung-Jin who at least tried to open the metal barrier, then who knows. However, as it was now, s.h.i.+n Sahng-Ah couldn't forget the looks of ‘it'll be fine as long as you're not one of us' they gave her as soon as Kahng Seok made his offer back then.
Even putting aside the fact that they actually didn't do anything at all, she lost what little favourable impression she had, from their selfish desires to survive at someone else's expense.
Seol didn't reply. Instead, he pulled out the remaining coins and handed them over to Hyun Sahng-Min.
”Mm?”
”You use them. There's still some time left before midday.” (Seol)
”You want me to spend them? On the draw machine?” (Hyun Sahng-Min)
”If you're scared of the Deceased, then don't. However, I haven't spotted a lot of them so far.” (Seol)
Hyun Sahng-Min's expressions became rather strange just then.
”What the… I can really spend these?” (Hyun Sahng-Min)
”I'm telling you, yeah. You can.” (Seol)
Seol didn't have anything else to draw from the machine, anyways. Also, since he had peeked into Hyun Sahng-Min's Status Window, Seol figured it would be smarter to look after him every now and then. Not to mention, if it weren't for Hyun Sahng-Min, Seol might not have been able to kill the Gaeg-gwi, so this was sort of a reward as well.
”Seriously? You aren't gonna say anything about how I spend these, right?” (Hyun Sahng-Min)
”Use them or throw them away - do whatever you feel like.” (Seol)
Since Seol said as much, there was no reason for Hyun Sahng-Min to refuse. With the coins in hand, the expression on his face resembled a naughty kid about to pull a prank. He then sneaked a glance to his side and left the cla.s.sroom, his steps full of swagger.
”Let me go with you!” (s.h.i.+n Sahng-Ah)
s.h.i.+n Sahng-Ah stopped her meal and chased after him. The trio glared at Seol with resentful eyes and then, also left the cla.s.sroom, clearing running after Hyun Sahng-Min and s.h.i.+n Sahng-Ah.
Now that those three had seen the coins exchanging hands, they no doubt would beg for some of them. Seol sn.i.g.g.e.red and began enjoying his meal in peace for a while, while spectating on Yun Seo-Rah and her troubles.
However, he nearly toppled over from his seat when the Yi siblings abruptly returned to his side instead. Yun Seo-Rah was ignoring them outright in the beginning, but in the end, even she couldn't endure and chased them away, while almost blowing up in anger.
However, didn't the old saying go something like ‘even if the heavens fell, there would always be a spot for one to stand up?'
[A message from the Guide has arrived.]
Before long, the midday had arrived.
The message told them to gather on the sixth floor.
When Seol got to the sixth floor, he ended up feeling rather disappointed. He was wondering what kind of layout he'd get to see, but as it turned out, sixth floor was just a normal rooftop.
There was a round portal glowing in faint red light set up in the middle of the roof. The Guide, Han and the blonde maid were standing next to the portal and waiting for the arrival of the survivors.
”Hee-yeah. Yes, yes! You've all finally arrived. I must congratulate you on successfully pa.s.sing all of your missions.” (Han)
Han gave them a formal greeting. He also looked like a happy man today as well. So much so, he felt like a somewhat different person from the Han of the a.s.sembly hall.
”Very good, very good! Now that everyone has gathered here, allow me to officially announce the completion of Area 1's Tutorial!” (Han)
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
The blonde maid silently clapped her hands. Of course, no one else followed her example.
As the awkward atmosphere descended on the rooftop, Seol was realising there was a slight inconsistency to the Guide's declaration.
‘Is this everyone?' (Seol)
Because, there was only six people on the rooftop. The trio of two men and a woman were nowhere to be seen.
”From the beginning when 38 lives started this journey….” (Han)
While Han started gus.h.i.+ng on and on about something, Seol approached Hyun Sahng-Min who was whistling out in a carefree manner and asked softly.
”What happened?” (Seol)
”Mm? Oh, you mean, with the coins?” (Hyun Sahng-Min)
”Those three people. Did you kill them?” (Seol)
”What? No! ….I gave 55 coins to s.h.i.+n Sahng-Ah. I told her draw whatever. And whatever she got, we split down the middle.” (Hyun Sahng-Min)
”And the rest?” (Seol)
”….I'm sure you all wish to enter the portal right away, but regrettably, you will have to wait a little longer. We need to complete the setting of your dispositions, and also…. Most importantly, we need to distribute the completion bonuses as well.” (Han)
Han was still in the middle of his speech. Hyun Sahng-Min stared at the Guide who seemed to have finally gotten around to the main topic, while whispering in a low voice.
”So, what do you think I did?” (Hyun Sahng-Min)
”If you promise me not to get mad, then I'll tell you.” (Hyun Sahng-Min)
”I promise.” (Seol)
”I threw them away. All thirty coins.” (Hyun Sahng-Min)
Seol doubted his own hearing, then.
”You threw them away?” (Seol)
”That's what I said. I chucked them down the toilet bowl and flushed them away.” (Hyun Sahng-Min)
Hyun Sahng-Min lowered his sungla.s.ses. Even his eyes were smiling now, too.
”Not only that, I did it while they were looking on! Dayum! What a shame. I wish I could've stayed and watch them throw a tantrum.” (Hyun Sahng-Min)
Hyun Sahng-Min continued to giggle away.
< 18.=”” rewards=”” befitting=”” one's=”” achievements=”” (1)=””> Fin.