Chapter 2
An Awakening.
Even while staring at the translucent status window floating before my eyes, I still couldn’t believe it.
“M-my brother…? Can you see this?”
“See what? I don’t… Wait. You awakened? Hey! Congratulations, Sihyeon!”
Brother Kim somehow figured out what I was looking at even though I was pointing into empty air.
“Man, no wonder people call the kidnapping event the ‘new player event’ even though so many die. You actually awakened! Your life’s about to change, kid!”
His whole body was paralyzed by poison, yet he sincerely congratulated me.
The moment I saw him smiling, the excitement and relief clouding my mind vanished.
This isn’t the time.
If that poison does more than just paralyze him…
I didn’t even want to imagine the rest.
There would be plenty of time to celebrate after we escaped the Tower alive.
Right now, survival came first.
“Thank you, brother. But let’s save the celebration until we’re outside.”
I carefully helped him lean against a tree so he could rest.
His wound…!
In that short amount of time, the injury had already turned black and begun to rot.
The man who was injured couldn’t even see it himself, so he casually said something reckless.
“Sihyeon. I’ll tough it out like Guan Yu. Can you pull this arrow out? It’s getting in the way.”
Absolutely not.
Had this guy never watched a single medical drama?
“No. If I pull it out now, you could bleed to death.”
“Is it really that serious?”
“We don’t know for sure. That’s exactly why we leave it in. It’ll be uncomfortable, but please endure it.”
“…Alright. I don’t have much choice.”
Good.
Now what?
What did I need to do to survive?
First, I looked around.
Front, back, left, right…
Then above.
Huh?
Things had happened so fast that I hadn’t noticed before.
Above the dense forest canopy floated another translucent window.
Tower Guidance: Defeat the “Ruler of the Swamp.”
A ruler? The boss of this floor?
And if it says “defeat,” that probably means we have to kill it before we can leave.
At least the objective was clear.
Then Brother Kim poured cold water over my thoughts.
“Alright. We survived the worst of it. Sihyeon, go find the others. You’re an Awakened now, and you’ve got a proper skill. You’ll be fine.”
“I’m not leaving you behind like this. If we’re going, we’re going together.”
“I can’t even walk. Seriously, I’ll be fine. Go. Join the others and kill the boss together. Remember that guy who escaped earlier? He said there were terrifying people over there…”
“What if he wasn’t warning us? What if he went to bring reinforcements for revenge?”
“…”
Brother Kim fell silent after I hit the mark.
“Don’t tell me to leave you behind again. I won’t even answer.”
“…Do you even have a plan?”
“Of course I do. Who do you think I am? Have you ever seen me say something couldn’t be done while running my business?”
“Uh… no.”
“Exactly. So just sit there and wait a little.”
That shut him up.
Then I started thinking.
What should I do?
The first thing I needed was something to tie him securely to my back.
Just then, I noticed a thick vine nearby.
That’ll work.
It looked sturdy enough.
If I cut it down and braided it, it’d make a decent rope.
As I stepped toward it, I suddenly remembered something an herbalist who sold potions in the plaza once told me.
“Sihyeon, no matter where you go, stay away from vines whenever possible.”
“Why?”
“Because snakes love them. Half the people who buy antidotes from me got bitten after grabbing one.”
A chill ran down my spine.
If I get poisoned too…
Then we’d really be finished.
I immediately gave up on using the vine.
Then another way…
Ah! I’ve got it!
An idea came to me.
I immediately took off my tracksuit jacket.
I’d used it as work clothes for so long that it was covered in stains that would never wash out, but the fabric was still strong.
“Perfect.”
Using my knife, I carefully cut it into long strips and tied them together.
Knots?
I’d learned more than enough from work.
This was easy.
Done.
Now I’ve got a rope.
Next, I used a dead goblin’s sickle to dig up damp soil.
“What are you doing with that?”
Brother Kim had stayed quiet while I made the rope, but now curiosity got the better of him.
“I’m getting rid of our scent.”
“Like wild animals do?”
“Exactly. I’d rather avoid fighting whenever possible.”
It would’ve been much easier if I had water.
Unfortunately, we’d been kidnapped so suddenly that I didn’t even have a canteen.
For a moment I considered using goblin blood instead.
Then I shook my head.
That’d probably attract more trouble than it’d solve.
Other goblins might come looking for revenge.
Or something even worse that hunts goblins.
In the end, I simply rubbed the damp earth all over our bodies.
The sweat we’d already shed would help it stick.
It should hide our scent at least a little.
Even if it doesn’t work perfectly… it’s better than doing nothing.
Soon both of us looked like children who had rolled around in the mud.
“Finished?”
“Not yet. One last thing. Brother Kim, excuse me.”
“Hm?”
The last step.
I picked up some finer dirt I’d noticed while digging and smeared it across both our faces—
Only below the eyes.
Never above them.
If sweat mixed with dirt and ran into my eyes during a fight, that alone could get me killed.
Basic camouflage.
Anything to improve our chances of survival.
But not at the cost of vision.
“Where’d you learn all this? In the military?”
“Nope. I was exempt, remember? I grew up in an orphanage. I never learned it anywhere. I just saw animals and people in documentaries and movies doing it.”
Honestly, this was my first time trying most of it too.
Luckily, I was good with my hands.
It looked convincing enough.
“Alright. We’re ready now. I’ll carry you.”
“Sihyeon… It’s still not too late. Are you really sure?”
I didn’t answer.
Instead, I simply lifted him onto my back.
“…Heh. Right. That was a stupid thing to ask. Let’s go.”
Using the rope I’d made, I tied him tightly to me.
Preparation complete.
Ugh… I talked big, but this is heavier than I expected.
Of course it was.
Carrying a fully grown man was nothing like walking alone.
But I’d already made up my mind.
I have to do this.
For the people waiting for him.
Someone’s son.
Someone’s husband.
And soon, the father of two children.
Thinking of it that way…
This weight wasn’t heavy at all.
“Let’s go.”
With that single step into the unknown…
My first Tower expedition—
Awakened Kim Sihyeon’s first climb—
had officially begun.
After moving slowly and carefully while staying hidden for quite some time…
Thankfully, all our preparations seemed to be working.
Nothing attacked us.
About fifteen minutes later—
“Krrraaak!”
“What do we do?! Oppa! There are too many!”
“We can do this! Focus!”
Goblin screams.
Then the desperate voices of two humans.
Brother Kim reacted immediately.
“Sihyeon! Those voices…!”
“I heard them too.”
It wasn’t far away.
“Let’s join them!”
“…”
I couldn’t answer right away.
Both our lives were on the line.
I couldn’t rush into danger just because someone needed help.
“No. They’re already fighting. We need to judge the situation first. If we jump in carelessly, we might all die.”
“That’s true… but wouldn’t more allies increase our chances? I can’t exactly help in this condition.”
“I still disagree. Everyone’s goal is defeating the boss. If we head toward it, we’ll naturally meet the survivors eventually. And those people will probably be the strongest ones.”
For a moment, Brother Kim and I disagreed.
The biggest reason I opposed him…
Was him.
The poisoned arrow lodged in his shoulder.
I don’t know how much time he has left.
Still, his argument wasn’t completely wrong.
So I proposed a compromise.
“Let’s observe from a distance first. If helping them gives us a better chance of surviving, then we’ll reveal ourselves.”
“Alright. Let’s do that.”
Brother Kim smiled, apparently thinking I’d changed my mind.
I hadn’t.
If they’re beyond saving… we’ll leave.
Silently, we approached the source of the noise.
Step by careful step.
Soon, through some bushes, I spotted the backs of a man and a woman.
Right behind them…
By pure coincidence, I’d ended up directly behind the human side of the battle.
Not the worst position.
If we decide to join, we’ll be able to enter immediately.
I quietly observed.
Shouts.
Clashing blades.
Several goblin corpses already lay scattered across the ground.
Five left.
A man carrying a sword and shield was desperately holding the line almost by himself.
Behind him stood an unarmed woman who looked completely exhausted.
Then my eyes caught something.
His leg.
A blackened wound.
Exactly like Brother Kim’s.
Poison too…
Their situation isn’t good either.
If I did nothing…
They’d both die.
Join?
Or ignore them?
It was time to decide.
“I don’t think helping them is worth risking our lives.”
“…”
“Brother?”
No answer.
I instinctively looked back.
Did he fall asleep?
His breathing…
His expression…
Wait.
No.
My heart sank.
No…!
His breathing’s weaker.
So weak that I could barely tell whether he was breathing at all.
I had to kill the boss and get him proper treatment as soon as possible.
I have no choice.
Brother Kim comes first.
Just as I turned away—
“Holy Healing!”
The woman’s voice rang out.
Warm light poured from her hands and wrapped around the injured man.
The blackened flesh…
Recovered instantly.
Fresh pink skin replaced the rotten wound.
His injury…!
Not only did it heal—
It even cured the poison.
Healing… and detoxification! That’s it!
That skill could save Brother Kim.
The only problem…
Five goblins still stood between us.
Five left.
The man’s exhausted.
The woman’s a healer.
She won’t contribute much offense.
Then the best move is…
Leave Brother Kim with them.
I’ll draw all the goblins.
If the swordsman kills one or two while I’m distracting them…
We can do it.
The moment I saw that healing skill…
The answer was obvious.
We’re joining them.
Rustle!
I stepped out from the bushes.
Every eye on the battlefield turned toward me.
“Ah…!”
Hope appeared on the faces of the struggling pair.
“…Keh?”
Meanwhile, the five victorious goblins simply blinked in confusion.
Silence.
A strange silence hung between the three groups.
The healer broke it first.
“I-I’m a healer! I don’t know exactly what happened to the man you’re carrying, but I know I can help him! Please! Help us!”
Exactly what I’d hoped to hear.
Still…
There was something I needed to make clear first.
“Fine. I’ll help you. I intended to from the beginning. But remember this.”
“…Yes?”
“This isn’t charity.”
“It’s a deal.”
“I’ll save the two of you.”
“In return…”
“You save this man.”
“Y-Yes! Of course! We promise!”
Both nodded immediately.
Deal accepted.
I quickly placed Brother Kim between them.
“You two focus on protecting him rather than fighting.”
“…Can you really handle them alone?”
Their eyes were full of doubt.
It reminded me of all the people at work who used to ask,
“You can do this?”
I was used to those looks.
In times like this…
No explanation was necessary.
Actions spoke louder.
Shing!
Instead of answering, I drew Brother Kim’s sword and stepped forward.
There was no hesitation.
Not because I was reckless.
When I’d killed my first goblin earlier…
I’d known for certain.
I can do this now.
Five ahead.
I launched myself toward the nearest goblin.
One thought filled my mind.
End this fast.
Once again—
Brother Kim’s Flash Slash unfolded through my own hands.
Flash!
A brilliant streak of light cut across the goblin’s neck.
It collapsed before it could even scream.
Warm blood splashed across my cheek.
It was still hot.
Proof that it had been alive only a moment ago.
One down.
As I wiped the blood from my face with my left hand and slowly turned around…
I saw two pairs of wide, stunned eyes.
“…!”
Had they asked if I could really handle this alone?
Looks like…
I probably could.
