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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Aftermath and Allies
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Whether Helios felt a chill or not.
‘Wow, they’re pretty skilled, aren’t they?’
Mint was quietly impressed.
It was also surprising.
‘To think he’d shout the hint for everyone to hear.’
Figuring out the hint so quickly was impressive, but sharing it with everyone else without hesitation was even more so.
It might be different for ordinary people, but these were criminals. Faced with a crisis, the majority would typically make selfish choices.
‘Is this what makes him the protagonist?’
In the novel, he did have a dark phase, but he would correct his ways thanks to the female lead.
Perhaps it was only possible because he was, at his core, a moral and heroic person.
‘If this were a hero’s epic, this would make for a good chapter.’
In truth, Mint had no intention of helping Helios on the 20th floor.
‘What’s the point of just protecting a newbie? They’ll pick up bad habits~.’
Beginners grow the most when they’re put through the wringer. There’s nothing better than real combat for honing one’s skills.
‘Life is real combat.’
Besides, as the one who had trained Helios herself, Mint knew he already had the skills to survive.
‘He’s not the protagonist of this world for nothing.’
He had only been learning Kia for a little over a month, yet he survived the 20th floor. His talent was truly remarkable.
And so, the moment her disciple defeated the single scarecrow he had initially targeted, Mint stepped in without hesitation.
‘Two scarecrows would’ve been too much for him yet.’
On this floor, the number of scarecrows that appear is proportional to the number of dogs people defeat.
And they focus their attacks on the person who defeated the most dogs.
In other words, Helios was more skilled than the others in his group.
But the group Helios was with was clearly new to the 20th floor.
Of the four who survived, all but one had sustained critical injuries.
Still, it was amazing that they survived on their first try.
It meant they were all talented.
‘Wow, the guys I was assigned with on the 20th floor were all trash.’
It was true. When she first reached the 20th floor, Mint had, of course, been a minor.
The ones assigned with her tried to use her as a shield to buy time, and eventually, they threw her to the pack of dogs.
But when the trial ended, Mint was the only one left alive.
‘Just as expected of the male lead. His luck is so good it even extends to his party.’
When people cross the line between life and death together, a sense of camaraderie forms among them, no matter how vile the criminals.
“Haa, damn it! What is this! I’m gonna die!”
“Ughhh, when can we get out of here…”
“Save… *sob*, please save me.”
Listening to the wails of the survivors, Mint turned her head.
“If the scarecrow was the boss, then what were the dogs?”
Helios looked quite serious.
The trial was over, so she didn’t know why he was being so earnest.
“Ah, you wouldn’t know. Those dogs originally appear on the 10th floor.”
“What?”
“Meaning, they were just a distraction. Ah, of course, they were probably stronger than the ones from the 10th floor.”
Helios wiped a hand over his face.
He looked shocked to hear that the dog pack that had given him so much trouble was merely a diversion.
“…This is truly an insane tower.”
Who would have thought the space you see right as you enter would be the hint?
And what was the reason for forcing the prisoners to fight like this?
Looking at Helios’s exhausted expression, Mint gave a faint, barely perceptible smile.
Because her disciple had yet to experience even a fraction of this tower’s true viciousness.
For her, who knew all the tower’s secrets, it was a secret too soon to be told.
[Trial concluded. Congratulations, you Stray Dogs! Now get the hell to the 21st floor! Mwahahaha!]
The guard’s voice boomed from the ceiling toward the surviving prisoners. It was the same rough and cheerful tone as at the start.
“Congratulations. You passed the 20th floor safely.”
“…I would have died without your help.”
“Well, look at you. You even know how to say thank you.”
“…Hah. What part of that was a thank you?”
“At your current skill level, taking care of one scarecrow is impressive. The number that swarms you is determined by your skill, you know?”
Mint consoled the downcast Helios. He started to reply, then paused.
Kreeeak—.
The door was opening.
The massive door opened, and guards came in. They lifted the prisoners who couldn’t move with Kia.
“Agh, it hurts, I said it hurts!”
“Hey, Mr. Guard, be a little gentle!”
“Shut up, you damn Stray Dogs.”
Of course, they weren’t gentle.
No matter how much the prisoners clamored, not a single guard paid them any mind.
As Helios walked out, perfectly fine, he suddenly cast one last glance toward a certain spot.
It was the place where Mint had been lying down.
“…!”
Where she had been, there was what could be called a new mountain.
A countless number of scarecrows were piled up.
‘Just what in the world are you.’
Who are you? His questions about Mint deepened.
* * *
How long had it been since I felt this stiff?
That was my first thought right after leaving the tower.
‘It’s because I was just lying down.’
Lying on the stone floor wasn’t a good choice. I should have just made a bed and laid on that instead.
“What are you thinking so hard about?”
I looked up, puzzled.
Helios was staring at me, his face scrunched up.
“Hm, it’s nothing. It’s just… my back got sore from lying on that hard surface in the tower.”
“…That was an even stranger answer than I expected.”
“What were you expecting?”
“You don’t need to know.”
I blinked slowly.
“Anyway, I thought about making a bed, but I decided against it.”
“Why?”
“Why? Because even though it would’ve been more comfortable, it wouldn’t have been right, would it? With my disciple fighting so hard down below.”
“…”
At that, Helios quietly brought a hand to his forehead.
“Let me tell you. It was already not right.”
“What do you mean? Say it so I can understand.”
Seeing that I didn’t understand, Helios opened his mouth to say something, then closed it.
It seemed like he was saying something with his eyes, but I couldn’t understand it at all.
Our conversation couldn’t continue. Someone was approaching.
“Hey, bro, there you are!”
The area in front of the tower was bustling with prisoners who had finished the trial. I recognized the approaching man as one of the group Helios had been with.
He was a man with a military-style buzz cut.
Helios looked extremely surprised.
It was understandable, since inside the tower, the buzz-cut man not only had one arm mangled but had also been injured to the brink of death.
But now, he looked perfectly fine. As if he had never been injured at all.
“Nothing to be surprised about. From the 20th floor onward, your injuries disappear completely when you come outside.”
“…Huh?”
“It’s a strange tower, isn’t it?”
What in the world is this tower? I could practically see Helios thinking it.
In truth, it seemed he hadn’t noticed the most important secret yet, but I planned to just let him figure it out on his own.
Before Helios’s surprise could subside, the buzz-cut man arrived in front of him.
“You remember me, right?”
“…”
“Thanks for the help back there. I came to say thanks!”
Ah, Helios saved him earlier, right?
“No need for thanks.”
“Wow, a guy as cool as he is handsome. Haha.”
Even though Helios was quite tall, the buzz-cut man was slightly taller.
‘Judging by his build, he’s 99 percent a musculoskeletal type.’
The man’s elbows were bruised.
It was a common side effect for musculoskeletal types; those who fought by reinforcing their bones often ended up with injuries like that on their joints after using their abilities.
The man extended a hand toward Helios.
“The name’s Ged Satein. I guess I’ll be seeing you on the 21st floor?”
“…Helios.”
It was unexpected.
Having seen how prickly he usually was, I naturally assumed he would ignore the man’s greeting.
But he shook his hand and returned the greeting.
‘Is he only prickly with me?’
Why is that? Ah, right. Even though I’m a prisoner now, I was a guard, so he might feel awkward.
I understood.
While I was nodding to myself, the buzz-cut man, Ged, greeted me too.
“Ah, nice to meet you too, Big Bro.”
Helios was ‘bro,’ and I was ‘Big Bro.’
‘Looks like he’s the type to just decide someone’s his big bro.’
It was interesting.
“You were really incredible! A real man! Mwahaha.”
I just stared at him without replying. Then I simply turned away.
I heard a sound like ‘Huh?’ but I kept walking.
“Why did you ignore him?”
Helios asked, having followed me. I had already sensed him coming, so I answered nonchalantly.
“Why should I have answered?”
“…Huh?”
“I wasn’t interested.”
“…”
“I only have eyes for you.”
