-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: You're a Man and I'm a Man?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
‘What was that? Was I seeing things?’
As if it had been an illusion, the silhouette was long gone. His master certainly had a slender build for a man, but… But what he just saw…
Helios, who had no way of knowing Kia's secret, drew a sharp breath.
“Good night, Helios. Tomorrow will be tough, so you should get a deep sleep.”
Despite these words, Helios couldn't fall asleep.
Because of that silhouette, which had appeared for a moment before vanishing. His gaze had been captured by the swaying hair.
It was a night spent staring at the small, round mound of blankets where his master slept, breathing softly, before squeezing his eyes shut.
Thump, thump.
His heart pounded.
Chapter 4. You're a Man and I'm a Man? Why?
The trials on the 26th and 27th floors of the Tower were similar in structure to the 25th.
However, the scarecrow bosses that appeared looked more and more convincingly human.
“Ah, I think I'm getting the hang of it now.”
But the fortunate thing was that Helios's party had a mental-type ability user with the same illusion Kia.
And that was Haira.
Just as someone with a fire-attribute Kia knows what makes a fire grow and what puts it out.
“Haira, I get it, but can you stop that crazy mantis! Seth's gonna die!”
“Uwaaah! S-Save me!”
“Hahahaha. What a mess. A total mess.”
“I heard you, so just shut up, you idiots!”
Moreover, there were the people from other sectors who appeared at the end. The method to defeat them without killing was difficult, but not impossible.
All they had to do was put everyone in a state of suspended animation.
“Helios, you ready?”
“Rush in after three seconds!”
You could say I was the one who gave them the hint.
If anything, Helios's group had no choice but to improve their skills as they perfectly knocked out the prisoners who had developed a taste for killing, all without taking their lives.
‘An unexpected positive side effect.’
And so, today.
Helios and Ged's group cleared up to the 28th floor.
“I've completely got the hang of it now.”
Haira exclaimed, clenching her fist.
“Mm, congratulations… even though Seth almost died… Seth, be a man and forget about it!”
“G-Ged. You're the one who keeps bringing it up, you know?”
“Hahaha. It's a real relief you've got the hang of it now. I really thought we were gonna bite it today. Hahaha.”
Until Haira got the hang of it and gained the power to break through the boss's illusions on her own.
Since the aberrations couldn't be stopped indefinitely, the remaining members had to work hard to take them down.
Was that all? They also had to capture the scarecrow bosses, which looked more human and grew stronger with each floor.
‘They're raising the difficulty on their own… Not that it was bad for me to watch.’
“Still, this was all possible thanks to the boss. That was a truly manly decision!”
Ged grinned and tried to throw an arm around Helios's shoulders. When Helios irritably brushed him off, his face fell.
Haira nodded.
“I'll give you that. Your timing for using Kia on the people from the opposing sector was perfect today. If it weren't, Seth would've fallen into that pit.”
“What? Why would *I* be the one to fall?!”
“Because I would've grabbed you and fallen in with you?”
“Why always me!”
“You'd just lift me up with your telekinesis, obviously.”
“Telekinesis isn't omnipotent… Y-You… pig!”
“What? You lifted a mantis. You really think I'm heavier than an aberration mantis?”
Ever since I told him about the top of the Tower, Helios had changed in a subtle way.
‘No, can I even call this a change?’
“Helios.”
As I approached Helios, he, who had just been talking with Brett, flinched.
He took a large step back.
The sudden three-step distance between us puzzled me.
‘If this is the recent strangeness, then this is it.’
“…What is it?”
His tone, his manner of speaking, his expression—they were all the same as before, but he would create this distance whenever I got close.
“Hahaha, Big Bro. Did you secretly beat up the boss behind our backs or something?”
“Not recently.”
“…”
The smile vanished for a moment from Brett, whose signature was a grin so wide his eyes became slits, and who smiled nearly all the time.
Oh, I think that's the first time I've seen his eyes open.
‘It was less of a beating and more like special training.’
It's good to train him in my spare time, right? Of course, "special training" means attacking him occasionally while he's changing clothes.
Or ambushing him on the way to the cafeteria, or in his room.
“Haha… I guess I can't joke with you, Big Bro.”
“Why? I'm pretty humorous.”
“…”
There were so many guys who used to laugh at my jokes back in the day.
“…Boss, asking 'Aren't you funny?' is basically the same as threatening someone to laugh.”
For a moment, I thought I heard Deril's sighing voice, but I decided to ignore it. As usual.
“Well, haha. Anyway… Ahem. Big Bro?”
Brett looked around before stealthily leaning his upper body toward me.
“What is it? Your breath stinks. Get lost.”
Brett flinched slightly, but soon leaned in again.
“Haha, no, Big Bro. It's just… I'm not prejudiced. You know?”
“Know what?”
“…Anyway, just saying.”
I think he just glanced at Helios, then at me.
“Haha, I'm just saying you should cut it out with the lover's quarrels.”
What kind of quarrel?
“Ah, I'm gonna go!”
Left alone, I pondered for a moment.
Surely, giving him special training counts as a form of affection.
‘Is he jealous or something?’
Brett isn't the type to train hard, so I've been mostly ignoring him.
‘I guess I'll have to deal with him properly next time.’
While I was making this small resolution, Haira's voice drifted over.
“The 29th floor will be no problem. Trust me, Seth. If you trust me, money will appear, and the entire universe will help you.”
“…You sound like a con artist, Haira.”
“Yep, you're right. How many priors do you think I have? If I really tried, how many of your organs do you think I could harvest?”
“Eek. Ah, I don't want to know!”
Indeed, now that Haira had a grasp of her abilities, the 29th floor should be no problem.
‘They're growing fast.’
There could only be one reason for it.
Helios was working the hardest.
The guy was already blessed with talent, and now he was working himself to death, so his skills were improving by leaps and bounds, to the point where he could skillfully lead the party.
‘Other guys would die of jealousy if they heard this.’
The party members who received his aid are growing alongside him. They're also owners of blessed Kia talents.
‘What a jackpot party.’
It was about time to head back.
From the 25th floor onward, many people died, so it took longer to revive outside the Tower.
Soon, we were outside, obediently returning to the prison wing under the guards' direction.
At some point, Helios had quietly fallen into step beside me.
‘What's this?’
The distance between us was quite small.
“I have something to ask you.”
“So you only approach me when you need something?”
“…”
“It's a joke. What is it?”
“Master… How can you make a joke with a straight face!”
Why is he getting so worked up? It's not like this is the first time. I calmly moved on.
“Do you… happen to have any female siblings?”
“What?”
I'd naturally assumed his main question would be about feedback on today's battle or how to use his Kia.
‘What kind of question is this?’
Where would I get a sister? Of course I don't have one… I was about to answer, but then I stopped.
Because this body is ‘Garet’s’ body.
I wondered if I really needed to share Garet's personal details, but the information I had memorized was still fresh in my mind.
Let's see, Garet…
“If you mean a female sibling, I have an older sister.”
According to the files, he has one older sister. And a brother, too.
“Do you look alike?”
…Why is he so curious about this?
“Aside from whether we look alike or not, why are you asking?”
“It's an important question.”
“How important?”
“If I don't get an answer, I won't be able to sleep.”
…It's that serious?
I tilted my head in confusion, but still hesitated for a moment.
I don't know what ‘Garet’s’ sister looks like, though.
But my disciple was so curious he couldn't sleep, during a time when sleep was paramount.
‘When I think about it, she's a fictional character anyway, right?’
After some thought, I opened my mouth.
“Her hair color is the same as mine. Same eye color, too. But her features are different from mine; her eyes are slanted upward like a cat's, like this.”
“…If the corners of her eyes were slanted that much, wouldn't she look like she was about to die?”
“Ah, just get the general idea. It's a pain to explain.”
My one and only disciple should be pouring his entire life into climbing the Tower, yet here he was, interested in something completely random.
‘Don't live a life! Live a Tower-life!’
At a time when I wanted to scream that at him, why did he suddenly get fixated on something so strange?
His expression was so serious and sincere that I felt compelled to answer.
