171 – The Returner Wanders (7)
“… “
“… “
The two of us were silent, like a couple who had just met after a big fight to make up. I knew I had to say something, but I couldn’t say it out loud because I was wary of how the other person would interpret the combination of words I had gathered.
It’s an intense emotion. I am now… I love Choi Ji-won. Likes. She was my lighthouse in the tutorial, my swordsmanship teacher, and she was my companion as we climbed the tower together. If she were asked to choose the person she loves the most right now, it would be Choi Ji-won.
It’s easy to hold her hand right away and pledge your eternal love. That my heart will never change. My love for you will continue to be fierce. There’s nothing to worry about.
But… Will it really never change? How many promises have I made throughout my life, and how many of them have been kept? Human life is such that people we dislike come to like us, and people we liked come to be disliked. Can eternal feelings exist?
Even if I continue to love Choi Ji-won… Will it be so intense that it can satisfy the conditions for ‘co-recurrence’? Rather, it is possible to hate someone endlessly. But if you tell me to love you endlessly… I don’t know. Will I be able to keep that promise?
“… “It’s Junho.”
It was Choi Ji-won who broke the silence that followed.
“Even if I can’t return together… We’ll still be lovers on the outside. We will find rest, comfort, and joy from each other. “Because I fell in love with the way you worked hard.”
Choi Ji-won barely lets out his main voice.
“But… Even after realizing that we are not special enough to return to each other… Can we have the same relationship as before? I’m afraid of that moment. “The moment you look at me and realize that the memories haven’t connected.”
“… “
“I’ve thought about it a lot too. But… I don’t know. I don’t think there is a proper answer. Like this, as time passes… “
“No, that’s not it.”
After stopping Choi Ji-won from saying something negative, I shook my head.
“Think about it then. Don’t worry about things that haven’t happened yet. “That’s what you said.”
“This is a different case.”
“No, it’s the same. “In terms of worrying about things that haven’t even happened.”
“You’re ‘preparing’ for something that didn’t happen! Junho, your mental health is usually ruined… Sorry.”
Choi Ji-won stands up and tries to refute something, but soon realizes that it was too much and slowly sits down.
“It’s not my business to be angry at you…” Sorry. But what I want to say is this. We don’t have much time. A time when the two of us can be intimate like now… Not much. “I wanted to say that.”
“Is that why you said to keep climbing the tower instead of resting in real life?”
“Uh. When I can be with you… “I wanted to help as much as possible.”
“… “
“I also depend on you to some extent, but… You depend on me too. Before we fall apart without that support… Most… “
Choi Ji-won bites her lip tightly, unable to say any more. Her suffering didn’t seem to last for a day or two. How could Choi Ji-won, once so strong, show such weakness? She probably thought and pondered over this problem for a long time. As a result, she did not find the solution she deserved.
“I still think it’s too early to give up.”
But you must not get carried away. She says Choi Ji-won sees the future negatively, so she shouldn’t do this to me. Then, a future full of nothing but destruction is confirmed. Here, it was time to at least show groundless bravado.
“You don’t have to wait 10 months, but you can find a solution. If you go back right now, you’ll go see the old man on the 15th floor. The lowest reward is the wise advice of an old man. “If you use it repeatedly, it is possible to come up with some solution even if you don’t have to wait 10 months.”
“But in the end, you have to wait 10 months to see if your guess was correct.”
“Yes, we will have to wait 10 months in the end. But then, do we really need to stick together?”
“Are you saying we should spend 10 months apart?”
“Uh.”
“… Is there a saying that when the body becomes distant, the mind also becomes distant?”
“Some say it actually makes you feel more affectionate. Like Gyeonwoo and Jiknyeo. When I see you after a long time, my heart won’t cool down. Is not it?”
“… “
“Or do you mean to say that just because we’ll be apart for 10 months, you’ll cool down? To be honest, I’m still not familiar with your face. Because it’s so pretty. “Wouldn’t it be more like that when we see each other in 10 months?”
“Hey, don’t do that.”
Meanwhile, Choi Ji-won smiles. At the same time, the buzzer placed on the table vibrates.
“Why is he like that?”
“You are right. Even if I were away for 10 months, I could easily lure that idiot back, so why worry? “I am worth much more.”
“… “That’s true.”
“Okay, maybe I was thinking too negatively. Sorry. Because I had a sinister imagination. “If you think about it carefully, you might find the answer.”
The endlessly heavy atmosphere became a little lighter. The problem of ‘we may no longer be able to return together’ was not solved, but it also didn’t seem like there was a solution.
“Junho. “Can you buy me some beer and snacks at the convenience store?”
“Beer? Suddenly?”
“When I came to my old house, memories came flooding back. There are many stories I want to tell. “Let’s sleep here today.”
On this day, Choi Ji-won and I shared all the concerns that were on our minds. And then I realized. We still love each other enough.
Once I realized that, there was no longer any hesitation.
There is no point in worrying about something that hasn’t happened yet.
What you need to worry about is… The crisis is just around the corner.
[You have suffered damage.]
[Return to the moment you first entered the 15th floor.]
***
The familiar black sky. The brilliant sun and twinkling stars. It’s like a picture of space pasted into the sky.
“… Phew.”
After taking a deep breath, I began to climb the mountain without delay. Previously, it took a while to climb the tower while looking around, but this time I focused on walking and reached the top in no time.
Just right. Just right. Just right.
The sound of hitting a piece of stone. In the center of the pit at the top of the mountain, it is the sound of a wizened old man carving away at a stone with a hammer and nails.
“Who is it?”
“My name is Kim Jun-ho. “If I tell you, do you know?”
“No, I don’t know. “Isn’t this our first meeting?”
“… “
An old man bursting into laughter. However, as I just stare at him without any reaction, he rubs his hairless head shamelessly and avoids my gaze.
“I meant to lighten the mood in my own way, but I’m embarrassed that there’s no response.”
“Please explain the 15th floor.”
“Okay. To clear the 15th floor, you just have to choose one of the rewards that appears in front of you.”
-[10] Weapon skill training assistant
-[9] C-class attribute selection
-[8] Refined Magic Stone
…
-[1] Wise advice from an old man.
＜15Th floor＞
-Choose a reward.
A message window appears quickly before your eyes. Since I had already seen it once, I answered the old man without delay.
From Noble mtl dot com
“I will take the wise advice of an old man.”
“… “Wouldn’t it be better to think about it a bit?”
“No. “I’ve already made up my mind.”
“You have a short temper. Okay. “Then ask me anything you want to know.”
Although the old man seemed a little nervous, he obediently asked me to ask him anything I was curious about. I asked the old man the questions I had prepared in advance.
“Where should I use this ‘Emotional Spellbook’? No matter how much I think about it, there is no suitable use for it.”
“Hmm… “A spellbook of emotions?”
An old man pondering while squeezing a stone in his hand. After thinking for a moment, he aimed the hammer in his hand at my heart.
“Hey, what is that in your arms?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I have a ring in my arms. “Isn’t it a pretty precious ring?”
“… Oh?”
Following the old man’s words, I searched my chest and found a silver ring. This ring… This is the ring I received from Archangel Raphael on the second floor. I completely forgot.
“The status window probably won’t appear. How about using it there? “It’s not usually a precious ring, but even if it’s considered the world’s most sacred item, if you don’t know how to use it, it’s just a piece of metal.”
“… “
This is… It was truly wise advice. Not only does it remind us of the existence of this long-forgotten ring, but it also gives us advice to use the ‘Spell of Emotions’. Perhaps this old man could call himself ‘wise.’
“Okay, you cleared the 15th floor with this. “I wish you luck.”
An old man waving his hands and a blue portal appearing next to him. But I had no intention of leaving yet.
“Can I ask one more question?”
“It doesn’t work.”
“Oh, don’t do that.”
“Oh, that’s right. Why are young people like this? “You should have asked your questions carefully.”
An old man slyly poking a portal with a hammer.
“What will happen if I destroy the statue here?”
Those somewhat playful movements immediately stopped as soon as they heard my question.
“… “What does that mean?”
“What would happen if I destroyed all the statues scattered around here?”
My goal is one. Trying every possible trick. And gathering as much information as possible.
You can heal your devastated mind later.
“There is no answer?”
Now is the time to do it.