Chapter 140
“Mr. Jeong Manho...?”
Jeong Manho, in pajamas and slippers fit for a grown man.
Looks like he’d rushed out of the house.
Even then, he hadn’t forgotten to drive. That was so like him.
"... I'm screwed."
I hurriedly tried to hide, but realizing it was too late, I gave up.
It looked like I’d already been spotted.
Come to think of it, standing alone in a place like this made it weirder not to stand out.
“Why are you here...?”
Jeong Manho stared at me with wide eyes.
His gaze naturally drifted over to what was around me.
A pile of bones and hides as large as a building.
And two rocks the size of a person.
“I came because a huge stench suddenly hit me... What in the world is this?”
Jeong Manho’s face slowly went pale.
Even if only by a hair, he was an A-rank Hunter.
There was no way he wouldn’t understand what those things meant.
“I, is this a monster? A ridiculously huge one...?”
His pupils were quaking.
Should I make up an excuse right now?
Tell him my parents asked me to step out for a bit?
But there was no way that would work.
I was currently fully dressed in a robe, staff, belt, and necklace.
On top of that, anyone could tell I’d been through a fight—dirty and exhausted.
Before I could say another word,
“No way, you...”
Jeong Manho stumbled back in shock.
It looked like all the suspicious things that had happened so far were being reassembled in his head.
Why had those supposedly amazing parents of mine never shown themselves?
Why was this kid always alone?
Even when an earthquake struck the house, even when a massive wall and road appeared.
Where were the parents who should have been there to deal with all that?
“You didn’t have parents? From the beginning?”
“... No.”
“I-it’s okay. I don’t have parents either.”
“I don’t think that’s the important part here...”
“I’m too shocked! W-what is this...?”
Jeong Manho kept muttering nonsense as if he’d gone into a panic.
“Let’s let your head cool off for a bit, then we can talk.”
“Yes, please.”
Vroom!
Jeong Manho drove off.
A little later, Jeong Manho reappeared with a much fresher look, as if he’d gone for a drive to clear his head.
“You left your car behind this time?”
“I thought the smell might cling to it... Anyway. Was it really all you? Everything that’s happened so far?”
“Well, yes. Sorry I’ve been deceiving you this whole time.”
“Even calling the Daejeon Tower ruler the Bracelet Thief?”
“Yes.”
“Driving the association president out and protecting me?”
“Yes.”
“Causing an earthquake and smashing all the ceramics in our house?”
“... Yes.”
“Getting me items because you were acting like a loyal subordinate? Acting happy when you got the magical girl belt? Accepting the holiday gifts I gave you? Those little remarks where you praised how I handled things? You did all of that?”
“Yes! I did all of it! So please, stop! Stop asking!”
The more I listened, the more embarrassed I got.
I shouted to cut him off.
“H-huh... No way.”
Jeong Manho slumped down as if his legs had given out.
A face stricken with shock and fear.
The little kid he had been buying magical girl belts and candy for, and patting on the head.
That same kid was actually stronger than him, climbing higher floors and even overpowering the former association president.
“A-are you going to kill me?”
“Huh? Why would I kill you?”
I answered with a bewildered laugh.
This uncle watches too many movies, doesn’t he?
“I’d just erase your memory.”
“... Erase my memory? How?”
“Physically? Magic can do it too...”
“Eek!”
I fiddled with my staff.
Of course I didn’t know any such method; I was just playing a prank.
“I’ll keep your secret! I never said a word to the association president either! You know how tight-lipped I am?”
“I’m joking, I’m joking... Anyway, I figured it was about time to come clean.”
I sat on a whale bone and let out a sigh.
“I just cleared Floor 45. Before long, it’ll be Floor 50.”
“... You’re planning to keep climbing?”
“Huh? Of course.”
At first, I had definitely thought I’d climb a bit, stop, and then live contentedly.
But not anymore.
If money and fame get multiplied every time I go to the Tower, why wouldn’t I?
I’m going to take the world No. 1 spot.
And then I’ll flatten that demigod’s nose too.
Jeong Manho’s reaction was unexpected.
Whatever fear and shock he’d had a moment ago were gone; he looked at me with a strange expression.
“You... how old are you?”
“Twenty-three?”
That’s about what I remember it being on my ID.
“Don’t lie. You look exactly like an elementary school kid.”
“... I’m not an elementary schooler.”
“Where’s your party?”
“I don’t have one. I’m completely solo.”
“My God...”
Jeong Manho didn’t question whether that was possible or how strong I was.
“A kid as young as you was climbing the Tower alone? A Tower I barely manage to climb while shaking every time?”
“I’m not that scared...”
“Judging by your speed, you must be entering the Tower once or twice a week.”
“I don’t really need to rest either...”
“While fighting until you’re covered in blood like this.”
“No, that’s not my blood.”
“This is wrong!”
“Hnng...?”
Jeong Manho suddenly shouted.
As a burly adult man suddenly yelled in front of me, I instinctively shrank back.
“You’re still young. You should be in the middle of school, fooling around with your friends, not this!”
Jeong Manho spread his arms and pointed around us.
“Fighting monsters this huge, monsters I can’t even imagine... Is this normal?”
“...”
“No matter how crazy the world’s gotten these days, kids shouldn’t be doing this too. It’s not like all the adults are dead or anything.”
Maybe he was worked up, because he was spitting all over the place as he spoke passionately.
“Quit tower climbing and live like me. You’ve got money, don’t you? Just eat good food. Relax in a nice house... Why go and suffer like that on purpose?”
It was a pretty convincing argument.
But after learning what kind of attention climbing brought me, I couldn’t stop now.
“I’m doing it because I like it.”
“Because you like it? Fighting monsters?”
“It’s easy for me. And...”
I chose my words for a moment.
“It’s something only I can do.”
The one and only extreme-difficulty Tower.
I was probably the only person who could climb it.
“Are you going to climb the Tower for me, then?”
A provocative question.
The Jeong Manho I knew was a coward.
I knew he was still stuck around the 20th Floor.
But Jeong Manho’s reaction was nothing like I expected.
“Yeah, I’d rather do it myself.”
“... Pardon?”
“I’ll do it! I’ll train again, buy gear, and climb if I have to!”
An unexpected answer.
That scaredy-cat Jeong Manho?
I widened my eyes.
“... Really? Aren’t you scared?”
“Shit, of course I’m scared!”
“Then why?”
“Putting an elementary school kid out front? How could I ever show my face after that? A man from Daejeon has to have some pride...”
Jeong Manho spoke in a trembling voice, but with determination.
Maybe there was some bluff in it, but his feelings themselves seemed genuine.
I couldn’t help smiling.
This uncle was actually a better guy than I thought.
“Thanks, but I’ll pass.”
“Why?”
“No matter how hard you try, Uncle, you’ll never get stronger than me.”
“Ugh...”
Jeong Manho groaned at the brutal fact attack.
“I probably couldn’t solo this boss either, even if other S-ranks came along.”
“Still...”
“I appreciate the concern, but I’m seriously strong, you know? Ah, if I hadn’t run out of mana, I could’ve shown you once.”
I grinned confidently.
“And if it gets hard, I’ll quit right away. I don’t plan on dying. If I can’t even enjoy it, it’d be a waste to die.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I’ve got an escape method too.”
Once I reassured him, Jeong Manho’s expression finally softened.
But guilt still lingered on his face.
I changed the subject to shift the mood.
“Oh, right. Uncle, you should raise your floor a bit too. This works out nicely—you’ve got a new resolve now anyway.”
“Huh?”
“Probably pretty soon? At the latest, when I reach Floor 50, I’ll probably reveal my identity... If you don’t want to hear people saying, ‘So what was Jeong Manho doing? Was he fooling us?’ and getting pelted with rocks then, you’d better get stronger.”
“Well, that’s true...”
A shrunken Jeong Manho answered in a tiny voice.
An awkward silence hung in the air.
Then, from far away, a line of large trucks began to arrive.
It was the broker uncle.
“I’m here, sir... Ugh, what is that smell?!”
As soon as the uncle got out of the car, he flinched and covered his nose at the pungent stench.
But he quickly pulled himself together and looked around.
“Good heavens. It really is huge...”
“I told you so.”
“No, I mean, I never expected it to be this big... Just in case, hiring plenty of trucks was the right call.”
The broker clicked his tongue and walked over, then noticed Jeong Manho standing next to me.
“Vice president?”
“Mr. Jeong? What brings you here...?”
“The smell was so strong I had to check it out since it’s right in front of my house, you know?”
The broker’s gaze went back and forth between me and Jeong Manho for a moment.
A look like he was figuring things out.
The uncle asked me in a calm voice.
“... Boss, have you been found out?”
“Just now.”
“The boss, huh... Well, of course. Without parents, of course you’d be the one in charge.”
Jeong Manho shut his eyes tight. He seemed to feel dizzy.
He complained to the broker uncle.
“Weren’t we drinking together and comforting each other because it was so hard to keep those scary people happy? So it was all an act?”
“Th-that... it wasn’t a lie. It really is hard to please the boss.”
“Ugh...”
Jeong Manho trembled with betrayal and frustration as he spoke.
The broker uncle scratched his chin, looking troubled.
I looked back and forth between the two of them.
Two middle-aged men bickering over me; it was quite a funny sight.
I wedged myself between them. I had a line I’d always wanted to try in a moment like this.
“Please don’t fight over me!”
“...”
“......”
“No matter how charming I may be, fighting over me like this is...”
“Can I flick your forehead?”
“Yes, go ahead and hit me for my share too.”
“Ack!”
Bonk!
Normally the automatic barrier that should have activated didn’t, probably because I was completely out of mana.
Of course, because of my body’s durability, Jeong Manho’s finger hurt more from the flick.
Fortunately, the awkward atmosphere vanished in an instant.
All thanks to me burning myself out for it.
“For now, let’s deal with this. It’d be bad if we drew attention.”
I quickly changed the subject.
The broker uncle began giving orders to the truck drivers and workers who had followed him.
“Since the company has a warehouse under its name, we’ll take it there. Rest for now. We’ll handle the cleanup neatly... Including removing the smell.”
“Yes, then please. I’m too tired.”
Leaving the trucks behind, I headed home.
As soon as I got home, I stuffed my clothes into the washing machine and washed my whole body with hot water.
Even after scrubbing hard, I felt like a faint fishy smell still lingered at the tips of my hair.
And the next floor is sea-themed, too.
“For now, sleep... Let’s check tomorrow.”
There were plenty of videos and photos to upload to the gallery, but after bathing, sleep came crashing down on me.
For the first time in a while, I fell asleep without touching my phone.
***
“Huh...!”
That dawn, I kicked off the blanket and woke up with a start.
It was enough to make me regret going to sleep so peacefully yesterday.
The reason was simple enough. I had a nightmare.
“A, a dream...?”
It was a dream about being permanently banned from the gallery.
I was still trembling all over, unable to tell reality from the dream.
The shaking only stopped after I checked the gallery and confirmed my writing was going through properly.
“Phew... Thank goodness.”
Only then did I feel relieved.
Come to think of it, it had obviously been a dream. There was no way they could ban my IP.
After checking the clock, it was an awkward time to lie back down.
I kept browsing the gallery since it was already open.
There was a post that stood out.
[Who Took a Dump in Daejeon?]
“...”
Looks like something big had happened.