Pick Me Up!

“You damn bastards!”

I hurled my shield at the goblin climbing up.

A weak scream came from beside me.

“Kiyaa!”

[‘Jenna (★)’ is bleeding. Stamina decreases at regular intervals.]

“You’re still alive?!”

“I’m okay, I can hold on.”

A dagger was lodged in Jenna’s side.

Her dress was stained red.

Aaron showed signs of shock. His body was trembling, and blood intermittently spurted from his severed leg.

It wouldn’t be surprising if he didn’t make it.

“Don’t die! Just hold on until it’s over! Then we can go back.”

“But… I think this is as far as I can go…”

“Shut up! We won’t lose!”

I couldn’t hold them off any longer.

Dozens of goblins swarmed onto the roof.

“Retreat! Inside the roof, go inside!”

“But there’s no space inside!”

“Just go!”

Sensation faded from my right arm.

I felt light-headed, the world spinning around me.

“Ker-ker, kerlarlak!”

“Do you want to kill me? Come on, come in, all of you, you bastards!”

No sword, no shield.

I couldn’t even tell how many seconds were left.

I couldn’t spare a thought for Jenna’s situation.

“Kyaaah!”

Dozens of goblins charged at me simultaneously.

Their blood-soaked blades aimed to tear me apart.

And then…

[00:00]

As if time had frozen, the goblins’ movement broke as well as their blades pointed at me.

[Stage Clear!][‘Han (★)’, ‘Jenna (★)’, ‘Aaron (★)’ level up!][Reward – 30,000G, Iron Ore (B) x3, Leather (B) x2, Cardboard (B) x2][MVP – ‘Han (★)’]

“…”

The decimated cityscape, the horde of goblins, and the lifeless bodies of Zeeth and Hanson all vanished in a radiant beam of light.

A gentle white light enveloped my entire body, healing my wounds. Sensation returned to my arm, my lungs regained their rhythm, and torn muscles repaired themselves.

The dagger embedded in Jenna’s side fell to the ground, and fresh flesh sprouted from Aaron’s severed leg.

“Ah, ahahahat.”

Jenna let out a hollow laugh, sinking to the ground.

“Can you hold my hand? My legs won’t support me.”

I wordlessly extended my hand.

Jenna grasped it, wobbling a few times before managing to rise.

“Did… we make it?”

“…Yes.”

It was a familiar room.

[Climb the Tower, Save the World!]

[Main Dungeon: Current Floor – 5]

The message on the left mirror signaled our clearance of the floor.

The familiar hum filled the air as the waiting room began to rise.

Aaron was still laying on the floor.

Though unconscious, his breathing remained steady.

He had made it through.

“Is it like this from the 5th floor onward? If so, this is…”

“This time was different.”

I reflected on the battle.

Three divided passages. Swarming goblins.

It was a structure where the failure of even one person would lead to total annihilation. If only we had trained Zeeth and Hanson a bit more, we wouldn’t have had to fight so desperately.

Surviving the mission wasn’t too difficult once a good party was formed. It was just unfortunate that we got caught in such a vulnerable moment.

I picked up the iron sword and shield lying on the floor.

Even the blood-soaked equipment had been miraculously restored.

“This is just too much! If I had known it would be like this, I would have trained harder!”

Jenna muttered, hanging her bow and quiver on her back.

Her voice sounded cheerful, but her face told a different story.

She got stabbed and almost died.

Zeeth and Hanson had perished.

And I ended up cutting Aaron’s leg.

…

As we emerged into the square, Deca rushed over as if he had been waiting.

“Hyung-nim, well done!”

Silently, I made my way to the lodging.

“Are Zeeth and Hanson inside? Chloe said she had prepared something delicious.”

“They’re dead.”

“What?”

“They’re gone.”

Deca stood frozen.

Ignoring him, I entered the lodging.

A few people in the lobby glanced at me. I gently laid Aaron on the sofa and placed the spear beside him. His wounds had healed, but he didn’t regain consciousness immediately.

[The Master is calling. The chosen one shall come forth!]

Iselle’s voice echoed through the square.

It seemed Anytng was trying to form a sub-party for the lower floors.

“My head is pounding.”

I had no intention of dwelling on the loss of someone in the waiting room.

In a place like this, especially for someone like me at the forefront of the Tower, death was a daily occurrence. But the throbbing in my head couldn’t be ignored.

I opened the door at the end of the corridor and stepped inside. It was my assigned room in the lodging. I had grown accustomed to this place, even though it was far from a modern home.

I collapsed onto the bed.

[Congratulations, Master! You have successfully cleared the 5th floor. The Weekly Dungeon is now open. Gather various materials to strengthen the waiting room and heroes.]

A message appeared, announcing the opening of the Weekly Dungeon after clearing the 5th floor.

“Come to think of it, I acquired the Fury skill…”

Composure and Fury couldn’t coexist.

It was an evident bug.

Composure kept me rational in any situation, while Fury sacrificed rationality for heightened combat prowess.

It must be linked to my unique nature as a Master and a Hero.

I still didn’t have all the answers. At least for today, I didn’t want to dwell on it.

From tomorrow, things would get busy again.

I had reached level 10, the limit for a 1-star rating, and the Weekly Dungeon, where I could obtain valuable materials, had opened. It was time to aim for a 2-star promotion.

So, let’s take today off.

I closed my eyes.