The Story is Told to the Protagonist.

“Th-this is an incredible discovery! Isn’t it, Noah!?”

“…”

I didn’t answer.

To put it simply, it’s a vain hope. But I can’t tell them why. If I know too much, it’ll seem strange.

Instead, I averted my eyes, finding it harder to look at the excited leader.

Ironically, his joy at this small clue made me realize the despair that everyone in this world carries.

“Of-of course it’s still a vague hypothesis, but there’s definitely a connection! If we report this to the scholars…”

It was difficult to watch.

I turned my head and saw Sierra and Ein in my view.

Sierra, who didn’t know about the destruction, was calm, but Ein was different.

As always, her expressionless face was covered by her scarf. But her tail was puffed up. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her long pink eyelashes trembled.

“…”

I turned my head again and stared at empty space.

But then, I saw something approaching from far away.

‘…Huh?’

The silhouette quickly grew larger. It was several creatures the size of wild dogs and one person.

“Something’s coming!”

“What, huh? Battle positions!”

Only then did the team members form a formation.
Ein also startled and raised her crossbow. Despite her keen senses, she must have been very distracted to notice later than me.

“…Wait.”

But Ein’s brow furrowed as she belatedly identified the enemy.

“Leader. That one being chased by creatures, it’s Jilduk.”

“What!? The Jilduk we parted with on the 1st floor?”

Oh, is that the guy who was their old team member?

“I’m charging in! We must save Jilduk! He’s a ‘mana user’!”

What?

‘Really?’

If it’s true, we must save him no matter what.

“Chaaaarge!”

***

[You have gained 5 points.]
[You have gained 3 points.]
[You have gained 6 points….]

The lengthy battle with the wild dog creatures finally ended.

‘It was a tough fight, but we gathered quite a few points.’

At this rate, we might pass the 2nd floor quickly?
The 3rd-floor trial will end in an instant, so it’s straight to the 4th floor.

‘If we’re lucky…’

I might be able to meet Ga-ram soon.

And the leader, Ein, and Jilduk reunited.

“Hahaha! To think we’d meet alive! I’m really glad!”

The wounded leader laughed loudly while being treated.

But the skinny guy called Jilduk responded halfheartedly.

“…Yeah.”

Seeing how he was being chased alone, his previous team must have been wiped out by the dogs. He must be mentally exhausted.

But even considering that, somehow, this reunion scene is slightly different from what I imagined.

‘They entered the Tower together, but they don’t seem particularly close?’

Well, maybe he’s just acting like that because he’s tired.

However, Jilduk, whose expression was already bad, frowned when he saw me treating the leader.

“…?”

Just as I was about to ask if there was a problem, the leader spoke first.

“By the way.”

Did he have something bothering him too, like Jilduk? His laughing face suddenly hardened.

“Why are you alone? Where’s the captain?”

The leader asked, slightly accusingly.

“I’ve been alone since we parted. The captain is probably alone like me.”

“…I see.”

It wasn’t particularly good news.
It means the captain’s fate, whom the leader respected, is uncertain either way.

Everyone seemed to have run out of things to say, and silence fell.

I slapped the leader’s back with my palm as the treatment finished.

Slap!

“Argh!”

“Stop exaggerating… The treatment’s done.”

“It-it’s done, so why are you hitting me?”

“It’s a tradition from my planet.”

Cheer up a bit, you rascal. You’re the leader, don’t be so deflated.

It wasn’t ineffective, as the team started to liven up again with conversation.

“But this time was really dangerous! When both my eyes were gouged, and my side was bitten, I really thought I was going to die! The difficulty is so different from the bee!”

“If it wasn’t for Noah, you really would have died.”

Sierra, what are you saying?

“How are we supposed to pass this damn trial without a healer?”

I’m sorry for making it like this.
But I’m helping you now, aren’t I? Even giving you the strategy outright.

“Aside from healing, it’s really fortunate that Noah knows so much.”

“Hmm! After Noah told us their weaknesses, those things were cut down like wheat!”

The leader laughs and slaps my back with his palm.

“Hahaha! Noah! From now on, if you think of something like that, tell us quickly! We really almost died!”

His hand seems to have some strange emotion in it. Or is he just naturally strong?

“…If I say something wrong, it could lead to bigger trouble. I wasn’t sure even just now, but I said it because it was urgent.”

“Don’t worry! We all trust you!”

Certainly, the team has benefited a lot from me. Now, they might believe anything I say?

“I’m not just saying nice things, I really mean it! Think of yourself as the vice leader, and don’t hesitate to say anything!”

“That’s right! If it weren’t for Noah’s judgment several times, we would have ended up like Jilduk’s team long ago.”

Jilduk’s brow twitched as he listened.

‘No, Sierra, what are you saying again….’

Look at his expression, he’s really displeased.
Finally, Jilduk spoke up.

“…Is that so? Anyone with good observation skills can find weaknesses.”

It seems I was the one he found unpleasant.
But perhaps because it was buried in the flow of conversation, no one responded.

I smiled bitterly at the team members’ continued expectations.

Following the giant bee, it seems I’ve stood out too much in this battle too. It was even more so because the dangerous battle came suddenly.

‘It’s dangerous to draw too much attention when we don’t know how far the information about the White Race has spread.’

Originally, I was planning to just provide the catalyst and give credit to Sierra and Ein. But it’s not going as planned.

‘Lying is more unnatural and tiring than I thought.’

It was fine until now, but I need to be more careful.

I forcibly cut off their conversation and changed the subject.

“Introduce me to that friend. You said he’s a mana user?”

“Ah, that’s right!”

The leader slaps Jilduk’s back.

“This is Jilduk! He’s a mana user, no less! Hey, can you show us once?”

“Ahem, ahem.”

Jilduk raised his hand somewhat annoyedly and soon created a mana sphere the size of a baseball.

Woong-

“Wow…!”

I couldn’t help but exclaim in excitement. I’m really meeting a mana user.

‘But…’

His expression is quite… smug. He seems to be a friend with a lot of pride in himself.

Sierra asked me.

“Is that so amazing?”

“Of course.”

A mana user doesn’t simply consume mana like me but refers to someone who can directly sense and manipulate mana.

“It’s an advanced technique that’s hard to acquire without the system’s help, so it’s really rare outside the Tower. That’s why it’s extremely rare in these lower floors.”

In terms of rarity alone, it’s on par with healers, so that says it all.

Jilduk seems satisfied with my words… Could you stop making that expression? It’s making me uncomfortable.

‘…He’s a friend who likes to be acknowledged.’

I extended my hand to him.

“…What.”

“Don’t you know how to shake hands?”

“…”

The leader laughed and intervened, slapping Jilduk’s back.

“Hahaha! Hey, Mr. Nobility Hater! Cheer up! Even though Noah is handsome and pale, he’s not a noble!”

“…I get it, so stop hitting. And stop with the unfunny jokes. It’s not hatred, it’s a belief…”

“Yeah, yeah! Oh, and Noah is a healer, no less! He’s our team’s ace!”

“…Yeah, I saw earlier.”

His tone is quite sharp.

“My name is Kang Noah. Nice to meet you.”

“Your speech suddenly got shorter.”

“Yours was short from the start. Don’t like it?”

“…Never mind.”

Jilduk ignores my handshake and greets Sierra. I awkwardly rubbed the back of my neck with my unshaken hand.
This guy has been slightly off since earlier.

After the introductions were over, we started looting. There were a lot of gems on this floor, so we definitely couldn’t skip on it.
As we were each searching the corpses of the dogs, I saw something shining.

‘Oh.’

It’s a gem.
I wonder if it’s good enough quality to be used for skills?

Ding!

[Amethyst Imbued with Life Force]
An amethyst that was used as the power source for a living being. When using the ‘Tears of the Gem’ skill, it increases the strength stat of the designated target for a certain period of time.

Nice, I hit the jackpot.

“Leader! Can I have this?”

At my bold statement, the leader and team members turned their heads to check the gem.

The distribution is 1/n. But when something particularly valuable comes out like this, the distribution can easily become unbalanced.

In the original story, in cases like this, priority was implicitly given to the few who contributed the most.

The experienced leader showed the expected reaction.

“Hmm, alright! That should make the distribution about even. You want to take that?”

“Yeah. I’ll keep it.”

“Put it away!”

I checked the team members’ reactions. As expected, they all turned their heads and continued working.

A healer can take this much. Moreover, somehow, I’ve been contributing more than necessary.

Rather, being able to voice my opinion within reasonable bounds will reduce friction in the long run.

However, except for one person.

‘Huh?’

Jilduk is staring at me intensely.

‘What.’

I stared back at him with the same eyes.
Whether my intention got through to him, or simply because my gaze was unpleasant, Jilduk approached.

“Why do you get to take that?”

“I’m not taking it, I’m receiving it as part of the distribution.”

“My team had half-killed it before they were wiped out. And you get the biggest piece in the distribution?”

“Who drove the other half here? Who contributed the most to killing it?”

His brow twitched.
He’s a friend whose emotions show very clearly on his face.

“…Don’t play with words. I’m arguing for fairness for everyone.”

“Then, are you saying you should take it?”

Jilduk, who was about to argue, closed his mouth.
He knows too. That he’s in the position of being saved, and moreover, he didn’t do anything in the recent battle.

“Since we’re on the topic, let me ask. Why did you just stand there during the battle earlier? Aren’t you a mana user?”

“…This is why ignorant guys… Unlike you guys who luckily got one ability, I have to strategically conserve my mana. Because I’m the most important firepower.”

So he says.
His words are unnecessarily long, but let’s accept it for now.

It’s a common case on the lower floors. Not everyone can be as versatile in mana as Seol Ga-ram.

Gaining confidence from his self-introduction, Jilduk argued again with an arrogant expression.

“More importantly, when did I say I would take it? Why does it turn out like that? Isn’t it common sense to distribute fairly through discussion, if not me?”

“Was what happened earlier not a discussion?”

“I never agreed.”

“Ah. You mean you, who just sucked your thumb during the battle and have no share to receive in the distribution?”

“…A nobody like you sure talks big.”

“Not as big as the noble Jilduk, surely?”

At my sarcasm, Jilduk’s expression was greatly distorted.

Although it took me a short time to get to know him, he’s such a transparent friend that I think I understand why he’s acting like this.

As a mana user, he must have received considerable treatment both on his home planet and in his team. He must have been quite revered as a genius.

But in the short time he was away, he’s displeased that I’m suddenly being favored.

‘He’s not a child anymore.’

These kinds of guys need to have their overly high shoulders crushed a bit. Physically.

‘…But is it right for me to back down now?’

I’ve already spoken harshly according to my temperament, but I’m still conflicted.

I want the gem for my skill, but if this guy is doing this trusting the team, it’s troublesome. After all, I’m the newcomer who rolled in.

No matter how much I’ve contributed in this short time, Ein and the leader might still side with this guy.

Jilduk seems to have had the same thought momentarily, as he opens his mouth again.

“You, what are you relying on…”

At that moment, the leader cut off Jilduk’s words and stepped forward.

“Jilduk?”

“What.”

“If you’re talking about the distribution, it’s already been decided. Under my mediation as the leader.”

“…”

Jilduk falls silent. So do I.

Unexpectedly, the leader took my side.

‘Hmm…. Wasn’t he doing this trusting the team?’

Jilduk silently looked at the leader, then averted his gaze and retreated without a word.

He retreated without even saying he understood, so the atmosphere remained tense.

Looking around, Sierra was just now relieving her chest and turning her gaze away.

Ein had already lost interest and was still looting.

‘It looks strangely familiar.’

Looking at the leader, he shrugs his shoulders too. He doesn’t seem to understand why Jilduk is acting like this.

‘That guy, he won’t be fixed like this.’

I had a good sense of it having corrected ill-mannered guys more than once or twice.

It’s troublesome if he keeps acting like this in a team where we share our lives.

‘We’ll be seeing each other for a long time, I should have a sincere conversation with him later.’

For now, I let it go.

Translator’s Corner

Some days ago, the author mentioned they would go on hiatus to refine the story. I won’t be adding more coin chapters until they come back, but the current ones will be released at the same rate,