Chapter 2

Translator: Roshi

The child who woke up from sleep chattered away as if nothing had happened, sticking close by his side.

It really felt like a sparrow was perched right next to him.

"Ajosshi. Aren't you bored?"

"Hm?"

He tilted his head in confusion for a moment.

Though the child was quite articulate, there were times like this when she would ask something so abruptly that it made him pause.

When he looked puzzled at the oddly phrased question, the child asked again.

"You’re just sitting here all the time. Don’t you play with friends?"

"Ahh."

What the child meant was if he wasn’t bored being alone.

Now that he thought about it, he had spent more than a week living in bed.

In that time, only a handful of people had come to see him.

A few government workers under the pretext of checking on his “dungeon disaster compensation”, and a few doctors and nurses to check his physical condition.

‘That was it.’

It wasn’t anything unusual, really.

He had spent a lot of time alone in the other world as well.

In the end, here or there, it was the same situation—no family or friends.

He was so used to it that he didn’t feel any particular emotion about it.

"What about you, then?"

"Hanuri plays with Ha-euni unnie, and sometimes the teacher comes to visit, and I have Ddugi and Chuchu too!"

"…Ddugi? Chuchu?"

What were those?

They didn't sound like people's names, at least.

"Want me to introduce you to my friends? Heehee."

He wasn’t particularly eager to see them, but seeing the look in the child’s eyes, he felt he couldn’t say no.

She looked like she was determined to show him.

‘If I say no, she’ll just keep chattering, won’t she?’

He didn’t mind the chatter, but it was a little exhausting.

And since he had received something too...... he just nodded.

Then, with her small hands, she took his hand and pulled him along.

For the first time other then going to the bathroom, he got out of bed and walked down the corridor, matching his steps to hers.

"Oh my, Hanuri, where are you going~?"

"Ha-euni unnie! Hehe, I’m going to see Ddugi and Chuchu!"

"Really? And the person next to you, is he the handsome ajosshi Hanuri was talking about?"

"Yup!"

"He really is handsome, huh? Will you introduce him to unnie sometime?"

"Um… hehe."

The child, who had run up to a nurse they met in the hallway, chattered to her just like she did with him.

She seemed to be whispering, but for some reason, he could hear it all.

"Huh? Why won’t you answer me?"

"Heehee. I’ll tell you later, unnie!"

After a long bout of chattering, the child returned, laughing awkwardly without giving a clear answer to the nurse’s last question.

The nurse looked at the child with a mischievous expression, like that of a teasing adult.

He chuckled softly.

He caught himself laughing, a bit startled.

‘Laughed again.’

How many times had he already laughed because of this child?

"Ajosshi! Let’s go!"

"Huh? Oh, okay."

Feeling slightly dazed, he was pulled along, glancing quietly at the child.

What kind of changes was this child causing in him?

"This way, it’s Ddugi!"

He snapped out of his daze when the child turned back to him, calling out excitedly.

"…A rock?"

He wondered what Ddugi was, only to find that it was a rock lying in the hospital garden.

It looked somewhat like a roly-poly toy, but… how should he put it?

Its head was larger, like a top-heavy roly-poly?

If it tipped over, it didn’t look like it would be able to get up again.

Why did they leave it positioned like that instead of lying it down?

"It’s not a rock, it’s Ddugi!"

"Alright. Roly-poly."

"Say hi, Ddugi. This is the ajosshi I told you about who eats well. Heehee."

The introduction was a bit odd, but then again, being introduced to a rock wasn’t normal either, so he let it slide.

"And where’s Chuchu?"

"Chuchu is over there!"

Just as the child, excited at the thought of introducing another friend, started to pull him along again—

Clatter!

The rock called Ddugi suddenly made a sound as it tipped over.

Just as he thought.

Its balance was all off.

"Ah! Hiiing… Ddugi!"

The child looked so sad about the fallen rock.

She had been so happy just a moment ago, but now she was on the verge of tears.

He chuckled softly.

Seeing her like this brought a smile to his face once more.

By now, it was no longer a surprise.

As he spent time with the child, things began to feel increasingly natural.

"Ddugi, why do you keep falling over?"

"Maybe it’s because of the name you gave it?"

"Hiiing… but Ddugi is Ddugi!"

"Why not add a last name so it stands up better? Make it ‘O-Ddugi.’"

"Uuumm! But Ddugi isn’t a name I gave; Ddugi told me its name."

A talking rock, huh.

He didn’t understand what she was saying, but this whole conversation didn’t hold much meaning anyway.

He just played along, nodding.

"Ddugi, I’ll come back tomorrow! Hehe."

The child, who had propped the rock back up, once again pulled him along with a delighted expression.

This time, on the other side of the garden from where Ddugi was, she introduced him to a flower named Chuchu.

"Did this one also say it was Chuchu?"

"Yup!"

A rock and a flower.

What strange friends she has.

"Ajosshi, don’t you really have any friends?"

"No, I don’t."

"Uuumm! That’s okay! Then I’ll be your friend!"

"…."

He looked at the child quietly.

A friend…

It was such a foreign word to him.

In the blood-soaked battlefield, where life and death hung in the balance, something like that was a luxury.

Camaraderie, the bond of those who had each other’s backs?

Allies, people who could smile to your face and stab you in the back at any moment—that’s what comrades and subordinates were.

If he’d had true friendships like that, he wouldn’t be here right now.

They would’ve become his weakness and left him as a white skeleton on the battlefield long ago.

That place was like that.

So, he had neither friends nor family.

As for this world, his original world… he couldn’t remember well.

Whether he had any or not.

"Don’t want to? Hiiing."

"No."

"Then, do you like it?"

"…Yeah."

"Hehe."

At his answer, the child smiled brightly.

Just to see that smile, he had become friends with a child who treated rocks and flowers as friends.

If you think about it, that rock and flower might be more genuine than most people he’s known.

At least their insides match their outsides.

Just like the child.

"Ajosshi."

"Hm?"

"What are you going to do when you leave here?"

Something he wants to do…

He’d like to build a house in a quiet countryside, sleep whenever he feels like it, eat whenever he wants, and live a leisurely life.

If he craves fish, he’ll catch some; if he feels lazy, he’ll just pick vegetables from his garden, dip them in ssamjang, and eat them with a simple bowl of rice.

In winter, he’ll drink makgeolli in the snow; in spring, he’ll pick wild greens and make bibimbap.

Eat until he’s full, then lie down wherever to take a nap—that kind of life.

That’s how he planned to live, for now.

Of course, before all that, he planned to eat some tteokbokki as soon as he left this place.

"Wow, that sounds amazing…"

"Does it?"

The idea of being an idle loafer sounded nice to her.

‘Well, I guess even adults might envy that.’

Who doesn’t like the idea of lazing around and eating?

Everyone’s just too busy with life to actually do it.

In this world, and in the other world too.

"But, are you going to do that all alone?"

"Hm?"

He hadn’t thought about it.

Living with someone?

It felt too unfamiliar.

But for some reason, her words made him imagine it.

A life where he and this child lived in the same house, eating the same meals together.

"Can Hanuri come too? Since we’re friends. Ddugi and Chuchu too."

Was this part of some grand plan of this clever child?

"Living together isn’t for friends; it’s what family does."

"Then, I’ll be your family!"

"…."

He bent down to meet the child’s gaze.

"Friends, in the end, are strangers. They’re a bond that can break one day. But family is a bond that, once made, cannot be broken."

He wasn’t sure if the child would understand this.

"Family is there with you in times of sadness, joy, gloom, hunger, and when you eat something delicious. They’re always with you."

He himself didn’t quite understand the words he was saying.

"Even so, do you want to become my family?"

He extended his hand.

"Yes! Hanuri doesn’t have a family either, so I’ll be your family, ajosshi!"

Without a moment’s hesitation, the child took his hand with her small one and answered.

Then she asked with a bright smile.

"Hehe! Then Ddugi and Chuchu are family too, right?"

He chuckled.

The child’s pure smile and innocent question made him laugh along.

Why had he taken things so seriously?

"Let’s head back inside."

"Okay! Ddugi, Chuchu, I’ll come see you again tomorrow!"

He’d heard what the child truly wanted, so all he had to do was return her pure heart with the same sincerity.

Without crossing any lines.

"But, ajosshi."

As they were about to leave, the child, who had just said goodbye to her “friends”, turned around and called him.

Her expression was unusually serious.

*

The next day.

-The Taegeuk Guild’s Fire Goblin Team is preparing for another expedition as they continue to face difficulties in the A-rank dungeon.

-Yes, that’s correct. It seems that the Taegeuk Guild is aiming to eventually tackle the S-rank dungeon in the Chuncheon area, starting from here."

It was early afternoon after lunch, when everyone had drifted into a nap.

With only the sound of the TV filling the quiet hospital room, he quietly got up.

By now, Hanuri was probably taking a nap in her own hospital room.

Since she wouldn’t come looking for him for a while, he planned to take care of something in the meantime.

"Chuncheon, huh."

The mention of Chuncheon on the TV caught his attention.

The Gangwon region, including Chuncheon, had turned into a complete monster zone, leaving vast areas of unclaimed land.

He moved without hesitation.

Swoosh!

Melting into the Shadow, he traveled swiftly toward Chuncheon.

Despite the distance, it took him less than five minutes to arrive.

Pop!

Emerging from the Shadow, he surveyed the surroundings, picturing what he wanted.

'Close to the river, with mountains as a backdrop.'

It would be convenient to fish from the river and gather various wild foods from the mountains.

And a wide open space.

He wanted it to be big enough for the child to run around freely.

But finding such a place wasn’t easy.

It had been decades since human hands had touched this land.

The Gangwon region had almost reverted to primeval forest.

Buildings that had once stood here were now so overgrown and buried that it was hard to distinguish them.

'If I can’t find it, I’ll just make it.'

He drew a large black sword, shimmering with dark light, out of thin air.

First, he’d clear the site.

He swung the greatsword lightly.

Swish!

With a soft and effortless movement, a black energy surged from the blade and spread out in all directions, like a storm.

Kwagagagak!!

The black storm radiated outward from him as its center, then quickly calmed down.

'My body’s condition is better than before.'

He took the opportunity to check his physical state while examining the surroundings.

The result was better than expected.

The overgrown trees and weeds, along with the remnants of old buildings, had been neatly cleared away.

'I should hurry and finish up so I can grab some tteokbokki on the way back.'

Having gauged the area, he hurried up.

He’d just had a bland hospital meal for lunch.

For dinner, he was determined to have something spicy and stimulating—tteokbokki.

And on the way back, he planned to buy a banana milk, since the child had mentioned liking it.

Kuwoook!!

"Huh?"

Just as he was about to start working again, something huge appeared with thundering steps over the clearing he had made.

A massive figure with pale brown skin.

He recognized it instantly.

Kuok!!

"An ogre…"

It was a familiar monster.

The creature, furious at having its territory invaded, charged straight at him.

He swung his sword in an annoyed gesture. Shwaek!!

Seogek!!

As if swallowed by his Shadow, the black greatsword sliced cleanly through the ogre’s neck.

There was no resistance.

Thud!

The ogre’s head separated from its body effortlessly, and he looked around as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"I should scout around a bit more."

He’d secured the land, so now he needed to check what else might be lurking nearby.

He couldn’t risk some troublesome creature taking over his newly cleared area, forcing him to leave empty-handed.

He clenched his fist, recalling that moment.

The child had looked at him with a serious expression, and he couldn’t answer her question back then.

'Do you have a home?'