It was an Assistant using the nickname Boglebogle.
“It’s tough to draw it perfectly… I think it was around this feeling in memory.”
I muttered while lifting the drawing.
Then, Alice’s chat popped up.
【Boglebogle】─Huh? Did you draw that?
“Yeah. Is it not very similar?”
【Boglebogle】─No! It’s super similar!
【Boglebogle】─ You remembered my face! That’s oddly touching.
Luckily.
There seemed to be no significant difference between the picture I just drew and Alice’s actual appearance.
I guess my memory is better than I thought.
Other Assistants were blown away by Alice’s drawing.
【Pururu】─What? Why so pretty?
【Pururu】─Is that our newbie?
【Yumi】─Wow, so cool. You look super brave! Like Joan of Arc!
【Rize Nova】─You look weak for an S-Class.
【Mysticism】─😮
【Mysticism】─I think she’s prettier than me…
【Pururu】─She probably isn’t that pretty in real life. I think Kang Geon gave her a touch-up.
【Mysticism】─Right? No one that looks like that could exist. Not even a goddess!
【Yumi】─Jealousy is ugly.
【Rize Nova】─Ugly indeed.
【Yumi】─By the way, it seems Boglebogle uses a shield and sword.
【Pururu】─Was Alice a warrior?
【Boglebogle】─She’s a Magic Warrior.
【Pururu】─Magic Warrior. Whoa.
【Boglebogle】─But why did you suddenly draw my appearance?
“Just because. I was bored.”
I replied casually.
The truth was, drawing calmed my mind, and I wanted to create something.
I couldn’t think of anything else to draw, so I ended up drawing Alice.
Having a model allows me to move the brush without much thought.
That way, my head clears up, and my heart finds peace too.
【Boglebogle】─It’s been a while since you drew for me like this; it brings back old memories.
【Pururu】─What memories?
【Boglebogle】─Back in the day, Kang Geon drew me and my sister a few times. My sister has kept all those drawings.
Come to think of it, Alice had one half-sibling.
Alice’s sister was a woman with the title of Hero.
I suddenly became curious about her current situation.
“Alice. Is your sister… alive?”
I asked cautiously after a brief pause.
I heard that most strong individuals in Elemenzia had died.
I hoped Alice’s sister was still alive.
【Boglebogle】─She’s alive.
【Boglebogle】─Her life is pretty tenacious, you know?
“…That’s a relief.”
【Pururu】─That’s a relief.
【Yumi】─That’s good to hear.
【Mysticism】─I’m glad.
【Rize Nova】─I’m glad too.
The Assistants kept chatting in a row.
They truly had excellent empathy.
【Pururu】─But hey, Boglebogle.
【Boglebogle】─Yeah?
【Pururu】─What’s your relationship with Kang Geon? Are you two, like, close?
【Mysticism】─Wasn’t Kang Geon in the Hero party?
【Boglebogle】─Kang Geon wasn’t part of our party, but he did accompany us a few times. I’ve also received his help unilaterally.
【Pururu】─So it wasn’t that close after all.
【Mysticism】─Phew.
【Yumi】─To me, it looks like you guys are pretty close!
【Yumi】─Boglebogle, don’t tell me you and Kang Geon were in a relationship or had some strange feelings. Clarify your relationship!
【Rize Nova】─Why does Yumi care about that?
【Boglebogle】─We were just friends.
【Boglebogle】─Basically, I tried to recruit him as a comrade, but he kept rejecting me.
【Yumi】─I hope saying just friends is the truth.
【Rize Nova】─? What if it isn’t true?
【Pururu】─LOL so you were always getting rejected by Kang Geon!
【Mysticism】─😃
【Mysticism】─You got rejected!
The Assistants continued their banter for a while.
Then, out of nowhere.
【Yumi】─By the way, Kang Geon. Why don’t you draw us?
Starting from Ha Yumi’s chat,
【Mysticism】─Draw us too! Create an index for us!
【Pururu】─Don’t discriminate! Kang Geon, draw us right now!
【Pururu】─We’re all Assitants too! Not being in the Assistant Index is blatant discrimination and favoritism! Especially me, I’m the first Assistant, yet no drawing! Kang Geon, awaken! Awaken!
The other two Assistants also began demanding their portraits.
【Rize Nova】─Didn’t you say not to draw us because we’re monsters?
【Pururu】─When did I say that?
【Rize Nova】─You said it just now.
【Pururu】─I didn’t say not to draw. I just asked why you were making the index.
【Rize Nova】─Isn’t that implying not to draw?
【Pururu】─No, it’s not.
【Yumi】─Right away, it looks like you’re just worried you won’t be in the index.
【Mysticism】─Pururu, changing your words is ugly.
【Pururu】─Shut up.
【Pururu】─Anyway, please draw us! Draw us!
It felt like watching a protest.
Strangely, Pururu was particularly loud, making it feel like a one-person protest.
Well then.
If they ask me to draw, I suppose I should.
Discrimination is bad.
Of course, I had no intention of drawing right now.
“I’ll draw you later.”
【Pururu】─When?
“When I feel like it.”
【Pururu】─?
【Yumi】─Can’t you draw now?
【Mysticism】─Draw us now!
“Now’s a bit tough. I just put a lot of effort into drawing Alice, so my hand is tired.”
【Pururu】─Ah, if that’s the case, I understand.
【Pururu】─You shouldn’t hurt your wrist.
【Yumi】─Isn’t your physical strength unsealed to the first stage right now? Your body should be pretty tough, right?
【Mysticism】─Kang Geon, you’re not just an average person anymore. Liar.
【Pururu】─Shut up. If Kang Geon says he’s tired, then he is. Why keep whining? Do you want to die?
【Mysticism】─Sorry.
【Yumi】─I wasn’t whining. Just asking.
Surprisingly, Pururu defended me.
By the way, I didn’t feel tired at all.
I just found it bothersome to draw right now.
“When I have time, I’ll draw all of you; so send me a picture or two.”
【Pururu】─What kind of picture?
“What picture do you mean? Obviously a selfie.”
【Pururu】─Oh right, you might not remember my face. Even if you do, it’s been so long that it’s different than what I look like now.
【Mysticism】─I have to send one too; my style has changed since back then.
【Yumi】─Should I send a selfie too?
“You should send one too, Yumi.”
【Yumi】─You don’t remember my face? ㅡㅡ
“No. So send it.”
【Yumi】─Okay.
【Pururu】─LOL
【Mysticism】─🤭
Of course, I remember Ha Yumi’s face.
I also vaguely remember Missy.
I hadn’t seen their faces for less than three years, after all.
But just like Alice, I wasn’t vividly recalling them. To draw them more accurately, I needed their pictures.
【Yumi】─I won’t be drawing them right away, so I’ll send it a bit later. I need to make sure it looks good.
【Pururu】─No photoshop, you guys. Send it with your bare face!
【Mysticism】─I look pretty even without edits.
【Yumi】─Bare face? Are you going to take a picture without makeup, Pururu?
【Pururu】─I’ll wear makeup.
【Mysticism】─I look pretty even without makeup.
【Rize Nova】─Missy, that confidence is too much.
【Boglebogle】─What’s going on? Are we revealing everyone’s faces? I’m looking forward to it!
【Rize Nova】─I’m curious too.
【Boglebogle】─Don’t you know their faces? I guess you guys haven’t revealed faces to each other before?
【Rize Nova】─They know my face, but I don’t know theirs. For reference, I’ve been to that Labyrinth before. I’m a Drifter.
【Boglebogle】─I see.
The pictures weren’t sent right away.
They were probably taking selfies and preparing to send the best shots.
【Pururu】─Selfies aren’t working for me. I’ll have to ask a friend to take one for me.
【Yumi】─You had a friend.
【Pururu】─I mentioned it last time, didn’t I? ㅅㅂ
【Yumi】─I guess I should ask someone else to take a picture too. I have no talent for selfies.
【Mysticism】─Me too. My selfies come out weird.
【Rize Nova】─That’s because your face…
【Mysticism】─What?
【Mysticism】─Finish your thought.
【Rize Nova】─It’s nothing.
【Mysticism】─😡
It felt like it would take a bit longer to receive the pictures.
*
I zoomed in on Iris’s fourth group screen.
Kinogine Aracne.
Azelas.
The two SS-Class Monsters were slowly approaching the end of Cave No. 4, towards the Massive Door.
【Boglebogle】─Oh. They look super strong too.
【Mysticism】─Both of them are SS-Class! Right now, they’re nerfed to A-Class thanks to Kang Geon’s arm!
【Boglebogle】─SS-Class!!?
【Boglebogle】─That’s insane!
【Boglebogle】─This Labyrinth is really not normal!! How can SS-Class just wander around like that?
【Yumi】─Both of them are monsters tamed by Kang Geon. Haha.
【Pururu】─LOL Calm down. The newbie is super cute! Makes me want to lick him.
【Mysticism】─😋
【Mysticism】─Lick! 😛
【Boglebogle】─Isn’t this an abnormal reaction?
【Boglebogle】─It seems like you guys don’t realize how amazing SS-Class really is.
【Yumi】─We have a weird sense of things. We’ve never seen a monster in real life, and we only encountered them through Kang Geon’s broadcasts until now.
【Mysticism】─I’ve seen them in real life.
【Boglebogle】─So your world is a peaceful one with no monsters. How lucky.
【Pururu】─If you’re envious, come over.
【Pururu】─Anyway, since all the monsters in the Labyrinth are at least S-Class or above, S-Class no longer excites me. LOL
【Rize Nova】─Seeing them in person will change your mind.
【Pururu】─I’d probably wet myself seeing just an E-Class in person. They say even F-Class could be beaten by an average person, so that doesn’t seem too frightening.
【Yumi】─Even a D-Class would be a disaster on Earth. They say guns don’t work on them either.
【Pururu】─Weak guns might not work, but wouldn’t cannons do something? Even if a D-Class monster appears, the army would likely handle it.
【Yumi】─I’m speaking from the perspective of an average person.
【Mysticism】─😶
【Mysticism】─Looking at it this way, the world where A-Class is the strongest is impressive too!
【Rize Nova】─Now you understand? Lumina is great.
【Pururu】─A world where even B-Class or C-Class is the strongest would feel like a heavenly world compared to Earth.
【Yumi】─We don’t even have D-Class in our world. It’s said that E-Class is a strong average person, so they might be numerous.
【Boglebogle】─Doesn’t your world not even have a person at D-Class?
【Mysticism】─None.
【Yumi】─They say starting from D-Class is superhuman, right? There are no superhumans on Earth.
【Pururu】─Maybe. There might be hidden masters on Earth, like Kang Geon.
【Mysticism】─ 😮
【Mysticism】─Thinking about it, that could be true!
【Boglebogle】─What a fascinating world.
【Yumi】─We think your world is fascinating.
【Boglebogle】─In any case, I’d love to see an SSS-Class monster once. You haven’t tamed an SSS-Class yet, right?
【Pururu】─Yep, right now SS-Class is the highest. But you’ve never seen an SSS-Class in your world?
【Boglebogle】─SS-Class was already a legend, so how would I see an SSS-Class? I didn’t even know they existed.
【Pururu】─?? Didn’t Kang Geon say he had seen one? Am I misremembering?
While the Assistants were discussing danger levels.
The fourth group had approached the Massive Door.
Kino was gently touching the door while looking at Iris and asked.
─[Father, shall I open it?]
“Yeah. It might be dangerous, so be cautious.”
Kino nodded.
【Boglebogle】─Father? Did you just call Kang Geon father?
【Pururu】─Not a biological child. It’s a child born of the heart.
【Mysticism】─Kang Geon doesn’t have that kind of taste with monsters.
【Rize Nova】─Who knows?
【Mysticism】─🤬
【Boglebogle】─Ah. So he’s not a biological child? That’s a relief.
【Yumi】─?
The Massive Door slowly began to move, breaking the cave’s darkness.
Kuuwuuung.
The sound shattered the silence as it echoed against the cave walls.
At the same time, beams of light streaming through the cracks in the door began to widen and finally revealed a dazzling sight.
What unfolded beyond the door was an endlessly stretching golden Desert.
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