<23 - I'm perfectly fine>
How cute. Watching the shy Oknodie healed the hearts of the examinees while also leaving them perplexed.
Sure, the muscle-bound monkey humanoid could be excused, but the female adventurer and the bearded guy didn’t seem that strong at all.
If it weren’t for some kind of comrade advantage, how on earth did that little one become the top scorer?
“An exclusive privilege will be granted to Oknodie, who passed the First Gate with the highest score. You will receive the privilege of passing the entrance exam immediately without taking the subsequent gates.”
Admiring gazes poured in from all around.
“Congratulations.”
“You’re lucky, little mouse.”
“Quickly use it. You deserve to pass.”
Jezel, Son Ohchun, and Isabel. Everyone showered her with congratulations. Even the examiner Myung So was waiting impatiently for her to use her privilege.
Such expectations.
Oknodie casually shattered them.
“I don’t want to.”
“You’re refusing to use the privilege?”
“If I use it, I’ll pass alone.”
“That immediate pass is a privilege granted only to the top scorer, you know.”
“I won’t abandon my comrades.”
Tears glimmered in the eyes of her comrades.
“How child-like.”
“What a foolish act.”
“That makes it even more innocent.”
The examinees chimed in about her decision. Some criticized, some praised, and some were envious. Yet, everyone agreed on one undeniable fact.
This child is pure.
No one could deny that.
Therefore, the shock from her next statement was even greater.
“If I were to be abandoned, that’d be one thing.”
Graduating from the academy by sheer luck.
The NPCs in this game possess a favorability function.
It’s not just an entertainment feature limited to unimportant extras like the straw-hat kid mentioned earlier.
Every major and minor character has their own favorability parameter.
There’s favorability with a best friend you hang around with or a peer you collaborated with on assignments.
‘If I raise the favorability above a certain level, the comrade system will open up, right?’
The problem lies within this pesky favorability.
Dungeons are usually long and tough.
Whether you choose a dungeon with difficulty unsuitable for your party’s abilities, or enter one that spawns unfriendly monsters, or experience negative events, or simply have bad synergy with your comrades.
There are countless reasons for favorability to plummet.
And if it drops below a certain threshold?
Even if you’ve worked hard to build up favorability and entered the dungeon together as comrades, you might end up in a huge fight and part ways when you come out.
As if becoming strangers isn’t enough, if it reaches a negative value, you become outright adversaries.
So no matter how much I want to stay together, comrades sometimes betray me.
– You’re no longer my friend.
– Don’t ever call me again.
– If I see you next time, I won’t let it slide.
– You’re boring.
– You’re too muscular. It’s a burden.
– You’re so unnecessarily big that you always trigger the weight traps! Don’t dream of going into the dungeon together!
Ah, it hurts my heart just to recall.
Yet somehow, the comrades I see now remind me of the shock I felt back in my muscle-bound male character days.
“Oknodie, why do you think we would abandon you?”
“You little mouse… saying some pretty creepy things. I see why the employer is concerned.”
“Why do you sound as if you’re used to being abandoned? At such a young age.”
Ah. They don’t know that this is a game world motivated by the game, do they?
It’s hard to explain the favorability function.
“Simply because that’s how it’s been.”
Like how chicken tastes good and stat stones are beneficial, it’s only natural for comrades to part ways.
Even if I ask for a reason, there’s little to say.
“Ugh…”
Examiner Myung So let out a long sigh.
“Don’t misunderstand. What I provided is a reward, not a punishment. If you don’t want to, no one will stop you from taking the test with your comrades.”
[You passed the First Gate Stone Pagoda stacking event as the top scorer.]
[You did not use the top scorer privilege [Immediate Entrance].]
Thus, the exam continued.
“Such bad luck.”
“What’s that? Comrade love?”
“That’s just something a clueless kid can say.”
Whispers of jealousy and scorn echoed constantly.
People say “What a shame” and “How brave” from a distance, while simultaneously hurling insults.
“Ugh, I’m hungry. Do they not provide food during the exam?”
“If it’s dried fish, I have plenty.”
“Just give me that.”
An oblivious gluttonous monkey, scratching its belly loudly and whining for food.
“Hey little mouse, do you want one too?”
“Unless it’s what Ohchun-ssi caught.”
[You consumed the dish [Honey Butter Jerky].]
[Consumption count: Increasing (2/1000)]
I typically avoid eating the same dish twice, but maybe I’ll make an exception today.
“What a close-knit team.”
“With this little mouse? Me?”
“With this noisy muscle-bound guy and me?”
“Doesn’t it look enviably great? The Esornia Expedition Team’s captain and veteran seniors used to say so.”
Isabel mentioned that the captain is dead.
I don’t particularly wish to befriend this monkey humanoid. But if a chef who finally found us witnesses us getting along, then that’d surely be comforting for them.
“In truth, we are close. Ohchun-ssi is strong and tall, so I think he feels reassuring.”
“Oh. You were looking at me that way? For a little mouse, you can say some commendable things.”
“That’s a lie. Go die.”
Yet again, we started bickering after a brief moment of boasting.
She’s a thoughtful child.
Despite having experienced hardship in her past, she still considers the older and more adult me.
Isabel thought.
It’s not just because she’s a lifesaver; she just wanted to stay by this child’s side.
‘I’ve seen many grim and ugly things. But those who truly shine do not yield to their surroundings.’
There are jewels that shine even in the mud.
Most are trampled by the greed of those around them, and with time, even their faint shine disappears.
But if luck prevails, those who notice the shine may retrieve the jewels and clean them up, carving them with care so they shine even brighter.
‘For a beastkin, she’s remarkably considerate.’
Son Ohchun, the beastkin.
Seemingly indifferent, but his actions display a clear intention to wipe away the filthy voices tainting the child’s ears.
Jezel is the same.
While this child’s spirit is focused on the beastkin, he shoots icy glares at those who throw around dirty words, making them shrink back.
Good children and good adults.
A team that’s rare in this day and age.
‘Grateful adults are not common.’
Society teaches greed and selfishness.
It makes one feel with their entire being that if they do not covet more and be heartlessly selfish, they won’t survive.
If one can endure those times and still not forget their innocence,
If they can accept this child’s pure heart, who simply wants to be among her comrades, as it is,
Then he is a truly outstanding adult.
Jezel and Son Ohchun were truly admirable.
“When I have the chance, I’ll cook for you.”
“Oh, really?”
“An adventurer’s cooking. Sounds exciting.”
“Can you take requests?”
“If I have the ingredients.”
Maybe that’s why, Isabel began to feel temptation.
A desire to be a good adult.
“Do you dislike vegetarian dishes?”
“I eat anything well.”
“Thank goodness.”
The journey to the Second Gate unfolded through a forest area.
The only noticeable ingredients were vegetables.
Just like before the First Gate, the special scenery seen on the way to the exam venue serves as hints for the upcoming trial.
This time, the striking feature is the forest.
Unlike the rugged mountain, which had recently been torn apart due to an earthquake, this forest shows no signs of being affected at all.
It’s not just an ordinary forest.
The potential exam options seem horrifying.
Wild survival.
Hunting duels.
Forest escape.
Survival means having to stay in this lush forest for several days.
Hunting duels mean fighting over prey among numerous major and minor characters who just attracted a ton of aggro.
Forest escape means, the deeper you venture into the woods, the more hostile the environment becomes.
The commonality among the three.
This one is very important.
“Why-ehh—”
Thud
The sound of something buzzing sharply past my open hand.
A filthy bloodthirsty thief.
There’s a mosquito.
“Hey little mouse, do you think you can catch it with those slow hands of yours?”
Son Ohchun spread his hands wide, as big as a pot lid, and went smack—!
What was that? Did he lose track of the map?
He was about to scold the mosquito that slipped away from his palm when he got startled.
Thunk
The mosquito fell weakly onto a nearby bush.
“What was that, just now?”
“If you clap quickly, mosquitoes faint.”
“No way.”
My favorability toward Son Ohchun rose.
At this point, I could probably spare a candy for him.
“Want some?”
“Oh, candy? Nice.”
I cautiously opened my candy pouch and placed one piece onto his huge palm.
The size difference makes it look ridiculous.
Crunch crunch
The sound of crunching echoed mercilessly as he stuffed the candy into his mouth.
It seems he prefers crushing anything with his teeth over savoring flavors with his tongue.
I don’t take candy that way.
‘He’s really hard to like.’
Candy’s meant to roll around in your mouth.
While I was grumbling inwardly and rummaging through my candy, suddenly the monkey spat out the candy.
Thwack
Clash
He spat it out so hard that it split in half when it hit the tree.
“Eek, what are you doing?!”
“What do you even eat?!”
Son Ohchun looked incredulously down at the candy pouch.
“Isn’t this a poisoned candy?”
“I’m perfectly fine.”
Eyes around us sharpened once more.
