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Meeting Euna and getting an apology from Hong Yu-ri didn’t change how the wolf spent its time during dawn. It was always one of two things: playing with the ever-present fairy or munching on something.

“……”

—Surprisingly, the vending machine coffee was pretty good. Tasting all the coffee from the vending machines on each floor had become a new hobby for the wolf. After all, it was an experience that only happens once in a lifetime. Who would seriously go out of their way to try every single vending machine coffee? After enjoying ten different drinks, the wolf returned to its room, licking its lips as if it regretted something, while Kang Tae-jun smiled bitterly. They had clearly given it cash, but no change came back at all.

“…Are you still not satisfied after all that?”

“……”

“If you’re that unhappy, just check out the rooftop. There’s a vending machine up there too.”

“The rooftop?”

Seeing the wolf perk up with curiosity, Kang Tae-jun shook his head and handed over some money. —So they headed to the rooftop, and when the wolf saw the sprawling view, it couldn’t help but gasp lightly. An open space with a wide view of the night skyline. Even in a skyscraper-filled Seoul, this spot had a clear sight of the surroundings. When it spotted someone leaning against the railing, the wolf cocked its head in confusion.

…But first, coffee. When Euna, who was also startled by the noise of the vending machine, turned and spotted the wolf, she murmured in surprise.

“…Alpha?”

Nodding at that question, the wolf pointed its tentacle at the vending machine. In a gesture asking if she wanted some too, Euna pondered for a moment before nodding. —The two of them sat side by side on a bench, enjoying the night view beyond the railing. A quiet stillness… The wolf sipped its coffee silently, and after a moment’s hesitation, Euna, unable to hold back any longer, finally spoke up.

“…Hey.”

“……?”

“…Can I pet you?”

At that, the wolf let out a snort. After a while of thinking, that was all she could come up with. When it nodded for her to go ahead, Euna’s face lit up, and she placed a hand on the wolf’s back. Her careful petting made the wolf feel coarse fur slipping between her fingers, different from the appearance of a dog. Every time she touched it, the worries felt like they were drifting away. With the day of entering the dungeon approaching tomorrow, it had been feeling a bit restless.

Memories of the injured people from Neverland kept flashing through its mind. Even though it knew that the dungeon they were going to tomorrow was completely different from Neverland. What if nothing could be done again—yeah. It was powerlessness. The first time the wolf felt that was at Jirisan. It painfully realized that it could end up doing nothing alone. The green slime it had seen just before dying at the worg’s hands. So that’s what Marang is called now… It was a new realization, and it made the wolf chuckle.

“How have you been?”

Euna’s question made the wolf turn its head. Their eyes met—after a moment of thinking, the wolf finally said.

“…Fighting and eating.”

“…….”

The short answer felt lackluster, but that was all the wolf had been doing. Fighting with the fallen ones or munching on monsters. It struggled, and to keep on struggling, it had to get stronger. …Fighting something wasn’t an easy task. The regeneration skill healed its body, but it didn’t quite hold onto the weariness of the mind.

“…And I met someone.”

Pery and Baek Rok. Without meeting them, it might have never made it this far. Not from dying or failing but from giving up. It was just that exhausted. Thinking of Pery, who was probably sleeping now, made the wolf’s mouth twitch.

“Wow…”

Euna exclaimed, but her face turned slightly pained. That sound made the wolf’s corners of the mouth tighten back up.

‘Is that really a smile?’ It felt like it could be, but it was hard to tell. She could express that kind of emotion… Euna nodded lightly. Even if a lot of details were left out, it somehow felt like a lot had happened. She summed it up simply, but Euna knew about the nights in Daejeon. Defeating an incredible mage, for instance. Or saving So-yul during the academy raid… And in contrast, what had it even done?…

“I heard you’re going to the dungeon tomorrow.”

“Huh?”

Euna, who had been downcast, suddenly turned her head at the sound. The wolf had already finished its coffee and stretched its tentacle to draw a new one. Being curious, she reached out but widened her eyes in surprise. She thought it would be mushy, but the texture was surprisingly rough. The tentacle was just part of the wolf’s body—indeed, a modified version of its fur, so it made sense.

“…That’s fascinating.”

“So that’s why it’s still around?”

“Um… Yeah.”

Euna nodded at the wolf’s words. She thought about going down to the training room to practice a bit, but if that ended up affecting her tomorrow in the dungeon, it wouldn’t be good. No matter what, she hesitated to just go home, so she was up on the rooftop, pondering alone.

“Don’t worry.”

“…….”

“You have talent.”

“Talent…”

At those words, Euna smiled bitterly. It was precisely because she wasn’t a graduate from the academy that she had been scouted into the clan, but now she was unsure. The alpha, which had been merely a slime when she first met it, now… even without being an alpha, it felt trivial compared to others. Like sunbae, the team leader, or vice team leader… or Seon-ja.

“…I don’t really know anymore.”

Do I really have talent? Euna sighed deeply, and the wolf sipped more coffee. But thanks to that, she felt like her mind was settling down. Saying thanks, Euna stood up to head back, and the peculiar feeling of a gentle tap made her tilt her head.

“……?”

Then, she made a wry smile. The wolf was taking out an elixir from the pocket dimension.

“For me to eat?”

No answer, but it shook the elixir as if urging her. What else could it be but to receive it? Euna, who was about to decline feeling burdened, squinted when she saw it was not just a single root of ginseng.

“Bring it with you on your way.”

—For whom? There was no need to ask. There were three roots of ginseng. Remembering the faces of those who had brewed and shared it with her yesterday, Euna forced a smile. It was hard to refuse now.

“…Thank you.”

Watching as Euna vanished, the wolf gazed at the night view.

“Tomorrow…”

The break that felt surprisingly long was now coming to an end. Thinking of Kang Tae-jun’s words about marking the end of trust, the wolf continued to sip its coffee.

***

Knocking made Hong Yu-ri grimace. At this hour, which clueless idiot is making noise… If it’s Kang Tae-ho, I might actually kill him, she thought, gritting her teeth. But when she opened the door, to her surprise, it was Euna.

“What? Aren’t you off work?”

“No. Well…”

Euna hesitantly extended the elixir, and Hong Yu-ri frowned. She knew exactly where this elixir came from. It seemed she had just come from meeting the alpha.

“Still, you brought back something like this?”

Euna scratched her head awkwardly at Hong Yu-ri’s rebuke. She felt the same way.

“Right…”

Hong Yu-ri clicked her tongue briefly. She probably hadn’t been able to refuse since it was suggested to share… but receiving it wasn’t a bad thing. It would be great if it turned out good.

“Put this away.”

When Baek So-yul shifted the elixir, Hong Yu-ri asked again.

“So why haven’t you left yet?”

“I was just thinking about some stuff…”

When Euna stalled, Hong Yu-ri rounded her fingers and playfully flicked Euna’s forehead.

“Stop worrying about useless things and get out of here. Sleep and come back to work tomorrow.”

“Yes!”

“Don’t just answer well… And you, Baek So-yul.”

As she was saying that, Hong Yu-ri tilted her head slightly. Somehow, Baek So-yul seemed restless… Did she need to go to the bathroom?

“Anyway. Make sure to do well in the dungeon tomorrow. Don’t get hurt like an idiot.”

“Ah. Thank you!”

As she bowed her head in gratitude, Hong Yu-ri, closing the door, frowned again. It was odd that Baek So-yul was nowhere to be seen.

“Where could she have gone?”

***

“So you’ve been here.”

At those words, the wolf tilted its head. Baek So-yul seemed to be breathing harder than usual. When she asked if she could sit beside him, the wolf answered okay but ended up being lifted. As if it was the most natural thing, she placed it on her lap and started petting it. The wolf, briefly startled, soon accepted that touch. It didn’t interrupt its coffee drinking.

“What about Pery?”

“He’s sleeping.”

Unlike the wolf, who didn’t need sleep, Pery dreamed while resting. Although they spent all their awake time together, there was no need to wake him up unnecessarily if he was peacefully asleep. Baek So-yul nodded at that.

“Did you meet Euna unnie?”

The wolf nodded. She must have come looking for it because of the elixir—at least that’s what it thought, but Baek So-yul didn’t pry any further. Instead, she spent the time gently petting the wolf. The already dark night got darker, and the city lights began to turn off one by one. After a deep breath, Baek So-yul seemed to be pondering, then hugged the wolf tightly.

“…Can I say something unexpected?”

Today, a lot of people seemed to seek counsel. The wolf stayed silent and listened to her.

“I dream.”

A dream… a fantastic and unreal dream that feels out of reach. No matter how much it was thought about, it felt detached from reality. But for her, it had become another world.

“…I can’t really tell if it’s a dream.”

It felt uncertain. Whenever she had that dream, her magic power increased. …She said it was a bluish world, where all sorts of mystical things floated around, and there was a sea in the sky.

“……”

At those words, the wolf furrowed its brow. The scenery she described was a world the wolf was quite familiar with.

“If it were just a dream… But that’s.”

Baek So-yul hesitated before lifting the wolf to meet its gaze.

“…It was a world I saw myself.”

When the disaster from the witch was thwarted, Pery had taken Baek So-yul to the fantasy world. It hadn’t been long, but she had set foot in that realm. It was hard to believe she was lying. She had no reason to do that. So, if she was dreaming of the realm, there had to be a good reason.

Whether everyone who went there felt that way, or if it was just Baek So-yul, the wolf wasn’t sure.

“It’s not that I dislike it. But…”

That she felt anxious without knowing the reason made the wolf nod. …It might be necessary to ask Baek Rok once things settled down. At the reassurance, Baek So-yul smiled faintly, as the night slowly deepened.

—Until dawn approached, the two stayed on that rooftop, and the day for heading into the dungeon finally arrived.

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