[Chapter 19]
“You’ll be staying here.”
The group called the Survivors had formed a fairly systematic community. The 5th floor was equipped with abundant supplies and a kitchen, and since C Block was originally intended for noble prisoners, the single cells included beds and bathrooms—making them ideal for solitary living.
The room assigned to me under Rob’s guidance was no exception. It had a bed and a bathroom with a shower.
“Feeling good?”
“Huh?”
I had been too distracted by the thought of immediately taking a shower to notice the piercing gaze from my right.
“Your face completely changed the moment you saw the room.”
Ah. Was it that obvious?
But it had really been a long time since I’d been in a proper space like this, alone. Even before transmigrating, I could never have imagined staying somewhere so luxurious.
“…Well, it’s definitely better than A Block.”
I answered with a faint smile, and Rob let out a hearty laugh.
“Can’t argue with that. Be grateful you got sent to C Block. If you were still in B Block, even after subduing the prisoners, you might have ended up sleeping behind bars.”
He gave my shoulder a rough pat and told me to rest before walking off.
A quick glance down the hall told me that Deon and Ian weren’t around. They must’ve also been assigned rooms. Or maybe not? I wasn’t sure, but the moment I saw the fluffy mattress and bathtub, I stopped caring.
I turned the slightly rusted handle of the tub, and hot water burst forth like an oasis in the desert.
Can I really wash?
I wiped the blood off my hands onto my uniform. Since no one had told me not to use the water, I assumed it was fine. Just in case, I carefully locked the door and stripped off my uniform. The chill in the air hit my bare skin, giving me goosebumps.
Haa…
An involuntary sigh of relief escaped me.
As I soaked myself in the tub, I realized just how deeply one’s face can relax when truly at peace. I felt alive. My muscles, stiff from constant tension, slowly began to relax.
“…Ah.”
How long had it been since I felt such relief?
After bathing, I crawled under the goose-feather duvet, hugging it between my thighs. The soft, cloud-like sensation of the sheets lulled me toward a deep sleep.
Of course, everything wasn’t over yet. But just knowing I was now part of a functional, organized group was enough to revive my worn-out mind.
In that sense, it was a blessing that Rob Tiger was still alive.
In the original story, Rob was a minor character who appeared just before Yvonne’s final appearance—a high-ranking guard and Ian’s assigned warden. That meant he probably had a whistle, and with mine added to his, we now had two of the three keys needed to open the prison’s main gate.
Maybe things would wrap up faster than expected.
But one thing still bothered me—
Why had Lemoni gone into a panic back then?
At this point, reading the original work wasn’t much help. The story’s direction had changed, and events were unfolding differently. The only useful part might be information about upcoming characters.
I dug into my uniform pocket and opened the guard’s journal.
Unfortunately, the diary belonged to a C Block guard, so the last I heard about Lemoni was already past.
“…I wonder if Lemoni kept a journal too.”
I might have to go back up to the 7th floor of B Block. I yawned and buried my face into the pillow.
But not now.
At that same time, in the room next to Lemoni’s.
“This will be your room.”
The guard, who looked around Deon’s age, spoke awkwardly as he showed him in.
Without a word, Deon nodded and entered the room, locking the door behind him. That young man—was he even past twenty? Come to think of it, that woman had probably been around the same age.
Ah, that woman again.
Ever since joining the survivors, thoughts of her kept resurfacing, putting him in a foul mood.
Yes, Deon hadn’t had time to process things—whether survivor or monster, everything had happened so quickly. From the moment he reunited with her until he encountered the survivors, his mind had been filled with thoughts of her.
Because his hypothesis had been correct.
“Deon! Get it together and shut the door! Prisoners are coming!”
He remembered the moment he’d reflexively shut the door at someone’s panicked shout—and a bitter chuckle escaped him.
When his berserk symptoms had first appeared, he’d been in disbelief.
Could it really be that his body had reacted to her voice, even without any command magic?
He had even opened the door to let the monsters in, just to test it. And yet, whenever her voice rang out, his raging mind would calm like a still lake.
“…Five years of captivity turned me into a fucking dog.”
A bitter laugh slipped from his mouth as he slowly covered it with his palm.
Command magic?
That had never worked on him. But after five years of compulsively hearing her voice, even his body had begun to obey it.
The shame and humiliation twisted his insides. He felt like punching something, anything. It was the same feeling he always got when the berserk symptoms hit.
Then it happened.
Haa… A sigh, high-pitched and clear even from a distance, shattered his thoughts.
An unexpected sound. One of his eyebrows slowly arched.
Lemoni?
Surely, a room this luxurious wouldn’t lack basic soundproofing. But then he remembered—when he was still in B Block, he had heard her commands clearly from afar during berserk states.
And now, realizing the heavy pressure between his thighs, he let out a low scoff.
Might as well take a shower.
Better to drown out everything with the sound of running water.
From the next room, he could hear the sound of her bare legs splashing in the bath. His patience wore thin. He yanked open the bathroom door and twisted the faucet to douse himself with cold water—but of course, the water wouldn’t come out.
The water sounds from the adjacent room had stopped. As he recalled the image of her crying herself to sleep, his eyes widened slightly.
Was it because he couldn’t see those violet eyes? The moment he remembered her damp lashes stained red—
“Fuck.”
Deon cursed, ripped off his shirt, and threw himself onto the bed.
He had considered barging into her room, just to see the embarrassment on her face—but that would only confirm he’d become a dog in heat.
Lemoni was poison. Even when she didn’t intend to, she shattered him completely.
After that, I enjoyed several peaceful days for the first time.
What had once been constant tension was beginning to form into a routine.
“Our first objective is to fortify C Block. The second is to drive the monsters out from floors 3 through 1, and build a fortified passageway between C and B Block so we can rescue survivors from other areas. It may sound unrealistic, but we started from the 7th floor and now hold the 4th floor with the central control room. I ask you all to take this seriously.”
The survivors numbered around thirty. In the morning, some went out to push back the monsters and erect metal barricades with guards. Others remained on the 5th floor to prepare meals in the kitchen.
Everyone seemed used to their role. Every morning, they moved in perfect sync. It made me want to contribute too. Even Ian and Deon, perhaps due to the emergency situation, seemed to follow the rules without resistance.
“You? You can rest for now. Just get used to eating and washing.”
But as a newcomer, I was excluded from everything. I ended up secluded in my room. I would eat quietly during meals and then return.
Sometimes I’d peek outside, greet the guards in the hall, and that was it.
It felt strange. I wasn’t sick or lacking. I was even a First-Class Guard, so no one questioned my abilities.
They were short-staffed, so why wasn’t I being given any work?
No act of kindness comes without strings.
Even if I’d been rescued, if I didn’t contribute in return for the food and lodging, I would only feel like a burden.
At first, I reasoned that it was because I was new—but when I saw even Deon and Ian gearing up with swords, I snapped.
I grabbed my gun from the room and ran out.
“Oh, you’re joining us too, Lemoni?”
A familiar, handsome face greeted me with a bright smile while loading his gun. Next to him, Deon didn’t even acknowledge me, calmly polishing his sword.
“I’d like to join the battle too.”
But at my words, all eyes turned to me. Including Deon’s.
“What do you mean, join?”
Rob, who had been prepping a massive shield, stood up. It seemed he hadn’t even considered the possibility of me descending to the lower floors.
“I want to help with the combat team. Even if it’s just keeping watch or assisting in the rear.”
I could feel the heat of their gazes prickling my skin. Most notably, I was painfully aware that the intense stare I felt came from Deon.
What’s your problem, really?
Well… he never liked me from the start.
But now wasn’t the time to worry about him. I had to make a good impression on the group. I stared at Rob with the most desperate eyes I could manage, and when he saw the determination on my face, he suddenly burst out laughing.
“A gold nugget has joined the family. But this job ain’t for sane, thinking beings.”
“…Sorry?”
Did I sound naïve? Rob raised one eyebrow in a mockingly scary face as he stepped closer.
“There’ll be grappling. Dumb brute-force fighting. I know you’re a First-Class Guard, but this isn’t a place for a delicate woman. Your job right now is to eat, wash, and rest. Don’t worry—you’ll get your turn when it comes…”
“A woman, huh. To me, she looks more like a venomous snake.”
It happened then.
A low, mocking voice interrupted Rob’s speech. I instantly recognized it as Deon.
At that moment, someone who had come down from the 4th floor called out to me.
“Ms. Lemoni? If you’re not doing anything, could you help in the kitchen?”
