Chapter 122…
The spicy aroma of stir-fried pork hit my nose even before I opened the front door.
Our home—Coco Mansion, 7th floor, in Myeongil-dong.
To me, it was the most precious place in the world.
The moment I turned the doorknob, I heard my mother’s voice.
“Siwoo?”
“Yes, I’m home!”
“I see. You worked hard. Guests, please come in as well.”
My mother greeted us with a warmer smile than usual.
I’d already told her about the guests over the phone, so she wasn’t surprised. Instead, she welcomed them with a meal prepared more generously than usual.
“Nice to meet you, ma’am. My name is Jegal Sang.”
“Wow! This looks amazing! Did you make all of this by yourself?”
Nam Woojin and Jegal Sang, who entered behind me, each greeted my mother in their own way.
Daichi excused himself, saying he had something to take care of.
I figured he’d gone straight to see Madam.
I should probably go see her soon too.
It was about time to slowly step away from academy affairs.
Originally, I’d planned to stay longer and sow more seeds.
But now that a reliable figure like Madam had appeared, there was no longer any need for me to keep watching over things personally.
As I sank into thought, my mother lightly slapped my back.
“What are you doing? The food’s getting cold. Go wash your hands.”
“Ah… yes, I should.”
Right. Let’s put work-related thoughts aside for now.
At least here, I didn’t want to think about those things.
After washing my hands and sitting at the table, a feast awaited me.
“Whoa! The smell is incredible!”
“Goodness, what a fuss… You two, please start eating as well.”
The main dish was stir-fried pork, accompanied by seaweed soup, stir-fried anchovies, and homemade kimchi, among other side dishes.
Nam Woojin kept giving thumbs-ups, saying it was better than food at home, while Jegal Sang marveled at it all, clearly experiencing Korean home cooking for the first time.
He especially couldn’t stop eating the spicy-sweet pork, his eyes widening with every bite.
“Benefactor, this is unbelievably good! It’s spicy but sweet at the same time…”
“I’m glad it suits your tastes. I was worried since we had a foreign guest.”
“Come on, anything Mrs. Park makes is delicious!”
My mother looked pleased as she watched our guests eat so well.
From time to time, she brought out more side dishes and even refilled our rice without anyone asking.
This is what home feels like…
The fierce battles in China, the life-or-death duel with Kodrin, the dangerous negotiations with Leviathan.
All of it felt like a dream.
Before climbing the Tower and throwing myself into even greater danger, I wanted to etch moments like this deep into my heart.
Because someday, when despair comes knocking, these memories would be what keep me standing.
“Siwoo, how was China? Did the food suit you?”
“You know I’m not picky about food. I ate well.”
“That’s good. No matter what you’re doing, don’t skip meals, eat regularly, and if something dangerous comes up, make sure to avoid it—”
“Hey now, Mom. Your son’s strong, remember? Don’t worry.”
I gently cut off her nagging.
If the conversation went on too long, I might end up describing my experiences in China in detail.
No point telling her—she’d only worry.
How could I ever talk about battles where life and death hung in the balance at Red Gates?
Or blood-soaked fights against Govert Kodrin?
In any case, my mother was already more than happy just knowing I’d returned safely.
After the pleasant meal, Nam Woojin and Jegal Sang rested in the living room, enjoying the snacks my mother had prepared.
Looking at them, I made a suggestion to her.
“Mom, how about the two of us go on a little date? Buy groceries, grab some tea.”
“What’s gotten into you?”
“I just want to go out together for once.”
“Alright, then. I’ve been feeling cooped up staying at home anyway.”
I told Nam Woojin and Jegal Sang to rest for a bit and left the house with my mother.
It had been planned from the start.
For Jegal Sang to set up his formation, it was best if my mother wasn’t home.
Even without that, I wanted to go out with her anyway…
Once I climbed the Tower, who knew when I’d get another chance like this?
So I intended to enjoy it fully.
As we rode the elevator down, my mother spoke.
“You’ve been so busy lately. Are you taking good care of your health?”
“Health is all I’ve got going for me! I, Kang Siwoo, have survived this long on that alone.”
“Hehe, that’s true. Ever since you were little, you might not have been good at studying, but you were never sick.”
“Come on, Mrs. Park! Why bring up studying now?”
We chatted warmly about old times while shopping at the neighborhood mart.
Being out grocery shopping together like this reminded me of my childhood, holding my mother’s hand as we bought snacks.
I savored the feeling of being back in those days and enjoyed every moment.
After buying daily necessities and groceries, we stopped by a café.
“One Americano and one café latte, please.”
It was a small neighborhood café my mother often visited.
It wasn’t big, and the menu was limited, but it had a cozy, welcoming atmosphere.
Through the window, I could see the ordinary scenery of the neighborhood.
People passing by. Cars driving past.
Knowing how hard it was to protect this kind of normalcy, the moment felt incredibly precious.
“Nothing happened on your business trip, right? It wasn’t dangerous?”
“Mom, you’re going to get calluses in your ears.”
“Alright, alright. I’m just glad nothing happened.”
And to protect this ordinary life, I had to take another step forward.
Because I knew all too well that if I stayed complacent here, this everyday peace would eventually crumble.
That meant saying something to my mother—something hard to bring up.
That was the reason we’d come to this café in the first place.
“Mom, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“…I suppose the time has come.”
As she took a sip of her warm latte, my mother closed her eyes gently.
After organizing her thoughts, she looked at me.
“You’re going to the Tower?”
“…Yes. I can’t put it off any longer.”
“I see. Once you become a Player, it’s a place you have to go someday.”
There was resignation in her voice, but also deep understanding.
I was reminded of what had happened recently at the columbarium.
She must hate the Tower.
After all, it had taken not only her friends, but even my father.
And yet, that was exactly why I had to go.
To keep the promise I’d made to her back then.
“I have just one request for my son…”
“Yes.”
“That promise you made… even if you can’t keep it, just come back alive.”
The latte in my mother’s mug trembled slightly.
Her hand was shaking.
I reached out and held her hand.
Gradually, the trembling stopped.
“Of course. And as you know, it’s not like you can never come back while climbing the Tower. I’ll drop by from time to time, so don’t worry too much.”
“Don’t force yourself to come down. No matter the situation, your health comes first.”
“Yes, I understand.”
After that, we chatted even more animatedly.
Both of us knew how hard it was to predict when such a happy moment would come again.
Only after several hours did we finally leave the café and slowly walk home.
“Mom, today was fun. Let’s go chat over coffee again sometime. The coffee was great.”
“Alright. And if, during your climb, you ever feel like you can’t go on, just quit everything and come back anytime.”
“Got it.”
“And in the Tower, always be most careful of people. Your father used to say that until his mouth wore out.”
“…Yes.”
If I’d been able to hear that advice before my regression…
Would I have avoided being betrayed like that?
“….”
“….”
After a brief silence, we arrived home.
At the entrance of the apartment complex, Jegal Sang and Nam Woojin were already waiting for me.
It was time for the final farewell.
“I’ll get going now.”
“Alright. Don’t skip meals, and if it’s too much, just come back… You didn’t forget what Mom told you earlier, did you?”
“No, of course not.”
After exchanging our last goodbyes, I put my mother on the elevator and sent her off.
“….”
I stared silently at the tightly closed silver doors.
Reflected in them was me, wearing a hardened expression.
How many minutes did I stand there?
At some point, Jegal Sang and Nam Woojin came up behind me.
“…Did everything go well?”
“Yes, it’s been set up perfectly. The formation has a triple-layer structure. The first is a perception-blocking barrier—”
As if he’d been waiting for the question, Jegal Sang launched into his explanation.
In short, he’d installed the highest-grade formation he was capable of.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Compared to what you’ve done for me, Benefactor, it’s nothing.”
“Then… are you heading straight into the Ark, Vice Guild Leader?”
“Yes. I think I should head back and contact my elder brother.”
There were probably matters the Cheonsun Guild needed to handle.
Normally, he would’ve dealt with those first, but to repay my kindness, he’d prioritized my request.
“Then go on ahead. I have somewhere to stop by, so I’ll follow after.”
“Yes. See you at the Ark.”
After seeing Jegal Sang off, I led Nam Woojin toward our next destination.
Gate Administration Office
With Nam Woojin in the passenger seat, my car entered the compound.
Normally, I would’ve gone to the Tower Assault Administration, but…
That place had recently been attacked by Malteon and reduced to rubble.
Until it was restored, its duties were being handled by the Gate Administration Office.
Even the role of director was being temporarily filled by the commissioner of Gate Administration.
My car entered a secret passage within the facility.
At the end of it stood a familiar man in a suit.
When the car stopped, he opened the door for us.
“Have you been well?”
“It’s been a while.”
It was Secretary Kim.
He was the one who had recommended using this secret passage.
He probably anticipated a commotion like last time.
“Shall we? The commissioner is waiting.”
Following him, we got into an elevator.
It must’ve been a high-speed one—we reached the top floor in an instant.
The commissioner’s office.
As Secretary Kim knocked and opened the door, the owner of the room greeted us with a bright smile.
“Haha, welcome! You’ve become quite the heavyweight representing Korea now!”
Seo Byeong-cheol.
Commissioner of the Gate Administration Office, and Seo Gyeo-wol’s father.
He patted my shoulder and led us to the reception table.
“I heard you successfully cleared the Red Gate. You’ve accomplished something truly remarkable.”
“I almost died doing it.”
“Still as dramatic as ever. I heard the full story directly from the Cheonsun Guild.”
“More importantly, what I mentioned over the phone—”
As I spoke, Seo Byeong-cheol continued the conversation while serving refreshments.
“Right. We’re both busy people, so let’s get straight to the point.”
His expression instantly turned serious.
He’d been wearing a friendly face often lately, but this was probably his true self.
Especially when it came to work.
“So—you’re really planning to go in?”
“Yes. By my standards, I’ve already delayed long enough.”
“…From my standpoint, I’d like to stop you. Having even one more player like you stay here benefits us greatly.”
“……”
“But you must have a reason you absolutely have to go.”
“Yes, I do.”
Seo Byeong-cheol let out a deep sigh.
The sigh felt strangely heavy.
As if it carried a mix of many emotions.
“Alright. Then I’ll help you with the necessary procedures. Starting with the Tower entry application, there are several things we’ll need to prepare.”
“Thank you for taking such personal care of this.”
“Between us, no need for thanks. That aside…”
“…?”
“Meet Gyeo-wol before you go. She’s been waiting for you…”
Seo Byeong-cheol’s mutter echoed quietly through the office.
I understood the reason behind his sigh.
