Disclaimer: TOG is owned by SIU and the Naver Corporation
FLOOOSH!
A group of regulars plus an irregular appeared on an open plain via teleportation.
After adjusting, Khun gazed around to assess the environment, 'there's got to be a trap from all these repeated floor designs recently.'
Now that the situation had been assessed, Khun turned around to also assess his group.
Boro, Sachi, Bero Bero, Cherry La, and Yiwha seem to be alright, but there are a few people missing.
Baam and Rak sneaked out again. Khun sighed, 'at least they could have said something.' Old habits do die hard.
A pink light appeared in the sky and was headed in the direction of the town.
'What's gotten Androssi all excited now?' The thought entered Khun's mind, but it wasn't worth dwelling on for too long. She's just the next person on the list after Baam, Rak, and Hwa Ryun to disappear on him without him knowing most of the time.
Ran and Anak are missing as well. They either gone training on their own, or Androssi must have taken them to tour the town.
"Look at the time, I got to go talk to Miseng. She's calling me pretty soon. You know how it is with teammates." Wangnan clapped before walking to the town as well.
As a matter of routine, the group dispersed to the town up ahead to do their own thing.
'A town as small as this should have a few places open for us' Khun started to walk towards the town as well out of his own volition
"Hey, do you mind if I spend some time with you?" a voice rang out besides Khun.
He turned to the side and saw Yiwha as the source of the question. Khun considered it for a moment. Isn't it odd that someone who probably could find as much entertainment in a town as Androssi, would want to spend that time with someone who wouldn't be much fun in the first place.
"Aren't you going to go along with Wangnan?" Khun asked.
Yiwha shook her head, smiling as well.
"I already talked to her earlier. From what I heard, she's going well in her training. Though, I don't know if she's ready enough to catch up to us at the rate we're passing these floors" Yiwha expressed herself openly.
"If she wants it this badly, we might meet her soon. Though, I expect a delay once we get up to more floors. Based on my experience, usually when you're experiencing an easier time compared to normal, there's something bad about to happen" Yiwha hummed thoughtfully to Khun's provoking statement.
"I suppose. But still, wouldn't it be better to worry about the future under a roof and dinner in your stomach" Yiwha suggested.
Kuhn gave out an amusing smile. "When you say it like that, it looks like renting a house is going to be much easier this time."
"They're all rented out…." Khun mumbled, walking alongside Yiwha in the outskirts of the town.
It was no good, every single house and apartment had been rented out due to a local festival. You wouldn't think this was the case if you looked at the town from the distance. Androssi must have known if she was in a rush all of a sudden.
"It's ok, these things happen sometimes." Yiwha said out of assurance.
"It's not good enough. What am I supposed to say to the team?" Khun turned to Yiwha, confused on what to do next.
"Well, I wouldn't be the first person to go for it, but we could do some camping" Yiwha suggested.
"You and I don't seem like the type of people to go camping." Khun rebutted, pointing out the obvious.
"Well for someone who spent over a decade climbing the tower, how come you never camped!" Yiwha responded.
"I never needed to camp. What's your excuse?" Khun asked.
"There wasn't any dire circumstances that would force me to camp in the outdoors, besides I'm a fire hazard anyway, who knows what natural ecosystems I could destroy." Yiwha said.
'That's a bit of exaggeration.' Khun was dumbfounded. How can one regular be that dangerous?
"I suppose I'll look for a campsite, how about-"
"Khun, it's ok, I'm fine with helping you." Yiwha put a hand on Khun's shoulder as a sign of reassurance.
"If you say so." Khun mumbled, which Yiwha took as a sign to take her hand off his shoulder. "However, there might be a few campsites scattered in that nearby forest." Khun said.
Yiwha resisted the urge to let her body shiver at the possibility of encountering any creepy crawlies in the undergrowth of that forest.
Everybody's going to have to make sacrifices every now and again.
Hwa Ryun walked through the countryside, the night lighting her way as her light footsteps thud against the ground.
'It seems the night sky looks good tonight. Shame that there's no stars here. I'm wondering how Rachel is currently doing, how close is she to making my god complete his transition. This must be done for the good of the tower.' Hwa Ryun thought as she continued her merry stroll.
"Hey! Mrs Hwa Ryun" Baam called out from up ahead.
Hwa Ryun stopped in her tracks at the sight of Baam coming up to meet her.
"Viole, what's the manner?" Hwa Ryun asked, alert but from the looks on Viole's face, it didn't seem all that urgent.
"Oh, nothing. I thought you could use some company." Baam said.
'First Khun, then Wangnan, and now Baam. Are they seriously afraid of their futures that they would try to befriend me in the attempts of not having to listen to me anymore. I honestly don't blame them.' Hwa Ryun thought in her mind.
Only a guide like her can comprehend how the tower changes someone. Besides, it's not like Viole is going to be attached to his friendly personality forever, so it's best to enjoy it before it disappears forever.
"You do me more then the honours. I suppose training isn't enough for you?" Hwa Ryun asked.
"It's not that, Rak prefers his time for solitary training. I've been worrying Mr Khun for more then I would have liked. So, I want to make amends for it." Viole said.
"That's nice, but if you don't keep training, how else are you going to protect them from Zahard" Hwa Ryun suggested to Viole.
Hwa Ryun's statement threw Viole off but it didn't stop him from offering his response.
"I don't know, that's what I been thinking about recently. I want to help my friends in the best possible light, but is this actually working out…" Baam said, downtrodden.
"Hmmm… That is unfortunate, but I can at least assure you when you achieve your divine ship, perhaps a few will survive to see a new era in the tower." Hwa Ryun said.
"I want to least change that few to many. But I don't think Mr Khun will like me as a god" the dreaded topic slowed Viole's enthusiasm enough to match Hwa Ryun's melancholic
"He's someone worth listening to, but again, so am I." Hwa Ryun said.
Viole's inquisitive look reminds her that he does have a hard time comprehending her, as it goes for most people she talks to.
"Regardless of whether you listened to him or me, I would still believe you will arrive at the same conclusion. It's a matter of choosing a path at a crossroads, that doesn't really offer you any differences." Hwa Ryun said.
"So it's all subjective…" Baam mumbled. "Enough about me already, I'm glad to see you…" Baam fumbled for a bit. "Taking care of your health."
Hwa Ryun shrugged. "That's the least anyone would do, definitely such a long way up into the tower. I'm interested to see how long your friends can keep their heads above the water."
"I believe they're pulled their own weight already." Viole responded, his confidence made no room for rebuttal.
"If you say so, Viole." Hwa Ryun sighed, continuing to walk alongside Viole.
They came across a vacant space that hosts several small ovals, surrounding a small circle.
"Oh, this must be one of the empty campsites I saw on the brochure." Baam said. "Look there's even a fire pit."
"Viole, it's good we still have time to train you in this aspect. You see this taking place the more we get up, the less floors we'll come across that has a lesser quantity of settlements" Hwa Ryun explained in depth as she entered the vacant campsite.
Viole followed her. "Huh, I thought since Zahard conquered what he could of the tower, that there would be towns and cities on every floor of the tower."
"There's not enough population for all of the floors of the tower. Even back before the king invaded, there were some floors that had fewer settlements then the other floors. It's a matter of which resources could sustain them the most." Hwa Ryun elaborated. "That's why guides have an easier time travelling between floors. We can live on relatively nothing, and be satisfied with what blessings we can get."
Viole's eyes opened a bit more then usual.
"That's actually fascinating, I would like to learn how to do that. It'll help with me not being a burden on the team." Viole looked around eagerly, his joy lighting up the atmosphere around him.
Hwa Ryun composed herself to not smile at the sight of her god being happy discovering something which people take for granted. 'Does Khun get that same feeling?'
"That kind of lifestyle is for me, not someone who needs his energy to eventually fight high rankers." Hwa Ryun responded, standing besides Viole at the fire pit. "But I suppose, a few tips wouldn't hurt when you get in a rough spot."
Before Hwa Ryun can think about what she can teach Baam first, they heard a rustling in the bushes.
Thankfully, they saw blue lighthouses floating above the bushes, they had a pretty good guess on who it is.
Khun and Yiwha emerged from the bushes.
Baam and Hwa Ryun was tensed as it could have been anyone with blue lighthouses, but relaxed their stances when they saw Khun and Yiwha.
"You two are already here. Perfect timing, we could use some help setting up the tents." Khun reached into his lighthouses to remove the tent setups and dropped them onto the ground.
"Sure!" Baam's face lights up, now he can definitely be off immediate help to his best friend.
"Aren't you going to help as well?" Khun asked of Hwa Ryun.
A gust of wind blew through the campsite; Hwa Ryun saw Viole setting up the first tent with Yiwha.
"I don't see why not. It'll be good to help my god with how to set up a tent probably" Hwa Ryun squinted at Khun as she walked back, the sight of Khun smirking tempted her to hit him with her staff, but it's not worth risking getting on her god's bad side.
"Ok, so for our camping setup, we'll have Androssi and Anak sleeping together. Boro and Sachi can sleep as well, Bero Bero and Cherry La as well. Rak will have to decompress, so he'll be able to squeeze in with me and Baam. I was also thinking of putting you, Hwa Ryun, with Yiwha, do you mind?" Khun asked.
"I suppose not." Hwa Ryun shrugged,
Yiwha casted a wary stare at Hwa Ryun. In the effort of establishing a cheerily atmosphere, Yiwha motioned to Khun to get something else out of his lighthouse.
Baam caught sign of this sign language, waited eagerly for what's coming up next, only to be disappointed by the sight of marshmallow bags being taken out of Khun's lighthouse.
"Ahh, Mrs Yiwha, I don't think this is the right time for sweets?" Baam asked.
"Oh no, we won't be eating them as raw. Come on, I'll show you."
Yiwha gave the marshmallow bags on the ground, and then she lights the fire pit with her shinsu.
Such control seemed impossible to her at the 20th floor, imagine how far she had improved.
Baam sat on a nearby log and sticked a marshmallow at the end of his stick and rolled it close to the fire.
"Baam, not so close!" Before Yiwha could give out any further warnings, the marshmallow melted and felled out of Baam's stick into the fire.
"Oh, guess I need to be more careful" Baam chuckled as he got a new marshmallow out.
"Indeed, I don't often care for these rituals, so I suppose a live demonstration" Hwa Ryun said as she picked out her own marshmallow on the other side of the fire pit.
'Every time I got to interact with Hwa Ryun, it always ends up with new questions about her.' Khun thought.
Khun stared at Hwa Ryun and before he could think of looking at something else, Hwa Ryun caught him staring.
"Is something the matter?" Hwa Ryun asked while putting the marshmallow on the end of her stick.
"Nothing." Khun looked away, then he pushed a marshmallow on the end of his stick and sticked it out in front of the campfire.
"Say, Yiwha, I see you have been able to control your flames quite nicely" Khun smiled unevenly. How does Baam and Wangnan encourage others so easily?
"Yeah! That was pretty cool" Baam said, congratulating Yiwha on a simple task.
"It was nothing… It's quite simple once you learn how to limit it in size" Yiwha fumbled around, sitting down on a nearby log next to Khun.
"Hmm, perhaps your goal is not so far fleshed, we'll have to see what your diplomatic skills are like in the future" Hwa Ryun said.
"That'll be a bit of a problem" Yiwha concentrated on the now blooming fire.
"It won't be easy getting a big family like the Yeon to change their ways. But, I would like to help you out in the future." Yiwha looked at Khun in surprise.
"I know a thing or two about family relations. It'll be easier once we become rankers. Then, once I become the head of the Khun family, the Yeon family won't have no choice but to rely on its head to deal with us." Khun rambled on as Yiwha became flustered by his statement.
"Won't that make your ascension more difficult for you?" Yeon asked. "The high rankers will most likely to resist you at every turn. I wouldn't bear it if you get killed because of it." Yiwha was back to looking at the fire, it was at a downward angle this time.
Baam was torn about seeing Yiwha concerned, yet could relate to her in that moment.
"That's the risks we have to take if we are going to change things in the tower. If I wanted my climb to go more smoothly, I wouldn't have become friends with Baam in the first place." Khun said.
"That's right, I know Hwa Ryun speaks of dark times up ahead, but I believe in your dream. I want the tower to be a place where you can legitimately get your wish granted if you work hard for it." Baam rambled on. "So please, don't give up for Khun's sake or my sake."
"I…" Yiwha was stunned, and sure to be blushing as well.
"Careful, Baam. You don't want your second marshmallow to melt off, do you?" Hwa Ryun asked already on her third marshmallow.
"Right!" Baam said as he ate the cooked marshmallow. His face light up, his eyes wide open.
"Whoa! It's… I can't believe you can have something so simple yet delicious" Baam chewed a bit to get every last bit of nourishment out of the marshmallow he previously chewed.
"Ha-ha, I'm glad you liked it" Yiwha laughed, now pleased with yourself.
"Heh, still there are things that surprised you. I wonder what's that like" Khun said, a bit nostalgic for his early youth before he was forced to compete in his family.
"It's alright, though maybe I don't enjoy convenience food as much" Hwa Ryun shrugged, already on her fifth marshmallow.
'Speak for yourself' Khun and Yiwha thought at the same time.
"I hope the others can experience this. If you want to have an early night, you can go right ahead." Baam said.
"I think I'll have to do that, tomorrow's the big day for figuring out what the floor test is and how we can prepare for that" Khun said.
"If you say so, I'll stay up a bit late. This just feels so right to stay up" Yiwha said, smiling.
"I've nothing better to do, though don't expect me to say much" Hwa Ryun said, finished with her marshmallow, she rested her hand on her leg, holding her head up with her palm.
"Ok. Feel free to pipe in when you have something interesting to say" Baam said. "So Yiwha, how's Miseng goin-"
As Khun walked away from the fireplace, he looked back and locked eyes with Hwa Ryun for that one moment.
A line of thought occurred to both of them at the same time. 'How long can we enjoy these moments.'
A/N: This chapter is my favourite, overall, of this work for me to work on.
I want to thank those who inspired me in the TOG fandom to write my own TOG interactions with the cast.
There's so much possibilities I can create, that SIU won't have the time for because of restrictions from his schedule.
Whatever happens next, whether the next chapters soar or flop. I am glad I was able to regularly update it, despite the hassles of writing.
Hehehe, I hope you enjoyed yourself reading, every bit of feedback will help to improve my writing, I hope to see you back in my next chapter.
Sorry Zumisumi, I guess I was ahead on the curve writing more interactions between Khun and Yiwha. Hehehe.