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Join the ServerThe end of the world and the long journey to the Origin Dungeon had both come to an end several months ago.
For the monsters and curses dwelling in countless dungeons, the past few months had been a joyful yet utterly bewildering time.
A certain cycle that had continued endlessly like hell had finally come to an end.
They no longer had to wander from world to world, facing challengers, and the dungeons that had once been prisons trapping them had now become seeds from which they could cultivate new worlds.
However, they also had to face an unwelcome realization.
Because of a certain decision the Wraith had made to bring the cycle to an end, all means of returning to the worlds where they had once lived had been completely cut off.
That was not all.
They had also become unable to simply kill the System in revenge.
The System, which had transformed into the [World Support Organization], had taken on the role of assisting the newly born worlds within the dungeons so that they could establish themselves.
If the System were to disappear, the still-incomplete worlds might lose their support and collapse, meaning they could no longer make the System vanish from this world entirely even if they wanted to.
It could hardly be called a perfect ending.
But all the inhabitants of the dungeons came to understand one thing.
At the very least, this was the best ending they could have hoped for.
It was not refreshing or satisfying, but at least there was now a path of hope ahead of them where everyone could become better off than they were before.
‘What we have gained is a future tattered like a pile of rags. But if we all patch it up together, there should still be hope.’
If foolish beings who could not tear away their flaws simply licked each other’s wounds, then surely tomorrow would come, one that was better than yesterday.
And Q-Type had also come to realize that the System was one of those flawed beings.
Even if Q-Type could not tear that stupid System to pieces and kill it, if the bastard ever returned to this world someday, Q-Type could at least kick whatever passed for its butt.
Q-Type would think that to itself and feel rather satisfied.
Of course, there were times when Q-Type got annoyed.
Whenever that happened, Q-Type secretly pinched, hit, and kicked the idiot Ligormung, relieving all its frustration that way.
These days, that idiot also slept quite often, which gave Q-Type more opportunities to vent the resentment it had accumulated over countless years.
Q-Type was not entirely sure whether the bastard was actually asleep or merely pretending to sleep while deliberately ignoring its attempts at revenge…
Q-Type decided not to think too deeply about it.
And so, the eternally young machine gradually became accustomed to its ‘daily life moving toward an imperfect but hopeful future.’
Alongside the precious friend who remained faithfully by its side.
****
At dawn, when the faint scent of spring, still carrying a chill, seeped through the crack beneath the door, Q-Type awoke from sleep mode.
There was no reason for a machine to wake up in the morning and go to sleep in the evening.
In fact, [Sleep Mode] was not even particularly necessary.
Its primary purpose had simply been to flop down and use sleep mode as an excuse whenever its master looked like he was about to make Q-Type do some bothersome chore.
Q-Type would never admit this, of course, because if its master found out, it would never be able to use that excuse again.
But that was how things had been in the past.
For Q-Type these days, however, sleeping at night and waking in the morning had taken on a slightly more special meaning.
It was an act of enjoying an ordinary daily life.
It was not a life spent secretly worrying about when the next battle against a trial would arrive, nor one spent resignedly thinking that there was no point in doing anything because the world would collapse anyway.
It meant facing the present moment as something real rather than an illusion, and living each day to the fullest.
Recently, Q-Type had begun to give its sleep mode that kind of meaning.
“Mm….”
As morning sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, the sleeping boy curled up in bed rustled and pulled the blanket all the way over his head.
Q-Type quietly slipped out from beneath the blanket so as not to wake its small friend.
Since there was no longer any reason to open secret doors or engage in combat, Q-Type had dismantled some of the combat components it used in the past and modified them into a remote-control device.
With this device, Q-Type could control its tiny cat-shaped ‘main body’ and its powered-suit-like ‘exoskeleton’ separately.
Even when Q-Type left its position, the exoskeleton could continue operating without any problems, allowing Seohyun to move around freely at all times.
The greatest advantage of this remote-control device was that Q-Type could actively move its main body around and prepare breakfast while Seohyun slept soundly.
After neatly laying out the school uniform Seohyun would wear that day and his schoolbag, Q-Type quietly opened the door and marched into the kitchen.
It did so with quite an imposing air.
[[Notification] It is 6:45 a.m. What is today’s breakfast menu? Is it nutritionally balanced? Were there any mistakes during the cooking process? Does it contain any ingredients Seohyun dislikes? Were the seasonings added in the proper proportions? It looks like you’re almost finished, but is there anything I can help with regarding the cooking?]
“Today’s menu is spam soybean sprout soup, seasoned spinach, and mini tteokgalbi. It’s almost done, so put some bowls on the table for me. By the way, how did you become such a nag? I know what Seohyun likes better than you do.”
Its master, wearing an apron, grumbled with a frown, but Q-Type pretended not to hear and focused on carrying the bowls.
Q-Type had to admit that its master was right, but if it told him that it kept nagging simply because it was fun, it would undoubtedly get hit.
Of course, avoiding its master’s scolding was not particularly difficult.
Even after removing many of its combat components, Q-Type was still nimble and quick.
However….
“Should I give you a bonk on the head, Taehyun? It might be good to discipline that brat a little before its bad habit of talking back becomes ingrained.”
When Ligormung appeared from somewhere and entered the kitchen, Q-Type put down the soup bowl and subtly retreated to its master’s side.
The Wraith was no longer a Wraith, but it was still incredibly strong.
Q-Type could tolerate the fact that, when its master was asleep, it secretly pinched and poked Ligormung to torment him.
However, that Wraith would obviously act all high and mighty in front of his lover, too.
Q-Type exaggeratedly trembled and clung to its master.
Its master sighed deeply, wearing an expression that seemed to deliberately pretend not to notice the obvious ploy.
“Leave it alone. It seems to be enjoying itself, so there’s no need to beat it into changing its ways… More importantly, when are you going to change the way you address him?”
“No, well, you see…”
“You call me just fine when we’re alone, but whenever curses like Q-Type are around, you suddenly become all awkward… Are you going to keep doing that?”
“I’ll gradually get used to it, Taehyun…”
“…Again.”
“Taehyun.”
Perhaps Q-Type’s fear had been unfounded after all.
Apparently, that Wraith became even more timid around his lover.
Q-Type watched the two of them with an amused grin displayed on its screen, but Ligormung, who normally would have smacked Q-Type, merely turned his flushed face away.
Why was he so embarrassed over something as simple as changing the way he addressed someone?
Q-Type did not quite understand, but it was fascinated by the scene, thinking that if it carefully observed the changes in his behavior, it could tease that Wraith later.
However, it could not continue watching for long.
Before the 7:15 alarm had even rung, Q-Type heard its friend stomping out of the room along with the exoskeleton.
“Q-Type! You went downstairs by yourself again and started nagging my brother about something, didn’t you? I told you to wake me up when you got up, seriously!”
[It is important to maintain the surrounding environment so that Seohyun can get the appropriate amount of sleep.]
[And I merely asked my master about today’s breakfast menu and helped prepare the meal. I am also diligently carrying the bowls right now, so I am an extremely hardworking and helpful machine to my master!]
Q-Type spouted a story that was not exactly a lie and leaped straight into Seohyun’s arms.
Seohyun sat down at the table while gently stroking the top of Q-Type’s monitor as though petting a cat.
Seohyun looked rather grown-up in his school uniform, which he had managed to put on quite convincingly all by himself.
On the morning of his first day of school, Q-Type, its master, and the Wraith had all crowded around him to help him put on his uniform.
Now, the little boy had also grown accustomed to his new daily life.
He had begun living like any other ordinary teenager, waking up in the morning and getting ready for school.
“I told you I have to leave early today because we have to practice for our performance assessment, remember? It’s okay to sleep a little less for just one day.”
[No. Compared to healthy sleep, something as trivial as a presentation is hardly important. If you’re really worried, I can pretend to be Seohyun and give the presentation for you. All you have to do is perform convincing ventriloquism.]
“There’s no way a teacher would fall for a cheap trick like that! No, and I’m supposed to do the performance assessment myself. What would be the point if you did it for me…”
[But I practically did your physical education performance assessment for you last time, didn’t I?]
“That’s different! Are you going to keep this up?”
Q-Type obediently endured the bonk Seohyun delivered to its head.
It did not hurt that much, after all.
Even so, Q-Type made sure to display a dizzy little emoji to cheer Seohyun up, pretending that it was hurt.
Its master, who had been watching the two of them talk, also seemed to want to encourage Seohyun and quietly approached to pat him on the shoulder.
“Don’t worry too much, Seohyun. Our Seohyun can do it.”
“Thanks, hyung. But it’s my first time giving a presentation like this, so I’m nervous.”
“It’s only natural to be nervous if it’s your first time. But you’ve done more than well these past few months, even though this was your first experience with school life, right? You’ll do a great job this time, too. Right, Q-Type?”
[It is rather cliché encouragement, but it is true. Seohyun actually tends to talk much more when he is scared and nervous, so surprisingly, he might speak better without practicing at all…]
[Ow.]
“This thing has been going to school with Seohyun and picked up some strange habits, hasn’t it?”
“What do you mean, ‘talk much more’?”
This time, Taehyun smacked Q-Type on its monitor.
Q-Type had not expected it to hurt much, but for a moment, it felt as though stars were sparkling before its eyes.
It had merely encouraged Seohyun, yet its master had hit it.
Apparently, its master had become even more mischievous after taking after the Wraith.
Still, it was a good thing that Seohyun burst out laughing as he watched Q-Type spin around in place, trying to regain its balance.
Even if Q-Type was a little annoying.
‘It really is a wonderful thing. Moving toward an uncertain future instead of living through an endless cycle.’
While everyone sat around the table eating breakfast, Q-Type rolled around on the floor beside the table before stretching out with all four legs extended.
What awaited them was a future that was stable, yet impossible to predict.
The boy who had once spent all his time lying in bed had now started attending school, and the machine that had once turned its back on patients who would eventually be killed alongside the world could now leisurely watch its friend live his life from right beside him.
What would happen at school today?
Q-Type could make a fairly accurate prediction using an application, but it had absolutely no intention of doing so.
Whatever happened, it would all be fun.
If there were a mean teacher who nagged them, Q-Type would trap them and teach them a lesson.
As for the nice friends, Q-Type would diligently trick them and put them to work so that they could do nice things for Seohyun.
The young machine was already excitedly coming up with its own reckless plans without asking Seohyun for his consent even once.
Just then, Q-Type felt someone watching it and raised its head.
You’ve got to see this next! Even if I’m Just a Little Sparrow, I Really Want To Improve will keep you on the edge of your seat. Start reading today!
Read : Even if I’m Just a Little Sparrow, I Really Want To Improve
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