I accidentally dropped my great sword onto the ground.
A short metallic sound rang out, snapping me back to reality, and right in front of me was Yeon-hee waving her hand and calling my name.
Next to her stood the Alpha-Rank Summoned Creatures, keeping a firm watch over her. They looked dependable as they kept a minimal level of vigilance while eyeing me.
“Did I look scary…?”
I could also feel the presence of the twins and Jung Tae-hyung watching me from a distance. They were still cautious, pushing each other’s magic away, but it looked like they were at a manageable level of tension.
“Do I look okay? Are you back to your senses now?”
“Clap…”
I thought there was no need to pass my gloomy mood onto her, but somehow she pressured me to spill all the details of what happened today.
“Yoon Han-gyeol is dead…?”
Nod—
The reason I didn’t activate [Mimicry] was that I didn’t want to show my current expression. Really, why was she so insistent on asking?
Ran, who has taken on the interpretation duty after a long time, looked at me as if to say it was nothing serious.
(Focus on your existence right now, you skeleton guy.)
Like always, Ran gave me advice in that tone that felt like she was above me. I could tell that he had recently grown, as he could now reduce his size to the size of a fist. It was amusing to hear such advice from a little creature like that.
But oddly enough, that dry reaction infused me with energy.
“Ah. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Just a little startled, that’s all.”
Right, focus on the present. My sole goal in this life is just one thing.
To protect Yeon-hee.
“Let’s check out the hidden space of the Ilseom Guild tomorrow.”
“You, are you really okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“Right… The hidden space is where ‘Frizkana’ is, right?”
“Yep. We need to dive deep to purify the Temple of Light.”
“Oh right, the minor blessing!”
Back when my companions entered the hidden dungeon, they received a quest like that. It had been postponed due to an unexpected dungeon break, but now our current strength might allow us to clear it.
“How’s the Giant Tribe quest going? It must be consuming a lot of mental energy.”
I changed the topic once more. In fact, nothing was more important to Yeon-hee, and it was the same for me.
“I’m still challenging it, but I feel like I can win soon! Hehe.”
“Y-Yeah! It’ll be soon!”
“Yeah!”
Experiencing death every day couldn’t be good. But growth is guaranteed by that.
Experiencing death is truly something special.
“I think I’ve died more than Il-wol.”
“Uh… Is that so?”
Well, it had been quite a while since Yeon-hee took on quests.
“Oh, speaking of which, I told Ah-rin to stop by home for a bit. I wanted to talk to her.”
“Are you going home and then coming back here? Why not just come together?”
“She said she’d stop by the hospital first.”
“Is her younger brother in bad shape?”
“Looks like it. Lately, people infected with ‘Mana Disease’ have been… anyway, it seems serious.”
“Wait? What does that mean?”
I read through the news Yeon-hee had shown me.
“The condition of Mana Disease patients is rapidly deteriorating… Some organizations argue that important nations need to put in more effort to seal the cracks in the world?”
“It looks like the patients started getting worse around the time the dungeon’s balance began to collapse. So that’s why. They can’t even manage to hold back dungeon breaks and monsters, let alone worry about that?”
“That makes sense. How bad is the condition?”
“Ah-rin’s younger brother is somewhat okay… but other patients have a death rate that’s risen by 5%. That’s a lot, right?”
It’s been months since the dungeon’s balance fell apart, and now a 5% increase in death rate?
“Wow, that’s really serious!”
“Was there no such thing in your past life?”
“Well… there was, but that was after the Orc Legion Commander appeared.”
It was a situation that Ah-rin couldn’t help but worry about.
“I’m here—”
Just as I was spending time talking with Yeon-hee after she finished showering, Ah-rin arrived at the front of the house.
“Welcome.”
“Hehe, it’s been a while. How’s Il-wol doing?”
“Clap, clap, clap.”
She’s definitely more subdued. Normally, she would have been bouncing over and asking why I called her.
We sat on the outdoor terrace connected to the front yard and dove straight into the topic as I served coffee.
“A Life Potion… to bring someone back to life… how is that even possible?”
That was the third time I heard that phrase. Ah-rin’s world, where dead people could not be revived, was collapsing.
A world even more unrealistic than a game.
So maybe the people of this world wanted to let the dead go in peace, as if it were the last evidence of the world before the First Wave.
“Is it really… possible to fix it?”
“It seems highly probable. But I’ve never used it on a Non-Awakened One, so I can’t guarantee it’ll restore them to 100% healthy condition, nor can I say it’s without side effects…”
“So that’s why you wanted to talk.”
“Exactly. The choice ultimately lies with you and your family.”
“Ugh…”
We stepped back to give Ah-rin some space to think quietly. She seemed to be on the phone with her siblings for a long time.
And half an hour later.
“I’ll do it!”
With a determined expression, Ah-rin clenched her fists.
Yeon-hee nodded and patted Ah-rin’s shoulder.
“Alright. Should we go to the hospital with Il-wol right away?”
“Is Il-wol really necessary?”
“Yes, his magic has to be put into effect…”
“Oh, then I’ll go get him. If something happens at the hospital, it would get noisy.”
“Huh? Can you bring him when he’s a patient?”
“I was already undecided about extending his hospital stay. I’m thinking of moving him to a bigger hospital.”
“Oh, okay.”
Once she made up her mind, everything proceeded seamlessly.
Two hours later.
At a completely darkened hour, a taxi stopped in front of the house.
Il-wol got out of the car and carefully cradled his younger sibling as if she were his heart and walked into the house.
*Shush—*
Ah-rin’s younger sister just like Ah-rin, peacefully asleep.
“Hye-rin.”
“Hye-rin…”
However, despite her peaceful expression, she looked so thin it reminded me of those starving African children I saw on TV.
“She’s basically clinging to life. Didn’t they say she improved after drinking Irmana’s water?”
If she had gotten this bad recently, she needed treatment as soon as possible.
*Sigh…*
It was rare to find a Non-Awakened One in this life.
So the fear of treating her weighed heavily on me.
“If something goes wrong, Ah-rin might end up going to the party…”
I suddenly slapped my head with my fist.
Whatever you think, it usually comes true.
“It’s going to work for sure. It will! It will!!”
With a self-hypnosis, I carefully poured the Life Potion into Hye-rin’s mouth, who lay on the bed.
I only infused it with my pure mana, not using any other attributes.
Pure intentions are always the best.
*Drip, drip, drip—*
Even in a near-vegetative state, the water began to seep into Hye-rin’s throat little by little and spread through her body.
“Please…”
In the background, I could hear Ah-rin’s desperate, hopeful voice.
The moment I heard that voice, my mind elevated, and my concentration intensified.
I felt an absolute certainty that I wouldn’t fail.
‘This feels good.’
Previously, working with dead people felt like groping in a dark abyss, but right now, it felt as if I was receiving a baptism under a divine blessing.
*Jerk—*
Soon after, Hye-rin’s body jolted.
“Uh, uh…!”
“Huh? Hye-rin?!”
“Wait, hold on. Just wait a moment.”
As Hye-rin’s body twitched, Ah-rin startled but Yeon-hee calmed her down.
From that moment on, the three of us in the room remained still, watching the incredible miracle unfold.
*Hiss—* *Breathe out—*
Hye-rin, who had been infected with Mana Disease, took a long breath and slowly began to open her eyes.
“Ah…”
To open one’s eyes themselves.
It meant awakening from a long sleep.
Tears had already formed in Ah-rin’s eyes.
“Ugh… Awoo…”
“Hye-rin! Can you recognize me?”
“Uh… sister…”
“Yes, yes! It’s me! Our Hye-rin has truly awakened!”
“Sister… were my ears always this long…?”
“Wah, this is the first time I’ve heard something like that from you… Our youngest has truly awakened. Sob…”
With tears streaming down her face, Ah-rin embraced her sister, who stared blankly at her.
Yeon-hee walked up to me, hugging me and sobbing.
She must have thought of her mother, who had passed away from the same illness.
While patting her back, a message suddenly popped up out of nowhere.
– The trust level of companion ‘Baek Ah-rin’ towards you has reached its maximum!
– She is prepared to sacrifice her life for you!
– You have achieved an extremely rare accomplishment as a being born as a Skeleton Soldier!
– You have gained the potential of ‘Doll Sculptor.’
– You have obtained the potential to draw all the information of ‘Baek Ah-rin’ and shape a ‘Doll.’
– Proceed with the job change first!
‘…Huh? Shape a doll? Are you talking about a being like Ainz that gets born when I die?’
I thought I might just gain some weight of existence, but I had no idea I would gain such an unexpected ability.
No, I haven’t gained it yet. I have to change jobs to unlock that ability.
Just as I was thinking I had acquired an interesting ability, suddenly—
*BRIGHT—*
The room became filled with light, and I could soon feel the presence of a new Awakened One.
“H-Hye-rin, is that you?!”
“Uh… Sister, what’s happening?”
A subtle magical energy flowed down from her head to her chest.
‘W-What?! She’s awakened? What the hell! Is this the unexpected positive effect?’
“Ugh… My head itches…”
The moment Ah-rin’s younger sister abruptly awakened, her facial features sharpened, and her legs became longer.
And the most noticeable change was the soft fur sprouting from the top of her head.
‘She has the traits of a Rabbit Beastman too.’
“Your, your ears… so cute…!”
Watching the awakening in real-time, Yeon-hee’s face flushed as she covered her mouth at the cute rabbit ears that were sprouting like a panda’s.
A faint beam of magic typical of an F-Rank Hunter settled on Hye-rin’s body.
Ah-rin wore a complicated expression. It was the first time I had ever seen such a face on her, and I was captivated by watching it until our eyes met.
“Ah…! Il-wol, thank you so much. I… I don’t even know what to say! What can I do for you?”
Her pronunciation made everything sound cute, but I could tell this was a genuine sentiment.
‘What can you do for me?’
The moment I heard that, the first thought that came to my mind was that I wanted her to keep staying next to Yeon-hee.
“How about we go home first and meet your family?”
“Ah… Is that okay?”
Yeon-hee insisted that joy should be shared with family.
With a big nod, Ah-rin scooped up Hye-rin.
Though her little sister’s body wasn’t fully recovered, it was clear that life was returning to her once thin frame.
Ah-rin constantly bowed to us, giving thanks alongside her sister.
After repeating such gestures several times, we finally set off from the house.
“Wow— So this really works.”
“Clap…”
“The awakening effect doesn’t always happen, does it?”
‘I hope not…’
“Clap, clap, clap.”
“Hmmm… It’s a rare item, after all. Even if there’s plenty, it shouldn’t be used recklessly.”
‘But then again, it wouldn’t be good to keep holding onto it too tightly.’
Even after saving someone, worries took precedence in this world.
Because there’s no guarantee that girl can live happily from now on.
For some reason, Yeon-hee looked up at the sky.
“There are really a lot of stars tonight.”
“Clap, clap, clap.”
As Yeon-hee gazed at the sky, she clasped her hands together, gently closed her eyes, and softly murmured.
“Please help Hye-rin never feel pain again. For her body and heart…”
“……”
* * *
The next day, we entered the hidden dungeon of the Ilseom Guild and immediately moved to the hidden dungeon.
In that place lurked a terrifying darkness.
The Queen of the ‘Blood Mosquito.’
“I said next time I come, I’ll smash your head first!”
*Squash──!*
– Kyyyyyyyyy!!
*Boom────!!*
After a battle lasting over ten minutes, I completely obliterated its upper body beyond recognition.
‘The performance of the Skeleton Bomb made from Marshall Dragard’s bones is outstanding!’
– Wow… Did you really take that monster down by yourself? That’s insane.
– You don’t even know who the real monster is.
– You’ve defeated a powerful mutant of the ‘Blood Mosquito’!
– The effectiveness of the trait [Blood Demonization] has greatly increased!
‘Oh…?! It was worth it to get covered in disgusting fluids alone!’
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