Episode 4
“!”
Eun-ah flinched violently.
It felt as if lightning had struck the top of her head.
‘Wh-what was that?’
And then—
[Let it bloom.]
A voice echoed, distant and resounding, as though coming from a faraway, lofty place.
At the same moment, a translucent window appeared before her eyes.
[system] Local: Republic of Korea, Channel: Seoul. User Choi Eun-ah has awakened as a specialized awakener!
[system] Congratulations, Choi Eun-ah, on your awakening.
Eun-ah stared blankly as a flood of windows popped up in front of her, too fast to read.
Among them, there was only one she could understand.
[system] Your specialized ability is Healing.
“Ah… Ah-yoon.”
Startled beyond belief, Eun-ah called out to her.
“Tthen-themmi, wha’s wong?”
“I—I think I just awakened…”
“Ha!”
Jang Daewon scoffed.
“An awakening now? That’s ridiculous!”
“Tthen-themmi,”
the little girl asked, her voice oddly clearer than anyone else’s.
“Tthen-themmi, aw you a heawer?”
“H-how did you know, Ah-yoon?”
Daewon’s face twisted. He shouted,
“What nonsense is this!”
“Mr. Jang, please,” Shin-jae cut him off, “keep your mouth shut for a second.”
Then he turned to Eun-ah.
“Miss Choi Eun-ah, did you truly just awaken?”
“Yes…”
She answered, dazed.
“And you’re saying your ability is healing?”
“Yes. The system said I’m a healing-type specialist.”
“Impossible!”
Daewon couldn’t hold it in and exploded.
“What a stupid lie! You think we’ll believe something that obvious—!”
Eun-ah didn’t reply.
She simply cupped Ah-yoon’s flushed cheeks in both hands.
How had this child known she was a healer?
The question flickered briefly through her mind, but it didn’t matter right now.
“Tthen-themmi?”
“My sweet Ah-yoon, you must’ve been hurting a lot.”
Eun-ah’s gentle touch glowed with soft white light.
“T-that’s…!”
It was a unique magic spell only healing-type mages could perform—
The Touch of Healing.
Hwan murmured in disbelief.
“She really is a healer?”
Eun-ah looked straight at Shin-jae.
“I know there must be procedures to follow, but if you’ll allow it, I’d like to join your guild in place of the other healer. Would that be possible?”
After that, everything happened fast.
Jang Daewon was beside himself.
“You’ll regret this! Abandoning an experienced healer like me—!”
“You told me to choose,” Shin-jae replied firmly. “And I’ve chosen.”
“Get him out.”
A cold, decisive order.
Ah-yoon, nestled in Eun-ah’s arms, waved at him.
“Bye-bye, Mistuh.”
“You little—!”
And that was the end of it.
Once things had settled, Shin-jae led Ah-yoon and Eun-ah into the living room.
Ah-yoon tilted her head.
“Tthen-themmi, how come you’re hewe?”
“I didn’t want to send you off alone,” Eun-ah said softly, pressing a cooling pad to the child’s forehead.
“But Ah-yoon, how did you know I was a healer?”
Ah-yoon beamed.
“Jus’ knew!”
No one could question a child who said it like that.
“Tthen-themmi, I wike you.”
“…I like you too, Ah-yoon.”
“Hehe.”
The child giggled brightly.
Eun-ah reached out to stroke her hair—
and Ah-yoon suddenly swayed and collapsed backward.
“Ah, Ah-yoon!”
She had fainted.
[Congratulations! You have successfully awakened user Choi Eun-ah.]
[Your ability, Absolute Command, has blossomed.]
[All beings and all creation shall heed your voice…]
A faint laugh echoed somewhere.
[To think such a pitiful fragment could bear a Divine Word… how amusing.]
“Uuuh…”
[Now—wake up.]
“!”
Suddenly, consciousness snapped back.
Stars glittered in a dim, endless space stretching out in all directions.
No beginning, no end.
‘Where… am I?’
[This is the boundary between my world and the mortal realm,]
a deep voice resonated through the void.
[A space where our “ranks” can briefly coexist.]
“Wh-who are you…?”
[Who am I?]
The voice chuckled.
[You dare call my name, and yet you fail to recognize me. How entertaining.]
The pressure that followed made her feel like a giant, invisible hand was closing around her body—
not painfully, but undeniably powerful.
‘Wait… did I call their name?’
Ah. Maybe…
“■■■■ ■■■■ ■■… sir?”
Just speaking the name sent shivers down her spine.
The voice responded, almost amused.
[That name was never meant for human tongues. For convenience, you may call me the Administrator of World Law.]
Whatever it was, Eun-ah knew not to anger it.
She quickly nodded, trying to sound polite.
“Can…ni-jah-nim. (Administrator-nim.)”
[Good.]
“I—I sowwy fow sayin’ youw name. (Sorry for saying your name.)”
[So you do realize how serious that was.]
Serious?!
Her stomach churned nervously.
[Relax. I didn’t call you here to punish you.]
“W-weally?”
[Little human.]
“Y-yes?”
[Would you like to make a contract with me?]
“?”
That was the last thing she expected.
The Administrator gave a quiet hum.
[Ah, perhaps that was too complicated a phrase for a child?]
“I know what it is!”
[You do?]
“Uh-huh! It’s when you and me pinky pwomise to do somethin’ togevuh! (It’s when you and I make a promise to do something together!)”
[Hah. Not entirely wrong.]
“Hehe.”
Pleased with herself, she smiled proudly.
But then—
[Clever girl. As expected of one who carries memories of another world.]
“Gasp!”
Her eyes went wide.
“H-how did you know!”
[There are ways.]
“Th-that can’t be…”
The Administrator, unlike her, sounded thoroughly amused.
[You’ve awakened a Command-type power, I see. Very useful. And since I can’t have you going around shouting my name, we’ll make this simple.]
“I—I won’t do that!”
[You expect me to trust a human’s promise?]
The Administrator scoffed.
[This will benefit you, too. As my contractor, you’ll have my protection.]
A generous offer, but…
“What do I hafta do?” she asked cautiously.
Nothing in this world came for free, especially not divine protection.
The Administrator chuckled.
[I seek the King of this world.]
“The… King?”
[Yes. All you must do is assist me in finding him.]
That was new.
‘That wasn’t in the story I know!’
[What do you say?]
“Hmm…”
She hesitated.
She’d awakened, yes—but that alone wouldn’t be enough to survive in a doomed world.
If she wanted any chance of changing fate, she needed the Administrator on her side.
Finally, she nodded.
“Okay. I’ll make da contwact.”
[A wise decision, little human.]
And then—
“!”
Something vast and immense stirred, rising up like a mountain before her.
And in front of her eyes appeared…
“…A rattle?”
Indeed, a baby’s rattle—though glowing with divine golden light.
[I adjusted it to your level.]
My level…?
‘But Ah-yoon’s three! She doesn’t even play with rattles anymore!’
Of course, she didn’t dare say that aloud.
Pouting slightly, she obediently took the rattle in her hand.
It was deeply humiliating.
The Administrator chuckled, clearly entertained.
[Now, shake it—exactly three times.]
Still doubtful, she did as told.
Jingle, jingle, jingle.
“!”
Golden dust, like pixie powder, shimmered out of the rattle.
The motes formed glowing letters in the air before coiling around her neck like a necklace and sinking into her skin.
‘Oh…’
It felt like invisible chains tightening around her whole body.
[I have placed a binding.]
“Bindin’?”
[Absolute Command is a kind of divine imperative—a formless, universal decree.
At your current level, such power would consume you.]
“Aha.”
That made sense. She nodded easily.
[You truly understand?]
“Uh-huh. Like when Tthen-themmi don’t give me scissows ‘cause it’s dangewous. Same ting! (Like when my teacher doesn’t give me scissors because they’re dangerous. It’s the same thing!)”
[…Yes. That’s… accurate enough.]
Then she felt the vast presence draw closer—its pressure overwhelming.
Her legs buckled, and she dropped to the floor with a thump.
“Ah!”
A soft flick touched her forehead.
[That will be all for today’s conversation.]
