Chapter 79
Donghee didn’t hesitate and asked the status window,
“This 86,400— that’s 24 hours expressed in seconds, right?”
– If you wish to obtain information related to the MP index, please access Hidden Points…
“Forget it. Summon assistant.”
– …Excuse me?
“Summon assistant! You said I can do it at any location I want. I’ve got 2,000 Hidden Points right now. I’ll pay.”
– The cost in points varies depending on the intensity and importance of the labor. If you tell me what kind of work the assistant must do, I can tell you how many points it will consume.
Donghee thought for a moment about what would be the easiest job and quickly replied,
“There’s something I need brought to me. Delma went to bed because she’s tired.”
– Since it’s a relatively simple task, 60 Hidden Points will be deducted. Shall I proceed?
“Yeah.”
Cloe widened her eyes and stared at the status window, waiting eagerly for Taechang to appear. Finally, a blue window spun in circles before her, creating a whirlpool-like motion. The first time she saw that spectacle, she had been shocked. Now, she knew it was just flashy visuals with no substance. The screen spun clockwise and counterclockwise before finally slowing and spitting out Taechang as before.
For some reason, his complexion looked worse than before.
“Are you sick?”
“Hearing that from a patient is absurd.”
“I can’t ask someone who’s unwell to do something, that’s why.”
“I’m in better shape than you. So, what is it? What task?”
“It’s nothing much. Just stand there for a bit.”
Taechang frowned deeply, his brows knitting. He had clearly been summoned for a task, yet all she wanted was for him to stand still?
Time ticked by. Taechang felt uneasy under Donghee’s watchful, scheming gaze.
After a while— though Donghee hadn’t said it was over— Taechang’s body began to blur. Donghee smiled triumphantly.
“Perfect timing.”
Taechang’s eyes widened, and the next moment he was sucked back into the status window.
After he vanished, Donghee opened the status window again.
– Hidden Points: 1,940
– MP: 180 / 86,400
“Knew it!”
Nothing else had changed except the Hidden Points and MP index.
“Did you think I wouldn’t figure it out just because you wouldn’t say anything?”
Smiling broadly, Donghee asked,
“That MP— it’s the time Taechang can appear, isn’t it?”
The status window gave no answer.
“And every time I was sick, that MP number dropped back down. Which means—!”
Donghee said proudly,
“Taechang can’t afford for me to get sick. In other words, he has to serve and protect me. Right? Because if I’m sick, the MP index goes down, and if the MP goes down, Taechang’s available time decreases. How’s that? My deduction’s brilliant, huh?”
– ?
The status window had no idea how to respond to Donghee’s theory, which had suddenly veered off course.
Since it stayed silent, Donghee raised her chin proudly and shouted,
“Summon assistant!”
– You’ve used up today’s summon quota, so assistant summoning is unavailable.
“See? I was right.”
Donghee grew even more smug. Then, generously, she said to the status window,
“Convert 10 Hidden Points to MP.”
– 10p from your Hidden Points will be converted to MP.
– Hidden Points: 1,930
– MP: 190 / 86,400
After confirming the updated status window, Donghee once again shouted,
“Summon assistant!”
The status window hesitated, then lazily spun its blue screen a few times before grudgingly forcing Taechang out. Unlike the dramatic whirling, reversing, and gale-force effects from before, there wasn’t a shred of enthusiasm this time.
Shoved out of the screen, Taechang tried to squeeze back in but failed.
Donghee, still stubbornly facing away from the status window, asked,
“Feels good to have 10 more seconds, right?”
Taechang, trembling with fury, suddenly spun around and strode up to Donghee’s bed. His once pale face was now flushed red with anger.
“Don’t mock me. I am not someone you can treat so carelessly.”
“Okay.”
Her unexpectedly meek reply made him pause in confusion. His burst of anger felt awkward when she responded so obediently. But then—
“Taechang.”
He sighed in frustration at the hated name and glared at her. But Donghee only smiled sweetly.
“Your 10 seconds are up.”
“What—?”
At that moment, Taechang’s body blurred and he was sucked back into the status window. A faint curse seemed to echo as he disappeared.
Such a temper.
Donghee, grinning, looked at the quiet status window.
“Convert 1,200 Hidden Points to MP.”
– Are you certain?
“I’m generous. Honestly, I can’t make him do much in 3 minutes anyway. At least 20 minutes makes sense, right? Besides, I feel like I’ve recovered faster thanks to him. So I’m giving it as a bonus.”
– Wow. 1,200p of Hidden Points will be converted to MP. Would you like to summon the assistant right away?
“No. I’m tired, I want to sleep. Plus, he’s probably sulking after being teased. Just leave him.”
Muttering as if about a disobedient younger brother, Donghee pulled the blanket over her head. The medicine was making it hard to keep her eyes open.
Soon, the room filled only with the sound of soft, steady breathing.
– This kind of user is a first…
“She gives both sickness and medicine, huh.”
At some point, Taechang appeared, gazing down at the sleeping Donghee with a bewildered expression.
The blue status window condensed into a small blue bird and perched quietly on the headboard.
– No one’s ever openly filled up MP before. Oh, maybe it was just invisible before? What kind of user is she? Why can she do things no one else has ever done?
“We’ll find out eventually.”
– Will you give the user more MP today?
“No.”
– Why not? She hasn’t fully recovered yet. You said one more would heal her completely.
“Just because.”
It was a simple whim. Even Taechang himself didn’t understand the change within him. He sat there for a long while before vanishing.
– Definitely sulking.
Meanwhile, Red Bear, desperate for answers, entered the Black Forest in search of the Qulen’s lair. The Qulen had attacked the village at dawn— a time they should never have been active.
There was no way the creatures hadn’t noticed their young being taken. A powerful force capable of suppressing even monsters must have been used. They had to find out what it was.
“Over there.”
Urun halted and pointed, whispering. Red Bear and his men immediately crouched low and fixed their eyes on the dark cave entrance. The last large-scale battle had killed many Qulen. Even if some remained, they could handle the numbers.
“I’ll go check.”
Concerned for Red Bear, who was still badly injured from the last fight, Urun volunteered. Though wounded himself, he hadn’t suffered broken bones or internal damage, so he could still move at the front. He was also skilled at concealing his presence.
With Red Bear’s approval, Urun crept swiftly toward the cave. His crouched movements resembled a predator stalking its prey.
At the entrance, he pressed close to the rock and listened.
Whooooosh.
The deep wind from within sounded like a giant’s whistle. Urun signaled back toward Red Bear, then tossed a flare into the cave.
Fsssshhht!
It was one of the few flares left in Grace Territory, crafted by an alchemist who had stayed at Grace Castle a decade ago. The man hadn’t been especially skilled, and the flare wasn’t long-lasting.
Still, it was enough to brightly illuminate the pitch-black cave for a moment— more than enough to provoke any remaining Qulen. Urun waited tensely. But no sound came.
Puzzled, he signaled again: he would go inside to check. Red Bear and his men followed cautiously. Even without signs of enemies, they didn’t let down their guard.
“It’s empty.”
Not a single Qulen remained. Those that survived must have relocated. Just in case, several soldiers went deeper inside and set off more flares, but still— nothing.
“Light the torches.”
Slowly, Red Bear and his men advanced into the vast cavern. Once home to over a hundred Qulen, its size was immense— at least three stories high, and wide enough for ten grown men to walk side by side.
Their footsteps echoed softly across the stone floor.
Drip. Drip. Drip. Somewhere, water dripped steadily. Despite it being midday, the cave was utterly dark, without a single ray of light.
“Wait! There’s something here!”
Just as they were about to finish their search, an excited soldier shouted. Red Bear and Urun rushed over.
One of the young men had found a half-burnt pouch and was grinning as he held it up. Red Bear’s eyes sharpened instantly, and he barked in alarm—
“Drop it immediately!”
