Chapter 18
“Lee Chaeri refuses!”
Chaeri’s voice was much faster than usual.
She was gasping for air.
Her face flushed red with excitement, her eyes glistening with tears. Her breaths came short and ragged.
“Absolutely not! Not allowed! Cancel it! Cancel! Cancel it, Your Majesty!”
Dabis was at a loss for words.
He hadn’t even opened his mouth yet — and somehow, she’d already found out.
How? Why? Before he could even wonder, Chaeri rushed on, breathless.
“I’m sealing Dabis’s unique ability! Lee Chaeri hates Dabis’s unique ability! Ptoo! Ptoo! Ptoo!”
“……”
L-Rank Awakener.
By the will of a card-collecting child, Dabis’s unique ability was restricted.
[Unique ability ‘Contract Cancellation’ has been sealed.]
“……”
Chaeri’s body trembled.
Her eyes filled to the brim with tears.
Her shaking fingers clutched the hem of Dabis’s pants — tight.
So tight that the fabric wrinkled badly.
“Dabis is abandoning Chaeri too?”
“Chaeri, that’s not it…”
The tears finally spilled from her eyes.
“Dabis is throwing Chaeri away too?”
“……”
Plop. The first tear hit the floor.
Dabis was speechless.
“Answer me!”
“……”
She wiped her face with her arm, but didn’t wait for him to reply.
“Dabis can’t leave Chaeri.”
It was clearly an angry face.
So angry that she was spouting nonsense.
So angry her whole body shook.
And yet—
How pitiful.
The Chaeri before him looked smaller than ever.
Small, and smaller still.
Like the weakest thing in the world.
And it hurt — because it made Dabis feel like the worst person alive.
As Chaeri’s heart crumbled, Dabis’s entire universe fell apart.
He bit his lip hard enough to taste blood.
“Chaeri. I—”
“Hurry, make a promise.”
Chaeri stuck out her pinky finger.
Tears kept rolling down her arms; her voice was cracked and trembling.
“Promise right now!!!”
Like a kitten drenched in rain — Chaeri was terrified.
Dabis’s body moved on its own.
His finger hooked around her tiny one.
Click. It caught, like a snare.
Then Chaeri lifted his hand to the top of her head.
“Chaeri likes it when you do this.”
That gentle pat before sleep.
That warmth in his touch. His soft voice. The vivid stories he read to her.
Things she had never once received before.
“My Dabis.”
Her grip tightened as if she would never let him escape.
“I’m sorry, Chaeri.”
Chaeri blurted out the words purely on instinct.
“Dabis stays with Chaeri.”
“……”
“Lee Chaeri will never let Dabis go.”
Dabis’s palm felt hot.
From Chaeri’s crown, it was as if heat was radiating wildly.
“Dabis is Lee Chaeri’s Dabis.”
And at that moment, Chaeri couldn’t hold back anymore.
Her lips jutted forward as she cried out—
“Dabis isn’t Kim Myung-ja, so why are you acting like Kim Myung-ja!!”
Kim Myung-ja had abandoned Choi Deok-gyu the same way.
And regretted it for thirty years.
“S-sorry, Chaeri. I’m really sorry.”
“Saying you’re leaving because you love someone is total bull!”
Dabis coughed awkwardly.
That terrible phrase coming out of Chaeri’s mouth — clearly his fault.
“Chaeri. I was wrong. Let’s not say things like that, okay?”
And that day—
Dabis finally made up his mind.
‘It’s okay even if I never reach the 100th floor.’
He had a new goal now.
‘I’ll stay by this child’s side.’
That alone was enough.
Dabis’s “Contract Cancellation” ability was something I already knew about.
I’d read about it in the book — it came up often in flashbacks too.
‘Dabis. If you have any conscience, you’ll cancel the contract yourself, won’t you?’
‘Thank you for everything… but it’s time for me to go. I’m sorry.’
But what came next — was something the book had never shown.
[You have succeeded in forming a deep emotional bond with your Guardian.]
[Guardian Perk unlocked!]
[L-Rank Awakener Buff applied!]
After a short pause—
Fireworks burst before their eyes, visible only to Chaeri and Dabis.
[Congratulations!]
[You have received a Guardian Rank Enhancement Ticket.]
Chaeri blinked, regaining her senses a little.
“Guardian Rank Enhancement Ticket?”
“Cha-Chaeri! The Guardian Rank Enhancement Ticket is—”
But Chaeri didn’t slow down.
“Use it on Dabis.”
[Would you like to use the Guardian Rank Enhancement Ticket on the Empire-grade Hero, ‘Dabis’?]
“Chaeri, wait!”
Dabis panicked.
The ticket was far too precious to waste on an Empire-grade.
If used on a Continent-grade Guardian, it could yield an Ocean-grade.
On an Ocean-grade, it could become a World-grade.
It was that kind of special reward.
Using it on an Empire-grade was…
“Use it. Lee Chaeri.”
Firm as a brick.
“No one can stop Lee Chaeri.”
[Enhancing Dabis’s rank.]
[Current success rate: below 10%.]
[On failure, the Dabis card will turn into a White Card.]
Chaeri nearly swore.
What a scam! They should’ve warned her about that beforehand!
But the system wasn’t entirely heartless.
It was, after all, fairly generous with children.
[Increase the success rate by strengthening your special bond with your Guardian.]
[Enhancement begins in 1 minute.]
A timer appeared.
60 seconds.
59 seconds.
No time to lose.
[1. Hold your Guardian’s hand for at least 10 seconds. Success rate +10%.]
Chaeri thrust out her hand.
“Give me your hand, Dabis.”
49 seconds.
48 seconds.
47 seconds.
[Success rate increased! Current success rate: approx. 10%.]
[2. Confess your feelings to your Guardian. Success rate +10%.]
The quest difficulty was preschool level.
“Lee Chaeri really, really likes Dabis a whole, whole lot.”
“……”
[Success rate increased! Current success rate: approx. 20%.]
A chain quest followed.
[3. Hug your Guardian tightly! Success rate +20%.]
Chaeri spread her arms wide.
Dabis acted on instinct — he hugged her.
Soft, small.
The quest said to hug, but this was different.
It wasn’t just a quest.
It was because they wanted to.
Both of them.
[Success rate increased! Current success rate: approx. 40%.]
25 seconds.
24 seconds.
[Difficulty spike!]
[4. Give your Guardian a kiss on the cheek! Success rate +30%.]
“Difficulty spike!” — but it wasn’t that hard.
Just very little time left.
“Dabis, come closer!”
Barely ten seconds remained.
“Chaeri’s gonna do the kiss attack!”
Smooch.
A quick peck on the cheek.
[Success rate increased! Current success rate: approx. 70%.]
Dabis smiled wider than Chaeri had ever seen before.
So this is what disarmament feels like.
Warm. Gentle. Too lovely for words.
He pulled Chaeri into a tight hug.
“C-can’t breathe.”
“A-ah, sorry.”
[Your Guardian is genuinely happy!]
[Hidden condition fulfilled!]
5 seconds.
4 seconds.
3 seconds.
[Success rate increased! Current success rate: approx. 90%.]
2 seconds.
1 second.
[Enhancement of Dabis’s rank begins.]
Chaeri clenched her fists and shut her eyes tight.
“Please, please, please, please, please.”
Ninety percent — high, but not a hundred.
That tiny sliver of uncertainty made her heart tremble.
The first time she chose Dabis, it had been a rational decision.
A versatile all-round support card. Adaptable to every situation.
Smart, calm, and capable.
Or so she’d thought…
But now — now it was different.
This prayer wasn’t born of logic.
‘Why am I so desperate?’
Chaeri finally understood.
She was scared of Dabis leaving.
Because she didn’t want to lose him.
Because she truly liked him.
And that was why her prayer came out so earnest.
“Please… let Dabis stay by my side.”
