Chapter 2: A Skybound Chance

“A floating island?”  

The place Dorori had kidnapped me to was none other than a floating island.  

An island drifting in the sky, rich with anti-gravity ore, also known as “floatstone.”  

“Damn it! Dorori, isn’t this prank going too far?”  

I scratched my head furiously with both hands.  

“Ugh! This is driving me crazy!”  

No, I need to stay calm at times like this.  

“Alright! Let’s get a grip!”  

First, I should be thankful I’m alive. But how do I get back to the ground?  

“…How high up am I?”  

I crawled on all fours to peer over the cliff’s edge.  

Whoosh.  

The wind rising from the cliff brushed past my cheeks.  

Below, everything looked tiny, as if the entire world had been shrunk by magic.  

Gulp.  

The dizzying height made me swallow hard. Goosebumps crept over my body.  

No matter how I looked at it, it was a tremendous height. No rope could possibly get me down.  

“Ugh…”  

Feeling dizzy from the vertigo, I turned my gaze back toward the island.  

By the way, this floating island feels unusual.  

I couldn’t see the opposite end of the island.  

Floating islands are rare enough, but one this large must be among the rarest in the world.  

“…Alright.”  

Let’s explore the island first. Dorori might be hiding somewhere.  

“I’ll give him a piece of my mind when I find him!”  

Trudge, trudge.  

I started walking along the edge of the floating island.  

Here and there, weathered boulders and ancient trees with deep roots dotted the landscape.  

Beyond them, rippling clouds and a blue sky blended into a surreal backdrop.  

“It’s amazing…”  

Exploring a floating island was a remarkable experience. 

How many people get to set foot on one in their lifetime?  

“Ugh, it just goes on and on.”  

I had planned to circle the island, but the end was nowhere in sight.  

Turning my gaze inward, I spotted hills of various sizes. 

Climbing one to survey the area would probably be faster.  

I changed direction and headed toward the center.  

Trudge, trudge.  

“Wow…”  

After walking for a while, a vast plain appeared.  

Rustle.  

As I brushed my hand over the ground, soft soil slipped through my fingers. 

It was fine, smooth dirt.  

To think there’s arable land on a floating island.  

But the surroundings felt somewhat desolate. 

The plain was mostly filled with prickly weeds.  

“Where the heck is Dorori hiding?”  

I kept walking, and then—  

“…Huh?”  

This time, I saw crumbled stone walls and pillars. 

Were these traces of someone who once lived here?  

Following a stone path on the ground, I came across the remnants of what seemed like a house, barely retaining its shape.  

It wasn’t just one spot. It looked like it had been a village.  

Look around, look around.  

Curiosity led me to inspect the area, and then—  

“What’s that?”  

Deep within the village, I saw a deep indigo stele glimmering like a crystal ball in the sunlight.  

Trudge, trudge.  

I approached the stele.  

But then—  

“A ruin here?!”  

It was unmistakably an ancient ruin. 

The ancient script carved into the stele was proof.  

Ruins sometimes yield strange ancient artifacts or vast treasures.  

“Could it be… Dorori…”  

Did he bring me here because of this?  

Tears welled up in my eyes.  

Is he repaying me now for treating his injuries back then?  

The tales of golden goblins repaying kindness or weasels bringing jewels weren’t lies after all.  

With swelling anticipation, I reached out toward the ruin.  

Thump, thump.  

“…Huh?”  

But for some reason, nothing happened.  

I touched the stele, leaned in to examine it closely, but still, nothing happened.  

“Is it broken because it’s so old?”  

“Broken, you say?”  

“What, what’s that?!”  

Startled by the sudden unfamiliar voice, I stumbled back and scanned my surroundings.  

“Who, who’s there?”  

“Where are you looking? Over here.”  

Beyond the stele, a palm-sized girl floated in the air.  

“Let me introduce myself. I am the guardian of this floating island.”  

“…Guardian?”  

I’d heard that ruins sometimes have guardians protecting them. 

Most are hostile to intruders.  

Wait a second—those butterfly-like wings on her back…  

“Um, Miss Guardian, are you a fairy?”  

“Indeed, I am, you fool.”  

Her tone was a bit odd. 

Despite her cute appearance, she sounded like an old soul.  

“I was born on this floating island, and this is my home. Be grateful I haven’t kicked you out yet.”  

“Sorry, I didn’t know a guardian lived here.”  

Her slightly pouty expression suggested she wasn’t pleased with my presence.  

“If Dorori hadn’t recommended you, you wouldn’t have set foot on this island.”  

“Wait, you know Dorori?”  

“Of course. He’s my friend.”  

“Chirp!”  

Suddenly, Dorori flew in and landed beside the guardian.  

I stared back and forth between the guardian and Dorori in disbelief.  

“So, you two conspired to kidnap me here?”  

“Kidnap, you say?”  

Glare.  

The guardian shot me a sharp look.  

“Didn’t you whine about wanting farmland or something?”  

“Well, yeah, but what’s that got to do with anything?”  

“After much thought, I’ve decided to give you a chance. Make this place thrive as you wished.”  

“A chance? You’re not just trying to use me, are you?”  

Flinch.  

“Ahem, no such thing. That’s your imagination.”  

As expected, she’s flustered. She totally planned to use me.  

“No thanks. Even if I’m desperate for a place to live, I don’t want to be dragged to an island and treated like a slave.”  

“Wait! My offer isn’t finished yet.”  

“There’s more?”  

“You sly little thing. You’re not as dumb as you seem.”  

“Dumb?”  

What the heck did Dorori tell her about me?  

“Fine. I’ll tell you something so tempting you can’t refuse.”  

“Oh? Let’s hear it.”  

“This land is truly special. You won’t find soil this fertile anywhere else in the world.”  

“Fertile? All I see are weeds.”  

“What nonsense! Any seed planted here will grow without fail, regardless of conditions.”  

“Why’s that?”  

“Because! This is a haven for all kinds of winged creatures. Their droppings have piled up for ages!”  

“So, it’s basically a giant toilet.”  

“How dare you! Some of those droppings are from dragons!”  

“…What? D-dragons?”  

Even a tiny dragon’s value rivals a small city’s annual income.  

Every part of a dragon is precious, including its droppings.  

Dragon dung, packed with nutrients, is the world’s most valuable natural fertilizer. 

It can grow everything from common crops to mystical herbs. 

No wonder this land is so fertile.  

What I thought was a derelict island now looked like a paradise brimming with infinite potential.  

“Ahem… Is that true?”  

“Of course it’s true!”  

“Hmm… Before I decide, I need to clarify something.”  

“You’re awfully picky. What is it?”  

“Who owns this place?”  

“You’re greedier than you look.”  

The guardian circled the air once before continuing.  

“I’ll specially grant you sole ownership of this floating island until the day you die. On the condition that you diligently maintain it! I, the guardian, guarantee it.”  

On the ground, owning land like this would require at least noble status.  

There’s the option of pioneering new land, but that demands immense labor, funds, and strength to fend off beasts.  

Yet, simply managing this land would give me a golden plot enriched with dragon dung.  

Would someone like me ever get another chance like this?  

“Alright. But I have one more condition.”  

“Another one?”  

“You and Dorori have to help me without complaint from now on.”  

“Help? What do you mean?”  

“I don’t know much about floating islands, so I need you, Miss Guardian, to faithfully assist me as my aide.”  

“Ahem.”  

“And Dorori, you need to help me travel to and from the ground whenever I need.”  

“Chirp?”  

“If you agree to this, I’ll manage the island as you want.”  

“Fine. I’ll accept those terms.”  

“Chirp!”  

Dorori agreed cheerfully as well.  

“Yes! So this floating island is mine now?”  

“Not so fast. You need to pass a test first.”  

“What? A test out of nowhere?”  

“Did you think claiming a floating island would be that easy? To become its caretaker, you need to meet minimum qualifications.”  

“Ahem.”  

Fair enough. They wouldn’t just hand over an artifact like this.  

“So what’s the test? I’ll pass it in no time!”  

“Such bravado. Do you see that rock nearby?”  

“Where? This one?”  

It was a rock about the size of a watermelon.  

“Move that rock to that tree over there.”  

“Huh? That’s it?”  

“What are you grumbling about? Get moving.”  

Tilting my head, I approached the rock.  

Lift.  

It was a bit heavy, but moving it didn’t seem too difficult.  

“Just take it over there, right?”  

Trudge, trudge.  

I headed toward the tree.  

About halfway there, the guardian, following me, spoke up.  

“Feeling tired?”  

“Still going strong.”  

“Is that so? You’re not as weak as I thought.”  

“Weak? My body’s been forged by farmwork!”  

“You’re too slow for all that bravado.”  

“Fine! I’ll move this thing in one go!”  

Dash, dash, dash.  

Sprinting to the tree, I dropped the rock at its base and caught my breath.  

“Huff, huff.”  

“Out of breath already?”  

“Phew. Not quite.”  

“Oh? You’ve got some sturdy lungs.”  

The guardian let out an impressed exclamation.  

“Most humans struggle to breathe up here. We call it altitude sickness.”  

“Altitude sickness? I don’t feel any different from usual.”  

“As expected, you must have a special constitution.”  

“Special? Me?”  

I was dumbfounded. 

Me, special? 

I’ve always been far from anything like that.  

“Don’t you have better night vision than most?”  

“Well… I do get around fine at night without a light when I need the bathroom.”  

“And that ability to connect with animals… As I thought…”  

The guardian gave a meaningful smile.  

“You have a far more exceptional body than I expected.”  

“So? Did I pass the test?”  

“Yes. I’ll appoint you as the caretaker.”  

Ding.  

[The guardian has requested approval for a new user.]  

[You have been granted ownership of the floating island.]  

My jaw dropped in shock as a window appeared before my eyes.  

“Could this be?!”  

This was the phenomenon that occurs when acquiring an ancient artifact.  

Seeing something I’d only heard about in rumors filled my heart with awe.  

Even more astonishing was—  

“This entire floating island is an ancient artifact?”  

An entire ruin being an artifact.  

I daresay, it must be the largest artifact in the world.  

“This… is my land?”  

My heart swelled with emotion.  

In an instant, I went from a homeless wanderer to a grand landowner.  

“Alright!”  

This was undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime chance to turn my life around.  

Then—  

Ding.  

[The floating island deems your abilities insufficient.]  

[Caretaker privileges have been restricted.]  

[You have been appointed as a ‘Novice Caretaker.’]  

“What? Novice?”  

This was the moment my struggle to become a true caretaker began.