“Really, all sorts of weird things happen.”
Jin Seong-hee had dreamed the night before of her mother appearing and telling her to go to the bathhouse.
Back when she lived young in this hometown house, they suffered pumping ice-cold water and heating it, but now hot water actually springs up.
Originally, this area was a hill with rocks, a mound where water rose, but now it’s hollowed out with hot spring water pooled.
It even smells a bit like sulfur—anyone could tell it’s hot spring water.
“If it keeps rising, building an unmanned motel here would be profitable. Hot spring unmanned motel.”
The water feels hot yet refreshing, so the spring must be effective. Coming down, Jin Seong-hee thought to move the harvested crops stacked in the corner room.
“Footprints? They finally came in.”
Among the seven or so elderly living in the neighborhood, there seems to be a thief who “steals” farmed crops.
Villagers often visit this house for drinks since it’s far from the livestock barn and backed by a mountain, and someone steals here.
A little taking is fine, no complaints, but someone slightly lacking who takes whole loads blaming wild boars.
She deliberately installed a surveillance camera.
This time too, someone was caught. But…………….
“What?”
The angle doesn’t shine well overhead, but this looks like the clothes her son wore at home.
The hole-riddled homewear he refused to throw away even when threatened to buy new ones, insisting she bought them.
She once appreciated his loyalty for not discarding even rags, thinking he’s not one to abandon, but it also made her sigh.
“Huh?”
The problem is next to the man presumed to be her son………….
A woman in a bikini suddenly appears, linking arms.
The bikini even looks like leather material.
***
The King Crab King and Lantern Angler guarding the gate were taken down.
The King Crab King foamed at the mouth, body melting to death, and the Lantern Angler’s head light was damaged, blinding it.
The strange-smelling liquid doesn’t even exist in this world, so they couldn’t tell what hit them.
This created a vulnerability in the strategy that doesn’t raise levels.
They can’t not guard the gate, yet direct attacks pour on the guards.
As a result, it ended up raising levels even faster than during the Nightmare Queen.
“And in between, a dragon…………….”
Moreover, in the moment King Crab King died and Lantern Angler blinded, traces of a white dragon remained.
Near the Nightmare Queen’s palace, the white dragon family is at war, pursued by the ice clan.
The white dragon clashed with the Nightmare Queen, and hearing it cooperated with the otherworld giant and gave magic tools, the dragonkin were wary of the white dragon too.
That’s why elite warriors were deployed near the gate.
Yet after elites attacked, the watching white dragon seems to have sent something.
Misfortune piled on misfortune.
“It felt like chijijik, whole body on fire.”
What on earth is this component.
Even the dragonkin with high intelligence, long life, not just sea-bound, with human understanding, couldn’t know.
But from Lantern Angler’s description, it must have sent extremely hot water.
From Octopus King’s info and giant’s thoughts, the giant found floods most troublesome.
‘He sent water for the same reason. What hit him hardest, he thought fatal to us too, retaliating similarly.’
Then, before sending the best flood—burning black water—one more.
For retaliation, the dragonkin requests volcano clan cooperation.
Decided to send boiling water that cooks on touch.
If the giant cooks to death, likely feed the corpse to victims’ subordinates.
That salamander is flooding again.
Excluding other attacks that nearly killed, floods are the most troublesome.
If left, leaks cause chain headaches.
Good thing space-related magic acquired to block it now.
“But what’s that egg smell? Steaming eggs?”
Heard rice cooker can steam eggs too.
[Hot water coming, but it doesn’t feel dangerous to me! Fill up?]
“Ah, you’re a rice cooker.”
[True.]
Rice cooking boils rice in water at high heat, so if water hot, should be at least salamander fire level.
“Should we fight?”
“Grrr.”
“I’ll scold them!”
Perhaps from recent bubble ordeal, morale sky-high.
Baby dragon bares teeth, Nightmare Queen enlarges to battle stance, even Fairy Princess grips cleaning mop handle.
Princess in battle stance—surprising.
[Haak.]
What about the cat?
Licking front paw with tongue. Then lazy sigh.
That cat really lives the life.
[I, it seems okay. No need to glare so!]
RiceCookerMan, receiving the room family’s fierce gate hostility at a glance, troubled and dissuades.
Atmosphere like they’d chew the gate, but RiceCookerMan hides gate in belly similarly.
“Really? Tell with Myaaaa.”
[Mya…………aang? Aang? level!]
……
“Um….? Got it anyway.”
Something off, but seems not dangerous.
RiceCookerMan now level 900s.
Trustworthy intelligence, gradually awakening spirit side.
Taking the ‘Mya’-starting emergency alert seriously.
Opening lid, some water in RiceCookerMan.
And in it, pinwheel-shaped Portal sucks water from gate.
Steam rises from water, definitely sulfur smell.
“Sending sulfur hot spring water now?”
[Seems so!]
“Uh, hm.”
Somehow pictures court ladies Han Sanggung and Jang Geum serving sulfur-fed duck and exiled.
‘Need to check the countryside house.’
Dug ground there, connected Portal.
If otherworld monsters sucked in, immediate live burial, fertilizer.
Wonder if some dig up?
Ants dig up too.
But now Spatial Movement possible.
Can check immediately.
Even if miss there, search from catching CatMan leveled to <LV20 Search>.
Magic-linked, rises with magic.
Level tracking somewhat possible, space use too—with magic up, turning shelters dungeon, setting clear conditions, etc., not impossible.
Opening rice cooker situation, gate water flows, sucked by installed Portal.
Water stream connects like line, spiderweb-like.
<Volcanic Water> composite item.
Hot water that cooks all to broth without fuel. Touch causes severe burns, drains health.
If cools appropriately, natural sterilization, good for skin and internal ailments.
Note) Passed gate, cooled over time.
Hermit of the Hovel activates, note added—dangerous water poured, but.
Cooled, it says.
“What is this?”
Can stop Portal, temporarily closed.
Trickles, but fills rice cooker fast.
Volcanic water likely hot spring, sulfur smells.
Not science guy, but sulfur probably essential nutrient.
Otherwise, mom watching life-disease-death secrets nagged about sulfur poisoning egg issues. Surely.
“Queen?”
“Yes?”
“Want to go in and bathe a bit?”
“Anytime I can show…….. Ouch?!”
Flicked forehead.
In original form, could grab in hand, force undress.
But I don’t?
“Kid here.”
“I’m adult!”
Don’t say while holding aluminum mop handle.
Fairy roar doesn’t suit.
“Anyway, clothed, go in.”
“Is this how bathing works here…?!!”
Why lower voice?
Lately can’t strip freely even in my room.
“Kid here.”
“She’s way older sister.”
“Right. Older than grandma!”
“Seen a grandma like this?! This grandma’s grandma’s grandma grandma’s grandma’s grandma’s grand………
Just say squared grandma.
Grandma squared.
Repeating grandma’s grandma climbs too high, impact lessens.
This idiot moron level curse, but extend to foolpoopdogstarfishsea squirt feels cute?
Anyway.
Fuming queen doesn’t rage hard at Fairy Princess.
Sighs deeply, makes refreshing sound in gradually filling hot water rice cooker.
“Hm, nice?”
Rice cooker looks like Nightmare Queen’s personal pool.
At same time, above her head things appear.
<Charm increases.>
<Charm increases.>
<Health increases.>
“Oh my?”
“Goodness?”
Worried they sent specially treated super hot water.
Dissolved volcanic toxic gas or etc.
But…………. good water?
“Haa, I like it? Wish my whole body just soaked in this water.”
<Resist charm…….>
Bang.
“Wow, rice cooker lid epic.”
Closed lid.
“Kyaa?! Dark.”
<Level increases.>
Close one.
Doll stripping herself—if hooked here, what then, idiot.
Fairy Princess late covers eyes.
“Hey, CatMan. When that woman makes such sounds, cover princess eyes from behind.”
[Scar beside eye. Not for kids.]
“Come on, cat’s gratitude.”
[What to bite-bring? Woman? Greed endless.]
Opened rice cooker again, said.
Nightmare Queen really grandma expression ~uh floating, scooped some water.
“You bathe.”
[Kyaoooong! Haaaaak.]
“Cat’s gratitude forced.”
“Kyaong, kyaoooong. Aeong, aeooong.”
Finally washed. This dust-storage-fur.
This thing speed-escapes summer catch, never washed once, chews fur ‘done.’ Literally cat wash, acts big like full scrub at bathhouse, been plotting.
<Charm increases>
<Magic increases>
“Huh?”
Washing with this water raises stats a bit.
<Health recovery speed increases>
Somehow washing cat, warm water touches my hands too.
Hands soften, my charm rises.
“Permanent stats? Wow?”
Gee, sent bleach, they send healing water back.
What are they doing.
Cleaned aquarium with bleach?
Most reasonable suspicion…………….
‘No fish live in hot springs except doctor fish?’
Their hot spring water fatal to them, thought fatal to us too.
Didn’t know it’d cool.
Anyway thankful, send more bleach.
Realizing water good effect, slightly adjust Portal to fill grandma’s house bathtub, even summon to fill basin.
<Basin limit breakthrough possible. Do it?>
Crazy………….
Filling one by one or PET bottles risks plastic shrink.
First reopened groundwater path.
Collect later. Water bulky, nowhere store.
Not gushing, trickling, Portal capacity sufficient. Fine.
Stock volcanic water appropriately.
All.
“So, what name good for you?”
Kang Baek-ho, Eom Baek-ho, YongMan, DD!, Dee, Dooie, Yongsan, Yongmun, So Yong-nyeo, Kim Yong, G-Dragon even.
Wrote signs, let baby dragon bite.
Almost like doljabi.
[Seems uninterested?]
“Yeah?”
Tried sugar coating lure, but no, eventually dog rice cake coated.
Then sniffs interest. Don’t, man.
[Oh, moving. Moving.]
More dog rice cake okay? But need true name.
Eventually baby dragon bit its name.
Bit, dog rice cake on card I hand-dried with body heat, peeled like scab.
“Kyuing.”
No more dog rice cake.
“So Yong-nyeo”
Somehow feels name fixing to girl with ulterior motive.
Like OB-GYN director calling.
Should’ve just said YongMan?
But true name purpose avoids curse with otherworld language odd meaning.
“Name done, what about washbasin?”
Washbasin cheap. Limit breakthrough?
Then. Phone rang.
“Yes, hello.”
[Um hello.]
“Ah, yes hello?”
Think I know the voice.
[You know. Kim Kyung-sook. Teacher Kim Chang-hwan’s daughter. Teacher Lee Soo-chan, right.]
Good timing. Was concerned. This person should have stepped up sooner.
“Ah, yes, yes. What is it?”
[Father… is critically ill.]