Chapter 16: A Cool Surprise in Summer

As usual, I ate breakfast, washed the dishes, and lay down in the shade of a tree to rest.  

Then, a clear chime rang out.  

Ding.  

[The Floating Island’s fertility has increased.]  

“Fertility? This is it!”  

I sprang to my feet.  

“You were about to nap—why are you jumping up all of a sudden?”  

“The time has finally come!”  

What I’d been waiting for had arrived.  

Elenia tilted her head.  

“Time? What are you talking about?”  

“Dragon Dung!” 

That’s right. 

It had to be the Red Dragon doing its business. 

There’s no other reason the island’s fertility would suddenly increase.  

“Where’s the shovel? Where did I put it?”  

I hurriedly grabbed a shovel and a basin and rushed toward the northern part of the island where the Red Dragon resided. 

But the dragon was nowhere to be seen.  

“Where did it go?”  

“Probably off to find food. It emptied its stomach, so it needs to fill it again.”  

“Will it come back?”  

“Once it’s full, it’ll return. When that happens, only it knows. But it liked your crops, so it’ll definitely come back.”  

I nodded.  

It’d only leave more dung if it ate well, so I needed to tidy its nest in the meantime.  

“Let’s see… Aha! Found it!”  

Golden droppings shimmered on the ground.  

The dragon was like a goose laying golden eggs. 

To me, this was as precious as gold.  

Just in case, I tied a cloth around my nose and mouth, rolled up my sleeves, and got to work.  

I scooped the dung with the shovel, placed it in the basin, and spread it evenly across the fields, repeating the process.  

There was enough to fertilize the fields generously with some to spare.  

“Eat well and grow strong.”  

Maybe it was my imagination, but the leaves already looked greener and more vibrant.  

“It’s really hot today.”  

Moving the fertilizer in the heat made sweat pour down like rain.  

As noon approached, the sun beat down fiercely, and my body overheated, leaving me panting.  

“This won’t do. I’ll get heatstroke at this rate.”  

Feeling a bit dizzy, I retreated to the shade of a tree.  

“Drink this. You need to replenish the fluids you’ve sweated out.”  

“Thanks.”  

I gulped down the water Elenia handed me and sprawled out under the tree.  

A cool breeze blew, easing the heat in my body.  

“Now I feel alive. By the way, what should we have for lunch?”  

“It’s too hot to have an appetite.”  

“Chirp.”  

“Same here. If I start a fire, I’ll cook myself in this heat.” 

Cooking was out of the question in this weather—no way I could stand over a fire.  

Plus, the food I’d bought spoiled quickly. 

Going to the village for every meal would be too much for Dorori.  

“If only I had a magic refrigerator. I could store food and make cool ice.”  

A magic refrigerator was desperately needed.  

I wanted to rush to the village and buy one, but magic tools were outrageously expensive. 

The materials and effort required to make one were beyond imagination.  

Plus, they needed a constant supply of mana, making operating costs high. 

Only merchants with bulk goods or the ultra-wealthy could afford them.  

I smacked my lips bitterly.  

Seeing my expression, Elenia spoke casually.  

“You want a refrigerator?”  

“Yeah, but with the money I have now, it’s way out of reach.”  

“There’s a way.”  

“What? What do you mean? Tell me more.”  

“Remember the growth points you’ve accumulated? You can use them to implement various functions on the Floating Island.”  

“There’s such an amazing feature?”  

“Not everything’s possible, but a refrigerator should be doable.”  

“Great, let’s do it! How?”  

“It’s simple. Just make a request to the Floating Island.”  

“A request? Ahem.”

I cleared my throat.  

Talking to thin air felt a bit awkward.  

“Floating Island, I request a refrigerator.”  

Ding.  

[Checking if the refrigerator function can be implemented.]  

[Implementation is possible.]  

[Current Growth Points: 2]  

[Implementing a refrigerator will consume 2 Growth Points.]  

[Would you like to proceed?]  

“Obviously! Do it now!”  

Ding.  

[Request approved.]  

[Implementing refrigerator.]  

The central monolith began to glow with vibrant rainbow colors.  

Then—  

Rumble.  

The Floating Island vibrated slightly, and a massive rock rose from the ground.  

“What’s that?”  

I asked for a refrigerator, and a rock pops up?  

Ding.  

[Ice Cave implemented.]  

“Ice Cave?”  

I stared blankly at the massive rock.  

Upon closer inspection, there was a crevice that looked like an entrance.  

“What are you waiting for? Let’s check it out.”  

“Huh? Yeah.”  

As I approached the rock, a cool breeze wafted from the crevice. 

The entrance was just big enough for one person to crouch through.  

Inside was a space about 10 pyeong (33 square meters).  

“It’s pretty chilly in here.”  

“Look over here. There’s ice forming inside.”  

“Let me see.”  

At the far end of the cave was a head-sized hole, from which icy air was blowing.  

The cold air from the hole kept the entire cave frigid.  

“Amazing. Icicles in the middle of summer.”  

Water dripped from the ceiling, forming icicles that hung like chandeliers.  

I broke off an icicle and put it in my mouth. 

As the cool ice melted, my stuffy chest felt refreshed, and my mind sharpened.  

“Ah, I’m alive.”  

“I’m starting to get cold.” 

Elenia rubbed her arms, shivering.  

“You don’t want to catch a cold in summer. Let’s head out.”  

Outside, the hot air hit me like a wall.  

“Chirp.”  

Dorori, too big to fit through the Ice Cave’s entrance, was sprawled in the shade, exhausted from the heat.  

I needed something to cool Dorori down.  

“I just had a great idea! Dorori, let’s go to the market!”  

“Squawk?”  

Dorori tilted its head, reluctant to move in the heat.  

“Look at this. Ice. I’ll make you a refreshing fruit punch.”  

“Squawk!” 

At the mention of fruit punch, Dorori’s eyes lit up with excitement.  

I quickly rode Dorori to the village, bought a watermelon and fresh milk, and returned.  

“Put it in the cave, and it’ll cool down fast.”  

While waiting, I harvested wild strawberries.  

I rinsed them lightly at the well, then diced the watermelon stored in the cave and put it in a bowl.  

I added a generous spoonful of wild strawberry jam to fresh milk and stirred until it turned pink. 

My mouth watered, but I held back for the punch.  

Next, I broke an icicle with a hammer and poured it, along with the strawberry milk, over the fruit.  

“Fruit punch complete!”  

“Looks delicious!”  

We gathered in the shade, each holding a bowl of punch.  

“Eat up.”  

“Thank you!”  

“Squawk!”  

I chugged the punch in one go.  

The tart strawberry milk mixed with the fruit was pure bliss.  

“So refreshing!”  

“Absolutely delicious!”  

“Nothing beats fruit punch in summer!”  

Back when I worked on farms, the owner would make fruit punch with watermelon on hot days.  

Soaking watermelon and milk in a stream or well acted like a natural fridge, but compared to this, that was lukewarm.  

After devouring the punch, we sprawled out in the shade.  

“Ah, that was good.”  

“I’ve only ever eaten watermelon sliced, but making it into punch is new to me.”  

“Should I plant some watermelons?”  

“Good idea.” 

I planted the watermelon seeds I’d saved in the field.  

Soon after, I saw the power of the Dragon Dung I’d spread earlier.  

“The watermelons grew so well!”

The fertilizer was worth it.  

The watermelons were as plump as ripe pumpkins.  

I busily harvested the ripe ones, gathered them, and diced them up.  

“What are you making?”  

“I thought of a new product to sell in the Elf Forest. This one’s gonna be a hit.”  

Freezing watermelon would make natural ice treats.  

I recalled making lemon juice sherbet in winter.  

Sherbet was definitely more appealing in hot summer than cold winter.  

“Who wouldn’t love cool sherbet in this heat? Even gourmet elves won’t resist.”  

Elves, living in harmony with nature, likely didn’t have refrigerators.  

They ate plenty of sweet fruit in summer but probably never tried freezing it.  

I put the bite-sized watermelon pieces in a bowl and moved them to the Ice Cave.  

“Should I freeze some strawberry milk too?”  

I opened a bottle of milk stored in the cave, added a generous scoop of wild strawberry jam, and stirred until it blended smoothly.  

“Now, just freeze it, and it’ll be strawberry milk sherbet.”  

“Ooh! I can’t wait to try it.”  

Elenia’s eyes sparkled.  

I carried the bowl to the Ice Cave, where the chilly air greeted me.  

“Wow, so cool!”  

The heat in my body melted away, and I felt alive. The Ice Cave was truly amazing.  

Inside, I placed the bowls near the hole where cold air blasted out.  

“Freeze nice and solid.” 

I whispered like a spell, hoping for perfect sherbet.  

Just as plants grow better with love, food tastes better with care.  

By tomorrow, I’d have cool, sweet sherbet.  

“The elves are gonna love this.”  

Imagining their delight brought a warm smile to my face.