Chapter 58: Mana Overload

A white light shone from the smartphone.

As if it were something sacred, I carefully set the smartphone down on the bed.

Then I knelt down and raised both arms high.

I lifted my chin as well.

The white hospital room ceiling came into view.

If I could have, I’d have preferred to see the sun.

Well, ceiling or sun, that wasn’t the point.

The important thing was that the week I’d spent tapping away at the screen had finally paid off.

“Crowd?”

Taechun’s voice echoed in my mind.

That voice was from the morning after I’d subdued the assassin named Banum. It was a conversation from back then.

At the time, I was tapping away at my smartphone screen, chatting with both of them.

“You had a falling out with Crowd? You’ve already killed two of them?”

“Three, counting the assassin who came last night.”

“Douun…, those guys are out of their minds.”

“They’re lunatics whose goal is to overthrow the world!”

I’d explained about Crowd to Dohee and Taechun.

It was the only way to explain the assassins who kept coming after me.

The two already knew of Crowd.

From their expressions, it looked like they’d crossed paths a few times before.

Not conquest, but overthrow is their goal?

“If you were involved with Crowd, you should have told us right away!”

Dohee was angry.

But her angry face also showed her concern for me.

Seeing her like that, I couldn’t even make an excuse.

Of course, it wasn’t just that I couldn’t excuse myself.

Instead, I confronted them head-on.

“You two seem to know something about Crowd?”

“Don’t get me started. Those bastards are relentless. They never just—”

Dohee smacked Taechun on the shoulder as he spoke.

Taechun looked at Dohee, but Dohee only looked at me.

My little sister.

My lovely sister.

“You didn’t tell me either, did you?”

“…!”

“Well, that’s, um…”

“So I get to be mad at you two as well, right?”

I placed my left hand on my hip.

Dohee and Taechun quietly avoided my gaze.

They hadn’t told me they’d fought with scum like Crowd, yet I was supposed to tell them everything?

What shameless people.

“Let’s call it a draw.”

“Yeah! We came to talk about you, right? Okay?”

Taechun and Dohee gave awkward smiles.

They looked so sheepish I decided to let it go.

Then, we discussed what needed to be done going forward.

Since there was footage of Kim Muyeon’s death, we had to prepare.

“Luckily, we won the battle for public opinion, so our reputation isn’t bad.”

“Jaeim worked hard for that.”

“…Hmph, it’s only because Aigaion already had such a bad image. He didn’t suffer that much, honestly.”

“Don’t be so harsh. Jaeim’s nice. Hardworking. He just gets stupid when Douun’s involved.”

“That’s what I don’t like about him!”

When Dohee glared, Taechun quietly looked away.

Then he changed the subject and explained how the government and the Association viewed all this.

“The government and the Association are on our side. They told us to claim self-defense as victims.”

“It was self-defense from the start.”

“That’s why they’re being supportive. They’ll help us get acquitted in court.”

A clash between A-rank guilds.

They weren’t just watching, they said they’d help?

“So you made a deal?”

“That’s why I don’t like quick-witted Baek Douun.”

“What did they want?”

“Return the exclusive rights to the Naksan Park Gate in Hyehwa.”

That was the place Deputy Lee had told me about.

An A-rank Gate. I’d been worried we’d rushed to claim exclusive rights.

It must have been a place with a purpose, then…

“We just got that not long ago. Didn’t you need it?”

“We did, but now we don’t.”

We don’t need it anymore?

I tilted my head in confusion.

But Dohee only smiled and nodded.

She clearly knew something.

“You’re not going to tell me?”

“You don’t need to know, big brother.”

“So mean.”

I pretended to sulk, but it didn’t work this time.

The two of them just looked at me with gentle smiles.

When they’re like that, there’s no point in pushing—they won’t say a word.

I know that look well, because sometimes I make it too.

“Haa…”

A sigh echoed in my mind.

The sigh belonged to Yoo Jaei, who came after Dohee and Taechun left.

She didn’t wear her usual shabby clothes.

Her eyebrows were more defined, her lips a vibrant red. She looked brighter and more beautiful than usual.

Even the dark colors she usually wore had been swapped for lighter shades.

Her radiant appearance was simply stunning—though not exactly what you’d expect of someone visiting a patient.

There was a determination to her face, like a warrior heading into battle.

“…”

“I came because I was worried, and you’re just playing a game.”

Yoo Jaei spoke.

Her gaze was fixed on my index and middle finger tapping the smartphone screen.

She seemed a bit annoyed, so I decided to change the subject.

“So, are you going somewhere today?”

“What?”

“You’re all dressed up and everything.”

“…I’m not going anywhere.”

She answered with a faint smile.

Seemed like she liked being told she was pretty.

But the smile didn’t last.

“I thought that fox would be here again today, so I got dressed up.”

A fox?

Yoo Jaei suddenly looked around the room.

She paid particular attention to the pile of gifts from my visitors: fruit juice, luxury fruit baskets, mid-grade healing potions, and so on.

“Just like last time. I guess she’s not here yet? Hmph, good.”

She muttered to herself.

What the—did something happen while I was unconscious?

I looked at Kim Jiyeon and Shim Yunjin with a puzzled expression.

They just laughed awkwardly.

No, don’t just laugh—explain what happened!

They never did explain, but it didn’t take long to figure out why Yoo Jaei acted like that.

Not long after Yoo Jaei left, Woo Chaeyeon visited, bringing her brother.

“I was really worried about you, oppa.”

“Huh? Oppa?”

I replied in a bewildered voice.

Woo Chaeyeon sat beside me, peeling an apple, her smile bright.

I looked at Woo Yeonhu as if to ask, ‘What’s going on here?’

He seemed just as confused as I was, his eyes wide as he stared at his sister.

After peeling the apple, Woo Chaeyeon handed it to me.

“Here you go.”

“Oh, uh, thank you.”

“You can speak comfortably, Douun oppa.”

She lightly tapped my shoulder with her slender hand.

The girl who used to calmly slay monsters was gone—now there was a sly fox sitting here.

Wait, a fox?

Ah, so that’s who Yoo Jaei was talking about.

I could more or less guess what had happened.

So that’s why she’d done her makeup and dressed up today?

“Douun oppa?”

“Excuse me, but could you give us a moment? I have something to discuss with your brother.”

“What?”

At that, Woo Chaeyeon looked at her brother.

Woo Yeonhu just shrugged.

“It’s important. Please, give us a minute.”

“…All right.”

Fortunately, Woo Chaeyeon obediently stepped out.

She got up and closed the hospital room door behind her.

Five seconds later, Woo Yeonhu and I spoke at the same time.

“Sorry about that.”

“What’s with her?”

“I think she’s got her eye on you. She probably wants to recruit you as a party member.”

“Me?”

“You’re strong, sharp, good-looking enough, have solid connections—and you even saved her life. Of course you’re tempting.”

“So, not ‘handsome’ but just ‘good-looking enough,’ huh?”

“Shall I get you a mirror?”

“…Tch.”

I clicked my tongue and he chuckled.

But his laughter didn’t last long.

He shifted back to his usual serious demeanor.

“Jaei was right. Anyone can make the key.”

“So there’s another reason Crowd is after Yoo Jaei…”

“Oh, by the way, those scrap heaps were mechanical devices.”

“Mechanical devices?”

“Not sure, but they looked like launchers.”

“If they’re launchers, maybe they’re weapons?”

“Yes.”

I thought back to what was inside the box.

The key they tried to have Yoo Jaei make.

A launcher of some sort.

Violet Violence, which enhances physical abilities.

And finally—

“What about the magic stone?”

“It was an ordinary magic stone. But.”

“But?”

“It contained mana equivalent to ten A-rank Hunters.”

A tremendous amount of murky mana condensed in that magic stone.

It might be fuel for the launcher.

But what were they planning to launch?

And what was the key meant to open?

“I really can’t figure out what they’re planning.”

“I’ll investigate further.”

“I’m counting on you. Oh, and—could you talk to Taechun sometime?”

“Hm?”

“I told him about Crowd. Seems like he had a history with them too.”

“Ah, I’ll do that. But…”

“…?”

“That game. Is it fun?”

Woo Yeonhu pointed his chin at my right hand.

He seemed incredulous that I could keep tapping away during a serious conversation.

I just smiled and didn’t answer.

The Woo siblings stayed until visiting hours for the VIP room ended.

During the week I was hospitalized, a few more people came to see me.

Deputy Lee and Choi Giwoo each visited once, but left after brief greetings.

Kim Jaesik sent a message apologizing for not coming in person.

I greeted all of them while tapping away at my smartphone.

In other words, except for sleeping, I didn’t let go of my smartphone for a single moment all week.

Finally, on the day I was to be discharged, the screen shone pure white.

“…What are you doing?”

Taechun, who came early in the morning to leave the hospital with me, asked.

He couldn’t make sense of me kneeling on my bed, arms raised high.

Can’t blame him.

If I saw someone like this, I’d wonder what was up too.

“A ceremony of joy.”

“Haa… What is it now? What’d you get this time?”

Taechun sighed deeply.

He probably thought I’d pulled something rare from a random box.

He was half right, half wrong.

It was a good thing, but I hadn’t drawn anything from a random box.

I held out my phone to Taechun as he approached.

“Tada.”

“What the— It’s a tree?”

On the screen, a sapling was growing.

Its green stem was now turning brown.

The four leaves had become long and short branches, and dozens of leaves had sprouted from them.

That’s right.

Our little Sprout had finally become a ‘Young Tree.’

[The World Tree has grown!]

[You have progressed from ‘Little Sprout’ to ‘Young Tree’!]

[All skill effects are enhanced to Young Tree status as the World Tree grows.]

[Please open your Character Window and Skill Window to check Caretaker Baek Douun’s status.]

“See this? How sturdy it is!”

“Sturdy…? Isn’t it just cute?”

“Let’s call it both cute and sturdy, then.”

“Can you even use those together?”

[Achievement unlocked!]

[Baek Douun has raised the World Tree to Young Tree status.

[As a reward for this achievement, you receive the S-rank skill ‘Caretaker’s Manual, Volume 2.’]

[The Caretaker’s Manual, Volume 2 has been sent to your mailbox.]

[You also receive an ‘Event Dungeon Entry Ticket.’]

[The Event Dungeon Entry Ticket has been sent to your mailbox.]

An Event Dungeon Entry Ticket?

Probably for the place where I stopped the monster wave.

I got an inventory and a pinecone from that event…

Maybe I can get another pinecone.

I should do the event before heading to the Magic Workshop.

Wanting another inventory is probably too greedy, right?

“Character window.”

Each leaf used to raise my mana by fifty thousand.

Now that Sprout had become a Young Tree, how much would it be?

Dozens of leaves grew from the branches now.

[Character Window]

[Baek Douun – World Tree Caretaker]

[Title – Companion of the World Tree]

[HP – 100%]

[MP – 2,000,260]

[SP – ∞]

[Status – Mana Overload]

I blinked in surprise.

I looked away, then back at the window.

The 2,000,000 figure didn’t change.

“…Mana Overload?”

The status window drew my attention.

A hologram popped up.

[Currently, the Caretaker’s mana far exceeds their physical capacity.]

[To resolve Mana Overload, you must increase your physical capacity.]

[If not, you will incur a penalty due to improper mana circulation.]

[It is recommended to prune the branches immediately.]

What? That again?

Do they know how painful that is?

[The World Tree Young Tree insists that pruning is enjoyable and requests a correction.]

No, Sprout, it’s not.

Pruning is extremely painful.

For people, at least.

“…Huh?”

Sprout was no longer Sprout.

It had become a Young Tree.

What should I call it now?