Power Elixir
In the game, it was simply an item that restored both HP and MP, but upon examining the item description, it was a legendary medicine that cured any disease and healed any wound.
Due to game restrictions, it couldn't be used on Lillian until now.
Now that this game had become more than just a game, it was definitely worth trying.
“Rumiel, drink this.”
Rumiel approached the squatting Lillian, took out a small bottle.
“⋯⋯What is this?”
She looked at the Power Elixir with eyes full of curiosity, as if seeing an unfamiliar potion for the first time.
“Legendary medicine.”
“⋯⋯Huh?”
“Drink it and you'll get better.”
Lillian stared at the small bottle Rumiel offered.
The medicine with a thick purple hue swayed.
Lillian had never heard of potions or medicines with that color.
No matter how you looked at it, drinking it and getting worse was believable, but that strange color made it hard to believe it would improve the condition.
She rolled her eyes, then cautiously opened her mouth.
“Um... If I drink this, will I get better?”
There was deep skepticism in Lillian's voice.
“Yeah.”
Rumiel gave a confident answer.
But that answer only made her more uneasy.
“Um... Did you perhaps buy some weird medicine somewhere...?”
Lillian scanned Rumiel from head to toe.
Small stature, snow-white hair, round eyes.
To Lillian, this child who looked younger than herself having a 'legendary medicine' didn't make sense.
“Um... Sorry, but... you seem to have been scammed...”
Lillian looked at Rumiel with worried eyes.
It seemed like her mind was picturing a young child being scammed for expensive medicine on the street.
“People are selling weird medicines these days. Drinking it might make you even sicker...”
Lillian tried to reason with Rumiel with a serious face.
But Rumiel didn't seem to care about such things, shook the bottle lightly with her characteristic blank face.
“It's fine. I got it myself.”
“Got it yourself...?”
Lillian looked back and forth between the bottle and Rumiel with a puzzled expression.
“Yeah, don't worry, drink it.”
After opening the lid of the Power Elixir, Rumiel carefully handed it to her.
Lillian still didn't remove her skeptical gaze, but her heart was starting to waver with Rumiel's confident attitude.
And eventually, she accepted the bottle carefully.
Even after receiving the bottle, she hesitated, but with Rumiel's sparkling eyes, she cautiously brought the medicine to her lips.
And, gulp.
At the moment she drank a sip of the Power Elixir.
“⋯⋯Eh?”
Lillian's body started to warm up.
Her pale skin gradually gained color, and her always cold fingertips now had a warm sensation for the first time.
Moreover, every time she breathed, the pain that had been tightening her chest forever, the pain that seemed eternal, gradually subsided.
“⋯⋯What is this?”
Lillian raised her hand to examine her body.
Her fingertips no longer trembled, and her cough had stopped as if it never happened.
“⋯⋯I'm better.”
With an expression that couldn't believe the situation, she clenched and unclenched her hand again.
Rumiel nodded in satisfaction.
“That's good.”
Lillian looked at Rumiel with teary eyes.
“Am I really better now?”
“Yeah. Seems so.”
Rumiel answered briefly.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
“⋯⋯So, I don't have to die anymore, right?”
Hearing that, Rumiel chuckled.
“Of course.”
Lillian, moved, tightly clasped both hands.
And then, cautiously reached into her pocket, took out a small ring and offered it to Rumiel.
“Please take this.”
Rumiel looked at the ring.
The ring that increased the strength stat by 3, given as a quest reward in the game.
As always, it was a reward given to someone with nothing.
Rumiel shook her head quietly.
“You’re healthy now. So, you need the ring too.”
“But... ”
“It’s fine.”
Rumiel lightly held Lillian's hand and gave her the ring back.
“You keep it.”
Lillian hesitated for a moment, then nodded with tears in her eyes.
“⋯⋯Thank you so much, um, what's your name... ”
“Rumiel.”
“⋯⋯Rumiel-nim.”
Rumiel was still gazing at the clear sky, sighing softly.
Lillian's quest was one of the most important events in this village.
Now that it was solved, there were fewer reasons to stay here.
The village was still quiet and peaceful.
Outside, the Totos were jumping around, and NPCs were preparing for dinner after finishing their day.
It wouldn't be bad to just live quietly here.
But,
“⋯⋯Still, I want to see other places too.”
Rumiel walked towards the village entrance.
This village was, after all, a beginner village.
Here, there was nothing much to do except watch the Totos or do Lillian's quest.
Like in the game, the beginner village was just a place to pass through briefly.
Now it was time to see a wider world.
Other villages, other monsters, and other people.
She wanted to directly experience what she had only seen in the game.
“Wait!”
At the moment Rumiel quietly left the village, a familiar voice came from somewhere.
It was the guard she had met before.
“It’s you again.”
He was still holding the spear in an awkward posture.
The guard scanned Rumiel up and down, then made a troubled expression.
“You, are you going out alone again?”
“Yeah.”
When Rumiel nodded, the guard frowned.
“I told you it's dangerous. The outside of the village isn't just Totos.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Even so, you're going out?”
The guard looked at Rumiel with worried eyes.
Clearly, he was an NPC guarding this village.
In the game, he was just a character standing like a backdrop, but now it was different.
He was genuinely worried about Rumiel.
Rumiel answered with a chuckle.
“It’s fine. I’m strong.”
With one arm rolled up, showing off her muscles in a self-assured expression, as if trying to boast.
The guard had a face full of things to say.
Then, he let out a deep sigh as if the ground was collapsing and nodded.
“⋯⋯If that’s your wish. Okay. I’ll let you go. But be careful.”
“Yeah.”
After the short conversation, Rumiel advanced forward again.
Passing the village entrance, towards a new adventure.
After passing the grassland where Totos were jumping around, after walking a certain distance, the surrounding environment gradually changed.
The grass became denser, and small puddles began to appear here and there.
And from there, semi-transparent life forms began to wriggle.
Their heads had the following semi-transparent windows floating.
[Lv.5 Slime]
Round and soft body, slowly wriggling movement like a paper doll.
The slimes were gently swaying around each puddle.
Since it felt like jelly floating on the surface of the water, Rumiel looked at them with interest.
It seems pretty interesting like this.
In the game, they were just experience monsters, but just like the Toto, seeing them up close like this, they had a cute side.
Sway.
At that moment.
One slime, shaking its unique jelly-like body, slowly approached Rumiel.
“⋯⋯Huh?”
The slime's large shadow covered Rumiel's face.
Swaying heavily.
Rumiel naturally lifted her head.
The slime in front of her was different from the other slimes.
It looked much larger and heavier than a normal slime.
It had a size that could be one head larger than Rumiel.
Sway—
The slime approaching slowly, shaking its body.
A normal beginner adventurer would have been intimidated or scared by the intimidating size of this giant slime.
But there was no such sign on Rumiel's face.
Oh, it's big.
Just muttering to herself in admiration, staring at the slime.
As the slime got closer, subtle light refraction inside the semi-transparent body was visible.
Floating air bubbles, wobbly movement like jelly.
So that's the feeling.
In the game, it was just a pixel lump, but seeing it move up close was interesting.
The slime's shadow covered the face more, but Rumiel remained calm.
Rather, she looked at the slime with a curious gaze.
“What would it feel like if I touch it?”
The slime's body looked soft enough to want to press with fingertips.
Sway.
The slime completely closed the distance with Rumiel, then looked down at her calmly and swayed.
A monster right in front of the face, not tense at all.
One might think it's lack of danger sense.
But there was a reason for that for Rumiel.
The slime was just a level 5 trash monster.
The level difference with Rumiel herself was 295.
An absolutely non-threatening opponent.
So Rumiel didn't pay much attention.
But—
“Danger!!”
Suddenly, an exclamation came, and Rumiel's ahoge stood straight up.
Someone was running quickly from far away.
Leather armor with metal plating, holding a spear.
Familiar appearance.
“⋯⋯Guard uncle?”
He came running and stood between Rumiel and the slime.
“I knew this would happen! You shouldn't come out alone like this!”
“⋯⋯?”
Before Rumiel could say anything—
Shh!
The guard swung the spear in his hand.
- 《6》
The damage was... small.