Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Groa's Breath
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What am I looking at right now...?
It was definitely an attack skill I'd used just to buy some time.
I'd planned to smack the monster charging at us with its jaws wide open, create a brief opening,
and then yell at the panicked dealers to get their heads in the game.
But.
Kuuuung-!!
With a massive boom, the centipede collapsed, kicking up dust as it twitched before going completely still, as if its breath had been snuffed out.
"......"
"......"
We all—the entire party, myself included—stared at the gigantic fallen beast in stunned silence.
"...Is it dead?"
Someone muttered to themselves, as if they couldn't believe it.
I slowly stepped forward.
Cautiously treading through the muddy mix of blood and green fluids, I approached the enormous centipede's head.
There wasn't even the faintest breath from the massive creature. It was truly dead.
"...The healer took down that monster in one hit?"
I couldn't help but blurt out an excuse in response to the incredulous voice.
"It... It must've been a dark-attribute monster! All my skills are holy-attribute, so..."
"Ah, yeah, that makes sense...?"
"I could one-shot it too if it was weak to my element...!"
"We were just caught off guard. Normally, we would've...!"
The party members started subtly shifting their attitudes, each boasting that they could've done it too.
We regrouped and pressed forward to clear the dungeon.
Was that moment seared into everyone's minds?
The party members kept glancing back at me awkwardly before looking away.
In their eyes, I could sense a mix of subtle awe, wariness, and jealousy.
We walked for quite a while after that, but not a single monster appeared—not even a rat.
"Hmm... It's awfully quiet. Was that the last trash mob?"
"Seems like it, Bro! Let's head straight to the boss room!"
Unlike the party members starting to relax one by one, a nagging unease lingered in the corner of my mind.
'Feels like I'm missing something important...'
Ah.
In that instant.
A foreboding image flashed through my head.
I reflexively opened my mouth.
"Centipedes come in pairs!"
The party members turned to me with looks that said, What are you talking about?
"Don't let your guard down—regroup! Another centipede will pop out soon!"
At my urgent shout, the party members hurriedly reformed their lines in a fluster.
Honestly, based on their behavior so far, I'd half-expected them to dismiss it as nonsense.
Still, glad they listened...
'No doubt about it. There's definitely one more coming.'
I chugged a mana potion to refill my depleted mana, sharpening my senses.
Back in my damp basement studio, growing plants,
I'd inevitably encountered centipedes now and then.
And every time, they always came in twos.
Never alone.
But.
"Hmm... Nothing's coming?"
"How long do we have to wait...?"
No matter how long we waited, there wasn't even the slightest tremor, let alone the ground shaking.
Doubts about my words were starting to creep in.
"Maybe the healer doesn't know what she's talking about..."
Just as suspicion swelled and someone cautiously spoke up.
Gugugung...
A faint vibration transmitted from deep underground.
To avoid alerting the monster to our position, I quietly spoke up.
"Listen to me for a second."
Lucky break let me one-shot the last one, but gates aren't that forgiving.
If we got cocky thinking I could handle it solo, we could all end up buried underground.
So first things first.
We needed to clear up the distrust among ourselves.
"Tank, if you can't trust the dealers, trust this healer. I'll keep you safe without a single scratch using my skills."
The tank called "Bro" quietly lifted his head to meet my eyes.
"...Yes, got it."
I continued.
"Same to the dealers. I'll take responsibility for everyone's survival, so go all out without worrying."
"...Got it."
"We'll give it everything."
Perfect.
Their eyes were different now.
This would make the raid so much smoother.
"Vibrations from ahead. Everyone, focus up."
The tank raised his shield and called out lowly as the dealers swiftly took positions.
It was a smooth, fluid movement.
From the back, I gathered my mana and calmly observed.
Soon, a massive roar echoed, and from the direction the tank indicated, another giant centipede erupted.
'The female.'
It was far larger and more grotesque than the previous one, but the party showed no fear, calmly preparing to engage.
Kwaaaang-!!
The moment the tank's shield blocked the centipede's tail strike, the dealers' skills rained down in unison.
Flames and lightning sword strikes pierced its weak points.
I didn't miss the opening, layering heals and shields on the tank.
"Bro! That was perfect!"
"Nice shot."
The distrust had run deep, but the party members weren't incompetent.
'Or... maybe it's just gear carry.'
Under the relentless barrage, the centipede couldn't even counter properly, slowly being cornered toward its end.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ As a large chest rose from where the centipede vanished, bright smiles spread across the party members' faces.
"That must've been the boss!!"
"We cleared it without that first guy...!?"
The party members, who had been looking at me with respect, rushed toward the chest.
Moments later, a huge cheer erupted.
"Whoa! Legendary dropped!!"
"And it's a growth weapon...! Jackpot, insane!"
The tank called "Bro" frantically beckoned me over.
"Healer! Come here quick!"
As I approached, inside the glowing chest—unlike any I'd seen before—a staff lay neatly arranged.
"Growth legendaries aren't even on the market—you can't buy them for money! Congrats, Healer!"
"It's totally a healer weapon! Bind it quick!"
I carefully gripped the staff slumbering quietly in the chest.
A message appeared before my eyes.
🌟 LEGENDARY ITEM 🌟 [Groa's Breath]
- Ancient spirit's staff imbued with the flows of life, recovery, and circulation.
Rank: Legendary (Growth Type) Growth Stage: Stage 1 – Sprout (0%) ● Sustained Recovery: Recovery skill effects persist for 10 seconds.
● Sustained Enhancement: Buff skill effects spread to surroundings.
● Nature Resonance: Detects hidden rare harvestables.
Growth Conditions: • Use magic/recovery skills • Natural purification • Meditation in nature ※ Next Stage: Stage 2 – Bloom (Progress 0%)
'Legendary?'
I had no idea what that meant, but honestly, it didn't look all that impressive on paper to warrant the party's hype.
Plus, with "growth type" attached, the stats seemed mediocre.
But.
One line caught my eye.
- Nature Resonance: Detects hidden rare harvestables.
'Hidden rare harvestables exist?'
Lumina Bells and Harnel Flowers already had amazing effects...
How powerful would these hidden rare plants be?
I was dying to find out.
I glanced around at the party members before cautiously speaking up.
"...Um, is it okay if I take the weapon?"
They looked baffled, chiming in one after another.
"Huh...? Why even ask something so obvious..."
"Of course the healer takes it."
"Even if the sky fell, it'd go to the healer."
In the cheerful, festive atmosphere,
only one person—the tank called "Bro"—quietly watched me.
He slowly approached and spoke.
"Earlier... I'm really sorry for our shameful display, Healer."
I listened silently.
"Truth is, it was my first time raiding with a healer... I wasn't used to getting support..."
"Ah. Aha...!"
In that moment, I felt a pang of guilt for comparing them to Full Moon's elites.
They weren't getting unlimited guild backing like them.
For average awakeners, healer support was a rare experience.
I hadn't considered that.
"If I ever raid with you again..."
His voice trailed off briefly.
"I'll keep my promise to protect you with everything I've got, without a single scratch."
His eyes burned with unwavering resolve to uphold that vow.
"Yes! I look forward to it!"
A smile crept onto my face unbidden.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ To sip flower tea in the gate's cafe, the management office ladies gathered at the gate entrance once more today.
This time, colleagues who'd heard the rumors and her direct supervisor joined too.
But.
'Why can't we go in?'
A neat sign reading [Preparing to Open] stood at the gate entrance.
No matter how long they waited, the path inside wouldn't open.
"Joo-im, you sure this is the right place? Right time?"
"Yes... Yesterday it was open at this time..."
Han Joo-im, who'd spread the rave reviews from the management office, trailed off weakly.
"What's this? Management office staff lining up at a gate?"
"Huh? There's a cafe inside the gate?"
"Sounds fun. Let's join the line!"
Intrigued by the sight, passing awakeners started joining the queue one by one.
The line kept growing after that too.
But the gate showed no sign of opening.
'Lunch break's almost over...'
The thought crossed her mind.
Just then.
The gate's owner—the cafe proprietor—slowly appeared.
Startled by the long line, the wide-eyed owner hurriedly passed through and entered the gate.
Soon, the gate door opened.
Everyone who entered gasped in unison at the scenery unfolding before them.
"No way... A place like this in the middle of Seoul?"
"It's so pretty... Unreal..."
Exactly the same reaction as when the management office ladies first discovered it.
'Hehe. The view's not even the best part.'
On their second visit, the ladies puffed up with pride a bit.
The management office staff and the awakeners who'd followed suit
each claimed a table and settled in.
Soon, at the strong recommendation of the owner and the ladies, 'Harnel Flower Tea' was placed on their tables.
"...Huh?"
"...Whoa...!"
Exclamations burst out here and there.
Slurp—
The section chief, sipping his flower tea, furrowed his brows and peered into the cup.
"......"
'What's wrong? Doesn't feel effective...?'
No, that couldn't be.
She'd dragged him here, even taking the heat, because he would feel its true value most vividly.
"Joo-im."
After a long silence, the section chief called her in a low voice.
The flat, curt tone she only heard when messing up at work.
Tensing up, Han Joo-im replied cautiously.
"Yes... Section Chief."
He carefully set down his teacup on the table and continued.
"I heard rumors you hated me."
She quickly averted her gaze.
'Hate? I've cursed you plenty.' She desperately wanted to say it.
As she rolled her eyes without responding, he spoke again.
"...Yet you brought me here anyway."
His voice grew softer, thick with emotion.
The ladies exchanged wide-eyed glances in silence.
"Honestly, I thought you were spouting nonsense again at first. Fatigue vanishing after one cup of flower tea? Sounded ridiculous."
"But after trying it... I get it. You were telling the truth."
A satisfied smile curved his lips.
"Never in my life has my head felt this clear. Even on days off or after work, my mind was always cluttered. That's all gone now."
Finally, he looked away from the cup and met his subordinate's eyes.
"Thank you, Joo-im."
"N-No, it's nothing..."
'If you're grateful, stop nitpicking over nothing from now on...'
She muttered inwardly.
That was when.
"Hey! Don't litter!"
The owner's sharp voice rang out from the counter.
Turning, she saw a couple leaving their seats, casually tossing trash on the floor.
Clatter-clatter—!
The owner rushed over, fearlessly berating the couple who towered over her.
"Do you know how much effort I put into cleaning up trash here!?"
"S-Sorry... We'll clean it up right away..."
"This is a warning! No dumping without permission!"
The fierce aura from her small frame was so intimidating no one dared intervene.
'She doesn't look it, but her anger's terrifying...'
The lesson that littering anywhere here was a no-go sank deep into her bones.
'Not that I planned to anyway...'
Turning back to her tea.
'......Huh!?'
Her eyes widened at the sudden appearance of a small, white creature.
'A spirit!?'
It was the spirit she'd only heard about.
The spirit huddled in the counter corner, silently watching the owner fume.
'Why is a spirit here!?'
Infamous for hostility toward humans due to their ferocious nature, spirits required immediate flight upon sighting.
This was common knowledge even for her, an office worker at the management office.
Han Joo-im shot up from her seat in panic.
"Right now...!"
As she was about to yell for everyone to run.
Poof—
The lightly floating spirit picked up an empty teacup from the table and carried it to the counter.
"......"
No more words came.
Her mind went blank at the unbelievable sight.
What am I...
looking at right now...?