Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Ancient Spirit Shop
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"Before we enter the gate, let me share all the information we've gathered so far."
Her hair was neatly tied up.
Her eyes brimmed with confidence.
The White Night Guild Master, a figure who commanded the Awakened with every word she spoke...
- How did you tame the spirit!?
- Please, just tell us the secret!!
Even looking at her now, she didn't seem like the same person who had thrown a tantrum begging to be taught how to tame spirits.
'She's perfectly normal when she's on the job...'
Back at the cafe, she had been the epitome of a problem customer.
And then, amid the heavy silence.
The White Night Guild Master snapped her fingers and pointed into the air.
At that moment, a holographic map reminiscent of a tower materialized in midair.
"The gate's interior has a vertical structure, divided into the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors. We've mapped up to the central area of the 2nd floor so far. Anything beyond that is uncharted territory."
"What... is that?"
"I've never seen a structure like this before..."
"...The 3rd floor is uncharted?"
"We haven't even reached the boss room yet...?"
A murmur rippled through the Awakened.
An unfamiliar layout and unknown intel were enough to unsettle anyone.
But.
"There's the variable of limited potion use, but according to the detector, this is a mid-level gate."
"With me deployed here, clearing it shouldn't be difficult."
Her firm tone and unwavering gaze.
The absolute certainty that, with her presence, this gate would be cleared.
That alone was enough to quell the vague anxieties gripping the Awakened.
"More than combat itself, 'maintaining condition' and 'holding the front line' are key, so the healers' roles will be..."
Her eyes swept over the healers one by one, then paused on me.
A brief silence fell.
She narrowed her eyes as our gazes met and asked,
"...Have we met somewhere before?"
"P-Pardon!? N-No... This is our first time meeting..."
I reflexively bowed my head and mumbled an excuse, but cold sweat trickled down my spine.
The White Night Guild Master eyed me suspiciously for a moment longer.
In the end, she wrapped up the briefing with lingering doubt on her face.
"...Since maintaining the front line is crucial, the healers' roles are more important than anything. That's all."
The moment we entered the gate, everyone's eyes naturally lifted upward.
Gray stone walls.
A spiral staircase stretched skyward along their center.
The Awakened gazed up at the sight with a mix of awe and curiosity.
"I'll take the lead."
Following the White Night Guild Master who volunteered to go first, with each step up the stairs.
A strange energy began to seep into the air.
A faint floral scent lingered.
A thin veil of moisture clung to the skin.
And finally, the end of the staircase.
There stood a massive door.
"Once we go in, minimize your breathing and don't touch any flowers recklessly."
Before opening the door, the White Night Guild Master issued a stern warning.
At her words, a few Awakened chuckled and showed off their artifacts.
"It's an S-rank artifact! This'll protect me!"
"I came fully armored in A-rank artifacts just in case."
Watching them, the White Night Guild Master gave a wry smile.
"Well... experiencing it firsthand is better than a hundred warnings."
Kuoooong-
The moment the door opened, a garden bursting with blooming flowers came into view.
Petals in pastel hues fluttered gently.
A soft mist seeped around their feet.
It was like wandering through a watercolor painting—a dreamlike scene unfolded before them.
And at that instant.
A translucent holographic window appeared before me and all the other Awakened.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Zone 1 Entry Confirmed] - Abyss Flower Garden [※ This area has harmful pollen spreading through the air.] [※ Continuous stamina drain will occur.] [Clear conditions updated.] - Remove Infection Zone Cores (0/3) 'Tower-style gates come with messages like this, huh.'
This felt distinctly different from the gates I'd experienced before.
Brrr-
At that moment, the weapon in my right hand vibrated faintly, and another new message window appeared before my eyes.
📜 SECRET QUEST 📜 [By the Will of Nature, a Secret Quest has Opened]
[The seeds scattered on the ground are asking for help.]
- Move the seeds to a safe place (0/5)
🎁 Reward: 100 Coins
'A secret quest?'
And it wants me to move seeds to a safe place?
'...No way.'
For a split second, the message from when I'd evolved my weapon to stage 2 flashed through my mind.
- Low chance: A secret quest opens by the will of nature, granting special rewards upon completion.
I looked around, lifting my head.
"I know the core locations too. Looks like floor 1 won't be a big deal."
"Let's wrap it up quick and head to the next floor?"
The other Awakened paid no mind to the seeds whatsoever.
In fact, as they walked indifferently, the seeds scattered on the ground were being mercilessly trampled one by one.
Were those seeds really calling out to me for help?
I crept around carefully, picking up the scattered seeds from the ground.
And placed them one by one in the safest-looking corner at the garden's edge.
Finally, after moving all five seeds.
⚔ QUEST COMPLETE ⚔ [Secret Quest Achieved] [Acquired 100 Coins] [‘Ancient Spirit Shop’ has opened] Yet another new message popped up before my eyes.
'Ancient Spirit Shop?'
I was about to check what that was when.
"Kuhk...!"
A burning pain scorched my throat, and every breath brought a sharp sting to my nose.
"Cough, cough! Ah, my eyes... they sting..."
Haa, I can't... cough! I can't breathe properly!"
"Achoo! Ugh, what is this...!"
Coughs and sneezes erupted from all around.
Awakened pinched their noses and began collapsing to the ground one by one.
Some gasped for air, while others staggered, complaining their vision was blurring.
"...Cough, healers! Don't use skills yet! Stand by until the core removal signal!"
The White Night Guild Master's firm command cut through her ragged breaths.
At the same time, I spotted three Awakened who had already memorized the core locations dashing to points at each end of the garden.
"One, two..."
"Three!"
Kwaaaang-!!
The moment the three cores shattered in perfect sync, a massive tremor shook the garden's far end.
Wooooong-!
The ground heaved and buckled.
And plant-type monsters began to emerge.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Kwaaaang-!!
The cores exploded, shattering the magic field enveloping the garden.
The exit sealed shut, and the pollen gnawed at their lungs with every breath.
The Awakened hunched over, clutching their eyes as they staggered.
This was the moment for the healers' care, but.
The healers were too busy tending to themselves, frantically casting skills on their own bodies.
That was when it happened.
In the garden's center, where most Awakened were clustered, a circular healing mat glowing with faint light spread out.
"...Huh?"
An Awakened who had collapsed, gasping for breath, lifted their head in surprise.
The burning in their eyes eased, and their ragged breathing began to steady.
"Kek... Huh...? I can breathe now?"
"Eh? My vision's clearing up!"
"The itch in my eyes is gone...!"
At the end of their gazes stood a girl gripping a uniquely shaped weapon.
While the other healers fussed over themselves.
The small girl had laid down a healing mat in the midst of the clustered Awakened, now clutching her eyes in agony from the pollen.
Witnessing this, the Awakened's eyes welled up.
"Healer..."
"She's suffering now to save us dealers..."
Etching the image of the healer sacrificing herself for the many—
"The healer's going through hell for us—we can't mess this up!"
"Focus fire! Let's end it quick!"
The Awakened rose to their feet one by one.
Kwarung-!
The ground rumbled from the garden's far side, and the monster wave finally burst forth.
Twisted vines bore vibrant, mottled petals—grotesque plants.
They whipped thick roots across the earth, spewing toxic pollen from flower mouths.
Pfufufufung-!!
The pollen clouded the air once more, but.
The Awakened on the healing mat didn't hesitate.
"Don't flinch! Continuous heals from the mat!"
"Stay on the mat, focus on DPS!"
Han Ji-ye, the furious White Night Guild Master, strode up to the two dazed healers.
"...What exactly are you doing right now."
She stopped and glared at them.
"Our vision's blurred too... we can barely breathe..."
One healer muttered an excuse, and Han Ji-ye's voice dropped colder.
"How many times did I say it in the briefing? Maintaining the 'front line' is top priority. Did you all forget?"
Her gaze shifted to the tanker line beyond the healing mat's reach.
"Move to the front line immediately. If the raid fails, you'll bear full responsibility."
"S-Sorry!"
Only then did the healers scramble toward the front line.
But by now, several tankers were afflicted with critical status effects, barely holding on.
Watching the scene, Han Ji-ye muttered coldly.
"National exclusive healers who can't even handle the basics... unbelievable."
She turned her eyes to the small girl still maintaining the mat in the center, rubbing her eyes.
'...So there are healers like her.'
Healers were treated like precious gems just for existing, excused no matter what.
She'd turned a blind eye to underperforming healers more than once or twice.
In this era, you had to be grateful just for having a healer.
But.
Seeing one who prioritized others over herself firsthand...
The healers safely breathing beside her looked utterly pathetic.
She glared at the healers' backs as they ran to the front, then felt her gaze drawn back to the small girl.
'...She's genuinely enviable talent.'
A healer with that skill and mindset.
She wanted to take her on every raid.
'But why do I keep feeling like I've met her somewhere...?'
Was it from the news?
No, it felt different from that...
Narrowing her eyes and tilting her head, Han Ji-ye stepped back into the fray for the main battle.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Kwaaaang-!!
The White Night Guild Master's strike obliterated the final monster wave.
The tangled vines and petals withered away, and the floating pollen gradually settled.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Zone 1 Cleared] [Survivors: 20 / 20] Finally, amid the Awakened straightening up, voices mixed with relief and admiration burst out.
"Whoa... A large-scale gate cleared this smoothly."
"All thanks to the healer."
"No wonder everyone makes such a fuss over healers."
"We all saw you struggling to keep us healed... Thank you so much, healer...!"
Caught off guard by the sudden praise, I smiled awkwardly, my ears burning red.
"Ah, haha... The weapon's performance was pretty good, that's all..."
As I spoke, my eyes flicked to the weapon in my hand.
This was the first time I'd tested the upgraded skill from evolving my growth-type weapon in real combat.
'Way more useful than I thought...?'
Honestly, I hadn't expected this much before trying it.
Then, the White Night Guild Master's clear voice rang out amid the bustling Awakened.
"Potions expected for Zone 1: 3 per person, total 60."
"Actual usage: 22 total. Over half were used by healers on themselves, and the front-line combat team used less than 20%."
She bowed politely toward me.
"This is all thanks to you, healer. Thank you very much."
As the White Night Guild Master finished her bow, someone clapped vigorously, breaking the silence.
"Alright, everyone, applause!"
Led by the lively claps, the puzzled Awakened joined in one by one.
Soon, thunderous applause filled the garden.
"Looking forward to the next zone too, healer!"
"This raid was a breeze!"
"Great job, everyone!"
In the spreading warmth, some exchanged high-fives, others slumped down shedding gear.
"We'll take a short break before Zone 2. Consume your water and supplements now."
As the garden's tension eased into rest time.
The Awakened paired off in groups of twos and threes, munching snacks or checking gear to catch their breath.
I decided to follow suit and take a breather.
'Oh, right!'
Earlier, that Ancient Spirit Shop...?
Or something like that had opened, hadn't it?