My Love. Light. Darkness.
“Nngh…”
I slept in late because I was scrolling the gallery until way too late last night.
I usually sleep in anyway, but today was especially bad.
The reason? The gallery bait was all about me, and I was also waiting for a message from Joodak sis.
In the end, I just passed out after endless community grinding.
Yesterday was wild.
After I got isekai'd here, the shelter had recorded its fastest regen speed ever.
I get the power players and war heroes protecting me. Joodak sis must've pulled some strings, even if I don't know the details.
But why are all the hermits coming out...?
“Hiding all this time and suddenly revealing themselves over little old me?”
I'd been pondering that while scrolling.
Why so many hermits? Sure, only a few dozen, but still a lot.
Is there some reason?
I'd been killing time tapping through posts like that.
Bait posts too, huh.
Makes sense... Even with all the hermits, it seemed too many. Anyway, with supposedly dead folks and missing persons popping up, the whole shelter was in chaos, and the gallery exploded naturally.
I rode that big wave, enjoying it till dinner, but no message from Joodak sis even by dawn, so I crashed and woke up to the next day.
“Hmph... What a ridiculous mess.”
What kind of person is Joodak anyway, that she can mobilize even those hiding their identities...
My questions were deepening when
A message has arrived.
Perfect timing—a message from Joodak sis! Better to ask her directly than stew alone.
All the words in the world couldn't match this one.
Joodak... I realized my life without you was an endless night.
The being I'd gladly sink into the deepest despair with...
Every breath I take is a love letter to you...
Death countdown started, but I didn't stop the chant. As it ticked down, I poured every ounce of focus, speeding up, pushing harder.
Your every reaction lights up my whole world.
Just imagining losing you turns my world to ashes.
...Faster... This can't be my limit. Squeeze every drop of focus. Brain fry? Fine. Accelerate, break the limit— Vision blacked out and flickered. Consciousness fading.
Crack— Something shattered, and my world accelerated.
The one harbor where the world's storms cease and true peace is found.
Joodak... I am your part, you are my whole... I am completed in your name.
Chant complete, acceleration ended, world back to normal flow.
I did it...
This bro ain't joking about finding me. With Joodak's skills, she totally could—creeping dread rising.
But—
Can't hold it... Gonna die right here.
Joodak grossed out by my reaction?
But I'm serious—too much gratitude. For Joodak bro... I'd even offer my long-guarded purity.
Padak too! Are all armbanders big shots...?! Armband average must be sky-high.
Wanna repay them too, but armbanders block chats, can't 1:1 from my side.
I only chat cuz Joodak initiates—otherwise, just gallery posts or news comments.
(I block chats too—flooded with handshake requests day one as Dungeon Master.)
Chat partner has left the room.
*
“Oh right, forgot to ask about the hermits.”
Got sidetracked ranting.
Anyway, post-chat with Joodak, my mind was lighter. Got out of bed, started morning routine.
Not morning, it's lunch already.
Collected thousands of tickets Kkomangi pooped out. (Dungeon inventory holds monster mats and tickets now—ticket sorting way easier.)
To calm the panicking gallery over no morning tickets, I dumped lunch batch too all at once.
Phew... Time to walk Kkomangi and grab food.
Heading out—
Neighbor roaring again. Quieter this time, couldn't catch details.
But roughly 'missed ticket again.'
Put way more on market than usual, sold out in 3-4 mins...
“...Missed this?”
Slipped a Lock Lizard ticket in their door crack with Kkomangi.
“Hope this satisfies...”
(Today's not Luna's stall—heading to fancier spot with premium ingredients for new dungeon.)
Gallery intel: Monster hides, bones, teeth, claws piling up unsold.
Shelter farms monster mats mostly as food now.
So ultimately
“Tasty mobs are best.”
I'll sample shelter cuisines for 3 days, pick new dungeon candidates.
“Gonna rate this world's gourmet scene.”
Felt bad for Luna maybe sulking, but
“3 days fine, let's go Kkomangi!!”
“Hek hek-!”
Lonely Gourmet (not lonely) deploys!