Chapter 7
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 7: Spirit Laundry
"Wow, getting a single spirit's blessing is ridiculously hard."
I went to Lutos's General Store, which was my usual supplier, but of all things, there was absolutely no stock left.
Corrupted Sanctuary. It was one of the dungeons with the best hunting efficiency among A-Rank dungeons.
A sanctuary full of all sorts of ghosts. The refined mana water produced only there boasted a purity that was difficult to make even with considerable alchemy.
High-purity mana water. Because this was useful not only for item crafting but also for future dungeon raids, it was an item no different from the water of life for hunters.
A dungeon spewing out such mana water was naturally a popular dungeon.
Because the period when the dungeon opened was limited, when the season for the dungeon to open arrived, hunters all made up their minds and sought out the Corrupted Sanctuary.
And to obtain high-purity mana water in the Corrupted Sanctuary, a fresh spirit's blessing obtained from a spirit was needed.
Even when we first sought out the Corrupted Sanctuary, Lee Chaerim had gone with her inventory full of spirit's blessings, didn't she.
Naturally, there couldn't help but be many hunters looking for spirit's blessings, and it was a given that they would sweep up all the spirit's blessings. It was so bad that whenever this period arrived, they would even limit sales of spirit's blessings to two per person.
Of all things, the timing coincided.
I thought for sure there would be some here, so I ran over as soon as I put Lee Chaerim to sleep.
No matter how much legwork I did, even after roaming here and there, I ultimately couldn't obtain a high-tier spirit's blessing.
"Damn it! Fuck!"
Why today of all days!
It wasn't just anger coming from not being able to obtain the material.
This was a matter directly connected to my trust. Furthermore, the counterpart was a colleague who had continued working with me until now, and the greatest benefactor who helped me be able to set up a laundry here right now.
Just because I couldn't obtain the material this one time wouldn't cause her evaluation of me to drop.
Even if it wasn't right today, it was a problem that could be sufficiently resolved in a week.
However. Resolving it like that wasn't to my satisfaction.
To think I couldn't be of help when the person who helped me until now is having the hardest time!
This is a matter of my pride.
Absolutely not. That can't happen. Failing a request from Lee Chaerim, who will be a VIP moving forward, absolutely shouldn't happen.
Is there no way?
If I just find a high-tier spirit's blessing, it'll work out somehow.
"Should I have not let Elena clock out."
If we had roamed around together, wouldn't we have been able to buy at least one item from somewhere?
Whatever. Regretting what's already passed is useless.
And even if Elena had been there, we wouldn't have been able to buy it.
Because they said they were already completely wiped out a few days ago.
Pondering until I returned to the laundry, I looked at the small backyard in the laundry. A small garden in the backyard.
A place closer to a flowerbed than a garden.
Looking there, an idea came to mind.
If I can't buy a spirit's blessing.
'Can't I just get it myself?'
It's not like spirits only exist inside dungeons.
Having organized my thoughts, I entered the laundry.
To call a spirit, I need preparation materials, right.
Right. I'll show you the peak of a cottage industry.
I took the mana water that was left in the store.
Water full of mana.
And after pouring the mana water into a watering can, I headed to the flowerbed in the backyard.
To call a spirit, fresh mana was needed. Especially fresh mana felt in the middle of a city like this couldn't help but catch a spirit's eye. That's obvious.
This land full of concrete chunks and covered in dust was a space no different from a desert to spirits. What if I sprinkled rare fresh mana water there? It would feel like meeting an oasis in the desert.
Come quickly, Spirits. Mana water event in high demand. The boss has gone crazy. I'm telling you he went crazy wanting to receive a spirit's blessing?
Swish.
I sprinkled the watering can containing mana water onto the flowerbed.
As soon as I sprinkled the water, the plants in the flowerbed sparkled with a green light. High-purity mana water acted as an excellent nutrient not only for spirits but also for plants.
As I sprinkled the water, a fresh fragrance filled the garden.
"Smells good."
A hum naturally came out.
Now then, please come quickly. I'm really in a hurry, so I won't question the rank of the first person, no, spirit that comes. Because it's sufficient as long as the purity of the created blessing is high.
How long had I been sprinkling water like that.
A fluffy spirit, captivated by the smell, flew into the garden.
It was a spirit sparkling with a cement color.
"Eh?"
Cement color?
A spirit is cement-colored?
What kind of...
The surprise was only for a moment. I saw a subtle pink light visible between the cement color.
That was a Spirit of Spring sparkling with a pink light.
'Bingo.'
A Spirit of Spring was a truly rare spirit to see.
Just as humans have races, spirits also possessed different characteristics for each type.
The spirits of fire, water, wind, and earth, which people call the four major elements, occupied the largest number.
And spirits possessing seasonal characteristics like the Spirit of Spring that visited the garden just now would only briefly reveal themselves during a specific season.
The Spirit of Spring coming here was a fortune no different from pulling an SSR with a single pull in a gacha.
It means it's a huge jackpot.
On top of that, the softener I need right now is a fabric softener harboring the scent of spring. If it was a Spirit of Spring, I could sufficiently use it even if it wasn't necessarily a high-tier spirit.
However, the spirit's condition was extremely not good. Generally, it was normal for a spirit to emit a unique energy from its body and give off a subtle fragrance. But the Spirit of Spring that arrived at the flowerbed just now.
'Why does it have so little strength?'
Not even a little bit of strength could be felt. A state as if it would dissipate right this moment.
The Spirit of Spring, getting onto a leaf soaked with mana water, leaned its body.
The guy's body was full of dust. It was dingy, having been heavily covered in the city's exhaust fumes and fine dust.
To a spirit growing in nature, the city's exhaust fumes were incredibly toxic. It would be fortunate if there was at least a forest, but this place right now was the middle of a city center without a single forest.
Its strength couldn't help but weaken. But suddenly feeling the fragrance of a plant harboring mana water, it drew upon its last strength to come all the way here.
Right. It's a spirit that needs a lot of help.
"Nice to meet you!"
I approached the Spirit of Spring resting in the flowerbed.
The cement-colored cotton ball startled and flailed. The guy, who seemed to have a hard time even maintaining its form, was wriggling trying to run away.
"Don't do that. Because I came to help you."
I smiled and showed the items held in my two hands. In my left hand, still enough mana water. In my right hand, spirit soap to wash the guy.
A soap solidified by adding powder crystallized from the essence of nature.
It was an item used to wash spirit-type magical beasts, not to mention spirits.
"How about it? I need the blessing you give. Since I'll wash away all the contaminants stained on your body, want to make a trade?"
The guy, who was wary at first, saw the mana water and spirit soap held in my hands.
It stopped running away. Right. You must have had a hard time too.
I can tell just by looking. Just how hard it was.
I'll help you. So you help me a little too.
Let's just do one job together.
"You thought well."
I sprinkled mana water onto the body of the cement-colored spirit.
Swish.
The spirit made a pleasant sound.
"You can't be happy with just this. It's just the beginning now."
I used the mana water to create soap lather.
And.
[Skill: Precision Laundry] [Purifies all contaminants.] [Spirit - is a suitable target for the skill.]
I activated the Cleaner's skill. A laundry skill activated on laundry. However, it was an excellent skill that also operated on spirits.
How did I know? In the past, when I was an F-Rank porter, I had washed a spirit inside a dungeon. Even then, my skill applied to the spirit.
If it worked when it was an F-Rank skill, there's no way it wouldn't work when it's S-Rank.
Every time I wiped its body with the soap lather, cement-colored dirty water flowed out from the spirit's body.
Scrubbing vigorously, I said to the guy.
"You really haven't washed for a long time."
The Spirit of Spring nodded as if saying so. As the cement color faded, its original color, pink, began to shine brilliantly.
Its original color slowly returned.
Every time I stripped off all the city grime, cement-colored dirty water flowed into the backyard. The dirty water draining through the drain.
I generously used mana water and wiped the spirit's body.
I used up all 2 buckets of mana water just washing the spirit.
"Phew."
It seemed I had washed it for about 30 minutes.
The Spirit of Spring, which had been cement-colored until just a moment ago, regained its original color. A sparkling pink light.
When I dried it with a warm wind, the pink fur, fluffy like down, sparkled.
Only then could I see the guy's form more clearly.
What had been hiding inside the cement lump was a pink silver-throated tit (Baepsae). The silver-throated tit, sparkling with a pink light, shuddered as if it liked its clean body.
Golden powder fell from the guy's body.
The plants that received that light emitted a bright light.
"How is it, refreshing?"
The spirit nodded.
"Don't wander around dusty places from now on, and stay in the forest appropriately. Since there's a lot of fine dust these days too."
The chirping sound was pleasant to hear.
[Laundry Complete] [Target: Spirit of Spring] [Status: Very Clean (Perfect Level)] [Buff Effect: Harbors the scent of nature, gives off a fragrant scent.]
A system message announcing the end of the laundry.
"Nice."
However.
'Why can't I see the rank?'
Normally, there should be letters written in front of the Spirit of Spring stating what rank it is.
Whether it's a Low-tier Spirit of Spring, or an Intermediate-tier Spirit of Spring.
Why is there no such text?
It couldn't be that I erased even that by doing laundry so diligently.
Well, whatever. That wasn't what was important right now.
Now that the laundry is all done.
"You have to fulfill the contract too."
At my words, the guy fluttered up and got onto my hand. And then.
It shook its body with a shudder.
Pink powder falling from the guy's body. Sparkling small crystals.
[The Spirit of Spring likes the laundry.] [Pays the Blessing of the Spirit of Spring (S).]
Wait a minute, S-Rank?
An S-Rank blessing is something only a high-tier spirit should be able to give.
"Wow, you!"
You were a high-tier spirit?
The guy lifted its head high.
How is it. This seat's dignity.
It seemed to say.
"Amazing guy. I like it. It was a very good trade!"
Honestly, I thought it would be a jackpot even if only A-Rank came out. Since I could make Sunshine Softener anyway as long as the Blessing of the Spirit of Spring was at least B-Rank.
Because spring and sunshine have good compatibility.
But to think it's S-Rank.
With this, I should be able to make the softener in 3 hours.
Even combining the time I spent doing legwork to find a blessing and the time I spent luring and washing the spirit, I had saved much more than that.
"Good job. Go carefully from now on."
I stroked the guy. I placed the guy onto a leaf with the meaning of returning to nature now.
It'll return on its own.
I entered the laundry like that, but.
"...Why are you following me inside?"
The Spirit of Spring was following behind me as I entered the laundry.
This seat shall live here!
What is this? Did I just hear this kid's voice?
Unlike its cute appearance, I heard a very heavy voice.
Is it my imagination?
I didn't hear it again now.
What is this?
"Hey, there's no place for you to live here."
But as if it didn't even hear my words, the Spirit of Spring flew up vigorously and settled on a clothes hanger.
You like it here.
It seemed to say.
"..."
Right. Stay for a bit until your body recovers.
Because thanks to you, I got a good item too.
"I probably don't need to give it a name."
Because it's a guy that will return to nature again sooner or later.
I entered the small manufacturing room built inside the laundry to make Sunshine Softener.
Subtle moonlight poured in through the gaps in the blinds.
"Mmm..."
On the sofa, the pink bear wriggled.
Not a pink bear, but Lee Chaerim.
Lee Chaerim, getting up from her seat, opened her eyes disheveledly.
The headache that always tormented her is gone. There's no buzzing ringing in her ears hovering around either.
It was an incredibly quiet and refreshing moment.
How long has it been since I slept this deeply? And how long has it been since I had a time where I didn't hear even noise.
She blankly stared at the ceiling, then turned her head at the sweet floral scent brushing the tip of her nose.
There, a completely newly born white uniform was glowing subtly receiving the moonlight.
"Huh?"
No screams of malevolent thoughts were heard from the uniform at all.
Next to it, Kim Jinsoo was sipping a beverage.
"Did you wake up? Mr. Bear Customer."
He put down his empty glass and chuckled.
"How..." "I told you. That I would wash it for you." "..."
As expected. It was Kim Jinsoo.