Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: Going to Save This Island (Or Not)
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"Chae-yeon-ah. Where are you going? Isn't this point good enough?"
"Wait a sec. It's telling us to go this way."
"It? Who's 'it'? The spirit you mentioned last time?"
"Yeah. It keeps saying to go this way?"
What in the world was going on? Shin Ga-yeon clutched her temple. Up until they'd arrived here, she'd even imagined bumping into him by chance while wandering the island.
But now that they were here, all she was doing was following her little sister around.
She'd thought about going off to search alone, but she couldn't just leave her sister behind, so here she was, trailing after her.
Spirits were friendly to humans anyway, so nothing bad would happen.
"It's kinda uncomfortable not being able to see it myself."
"It shows itself once you get used to it. It's still scared, though."
"...Am I scary-looking?"
"Nah, not at all. We're twins, right? Doesn't that mean I'm scary too?"
"You get scary when you're expressionless. The mansion staff all said it's intimidating to talk to you then."
"Liar. What? Don't lie. I was relaxing my face to make it easier to approach me?"
She'd suddenly started muttering to thin air, then waved her arm around. Even knowing she was talking to a spirit, it was a little creepy.
It felt like watching someone chat with a ghost. Shin Ga-yeon couldn't see the spirit herself, so it was unavoidable, but getting that vibe from her own sister felt off.
What could she do about it, though? She walked on, watching her sister mumble to empty space. Any monsters that ambushed them along the way were casually bisected by Shin Chae-yeon.
She'd always been strong, but lately, she seemed to be growing even faster.
'I wanna try it too.'
Shin Ga-yeon wanted to learn about that spirit thing herself. The reason was simple: she'd seen her sister use magic.
Spirit magic, to be precise, but magic was magic. Shin Ga-yeon often suffered mana surges, so she couldn't use spells well. She loved it but just couldn't wield it.
But what if it was spirit magic, powered by the spirit's own mana?
She felt like she could handle that. With that in mind, she'd watched enviously as her sister fought with magic cloaking her sword.
And just like that, they'd arrived.
What stood before them was a tree that looked slightly out of place compared to the others. It was about two handspans thicker.
"Whoa. How'd we miss a spot like this?"
"Under here? Why?"
No answer, huh. Tch. Smacking her lips, she followed her sister, and sure enough, a tunnel entrance led downward.
It was just like─
"A dungeon?"
The entrance to a dungeon.
"Unnie."
"Yeah?"
"I'll go alone. It says there are lots of spirits down there. Could be dangerous for anyone without a contract."
"Alright?"
She hesitated a bit, but not for long. If there were that many spirits, maybe she'd sense something too?
Couldn't send her alone, though─
Decision made in a flash, Shin Ga-yeon grinned.
"I'm coming with!"
"Fine, whatever."
The two headed underground.
[Uuuong...]
"Levatein. Wake up."
[Daddy...?]
"Yeah. C'mere."
I held out my hand, and Levatein leaned into it. I naturally scooped him up and patted his back.
[Whyyy...?]
He looked sleepy. I kept patting his back while nudging the blonde next to me awake.
With my foot, of course. Feet suit you.
"Get up. It's morning."
Not budging. Get up already, you parasite.
I kept shaking her with my foot while talking to Levatein.
"Levatein."
[Yeah...]
"We're gonna wander the island from now on."
[Uuuong...]
"So pick one. Wanna go into the [Inventory]? Or turn into a bracelet or something and stay out here?"
I gave him options. Forcing him into the [Inventory] felt wrong. The scenery here's surprisingly pretty.
Plus, the places we're heading to next are a bit dangerous, so I need Levatein's [Auto-Defense].
That's why I'm asking. I respect others' opinions, you know.
If it seems otherwise, that's a misunderstanding.
[Wanna stay with Daddy...]
"Good. Then transform. What into?"
[Dunno...]
Still super sleepy, huh. I'd wait a bit, but I kept pressing my foot into her leg. I've been shaking her forever—why won't she get up? She'd sleep through an earthquake at this rate.
"I said get up! We gotta pack the tent!!"
"Too earlyyy..."
Raphael finally stirred, these blondes always rubbing their eyes like it was choreographed.
I explained to the blonde: Isia and Sophia are outside, so be careful. Get ready to move.
Even after my kind words, all I got back was her head nodding off again.
Eyes half-closed, hair a mess.
"Sigh. Get up!!"
"Ah. I am getting up."
"If you're up, you're up—what's 'getting up' supposed to mean?"
"ING. Present continuous. Don't you know that? I'm the one weak in the mornings."
"What kinda angel's weak in the morning? Be diligent!!"
"That's prejudice. Prejudice breeds bad thinking. Seong-hoon, make a fist. Swing it. Smash through the wall of prejudice."
"My fist is crying. For real."
"Sleepy..."
No more playing along now. As the rascal finally rose, her messy hair went pop! and returned to pristine condition.
What kinda magic hair is that?
"I got sick of styling it ages ago, so I asked God. That's how it became like this. Jealous? I don't even need to wash it."
"What?"
What'd she just say? I couldn't let that slide. You don't mean...?
"Heh, whether I wash it or not, it stays perfectly clean—why the face? I do wash it sometimes!! Hey? Why're you backing away?!"
"Levatein."
[Yeah?]
"No approaching Mommy from now on. Germs. Germs."
[Germs?]
"Yeah. Dirty."
"Not dirty!!"
The filthy blonde yelled, but I wasn't falling for it. Because.
"I've been watching, Raphael, and you never do anything bothersome."
It's who you are.
Raphael flinched at my words. Guilty conscience? Her eyes darted around.
"You maintain perfect cleanliness. Which means you'd say 'super clean~' while washing your body but skipping your hair."
Nailed it, right? Raphael flinched even harder, like she was confessing.
"B-but sometimes!! If I feel good after washing, sometimes I do!! It dries automatically anyway─!!"
I ignored the idiot's rambling confession-excuse-whatever. I turned to Levatein, now fully awake. He'd been chuckling at our exchange, but when he met my eyes, his smile widened.
It was so cute I patted his head.
"Decided what to turn into? Can't come out recklessly with friends outside. Talk mentally too."
[Like this?]
Oh. Suddenly, Levatein's voice echoed in my head. That's how normal ego weapons communicate.
Resonating only with their wielder. Speaking out loud in human form is Levatein's privilege thanks to [Shapeshift (EX)].
"Yeah. Do that after transforming."
[Talking out loud is better...]
"Daddy─ I like that too, but it'd get me in trouble outside."
"She just said 'Daddy' unconsciously? Parenting instincts are scary."
"Shut it, dandruff angel."
"Dan, dandruff?! I don't have that! What do you think God's miracle is for?!"
You're the fool using God's miracle just to skip washing your hair.
I ignored the noisy blonde. Back to Levatein. He hummed thoughtfully at my gaze, then─
[How's this?]
Melted into flames and became a red ring on the finger next to [Spell Eater].
[Pretty, right?!]
Kid-level taste. Well, he is a kid who loves flowers, so inevitable, but... a bit embarrassing.
A flower-shaped ring. Not really something a guy wears around, but if I asked him to change─
─Don't like it?
─Hing. But it's cute, Daddy dummy.
─....
"..."
I could see Levatein's lip trembling already. Aah. This was a white lie for his sake.
"It's pretty, Levatein."
[Right?!]
"Yeah."
Tears for real.
"It is pretty."
Quiet.
Stepping out of the tent, for some reason I had to explain myself to Sophia and Isia.
Explain what?
Hell if I know. They just bombarded me with questions, and I answered one by one?
No clue what misunderstanding they'd cooked up among themselves, but sometimes these two had wild imaginations.
I ignored the pair pouting and chasing after me from behind, chatting with Raphael as I walked.
"Where we headed?"
"Curious? Of course you are."
"What's with the tone? Kinda annoying."
Hey. People wanna set the mood sometimes.
"I'm off to save this island."
"Saying it like some hero off to save the world isn't cool at all."
I know. Just felt like trying it. Guys go crazy without this kinda stuff sometimes.
You wouldn't get it. This urge of mine─
"Weirdo thoughts again."
How does she always know? I hadn't given the exact reason.
Where we were going? Spirit den, in a nutshell.
Island 6 was a forest. Not just any forest—a great one. The kind from fantasy novels where elves might live.
No elves in my novel, though. So what fits a forest like this?
Spirits.
Not regular ones—ancient spirits.
One wandered nature until settling on this island.
Loves nature to bits, flies into a rage seeing humans wrecking it during the exam.
Kim Tae-hyun subdues it—simple plot, but not really.
The ancient spirit's fury makes lower and mid-tier spirits rampage too.
Four spirit legions tearing up the forest. That's what we're stopping.
'Stopping' makes me sound like a real hero. Actually, we're going to mess with Kim Tae-hyun.
This fight is where he grows, and Shin Chae-yeon gets her spirit clue.
That's why I tipped her off about the spirit. After-service, y'know.
"A responsible man..."
Damn cool.
"Idiot."
[Idiot-nyang.]
[Daddy idiot?]
These punks. I ignored the trio—no, one girl and one cat—dismissing my words.
Just kept walking. Monsters popping up got scanned by the pendant, then sniped dead with crossbow and explosion runes.
Ambushes? Fine. Lachesis and pendant have me covered, and if not, the crow on my shoulder counterattacks.
"I'm basically a mobile tank right now, huh?"
"Mobile idiot, sure."
Kill her? Nah, hold back. Levatein's watching. After a long hike, a massive tree stood out from the rest.
Not world-tree huge, but definitely different.
"Here."
"What's this place?"
"Well, it's like─"
As I started explaining, the pendant chimed. And at the same time─
"Huh?"
Not sure if this phrasing fits, but she flew in. No joke, at near-invisible speed, hugging me tight.
Looking up, black hair with a serious face.
She canceled magic spells flying from both sides while shielding me in her arms.
"Cool."
She looked down at my words. Our eyes met. The instant they did, Isia's pale face exploded red─
"Kyaaah!!!"
"Ah."
My vision spun.
"No!! That's not─!! I mean─!!"
Did she just yeet me? Her maid?
[Maid uprising-nyang.]
Tell me about it. For real.
"Sorry!! It was so sudden, I didn't mean to!!"
Appreciate the protection. Sophia wouldn't have thrown me. Feeling oddly miffed, I yanked my head out of the ground and scanned around.
What I saw─
"Aaaah!! What is this?! Seong-hoon? So many weird things around!!"
"Isia. You're sneaky fast."
"Is that what matters right now?!"
I tuned out the voices. Firefly-like blobs without form buzzed around.
Rampaging spells flying nonstop. But none reached here. Why?
Well.
"I wouldn't have thrown you."
"I didn't throw you 'cause I wanted to!! I mean, uh... ugh..."
Our red-faced black-hair and disappointed silver-hair were canceling everything.
Our mages rock.
"Anyway, this is weird."
[What's weird-nyang.]
Those are spirits. No form, but definite.
They rampage on day 3. Why now? It's midday day 2. Way too early. I tilted my head.
"Seong-hoon. If it's weird, see a dentist."
So unfunny.