Chapter 32

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 32

Chapter Title: The Missing Mint Soboro Bread (2)

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Mint Soboro Bread had disappeared.

And it wasn't just my thought—plenty ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of users in the channel were wondering about her whereabouts.

'Hmm.'

Truth be told, it wasn't all that unusual.

Even before I settled into the channel, several users had left, and that was just one of the fates of a casual community like this.

But maybe because we'd gotten especially close lately? Her absence stirred up some pretty complicated feelings in me.

Feeling a pang of regret, I sent a message, but as expected, no reply.

Soon enough, reports about Mint Soboro Bread started pouring in from other users in the channel.

The channel users were taking Mint Soboro Bread's departure in stride, and I resolved to do the same.

Things took a strange turn that afternoon, after a user claiming to be an acquaintance of Mint Soboro Bread posted a request for help.

A somewhat shocking update.

Moreover, the poster had verified with a photo of paper with their nickname and a Hunter license. They also had a history of posting useful guides on other channels, so it was hard to dismiss as bait.

"......"

If Mint Soboro Bread was really missing, I couldn't help but worry.

The other users felt the same, and naturally, the channel erupted into chaos.

The Archive operates by receiving a tiny amount of mana from the registrant. If that transmission cuts off for some reason, it loses function and goes dormant.

And if that state persists long-term, the account gets marked inactive and can't be used until unlocked through a separate process—or so I understood.

With the channel users' approval, Paruring the top mod summoned a senior admin, and soon V—the one I'd met before—showed up to relay Archive's stance briefly.

If this were a normal casual community, we'd just have to sit on our hands. But this was the Archive, community of 'Awakeners' with all sorts of bizarre powers.

In the end, the users who'd been spamming nonsense started subtly revealing their abilities to check on Mint Soboro Bread's safety.

Regulars, lurkers, even migratory users popped up to search for Mint Soboro Bread, but the first breakthrough came from an unexpected source.

Thief Crab, one of the channel's concept users like me, hard-carried it.

Thief Crab's observed location for the missing Mint Soboro Bread: Dan yang, North Chungcheong Province.

The requester, Great Sword Musashi, said they'd gather help quickly, but with all the mountains and sparse population, search ops wouldn't be easy.

'Hmm.'

Now that we had a rough location, waiting might turn up the dungeon entrance eventually.

But too much time had passed already—maybe the golden hour for survival was nearly gone.

As the reincarnation of Hwanung and a 21st-century pharaoh watching over his people, there was no reason not to lend my power to save my #1 follower, Mint Soboro Bread.

Whoooosh!

Closing my eyes and focusing on the passing wind, my senses began extending beyond Bucheon to the skies over Danyang County.

Whiiish.

'This won't be easy......'

Danyang County's total area was over 780 km², with about 84% mountains. Scanning bit by bit wouldn't mean much.

"......"

Then a new approach was needed. Since this vast sky was practically part of my body, what if I infused mana into the winds to visualize the entire area?

Whoooosh.

I tried it, but grimaced and stopped immediately—it wasn't working.

"Hngh."

No matter my genius Weathermancer status, I was still a high school dropout who'd given up on the CSAT.

If the data overload was too much to process, it was just garbage. That method seemed impossible without Einstein- or Newton-level intellect.

'Hmm.'

So what to do? The solution was simpler than expected: don't gather too much info.

Knowing detection itself worked, selective focus on key data would lead more efficiently to the answer.

I concentrated mana in my left hand, summoning rain, wind, and fog across Danyang County. Soon they swept everywhere, detecting only spots with strong mana reactions.

Drip.
Plip.

Plip plip drip.

Danyang's population was just 27,000. No way there was another Farmer-class Awakener like Full-time Farmer, right?

Soon, having surveyed the entire county as my domain, I pinpointed what seemed to be the dungeon entrance Mint Soboro Bread was trapped in.

'Here.'

Finally locking on target, my consciousness headed deep into a mountainside in Danyang County.