A Sibling for Sally
As they left the wasteland behind, patches of weeds covered the dirt mounds that formed the new terrain.
The dry air gradually grew moist with humidity.
Kang Yoonsoo and Shanette walked all day before setting up camp for the night.
He built the fire while she prepared their meal.
Beneath the night sky, pale smoke rose in steady curls.
“Our next destination is here, right? It looks like it’ll take about ten days to reach it.”
Shanette pointed to a corner of the map.
It was the city of Riel, north of Hilledan.
Kang Yoonsoo searched his memories.
I need to find that puppeteer first once we arrive in Riel.
A craftsman with exceptional skill in doll-making. He was someone they had to recruit if they wanted to complete the legendary quest without trouble.
But there was one stop they needed to make first.
Kang Yoonsoo said, “Before we head to Riel, there’s somewhere we need to visit.”
“Don’t tell me it’s another ruin?”
Shanette’s face clouded with anxiety as she recalled the Ultika Ruins.
Kang Yoonsoo shook his head again.
“Hunting ground.”
“A hunting ground? You mean a monster habitat?”
“Close enough.”
Kang Yoonsoo, who had been drinking a light-colored beer, suddenly stretched out his right arm.
“Salamander Sally, summon.”
Flames swirled through the air, and a beautiful girl appeared.
Yet for some reason Sally wore a gloomy expression.
The doll-like girl’s face was filled with worry.
“Papa.”
“What.”
“Make me a little sibling.”
“Kek! Cough!”
Shanette, who had been chewing on dry bread, choked and coughed violently.
After swallowing some water, she finally managed to speak.
“No!”
“Hiiiing. Why not? You and Mama can just make one.”
Sally looked at Shanette, her teary eyes sparkling.
The pure, innocent gaze nearly melted the heart, but Shanette firmly shook her head.
“That won’t do, Sally.”
“Hiiiiiiing……”
Sally covered her face with both hands and sniffled loudly.
Shanette smiled with maternal warmth and pulled the girl into her arms.
“Sally. Why do you want a sibling so badly?”
“Sniff! The summon realm is so boring! The doggy’s always growling, and the undead don’t even understand me! It’d be nice to have a sibling to play with! Waaah!”
Sally threw a tantrum while crying.
Shanette scratched at the scarred side of her cheek.
She understood the feeling, but some things simply could not be.
“I’m sorry, Sally. But there are things in this world you can’t have just because you want them. Life isn’t something you can create that easily.”
She turned to Kang Yoonsoo.
“Right, Kang Yoonsoo?”
“No reason I can’t make one.”
“What?”
Shanette looked as if she had been struck by a hammer.
Her face flushed bright red.
“A-are you serious?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow! Papa’s the best!”
Sally scampered over and planted a loud kiss on Kang Yoonsoo’s cheek.
While Shanette sat there dazed, Kang Yoonsoo rose from his seat.
“Sally, there’s something I need you to do.”
Following Kang Yoonsoo, they arrived at a gloomy swamp.
Unnamed plants drooped everywhere, and insects crawled across the ground.
Beneath a deep pit lay a muddy swamp.
“Sally.”
“Yeah.”
The spirit’s flame brightly illuminated the dark surroundings.
Sally transformed into her lizard form.
The salamander spewed a jet of fire toward the sky.
The flames bursting from its mouth were incomparably stronger than when she took the form of a girl.
Shanette looked puzzled.
“What are you planning to do with Sally’s fire?”
“Shh.”
Kang Yoonsoo spoke quietly.
Soon, faint presences stirred in the previously silent area.
The mud swamp squelched, followed by the sound of something crawling out.
“Kaskuramu……”
A wet, squelching cry.
Creatures wrapped in mud began walking out from all around them.
Mudgems.
Mudgems were creatures that usually lived buried in swamps and craved light.
The large mudgems stealthily approached the bright flames.
The moment one mudgem reached out with its dripping hand toward Sally—
Crunch—!
Mud sprayed as the mudgem’s right arm was severed.
“Makerunuradi……!”
The mudgem let out a pained scream.
Meanwhile, Kang Yoonsoo raised his blood-soaked sword.
Lavian’s longsword.
It was time to test the newly acquired blade.
The mudgems emitted hideous cries and charged forward, swinging their hard fists wildly.
Kang Yoonsoo lowered his stance and rushed in swiftly.
His right hand, gripping the sword, swept forward like a storm.
Squelch—!
In an instant, three mudgems suffered critical wounds and dropped to their knees.
Kang Yoonsoo’s swordplay had reached a level that was nearly impossible to dodge.
Unlike the machete he had used before, Lavian’s longsword had a thin blade that let him slice through enemies with terrifying speed.
He cut down the mudgems without receiving so much as a scratch.
Each time the sword carved through their flesh, his attack power grew slightly stronger.
Shanette also sharpened her Death Scythe.
When she swung the blue-white scythe in a long arc, a mudgem’s heart burst open effortlessly.
Shanette flinched in surprise.
Its performance was on a completely different level from the scythe she had used before.
As expected, it’s incredible.
She was impressed all over again.
Swordsmanship, equipment crafting, alchemy, undead revival.
Just what couldn’t Kang Yoonsoo do?
His true identity became more and more intriguing.
After piercing a mudgem through the chest, Shanette wore a worried expression.
“Will Sally be all right?”
“If it gets dangerous, I’ll send her back to the summon realm.”
Every mudgem that approached Sally was swiftly dealt with by the pair.
Trusting them, Sally continued spewing flames.
The brighter the spirit’s light grew, the more mudgems gathered.
As the hunt continued, their numbers dwindled rapidly.
The final mudgem burst out from the swamp.
Unlike the others, it was slightly larger, with a unique jewel embedded in the center of its chest.
“Kahimunoer—!”
Magic Mudgem.
A rare individual that could wield magic, unlike ordinary mudgems.
It slammed both massive hands into the ground, sending the swamp mud shooting into the air.
“Kyaaak—!”
Mud-manipulating magic.
The mud not only blocked their vision but clung thickly, slowing their movements.
The moment Shanette was engulfed by the mud, the Magic Mudgem seized the chance and charged.
But Kang Yoonsoo was already standing in front of her.
He swung his blade upward, and the mudgem’s jaw flew off.
Slice—!
The fatal strike left the Magic Mudgem dazed.
Kang Yoonsoo brought the sword down immediately.
At the same time he swung left, cutting horizontally.
When the motions ended, the Magic Mudgem had been carved into worthless pieces.
Kang Yoonsoo picked up a large, sparkling stone from the Magic Mudgem’s corpse.
◈ Sparkles like a jewel but holds little value.
◈ Contains a small amount of mana.
Kang Yoonsoo extended his right arm and spoke.
“Multiple Corpse Revival.”
The fallen mudgems rose, pouring out mud.
The mud had turned a greenish hue and gave off a rotten stench.
76 Rotten Mudgems have been preserved in the summon inventory.
Current summons in inventory — 76 Rotten Mudgems, White the White Wolf Beast.
Maximum number of preservable summons — 623
Sally, who had returned to her girl form, approached with sparkling eyes.
“Papa, what about my sibling?”
“Later.”
“Hiiiing. Then Papa, promise me. You’ll definitely, definitely make me a sibling later, okay?”
Sally held out her pinky finger.
Kang Yoonsoo hooked his own pinky around hers.
“Yeah.”
“Thank you! Sally loves Papa and Mama so much!”
Kang Yoonsoo sent Sally back to the summon realm as well.
Once the two of them were alone, Shanette spoke in a small voice.
“I’m sorry. I was nothing but a burden this time.”
“It’s fine.”
Yet Shanette could not shake her frustration.
Back when she served as a soldier under Lord Hermiya, she had been among the top five fighters.
But watching Kang Yoonsoo in battle filled her with an unconscious sense of inferiority.
No matter the enemy, he defeated them as if he had faced them thousands of times before.
Even the level gap between them—which had once been in her favor—was steadily closing.
Then why do I want to become strength for that man?
Shanette felt puzzled.
Suddenly she remembered the Fragment of Power.
She had grown considerably since then; there must have been some change.
She waved her hand through the air to check her status.
Kang Yoonsoo, who had been watching indifferently, said, “We need to raise you quickly.”
For some reason Shanette felt like she had become his pet.
It was then.
A small voice brushed past Kang Yoonsoo’s ear.
Kang Yoonsoo looked at Shanette.
“What did you just say?”
“Huh? I didn’t say anything.”
He scanned their surroundings with puzzled eyes.
But there was no one besides the two of them.
Only the faint, meaningless sound of the wind could be heard.
Have I finally fallen so far that I’m hearing hallucinations?
Since he already knew his mind was not in a normal state, it wasn’t particularly surprising.
Sometimes he even encountered hallucinations from his previous lives.
Kang Yoonsoo felt puzzled but did not dwell on it too deeply.
At least not yet.