Chapter 65

I tore the ticket and entered the event dungeon.

As the white light streaming from my smartphone vanished, a place of utter darkness spread out around me.

In an instant, I’d been moved from the attic to the event dungeon.

When I looked back, Saessak was there.

Saessak, now a sapling tree scattering blue light in every direction.

I reached out and laid my hand against the trunk.

So did I.

I felt warmth in Saessak’s trunk.

It shouldn’t have been possible, and yet it almost felt like I could sense a heartbeat there.

“Yeah, it’s definitely got the look of a sapling now.”

The branches of the previous World Tree had been branches in name only.

Anyone would have mistaken them for logs, that was how absurdly huge they were.

Calling them branches was a joke when the circumference alone was more than twice the thickness of Saessak’s current trunk.

There was no doubt the previous World Tree had been a colossal tree beyond anything I could even begin to estimate.

Just like last time, a massive message window appeared.

It contained the details of the event.

“...?”

What? Pull what?

I stared blankly at the message window.

It had no intention of changing.

The line "Pull the weeds growing around the World Tree!" stayed exactly as it was.

I’d expected something about stopping a monster wave, but instead…

Some utterly unexpected event was about to begin.

“I mean, even if you tell me to pull weeds….”

I muttered as I looked around.

The floor was black, and I couldn’t even tell what it was made of.

There was no way weeds should be able to grow out of a surface like this.

Whether I believed it or not, the message window kept appearing.

“....”

As if mocking my thoughts, weeds began to sprout.

Weeds the size of my palm, growing out of the empty black floor.

Well, the monsters that had appeared in the previous event had been fictional beings in the end.

These weeds springing up in droves were probably just fictional weeds too.

They’d feel real enough to the touch, though.

“Hoo! Either way, if I’m told to pull them, I’m pulling them.”

I rolled up my sleeves.

The more time I wasted now, the more it would hurt me later.

Even while I was still reeling, the weeds were growing fast and thick.

I crouched down and touched one with my index finger.

“Tsk.”

I scratched my head and clicked my tongue.

I’d wondered, but of course it was.

Just as warned, Warm Touch didn’t work.

With no other choice, I started pulling the weeds around Saessak by hand.

But then—

Every time I pulled one out—

The messages flashing up in front of me were grating on my nerves.

I set aside the weed I hadn’t fully removed.

Then I thought back to something that had happened when I was younger.

Maybe when I was eight?

At Bangju Orphanage, we’d once done a hands-on field lesson called “garden tending.”

Of course, back then I hadn’t ever pulled weeds, nor had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I been taught how to do it separately.

That’s how lessons for kids were, wasn’t it?

They didn’t bother with the hard, repetitive labor of pulling weeds.

Back then, I’d only picked fruit from trees and dug in the dirt with a hand trowel until I’d hauled out a sweet potato bigger than my face.

If I’d known it would come to this, I should’ve learned how to pull weeds properly.

“No, seriously, what kind of event is this? It’s just meant to piss people off!”

I roared in frustration.

It was nothing but a cry into the void.

Saessak stood there scattering blue light, while the message window kept repeating that more weeds were growing.

“Hiss... hoo....”

I took a deep breath in and let it out.

I didn’t want to keep getting baited by those infuriating little messages.

In its defense, pulling weeds really wasn’t easy.

If I pulled too hard, the leaves or stem would snap in the middle; if I eased up, my hand kept slipping.

And when it slipped, my skin got scraped raw, stinging my fingers.

From the way my skin was getting torn up, it looked like not only Warm Touch was restricted, but other skills too, including anything related to bark.

“Anyway, why is it never easy when it comes to me, huh?”

I grumbled as I pulled.

That was when it happened.

I’d achieved the triumph—?—of pulling one weed out perfectly for the first time.

The weed, perfectly uprooted, hung in my hand.

Looking at it, I almost felt like it was muttering, I’m pissed.

I shook my head hard.

Then, not wanting to lose that feeling I’d just found, I reached for another weed.

I moved my hand with casual indifference, as if I didn’t care at all, even though I was completely focused on pulling it out.

And then the weeds came out easily.

“Oh, I’ve got it!”

To keep from losing my groove, I kept moving.

How many hours had I spent crouched down, hustling around?

Before I knew it, there was only one weed left around Saessak.

“Hoo, hoo....”

I steadied my breathing.

Not because I was tired, of course.

This body had infinite stamina.

There was no way weed-pulling had worn me out.

I was calming my breathing because I wanted to stay focused.

This had to be the last weed.

I didn’t want to see that damned message about more weeds growing because I’d messed up.

Slowly, I reached out and stroked the weed.

Let’s do this right.

You too.

And me.

“...!”

I carelessly gave the weed a pull while gently stroking it.

The stem stretched—

Pop!

The weed came free.

I looked down at the limp weed in my palm.

As far as I could tell, I’d pulled out the roots perfectly this time.

But those goddamn weed bastards had a habit of leaving just a little root behind.

I couldn’t let my guard down until the very end.

I glared at the message window floating beside me.

“Aaaaargh!”

The shout burst out of me on its own.

I flung the weed in my hand to the ground.

“It’s finally over, you goddamn weeds!”

The weed I’d thrown down shattered into pieces.

Still not satisfied, I stomped on it hard.

Before long, the weeds vanished completely.

With all the weeds gone, my heart felt light and strangely peaceful.

Only the black floor remained around Saessak.

“What? No way!”

I’d made a big mistake.

There were piles of weeds I’d failed to pull out properly.

Even while I thought I’d gotten the hang of it, the majority of them hadn’t come out cleanly.

It wasn’t for nothing that it had taken me hours to clear all the weeds growing around me.

There was no doubt the evaluation wouldn’t be good.

“...Damn it.”

The curse slipped out, but I couldn’t deny it.

I’d made enough mistakes to deserve it.

I’d accept the C grade with humility.

I clicked YES, naturally.

I wanted out of this miserable place as quickly as possible.

I had no desire to stay a second longer.

Then another message window popped up.

I figured it would probably say something about looking forward to the next event, just like last time.

“....”

I was right.

The message window that appeared said to look forward to the next event.

But there was one small problem.

...That was a nightmare.

＊＊＊

The white light faded away.

My body was back in the attic, leaning against a pile of neatly stacked junk.

The last message I’d seen floated back through my mind.

My hands moved on their own and wiped the sweat from my face.

“I’m just going to learn how to do it.”

It was a vow.

A vow that I’d learn how to pull weeds properly.

No—let’s not even call it a vow. I should just go learn right now.

There was no telling when another weed-pulling event would happen.

I got to my feet and left the attic.

“Ah!”

Woo Hyuk’s fist tapped my thigh.

He’d hit me just as I was opening the door, and Auntie had come along with him too.

“You going somewhere, mister?”

“Yeah, I’m heading out.”

“Without even eating dinner? Where are you going?”

Where was I going?

Well….

Hm? Come to think of it, where exactly was I supposed to go?

There wasn’t likely to be a school for learning how to pull weeds.

I scratched my neck and looked at Auntie.

Auntie was looking at me with one eyebrow raised.

It was a face I’d seen often.

Are you thinking something idiotic again?

“You’re not... thinking something weird again, are you?”

She probably couldn’t bring herself to swear in front of a child.

Though, being a nun, she really ought to avoid that sort of language anyway.

“Auntie, do you happen to know where I can learn how to pull weeds?”

“What?”

She frowned and shot the question back at me.

“What are you talking about all of a sudden? Weeds?”

“I couldn’t pull them properly, so I didn’t get the good reward. Next time, I won’t fail.”

“What on earth are you—”

She stopped halfway through and shut her mouth.

Then she shook her head and said, “If you want to get better at pulling weeds, why don’t you tidy up the garden behind the orphanage?”

“Huh? You still do that?”

“For our side dishes, among other things. In any case, if you want to get better at pulling weeds, go and clean up the garden.”

That wasn’t a bad idea at all.

With labor like this, practice was the only way forward.

All right, decision made.

“Then I’m off to pull weeds—”

“Before that.”

Auntie grabbed my wrist as I tried to head toward the orphanage garden.

Not just her hand, but another small pair of hands grabbed at my thigh too.

I looked down and saw Woo Hyuk clinging tightly to my pants, staring up at me.

“...What are you doing?”

“Come eat dinner with us! Everyone’s waiting for you!”

“Ah, it’s fine. Eat without me. I don’t need to.”

I needed to go pull weeds, after all.

But neither of them let go.

As I tried to pull my leg back free, Woo Hyuk bounced in place and said, “Come on, eat with us! Mister!”

Then he smiled brightly and went, “Huh? Huh?”

...Annoyingly charming.

I crouched down and met him at eye level.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“If I eat with you, call me brother. Brother.”

“Huh?”

Woo Hyuk tilted his head.

He rubbed his lips with his index finger as he said, “How could I call a mister brother? That’s ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠super rude!”

The face and voice he used to say it were so serious it almost threw me off.

I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t even speak.

When I looked at Auntie in disbelief, she had her lips pressed together hard.

She was trying not to laugh.

“I’m a polite kid, you know. Right, Sister?”

“Pfft—!”

At that, Auntie finally burst out laughing.

I looked at her, wanting to ask what was so funny.

When our eyes met, she just lifted her shoulders a little, smiling.

“I’m not a mister....”

I was only twenty-six, for heaven’s sake. I couldn’t be called a mister already.

Maybe my miserable voice got through to someone after all.

Saessak comforted me.

Thanks, Saessak.

But why dew, of all things?

It just makes me think of a green bottle....