The Pink Saint Descends

The fluffy white rabbit, covered in carbon monoxide grime, presses its soft cheeks firmly against mine. Thanks to that, I wake up from sleep and open my eyes to see Baek Seol rolling around by the bedside. I must have stretched and she pressed my cheek with her foot.

"Our little fluffball."

"Eung!"

Seeing that I've woken up, Baek Seol scurries up onto the pillow and rubs her face against my cheek.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Slept well!"

Being a brave rabbit, she's energetic from the morning.

"When did you wake up?"

"A while ago!"

"You should've woken me up."

As I pet Baek Seol who's climbed onto my chest, she lowers her body and stares at me intently. I feel mentally exhausted, probably from worrying so much about the festival. My body is fine, but the mental fatigue is no joke. Whether in a game or reality, is there anything harder than getting people to move?

"Want to sleep more?"

"Hungry!"

No chance of that. As if sensing I might doze off again, she hops up and pounces on my face.

"Oof oof oof."

"Tickles!"

The white cotton ball rolls off the pillow. I slip my fingers under Baek Seol's armpits and lift her up; she dangles in the air. She's still fluffy today. No signs of health issues. She might be the healthiest cotton ball in the world.

"Baek Seol, try eating a bit more. Why are you still so small?"

"Eung!"

If she eats any more, the white golden lantern flowers that are her staple might go extinct. Still, she's so tiny that I worry every time we go outside, even if she's healthy. She eats so well, yet she doesn't grow. I can't figure it out.

"I wish our Baek Seol would grow big and strong."

"Grow!"

"You're tiny though?"

Baek Seol, hanging from my hand, kicks her feet in the air.

"The morning breeze feels nice. Want to eat breakfast outside?"

"Good!"

I pick her up and head to the dressing room, where lots of clothes hang on the rack. I toss aside the wrinkled T-shirt I use as pajamas and it flutters to the floor. Every single garment has plenty of pockets. Baek Seol loves pockets, so I always check for them first when picking clothes. Suddenly I realize how much influence this tiny baby rabbit has on my life. I always thought I'd walk alone, but when I turn my head, there's a white cotton ball hopping along beside me. If your friend's stride doesn't match, you just shorten your steps. Thanks to Baek Seol, even someone who only knew how to walk alone has learned, however clumsily, how to walk together.

"Let's go out."

"Eung!"

Baek Seol takes the lead. As I follow, the expected cool breeze blows in. As usual, I head toward the cheap chair, but Baek Seol is already up on the table waiting for me.

"Ughhh."

The moment I sit down, a groan escapes my lips. I must be carrying a lot of fatigue.

As I turn on the morning stream, viewers begin pouring in.

"Welcome, kids. Good morning."

I unfold the phone stand's legs into a tripod and set it on the table. It's covered in scratches from heavy use since I bought it at a general store early in my streaming days.

Beep!

"Food!"

When I pull out a flower, Baek Seol stretches out her short front paws.

"Eat up."

"Eung!"

"I can't do a lot of things. That's why I study whenever I have time."

—Chik, chik.

I light a cigarette and open a book. Only now does it feel like morning.

"Whew— You guys should eat breakfast too. That's the real medicine."

"I'm reading the mechanism of neurotoxins part right now."

The viewers know morning streams are always like this, so they watch comfortably without expecting much interaction.

"It's the same as pharmacology. Just a slightly different direction."

Yesterday was hot, but the gentle breeze now carries the scent of autumn. It feels like the seasons change in the blink of an eye.

"Whew— Perfect weather for camping."

"You like camping?"

There are camping enthusiasts everywhere. Since I bought a car, it might be fun to go camping with Baek Seol and the viewers. I had planned a summer camping trip with them, but it got delayed quite a bit.

"It gets cold in an instant, so be careful with portable heaters."

"Carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin that carries oxygen in the body, so it can't transport oxygen. When blood saturation rises, neuroglial cells start dying, which lowers perception. That's why you can't stay conscious and end up dead. It's like how you turn into a dog when you drink."

While chatting with viewers, Baek Seol approaches and settles on my lap.

"Did you finish eating?"

"Full!"

As if to prove she ate well, she proudly sticks out her fluffy belly.

"Our little fluffball, your tummy's all round?"

"Eung!"

When I slowly stroke Baek Seol's belly, she goes limp and stretches out.

"Want to go for a walk?"

"Walk!"

Baek Seol, who was showing her belly, jumps up. She loves playing just like any other kid at home.

"Athletic competition? They'll probably contact me soon. Since it's physical work, some teams drop out suddenly due to injuries."

I looked it up, but there wasn't anything particularly special. It's just a popular program born from one PD's adventurous spirit, broadcast live like the Olympics. Because of that, they air it occasionally with seasons. This season's name is Idol Sports Festival. Last season was a track meet, so short and middle distance running, relays, and jumping events were the main focus.

"They say they added a lot of challenging events since the name changed this season."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"I just skimmed some internet news."

I can feel from the chat that my image has already hit rock bottom.

"Isn't my reputation too harsh? You guys treat me like a walking disaster."

I guess I'll have to rebuild my image through this athletic competition. That would also be good for the viewers who like me.

"Seriously. You guys are the biggest disasters."

While talking with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the viewers, Baek Seol keeps fidgeting on my lap. I should take her for a walk soon.

"Where do you want to walk? There's the mountain we went to last time and the field where deer appear."

"Ramen!"

There's only one place Baek Seol calls "ramen."

"You want to go there?"

"Eung!"

"I'll end the stream."

The chat suddenly floods with question marks. If I delay any longer, I'll be hooked and dead.

"I'll stop the morning stream here and turn it back on later. I want to go for a walk alone with Baek Seol, just the two of us."

"See you later, my kids. Love you. Bye bye."

When the broadcast ends, even though the chat on screen has stopped, the room feels quiet.

"Whew. Baek Seol, let's go."

Baek Seol, who was fidgeting, stretches her front paws and presses down on the air. At the same time, the world flips and a pleasant breeze mixed with the scent of grass rushes in.

"Baek Seol, don't go too far and play."

"Eung!"

Baek Seol, now on the dirt ground, runs toward the flowering grass. She loves playing in the dirt so much that a clean house rabbit turns into a grimy wild rabbit in an instant.

—Chik, chik.

"Whew—"

As I walk toward the porch of the thatched house, I see Baek Seol busily going back and forth everywhere. When I look closer, she's admiring flowers and digging in the ground. She seems to be making multiple rabbit burrows.

I can rest a bit and then play tag with Baek Seol.

"Whew—"

When I sit on the porch that exudes a tranquil atmosphere, a creaking sound rises along with a faint woody scent that calms my mind.

Beep!

When I bring up the training ground list, several suspicious ones still appear. Number 8 is where I met Ariel.

"Whew—"

While smoking and looking at the list, a ground-shaking sound echoes from afar.

Thud thud thud!

It seems like an intense charge strong enough to scare away butterflies.

"Baek Seol····."

The moment I lift my head, I belatedly realize a white cotton ball has already arrived right in front of my nose.

"Aahp?!"

A soft yet warm cotton ball sticks to my face, and I smell fresh earth.

Beep!

"Nice!"

***

Have ambition! Reach for the sky!

『Reach for the Moon』

【During the pickup event period, 'Rearguard' probability is increased】

Click.

【Normal grade excluded】

【High-grade unit appearance probability slightly increased】

【Attempting 11 consecutive draws by consuming 100 Hollow Gemstones】

【Strong bond thread connected to the Commander begins to entangle】

Village making, labor, labyrinth exploration, collection-type strategy simulation bonsai game, Reach for the Moon. Also known as Ripo the Moon.

A thread unravels from the phone Dokgo Beombu was staring at, and soon fire catches on the thread. The thread on the phone screen materializes right before his eyes and begins to burn just like in the game.

Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

Red flames reflect in Dokgo Beombu's eyes.

"Crazy game·····."

Fwoosh!

The thread released from the spool burns endlessly. While watching it, Dokgo Beombu chews his lips anxiously. Then—

"Huh····! Whoa!! Blue!"

With only one left, the spool that had almost burned out makes Dokgo Beombu, who was on the verge of fainting, beam with joy as if it never happened. Blue means R-grade. In other words, at least Rare grade or higher. It's only one step up from Normal, but the performance difference is beyond imagination. Dokgo Beombu's lips twitch into a bright smile. The color of the still-fluttering thread changes once more.

"Pu-purple! It's SR!!"

The result from a single ten-pull was hard to believe even in a dream. Dokgo Beombu stares at the phone screen with joy, but his expression completely freezes. The thread on the screen is attempting another change. The purple thread turns into a brilliant golden color.

"SSR? Is this a bug?"

Starting from Rare, the thread passed through Super Rare and reached Super Special Rare. After staring blankly at the brilliant golden thread for a moment, Dokgo Beombu smiles so wide his mouth splits.

"Ha···· Haha! Hahahaha!! If it's a rearguard pickup SSR, don't tell me it's the Saint····!!?"

Dokgo Beombu still couldn't shake the thought that the gods hadn't abandoned him. Then the thread begins to flutter once more. Seeing it, Dokgo Beombu wonders if the game is messing with him. Regardless of his thoughts, the golden thread turns bright pink.

'What comes after SSR? Was there such a thing····?'

Dokgo Beombu is a hardcore, high-ranking user who has played Reach for the Moon for nearly eight years. Because of that, he can say with certainty: 'There isn't. Then what is this?'

When the bright pink thread emitting light fully unravels, Dokgo Beombu's vision turns pink and begins to form a shape. The light that seemed eternal fades, and the first thing Dokgo Beombu sees is a pink-haired girl with a rabbit attached to her face.

"Mmph!"

【Successfully summoned a unit through bond gacha】

> The summoned unit values its bond with the Commander. Figure out what the unit likes to raise favorability.

Beep!

Along with the notification sound, a unit information window appears before Dokgo Beombu.

"Wh-what. Is this a bug? It was a rearguard pull though?"

Everything is so strange that it's faster to find things that aren't wrong. 'Type is Supporter but position is Vanguard? Job is Saint but combat style is close-quarters combat?' If it's not a bug, it doesn't make sense. On top of that, instead of a golden thread, it was a plated thread that produced a Normal. And with all sorts of exclusive armaments dangling like unlockable content. Dokgo Beombu feels dizzy looking at the unit's information window. This is clearly an anomalous phenomenon, so it must be a bug. As a high-ranking user who has held a spot among the top for eight years, he can be certain.

"Phew! You little bastard! Baek Seol, the grimy carbon monoxide wild rabbit?"

【Malcolm (Archer) deployed to Labyrinth Stage 2 has died】

Dokgo Beombu, lost in thought, turns pale as he sees the message that flew in along with a beautiful voice.

"N-no!!"

"What? Where is this and who are you?"

【First summon bonus! Gate intrusion rights granted to the Commander】

Dokgo Beombu realizes upon seeing the additional message that "Five-Color Garlic Shoot" was right.

"You, go help quickly! Hurry!!"

"Me?"

In this urgent situation where every second counts, the beautiful pink-haired girl suddenly points ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠at him with a sulky face. Dokgo Beombu thinks he wouldn't have been able to talk to her if it weren't for this situation.

"Yeah, you!! Go quickly!!"

"You go, you bastard."

"H-huh? That's not it·····."

> The summoned unit values its bond with the Commander. Figure ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out what the unit likes to raise favorability.

As if to inform Dokgo Beombu of his thoughts, the system message shares a tip once more.

'What she likes? I've never seen this unit before, how would I know what she likes?'

Dokgo Beombu feels like he's thrown away eight years of Reach for the Moon life.

—Chik, chik.

"Whew— What are you looking at, you bastard. I'll gouge your eyes out, damn it."

Dokgo Beombu frantically operates his phone and pulls an item from his inventory without even looking.

"H-here·····."

"What is it."

"Limit Break Stone and Attribute Enhancement Stone·····."

"What the hell is that. Is this a game?"

The newly summoned unit's expression is bad. Seeing that, Dokgo Beombu's face turns pale.

'I'm screwed. She doesn't like it·····.'

This isn't a game, it's reality. Yet Dokgo Beombu, who gave a woman stones as a gift, wants to hang himself.

Beep!

【Unit Han Ga-eul (Supporter)'s favorability has decreased】

"Gack."

***