Thunder Squirrel's Seed

"Aja!!" Dokgo Beom-bu, eyes bloodshot from staring at his phone, lets out a furious roar. Every time the Han Ga-eul on the screen swings her iron pipe caked in thick blood and gore, goblins explode like overripe fruit. The goblins' desperate stone projectiles are all deflected by the spinning pipe. One swing, dozens of goblins burst apart while still alive. Watching it, Dokgo Beom-bu wonders if this is what it means to paint the world red with a single swing. 'A 1-star white unit putting on this kind of performance...'

Individually, the goblins couldn't even scratch a unit, but their swarm effect made them cluster densely. When Han Ga-eul swung that battered iron pipe at them, their bodies burst ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like water balloons. It wasn't the Red Sea parting—it was a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sea of blood. In Dokgo Beom-bu's common sense, this was impossible. Even if you bundled multiple SSR ancestors together and combined their stats, it shouldn't be possible. Reach for the Moon has so many units it's hard to count them all. From occasionally added SSR units to new ones released every two weeks, plus event-only units, it might as well be a unit factory. Even the bugged overpowered SSRs that got hotfixed within hours weren't at this level, as far as Dokgo Beom-bu remembered.

While Dokgo Beom-bu sank into deep thought staring at his phone, goblins kept exploding one after another. 'If I'd seen this in real life instead of through the screen, I probably would've thrown up...'

Goblin blood and flesh splattered across the once-green weeds.

Bang—!! When the last goblin had the iron pipe rammed through it, its head vanished entirely. At the same time, a gate opened in the air as if confirming the clear.

"Hoo."

My lungs ached from the excessive movement. While I caught my breath, the two people who had been standing there dazed approached.

"Matthew. Thank you. Really, thank you."

"Betty. I really thought I was dead. Thanks to you, I'm alive. Thank you."

Matthew and Betty, who had offered their thanks, bowed at the waist toward me.

"Yeah. I'm Han Ga-eul."

Their gazes immediately shifted to the large man lying on the ground, shedding bloody tears.

"That's Brian... He protected me until the very end so I could finish my chant."

"He's not dead, though?"

A sharp stone was embedded in the forehead of the man called Brian. A faint spark of life still remained. Even so, if left alone, he would be as good as a corpse, just as Betty said. Brian was currently doing his best to take his final steps toward the afterlife.

Pop. Squish!

When I pulled the stone out of his forehead, blood gushed like a fountain.

〈Heal〉

Sunlight-like energy poured from my hand and seeped into Brian's forehead. The wound slowly began to close.

According to the guy who introduced himself as Dokgo Beom-bu, this place seemed to be a game. Either that, or Dokgo Beom-bu was mistaken. Because of that, most of my power had vanished. The pocket dimension itself was open, but everything inside had become useless. From the Yeouigeumgobong I'd kept small following my staff master's teachings, to the Light Wind Ria I always wore, everything was dead. As always, when equipment imbued with great power gets forcibly disabled like this, it could only mean Mara's intervention. In the middle of all this, only the pipe Grandfather gave me remained intact.

—Click, click. Click, click.

While continuing the treatment, I tried to light the pipe, but the lighter was acting up. Probably because of the blood-soaked wind.

"Agh, seriously."

Just as I was about to pull a new lighter from the pocket dimension, Betty, standing beside me, flicked her fingers.

Fwoosh!

"Hoo— Thanks."

"Hehe, I'm a fire magic major."

Betty, who had lit the pipe for me, smiled while blowing on her fingers. Since she'd just come back from the brink of death, it was understandable that she seemed especially cheerful.

"Can he really be saved?"

"He didn't die, so don't worry and stay still. It's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠just taking longer because I've run out of power."

Matthew, who had asked cautiously, nodded hurriedly.

"Stop worrying. You worked hard, so at least have a smoke."

I took out a pack of cigarettes from the pocket dimension and handed it to Matthew. He examined the pack carefully, turning it over in his hands.

"Is this tobacco? Looks unusual."

"There's a thin wrapper tab on the outside. Grab that and twist."

Matthew followed my instructions, tore open the wrapper with his fingernail, and put a cigarette in his mouth.

Fwoosh!

Thanks to Betty, Matthew easily lit his cigarette too. After exhaling smoke, he offered the cigarette to Betty, but she shook her head. Betty seemed to be a non-smoker.

"Hoo—"

While sharing the cigarette and continuously pouring heals over Brian's entire body, his pale complexion gradually returned. Thanks to that, Matthew and Betty's anxiety seemed to ease as well.

"See? He's alive."

"He really is... Let me thank you again. Thank you."

"Thanks."

The two bowed their heads once more.

"It's fine. If the stone had gone in just a little deeper, I wouldn't have been able to heal him."

"It seems the Goddess of Fate was watching over Brian."

"Nonsense..."

At Betty's scolding, Matthew turned his head slightly. If something like that had really been watching over them, the two of them wouldn't have been here in the first place.

"Done. The wounds are all healed, but he still hasn't regained consciousness. Let's carry him out."

"Could you give me a moment? I'll be right back."

After asking us to wait, Matthew walked to the back and returned carefully carrying someone.

"This is Malcolm. He was our comrade..."

Past tense. Even though he must have known the person in his arms was already dead, he gave me a deep look. Having seen Brian, who had been dying right in front of us, come back to life, he was probably clinging to a faint hope.

When I shook my head at Matthew, he closed his mouth and slowly approached.

"Bury him somewhere sunny."

"...Right. I suppose we should."

Matthew looked down at Malcolm in his arms, then turned toward the gate and walked out.

"Let's go too. You said your name was Gaeul, right?"

"Ga-eul."

"What a curious resonance. Are you perhaps from the Miao people?"

"I'm human."

Betty nodded at my answer and followed Matthew through the gate. When I followed after her, I saw Dokgo Beom-bu waiting at the gate entrance, watching us.

"Beom-bu."

"...Yeah, what."

Even as he answered, Dokgo Beom-bu's gaze was fixed on Matthew. More precisely, on Malcolm in Matthew's arms.

"This isn't a game. Get your act together."

Only then did Dokgo Beom-bu widen his eyes and look at me. He didn't reply. He didn't seem completely thoughtless, so he probably understood. The way he kept talking about game items made it clear he thought this was inside a game. Whether this place was a game or not, I hoped he'd quickly realize that wasn't what mattered. It had nothing to do with me, but the people here each had their own small connections. The dead shed no tears, but those who watch are the ones who suffer.

Matthew finished packing the dirt with a shovel to form a burial mound, then stepped back.

Shing.

He drew the sword from his waist and raised it with both hands above his head. Seeing him stand there with his head slightly bowed, it seemed like his own form of mourning.

"I'm going to focus on the inner chamber for a while."

—Click, click.

"So no one else gets hurt."

"Do what you want."

The way he muttered while staring at the grave, it might not have been meant for me. It was probably a vow to himself.

"Hoo—"

Looking around, it was still empty. We didn't even have a house, yet a grave had been built first. While smoking and waiting for their mourning to end, they eventually raised their heads one by one.

"Ga-eul. We're going to gather food and materials now."

The way they immediately moved to work after mourning ended gave me a glimpse of Matthew's personality.

"Where do you get those?"

"We can go to the Great Forest through the gate. It's a fertile forest where all kinds of resources and food grow. We call it the Emerald Forest."

In game terms, it was probably a place you sent adventurers to gather various resources.

"Do we need to get that guy's permission?"

I pointed at Dokgo Beom-bu, who was at some point writing on the dirt with a tree branch. Matthew shook his head.

"We've already gotten it, so we can just go."

From the way he spoke, it seemed they'd been there many times before. As I followed behind Matthew, who was leading the way, Dokgo Beom-bu remained focused on the dirt ground.

"Hoo—"

The moment I passed through the gate following Matthew and Betty, the world changed. It was the boundary where a dense forest met a plain. The forest was packed with trees, while the plain was filled with flowers and wild grass, carrying a vivid scent of greenery. I understood why Matthew had called it the Great Forest. The name suited it perfectly.

"We're heading into the forest."

The way he kept looking at me, it seemed like he was asking if I wanted to come along.

"I'll go this way. I think our house rabbit will like it here."

"Good!"

Baek Seol, nestled in my arms, was already stomping her feet excitedly.

"Don't go too far. I heard we can set up a midpoint that allows return. For now, if you want to return, you have to come back here."

"Yeah. Don't wait for me, and even if I'm late, don't come looking. I'll return on my own."

Matthew chuckled at my words.

"That's not my style."

"How stiff. See you later, Ga-eul."

"Neng. Take care of yourselves and come back safe."

Betty, with her red curly hair, waved at me before walking into the forest with Matthew.

"Baek Seol, this is our first time here, so you can only play where I can see you. Got it?"

"Eung!"

When I set Baek Seol down on the ground, she hopped around in all directions. She seemed very excited. After confirming Baek Seol was playing well, I sat down on the grass like a mat, and drowsiness began to creep in. It was an accidental destination because of Baek Seol clinging to my face, but it had quite a charming atmosphere, so it wasn't bad at all.

"Ugh?"

Feeling a shadow fall over my face, I opened my eyes to find a white cotton ball blinking at me right in front of my nose.

"When did I fall asleep?"

"Just now!"

"Really?"

"Eung!"

When I stroked Baek Seol, who had been watching me from beside my head, she crawled into my arms. She must have played so excitedly—her feet were covered in dirt and her body was covered in wild grass.

"You need to shake it off."

Flutter—!

"Kuhup."

When the mountain rabbit shook her body, wild grass scattered in all directions. I didn't know whose rabbit she was, but the problem was that she listened too well.

"Puhu. This little rascal."

"Good!"

Since she was the type who liked me, I could only laugh pleasantly.

"Did you play to your heart's content?"

"Burrow!"

"You played by digging burrows?"

"Over there!"

Baek Seol got down and, after looking back at me once, walked forward. When I followed, I found a burrow large enough for a person to enter beneath a massive tree stump. It was far too big. A rabbit the size of two fists combined shouldn't have a burrow as thick as an arm. If you ducked slightly, even a person could walk in.

"Baek Seol, what's that?"

Baek Seol tilted her head while looking at the large hole. She didn't seem to know. She must have discovered it while playing.

"Baek Seol, come here."

When I called her, she scurried over and nestled into my arms.

"Want to go check it out?"

"Eung!"

She seemed excited about the sudden adventure, stomping her feet.

"Hmm."

Carrying Baek Seol, the closer I got to the cave, the stranger the feeling became. Still, it didn't feel particularly dangerous. It just felt like the greenery was a bit denser.

"Let's go."

"Fun!"

Taking a step toward the cave with the delighted Baek Seol, a massive shadow covered my entire body. At the same time, a pleasant grassy scent rippled from all directions. Feeling something strange, I looked up and saw clouds.

"What the..."

I couldn't grasp the situation. I had clearly been walking toward the cave, but suddenly I was outside. It felt like having the rug pulled out from under ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me while my eyes were open.

"Seriously, what? Was it a gate?"

"Eung!"

The only thing that came to mind was a gate. But if it were a gate, there should have been some shimmering or color, yet there was nothing like that. What was even stranger was the massive object in front of me. I thought it was a wall casting a shadow, but it wasn't. The rough texture under my hand. It was a tree. A tree so enormous that you couldn't even see where its diameter began or ended. No, calling it a tree felt almost insulting to other trees.

"Wow."

Looking up at the sky until my neck hurt, the tree pierced through the clouds. When I looked even farther, green leaves like clouds were descending from the distant sky. Probably the leaves of this massive tree.

Crackle—!!

Just then, a loud discharge sound rang out as if lightning were about to strike from a clear sky. I quickly hid Baek Seol behind me and raised my arm to guard, when something strange fell onto my arm.

Tap.

"What the...?"

"Peep!"

When I opened my hand, the thing that had made the strange sound climbed onto my palm and met my eyes.

"A squirrel?"

Perhaps because Baek Seol's habit had rubbed off on me, I unconsciously tilted my head, and the squirrel-like creature tilted its head in the same way. Its cheeks were plump, as if there was plenty of food nearby.

"Who are you?"

Just like the bear I'd met at Lily's place before, and the deer I'd encountered during my trip, this one was the same.

"Am I the type that animals really like?"

When I gently stroked the creature's small forehead with my finger, it wagged its bushy tail from side to side. It was a friend with an impressive brown stripe running from its forehead to its tail.

"Do you like sunflower seeds? Want some?"

"Peep!"

When I took out a handful of sunflower seeds from the pocket dimension and placed them on my palm, the creature suddenly started sniffing toward my hand. After doing that for a while, it raised its head and pressed its cheeks firmly. When I looked to see what it was doing, it took out an acorn the size of a fingernail from its cheek pouch and offered it to me.

"Is this for me?"

"Peep!"

"Thanks, but could you wash it first?"

"Peep!"

"It's clean?"

"Peep!"

"Why am I even having a conversation with this thing?"

Since I kept not eating it, the creature seemed frustrated and picked up one of the sunflower seeds from my palm, then peeled off the shell. After pushing the peeled sunflower seed into its mouth, its cheeks became even plumper. It seemed like it thought I didn't know how to eat it and was demonstrating.

"Hmm."

When I picked up the fingernail-sized acorn it had given me, it looked at me with expectant eyes. Seeing that, it became hard to refuse the sincerity of this small creature's gift.

"At least let me make it into acorn jelly before eating?"

"Peep!"

It shook its head vigorously. Even out of respect for its sincerity, I felt like I had to eat it, but it would probably taste terribly astringent.

"Ugh, my fate."

It felt wrong not to eat something given by a creature that liked me. The squirrel seemed to have picked the acorn from the massive tree in front of us. It was probably an oak tree.