Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Level Up and Microphone
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Sitting on the porch, I savored the scenery around us while sharing a bowl of ramen with Snowy.
"All done?"
"Yup!"
Once we'd polished off the food, Snowy hopped onto my lap. I stroked her soft fur and pulled out a cigarette, lighting up.
"Phew—nice. We should use this place as a vacation home."
Gazing blankly at the clear sky while smoking, I couldn't help thinking, Is this what happiness feels like? My hands felt content too, thanks to Snowy's warm, fluffy body.
I exhaled the last puff of smoke and stubbed out the cigarette.
"Snowy, I need to go hunting."
Snowy, who had been dozing on my lap with her eyes closed, enjoying my pets, tapped her front paw in protest when my hand stopped.
"Since we're here, I should level up before we go. If I drag it out, the sun'll set."
I gave her one more stroke and set her down on the porch.
"Snowy, summon it for me."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Basic Trainee Wooden Dummy summoned] As I raised my arms into position, the dummy spawned and charged straight at me.
After facing it so many times, its movements had become predictable, like a machine.
I dodged. Then slammed a kick into it.
Even those two simple actions drained my stamina massively.
In a split second, I twisted my upper body violently using Heavenly Eye and drove a powerful upward kick, flowing my full force into a heavy strike.
—Crack!
The dummy's head split open and vanished like smoke.
"Hoo..."
I hunted relentlessly, lost in the thrill of motions growing ever more familiar and the immediate joy of feeling myself improve. Level up was right around the corner.
Growth Rate: 96% (96/100) Remaining Balance: 640,000 won "Haa... My body's done. Eyes are so dry too."
"Yeah!"
"Still, gotta go out with a bang. Summon another one."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Basic Trainee Wooden Dummy summoned] I glared at the dummy that appeared at my words, then mustered my last reserves of strength and lunged.
I sidestepped the incoming punch as if it were scripted and rocketed my leg toward the dummy's groin.
"Raaagh!"
Now it felt natural—the heavy strike loaded into the blow, the kick snapping out clean—smashing right into the smooth wooden crotch.
—Snap!
I watched it split from groin to head in reverse, vanishing amid the sound of cracking wood.
✨ LEVEL UP! ✨ Growth Rate: 100% (100/100) Remaining Balance: 660,000 won [Training] advances to the next stage [ㅁ○●●●] Initiation: 2nd Dan Art ◈ Integrated Combat Arts
◈ Basic Fist and Kick Technique ◈ Basic Footwork ◈ Basic Lightweight Skill ◈ Basic Qi Circulation Growth Rate: 0% "Ugh... real footwork? Urk..."
As the final dummy dissolved, strange knowledge flooded my mind.
The world spun in dizzying circles. I bowed my head, dry-heaving, when Snowy leaped onto my shoulder.
I felt her weight there, her tiny front paw gently stroking my cheek.
"You okay?"
"Stomach's... churning. Gonna die. Hoo..."
After deep breaths for a while, the dizziness gradually faded.
I scooped up Snowy, who had been rubbing my cheek nonstop, and held her close.
"I'm good now. Thanks, Snowy."
"Rest!"
"Yeah, I should. We can head back to where we were, right?"
Snowy nodded her paw, and in the blink of an eye, we were back atop the rooftop room bed.
"Home sweet home."
The endless fields and clouds were gone, leaving a stuffy feeling in their place.
As my chest tightened, I considered letting out a good yell, but then felt Snowy's fluffiness in my arms. Glancing down, there she was, nestled against me.
"Snowy, you can come here too?"
"Yup!"
"I see..."
The quiet room felt grimy the moment the stream ended, but holding the little Snowy made it brighten up somehow.
"Let's wash up and crash. I'm beat."
I considered soaking in the cheap tub I'd cleaned, but exhaustion won out. Quick shower it was.
I stripped and stepped into the bathroom, turning on the water. Warm spray poured from the showerhead mounted on the wall.
"Snowy, mind if I shampoo you?"
She just tilted her head, clueless about shampoo.
"Makes your fur all fluffy and scented. But you're already like that, so maybe you don't need it?"
"Love it!"
I pumped some shampoo and worked it into her fur. She was so small that one pump turned her into a bubble blob—you couldn't even see her.
"Haha. Where'd you go, Snowy?"
The bubble-hidden Snowy jumped up onto my head and started soaking under the shower.
"Snowy, now all the bubbles'll run down my hair."
She rolled around playfully on my head without falling off. Definitely not your average rabbit.
"What rabbit likes water this much?"
"Love it!"
Thanks to her antics, I had to shampoo twice before finally emerging from the bathroom.
"C'mere, Snowy. Time to dry off."
To open the shop, I'd sold everything at home. Aside from my phone and computer, the hairdryer was just about the only electronic left. I grabbed it.
While I toweled off, Snowy wandered wetly around the place until she heard me and trotted over.
"Where you exploring? Get over here."
She hopped straight onto my lap. I started blow-drying her fur.
"Wheee!"
"Just ordinary stuff. What was it like back home?"
"Dark! Red!"
"Sounds wild."
As I chatted and dried her, she flipped herself around without prompting.
"All done. Nice and fluffy. Let's hit the sack."
I picked her up and flopped onto the bed. Fatigue crashed over me. I rubbed my face dry and lowered my hand—Snowy claimed my palm as her spot.
"Gotta sleep right there?"
"Love it!"
I rolled onto my side, watching her nuzzle every inch of my palm before curling up and drifting off.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Squinting against the flood of sunlight, I woke to find Snowy first thing—curled asleep on my palm.
I didn't dare move, afraid of waking her.
With my other hand, I checked my phone. Messages had piled up overnight.
Rin unnie: Ga-eul, you home?
> Rin unnie: Eaten dinner?
>
...
>
...
I skipped the barrage of questions and checked the TripleNet private community. It was chaos.
📰 Breaking News [Guild Leader, if you're dead just say so] 💬 Comments — Red Parade She really dead fr? — dhgkaak Dead ppl can't reply dummy — Non-Participating Mayo Rice ↳ Reply lololol — Dullureuya ↳ Reply Did the prez trade his skills for cash lol — Wasabi Bean Powder Guild leader post a selca NOW!!!!!!!!! Rin unnie had bombarded me with texts after no reply by dinner, right after I'd conked out. And TripleNet had exploded too—no heads-up on going dark.
"This is nuts."
Guess using every ounce of strength yesterday made me crash hard. Even sleeping early, I didn't wake till the sun was high.
As I assessed the mess on my phone, I felt a wiggle on my palm—Snowy stirring as I woke.
"Sorry, did I wake you?"
"Hungry."
"You just got up. Eat in a bit."
"Hungry."
I bought a flower from the shop and offered it to the whining Snowy.
Remaining Balance: 560,000 won "Here, your fave white Geumgang lantern flower."
I handed her the flower and stood to smoke. She chomped a petal and hopped to my shoulder.
"Won't the smoke bother you?"
No answer—just enthusiastic munching. I shrugged, grabbed my cigs, and headed to the yard.
"Phew—wanna just roll around on the training ground porch."
Still, damage control first. I called unnie.
—Ga-eul!!!
"Unnie."
—Why didn't you check textsaaaaa
"Crashed early yesterday, missed 'em. Sorry."
—Oh, gotcha. All good!
"Yeah. I'll check next time for sure."
—Cool. Ga-eul, I'm at work—talk later?
"Sure. Gotta tell the kids why I ghosted the stream."
—Yup! Hanging up, call ya soon.
"Mmkay."
I finished my cig during the call, stubbed it, and sat at the computer.
"Snowy, I'm chatting with others soon—no interrupting, okay? People here think talking rabbits are weird."
Snowy shook her head side to side.
"Can't understand me?"
"Nope!"
"Huh? For real?"
"Yup!"
Better than the alternative. I swapped mics and fired up TripleNet.
[Han Ga-eul has started streaming] — Lol Viewers poured in faster than after my prison visit.
— Lmaoooo title pissed me off so bad — Guild leader!!!!! Wanna see you die? — Guild leader gonna actually die? "Hey babies, come on in."
— Wtf lolololol — That voice rings a bell "Your fave 3,000-won mic."
— Give me back my healing — Still got that thing? Lmao — I'm losing my mind I'm losing my mind I'm losing my mind "Sorry, babies. Anger cooled? If so, swapping it now."
— Lol we're cool (forced) — Static af lmao — Dang guild leader's apologies are creative lol — Sorry sorry sorry