CH 41

“Grandma, are you awake?”

“Uh.….”

It was at dawn when Grandma, Kim Deokyi, opened her eyes.

It was fortunate that Ki Yoohyun had a potion and we were able to treat the wound in the abdomen immediately. After that, she was admitted to the hospital where the rest of the wounds were treated.

The doctor said it would have been dangerous if it was a little late because she was old and the cut was not good.

“Sir, why can’t Grandma wake up? Don’t tell me … are there any other abnormalities?”

Even though all the trauma was treated, Grandma was still unconscious.

The explanation given by the tired doctor as he rummaged through the charts was not very reassuring.

“Because she’s old … she had a lot of shocks on her body. I think we have to wait a little longer.”

“Yes….”

Before moving to the hospital, we immediately reported the incident to the police, but neither the assailant who stabbed Grandma nor the arsonist could be caught.

I remembered the man I ran into at the entrance to the workshop. I remembered the strangely hurried footsteps of a man who wore his hat tightly. It was clear that he was the culprit.

‘I think I’ve seen that person somewhere….’

His face was covered by the hat, but his body shape and jawline were somehow familiar.

It would have been helpful if I looked more closely. I felt sorry for it was regrettable.

There was nothing I could do now. Still, didn’t want to go back, leaving Grandma alone, so I decided to stay at the hospital.

Ki Yoohyun also remained in the hospital room.

Oh, come to think of it, I couldn’t even say thank you due to the hecticness.. If he hadn’t come on time, I would have been really in danger.

“Yoohyun-ssi, you saved my life. Thank you.”

“Rieul-ssi.”

“Yes?”

He, who was standing next to me, came closer to me.

Without realizing it, I took a step back.

One more step forward.

I took another step back, too.

Ki Yoohyun asked as I continued to step back with a gap of two steps.

“What’s wrong?”

“That … it’s just….”

I know it looks weird, but I couldn’t bear to see his face up close. This is because I have not yet developed immunity to that sparkling face.

Especially when he ran into the entrance of the burning workshop, he almost looked like a savior.

Ugh, it’s blinding.

“So … anyway, just go ahead.”

“…..Ha.”

Ki Yoohyun gave up on approaching me and pointed to my hand instead.

“I hope you get treatment.”

“……Ah.”

I looked into my palm. I was injured while trying to escape with Grandma. It’s a little bit hurt, but not severe.

“This is okay, I can apply medicine later.”

Ki Yoohyun frowned slightly as if he didn’t like my answer.

“……I’m sorry.”

“Yes? What?”

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t think of anything for him to apologize to me. However, Ki Yoohyun looked very distressed.

“I was complacent. I shouldn’t have let Rieul-ssi go alone … I was careless because I thought there was still time left. The future can change as much as it wants.”

I’m not sure what he’s talking about….

He said he’s sorry for putting me in danger alone … but how can Ki Yoohyun predict that an arsonist would appear in Grandma Kim Deokyi’s workshop today? Yeah, even as a regressor, I didn’t know that.

Ki Yoohyun, who was looking at me with an apologetic expression, took a bottle from his inventory and sprinkled what was inside on my hand.

“Uwah, it’s cold …. Oh?”

“Don’t be surprised. It’s a potion.”

As soon as the transparent liquid was sprayed on the palm, the wound began to heal. The palm of the hand quickly returned to a state without a scratch. Not only that, but somehow I felt energized and relieved from fatigue.

At that moment, a notification sounded.

[The status has been restored to the maximum by the effect of the Advanced Potion (★★★★☆).]

Just by looking at the name, it looked too expensive to be used for scratches on the palm.

“….Thank you.”

After thanking him awkwardly, there was silence again.

The police came for a while, but they returned after saying that the case would be transferred to to the Dungeon Management Ofice. It’s because the culprit who stabbed Grandma is most likely a Hunter.

Trying to kill such a good person….

They have to be caught and thrown in jail. I swallowed my anger inwardly.

Ki Yoohyun must have felt the same way as me.

“The culprit … will be caught, right?

“They’ll be caught.”

Given that he answered the question with a sense of urgency.

Then, I suddenly remembered Ki Yoohyun’s skill.

If it wasn’t for Ki Yoohyun’s skill, it would have been a very dangerous moment. This is because the fire spread too quickly in the barrel where the arsonist sprayed gasoline.

However, the skill was really mysterious. As soon as the delicate particles of light became dense nets and covered the surroundings, the texture of the air changed.

Is it a magic skill? No, it’s a little more….

“Yoohyun-ssi, the skill you used earlier…..”

The moment I was about to ask what the skill is….

The nurse called us to inform that Grandma woke up. I forgot what I was going to say and rushed to Grandma.

“Grandma, how are you?”

Grandma, who only blinked for a while, opened her lips. A faint trembling voice came out.

“….What happened?”

“I went to the workshop today and you collapsed, so I took you to the hospital.”

“The workshop … Ah!”

Grandma jumped to her feet.

It was such a strong force that it was hard to believe that she’s an injured person. In her eyes, a fiery spark flashed. She seems to have remembered what had happened.

“Lie down more. You still need to rest.”

“What happened to the workshop?”

“It’s …. there was a fire, but it is now extinguished … Grandma?!”

Before I could finish speaking, Grandma got up from the bed and left the hospital room.

There was no time to stop her because she was so fast.

“Wait, Grandma, let’s go together!”

Ki Yoohyun and I chased after her in a hurry.

***

The eastern sky is bright in the twilight.

Arriving at the entrance of the workshop, Grandma collapsed.

“Ah, unbelievable….!”

The workshop building was a mess. Numerous items were broken or burned. The black soot showed how terrible the fire that hit this place was.

Ki Yoohyun approached the grieving old lady quietly.

“I’m sorry. I put out the fire, but I couldn’t save the workshop.”

“….No, that’s enough. I wouldn’t have survived without you.”

“Is there anyone you think is the culprit?”

“The culprit … well, he’s … oh, no way!”

Grandma, who jumped up again, headed inside the burned workshop. She opened the soot-blackened door and entered the small room next to it.

There was no sign of fire, but the inside was a mess.

The shelf collapsed and items were spilling onto the floor. Grandma picked up one of the broken glass bottles and let out a sigh.

“Oh my god….”

The broken glass bottle was empty.

“Grandma, what’s wrong?”

“This is a bottle of dark ether that I kept.”

“What?”

The same was true of other glass bottles. I looked at the floor, but nothing was intact.

“Now there is no dark ether left. To get a new one … I don’t know how long it will take … I’m sorry.”

It was a heavy voice.

“……”

On the day of the first snow, a dungeon that killed Choi Yichan will occur.

Even if I tried to save the dark ether from now on, there was a high possibility that I would not be able to make it in time.

Then again, just like in the past….

My eyes darkened.

As I stepped on the floor with a sigh, I suddenly remembered the hand mirror I found in the space.

Come to think of it, I haven’t been able to return it yet. It’s a pity it’s broken, but wouldn’t she feel a bit better if she received this?

I rummaged through my inventory, pulled out a hand mirror, and held it out to Grandma.

“I found the mirror that Grandma described. I’m sorry. It’s broken, but please take this.”

“……broken?”

“Yes, I touched it and it cracked.”

“……!”

Grandma took the hand mirror with a surprised expression. She then looked carefully at the broken marks.

“This mirror is an artifact modeled after The Mirror of Nitocris. Unless its effectiveness is exhausted, it is something that cannot be broken by human power.”

“…..Huh?”

It just broke…..? It cracked the moment I touched it, really lightly.

Maybe I have a hidden power too? Am I the one who is secretly strong?

I was drowning in vain thoughts.

“Wait, since it’s broken….!”

At that moment, Grandma, who remembered something, turned the broken piece of the mirror upside down.

Slurp.

An amorphous black lump came out from the back of the mirror.

What on earth is this?

The lump was the size of a little fingernail, and the texture was like a sticky liquid or a gas. When she put it in the bottle, it gave off a strange blinking light.

As I stared with curious mind, Grandma said.

“This is dark ether.”

It’s the dark ether.

It was my first time seeing it in person, so I couldn’t realize it well.

“I’d rather be glad it was broken. It took a small amount of dark ether to process this mirror. It’s a small amount, but if I reprocess this, I think I can make one item.”

“Yes? However … this is the mirror Grandma was looking for.”

“It’s all right. After all, it’s something that has been used. It would be more meaningful to help Miss Rieul.”

Having said that, Grandma got up. She started looking for tools to craft items in the messy workshop. Unlike before, Grandma’s face was full of vitality.

“Wait a minute.”

I told her to go back to the hospital, but she didn’t listen at all. Reluctantly, I left Grandma, who engrossed in her work, and came out into the workshop’s front yard.

It’s been about an hour.

“Take this.”

Grandma came out of the door and handed me something.

It was a pendant made by reprocessing the broken hand mirror. At the end of the thin chain was a small water drop-shaped stone. A strange light seemed to twinkle within the black stone.

Immediately, the status window of the item appeared.

[Black Pendant (★★☆☆☆)

A common design, but used as a token of friendship.

Type: Accessories

There was no special effect, but it was clearly written as ‘dark‘.

“…..Thank you!”

I finally found it.

With this…..

“You said you needed it to save a friend.”

“Yes.”

Grandma said with a soft smile.

“I hope I can be of help.”

Her smile, as if reminiscent of someone who was not here, seemed somewhat affectionate.

***

The day after I got the pendant.

“Haa….”

“Rieul-ah, how about putting it on like this?”

“Is it horizontal? Umh, I think it’s a little crooked … If I do this, this side is tilted. I will try again.”

Choi Yichan was looking at the store sign on the wall.

It was a weight that was difficult for me to lift with both hands, but Choi Yichan held it lightly with one hand. He looked around and positioned it carefully.

“Is this okay? … Uh, what’s with your expression?”

“Huh? Oh, no. Nothing.”

Choi Yichan looked at me worriedly.

“What’s the matter?”

“No … Yichan-ah, do you think about the sign? Does it look okay?”

“Eh? Yes! It’s very cool and sophisticated.”

“….really?”

“I don’t know much about this, but …. it’s so pretty!”

There is no lie on his beaming face. Choi Yichan’s positive response was a bit tempting.

“It’s a picture of a worm, right? It’s unique.”

“….”

“Uh, wrong? Then … is it a snake?”

“….”

“Mieum, can’t you change this sign?”

Mieum answered my whisper in a conceited tone.

“Kiyaooong (That’s why you should have put my name on it)!”

“Mieum knows all the difficult words.”

“Waeoong (Ahem)!”

“Ha…..”

On this sunny day, the reason I sighed when I saw a signboard that isn’t clear whether it was an earthworm or a snake, goes back to yesterday.