They really shouldn’t have made someone already in a rush feel even more anxious.
There was always a reason when someone who could live without breaking the law resorted to violence.
Jurim admitted without fuss that trying to starve Chun Gyuri and Ham Honggi inside the RP dungeon had been a bad move. Blinded by revenge, he’d completely forgotten how absurdly random RP dungeons were.
Still, acknowledgement came with growth.
Revenge could wait until he was out of the RP dungeon. And for that, he had to clear it as fast as possible.
No matter how ~Nоvеlight~ things were tangled up, that strawberry-whatever candy errand took top priority for him.
Staring out the window with a bored look, Jurim suddenly asked,
“Conductor. Got any kids?”
“Yes! Five of them. They’re young and frail, can’t live without me.”
“Yeah? Must be nice. Mine’s the kind who’ll do fine without me.”
“Ah...”
“She’s a genius.”
“Ahh...!”
“Lucky you, conductor.”
“I-I’m sorry.”
The conductor apologized, though he had no idea why he was even apologizing.
The guy boasting about his kid being a genius was the one talking down, not him.
“I’ve got a question, since you have five kids.”
“Y-Yes! Ask me anything!”
“How’d you hear ‘dad’ for the first time?”
Jurim was curious.
Was becoming family, becoming a dad, really such a big deal? Is that why his mood was so twisted? Was that all it took?
“Uh, well... I taught them. When they were learning to talk, I taught them to say ‘daddy’...”
“What if that doesn’t work? If the kid already speaks fluently and knows the word, but just doesn’t call you that because she doesn’t think of you that way?”
The conductor hesitated, searching for an answer that wouldn’t piss off this delinquent.
“Well... you’re still blood-related, so there’s that pull of shared blood, you know?”
Most people liked those kinds of destined, unavoidable ties.
“Ah, blood ties...”
Dragging out his words, Jurim stared right at him. A gust of cigarette smoke blew past.
“Bad answer.”
Everything was a damn minefield. That fucking wolf bastard.
The real problem was that he had to spend four more fucking days with this wolf bastard.
Meanwhile, time passed peacefully at the flying squirrel farm.
Day 8.
Clear skies.
The oak tree was now as tall as Guru.
But the acorns hadn’t grown yet.
Master Uncle was good at cooking.
Serhi Oppaw was not.
When Master Uncle ate something bad, he gagged.
Guru drew a picture of Siwon throwing up, and next to him, a picture of Serhi breathing fire.
Day 9.
Cloudy skies.
Mood: good.
Guru hoped the acorns would grow faster. She gave the oak some syrup to help it grow.
It grew a lot. Way too much... why?
Today, they packed their things. Master Uncle said the acorns would ripen soon, so they needed to be ready to leave.
Serhi Oppaw returned Cheche’s peach. Cheche cried quietly in the bathroom. Guru went over and patted his shoulder.
What was Guildmastuh doing?
Guru drew a picture of Jurim. Next to him, the flying squirrel was holding his hand.
Day 10.
Clear skies.
Mood: good.
The oak tree...
[Purifying Oak Tree]
[Condition: Abundant]
[Very Comfortable]
[Lifespan: 10/40]
Abundant!
Just like the status window said, the oak tree was loaded with acorns hanging from every branch.
Its lifespan had increased by ten whole days compared to the trees they’d seen before
That’s incredible!
With Guru standing in the middle, Siwon and Serhi looked up side by side.
“Yellow Guru, didn’t you say this oak tree doesn’t grow that big?”
Serhi gestured below his waist.
“You said this was the most it grows.”
“Acchaa, it gwowed mowe.”
“That’s it?”
“Uh-huh.”
Guru nodded meekly. The ones she saw before really didn’t grow any bigger than that...
Guru didn’t think it’d gwow this much eidew.
The oak tree now towered above the tallest of them—Jin Siwon.
Its branches stretched far, its leaves were so thick that they completely blocked out the sunlight when you stepped inside the farm.
Why did it gwow dat much?
Guru’s eyes rolled around. Was it the syrup?
“Chwik-chwik-chwik! Chwi-chwik!” (It’s thanks to Mister Flying Squirrel! There’s gonna be a huge acorn harvest!)
From behind them, Cheche rushed in to offer an excuse.
“A harvest?”
“That’s a good thing, then.”
Guru and Siwon responded, but only Serhi frowned, unable to understand Squirrel-speak.
“Well, let’s start looking for the special acorns.”
“Acown!”
Guru raised her tiny clenched fist in the air.
“They all just look like regular acorns to me.”
“Same.”
“Acown!”
Once again, Guru raised her tiny fist and cheered.
Siwon hurriedly turned to Cheche.
“Cheche, is there one that glows gold or looks special?”
“Chweet?”
Cheche tilted his head like he’d never heard of such a thing before.
Then, understanding by instinct, Serhi asked,
“Hey, did we screw up the whole harvest?”
“Uhh...”
“Acown messed up?!”
Siwon shut his mouth as both of them turned to him for answers, looking troubled.
They needed special acorns to purify the Contaminated Zone. But no matter how hard he looked, the ones on the tree were just... normal.
With a helpless expression, Siwon muttered gravely,
“Should’ve bought the essential farmer item from that raccoon merchant back then...”
“Hot! ‘Cause you didn’t have woyaw jewwy?”
Watching them, Serhi facepalmed. You’re still hung up on that raccoon?!
“God, this is so fucking dumb. That shit was a total scam!”
Siwon gave him a terrifying silent glare.
“Um... supa-scam?”
Guru gently corrected the word, and Serhi tried again.
“S-supa scam, okay?!”
“Hm.”
Was that okay? Did that sound close enough? Serhi was a little confused.
“Let’s split up and each search an area for special acorns.”
“Yesh!”
“Haaah...”
Guru eagerly raised her hand to Siwon’s suggestion, while Serhi let out a long sigh.
Guru immediately began rummaging through her bag.
Special supa acown...
She pulled out a magnifying glass with a little mustache on it.
Maybe dis wiww hewp us spot it!
“Whewe shouwd Gwuu go?”
Wearing the mustached magnifier under her eyes, Guru asked.
Siwon had to cover his mouth.
“Cute Guru can go to the center. If you feel mana or see a special tree, let me know.”
“Okaaay!”
Guru beamed and trotted off toward the center Siwon pointed out.
Siwon took the left side, Serhi took the right.
I don’t sense any mana...
Would the magnifier detect it instead?
Surely this wasn’t a total failure?
Guru scoured up and down nervously.
Light?
Guru looked up, chasing a glimmer. The light was shimmering at the top of the tree.
High up!
Even jumping didn’t reach it.
She tried leaping again, then tried climbing like a squirrel—but nothing worked.
The oak tree rustled its leaves like it was laughing at her.
When Guru pulled up the oak tree’s status window, it read:
[Purifying Oak Tree]
[Condition: Abundant]
[Looking Down on You...]
[Lifespan: 10/40]
Wude!
Guru shook with fury.
I need hewp!
Whipping her head left and right, she peeked out from behind the trunk toward where Serhi was.
He sat hunched, holding two acorns like he was some chick-gender expert, eyes narrowed in judgment.
“Oppaw.”
“Y-Yeah, I’m working hard. Not slacking off or anything.”

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