🔊 TTS Settings
~Chapter 15~
I licked my lips, thinking about the Hanwoo beef set that came out of the random box.
It was safely sealed for now, placed near the cold spring that acted as a natural refrigerator—should stay fresh for a couple of days.
‘Need salt to grill it properly… raw, it won’t taste good…’
…Wait a second.
Did the system intentionally not give me salt?
Trying to nudge me into going to the village to buy it…!
‘Seriously? What kind of mastermind is this…!!’
I was cursing the system silently when Ninabel fidgeted nervously and spoke up.
“Master…! If I spread out and carry you…!”
No. That would be way too slow.
We’d tried that method before. Muriel’s body is light, but not feather-light—probably around 45 kg.
A low-rank water spirit would get tired instantly carrying that weight. The pace slows to a crawl.
“You just keep pulling the cart.”
Right. Ninabel’s job was to haul the cart filled with strawberries and vegetables.
By the way, Lysian had whipped up the cart himself. Amazing craftsmanship.
When I asked if he could make furniture too, he said yes… suddenly spending coins on furniture felt like a waste.
‘I should have had Lysian make furniture and used the coins to unlock the hidden shop…’
Either way, riding on Lysian instead of Ninabel wasn’t an option.
Wouldn’t he get tired too? Even with 999 stamina…
“Master, let me carry you. At this rate, you’ll collapse before reaching the village.”
Lysian hit me with cold truth again. Yeah… I could already feel a body ache coming.
Sighing, I had no choice but to follow his suggestion.
“Tell me if it gets too heavy. I’ll get down immediately.”
“I’m fine. You know my stamina is excellent.”
“No matter how much stamina you have, you’re still human…”
I stopped mid-sentence.
…Right. I almost forgot. He might not even be human!
Lysian (Lv. ???): ?? ??, Male. Worker with exceptional physical abilities. Muscle loss unlikely ever!
His info still showed question marks. I’d have to wait until he revealed himself.
I was itching to ask, but held back. What’s his reason for hiding it?
“Master, please get on.”
“….”
Already ready, he prompted me again. I climbed onto his back without hesitation.
Wrapping my arms around his neck, I felt him lift my thighs and hoist me up.
“Not heavy?”
“Not at all.”
I asked, worried, but he shrugged it off casually, a faint smile in his voice.
…Just like that time when he asked, “Why am I so cute?”
My heart skipped another beat.
‘Damn arrhythmia!’
Probably from the poor meal earlier. I’ll have to buy something good in the village.
Lysian walked at a steady pace, neither too fast nor too slow.
Cottony clouds blocked the sun, and the air was slightly cool. Still, my cheeks felt hot.
‘Why am I so warm? It’s still chilly…’
I sighed and buried my face into his shoulder. The fresh, clean scent of the forest came off him.
No perfume… yet somehow this natural scent?
I tried to control my breathing, worried I’d seem creepy if I sniffed too much. My heart still raced.
“All right, Master, you’re surprisingly light—like a feather. I could even run like this.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s not that light.”
“No, really. Want to test it?”
Confidently, he shifted into a running stance.
“Hold on tight.”
His tone carried mischief and the arrogance of someone who trusts his own strength.
For a moment, I wondered about his true identity.
“…!”
He took off running. Reflexively, I hugged his neck tightly, eyes squeezed shut.
The cold wind brushed my skin. Muriel’s pale emerald hair fluttered like waves.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t blindingly fast. Lysian adjusted his pace for me.
That… made me feel strangely… flustered.
“Are you okay, Master?”
“Yeah.”
“Let me know if you feel dizzy.”
“I’m fine.”
Really.
Riding Lysian was… comfortable, stable, even. He moved almost like a ninja—smooth and precise.
Could someone do that without training?
While pondering, Lysian gently slowed to a stop.
Blinking in surprise, I looked at his profile, noticing golden eyes fixed on something.
I followed his gaze, and what I saw was…
“Wow…”
A vast, stunning lake reflecting the bright blue sky.
“Beautiful.”
“Yes. But…”
I already knew the rest. This lake was polluted too.
At first glance, the reflection hid it, but up close, the water was dark purple.
‘It’s huge… can’t purify all at once.’
My purification skill only covered one pyeong at a time.
With steady leveling, maybe I could increase the range… but not yet.
Anyway.
“Let’s rest here for a bit. You must be tired too.”
“I’m fine. But if you want to rest, we can.”
He didn’t look exhausted at all, but I felt guilty making him run carrying me. So, I decided we’d rest for a bit.
“Twenty minutes. Let me down.”
“As you wish, Master.”
Lysian slowly crouched. I stepped off carefully, looking around.
Across the path was a wide lakeshore and dense forest.
“Let’s rest under that tree.”
I pointed to a large tree by the lake. Its wide trunk and thick leaves made it perfect.
‘I’ll purify at least this spot, so we can rest here later too.’
I gently placed my hand on the dark purple trunk.
Flash!
As always, opalescent light burst from my fingertips. But… this felt different.
‘Huh…?’
The light spread much wider than usual.
Eyes wide, I watched as the system triggered a new notification with a celebratory sound.
New area purified!
Massive XP gained!
Purification skill leveled up!
Lv. 3 → Lv. 4
Purifiable area increased to 4 pyeong.
Usable up to 3 times per day.
Remaining uses: 3
(Level-up reset the usage count.)
“Whoa.”
“…Master?”
I said it aloud, and Lysian looked at me curiously.
I turned to him, smiling, as a gentle breeze carried the scent of flowers.
Following the scent, I looked around.
The area near the large tree—about 4 pyeong—was now a meadow full of wildflowers.
The plants I’d thought were dead were actually tiny white flowers.
They blossomed, transforming the scene into something breathtaking.
I leaned against the tree, smiling, and gestured for Lysian.
“Come sit here. You too, Ninabel.”
“Master! Did you purify this?”
“Yes.”
Ninabel flew into my arms eagerly.
Lysian, staring coldly at Ninabel at first, softened his expression when our eyes met and sat beside us.
“You really are amazing, Master.”
Embarrassed by his praise, I unpacked the lunch Ninabel had brought from the cart.
Skills seemed to level up with experience. No XP display, but still…
‘I didn’t expect the purifiable area to jump from 1 to 4 pyeong.’
Level 4 = 4 pyeong… maybe level 8 = 8 pyeong?
Hard to say for sure, but if this continues…
‘One day, I might be able to purify this entire lakeshore… or even the whole polluted area.’
