Chapter 7. Strange Sightings

The world around Kim Do-Joon blurred. When he regained his senses, he found himself in Seorim-dong Park.

It's been around ten days... I think...

Ten days weren’t really that long. However, he longed for home the entire time he was stuck in the labyrinth.

After basking in the joy of being alive, his gaze fell to the item he held clenched in his hand.

[Teleportation Stone]

Rarity

- Rare

Classification

- Teleportation Stone

Effect

- Returns the user to the real world. Can only be used inside a labyrinth.

I thought I’d need to use this teleportation stone to get out. I guess not...

Contrary to his assumption, he found himself back in Seorim-dong Park before he could even think about using the stone.

Perhaps it's meant for the next labyrinth.

Considering the key he had received indicated that a second labyrinth awaited him, the Teleportation Stone could very well be meant for it as well. Since he didn’t plan to make a hasty return, he just stashed it away in his inventory for now.

Looks like the dungeon’s closed.

The complete disappearance of the telltale roots that had once stretched across Seorim-dong Park evidenced a safe closure. Coupled with his ten-day-long disappearance, he had likely been written off as a dungeon refugee.

Kim Do-Joon wanted to contact the Association, but the moon’s position in the sky told him that it was almost dusk—way past business hours.

I don’t have my phone with me anyway.

Items from Earth could not pass through the roots of the World Tree and into dungeons. They would merely vanish once past the gate. In fact, one of the stories that often made the rounds was about a large exploration team making its first venture into a dungeon only to return buck naked. Wary of suffering the same fate, Hunters had since started wearing equipment crafted with dungeon resources.

For that same reason, Kim Do-Joon left his phone with Lee Ji-Ah. However, he wasn’t too worried.

I can just get it back tomorrow.

Right now, he only had one thing on his mind.

Kim Do-Joon hailed a taxi and told the driver his destination.

"Wonsan Hospital, please."

"Yes, sir," the driver replied.

Considering it was still early in the evening, it couldn’t be past visiting hours yet.

Kim Do-Joon buckled up and sank into the cushioned backseat, a wave of exhaustion taking hold as the everpresent tension of the past few days drained away. Nevertheless, his mind remained clear.

He took off the ring that adorned his finger. It was his third reward for clearing the labyrinth. Although it was initially delivered as a mystery box," instead of in an actual box, it came in a system message that unveiled the item when he pressed it.

[Ring of the Axe-Wielding Arreina Tribe]

Description

- A ring bestowed upon the children of the Arreina Tribe—rulers of the jungle—when they safely turn three. It is blessed with a shaman’s prayers for health and longevity.

Rarity

- Rare

Classification

- Accessory

Effects

- Vitality Level + 5

- Fire Resistance + 5%

- Poison Resistance + 5%

Under normal circumstances, it would be prudent to keep the ring for his own use. After all, he could use it to strengthen himself and challenge higher-level dungeons and labyrinths for better rewards.

However, that all flew out the window when it came to his daughter. This ring’s effects seemed almost tailor-made for her.

Fiddling with the ring in his hand, Kim Do-Joon whispered her name softly.

"So-Eun..."

About twenty minutes later, the taxi pulled up at the hospital.

***

Upon his arrival, Kim Do-Joon encountered a familiar nurse. The nurse, who had been a long time caretaker of his daughter, looked as if she had seen a ghost. He greeted her with an awkward smile.

"You’re... So-Eun’s dad, right? Is that really you?" Jung Da-Jung asked, her voice doused in terror. "I heard you’ve become a dungeon refugee..."

"I had, but I was lucky enough to return," Kim Do-Joon replied.

Jung Da-Jung excitedly clasped her hands together. "Oh, thank goodness! That’s such a relief!"

She certainly was rich in emotions and had a hearty demeanor.

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"How is So-Eun doing?" Kim Do-Joon asked.

"Oh, So-Eun? Her condition thankfully hasn't worsened. She's just been looking a bit glum without you around," Jung Da-Jung explained. She then smiled, imagining how happy Kim So-Eun would be to see her father.

"Did you tell her about the incident...?"

"I wasn’t sure how I would break it to her, so I just told her that you’ve been busy.

Haha...

"

"I couldn’t have handled it better. Thank you so much."

Thinking about his frail daughter grieving her missing father made Kim Do-Joon’s heart ache.

The two chatted on their way to So-Eun’s room. When Kim Do-Joon tried to open the door, Jung Da-Jung grabbed his hand.

Taken aback, he asked, "What’s wrong?"

Jung Da-Jung smiled playfully. "

Shh

. Just wait a second."

She then entered the room alone, leaving Kim Do-Joon behind with a puzzled look on his face.

"So-Eun, we have a visitor," Jung Da-Jung said.

"A visitor?" So-Eun replied.

"Yup. Do you want to guess who?"

Kim So-Eun pondered. "Hmm."

Hearing her voice, a wave of relief washed over Kim Do Joon.

"Here's a hint! It's the person you've been wanting to see the most," Jung Da-Jung said with a smile.

"... Daddy? Is Daddy here?"

Tap, tap, tap, tap...

Kim Do-Joon listened to the sound of her slippers. Before long, the door opened, revealing a little girl holding onto the handle with both hands.

"So-Eun!" Kim Do-Joon greeted.

"Daddy!"

Kim So-Eun ran and hugged her father's knees.

Smiling, he knelt and lifted her up. Right now, he was neither a shopkeeper, another Gatherer among many, nor the slayer of countless labyrinth-dwelling Skeletons.

He was simply a father.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Kim So-Eun called out with excitement.

Kim Do-Joon patted her small back. "I’m here, princess. Have you been good?"

Giggling, she clung to him. "Of course!"

Kim So-Eun was such a truly beautiful girl that she put child actors to shame. Even though she was still a child, she already had distinctive features, large eyes, and graceful facial contours. Kim Do-Joon’s biased opinion as a father aside, anybody who had met Kim So-Eun expressed as much... and Kim Do-Joon agreed, as a matter of course.

"Daddy, what took you so long?" Kim So-Eun asked.

"Sorry, I was busy with work. Did you wait long?"

"Yeah..."

When they returned to the room, Kim Do-Joon carrying his daughter, Jung Da-Jung gazed at them with an air of satisfaction.

"Well then, I'll leave the two of you be. I'll see you again during check-up later today," she said.

"Thank you always for taking care of So-Eun," Kim Do-Joon replied.

"Don’t mention it. It's my pleasure."

Once she had left, Kim Do-Joon tried to bring Kim So-Eun back to her bed, but she persistently clung to him. It took some time to loosen her grip enough to seat her.

Tucking her hair behind her ear, he asked, "How are you feeling? Does it hurt anywhere?"

"Not really! I was fine yesterday and the day before that too!" Kim So-Eun said.

"That's good."

Although he was still worried, he was certainly glad to hear that.

Kim So-Eun was afflicted with Congenital Mana Disorder, the scientific name of which was far more complex. The condition emerged with the advent of the World Tree and mana, the mysterious energy that accompanied it.

When wielded by Awakeners, mana typically grew in potency with physical training. However, some children were born with an immense amount of it. With their young and yet-to-awaken bodies unable to handle the strain, they were fated to suffer a painful and premature death. The longest-lived case died at the age of seventeen.

So-Eun is already six years old.

Realizing that they probably only had ten years left, Kim Do-Joon grew depressed. Modern medical technology could only suppress the symptoms of So-Eun’s disease. Unfortunately, they hadn’t identified the cause of it yet, let alone create a treatment.

Can a cure be developed within the next ten years?

"Daddy?" Kim So-Eun called with a somber expression. Seeing her father so engrossed in his thoughts seemed to be confusing her. "Yes, sweetheart?" Kim Do-Joon replied.

"Are you feeling sick?"

"No, I'm all fine and dandy!"

Kim Do-Joon mentally reproached himself for inadvertently making his daughter worry. He then dug into his pocket and pulled out a ring. Seeing it sparkle, Kim So-Eun gasped in admiration.

"Wow, that’s pretty!" Kim So-Eun shouted.

"

Umm...

sorry, So-Eun. This one isn’t for you," Kim Do-Joon replied.

Disappointed, she asked, "Huh? It's not?"

Kim Do-Joon felt guilty about getting her hopes up, but it couldn't be helped. The ring could hardly qualify as a gift when it was about to be destroyed. He smiled awkwardly and gently placed the ring against her neck.

[One of the effects of the Ring of the Axe-Wielding Arreina Tribe can be copy-pasted onto Kim So-Eun.]

[Item effects available for copy-pasting:]

1. Vitality Level + 5

2. Fire Resistance + 5%

3. Poison Resistance + 5%

Kim Do-Joon's decision was obvious.

Number one.

[The item effect has been successfully copy-pasted.]

[The Ring of the Axe-wielding Arreina Tribe has been destroyed.]

As the ring turned into dust, Kim So-Eun glowed faintly.

... I wonder if I can check whether or not it stuck.

Without system items, Awakeners could only normally see their own status windows. Naturally, the same went for Kim Do-Joon—at least until his detour through the labyrinth. Upon clearing the boss room, he was inundated with rewards.

[You have gained additional rewards.]

[Ability - Insight]

His new skill allowed him to view other people’s Compatibilities. Activating it, he fixed his gaze on Kim So-Eun and checked her status.

[Kim So-Eun]

Compatibility

- 0%

[Additional Effect]

- Vitality Level + 5

Woah, I can actually see her status window!

Her status window didn’t just show him her Compatibility. It also had an Additional Effects tab, evidencing that he had successfully copy-pasted the item effect onto his daughter.

He didn’t see anything else of significance otherwise. Kim So-Eun was not an Awakener, so it was normal for her Compatibility to be at zero percent.

However, under the Additional Effects tab, something strange caught his attention.

[Condition]

- Nine Yin Absolute Meridians