SWNOVELXO 126. Ember (2)
“Ka-Kalia, you didn’t mention it would burn this intensely!”
[I told you, my name isn’t Kakalia!]
“Kalia, Kalia, Kalia. Happy now?”
As I fiddled with the decorative chain of the monocle, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the enormous flames I’d never seen before. The wildfire covering the hill looked like a predator with its jaws wide open.
[Fire burns most fiercely when it consumes everything!]
I pressed my forehead at the cheerful exclamation. I knew the formula and materials were compatible, but I didn’t expect this level of intensity. If there had been some warning, I wouldn’t have been so surprised.
“Gaho-ssi, are you sure this is alright?” Han Cha-hyun placed his hand on my shoulder, his face tinged red from the flames, as if demanding an explanation. Ah, right. I’d forgotten to explain, overwhelmed by the fire’s scale.
“It should be fine for now. This fire only harms the mirror flowers.”
“…You seemed to be using a skill, but what exactly did you do?”
“Well, remember I told you about receiving pills from the Sixth Princess at Yeongwol Palace? There was one I hadn’t used yet.”
Wailing Pill, Thorn Pill, and Flame Pill. The princess had given me three pills in total. Two were used to bind the Three-Headed Nine-Tailed Fox’s feet, leaving the Flame Pill untouched.
“The Flame Pill, with its strong fire properties, was originally created for patients feeling cold. I just tweaked it a bit.”
And thus, this item was born:
[Multiplier Earthquake Flame Pill (A+)
: An explosive made with special ingredients. Contains a seed of fire.
: Burns only designated targets and then extinguishes itself.
※ The balance is distorted. It will explode if subjected to sufficient impact.]
“I didn’t expect the fire to grow this large either.”
As a test, I pulled a staff from my inventory and waved it through the flames. Not even a trace of soot appeared on it.
“It doesn’t seem dangerous. It’s not even that hot.”
“You’re right, it isn’t.”
“…But please don’t stick your hand in it.”
I grabbed Han Cha-hyun’s sleeve as he fearlessly tried to reach into the fire. I vaguely knew he had a strong sense of curiosity, but not to this extent. Seeming to realize his recklessness, Han Cha-hyun smiled sheepishly at me.
“That wouldn’t be wise, would it?”
“No, it wouldn’t.”
“Haha, you’re quite firm. But what an incredible sight. This must be rare even within the World Tower. Thanks to you, Gaho-ssi, my horizons have broadened.”
While I didn’t think it was something to be thanked for, I could understand the sentiment. The flames spread out like a massive carpet from our feet to the thatched house, creating a truly spectacular scene. Especially considering it only burned the mirror flowers.
‘There’s an overwhelming feeling that comes from seeing something so out of the ordinary.’
Waves of water rushing like a tsunami or thorny vines wrapping around like shackles were impressive too. But they paled in comparison to the fire that seemed ready to devour the world.
“Hm?”
As we waited for the flames to subside, the door of the thatched house suddenly opened. A woman tumbled out, half-rolling. She stood in the yard, frantically turning her head and stamping her feet.
It was the kind of reaction anyone would show upon unexpectedly witnessing a fire.
If the woman became more frightened and flew away as a butterfly, we’d be in trouble. I quickly raised my voice to call out to her.
“Excuse me!”
“…?”
“This fire can’t harm you at all. There’s no need to run away!”
Fortunately, she seemed to hear my voice and nodded with a smile. Then she beckoned to us, as if inviting us over. I might be mistaken, but I sensed a welcoming air in her gesture.
“Shall we go?”
“Well, we have no reason to refuse such an invitation.”
Han Cha-hyun, brushing his glasses frame, leaped into the flames carrying Yun Su-ho before I could stop him. His tone of amazement at how the fire wasn’t hot at all made him sound like someone my age for once.
I wasn’t sure who was being more reckless, him or me. Grumbling inwardly, I followed after him. But soon we had to stop in our tracks.
“Is this some kind of barrier?”
Han Cha-hyun tapped the air in front of the cluster of winter trees surrounding the thatched house. There was a dull thud, as if he’d hit something solid.
I stepped forward and activated my Explorer’s Eye. Indeed, it was as Han Cha-hyun said. I couldn’t understand the exact principle, but a barrier using the winter trees as a medium was protecting the thatched house. This barrier was likely why we couldn’t use our grappling hooks earlier.
“It seems so, but… No, but that was only made once and presented as a…”
The woman sitting on the porch, having invited us over, was now distracted by something else. She was completely absorbed in watching the fire, muttering incomprehensible words.
“Excuse me, we’re here.”
“Could it be that there was another doctor who had the same idea as me!”
“Hello…?”
“Gaho-ssi, let me handle this.”
Seemingly frustrated by my repeated attempts, Han Cha-hyun stepped forward. Knowing he was better at dealing with people than I was, I quietly closed my mouth.
“If you’re referring to the pill that became the seed of this flame, it came from the palace.”
The woman, who had been unresponsive to my calls, immediately raised her head. As if just noticing us, she sprang to her feet.
“Really? So there was still some left! Oh?”
“Now that your question is answered, could you please open the way for us?”
“Oh my, how rude of me. I’ve invited guests and then acted so impolitely. Please, come in.”
As the woman waved her long sleeves, the barrier was lifted. Then, for some reason, she began bustling about inside the house. Even after we crossed the winter tree cluster and entered the yard of the thatched house, her movement didn’t cease.
“Welcoming guests, that’s right! I should bring out some refreshments!”
“Oh, we’re fine, really.”
“Oh dear. I don’t have any sweet snacks to go with the tea. It’s all bitter things…”
She seemed to be the type who couldn’t see anything else once focused on one thing. Once again, Han Cha-hyun stepped in to put the brakes on the woman’s runaway behavior.
“They say bitter things are good for the body, don’t they? We’re grateful for your hospitality towards unexpected guests. Please don’t worry too much about it.”
“Bitter medicine, sweet results! You’re quite knowledgeable! I’ll be right back, please go inside first.”
With surprising strength for her small frame, the woman practically shoved us into the room before disappearing in a flash. Finding ourselves suddenly seated in a warm ondol room, Han Cha-hyun and I exchanged amused glances.
“Well, I suppose we should be thankful she’s not hostile.”
“Thankful indeed. Since we’re here, let’s rest for a bit. We should lay Yun Su-ho down comfortably too.”
“Before that… We might need to make some space.”
The woman’s room was, to put it kindly, lived-in, and to be frank, a complete mess. Writing materials, household items, and herbs were strewn all over the floor, making it difficult to even consider sitting down.
“Lee Kang-to would have fainted if he saw this.”
“Kang-to-ssi? I didn’t think he was that much of a neat freak.”
“You have no idea. He’s like a housekeeping fairy, perfect at everything from cooking to cleaning to laundry.”
Chatting lightly with Han Cha-hyun, we pushed the items to one side. After laying Yun Su-ho down at the edge, Han Cha-hyun and I sat side by side to rest. Perhaps due to the strong scent of grass, I felt my body relax as soon as I sat down and closed my eyes.
Then, Han Cha-hyun spoke up.
“What do you think about this floor, Gaho-ssi?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Nothing much. It’s just quite unique in many ways, isn’t it?”
Han Cha-hyun said with a smile in his voice that he’d been enjoying himself ever since coming to this floor, Ilseon. He was already deeply interested in history and mythology, so there were many things that fascinated him.
“That’s why I like the World Tower. We can encounter things that have already disappeared in our world, things that can’t be proven.”
‘Like,’ he said. I had never thought of the World Tower in that way before. To think there were people who viewed this irregular, irrational world like this. It made me realize anew that everyone has their own perspective.
“Just look at where we are now. We’re in an actual afterlife. Before this phenomenon appeared, it would have been completely unthinkable, right?”
Listening to Han Cha-hyun’s excited voice, a hypothesis I had tucked away in a corner of my mind resurfaced.
“This might be a bit off-topic, but…”
“That’s fine, speak freely.”
“…Coming here reminded me of our previous mission. Didn’t we experience something similar?”
Han Cha-hyun narrowed his eyes at my vague statement. Knowing it might sound absurd, but trusting that this thoughtful person wouldn’t openly mock me, I continued.
“I was thinking, what if we, the players, have been progressing through the main quest with some kind of misinterpretation? To exaggerate a bit, it’s as if we’ve put a full stop based on a misread context.”
“Hmm, and?”
I felt that Han Cha-hyun’s gaze had subtly changed from before. I hoped it wasn’t disappointment. Sighing inwardly, I pressed on.
“If we had looked more closely, and listened more carefully, there might have been a different ending. Well, it’s just my speculation, of course.”
Aware that I had no solid evidence for my words, my gaze dropped to the floor. As expected, Han Cha-hyun, who had been quiet for a moment, pointed out the flaw in my argument.
“The sample size is too small. It’s difficult to generalize based on just two instances.”
“Yes, that’s why I…”
“However, I’m inclined to agree with your opinion. If what you’re saying is true, it means we’re finding lost context through hidden quests.”
Han Cha-hyun smiled gently, adding that he found the idea romantic. Caught off guard by his reaction, I couldn’t bring myself to respond.
“And who knows? We might find more examples.”
“I didn’t realize you were so optimistic, Hunter Han Cha-hyun.”
“I’m not like this about everything. Well, I’d like to discuss this more, but it seems we’re out of time for today. It looks like Butterfly-nim has arrived.”
Our brief conversation ended with the appearance of a shadowy figure stumbling behind the paper door. As Han Cha-hyun opened the door, the woman entered awkwardly, carrying a tray of refreshments.
“Butterfly-nim? What an interesting title. No one here calls each other that, since it’s all butterflies and flowers… Though now it’s just me.”
The woman, setting down the tray, couldn’t hide her amazement at how clean the room had become. And that was just from pushing everything to one side.
“You’re quite skilled. How did you tidy up so neatly?”
“Haha, you’re too kind. If you don’t like being called Butterfly-nim, how should we address you?”
“Just my name. Three syllables are enough.”
The woman, picking up the tea set to pour the tea, smiled with her eyes gently curved.
“I apologize for the late introduction. My name is Sa Mok-yeong. I was originally a doctor, but now I’m acting as the caretaker of the Western Garden of Flowers.”