“I respect you!” the Rainbow Bird declared, not just once but twice.
Silence hung in the air. Do-Jun didn’t say anything for a while. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the Hangul workbook in the Rainbow Bird’s hands. Why was this in its hands? Still, that wasn’t the main problem right now.
“I-I-I love Earth,” the Rainbow Bird stuttered.
Its twitching eyes darted around, avoiding Do-Jun’s gaze. Its eyes were unfocused, wavering unsteadily, while its complexion was pale, almost as if it was about to collapse. Its breath was short, and its hands trembled violently.
Over the years, Do-Jun had encountered many in similar situations. He wasn’t going to miss the unspoken plea behind the Rainbow Bird’s words.
Please spare me, the Rainbow Bird thought as his eyes silently begged for mercy.
Do-Jun let out a brief sigh and took the Hangul for Children workbook from Rainbow Bird’s hands to examine it. The book was well-used, with many folded pages and smudged fingerprints, clear signs of extensive use. After closing and returning the workbook to the bird, Do-Jun turned his attention to the fragile branches of the World Tree.
A noticeable number of them were broken. However, a faint green glow at the cut ends suggested they were slowly healing. While the recovery appeared sluggish, the branches would likely restore themselves if left undisturbed. That is, assuming there were no pests gnawing at the World Tree. Even if the World Tree’s magical energy seemed nearly infinite, constant attacks would eventually wear it down.
The initial step in the standard treatment for poisoning was to locate and remove the source.
The Rainbow Bird flinched as its eyes met Do-Jun’s. The icy coldness in Do-Jun’s gaze made it clear that mercy was not part of the equation. It realized it had to act quickly and decisively to escape this situation. Doing nothing would only guarantee its death. Google seaʀᴄh novel{f}ire.net
It begged, “P-please, spare me. Whatever you do, just don’t kill—”
“I won’t kill you,” Do-Jun interjected before the Rainbow Bird could finish. “But under one condition.”
Poison was certainly something that could harm oneself, but depending on how it was used, it could also be beneficial.
What on earth happened up there?
Marf was dumbfounded as he watched the Rainbow Bird, now in human form, crushing the one-meter-long sap-eating bugs on the World Tree’s trunk. With every powerful strike, the bugs were destroyed.
Although many monsters parasitized the World Tree, these sap-eating bugs were deemed the most damaging because they disrupted the tree's regeneration. The rhythmic sound of bugs bursting echoed each movement of the Rainbow Bird.
“Hey, move aside for a second.” The Rainbow Bird gestured with his hand as he approached the trunk where Marf stood.
He was supposed to be the strongest monster on the eighth floor alongside the now-deceased Antaras. Even Monarchs couldn’t handle him easily, let alone average adventurers.
Marf held his breath and quickly stepped aside as the other adventurers trembled in fear. Until now, whenever the Rainbow Bird descended to the trunk, dozens of adventurers would die; it was almost guaranteed. Yet today, he seemed completely different.
Whenever he saw dirt on the World Tree’s trunk, he immediately wiped it off with a damp cloth. His actions were completely unlike his usual behavior. The monster who had once tormented the World Tree more than anyone else was now performing “cleaning” tasks that even adventurers rarely bother with.
“Damn, why is this so filthy? Not that I’m one to say,” the Rainbow bird said.
Near Antaras’ floating remains on the water’s surface, a tiny fairy, no larger than a palm, appeared with a bright pop. Her eyes widened as she took in the shattered fragments of Antaras’ shell, then her gaze shifted to the Rainbow Bird.
“My goodness,” she muttered as she saw the Rainbow Bird cleaning the World Tree, moving among its branches.
The sight was so bizarre it left her stunned. The monster that was once the biggest threat to the World Tree’s existence was now tending to it like a gardener.
“Never in my life did I expect to see this.”
Her eyes then shifted to Do-Jun. As usual, he wandered around the floor, quietly jotting down notes for his strategy guide.
Breakfast was truly scrumptious. Hakase and Kiriel demonstrated the culinary skills they had refined through their food stall.
For some reason, the refrigerator was packed with ingredients that they used to make dishes like kimchi jjigae, rolled omelets, grilled sausages, bulgogi, and even pork cutlets.
“Is it good?” Kiriel asked.
Byeol nodded vigorously, her mouth stuffed with a rolled omelet. She had never had so many side dishes for breakfast before. Chewing thoroughly, she swallowed and used her fork to spear a piece of pork cutlet, then brought it to her mouth.
“Looks like breakfast is a success,” Hakase said with a satisfied smile.
After the meal, Byeol grinned cheerfully, rubbing her full stomach. Kiriel noticed that it was 10 AM. He grabbed the new remote control he had bought from the electronics store and turned on the TV, tuning it to Pororong, Byeol’s favorite show.
“Oh! I almost forgot!”
As the Pororong theme song played, Byeol quickly plopped down in front of the TV. Maybe because she was full, she soon started to nod off, her head bobbing as sleep took over her. Hakase chuckled softly at the sight.
With breakfast done, it was time for the next task: washing the dishes. The two opened a dimensional gate and stepped through.
The Pororong episode had long ended, and the TV was now playing an informational program. It was usually a live evening show, but right now, it was airing a rerun of popular local restaurants. Her stomach growled, prompting her to check the clock like a reflex. It was only noon, just two hours after breakfast, but she was already hungry again.
Hakase and Kiriel were nowhere to be found. Byeol got up and began wandering around the house, searching for the two men.
There was no response.
Byeol blinked and muttered, “Where’d they go?”
Just then, a dimensional gate crackled open, and the two men stepped through. They exchanged glances, their mutual thoughts clear.
“I’m not doing the dishes,” Kiriel declared.
“Oh? Too bad. I’m not doing them either,” Hakase replied.
They had argued over who would do the dishes, but had returned without resolving anything, leaving the dirty dishes untouched. Both men were adamant, each refusing to back down.
Meanwhile, Byeol quietly watched their standoff before turning her gaze to the sink, which was piled high with dishes. Their fancy breakfast had left a mountain of dirty plates, bowls, and utensils.
Byeol thought for a moment and realized that doing the dishes was a good deed. “I’ll get compliments for this!”
Excited at the thought of being praised by her dad later, Byeol headed to the sink. She placed a chair in front of it, climbed up, and grabbed a sponge.
Seeing this, Kiriel and Hakase rushed over in a panic.
Hakase lifted Byeol up and asked, “What are you doing?”
“I wanna wash the dishes,” she replied.
“No way. We’ll handle the dishes,” Hakase said firmly.
Disappointed, Byeol lowered her head. “I... I weally wanted to do the dishes.”
Kiriel froze. He had promised Do-Jun to take good care of Byeol and assured him that he could visit the Core without worry. But if Byeol ended up doing chores like the dishes, the roles would be completely reversed.
Just then, Byeol’s stomach rumbled again.
“Are you hungry?” Kiriel asked her.
“What do you want to eat? I’ll order it for you. That lazy lizard over there will handle the dishes.”
Hakase briefly thought about smacking Kiriel’s head, but held back because they were in front of Byeol.
“Weally? You’ll order food for me?” Byeol asked in disbelief.
“Of course. Tell me everything you want to eat.”
At the word “everything,” Byeol’s face lit up with joy as if she couldn’t believe her ears. Images of fried chicken, pizza, sweet-and-sour pork, and other tasty, salty, and spicy takeout foods danced in her mind.
Hakase, Kiriel, and Byeol were sprawled on the floor, burping contentedly. The living room table, once stacked high with various takeout food containers, was now littered with empty packaging and boxes.
“Full?” Kiriel asked.
“Yeah!” Byeol said in satisfaction.
“Hehe.” Just picturing Do-Jun telling them they did a good job brought a subtle smirk to Kiriel’s face.
Hakase felt the same way. Then, the two men locked eyes once again.
Now it was time to clean up the takeout boxes. For a moment, the idea of entering the dimensional gate for another showdown crossed their minds. But they quickly dismissed it and, without saying a word, closed their eyes.
The warmth of the heated floor on their backs and the fullness of their stomachs—perhaps because of that—both men fell into a deep sleep. Only Byeol remained alert.
Having gone to bed early the night before and taken a two-hour nap in the morning, she wasn’t the least bit tired. Sure, the warmth and fullness were nice, but she was not about to fall asleep again.
Byeol got up and started cleaning. She carefully washed and dried the delivery food boxes, knowing they needed to be recycled. The general trash went into a designated bag, and the papers were collected separately. Carrying them outside, Byeol found the recycling area.
“Hmm?” The security guard, sweeping outside, noticed her.
Byeol was struggling to push the packaging into the recycling bin. When she noticed the guard, she bowed politely and greeted him, “Hello!”
“Well, hello, Byeol! You even know how to recycle?”
“Yes! Sieh taught me.”
“How sweet. Oh, by the way, I bought a fun picture book. Want me to read it to you?”
Byeol was about to eagerly shout, “Yes!” but then gasped and shook her head firmly. “I’m busy.”
“Yep! Bye!” Byeol dashed back home.
Do-Jun was back from his Core visit and stopped at the security guard’s booth on his way home.
“Thank you for always working so hard,” he said, handing a box of vitamin drinks to the security guard.
He always appreciated the guard, who not only took care of all the cumbersome work for the residents but also played with Byeol from time to time.
“You didn’t have to get me anything... Thank you,” the guard said.
“It’s the least I could do. Well, have a good evening.”
The security guard smiled and nodded. He then said, “Oh, by the way, Byeol is quite something for her age. She’s a recycling expert! Haha.”
“Recycling...? When did this happen?” Do-Jun asked.
“About thirty minutes ago. I told her I’d read her a picture book, but she said she had dishes to do and ran back inside.”
“I see. Thank you for letting me know.”
Back home, Do-Jun stood quietly, watching the two men snoring in the living room. Then he approached Byeol, who was washing dishes in the kitchen, and gently lifted her from behind. Startled, Byeol turned around to see her dad.
“You’re such a good girl, doing the dishes.”
“I did a good job, wight?”
Byeol grinned brightly at the praise.
“I’ll finish the rest.” Do-Jun carefully washed the soap off Byeol’s hands.
“Gwempa said he’d read me a picture book earlier.”
“That sounds fun!” Do-Jun responded with a smile. “Alright, don’t keep Grandpa waiting.”
Byeol quickly slipped on her shoes and ran outside. The commotion woke Hakase and Kiriel, who groggily opened their eyes. Still half-asleep, they blinked repeatedly.
“Lizard...” Kiriel said.
“I think I’m still dreaming,” Kiriel mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
Hakase also rubbed his eyes, but for some reason, the sight of Do-Jun doing dishes in the kitchen wouldn’t disappear. And to top it off, the remnants of the delivery meal were nowhere to be seen.
“No, this has to be a dream,” Hakase mumbled in denial.
Kiriel added, “Right. Makes sense.”
“If we go back to sleep and wake up, this nightmare will end, right?”
“Good. Once we wake up, I’ll handle the dishes myself,” Kiriel muttered, volunteering himself.
“Then I’ll take care of the trash,” Hakase mumbled.
The two men lay down again. Do-Jun chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief.