#055
Since we were underwater and couldn’t speak, I opened my eyes wide and expressed my question to Carlisle through my expression. Carlisle, who had been staring intently at my face for a moment, tilted his head slightly and raised his eyebrows briefly. His expression seemed to say “what’s the problem?” I was dumbfounded.
Moreover, around that time, the dragon that had been endlessly descending suddenly stopped moving and made a big turn in place, so I had to cling tightly to Carlisle again to avoid falling. Only then did I suddenly realize that I had forgotten my anxiety while being absorbed in that kiss-but-not-a-kiss with Carlisle.
The dragon finally stopped moving and lowered its head as if telling us to get off. Before we knew it, we had reached the bottom of the spring—or rather, it couldn’t really be called a spring anymore, but anyway, the bottom of the lake. And the coconut pierced by the Fragment of the Sacred Tree was sitting quietly at that bottom.
Though I didn’t feel like I was going to die, I didn’t have the courage to let go of Carlisle’s clothes and stand alone, so I hesitated for a moment. Seeing this, Carlisle let out a hollow laugh and slid down from the dragon’s back while still holding me. It was embarrassing, but it couldn’t be helped.
I didn’t feel water pressure and movement was surprisingly free. I didn’t know if this was the original setting or thanks to the medicine Carlisle had given me.
Once we reached the bottom, Carlisle tried to (surprisingly gently) take my hands off his wrist. Just because I could breathe again didn’t mean my psychological fear had completely disappeared, so I took deep breaths while looking around at the water-filled surroundings and the dragon watching us from behind.
‘It’s okay, it’s fine. It’s safe. The dragon isn’t contaminated and for some reason feels affection toward us. I don’t know what Carlisle made me take, but thanks to it I can breathe, and he doesn’t seem to plan on letting me die.’
Only after reassuring myself like this could I barely manage to take my hands off Carlisle’s clothes. But my hands were still trembling, and Carlisle’s gaze didn’t miss that trembling as it swept over me.
‘How much will he mock me for this later?’
But once I got my hands on a Tranquility Potion, I’d be able to get over even that humiliation with just a click of my tongue. Just endure a little more…
Just as I was thinking that and trying to clench my fists, Carlisle suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me along.
‘Huh…?’
He took the lead while holding my hand and walked toward the coconut. My gaze should have been on the coconut, but my eyes followed Carlisle’s back. It wasn’t the first or second time seeing his back while traveling together, but this time was a bit different.
Since we were underwater and he was only wearing a shirt, the bare skin of his soaked back showed completely through the shirt. The entire outline of the tattoo I had briefly seen on his wrist and nape was hazily revealed. There really was a large tattoo covering his entire back.
‘He’s not even a gangster…’
But the design was somewhat different from tattoos gangsters would have.
‘Should I call it… a dead tree?’
It was the silhouette of a giant tree. As I had seen on his wrist and neck, it was a tattoo with black and red stains, not very beautiful colors, but some parts also showed other colors.
‘That’s… also… bright green?’
Since I was walking about a step behind with my hand held, his back wasn’t facing me directly, so I couldn’t be sure. I squinted and tried to look more closely when Carlisle suddenly stopped and pulled me. We had already arrived where the coconut was.
Having the common sense that it was rude to stare at someone else’s body so closely, I quickly turned my gaze away. Feeling like his gaze was fixed on my face, I opened my eyes wide and pretended to focus on the coconut.
Carlisle touched the Fragment of the Sacred Tree with his free hand. But as expected, his hand just passed through the Fragment of the Sacred Tree like a phantom. As if he had expected this, he didn’t try a second time and simply grabbed the large coconut with one hand and held it straight out to me. Meaning for me to pull it out.
‘Of course it would be grabbable for me as the player, but isn’t it embedded too firmly to pull out right here?’
While thinking it might be better to bring it up and then pull it out, I obediently grabbed and pulled on the Fragment of the Sacred Tree. With just a light application of force, the Fragment of the Sacred Tree came out very easily, like a large needle stuck in very soft fruit, like a banana.
An incredulous smile crossed Carlisle’s face. It was a moment when my existence had some meaning, so my shoulders straightened with pride. See that! The hidden dungeon can only be opened and the Fragment of the Sacred Tree can only be recovered if I come along. It’s only because I’m the game’s player, but Carlisle doesn’t know that, so whatever.
Like last time, bright light spread around us and the white dragon circled around us grandly as if celebrating. Since it was a giant dragon rather than a small cute one, it had quite an impact. It was a properly fantasy-like quest completion scene.
[You have obtained the Desert of Eternity Hidden Quest reward!]
[Fragment of the Sacred Tree 2/5]
[Essence of Water]
[Farmer’s Pickaxe]
[Quest: Take the Fragment of the Sacred Tree and find the Administrator of the Sacred Tree!]
***
After coming out of the water, everything proceeded smoothly. Before leaving, we harvested as much as we could from the dungeon. Fortunately, everything I needed to save in this desert quest was in the dungeon.
I mined Halmite with the pickaxe that came as a hidden quest reward and picked sand strawberries to give to Elmer. I also harvested uncontaminated coconuts, bread fruit, and coffee beans to the storage limit.
When we finished preparing and exited through the exit that appeared as soon as the hidden quest ended, Yongyong was slowly circling the lake (now that I knew its depth, I couldn’t call it a spring anymore) before stopping abruptly and looking at us as if seeing us off. It somehow seemed to regret our departure. Though it still bared its teeth at Taro.
‘Yongyong’ was the temporary name I had given the white dragon, and Taro was horrified, saying my naming sense was at an unbelievable level. Even Carlisle’s mouth corners turned slightly crooked, seeming to agree with Taro’s opinion.
Come on, it’s not like it’s a pet dragon I’ll keep for life—it’s a dragon I’ll see once today and that’s it, so what does it matter what I call it? Besides, maybe it was just my imagination, but the dragon seemed to secretly like being called Yongyong. Whatever you call it, as long as the one being called likes it, that’s enough.
Anyway, seeing the creature seeing us off with strangely wistful cries made me feel like I should approach it again and pat its head… but why go that far? If there’s a connection, we’ll meet again.
‘What am I saying? I shouldn’t be forming connections here. Am I not going back to reality?’
Saying such things carelessly in this kind of world is bound to raise flags. What connection? I need to be careful with my words and thoughts, awake or asleep.
“Live well, Yongyong.”
Instead, I gave a farewell greeting with as much sincerity as possible and left the dungeon while in the car.
***
The exit of the hidden dungeon was connected to the position just before entering the area teeming with monsters. That place where only the sun and red desert seemed to exist. At first, I had been completely stiff from the shock of the first warp plus the tension before exploration, but now it was the opposite—having safely completed the quest, I was completely relaxed as I absent-mindedly admired the scenery I wouldn’t see again.
When passing through the warp again, I prepared myself mentally and even found a seatbelt to fasten, but when returning from the desert to the village, we passed through the air so there wasn’t much shock. What’s with this? It’s not like it’s trying to fool people.
While I was confused alone, the car arrived in front of Carlisle’s mansion in an instant. I hadn’t expected to be dropped off in front of the guild, so I also gathered my belongings with the other two and got out of the car.
“Oh, thank you so much for taking me on this expedition. Well then, I’ll be going.”
I quickly said my farewell and tried to turn around and run away.
“Where might you be going?”
My nape was grabbed along with a snort. When I glanced back, Carlisle was right behind me with a menacing smile, holding me.
“Don’t we have quite a lot to settle between us?”
Carlisle spoke in a gentle tone that didn’t match his expression.
“Let’s have dinner together and calculate things slowly.”
Ah, finally. I knew he’d come out like this someday. That’s why I tried to escape quickly.
I was put into an empty room on the second floor. It was The Butler who imprisoned… no, guided me.
“You may bathe if you’d like. Purified water should come out. If it’s bothersome, just use this.”
The Butler handed me a bathing potion.
“You can leave laundry outside the door. I’ll bring you a change of clothes right away. Dinner is at exactly 8 o’clock, so please come down to the dining room on time.”
The Butler, who finished his guidance in an even tone reminiscent of AI, immediately closed the door and disappeared. Left alone, I stood there dazed for a moment, looking at the potion in my hand.
I had never used a bathing potion in the game, but after entering the game world, especially after contamination became severe and water couldn’t be used safely, this potion was practically essential. Spraying this could last you anywhere from three days to a week, or even a month without washing, depending on its effectiveness.
‘How expensive is this thing?’
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
