The baby flying squirrel turned around magnificently, her skirt hem fluttering.
A few steps, taken solemnly. Then Geuru—who had been scurrying along at a slightly quick pace—gradually began to speed up.
Truthfully, had circumstances permitted, she would have thoroughly enjoyed the clever life of a magnificent squirrel.
But.
[Insufficient Mana! The title delegation of Caregiver 'Mephisto' is terminated.]
[Warning! Mana depletion in 00:01:31…….]
A system notification was flashing a warning before her eyes.
The remaining time of roughly one minute and thirty seconds ticked down, changing every second.
The title delegation had ended, but its effects lingered. The mana that should have drained all at once was instead leaking out slowly.
Perhaps because Mephisto had exerted his strength to delay the exhaustion, the white baby bird atop Geuru's head swayed drowsily, fast asleep.
Thanks to that, she hadn't collapsed outright, but Geuru was currently feeling in real time exactly what it meant to leak mana.
'If all my mana leaks out like this?'
There had been a time when her mana was depleted while catching Malikian.
'I'll become all woozy!'
For now, Geuru took out a syrup from her bag and drank it.
However, the maximum mana the syrup could restore at once was roughly five percent. The time until depletion had increased slightly, but not by any meaningful margin.
'I have to get to the swamp!'
Before Geunosis interferes with the dungeon raid, I need to meet Siwon quickly and hand over the acorn.
'Where is it?'
According to the quest description, the pollution flows from the swamp. If so, the place where the swamp is…
'The start of the canal!'
Geuru was following the canal upstream.
What blocked the feet of the urgently moving baby flying squirrel was a man's voice.
"That… how did you do that?"
She flinched.
"…?!"
Geuru quickly took a step back.
The eyes of the man who had spoken seemed unfocused, and his approaching steps were cautious, yet she could feel an urgency in him, as if he might snatch her away at any moment.
"That, that's it, right? An unmeasurable item."
What the… this guy…
"That's it, right? Huh?"
Na Ohyeong's flustered manner of speaking made him seem anything but normal.
Within his narrow eyes, his dark pupils brimmed with gleaming greed.
'Strange.'
A chilling shiver ran through her.
"I don't care what it is, so—"
[Warning! Mana depletion in 00:00:30…….]
"Will you give it to me?"
Geuru's pupils trembled.
'I'm scared.'
Her body gradually stiffened from the mana leak.
On the verge of becoming woozy, the only thing her mind could perceive was fear.
This time, there truly was no way to cope.
[Warning! Mana depletion in 00:00:10…….]
Flop.
It was the moment her legs buckled and she sank down.
Na Ohyeong, wearing a fiendish, yaksha-like expression, stretched out both arms and lunged fiercely.
"Hand it over!"
No! Geuru desperately twisted her body to avoid his hands.
But—
[Warning! Mana depletion in 00:00:05…….]
—her eyes began to close.
An icy sensation rushed from her fingertips to her heart under the weight of intense terror.
At this rate…
[Warning! Mana depletion in 00:00:03…….]
I'll collapse.
'No….'
It was at that moment.
[Skill 'Deep-rooted Attachment' detects the primary caregiver.]
Just before her consciousness faded, the sound of heavy footsteps came from behind.
"Huh?"
For an instant, Na Ohyeong stopped moving.
'Why?'
Geuru followed Na Ohyeong's gaze and looked back.
"…!"
[The attachment index with the primary caregiver exceeds the required value.]
[A new function of the skill 'Deep-rooted Attachment' is unlocked.]
The approaching man stopped a few steps away from Geuru.
[Skill 'The Happiness of Togetherness' activates.]
—When together with the primary caregiver, the child feels happiness. A child who feels happiness maintains optimal condition.
"Ah…!"
Suddenly, the leaking mana began to fill.
It was a cozy sensation, as if floating gently while buried in clouds.
It was similar to the warm and sturdy feeling she felt when Jurim held her.
Na Ohyeong, who had been reaching for Geuru, withdrew his arms.
With Geuru between them, the gazes of the two men met.
Na Ohyeong swallowed dryly, his posture awkward and stiff.
"H-how did you get here…"
As Jurim raised his hand, Na Ohyeong's neck snapped back at once.
By telekinetic force, Na Ohyeong died without a sound.
Jurim made a gesture as if brushing him aside, and the corpse disappeared from view.
"…?"
Geuru flapped the tiny ears atop her head.
Why is he here?
"…."
"…."
Geuru opened her mouth with a blank expression and stared up at him.
'The real Guild Leader?'
He was the same.
Having never imagined they would meet in such a place, he looked as though he were doubting whether she was truly real.
The black wolf looked down at the baby flying squirrel, his handsome brows furrowing deeply.
After pondering something for a long moment, he sat before Geuru, brushed her bangs aside, and cupped her cheek with a large hand.
"You look like a tasty squirrel."
*
'…?!'
Twitch! Geuru's ears and tail shot straight up.
'Is he a fake Guild Leader?!'
Suddenly remembering the stationmaster's words about how cruel wolf beastmen were, and how they would swallow a baby squirrel like Geuru in one bite, a chill ran down her spine.
'R-run…!'
But that thought passed in a moment, and Jurim's voice brushed through her mind.
He had used such a dry tone while reading a fairytale.
"That fella looks delicious."
"Ah…!"
Geuru knew that answer. A tingling thrill swept through her in an instant, and her chest swelled.
This was a secret code between just the two of them, born from a memory they shared.
'It's the real Guild Leader.'
The face she had longed for all this time was right before her eyes.
The guardian who had patted her to sleep as they read books together.
Those memories gave them the certainty that they were each other's no matter when or where, connecting them.
The certainty that this was the guardian who would protect her melted her body, which had frozen stiff with tension.
As her heart eased, tears welled up. Geuru sniffled.
It felt like her throat was full of itchy feathers.
The herbivorous baby dinosaur said to the carnivorous dinosaur.
"Ah…. Hic!"
Geuru opened her mouth and suddenly took a breath.
It was unfamiliar and didn't come easily.
Jurim waited leisurely until Geuru opened her mouth again.
Finally, Geuru threw both arms up high and opened her mouth.
"Daddy!"
"Yeah."
Jurim smiled gladly and pulled her small body into an embrace.
*
Jurim stood up, holding Geuru, and walked toward the main camp.
The traces of that terrifyingly powerful force had vanished without a trace.
'That didn't seem to be that man's power.'
Jurim looked at Geuru with a 'what if' thought, then laughed at himself for letting his imagination run too wild.
'No way. That's impossible.'
That was excessive speculation.
The master of the RP Dungeon was the System, so it was reasonable to assume the System had intervened. Though he didn't know the reason.
Anyway, it would be best to take Geuru and escape this place before a greater anomaly occurred.
Jurim hugged Geuru close and let out a deep sigh.
To think she had followed him all the way here chasing a swindler. Surprise and confusion were followed by a wave of relief.
How fortunate it was that he had arrived just in time.
The child, unaware of his troubled heart, wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and smiled brightly.
Watching her act like a puppy who had found her owner, he let out a small sigh.
Wouldn't he have to scold her thoroughly this time?
That she mustn't recklessly enter such dangerous places.
That this was a place where even clocks didn't work, and she had done something truly foolish.
If you had gotten hurt, how much I would have…….
"Han Geuru."
"Yesh?"
In the midst of opening his mouth, he subconsciously chewed over the word 'Daddy' that Geuru had spoken for the first time.
"Hm?"
Seeing the child tilt her head quizzically and then smile widely again when their eyes met, Jurim closed his mouth once more.
His head suddenly felt as if it had gone blank.
'Not now….'
For now, he would just have to be a little more careful himself……
And next time, he would definitely be able to scold her.
Having made up his mind once again, Jurim set aside his countless worries for now and quietly gazed at the swaying tail.
"Why a squirrel? It is cute, though."
Cute? Geuru perked up her ears.
'Ehehe!'
"I'm a flying squirrel! Flying squirrels are the kings of squirrels!"