Controlling and ‘dominating’ the mind and body of a living creature is an extremely high-level skill. She had never even heard of a skill capable of dominating humans.
She had only heard of skills related to ‘domination’ to the extent that an S-Rank from a foreign country had once controlled a massive swarm of rats and nearly reduced an entire city to ruins.
Perhaps it might work on creatures with such weak self-awareness, but the human mind was far more delicate and difficult to handle.
Iromi smiled brightly, as if she had read every thought running through Nayeon’s mind.
“The world is still filled with endless unknowns, isn’t it? I like that too.”
With her empty hand—the one not holding her smartphone—she stroked Nayeon’s face.
Smiling, she looked Nayeon up and down as if gauging something.
“Uncovering the unknown is always a joy.”
“.......”
“It’s easy to dig into a weak mind. This child suffered so much because of you.”
She tapped her chest, pointing to Iromi’s body.
At that cheerful tone, all Nayeon could do was despair.
“Now then, what shall we do?”
She pressed her index finger firmly to her lower lip.
The alien nature of her gestures, her tone, her very atmosphere was enough to send a creeping chill down Nayeon’s spine.
She spoke like a child who had just discovered a new toy.
“I’ve decided. Let’s go together. I’ll give my student a gift, and give you a chance to learn as well.”
Go together? An alarm blared in Nayeon’s head.
Her instincts were warning her of danger.
But when the woman lightly tugged Nayeon’s hand, her stiff body took a step forward.
‘......!’
She tried to turn away in that moment, but she couldn’t move. It felt as if her body wasn’t her own. As if even every single cell had broken free from her will.
Her current movements were entirely forced by another’s will.
It was the moment Nayeon despaired at the unknown situation and danger.
“Hiyah!”
A fighting shout?
Soon after, the sound of something crashing and breaking rang out.
Crack! Smash!
*
Ding!
[Emergency Caregiver Quest: The Black Leaf in the Mouth]
[Let us rescue provisional Caregiver ‘Shin Nayeon’ from danger.]
[Reward: Registration of Caregiver ‘Shin Nayeon’, 1,000 Filial Piety Points]
‘Danger.......’
Unnie Nayeon is in danger?
It was the same window she had seen when Gidan was in danger back then. If Geuru had not been there then, Gidan truly would have struggled to survive.
Thinking back to that moment, her heart dropped with a thud.
She had to go right now!
“Uju, can you be by yourthelf?”
“O-of course! Do I look like a baby?”
“Then Geuru hath to go for a bit.”
“What? Where?”
“’Cuth thomething came up!”
Could Geuru really do anything? Should she ask the Guild Master for help?
It was as she headed toward the hallway where Nayeon had disappeared to assess the situation.
Brrrrr—
The egg in her bag began to tremble, as if asserting its presence.
‘Syakipiyo?’
The moment she placed the egg on her palm, light began to spread around it like a halo.
The billowing, dancing light stretched out long and pointed somewhere in the hallway.
‘I know that one!’
It was a vent.
The light extended deep into the vent. Like a signpost saying to go this way.
Could this be….
‘Syakipiyo’s guidance?!’
Helping Mama when it hasn’t even been born yet. Syakipiyo is a good child.
Convinced entirely without basis, Geuru stroked Syakipiyo, then wriggled her way toward the vent.
Following the light, Geuru soon stopped where she could hear voices.
“The world is still filled with endless unknowns, isn’t it? I like that too.”
Right below the vent were Nayeon and Iromi.
And Nayeon was frozen stiff—visibly strange.
‘Why?’
Soon, a popup appeared before her eyes.
[Contamination is being visualized by ‘Mephisto’.]
Before she knew it, Nayeon appeared covered in black mud.
‘So that’s what’s keeping Unnie from moving.’
The mud was piling up more and more. Geuru’s eyes darted around, following the source of the mud.
‘That’s it.’
The smartphone.
It was clear that black mud was spewing from the smartphone Iromi held.
Geuru wracked her brain.
If only that smartphone were gone, Unnie would be able to move. Unnie was an A-Rank Hunter ranked 9th; if she left the rest to her, Unnie would resolve everything splendidly.
‘If I go down and smash the phone as is.......’
A simulation played out in her head.
Geuru landing splendidly. Geuru approaching valiantly and poking the smartphone with her duck tongs. Unnie Nayeon freed from paralysis. Iromi sobbing loudly at Geuru’s feet.
‘This is it.’
Geuru rolled her eyes downward. Then suddenly, a question mark popped up above her head.
‘Will it work?’
It was higher than she thought.
What if she jumped recklessly and went tumbling, only to get caught?
Hadn’t she seen scenes like that often in animation?
Where someone jumps in to rescue a comrade caught in a trap…….
“As expected of the protagonist! You came to save me!”
“No, I got caught too.”
Geuru’s face paled as she recalled that hopeless scenario.
It was then.
Following Iromi’s lead, Nayeon began to move with stiff, creaking motions.
‘Where are you going!’
Geuru grew extremely flustered.
If she hesitated any longer, the smartphone would move further from the vent. Then her carefully laid plan would go completely awry.
Geuru was only four years old; even ordinary people could easily subdue her. That was why everything had to unfold like a shocking surprise that couldn’t be countered.
Because if the time dragged out until the moment Geuru appeared and smashed the phone, the chances of “I got caught too” would only increase.
‘There’s no more time to wait.’
Geuru steeled her heart. She could do it! She had even done firefighter training at kindergarten!
Of course, it had been a trivial training where she wore a safety harness around her waist and jumped from a one-story building, but.
Having steeled her heart, Geuru bravely opened her inventory and took out her duck tongs.
‘Let’s go. Like that famous drama scene I saw on YouTube.’
Clutching the duck tongs tightly in her right hand, Geuru carefully opened the vent. Emptying her mind of everything else, she fixed her gaze solely on the smartphone in Iromi’s hand.
‘Geuru becomes Gaksital!’
She hopped right down. Raising the duck tongs gripped firmly in both hands above her head!
“Hiyah!”
Thwack!
As her tiny body landed on the floor, the beak of the duck tongs struck the smartphone directly.
Crunch!
The smartphone slipped from Iromi’s hand and fell to the floor.
The phone tumbled and clattered, spinning round and round until it slid under the sofa.
Having landed splendidly like a superhero, Geuru placed one knee on the floor, closed her eyes, and basked for a moment in her achievement.
‘Geuru’s accuracy wasn’t bad at all.’
Truly S-Rank.
Although all her stats except mana were still 1, she always reminded herself that her rank alone was S-Rank. It was her last shred of pride.
Geuru rubbed her nose and sprang up.
‘Now’s not the time.’
She had come to save her unnie! Geuru turned her gaze toward Nayeon.
“Unnie!”
Nayeon was still frozen stiff. Since the quest completion hadn’t popped up, it meant she was still in danger.
Then, mud wriggled out from under the sofa and moved quickly toward Iromi.
When the mud gripped her ankle, Iromi, who had been standing blankly, blinked her eyes.
‘......!’
Syakipiyo’s egg once again emitted a path of light leading under the sofa.
‘The smartphone!’
As Geuru dashed out, Iromi began to run as well.
Nayeon’s pupils moved to follow them.
She had felt bewildered at Geuru’s appearance, but only for a moment.
Now, unable to move, watching Geuru face an unknown enemy, the emotion surging over her like a tidal wave was a fear she had never once experienced before.