Chapter 539 – Shiba Has Few Friends (2)
The cost of living has become exorbitantly high in recent times. Bam, clutching a shopping basket in one hand, found herself in a deep contemplation at the cashier counter.
“That will be 9650 won.”
The outrageous price of green onions was unforgivable. As if they were dusted with gold particles – their exorbitant cost was baffling. The triad of onions – green onion, onion, and chives – seemed to be mocking the less fortunate citizens.
Bam pulled out her well-worn wallet and began to count the number of bills inside.
‘One 5,000 won bill, three 1,000 won bills, one 500 won coin, and eight 100 won coins…’
This wouldn’t do.
“…I need to remove this.”
“Alright~”
Her long brown hair resembled that of a squirrel. The petite figure of a young girl burdened with the responsibilities of a head of the household. Overcoming her embarrassment, she carefully pulled out each crumpled bill.
‘Today, I’ll have to make do with ramen…’
The end of the month was nearing, and the dignity maintenance allowance provided by the academy was almost exhausted. After finishing her shopping, Bam stepped outside and began her walk home. Her stomach grumbled with hunger, but the idea of dining out was a distant dream. Nowadays, even a simple meal out could burn a hole in your pocket.
Bam’s house was a damp semi-basement, prone to flooding when it rained heavily. The place lacked essentials like a boiler or an air conditioner. The absence of proper ventilation meant that if a window were left open, the acrid fumes from cars would invade. The water pressure was weak, the wallpaper was infested with mold, and at times, the toilet would even backflow.
-Thunk!
A damp, musty odor filled the air as soon as she entered the house. Exhausted, Bam carelessly tossed her shopping basket onto the blanket laid floor, devoid of a mattress, and knelt down.
It was draining.
The struggle of survival was unrelenting.
“…I can’t wait to be at the Academy.”
The dormitory at the Academy was a hundredfold better than her current abode.
Laundry was free there. Clothes wouldn’t smell musty, and shirts would be wrinkle-free. The first floor offered a salad bar where one could eat to their heart’s content, and beverages were free upon order. The luxuries of the Academy made it painfully clear why Bam, orphaned and alone, had chosen to enroll.
‘……’
Bam’s current predicament could be traced back to three years ago. That was when she had targeted a man named ‘Lee Si-heon’.
Bam had an older sister, just a year her senior. They were both raised by an adoptive father named ‘Raymond’. All three of them had once been followers of the World Tree of Resentment. However, due to certain incidents from their past, Bam and her sister were expelled from the group.
[Alpha, Beta. Vanish from my sight.]
Back then, Bam was known as Alpha, and her sister, Beta. The group had a taboo against children having names.
“…….”
Her father, handing her a small sum of money, had asked her to disappear. Since that day, Bam had not dared to look at the cross atop the church. Her disdain for the pseudo-religious group had only intensified over time.
Once upon a time… She had thought it was only natural to follow the World Tree.
Devotees merge with the emotions of the World Tree. Bam was part of such a place, though whether other faiths were the same, she didn’t know. For reasons unknown, Bam harbored deep resentment towards Lee Si-heon and in her attempt to address these feelings, found herself in her current predicament.
‘…….’
Fists clenched in frustration. Unsure of where to direct her anger. A paper that was partially written in her gaze came into view.
[Sister’s hospital expenses, 36,900,500 won]
Bam’s sister… Alpha, in other words, had been grievously injured while persuading the leadership to send Bam back to their group. In taking care of her fallen sister, she had managed to gather enough to admit her to the hospital, but by then her condition had significantly deteriorated. Bam was left with the responsibility of bearing her sister’s hospital expenses on her own.
Due to the unique insurance policies in Korea, which didn’t cover the treatment of hunters, she had to shoulder the entire cost of pricey potions, medication, and hospitalization. Three thousand for medicine. On days when her sister’s condition worsened, the costs skyrocketed into the millions.
“Ah, I need to get a hold of myself. Time to eat.”
Staring at the ledger, Bam rose from her seat, pouring water into a pot scarred by scratches. The tap water had a slightly tangy metallic aftertaste, but the constitution of a wooden human was not easily swayed by such trivialities. She added a pack of wooden ramen, priced at 360 won, and brought it to a boil.
‘…….’
– Bubble bubble.
Bam, feeling the warmth of the rising steam, allowed herself a brief respite. Her hair, sticking up like the ears of a squirrel, glistened in the steam.
A Saturday lunch, marked by hunger and sorrow.
‘When will work come?’
The Tree Knights had been experiencing a slight slump since the last incident in the Descanso Gardens. While the failure of their mission played a part, the main reason was the series of external incidents that had kept Soo-yeon and Saku preoccupied. Apart from the maintenance fee provided by the academy, Bam’s main source of income was significantly reduced, making her daily life a struggle.
– Slurp.
The taste of ramen was nothing special. The difference between eating ramen as a treat and eating it to survive was vast. Due to her choosing the cheapest ramen, it felt like there was no solid soup, just noodles in a beef broth.
‘I want to eat Mokpaghetti.’
Bam wished she could be a Mokpaghetti chef on Saturdays as well.
If only she had the money! When you eat something salty, you crave something sweet. Even the frail girl that Bam was had moments when she yearned for something sweet, like candy. Especially on a day filled with salty meals.
– Slurp.
Just then, a small vibration emanated from the pocket of Bam, who was mechanically slurping her noodles.
‘?’
She didn’t expect anyone to contact her, but did something happen? As she excitedly grabbed her phone, the name ‘Shiba’ appeared on the screen.
“…Huh?”
She didn’t know her well. Bam was nineteen years old. Shiba, who was four but with the face value of twenty, was considered an older sister to her.
They weren’t that close… Why would she reach out? Absent-mindedly opening the message, Bam could only respond with a questioning look as the contents unfolded before her eyes.
[Gift and message dispatched! Check it out now! Wood Chocolate 60g]
‘Suddenly?’
[Bam : ?]
Unnerved, by the time she collected herself, she had long since sent back a quizzical response.
[Shiba : I had a gift card that was hard to handle.]
[Shiba : Do you want it?]
A leftover gift card…?
Usually, one asks before sending it.
Moreover, such gift cards aren’t typically sent as gifts, they arrive in the form of an image file.
[Becoming closer with Wood Chocolate 60g]
[It’s a gift~!]
The chocolate that Shiba sent came with a note, something usually only included with direct gift card presents. Though the note only contained a few basic lines, as if she didn’t know how to use the note function, it certainly wasn’t just a leftover gift card.
‘…….’
Intimidating.
Bam stared at the message, swallowing hard.
[Chocolates]
Intimidating.
But she wanted to eat them.
The fine chocolates which would luxuriously melt on her tongue, causing a spontaneous dance of her shoulders.
Bam averted her gaze to the only comfort food in the corner of her room.
‘Chestnuts.’
A week ago, an old woman was selling chestnuts at the bus stop on a rainy night. Bam had purchased a handful out of mere pity. The chestnuts now rolled around on the floor. There were many rotten ones, causing a pang of regret.
[Bam: I’ll enjoy it.]
[Bam: (Squirrel lowering its head emoji)]
For Bam, chocolates were a precious treat. Shamelessly, she feigned gratitude.
* * * * * * * * * *
[Message 10]
Within the smartphone.
A cute child with blue hair presented payment documents with a [>.<] expression.Plain colored papers. Shiba, with a grim face, meticulously filled out the documents.‘This, Shiba, Bar.’While others would hastily scribble their signatures, Shiba took care to inscribe each character of her name.[☆☆ Bamboo]
[☆ Oak]
[☆☆ Rubber tree]
.
.
.
[☆☆ Zelkova]
Suddenly,
A vein popped on Shiba’s forehead.
“Beep beep!!!!”
A surge of frustration, making her want to hurl her phone away!
With a heavy heart, Shiba took a screenshot and sent it to her aunt.
[Shiba: (Picture)]
[Star: Hahahaha]
The director must be trying to keep her phone in check.
A character drawing that makes her hands shake.
[☆☆☆ Dragonfruit Tree]
Is it even fair not being able to draw a single high-performance character? Not to mention, this character is a collaboration product with a famous European virtual YouTuber, and it’s said to have no limits.
[Star: 01110176801 Please add me.]
[Shiba: What’s that?]
[Star: If you give me your UID, I’ll send a friend request.]
[Shiba: Ah, just one moment.]
[Shiba: 2504964293]
[Star: Squeal~ Shiba’s first friend request!]
Not long after, the message alert chimed again.
[Star: (Kakao Pay 2,000,000)]
[Star: Try to choose wisely this time.]
The generous aunt who always gives a lot of pocket money.
In truth, she wasn’t really in need of money. It was just frustrating that the game character didn’t show up.
[Shiba: Thank you, auntie.]
After leaving her last message with a soft chuckle, Shiba put her phone down.
[Bam: (Photo)]
[Bam: I’ll enjoy this.]
Bam, the ever-eager girl, also seemed to have received her gift well.
She might just end up making a new friend at this rate.
With a face full of mirth, Shiba began to type on her keyboard.
This time, she was dealing with a Hunter.
[Shiba: When is training today?]
[Hunter: No training today. I’ve planned to meet someone I know.]
Ever since the conquest of the Tower of Time, Shiba had dedicated herself to mastering the sword, so much so that she barely had a day off.
Receiving the Hunter’s response, Shiba felt a tinge of confusion, but the joy of being able to rest outweighed it.
In search of the king.
There was so much she needed to do as she became stronger, but it seemed like she could afford a little respite.
‘I’ll rest for an hour, then head to the training grounds.’
-Suddenly
Shutting off the game, Shiba swiftly rose from her seat and exited her home.
While spending break time gaming could be enjoyable, nothing beats satiating one’s hunger.
She headed straight for the convenience store near her house.
You must eat heartily before practicing swordsmanship to replenish your energy.
‘I’ll go with the spicy chicken and triple-seaweed sushi roll.’
She swept everything into her basket, price be damned.
Thanks to the Hunter’s unique metabolism, no matter how much she ate, she never gained an ounce of fat, which kept Shiba’s waistline remarkably slender.
Planting herself in a seat, she started her feast.
The first thing she did was take a large bite of a hot bar, the joy of snacking spontaneously blossoming within her.
Gazing at the world beyond the glass walls of the convenience store was just the cherry on top.
-Slurp.
She ate her ramen while observing the park.
The happy smiles of children playing with their parents entered Shiba’s view.
‘…’
Father.
A vaguely remembered name for Shiba, coming from a single-parent family.
-Dad! Look at this!
-What is it?
Did I used to play with my father like that when I was a child?
It was about the time when Shiba’s eyes began to cloud over with loneliness, responding to the children’s voices.
“Beep?”
-Heavy Footsteps.
In the distance,
among the people clad in everyday attire, a man dressed in rags was approaching Shiba.
* * * * * * * * * *
-Heavy Footsteps.
From a rift in the open dimension, a man stepped in.
Knights of the church, assisting various gods.
Unruffled by their looming pressure, he tapped the longsword at his hip, wearing a lopsided grin. He was a young man of a strikingly gentle demeanor.
The spouse of the World Tree, perhaps. Or, the term ‘warrior’ may be more fitting.
“The Trial’s Demon is wreaking havoc. Warrior.”
“I’ve caught wind of the tale.”
A man who has shattered all quests proffered by the World Tree, and who has undertaken years of rigorous discipline within the dimensional realm of the World Tree—a sanctum where only deities may tread.
Into Jung Si-woo’s gaze entered Isabella, the High Priestess of the World Tree of Prosperity. Jung Si-woo approached Isabella, so close that their noses almost touched, and whispered into her ear.
“Rumors are swirling of an imminent schism.”
“Please, don’t even mention it… It’s far from a jest.”
Given the warrior’s presence, it seemed as though everyone had sealed their lips in complete silence. Observing the faithful, steeped in hypocrisy, was enough to induce nausea. At the sight of Isabella feigning retching, Jung Si-woo couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Much work lies ahead, I presume.”
“Yes.”
Jung Si-woo nodded at Isabella’s affirmation. He was not the powerless man he once was. He possessed the strength to find his sister, and had honed a power exclusive to the World Trees. Jung Si-woo’s once dark hair now fluttered in the wind, its hue transformed to a brilliant white. A potent white power coalesced within his form, radiating an overwhelming aura.
[A contender for the spouse of the World Tree of Justice. The White Warrior.]
For years, the forces of the World Tree had known only defeat. Now, with the entry of a fully realized talent into their ranks, a momentous shift was on the horizon.