Healing After Sweeping Spirits with an Almighty Skill - Chapter 10
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 10
10. The Spirits’ Names
Whoooosh.
As Spirit Village reached Level 4, the Spirit Special Zone expanded once more. Now it looked slightly sparse compared to the number of spirits inhabiting it.
‘Well, the spirits will see the Lighthouse’s light and find their way here eventually.’
I checked the newly updated construction list for Spirit Village.
Spirit Village LV. 4
┼ Completed Structures
└ Main Hall LV. 1
└ Mine LV. 2
└ Herb Garden LV. 2
└ Water Source LV. 1
└ Nesting Ground LV. 1
└ Forge LV. 1
└ Lighthouse LV. 1
└ Windmill LV. 1
┼ Available Structures
└ Main Hall LV. 2
└ Water Source LV. 2
└ Nesting Ground LV. 2
└ Storage Shed LV. 1
└ Generator LV. 1
┼ LV. 5 Expansion Conditions (1/3)
└ 1. Main Hall LV. 2 (0/1)
└ 2. Generator LV. 1 (0/1)
└ 3. Village Residents (5/10)
The new list had several interesting entries.
‘A generator?’
Unless it meant something else entirely, that generator would surely be a place that produced electricity.
‘Isn’t this supposed to be a medieval-themed village?’
It seemed I was the only one thinking that way. Looking more closely, even the Main Hall had a decidedly modern appearance to it.
Having a generator would bring plenty of benefits my way.
I’d been constantly carrying a Portable Battery around since I had no means to charge my Mobile Phone.
With how often I’d been sleeping in the Main Hall lately, I was starting to wonder if I’d need to buy a backup Portable Battery just to keep up.
“All right. What should I build first?”
I expanded the skill window to check what materials each construction would require.
┼ Available Structures
└ Water Source LV. 2
└ Materials: Stone (10kg/10kg)
└ Condition: Ornamental Fish (0/5)
└ Condition: Water Spirit (1/1)
└ Nesting Ground LV. 2
└ Materials: Cotton (0kg/1kg)
└ Materials: Glass (0kg/1kg)
└ Materials: Plastic (0kg/5kg)
└ Generator LV. 1
└ Materials: Wood (5kg/5kg)
└ Materials: Steel (1kg/10kg)
└ Materials: Aluminum (0kg/10kg)
└ Condition: Wind Spirit (1/1)
There were five buildings total that could be upgraded or newly constructed. Three of them had one or two materials still in short supply.
‘Cotton, glass, plastic, steel, aluminum—I’ll need to buy those outside the Gate. Ornamental fish? Why would that even be needed?’
On the other hand, two buildings were ready to be constructed immediately.
┼ Available Structures
└ Main Hall LV. 2
└ Materials: Wood (10kg/10kg)
└ Materials: Stone (10kg/10kg)
└ Materials: Copper (50g/50g)
└ Materials: Polymer (50g/50g)
└ Storage Shed LV. 1
└ Material: Lumber (10kg/10kg)
└ Material: Stone (10kg/10kg)
“……?”
I couldn’t help but tilt my head.
It was because of the materials needed for the Level 2 Main Hall. Why were these conditions already satisfied?
“Well, that’s convenient.”
Could Gnome have mined these from the quarry? Copper I could explain away, but did polymer really come from mining?
I pondered for a moment, then simply shrugged.
“Either way, it works in my favor.”
The trouble was, my current stock of lumber and stone wasn’t enough to build both the warehouse and the main hall—only one.
Without hesitation, I made my choice.
With a hollow thunk, the blueprint overlaid the space above the Main Hall.
‘The main hall is where I’m sleeping tonight, so it’s worth upgrading quickly.’
I was congratulating myself on this wisdom when it happened.
Sliiip—
Something slipped from my pocket. My Portable Battery.
Since the Spirit Village had no way to charge a mobile phone, I’d carried it everywhere, topping it up whenever I visited the Rooming House or went to Boru’s place to eat.
“Ah!”
I lunged to catch it, but the battery slipped past my fingers and shot toward the blueprint with a whoosh.
Only then did I understand why the construction conditions had already been met.
“Right—the copper and polymer!”
I laughed and clapped my hands.
A cheap product I’d bought from Boru’s convenience shop with moderate expectations; the battery’s sacrifice had cut nearly a day off the construction time. More than a fair trade.
Under Construction: 2,000 seconds
“I pray this upgrade proves worthy of my fallen Portable Battery.”
I gazed at the notification floating in the air and offered that silent wish.
* * *
After setting the Main Hall to upgrade, I decided to tackle two nagging problems.
“Sylph. Come here a moment.”
At my call, Sylph stopped spinning the windmill and descended to me.
I regretted losing that pleasant breeze, but there was something more pressing now.
[Yeah, human! What’s wrong?]
“There’s an important rule of this village I need to explain to you.”
[A rule? What? No fighting?]
“No. The rule of Equal Exchange.”
Work done earns a reward.
That was the fundamental principle I’d established for the Spirit Special Zone.
“Turning the windmill benefits everyone, including me. So you deserve compensation for it.”
[Really? What do the other spirits get?]
“Snacks.”
[I can’t eat anything. You don’t need to give me anything.]
“I’m sorry, but I can’t make exceptions to the rules.”
The reason I’d made Equal Exchange the cornerstone of the Spirit Special Zone was simple: it was the right thing to do. So Sylph deserved a fair give-and-take as well.
“Is there something else you’d like? A toy, or incense, or something like that?”
[Hmm. Nothing I really need.]
Sylph slowly rotated in the air.
When her translucent body had turned roughly one-eighty, she spoke while still upside down.
[Oh, wait! There is one thing!]
“What?”
[Play with me!]
“…You want to play?”
[Yeah! That’s enough!]
At the word “play,” my mind went blank for a moment.
“You mean things like hide-and-seek or card games?”
[Anything works! Oh, and it’d be nice if the other spirits played too!]
“How does playing together count as compensation for your labor?”
[You’re taking time from all of us, so it’s fair compensation!]
It was persuasive enough that I found myself speechless.
Being a wind spirit, Sylph was more talkative than the others and surprisingly logical to boot.
[So, are we done? Can I go back to spinning the windmill?]
“No, wait. There’s one more thing I need to ask. Would you mind flying to the Lighthouse and bringing Salamander back?”
“Okay!”
Sylph whooshed toward the Lighthouse, and I gathered Gnome and Undine as well.
“You called?”
“Hmm?”
“Hmm?”
The spirits tilted their heads at me, curious.
I fixed my gaze on two of the Gnomes among them.
I could tell the two Gnomes apart by their size and various other features, but the real problem was that the number of spirits in Spirit Village would only keep growing.
‘My brain won’t be able to remember the characteristics of every spirit if they eventually number in the dozens, or even hundreds.’
So I had to establish designations.
I couldn’t give names to every single spirit, but at the very least, the first ones to arrive—the foremen, so to speak—deserved proper titles.
“As our village grows and our numbers increase, I’ve decided to give the first four spirits of all of us designations.”
“Ooh.”
One of the Gnomes clapped its hands in delight at my words.
“Ahahaha! Names! I like it!”
Undine laughed cheerfully, equally thrilled.
“The original Sylph! Of course it’s me!”
Sylph was already delighted, regardless of the actual meaning.
“Huff.”
And last came Salamander, grumbling as if annoyed at being summoned for such a trivial matter.
The second Gnome looked a little disappointed, but still clapped along and congratulated the other spirits.
“First, you. The first Gnome will be called Toho-gi.”
The first Gnome. Number one. The original Gnome.
The name Toho-gi was chosen using the character for earth, carrying that meaning.
“Ooh!”
The Gnome nodded, pleased. I then pointed to Undine, whose face was brimming with anticipation.
“Undine will be Suho-gi.”
“Suho-gi! I love it!”
I suspect Undine would have liked whatever name I gave her.
“Sylph will be Punho-gi.”
“Ooh! Same family name as the windmill! I like it!”
Finally, I pointed to Salamander.
“Salamander, you are….”
“Huff.”
Salamander let out an obviously reluctant, annoyed sound.
“You’re Pigmander.”
“Shhhriek!”
A pig squealed in shock.
“Don’t like it? Then Snoutmander.”
“Shrieeeek!”
The pig was rejecting the name with such vehemence it seemed ready to breathe fire. But there was no escape. You were our village’s only pig, and that was your fate.
‘Every village needs at least one cow or pig.’
And honestly, pigs were cute.
“Shrieeeeek!”
Four votes in favor, one against.
Our spirits’ designations were established through an entirely democratic process.
“Shriiiiieeeek!”
Come to think of it, there didn’t seem to be any votes against. Logically speaking, pigs don’t have voting rights, do they?
‘This isn’t some animal farm or anything.’
All spirits in the Spirit Special Zone were equal. But some spirits were more equal than others.
* * *
Level 2 Main Hall construction has been completed.
I stepped into the completed Level 2 Main Hall.
‘An extra room. And there’s furniture I’ve never seen before.’
The original Main Hall had only an office, bedroom, and bathroom.
With one empty room added, there was plenty of reason to think about how to use it.
‘I could make it a guest room and give it to Jin.’
Beyond that, there weren’t any major changes.
Feeling a slight pang of disappointment, I was about to step back outside when—
“Huh?”
Something caught my eye.
It hadn’t existed in the Level 1 main building.
“Ah, so that’s why the Portable Battery was used as a material.”
I nodded with satisfaction.
This was worth sacrificing my Portable Battery for.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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