Healing After Sweeping Spirits with an Almighty Skill - Chapter 4

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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 4
Episode 4. A Second Spirit, a Second Level
I poured a bottle of mineral water over the water spirit.
[Glug-glug!]
The water spirit took the cascading water full-body, drenched from head to toe.
And then something remarkable happened.
The muddy brown that had caked its form rinsed away, and its body filled out, taking on a fuller shape.
By the time I’d emptied the entire bottle, a creature stood before me that was utterly transformed.
[Wow! Human, thank you!]
Like Gnome, the water spirit had taken the form of a child no bigger than my palm.
Where Gnome was earthen and solid, this one’s body was composed of water—transparent and tinged with blue—yet its bright, crystalline smile was unmistakable.
“Oh? You can talk?”
[Yeah! Gnome, thank you too!]
The water spirit bowed to me in gratitude, then immediately wrapped its arms tight around Gnome beside it.
[O….]
Gnome went limp in the water spirit’s embrace, shimmering weakly. Where the two touched, Gnome’s color deepened to a rich burgundy.
“Gnome—did you bring this child here?”
[O. O-o-o. O-o-o-o-o.]
Gnome gestured slowly, attempting to explain something.
“I see.”
I nodded along carefully.
I understood nothing. Asking was pointless.
[But what kind of place is this?]
The water spirit grinned with childlike delight, its bright eyes darting around the space.
[Mmm! It feels so nostalgic and familiar! I wish my other friends would come here soon!]
I wished for that too. Then my Magic Stone yield would increase.
“Water spirit friend.”
[I’m Undine!]
“Right. Undine.”
[Yep!]
“There’s something I’m curious about….”
Through conversation with Undine, I gathered several useful pieces of information.
First: this Tower World contained many small, docile spirits—never before documented—much like the two before me.
Second: these spirits found their way here, drawn either by other spirits or by the Spirit Zone itself.
Third: true to its name, the Spirit Zone kept out monsters and people but welcomed spirits through its gates.
Fourth: unlike the spirits of traditional towers, the spirits of this Tower World remained invisible to humans—until they entered the Spirit Zone, where they became visible.
‘If that’s the case, then I have work to do.’
I crouched down until I was eye-level with Undine.
“Undine, there’s a way you can help bring your friends here faster.”
[Really? Yes, I want to!]
Undine bounced up and down with both arms raised high.
A spirit of such exuberance—the complete opposite of the always-quiet, measured Gnome.
With Undine’s consent secured, I quietly opened my skill menu and constructed the final building for the Spirit Village Level 1.
Water Source LV.1
└ Requirement: Spirit of Earth (1/1)
└ Requirement: Spirit of Water (1/1)
A pale green virtual blueprint in the shape of a well materialized between the Main Hall and the Mine.
[Huh?]
[Oh?]
Both spirits reacted at once, their attention sharpening like dogs pricking up their ears.
[There’s something there!]
Undine bounded toward it first, and Gnome waddled after without hesitation.
[Sniff-sniff! Sniff-sniff!]
Undine’s nose twitched several times before it began hopping in place.
[Here! Dig here!]
Without complaint, Gnome set to work, burrowing into the earth.
Within moments, Gnome vanished below the surface like a mole; Undine dove down after it through the tunnel Gnome had carved.
Then, moments later—
Whoooosh!
A fountain of water burst forth from the ground.
Ahahahaha!
Undine rode the stream of water through the air, laughing with delight.
I watched her for a moment, then turned my gaze beyond the Spirit Zone’s boundary toward the Wasteland.
Whoooosh—
In the Wasteland, where only sand-laden winds blew year-round, there was not a single tree or blade of grass. Pools of water were out of the question entirely.
It was only natural—water scattered into the air evaporated before it could even touch the ground in a place like this.
‘Water in a wasteland like this.’
Somehow I felt like I was the only one getting lucky here.
Did that make me sorry? Not a chance. Life had always been fundamentally unfair.
Once the water source was secured, Gnome quickly dug out the earth and tamped it down, creating a well in its most primitive form.
“Is this water safe to drink?”
[Yep! Nothing odd about it!]
I poured some of the water into a mineral water bottle and took a cautious sip.
Remarkably, it was cool and refreshing.
Apart from a somewhat strong mineral taste, it was perfectly pleasant water to drink.
‘Wait, I think I can sense a little Mana in it?’
Since my Awakening, I’d become somewhat sensitive to Mana itself. It wasn’t a large amount, but there was a faint trace of Mana mixed into the water.
‘Either way, I suppose that satisfies the condition.’
I opened my skill window.
Spirit Village LV. 1
┼ LV. 2 Expansion Conditions (2/2)
└ 1. Main Hall LV. 1 (1/1)
└ 2. Water Source LV. 1 (1/1)
I had met all the expansion conditions.
As I confirmed this, a new notification window appeared.
Expand Spirit Village to LV. 2?
There was nothing to hesitate over.
Without a second thought, I cried out “Expand” in my heart.
* * *
Rumble, rumble, rumble—
The ground shook. Or rather, the sky itself seemed to tremble.
[Whoa!]
[Huh?]
The two spirits and I reflexively looked up at the sky.
The boundary of the Spirit Zone—the invisible line that separated the Spirit Zone from the Harsh Wind Zone beyond—was expanding.
Rumble, rumble, rumble—
After a moment, the expansion ceased, and the Spirit Zone was now roughly twice as large as before.
“Ahhh—”
I drew in a long breath almost without thinking. The air itself felt noticeably clearer than before.
I wasn’t sure the description even made sense, but the air itself tasted sweeter with each breath.
[Wow! That’s amazing! Everything suddenly feels so much better here!]
Undine bounced around gleefully while Gnome lay flat against the ground beside her.
‘Skill window.’
Spirit Village LV. 2
┼ Construction Complete
└ Main Hall LV. 1
└ Water Source LV. 1
└ Mine LV. 1
┼ Available for Construction
└ Herb Field LV. 1
└ Nest LV. 1
└ Furnace LV. 1
┼ LV. 3 Expansion Conditions (0/2)
└ 1. Nest LV. 1 (0/1)
└ 2. Furnace LV. 1 (0/1)
The Spirit Zone’s level had risen to Spirit Village LV. 2.
‘So the new buildings available are the Herb Field, the Nest, and the Furnace.’
The Nest and Furnace weren’t clear to me, but just hearing “Herb Field” made it smell like money.
Herbs do grow even in the Wasteland—or rather, there are a few scattered in places like cave interiors where the Harsh Wind’s influence is relatively weaker.
‘Which is why the prices of Alchemy consumables like Potions have been skyrocketing.’
One Potion bottle is roughly equivalent to the ability of a first-class Healer-type Awakener. But if Potion ingredients grew in that Herb Field?
‘My mouth’s watering.’
I wiped the corner of my mouth and checked the construction conditions.
┼ Buildable Structures
└ Herb Field LV. 1
└ Materials: Seeds (10/10)
└ Condition: Earth Spirit (1/1)
└ Condition: Water Spirit (1/1)
└ Nest LV. 1
└ Materials: Stone (0kg/5kg)
└ Materials: Wood (0kg/5kg)
└ Materials: Cotton (0kg/1kg)
└ Furnace LV. 1
└ Materials: Wood (0kg/2kg)
└ Materials: Stone (0kg/2kg)
└ Condition: Fire Spirit (0/1)
“Huh?”
I rubbed my eyes and checked the window again.
└ Herb Field LV. 1
└ Materials: Seeds (10/10)
└ Condition: Earth Spirit (1/1)
└ Condition: Water Spirit (1/1)
Build Herb Field LV. 1?
“Seeds? What seeds?”
I didn’t have a single seed in my possession. Yet the material conditions were already met.
“Wait. Could it be…?”
I cast my gaze toward Gnome, rolling about on the ground.
His body looked incomparably “fertile” compared to the barren Wasteland outside.
“…….”
Squinting, I could almost make out what looked like a few seeds nestled in the spaces between, like sesame grains.
‘Right. Good. What belongs to the worker belongs to the employer.’
I began construction on the Herb Field without hesitation.
As the blueprint was applied beside the well, Gnome glanced that way with a somewhat annoyed expression.
I pulled out a Choco Cracker wrapper from my pocket and showed it to him—he promptly cheered and charged off with rapid little footsteps.
[Huh? What’s this now? I’m coming too!]
And there was Undine, chasing after Gnome with a bright smile on her face.
“Hmm.”
I rubbed my chin.
I couldn’t rely on unpaid labor forever. I needed to figure out what kind of snacks Undine preferred.
* * *
Thump-thump.
One of many rooms in the Vault—the workshop of Daejisoo, a Level 4 Earth Mage.
Or rather, the workshop of Daejisoo, now a Level 5 Earth Mage.
“Kahahaha!”
Daejisoo drew forth his Mana and lifted a boulder the size of a house above his head, laughing wildly.
Blood streamed from his nose due to the sudden surge of concentrated Magic Power, but he paid it no mind.
“Finally, finally I’ve reached Level 5!”
A Grade B Magic Stone purchased through the Tower Market app.
By draining every last drop of Magic Power from within it, Daejisoo had finally grown into a Level 5 Earth Mage.
Whoosh—crash-boom.
Having hurled the massive boulder into a corner, Daejisoo felt Magic Power coursing through his entire body.
It was more than double the Magic Power he’d had at Level 4.
“Krhrhrhk…!”
At this level, he could easily clear the twenties without the Guild’s help.
“But still, it’s not enough…!”
No, it wasn’t enough.
Not enough to inflict cruel vengeance on the Guild that had abandoned him.
“Magic Stones, I need more Magic Stones…!”
Power yearns for greater power, they say.
Having tasted the sweetness of Level 5, Daejisoo burned with desire for Level 6.
But there was one massive obstacle standing in the way of that desire.
Was it the Magic Stone shortage again?
No. It was the other jackals circling those Magic Stones.
[Earth Mage Group Chat (64)]
– Photo (Daejisoo exchanging items with someone in the Meeting Square)
– Cursing you, Pigsoo
– How dare you outbid me for my Magic Stone?
– You young,,,bastard,,,didn’t even,,,think about,,,yielding,,,
– Traitor with water in your name
– Damn it. You better watch yourself on the streets.
– No wait Jisoo seriously why are you like this hyung asked you to yield hyung seriously if I don’t level up this time I’m getting kicked from the Guild I’ve got a wife and kids at home and my mother too Jisoo seriously you can’t do this how could you do this to me how could you to me to me you bastard to me to me
Watching the losers wail in the group chat, Daejisoo made a mental note to be more careful with the next transaction. These lunatics might lose their minds and try to rob him of the Magic Stones.
Still, now that they’d exchanged business cards, the next deal could be safer.
Of course, there was no guarantee that person would find more Magic Stones somewhere else….
– Ding.
An alarm popped up at that exact moment.
[An item matching your keyword alert has been posted on the Tower Market.]
[C-grade B-grade Magic Stones ㅍㅍ Auction closes in 10 minutes]
A familiar title. Daejisoo instinctively knew this was the same person from yesterday’s transaction.
‘Why didn’t they contact me through the business card…?’
No, that wasn’t urgent right now.
He needed to secure a loan immediately and take all those Magic Stones.

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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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