Healing After Sweeping Spirits with an Almighty Skill - Chapter 41

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 41
Chapter 41. White-Haired Undine
Thirty minutes earlier.
While the spirits snacked, I inspected the Windbreakers they’d removed.
Five Windbreakers for the expedition team, plus five more for the rescued spirits—ten in total.
‘Considering they’ve been outside for a full week, they’re in surprisingly good condition.’
Apart from slight fraying at the edges, there were no holes or tears to speak of. Spirit Fiber seemed to hold up remarkably well in the Wasteland.
‘I made the right call telling the Blacksmith Guild to wait.’
When I’d visited the settlement a few days prior, I’d met the Blacksmith Guild there—Hammer and Anvil—and they’d requested that I supply them with Spirit Fiber.
But my real goal wasn’t to sell Spirit Fiber; it was to get Hammer and Anvil to sign a government contract to purchase my Mithril.
That’s why I’d asked them to channel any negotiations about Spirit Fiber deliveries through the Administrative Bureau instead.
‘There’s no way I’m releasing something this valuable to the market yet. Let’s use plenty of it ourselves first, then decide whether to sell.’
Besides, the creation of this Spirit Fiber had required enormous labor.
The Gnomes had been glued to their chairs like high school seniors cramming for exams, threading metal wire through tiny scraps of fabric—not a sight I cared to dwell on.
I used a small brush to dust away dirt and debris stuck to the Windbreakers, then planned to wash them once more and hang them to dry in the wind.
‘Good. Now let me take a look at the Treasure Vault.’
With Expedition Leader Sylph having grown into an Intermediate Spirit and one of the new recruits also reaching that rank, I’d earned two additional Coins.
So I now held six Coins—enough to purchase one item with some room to spare.
The list of things I could buy with six Coins was as follows:
Recovery Herb Bundle: 1 Coin
B-Grade Mana Stone: 2 Coins
Planta Tree: 2 Coins
Dragon Bone: 3 Coins
Spirit Stone: 5 Coins
Millennium Tree Seed: 5 Coins
Mage Primer: 6 Coins
Aura Inner Power Manual: 6 Coins
What should I buy?
The first things to catch my eye were, naturally, the manuals that could make me stronger.
“Hmm.”
But my hand hesitated because something else had caught my attention equally.
‘The Millennium Tree Seed.’
A Millennium Tree—the very name suggested something extraordinary. Since I’d acquired a Spirit Forest, it seemed wise to invest in timber. Why not?
[What are you looking at?]
As I peered into the Treasure Vault, someone spoke to me.
It was the new Intermediate Spirit Undine—she’d clearly endured much hardship in the Wasteland, as her hair ends were caked with frost, giving her a white-haired appearance.
‘Because of that hair, she looks so much older.’
I asked casually.
“Do you happen to know what a Millennium Tree is?”
[Yeah! I do!]
The white-haired Undine stretched both arms out as far as they could go.
[It’s a really, really big and really, really strong tree!]
A tree that spirits would praise so highly, then.
With an endorsement like that, there was no reason to hesitate.
Item purchased.
As soon as I bought the Millennium Tree Seed, something heavy fell from the Treasure Vault window—an enormous seed shaped like a pineapple.
[Oh!]
The white-haired Undine gasped and stared at the Millennium Tree Seed.
[I can feel such amazing energy from it…!]
I hoisted the white-haired Undine onto my shoulder and headed toward the Spirit Forest. She gripped my hair tightly, still getting used to riding.
At the very heart of the Spirit Forest, I used the land’s mana to carve out a shallow depression, placed the Millennium Tree Seed inside, covered it with soil, and asked Undine for help.
“Could you water it for me?”
[Of course!]
The white-haired Undine poured water generously over the spot where the seed was planted, then looked up at me with a joyful expression.
[It’s been such a long time since I watered a tree!]
“That’s good to hear. This place is full of things that need watering.”
[Hehe! Thank you so much for making a place like this!]
“I’m the one who should be grateful you made it here safely.”
[Hehehehe!]
Yes. Let’s make many happy memories together in this place.
* * *
The next day.
I tested the power of the Intermediate Spirits.
Crack-crack-crack!
Toho pulled an enormous boulder up from beneath the earth—easily a hundred kilograms in weight.
Whoosh!
[Take this—Wind Wound!]
[Aaaaah!]
[It flies away!]
The wind that Sylph, the scout leader, unleashed proved far stronger than the combined effort of three other Sylphs.
And as for Undine…
[Look at this! I can make the fish even happier by petting them!]
[Wow! Can I try too?]
[Me too, me too!]
The Undines were Undines indeed.
‘That’s right. Just stay healthy, all of you.’
Through a series of further tests, I was able to confirm that Intermediate Spirits possessed roughly three times the power of Lower-Grade Spirits.
If there were Intermediate Spirits, there must surely be higher tiers. The prospect of the spirits’ growth was something I could hardly overlook.
‘Now then, shall I try expanding the Spirit Castle?’
┼ LV. 6 Expansion Conditions (3/3)
└ 1. Selected Construction Site (1/1)
└ 2. Workshop LV. 2 (1/1)
└ 3. Settlement Residents (50/50)
With the Sylphs’ successful expedition, the final expansion condition was now met. Grateful to the spirits, I shouted “Yes.”
The Spirit Castle expands to LV. 6.
Rumble-rumble-rumble.
The newer spirits witnessing the expansion for the first time clung to each other in alarm.
I reassured them and checked the updated skill information.
Spirit Castle LV. 6
┼ Completed Construction
└ Main Keep LV. 3
└ Spirit Forest LV. 1
└ Mine LV. 4
└ Herb Garden LV. 4
└ Water Source LV. 4
└ Nest LV. 3
└ Furnace LV. 2
└ Smelter LV. 2
└ Workshop LV. 2
└ Storage LV. 2
└ Lighthouse LV. 3
└ Spire LV. 1
└ Plaza LV. 2
└ Hot Spring LV. 5
└ Wind Generator LV. 2
┼ Available Construction
└ Sled Course LV. 1
└ Spire LV. 2
└ Furnace LV. 3
└ Wind Generator LV. 3
┼ LV. 7 Expansion Conditions (0/3)
└ Sled Course LV. 1 (0/1)
└ Spire LV. 2 (0/1)
└ Intermediate Spirits (3/4)
Again, there were intriguing new structures among the available options.
‘A Sled Course.’
I suspected it had been added as a result of the Snow Mountain’s emergence.
I also checked the expansion conditions below it.
‘I need one more Intermediate Spirit.’
Now I had one more reason to work the Pigman hard.
* * *
Buildable Structures
┼ Sled Track LV. 1
└ Materials: Snowman (0/4)
└ Materials: Sled (0/4)
└ Requirement: Snow Mountain Region (1/1)
┼ Spire LV. 2
└ Materials: Mithril (5kg/5kg)
└ Materials: Stone (20kg/20kg)
└ Materials: Mana Stone (200g/1kg)
┼ Furnace LV. 3
└ Materials: Combustible (0kg/20kg)
└ Materials: Coal (10kg/10kg)
└ Requirement: Fire Spirit (3/3)
┼ Wind Generator LV. 3
└ Materials: Blower (0/1)
└ Materials: Aluminum (10kg/20kg)
└ Requirement: Intermediate Wind Spirit (1/1)
Another delightful DIY session to look forward to. I decided to tackle the Sled Track first.
‘Sleds. Everything in this world is a sled.’
I brought out one of the burlap sacks from the warehouse that had been holding wooden pallets.
“First, let’s make one sled with this.”
It had a slick surface, and I could grab the ears of the burlap sack like handles. I suspect that since the New Village Movement, the most commonly used sled material hasn’t been plastic at all—it’s been burlap sacks.
┼ Buildable Structures
└ Sled Track LV. 1
└ Materials: Snowman (0/4)
└ Materials: Sled (0/4)
└ Requirement: Snow Mountain Region (1/1)
“Huh?”
But the skill window failed to recognize the true genius of this magnificent sled.
“Come on, you fool. Where I grew up, this was worth its weight in Lamborghinis and Bugattis.”
I swear on my conscience there wasn’t a shred of lie in that. I grabbed a permanent marker and wrote “Sled No. 1” on the burlap sack.
┼ Buildable Structures
└ Sled Track LV. 1
└ Materials: Snowman (0/4)
└ Materials: Sled (1/4)
└ Requirement: Snow Mountain Region (1/1)
The skill window reluctantly incremented the count.
“That’s right. Mind yourself, unless you want the resistance of fifty million proletarians across the nation on your back.”
What? I wasn’t bourgeoisie now?
Anyone earning less than a professional footballer’s salary is ordinary folk. I’d decided that was the rule.
I made the remaining three sleds without much fuss.
One I crafted with the 3D printer, one I built from wooden boards at the workshop, and the last one I made at the foundry.
[Ohhhhh!]
It looked less like a sled and more like an iron plate with a few handles welded on, but since the Gnomes seemed satisfied, I didn’t mind.
With all four sleds accounted for, snowmen were next.
“Come on, everyone! Let’s go!”
[Wahhhhh!]
[Let’s goooo!]
I led all the spirits whose hands were free up the Snow Mountain.
“Now, here’s how you pack snow together to make a snowman.”
[Ohhhhh!]
[Uhhh?]
[It won’t pack together!]
[Ow! It keeps sticking to my hands!]
Perhaps owing to the difference between spirits and humans, the spirits struggled with packing snow. But after a little time, they eventually discovered their own methods for forming it.
[If you melt the snow a little bit, it packs together really well!]
[You just need to press it tightly with wind!]
[Ohhhhh! Ohhh!]
It seemed the Sled Track would be finished in no time.
* * *
The snowman was coming together smoothly when it happened.
Whoosh—. Plop.
A snowball thrown by someone landed on top of Suho’s head.
[Huh?]
Suho looked around in bewilderment, but when no one met his gaze, he reasoned it must be his imagination and lowered his head—
Whoosh—. Plop.
Another snowball fell on top of Suho’s head.
[Hmm…!]
Suho sprang to his feet, scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes.
Toho, diligently going about his work at a distance.
Toho, glancing around furtively while debating whether or not to make a snowman.
And then there was Jungryong—just Jungryong.
The culprit had to be among them.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————