The Female Lead Saves the World - Chapter 137

—————

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

—————

Yeo Joo Saves the World – Episode 137

“Really?”
It wasn’t just a simple matter of liking something.
Baek Young Ee, who rarely showed any voluntary movement in her usual state, was rolling across the dungeon floor in a display of unbridled affection, her entire body writhing with joy—it was genuinely shocking.
Meanwhile, Na Baek Ho and Maeng Yi were performing the zoomies in the open space near the dungeon entrance.
That’s right.
That frenzied sprint young puppies sometimes engage in, as if possessed by something, their souls momentarily absent from their bodies.
“Kyaahng!”
“Chirp chirp, chirp chirp!”
Maeng Yi was even abandoning a single treat she always carried with her, running with reckless abandon.
Having only ever seen her sprawled across the Training Facility sofa, witnessing this unfamiliar display felt strange.
“Should I… stop them?”
“Isn’t this like returning to their homeland after a long time? It looks nice, so let’s leave them be for a while.”
Han Ji Sung approached and spoke to me in a soothing tone, as if calming my surprise.
“Homeland. Ah, I see.”
Familiar spirit eggs are discovered within dungeons.
So perhaps this place was the most familiar to those creatures.
I hadn’t considered that.
As their master, I had failed to understand their desire to return home occasionally.
As I felt a pang of guilt and resolved to bring them here more often in the future, it happened.
“Woof! Woof!”
Unable to control his speed while running, Na Baek Ho tumbled across the ground several times, becoming completely covered in dirt, before barking at me from my feet.

[ (,,>᎑<,,)♫•*¨*•.¸¸♪ ]

"You like that so much, Na Baek Ho?"
"Arf!"
Even as we exchanged a few words, I could see his rear end wiggling with such enthusiasm that he was clearly thrilled.
"Go run around some more. But you can only play where we can see you, understand?"
"Woof!"
It seemed his real purpose was simply to get my permission, because he bolted away so quickly that dust billowed in his wake.
Right beside him was Maeng Yi, her fluffy bangs streaming wildly in the wind.
"Baek Young Ee doesn't need to wander around like that."
Unlike the other two, who dashed about as if they had motors attached to their four legs, Baek Young Ee had settled deep into the clearing.
It was the spot where the warmth felt most intense.
"Baek Young, is this the warmest place?"

[ (⸝⸝ᴗ͈ ̫ ᴗ͈⸝⸝) z Z]

"Yeah, you look really comfortable."
With eyes gently closed and body buried in the warm earth, she looked exactly like an elderly person enjoying a mud bath.
"Rest well. Don't go anywhere else."
"Huff."
Baek Young Ee answered dismissively and buried her face completely into the soil.
That was her way of saying don't talk to me anymore.
In any case, I'd resolved one concern, so now it was time to work.
"I have something I prepared. Hehe."
I pulled out what I'd bought by spending all the advertising contract money that had been deposited in advance, and laughed.
"Huh? Isn't this a mana stone detector?"
Im Chung Soo asked with sparkling eyes.
"That's right. It's a basic model, but it's way better than nothing. I spent a fortune on it, seriously."
"How does this thing work?"
Jang Su Ho also crept over, craning his neck to show his interest.
"I don't know. I skimmed through the manual, but I think this is the power button."
I pressed the button that was protruding slightly on one side as I answered.
Beep—
"Oh! It's working, it's… Wait, is all of that mana stone?!"
"It… seems to be?"
Jang Su Ho and I were momentarily speechless.
The small screen, which fit perfectly in my palm, displayed a slightly different image with each step I took.
High-performance precision detectors cost tens of billions of won, so I'd reluctantly purchased this basic model that could only detect within a 10-meter radius and 1.5 meters deep.
I moved a few steps and stood directly over the bright point the screen was showing.
Then I tapped that spot with one foot and spoke to Jang Su Ho.
"Try digging here."
"Okay, got it."
Following my instructions, Jang Su Ho began digging with his shovel, and it wasn't long before he let out a triumphant shout.
"It's here! It's a bit small, but a mana stone came out!"
"So all these scattered dots are actually mana stones."
I swallowed hard.
"This is a real jackpot, isn't it?"
Unlike the previous mining expeditions where I'd blindly hoped for luck and dug up the entire ground, this was different.
I simply walked to wherever the makeshift detector indicated and dug only that spot—and the mana stone would pop right out.
The moment I realized this fact, goosebumps erupted across my skin.
I tore my gaze from the detector and lifted my head, sweeping my eyes across the Flame Dungeon as I murmured.
"This is all… money!"

* * *

The full-scale mana stone mining operation began in earnest.
I would walk around with the detector in hand, leaving small marks wherever mana stones were buried, and the other guild members would dig at those spots.
Honestly, I hadn't expected the makeshift detector to perform this well.
So the markers I'd brought were simply whatever I could grab at hand.
Chopsticks, spoons, or freshly excavated mana stones, for instance.
It was a mesmerizing sight.
Another mana stone would appear right where I'd placed one!
It was almost tragic that we only had a few days.
If we'd had a month, I could have excavated this entire dungeon down to its bare bones.
Just then, something tapped gently against my ankle.
"Oh, Maeng Yi! Found another mana stone? Good job."
I praised Maeng Yi, who dropped a crimson mana stone the size of his own head at my feet.
"Chirp! Chirp!"
"I know, I know. Here, a treat."
I crumbled a small recovery snack into a round shape and fed it to Maeng Yi's mouth.

[ ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡ ]

It's just a snack we eat at home every day, but I'm not sure what's so special about it.
After receiving her reward, Maeng Yi hurried off to mine another magic stone.
"Oh, Na Baek Ho. Digging so deep—is it a bigger one this time?"
At my words, Baek Ho lifted his head and barked while his front paws continued scratching at the ground with soft thuds.
Then he returned to his earth-digging trance.
He really does seem to enjoy the act of digging itself.
Regardless, it was an excellent quality befitting Yeo Joo's familiar.
"Baek Young Ee seems to still be sleeping in that spot. But where did Chung Soo go?"
I briefly inserted a simple detection device into the Subspace to locate Chung Soo.
I thought he'd be digging with the other guild members, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Since Maeng Yi was here, he couldn't have gone far.
Then I noticed the grass in the distance rustling slightly.
"Chung Soo, what are you doing out here?"
"Oh, noona. I found some medicinal herbs and was just taking a closer look."
His dialect slipped out, which meant he was deeply focused.
"Really? But it's incredibly hot here, yet plants are still growing."
"It's not just any plant—it's a dungeon herb, so that's how it works. But…"
"But?"
"I think I might need to till the field."
"What do you mean? Why would you suddenly till a field?"
"If you're not a cow, you can't catch a calf walking backwards."
As he spoke, what Chung Soo held up was a small thorny shrub with a pale greenish-blue hue.

[ Yeol Rak Grass (悅樂草) ( C )
: Grants the user a sense of joy. ]

…The explanation is a bit awkward, isn't it?
As I quietly observed the Yeolrak Herb, Chung Soo began to explain.
"This is called Yeolrak Herb, and when you eat it, you feel joy."
"But Chung Soo, when people say 'yeolrak,' they usually mean…."
Ah, how am I supposed to explain this to a child?
"No, I know what it means. That's not the important part. I was making a concentration potion, remember?"
"Oh, right."
"Ah, how am I supposed to explain this to you, sister?"
Chung Soo, wrestling with the same dilemma I'd just faced, paused to gather his thoughts before speaking.
"First of all, you can't force concentration. The person taking the potion has to know what they want to focus on, right?"
"That's true. Some people might want to study, while others might want to focus on exercise."
"Exactly! You understand! But think about it. Is there anyone who wouldn't focus on something fun?"
"Ah… Oh!"
I grasped what Chung Soo was getting at.
"So if someone takes a potion with this in it, everything feels a bit more fun? Even boring things like studying or research?"
"That's it! That's why I caught this special frog!"
"Not just any frog—a golden frog, this one!"
My hands trembled as I took the Yeolrak Herb from Chung Soo's grasp.
"A sack! Let's put it in a sack! We can't let it lose its freshness!"
Fortunately, this seemed to be a habitat for Yeolrak Herb colonies, with thorny bushes covering the area.
"Actually, let's dig up several plants with soil intact. We need to plant them in your Greenhouse."
"I was already planning on that. But it seems like you're even more excited than I am."
"Chung Soo, if you succeed in making a concentration potion, moving to a bigger building won't just be a dream!"
"…Is it really that big a deal?"
What does this kid think millions of test-takers across the nation and their parents are worth!
Right now, the value of the stone isn't what matters.
I focused on digging up the Yeolrak Herbs around us alongside Chung Soo.
Of course, I wasn't holding a hoe.
As Chung Soo carefully dug up the herbs with practiced skill, my job was to gather them and place them in the sack.
The area around where we crouched had been cleared to bare earth in a perfect circle.
But that was fine.
This whole area was filled with Yeolrak Herbs!
As I straightened my back for a moment, Chung Soo neatly stacked the herbs he'd dug up, and I quickly placed them in the sack, unable to suppress my laughter.
"Hehe, it's money. This is all money."

—————

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

—————