We arrived by the entrance to our domain of the safe zone.
The atmosphere was dense and loomed all over the place, it was uneasy as it darkened. Everyone was on the edge.
I whispered to Jin, "why's everyone like that?"
"I guess they're stiffen up and stressed over the recent announcement." Jin whispered back.
"Ah, the one about the competition that would be held soon?"
Jin nodded as we walked towards a tree and settled there for a while.
I whispered to the boys including Johannes. "Guys, from now on, I'll be called 'Winter'. Don't address me by my real name outside, I don't want unnecessary attention before the competition."
"Can I still call you noona?" Jungkook's doe eyes gleamed.
I chuckled at his behavior and answered, "yes, you may."
"Sigh, we need to find a place to settle again." Jimin said as he stretched his arms.
"Hmm? And why do we need to do that?" I asked at I directed my attention to him.
Taehyung then spoke. "Every evening, people would choose a place to spend the night at. People would share spaces in the auditorium, classrooms, even on the cemented ground. It changes everyday depending on 'first come, first serve' kind of situation."
"That's really a reckless rule." I shook my head.
"I agree." Namjoon said as he heavily sighed.
「 Private system chat with 'Jojo' ★. 」
★Jojo : ["R-Reckless? You already know that only upgrading our safe zone would do some changes."]
★Y/n : " You heard us. I'll do something about it later, well, to our place to crash. Anyways, do you have any ideas on where the boys and I could quietly spend our time?"
★Jojo : ["There's a store room nearby, but I'm guessing you're not just using it for sleeping purposes. What you're gonna use it for?"]
★Y/n : "I want an open area not normally used by other players, and not a confined space."
★Jojo : ["There are many other areas around my place of management, there's a field a few miles away so it might be a bit of help to you."
★Y/n : "We're in Sungkyunkwan University, so you manage Myeongnyun sam ga-dong, right? How many guides are there in Korea? There must be a few hundreds in a state."
★Jojo : ["Not really, there are some places not occupied by us guides and were deliberately named as 'newbie's guillotine'. Well, anywhere outside a safe zone would be a low leveled player's guillotine anyways."]
★Y/n : "I thought you were referring to yourself as the newbie's guillotine or to be more specific, the newbie's 'head blaster' when I first saw you."
★Jojo : ["H-Hey--"]
★Y/n : "Well, the system didn't tell me the area you occupy specifically, it just said I was in the safe zone of Jongno-gu though."
★Jojo : ["...It must be a system glitch then."]
★Y/n : "I don't think so. It worked just fine when we were at Curtis's territory."
★Jojo : ["What? That can't possibly be.."]
★Y/n : "Then is this their way of saying you're not acknowledged as a guide in his own territory?"
★Jojo : ["W-What?"]
★Y/n : "Rabbit, turn on your stream."
★Jojo : ["What why? It's so sudden."]
★Y/n : "Just do as I say. I bet a lot of constellations are dying to see some content from your channel."
The rabbit revealed himself in the nick of time and opened his channel's stream.
「 Jojo has opened their streaming channel #JJ-098135. {only limited to constellations} 」
「 Constellations are entering the server #098135. 」
「 Constellations are wondering why it took so long. 」
「 Some constellations are pissed for the sudden close of the stream and are demanding an explanation. 」
「 Some constellations are jumping in joy that the stream is finally conducting. 」
「 Fungus feet donated 500 coins to the server and left a comment. "Please don't shut down your stream so suddenly next time, we were patiently waiting for your server to reboot~!" 」
「 The phantom ghost donated 500 coins to the server and recommended the link to other channels. Gifted an 'abyssal grill' and commented: "I'm your no. 1 fan~ please relay this gift to the female player next to you~ I really enjoy the cooking series last time~ ^^ Ah, I'm also her no. 1 fan! 」
「 Jester donated 600 coins to the server. 」
「 Hell's chef donated 800 coins to the server. 」
「 War maniac has put the server on the channel recommendation list. 」
「 Hell's chef has put the server on the channel recommendation list. 」
「 The server #098135 has rose in fame. 」
「 More constellations are flooding in. 」
「 572 constellations are present. 」
["W-What i-is this?"] The rabbit stuttered as comments and donations came rushing in without faltering in the slightest.
"Donations, comments and compliments. What else?" I chuckled at the sight of the confused rabbit. "I said I would take care of it, didn't I?"
I whispered under my voice. "You didn't even have to lift a finger."
He whispered back, ["B-But still, this is a-an absurd amount!"]
"It's not absurd, it's still believable. Back when people on Earth were living a normal life, idols had millions of viewers in just minutes." I continued. "This is just the beginning of your fame."
The rabbit positioned himself in the air as he flew higher. ["D-Dear constellations~! Thank you so much for such generous donations, I really appreciate for those who had shared the link to my very own comfort of the server~!"]
...I could hear his yapping from a mile away.
★Y/n : "You have your fun, take your time and sort out the things that needed be. I'll be waiting for you by the vast field near here."
★Jojo : ["Yes yes~"]
★Y/n : "Oh and remember to hand me the pan that Phantom ghost asked you to pass to me."
「 'Jojo' gifted you 'abyssal grill'. 」
「 'Abyssal grill' is placed in your inventory. 」
★Jojo : ["You have my word~"]
「 Would Host like to link your personal dimensional space with system inventory? 」
[ Yes/No ]
Oh?
[ Yes. ]
「 Linking success! 」
「 Used capacity in inventory: 30[+20]/150[+1000] 」
★Y/n : "...Just solve your donations and find us afterwards."
★Jojo : ["Are you sure you don't need any sort of payment?"]
★Y/n : "That's odd for you to ask me first, I thought you would horde all the coins to yourself."
★Jojo : ["I'm not that bad of a guide, maybe if you were any other player, then I would probably horde them all."]
★Y/n : "It's okay, you can have them. Just take it as your side of the deal, I have more than enough ways to earn them myself."
★Jojo : ["Well, If you insist~~"]
I turned around and glanced back at the boys as I smiled.
"Let's go." I curved up a small smile as I led the way and they followed right behind me. "It's not that far from here."
"Hmm? Where are we going?" Hoseok asked, full of curiosity.
"Finding a permanent place of settlement, I would say." I smiled as I took the lead.
"What, really??" Jimin's eyes widen as the rest followed.
I chuckled at their reaction, followed with a small smile plastered on my face. "I'll make sure other players won't think about bothering us."
While we were walking I had asked a question. "I didn't realize it at first, but that rabbit's safe zone occupied quite a large area."
Yoongi then decided to speak. "I don't really know about other safe zones but ours consists a few empty buildings, one university campus and few streets. We didn't really explore more since the thought never really crossed our minds."
"Ah, really?" I chuckled.
"It never occurred to us, other players would think the same too." Jin then said, followed by a distant sigh.
"How about you, Johannes?" Namjoon had his arms around his shoulder as he jest. "It's been a month the world went chaotic, but how come we've never met you in the same safe zone?"
"A-Ah, that's because.." Johannes couldn't find the right words to say.
"I'm just jesting, don't be so nervous~" Namjoon chuckled as he pat Johannes's muscular back. "Woah, you're really buffed."
Johannes chuckled shyly, flustered at his remark.
Then our footsteps halted at the beginning of a widespread greenish field. I gaze up the crimson sky as it gradually darkened, wyverns and many drakes flying against the scarlet firmament.
"There's no one in the vicinity, what do y'all think?" I tilted my head as I asked them. "I don't think anyone had been here before, even the grass stopped growing inside the zone."
"Plus, we get this view." I directed my gaze back to the sky.
"It's perfect." Namjoon heaved a relieved sigh as he smiled showing his dimples.
"Wah~ I can't believe we've scored for a place like this!" Jimin said with excitement in his voice.
"We should set up our sleeping bags, boys!" Jin said, one by one they got sleeping bags from their inventory.
"Wait, sleeping bags?" I asked them.
"Yeah, each player gets one at the briefing on the first day-- Wait, that means noona doesn't have one?" Jungkook halted pulling the zipper. "You can have mine--"
"No no, that's not exactly what I meant. You guys consecutively used sleeping bags for a whole month?" I paused. "I understand sleeping on the ground but I didn't know it was this dire. I thought they at least gave a tent or something."
★Jojo : ["Hey, at least they're not hobos."]
★Y/n : "Concentrate on your stream instead investing your time in the player's forum."
"After we receive our evening rations, we just go to sleep. We wait for the night to be over and constantly be on our toes when scenarios occur." Hoseok said as Jin continued.
"We're still not quite used to the sudden change in our lives, I can't say we're doing a good job at it either. It would be lying if we did though."
I shook my head and heaved a long sigh. "Adapting to the conditions is just a way to survive. Normal people would already given their lives because of this unacceptable change, but you all survived."
"No matter what you do, this," I gestured our surroundings. "All of this wouldn't change."
"When I came back, I was greeted with a disaster right in front of me. Everything around crumbled to the ground and a flipping goblin appeared in front of me, on a planet filled with logical explanations, Earth. When I saw monsters roaming around and there were no human in sight, that's when I knew something was up."
"Until, coincidently, I've met this goofball, Taehyung." I paused. "And eventually met all of you."
Yoongi then had something to say. "But there's something I'm very curious about, and I believe the rest would also like to know."
"Why would someone like you, help nobodies like us." Then silence filled the atmosphere.
It took a few long seconds to finally speak but I managed to. "Humans."
"...W-What?" Yoongi said in complete confusion.
"...I've promised someone I would, by any means, help those who are in need of helping."
"But... may I ask why?" Johannes questioned.
I paused for a while. "Because humans... are vulnerable."
They all were confused by my words. "I know, I do seem like a human on the outside. But after what I've been through, I couldn't come up with an excuse of being one."
"So I chose to become a demi-human. After experiencing it all by myself, I learnt that humans are just weak under the eyes of a predator. Then, I decided to become stronger for my own sake."
I directed my eyes and looked at them. "I did not choose you all to protect or to fulfill those wishes of a dead man because you're weak, but I chose to follow all of you throughout the end because it was my own decision."
Their eyes wavered slightly as they were lost for words.
"Are you guys afraid because I'm not all human?"
"No, we're not. We're just grateful to have someone looking after us, but to us, it seems as though we're long time friends although we've only met for a few hours."
"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have survived today." Taehyung wistfully smiled as he said.
"Who cares if you're not all human, you seem human to us anyway!" Jin confidently said as he had the biggest smile. "You were once human! That still makes you human!"
I chuckled. "Guys, I'm still human. It's just that a quarter of my blood belongs to the draconic race."
"Aish, let's just hear what Y/n wanted to say before we interrupted her." Namjoon chuckled. "We won't push you any further than this, we're already happy that we have a new friend."
"You guys don't doubt me?"
"How could we? Although it's true that our suspicions have yet faded, we're always gonna welcome you no matter what others say." Jin said as he raised his big yet warm hand and caress my head. "And no matter how old you are, I'll always treat you as my dongsaeng."
[ Dongsaeng : means younger sister/brother ]
"Kindness is really hard to see in places like this." Jimin said as he continued. "We're never gonna forget the goodwill you've shown us today, not till the day we die."
"Ahhhh, enough with the flattery." I chuckled. "Let's set up a proper place of stay."
★Y/n : "Do you have any materials--"
★Jojo : ["I knew you were gonna ask that, so I bought supplies from the guide's shop just in case~"]
★Y/n : "Are you grateful because I held the end of my deal?"
★Jojo : ["It's my way of portraying my thanks, so take it or leave it."]
★Y/n : "You must've lucked out on coins."
★Jojo : ["Yes, the sum of donations are in masses--"]
★Y/n : "Alright, got it. Thanks."
A whole bunch of items appeared in front of me on the whim as they hovered above us.
"Noona, what are these?" The little one asked as his doe, brimming eyes were filled with curiosity.
"Supplies needed to build our small hideout~" I hummed as I controlled the trajectory of the items and my hands glowed vibrant sapphire.
Mana traced the tips of my fingers, one by one they gathered together and slowly formed a small modern cottage-like house that was painted white. Then, I casted a few spells and enchanted the house as the floating words hugged onto the surface.
The mana were then forced into the small lodging abruptly and finished off as it resonated. There were mana traces emitting from the small box-like cottage but it was more like a shed.
"There, it's done."
「 ✦Host attained a new achievement!✦ 」
Huh?
「 Host is the first to apply a practical manipulation of space magic on an accommodation on Earth! 」
「 Host achieved the title "Dimensional craftsman" 」
「 Host gained 100[+1000] coins for obtaining a title. 」
"Y/n, not to bring it up just after you've done crafting this.. very cute home, but how is this going to fit all of us?" Taehyung said as he chuckled.
I chuckled. "Well, there's more than meets the eye, so you all should see the inside for yourselves."
"Oh, and make sure to pick out your rooms, I'll be crafting the outdoor kitchen and dining area. I think I should also make a sparring ground just in case."
They opened the small entrance of the cottage and all of them went inside.
I moved the remaining materials and began building the miniature kitchen and laid the wooden plank floors. I forged some of the orichalum ores the rabbit gave with casting 'hell's fire' with my bare hands, into a huge furnace steamer and used the remaining to craft the faucets.
「 Host is using the constellation-exclusive system shop. 」
「 Host purchased 'Raw Mithril ore' 」
「 Host used 300 coins. 」
I made some of the necessities like cups and cutting boards with the Mithril ores I bought from the shop.
But how am I going to make running water supply?
Then in that very moment I came up with an idea.
I reached into my inventory and grabbed onto an orb.
Grade: A
Specifications: Mana supplying orb.
Uses: none
-
★Y/n : "Rabbit, can you check in your guide's shop whether are there any unaccustomed altars on sale? I can't find one in my system shop."
★Jojo : ["Why would you need that? You want to hold sacrifices or something?"]
★Y/n : "To have it as the main source of water supply, I'm not having it as a place to devote myself to god. So do they have it or not?"
★Jojo : ["Yeah, you're lucky that they do. There's a lot on sale, which one would you like to buy?"]
★Y/n : "Get me the smallest one they've got, better if it's able to adjust according to any craftsman."
★Jojo : ["Alright, there's one for 700 coins. The specifications are adjustable to user's needs, plus it would require a 6th circled mage to be able to make modifications. Do you still want to purchase it?"]
★Y/n : "I'm currently at the verge to break through the 9th circle, so it's quite alright."
★Jojo : ["I thought the 9th circle was the limit for humans."]
★Y/n : "And I thought you overheard the conversation between the boys and me."
★Jojo : ["Still, it's not possible if you have not, at least lived for a little over a hundred years to master it."]
★Y/n : "..."
★Jojo : ["..."]
★Jojo : ["W-What? Y-You're not telling me you're actually--"]
★Y/n : "Anyways, I'll just transfer the coins to you, but is there like a bank transfer or something?"
★Jojo : ["...Fine, I'll pay for now. You could just transfer them to me when I finished my business here, because the only way to transfer coins is to shake hands."]
★Y/n : "Alright~"
Then an altar dropped from the sky into the dome and landed right in front of me. That was fast.
「 'Jojo' gifted you 'The Moth's Altar' 」
I materialized the mana around me and made decent tweaks as I reverse the purpose of its property at the core of the altar. The glow emitted from the altar had turned from violet to bright amber.
I placed the orb onto the altar and running water supply made from the mana that materialized water from it. As the water had flowed from the faucet, it would be drained instantly because magic took care of it.
Luckily, there were some leftover planks of wood sturdy enough to make a bench and a long rectangular table.
Then, right in that moment the boys had came out from the shed and their jaws were ajar the whole time as they halted their tracks and looked at me.
"You guys are done picking your rooms?" I chuckled as they all came out with their jaws ajar and Jungkook's reaction was the total opposite.
"Noona! I chose the one near the terrace, I saw noona while looking out the window from the inside!"
"Ah, is that so? How about the rest?" I directed my attention towards them. "Did you all decide which room you're using?"
"Y-Yes we all did, the i-inside is just-- enormous!" Hoseok said as he got more excited as time went by. "It's like the inside of a mansion! It even has two floors!"
"T-There are 3 bathrooms..." Yoongi said as he was astonished. "Are we living in a hotel or something?"
Namjoon chuckled. "Although how fascinating it is, that's not something to be too excited about though, Y/n is way more remarkable when fighting than building."
"Geez, quit complimenting over trivial matters, I'm getting shy over here." I chuckled as they giggled in the background. "If we're going to live here for some time, might as well make it to be able to sustain for long periods of time. It's worth to build a comfortable place to stay if we're always facing monsters everyday."
"Well said." Namjoon chuckled. "It's more than enough, actually. Thanks again, Y/n.. "
"If you want to thank me, I would urge you all to quickly level up as payment." I giggled as they all vigorously nodded their heads.
"Well I'm going to prepare dinner now, you guys can wait--"
"Let me help." Jin said as he came beside me and grabbed an apron that was on the counter. "You might not know, but I wasn't a half-bad home-cook myself."
"Hmm, I could use some help." I chuckled. "You can help me prep the ingredients while I might have to call my summons in."
"Hmm?" Jin hummed, confused by what I've meant.
It's been awhile since I used telepathy with any of my summons, but I've been constantly doing that with the rabbit.
I closed my eyes and a hollow ring could be heard as silence engulfed once again. "Greed, Martis, can you hear me?"
"Yes, Master."
"Can you speed up the production of the vegetables?"
"Master, the one called 'perilla leaves' are ready to be harvested. Martis made sure it would be kept ripened until you've asked for them."
"Then BBQ it is."
"Ah, by the way, Martis can still manipulate spatial magic in his state right?"
"Needn't say more, Master. Martis already made the sub-space preparations just in case you'd ask. Hope it's okay with Master though."
"Then I'm guessing you both also made the plantation for rice?"
"Yes, we've made a paddy field next to the perilla leaves in the subspace."
"We've also researched about human's basic needs for food and knowledge about plantations, so we've prepared everything to plant in advance."
"Hmm, did Martis surfed the player's forum? Are summons able to do that?"
"Well to be precise, we were originally from our respective worlds which was already taken over by the system. We had the system with us, so when we were made into Master's summons, they were still intact."
"Ah, is that so.. the player's forum sure has a lot to offer."
"How did you both get the seeds then?"
"Martis had created them after a little bit of theory and research while you were gone."
"In a span of 5 hours?"
"Yes Master."
"Hmm.. it's a good thing that I've decided to make you two my summons."
"Should I bring the sack of rice and perilla leaves to you, Master?"
"Yes, and bring some eggplants and lettuce with you too."
"Yes, right away Master."
-
I disconnected our link and directed my attention towards Jin.
"Ah, I'm sorry that I've blacked out on our conversation, but rice is on it's way." I smiled.
"Then I'll be cooking the rice~" He said as I and handed him a cup. "Leave it to me, I'm used to cook rice in bulk since I'd always cook for the seven of us at home."
"Okay, then you can use the steamer over there." I pointed to my left, "we'll have barbeque, is that okay?"
"Of course it's fine, we're okay with anything." Jin chuckled as he lighted the firewood beneath the furnace steamer.
Then I opened my mouth and spoke. "After dinner, I've promised to teach you the ways of the necromancer."
"And the rest will learn much better ways to survive, preferable, stronger."
End of chapter 9
-
「 Status Window 」
Name: Kim Seokjin
Age: 28
Species: Human
Level: 8
Job: Summoner
Class: [Necromancer] {New}
Title(s): [-]
Sponsor: [-]
HP: 150
MP: 50 [+50]
Strength: 28
Agility: 38
Vitality: 40
Intelligence: 37
Skill(s): Taming[LV1], Puppeteer [LV1]{new}, Camouflage [LV1], Link [LV1] {new}.