IFH - 13

"But seriously, Judge of the Dead-oppa. Isn't there a skill for digging out roots or something? I'm dying from the effort, ugh."

[Your constellation 'Judge of the Dead' sniffles, saying it will definitely make a request regarding our baby's hardship, so please endure a little more.]

[Your constellation makes a fuss, telling you to look at our baby already having forearm muscles.]

"If you're going to make requests, add a stone-picking skill too."

[OK.☆Fi.Gh.Ti.Ng.My.Ba.By☆You can do it!♡ ٩(´▽`)۶ ♡]

Receiving her constellation's encouragement, Baek Eun, having pulled out all the lettuce, immediately took out potato and tomato seeds from her inventory.

[Using skill: Seed Sowing (C).]

[Stamina temporarily increased using trait-related skill.]

[Current Stamina Rank: S]

Tomatoes can grow slowly. What's urgent is potatoes.

Baek Eun planted potatoes in two-thirds of the garden and tomatoes in the remaining one-third. After finishing sowing and using Growth Acceleration, evening had already arrived.

Working up a sweat cultivating the garden was unexpectedly rewarding.

While Baek Eun sat on a parasol chair with a proud face resting, the gate opened and Baek Dan entered.

"Huh. What are you doing here? You weren't waiting for me, were you?"

Turning her head, she saw Baek Dan standing crookedly with a jacket draped over one shoulder.

Since he had stayed in the guild today, his clothes were in good condition.

"Sowing seeds and resting. It's hot enough to kill me."

While stretching out limply and fanning herself, Baek Dan grinned.

"Our Eun-ie, you've really become a proper farmer? Look at your red face."

He scanned the lettuce roots piled in one corner and chuckled.

"If you know, hurry up with some cool wind."

It was still early September, so it was a bit hot even in the evening. That's why Baek Dan, who appeared at the perfect timing, was welcome.

"What did you plant this time?"

Baek Dan asked, sitting lightly on the parasol chair and blowing cool wind with his skill.

"Potatoes and tomatoes. In ten days, we can eat potato chips too. Hehe."

"Potatoes and tomatoes? Aren't those extinct crops too? What extinct things are you reviving?"

"I've decided to humbly accept my ability now. So you should just accept it too."

Baek Dan giggled and nodded.

"Ah right. Baek Dan. I think I need some land."

"Land? Why, starting farming properly?"

"Yeah. The yard is narrower than I thought."

At her words, Baek Dan answered with a somehow proud face.

"I knew that and prepared in advance. Don't you know this oppa?"

Surprised, Baek Eun opened her eyes wide.

"Prepared in advance? When?"

"When Dad said he'd buy you land before, I remembered and bought it. Want to go tomorrow since I just remembered?"

"Whoa! Jackpot. Why are you doing such perfect things for once?"

With her worry pulled out in one go, excited Baek Eun smiled broadly.

Baek Dan looked at her silently for a moment, then opened his mouth low.

"Now tell me. Why did you ask about Lee Dojae's younger sibling earlier?"

Ah, what. Where's the ambush attack!

Baek Eun felt momentarily caught off guard.

'Well, I can tell him this much.'

After showing a moment of consideration, she opened her mouth.

"I need to save Lee Dojae's younger sibling."

"What? Why would you save Lee Dojae's younger sibling?"

As if you wouldn't understand even if I told you. Besides, how can I tell you that you die, you fool.

"There's a reason. Anyway, I'm going!"

To escape the question attack, Baek Eun quickly got up from her seat. Then Baek Dan urgently grabbed her.

"Ah why stop talking? Don't tell me you have feelings for that guy?"

"Feelings my foot. I saw Lee Dojae for the first time today?"

Baek Eun was about to go inside, but frowned and turned around.

"But why am I making such excuses? So what if I'm interested in him? I told you not to act like a siscon!"

When she shouted, Baek Dan made a face as if asking why she was saying such harsh things.

"It's not siscon, that guy is suspicious that's why. I'm saying this all for you. You peanut."

"Whatever. If you keep interfering in my business, I won't talk to you anymore."

"What? How can you do that!"

Ugh, that enemy.

Baek Eun ignored Baek Dan, who kept shouting behind her, and went inside.

∞∞∞

The next day.

Baek Eun had been purifying without rest for several hours.

The land Baek Dan bought was in Paju, and it was so large that it was impossible to purify it all at once with her current ability.

'10,000 pyeong was a bit much.'

How bewildered she was when she received the land deed.

Baek Dan's face looked so proud that she couldn't refuse and purified diligently with tears.

Thanks to purifying diligently for several hours, the end was finally in sight.

"Watching you purify strangely makes me feel reverent."

Baek Dan muttered as if amazed.

"Me too...."

Maybe because it's a constellation skill. The white light emanating from her fingertips always felt sacred no matter when she saw it.

"But I suddenly became curious, why doesn't land you purified get contaminated again?"

Huh, right. I never thought about that.

[Your constellation 'Judge of the Dead' subtly conveys that if you're curious, check the skill description.]

Thinking about it, I checked my skills but never checked my constellation skill.

Nodding, Baek Eun thought of the Purification skill.

Constellation Skill: Purification (A)

Returns all contaminated things to their original state and prevents them from being contaminated again.

To end the skill in auto mode, please shout 'Stop purifying!'

Note: Skill automatically ends when used on area exceeding 3,000 pyeong.

Cooldown: 1 hour

Current mode: Auto (default)

Are constellation skills somewhat different?

Baek Eun opened her mouth with a bewildered voice after checking the skill description.

"It seems once purified, it doesn't get contaminated again."

"Wow. Our peanut holds the ability Agricultural Research Institute wanted so much. They experimented so much with soil in their research institute. They never succeeded even once."

Baek Dan chuckled.

"But are you really going to purify other people's land too?"

"Yeah. Since I'm doing it, might as well do proper hidden farming strength."

"Then how will people know the land is purified and farm? Even if they find out, would they know how to farm? And how would they get seeds?"

At the barrage of questions, Baek Eun grinned and said.

"I have ways for everything."

Actually, her plan was this:

1. Purify unspecified numerous lands and sow seeds.

2. Then list seeds from the subspace's fruit tree, lettuce, tomato, and potato seeds on Hunter Market.

3. When news appears that sprouts grew from unspecified land after some time, share sowing methods on various communities.

4. People who bought seeds farm on purified land.

She planned to bury herself among many people. By then, it wouldn't be just her farming, so it wouldn't be particularly strange.

The biggest problem was that seeds were limited, so she planned to maximize use of the subspace's fruit tree....

'If I clear the main quest, I can get a seed shop as a reward.'

If the seed shop opens, she wouldn't need to get seeds from the subspace. Nor would she have to wait a long time for sprouts to grow.

'Even if the land is purified, without growth buff, trees would take long to sprout.'

Anyway, to use the seed shop, clearing the main quest came first.

'To do that, I need to save Lee Dojae's younger sibling.'

Of course, even without that reason, she planned to save them unconditionally because of other rewards and penalties.

She thought that way while purifying the land diligently.

∞∞∞

Time passed and Saturday, the day promised with Lee Dojae, arrived. Baek Eun stretched after sending a completed illustration via email.

As a visual design major, Baek Eun had been earning pocket money through illustration freelance work during her leave.

Baek Dan had nagged her to stop, but staying idle at home was too uncomfortable.

'Now that I've returned to school, I should quit the part-time job.'

Checking the time, it was 4 PM, so if she started preparing now, she should make it to the appointment. After showering with warm water and simple grooming, Baek Eun left the house.

The appointment place was a certain Korean restaurant on the outskirts.

This place, using an entire building, was a tasteful hanok that naturally drew admiration.

'A Korean restaurant. They're treating me properly.'

Recalling the memory of paying 500,000 won for a bowl of bibimbap, Baek Eun shook her head.

Checking her watch, it was 6:30 PM.

She thought she came too early, but decided to go in early.

"Welcome. Do you have a reservation?"

"Lee Dojae."

"We'll guide you inside."

A staff member in a modified hanbok guided her somewhere. After passing numerous rooms, they stopped before a wooden sliding door that looked excellently soundproof.

The staff knocked and opened the door, where neatly dressed Lee Dojae had already arrived.