Chapter 16: There was also a ‘ranking’ among spirits

The suffocating awkwardness tightened around me like a vice.

“…I didn’t expect to see you again so soon…”
“Yeah, haha…”

The necromancer seemed to feel it too.

She glanced at the sky, scraped the ground with her staff, and fiddled with her phone, turning it on and off repeatedly.

After a long silence, I finally spoke.

“You’re the one selling the purified water on the marketplace, right?”
“Oh, right… the purified water…”

Rummaging awkwardly, she pulled out a small bundle of bottles.

When I tried to pay, she frantically waved her hands.

“N-No, it’s fine! Consider it thanks for helping our party.”

But I couldn’t accept it for free.

Call it a principle, but I believe transactions should be fair.

“Thanks for the gesture, but you should take the agreed payment!”

She resisted, but my firm stance eventually made her reluctantly accept the money.

As another awkward silence loomed—

“Healer-nim, may I ask what you’re using the purified water for?”

An unexpected question.

“It’s just that my unique ability is alchemy, and I’m pretty high-level. If you need help, I’d love to assist.”

If it were anyone else, I’d have brushed it off.

But lying to someone who teared up at our parting and genuinely wanted to help felt wrong.

So, I opened up about successfully cultivating Lumina Bells,
my plan to make mana potions,
and needing purified water for the process.

“You… grew Lumina Bells yourself?”

Her eyes widened, and she continued cautiously.

“Actually, that flower could raise my alchemy level to 4, but I couldn’t find any no matter how hard I looked.”

She stole glances at me, clearly gauging my reaction.

“So… could you maybe sell me one or two flowers each time you grow them? I’ll pay whatever you want.”

Honestly, there was no reason to refuse.

She looked like my favorite flower, Belladonna, which made me want to get closer, and we’d bonded during the gate.

But with bulk sales on the horizon,
selling just a couple of flowers felt less strategic than trading for items I couldn’t get myself—better for long-term gains.

Earning money was already a given.

“How about trading flowers for alchemical products? If you craft items I can’t make, I’ll give you flowers equal to their value.”

“Really? Are you sure that’s okay, Healer-nim?”

Overwhelmed, she grabbed my hands.

Drenched in sweat from our time together, she didn’t seem to care anymore.

“Of course! Looking forward to working with you!”
“Thank you, Healer-nim…!”

With the deal sealed, we shared a final farewell and headed home.

As soon as I got home, I collapsed onto the floor.

The near-outbreak gate, the brush with death, the awkward goodbye with the necromancer—it all felt like a dream in the comfort of my home.

‘Gates really aren’t for me…’

Another moment of clarity.

Lying there, recharging, I eventually stood up with purpose.

‘Let’s see how much they’ve grown.’

Time to get back to my real work.

The thirty Lumina Bells I’d planted before negotiating with Sprout Guild were already past their growth phase, ready to bloom.

‘Growing so well.’

But then—

“Hm? What’s this?”

Among the thirty, one stood out with an unusually large bud and an abnormally long stem.

Buzz—
Buzz—

The bud vibrated at regular intervals.

Sensing something off, I gently touched it.

Pop—

The bud opened, revealing a tiny, adorable creature inside.

[When plant satisfaction is high during germination, +20% chance of birthing a rare creature]

I hadn’t understood this message before, but it turns out “rare creature” meant a spirit.

‘So… cute…’

The spirit, dressed in a prim green-leaf dress, was fast asleep.

If the ice spirit from the gate was a haughty queen,
this Lumina spirit was a lovable princess.

Overwhelmed by its cuteness, I instinctively reached out.

Smack!

A sharp sting, and my finger was flicked away.

The now-awake spirit glared at me, gesturing as if to say, “How dare a human touch a spirit?”

Pat, pat.

It brushed off its dress, crossed its arms defiantly, and shot me another glare.

I’d fed it Heal and tended it with care, only to be treated like this?

[ +50% favorability judgment from nature spirits/monsters]

Now that I thought about it, my “Plant Lover” ability only gave a 50% favorability boost with spirits and monsters.

Was the ice spirit’s affection just dumb luck?
Did I fail the gacha with this one?

“…”

I was beyond disappointed.

This little troublemaker seemed worse than I thought.

“Hey! Don’t do that!”

It rummaged through my lovingly raised plants,
flew around scattering dirt and dust,
and chugged a bottle of purified water before sprawling out on the floor.

Hic—

I let out a hollow laugh, watching it sleep with limbs splayed, drunk on purified water.

What is this thing?

“Unnie! I’m here!”

Chae-eun, now comfortable visiting my place, strolled in naturally.

“Thanks for coming. I’m counting on you today too.”
“Yes, unnie!”

She used to seem so gloomy, like she carried a curse.
But the more she visited, the brighter her face became.

‘Being around plants does wonders.’

The power of phytoncides isn’t a myth.

Proudly watching her change, I noticed ice pouring over the spirit seed pot.

Chae-eun, who once produced tiny ice chunks, now summoned marble-sized ones—a clear sign of growth.

“Chae-eun, your ice is way bigger than before!”
“Right? My guildmates said the same… Hehe.”

She scratched her neck, shy but pleased.

I’d felt bad seeing her lack confidence in the corner during guild gate runs.
Watching her grow warmed my heart.

‘But… what do I do with this one?’

My mood sank as I glanced at the chaos in my home.

The Lumina spirit had, once again, trashed the place.

Zzzz…

And, of course, it was passed out after chugging another bottle of purified water.

“Seriously, I’m gonna smack it one day.”

This wasn’t a one-time thing.

Its daily rampages and water-guzzling had reduced my purified water stock from the necromancer to just two bottles.

My fists trembled with frustration.

“Unnie! Look at this!”

Chae-eun’s urgent call snapped me out of it.

“The bud’s shaking like crazy!”

I raced to the pot, holding my breath as I peered inside.

Blue petals unfurled, one by one.

Poof—!

The Ice Spirit, Pristine, emerged.

Chae-eun, witnessing a spirit’s birth for the first time, clapped her hands over her mouth and squeaked.

“Eek…!”

Stirred by the noise, Pristine slowly opened its eyes and looked around.

“Hey, long time no see.”

At my greeting, Pristine sprang up from the bud.

I gently lifted the ice spirit, its wings too wet to fly, and placed it on my shoulder.

Pristine hugged my neck tightly, nuzzling me.

It felt like it was shouting, “Why’d you take so long to wake me!” or “I missed you so much!”

After showering me with affection, Pristine turned to Chae-eun, lifting its skirt slightly and bowing politely.

It must’ve recognized her as the one who helped it be born.

‘Way classier than the Lumina spirit.’

Just then—

Whoosh—

Pristine’s smile vanished, and the room’s temperature plummeted.

‘Where’s it looking?’

I followed Pristine’s intense gaze.

There, sprawled out after chugging purified water, was the Lumina spirit.

Flap, flap.

Pristine, shaking water off its wings, began inspecting the chaos the Lumina spirit had caused.

Empty purified water bottles.
Snapped plant stems.
Dirt scattered across the floor.

Pristine stopped in front of the sleeping Lumina spirit.

“…”

Waking to the sudden chill, the Lumina spirit let out a cute “Kwee—!” and stretched lazily.

Blink, blink.

Still half-asleep, it blinked twice, then spotted Pristine and shrieked, “Kya—!”

‘What’s going on?’

The Lumina spirit flattened itself, trembling.

Pristine, standing tall, turned to me and blinked slowly,
as if saying, “Just say the word, and I’ll handle it.”

No way…

Is it establishing dominance right after being born?