Chapter 26: What is this skinny fish thing?

In the heart of an old residential area stood a weathered two-story building. Peeling paint revealed rough cement, and creaking window frames spoke of years gone by.

This was Sprout Guild’s headquarters.

“It used to be an orphanage,” Chae-eun, an ice mage and guild member, had told me. “The guild master was the orphanage director. He founded Sprout Guild to take care of us until we became adults.”

Every visit left a pang in my heart.

The “training room” was barely big enough to stretch in. The dorm, housing several teenagers, had no personal space—bunk beds were their only privacy. On rainy days, the ceiling leaked, and damp, moldy wallpaper clung to the walls.

No matter how I looked at it, this place was no home for kids.

So…

“I’ll take this!”

To test if it’d spark true dopamine, I chose a small building in Seoul’s outskirts from Manwol’s gate-clearing rewards and gifted it to Sprout Guild in a grand gesture.

“Chorok unnie! Is this really our guild building? For real?”

“Guild Master, look! We can run in the halls!”

“Hey, kids, don’t run—you’ll get hurt…”

As expected, the kids’ ecstatic jumping sent a surge of dopamine from deep within.

‘I found it.’

My dopamine…!

“Wow! There’s a room here, and here too!”

“They’re that great?”

“Duh, unnie, of course!”

Honestly, trolling the community for attention paled in comparison.

No—this was a whole different level of dopamine rush.

“I’ll bow to you forever, unnie! I’m so happy!”

Yes, yes, keep celebrating.
Revel in it so my dopamine can explode…!

“This is my room!”

“No, this one’s mine!”

“What? I claimed this first!”

Look at those joyous faces, oblivious to being my dopamine fuel…

‘Heh heh heh…’

Unlike the kids’ wild energy, Choi Hanul stood frozen, muttering to himself.

“This… it’s too much…”

He seemed to think a whole building was excessive.

My dopamine high fizzled out.

Unable to hold back, I spoke first.

“This mess taught me a lot.”

“…Huh?”

“People crave mana so much. Was I hogging it all?”

Hanul lowered his head silently.

“I’m going to flood the market with stock and lower prices. That’ll mean more work for you, Hanul-nim, right?”

I pressed on.

“This is both an apology for you being my shield and a bribe for your hard work!”

‘Come on, say you like it already.’

“Be honest. You love it, don’t you?”

‘Just say it!’

As I mentally strong-armed him, Hanul suddenly covered his eyes with one hand.

“Sniff…”

“Wait, are you crying?”

This was not in the script.

“These kids, in their teens, so sensitive, never had their own rooms, never complained once…”

“Ugh, the building’s so old they all catch colds in winter, and it breaks my heart every time…”

His emotions surged, tears leaking between his fingers.

My hands flailed, unsure whether to comfort him or not.

“I know it’s too much, but I can’t refuse… They’re so happy…”

“Guild Master’s crying!”

“He’s crying! Hooray!”

“Now I’m tearing up too… Waaah…”

After a tearful uproar with the kids, Hanul composed himself and bowed deeply.

“I’ll serve you well from now on. I’ll be your shield in danger, and if blood must be spilled, I’ll spill it for you. Thank you… truly.”

“Uh, sorry, but no blood-spilling, please.”

“Guild Master, that’s a bit much!”

“You’re freaking Chorok unnie out!”

The kids’ laughter filled the new Sprout Guild headquarters with warm, vibrant air.

Hanul, as if his tears never happened, explored the building with more excitement than the kids.

“This’ll be the training room. Oh, the dining area here? Wow, three bathrooms! Kids, you better clean well!”

I took in Hanul’s rare openness and the kids’ giddy laughter.

Who knew a building donation would deliver such a dopamine hit?

‘Now, who’s my next target…’

Another reason to make bank was born.

—

‘I can’t give Sprout Guild a whole building and keep living in a basement.’

Before heading home, I stopped by the Awakener Agency to check my contribution points.

The chaotic atmosphere, heavily armed awakeners, and tense vibe were unchanged, but one thing stood out: posters warning about the artificial Lumina flowers plastered on the walls.

I grabbed a number and sat to wait.

Then, the staff member who’d once guided me to the appraisal office spotted me, looking shocked, and made a quick call.

“Uh… Healer-nim.”

Approaching with an awkward smile, he spoke cautiously.

“Could you wait a moment?”

“Sure, what’s up?”

“Well, um…”

As he trailed off, the elevator at the lobby’s end opened quietly.

A middle-aged woman in a sharp suit stepped out, and the staff snapped to attention.

Ignoring them, she walked straight to me, greeting me formally.

“Hello. I’m Kim Myeonghee, Director of the Awakener Agency.”

Then, without pause, she added, “Could you spare some time? I’d like to escort you to my office.”

Overwhelmed, I could only nod.

The director’s office was on the top floor.

Neatly arranged items and a stunning view of Seoul’s skyline through large windows left an impression.

“First, I owe you an apology.”

As soon as we entered, she bowed deeply.

“Ignoring your warning that day was a grave misjudgment that failed to prevent widespread harm.”

Her tone was formal, but her sense of responsibility was clear.

With a gesture, the door opened again, and a familiar face entered cautiously.

It was the PR office staff who’d smirked when I begged for a disaster alert.

He approached and bowed deeply.

“I’m sorry, Healer-nim… I deeply regret not handling your request flexibly.”

Startled, I waved my hands frantically.

“N-No, it’s fine! I was asking for a lot.”

“I’m so sorry… Truly…”

“It’s okay! Really!”

I forced a smile, but bitterness stirred inside.

If they’d issued even a small official article, the damage might not have been so severe.

It’d be a lie to say I wasn’t resentful.

But he’d only followed protocol.
I couldn’t blame him.

With a wave, the director dismissed him and turned to me calmly.

“Feeling a bit better?”

“Oh, I wasn’t even mad. It’s fine.”

A faint smile crossed her stern face.

“You came here for a reason. Skip the first-floor hassle and tell me directly.”

“Well, I heard high contribution points grant eligibility for awakener housing…”

Before I could finish, she dropped a bombshell.

“Healer-nim, you’ve been exempted from the contribution point system.”

“…What?”

I couldn’t help but ask.

Did I do something wrong?

“Your contributions can’t be quantified with points. The state has decided to provide all resources to you unconditionally.”

Her next words left me stunned.

‘All resources… unconditionally…?’

Oblivious to my shock, she placed her hand on a desk terminal.

“You mentioned awakener housing earlier.”

A hologram activated, translucent panels floating up.

She pointed to one, explaining.

“This is an apartment where Korea’s top rankers reside.”

A literal skyscraper luxury apartment, likely costing millions per square meter, complete with a gym, pool, and rooftop garden.

“Next, spaces for awakeners who’ve contributed significantly.”

More realistic options followed: a large villa, a quaint townhouse, a duplex near downtown.

And finally… a detached house in the forest outskirts.

“Wow…!”

My eyes locked onto the house.

“Tell me your choice, and I’ll handle the process immediately.”

Without hesitation, I pointed to the house.

“This one!”

The director paused, surprised.

“…Not the apartment, but the house?”

“Yes!”

“Um, Healer-nim.”

She looked troubled.

“You don’t need to hold back. These are benefits awakeners deserve, especially you.”

For some reason, she seemed to want me to pick the apartment.

– Where Korea’s top rankers reside.

But living with rankers? I could already see the chaos.

No way was I going there.

Besides, I just loved that house.

A quiet forest, a sunny yard,
a small greenhouse by a garden patch.

No place could be more perfect for raising plants.

“I want this house.”

“…You’re unusually frugal for these times. Very well.”

“I’ll finalize everything for you to move in tomorrow.”

My long-held dream of owning a home was coming true.

—

While the move was being processed, I doubled down on preparing my gate café.

Using auction earnings, I bought tables and chairs, hauling them into the gate.

At the gate’s entrance, I noticed small, round objects.

“Huh? What’s this?”

A few neatly arranged acorns sat there, as if placed deliberately.

“Fell from a tree?”

Tilting my head, I cleared them and set up the furniture in prime spots.

I went out, grabbed a large coffee machine, and returned.

“…What?”

Now, five pinecones were neatly lined up at the entrance!

There must be a squirrel-like creature here,
leaving gifts like a cat with a dead mouse, thanking me for purifying the tree!

“Oh, right—I forgot something. Gotta grab it!”

Feigning an exit with awkward acting, I hid in nearby bushes.

Soon, a tiny creature placed a four-leaf clover at the entrance, glanced around, and tried to flee.

Creeping closer…

“Gotcha!”

I grabbed it swiftly!

-Piiii!

But the trembling, tearful thing in my hand… wasn’t a wild animal.

“…What? A scrawny fish-thing?”

A spirit?