Chapter 32: It’s not a cat, it’s a racoon!

“This… is supposed to be a cookie…?”

“No matter how you look at it, it’s just… that…”

Three cookies with an unsettling appearance were placed on the table of the agency’s female staff.

Wondering if the owner was playing a prank with failed creations, they glanced at her face…

But she was astonishingly serious.

Her expectant gaze was impossible to ignore.

Thanks to the Harnella flower tea, the three had recently seen a huge boost in work efficiency, even earning the Employee of the Month award.

The higher-ups, who used to scowl at them for wasting pantry coffee, had changed their tune, and even the director would pat their shoulders in passing.

So, it was only natural to want to repay the café owner’s expectations.

But—

‘No matter how you look at it…’

A light brown base with patches of dark brown.

And a mysterious red liquid oozing between them.

‘It looks like… bloody poop…’

The intense visual made it hard to reach for them.

“If you try it and give me feedback, I’ll give you a little gift!”

Her bright smile and promise of a gift made the staff exchange glances and nod.

They simultaneously bit into the cookies that resembled… that.

Crunch—

Crunch!

As the cookies broke apart, countless question marks floated above the staff’s scrunched faces.

‘How can something this ugly taste like this?’

They’d grown up in different neighborhoods, with completely different personalities and tastes.

But one thing they had in common: they were serious about desserts.

The crisp exterior and chewy, melting interior created an exquisite texture.

The deep richness of butter mingled with a fragrant tang.

An unidentifiable aftertaste followed the intense sweetness, enveloping their tongues.

‘…Shocking.’

It was so delicious it made every cookie they’d eaten before feel like a lie.

If there was a flaw, the sweetness was a bit strong—pairing it with something like black tea would be perfect.

Other than that, it was flawless.

Just then, three cups of an unfamiliar flower tea were placed on the table.

“We ran out of Harnella flower tea today, so I had to serve Lumina flower tea instead. It’s on the house!”

Swallowing their disappointment over the lack of Harnella tea, they took a sip of the new tea.

The lingering sweetness in their mouths blended smoothly with the Lumina tea’s bitter, refreshing aroma.

Almost reflexively, they took another bite of the cookie.

Then, another sip of tea, and the flavors harmonized perfectly.

It was a calculated, impeccable balance.

“Are these cookies… okay for a dessert menu?”

At the owner’s question, the staff nodded in unison.

“Absolutely, they’ll sell like crazy.”

The taste was perfect.

But the poop-like appearance… was a bit of an issue.

“I can guarantee they’re delicious, but… the look…”

“The visual is a bit of a barrier… Though once people try them, they’ll change their minds…”

Then the youngest staff member spoke up.

“If the cookies’ appearance is the problem, why not just break them up?”

Everyone’s eyes turned to her, confused.

“Break them into bite-sized pieces and serve them as finger food. Once people taste them, they won’t be able to resist buying more.”

That made sense.

Breaking the cookies to look like ‘failed attempts’ would lower the entry barrier.

Customers could enjoy them without hesitation.

“That sounds like a great idea…!”

“Oh? Lumina Bells!”

Perhaps because they’d caused a stir in Korea recently, all the staff recognized the flowers and perked up.

“Not artificial Lumina Bells—these are the real deal!”

As Chorok proudly placed three potted plants on the table, a subtle shadow crossed the staff’s faces.

They wanted to cheer, ‘How did you get these when they’re so competitive!?’ or ‘Yes! Time to boost my mana!’

But they couldn’t.

“Um, owner… We really appreciate it, but we’re all non-awakeners, so we don’t need mana…”

Everyone at the table had yet to awaken.

“But keeping them nearby can calm your mind and body, super helpful for stressful days or workplace frustrations!”

“Really!?”

“Lumina Bells have that effect??”

The staff’s gloomy faces lit up instantly.

One of them shyly spoke up with a smile.

“Owner, we actually brought gifts for you today too… Hehe.”

With that, they pulled out their presents.

One, who’d majored in art before the world changed, had crafted a wooden sign with a hand-painted design.

Another, who used to sell crafts and accessories, brought cute trinkets perfect for the counter.

Hoping the café would thrive for a long time.

Hoping visitors would leave with happy memories.

These gifts were made with care, stitch by stitch.

“We don’t make much money, so we prepared what we could… Haha. They feel a bit shabby compared to your beautiful café.”

Chorok, accepting the gifts with both hands, smiled warmly.

“No, they’re so pretty… Thank you…”

To start ‘discreet deals,’ I needed regular customers who met three conditions.

They had to love the café.

They had to be trustworthy.

They had to keep secrets.

The agency staff, who hadn’t missed a day since their first visit, seemed to fit perfectly…

‘But some of them haven’t awakened.’

Their non-awakener status was a concern.

The items for ‘discreet deals’ were all useful only in gates.

How does awakening work?

Do non-awakeners stay that way forever…?

Countless questions tangled in my mind, creating a jumbled mess.

Unable to sort my thoughts, I headed home when a familiar face waved at me from the alley corner.

“Healer-nim!”

It was Song Yoohwa, Gaehwa’s guild master.

“Healer-nim! Are you using the gifts I gave you? Which one’s your favorite?”

Rushing over the moment she saw me, she got straight to the point without catching her breath.

“Uh… Well, actually…”

“What!? You haven’t opened them yet!? Those are super expensive!!”

Since she moved in next door, the boxes stashed in my basement had been nagging at me.

It was time to be honest.

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to join a guild yet, so I should return the gifts…”

Song Yoohwa’s brows shot up in shock.

“Oh my! Healer-nim, really? Did you think my gifts were to lure you into the guild?”

She pouted her lips.

“I just wanted to impress you… You could’ve just accepted them casually… They’re really expensive, you know, sniff…”

Even throwing in some aegyo.

I quickly nodded to appease her.

“Okay, okay…!”

As soon as I got home, I dragged the boxes from the basement to the living room.

A musty smell tickled my nose.

‘To think I’d actually open these.’

Carefully opening the top box, I found a bracelet-type protective device intricately engraved with magical runes.

“…What is this.”

The moment I touched it, my eyes widened.

—

■ Elysion Reflector

– A high-end bracelet crafted based on ancient defensive magic.*

– Automatically deploys a ‘reactive shield’ based on the user’s threat detection

– Can activate automatically up to 3 times per day.

■ Rank: A-grade Artifact

■ Type: Bracelet-type Magical Protective Device

■ Engraved Magic: [Guardian Shield], [Ether Sense], [Safe Reflection]

—

‘This is amazing…?’

As I held the bracelet to my wrist, it wrapped around it as if recognizing its owner.

The material, expected to be rigid, was surprisingly soft and warm.

Opening the second box, a soft glow filled the room.

A silver-white necklace, as if carved from compressed moonlight, shone brilliantly.

—

■ Hermes Signal

– A high-end artifact crafted around the rare spirit stone ‘Lumen Core’.

– Contains a ‘complex shield’ that reacts instantly to the user’s biological danger signals

– In emergencies, automatically deploys a ‘full-body barrier’ to maximize the wearer’s survival rate.

■ Rank: S-grade Artifact

■ Type: Necklace-type Composite Protective Gear

■ Engraved Magic: [Protection Field], [Dispersion Core], [Estelle Shield Circuit]

I hadn’t expected such high-quality items in the boxes.

– They’re really expensive, you know, sniff…

Song Yoohwa’s words came back to me.

Indeed, preparing these gifts must’ve cost a fortune.

With unopened boxes still left, I couldn’t even imagine what other high-performance items were inside.

‘Accepting these as gifts…’

Honestly, it felt overwhelming.

But after encountering that mysterious wild animal in the forest I’d need to visit regularly, I desperately needed ways to protect myself.

In that sense, Song Yoohwa’s bracelet and necklace were exactly what I needed now.

‘…How should I repay her?’

She’d likely refuse money…

I’d have to find a way to genuinely help her.

—

The next day.

Wearing the protective bracelet, necklace, and a newly discovered ring, I headed back to the forest.

“Hmm… Why can’t I find anything…?”

Despite wandering for a long time, there were no Harnella flowers, nor the faint vibrations I felt when detecting rare gatherables.

Finally, I ventured into a deeper, damper area.

The moment I found a forest filled with massive ancient trees—

Buzz—

The weapon in my hand began trembling intensely.

It was far stronger than the faint vibrations from yesterday.

The orb at the weapon’s tip, once faintly glowing, now shone with brilliant light.

At the same time, a strange heat came from my finger.

“Could it be this ring?”

The thin silver ring on my right index finger was faintly warming and cooling in cycles.

A one-use artifact that boosts equipment efficiency by 60% for about 5 seconds.

I’d worn it hoping it might enhance the ‘Nature Sense’ ability… and it seemed I’d hit the mark.

Following the direction of the vibrations, which grew so strong they climbed up my wrist, I moved forward.

Something was ahead.

I kept walking, guided by the vibrations.

Then, I found plants clustered under a massive tree stump.

—

[Evnair Awakening Ginseng]

– A rare plant growing extremely rarely near the roots of ancient trees in shaded, damp areas.

– Its leaves are thin and long, with faintly glowing rings circling the stem.

[Effects]

– Temporarily stimulates the nervous system and mana circuits, forcibly unlocking awakening potential

– Awakening ability type is randomly determined based on the individual’s psychology, environment, and biological structure.

—

‘Forcibly unlocks awakening potential?’

My heart raced the moment I saw it.

‘Then, the café’s regular customers…’

A quiet excitement bloomed within me.

Crunch, snap—

A presence stirred behind me.

Reflexively, I harvested the ginseng, stuffed it into my pocket, and turned toward the sound.

The strange wild animal from yesterday was staring at me with large, piercing eyes.

“Looks weird. Seems human, though.”

Its human words sent another chill down my spine.

But today, I was different.

With an A-grade artifact bracelet and an S-grade artifact necklace, I felt no vague fear thanks to my protective gear.

This gave me the composure to calmly observe the odd creature.

‘A cat?’

Recalling the abnormally grown ginseng and surrounding plants…

Perhaps the animals in this forest were affected and grew larger too.

‘A wildcat?’

Narrowing my eyes, the large cat, as if reading my thoughts, roared indignantly.

“Not a cat! I’m a lynx!”

A talking cat was shocking enough, but an offended one was even more fascinating.

Curiosity now outweighed fear.

“What’s your name?”

“Why should I tell a human?”

With a haughty huff, the cat turned away.

Swish, swish—

Its cute, swaying walk made me smile unwittingly.

“…Huh?”

Then, I noticed a deep wound on its lower back, matted with blood-soaked red fur.

It looked severe enough to make me wince.

‘I can’t let it escape like that…’

I glanced at my palms.

‘Will a healing skill work on an animal…?’

No guarantees, but I had to try.

Nodding quietly, I cautiously followed the direction the cat had gone.