447 - Time to Recharge #1

It was about ten minutes later when Paranoy and Luna returned.

In Luna's hand was an object that looked exactly like a unicorn's horn. It didn't take long to realize that it was a winter bamboo shoot.

Luna spoke.

"Elfriede...! Since I've obtained the winter bamboo shoot, this duel is the victory of me, Luna Noxdoti...!"

Luna had finally managed to find a bamboo shoot in this winter forest where the snow reached up to her knees, grasping victory.

I knew Luna had a considerable competitive streak deep down, but I'm a bit surprised because I didn't think she would actually snatch a win from Elfriede.

"Then, I, Judge Paranoy, shall add 10 points to Luna-nim's score-ssi...! With this, Luna-nim has moved one step closer to being the winner-ssi...!"

Paranoy congratulated Luna.

"So, since it's getting chilly, shall we head toward a warm fireside soon...?"

In fact, it seemed Paranoy just wanted to go somewhere warm because he was cold.

"Wait, Hassan is holding a bamboo shoot too! Wow, it's way thicker than mine...! That's amazing! Where did you get it?"

"The Moon Goddess gave it to me."

"The Moon Goddess, you mean Diana-nim...? Are you saying Diana-nim was in this forest?"

Luna busily looked around, perhaps trying to find the Moon Goddess.

Of course, all that would be visible to Luna's eyes were the gaunt, withered winter trees and the snowfields.

"Anyway, if we have two bamboo shoot roots...! It'll be great to boil them down and share them with everyone...! These are super delicious...!"

Eventually, we ended the commotion in the cold forest and returned to the pantry of my Temple.

Seureung, teong-.

Without even taking time to thaw her frozen body, Luna placed a large pot over the brazier.

"Paranoy, take out some Ideope spring water...! And take out those icicles you swallowed earlier too...! Also, some winter wild grapes, arrowroot, and dried jujubes...!"

"Understood-ssi...!"

Beueee-.

And then, she took various ingredients out of Paranoy's storage, put them in the pot, and began to boil them vigorously. After that, Luna sliced the two bamboo shoots thinly and tossed them in.

"Now we just have to boil it!"

At those words, Hippolyte, who had come to the Temple at Luna's invitation, narrowed her eyes slightly.

"It's a bit too simple to be called cooking. Don't you need to taste it or season it?"

"I don't know!"

"...."

Hippolyte didn't seem to like Luna's haphazard cooking method.

But it couldn't be helped; Luna was someone with a bizarre palate who usually enjoyed things like Mente Lump Pie.

So, Luna tasting the food didn't actually help much.

Bogeul-bogeul-.

How long did it boil like that?

Finally, in the pot that looked large enough to boil soup for at least ten people, a whitish liquid like bone broth gave off a savory aroma.

"It should be ready now-! Let's dish it out and eat-!"

With Luna's words, we scooped the solids from the pot into individual plates and ate.

The winter bamboo shoots, sliced thin and boiled thoroughly in water, had a better texture than expected and were so savory they were almost like beef.

It felt like Seolleongtang or Galbitang.

It would have been nice if there was some salt.

Heureureup-.

As I was drinking the broth, Luna asked.

"How is it? Hassan, can you feel your Karma increasing?"

Luna seemed more curious about the efficacy of this food than its taste.

But since no letters were floating before my eyes and I couldn't understand the feeling of Karma increasing, I didn't have much to say in response.

It was just... after being outside in the cold, sharing a warm soup dish made my body feel warm. That was about it.

Of course, the reactions of the others were good.

"Aaah, my, Paranoy's Karma is being amplified-ssi...! I, Paranoy, am growing-ssi...!"

Paranoy was the first to show a reaction, and while there wasn't much of a visible change on the outside, seeing him make such a fuss made it seem like something was indeed happening.

"I can feel the energy of spring...! I, Doris, also feel like I'm growing significantly...!"

"...."

Doris and Ignoi also made a huge fuss. Watching them, Hippolyte nodded slowly and spoke.

"As expected, the Nymphs, who are closer to nature, are the first to react. However, I can certainly feel the Karma within my body surging. Antiope, how about you? You have the grace that enhances medicinal effects-."

"It's good. It feels amazing. I felt like my growth had stagnated lately, but it feels like all the blocked energies are being blasted open. That Luna kid dug up something incredible."

"Right? I told you winter bamboo shoots are effective! They're super rare! There's no supply, so you can't even buy them with money! Elfriede, how about you? How's the taste of my victory bamboo shoot?"

Luna triumphantly turned the tip of her arrow toward Elfriede. Elfriede, who had been quietly eating her portion in the corner, gave a reluctant reply.

"It does taste good. It's similar to the feeling of boiling and drinking the fine roots of the World Tree. I ate a lot of that when I was young. This tastes similar to that. The effect seems similar too."

I didn't know the details, but it seemed Elfriede was also feeling the effects.

With the expedition to the underworld ahead of us, the fact that the party members' Karma was increasing was a very good thing for me as their leader.

But beyond such practical aspects, just the act of everyone gathering together for a meal made one's heart feel bustling.

By nature, I prefer lying down and resting quietly over loud and boisterous things.

But it was the end of the year with the fierce winter winds blowing.

And thinking that there wasn't much time left to enjoy such leisure, I felt a desire to preserve this boisterous, noisy, yet peaceful time forever.

Of course, snapping off a piece of time to preserve it is impossible.

But wasn't something capable of doing something similar currently in my pocket?

Thus, when the meal was coming to a reasonable end, I clapped my hands-jjakk-to get everyone's attention.

"Alright, everyone stand here. Short people, sit in the front."

I spoke like a homeroom teacher trying to line up kids for a commemorative photo on a school trip. In fact, what I was trying to do was no different from that.

"Hassan, why?"

Luna tilted her head as if she didn't understand me. I thought showing them directly would be faster than explaining, so I first made everyone stand.

Then, I held up my phone and captured their images on the screen.

Remaining power: 27 percent.

It's very little power if you consider it little, but it's enough to take a photo.

"Hassan-nim, what are you trying to do-ssi...?"

Of course, the people only felt puzzled, as if they didn't understand what I was trying to do.

Chalkak-.

I captured the moment they felt puzzled. Since I captured the faces and movements of those who never expected to have their photo taken, a fairly natural work was produced.

Some of them had their eyes closed or were frowning.

This punk Paranoy, he closed his eyes.

I showed the resulting image to them.

"Here, look-."

"Hassan, what is this? This is us, isn't it?"

Of course, the reactions of Luna and the others were a mix of surprise and wonder. In fact, I took the photo because I wanted to see this kind of reaction.

"Th-this is truly Hassan-nim's magic tool-ssi...!"

Paranoy made a fuss toward me.

He probably couldn't believe the functions this phone possessed.

I think there was a saying that sufficiently advanced science and technology are no different from magic, and these guys were clearly feeling a shock similar to when I first saw magic.

"Hassan-nim has stopped time and trapped it inside this tiny glass-ssi...! Hassan-nim has even awakened the divinity of Saturn, the God of Time-ssi...!"

While I wouldn't go as far as talking about divinity like Paranoy, even I found this machine quite amazing.

How were people able to make something like this?

I don't even have a clue how such a precise machine is made.

MnZBMElkRjFKc3ZCR0RiWklQRlA5WlZINzRaZThhUzZ1cnMyS01IbEgxYnRhczZrRnZ3MTk1WHpMZFIwdDlkeQ

I only have a vague sense that electricity and circuits made in a factory somehow act to make it like this.

Seureuk, seureuk-.

While I was briefly lost in thought, Luna, who had been continuously stroking the smooth screen with her hand, said something.

"It's a strange tool. It feels too weird to be a tool used by the Gods of Hypos. It's like, how should I put it. It feels like an object from a completely different world."

Luna seemed to have implicitly sensed the alien energy my smartphone possessed.

An object from a completely different world.

In fact, there couldn't be a more accurate expression than that. As expected, Luna's intuition has its sharp points.

For a moment, I felt like telling these guys about the hometown I came from.

That I was actually a human from another world, not from this Gaia continent or the underworld called Tartarus.

But my mouth wouldn't open easily.

Because it felt like the moment I said it, I would be engraving the fact that I and the people here are different.

* * *

Paranoy, the Nymph of modern civilization, quickly adapted to this smartphone.

So he went around pressing this and that, learning the functions.

"It's a very mysterious tool-ssi...! It moves according to my, Paranoy's, finger-ssi...! This is a Nymph-friendly object-ssi...!"

Diriring-.

I felt a sense of urgency at the steadily decreasing battery.

"Hey, Paranoy. I told you there's not much battery left."

"Aaah, Hassan-nim-! I, Paranoy, haven't finished that thing called Candy Pang yet-ssi...! If I had just a little more time, I could have completed the achievement-ssi...!"

He was extremely disappointed, but it couldn't be helped.

Since there are no battery chargers in this world, if this turns off, there will be no way to ever turn it back on again on this Gaia continent.

So to speak, you could call it a disposable mobile phone.

Disposable, huh.

Charger.

Electricity.

If there's electricity, couldn't I somehow make one?

Of course, I have absolutely no idea how to make such an incredible tool as a charger.

Anyway, I took the phone from Paranoy and tucked it safely into my pocket.

I don't know why the Elf Mimir had this and why she tried to return it to me, knowing it was mine, but this is an object of considerable value.

I can't just let it turn off.

But even if I put it on strict power-saving mode, it's a clear and self-evident fact that the battery's life is coming to an end.

What should I do?

I felt quite anxious about the fact that the battery was running out and I didn't have a charger. Is this the first time I've felt this anxious since that time I urgently needed a restroom on the highway?

Then, I suddenly looked at a certain girl.

For a moment, it felt as if lightning-pajijik-had struck inside my head.

Seureuk-.

She and I made eye contact.

I gave her a look.

It was a Secret Code that meant 'Come outside-.'

A woman who has done various secret acts with me-Antiope would surely know what I was trying to say.

In fact, Antiope, looking slightly flustered, pointed at herself and mouthed the words.

━ Me?

━ Yes. Come outside. Antiope, I have something to tell you-.

"Ahem, I should go get some fresh air for a bit then."

I stepped out of the pantry.

Hwiuuuuu-.

Outside, a blizzard was blowing.

The night is indeed cold.

But coming out from the pantry, which was so crowded it was hot, even this cold wind feels quite good.

Sabak, sabak-.

Just then, I heard the sound of someone stepping on snow behind me.

"Well, how should I put it. For now, I came out saying I was going to smoke. But, why me all of a sudden? You said you had something to say-."

Turning my head, I saw Antiope hesitating with a pipe in her mouth. She took something like a match from her pocket and tried hard to light it.

"Heu, hu-. Why won't this light again?"

She seemed to be struggling because the fire wouldn't light well.

At that, I brought my finger near her face.

Antiope's body trembled-heumchit.

"Wh-what's with the hand? What are you trying to do?"

"No, I'll light it for you."

"Ah-."

I snapped my finger against the pipe Antiope was holding-ttak. Then, my transcendental physical ability and the friction it caused threw off sparks, creating a tiny flame.

"Wow, that's amazing. Magic? Hassan, did you know how to use flame magic too?"

"No, I just snapped my finger."

Now I had become someone who didn't need things like matches, lighters, or flint to start a fire. I could use an ability almost similar to a state-certified Flame Alchemist.

Overwhelmingly powerful physical ability is no different from magic.

As expected, having strong physical strength is the best.

But that wasn't what was important right now.

I spoke toward Antiope, who for some reason looked a bit anxious.

"Antiope, there's something I need you to help me with."

"He-help y-you!?"

This girl, why is she so flustered?