Chapter 155

Chapter 155: Rin's Growth Has Stopped

A few months later.

Bekele gave me every potion he produced.

-The volume has gotten too large for me to store, so if you could keep them for me, Guild Master, I would appreciate it.

He said his building, which served as both lab and lodging, did not have enough storage space.

I had visited his quarters several times.

I knew there was plenty of room left.

Yet he entrusted them to me anyway.

'Storage is just the excuse. In practice, he is giving them to me.'

Bekele had raised his Ancient Alchemy Codex skill from Level 3 to Level 5 recently.

The new potions Bekele had created included.

[(U) Strength, Agility, Stamina Increase Potion]

[Effect: Strength, Agility, Stamina stats increase by 20% for 15 minutes.]

A potion that combined previously individual stat potions into one.

And.

[(U) Berserk Potion]

[Effect: Enter Berserk state for 3 minutes. After Berserk ends, a Weakened state occurs for 30 seconds. (Reuse Cooldown: 5 hours)]

A Berserk Potion made using Mandragora as an ingredient.

Entering the Berserk state dramatically increased physical abilities.

And pain was hardly felt.

However, the downside was a thirty-second Weakened debuff after the duration ended.

'A good buff for when you need a decisive finish or want to go all-in.'

Also.

[(U) Movement Speed Potion]

[Increases Nimbleness by 17% for 10 minutes. (Reuse Cooldown: 1 minute)]

A potion that drastically boosted movement speed.

Beyond those, he also made the standard recovery potions expected of any alchemist Hunter.

He said that at higher Ancient Alchemy Codex skill levels, he would eventually be able to create permanent stat-increasing elixirs like my cooking.

And even instant-recovery elixirs surpassing Highest-Grade Potions.

'That becomes possible starting at Skill Level 9.'

I could also create elixirs myself.

The Highest-Grade Ether Elixir, no less.

Thanks to the Inner Core skill obtained by absorbing and devouring the Versakion Serpent through Acresia.

Consuming an elixir raised all stats by five.

With a three-month Cooldown before the next use.

All our guild's senior officers had already consumed the Highest-Grade Ether Elixir.

Each had expressed gratitude in their own way.

-I, Hwang Myeong-u, as your sword, swear to protect your family and the Outpost from any future threat, Guild Master.

The Sword Saint elder.

-What, you did not have to do this. Ahem! I will work enough to pay it back. About twenty years should do it, right? What? Forty years? That is basically modern-day slavery. So am I not going to drink it? Of course I am.

Eriksson.

-May I really drink this......? I have not done much for you...... I will work hard to repay this.

Santos.

-Thank you so much for looking after even me. Deciding to join your guild was the best decision of my life, Guild Master. After the Sword Saint elder, you are the greatest benefactor of my life.

Han Se-a.

Plus Instructor Park, Damon, and others.

I had the guild's key figures and combat personnel consume the Highest-Grade Ether Elixir in turn.

Every single one said something embarrassingly sentimental.

'To be fair, I would have said something cringeworthy too.'

Since I was giving them something priceless with no strings attached.

Going forward, I would stop distributing Highest-Grade Ether Elixirs and stockpile them.

'I will need them later when rallying other guilds.'

If war broke out inside the Rift against the unknown enemy called the Master, I would request help from various guilds.

I planned to provide one Highest-Grade Ether Elixir to each guild that participated in the war.

Regardless of the elixirs, many guilds that had visited the Rift multiple times had already pledged to stand with us.

-I hear a monster called a Lich might lead an undead army to invade the Outpost. Is that true? If war breaks out, our guild will join the fight.

-We absolutely cannot lose this Outpost and An-Restaurant. If trouble comes, our Hawk Guild will help.

-I heard the reason for building the inner wall, outer wall, and installing all those Magical Turrets is to prepare for an undead army invasion. It is scary, but if the undead invade, our guild will help too.

I had deliberately spread rumors within the Outpost.

Through Eriksson, who occasionally visited the fusion bar for drinks and stories.

-There is a reason our guild has been pouring this much money into the Outpost. *Hic!* What reason? I cannot say.

After building curiosity, I had him leak more information the next time.

-About that thing from last time......? Oh, I should not be telling you this...... I do not want to create anxiety among the Outpost residents. Hmm, I will tell you just one thing. There is an undead monster called a Lich. They raise dead monsters as undead and use them as minions. Their leader wants to become the ruler of the Fourth Floor. Ahem! That is all I can say......

Hunters who heard the rumors came to me and the Sword Saint elder to ask if it was true.

We neither confirmed nor denied, just vaguely deflected.

Seeing our reactions, the Hunters realized the rumor was true.

And they had declared that if the undead army invaded, their guilds would help.

But at that time, we did not know.

That the situation would escalate far beyond my expectations.

***

Rin's growth had stopped at age eight.

Now eleven, she had not grown even a little.

Rin continued tending the plants in the Rift house garden with her small body.

Eriksson teased her about it.

"Our little munchkin, when are you going to grow? You are eleven and still a pipsqueak. At this rate, Yeona is going to catch up to you."

"......Uncle, you are mean!"

He had struck Rin's sore spot dead-on.

Rin, genuinely upset, bolted toward the Farm Dungeon portal.

"Uh oh......"

Eriksson was taken aback when Rin, truly offended, ran off to the Farm Dungeon.

Witnessing this, Ruina approached Eriksson gripping a broom, with a murderous expression.

"I, it was......!"

Eriksson backed away.

"Just die! You moron!"

Ruina marched over and delivered a low kick to Eriksson's outer thigh.

With mana coating her shin.

CRACK!

A tremendous sound rang out, and Eriksson crumpled to the ground, clutching his thigh, rolling around.

"Aaah! My leg!"

Not stopping there, she beat the rolling Eriksson with her broom.

"Our Lady Rin is already stressed about her growth stopping, and you go and poke that exact nerve with zero tact? Just die!"

"Seon-u, stop Ruina! Aaah!"

I shot Eriksson a cold look and turned my back.

"Ruina, do not kill him. Just leave him breathing."

"Understood!"

Behind me, Eriksson's wails echoed through the Rift house.

Bell, watching the scene, shook her head at Eriksson and followed me toward the Farm Dungeon.

Inside the farm, I looked for Rin.

Flora, who had been inspecting the crops, spotted me and gestured toward where Rin had gone.

She pointed toward the resting area.

'Thank you.'

I gave Flora a light nod and headed for the greenhouse rest area with Bell.

I found Rin sitting in a chair, looking dejected.

I wordlessly sat down beside her.

Bell settled on the floor next to her best friend.

Rin said weakly.

"Daddy...... when will I grow taller?"

Now eleven, she had started saying "I" instead of "Rin."

A shift in self-reference.

She had matured considerably in that regard.

"Like Flora said, this is just a pause before the second growth phase. So you do not need to worry. One day, you will shoot right up."

"......You think so?"

It had been over three years with no change, so she was understandably anxious.

"Of course. So do not worry."

"......Okay!"

Rin then hugged my side.

I stroked my eldest daughter's hair.

Looking at Rin, I could feel how quickly time had flown.

'There was a time when Rin fit in the palm of my hand.'

When tiny Rin went through her growth pains, I had felt like the sky was falling.

She would go through something like that again.

A mountain that had to be climbed for growth.

'Yeona was not even born yet back then.'

Ria and I had not even married yet.

Then after the wedding, Ria's pregnancy and delivery.

And now the baby born from all that was already six years old.

And Rin was eleven.

Time moved so quickly.

I wished it would slow down.

While lost in such thoughts, Rin spoke.

"I said something mean to Uncle Eriksson."

"The part about him being mean?"

"Yes. He was just joking around, but I got upset and said something mean."

"No, Eriksson was the tactless one. And what you said was not mean at all."

"I still want to apologize."

"Honestly, our daughter is too kind for her own good. If apologizing will put your mind at ease, go ahead."

"Okay, I will be right back!"

Rin sprang to her feet.

Bell lowered herself, offering Rin a ride.

Rin climbed onto Bell's back.

Bell dashed out of the greenhouse.

'I am glad Rin cheered up.'

I then went to Flora and asked.

"When do you think Rin's second growth phase will happen?"

"Cannot know. Dryad. Growth pause. Duration varies. However. Rin. Strong ability. Could be. Sooner."

"I see."

Even Flora could only say that Rin's second growth might come sooner than average, but nothing more.

'Personally, I wish my daughters would grow slowly. But I also want Rin's second growth to come soon so she does not stay stressed.'

As a father, both wishes coexisted.

***

Yeona attended daycare for two years, graduated, and enrolled at Sinsu Elementary School in Sinsu-dong, Mapo District.

Photos of Yeona's school commute and classroom pictures began appearing online.

That led to the creation of a Yeona fan club.

'And so my simple joy of walking my daughter to school hand in hand was taken from me.'

Because of people staking out the route to take photos, I now drove Yeona to school.

Two of our guild members provided security and transportation for Rin's school commute in my place.

I paid them personally out of my own pocket.

In any case, Yeona was wildly popular not just online.

But among her schoolmates as well.

'On Valentine's Day and White Day, she came home with a truckload of gifts.'

Boys, girls, same-grade, upper-grade — everyone gave Yeona chocolates and candy.

'Is it because of Yeona's personality?'

Yeona was warm, outgoing, and unafraid of strangers.

She was also a bit of a tomboy and always radiant.

Beyond personality, she was above all pretty and cute.

'That is probably the biggest reason.'

Thanks to being the spitting image of her mother.

Being the daughter of celebrities probably helped too.

After finishing the lunch service, I headed to guild headquarters.

Yeona would be there after school, and I needed to take her to the Rift house.

She still loved her big sister most.

If I did not bring her to the Rift house where Rin was immediately after school, she would sulk.

'Time to go see my daughter.'

This moment after work, going to pick up my daughter.

The best part of my day.

I traveled from the guild branch at the Outpost to guild headquarters via Gate portal.

When I went up to the fifth floor, Yeona was playing Red Light, Green Light with guild members.

She was It.

"Red light, green light!"

I froze in my tracks too.

Yeona spun around to catch anyone moving, then spotted me.

"It is Daddy!"

She abandoned her role and ran over to hug me.

"How was school today, sweetheart?"

"Good, it was fun! Today was great too!"

"Ha ha! Was it? Shall we go see Mommy and Unni right away?"

"Yes! I miss Mommy and Rin!"

The guild members looked disappointed.

"Lady Yeona, you should at least finish the game before you go."

"Do not go, Yeona. Stay and play with us."

"My healing agent, do not go!"

Yeona, still in my arms, waved goodbye to the guild members.

I opened a Gate portal and headed straight for the Rift house.

Rin, who had been resting at the outdoor table, got up to greet Yeona and me.

"Welcome back, Daddy. Yeona, how was school......?"

But her voice lacked energy.

Then she stumbled as she approached.

Yeona panicked and rushed to Rin.

"Unni......? Are you sick?"

"No, Yeona. I am fin......"

She could not finish the sentence and began to collapse.

I dashed over and caught Rin.

"Rin, stay with me!"

Rin was breaking out in cold sweat, eyes closed, groaning in pain.

"Rin......? Could this be......"

I recalled when Rin had suffered from growing pains in the past.

The symptoms were identical.

Yeona, seeing her sister in pain for the first time, began crying beside her.

"Daddy, what is wrong with Unni? Unni, do not be sick! Waaah!"

Even while crying, she used her Legendary healing skill, Reparatio, on Rin.

The anguish on Rin's face eased slightly.