Chapter 57

Before Han Arin left for faraway lands, she entrusted us with one thing: “Grown-ups don’t ask kids for help, so if they do, you gotta say no! Got it?” It was advice to ignore requests for help from adults. At first, I didn’t think much of it since it didn’t seem wrong… but there were two things I overlooked.

“First, this world isn’t our original one.” Second, Chae-a isn’t an ordinary baby—she’s a Spirit Beast!

“In the original world, adults never need help from kids, but here…” We really might need Chae-a’s special ability (creating life). So when I saw Researcher Jeong Jae-hyun looking super flustered, I blinked at him. But then Chae-a firmly rejected his request again.

“Nuh-uh! No way!”

“Well, uh… okay then. Guess there’s nothing we can do…”

“But I wanna try…”

“Huh?”

The totally contradictory statement—”I don’t want to but I still want to”—left Researcher Jeong Jae-hyun utterly confused. He eventually turned to me and the counselor teacher with a pleading look in his eyes. Realizing this wouldn’t work, I grabbed Chae-a’s hand and asked,

“What if you help just a little?”

“Nuh-uh! I said no!”

Chae-a whispered fiercely, determined to keep her promise to Han Arin. As I pondered what to do next, the counselor teacher came up with a surprisingly simple solution.

“How about this: Chae-a doesn’t *help*, she just goes to play? Arin told you not to help, but she didn’t say anything about not playing together, right?”

At that, Chae-a’s eyes sparkled as if she’d suddenly understood something. Then, with newfound confidence, she grabbed Researcher Jeong Jae-hyun’s finger and declared,

“Okay! Let’s go!”

“Huh? Uh… are you sure?”

I couldn’t help but giggle at how awkward he looked.

—

Later, the counselor teacher followed us into the lab as a guardian, keeping watch over everything. I kept smiling gratefully whenever our eyes met, but then a thought struck me:

“Wait, wasn’t this a place only authorized people could enter?”

And yet, the counselor teacher walked in like it was no big deal. Was it because the lab staff had invited her? Or maybe her identity was already verified without needing extra checks?

While pondering this, Researcher Jeong Jae-hyun explained to Chae-a: “What we’re asking you to check is whether plants that grow only inside dungeons can also grow on Earth.”

This reminded Chae-a of what she’d told me earlier—how she wanted to farm. Her face lit up with excitement as she glanced back at me. Honestly, though, I doubted it would work.

Even if Chae-a succeeded—and that was unlikely given how rare these organisms were—it was questionable whether we’d even be allowed to take the crops out, considering all experiments were classified.

Still, seeing how excited Chae-a was, I couldn’t bring myself to tell her the truth. Instead, I decided to reassure her later by saying we could plant new crops in the Lair’s garden.

Just then, the researcher showed us some cracked seeds and chuckled nervously. “For some reason, dungeon seeds break as soon as they leave their environment. We were wondering if Chae-a could revive them?”

Without hesitation, Chae-a nodded confidently. She reached out her small hands toward the seeds, gently rubbing them while whispering, “Wake up…”

Nothing seemed extraordinary about her actions until her intent infused the seeds, causing them to tremble. Suddenly, tiny sprouts popped out, rustling softly in the breeze.

Researcher Jeong Jae-hyun looked both amazed and conflicted, but Chae-a was already imagining delicious food. “Mmm, this’ll taste good!”

As she announced her plans to eat the plants, I patted her head approvingly. Nearby, the counselor teacher watched and commented, “If this works, we might be able to cultivate dungeon crops outside too.”

“Yes, yes. We’ll need to confirm if the components match, if they’re edible, and if continuous cultivation is possible—but this alone shows great potential.”

“Hmm, impressive.”

The counselor and researcher discussed Chae-a’s achievement, leaving me lost in thought. Meanwhile, Chae-a tugged at my hand and whispered shyly, “Can we grow strawberries, cantaloupes… and onions?”

Ah, so she wanted to harvest those crops using the revived seeds. Though tempted to tell her it wasn’t feasible, I chose instead to protect her innocence. Nodding gently, I replied, “Sure. Let’s try.”

“Yay! Can’t wait!”

She stared at me with hopeful eyes before tilting her head curiously. “So… can I come tomorrow? Or the day after tomorrow?”

Apparently unable to recall the word for “the day after tomorrow,” she described it as “tomorrow’s tomorrow.” Her anticipation was adorable.

Uncertain how to respond, I hesitated—until the counselor teacher chimed in with a smile. “They probably won’t grow overnight, but… do you like strawberries and cantaloupes?”

“Yes! And I need them for cooking.”

“For cooking?”

“To give to my sisters when they visit!”

“Aww…”

Impressed by Chae-a’s thoughtfulness, the counselor ruffled her hair affectionately. “How about I buy the ingredients for you? That way, you can start cooking right away.”

“Nope! I’ll grow them with Hae-un!”

“Oh, okay…”

“Yes!”

With that settled, Chae-a seemed ready to leave. Grabbing onto me, she tried dragging me out. Since staying longer didn’t seem necessary, I let her pull me along—only to be stopped by Researcher Jeong Jae-hyun.

“Hey! Didn’t you say you were leaving snacks for Chae-a and Hae-un?”

At the mention of snacks, Chae-a froze mid-step. Turning to me, she whispered earnestly, “Can we just have some cookies before we go?”

Of course, refusing snacks was out of the question for someone who loved eating so much. Agreeing with a nod, I watched as Chae-a wiggled excitedly. “Great!”

We happily collected the promised snacks, along with a few other gifts: a small cushion, a watering can, and a dish for holding cookies. Chae-a especially adored the cushion because it meant Somtul could join us, and the watering can excited her because it symbolized farming.

As Somtul and Chae-a sang some unknown tune nearby, the counselor teacher pointed toward a patch of soil near the edge of the Lair and suggested, “Why don’t you try farming here?”

Glancing at the spot, I noticed it was strategically chosen—close to a water tap, well-lit, and ventilated. Grateful for the thoughtful suggestion, I bowed deeply and thanked her politely. “Thank you very much!”

“No problem. I enjoy thinking about these kinds of things.”

Relieved, I grinned before focusing on the soil beneath me.

“Honestly, growing crops and harvesting them for cooking seems impossible, but letting Chae-a experience gardening might be beneficial…”

With that decision made, I called out to Chae-a and Somtul, who were busy singing nearby. They ran up happily, and I explained our next task.

“So, now we’re going to farm. First, we plant the seeds and water them.”

Chae-a rummaged through her pocket and pulled out some fruit seeds with a bright smile. “Here! Apple seeds!”

Where did she get those from? Unsure how to respond, I reluctantly agreed to plant them. After digging a small hole and placing the seeds inside, Chae-a clapped the dirt down cheerfully.

“Grow tall and strong!”

“Wriggle wriggle!”

A worm appeared briefly, then disappeared into the ground. Concerned, I observed silently, but Chae-a giggled and informed me, “Now we need to dance! It helps them grow faster!”

“Dance?”

“Yes!”

Though unsure, I wanted to fulfill Chae-a’s wishes, so I nodded. She began performing some rhythmic movements she’d learned somewhere. Embarrassed to dance in front of the counselor teacher, I awkwardly mimicked her steps anyway.

Suddenly, the planted seed sprouted unexpectedly, growing rapidly before our eyes.