Chapter 36
Kim Ha‑seon praised her.
“Chaeri is so pretty because she listens so well.”
“Lee Chaeri. Listens well.”
Chaeri answered politely, yet her eyes flickered sideways.
Kim Ha‑seon’s fingertips.
If that hand could just pat her head once, that would be really nice.
Disgusting! This child’s instincts!
She shouldn’t stay any longer.
Her heart kept getting upset, so she hurried toward the front door.
“I’m heading out now.”
A voice answered from the master bedroom.
“Okay, Chaeri, have a good day.”
Chaeri grunted a little as she opened the front door.
Why was this stupid door so heavy?
Ever since Choi Deok‑gyu’s visit, Lee Ji‑seok had been extremely busy.
So lately, going to daycare alone had become the default routine.
Well—only publicly.
In reality, the legendary morning escort team consisting of the yellow duck van + Davith + Kim Myeong‑ja + Choi Deok‑gyu (bonus) waited on the first floor every morning.
Will Davith be there today too?
But she couldn’t be sure today.
Ever since the Incheon Lord’s bounty system activated, Seoul Guild had been in chaos.
Today might actually be the first day she really went alone.
[The elevator has arrived.]
[First floor.]
Her mind was messy with all sorts of thoughts.
And then—another strange notification followed.
[Child Quest Activated!]
What is this?
The system had changed strangely from how it worked in the novel.
Children’s bonuses, quests… things like this weren’t in the story.
[Child Quest: Clear “Kids Café.”]
[Kids Café]
Spend at least one fun hour at a kids café with one close friend.
The system will determine whether the quest is cleared.
※ WARNING ※
You must have LOTS of fun.
“Eh?”
This was a quest?
But the next message was even more ridiculous.
[Child Quest Support Item: “Invincible Mom‑n‑Dad Card” has been granted.]
Chaeri wriggled her little fingers to open her inventory and check the item.
[Invincible Mom‑n‑Dad Card]
A debit card usable only for Child Quests.
Current balance: 100,000 won
Balance never decreases.
Carefully, Chaeri opened her inventory again.
A card appeared with a pop!
[Invincible Mom‑n‑Dad Card]
A debit card usable only for Child Quests.
Current balance: 100,000 won
Balance never decreases. Unlimited recharge.
Chaeri blinked. The card was prettier than she expected.
Mainly yellow, with a cute duck illustration on the back.
In other words—she now had an endlessly refilling 100,000 won.
It felt bigger than an artifact vault worth billions.
Probably because it felt more real.
[Quest Reward: “Enhancement Synchronization Rune”]
Huh?
Chaeri knew this artifact very well.
Why is that here?
This was… a reward from the 90th‑floor boss battle.
[Enhancement Synchronization Rune]
Synchronizes all enhancements.
The highest enhancement level you possess will be applied to all items in the same category.
Targets include artifacts, summoned heroes, spellbooks—anything that can be enhanced.
In front of the elevator, Davith was crouched down with his arms wide open.
“Chaeri. Why are you just standing there?”
“Davith!”
Chaeri ran straight into him.
Ahh, yes, Davith’s arms.
It was warm enough to make her forget all about the 90th‑floor boss reward.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“I’m not hurt at all.”
Davith smiled brightly—like sunlight.
It warmed her heart, but Chaeri was a child who knew how to separate public and private matters.
Time for scolding. Show firmness. Teach him.
“Davith. No phone?”
“My phone?”
She nodded.
“It’s right here?”
Davith took it out, still confused. Chaeri’s sharp gaze followed him.
He flinched slightly under that gaze.
As a strategist of an empire, he instantly grasped her intent.
“I’ll… message you more.”
“…”
“Really. I will.”
“…”
“I won’t make Chaeri worry.”
From Davith’s perspective, it was too trivial to report, so he simply hadn’t contacted her.
It was merely an opportunity to become a righteous rogue.
But ultimately, it’s my fault.
He had made Chaeri worry.
That alone was a sin to him.
“Chaeri knows Davith busy. But at least one emoji, can send.”
She didn’t expect much. Just that would have been enough.
“Okay. I’ll do that.”
Davith made up his mind.
He would hire a top‑tier emoji artist to create duck‑and‑green‑dinosaur‑themed emoji sets to make her happy.
His to‑do list grew once more.
‑853) Recruit excellent emoji artist (※Cute duck drawing required※)
Inside the yellow van.
Kim Myeong‑ja was shocked to see the perfectly done pigtail buns.
Once could be luck.
But once becomes twice, twice becomes three times…
From that point, it was no longer luck—it was skill.
He must have practiced so hard!
Such a commendable young man.
She smiled warmly.
Davith was chatting happily with Chaeri.
The content was filled with player jargon.
Enhancing this, cards that… Kim Myeong‑ja couldn’t understand a word.
But driver Choi Deok‑gyu reacted differently.
90th‑floor reward?
Currently, humanity had only reached the 49th floor.
And that was only the world’s top guilds.
Korea was still in the mid‑30s.
Is that some kind of slang I don’t know?
But he felt it—whatever it was, the rune must be incredible.
Enhancement synchronization? Impossible…
Above +3 enhancement, failure rates skyrocketed.
And failure meant the item shattered completely, so most people stopped at +2.
But with a sync rune?
A cheap item enhanced to +9… then copied onto your main gear?
Chaeri was a card‑collecting child.
If Davith alone got +9?
Every card hero would get the same enhancement.
Choi Deok‑gyu cleared his throat.
“Chaeri.”
“Yes?”
Across all civilizations—old or new—one truth never changes:
High risk, high return.
Choi Deok‑gyu didn’t know whether the rune was real.
But if it was, the price would be enormous.
Chaeri was still just a child.
She shouldn’t have to shoulder that kind of risk.
That wasn’t what adults were for.
“You shouldn’t get greedy yet.”
“Yes?”
“To get something like that… you could get seriously hurt. It could be dangerous.”
His hands tightened on the steering wheel.
He felt sudden anger at the system.
What a trash system…!
Even if she was a legendary‑rank awakener, she was still a baby.
How could it lure a child with something like that?
“No matter how easy it looks, there’s no reward without a price.”
“Hm.”
Chaeri didn’t seem convinced.
Naturally—she was still little.
Choi Deok‑gyu patiently continued.
“I’m saying this for your sake. Chaeri doesn’t need to be in danger.”
No—that was wrong.
Chaeri must not be in danger.
He couldn’t protect every child in the world, but he could protect the one in front of him.
That was who Choi Deok‑gyu was.
