Chapter 32

Before ‘WillCraftAnything’ arrived, the skill window she had been peering at popped up.

[We’re All Neighbors] Lv.-

No fighting inside the shop. Disturbing business means death.

(This skill is automatically applied without activation. Basic buff skill.)

[Baking] Lv.2

Let’s make some delicious bread.

[I Have a Suggestion (Hidden Skill)] Lv.1

Allows you to leave posts on the Suggestion Board.

[Whistle] lv.1

Instantly summons a creature from the ‘Dungeon of Beginning’ right in front of you. The summoned creature obeys the caster’s commands for 5 minutes. (Cooldown: 7 days)

“Hmm…… A whistle.”

There was something slightly different in the skill window than before. First of all, the Baking skill had risen to level 2. Looking at the description, it seemed to make the bread-making process a bit faster.

And there was a new skill she hadn’t seen before. Called ‘Whistle,’ it was the reward for the ‘Help the Dungeon Family Twice!’ achievement that was unlocked the previous day after moving the sugar beets.

Baek Seol rested her chin on her hand, propping her elbows on the table, and muttered to herself. Summoning a creature, huh…….

If it’s a creature from the ‘Dungeon of Beginning,’ it would be a monster.

“So I can summon a monster and make it do whatever I want for five minutes?”

Having a monster summoned at the caster’s call to obey orders for 5 minutes certainly sounded like a seriously overpowered skill, but.

“……But what am I supposed to use it for?”

Baek Seol had no idea where she should properly put this skill to use. For one thing, she didn’t really know what kind of monsters were in the Dungeon of Beginning……. And summoning a monster for bodyguard purposes would only last for 5 minutes anyway.

The only moments Baek Seol would be in danger would be inside the Dungeon of Beginning.

‘Anyway, Guchil will keep following me around inside the Dungeon of Beginning.’

Plus, the cooldown was 7 days. Meaning it could only be used once a week. Honestly, wasn’t a 7-day cooldown way too long?

Baek Seol blankly stared at the skill window with a dull gaze. No matter how she thought about it…….

“Doesn’t this feel like an emergency-only skill……?”

Like if her life was threatened and she suddenly got separated from Guchil, or when she desperately needed someone else’s help. Wouldn’t it be usable then?

Thinking that, Baek Seol closed the skill window for now. And right at that moment, ‘WillCraftAnything’ emerged from the kitchen with a blank face.

“This is truly…… amazing.”

She looked somewhat out of it.

“It’s a machine so perfect it defies description. I kind of expected it from the blueprints, but…….”

Staggering over, ‘WillCraftAnything’ slumped heavily into the seat opposite Baek Seol and muttered unintelligible things for a long while.

Before long, a little more time passed, and she returned to a state capable of somewhat coherent communication.

And then she dropped an out-of-the-blue proposal.

“By any chance, do you have any plans to sell that machine?”

“Pardon……?”

Baek Seol blinked her eyes.

“Do you happen to run a bakery too?”

“No. It’s not that, but……. I want to keep it next to my bed as an ornamental piece. Just looking at it every day would probably make me feel ecstatic. Starting the day with that kind of ecstatic feeling, just thinking about it makes my heart flutter.”

“…….”

“I’ll pay whatever price you name.”

Baek Seol came to realize that ‘WillCraftAnything’ was a machine nerd far beyond her imagination. Name her price? That actually sounded like a somewhat tempting proposal, but.

“I’m sorry. It’s something our shop absolutely needs.”

“……How unfortunate.”

She didn’t know what kind of materials she might need to process next, so she couldn’t just hand it over like this. At Baek Seol’s refusal, ‘WillCraftAnything’ let her shoulders droop. She looked deeply disappointed.

Watching her drop her head, Baek Seol said with a slightly awkward expression.

“You can come over to look at it anytime. Ah. We only operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. I suppose you could come then…….”

“……Is that really true?”

“Yes. Of course. You’re welcome to buy a piece of bread or two while you’re here, too.”

The shoulders of “WillCraftAnything,” which had been sunken to the floor, instantly shot high up into the sky.

“That’s a very good proposal. If you’re going to do that, I should reward you in return. If you want, I can add an option to the machine.”

“……An option?”

An option? Baek Seol blinked at the unfamiliar words. Then, ‘WillCraftAnything’ rubbed her nose slightly and said.

“It’s my special technique. It’s a skill my master doesn’t have. I’m a craftsman specialized in creating new options or improving functions on already built machines.”

“Ah…….”

So craftsmen had different specialized abilities and the like. It was new information.

If she could add new options to the processing workbench or improve its functions……. Baek Seol’s eyes sparkled.

“Um…… what kind of things are there as examples?”

“Like an option where it wags its tail when it sees its owner, for instance.”

“……Pardon?”

When ‘WillCraftAnything’ tilted her head at Baek Seol, who had gone deadpan, she soon gave a small clap as if understanding.

“Ah. So you prefer cats over dogs. In that case, I could add a kneading-with-its-paws option……”

“Never mind. I don’t think I need an option like that.”

Refusing flatly, Baek Seol smiled gently at “WillCraftAnything.” She turned out to be an even crazier human being than she thought. Haha.

‘WillCraftAnything’ mumbled with a slightly sullen expression.

“So you don’t need it. There are also options like letting people other than the owner use the machine, and removing the system messages that pop up when using it.”

“Wait.”

At the useful options that suddenly popped out, Baek Seol’s eyes lit up. Lately, she had just been realizing that this machine could only be used by her alone.

‘That’s why I had given up on the idea of borrowing the strength of someone with higher stats than mine to try processing other materials.’

And yet, she could attach precisely this kind of option right now! On top of that, she could even get rid of the system messages that appeared every time she used the machine. That meant she could hire someone to work it while hiding the fact that she was an Awakened.

Smiling brightly, she blurted out.

“Why didn’t you say so earlier? Attach it right away!”

“Understood. Then additionally, the kneading option as well…….”

“Not that one.”

Watching Baek Seol’s face instantly freeze over, ‘WillCraftAnything’ nodded regretfully.

‘WillCraftAnything’ immediately attached the option to the processing workbench. It didn’t take as long as she expected.

“All done.”

With a slightly fluttering heart, Baek Seol looked at ‘WillCraftAnything’ and asked.

“By any chance, what is your Strength stat?”

“……Pardon?”

Her poker face, which looked like it wouldn’t budge for pretty much any question, wavered for a split second. Since ‘WillCraftAnything’ was a fairly famous artisan, her Strength stat would naturally be higher than her own.

Baek Seol recalled her own stats.

Name: Baek Seol

Class: Dungeon Bakery Owner Lv.4

Title: Participant

HP: 130/130 MP: 130/130

Strength: 17 Intelligence: 40 Agility: 17 Luck: 2

Her level had gone up while clearing the quest last time, but her Strength remained pitifully low. Instead, her Intelligence had shot up by 11 all at once…….

‘Depending on the method by which you accumulated experience points, your stats seem to rise differently…… or so Luci said.’

The method by which she gained experience—in other words, how she cleared quests—seemed to be reflected in how her stats increased. Since Baek Seol had hardly ever used physical strength…… it made sense that it had barely crept up by a rat’s tail.

Still, with just this much, it would be difficult to process the remaining materials.

‘Raw yeast requires a Strength of 30. And the butter made from the milk of an oct-colored unicorn is a whopping 500…….’

Besides this, if any other recipes were added in the future, the likelihood of running into ingredients she couldn’t process would only grow.

At least it was a relief that she could make sugar, which was the most basic ingredient.

While Baek Seol was briefly lost in thought, ‘WillCraftAnything’ replied with her poker face recovered.

“My Strength stat is 90.”

“Hmm.”

It was definitely a figure noticeably higher than her own, but…… it was a far cry from the level required to process butter made from oct-colored unicorn milk.

Perhaps sensing her disappointment, ‘WillCraftAnything’ added as if making an excuse.

“For an artisan, Intelligence is demanded far more than Strength.”

“Aha…….”

Baek Seol scratched her cheek and nodded. Still, she figured she could probably ask her to make raw yeast occasionally. She’d probably be thrilled to do it since she’d be operating the processing workbench directly.

‘Well, I have other things to do right now anyway, so I’ll ask her later.’

She’d shown her the workbench, and she didn’t particularly feel like asking her to operate the processing workbench right this second. It felt like it was about time she could send her off. However, ‘WillCraftAnything’ lingered around the workbench with no sign of heading back.

An hour passed like that.

‘I really need to send her off now.’

Shouldn’t she get some rest herself? She had plenty of things to do, after all. Baek Seol cast sideways glances at the door, slowly trying to usher her out.

Perhaps catching onto Baek Seol’s intentions, “WillCraftAnything,” who had been staring solely at the workbench until now, abruptly struck up a conversation.

“The weather is really nice today. Right? Just like this workbench.”

“It’s raining today, though.”

“Aha.”

“…….”

The pupils of ‘WillCraftAnything’ spun in a circle before her lips parted once more.

“The bread tasted very good. You should consider selling it. Though you mustn’t sell this workbench.”

“You haven’t even tried my bread yet. And I’m already selling it.”

“Aha.”

“…….”

Was it her imagination, or was sweat actually trickling down the back of ‘WillCraftAnything”s neck? Letting out a sigh, Baek Seol opened her mouth.

“It’s getting late, so I think you should slowly…….”

“Ah! Come to think of it, did you hear that rumor? The owner of the 100,000 sugar beets.”

“……Pardon?”

The owner of 100,000 sugar beets?

Baek Seol’s gaze wavered. Then, to her shock, ‘WillCraftAnything’ spoke with a somewhat excited air.

“Ah. Did you not hear the news? It’s the rumor about the 100,000 sugar beet army. An article came out saying they plan to create a zombie army of 100,000 using sugar beets and attack the Blue House.”

A sugar beet zombie army of 100,000……?

What on earth kind of article got published?!