Munchkin Disciple Wants to Stop Being Obsessed Over

Just moments ago, I had been a spectator enjoying the view of the lake from a high cliff.

I never expected to suddenly be doing a bungee jump without a safety line.

There was one fortunate thing.

Just before hitting the water, I realized something was wrong and managed to respond accordingly.

“Hmmph!”

-SPLASH!

I took a deep breath and held it.

This way, even if I fell into the water, I wouldn’t suddenly swallow water and drown.

When I opened my eyes again, I could see the changing blue scenery beneath the lake.

‘Damn it.’

The problem is that I don’t know how far this body, which fell at high speed, will sink.

‘My body won’t move.’

And that’s not all. I needed to move my body to struggle, but my arms and legs wouldn’t budge at all.

It’s already difficult to move in water because of the pressure.

And now my arms have these damn bracelets that not only add considerable weight but also disperse my mana.

‘Is this psychopath really planning to kill me?’

It was reasonable to think so.

A person with a normal mindset would never think of throwing a ten-year-old child into such a dangerous situation.

‘I’ll really die at this rate…’

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to hold my breath. I’m starting to feel the limit.

This is bad. If I can’t hold my breath and swallow water at this depth, it’s definitely drowning.

Meanwhile, my arms and legs won’t move because of the bracelets, and I can’t even operate mana.

Damn it. If I could just envelop my body with mana, I could move.

‘Wait.’

-“However, there is a way to manifest magic.”

-“You need to deceive the Scale. Then you can evoke magic with much less mana than normally required.”

Suddenly, I remembered what Daphne had said just before dropping me.

[Please select a reward.]

[1. All stats +10]

[2. Deceiver of the Scale (Lv.1)]

[3. Starlight (Lv.1)]

And the quest completion reward list that I hadn’t yet chosen.

‘Deceiver of the Scale…’

A trait that could only be obtained by casting a specific spell more than 10,000 times within a certain period.

‘As hard as it was to get, its effect was indeed good.’

It takes a long time to obtain, but.

Once acquired, it reduces mana consumption to almost nothing, making it the equivalent of a goose that lays golden eggs for mages.

‘The other rewards are a shame, but…’

‘All stats +10,’ a growth stat that would take at least 1 year of investment to possibly obtain even in the game.

‘Starlight,’ a 0-tier trait that only a lucky few characters could obtain.

I had originally planned to choose one of these two and get ‘Deceiver of the Scale’ later through grinding.

[‘Deceiver of the Scale (Lv.1)’ has been added to your traits.]

But since I would obviously die at this rate, I chose without hesitation.

‘It worked!’

The effect was remarkable.

As soon as I selected the trait, mana began to circulate in my body.

Mana enveloped my entire body with just my will, and my previously immobile limbs moved as lightly as feathers.

‘Oh, right.’

But after flailing my arms and legs for a moment, I soon realized a very important fact.

‘I can’t swim…’

Come to think of it, I didn’t know how to swim in my previous life either.

“Glug glug.”

I’m screwed.

The lake still had ripples from something that had fallen in.

Daphne, who was sitting on a nearby rock staring at it blankly, muttered quietly.

“Was I too harsh?”

In truth, until this morning, she hadn’t planned to push Kamel this far.

She had only intended to do a light check today.

To see how Kamel would react when faced with a difficult situation.

That’s why she deliberately chose a very challenging path and forced Kamel to follow.

Honestly, she thought Kamel would collapse in place within an hour.

Because the forest path she had walked was so challenging that even a robust adult male would be exhausted after two hours.

“Hmm…”

Since she had created such a situation to begin with, it would have been natural for Kamel to give up while following her.

In fact, what Daphne had wanted to confirm wasn’t a child’s stamina or perseverance.

What she wanted to see was whether evil energy would manifest from within Kamel when his mind became faint.

If there had been any sign of that, she would have unhesitatingly cut off Kamel’s head.

Because the manifestation of evil energy when the mind becomes faint would mean that the vessel of sin was already complete.

The soul of a completed vessel cannot regain its original pure soul no matter what, and is destined to become a monster that causes calamity according to its instinct.

So it was something Daphne absolutely had to confirm.

“How strange…”

However, far from emitting evil energy, Kamel succeeded in following her for five hours, as if to show off.

Daphne couldn’t understand it at all.

How could a child only ten years old follow that challenging path without complaint?

The will to live?
Or just naturally stubborn?

Daphne wondered about that, but regardless of what the correct answer was, it was fine either way.

Because if it was the former, it meant Kamel had excellent mental strength, which was good, and if it was the latter, it reminded her of a nostalgic past, which didn’t make her feel bad.

“Not bad talent either.”

Well, that’s an understatement. This was a first even for Daphne, who had lived for a long time.

Clearly, Kamel was a child who couldn’t even sense mana before.
Yet, just by listening to the explanation, Kamel sensed mana and even enveloped his body with it.

To be honest, it was beyond surprising; it was astounding.

To accomplish in just one hour what even those called geniuses would invest more than a year to achieve.

That was why. The reason Daphne had unconsciously decided to accept Kamel and developed a certain expectation.

“Perhaps I expected too much.”

Daphne muttered while fiddling with a blue magical bracelet identical to the one she had given Kamel.

Although the color is gradually fading, the fact that the bracelet is still blue indicates that Kamel is not yet dead.

Also, the fact that it hasn’t turned black so far suggests there are no signs of evil energy manifesting.

“Well, it’s a bit disappointing, but…”

Daphne, who had been staring at the bracelet, stood up.

Judging by the blue bracelet gradually turning pink, she could guess that Kamel had started to swallow water.

Due to the unexpected expectations she had developed, contrary to her plan, she had dropped him into the lake.

It seems Kamel was not the ‘Fate Opener’ after all.

If he had been, Kamel would have succeeded in deceiving the Scale at once.

By now, he would have been more than capable of coming out of the lake.

The bracelet wouldn’t have turned pink like this either.

“Still, this isn’t bad.”

Although it was a bit disappointing that Kamel wasn’t the ‘Fate Opener’ she had been looking for, Daphne still liked Kamel quite a bit.

Mental strength and physical endurance beyond understanding.
A cleverness that seemed impossible for a ten-year-old.
Talent that couldn’t help but be admired.
And an appearance reminiscent of someone from the past.

Even if not a special child, he was certainly worth keeping.

“And he’s neat too.”

Moreover, as confirmed through her Truth Eye yesterday, Kamel had completely lost his memories from before yesterday.

And this was a fact that could stimulate something secret within Daphne.

“What was that called? Something about raising… Oh!”

Daphne, who couldn’t recall the appropriate word, hastily jumped into the lake.

Because the color of the bracelet she had been fiddling with had turned red.

For reference.

The word she couldn’t remember was ‘grooming.’

Finding Kamel in the lake wasn’t difficult for Daphne.

The familiar energy emanating from Kamel.
And the tracking magic engraved in the bracelet.

It would take Daphne only 20 seconds to reach Kamel.

But.

‘I’m still foolish.’

During that brief moment, Daphne couldn’t hide her anxious emotions.

Judging by the bracelet turning red, Kamel must be in a precarious state.

Yet she had been lost in shameful thoughts, momentarily forgetting the safety of a young child.

A small and precious child might have pointlessly lost his life because of her.

‘You’re alive!’

Upon discovering the pale-faced Kamel shortly after, Daphne quickly took him into her arms and began to rise toward the surface of the lake.

‘…?’

It was then.

When several strange points began to appear in Daphne’s eyes.

‘The mana around is distorted?’

First, the mana around Kamel was twisted as if it had its own will.

‘It’s not his doing…’

That’s because Kamel is unconscious.

Yet, the distorted surrounding mana is wrapping around Kamel’s nose and mouth as if to protect them.

As if the mana itself had acquired a will and manifested magic to protect Kamel.

‘…’

Daphne couldn’t easily understand the phenomenon happening now.

Mana, a supernatural energy, having a will?
And even manifesting magic on its own?

This was a phenomenon that even she, who had lived for an eternal time, had never encountered before.

‘…?’

Lost in thought and nearly reaching the surface, Daphne’s pupils filled with astonishment as she sensed something strange.

‘He’s enveloped with mana?’

She had thought it was light because he was young.

But that wasn’t it. Looking closely, Kamel’s body was subtly enveloped with mana.

‘He deceived the Scale.’

Daphne found this puzzling. He deceived the Scale, so why couldn’t he come out of the water?

“Puha!”

Having emerged from the lake with Kamel cradled like a princess, Daphne muttered with a strange look in her eyes as she gazed down at her arms.

“…You didn’t know how to swim.”

‘Am I alive…?’

It seemed that way.

Considering that notification windows were appearing in my mind even though I was lying down with my eyes closed.

[Hidden Quest ‘Daphne’s Test (2)’ has been completed.]

[As a reward, the linked quest ‘Gain Daphne’s Favor!’ is now in progress. (Favorability 20/100)]

[Upon success, you can choose a reward.]

It wasn’t as welcome news as before. No, it was news that made my irritation soar.

Someone had completed a quest while nearly dying because of someone else.

And the reward is a quest to gain the favor of that someone who nearly killed me.

Even the most virtuous person would be angry and unleash profanity if they experienced the same situation as me.

‘This damn woman.’

Sure enough, as the moment of swallowing water in the deep lake came to mind, curses rose from within me.

‘I can’t stand it anymore.’

Now I don’t care about possession or whatever. You dare try to kill me?

Just show yourself. I’ll give you a taste of the K-game-trained profanity.

That’s what I was resolving to do.

‘Huh…?’

Suddenly, a soft sensation was felt on my lips, and warm breath filled my mouth.

My eyes opened reflexively.

“Mmph…”

What I saw was elegant platinum blonde hair tickling my face.

“…”

The closed eyes of a woman whose eyelashes seemed very beautiful.

And.

‘Oh my.’

Snow-white skin faintly visible through the woman’s wet clothes.