RG 52

Before we went out in earnest, I put the hat and mask I had bought for Cha Sahyeon on him. The researchers who had escaped might still be looking for Cha Sahyeon, so I was worried about going shopping with his face exposed.

‘Well, it might be meaningless now, but still…’

Last time we went to the dungeon or when we went to stop the rift, we moved around by taxi and car. This time, we had to walk around for hours, so I had to be cautious.

“Bear with it, even if it’s uncomfortable.”

I worried that he might get annoyed, but Cha Sahyeon accepted it obediently as I dressed him. He even seemed to like wearing the hat and mask. I knew how uncomfortable it could be, as I wore them every time I used my hidden skill, but why was he satisfied? I couldn’t understand it at all.

“Let’s go.”

After checking his outfit one last time, I held his hand and we left the house.

Since Cha Sahyeon hadn’t decided what he wanted as a gift, we headed to a nearby department store first. Department stores have pretty much everything, so he would probably find something there.

Even though it was a weekday, the department store was quite crowded. I held his hand tighter to make sure I wouldn’t lose him.

“Kid, if you see something you want, tell me right away. Except for clothes. I can buy you clothes even if it’s not a gift.”

“Okay.” Cha Sahyeon nodded earnestly, but he looked somewhat dazed.

The thing that captured his attention so much that he couldn’t focus on my words was a large chandelier hanging from the department store hall ceiling. The jewels on the chandelier glittered brilliantly in the light, filling Cha Sahyeon’s eyes with interest.

‘Come to think of it, he had a similar reaction in the hotel lobby.’

Maybe he likes jewels, or perhaps he just likes shiny things. Maybe it’s both since jewels do sparkle.

Having a sense of what might make him happy, I headed to the fifth floor.

The fifth floor of the department store was where item shops were clustered. Items made from monster byproducts and artifacts varied widely in form, but the most common ones were jewels. Special functions from monster byproducts or artifacts were combined with jewels to create accessories. I had bought a necklace with an inventory function from Son Gayeong in Zone C-281 before.

Passing by stores displaying watches, gloves, and shoes, we entered a shop that only dealt with jewels. As expected of a specialized store, the showcases were filled with various accessories and jewels.

As I anticipated, Cha Sahyeon’s face lit up slightly at the sight of the accessories. Smiling inwardly, I picked him up so he could look around comfortably.

“Take your time and look around.”

The staff member who had approached us quickly stepped back when she saw Cha Sahyeon eagerly looking at the showcase from my arms.

Holding Cha Sahyeon, I leisurely browsed the store. There were mostly rings and then necklaces, like the one I had. Other people must also prefer accessories that aren’t too noticeable and are hard to lose.

“How about it? Do you see anything you like?” After a light round, I asked him. I had looked around too, but couldn’t find anything appealing. However, Cha Sahyeon pointed to something without hesitation.

“This one?”

He pointed to a display of earrings on the showcase. Among the various colored earrings, he chose one with a bright green jewel. It seemed he liked it because it matched the color of his eyes.

The staff member who had been watching us from a distance approached with a cheerful voice.

“You’ve chosen a great item! These earrings feature green sapphire gemstones and can be upgraded with a B-class defense artifact. It’s an excellent choice for ensuring the wearer’s safety.”

B-class defense artifact? I glanced at Cha Sahyeon’s face as he nestled in my arms.

‘It’s pretty much meaningless for him…’

Cha Sahyeon’s status displayed a B-class, the same as these earrings, but there was a vast difference between the world’s standard B-class and Cha Sahyeon’s B-class.

Cha Sahyeon had once completely overpowered me when I transformed into an S-class. This meant that in terms of the world’s grading system, Cha Sahyeon’s level was far beyond S-class. For a kid like him, a mere B-class defense item was practically useless.

‘Well, by that logic, there’s nothing in this place that could be of any real help to him anyway.’

Shaking off unnecessary thoughts, I asked Cha Sahyeon, “Do you like this? Should we get it?”

“Yeah,” Cha Sahyeon answered promptly, seemingly uninterested in its performance. Just in case, I asked the staff.

“It’s for a child. Do you have this in a clip-on version?”

“No, but we can transfer the gemstone to a ring or necklace if you prefer.”

As expected. If Cha Sahyeon was okay with it, a ring or necklace seemed better than earrings that required piercing, but the kid had a strong preference.

“I like the earrings.”

“Really?” There was no helping it then. I had healing skills, so I could pierce his ears myself. After setting him down, I gestured toward the earrings with a nod. “We’ll take these. Can you also add an inventory function?”

“Of course. If you add another artifact, it will take about an hour. Is that alright?”

“Yes.”

The staff quickly removed the earrings from the display. While Cha Sahyeon was distracted looking around, I subtly grabbed a pen from the counter, pretending to take out my wallet from my inventory.

As the staff approached the register, I swiftly wrote a note on a memo pad next to the pen. The staff glanced at the note just as I finished writing and tapped it with my fingertip.

<Please add a tracking function as well.>

“Ah…” The staff blinked briefly at the note but then responded smoothly, “I’ll assist you with the payment.”

“Thank you.”

After completing the transaction and handing back my card, the staff said, “I’ll notify you by text once the customization is complete. Thank you for your purchase.”

“See you later then.” The staff smiled at me, and I smiled back.

***

After having a quick meal with Cha Sahyeon at the department store’s restaurant, I picked up the customized earrings.

Before giving them to Cha Sahyeon, I examined their condition. A status window appeared above the green velvet case containing the earrings.

[Green Sapphire Earrings]

Green sapphire gemstones embedded with a defense artifact and a tracking artifact.

Attack Power: F

Balance: F

Defense: B

+Tracking Function

+Inventory Function

Simple enough. Thankfully, the staff had understood my intention and handled it properly.

‘Of course, the additional cost for the tracking artifact was deducted.’

The price was higher than what was listed, but the money Yesung Guild sent after the last rift incident was substantial, so this expense wasn’t a problem.

Since Cha Sahyeon’s ears weren’t pierced, there was something I needed to do before putting the earrings on him. I couldn’t use a healing skill in the middle of the department store, so I decided to return home to pierce his ears. I had disinfectant there too.

After our brief outing, we headed back to the office area, not forgetting to stop by the market to pick up cooking oil, salt, and a few household items. Goodbye to burnt and stuck-on fried eggs.

‘Am I seriously about to start cooking?’

In my life, the extent of my cooking had been limited to ramen and kimchi fried rice. Now I had to cook food for a child.

As I climbed the building stairs, I imagined myself diligently cooking in the kitchen. Unfortunately, my lack of culinary knowledge made it hard to visualize anything clearly.

“Huh?”

Lost in thought, I was punching the door lock code when I noticed something white on the floor. It was a pristine paper card, too clean to be just trash left in the hallway. I picked it up and flipped it over, revealing a familiar symbol.

<Zone B-37, Target Building 3F>

‘He said he’d contact me if he found something…’

The card had a spider logo and a brief message. It was undoubtedly from Eun Woojeong, the leader of Spider’s Web. 

Did he drop this as soon as Cha Sahyeon and I left? I wondered if he was really adhering to my request not to spy on us.

“Sigh…”

I wanted to ignore it, but I needed the information Eun Woojeong had found. With the ongoing unusual issues with Cha Sahyeon, it was even more crucial.

‘I’ll have to visit him tonight.’

Since no time was mentioned, I would go at my convenience. Imagining Eun Woojeong waiting all day for my unpredictable arrival, I couldn’t help but smirk.