Please Give Me A Kiss, Healer! Chapter 68

Jiwoo lightly tapped Kangwoo’s shoulder.

“Do you like braised short ribs?”

“Braised short ribs?”

“Yeah! I’m going to make them to celebrate surviving the dungeon! Look forward to it— the Do family’s special secret marinade, passed down for generations!”

Kangwoo watched Jiwoo chatter beside him with affectionate eyes.

“Do we need to buy anything?”

“Hmm, minced garlic? It’d be nice to have mushrooms and carrots too.”

“…Do you have to put carrots in braised ribs? It’d taste good with just the meat.”

“Wow, you sound exactly like Heeseong. Kangwoo, if you’re that picky, you won’t grow any taller— oh. Actually, it’d be a problem if you got any taller.”

Jiwoo stretched her arm high to compare their heights.

For Jiwoo, who had gone up on her tiptoes, Kangwoo bent his back slightly.

“Mushrooms are fine, but I don’t like carrots. They’re all mushy.”

“But carrots are so good for your eyes! They’re full of vitamins, and they even say they make your blood cleaner. It’s in the carrot song too!”

Jiwoo hummed the lyrics.

“♪ Please put carrots in the braised ribs~♪♬ Super healthy~♪ Vitamins are the best~♬  Mom~ I want to grow taller~♪ Please put carrots in the braised ribs~♪♬”

“…I still won’t eat them.”

Kangwoo’s muttering blended into the end of the song. At some point, he and Jiwoo were holding hands comfortably.

The warmth coming from their joined hands felt warmer than ever before.

 

 

***

 

 

Squawk, squawba-ba-ba-squawk!

The next morning, Jiwoo headed to the safe zone early.

It had only been a few days, but the baby birds had already grown to nearly twice their original size.

“Wow, they’re really growing fast.”

While grooming the chicks’ feathers, White Hawk 31 asked:

─ All chicks are like this at this age. Are human babies different?

“Well, humans do grow quickly as babies too, but… not this fast.”

Jiwoo recalled what Heeseong had been like as a child.

When she came home from elementary school, she would often find Heeseong wrapped up in a baby blanket.

‘He was so cute back then… how did he end up growing so creepily big now?’

“Noona, why are you looking at me like that?”

“It’s nothing. What about the flower petals I asked you for last time?”

“Hehehe, of course I got them ready! Who do you think I am? I’m the great caretaker of this vast land!”

Heeseong grinned mischievously.

Ever since the Whitebirds had settled into Our Home as resident guests, the safe zone itself had begun to change.

First came—area expansion!

[With the arrival of new resident guests, the safe zone will expand.]

System

Expansion Area: Forest region beyond the plains

A vast land where dense forests stretch endlessly. The wind blowing in from beyond the woods carries a hint of salt.

The abundant resources obtainable from this land will serve as an excellent foundation for the safe zone’s next leap forward.

The forest region was enormous.

Without a map, one could easily get lost inside it.

Having gained a new nest and territory, the Whitebirds were thrilled.

─ Such a peaceful land! No natural enemies, and our children can fly freely without worry!

There was an unexpected bonus as well.

Moved by their joy, the Whitebirds presented Jiwoo with a gift.

─ This is proof that you, human, are our friend.

[White Hawk 31 wishes to give you a gift.]

Item

Whitebird Feather Wings (B-rank)

Soft wings crafted from the feathers of Whitebirds, angels of the sky.

Equip Effect: Whitebird Flight (B-rank)

Two small white wings woven from branches and feathers.

When Jiwoo slung them onto her back like a backpack, a new system window appeared.

System

Equipment transparency has been applied for user convenience.

The gifted wings emitted a golden glow before vanishing without a trace.

It was exactly like when she had received the antenna headband from the Antmen.

‘Flight… so that means I can fly, right?’

Jiwoo’s eyes sparkled.

The dream all humans share!

Flying freely through the sky with one’s own body!

Jiwoo immediately activated the wings’ effect.

“[Whitebird Flight], activate!”

Her body floated gently upward.

But reality proved harsher than expected.

“W–Whoa—! What’s happening?!”

Flailing her arms and legs midair, Jiwoo lost her balance and plummeted downward.

Thankfully, she managed to deactivate the skill just before smashing her head into the ground.

System

Whitebird Flight (B-rank) can be used once per day for 3 minutes.

Remaining Time: 2 minutes 10 seconds

Three minutes, my foot— I almost died in three seconds!

“Ugh, this is sealed for now! I’m never using it!”

Unless it was a truly life-or-death emergency, she doubted she’d ever touch it again.

Still shaken, Jiwoo headed to the flowerbed behind Our Home.

The garden, bordered by white pebbles, was filled with blooming flowers.

And among them was a truly special flower.

It had bloomed after the Whitebirds became resident guests.

“It’s beautiful…”

Its layered petals changed color depending on the angle of the light.

Under strong sunlight, they turned a vivid red; in the shade, a soft orange.

“At night, it turns purple. I picked one petal each time the color changed.”

Heeseong handed her a wooden storage box.

Inside were seven petals, ranging from red to violet.

“Noona, with this… can you really make a Dungeon Disease potion?”

“I don’t know. But we’ve gathered all the materials, so we have to try.”

“Be careful with them. I don’t know when the next flower will bloom again.”

The only materials from the special flower were the seven petals Heeseong had collected, plus the ones currently blooming.

‘I can’t fail. I have to succeed on the first try.’

Jiwoo immediately activated her potion crafting skill.

[Safety first! Please wear protective goggles before crafting.]

She put on her visor as a substitute for goggles, and another window appeared.

System

Required Materials

Special Flower Petals (7/7)

Reinforced Glass Bottle (0/1)

Extra-Large Cauldron (0/1)

Small Refrigerator (0/1)

※ All crafting processes must be conducted inside Our Home.

“Cauldron? Refrigerator…?”

A groan escaped Jiwoo’s lips.

Crafting only being possible inside Our Home meant she had no choice but to buy all of them from the shop.

She opened the shop interface.

Reinforced Glass Bottle: ₩100,000
Extra-Large Cauldron: ₩4,900,000
Small Refrigerator: ₩5,000,000

“T–T–Ten million won?!”

Tears welled up.

Her strength drained away, and Jiwoo slid down to sit on the ground.

“I just put my allowance from the other day into a fixed deposit… guess I’ll have to break it……”

Giving up on the potion was not an option.

With trembling hands, Jiwoo purchased the bottle, cauldron, and refrigerator.

The next stage was material mixing.

“Let’s see. Put seven flower petals into the cauldron, finely chop them with water… okay, this part’s not too hard!”

Once she followed the instructions, a new system message appeared.

System

Heat the cauldron over low heat.
If the water boils over, all materials will be destroyed.

Required Time: 48 hours

“D–Destroyed?!”

Absolutely not! My petals! My ten million won!

With a heart full of dread, Jiwoo placed the cauldron over the fire.

For the next 48 hours, she watched over it like simmering bone broth.

When her eyelids grew too heavy to stay open, she called Dongshik.

“Dongshik, regulate the fire while I sleep. If it boils over……”

Dark circles heavy under her eyes, Jiwoo muttered,

“We’ll be eating nothing but fish from the valley for half a year. No salt.”

─ Nya-nya-nyak! Leave it to meee!

Terrified, Dongshik guarded half a year’s worth of food expenses with his life.

After two long days, the final stage finally unlocked.

System

Transfer the heated contents into the glass bottle, then refrigerate to cool.

Required Time: 336 hours

Two weeks was a long time, but it felt easier than the previous step.

This time, all she had to do was put it in the refrigerator and wait.

“Please… let it succeed. Just this once!”

Jiwoo, now looking half her former self after days of exhaustion, prayed fervently.