Dungeon Bakery – Chapter 25

Author: isuzuuy

“……This way, right?”

Time in the Dungeon of Beginnings seemed to flow at the same pace as the outside world.

If it was morning outside, it was morning here. If it was evening, it was evening here, too.

Which meant that it was night here now.

“Even after seeing it again, it’s seriously beautiful.”

Baek Seol muttered as she walked quickly beneath the enormous Yggdrasil.

Her head was tilted upward.

During her previous visit, she had discovered that the patterns engraved into the Yggdrasil’s leaves glowed at night.

Between the Yggdrasil that soared high into the sky and its long, sprawling branches, the leaves sparkled like stars.

It was a breathtaking sight that could enchant anyone simply by looking at it, but Baek Seol had no time to stare.

The quest window was gradually becoming fainter even now.

“Gu-chil will probably take a little while to get here, right?”

Whenever Baek Seol entered the dungeon, Gu-chil appeared and protected her, but he couldn’t just pop into existence immediately after she arrived.

The village where the slime race lived was some distance away, so it would take Gu-chil some time to realize she had entered the dungeon and make his way to her.

It was admittedly frightening to walk around the dungeon alone at night, but she couldn’t just stand around and wait.

Baek Seol didn’t stop walking.

‘If I turn left at this tree…….’

She was heading toward the sugarcane field where she had encountered the Black Rabbits and Black Elephant last time.

After readjusting the bag securely on her back, Baek Seol continued walking diligently.

And finally, she arrived at the sugarcane field.

‘Fortunately, I haven’t run into a single other monster.’

Apparently, there were fewer monsters living around the Yggdrasil.

That was what she had noticed while exploring with Gu-chil.

‘Where is it? It should definitely be here.’

Not long after Baek Seol began searching the sugarcane field thoroughly, she heard a dull sound.

Bam!

Kiing. Kiing.

There were faint whimpering noises mixed in.

“……!”

Baek Seol immediately ran toward the sound.

She didn’t forget to pull out the two weapons she had brought in her bag as she ran.

She hadn’t come here completely unprepared.

“Huff, huff.”

Is this it? I heard it from here.

Just as she pushed aside the sugarcane blocking her vision and squeezed her way inside, the Black Rabbit she had been looking for appeared before her.

The Black Rabbit collapsed on the ground, bleeding, and its condition looked serious at a glance.

“Ppoo……!”

The Black Elephant standing in front of it was also in trouble.

As though protecting the injured Black Rabbit with its body, it was taking the attacks of the other Black Rabbits head-on.

Its large ears were spread wide and wrapped around the fallen Black Rabbit like a shield, while the Black Elephant endured every attack with its bare body.

At this rate, it wouldn’t be able to hold out for long.

“Wait! Stop it, you guys! You were friends originally, weren’t you? Why are you being so mean to each other?”

Worried, Baek Seol quickly stepped between them.

The Black Rabbits, which came up to about her calves, flinched at her sudden appearance and backed away.

“Ppoo……?”

The Black Elephant, its eyes bruised from being beaten, staggered as it turned to look at Baek Seol.

It looked so pitiful.

But apparently, the Black Rabbits saw things differently.

After looking at one another as though exchanging opinions, their eyes lit up when they looked at Baek Seol.

“Keung!”

Several Black Rabbits charged at her in an instant.

Seeing them rush toward her all at once, Baek Seol tightened her lips.

She swung one of the weapons in her hand first.

Clang!

“Kiing!”

One Black Rabbit charging straight at her went flying into the distance.

The others visibly flinched at the sight.

“Hehehe. How do you like the taste of my mop?”

Baek Seol proudly held out the mop in her hand.

After mourning the loss of her previous +10 Mop, which had been snapped in half by the Black Cow the other day, she had made a special effort to buy a new one.

+20 Mop!

Enhanced durability and outstanding cleaning power.

It was the weapon she had decided she absolutely had to bring on her next dungeon expedition.

She just hadn’t expected to debut it like this.

When she swung the mop once, the Black Rabbits visibly hesitated.

‘It’s definitely stronger than before. It’s lighter and feels better, too.’

Baek Seol felt slightly proud as she adjusted her grip on the mop.

The first of the weapons she had prepared was performing quite satisfactorily.

“Keung!”

At that moment, the largest Black Rabbit stomped the ground repeatedly with its hind legs as if it disliked what it was seeing, then snorted forcefully.

As if that had been a signal, the Black Rabbits’ eyes changed.

This time, every single one of them charged at once.

“Ahh! That’s cheating!”

Baek Seol stepped backward while wildly swinging the mop.

The +20 Mop was surprisingly powerful!

Every time she swung it, another Black Rabbit was knocked away.

But there were simply too many of them charging at her, and Baek Seol was gradually pushed backward.

“Ugh……”

Right behind her were the Black Elephant and the injured Black Rabbit.

There was nowhere else to retreat.

Just as Baek Seol gritted her teeth, the leader Black Rabbit suddenly leaped into the air and charged straight at her.

‘Oh no……!’

She had just sent another Black Rabbit flying with the mop, so she couldn’t use it again in time.

In a desperate situation, Baek Seol pulled out her second weapon with her free hand.

And threw it.

Whoosh!

“Sniff?”

She had worried that she might miss, but fortunately, the weapon landed perfectly in the leader Black Rabbit’s mouth.

Chomp!

The leader Black Rabbit’s eyes narrowed into sharp triangles at the mysterious object that had entered its mouth.

Then, with an extremely displeased snort……

“Keung……?”

Chomp…… chomp…….

It slowly began chewing.

After crushing the object in its mouth into tiny pieces and swallowing it, the leader Black Rabbit’s eyes widened.

From that look, Baek Seol could practically read the words:

Oh my! How delicious!

What Baek Seol had thrown was a sugar cookie.

She grinned.

‘If I’d known it would work this well, I should’ve tempted them with these from the beginning.’

When the leader Black Rabbit began acting strangely, the other rabbits milled around uncertainly.

Baek Seol fed each of them one of the sugar cookies she had prepared.

“Sniff-sniff!”

“Keuuung!”

She could almost see hearts in the Black Rabbits’ eyes.

Or was that just her imagination?

Baek Seol scratched her cheek with her index finger as the Black Rabbits that had eaten the cookies rolled onto their backs and exposed their bellies as though asking for affection.

Apparently, the effect was way too strong.

“Keung, keung.”

The leader Black Rabbit was even worse.

It scampered over to her, rubbed its cheek against her calf, and clasped its front paws together as if begging for more.

The Black Rabbits that had looked so ferocious just moments ago had transformed into adorable, docile creatures.

For a moment, Baek Seol wondered if this might actually be what they were like normally.

“Hold on. You have to line up if you want one.”

As though they understood her words, the rabbits began hopping into a line.

Only after she handed each rabbit another cookie did they leave the area with happy cries.

“Whew……”

After confirming that they had disappeared, Baek Seol quickly went over to the Black Elephant and injured Black Rabbit.

They were looking at Baek Seol with tearful, pitiful eyes……

“……You want this?”

They weren’t looking at her.

They were staring at the sugar cookie in her hand.

Their gazes were so desperate that they seemed to have forgotten that what they urgently needed right now was medical treatment.

Baek Seol felt a little deflated as she put one sugar cookie into each of their mouths.

“Ppoo~”

“……Sniff.”

The two monsters happily munched on the cookies.

As the satisfaction meters floating above them filled completely, a notification appeared announcing that the quest had been completed.

<System: Congratulations! You have completed the ‘The Injured Black Rabbit’s Earnest Request’ quest. Your rewards will now be granted.>

Ding!

With the sound of 10,000 points being added, another ding! announced that she had leveled up.

Whew. Finally level 4.

‘My Strength probably went up a little, too. Then I should be able to process more ingredients.’

Thinking that, Baek Seol rummaged through her bag and pulled out a soft blanket.

She planned to carry the Black Rabbit in it.

“This is dangerous if we leave you like this, so let’s go to my bakery first.”

As Baek Seol spread out the blanket, she noticed the two monsters licking each other’s wounds.

There was something strangely touching about the sight.

“……I guess it’s better if you two go together.”

Baek Seol wrapped the Black Rabbit and Black Elephant together in the blanket and headed toward the bakery.

“Kyuung! Kyung!”

At that moment, Gu-chil finally appeared.

He had arrived looking frantic, bouncing repeatedly as he circled around Baek Seol.

It was as if he was checking to see whether she had been hurt anywhere.

“I’m okay, Gu-chil. You were surprised because I disappeared without waiting for you, right? Things were a little urgent. Could you at least accompany me on the way back?”

“Kyuung…….”

Gu-chil answered in a slightly dejected voice before taking the lead.

Baek Seol knew he must have been startled because she had acted alone, but she didn’t have time to soothe Gu-chil right now.

The body of the Black Rabbit in her arms was getting hotter and hotter.

It definitely had a fever.

“Lucy! How do you treat a monster?”

By the time Baek Seol returned to the bakery, it was nearly midnight.

Lucy, who had been dozing on the table, suddenly flapped his wings at her shout.

“You’re, you’re back, ppi……? Huh? What’s that in your arms, ppi? Don’t tell me you brought that Black Rabbit here, ppi?”

“Yeah. I think it’ll die if I leave it like this. How do you treat a monster?”

“Ppi, ppii…….”

Lucy blinked with a flustered expression.

It was obvious at a glance that he had never treated a monster before.

Well, who would ever think of treating a monster?

Baek Seol headed upstairs first.

She laid the two of them down somewhere soft and took out the first-aid kit she had stored in a cabinet.

“I should disinfect the wounds first…… right?”

It’s meant for humans. Will it be okay?

When Baek Seol muttered uncertainly, Lucy answered.

“It should be fine, ppi. They aren’t ordinary animals, after all, ppi. Their natural healing ability is quite strong, too, ppi.”

Trusting Lucy’s words, Baek Seol began by disinfecting their wounds.

Then she took out a healing ointment and carefully spread it over their injuries with a cotton swab……

As she nursed the one with a fever, occasionally giving it some water, she must have eventually drifted off to sleep.

In her hazy state of consciousness, Baek Seol thought vaguely.

I think I fell asleep……? Is it morning?

“Hmm……”

Lick, lick.

Baek Seol felt a warm, pleasant sensation against her cheek.

She slowly opened her eyes.

“Ppoo.”

“Sniff.”

Two black shapes were looking down at her.

One of them, with soft, fluffy fur, was licking her cheek.

“……Black Rabbit?”

“……Sniff.”

It was the Black Rabbit with the same sullen expression as always.

It had recovered considerably in just one day.

It didn’t seem to have a fever anymore, either.

Baek Seol smiled brightly with relief.

“That’s a relief. Your fever’s gone. Are you feeling okay?”

“……Keung.”

Its sullen gaze wavered slightly.

The Black Rabbit blinked, then abruptly turned its head away as though embarrassed.

This one’s a tsundere, isn’t it?

Relieved after confirming that it was better, Baek Seol stood up.

Apparently, she had fallen asleep crouched beside them.

Her whole body was stiff from sleeping in such an uncomfortable position.

“Ugh……”

“Are you awake, ppi?”

At that moment, Lucy, who had been comfortably sleeping on Baek Seol’s bed, rubbed his eyes and got up.

How shameless.

He had casually stolen her spot.

Baek Seol gave him a light glare before stretching.

Crack. Crack.

Every time she moved, her body made popping sounds.

“So. What are you going to do now, ppi?”

“Huh?”

“Black Rabbits and Black Elephants have enormous appetites, ppi. Those cookies probably won’t be enough to satisfy them, ppi. You’re going to need a fundamental solution, ppi.”

Judging from the fact that Lucy was saying this immediately after waking up, he must have spent the time she was nursing them thinking about various things.

“Isn’t the conflict between the Black Rabbits and Black Elephants bothering you, ppi?”

“……”

At Lucy’s words, Baek Seol pursed her lips.

For now, she had no idea what to do.

So Baek Seol decided to feed them first.

“Here. Have some cookies.”

Just as Lucy had said, their appetites were incredible.

Half of the cookies she had prepared were already gone within half a day.

‘I need one mandragora every time I make these cookies…….’

It seemed impossible to satisfy their appetites with sugar cookies alone.

Unless Baek Seol spent the entire day making cookies.

And now that she had decided to limit the days she operated the dungeon bakery, even more so.