It was a rainy Saturday. The sound of raindrops hitting the window woke Byeol early from her sleep. While the rest of her family was still lost in dreamland, Byeol glanced at the clock and realized it wasn’t even 7 AM yet. She lingered in bed for a moment but eventually got up and went to the living room. Taking out her sketchbook and crayons, she drew Yong-Yong and Yoon-Hee. Recalling the conversation between Yoon-Hee and Yong-Yong from the previous night, Byeol started reenacting it by herself. “No! I no like mushwoom! Make me wibs!” “Oh my? Yong-Yong, do you not want your allowance, then?” “Mushwooms are delicious! Mmm. Such a mystewious flavor.” But even that quickly became boring, so she pressed her face against the balcony window to watch the rain. Then she went into the bedroom to grab her raincoat. It seemed she was planning to go out. Do-Jun, who had been reading the morning paper, set it down and then walked to the kitchen. He grabbed a frying pan, drizzled some cooking oil, diced half a tomato, and sautéed it before cracking in two eggs to make scrambled eggs. It was his go-to recipe for a quick breakfast. Fathers always excelled at one or two dishes, and Do-Jun was no exception. Byeol happily devoured the tomato scramble Do-Jun had made, scooping it up with her spoon. The salty tang of the tomato paired perfectly with the rich flavor of the eggs. “Zip it up fully, okay?” Do-Jun said to Byeol. When wearing her raincoat, Byeol had a habit of zipping it up only halfway, complaining that it felt suffocating. Knowing full well that she would later undo it halfway and return home soaked again, he couldn’t help but chuckle as he zipped it all the way up to her neck. Lately, Byeol’s wallet situation had been less than ideal—no, it was downright dire. She only had four one-hundred-won coins. It was enough to buy a single Choco Pie, but taiyaki was out of the question. Having spent the money, her wallet was now empty, save for the Choco Pie inside. She planned to eat it later when hunger struck while playing. Byeol jumped into a puddle that came up to her ankles, the water splashing up to her waist as her boots landed with a satisfying noise. Amused, she jumped a few more times before growing tired of it and wandered out onto the road. A homeless man, crouching under the eaves of a closed shop to avoid the rain, clutched his stomach and groaned, “Aaah, my stomach... I’m so hungry...” He looked like he was about to cry from hunger. Byeol stood in front of him and placed her hand on her stomach. She wasn’t hungry yet. “Mistah,” Byeol called out. “Have this.” She handed him the Choco Pie from her chick-shaped wallet. The homeless man took the bun with trembling hands, unwrapped it, and devoured it in seconds. “It’s yummy, right?” Byeol asked him. “This thing is delicious! Truly delicious,” the man replied with a satisfied look. Just as Byeol was about to leave, the homeless man called out, “Wait a moment, child. You’re such a kind soul. In return, I’ll give you this.” The man pulled out a blue stone from his pocket. No, was it actually a stone? It sparkled like a jewel. Transparent, with water droplets mysteriously falling inside it. Fascinated, Byeol smiled brightly. “Thank you!” “It’s called a Rain Stone. Use it well...” With that, the homeless man vanished in the rain. Hakase’s private farm was located in the F-rank Fissure of Myeongil-dong, the Goblin’s Forest. Recently, Hakase had planted Meruru mushroom seeds in hopes of adding a mushroom hotpot to his food stall’s new menu. These mushrooms were a hybrid designed to satisfy appetites in the Deep Realm, with a sweet yet spicy flavor that stimulated the palate. However, the Meruru mushrooms were notoriously difficult to cultivate. If the water supply was interrupted for more than ten seconds during their growth, they would instantly wither and die. Therefore, they could only be cultivated in Kraton, a place where it rained nonstop. “Dammit, they’ve dried out again.” Hakase frowned as he removed the wilted mushrooms. He paused in his task to glare at Kiriel, who was leaning against a tree, engrossed in a comic book. “Put that comic book down and get to work!” he called out to Kiriel. “Hold on, I’m just getting to the juicy part.” “You lazy son of a...” He didn’t even have the energy to yell anymore. Hakase seriously considered firing Kiriel but sighed, knowing full well that no human would agree to work for 50,000 won a day. Truthfully, Hakase was exploiting Kiriel’s labor, and Kiriel was too clueless to notice. “If only I had a Rain Stone...” Hakase murmured. The Rain Stone was an artifact of spirits that brought rain. If he had it, cultivating Meruru mushrooms would no longer be a problem. However, the Rain Stone was exceedingly rare. “Should I ask the Spirit Queen...?” The Spirit Queen, Laghaim, had once fought alongside dragons during the Great War. Although she was close to Yong-Yong, she was indifferent toward the other dragons. Hakase doubted she would willingly part with the Rain Stone. “No.” As expected, her answer was a firm rejection. The Rain Stone was a treasure exclusive to spirits. Giving it to a dragon was out of the question. Maybe Izaas might have stood a chance. “I’ll pay you,” Hakase offered. “I have plenty of money. You mean human currency, right?” Laghaim refused. “Plenty? How? You don’t even work.” “There are many ways to acquire it. Besides, we don’t need money. Most necessities are self-sufficient.” Hakase looked troubled. “I’m trying to grow Meruru mushrooms. Can’t you help?” “I’ve already told you, no. The Rain Stone governs the weather, which is our domain. You’re asking to overstep your bounds.” Hakase knew this. He had asked on a whim, hoping for a miracle. Realizing he might have to give up his mushroom hotpot dreams, he let out a sigh. The rain poured relentlessly as if the sky had a hole punched through it. The downpour far exceeded the weather forecast announced by the weather network. Kiriel went downtown to borrow the next volume of the comic he had been thoroughly enjoying. A small shop with a sign that said “Novel/Comic Rental Shop” allowed borrowing a comic for just 400 won. Kiriel, who was wealthy and earning 50,000 won a day, could spend all day reading comics and still have money to spare. A child in a yellow raincoat came into view. Her long, light-brown hair, which reached her waist, looked completely soaked. Despite wearing the raincoat, her clothes underneath were also wet. A closer inspection revealed that the raincoat’s zipper was halfway down. “Byeol?” Kiriel called out. “Kirieh! What are you doing here?” Byeol asked, noticing him. “I’ve come to return this comic and borrow a new one.” “Okie. What about the taiyaki stall? Closed today?” “It’s open. The lizard knows I’m here. Also, make sure to zip your raincoat all the way up next time. Otherwise, you’ll end up soaked .” Kiriel zipped Byeol’s raincoat all the way to her neck. That’s when something caught his eye—a blue orb in Byeol’s hand. It had a brilliant blue hue, was transparent, and revealed an intense swirl of water circulating inside. “What’s that?” Kiriel asked. “This? If you have it, it makes rain,” Byeol replied. Byeol placed the orb on a nearby wall. As if by magic, the torrential downpour stopped. Then, she picked it up again, and the rain resumed pouring in sheets. “That’s... incredible.” Kiriel’s eyes narrowed. Byeol didn’t seem to notice, but when she held the orb, her magical energy unintentionally flowed into it, activating its power. “Sell that to me,” Kiriel said. “I’ll give you a whole box of Choco Pie.” “Of course. I’ve never told a lie in my life.” “Okay, but you’ll have to buy the Choco Pie first.” Kiriel took the Rain Stone from Byeol. Until moments ago, the sky had been heavy with dark clouds. Now, the sun peeked timidly through the clouds, lighting up Bangbae-dong. Hakase gazed at the clear sky in disbelief before walking into his street stall. He tapped his notebook with a pen, lost in thought. His attempt at recreating Meruru Mushroom Hotpot had failed, leaving him completely dejected. The hotpot had been one of his favorite dishes in the Deep Realm. It was so delicious that he wanted to introduce it to the people of Earth. “But why is that guy taking so long? Is he writing his own comic or something?” he said irritably. Just then, the stall door swung open, and Kiriel walked in. Carrying a black bag full of comics, he smiled as he dumped the entire bag onto the table. Then, he pulled out a comic and sat down to read. Hakase, struggling with new recipe ideas, grew increasingly irritated at Kiriel’s carefree attitude. “Oh, right. Here, take this.” Kiriel pulled an orb from his pocket. Hakase’s eyes widened as he recognized it immediately—a Rain Stone! A relic of the spirits, capable of summoning rain in any location when infused with magic! He leaped from his seat and grabbed the Rain Stone. Kiriel said, “I tested it on the way here. When I infused magic into it, it made rain. Then I remembered the dumbfounded look on your face when your Meruru Mushroom Hotpot failed, so I decided to buy it for you.” You bought it? This is an artifact you couldn’t even get with money! In fact, Hakase had just returned from visiting the Spirit Queen in an attempt to acquire a Rain Stone. But the Spirit Queen had firmly refused, claiming that only spirits could govern the weather. “Someone sold you this? For how much?” Hakase asked, dumbfounded. “A box of Choco Pie. I even threw in some jelly.” Kiriel chuckled as he spoke, flipping through his borrowed comic. “A box of Choco Pi...?” Hakase stared at Kiriel in disbelief. Now that he thought carefully, how did Kiriel even know where the Spirit Queen lived? Meanwhile, Laghaim was rummaging through the artifact storage. Surely, there had to be a spare Rain Stone somewhere. “Ah, found it. Here, don’t lose it again, alright?” she said. The Rain Spirit, Reum, nodded solemnly. “By the way, what’s that smudge around your mouth?” Laghaim asked. Reum flinched and quickly wiped his mouth with his sleeve.