I Became a God in the Refrigerator chapter 12

12. Special Event, Encounter

Perhaps it was due to the cool breeze.

With her eyes closed, Irina, who was breathing heavily, faintly opened her eyes.

As her fever rose, she saw Hane’s large hand carefully placing the towel.

It was Hane’s hand.

“…My Lord?”

Looking up at herself, Hane held her hand as a sign of assurance that he was watching over her.

Feeling relieved, she closed her eyes again, this time with a faint smile, leaving Hane lost in thought for a moment.

“Hmm… Should I cook something?”

However, the thought was quickly abandoned out of fear.

Initially, he had no particular skill in cooking, and there was no proper seasoning in Irina’s world.

In the end, it seemed like an impossible idea.

“So, there’s only one solution in the end.”

Once again, Hane decided to rely on the power of the lunchbox.

A lunchbox purchased after a long time.

This time, what appeared before him was pumpkin porridge.

Steaming hot, with a freshly made appearance.

“…What’s this?”

Hane blinked.

“This is a completely different menu this time. It’s even pumpkin porridge, isn’t it?”

[For lunchbox menus, a different menu appears each time. However, occasionally, a faint lucky charm may imbue the menu you need.]

A stroke of luck.

In that case, one could say it wasn’t a bad situation for Hane.

For Irina, who had almost no energy to chew something, if luck had indeed imbued it as advised by the system, then it must have.

Hane suddenly felt strange holding the spoon.

“By the way, my hand is quite large. Isn’t the spoon too small?”

It felt incredibly small, especially now.

Or was it because of Hane’s large hand?

Due to that, the object he was holding felt particularly small.

Without paying attention, it could almost go unnoticed.

Soon, he carefully scooped a spoonful close to Irina’s lips.

“My Lord?”

Irina gazed at Hane with a blurry look.

Soon realizing his intention, she cautiously opened her small mouth, and Hane promptly fed her a spoonful.

For a moment, she chewed thoughtfully, then opened her eyes wide and quickly shared her impression.

“…Delicious.”

Her response was oddly amusing, prompting Han to offer her another bite.

“Um, I feel a bit embarrassed. hahahaha…”

There was no need for her to be embarrassed.

Upon reflection, Han and Irina were individuals who helped each other.

While Irina might think she was the only one receiving help, Han felt the same way.

Irina, having eaten her fill, seemed a bit drowsy.

It was evident she was sleepy.

Yet, amidst this, she gazed outside where a cool breeze blew and murmured.

“Ah… there’s so much to do today, what should I do.”

In response, Han lightly patted her shoulder, a gesture urging her to rest quietly.

Understanding Han’s intention, Irina smiled and nodded.

“I’ll stay put, sir.”

It didn’t take long for Irina to fall asleep.

Perhaps accumulated fatigue had caught up with her in that moment.

While she slept, Han took on the role of guarding the surroundings.

Regardless of the circumstances, having someone to watch over was necessary.

Though both Han and Irina had become weary from doing nothing, for Irina, it was a matter of survival.

At least Han was well aware of this fact.

***

Irina soon recovered her strength.

Contrary to concerns, it seemed to be a mild illness.

“Thanks to you, sir. I’m grateful.”

Irina prayed towards a statue resembling Han once again.

As a token of gratitude, she offered a tribute she had given before: an apple.

A magical apple imbued with the power of the World Tree returned to Han’s hand.

“It’s back in my hand.”

Han savored the taste.

An apple.

It was an exceptionally delicious apple, one he had never tasted before in his life.

But more importantly, it was a special apple of great value.

It was too precious to eat, yet there was no appropriate place to sell it either.

Rumors had it that trading posts frequented by hunters would offer a fair price for such items.

For Han, who was not a hunter, such places seemed out of reach.

“For now… it should be fine for a few days. Let’s leave it and think about it.”

Judging solely by its immediate value, there was no doubt it was a valuable item.

While he couldn’t simply eat it, choosing the right trading post was crucial.

One wrong move could attract unwanted attention from dubious individuals.

It was a time when Han was pondering how to deal with the apple of the World Tree.

At the same moment.

Irína once again diligently began to wander around the ruins nearby.

“Ah, there it is.”

What Irína found as she roamed around the abandoned building was a Mana Mushroom.

Carefully plucking a couple of mushrooms and holding them close to her chest, her face was filled with a flush of excitement.

She knew well how much these two insignificant plants meant to her.

“Grow well, both of you.”

With a cautious touch, Irína planted the mushrooms within the reach of the World Tree’s power.

Soon, whether due to her sincere heart or not, the mushrooms rapidly grew.

As they grew rapidly beyond Irína’s expectations, a bright smile bloomed on her lips.

***

That evening.

Han was passing the time thinking about his schedule.

“I should probably take a break today, but I’ll have to go to work from tomorrow. It’s starting to feel too unfair to others if I continue like this.”

Moreover, there was the matter of the apple of the World Tree.

Lately, he had been staying indoors without going out for days, but it seemed necessary to step outside at least once.

As he pondered various thoughts, when he finished his household chores and got up from his seat.

Unexpectedly, a message from the system popped up.

Ring!

[The second special event ‘Encounter’ has occurred!]

[Hurry and check the situation!]

A special event?

At the sudden appearance of the message, a bewildered expression crossed Han’s face.

“Ugh!”

In a hurry to move, he accidentally stubbed his foot against the chair.

Tears welled up from the pain, but there was no time to nurse it.

Is the pain of stubbing my foot really that important?

No, of course, it’s important, but first, it was crucial to check what was happening in the other world.

The pain could wait.

With a creak, the refrigerated world inside opened up before his eyes.

Soon, the world expanded greatly, and he could visually confirm what the system referred to as a change.

“Haah. Haah.”

Within the swelling darkness of the icy breath.

Amidst rough breaths, the sight of those fleeing could be seen.

They were a pair of boys and girls.

“Thud! Thud!”

“Growwwl!”

The children were being chased by a pack of wolves.

Han couldn’t help but be horrified at the sight of them running in fear.

To the adult observer, the creatures appeared large and fierce enough to cause a shiver.

“What… what kind of wolf is that big?”

[Red Alert: Dire Wolf]

These were large wolves, towering even above an average adult male in height.

Not just one of them, but a staggering three of them.

Even from above, the difference in stature between the two children and the wolves was strikingly evident, but how would those two kids perceive them face to face?

Perhaps unknowingly, their legs would likely tremble with fear.

In this eerie darkness, they barely held on, relying on the dwindling torch.

Approaching the two siblings, the wolves lurched forward unsteadily.

The boy holding the torch swung it wildly from side to side, yelling, “Go away! Don’t come closer!”

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“Grrr-!”

Three wolves baring their sharp teeth, noses wrinkled in aggression.

“Oh, big brother!”

The girl who seemed to be the younger sister clung closer to the boy, visibly frightened by the wolves.

The torch flickered wildly, as if it could go out at any moment, but there was no time to worry about that.

The looming presence of the Dire Wolves, shuffling beside the two siblings with their massive front paws, was undeniably menacing, leaving no room for delay in vigilance.

If the torch were to go out, they would pounce without hesitation.

The lives of the two siblings rested on that flickering torch.

“This is…”

The observer’s expression hardened.

This was dangerous.

The siblings’ resistance wouldn’t last long.

Without help, they would undoubtedly be devoured by the wolves on the harsh snowy ground, unnoticed by anyone.

Fortunately, the distance to the central square where she was wasn’t too far.

She could undoubtedly be a great help.

But could they survive until then?

“No, it’s impossible. At least until she arrives, I must buy time.”

That was the moment.

“Roar!”

Finally, it seemed the torch had lost its effect on them.

Realizing it posed no real threat, the creatures let out a cry and lunged forward in an instant.

“Oh no, it’s dangerous!”

Han acted swiftly.

He clicked on the “Lighting Fire” he had prepared earlier.

Whoosh!

Between the Dire Wolves and the siblings, a large fire burst into existence.

“Grrr?!”

“Roar!”

Startled, the creatures quickly backed away.

The shaman’s actions had a clear impact.

The sudden appearance of the flames startled the siblings, but the distance between them and the wolves was sufficient to keep them safe.

But that wasn’t all.

It seemed this pack of wolves, perhaps suffering from severe hunger in the cold, had not given up on the siblings easily, despite moving away from the flickering flames.

Sensing the wolves’ persistence, the siblings cautiously edged closer to the fire.

They knew that if they moved even a little further away, the wolves would pounce.

It seemed hopeless.

One more had to be summoned.

But it was at that moment.

[Beep-!]

[Warning! Abnormal progression detected!]

[Repeated abnormal progress will result in sanctions due to fairness concerns. A temporary time limit of 60 seconds is imposed on ‘fire-lighting’ purchases!]

“What, what?! Where is that even coming from!”

An unexpected system notification.

Simultaneously, the fire the shaman had summoned began to lose its momentum, quickly dwindling away.

60 seconds? It felt like it would vanish in a blink, not even lasting 60 seconds!

“System! This isn’t fair, right? There was no such thing before, why now! They’re going to die like this!”

[…….]

But in the end, what couldn’t be done, couldn’t be done.

The system remained silent without a response.

Now, the shaman could not ignite a new fire.

As the flames quickly faded, the dire wolves drew closer.

“Grrr-!”

The snarling creatures surrounded them.

“Oh, brother…!”

“Stay close! Don’t move away!”

Despite trembling with fear, the siblings huddled closer to the flames.

But soon, they reached their limit.

As the fire lost its strength and waned, the lead dire wolf pounced.

It was that moment.

“Shield!”