The headquarters of the Iron Fist Guild.
Guildmaster Kim Dong-gil went out on a business trip and returned to the office at quitting time.
“Welcome back, sir.”
“Ah, Hanbi. Anything happen while I was away?”
“No. Nothing unusual.”
Kim Dong-gil nodded in acknowledgement and took his seat. Normally, he would have left for the day, but he had an appointment.
“Hanbi, you go home first. I have an appointment.”
“Yes, sir. See you tomorrow.”
Alone in the room, Kim Dong-gil rubbed his tired eyes and slowly got up from his seat.
“I’m tired.”
As the business expanded and responsibilities piled up, each day became more exhausting. Of course, as the guildmaster, he had to handle everything, but fatigue was inevitable.
“I should leave first. But Hansoo hyung expected something this time…”
Kim Dong-gil, who set off for the meeting place first, soon arrived at a quiet restaurant. Thanks to the pre-arranged reservation, he could relax in a quiet room and found himself dozing off.
Drrrring!
“Huh? Dong-gil! Looks like you’re exhausted? Hahaha!”
With noisy laughter, Kang Hanul entered.
And next to him were Jeong So-yeon and one member of the Gourmet Association.
“Oh my, have you come? It’s been a long time since the Gourmet Association.”
“Are you doing well, Guildmaster?”
“It’s been a while.”
Smiling brightly, Jeong So-yeon and Kim Se-hee, a mid-level awakened of the Flame Guild, greeted him.
“Originally, it was supposed to be just you and me, but these two ended up joining. Is it okay?”
“That’s fine, considering we heard about it last time.”
Kim Dong-gil answered casually, but honestly, this situation felt awkward. It was inevitable to feel burdened when two women, who were significantly younger, joined.
“Even though I tried to hide it, this little one noticed. Mischievous guy.”
“You shouldn’t have been caught.”
“It couldn’t be helped that you found out, but why did you have to bring one more person?”
“Oh my, Hanul team leader. Good things should be shared.”
Looking cheeky, Jeong So-yeon and Kim Se-hee, exchanged a meaningful look. Hanul then took out something from his arms.
It looked like a box wrapped in a luxurious cloth.
Kim Dong-gil and Kim Se-hee watched with no particular expectations, but Jeong So-yeon eagerly clasped her hands together.
“What is it?”
“This is something special I brought this time. Don’t be surprised when you see it.”
After saying that, Hanul opened the box on the table. However, his hand holding the box did not move.
“?”
“?”
People looked at Hanul with question marks on their faces as he remained motionless.
“Um…?”
“Ugh! Originally, I planned to eat this with you only!”
“Quickly, let’s open the box.”
When Jeong So-yeon urged him, Hanul, after giving her a glare, took a deep breath and opened the box.
Then, a brilliant golden light poured out from it.
“As expected!”
Jeong So-yeon’s face was filled with delight.
But Kim Dong-gil and Kim Se-hee looked perplexed.
“What is this? Why is there so much light?”
“What is this…?”
Soon, as the people slowly adapted to the light, they saw something revealed.
It was sweet potato candy, radiating a bit too much light.
“Candy?”
“Isn’t it just ordinary candy?”
Unlike the two who grinned at the unexpected food, Kang Hanul and Jeong So-yeon continued to swallow their saliva while enduring the temptation.
“It’s not just ordinary candy.”
“Pardon?”
“Take a closer look again.”
“What do you mean by ‘take a closer look’… Oh!”
Kim Dong-gil suddenly jerked back his head as he was staring at the candy, surprised by the appearance of an item window that appeared in his field of vision.
In response, Kim Se-hee also looked at the candy and expressed surprise.
“Oh, an item?”
“Hehe. Remember what I said at the last tasting event? I promised to show you the ultimate taste.”
There were a total of four pieces of candy.
Jeong So-yeon, suspecting that the rest of the candy was hidden due to the artificial number, furrowed her brows, but still expressed gratitude, saying it was unexpected.
“I’ll enjoy it, Team Leader 2.”
“Well, well! You could say I’ve made a tremendous concession!”
“Oh, no, sir! It’s an item, but this… Can we just eat it?”
Kim Dong-gil exclaimed again, surprised by the effect of the item.
It was a buff item that allowed the user to use the ability of body reinforcement for about two hours.
“Yes! It’s a gesture of generosity from our broad-minded Kang Hanul!”
“Oh, no, sir, I didn’t mean that, I meant the item…”
At that moment, Jeong So-yeon, who could no longer endure, discreetly reached out her hand.
Having tasted the severity of Kyu-seong’s sweet potatoes before, she had reached her limit as soon as she discovered the candy.
“I’ll enjoy it!”
“This kid! I haven’t even touched it yet!”
Kang Hanul, as if competing, picked up one candy.
As Jeong So-yeon and Kang Hanul each put a candy in their mouths, Kim Se-hee also hesitantly picked one up, with an expression of suspicion.
“Did you put some kind of drug in here? What’s with the reaction…”
Apart from the flashing light, she couldn’t find anything special in the appearance or smell.
Of course, it was unexpected that both Kang Hanul and Jeong So-yeon showed such reactions, even though the item display appeared and its effect exceeded imagination.
“Umm!! Uuuuuh!!!”
Then Kang Hanul, who had eaten the candy first, suddenly stood up and cheered.
Kim Dong-gil and Kim Se-hee were starting to feel scared by his sudden behavior.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
“Ah…”
“Wh-what? So-yeon…?”
Next to him, Jeong So-yeon was even shedding tears.
Although she couldn’t stop her mouth from endlessly muttering, the sight of her shedding tears was a rare spectacle.
By this point, the remaining two also became curious.
In the end, summoning their courage, they each put the candy in their mouths…
“!!”
They felt the world stop.
As they bit into the candy, the flavor of the condensed sweet potato coated in syrup exploded throughout their bodies.
“This… This is incredible!”
Feeling like his mind would fly away from the shock, Kim Dong-gil grabbed the table in front of him.
Otherwise, he felt like he might faint at any moment.
But he couldn’t faint.
He had to enjoy this taste and aroma a little longer.
Although this violent flavor festival ravaged his senses, he wanted to feel even more of it.
Kim Se-hee felt the same way, but unlike Kim Dong-gil, she closed her eyes and had a blissful expression on her face.
“Is she entering a state of ecstasy? Well, she could totally. Oh! Yes or no!”
Even the chronic fatigue he felt disappeared in an instant.
Of course, Kim Dong-gil didn’t notice that right away.
So, amidst their babbling, the candy melted away.
Despite actually being a long time, the experience felt too short, and Kim Dong-gil let out a regretful sigh.
“Oh… Now I understand why you and So-yeon had such reactions at the last gathering.”
“Shh. I’ll savor it a little more.”
Kang Hanul whispered with his eyes closed.
And so, the time for lingering sentiments lasted a long time.
“But where did you get such food? I have to find out, no matter what. I have to!”
Such thoughts weren’t only in Kim Dong-gil’s mind.
Kim Se-hee was also considering contacting the guild.
Thus, rumors about the fantastic food that shook the food and awakening industries began to spread.
* * *
After finishing my first outing with Ara and returning to the dungeon.
As Ara returned home, she immediately rushed to the slimes with the snacks, dolls, toys, and other things she had bought outside.
“I have returned! I bring gifts!”
“Uh? Ara, didn’t you ask me to buy those because you wanted them?”
“They are what I wanted! But I have gone outside, so it is enough!”
Then, she hugged only one bag of snacks to her chest as if to show off.
“…Can I have just one of those?”
“Really… Ara, I was wrong.”
I reflected on myself, thinking I was a good slime welfare officer.
Although I had gone out several times, I had never thought about buying things for the slimes.
It felt like I was getting a slap on the head.
“Let’s buy more next time.”
“Can we buy more?”
“Then. It should be possible to fill the bag to the brim.”
“Wow! Kyu-seong Kyu-seong is amazing!”
Sigh. Ara’s innocence touches my heart.
Once again, I reflected and greeted each slime individually.
Squelch! Squelch!
“Yes, yes. Mark2, come here.”
I picked up Mark2 who wanted to be petted and gently stroked him. The rest of the slimes were too busy looking at the things brought from the outside world to pay attention.
“Hey! Mark2! That’s mine! Kyu-seong Kyu-seong is mine!”
“This side is empty, come here, Ara.”
Thud! Thud!
Ara, who ran over quickly, stuck to my side. I enjoyed this peaceful scene for a moment, petting each straw hat with both hands.
Initially, I resented awakening such abilities, but now I’m really grateful.
If I didn’t have the ability of liquid synthesis, and if I hadn’t gained the Slime Lord ability through dual awakening, I would never have met them.
“Oh, now that I think about it, the place where I first found Pooh…”
It had always been in the back of my mind, but it had been pushed aside due to my busy and hectic daily life.
Ara should be used to it by now, so maybe I should investigate the stairs leading down a bit?
Squelch! Squelch!
“We should start harvesting tomatoes soon.”
Just as I was thinking about the stairs, Mark2 informed me that there were crops to be harvested. Now I could understand the meaning with just one gesture.
“Then, shall we harvest first? Then we can investigate the stairs.”
In fact, Ara had already told me about the stairs.
One week after I first met Ara. During that time, Ara had given me various information.
– I was the owner of this dungeon!
– I became weak because there was nothing to eat…
– The dungeon beneath those stairs was the real dungeon I was guarding! But I desperately aimed for the exit to survive!
Ara said that being trapped in that shrine-like place was purely coincidental. And for countless years, she had been alone there.
– There was something scarier than death!
– Loneliness! Solitude! Being alone was scarier than death!
Thinking about Ara’s tearful words still made my heart ache. But in the end, I found her, so I’m grateful. If not, she might still be trapped there.
Maybe she would never have been discovered…
Anyway, now she was with me.
I named her Ara because of that past.
Once again reminiscing about the past, I harvested bubble tomatoes with the slimes. As I turned my head to glance, Ara was running around the field playing with the slimes.
“Kyu-seong Kyu-seong! Look at this! I got a lot!”
“Wow. You can eat all of those, Ara.”
“Really? I’ll eat them well!”
With a happy expression, Ara put so many tomatoes in her mouth that her cheeks bulged. Her ears perking up couldn’t be cuter.
“Kyu-seong Kyu-seong!”
“Can we talk after you finish eating slowly?”
“Kyu-seong Kyu-seong!”
“Yes, what is it?”
“It’s happiness! I’m really glad I met Kyu-seong Kyu-seong! Kyu-seong Kyu-seong is amazing!”
“Yeah. I’m also really glad I met Ara.”
Really. I was really glad.
“Thank you for making me happy, Ara.”
“Hehe! I’m amazing! I made Kyu-seong Kyu-seong happy!”
“Hahaha.”
Anyway…
I’m really good at farming.
Cliche Novel 