A searing beam named “Breath” pierced through the vehicles blocking the way, effortlessly making its way forward.
However, compared to what was observed during the measurement, it felt significantly weaker, indicating that the power had been adjusted as requested.
*Phwoooom!*
*-Um, uh!*
Breath struck the largest bull leading the pack. Upon impact, the bull was lightly thrown backward due to the shock.
*Whizz-*
*Thunk!*
Revisiting the path it had come from, the bull that had been flung away landed on the ground. Other bulls, taken aback by the sudden turn of events, stood frozen in their tracks.
“It’s a Level 4 bull. If it had been the original Breath, it would have left no trace and incinerated it. But this one just gave it a good knock.”
Thanks to Ara’s Breath, the frenzy of the charge came to a halt.
“Haha! Victory is mine!”
“As expected, Ara! Well done!”
“Hehe! Keep praising me! More!”
The taxi driver next to us was looking back and forth at us with a bewildered expression.
“Sir, since it seems like things have calmed down for now, could you please report this?”
“Yes? Yes! Report! We should report, yes.”
Still somewhat dazed, he managed to pull out his phone and make the report.
In the meantime, Ara, sensing something amiss, darted off from atop the taxi to somewhere in a hurry.
“Ara?”
I hurriedly followed Ara’s sudden actions. I knew she was much stronger than me, but I worried she might get hurt.
“Vroom!”
Ara, pushing aside the wrecked cars like junk, reached out towards something.
“A person?!”
A boy around Ara’s age was crying. Relieved that he hadn’t been seriously injured, I quickly approached to check his condition.
Thankfully, he wasn’t hurt badly.
The boy continued to tremble, unable to stop crying.
“Are you alright?”
Ara asked with concern written all over her face.
“Yeah. I don’t think I’m hurt.”
“What a relief.”
Surely a child wouldn’t be alone in a place like this. Maybe his parents were nearby?
*-Mmm!*
At that moment, the bulls, who had been standing still, showed signs of excitement again, scratching the ground and wanting to get agitated once more.
“If you keep this up, I’ll have to give you a good thrashing!”
Ara waved her arms and confidently strode forward.
I was taken aback and handed the boy over to the taxi driver before following Ara.
“It’s dangerous.”
“I have to scold them!”
At first glance, it was an unrealistic sight to see a petite girl approaching massive bulls like an excavator. However, contrary to my expectations of danger, as Ara approached, the bulls began to calm down, wagging their tails from side to side.
It was as if they were welcoming a friend.
“What’s going on?”
As I felt puzzled, Ara, with her arms folded, stood confidently in front of them.
“From now on, you can’t pass through here!”
*-Huh….*
Seeing Ara alone bravely facing off against the bulls, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of admiration.
Tut-tut-tut!
Beep beep beep—!
Meanwhile, as urgent sirens blared, people began to appear behind us. They were police officers, firefighters, and awakened individuals from the nearby guild.
Thinking it was over, I swiftly lifted Ara into my arms and returned to the taxi.
“Surprised? It’ll be alright now.”
“Wow, you’re really amazing. You’ve done something huge!”
The taxi driver sent a look of admiration my way.
And I couldn’t deny it either. Though it felt strange to say it, if it hadn’t been Ara, there might have been significant casualties.
“Are you alright?”
Ara, nestled in my arms, asked the boy.
The boy, who had stopped crying by now, looked at Ara with admiration and nodded vigorously.
“Yeah! Th-thank you!”
“What a relief.”
“Are you an awakened too?”
“Awakened? Is that something to eat?”
Ara chuckled and then wriggled out of my arms, patting the boy here and there.
“Huh?”
“Oh! Someone like me! A little one!”
“I’m not small! By the way, what’s your name?”
“Hehe! I’m Ara!”
Seeing another child of her age, Ara, though unfamiliar, bounced around with excitement. Soon, they started playing around together, laughing and having fun.
Kids truly were kids, oblivious to the atmosphere.
At that moment, a voice from afar called out.
“Hong-jun!”
“Oh! Teacher!”
“Oh, thank goodness. Really, thank goodness.”
A woman, who seemed to be the boy’s acquaintance, came running with tears in her eyes. She immediately hugged the boy named Hong-jun.
“I’m sorry. I thought you were with everyone, but I made a mistake. I’m really sorry…”
“It’s okay, teacher! This big brother and sister helped me!”
Hong-jun pointed at me and Ara, smiling widely.
The woman, referred to as teacher, wiped her tears and bowed deeply.
“Thank you for saving our Hong-jun.”
“It’s nothing. I’m just glad he’s safe.”
What’s going on? Did they go on a school outing or something? Anyway, I’m relieved.
At that moment, the police intervened in the conversation.
“Are you okay? Are you injured?”
“Oh, uh, yeah. I’m okay.”
“It’s fortunate you’re safe. If it’s alright with you, could you tell us what happened?”
“Um, well…”
How do I explain this?
I’m just a Level 1 awakened. It’s ironic that I stopped Level 4 monsters, let alone a group of them.
To explain this, I would have to reveal Ara’s true identity, and I’d rather keep Ara hidden if possible.
“This young man stopped them! He’s a hero, a hero!”
The taxi driver chimed in, pointing at me.
Did he miss Ara using Breath? Seems like a misunderstanding.
“Are you an awakened?”
“Yes.”
“Can we see your identification?”
I scratched my head and handed over my awakened license. After examining it, the police officer looked back at me with a grin.
“Mr. Lee Kyu-seong, a Level 1 independent awakened, correct?”
“That’s right.”
“Okay… I see. Well, for now, thank you for stepping up in a disaster situation. We may contact you later regarding rewards and commendations, so please don’t be surprised.”
“Understood. Can I leave now?”
“You may leave.”
After confirming that I was a Level 1, they seemed to sense something was off but didn’t press further.
But now that the streets were in this state, how was I supposed to get to Yongsan? Just as I was looking around in this sudden predicament, some individuals approached me.
At a glance, they seemed to be related to guilds.
“Awakened Lee Kyu-seong?”
“Who are you?”
“Hello, Awakened Lee Kyu-seong! I’m Oh Seong Wook, the operations team leader of the Templar Guild. Could you spare a moment?”
“Hello, Awakened Lee Kyu-seong! I’m Lee Hye-ri, the general manager of the Ignition Flame Guild. If it’s alright with you, could we also have a conversation?”
“Awakened Lee Kyu-seong! I’m…”
Suddenly, people crowded around, overwhelming me.
Though I was accustomed to such situations, Ara seemed taken aback, clutching onto my waistband tightly and freezing in place.
“I’m sorry. We’re short on time right now. If you could contact me later, I’ll respond separately.”
“Oh, it’ll only take a moment! Just a brief conversation…”
Slowly, I began to grasp the situation.
‘Seems like there’s a misunderstanding?’
The sudden dungeon break, the excited Level 4 bulls. It was a situation where even most awakened would find it challenging to handle.
While one of the bulls was just a Level 4 monster belonging to a normal category, stopping an agitated herd of bulls alone without any casualties would require at least a Level 6 awakened.
Level 6s were anything but ordinary. They were considered top-tier, belonging to the upper 100 awakened in the country.
But here I was, a mere Level 1 awakened, resolving such a situation. People began to gather, suspecting there was something hidden.
‘My independence probably played a role too.’
They probably thought the one who grabs the unclaimed treasure first becomes the owner.
Anyway, despite rejecting all offers and making my way through, people’s greed was relentless. They crowded around like paparazzi, obstructing my path.
“Geez.”
They were getting really annoying.
I was speaking politely, why the attitude?
“Those blocking the way now won’t be dealt with immediately. I may only be a Level 1 awakened, but I’ve been awakened for over three years. I’m not as immature as you might think, so please step aside and let me through.”
“…”
When I finally spoke, they quieted down. I held Ara and proceeded without hesitation.
“Th-thank you, brother! Goodbye, Ara!”
At that moment, Hong-jun, whom I had rescued earlier, waved his hand along with his teacher.
Ara smiled widely and waved back. Following suit, I waved my hand, and the woman called teacher shouted out.
“We’ll definitely repay you sometime!”
There was really no need for that.
All of this felt burdensome since it wasn’t something I had done, but Ara.
“Huh?”
As I walked, still waving my hand to Hong-jun and his teacher, someone blocked my path.
Ara looked at the person who blocked us with a puzzled expression, making strange noises.
Without even checking the person’s face, I furrowed my brows and spoke.
“I just said not to block the way…”
“Kyu-seong?”
At the sound of a familiar voice, Ara exclaimed.
“It’s the pretty lady!”
“Awakened Jeong So-yeon?”
Why was Jeong So-yeon here?
Unlike usual, Jeong So-yeon was dressed in tight-fitting bike gear. And next to her was a state-of-the-art motorcycle powered by magic stones.
“How did you end up here…?”
“I got caught up in an accident. I never expected to meet Awakened Jeong So-yeon here, of all places.”
The guild officials who still hadn’t given up and were following me froze when they spotted Jeong So-yeon.
Observing the situation, Jeong So-yeon raised her eyebrows and glanced at the people before speaking up.
“I heard the story. Did you discuss a contract with our guild?”
“Yes. We were going to take a look at the contract…”
Wondering why we were having this conversation now, I caught onto Jeong So-yeon’s intentions and played along.
“That’s right. It seems I might be able to join the Ara Hongryeon Guild.”
“That would be great! I think it would be wonderful if you joined our guild too!”
Jeong So-yeon’s overly enthusiastic tone caused the lingering guild members to sigh with regret and disperse.
After confirming that the people had left, I subtly nodded in appreciation.
“Thanks for helping me out with that annoying situation.”
“What do you mean? I was sincere.”
“Oh? Right, of course. I view the Ara Hongryeon Guild’s proposal positively.”
Jeong So-yeon’s smirk made her look particularly charming today. She was always beautiful, but maybe she felt a bit embarrassed after receiving help.
“Hehe.”
Ara suddenly laughed and tried to mimic Jeong So-yeon’s expression. It wasn’t exactly the same, but even that was cute, as Jeong So-yeon picked Ara up and nuzzled her face.
“Did you have a good time, Ara?”
“Hehe. I did. Earlier, I even ate a fruit called Layla. It was so, so delicious.”
“Layla?!”
Suddenly, I felt Jeong So-yeon scanning my body.
I scratched my head and decided to share some of Layla, the snack I had brought for Ara.
“You’re lucky, Jeong So-yeon.”
“It seems so.”
I handed her a bag of Layla I had divided.
This was a gift to solve the recent awkwardness.
“Where are you headed?”
“I was on my way to Yongsan. How about you, Awakened Jeong So-yeon?”
“I’m…”
Just then, a voice called out to Jeong So-yeon from afar.
“So-yeon!”
“Oh? Hong-jun?”
What? How do they know each other?
Just then, the woman who had been called teacher approached, greeting Jeong So-yeon warmly.
“You?! Kyu-seong saved Hong-jun?”
“Yeah. I’m so grateful. I never knew Yeon and you were acquaintances…”
I was baffled by the situation. Whether I said anything or not, Ara started playing with Hong-jun again.
“Kyu-seong, thank you. This person is the director of the orphanage I sponsor.”
“An orphanage?”
“Yes. It’s where I grew up. I mentioned it before, right? I went back home for a bit. That’s where the orphanage is.”
“Oh…”
I never knew Jeong So-yeon was from an orphanage.
I never paid much attention to personal stories, so I never imagined it.
“I should probably properly compensate you for this.”
“Huh?”
“Kyu-seong, do you have anything you want? Oh! You said you were going to Yongsan, right? I’ll take you there. I’ll give you a reward on the way.”
“No, there’s really no need…”
“Hong-jun is like my little brother. All the kids at the orphanage are like family to me. I can’t just let you go without doing something.”
Jeong So-yeon quickly finished her words and turned to the teacher.
“I’ll skip this trip for Kyu-seong, the next field trip.”
“Alright, alright! That’s the spirit! Anyway, the field trip is practically canceled because of the accident, so go have a good time with Kyu-seong.”
Although the conversation progressed unexpectedly.
Upon closer inspection, it was a win-win situation.
Since Ara seemed to like Jeong So-yeon, I took the opportunity to buy dungeon items together, listen to advice, and kill two birds with one stone.
“It’s a 4-seater bike! Ride it, and we’ll go straight there!”
Cliche Novel 