– Heheng.
It’s been two days since the Kkumuriss moved into the Dungeon of Gluttony. They mostly wandered around aimlessly or did strange things, but there was one thing they were good at.
Wobble!
A slime was delighted as it looked at a small structure built just for it. One of the builders mumbled absentmindedly.
– Heheng.
The Kkumuriss had a knack for building. Their constructions weren’t structurally efficient, but they could make just about anything quickly.
“…Solving construction in an unexpected way.”
Although there were still issues with building materials, it seemed like they could build not just homes but various other buildings too, especially if they collaborated with my father.
– Heheng.
“Yeah, yeah. Good job. Eat as much as you want.”
The available materials were just wood, pebbles, and clay, which was a bit limiting, but they still managed to build homes for the slimes as initially planned.
The cute, intricate style of the Kkumuriss’ interior designs turned the area into a picturesque village, like something out of a fairy tale, with about ten homes for the slimes.
‘But it’s hard to tell when they’re working or resting.’
Sometimes they would fall asleep on the roof while building, or suddenly switch to doing something else while carrying materials.
They were unpredictable creatures.
– Growl.
“Huh? Do you want one built for you too?”
Gomgom whimpered jealously, looking at the freshly built slime house. Ara, too, went inside the house and smiled contentedly.
“Hehe! It’s well built!”
“Should we ask them to make one for us too?”
“Ooh! Good idea!”
They were jumping up and down, their heads nearly touching the ceiling, but the sturdily built slime house held up fine.
I’d finished my tasks for the day, so it was a good time to contact my father. We’d need to explore the dungeon together to gather more materials.
– Heheng.
“We’ll be going now. Stay well and don’t fight.”
We bid farewell to the slimes, including Mark2, and headed to the entrance of the slime dungeon.
When we reached the entrance, I noticed a little Kkumuris clinging to my shoulder.
– Heheng.
“…Want to come with us?”
– Heheng.
I looked to Ara for an explanation, but she just shrugged.
“It’s just making noises. It doesn’t mean anything.”
So, with a little Kkumuris on my shoulder, we returned to the slime dungeon. I remembered I’d planned to check what kind of creature it was using carrot juice.
Wobble!
“How have you been?”
Poispois shook happily, and a slime slowly crawled over, bumping its head against me.
Is it the head-butting slime?
The slime dungeon seemed to be in order, so I headed to the storage room. Seeing the pile of crops, I felt a sense of fulfillment.
“We’ve got things on track.”
At first, it was hard to grow enough food for the slimes, but with practice, the harvests had started to increase.
We even supplied crops to the guild, and there were still enough left over to share with the family, Jae-seong in Japan, and guild members I was personally close to.
‘Although it got a bit tight when a large number of slimes migrated here.’
It seemed like we would need to expand the fields.
Since this place was now full, the fields to be expanded had to be in the Dungeon of Gluttony.
“First, the carrot juice.”
I drank the carrot juice immediately and checked on the Kkumuris still clinging to my shoulder.
[Kkumuris (Spirit)]
[A pure spirit.]
[Its durability is remarkable.]
A spirit?
I never imagined the Kkumuris was a spirit.
The spirits I knew of were formidable beings that wielded elemental powers and were sometimes tamed by awakeners as familiars.
But this Kkumuris being a spirit…
What kind of spirit was it anyway?
A spirit of construction?
“Hmm.”
“Kyu-seong Kyu-seong! Give me some too!”
“Huh? Oh, sure.”
I gave Ara some of the remaining carrot juice and stopped pondering.
So what if it was a spirit?
As long as it wasn’t dangerous, it didn’t matter.
Not that it seemed dangerous in the slightest.
Oh, but was it even a living creature?
I went outside with Ara, Gomgom, and one Kkumuris.
The outside air, which I hadn’t felt in a while, was chilly.
“Winter is already coming.”
A lot had happened.
Time seemed to pass quickly, yet not much had actually gone by.
Maybe it felt that way because we lived each day so fully.
I contacted my father.
He had recently quit his job and was resting at home.
Thanks to the large sums of money being deposited from the supplies, I was now covering the household expenses.
The leftover money was just being saved, and I was considering using it for Jae-seong’s restaurant, for funds for Seon-ah, or maybe even to buy the whole mountain where the slime dungeon was located.
Ring ring ring—
-Hello?
“Hi, Dad. Are you busy?”
-Hmm, no? Why? What’s up?
“You mentioned before that it would be nice to build a house when you visited. How’s that going?”
-How would it go?
I just said it and that was it.
While I was on the phone, Ara, who was beside me, tugged on my pant leg.
“Are we going to see the Archlord?”
-Oh, is that our Ara’s voice? Ara? It’s Grandpa.
“Archlord!”
Yes.
Given the situation, it would be better to talk in person rather than over the phone.
But could I take the Kkumuris like this?
-Heheng.
Even when it made noise, the Kkumuris just looked like a doll.
It clung tightly to my shoulder without moving.
“Dad, I’ll bring Ara and the kids over to your place.”
-Really?
Then bring some more potatoes and sweet potatoes while you’re at it.
“Okay.”
I ended the call and went back into the dungeon to gather some potatoes and sweet potatoes.
I put Bokkeum in a bag and placed the Kkumuris on top.
-Heheng.
Listening to its oddly addictive sound, I headed to my parents’ house with Ara and Gomgom.
“I’m here.”
As soon as I arrived, Seon-ah, who was rarely seen, greeted me first.
“Ara! Gomgom!”
“Oh! Have you been well, Seon-ah Seon-ah?”
Ara ran over and hugged Seon-ah, who had her arms wide open.
Gomgom followed, waddling along, and joined the hug.
“You cute little ones! Didn’t you miss your sister?”
“I missed you!”
“Aww. How can our Ara always say such sweet things!”
At that moment, my mother came out of the kitchen with a bright smile.
“You’re here?”
“Yes. I brought the kids too.”
“Of course you should bring them.”
My family now seemed to care more about the kids than me.
I discreetly wiped away a tear and asked my mother.
“Where’s Dad?”
“He’s in the room. Honey! Ara and the kids are here!”
No sooner had she spoken than my father came out of the room.
He quickly walked over to the kids, who were being cuddled by Seon-ah.
“Our Ara is here?”
“Oh! Archlord!”
It was a bit confusing because both my mother and father were called Archlord.
While they were catching up, I quietly took out my bag.
“What’s that doll? Is it Ara’s?”
As expected, Seon-ah, who couldn’t resist anything cute, showed interest first.
-Heheng.
“It makes sounds too?”
I threw the Kkumuris towards Seon-ah.
The Kkumuris fluttered down towards her.
“What, what is this?”
“It’s a Kkumuris!”
Ara cheered with her arms raised.
Gomgom, imitating her, also cheered, “Growl!”
-Heheng.
“Is this thing alive?”
“It’s called a Kkumuris. Ara named it.”
“Why do you, who doesn’t even seem to like cute things, always end up with them? It’s not fair.”
“…”
Ignoring Seon-ah’s rambling, I turned to my father.
“Dad.”
“Yes?”
“This Kkumuris can build a house.”
“What do you mean?”
“These new guys are really good at building houses. If you plan the construction and we gather the materials, they’ll build it.”
“How can these tiny things build a house?”
My father, skeptical, poked the Kkumuris. The Kkumuris turned its head and made a noise as if asking why he called.
-Heheng?
“It is cute, though.”
“It might sound unbelievable, but they’re incredibly good at building. And there’s more than one of them.”
“More than one?”
“Yes. I haven’t counted them all, but there are about 50 of them scattered around.”
“Still, how can such small creatures…”
Despite his doubts, he started unloading potatoes and sweet potatoes from Bokkeum.
My mother, busy looking after Ara, Gomgom, and the new addition, Kkumuris, didn’t notice, so I put them in the fridge myself.
“Are you free today? How about visiting our place now?”
“Hmm, sure. Let me just prepare a bit.”
“Prepare?”
“I need to get my fishing gear.”
Dad, we’re not going fishing, we’re going to estimate construction work.
Before I could say anything, my phone suddenly rang. At first, unfamiliar with the ringtone, I didn’t realize it was mine, but the looks from my family told me it was.
The caller was none other than Guild Leader Han Seok-jun.
“Hello, Guild Leader. What’s the matter?”
-Kyu-seong, it’s been a while. I wasn’t sure if I could reach you, but I got lucky.
“Yes. I’m at my parents’ house right now.”
-Oh, your parents’ house. Are you very busy?
“No, not at all. Is something wrong?”
-It’s just that the Terror Guild contacted us to ask if they could meet you. If you’re available, we’d like to schedule a meeting at the Ara Hongryeon building. How does that sound?
“The Terror Guild?”
The undisputed number one guild in South Korea.
Despite its short history, it had quickly risen to the top, a monstrous guild.
Why on earth were they looking for me?
-If you’re uncomfortable, you can decline. It seems they’ve identified the material for your item and want to discuss it with you.
“Uh, um. I’m a member of Ara Hongryeon. Is it okay for me to have a conversation with the Terror Guild?”
-There’s no issue with that. You shouldn’t feel any pressure. You can choose to accept or decline freely.
“Hmm. What do you think I should do, Guild Leader?”
-Personally, I think having a conversation with the Terror Guild is a good idea. It could be beneficial.
“Alright, then. What about the date and time?”
-You can set it for whenever is convenient for you.
“Then I’ll aim for lunchtime this Friday. Is that possible?”
-Of course. I’ll convey that to them. It’ll be nice to see your face again, Kyu-seong.
“Haha. I’ll make sure to visit more often.”
As soon as the call ended, I noticed Seon-ah glaring at me with wide eyes.
“The Terror Guild? Why the Terror Guild?”
“What?”
“You just said on the phone. The Terror Guild!”
“They want to see me. They want to have a chat.”
“Wow!”
Seon-ah clapped her hands and squealed. Was it really something to celebrate that much?
Anyway, since the appointment was set, I’d be meeting with the Terror Guild. But who from the Terror Guild would come?
“I’m ready.”
“Oh, Dad.”
My father, who had somehow managed to gather all his fishing gear and outfit, looked at us quizzically.
“What are you all doing? Let’s go quickly.”
Cliche Novel 