After parting ways with Oh Min-joo, who had business at the Awakening Headquarters, I headed to Ara Hongryeon.
Upon arriving at the guild, I was immediately called to the executive meeting room. At this point, I was starting to get confused about whether I was just a guild member or an executive.
“Welcome, Kyu-seong.”
“You’re here, Kyu-seong!”
Inside the meeting room, not only was Guild Leader Han Seok-jun present, but several other executives were gathered as well. It seemed like all the executives, except for Jeong So-yeon, were present.
“Please take a seat.”
Ko Kang-yeon, the deputy leader of Team 1, pointed to the seat next to him. I nodded and sat down with Ara in my arms.
“Since the meeting is already in progress, it would be appreciated if Awakener Lee Kyu-seong could receive the briefings afterward.”
“Understood.”
“Then let’s continue.”
The dungeon located in Guangzhou, China.
The main monsters were goblins, a rather unremarkable Level 2 monster.
However, the dungeon boss, the Red Goblin, was an impressive Level 9 monster.
“As you can see from the pictures, the fissure has grown uncontrollably large.”
Deputy Team Leader Lee Hae-sol of Team 2 continued her briefing. The screen showed a massive red crack. Those who saw it were speechless, watching the image in silence.
“The peculiar thing is that despite the exterior appearance suggesting a dungeon break should have occurred already, no monsters have emerged.”
“Hmm.”
“That’s quite unusual. As expected, it doesn’t follow typical patterns.”
The screen changed, revealing a photo of a red goblin I had never seen before.
This was the final monster of the dungeon of Avarice.
It was one of the Seven Deadly Sins that had poisoned many Level 7 and 8 Awakeners. It was impressive that they managed to take a picture inside the dungeon.
“The goblin in this photo is the boss monster, Mammon. Surprisingly, it’s a monster capable of communicating with humans.”
“Mammon!”
Suddenly, Ara sprang up from my lap and shouted. Her outburst drew everyone’s attention to us.
“I’m sorry. Ara, you need to stay quiet.”
Knowing that Ara was my familiar and allowing her to attend the meeting was a courtesy, but causing a disturbance was problematic.
Ara, pointing at the goblin on the screen, seemed very agitated but didn’t say anything further, likely sensing my warning look.
…Wait a moment.
Come to think of it, Ara is also one of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Could she possibly know this goblin named Mammon?
“If a dungeon break occurs, the regular goblins are no issue. The problem is this Red Goblin, Mammon. It’s a formidable monster that can target specific individuals with its powerful, odorless, colorless poison.”
While I was lost in thought, the briefing continued. Ara was still restless in my arms, as if she wanted to say something.
‘I need to keep the fact that Ara is one of the Seven Deadly Sins hidden.’
After joining Ara Hongryeon, I disclosed almost everything, except that Ara was a Gluttony Slime.
“…Ultimately, the key factor is Kyu-seong’s ability.”
“Huh?”
Snapped out of my thoughts by the mention of my name, I realized everyone was looking at me.
“Given that Deputy Guild Leader Kim Si-young and Awakener Baek Seung-hyun of Iron Blood will be returning soon, Kyu-seong’s detoxification ability increases our chances of defeating Mammon.”
“That’s right. With Kyu-seong’s antidote, we can mitigate some risks. Even if it doesn’t completely neutralize the poison, it can create an opening to attack Mammon.”
So this was why they called me to the executive meeting. Indeed, my antidote might not be able to prevent poisoning completely, but it could save lives.
However, there was one concern. Even with my antidote, once poisoned, even the strongest Awakeners would have to leave the battlefield. Given Mammon’s ability to poison numerous Awakeners at once, I wondered if my antidote would be enough…
“It’s not just about the antidote.”
“Ohhh.”
Deputy Team Leader Lee Hae-sol changed the screen.
On the screen appeared familiar items, no, food items.
Each item was detailed with its specific abilities.
“Since Awakener Lee Kyu-seong joined Ara Hongryeon, we’ve achieved tremendous performance improvements. This is all thanks to Kyu-seong’s doping and support items.”
“That’s right. Thanks to Kyu-seong’s items, we can clear dungeons faster and safer than ever before. We’ve even managed to run low-tier dungeons twice in one day.”
Deputy Team Leader Ko Kang-yeon nodded in agreement. All the other executives in the room also showed their agreement.
Their reactions left me feeling awkward. For a moment, I wondered, ‘Is it really that much?’ but upon reflection, I realized my abilities were indeed remarkable.
I could mass-produce items with awakening abilities. Though they were time-limited buff items, they could simply be consumed again once the time expired.
Most of the items, except for a few crops like cucumbers for skin care, were extremely useful. These were items that any Awakener would be eager to get their hands on.
“We have not only antidotes but also these powerful consumable items. And we have enough production capacity to stockpile them.”
“Hahaha! Our Kyu-seong is truly a blessing to Ara Hongryeon! No, if we conquer the Dungeon of Avarice, he will be a blessing to the entire world!”
“Thanks to the new strawberry potion, our team’s youngest member successfully cleared a Level 5 dungeon for the first time. Normally, our team wouldn’t have the strength for a Level 5 dungeon. Kyu-seong’s ability is not just the power of a single Awakener!”
The executives stood up and began praising me enthusiastically. Flustered and unsure of how to react, I noticed Ara in my arms closing her eyes and savoring the praise.
“More! More praise!”
“Long live Kyu-seong!”
“Awakener Lee Kyu-seong is a god, and his items are invincible!”
“Hahaha! Who brought Kyu-seong to Ara Hongryeon? It was me!”
Clap!
Just as the commotion was about to escalate, Guild Leader Han Seok-jun clapped his hands. Immediately, everyone sat down and fell silent as if it had all been a joke.
“Kyu-seong.”
“Yes, Guild Leader.”
“As you have heard, we will likely need your help a lot this time. Would it be possible to temporarily increase your supply?”
I thought deeply about Han Seok-jun’s request.
Currently, most of my supplies, except for my family’s share, were already being delivered.
‘…I haven’t supplied the newly harvested crops yet, though.’
We hadn’t yet supplied the sesame seeds, lettuce, onions, and garlic grown in the Dungeon of Gluttony. It wasn’t intentional; they were still in the mana improvement stage and, except for the seeds to be replanted, they were used as food for the slimes and familiars.
Harvest time for the mana crops was approaching. I should be able to harvest mana garlic within a week…
“It’s difficult to increase the supply immediately, but I’ll try my best. I’ll aim to stockpile as much as possible.”
“Thank you. It seems it will take some time to prepare for the raid on the Dungeon of Avarice in China, so we will keep you updated.”
“Understood.”
Fortunately, I could now perform liquid synthesis three times a day, so I should start making plenty of antidotes. Preparing for the Dungeon of Avarice should take precedence over slime synthesis for now.
“This concludes the briefing.”
* * *
After stopping by Dasom Orphanage, I returned to the dungeon. It was night by then, and I encountered an unexpected visitor.
“Why are you so late?”
“Why are you here?”
Seon-ah was holding and playing with a slime. As she squeezed it, the slime squished, and I asked her what she was doing. Ignoring my question, she spread her arms towards Ara.
“Ara! Your sister is here!”
“Seon-ah Seon-ah!”
Ara ran over and jumped into Seon-ah’s arms with a plop. The slime already in Seon-ah’s arms made a squelching sound as it got squished.
“What are you doing here?”
“A little sister can come by sometimes. Besides, I didn’t come to see you, I came to see Ara. Hehe.”
“Well, it’s just that it’s quite late.”
Seon-ah, rubbing her cheek against Ara’s, suddenly smiled mischievously and approached me with Ara in her arms.
“Brother, do you watch YouTube?”
“YouTube? I can’t watch it here. There’s no data or Wi-Fi.”
“Hehehe.”
“What’s with that laugh?”
“Brother, the video I took of Ara last time… it went viral!”
What was she talking about now?
Of course, I knew Seon-ah had been filming Ara and the rest of us like crazy. And that she edited and uploaded the videos on YouTube.
But she hadn’t filmed any new videos or given any updates for a while, and now suddenly it went viral?
“Anyway, I was feeling down because there were no reactions, but suddenly it became popular, and now I’m motivated again.”
“Oh, so you came to shoot more videos?”
“That’s right.”
I crossed my arms and watched my sister for a moment before waving my hand dismissively.
“Do whatever you want. But we’re going to sleep now, so start filming tomorrow.”
“Already going to bed?”
“Do you know what time it is? You were having so much fun with the slimes you didn’t notice the time.”
“What time is it? It’s only 10 PM!”
“Farmers go to bed early and wake up early. It’s already late.”
I had no intention of stopping Seon-ah from filming. She only filmed us playing around anyway.
Besides, the current YouTube is flooded with all kinds of videos, including dungeon explorations and Awakener vlogs, so Ara’s vlog was pretty standard.
The only difference might be that there probably weren’t any vlogs with someone as cute as Ara filming in a dungeon?
‘Hehe. Ara is indeed cute. No wonder it went viral.’
As I was feeling pleased with myself, Seon-ah, carrying Ara, headed straight to the bed.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
“What?”
“Aren’t you going home?”
“How can I go down the mountain at this hour? I’m going to sleep with Ara.”
While I was left speechless, Ara cheered with joy.
“Wow! Are we sleeping here together tonight?”
“Yes! Let’s sleep together, Ara.”
How shameless. As expected of my sister.
I decided to let it go for a night. I spend every day with Ara anyway, so it’s not a big deal.
…Though it is a bit bittersweet.
* * *
Shanghai, China.
With its large population and vast land, China had many Awakeners and related organizations.
In Shanghai, there was even a super-large guild.
The building known as Skyscraper, which was also the name of the guild.
From the upper meeting room of this towering building reaching into the clouds, people were pouring out.
“Ugh, finally it’s over. A meeting lasting 13 hours…”
“I hate to admit it, but if I weren’t an Awakener, I would’ve wet my pants.”
“Can you talk about disgusting things elsewhere? It’s unpleasant.”
Various talented individuals vented their pent-up feelings and took a breath. These people found meetings more exhausting than clearing dungeons.
“Can’t be helped. It’s not just any dungeon; it’s the Dungeon of Avarice.”
“But for a 13-hour meeting, didn’t we come away with nothing? How are we supposed to stop Mammon?”
“Well, other guilds will be thinking of alternatives too.”
As they engaged in small talk or hurried off for other matters, someone walked out, sat in a lounge chair, and checked their phone.
A woman with strikingly white hair.
Her actions weren’t particularly noteworthy, except for the fact that she was the granddaughter of the owner of this very Skyscraper.
“Oh, the meeting’s over, but you didn’t leave right away, miss. How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. I just need to check this first.”
“Just take a quick look and then go for your check-up. Even though the Guild Master is strict, he shouldn’t be harsh on someone who’s unwell.”
Ryu Cheon, the only granddaughter and only child of the Skyscraper Guild Master, was born with exceptionally strong magical power. Born under an unprecedented case globally, she achieved the remarkable status of an 8th-Level Awakener at the young age of 24.
However, such powerful abilities came with significant drawbacks.
Born awakened, she possessed strong magical power but a frail body. Her blood and energy were particularly weak, causing problems such as coughing up blood with even slight overuse of mana.
Because of this, her 8th-Level status was often ridiculed as a scarecrow Level abroad.
“Hmm, miss.”
“……”
After the long 13-hour meeting, she should have gone straight for a check-up. Yet, sitting still and looking at her phone, the woman who had spoken to her asked again.
“What are you looking at?”
“A cute kid and a bear.”
Ryu Cheon was watching YouTube. However, the others in the Skyscraper Guild, unfamiliar with YouTube, didn’t know what she was looking at.
“A video site?”
“Yes.”
“They are cute.”
“This is a newly uploaded video. I’m happy because it’s been a while.”
Ryu Cheon’s expression remained stoic. Yet, the woman who could read the faint happiness within that stoic demeanor smiled slightly.
“That’s good to hear.”
Having grown up experiencing all sorts of things from a young age, Ryu Cheon rarely expressed emotions. Now, she was nearly emotionally dry.
The woman, a longtime guild member who had watched over Ryu Cheon for years, felt a surge of joy at seeing her positive emotion after so long.
“I want to see them in person.”
“Are they from our country? If so, should we invite them to the guild?”
“No. They seem to be speaking Korean. So, it must be Korea.”
“Well, I’ll look into it for you, miss. If it’s Korea, it’s right next door, so there won’t be any problem.”
“…It’s okay. I want to see them, but for now, I just want to support them quietly.”
What faint joy Ryu Cheon felt came from watching Seon-ah’s uploaded vlog of Ara.
– So, so, so, so cute. I want to touch her cheeks. I want to pat her head. I want to hug her… (continues)
Recently, Ryu Cheon had been learning Korean because of Ara’s vlogs.
Thanks to this, she left a lengthy comment in Hangul, pressed the like button, and saved the video offline before standing up. She planned to rewatch the video about ten more times that day.
Thus, without anyone knowing, Ara and Gomgom were gaining fans even in China.
Cliche Novel 