I knew I would undergo a second awakening and receive a quest.
It had been quite some time, so I had almost forgotten about it, but it appeared here unexpectedly.
“Exceeding the limit to a severe degree?”
This was the first time something like this had happened.
It was a strangely off-putting combination of words.
Isn’t exceeding the limit supposed to be a good thing? Why does it make me anxious?
[Reward is being given.]
[The excess allocation is being converted into a reward.]
[Slime Lord LV.1 evolves to Slime Overlord LV.2.]
[A new awakening quest is given.]
“Oh?”
“What is it, Kyu-seong?”
The awakening ability suddenly jumped up.
“I’ve really become an overlord now.”
Though I was a Slime Lord, everyone around me used to call me an overlord.
But now, I had truly become one.
Not only that, but my level also increased by one, making me a Level 2 Slime Overlord.
“Ara, I’m a real overlord now.”
“Gasp!”
I hugged Ara, who feigned surprise with a cute expression, and spoke to Mammon.
“Gather everyone. We’re going at once.”
-Understood, Lord!
Mammon roared and started commanding the goblins.
Fortunately, thanks to the perception-lowering poison I mentioned earlier, it seemed we hadn’t been discovered by people.
A buzz—
-Kirik?
-Kirik!
Fearing the risk of being spotted near the defense line, we moved a bit farther away.
About 500 goblins gathered in the dark alley of a city where the power had been cut off, creating a green wave.
-Everyone is gathered, Lord!
“Well done.”
“You’ve done well!”
Just to be sure, I counted exactly 522 goblins, plus Mammon made 523.
Without delay, I used the Master of Gluttony to open the door of a nearby building.
“Everyone, go inside.”
-Here? Understood!
Mammon, though puzzled, led the way obediently.
The goblins followed him into the dungeon one by one.
“337, 338… 521, 522!”
I counted with Ara, making sure everyone entered, and followed them inside.
Inside, the goblins were quietly waiting for me.
-Wh-what is this place…!
“Welcome. From now on, this is your home.”
“Welcome, Mammon! And goblins!”
At the same time, the system window, which appeared unusually frequently today, showed up once more.
[Quest: Recruit new residents.]
Recruit new residents to the Dungeon of Gluttony.
[New residents: 523/30]
[Exceeding the limit!]
[A linked quest is given.]
Another exceeded limit.
I chuckled, finding the phrase now rather exciting, and Mammon muttered worriedly.
-Our Lord, is he a good person?
“Even if he sometimes smiles foolishly, he is kind! You don’t need to worry!”
Thank you, Ara.
I ruffled Ara’s hair as I checked the following rewards.
[Artifact ‘Master of Gluttony’ is being upgraded.]
This was the first reward.
But the rewards didn’t end there.
[The activity of the dungeon increases]
[Unexpected beneficial effects will occur randomly within the dungeon.]
The second reward.
This was a strange reward.
“Beneficial effects occurring randomly?”
I wouldn’t know what it meant until I experienced it.
But it shouldn’t be a bad thing.
Since I was here, I decided to check the initial rewards and the Master of Gluttony.
[Slime Overlord LV.2]
[All slimes obey the overlord’s commands.]
[You can produce one slime daily.]
[Summoned slimes have a rare chance of being Level 2.]
[Overlord’s Dignity: Once a day, you can use a random ability of a designated slime for 10 minutes.]
[(20% of the original power)]
What?
Oh?
New abilities had appeared.
Firstly, the summoned slimes could sometimes be Level 2.
This was, honestly, not bad?
But the next effect made my eyes widen.
“Overlord’s Dignity!!”
I could copy and use one of the slime’s abilities.
Though it was random and only 20% effective, it was still significant!
I could immediately use this ability on Ara and, if I got something like Invulnerability, Insight, or even Gluttony or Breath, I could be overpowered for 10 minutes.
“This is insane.”
“Kyu-seong! Have you finally lost it?”
Ara, who was in my arms, looked at me with concern, but all I could do was blankly reread the abilities.
‘Ara continues to grow while eating. If Ara gets stronger, then I also get stronger, right?!’
I had truly become an awakened being worthy of the title Slime Overlord.
Of course, I was still mainly a farmer.
“Hoo, hoo.”
Suppressing my trembling emotions, I checked the Master of Gluttony this time.
[Master of Gluttony (Bound-Growth Type)]
[Mini-map feature added.]
Mini-map feature added?
Curious about what this meant, I activated it, and a small window appeared in my vision.
“Oh?!”
The Dungeon of Gluttony was displayed like a mini-map in a game.
Unexplored areas were blacked out, and the locations of Ara and Mammon were marked with cute icons.
“This is starting to get scary.”
Aren’t the rewards a bit too good?
When I zoomed out the mini-map to its maximum, it boasted an enormous width.
‘I don’t have to worry about getting lost anymore.’
It seemed I could explore the dungeon safely.
While I was engrossed in this for a while, Ara got down from my arms and gave a speech.
“Ahem! Nice to meet you all! I am Ara!”
-Kirik!
Kirik!
“Let’s get along well from now on! If you listen to me, Kyu-seong Kyu-seong will give you delicious food! But! Kyu-seong Kyu-seong is mine alone!”
-Kirik!
-D-delicious food!
Watching this cute scene, I snapped out of it and looked at the goblins who had become our new family.
They were all looking around with enchanted expressions and responding to Ara’s words.
It seemed different from the stingy dungeon they used to live in.
“Even if it’s a dungeon of the Seven Deadly Sins, they’re not all the same, huh?”
-The land we lived in was the barren land of Famine. It was always scorched by hot light day and night.
“I see.”
It was a place that had disappeared due to a dungeon break anyway.
All the dungeons that had undergone a dungeon break had disappeared so far.
-Huff, huff.
A dog, which had sensed our presence, came running.
It tilted its head at the goblins with a gentle expression.
-Bark!
“Say hello. This is our fellow family member, Woffy.”
-Pleased to meet you. I am the Goblin King, Mammon.
His posture and tone were extremely arrogant, unlike when he addressed me.
I guess that’s his true personality?
But seeing such a stubby creature act like that made him seem rather cutely insignificant.
I had never seen a goblin before, but contrary to my previous image, they were just cute dwarfs with green skin.
Mammon only differed by having red skin and being a bit chubby.
“I have to go out immediately. Woffy will guide you to your place, so follow him and wait.”
-Understood, Lord!
“Don’t worry about food. I’ll make sure you have plenty.”
-…Thank you! I will serve you for life, my Lord!
Seeing Mammon’s eyes, which seemed about to overflow with tears, I smiled awkwardly.
…It’s not for free.
You have to work.
After relocating all the goblins, I gathered various food ingredients since I was already here.
I was glad Ara had brought Bokkeum.
“Don’t cause any trouble!”
-Of course!
“Don’t fight with the others!”
-Are there other creatures?
“Yes. They all get along well.”
-Understood!
I will never disappoint you, Overlord!
I will repay the favor of saving my life!
“Sure, sure.”
I asked Woffy to guide the goblins, who were still marveling at the farm, to the mines and then stepped outside.
“It’s fortunate!”
Ara had been smiling non-stop, happy that Mammon and the goblins were now living with us.
“Did you know Mammon from before?”
“Hmm… I do, but I don’t really remember.”
“That can happen.”
Given that Ara claims to be 3,501 years old, it’s understandable if she doesn’t remember everything.
Anyway, how should we get back now?
Do we have to climb over the fence again like when we came out?
I should have asked Mammon for more of the perception-lowering poison.
It’s a shame I can’t use the Master of Gluttony again, as its cooldown has already started.
When I checked the time, it was already past 6 o’clock.
This is a bit tricky.
It was already starting to get light outside.
“Let’s head back, Ara.”
“Okay!”
We started walking back, as we had no other choice.
However, we soon encountered a group of people.
“Stop!”
“Gasp.”
Ara raised her arms in the air with a tense face, reacting cutely.
Where did she learn that…?
“Hmm? Mr. Kyu-seong?”
“Oh, Deputy Team Leader Lee Hae-sol!”
Fortunately, Lee Hae-sol was among the group.
He looked tired, probably from returning from a reconnaissance mission.
“Mr. Kyu-seong, why are you here…? More importantly, it’s dangerous here. Let’s return quickly. No, let’s go together.”
Thanks to Lee Hae-sol, what could have turned into a serious issue was resolved smoothly, and we naturally joined the group.
As we got closer, others also recognized me and greeted me warmly.
I responded roughly, guessing they were making small talk about having had a good dinner.
“Mr. Kyu-seong, why are you out here alone, or rather with Ara? It’s dangerous outside the base.”
“Well…”
I scratched my head, wondering how to explain this.
“I wanted to go out!”
“Hmm?”
“So I went out, and Kyu-seong Kyu-seong had no choice but to follow me to catch me!”
Lee Hae-sol nodded in understanding at Ara’s explanation.
He knew that Ara, despite her appearance, had physical abilities akin to an awakened being.
I felt both grateful and a bit emotional that Ara would come up with such an excuse for me.
Hugging Ara tightly in my arms, I apologized to Lee Hae-sol.
“I’m sorry for causing worry.”
“It’s a relief that you’re safe. For us, the safety of our guild members comes first. Even if we can’t eliminate Mammon immediately, your safety is our priority.”
Lee Hae-sol, who usually appeared cold, gave a slight smile.
It was quite touching.
When I quietly thanked him, we had already arrived back at the base.
“But the goblins are nowhere to be seen today. We usually spot a group or two during reconnaissance.”
“…Is that so?”
“Maybe they’re plotting something. Could they be preparing for an attack?”
“That could be, but hopefully nothing will happen.”
“It’s possible nothing will happen. But we need to prepare for the worst-case scenario.”
Buzz, buzz—
Something felt off.
When we arrived at the base, it seemed like most people were already up, and there was a noticeable commotion.
“What’s going on?”
Lee Hae-sol asked as he spotted a member of the Ara Hongryeon guild.
“Ah! Deputy Team Leader! Good job on the reconnaissance mission. Well…”
Before the guild member could explain, a familiar, loud voice interrupted.
“What?! All goblin reactions have disappeared? Is that true?”
It was Hanul’s voice.
Cliche Novel 
Is he going to hide the Goblins? I imagine it will be awkward if people see them later.
LikeLike