Confusion arose due to the sudden disappearance of the goblin horde.
As people cautiously tried to understand the situation, they soon launched a large-scale search operation.
“Where on earth did they go?”
“Did they vanish into thin air?”
The dungeon where the break occurred had already disappeared.
Seeing them struggle with the detection items, I felt a bit guilty.
‘…It’s all for the best.’
Though they were having a hard time now, in the end, it was a good thing that no one got hurt.
It was a win-win for everyone.
After two days passed, even though they didn’t completely let their guard down, the disappearance of the goblins was accepted as a fact.
“It’s like a ghost story.”
Hanul crossed his arms and tilted his head in disbelief.
Next to him, Ara mirrored his actions.
“Indeed, it is.”
“Anyway, it seems the situation is wrapping up. What remains is the responsibility of the Chinese awakeners.”
We all nodded at the guild master’s words.
Though it seemed unlikely, if the goblins were found later, we could fly back to help.
But for now, returning was the best option.
“To think it would end so anticlimactically.”
“Although it’s not common, there have been cases like this before….”
“Right. Sometimes monsters that appear due to dungeon breaks just vanish, so it’s probably one of those cases.”
It’s a relief there have been such cases before!
I tried hard not to be conscious of the sweat running down my back.
Grade 9 dungeon Insaek.
Despite its fearsome reputation, it ended in an anticlimactic way for the people involved.
As the situation concluded, the foreign awakeners who had come to help began to pack up.
As I prepared to leave, thinking about the goblins in the dungeon of Gluttony, someone approached me.
“Kyu-seong!”
“Oh, Junichi.”
Junichi, who was as big as Hanul, came to me holding something in his hand.
“I heard you’re leaving early this morning.”
“Yes, that’s right. When is the Japanese team leaving?”
“It varies by guild, but we’ll probably fly out tomorrow morning.”
As we naturally chatted, my curiosity got the better of me, and I asked about the item in Junichi’s hand.
“What’s that…?”
“Hehe. I couldn’t give it to you last time, but I finally get to show you. Here, don’t be surprised. This is yours, Kyu-seong.”
“Mine?”
Wondering what it was, I soon realized by its appearance.
“Liquor?”
“Haha! That’s right! The prototype is finally completed!”
So soon? No, maybe not that soon.
Not knowing much about liquor, I hadn’t thought much about it, but it seemed they had managed to make something.
“Chief Choi Young-seong’s help was immense. Though he’s been too busy to visit the brewery recently, thanks to the data sent from Korea, we managed.”
“Oh, wow.”
“Hehe, aren’t you curious about the taste?”
Well, honestly…
I wasn’t particularly interested since I didn’t like alcohol.
‘But since it’s made with my ingredients…’
I couldn’t help but be curious.
Even if it was just alcohol, the unique ingredients sparked my interest.
“I am curious.”
“Then let’s all taste it together at dinner tonight!”
It happened to be our last dinner in Guangzhou.
We had already prepared quite a feast, handing the ingredients over to Jae-seong, and I was looking forward to the banquet.
“Does Chief Choi Young-seong know about this?”
“…Actually, I planned to surprise him, but I’m also flying to Korea tomorrow.”
“What?”
“I said I’m taking a flight, but I didn’t say I’m returning to Japan. Haha!”
Was he coming to Korea because of me, or rather because of the liquor?
I must have underestimated Junichi’s passion for gourmet food.
“Since the prototype is complete, I’ll take Chief Choi and do some more research! While enjoying delicious meals! Oh, I have no intention of freeloading! Haha!”
His honesty was endearing.
Junichi’s candid expression of his desires made him seem clean and straightforward.
“Shall we head to the restaurant then?”
“Sure!”
“Let’s go!”
It was nearly dinner time.
With our bags packed—though I didn’t have much, as Bokkeum handled most of it—it seemed perfect to enjoy one last meal together and say our goodbyes.
Taking Ara along, we entered the restaurant with Junichi, where people were already gathered.
“So many people. Will there be enough food left for me?”
“…We prepared more ingredients than usual. It should be fine.”
Jae-seong, confident about the feast, had assured us that they had even brought in special monster ingredients from other cities. I was curious how these would combine with my produce to create new flavors.
“Kyu-seong! Over here!”
At the sound of my name, I quickly found my seat.
Seeing all the guild members gathered, Ara smiled brightly.
“Did everyone arrive before us?”
“Ara, your seat is here!”
“Yes!”
Si-young, with a bright smile, looked at Ara.
Si-young had been one of the busiest awakeners, so it felt like a long time since we last saw her.
And of course, opposite Ara’s seat was Ryu Cheon.
Ziii-.
Ryu Cheon stared at Ara with her usual expressionless face, which was unique.
Ara seemed accustomed to it and even waved first.
“Hello!”
“Hello, Ara.”
Although she responded calmly, a slight blush on her cheeks suggested Ryu Cheon was happy.
I wondered if she had received some help with the bell peppers. I had been too preoccupied with the goblin disappearance to ask her.
“Kyu-seong, will you have any free time when you return to Korea?”
Yu Bihong, seated diagonally from me, started a conversation. Suddenly, all eyes focused on me.
Why is everyone staring like that? It’s uncomfortable.
“I can always make time.”
“In that case, we would like to visit Korea. Though I would love to invite you to our Skyscraper guild, I feel it might be impolite given your busy schedule…”
“How about we visit each other’s places in turns? I don’t mind.”
As I cheerfully suggested, the guild members gave me a sharp look, as if to say, “Are you serious?”
What’s with that look? How am I supposed to know if you don’t tell me?
“Kyu-seong, if you’re not too busy, visiting the Skyscraper guild wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
“Yes, although it’s understandable if you’re busy…”
The guild master and Jeong So-yeon chimed in from the side.
Oh, is being invited to the Skyscraper guild a bigger deal than I thought?
‘Hmm…’
Accepting the invitation seemed like a good idea. But I had more pressing matters.
‘I need to manage Mammon and the goblins properly.’
I had to establish a foundation.
What to do and what not to do.
Plans for distributing food and the future goblin village.
So, it would be difficult to find time right away.
Once I dealt with the goblins, I could visit anytime, so it shouldn’t be a problem to delay it a bit.
‘It’s not urgent on my end.’
After thinking it through, I spoke politely.
“I rushed to Guangzhou, so I have unfinished business to attend to when I return. Once I’m done, I will visit the Skyscraper guild.”
“Oh… Understood. Let’s exchange contact information, and you can let us know when it’s convenient for you. We can visit Korea first.”
At my polite refusal, those nearby let out a sigh of what seemed like admiration or relief.
“Wow, Kyu-seong. Turning down an invitation from the renowned Skyscraper guild…”
“We should treat him even better.”
“Ara chose the right awakener!”
There seemed to be some misunderstandings, but I didn’t refuse because I wanted to. I genuinely had urgent matters to attend to.
During the two days here, I checked on the goblins daily while gathering ingredients. They seemed to be doing well and had even started mining.
‘They were more innocent than I expected.’
My image of goblins was that of weak but cunning monsters, but they weren’t like that at all.
They seemed to enjoy mining, saying it was good for them. When I overheard their conversations through Ara’s translation…
-If we dig rocks, we get food! How wonderful!
-Wow! Digging rocks means food! The great lord is amazing!
-Dig more! Just dig! Dig freely!
Their conversations were so pure it made my head spin. It almost made me feel guilty for working them like this.
‘No, I am a welfare worker for slimes and goblins! Providing delicious food isn’t a bad thing!’
While I was having this inner turmoil, the food began to arrive.
“Oh! It smells wonderful!”
“We went all out today.”
Unlike usual, the food was served directly to the table, with mountains of dishes on huge platters.
“Wow!”
Ara gasped at the sight.
But her eyes sparkled with admiration.
“What is all this?”
“Wow, they roasted the entire Black Boar. No wonder they were looking for a fire attribute awakener…”
In its mouth was a whole roasted Layla, an enormous monster pig, with the same fit as an apple in a regular pig’s mouth.
“Whoa!”
Excited, Ara climbed onto her chair and jumped up and down. I could understand her reaction, having already sensed from the aroma that this was no ordinary feast.
But the food didn’t stop there.
Starting with the Black Boar, the table quickly filled up with an array of exotic delicacies, making it look cramped.
“That fish is only found in the Sea Dungeon.”
“Look at this giant lobster. Oh! It’s a monster, isn’t it?”
“Ham made from the hind leg of a horned rhinoceros. It’s so expensive that even I can’t afford it…”
There were also bibimbap mixed with dungeon-exclusive herbs and vegetables along with my crops, nutty-flavored spaghetti and ravioli made from nut flour dough, and a variety of pizzas, all made by Jae-seong.
‘It’s never-ending!’
How much did they actually make?
Of course, I provided Jae-seong with all the ingredients he asked for. The expenses were covered by the city of Guangzhou.
But I didn’t expect them to make this much.
“Let’s eat!”
“Yeah!”
Even after that, various dishes, including salads, continued to appear.
If we waited for all the food to come out, we’d never get to start eating.
“Gulp!”
Seeing Ara’s anxious expression, I cut a large piece of the Black Boar’s meat for her. Noticing something odd, I looked around and saw everyone smiling warmly at Ara.
“Let’s eat after watching Ara,” said Si-young.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Yet Ara seemed oblivious to their gazes, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the Black Boar’s meat being placed on her plate.
“Wow!”
Watching Ara exclaim in delight, I thought we should visit the restaurant frequently even after returning.
My crops were delicious, but these dishes had their own unique flavor.
“Let’s dig in!”
Cliche Novel 