Round 144

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Since Ara’s filming was finished here, we decided to part ways with the actors and the filming crew who still had scenes left to shoot.

“I’ll get in touch again when the drama starts airing.”

“Yes. See you next time.”

Director Jung Tae-gyu shook hands and saw us off.

Leaving behind writer Yoo Hyun-joo and actors Kim Hye-na and Kim Kang-woo, who looked a bit disappointed, I headed straight to Ara Hongryeon. 

Even in the car, I observed the guild master closely examining Mammon’s work.

‘He’s really engrossed.’

I wondered if there was something so interesting about it, but there must be something I hadn’t seen.

“Brother, is it okay if I come too?”

“Why not? It’s not like I’m going for work.”

“Great!”

Seon-ah, who ended up tagging along, seemed a bit flustered but didn’t refuse like the true awakened geek she was.

The first guild in South Korea, Ara Hongryeon. 

Of course, she’d jump at the chance to follow us if given the opportunity. 

And she’d been there once already, right?

The guild master was so seriously immersed in the artwork that we arrived at Ara Hongryeon quietly. 

It wasn’t far, so we got there quickly.

“Kyu-seong, may I take a picture of this piece?”

“Huh? Yes, of course.”

After taking the photo, the guild master immediately called someone.

“Yes, yes, Curator Lim Sun-ho. I just sent you the picture. Yes, yes.”

Something… something was happening. 

I didn’t know who he was calling, but sending the photo made it feel like this was escalating.

“Ah, sorry for the wait.”

The guild master finished the call and guided us. 

It was the place we visited the first time we came to the guild.

“This is…”

It was Ara Hongryeon’s treasure warehouse. 

Unlike the other numbered warehouses, we headed to an unnumbered one in the far corner.

“This is my personal storage.”

“Wow.”

The guild master’s private collection! 

Honestly, if I hadn’t heard he collected art, I would have imagined it filled with all sorts of rare items…

‘A bit disappointing.’

As the warehouse door opened, a vast white space was revealed inside.

“Wow.”

“Oh!”

Seon-ah and Ara exclaimed in awe. 

Jeong So-yeon, who seemed to have experienced this before, still looked around in amazement.

The white space was filled with various artworks. 

Honestly, it was large enough and had enough pieces to hold an exhibition right then and there.

“I really didn’t know much about you, guild master.”

“Haha. You can start learning from now on.”

“I feel like I’ve heard this before…”

As we went further inside, we saw a desk set up like a laboratory. 

It was an odd sight in the exhibition-like space, so I tilted my head in curiosity. 

The guild master explained.

“This is where I conduct detailed analyses of the pieces. We verify their authenticity, identify the materials used, and determine the period they were made.”

“…Guild master, you’re really serious about this.”

“Since it’s my only hobby, I got a bit more into it.”

It’s beyond serious, more like a professional level? 

I should reflect on thinking of him as a semi-professional just a moment ago.

“Kyu-seong, if it’s not too much trouble, could we see the rest of your collection?”

“Of course.”

I immediately took out the rest of Mammon’s sculptures, as well as the ring, necklace, and earrings.

“Wow, what are these? They’re so pretty!”

Seon-ah reacted, clapping her hands as if she had guessed.

“They came from there!”

“That’s right.”

Seon-ah had been with us since the early days of the mine, so she knew, even though she hadn’t met Mammon yet, she had heard about it from me and had a rough idea.

“This, this is…”

Jeong So-yeon also examined the crafted pieces with shining eyes, while Guild Master Han Seok-jun looked at the works with an astonished expression.

“They are pieces of incredible determination born out of hardship and adversity!”

“Hardship and adversity? Incredible determination?”

I looked again at the items Mammon had made.

‘Hmm…’

Do such intense emotions come from these cute little pieces?

Of course, they had a profound composition and appearance that might be difficult for an ordinary person like me to understand, but whether they conveyed those feelings was unclear to me.

“Guild Master, what do you think of these accessories?”

“They are intuitively beautiful items. Not too flashy but elegantly refined.”

“Do you feel any other emotions from them?”

“Hmm, unlike the sculptures, I can’t feel it from the accessories.”

So, to the general eye, the accessories seemed more intuitively beautiful, while someone with a discerning eye like Guild Master Han Seok-jun found the sculptures more meaningful.

Of course, it could also be a matter of Guild Master Han Seok-jun’s personal taste.

Ring-ring.

“Excuse me, I need to take this call.”

“Sure.”

The caller seemed to be the curator the guild master had just sent the photo to. They exchanged serious words, making me nervous as well.

“Kyu-seong, would it be alright to take photos of the other pieces too?”

“Of course.”

I nodded eagerly, having no choice but to wait.

Meanwhile, Seon-ah and Ara were going around the warehouse, discussing each piece they saw.

“Oh wow, this is impressive.”

“Indeed. Almost as impressive as Ara?”

“Wow! Am I as impressive as this?”

They were talking while looking at a painting depicting a medieval battle. Jeong So-yeon joined in, explaining the pieces to them. Curious about her knowledge, Seon-ah asked first.

“How do you know so much about this, Jeong So-yeon?”

“Working with our guild master, it gets ingrained in your ears. I’ve heard the explanation for this painting dozens of times.”

At Jeong So-yeon’s words, Seon-ah glanced at the guild master. Fortunately, he was too busy taking photos to notice.

“Guild Master, how are things looking?”

“Well, from what I see, these are very outstanding pieces. I would love to meet the artist personally.”

That artist is Mammon. If I told him that Mammon, the 9th rank boss of the Dungeon of Avarice, made them, it would cause quite a stir, right?

“The artist has personal reasons that make it difficult to appear in person.”

“I see…”

Hearing it would be hard to meet the artist, the guild master nodded understandingly, making who knows what kind of assumption. It’s a relief that he came to his own conclusions.

“Then, could you tell me the production cycle of these pieces?”

“Ah! I’ve heard about that. It takes roughly 5 to 10 days.”

“What? Such pieces take only 5 to 10 days?”

“Oh, but since they also make accessories like these, it might take longer.”

“Still, that’s a fast pace. It’s really impressive.”

Since we were already discussing it, I decided to ask about the accessories as well.

“Can we get these accessories appraised too?”

“Sure. Shall we even consider listing them for auction?”

“Auction?”

“Yes. Although auctions can be unreliable due to fluctuations in value based on timing, these items are worth a try.”

“Ah, but these items are meant for my family, so I’ll consider auctioning them if we get more in the future.”

“Oh, they weren’t for sale. My apologies.”

It was fascinating to see the guild master’s excited energy. I had never seen him so joyful, almost like a child.

“So, are these sculptures part of your personal collection, Kyu-seong?”

“Oh, as I mentioned earlier, these can be sold. But it’s more important to see how much they are recognized artistically before selling.”

“I’ll examine them thoroughly! I’ll also show them to my acquaintances in the industry.”

“Thank you for your attention.”

“No problem. My heart is racing. I can’t believe you know an artist capable of making such amazing works, Kyu-seong.”

Listening to the guild master, one would think Mammon was a world-class artist. Honestly, I don’t know much about it.

“The accessories are certainly beautiful.”

Originally, Picasso painted works that even ordinary people found impressive, and later he mastered and moved on to cubism. Frankly, I’m not sure. It feels foreign since I haven’t had many opportunities to encounter art.

We decided to leave the pieces with the guild master for now. Since we were here, we took the opportunity to listen to the guild master’s explanations and appreciate his collection.

“It’s interesting.”

Without the explanations, the pieces seemed cryptic, but with them, they became very intriguing. Maybe I do have an artistic sense after all!

Pat-pat.

Seeing Ara asleep in Seon-ah’s arms, I realized it was getting late.

“It’s time for us to head back.”

“Is it that late already? I hope I haven’t kept you too long.”

“Not at all. It was a fresh and enjoyable new experience. I’d love to see your expanding collection in the future.”

“Then I’ll invite you again when the time comes.”

It was dark when we stepped outside. Jeong So-yeon left with a big smile, saying it was time for her to go home. Seon-ah and I took a taxi back, with Ara asleep in her arms. She handed Ara over to me and got off at her home.

“I’ll come again over the weekend.”

“Sure, come anytime.”

After seeing Seon-ah off, I returned to find the dark mountain welcoming us. I remembered that my father had arranged for electricity and water to be connected, for which I was truly grateful.

“Once the electricity is in, we should start with the lighting.”

While I was fine as an awakened, it was difficult for my family and other regular people to come at night. Despite plans for road leveling, the slope meant it was easy to trip without light.

“We should go for soft, sophisticated lighting.”

I had always dreamed of a luxurious single-family home, and now I had the chance to realize that dream. Although I’d spend most of my time in dungeons, it was all about the feeling.

After finishing all the busy tasks of the day and returning home, Ara rubbed her eyes and looked around.

“Is this home…?”

“Yes, we’re here. Let’s sleep in the bed.”

The one who worked the hardest today was undoubtedly Ara. Let’s get a good night’s sleep tonight.

***

Meanwhile, inside the Dungeon of Gluttony.

In the field where winter was coming to an end, tree leaf houses had been built everywhere.

The slimes, who were diligently working—or rather, playing in the field—noticed a mysterious light.

Squirm?

Wobble?

A light emanated from the middle of the carrot field, illuminating the surroundings as brightly as the sun.

If Kyu-seong had been there, he would have seen a system window like this:

[Random Effect Triggered!]

[A mysterious crop, imbued with the energy of the soil thanks to the slimes’ diligent care, is growing!]

But Kyu-seong was not present at the moment.

The slimes, startled by the sudden event, squirmed and fussed.

Wobble! Squirm squirm!

Squirm?!

They quickly summoned Mark2, the most skilled farmer among them.

Upon seeing the glowing phenomenon, Mark2 fell into deep thought.

Squirm…

This seems…

Like a good thing!

Squirm squirm!

Wobble!

Though they didn’t know exactly what it was, the other slimes started dancing joyfully in agreement with Mark2’s opinion.

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