After making an appointment with Seo Ye-eun, I left the studio.
Thanks to that, I was really looking forward to the mukbang with Ara and Seo Ye-eun.
“What is it that our Ara can’t do?”
“Ahem!”
Ara’s shoulders were puffed up with pride from the continuous praise from Seon-ah and me since earlier.
I found her so cute that I wanted to hug her, but I couldn’t because I was driving.
“Hehehe. Aren’t you jealous?”
Noticing my feelings, Seon-ah proudly rubbed Ara’s cheek, who was sitting on her lap.
“We’re almost home now, right?”
“Ara is still mine, even when we arrive, okay?”
“Am I Seon-ah’s?”
In the midst of the noisy atmosphere, as we arrived at the dungeon, I noticed someone waiting in front of us.
Upon checking, it turned out to be the staff member in charge of me from the Ara Hongryeon Guild.
“Hello, Mr. Kyu-seong!”
“Hello! What brings you here?!”
I was a bit taken aback as I hadn’t been informed about his sudden visit to my house, but then he handed me something.
“It arrived quickly. Here’s the item you were waiting for, Mr. Kyu-seong.”
“The item I was waiting for?”
It was a suspicious-looking case, almost like a 007 briefcase.
When the staff opened it to show me, there was only a single card inside.
I was surprised by the fact that such a small item was inside such an elaborate case, and the staff member laughed and said,
“It’s a pass.”
“Huh? A European Union pass?”
“Yes.”
It arrived sooner than expected.
It was quicker than I thought.
“And the European Union paid a bit more attention to it. Besides being a pass for the Dungeon of Wrath, it also allows entry into any of the countries registered with the Union. It can even be used as a visa substitute.”
“Wow.”
I was quite impressed.
Not all European countries were part of the Union, but I believe around ten countries were affiliated, meaning I could freely travel between them.
“This is really good.”
“It should make your travels around Europe much more convenient.”
“Thank you for delivering it.”
“It was my pleasure. I’ll be heading back now.”
The staff handed me the pass and left immediately.
“Let me see. Oh, the design is pretty sophisticated.”
“I want to see too.”
Seon-ah examined the pass card, while Ara checked out the 007-style case.
“Does this mean we can go on a trip to Europe now?!”
“If you want to go, we can. There’s nothing stopping us.”
Of course, I’m busy, so I might pass.
Thanks to the Master of Gluttony, I can visit the dungeon every day, so if I really wanted to travel, I could, but for now…
“Hmm, I think I’ve seen a bag like this before.”
Ara seemed more interested in the bag than the pass itself, probably because it looked like an accessory.
“Kyu-seong Kyu-seong!”
“Yes.”
“I want to wear clothes and a hat that match this bag!”
“A suit?”
She probably already has a hat.
I’ve bought her hats in almost every style, so she should have at least one that matches this case.
“I guess I should look into getting a suit for kids.”
“Oh… that would be so cute.”
Seon-ah seemed ready to take Ara to the department store right away.
Should I drive them back?
‘Hmm, since the pass came out this quickly, should I also hurry up and visit Wrath?’
As I pondered over various things, Ara tucked the bag under her arm and started leading the way toward the dungeon.
“Let’s go.”
Caught up in various thoughts, I decided to ask Ara and Mammon for their opinions as I followed them.
“Oh, wait a minute, I need to upload something on YouTube and post a notice.”
“Okay.”
Since Ara and I were necessary to enter the dungeon, I waited a bit.
She probably wanted to share some updates about today’s commercial shoot.
She had quietly filmed a vlog at the studio with permission, so I guess the video will be uploaded once the commercial is out.
After waiting for Seon-ah to finish, I played with Ara for a bit before heading back to the dungeon.
Coincidentally, Mammon was in the Slime Village when we arrived.
“Your Highness! Lady Seon-ah! You’ve arrived!”
“Lady Seon-ah?”
When did the title change to “Lady”?
As I looked at Seon-ah with a puzzled expression, she just shrugged.
“I didn’t ask for that.”
“Really?”
Well, I didn’t think Seon-ah would specifically ask to be called “Lady.”
Maybe “Sister,” but not “lady.”
“Perfect timing. I wanted to get Mammon’s opinion on something.”
“Is that so! I’m always ready to help whenever you need it!”
“But what brings you here today? Is the construction all finished?”
“Oh, the construction is nearly complete! I came here because I managed to create a new piece during the breaks in construction, and I wanted to show it to you.”
“Oh, really? Can I take a look?”
What he brought this time was a single artwork, but unlike the previous ones, it was quite large.
“It’s almost as big as me.”
“I put a lot of effort into it!”
The statue appeared to be about 1.8 meters tall. The materials used were composite.
“It seems like it’s made of both wood and stone?”
Just then, Mammon started to explain.
“This is a piece made using stone from the mines and wood from the World Tree. It also includes some minerals embedded in it.”
“Wow, you really mixed all kinds of materials into this?”
“Yes, that’s correct. The title of this piece is ‘The Fool of Chaos.'”
“Oh, I see. It’s another profound piece.”
“The Fool,” huh? It probably refers to a foolish person.
“Wow!”
Ara stood in front of the statue, her mouth wide open in amazement. To me, it seemed like another abstract piece of art that was hard to understand, but it seemed to resonate with Ara. As expected, our Ara has an artistic sense. Our Ara is a genius!
“It’s ugly!”
“That’s right! You got it! I made it look ugly on purpose!”
“But these patterns are pretty!”
“That was also intentional! Hmm, you have quite an eye for art.”
When I got closer to take a look, I noticed various patterns that weren’t visible from a distance. They formed a kind of painting.
The statue was used as a canvas, with metaphysical drawings engraved on it, all connecting to form a single piece of artwork.
“Wow, this is a really clever idea!”
“Hehe.”
Mammon scratched his head in embarrassment, clearly pleased with the praise. Seon-ah also came closer, patted Mammon on the head, and said,
“Our Mammon can do anything.”
“Actually, I got a bit of help from Frey on this one.”
“Wow, so now you’re even doing collaborations?”
“Co-collab?”
“It means working together.”
“That’s right! I collaborated with Frey a little on this!”
As Mammon nodded, Ara, who had been admiring the artwork, puffed out her cheeks.
“I want to do it too!”
“You too? Hmm! I’ll call you for the next piece.”
“Yay! I’ll do my best!”
Ara enthusiastically raised her hands in excitement. Mammon seemed satisfied with her passionate response.
“So what are you going to do with this? Are you going to take it out too?”
“Ahem! I still don’t fully trust humans’ eyes, but it wouldn’t hurt to show them my beautiful artwork.”
“Alright. I’ll take it with me next time I go out.”
While we were busy chatting about Mammon’s work, I quietly slipped away. Originally, I intended to ask Ara and Mammon more about Ras and decide whether to proceed with the plan, but Seon-ah didn’t seem to be stepping back.
‘In that case, I should take this opportunity to level up Mark2.’
I decided to level up Mark2 to level 6, something I couldn’t do the day before. I summoned the level 4 slimes again. But then, out of nowhere, the Headbutt and Drunkard slimes appeared.
“How have you been?”
“Slurp! Advancing! I will become even stronger, my lord!”
“Hiccup. I can’t use Drunken Fist without alcohol. Bring me alcohol!”
I couldn’t help but think how peculiar these slimes were as I prepared for liquid fusion.
“So, who wants to go first? First come, first served!”
Slurp!
Slimes gathered from all directions, eager to be fused. I grabbed the first two that arrived and began the fusion…
Poof!
The seventh level 5 slime was created.
[Slime LV.5]
[It’s an unusual slime]
[It is Kyu-seong’s familiar]
[Liquid Fusion Possible]
[Abilities: Multitasking LV4, Nature Communication LV1]
“Huh? Oh wow!”
Nature Communication? What kind of ability is that?
As expected, slime fusion is addictive. With such interesting abilities coming out every time, how can I stop?
“Slurp?”
“What kind of ability is Nature Communication?”
“Slurp!”
The level 5 slime approached a nearby weed and stood still. However, nothing seemed to happen.
“Is communication really all it does?”
Gurgle.
I see.
In that case, let’s have you merge with Mark2.
At that moment, Mark2 was also inspecting the rice fields.
The rice was already well-ripened, starting to bow down gradually. It seemed like the harvest season was approaching…
“Alright, Mark2, it’s time for you to reach level 6.”
Gurgle!
I merged Mark2 with the slime that had just reached level 5.
This was my first time creating a level 6 slime through fusion!
Gurgle gurgle-.
[Please select two abilities.]
[Farming]
[Multitasking]
[Nature Communication]
So at level 6, you get to choose two abilities?
Not bad.
After a bit of thought, I decided to go with Farming and Nature Communication, since Mark2 had already been set up with a farming theme.
As soon as I made my choices, a bright light began to radiate from Mark2.
“This is different!”
This was a change unlike the usual ones.
There hadn’t been light like this before.
Gurgle gurgle!
When the light faded, Mark2 appeared with a “Ta-da!”
It had changed a little, with its color becoming a bit more ethereal?
“The appearance is still the same, huh?”
I thought there would be a dramatic change since there was light and it had reached level 6, but there wasn’t.
Maybe the appearance won’t change until it reaches level 10?
Given the remaining level 4 slimes, I could probably make about two more level 6 slimes. Level 10 still seemed far off and difficult to reach.
“Let’s check it out, shall we?”
[Mark2 (World Tree Slime) LV.6]
[A special slime]
[It is Kyu-seong’s familiar]
[It has awakened an unknown potential]
[Liquid Fusion Possible]
[Abilities: Farming LV.6]
Nature Communication LV.2
Guardian of the World Tree
Oh? Oh wow!
The description had changed a bit, and there was even a new ability.
“What’s this ‘Guardian of the World Tree’? What happened, Mark2?!”
Gurgle!
Mark2, now at level 6, proudly stretched out, as if to say, “Isn’t this impressive?”
The phrase “awakening unknown potential” had disappeared, replaced by “has awakened.” It seemed to be related to that.
“A World Tree Slime, huh? Is this an advanced species?”
It was a reasonable assumption.
The type of monster displayed next to its name was now listed as a World Tree Slime.
“What just happened?”
“What happened?”
Just then, Ara, Seon-ah, and Mammon rushed over.
It seemed they had come because of the light radiating from Mark2.
“Oh, Mark2 reached level 6. It’s changed quite a bit.”
“Really? It was just glowing earlier… but it doesn’t look like it’s changed much.”
“No! Mark2 has become a World Tree Slime. It’s not just any slime anymore!”
“What? A World Tree Slime?”
Everyone looked at Mark2 with curious eyes.
Mark2, however, continued to stretch its body, clearly pleased with itself.
Gurgle!
“Oh! Is that so?”
“What did it say?”
“It says it’s gotten stronger! It’s not just an ordinary slime anymore!”
That much was clear from the description.
But I still wasn’t sure what exactly had changed.
Gurgle!
“It says it can eat more food now!”
Gurgle!
“It says it can sleep more now!”
Gurgle!
“It says it can play without resting! Amazing!”
No matter how much I listened, it didn’t sound all that different from usual.
Gurgle!!
“It says it can lift heavier things! It feels like it could carry two baskets now!!”
Cliche Novel 