I got a plane ticket to Austria.
The flight is this evening.
I’ve already told my family I’d be away for a little while.
“Good. Are you all set?”
“Yeah!”
While I’m in Austria, Seon-ah decided to stay at our family’s house for a bit.
Of course, I told her I’d be exploring a new dungeon and studying plants during my trip.
“Let’s go.”
The flight to Austria took over 12 hours.
Even though it was a direct flight, it was a long journey.
So, I booked first-class seats, and while receiving various services with Ara, we finally arrived.
“We’ve arrived!”
“Shall we get going?”
I wanted to enjoy sightseeing since I was already here, but wasting time didn’t seem like a good idea.
I took Ara with me and headed straight to where the Dungeon of Wrath was, without stopping.
I wasn’t stingy with spending money, as I’d saved plenty.
“Wow.”
Ara admired the scenery throughout the journey.
It was clear the sights and culture were very different from Korea.
“Next time, let’s come here with the family and have more time to enjoy.”
“Sure.”
We only took in the scenery for a moment.
Soon after, the landscape outside turned into a stretch of roads and nature, with nothing else in sight.
At first, the view was breathtaking, but after 30 minutes, it started to get a little monotonous.
Having seen more impressive landscapes in dungeons, it didn’t make much of an impression.
Still, the slightly different vibe made it feel fresh.
After about an hour’s ride by taxi, we finally arrived at our destination.
“Ahhh!”
As Ara stretched after getting out of the taxi, I too stretched my stiff body.
“Well, we’ve arrived but…”
According to the research I’d done beforehand, this was a village, and the entrance to the dungeon was further down, requiring a walk.
We could use transportation up to the village, but after that, it was restricted.
Holding hands with Ara, we walked down and soon spotted a wide fence and people guarding it.
They noticed us and approached with curious looks.
“Wer bist du?”
“Who are you!”
I quickly pulled out the translation app I had used in the taxi and showed them my pass.
“I’m Lee Kyu-seong from Korea. I’ve brought a pass for the Dungeon of Wrath.”
The guards, startled by the pass and the app, looked at us with surprise, and then told us to wait as they made a call.
It was understandable they were surprised.
Even the European Union probably didn’t expect me to actually visit the Dungeon of Wrath.
After waiting for about 10 minutes, the guards, still looking bewildered, let us in.
They emphasized the word ‘for now,’ hinting that the path to the dungeon gate wouldn’t be smooth.
‘As expected.’
I had a plan.
The plan, however, could raise ethical issues, but it was their fault for issuing the pass and not letting us in smoothly.
As long as they let us in, I wouldn’t have to resort to that plan.
As we moved further in, a massive wall, invisible from the outside, appeared before us.
“Wow.”
Ara once again marveled, staring blankly up at the massive wall.
“Ist das deine Tochter?”
“I am the daughter of Lee Kyu-seong!”
Did they just ask if she’s my daughter?
Well, from their perspective, I probably seem like a crazy person bringing a child to such a dangerous place.
I shrugged it off with some vague gestures and entered.
Soon, inside the wall, we saw a middle-aged man who seemed to be in charge.
“Welcome, Mr. Lee.”
“Hi. How are you?”
When he extended his hand for a handshake, Ara quickly grabbed it and shook it.
“Hello!”
“Hahaha.”
The man, who had just shaken hands with Ara, smiled lightly and introduced himself.
“I’m Gaston, the person in charge here. Nice to meet you.”
(I’m Gaston, the person in charge here. Nice to meet you.)
The translation app is a lifesaver.
Gaston seemed to be speaking English for my sake, but to me, whether it was German or English didn’t make much difference.
“Nice to meet you too.”
After exchanging simple greetings, it seemed like Gaston knew a little about me.
He mentioned that the items I had delivered had arrived recently and offered to show me the warehouse.
“Oh, they’ve arrived safely.”
Seeing my crops here filled me with joy.
Compared to storing them in the dungeon with slime fluid, they were well-maintained in this state-of-the-art facility.
“There’s a lot of crops grown by Lee Kyu-seong.”
“Yeah, thanks to giving them some of it, we were able to come here.”
However, from the look in Gaston’s eyes, it didn’t seem like he was planning to guide us to the dungeon.
Had he already finished communicating with his superiors?
Maybe someone from the Union would be sent over here soon to try to persuade me to leave.
But I didn’t show any of that and followed Gaston around, enjoying the tour.
Eventually, we even got to see the entrance to the Dungeon of Wrath.
“Oh wow.”
“It’s the Dungeon of Wrath.”
The entrance looked quite different from the Dungeon of Greed.
It really gave off a “Wrath” vibe with its sharp, spiky exterior.
After viewing the entrance, we were guided to our accommodations.
“You can stay here. How many days are you expecting?”
(You can stay here. How long do you plan to stay?)
“Hmm, one or two days?”
“Oh, okay. That’s good.”
Gaston’s face brightened, and he nodded.
Then, he told us to rest and that he’d call us when it was time to eat before leaving.
“Great, great.”
We confirmed the location of the Dungeon of Wrath.
And as planned, I scattered the poison during the tour.
Mammon had told me the poison would activate in about 3 hours.
‘The poison of cognitive disruption.’
It was the same poison Mammon used when I first met him.
It’s harmless to humans and works like a charm.
The effect lasts about 2 hours.
During those 2 hours, I planned to enter the dungeon and get out quickly.
Of course, I didn’t know if I could convince the dungeon boss in that time, but since I said I’d be staying for one or two days, I had a few more chances.
“Well then, let’s set an alarm and take a quick nap.”
“Time to sleep.”
This accommodation is quite nice.
We decided to rest and recover from the fatigue of our flight while waiting for the poison to activate in three hours.
***
“…………Say that again.”
“Lee Kyu-seong has arrived at the base where the Dungeon of Wrath is located.”
The sudden news left Michael speechless.
And it came right in the middle of the fashion show he had been waiting for so long.
“They didn’t let him enter, did they?”
“No. It seems he didn’t even intend to enter in the first place. It felt more like he was on a sightseeing tour…”
“And what about the other Union members?”
“An Austrian Union team was dispatched in a hurry. They plan to make it look like they’re being accommodating while trying to guide him out.”
“Hm, suspicious.”
He came all the way to the Dungeon of Wrath?
And without any notice?
‘Of course, we did issue a pass, but they know how sensitive the Union is about the Dungeon of Wrath right now.’
The fact that there was no official notice from the guild meant that Lee Kyu-seong probably acted on his own.
“Take care of him as much as possible, but under no circumstances allow him to approach the Dungeon of Wrath.”
“Understood.”
“And contact the Korean side to see if they know anything about this. If they don’t, inform them that Lee Kyu-seong is here.”
“I’ll get in touch right away.”
“…Wait a minute.”
As he was speaking, Michael suddenly realized this might be a good opportunity.
After all, Lee Kyu-seong is their top recruitment target.
Last time, things moved so quickly that he didn’t get a chance to properly talk to Lee Kyu-seong before they parted ways.
“Don’t contact Korea.”
“Pardon…?”
“I’m heading out immediately. I need to meet Lee Kyu-seong.”
Michael’s secretary was stunned by his impulsive decision.
This was the Paris Fashion Show he had waited two years for.
Although it wasn’t a one-day event, it was clear that if he flew to Austria to see Lee Kyu-seong now, he would miss most of the show.
‘Is Lee Kyu-seong really that important?’
Michael was a man who cared only about his own comfort.
For him to give up one of his greatest pleasures to go see someone else was highly unusual.
But the secretary’s hesitation didn’t last long.
“I’ll prepare the private jet right away.”
***
Meanwhile, back in Korea, the employees of Ara Hongryeon, who had been indirectly guarding Kyu-seong and his family since the recent attack, received unexpected news.
“Austria?”
Kyu-seong’s sudden departure for Austria.
But by the time they got the information, Kyu-seong had already arrived at the base.
Although they provided indirect security, they respected his privacy as much as possible, which is why this situation had occurred.
“Kyu-seong went to Austria… alone?”
“Well, technically, he went with Ara.”
Even Han Seok-jun, known for his keen insight, couldn’t quite figure out what Kyu-seong was thinking this time.
Kyu-seong had never done anything so noticeable before, so this sudden behavior was surprising.
“Should we follow him?”
At Jeong So-yeon’s suggestion, Han Seok-jun fell into silent contemplation.
But his pondering was soon interrupted by new information that had just come in.
“Guild Master, the Deputy Guild Master just heard the news and immediately booked a flight to Austria.”
“Sigh. Tell him to cancel the tickets. We’ll go together on the private jet.”
“I’ll inform him right away!”
As the short exchange between the employee and Han Seok-jun ended, Kang Hanul and Jeong So-yeon looked at each other with surprised expressions, then smiled warmly.
“We have to take care of our own, don’t we, kid? Hahaha!”
“I was going to go with the Deputy Guild Master anyway, even if you hadn’t said anything.”
“Hahaha! Exactly!”
As Han Seok-jun watched the two of them, he left a text on Lee Kyu-seong’s phone.
Even though the phone was turned off and he couldn’t reach him, he sent the message just in case.
– We’re also heading over on the private jet soon. If anything happens, contact us right away.
‘I wonder what he’s planning.’
A new crop? Or maybe because of a quest?
The reason was unclear, but one thing was certain.
If anyone laid a hand on Lee Kyu-seong, Ara Hongryeon, no, the top guilds in Korea wouldn’t stand idly by.
Cliche Novel 