“They’re back.”
People will surely be surprised and confused when they see Ara and me, so I braced myself for awkward smiles.
“Huh?”
What?! Why are there so many people?!
There were far more people than I had anticipated, and the atmosphere felt tense.
Two groups seemed on the verge of a confrontation, as if they were about to fight. One side included Michael and people from the base, while the other…
“Jeong So-yeon? Hanul?”
Ara, who was in my arms, tilted her head and called out their names.
Finally, the people who hadn’t noticed our presence froze.
“Kyu-seong? Ara?”
“Ky-Kyu-seong?!”
Why are the people who are supposed to be in Korea here? Could they have heard the news of my disappearance and flown here in just one day?
I knew I had caused trouble, but things escalated quickly. I didn’t expect the news to reach Korea so fast.
‘I thought Michael would surely hide the fact that I went missing.’
But that’s not the issue right now.
Judging by the situation, it looked like a fight could break out any moment, so I waved my hands and spoke up.
“Let’s all talk it out, okay? No need to fight!”
“Is that really you, Kyu-seong?”
“Yes! I’m Lee Kyu-seong. I’m so sorry for worrying you all.”
“I am Ara!”
Ara jumped down from my arms and ran towards them.
Jeong So-yeon, still looking doubtful, ran out as well.
“Jeong So-yeon!”
“A-Ara?!”
Thud!
Ara hugged Jeong So-yeon tightly and rubbed her face against her, grinning widely.
“I had a fun time!”
“Aaah…”
Jeong So-yeon burst into tears, hugging Ara tightly as she wept quietly.
The whole scene caused a temporary ceasefire in the area.
Meanwhile, I scratched my head nervously, thinking about the trouble I had caused.
“I-I’m back.”
***
For now, we left the base.
Thanks to Ara Hongryeon and the other representatives of the alliance, we were separated from Michael.
To be fair, Michael only wanted to show me the dungeon, but the result wasn’t as good as he had intended.
Well, just because the intention is good doesn’t mean it’s always the right thing to do.
As a result, after a day of rest, I underwent a grueling interrogation.
‘Ahhh, this is draining.’
I had brought it on myself.
What goes around, comes around.
You have to sacrifice something to gain something.
Sigh.
“Are you okay?”
Ara, who had just been playing outside with the Ara Hongryeon guild members, asked with concern.
Despite her worried expression, the balloon and hot dog in her hands, along with the sauce smeared all over her face, made quite the impression.
“Y-yeah. I’m fine.”
In fact, I was just relieved it ended there.
Even with a permit, life isn’t always that simple.
And it wasn’t like I just went in and came right back out—I stayed for almost two full days.
I had prepared excuses from the beginning of this plan, so I somehow managed to get through it, but this wasn’t something that could be brushed off that easily.
‘A Level 1 Awakened who survived for two days in a Level 9 dungeon.’
Of course, I’m now a Level 2 Awakened.
I upgraded by eating a golden carrot.
But the world still knew me as a Level 1, which made this an even hotter topic.
For the record, Ara was also interrogated at first, but she played dumb the whole time.
“I. Know. Noth. Ing.”
With the precision of a machine, Ara put on a masterful performance.
No matter how many times she was questioned, she stuck to that answer, so the alliance eventually gave up on her and focused on grilling me instead.
“Hehe, tomorrow we’re going to a place called an amusement park. I’m really looking forward to it.”
“Our Ara is lucky. Have fun. Next time, I’ll take you to one in Korea too.”
“Really? I want to go with Kyu-seong!”
Ah, now I feel a bit guilty.
Come to think of it, I’ve been around with Ara a lot, but we’ve never gone on a real trip or had fun together.
Of course, inside the Dungeon of Gluttony, we enjoyed daily healing and leisure activities, but that’s a bit different from this.
“Yeah, I promise.”
“It’s a promise! Hehehe!”
We hooked pinkies and even stamped a seal on it.
Since I still had to undergo more interrogations, I had about a week left here.
Knock, knock.
“Yes, who is it?”
“Kyu-seong, we’re here.”
“Oh, come in.”
Ara quickly ran to the door, gobbling up a hot dog in one bite as she opened it.
In came the members of the Ara Hongryeon Guild.
Looking around, I realized almost all the guild members had come, except for a minimal few left behind, and I felt a mix of guilt and gratitude, holding back tears.
“Have you stopped crying now?”
“What?! W-What are you talking about? When did I cry…?”
Si-young asked with a mischievous smile.
…Actually, I did shed a tear or two, but that was two days ago! I can’t believe they’re still teasing me about it!
“Haha, Kyu-seong, you should brace yourself to be teased about this for the rest of your life. Hahaha!!”
“Ugh.”
These people dropped everything and came running to prioritize me above all else.
It was my doing.
What goes around, comes around.
This is the karma I must bear.
“How did today’s questioning go?”
“Well, they kept asking the same questions, and I had to give the same answers over and over. I thought I was going to die from boredom. It would’ve been less tedious if at least the questions changed…”
“There’s probably nothing that can be done until the investigation is over. It’s an unprecedented situation, and it’s linked to Michael’s overreach as well.”
“Yeah, I suppose.”
For the record, Michael immediately fled to France—not exactly fleeing—but the people from the alliance tracked him down there.
By now, he’s likely undergoing interrogation like me or dealing with legal issues.
Because of this incident, the dungeon’s conquest will probably be delayed, which works out for me.
The more time passes, the better the chance that any trace of me will disappear.
Knock, knock.
There was another knock at the door.
Could it be someone from the alliance?
“Who is it?”
“It’s Ryu Cheon and Yu Bihong.”
“Oh! Come in.”
More guests had arrived from Shanghai, China.
It was Ryu Cheon and Yu Bihong.
They had arrived the day I returned from the Level 9 dungeon, and thanks to them, I received a lot of help.
Honestly, the initial atmosphere around me wasn’t great.
Though I hadn’t taken the initiative to enter the dungeon, I had unintentionally triggered political issues and internal conflicts within the alliance.
It was the Skyscraper Guild that helped change that mood.
Ryu Cheon openly defended me, elevating my status to something like a representative of Asia.
‘Attacking Lee Kyu-seong is the same as attacking Asia itself.’
At that time, Ryu Cheon’s brief statement wasn’t just his personal opinion.
It was a message conveyed with full authority, having been entrusted by Ryu Wang-jin, the guild master of the Skyscraper Guild.
Honestly, others might scoff and ask how I could dare represent Asia, but that’s just how it was phrased. In reality, there wasn’t a single group willing to risk upsetting the Skyscraper Guild.
Even the European Union wouldn’t dare say anything without a legitimate reason, especially since I hadn’t directly caused the issue.
‘So this is why connections like school ties, regional ties, blood relations, and networks are so important!’
There was a time when I grumbled about these things, but now that I was benefiting from them, nothing felt more reassuring.
Especially in China, where the culture of personal connections stands out even more than in our country, having the Skyscraper Guild as my network made me fearless.
Of course, I knew better than to abuse this power!
“Oh! You’ve arrived, Ryu Cheon, Yu Bihong!”
“Ara.”
Ryu Cheon, showing little interest in me or anyone else, dashed over to Ara, squatted down, and began endlessly petting her.
Seeing this, Yu Bihong smiled wryly and greeted everyone in his stead.
“So, everyone’s here.”
“Hello, Yu Bihong.”
Since Ara Hongryeon and the Skyscraper Guild had known each other for a long time, they comfortably gathered together. Ryu Cheon was acting casually because of this familiarity.
And so, everyone I had invited was finally gathered.
Actually, I had promised them this morning that if I had free time, we would have a meal together.
Up until now, I had been busy with interrogations and hadn’t had the chance to properly express my gratitude, but today I had a bit of time.
Cooking?
I had already finished it, and the table was all set.
“Wow.”
“It’s been so long since we’ve had Kyu-seong’s cooking.”
Gulp
My cooking skills had improved so much that I was now good enough to open a restaurant and do reasonably well.
It wasn’t just experience that helped; I studied, researched, and received a lot of help from my mom and Jae-seong.
“I’ve prepared this meal as a small token of appreciation for everyone who came all the way here. I didn’t skimp on the ingredients, so if anyone needs more, feel free to ask!”
“Hahaha! I’ll make you regret saying that!”
Hanul, sounding like a third-rate villain, was the first to take a seat. Still, he waited for Guild Leader Han Seok-jun before starting.
“We didn’t come here expecting anything. As long as Kyu-seong is safe…”
“Haha! So, you’re saying we shouldn’t eat then?”
“Of course not. That was just a formality. Are we going to eat without a toast?”
Everyone burst into laughter at their playful banter.
“Is it okay to eat now?”
At that moment, Ryu Cheon quietly spoke.
It wasn’t that she wanted to eat, but rather because Ara, sitting on her lap, was staring blankly with drool dripping like a waterfall.
“Oh, we’ve been holding things up, haven’t we?”
“Let’s dig in!”
Finally, the meal began.
We shared a joyful meal in a warm and cheerful atmosphere.
***
– D-D-Delicious!!
Ras cried out.
Beside him were the gnolls, him, and the goblins.
– M-Mammon, have you been eating meals like this three times a day?!
– Haha, yes, that’s right. And it’s not just three meals.
– W-What?!
Not only Ras, but the gnolls were also wide-eyed in shock.
Eating three meals a day was already something to be thankful for.
But eating such amazing food three times a day? And there’s more?!
– We even ate something called ‘snacks’ every day.
– S-Snacks!!
Ras remembered.
His favorite food.
– Is it like a dog chew?!
– That’s right! And besides chews, there are many other delicacies! Sometimes, the Great Lord even makes new snacks for us!
– H-How could I have lived like this until now?
Ras, with trembling hands, diligently continued eating. Even while talking, he couldn’t stop eating.
The same went for the gnolls.
Seeing this, the goblins, who saw their own past reflected in the gnolls, took extra care of them and treated them kindly.
– Eat more!
– If we need more fields, we’ll just expand them!
Even though the food barely made a dent in the appetite of the towering figure, Mammon continued to feed him enthusiastically.
Despite having already filled his stomach, just tasting the food brought a look of satisfaction to him.
– Hmm, Mammon. I have one thing that worries me.
– Speak.
– My subordinates and I have moved here, receiving a warm home and delicious food for free. No matter how I look at it, I feel guilty about this.
– Hehe, you don’t need to worry about that.
– Hmm? Do you have a plan, Mammon?
Mammon smiled slyly.
It was the same expression Kyu-seong had when he was cooking up a devious plan.
– There’s a place you all will absolutely love. Not only will you be able to show your talents there, but you’ll also be able to help the Great Lord.
– Is there really such a place?
– Hehe, Ras, do you know about something called a mine? I’ll show you after the meal.
– Please do!
And so, it was the moment when the Goblin-Gnoll Mining Cooperative was born.
Cliche Novel 