San Francisco, USA, Silicon Valley.
Once the leader of the advanced technology industry, Silicon Valley was now transforming into a fusion industrial complex with the rise of the awakening industry.
As a result, awakening guilds sprang up around Silicon Valley to collaborate with industrial companies, and it had now become the mecca of the awakening industry.
“The European Union seems to have found traces of the Boss?”
“Yes, that’s the information we’ve just confirmed.”
In a cold, gray room.
Conversations were exchanged in an office where the efficiently arranged furniture looked almost desolate.
A woman with a cold impression, as stark as the surroundings.
Her glasses gleamed sharply.
“What is the identity of the Boss?”
“It appears to be a massive reptile, specifically in the form of a snake. They seem to have found a shed skin, and while the exact size is unclear, it’s estimated to be around 600 feet (180 meters).”
“That’s enormous.”
“The circumference of the body is also presumed to be vast. Though its length is shorter than a regular train, it’s expected to be much thicker.”
They exchanged these words as if it were nothing.
But if the European Union had heard it, they’d be shocked and clutching their necks in disbelief.
Information that would be considered highly classified from the Union’s perspective.
As the European Union was fighting for its life in the Dungeon of Fury, strict controls were in place, yet these people knew everything.
“Has its combat power been measured?”
“Not yet. However, according to our analysis, it is reported that the current strength of the European Union would not be able to handle it. But…”
“But?”
The man, who had momentarily stretched out his words, handed over a stack of paper documents.
The papers contained information written entirely by hand for security purposes.
“Consumable items? Buffs? What is this?”
“This was information we already had, but delivering it was delayed as we deprioritized it.”
The person who received the document quietly reviewed the contents.
As they flipped through the pages, their expression gradually grew more perplexed.
“Why are you only informing me of something so important now?”
“I’m sorry. It was an oversight.”
“Reason.”
“… We underestimated it. Since it was a level 1 Awakener, and the supplier was an ordinary guild from South Korea, a relatively weak Awakening nation, we didn’t think to investigate it deeply.”
“That’s not like you.”
“My apologies.”
The woman at the head of the table sighed after reviewing the entire document, then spoke to the reporting figure.
“Thanks to our placement within the European Union, we were able to access the information relatively quickly. But with this much time having passed, other guilds will soon be aware of this item.”
“I will make contact as quickly as possible.”
The woman nodded at the sharp subordinate’s words.
“Mark.”
“Yes.”
“This might be even more important than the Dungeon of Fury.”
“Yes.”
“No more mistakes will be tolerated.”
“I will make contact before anyone else does.”
The subordinate finished the report, bowed, and left.
Watching his retreating figure, the woman once again reviewed the documents.
The more she looked at them, the more regretful she felt.
It was a matter of just a hair’s breadth, but they could still get to Korea first.
It would be a very narrow margin, but even that small difference could create significant outcomes.
The problem was that there wasn’t enough time to investigate the opposition—what they wanted, their disposition, the surrounding circumstances, or personal details…
“Lee Kyu-seong…”
Just a mere Level 1 Awakener.
Hmm, a Level 1 Awakener, you say.
‘There’s no way he’ll dare refuse.’
Korea?
Sure, it’s a good place in its own way.
But could it really compare to here?
The woman was confident.
Confident that she could bring him to the U.S.
***
“Cheers!!!”
The first full-attendance dinner of Ara Hongryeon had begun.
Everyone held their glasses, and to their surprise, the glasses contained a liquid that shimmered with a golden hue, much like beer.
And that liquid indeed had the fragrance and taste of real beer.
‘It’s beer made from gosogoso!’
Alcohol was truly fascinating.
By fermenting and distilling crops, such beverages like this could be made… EICHLI…
There was plenty of gosogoso beer.
Junichi had personally brought it in an interdimensional artifact, enough for all of us to drink for an entire day.
Of course, I’m not a huge fan of alcohol, so I planned to just have a taste.
“This was originally all meant for Mr. Kyu-seong, but I didn’t expect we’d end up sharing it with everyone. Hahaha!”
Junichi, who had just coincidentally come to Korea to see me, unaware of the dinner, raised his glass cheerfully.
Then, Junichi and the others downed their drinks in one smooth shot.
I thought I’d give it a try as well.
With the heated atmosphere, I was in the mood for something cool, and this was just perfect.
Fizz…
The sound of the beer’s bubbles bursting was gentle.
It looked no different from regular beer, with its color and foam.
As I brought it to my lips, the aroma gently tickled my nose.
A faint touch of alcohol and a soft, rich grain scent.
Gulp.
‘Huh!?’
Gulp, gulp.
I had planned to stop after just one sip…
But before I knew it, I had tilted my glass further and ended up emptying the entire beer.
“Ahh~!”
This refreshing sensation!
It was an extreme pleasure I had never experienced before.
And the smoothness—so gentle, not overwhelming at all.
I could drink a lot of this!
“Is it tasty?”
“Huh? Oh, Ara…”
Ara, who had been wandering around receiving everyone’s adoration, suddenly came up to me and asked.
Her expression looked somewhat pouty.
It seemed she was upset that she couldn’t drink the beer, but there’s no way I could allow my daughter-like Ara to drink alcohol!
‘No, no, no!’
No matter how I thought about it, it was out of the question.
Even though Ara was a slime, claimed to be 3,501 years old, and wouldn’t get drunk, I couldn’t allow it with a fatherly heart.
“Ara, here’s a strawberry smoothie!”
“Ooh!”
Just in time, Seon-ah brought over a freshly blended strawberry smoothie. Nice, my sister!
Ara, who was more drawn to the sweet aroma of the smoothie than the beer’s alcohol scent, no longer showed any interest in the alcohol.
“And there’s seafood too!”
“Ugh! Ever since I had that rice the other day, I haven’t been able to sleep well! I was hoping to eat it again today, but of course!”
“Kyu-seong made this doenjang himself?! The doenjang soup made with that? I have to try it!”
“This braised potato dish tastes even better than last time, what’s the secret?”
“He made the soy sauce himself this time. That’s why the flavor is so rich.”
The scene was bustling with lively conversations.
Watching everyone eating and enjoying themselves, I smiled contentedly and checked to see if there was anything lacking.
“After the meal, feel free to walk around the village. You can explore the nearby fields, or if you’d like to camp by the lake or visit the ocean, just let me know. Oh! There’s also a hot spring.”
“Wow!!!”
“Sounds great!”
“A hot spring? Is this paradise?”
“I want to relax by the lakeside. The scenery and the lakeshore… Just imagining it makes me feel so good.”
As the dinner continued in full swing, Hanul came up to me and put his arm around my shoulders.
“What will you do, Kyu-seong?”
“Huh? Me?”
“Shall we go to the hot spring if you’re free? Hahaha!”
“I’m managing the dinner, so…”
“No! Kyu-seong, you’re a member of the guild, so you should relax with us while everyone else is resting! Don’t worry too much. Everyone will behave themselves and handle things on their own.”
I think the same way.
I was only trying to act out of responsibility and courtesy as the host.
At that moment, Guild Leader Han Seok-jun, Representative Baek, and Guild Leader Johann approached.
“Hot springs sound great.”
“Shall we go together?”
“Ah, my body feels stiff. A soak in the hot spring would be perfect. Haha.”
With their subtle persuasion, I couldn’t help but smile and give in.
“Alright, let’s go together.”
“Good decision, Kyu-seong!”
But where is Young-seong?
I was going to invite him to join us in the hot spring, but he had disappeared.
Just then, I spotted Si-young, chatting cheerfully with the female guild members while enjoying food.
“Are you looking for my husband?”
“Ah, was it that obvious?”
“He packed up some fishing gear with your father and went off somewhere. Well, I suppose it’s fine to let them enjoy the day.”
“Oh dear.”
They couldn’t resist and went fishing together already?
How much did they want to go fishing?
As someone who’s fished before, I could understand.
It’s fun when you catch something, and the thrill of the tug on the line is irresistible. Plus, there’s the curiosity of wondering what you’ve caught each time.
“We’re off to the hot spring!”
Leaving the rest to continue their meal, we headed towards the hot spring. Just in case, I left instructions with Slime and Kkumuris to guide any latecomers.
“Ah, it’s been a while!”
Hanul was the only one among us who had previously visited the hot spring after an excursion to the dungeon, and he shouted with excitement.
Soon, we changed into bath clothes and submerged ourselves in the soothing waters of the hot spring.
“Ahhh.”
“Wait, does the system actually show a recovery effect? A fatigue recovery hot spring?! I can’t believe this…”
“You’ve been hogging this amazing place all to yourself, Kyu-seong. I should’ve asked to come sooner.”
I had worked hard preparing and stressing for the dinner, but as soon as I entered the hot spring, all the tension melted away.
Ah, I really feel blessed.
I wonder how many people on Earth are as happy as I am right now.
“Ah, looks like we’ve got company! Haha!”
While we were basking in the warmth of the hot spring, Junichi appeared, leading a group of cooks. Kkumuris had finished guiding them and was standing idly at the front.
“Heh heh.”
“Good job.”
I praised Kkumuris and pointed towards the changing room.
“You can change over there and join us.”
“Hmm, the water quality here is excellent!”
“Junichi! Don’t just say the water quality is good! This is a certified hot spring by the system! There’s no place like this even in Japan!”
Junichi awkwardly cleared his throat at Hanul’s words and headed towards the changing room, clearly a bit embarrassed but unable to argue.
It was a little pitiful seeing his pride wounded, but Junichi had a trick up his sleeve for Hanul as well.
“This sake I made recently… looks like we’ll be drinking it amongst ourselves. Hmm.”
“Huh? Junichi, seriously? You’re really doing this over a little teasing?”
It seemed he had brought other drinks besides beer.
How did he know there would be a hot spring in our dungeon to prepare like this?
‘He probably just carries it around all the time.’
Before long, a group of drinkers began a friendly drinking contest.
Personally, I thought drinking while soaking in water might be dangerous, but I quickly realized my worries were unnecessary.
These were Level 7 or 8 Awakeners, after all—who was I to worry about them?
“This must be paradise!”
“Hahaha! This is fantastic!”
Hanul and Junichi, now apparently reconciled, exchanged drinks and laughter.
Meanwhile, more people arrived, guided by Slime and Kkumuris, to join in on the hot spring experience.
“Kyu-seong Kyu-seong!”
Ara, cradled in Ryucheon’s arms, had arrived.
I waved at her, watching her enjoy being with others for a change.
Seon-ah, Jung Soyun, and Ryucheon.
The three of them quickly bonded, likely due to their similar ages, and Ara was the center of their group.
“Hehehe.”
Ara grinned and clung to them, basking in their affection.
The sky was a deep indigo, with the bright Milky Way sprawled across it, and the steam rising from the hot spring added to the tranquil atmosphere.
Cute little Slimes and Kkumuris floated around in the hot spring, while people laughed as they gently patted them.
Ara’s giggles echoed around, and she dashed about, chatting with everyone she approached.
Watching that peaceful scene, I couldn’t help but smile contentedly.
I really am a blessed man.
Cliche Novel 