A restaurant in Seoul.
It was difficult to make a reservation, and the prices were extremely high.
This place was so famous that it rarely accepted any guests.
And now, the entire venue had been booked.
“Welcome to Korea.”
Kang Kyung-heon, the team leader of the Awakening Headquarters, greeted the guests.
The guests were led inside after receiving the welcome.
Gulp.
The staff of the headquarters were visibly nervous.
They didn’t say anything, but after seeing who had arrived, they couldn’t hide their surprise.
‘No way, the guild master of Iron Sight came in person.’
Even Team Leader Kang Kyung-heon hadn’t anticipated this.
He had only expected one or two executives from Iron Sight to attend, but that expectation was far off the mark.
“Is Ara Hongryeon on their way?”
“Yes, they’re coming now. They should arrive shortly.”
Through careful planning, it was arranged for Ara Hongryeon to arrive a bit later.
Iron Sight.
Of course, it was a powerful guild.
But there was no reason to back down.
After all, it was Iron Sight who requested this meeting.
And considering they were here to scout Korea’s VIP Awakener, Lee Kyu-seong, it was all the more so.
As Kang Kyung-heon followed the Iron Sight group into the room, he spotted Headquarters Director Jeon Young-joo and Team Leader Park Soo-yeon, who had been waiting inside.
“Welcome! We’re glad to have you in Korea.”
“Thank you for the warm reception.”
The guild master accepted the greeting courteously.
But despite the politeness, everyone could feel the powerful charisma emanating from them, and it made them swallow nervously.
Indeed, it was one of the top 10 guilds in the United States.
Even though it was just a simple greeting, their presence was anything but ordinary.
“Isn’t the entire party here yet?”
The guild master of Iron Sight, Hailey, asked after the brief introductions.
Park Soo-yeon responded to her question.
“Someone from Ara Hongryeon Guild will arrive soon.”
“We had informed you in advance, but it seems they’re running a bit late. How peculiar.”
“They’ve conveyed their apologies, citing an important matter that they couldn’t miss.”
“Hm, will Awakener Lee Kyu-seong be coming as well?”
Flinch!
Everyone from the Awakening Headquarters froze at Hailey’s blunt question.
The only one maintaining composure was Director Jeon Young-joo, who waved it off.
“He’s a difficult person to contact, so it will be hard to meet him today on such short notice.”
“Difficult to contact?”
“He mostly stays in places where it’s hard to reach him. We’ve sent a message in advance, but we haven’t received a response yet.”
“Hmmm…”
Hailey leaned back with a subtle smile, her expression saying, ‘Go ahead, try if you dare.’
“Director Jeon Young-joo, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I don’t mean to disrespect you, but let me ask you something straightforward. Do you really think you can protect Awakener Lee Kyu-seong here in Korea?”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“I am the guild master of Iron Sight. I am confident that the amount of wealth we possess alone exceeds that of all the guilds in Korea combined.”
Though there was a hint of exaggeration, she wasn’t entirely wrong.
In terms of liquid assets, it would be impossible, but if you combined all the items and dungeon loot the guild owned, it would indeed be comparable.
The strength of one of America’s top 10 guilds was that overwhelming.
“No matter how tightly you try to shield him, we are confident. And do you really think we would offer a tempting proposal only to Lee Kyu-seong himself?”
“We have prepared a proposal that will benefit everyone here, as well as Ara Hongryeon Guild, and even Korea as a whole.”
Although her words were phrased indirectly, they carried the implication of a bribe, and everyone’s expressions stiffened.
Who doesn’t like money?
However, the members of the Awakening Headquarters were surprisingly(?) upright government officials.
In fact, without integrity, it would be hard to enter such a position, let alone work there.
“If you knew how many requests for favors I’ve turned down, you wouldn’t say that…”
“Maybe the amounts weren’t high enough? Personally, I believe there’s nothing that can’t be solved with money.”
“Haha, that’s an interesting perspective. But it’s the opposite of mine.”
As Jeon Young-joo tried to brush it off with a hearty laugh, Hailey, who had been wearing a sly smile, suddenly spoke a number.
“One billion.”
“Pardon?”
“One billion. That’s the amount we’re offering.”
One billion?
For a moment, everyone in the room froze.
Surely, it wasn’t one billion Korean won.
It had to be dollars…
‘If we calculate it based on the current exchange rate, that’s 1.38 trillion won?!’
The staggering figure sent everyone’s minds racing, even shaking the resolve of those who had prided themselves on their integrity.
Of course, it wasn’t like they’d hand over the full amount all at once, but still, the figure was overwhelming.
“Now, are you more interested in discussing things?”
“This… is beyond my authority.”
“If it’s not within your authority, then why are you here?”
“Ahem.”
Even Jeon Young-joo, normally composed, was flustered.
Honestly, he couldn’t be certain.
Would Lee Kyu-seong really stay in Korea after hearing such an amount?
Almost anyone, without exception, would likely be swayed by such a sum.
Moreover, offering that much meant they’d also treat him with the utmost respect.
It was hard to imagine that Lee Kyu-seong wouldn’t be tempted.
“Ara Hongryeon’s representatives have arrived.”
At that moment, Ara Hongryeon arrived. However, the expressions of the Awakening Headquarters’ staff showed no signs of brightening.
It was a situation where they should have welcomed reinforcements, but instead, the mood had reversed.
After all, a guild is still a private company. Its primary objective is to pursue profit.
‘Ten billion dollars… that’s enough to propel a guild to the number one spot in Korea.’
Of course, losing Lee Kyu-seong would initially result in some losses, but with that kind of capital, they could easily rise to the top spot in no time.
This wasn’t just any small guild; it was Ara Hongryeon, a guild with formidable strength beyond mere capital.
“You’ve arrived.”
The members of Ara Hongryeon entered the room, led by Guild Master Han Seok-jun, followed by team leaders and department heads.
“Hello, I’m Hailey from Iron Sight Guild.”
“I’m Han Seok-jun, representing Ara Hongryeon Guild.”
They exchanged brief greetings while sizing each other up.
At the same time, Han Seok-jun noticed the subdued atmosphere in the room.
‘Have they been outmaneuvered?’
Jeon Young-joo wasn’t someone to be easily shaken.
As a high-ranking government official, he was known for his integrity.
Seeing him in such a difficult position, Han Seok-jun could sense that this would not be an easy negotiation.
“Let’s get straight to the point.”
“Hmm?”
“We’re offering ten billion dollars. What does Ara Hongryeon think about that?”
Having confirmed the effectiveness of directly naming the amount, Hailey wasted no time in bringing it up again.
As expected, murmurs broke out among the Ara Hongryeon members.
“Ten billion…”
“More than 1 trillion? No, it’s far beyond that.”
Gulp.
Everyone remained silent, unable to speak. Just then, food began to be brought into the room.
The timing of the serving, which interrupted Hailey’s momentum, gave Jeon Young-joo a brief moment of relief, and the room soon filled with the delicious aroma of the food.
‘Huh?’
The familiar scent made the Awakening Headquarters staff’s eyes widen.
“This smell… could it be…”
“Why don’t we fill our stomachs first and continue the discussion?”
Han Seok-jun gestured to the food with an unmistakable air of confidence.
Even Hailey, who had never encountered such a fragrance before, briefly lost her composure, as did the members of Iron Sight who had accompanied her.
“Sounds good. Let’s have a relaxed meal and continue our conversation.”
“Sounds good.”
They took the bait.
A sinister smile spread across the faces of the Ara Hongryeon representatives.
Watching this, Jeon Young-joo and the headquarters staff felt a chill run down their spines.
Hailey’s reckless use of money was terrifying, but so was Ara Hongryeon’s thorough preparation.
Could they have made arrangements with the restaurant in advance?
‘This must be Awakener Lee Kyu-seong’s ingredients!’
The end of this battle…
It was exciting to think about how it would turn out.
***
Momentarily stunned by the unexpected news from the U.S., I returned to the dungeon after receiving a message saying they would contact me again later.
“Did you get a response?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah.”
Even though I replied, Seon-ah didn’t seem particularly interested in me. No, rather than uninterested, she was busy with editing work.
Since the mukbang with actress Seo Ye-eun, Ara’s daily life channel had reached its peak once again.
Requests to collaborate on more mukbangs were pouring in, and on top of that, Seon-ah was busy editing newly filmed videos every day.
“You’re working hard.”
“Hmm? What did you say, oppa?”
“Nothing. Never mind.”
Seeing how absorbed she was, I left her to it and headed further into the village.
I saw Ara busily working on something with Gomgom and Soo.
“What are you guys up to?”
“Oh! Kyu-seong Kyu-seong! Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine.”
Actually, I’m not fine.
I’m just trusting the guild and waiting.
But even if the Americans come, will anything change for me?
‘I’m just going to stay here, living happily with the kids, aren’t I?’
I’d already enjoyed wealth and fame to the fullest.
In fact, I was now experiencing things that even money couldn’t buy.
However, if there was one small ambition left, it was to bring the other Seven Sins kids here as well.
…Yeah, that’s a pretty modest goal.
I chuckled at the thought that would make others scoff, then turned to watch what the kids were doing.
It turned out they were sorting through a large variety of bugs they must have picked up somewhere. There were a lot of them, and the types were diverse.
“Kyu-seong Kyu-seong!”
“Uh, yeah?”
“I’m going to create the ultimate insect!”
What?!
I didn’t know what they were planning, but I nodded anyway. Were they thinking of combining the insects or something?
‘Only slimes can combine, Ara.’
I briefly debated whether to tell them the harsh truth but decided to leave them be.
It wouldn’t be bad for them to figure it out themselves.
As I absentmindedly watched the kids, thinking about the slime shell in the mine and briefly reflecting on the situation in the U.S., a commotion broke out.
What was happening in this peaceful time?
-Prreeeee!
“Huh?”
It was the baby deer, Pururuk.
Not Kongkong, just Pururuk.
But seeing the little deer frantically hopping around, I instantly sensed something was up.
“Ara! Hey, that… what was it? The baby Pururuk preparation set we got ready last time!”
“Oh! I’ll bring it now!”
I sent her off to fetch all the items we’d prepared just in case for the birth, then rushed to Seon-ah.
Seon-ah, who had been deep in editing with her headset on, looked up at my urgent movements.
“What’s up?”
“I think the baby’s about to be born!”
“Let’s go!!”
Even though I hadn’t specified what baby, Seon-ah immediately understood.
We called for Purr and Woofy and mounted them.
Just then, Ara arrived, sitting in front of me, having packed all the supplies into Bokkeum’s saddle.
“We’re going! To see baby Pururuk!”
Gulp.
I was nervous.
A new life was about to be born in my dungeon!
I hope it’s born safe and sound!
Cliche Novel 