There was definitely a point to it.
Nathan was none other than the Director of the U.S.
Intelligence Agency!
In our country’s terms, that would be akin to being the head of the National Intelligence Service.
Given that, it wasn’t surprising for him to be connected to the mysterious figure who had blocked Ara’s Breath twice.
“Could he be a hidden agent of the U.S. Intelligence Agency?”
It was a plausible theory.
Perhaps they were some kind of veiled operative.
But there was one thing I couldn’t wrap my head around—why go out of their way to monitor me?
Sure, it made sense for them to gather information about me out of curiosity. After all, it’s the Intelligence Agency.
But if they were going to do it, they should’ve avoided getting caught!
“Uh, is there something wrong?” Nathan asked calmly.
Ara responded without hesitation.
“I found someone who was super fast, super tough, and super suspicious!”
Oh, Ara, you just couldn’t hold it in and spilled everything, huh?
I had planned to keep it under wraps, but it was too late now.
“Super fast, tough, and suspicious?”
Nathan still seemed clueless about what Ara was talking about.
Was he really unaware, or just pretending not to know?
‘He’s probably pretending.’
I trusted Ara’s instincts.
From the U.S. perspective, they wouldn’t want to stir up more trouble and would naturally deny any involvement.
The person who had clashed with Ara might have been secretly watching but had approached us with a surprisingly submissive attitude. I wasn’t looking to escalate the conflict either.
“When I was leaving the house, I encountered a stranger. They played with Ara for a bit.”
“I see.”
At that moment, Jeon Young-joo shot a meaningful glance my way.
It was clear she had already heard about the incident through the security team but chose to remain silent.
“We’ll check to see if that individual is one of ours. Apologies for the inconvenience.”
“No, not at all. It could’ve just been a misunderstanding on our part. We appreciate your understanding.”
The atmosphere was somewhat amicable as we all took our seats.
The conversation drifted toward the compensation discussed earlier with the department head. Nathan readily nodded without hesitation.
“Understood. We’ll prepare the item list. It won’t take long.”
“Wow.”
“And about the seeds Mr. Kyu-seong mentioned earlier, we’d like to ask for your cooperation on that matter as well.”
“Cooperation?”
Assistance related to plant seeds? What could that be about?
“As is the case in Korea, we in the U.S. are conducting various studies and surveys to understand the ecology emerging from dungeons. Plant research is particularly active, as these plants could serve as future alternative food sources.”
“I see.”
“We understand Mr. Kyu-seong possesses abilities related to plant growth. We’d like to propose a collaboration utilizing these abilities. Of course, any plants grown using your abilities would remain fully under your control.”
“Wow.”
In short, they were offering unlimited access to various plants in exchange for shared research data.
Given that I was currently the only person capable of cultivating plants in dungeons, this wasn’t a bad deal.
Besides, sharing the data didn’t guarantee they’d be able to grow the plants themselves.
‘It doesn’t really matter to me.’
Even if the U.S. succeeded in growing plants, it wouldn’t pose an issue.
My goal wasn’t to monopolize everything but to live happily with the kids in my dungeon.
If others capable of growing plants emerged, it would be more of a mutual benefit than competition.
“Sounds good. Let’s give it a try.”
“Mr. Kyu-seong, would it be alright if we cautiously joined this collaboration as well?”
“Of course. You two can discuss whether to share information directly or only collaborate with me individually.”
“Understood.”
With that, the meeting wrapped up, leaving the rest to the negotiations between Jeon Young-joo and Nathan.
It was refreshing to watch the higher-ups engage in a one-on-one discussion.
I simply observed their conversation with Ara until it concluded.
“Thank you for your efforts today. Would it be possible to provide the item list tomorrow?”
“Yes, let’s meet tomorrow as well.”
“Understood. Thank you. And…”
Once Jeon Young-joo was out of sight, Nathan spoke with a slightly apologetic expression.
“About what happened this morning, I must apologize. That individual is someone we cannot easily handle, so we had to feign ignorance.”
Ah, so he was talking about the person who had clashed with Ara.
But they weren’t a member of the Intelligence Agency?
‘Someone even the Intelligence Agency can’t handle? Who on earth could they be?’
I nodded in agreement and replied that I understood. Next to me, Ara cautiously asked,
“Is that person suspicious?”
“Hmm, you could say he’s suspicious… but he’s not a bad person.”
“A suspicious person, but not bad?” Ara tilted her head, visibly confused and unsure of what to make of it.
“Would it be alright if I personally introduce him to you?”
“Huh? To someone we don’t even know?”
“Oh! He wouldn’t harm you! There’s no way something like that could happen in my presence!”
Just then, Jeon Young-joo, the department head, approached. Nathan quickly composed himself and extended a handshake to me as though nothing had happened.
“Then, I’ll see you tomorrow, Mr. Kyu-seong.”
“Yes, see you tomorrow.”
But who could that person be for Nathan, the almighty Director of the U.S. Intelligence Agency, to behave like this?
‘Someone even the Director of the Intelligence Agency can’t treat lightly? And he’s deliberately keeping his identity hidden?’
This had an unmistakably suspicious yet thrilling aura about it!
***
Meanwhile, Kyler wasn’t about to repeat the same mistake. Although he had learned from Nathan that Kyu-seong was at the Awakening Headquarters, this time, he didn’t spy from a distance.
Instead, he opted for a direct approach.
He informed Nathan about his intention to meet Kyu-seong and boldly approached his car.
“There! That suspicious person from earlier!” Ara exclaimed, recognizing Kyler immediately.
Kyu-seong turned to him with a look of disbelief.
“Wait, what?”
Having never expected such a bold entrance, Kyu-seong was at a loss to comprehend the situation.
“I must apologize for my behavior earlier,” Kyler began, striking up a conversation out of the blue.
Still flustered, Kyu-seong couldn’t respond. Ara stepped in instead.
“Hmm! Hmm! Suspicious actions are not allowed. Why did you act so suspiciously?”
“I was in a situation where being discovered would’ve caused trouble, so I watched from afar. I didn’t mean to raise suspicion. Can you forgive me?”
“Hmmm! What do you think, Lee Kyu-seong, Kyu-seong?” Ara’s question jolted Kyu-seong back to reality. Caught off guard, he nodded hesitantly.
“Uh… Yes, yes.”
“You seem quite overwhelmed. I’ll leave for now since I came to clear up any misunderstandings. I hope to see you again.”
“Ah, um, could I at least get your name…?”
Kyler hesitated briefly at Kyu-seong’s question before responding.
After all, keeping his identity secret from someone who might end up being an ally could only worsen their first impression.
“I’m Kyler Lucas.”
“Kyler Lucas?”
“Well then, see you around.”
Kyler vanished like the wind, leaving Kyu-seong staring blankly after him. In the distance, Nathan came running frantically.
“Hah… hah… Mr. Kyu-seong! Did someone just come by?!”
“Huh? Uh…”
“Kyler Lucas was here!” Ara answered cheerfully.
Nathan’s face turned pale as he clutched his head in despair.
“Why is he acting on his own again?! Ugh!”
“Who is he?” Kyu-seong asked, still trying to process everything. Then, after a moment of reflection, the name clicked.
Kyler? Kyler… Wait, Kyler?!
It finally hit him—the name he never expected to encounter in his own life.
“What?!”
Nathan sighed, realizing he didn’t need to explain further.
“So, you’ve figured it out.”
“But why does he look East Asian? Was he East Asian all along?”
“He’s likely in disguise.”
Nathan let out another sigh, his tone resigned.
“Mr. Kyu-seong, could you please keep Kyler’s presence here a secret?”
“Huh?”
“Kyler is currently being pursued in multiple places. If it becomes known that he’s here, this place will turn into chaos in no time.”
“Ah, understood.”
It felt like stepping into a scene from a noir spy movie. Still, Kyler Lucas? His unexpected appearance was completely out of left field.
“…Wait a second, does that mean…?”
Kyler Lucas was a Level 9 Awakener.
Yet Ara hadn’t been overwhelmed by him?
Of course, since Kyler hadn’t come to fight, it was hard to gauge precisely, but still…
‘To be fair, Ara didn’t use her full-strength Breath either.’
The scene he arrived to witness was Kyler looking distinctly troubled, with an air of awkwardness. Anyone could tell he’d been on the back foot against Ara.
“Gulp.”
Kyu-seong glanced down at Ara for a moment.
Ara, oblivious, was eyeing Nathan’s hair with a strangely hungry look.
“Mmm… tempting…”
As Kyu-seong was sorting through his thoughts, Nathan cautiously spoke.
“Would you be available tomorrow evening?”
“Tomorrow evening?”
“Yes. Considering the situation, it seems safest to have a quick conversation and then get him out of Korea as soon as possible.”
“Why does he want to talk to me?”
“…”
Nathan hesitated, seemingly unsure if he should share the reason himself.
Seeing this, Kyu-seong decided it would be better to hear it directly from Kyler.
“Alright, let’s meet tomorrow evening. Where should we meet?”
“Wherever is most convenient for you.”
After a moment of thought, Kyu-seong decided to meet near his home, since the situation had already escalated this far. He also planned to keep Mammon and Ras on standby, ready to intervene at any moment if needed.
Even a Level 9 Awakener wouldn’t dare make a move against him under such circumstances.
“Since you already know where I live, let’s meet there.
“Cough! Understood. I’ll relay that.”
What a fascinating turn of events.
That the Intelligence Director was in contact with Kyler Lucas, the so-called “Wanderer,” exchanging information like this!
‘No, wait! This is exactly what being an Intelligence Director is about!’
FBI! CSI!
So all those things from movies and American dramas were true!
Mistakenly, Kyu-seong thought the U.S. Intelligence Agency was actively tracking Kyler Lucas, the veiled Level 9 Awakener.
“Oh, by the way, Director.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Just out of curiosity… do you know anything about the Seven Deadly Sins?”
“The Seven Deadly Sins? If you’re referring to the Dungeon of Lust in the U.S., then yes, I’m familiar with it. Why do you ask?”
“I’ve taken an interest in it. It seems likely that, unlike ordinary dungeons, it could harbor unique vegetation.”
“Hm, that’s quite timely. The person you’re meeting tomorrow evening is very knowledgeable on that topic.”
“That person?”
Kyler knows about the Seven Deadly Sins?
Now Kyu-seong had an undeniable reason to meet him.
Cliche Novel 