“These sly Americans. We were still gauging the situation, and they made the first move? And they’re the ones who were in the wrong?”
A vast corridor.
Someone was furiously shouting, their face flushed with anger.
Next to them, a sharp-featured woman fanned herself lightly and spoke with a smirk.
“Well, you know what they say, the one who grabs it first gets to keep it.”
“Isn’t it because you lot kept holding each other back?”
“Then what, should we have just stood idly by, wide-eyed, doing nothing?”
As the argument escalated, someone observing silently finally knocked on the table.
The person wore a headband made of smoke — it was Ryu Wang-jin, the Jecheondae-seong.
“Hey, let’s get one thing straight. Lee Kyu-seong is one of our own. Who do you think you’re trying to snatch away?”
“Ryu Wang-jin! You’re part of the problem too! You keep blocking things like this, and now the Americans are about to snatch him away!”
“Snatch? Are you saying Lee Kyu-seong has actually gone to the U.S.?”
“He’s practically on the verge of being taken!”
At the exasperated outcry, Ryu Wang-jin’s brows furrowed.
Seeing this, the woman sighed and tried to mediate between the two.
“Did we gather here just to fight amongst ourselves? Honestly, every time we meet, it ends like this.”
“Then come up with a solution! Is the Tang Clan just going to sit back and watch?”
The woman’s affiliation became clear.
She was the head of the Tang Clan of Sichuan, seated right there among them.
“Still, there’s a sense of propriety. How could we act before the Tower Guild Master does? Don’t you think?”
“We’ve tolerated it long enough! And now look at us, letting the Americans almost take him while you sit there spouting nonsense about propriety and family ties!”
As Ryu Wang-jin’s mood soured further, the enraged man turned to the Tang Clan leader, shouting.
“I hear even the Tang Clan’s pharmaceutical and poison-related techniques are stagnating! If Lee Kyu-seong had come to China, it might’ve solved your problems too! He’s a plant specialist, after all!”
“That’s enough.”
The woman finally intervened, her fan covering the lower half of her face as her tone turned stern.
But the man, undeterred, continued his tirade.
“This is all because of the Tower Guild’s greed! Is healing Ryu Cheon’s illness all that matters to you? Why hoard all the benefits for yourselves while leaving the rest of us in the dark?”
“Rao Yi.”
Ryu Wang-jin called the man’s name in a low, chilling voice.
Smoke began to swirl ominously, filling the corridor.
“You called this meeting. And now you act this rude?”
Only then did Rao Yi snap out of it, flinching and glancing around nervously.
Then, with a scowl, he muttered, “What’s this? Are you threatening me now?”
“A threat? From me? To you? Hahaha!”
Ryu Wang-jin laughed loudly before rising from his seat.
Even though Rao Yi was a level 8 awakened, he instinctively stepped back under the weight of Ryu Wang-jin’s overwhelming presence.
“If this discussion is over, I’ll take my leave. What a waste of time listening to such pointless chatter.”
“Lee Kyu-seong! Are you just going to leave him like this?”
Rao Yi yelled desperately.
At this, Ryu Wang-jin’s eyes flashed dangerously as he issued a final warning.
“If, by any chance, anyone dares lay a finger on Lee Kyu-seong… I will destroy them with all my might. Remember that.”
“…”
Overwhelmed by the aura, Rao Yi fell silent.
With that, Ryu Wang-jin left the room, followed closely by the Tang Clan leader.
“Guild Master, a moment, please.”
“Hm?”
“Rao Yi’s words were harsh, but shouldn’t we be a little concerned about Lee Kyu-seong? If we don’t act, the U.S. might…”
“There’s no need to worry. Lee Kyu-seong won’t go to the U.S.”
Ryu Wang-jin chuckled softly and continued walking.
As he did, he added, almost as if to himself…
“Tang Clan, if you ever need a connection to Lee Kyu-seong, just let me know. I was already planning to visit Korea soon, so I’ll arrange it in advance.”
“Oh! In that case, may I come along?”
In truth, this had been her primary goal in coming here.
As Rao Yi had mentioned, the Tang Clan was currently facing a difficult situation. Although still one of China’s top ten guilds, their prestige was not what it used to be.
“If you’re willing to take the lead yourself, who am I to stop you?”
“I’ll go personally.”
“Understood.”
“But are you also visiting Korea to prevent the U.S. from making a move, Ryu Wang-jin?”
“Me? I’m going there for leisure.”
“…What?”
In this situation?
The Tang Clan leader’s confusion was met with a mischievous grin as Ryu Wang-jin turned to face her.
“My good friend is there, you see.”
Crunch!
Munch munch.
“Wow, this is delicious!”
At that moment, Ryu Wang-jin’s friend was happily munching on an apple.
***
The location was an apple orchard. After stopping by the Awakener Headquarters, I had come here before heading home.
“Hmm, there’s quite a variety of apple breeds.”
“Right? These days, technology has advanced so much that there are even more varieties. In fact, the advancements in mana stone grafting techniques are outpacing what most farmers can handle,” the orchard owner said, clearly troubled.
Meanwhile, I was busy touching, sniffing, and tasting various apples, comparing their characteristics.
“It seems this variety, which has the least pest concerns, would be the best for a beginner to grow.”
“Hmm, I’ll think about it.”
Slimes are exceptional farmers, unrivaled in their care and cultivation skills. The only concern here was deciding which type to grow.
“I’ll take 20 saplings each of these, and this one, and that one.”
“Got it.”
The orchard owner hesitated briefly, seemingly surprised by my choices, but soon prepared the 20 saplings as requested.
Using Bokkeum, I collected the saplings, a process the orchard owner watched with fascination.
“Wow, are you by chance in the Awakener industry? You’re taking these for research, right?”
“Well, something like that.”
Could this be considered research? Either way, I felt a little excited about purchasing fruit saplings for the first time. While I could’ve had the guild procure the saplings, I wanted to personally select and take the first fruits home myself.
“This is going to be delicious!”
“Yep, I can’t wait.”
With the saplings purchased, we headed back home.
We’d been out all day, and Cheong was probably worried about us.
“We’re back! Cheong!”
As soon as Ara returned, she immediately began looking for Cheong.
Cheong’s icon appeared on the mini-map, resting quietly in the slime village. Guided by the icon, we headed toward the village.
“Shh, you’re here?”
Seon-ah greeted us softly, placing a finger to her lips. She was seated on the floor, with Cheong nestled in her lap, sleeping peacefully like a little angel.
It made sense for her to be tired. We had returned so late. Ara gently stroked Cheong’s hair, gazing lovingly at his sleeping face. Even in his sleep, Cheong smiled faintly at the touch, making him all the more adorable.
We watched him for a while, filled with warmth, before I asked Seon-ah how Cheong had been.
“Was everything okay?”
“Yeah, he was well-behaved. Did you manage to settle things?”
“More or less.”
At that moment, as if hearing our conversation, Cheong stirred awake. His eyes fluttered open, and he began glancing around to see who was there.
When he spotted Ara and me, his face lit up with joy.
“Sis!? Dad!!”
“Awake, are you? Sis is here!”
Ara greeted him with a bright smile, and Cheong’s eyes sparkled with excitement. His joy soon grew so overwhelming that tears began streaming down his face.
“Waaah! Sis!”
“Why are you crying?!”
“I missed you!”
Cheong ran into Ara’s arms, clinging tightly. Ara gently hugged him, stroking his hair to calm him down.
“I missed you too! Did you have fun while I was gone?”
Almost immediately, Cheong stopped crying. Ara had a surprising knack for soothing children.
‘An unexpected talent!’
As I was mulling over this, Cheong wriggled free and toddled over to me with unsteady steps.
“Dad! I missed you!”
“Oh, my little Cheong missed his dad, huh? Come here, that’s it.”
I scooped up the stumbling Cheong and held him close. Ara followed, and I ended up holding them both in a big hug.
“This feels so good! I’m so happy!”
“I’m happy too!”
I joined in their cheerful mood, hugging them tightly and feeling a rush of joy.
What did I do in my past life to deserve such blessings in this one?
“Me too! Hug me too!”
Seon-ah, watching with envy, leapt into the hug.
You’re a grown-up—do you really need to do this?
We laughed together for a while, enjoying each other’s company, before I finally set them down.
“Hug me again?”
Cheong mumbled, clearly disappointed as I put him down. To cheer him up, I brought out Bokkeum.
“Guess what I brought!”
“You brought something amazing!”
At my words, both Seon-ah and Cheong turned their curious eyes toward me.
Seon-ah, in particular, looked full of anticipation.
“What is it? An item? An artifact?”
“Nope, nothing like that.”
Though I had items waiting to be retrieved from the U.S., this wasn’t the time for that. Instead, I pulled out a small tree.
“A tree?”
“It’s a tree!”
Seon-ah and Cheong each reacted differently. Watching their responses, Ara grinned and shouted,
“It’s an apple tree!”
“An apple? Oh, so you finally got some fruit seeds?”
“Apple? What’s an apple?”
The saplings we’d bought were about Ara’s height, and it looked like it would take quite a while before they’d be ready to bear fruit. I’d wanted to get a fully grown apple tree too, but none were for sale, so I had to settle for these saplings.
“Can’t you ask the guild to help?”
“Hmm, I suppose I could. I’ll plant the saplings and try to get a fully grown tree as well.”
Trees grown in dungeons and those already matured in the wild were bound to have differences.
“Let’s plant them tomorrow. It’s bedtime now.”
“I’ve been waiting for Ara and Cheong all day!”
At Seon-ah’s words, I looked down at Cheong, who was gazing up at me with teary, expectant eyes.
“Let’s go to the hot springs together!”
“What’s a hot spring?”
I realized Cheong hadn’t been shown around the dungeon yet. Turning to Seon-ah, she let out a small sigh and explained.
“He’s been too scared to explore without you and Ara. We just spent the whole day checking the fields.”
“I see.”
That made sense, given Cheong’s timid nature. Well, in that case, why not now? A bath before bed sounded like a perfect plan.
“Shall we go for a bath, Cheong?”
“Is it washing my face?”
Cheong tilted his head in confusion. I instinctively glanced at Ara for help, but she only tilted her chin up as if to say, Why are you looking at me?
“It’s not just washing your face! It’s jumping into the water!”
“Is it washing my face?”
“It’s not just washing your face!”
Cheong looked at me with a gaze that seemed to ask, How is this any different from washing my face?
Perhaps Ara’s face-washing technique had left a strong impression on him.
It seemed best to just show her directly.
Gathering the kids, along with the slimes and Kkumuris, we headed to the hot springs.
The humid air and the distinct sulfuric smell of the hot springs greeted us. Cheong, clearly startled by the unfamiliar sight and experience, looked around nervously.
“It’s s-scary!”
“It’s okay!”
Ara immediately took Cheong by the hand and led him to the changing room, helping him get dressed in bath attire.
“They’re both just too cute, aren’t they?”
Seon-ah clasped her hands and trembled with excitement, her eyes sparkling. She then tried to pull out a camera, but I managed to stop her just in time.
“Alright, are you all dressed?”
“Yep!”
“Yes!”
The kids responded cheerfully.
Nearby, the slimes and Kkumuris, fully decked out in all sorts of swim gear, waited quietly for their turn.
“Great! Let’s all go for a bath now, shall we?”
“Yay!!”
“Yes!!”
Leaving the changing room, we first rinsed off in the warm water. The hot springs were expansive, offering a variety of pools with different temperatures.
“Wheee!”
“This feels amazing!”
Together with Seon-ah, we helped the kids get cleaned up and then began fully enjoying the hot springs.
“Hmm?”
At that moment, other guests arrived at the hot springs.
They were fairies.
“Wowww! Sister Frey is here!”
Cliche Novel 