Contrary to his initial expectations, Kyu-seong found himself among a bustling crowd.
For him, the main task was simply to watch over Kyler’s daughter, or rather, Nathan’s niece, so he wasn’t particularly bothered.
However, he was worried about whether the true identities of Mammon or Ras would be revealed.
Despite their attempts at disguises, looking awkward was inevitable.
“Namoo Amitabul…?” Kyu-seong tried not to think about it.
Since they were all on the same plane, there was nothing he could do but leave it to fate.
“Hello, you must be Cheong?”
“Ah, ah, hello.”
The guild members, who had already received a brief about the familiars and had registered them, pretended to recognize Kyu-seong’s familiars.
Ara was busy chatting with familiar people, while Cheong clung to Kyu-seong’s sleeve and hid behind him.
Ras had been lying sprawled out, entrusting his fluffy body to his surroundings.
Mammon… stealthily stayed hidden behind Kyu-seong with Cheong.
Unlike Cheong, who showed some curiosity, Mammon tried to hide completely out of sight.
Kyu-seong turned his head cautiously and saw Mammon looking extremely panicked, wondering what to do.
‘Can’t help it.’
The solution was simple: spread a perception-inhibiting toxin.
Despite feeling guilty about drugging his colleagues, it was harmless to humans and simply kept them from recognizing Mammon.
Fortunately, there was no one present who could resist or neutralize Mammon’s poison.
‘Does such a person even exist on Earth?’
He pondered briefly but thought there must be someone.
Anyway, Kyu-seong had ordered the use of the toxin just as the plane was about to take off.
The toxin, naturally dispersing, only made Mammon unrecognizable.
“Phew.”
“It must be tough managing so many kids,” said Choi Sung-hyuk, misunderstanding Kyu-seong’s sigh of relief.
“Ah! No, it’s just that I sighed because we’re finally starting.”
“Do you travel overseas often?”
“Not much, but I’ve been going abroad consecutively recently. I’m getting a bit used to it now.”
“That’s good,” Choi Sung-hyuk smiled, prompting Kyu-seong to ask a question he’d been curious about.
“But Mr. Seong-hyuk, I was quite surprised, or rather, very surprised that you suddenly joined us. How did it happen?”
“Ah, it’s nothing special. I also had business in the USA, but I had been putting it off. When I heard about Mr. Kyu-seong, I decided to join him.”
Choi Sung-hyuk, contrary to his formidable nickname ‘The Exterminator,’ smiled innocently.
“By the way, Mr. Kyu-seong.”
“Yes?”
“May I also touch one of your familiars?”
“Pardon?”
Taken aback by the unexpected request, Kyu-seong eventually nodded.
“Of course.”
“Haha! Thank you. I’ve actually wanted to pet Mr. Kyu-seong’s familiar since earlier, but I hesitated because I’m an outsider…”
Kyu-seong squinted his eyes at his overly polite demeanor.
‘Blinding.’
How could someone be so perfect?
Choi Sung-hyuk was a perfect Awakener, from his looks to his abilities and personality.
However, there was something he lacked.
‘My kids are cuter than him.’
Kyu-seong indulged in a mental victory in a strange place.
Thus, during the 10-hour flight to the USA, Choi Sung-hyuk could freely pet Ras.
“Welcome.”
Upon arrival, they were welcomed by U.S. government officials.
People rushed to meet them as they disembarked the plane, quickly ushering them into a luxurious limousine.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Terence Laird,” said the man, extending his hand to Kyu-seong as soon as he recognized him.
Kyu-seong, somewhat taken aback, shook his hand.
“Hello. You speak Korean very well.”
“I can speak eight languages.”
“Wow.”
Eight languages! Truly an elite talent.
However, compared to Ara, who could even understand the language of monsters…
Kyu-seong was lost in thought when Terence started to explain the schedule.
“If you wish, we can head directly to the clinic. Your accommodations are nearby, so you can rest immediately after checking in.”
“Ah, shall we do that then?”
There was no reason to delay.
Kyu-seong decided to visit the clinic where Kyler’s daughter was staying right away.
After another 10 hours of flying and about 4 hours of travel, they reached the clinic located in a quiet neighborhood.
Despite its remote location, the clinic was remarkably well-equipped, resembling a cutting-edge research facility bustling with people.
“This clinic is operated with all of Director Nathan’s personal fortune,” Terence explained.
“Ah.”
After touring the clinic, they went straight to see a child named Emily.
Emily, the daughter of Level 9 Awakener Kyler and niece of Nathan, the director of the U.S. Intelligence Agency, was a mere 10 years old despite her impressive titles.
“Hello!”
“Oh? Korean…”
“How’s my Korean? Isn’t it awkward?”
The lively child, speaking unexpectedly in Korean, greeted Kyu-seong and his familiars.
While Terence waited outside the room, Emily continued.
“I received a call that you were coming to treat me from Korea!”
“Yes, we’ll have to see about the treatment…”
“I love Korea! K-POP! I like dramas and movies too. Hehe.”
Could she really be sick?
Kyu-seong felt a pang in his heart at Emily’s bubbly demeanor, which made it hard to believe she was suffering from an incurable disease.
“I am Ara.”
“Ara? Hello? I’m Emily.”
“Emily, how come you speak Korean so well?”
“I studied on my own! I want to visit Korea someday!”
“Oh! That’s great! I’ll show you around when you visit!”
Ara cheered, and Emily, with a bright smile, hugged her.
“I’d love that! Please show me around!”
“Sure!”
Afterwards, Ara slowly introduced the other children.
Each time, Emily’s eyes sparkled with delight.
-Pet me.
Ras seemed to be getting fed up with being petted, as Kyu-seong sat down.
Emily sat opposite him and began petting Ras, who lay on the bed.
-Nice.
“So soft. I want to have a puppy too.”
-I am not a puppy. I am a mighty playmate.
“Emily, can I hear about how you’re feeling unwell?”
Kyu-seong had seen the report about Emily on the way, but he wanted to hear it from her directly.
“Hmm, it, it always hurts.”
“Always hurts?”
“Yes. Everything hurts. When I move, when I talk, when I blink, when I breathe.”
“Ah.”
What could these symptoms be?
According to the clinic’s opinion, it was due to a newly discovered gene, but it was all very ambiguous.
‘A new gene never seen before.’
The report even mentioned the term “new human” for such a unique gene that had never existed in humans, or indeed on Earth, before.
However, the role of this gene has not been clearly determined, and it seems to be harming Emily’s body.
The clinic regarded it as a type of virus.
“Hmm, can Cheong check it?”
“Yes.”
Cheong stepped forward timidly, clearly nervous about meeting someone his own age for the first time, though he looked much younger.
“Hello?”
“Ah, ah, hello, I’m nervous.”
Emily laughed out loud at Cheong’s words as he swallowed his nervousness.
“Don’t be nervous!”
“Right! I’m okay!”
Encouraged by Ara and Emily, Cheong cautiously moved closer after briefly making eye contact with Emily as if asking for permission, then touched her.
“Wow, this feels strange.”
Despite saying her whole body was in pain, Emily did not show it and smiled.
Cheong touched Emily’s arm and closed his eyes.
“Ingo.”
“Ingo.”
-Ah! I was Ingo!
Did you call me?
Mammon had forgotten that outside they had agreed to call him Ingo.
“Can you make a painkiller?”
-Of course! My poison is all-purpose!
Mammon spoke confidently.
Kyu-seong, just in case, asked for an all-purpose painkiller that wouldn’t cause any side effects.
Shortly after Mammon produced the painkiller, Cheong opened his eyes.
“It’s peculiar.”
“Peculiar?”
“Um, I can’t solve this alone. I’m sorry.”
Cheong looked troubled.
Then he clenched his fists and approached Kyu-seong.
“But it’s not without a solution!”
“Can you cure it?”
“Um, cure? It’s not a cure.”
“What do you mean?”
Kyu-seong and a slightly pale Emily looked puzzled by Cheong’s cryptic words.
“Um, a cure is to remove something bad, right?”
“Uh? Uh.”
“What’s in Sister Emily’s body isn’t bad.”
“Really?”
Kyu-seong nodded at Cheong’s unexpected opinion.
But Emily, feeling the explanation was insufficient, pressed Cheong.
“Why isn’t it bad? It hurts so much.”
“It doesn’t match her body. Um, ah! Her body needs to become stronger! Then it won’t hurt as much!”
Cheong exclaimed with a bright face.
Then he pointed at me.
“You need to become like dad!”
“Like me?”
“Yes! Sister So-yeon! Dad! Sister Ara is stronger, but no.”
“Uh? That’s….”
Could Cheong be suggesting that Emily needs to awaken?
Kyu-seong thought it made sense and decided to ask about it just in case.
“Emily, do you know what awakening is?”
“Of course! Who doesn’t know about awakening?”
“Have you ever tried to awaken?”
“Me? How do you do that?”
Awakening wasn’t something you could just decide to do.
It often required exposing oneself to mana or dungeons, and it couldn’t be forced.
Since Kyu-seong had awakened his synthetic liquid abilities in that way.
‘It’s unlikely they’d make Emily, who is already in pain, do that.’
Then… Should they try to awaken Emily?
But how?
“……Ah!”
“Did you find a way!?”
Ara asked excitedly.
However, Kyu-seong couldn’t help but frown for a moment.
“Forced awakening… golden crop?”
The golden carrot he had harvested just once.
Although it didn’t explicitly state it caused awakening, its ability to increase magical power made it seem plausible.
However, the issue was that golden crops couldn’t just be harvested whenever one wanted…
‘What if I use Soo’s spiritual blessing ability and spend more time pouring it into the field?’
It was a long shot but seemed like the most likely possibility.
With Cheong’s ability unable to provide an immediate cure, it was worth taking a chance on the golden crop.
Cliche Novel 