Skipping both departure and entry inspections we quickly arrived at the Skyscraper Guild.
Soon, we were greeted by Yu Bihong and Ryu Cheon.
“It’s been a while,”
Ryu Cheon greeted us curtly.
However, she couldn’t hide the delighted expression in her eyes.
“It’s been a while indeed!”
“Hello, Ara. Oh, and a new face.”
As Ara waved and stepped forward, Ryu Cheon’s cold expression softened with a faint blush.
At the same time, she tilted her head while looking at Cheong, likely someone she was seeing for the first time.
‘I guess it’s been a while since I last saw Ryu Cheon.’
It felt like just yesterday, but I realized I hadn’t seen her even once since Cheong was born.
“This is my brother, Cheong!”
“Yeah, I saw him on YouTube.”
“What? You saw him?!”
Ara looked up at Ryu Cheon in disappointment, as if she had planned to surprise her.
“Ah, now that I think about it, I didn’t.”
“Oh! You didn’t see him?”
Ryu Cheon quickly corrected herself with a knowing smile.
This made Ara delighted, and she began introducing Cheong.
“His name is Cheong! My brother!”
“Hello,”
Ryu Cheon greeted, but Cheong, uncomfortable with a stranger’s greeting, hid behind Ara’s back.
“You can’t do that! You have to respond to greetings!”
“Ah, h-hello…”
After Ara’s scolding, Cheong replied with a voice as faint as an ant’s crawl.
Perhaps finding Cheong’s shy demeanor charming, Ryu Cheon’s eyes softened even more.
“What do you think? Isn’t our Cheong adorable?”
Seon-ah, who had come over at some point, boasted as if showing off.
Ryu Cheon simply nodded absentmindedly, her gaze still softened.
As a mini fan meeting unfolded around Ryu Cheon, Yu Bihong welcomed President Baek.
“Welcome to the Skyscraper Guild.”
“Thank you for your hospitality. You really didn’t need to go to such lengths. Haha.”
Just as Baek Tae-seop said, besides Ryu Cheon and Yu Bihong, an overwhelming crowd had gathered.
There were probably close to a hundred people.
It was undeniably a striking sight.
“You’re very esteemed guests, so we made the effort.”
“Hm, thank you.”
“Shall we proceed? The helicopter is ready over there.”
Wait, did I just hear that wrong?
“Helicopter?”
“Yes, we prepared a helicopter. It seemed like the most convenient way to escort you. Would that be a problem?”
“Ah, no. I’m just a little surprised.”
I glanced to the side to see Seon-ah and Emily looking completely stiff. Well, I could understand Emily, but why was Seon-ah, whom we’ve traveled with before, so frozen?
“I’m scared…”
Oh, there was another frozen one here—Cheong, clutching my pants leg tightly.
Scratching my head, I decided we should head to the helicopter first.
“Shall we?”
“We’ll ensure a smooth ride.”
We were driven to the helipad, which was about a five-minute ride away.
As we arrived, my heart raced at the sight of the helicopter—it was my first time seeing one up close.
“Does it really fly?!”
Ara pointed excitedly at the propellers and began circling the helicopter.
“Does it spin like this to fly?!”
“Exactly, it spins like that to lift off.”
“Wow!!”
Ara was brimming with excitement as Seon-ah and Ryu Cheon stood in identical stances, eagerly filming her.
Despite not exchanging a word, their synchronized actions of pulling out their cameras to record made them seem more like siblings than Seon-ah and I did.
“This is my first time riding a helicopter!”
“It’s my first time too.”
“Wow! Really? It’s your first time, too?!”
Was that something to be so amazed about?
I awkwardly smiled at Emily’s wide-eyed expression of surprise.
What kind of image of me did Emily have in her head, anyway?
We boarded five helicopters, creating an impressive sight.
“What about the others?”
“They’ll be traveling by car, right below us.”
“Huh…”
What an unusual way to travel.
In that case, wasn’t it unnecessary for us to use the helicopter?
Well, what’s done is done. Soon, the helicopter’s engines roared to life, creating noise that was muffled by our headsets.
As the helicopter slowly lifted off, the experience was nothing short of awe-inspiring.
“It’s flying!!”
Ara’s eyes sparkled as she gazed out at the scenery.
An odd thought crossed my mind—if Ara were to fall from here, she’d probably survive somehow.
With that, the helicopter took off.
Opposite me, Ryu Cheon, seemingly accustomed to helicopters, showed no reaction and simply kept recording Ara with her camera.
The ride didn’t take long.
It seemed the helicopter journey was worth it; while the others were stuck in traffic below, we arrived first.
“This is my first time visiting the Skyscraper Guild as well. It’s truly impressive. The scale is beyond imagination.”
Baek Tae-seop remarked in admiration.
From the helicopter, we had an aerial view of the Skyscraper Guild’s grounds, which explained why they opted for helicopter travel.
During the ride, they also explained the site’s details, making it feel like a guided tour.
“The guild leader is inside.”
“Let’s go.”
Baek Tae-seop and his entourage moved ahead.
My group and I followed closely behind.
“Mr. Kyu-seong.”
“Hm? Yes, what is it?”
At that moment, Yu Bihong, who was walking ahead, slowed her steps and approached us.
“I heard your sister recently awakened. I understand her ability is communication. Is that correct?”
“Ah! Yes, that’s correct. My sister always wanted to become a monster veterinarian, and now she has a fitting ability,”
I said proudly, making Seon-ah blush.
But why was he asking me this when the person in question was right here?
As I pondered whether their relationship had soured since the last dungeon trip, Yu Bihong leaned in to whisper.
“Would it be possible to bring sister later for a bit of assistance?”
“Of course. Is it related to monsters?”
“Yes, it is.”
It didn’t seem like a difficult request.
I readily nodded in agreement, and Yu Bihong expressed her gratitude before heading back to the front.
“Why did she ask me instead of you? She could’ve spoken to you directly.”
“Because you’re our group’s representative, right?”
“Oh. That makes sense. My sister has grown more thoughtful than I expected.”
“Whatever.”
Soon, we arrived at the massive hall we had visited before.
This was where Ara received her tiger-print pajamas as a gift. I had packed them for this trip.
Step, step.
A towering man seated on a throne-like chair noticed us and started walking over.
A wide smile spread across his face as he approached.
“Oh! Sonogon!”
Ara, really? Last time, you called him “Sonogong,” but now it’s just “Sonogon”?
Ryu Cheon couldn’t hold back his laughter at Ara’s mispronunciation.
Simultaneously, the guild leader Ryu Wang-jin bellowed in a thunderous voice.
“It’s Songoku, not Sonogong!”
“Hello, Songoku friend!”
Ara, undeterred, greeted him loudly.
Ryu Wang-jin ignored Baek Tae-seop and his entourage, striding directly toward Ara, kneeling on one knee to meet her eye level.
“Hello, friend!”
“How have you been?”
“Hahaha! I’ve been doing very well!”
Shaking Ara’s tiny hand with one finger, Ryu Wang-jin burst into hearty laughter.
Then, he looked up at me with a broad grin.
“How have you been?!”
“I’ve been well, thank you.”
“I’ve heard updates about you!”
“Oh, now that I think about it, I owe you thanks. I understand you’ve helped me out a few times.”
“Good to know you’re not ungrateful!”
Whether it was the European Union affair or the involvement with the U.S., I knew Ryu Wang-jin and the Skyscraper Guild had helped me behind the scenes.
Thanks to them, I had resolved many issues without major problems.
“I hope this visit brings you joy and comfort!”
“Thank you for your hospitality.”
After the greetings, Ryu Wang-jin individually acknowledged Seon-ah, Emily, and Cheong with a nod before turning to Baek Tae-seop.
The two leaders exchanged formal pleasantries before delving into business.
It seemed like the discussions could get dull, so Ryu Cheon kindly led our group outside.
“Is it okay for us to leave?”
“This is a negotiation between the two organizations, so it’s fine.”
“Ah, it would be impolite for us to stay, then.”
With that, we headed to our accommodations, where we’d be staying for a few days.
The rooms, reminiscent of five-star hotel suites, were spacious enough for seven or eight people to live in comfortably. And yet, each of us was given one.
My room.
Seon-ah’s room.
Emily’s room.
However, feeling it was excessive, we decided to stay together in one room.
“Are you sure you’re okay with that?”
“Yes, it seems better this way.”
If we had to divide, Seon-ah and Emily could share one room, and the rest of us could use another…
“Are you trying to hog Ara for yourself? What about Cheong?!”
Thanks to Seon-ah’s reaction, we decided to stay in one room together.
The room was so large that it didn’t feel cramped at all.
“I’ll come back later.”
Ryu Cheon reluctantly glanced at Ara and Cheong before leaving.
We took some time to rest.
Exploring every corner of the room, we marveled at the attached swimming pool.
The breathtaking view from the windows was also impressive.
It revealed a sprawling natural landscape—not ordinary nature but one that resembled a dungeon.
“It feels like a dungeon.”
“Exactly!”
The scenery appeared to replicate a dungeon’s environment, distinct from the gluttony dungeon.
We even spotted monsters seemingly undergoing domestication, wandering leisurely in the distance.
“Wow.”
“Amazing!”
While we stood on the balcony, admiring the view, the kids, still full of energy, splashed around in the pool.
They never seemed to tire of playing in water, even though they did it every day at home.
Well, swimming pools do feel different.
Enjoying an impromptu luxury vacation, we indulged in room service and relaxed until we heard a knock on the door.
Knock, knock.
“Yes! Come in!”
The door opened, and Yu Bihong stepped in.
“Apologies for keeping you waiting.”
“Not at all. We’ve been relaxing comfortably, thanks to you.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Are we heading out now?”
“If you need more rest, I can return later.”
“No, it’s fine! Let’s go. Are we meeting Guild Leader Ryu Wang-jin?”
“Yes. More precisely, we’re heading to where the domesticated monsters are.”
“Could it be the area visible from the window?”
“That’s correct.”
Yu Bihong nodded with a smile.
“Wow, it wasn’t this extensive when we came last time. It’s impressive.”
“Back then, it was still under construction. It was completed just a month ago, allowing us to release the monsters.”
Their technology, resources, and execution were unmatched.
I couldn’t imagine the effort it took to recreate such a vast area with dungeon-like conditions.
Moreover, adapting dungeon plants to Earth must have been a significant challenge.
Even if they could survive, they wouldn’t reproduce, requiring constant replacement of dead plants.
‘They must be pouring money into this.’
With such thoughts, we followed Yu Bihong, bringing the kids along.
Cliche Novel 