Jeong So-yeon, who came to enjoy a retreat, suddenly felt sweat forming on her forehead.
She naturally wiped it off with the back of her hand and adjusted the work gloves on her hands properly.
Then, she got onto the rail cart along with the materials she had diligently transported.
“Whew!”
Anyone watching might wonder why she was working so hard instead of resting, but Jeong So-yeon was thoroughly enjoying her healing time.
The satisfaction of seeing the farm she was helping to build with her own hands.
In fact, Kyu-seong, as a token of appreciation for her help, let her choose a pig.
Because of that, she could also feel the fulfillment of personally constructing a home for her livestock.
‘How long has it been since I sweated over something other than dungeon hunts?’
As a high-level Awakener, she possessed physical strength and endurance far beyond that of ordinary people.
However, even she couldn’t help but sweat while building shelters and fences for the livestock.
“Maybe it’s because I’m using muscles I don’t usually use.”
Indeed, manual labor wasn’t something just anyone could do.
That was what Jeong So-yeon thought, but anyone who saw the amount of work she had done would have no choice but to sweat as well.
She had single-handedly moved loads equivalent to thirty carts.
That meant she had transported approximately 9,000 kg—9 tons—all by herself.
She had simply gotten so caught up in the excitement of working that she unknowingly ended up carrying most of the load alone.
—Creak!
“What? Is this for me?”
—Creak!
“Thanks.”
A goblin, who was also on the cart, handed her a bottle of water, as if to say thank you for the help.
Gulp, gulp.
“Ahh.”
Jeong So-yeon let out a satisfied sigh, just like a man chugging down a cold beer.
The refreshing sensation was incredible.
Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t just plain water—it had a faintly sweet aroma she had tasted once before.
Not only that, but something else seemed to have been added, giving it a crisp scent, probably some tea leaves harvested earlier.
“How can even the water here taste this good?”
—Kiruk?
After finishing the water, she remained seated on the cart, enjoying the surrounding scenery.
The breeze passing by at a comfortable speed, combined with the breathtaking natural landscape, made her feel utterly relaxed.
The dreamy sky, along with the vibrant colors of the scenery, made it feel perfect to simply sit on the cart and do nothing.
About ten minutes passed like that.
Before she knew it, Jeong So-yeon had arrived at Nyang Village.
Reluctantly pushing aside her lingering attachment to the ride, she began unloading the cargo.
From this point, she would have to carry the materials herself to the location where the fence was to be built.
—Kang! Kang!
—Kang!
The gnolls, who had been waiting in advance, let out cries as if to say, “You’ve worked hard, leave the rest to us now.”
“Aww, so cute.”
The sight of these adorable creatures stepping forward confidently, as if to reassure her, was incredibly endearing.
Watching them, she suddenly thought of the children at the orphanage and made a mental note to ask Kyu-seong about them when she got the chance.
“I’ll help you, guys.”
Jeong So-yeon helped the gnolls secure the load, then stacked a bunch of materials on her own back.
“Let’s go!”
—Kang! Kang!
The goblins who had come with her waved goodbye before hopping onto their cart and heading back to the mines.
Jeong So-yeon waved back at them before setting off with the construction materials on her shoulders.
“Oh, So-yeon! You don’t have to do it like that.”
Kyu-seong appeared, approaching from the other side.
He was using Woofy and Purr to transport the materials.
As expected of high-ranking monsters, they were effortlessly carrying the heavy loads.
“For Romrom’s sake, this much is nothing.”
“Romrom? Ah, you decided on a name?”
“Yes. From now on, it’s Romrom.”
The particularly large wild boar that Jeong So-yeon had chosen.
According to Lee Seon-ah, it was probably the leader of its herd.
Since she had to pick just one, she went with the most impressive-looking one.
“How are they doing? Are they adjusting well?”
“They love it. They were already doing fine, but after moving to this humid terrain, they’ve been having a blast—taking mud baths, bouncing around all over the place.”
“Wow! I can’t wait to see them!”
Since Kyu-seong and Seon-ah had just finished moving the boars, Jeong So-yeon was eager to check on them.
After finishing their conversation, they resumed moving, and before long, they arrived at the pasture where the boars were kept.
—Woof!
Small puppies were energetically running around, blocking the boars from straying beyond their territory.
Surprisingly, the boars obediently followed their warnings.
‘They’re much more docile than they look.’
Of course, that was just a temporary illusion.
Normally, they were quiet, but when hungry, they became more ferocious than anything else—terrifying beasts with razor-sharp fangs.
However, at least in Kyu-seong’s dungeon, they never had a reason to act violently.
“Ah! So-yeon! Great job. Whoa, you brought so much! As expected of a Level 6 Awakener.”
“I’m Level 7 now.”
“What?! When?! When did you reach Level 7?! Why didn’t you tell me?!”
Jeong So-yeon and Lee Seon-ah, who were the same age, had grown quite close.
“A few days ago. Five days ago, I think? That’s why I was able to take such a long break.”
“Wow, congratulations! So it was just a few days ago. I’ve been so swamped with work that I completely missed it.”
“It’s okay. It’s partly my fault for not saying anything. Honestly, I was a little overwhelmed by all the attention, so I just celebrated quietly and moved on.”
Lee Seon-ah smiled warmly at Jeong So-yeon, who spoke shyly.
She looked at her as if she were an adorable younger sister.
“Aww, is that what happened, our little So-yeon?”
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Nothing, nothing. You’re just so cute, that’s all.”
As they chatted, goblins and gnolls busily started using the construction materials they had brought.
Soon, even the little Kkumuris joined in, moving large stones and wooden planks with their tiny bodies, constructing something.
It was the barn design that Lee Seon-ah had discussed in advance.
For now, they were focusing on laying out the basic framework.
Clang, clang.
They began groundwork for the railway tracks.
With the fence team, the barn team, and the railway team, three separate groups worked diligently.
“So impressive.”
Despite their cute appearances, these creatures were working together in perfect coordination, which was quite touching to witness.
Before long, even the shepherd dogs and boars had gathered to watch.
—Kiruk.
—Kang, kang, kang.
Were they actually communicating?
The work progressed as if they were exchanging conversations.
—Meow, meow, meow!
“Oh! The cats are here too!”
By the time some of the foundational construction was underway, reinforcements arrived.
It was the cat blacksmiths sent by Kyu-seong.
Although the gnolls and goblins were not entirely unskilled, they were not as specialized in craftsmanship as the cats.
As soon as the feline reinforcements joined in, the pace of work accelerated significantly.
“Great job, everyone.”
Kyu-seong, who had been working hard alongside Woofy and Purr, suddenly arrived with a group of rabbits.
“It’s snack time.”
—Kirik!
—Kang!
—Miyang.
A snack was prepared right on the spot.
What was once an empty field quickly transformed into a lavish buffet.
“…I always feel this way, but your brother is truly incredible.”
“My brother? I can’t accept that.”
Letting Seon-ah’s words pass through one ear, Jeong So-yeon simply enjoyed the buffet.
To think that in the middle of nowhere, a meal even better than a Michelin 3-star dish was being served in an instant.
This made working truly enjoyable.
“So-yeon.”
“Yes?”
Jeong So-yeon, whose cheeks were puffed out from eating so enthusiastically, lifted her head at the sudden call.
“You don’t have to overdo it. The kids see this as a kind of play, and there’s no need to rush the work either.”
“I’m doing it because I enjoy it! It feels like I’m building the village myself, and it’s really fun.”
“Haha. I understand that feeling well. But still, don’t feel pressured to push yourself. You can take a break anytime, even soak in the hot springs if you’d like.”
“Hot springs…”
Jeong So-yeon imagined it.
The feeling of finishing her work with satisfaction and then unwinding in a warm hot spring.
Since she had been sweating a lot and using her body extensively, it felt like soaking in the hot springs after work would be nothing short of heaven.
—Heheng.
At that moment, a Kkumuri approached and tugged at Kyu-seong’s pants.
Wondering what was going on, he turned his head and saw that one of the livestock shelters had already been completed.
“Wow, you guys already built it? That’s amazing!”
—Heheng.
No wonder the Kkumuri, who loved food, hadn’t been eating their snacks.
They must have been so close to finishing that they decided to complete it first.
After roughly filling their stomachs, Kyu-seong and his group headed toward the completed shelter.
As Seon-ah had mentioned, the structure was designed for optimal ventilation, but the interior was still empty.
“Wow! This is amazing.”
The shelter was large enough to comfortably house twenty wild boars.
In reality, all ninety-three could fit inside, but there was no need to cram them in.
They had plenty of land, plenty of building materials, and plenty of manpower.
Anticipating that more piglets would be captured in the future, they decided to construct ten additional shelters in advance.
“There’s no need to rush. They’re all doing fine as it is.”
The purpose of the shelters was to make livestock management easier and provide comfort for the boars.
As soon as the shelter was built inside the grazing area, some of the boars began showing interest.
Among them was Romrom, the leader boar that now belonged to Jeong So-yeon.
Romrom seemed the most curious, peering around at every corner.
“Oh, it’s going in!”
Before they knew it, Romrom slipped through the entrance of the boar shelter.
“Ah, we should spread some straw inside.”
Just in time, Bokkeum had brought in a large amount of straw.
They immediately laid it down inside, near where Romrom was exploring.
—Kkuik.
Romrom let out a pleased sound, as if approving of the arrangement.
Seeing that, Jeong So-yeon happily patted Romrom.
“Make yourself comfortable here, okay, Romrom?”
—Kkuik.
Romrom, much larger than the other wild boars—almost the size of a large dog—enjoyed the affectionate pats like an excited pet.
Watching this, Seon-ah narrowed her eyes slightly.
“Why are you looking at it like that?”
Kyu-seong asked, and instead of answering, Seon-ah stepped closer to Romrom and started inspecting something.
“It’s too fat.”
“Hey, that’s rude.”
“No, I’m not joking. This is…”
At first, Kyu-seong was playing along, but when he saw Seon-ah’s serious expression, his own face stiffened slightly.
“Is there a problem?”
Jeong So-yeon also asked with a concerned look, but Seon-ah shook her head.
“It’s not a problem… Hmm, I could be mistaken, but I think Romrom is pregnant.”
“…What?!”
Kyu-seong and Jeong So-yeon were both shocked by Seon-ah’s unexpected statement.
“Our Romrom isn’t a male?”
“Pregnant?!”
They had both assumed Romrom was a male, but Seon-ah shook her head and corrected them.
“Romrom is actually the alpha female.”
“Gasp.”
“And I’m pretty sure she’s expecting.”
Kyu-seong and Jeong So-yeon exchanged stunned glances before their faces lit up with joy.
“This is great news!”
“She’s having babies?! Wow, our Romrom is going to be a mom?”
After carefully examining Romrom and even using her Awakener abilities to communicate, Seon-ah nodded firmly.
“It’s certain. No wonder her belly looked bigger—I knew my eyes weren’t wrong.”
“Amazing!”
“But this will be Romrom’s first birth, so she needs extra care.”
“Of course! I’ll take good care of her! I’ll come by every day after work! That’s okay, right, Kyu-seong?”
Seeing Jeong So-yeon’s sparkling eyes, Kyu-seong smiled warmly and nodded.
“Of course.”
“Yay! Romrom, I’ll take care of you. Let’s have healthy babies, okay?”
An unexpected blessing.
The dungeon was about to welcome new life.
Cliche Novel 