After safely completing the mermaids’ relocation, we emerged onto land.
However, when we thought about returning, it didn’t seem like the airport would be operating properly.
“But what about the plane?”
“Don’t worry. It’s not like there’s only one airport.”
I subtly turned my gaze to check on Levi.
—Shhh.
Levi was quietly nestled in Ara’s arms, looking just like a doll.
A doll that makes a sound when squeezed.
Back then, Soo used to be in that spot.
We boarded the waiting vehicle and headed to another airport instead of King Fahd Airport.
“There’s Bahrain International Airport nearby, but it seems to be paralyzed as well. We may have to go to King Khalid International Airport instead.”
One of Hassan’s subordinates, who was driving, spoke.
“I’ve been swimming in the sea all this time, so I’m exhausted. I guess I can finally get some rest.”
It was also past the children’s nap time, so as soon as everyone got in the car, they fell into a deep sleep.
Despite possessing immense power and abilities, their actions made them seem no different from kids.
—Bzzzz.
Watching them sleep so soundly, even Hassan nodded his head.
“Let’s head to King Khalid.”
“It will take about four hours. Please rest comfortably.”
Thinking that we had finally decided on our destination and could now relax, I leaned back in my seat…
—Ring-ring.
—Ring-ring.
Hassan’s and my phones started ringing.
Hassan checked his phone first, frowned, and then answered.
When I checked mine, I saw that it was a call from Guild Leader Han Seok-joon.
‘Caught.’
I had momentarily forgotten about it because of the Envy Dungeon.
But Level 8 dungeon break had occurred.
In terms of world history, it was almost on the level of a world war—or perhaps even worse.
And yet, I had resolved it in less than 30 minutes.
If I were in their position, I wouldn’t be able to ignore it either.
“Hello?”
—Kyu-seong, it’s me. Are you enjoying your trip?
The guild leader casually asked about my well-being.
However, it wasn’t difficult to figure out his true intentions.
After all, I had informed him that I was traveling to Saudi Arabia.
And now, an incident had occurred there.
The fact that he even brought up my trip made it obvious.
“Haha… Yes, I’m doing well.”
—That’s good to hear. Please take care and return safely.
“Thank you for your concern.”
He was an incredibly busy man, yet he took the time to call me personally…
Of course, I had caused quite a stir, so it was understandable.
After the brief call ended, I noticed that Hassan was still on the phone.
And from the way he occasionally glanced at me, it seemed to be related to me.
‘Not like I can ignore this either.’
It was just bad luck.
Who could have predicted that something like that would happen right where I arrived?
“Hmph.”
After hanging up, Hassan shook his head.
“The prime minister we met earlier and the people from Isthart are discreetly asking about you. Fortunately, it seems they haven’t revealed that you were the one who resolved the situation. They’re likely keeping it a secret because it benefits them as well.”
“How long will it take for things to quiet down?”
“There’s hardly anything money can’t solve. In about six months, it should settle down.”
“S-Six months…”
I should live as discreetly as possible.
Some people might crave this kind of fame, but I was the complete opposite.
After that, I had various discussions with Hassan and Kyler, gathering their opinions on how to handle things and what to do next.
Before we knew it, we had arrived at the airport.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Oh! Not at all. You did the hard work driving.”
The airport was packed with people.
It felt like everyone was desperately trying to flee.
Although the break had ended, the lingering anxiety was evident.
Honestly, if I were in their shoes, I wouldn’t believe that such a historic-level break had been resolved in just 30 minutes either.
Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait long since we were taking Hassan’s private jet.
Soon, we were headed straight to Hassan’s city, where the portal to the dungeon was located.
I was eager to check on the mermaids and see if they were doing well.
***
In Chiyon, a festival was in full swing to welcome the new immigrants.
“You’ve been through so much!”
“Waaaah! Welcome!”
“Hehe! It’s great to meet you!”
“Thank you so much for the warm welcome!”
The residents and the newcomers exchanged bright, innocent smiles.
If Kyu-seong had seen it, he would’ve looked away, saying it felt like his brain was being cleansed.
The relocated survivors were assigned their homes one by one and were happily enjoying the festival.
Meanwhile, the representatives of the newcomers gathered to talk with Choro and the ten-member scouting party.
“So, you’re saying there are more survivors to the north of your original location?”
“Technically, that’s just where we encountered them. But I believe they’re likely in that vicinity.”
“Hmm, understood. We should ask the Goddess for guidance on this.”
Recently, Verna had been proving quite useful as a reconnaissance scout for the little humans.
It seemed trivial, but since the residents genuinely appreciated her work, she was growing more enthusiastic.
And if both sides were benefiting, then that was a good thing, right?
“Choro.”
“Yes, Captain?”
“As more immigrants arrive, the city will eventually become too small.”
“Hmm, you’re right.”
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to prepare in advance.”
“I agree. Let’s start preparations.”
Choro had recently learned from Kyu-seong that the more people followed him, the stronger he became.
Even if that weren’t the case, he had always intended to save as many survivors as possible.
But knowing that it would also help Kyu-seong motivated him even more.
“Captain, Kkaebae, Totto, the three of you will stay here and prepare for the new immigrants. The rest of us will search for survivors.”
“Oh!”
“Understood!”
The little humans split into their respective teams and got to work.
City Construction Team.
Survivor Search Team.
Monster Capture Team.
Each was an essential role.
The three teams were interconnected in a way that benefited one another.
This system was also established based on Kyu-seong’s advice.
“Mr. Choro! Mr. Choro!”
“What is it?”
“We’ve captured the approaching Pudanak! We were going to report the monster sighting first, but we managed to capture them faster than expected…”
“Well done.”
When they went to check, they found ten captured Pudanak.
Additionally, several other captured monsters were being held in storage.
As they observed the situation, Choro spoke up.
“Captain, how about improving the storage for captured monsters? Keeping them in such dark and cramped conditions could pose a danger to our soldiers.”
“That’s a great idea. Let’s draft up some blueprints right away.”
Chiyon was developing so rapidly that its progress was visible day by day.
Now that there was some breathing room, they were even restoring a fountain in the middle of the city.
“Hehe.”
If Kyu-seong saw the residents simply enjoying themselves, he would probably hold his forehead and shake his head, but that was part of their charm.
Fortunately, Choro was there to maintain balance with his level-headedness.
At that moment—
—Gasp!
While eagerly devouring her meal, Verna suddenly froze in shock.
Everyone turned to look at her, wondering what had happened.
Verna trembled as she mumbled.
—T-The sixth sin has been collected…
Though she was practically part of Kyu-seong’s team already, she still refused to admit it.
Her face turned pale as she sensed the presence of another sin emanating from Kyu-seong.
‘N-No, this is bad. I need to contact the other Seven Virtues immediately!’
“Goddess? Isn’t it past bedtime? What’s wrong?”
—Contact! I must contact them!
Meanwhile, Kyu-seong had safely returned home.
And just as Verna had said, he was currently receiving his reward for conquering the sixth Seven Deadly Sin.
***
—Shhhh.
Upon returning home, Levi blinked its large eyes, curiously taking in the surroundings.
For Levi’s sake, Ara was busily building a small pool.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
She dug into the ground with incredible force.
Soon, she connected it to a stream, completing a refreshing pool.
“It’ll take some time.”
“Ughhh.”
Despite digging the pool, the water had turned murky.
It would probably take a while for the dirt to settle and the ground to adjust before it could be used properly.
—Shhh!
But Levi didn’t care at all and immediately jumped into the pool Ara had made.
Splash!
Come to think of it, compared to where he used to live, even this muddy water must be much cleaner.
—Shhh!
Levi smiled happily.
Seeing that, Ara got excited and threw herself into the pool as well.
“Kyahaha!”
—Shhh.
Watching them play so joyfully felt heartwarming.
The other kids had gone to check on the work they had neglected for the past few days.
Or rather, they were taking a well-deserved break.
Even though they were strong, venturing outside after so long must have been mentally exhausting.
‘I’m exhausted, too.’
I had returned to the dungeon safely, but I should lay low for at least a month.
I didn’t want to get involved with Saudi Arabia, Isthart, or anything else.
There was even a chance that I could have crossed paths with other ninth-tier Awakeners, but I wanted no part of that.
“I’m going to live peacefully.”
But before that!
I had to check my quest rewards.
[!!Special Hidden Quest!!: Seven Deadly Sins]
Gluttony has begun its conquest! Conquer the remaining Seven Deadly Sins!
Pride: X
Greed: 0
Envy: 0
Wrath: 0
Lust: 0
Sloth: 0
Wow, all of the Seven Deadly Sins except for Pride had been marked.
Now that only one remained, what kind of reward would I receive?
‘It must be a portal connecting to the outside, right?’
Technically, my guess was only half correct.
What do I mean by that?
[You have received the Demon King’s Dimensional Portal.]
[You can install one portal that connects to a random dimension.]
“Eh?”
It was a portal.
And it did lead outside.
But the “outside” wasn’t our dimension.
“Is it similar to the one Choro has?”
No matter how I thought about it, that seemed like the only possibility.
The difference was that Choro’s portal connected to the Demon King’s location, while mine was randomly linked.
There was also another question.
Did the portal connect to a random dimension every time it was used, or was it fixed to the first location it opened?
“Hmm.”
For now, I had received it.
But I couldn’t install it just yet.
How should I use this?
I should probably seek some advice.
I’d ask my Seven Deadly Sin kids and Kyler.
I should gather them all and discuss it.
But since everyone was exhausted today, I’d let them rest first.
For now, I had something else to check.
“I wonder if the mermaids are doing well?”
It had only been a few hours, but I was curious to see how they were adjusting.
It was also a good chance to introduce them to my parents and Emily.
“Ara, should we take Levi to the sea?”
“Ooooo!!! That’s a great idea! Levi, there’s a much bigger and better place than this!”
—Shhh?
Levi tilted its head, reluctant to leave the water.
Levi already seemed to love this place, and probably couldn’t even imagine that there was a better place than this.
That reaction only made Ara more excited as she scooped up the squirming Levi and carried him out of the water.
—Shhh!
“Hehe. Don’t worry. There’s an even better place.”
Did my eyes deceive me?
For a moment, Ara looked downright mischievous.
“If you don’t like it, we can come back. And it’s just a quick step through the portal.”
—Shhh…
Heh, heh. You may look sullen now.
But will you still feel that way after seeing the ocean?
I was looking forward to Levi’s reaction.
Cliche Novel 