An Unexpected Call from Nathan
He ended the call with the words, “Let’s meet and talk first.”
‘Something must have happened.’
The mood felt unusual.
At the same time, the fact that he was the director of the U.S. Intelligence Agency sank in.
In movies, people often get involved in dangerous situations like this…
“Hmph! It’ll be fine!”
Even Ara, with her sharp ears, nodded as if there was nothing to worry about after hearing the call with Nathan.
Well, I had nothing to be afraid of.
No matter the situation, I had strong allies who could handle anything.
In fact, Ara usually took care of everything before it reached me.
Nathan didn’t specify his date of arrival.
But judging from what he said, it sounded like he’d come soon.
He said he’d contact me again, but in the meantime, I should talk to Kyler about this.
With that thought, I started driving.
There was a long road ahead.
Our destination was Goseong in Gangwon Province.
It was about a 2 hour and 30 minute drive from the dungeon.
“Woohoo!”
Ara, who hadn’t been in a car for a while, shouted excitedly.
And so, we set off to buy my father’s yacht.
***
The traffic wasn’t as bad as expected, so we arrived a little over two hours later.
As soon as we got to the dealership, we were given VIP treatment and escorted inside.
“These models here are our latest and the ones we highly recommend.”
“Kyaa~”
A completely different charm from cars.
The yachts displayed in the spacious showroom were incredibly attractive.
“Are all of these powered by mana stones?”
“Yes! That’s the pride of our Iron Blood Motors. Although we do have models without mana stones, it’s fair to say all our best technology and expertise went into the mana stone models.”
Ara, munching on the cotton candy brought by a staff member, wandered around curiously.
Even as she aimlessly roamed, she’d occasionally stop to admire a yacht in awe before going back to her candy.
“Which one of these is the best model…”
“Ah, this one here. This is our most luxurious model. But if you’re thinking about cost-effectiveness, this one next to it is more suitable.”
The price difference was almost triple.
But cost-effectiveness? That wasn’t something I cared about.
“Ara, which one do you like the most?”
“This floats on the sea?”
“Yep. It’s a boat.”
“It’s totally awesome! They’re all amazing!”
Where did our Ara learn to talk like that?
I probably needed to have a talk with Seon-ah soon.
“Can I ride one?”
“Is it possible to test it out?”
I was just asking if we could step aboard one of the yachts on display, but the staff member must’ve misunderstood because he made a phone call and nodded.
“Let’s go!”
“Huh?”
Just like that, we ended up riding in the staff’s car to a nearby sea.
“Those two are the ones you looked at, and the other two are our best-selling models.”
“Can we try all of them?”
“Of course!”
One by one.
We boarded each boat in turn.
“Oooooh.”
So this is what the bourgeoisie life feels like.
It was definitely impressive.
“This one’s 700 million won, right?”
“Yes. It’s the cheapest of these four.”
Gulp.
That’s house money right there.
But then again, it made sense. It wasn’t that different from a house.
Actually, it might’ve been better than most houses.
The problem was, this was the cheapest yacht.
We tried out four yachts in total and decided to buy the best one.
“It’s totally awesome!”
“Yeah!”
I couldn’t disagree.
The price? A whopping 12.2 billion won.
Even for someone like me with money pouring in, that was jaw-dropping.
‘It’s not like I have anything else to spend it on anyway.’
So I made the purchase boldly.
After the contract, the dealership offered to deliver the yacht directly to the dungeon entrance, but I declined.
“Bokkeum, let’s pack the yacht.”
Bokkeum.
Bokkeum swallowed the yacht.
The staff stared in astonishment at the unbelievable sight, while Ara sang with a face full of excitement.
“I want to ride it right away!”
With the yacht packed, it was another 2 hour and 30 minute drive back home.
We returned triumphantly, yacht in hand.
“…But wait, who’s going to drive it?”
I suddenly remembered—I didn’t have a yacht license.
How did I even manage to buy it without one? Ah, I guess CEO Baek just sold it to me anyway.
Hmm, maybe I can learn by practicing.
After all, our dungeon is private, so there’s little risk of accidents.
Back home, I had the yacht spat into the sea for now.
As a bonus, I asked the mermaids to hide it well in a corner of the sea to surprise my father later.
“I really want to ride it, but I’ll hold it in.”
Ara clenched both fists tightly, trying her best to resist.
Adorable. Just adorable.
With the yacht taken care of, it was time to visit Kyler.
He probably had a yacht license.
“Yes, I do.”
And just as I thought, my guess was spot on.
When I mentioned I’d bought a yacht and asked if he had a license, he said he was practically a pro.
He even had a license that allowed him to teach.
“I wanted to show you the yacht once the boat I’ve been building is complete.”
“I’m sure the boat you made yourself has a special place in your heart, but yachts are a different kind of fun. You’ll probably use both.”
“That would be great.”
With that, we wrapped up the boat talk and moved on to a different topic.
Naturally, it was about Nathan, who had contacted me earlier.
“Nathan?”
Kyler fell into brief thought, his face turning slightly serious after hearing my story.
“Do you think it’s something dangerous?”
“Hmm. Mr. Kyu-seong, if he contacts you again, could you let me know right away? And please tell him I’d like to join you at the meeting.”
“Got it.”
Though he hesitated for a moment, Kyler gave a clear answer.
His face now brimmed with confidence that wasn’t there before.
Come to think of it, he was now a Level 10 Awakener.
And from what I’d heard, the gap between Level 9 and 10 was quite large.
Maybe he believed he could overcome any danger now.
After finishing my conversation with Kyler, I heard that my father had started designing the boat, so I went to take a peek.
As expected, my brilliant father.
He was designing the boat in the Nyang Village.
“Where did you go?”
“I went out for a bit to buy something. Are you designing the boat?”
“Yeah. These cats are more useful than I expected.”
The cats, proud of being praised by my father, held their heads high.
I should give them more compliments from now on.
While Ara was petting the cute cats, I took a look at the blueprint my father was working on.
“Ooh.”
It looked very impressive.
As expected, experience in construction doesn’t go to waste!
“When it’s time to move it to the sea, you’ll have to help.”
“Sure.”
“Then let’s get started right away.”
“Already?”
“Of course!”
My father immediately called over the cats and began the work.
I thought at least the designing would take a few days, so I was amazed when he jumped right in.
“First, the frame…”
Meow meow meow!
Before my father could even try anything, the cats took the lead and started working with quick, confident movements.
It seemed like they planned to use wood, as they were building the frame from it.
My father tried to step in, peeking here and there, but the cats had already occupied the spots.
Clunk!
Bang! Bang!
Screech—Screech—!
The skeleton of the boat quickly started to take shape.
Then, suddenly, Bell appeared with a half-asleep face.
“Hey, Bell?”
Meow.
Though he could talk, he always responded with a drawn-out meow, making it clear how bothered he felt.
“My dad’s building a boat to use at sea.”
Boat-meow.
Bell carefully observed what the cats were doing.
Then, with sleepy eyes, he walked over.
–That’s not how you do it!
Bell suddenly yelled and joined in the work.
After checking my father’s blueprint, he began sketching rapidly here and there.
–Like this, like this, like this!
I had no idea what he was doing, but neither I, my father, Ara, nor the cats dared interrupt.
–If you make this part like that, the boat will flood. Reinforce here, and without a pillar there…
He drew the revisions with fluid strokes.
Then, seemingly satisfied, he smiled and put the blueprint down.
–Let’s start the work now.
Bell shouted, holding a hammer.
With Bell joining in, the already fast pace became even faster.
As I stood there watching in a daze, two hours passed in the blink of an eye.
But it didn’t feel like two hours at all.
Every time I looked away for even a second, something had changed—there was never a dull moment.
“Wow.”
“S-So fast!”
Even Ara couldn’t help but admire the masterful craftsmanship.
My father helped a bit on the side, but he couldn’t compare.
‘At this rate, they might finish it today.’
Of course, it still needed to be dried.
You can’t just throw a finished boat straight into the sea.
About four hours later—
The boat was finally completed.
“Heh heh.”
My father let out a chuckle, as if he couldn’t believe a boat had been built in such a short time.
“I thought it would take at least three weeks.”
“Did we miss something by going too fast?”
“No. I watched as they worked, and they were even more meticulous than I would’ve been. They really are masters.”
Now that the boat was done, we had to call Mammon.
It needed to be painted.
Painting wasn’t just about making it look nice—it also served to prevent corrosion and protect the exterior.
It was an essential step.
–You called!
For once, Mammon wasn’t in Nyang Village, and Ara quickly brought him over.
“We need to paint the boat. Can you make it resistant to corrosion and seawater?”
–Oh ho! No problem!
Mammon quickly produced a batch of venom.
Truly an all-purpose being.
But for some reason, it felt like he was making more than usual.
Of course, the boat was big, so that much was needed, but Mammon usually struggled a bit after making a certain amount…
“Mammon, you don’t have to overdo it. You can take your time and split it into batches.”
–I’m not overdoing it at all! Ever since I suddenly got stronger last time, I think the limit on how much I can produce has vanished.
“…What?”
That kind of overpowered ability exists?
Does that mean he can use his all-purpose venom endlessly now?
–Not just me—probably all of the Great Lord’s subordinates became as strong as I did.
“I didn’t think you’d gotten that powerful.”
Then what about our Ara?
When I looked at her, Ara just tilted her head in confusion.
Ara probably absorbs all the power the moment she eats something. She always absorbed things she ate, but now I think it happens instantly. That’s just my guess.
“T-That makes sense.”
That’s totally OP.
Meanwhile, the cats began applying Mammon’s venom to the boat.
They said all we needed to do now was paint and dry the boat several times over.
–My venom isn’t that weak! One coat is enough!
–But multiple coats are better for the boat.
Bell, who had just been lounging and watching, shook his head.
–This is all part of the aging process.
–R-Really?
An aging process, huh…
In that case, it’s time to ask for help from someone else.
“Let’s call Cheong.”
“Cheong!”
Ara once again dashed off.
And within three minutes, she came back holding Cheong in her arms.
“Ooh, I’m dizzy…”
She must’ve run so fast that Cheong’s eyes were spinning.
“Oh no, Cheong, are you okay?”
“Yesss.”
After waiting for Cheong to regain his senses, I asked if he could help with what I had in mind.
“I can do it!”
Then he began rapidly drying the boat.
“Oooh!”
We could see the boat aging before our very eyes.
Just moments ago it looked brand new, but now it looked like it was ready to set sail.
–Time for another coat.
At Bell’s gesture, the cats applied the venom neatly once again.
After carefully covering every corner, Cheong used his ability once more, and a glossy, polished exterior was revealed.
“It looks like it’s been coated!”
“Shiny shiny!”
Only five hours.
That’s how long it took to finish the boat.
And it wasn’t just a little ferry—it was a large boat that could hold a dozen people or more.
“But… do we have to row this thing?”
“Nope. We’ll attach a motor.”
“Aha.”
Since it was made of wood, I thought it might be manual.
Good thing it runs on a motor.
“We’ll attach the motor later. First, let’s do the launch ceremony!”
Everyone nodded at my father’s excited voice.
–Launch ceremony!
– I wanna rest…
“Bell’s coming too!”
Cliche Novel 