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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.  

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While Kyu-seong’s dungeon was buzzing with excitement over meat and livestock issues, the people outside were beginning to sense something strange in the air.  

Governments around the world were checking daily to see if any new anomalies had occurred and were paying more attention than ever to the sudden appearance of new dungeons.  

The frequency and intensity of anomaly checks by each country grew stronger every time nothing was found, and as a result, citizens also began to pick up on the atmosphere.  

“A global crisis is approaching!!”  

What was initially dismissed as a ridiculous outcry eventually spread as a worldwide crisis theory.  

Governments and high-ranking Awakeners, who had contributed to the public’s anxiety, secretly gathered for a meeting in an attempt to address the issue…  

“So, we’ve ended up gathering like this again.”  

The Level 9 meeting, which had been skipped before, was finally reconvened.  

This time, however, not only the Level 9 Awakeners but also world leaders joined via video conference.  

And among them, the one burdened with the heaviest responsibility, Eli, sat with a hardened expression, remaining silent.  

“But if we’ve searched this much and found nothing, doesn’t that mean something is wrong?”  

Katrina, who had teleported all the Level 9 Awakeners here, shrugged with a tired face.  

At her words, all the Level 9 Awakeners—except Kyler—who had gathered for the first time in a while, nodded in agreement.  

“I understand that we can’t know everything that happens across the entire planet. But this is an event with terms like ‘dimensional invasion’ and ‘demon king’ attached to it. The fact that there are still no signs of it at all means something must be off.”  

Hassan voiced his opinion.  

And he was not the only one who thought so.  

World leaders were also secretly mobilizing every resource at their disposal to search thoroughly, but nothing had been found.  

“Until now….”  

Eli finally spoke.  

“I have never once doubted my abilities.”  

“……”  

“Considering it’s the power that made me the first Level 9 Awakener, there’s no reason to question its effectiveness.”  

People agreed with his words.  

After all, Eli had not only used his abilities to strengthen himself but had also helped many individuals and nations as a remarkable Awakener.  

Because of that, no one here doubted his abilities.  

However, due to the system’s inherently vague nature, they only suspected that there might have been some misunderstanding this time as well.  

“We might have missed something!”  

Lionheart King Raulor exclaimed.  

Others also chimed in, agreeing that something might have been omitted from the information Eli had obtained.  

“We have to consider multiple possibilities.”  

“Hmm, what if the so-called ‘dimensional invasion’ is actually happening somewhere other than Earth, and it just happened to catch Eli’s attention?”  

“Or could it be occurring in a region we haven’t checked yet, like the deep sea?”  

Various opinions were voiced.  

Yet, no one questioned Eli’s ability or words.  

Although he didn’t show it outwardly, Eli felt a bit relieved by this.  

In truth, he had been doubting himself for days, wondering if what he had seen was real.  

Maybe he had been too exhausted and hallucinated, or perhaps his ability had malfunctioned.  

He had been under extreme stress because of it, so the people’s trust gave him strength.  

“Let’s go back to the beginning and approach this differently.”  

“The beginning?”  

“It’s tedious, but we should check every Awakener again, one by one.”  

Eli had a vague sense of certainty.  

Even if the dimensional invasion remained uncertain, the matters of the Demon King and the Hero were undoubtedly connected to someone who had already awakened.  

And that person was likely hiding it out of fear that the truth would come to light.  

‘That would make sense.’  

The Demon King and the Hero.  

Neither was a light topic.  

Any Awakener involved with them would have good reason to keep it secret.  

“But we need to approach this more carefully.”  

“Explain.”  

“Previously, we searched for them as if we were hunting rats, but this time, we should offer a clear reward.”  

“That makes sense. If someone is hiding, it might be better to treat them well instead. Rather than searching in secret, we should make a grand public announcement.”  

Hassan agreed, and Eli nodded.  

“World leaders, please issue a large-scale announcement to identify any Awakeners connected to the Demon King or the Hero. This should not only represent the stance of the governments but also carry the credibility of us Level 9 Awakeners.”  

Everyone agreed with Eli’s words, and the meeting concluded for the day.  

“Please ensure that the guilds in each of your nations are also informed.”  

“What about the matters concerning the dimensional invasion or the Seven Great Virtues?”  

“We’ll have to continue the meetings.”  

Since they had gathered, it was obvious that these discussions would continue for days.  

But no one could complain.  

In fact, there were no complaints to begin with.  

However, in Hassan’s case, he kept seeing the World Tree he had left at home flash before his eyes.  

Of course, the caretaker, Mark2, whom Kyu-seong had left behind, would take good care of it, but seeing it with his own eyes was a different matter.  

“Would it be alright if this old man made a suggestion?”  

“What is it, old man?”  

“Would it be possible to change the meeting location to my home? Haha.”  

Hassan’s eccentricities had already become well-known.  

The story of how he destroyed an entire city just to plant a single tree.  

Curious about what they had only heard in reports, everyone except Eli—who had seen it firsthand—readily agreed.  

“So, I have to move everyone again, huh? Sigh.”  

“Please take care of it.”  

Katrina grumbled for a moment, but it wasn’t actually a difficult task.  

She was just complaining for the sake of it.  

Soon, a magic circle appeared beneath the feet of the Level 9 Awakeners, and in an instant, they teleported.  

As the space shifted, a new scene unfolded before them.  

The entire city had been leveled and flattened.  

Hassan’s city, where even the horizon seemed visible.  

And in the center of it all stood a massive tree.  

“Wow. This is enormous.”  

A tree so large that it seemed to have grown for nearly a thousand years.  

Its circumference must have been at least 50 meters.  

“Isn’t this the biggest tree on Earth?”  

“Haha. It probably is.”  

It had been less than a month since the World Tree was planted.  

Yet, it had already become the largest tree on Earth.  

“Where did you even find a tree like this? And the report didn’t say it was this big.”  

“Have you all ever heard of something called the World Tree?”  

“The World Tree? Wait, are you saying this is that World Tree?”  

At last, the secret of the tree was revealed.  

Even Eli, who had visited before, hadn’t known it was the World Tree.  

He hadn’t expected such a grandiose tree to actually exist.  

“Are you saying this tree is literally the World Tree?”  

Katrina asked with a shocked expression.  

Meanwhile, Zhengzheng, the Level 9 Awakener from China, who had been examining the trunk, burst into laughter.  

“This is an incredible tree! It’s still growing!”  

“……Now that I look closely, I can see it with my own eyes. How is it growing this fast? And if it continues at this rate, just how big will it get…?”  

Raulor trailed off as he scanned the surroundings.  

A vast, flattened land where all buildings had been destroyed.  

And in the middle of it, a giant tree growing at an astonishing speed.  

“Could it be….”

Would this tree really grow to fill this vast land?  

The suspicion arose, but it was almost a certainty.  

Realizing this, the other Level 9 Awakeners looked around in astonishment.  

“Hey, old man Hassan. Are you saying this tree could grow so large that it fills this entire area? A single tree could be bigger than an entire forest?”  

“Haha, even I don’t know. All I can do is watch and see how much more it grows.”  

Though he said that, there was a subtle confidence in his tone.  

And from that, everyone could tell.  

That the tree called the World Tree would truly grow large enough to fill this place.  

“It truly lives up to its name, the World Tree. But where did you even find a tree like this?”  

It was Eli who answered Raulor’s question.  

“A certain Awakener named Lee Kyu-seong.”  

“Lee Kyu-seong?”  

Katrina flinched at the mention of Kyu-seong’s name.  

Since she knew many of his secrets, she couldn’t help but feel nervous whenever he was brought up.  

“There’s a Level 1 Awakener who recently gained fame for mass-producing buff items.”  

“What? A Level 1 Awakener mass-producing buff items? Wouldn’t that mean the effects are pretty insignificant?”  

“Raulor, you’ve always been like this, but you really don’t pay enough attention to the world.”  

By now, Kyu-seong’s reputation was well-known not just domestically but internationally.  

But Raulor seemed completely unaware.  

“He’s so talented that even that arrogant Naef personally tried to scout him.”  

“What? Isthart? He never even tried to scout me!”  

Raulor glared fiercely at Naef, who was standing nearby.  

However, Naef simply stood there with his usual bright, unreadable smile.  

“I met him once myself. I remember how he didn’t even flinch when he saw me.”  

Zhengzheng recalled his encounter with Kyu-seong.  

He was also the one who had told Kyu-seong about the dimensional invasion back then.  

Squish?  

At that moment, Mark2, the caretaker of the World Tree, tilted its head and appeared.  

Everyone stared blankly at the sudden appearance of the monster.  

“A slime?”  

“He’s an old friend of mine. An excellent worker left here by Lee Kyu-seong.”  

“Slimes are that smart? Aren’t they basically just mindless blobs?”  

Raulor spoke, thinking of ordinary slimes.  

But contrary to his expectations, Mark2 gave a small nod as if greeting them before returning to its work.  

“This whole situation is just full of things I don’t understand.”  

No one could argue with Raulor’s words.  

Meanwhile, Katrina simply prayed that the conversation about Kyu-seong would quietly pass.  

Katrina.  

She already had a strong suspicion about the true identities of the Demon King and the Hero.  

‘If we cross Kyu-seong, Earth will be destroyed!’  

She had to be extremely careful not to upset him.  

While each person was lost in their own thoughts and concerns—  

Kyu-seong was getting scolded by his younger sister, Seon-ah.  

***

“How could you just let them roam around like this?!”  

Seon-ah’s voice rang sharply in my ears.  

I scratched my head, checking each issue she pointed out.  

“First, the fence! You can’t just put it here like this, all sloppy!”  

“Uh…”  

“It’s a good thing they’re so docile. If they weren’t, you’d be spending all day running around trying to catch them.”  

“I see.”  

“And how could you let the chickens and pigs roam together like this? You have to separate them into different areas.”  

“Got it, I’ll do that.”  

“And as for the boars, I don’t know much about their habits yet, so I can’t say for sure. For now, let’s leave this as a temporary grazing area. Later, we’ll move them to a place that suits them best.”  

“A place that suits them best? Isn’t this good enough?”  

“We don’t know that yet. We still don’t know whether they prefer damp areas, places with mud or swamps, or if they just need shade and cool air. We have to observe them first.”  

“Ohh.”  

I was glad I had asked Seon-ah for help.  

Unlike my haphazard approach, she was much more systematic.  

After communicating with the boars and chickens, Seon-ah diligently took notes and fell into deep thought.  

“The chickens need a place with plenty of sunlight, but this place is tricky. It always feels like nighttime here.”  

“Oh! In that case, we can install solar panels.”  

Luckily, we had a lightning spirit with us.  

We could generate electricity to create sunlight.  

I had already spoken to my father about it in advance, so electrical wiring work would likely begin soon.  

“As expected, the pigs prefer damp areas. Their unique body structure makes dry environments cause their skin to crack.”  

“Got it. Actually, I already scouted a few places with the kids before, and there was a swampy area.”  

“Hmm, a swamp is a bit too much. It would be better if there’s a wide open field nearby.”  

“Noted.”  

It felt satisfying to see things gradually coming together.  

Realizing the need for not just free-range areas but also proper livestock housing, we began sketching out a rough plan.  

Fortunately, Seon-ah had learned a lot from the Skyscraper Guild, which helped make the discussion smoother.  

“Alright, shall we start building?”  

“Brother, the land first.”  

“Oh, right, right.”  

Together with Ara, Seon-ah, and Jung So-yeon, we set out to find a good place to relocate the pigs.  

We already had a few candidates, and we chose the closest one first.  

“Once we make a proper road for carts and build the livestock shelter, we’re done.”  

“Don’t forget the fences.”  

“Oh, right. And we should release a guard dog here too.”  

“A dog?”  

Oh, Seon-ah hadn’t seen it yet.  

I’d have to show her our new sheepdog later.  

“Alright, time to head to Gnoll Village.”  

Workers! Assemble! Assemble!

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Sizzle.  

Somehow, the meat had already been placed on a scorching stone slab.  

The Maillard reaction gave the wild boar meat a deep brown hue, making my mouth water just by looking at it. But the scent was even more incredible.  

“Gulp.”  

Saliva kept pooling in my mouth uncontrollably.  

It was such a shame that we had to eat this all by ourselves.  

‘I really want Ara and Cheong to try this too…?’  

Of all times, they had to be absent while the meat was cooking.  

Well, nothing I can do about it. I’ll just have to take some for them later.  

Swish.  

I secured the meat with a fork and sliced through the thick cut with a knife. The meat offered only slight resistance before yielding to the blade.  

“So tender.”  

“K-Kyu-seong. Can I eat first?”  

Jung So-yeon, who had already picked up a large piece of meat with her fork, asked with a desperate look as if she couldn’t hold back anymore.  

I nodded at her and focused entirely on my own meat.  

It was probably medium-rare.  

When I cut it, the meat juice—red like blood—soaked the glistening cross-section.  

The surface clearly displayed the grain of the meat, but the inside shimmered as if it would melt the moment it touched the tongue.  

Chew, chew.  

Jung So-yeon had already started eating.  

She kept moving her mouth but showed no reaction.  

She always expressed admiration whenever she ate something delicious, but now she was completely silent.  

‘Does she not like it?’  

No, that couldn’t be possible, not with meat that looked this good.  

I glanced at Choro.  

Choro was also eating the meat silently.  

At this point, curiosity got the best of me—I had to taste it myself.  

I speared a thick piece of meat large enough to fill my mouth.  

Stab.  

The fork pierced through the tender surface effortlessly. It felt like stabbing into a piece of coated tofu.  

‘Wow.’  

Just look at this glistening fat.  

The way the juices shone alongside the meat reaffirmed my confidence—it was impossible for this to taste bad.  

“Nom.”  

I put it in my mouth.  

Immediately, my mouth was flooded with the rich aroma and deep umami of the meat.  

Wait, isn’t this pork?  

It tasted like something between pork and beef, but that wasn’t a bad thing.  

It was as if it combined all the best qualities of both meats into one bite.  

Pop! Pop!  

I hadn’t even chewed yet, but the mere pressure inside my mouth caused the juices to burst out.  

“Gulp!”  

Ah, yes. This is what meat is supposed to be.  

I had been eating mostly vegetables and fish for a while now.  

Even when I ate out occasionally, I had stuck to a vegetarian diet for over a year.  

I was satisfied with that. My crops were incredibly flavorful, and I had even discovered vegetables that tasted like meat, so I never felt deprived.  

But I was mistaken.  

Meat is meat.  

Unlike fish, real meat had an irreplaceable, unique taste.  

‘How can something be both fatty and light at the same time? What kind of paradoxical flavor is this?’  

And this meat was anything but ordinary.  

Choro had called it a delicacy, but that was an understatement—it was the most delicious meat I had ever eaten.  

It had the richness of beef yet the tenderness of pork.  

And just as Choro had mentioned, there was absolutely no unpleasant odor.  

There was a scent, but it was purely the aroma of meat.  

If I had to describe it, it was somewhat like aged cheese—a smell that might be divisive.  

But when I took my second bite, I was shocked again.  

“What the…?!”  

The flavor was slightly different.  

The meaty aroma was milder.  

Even though it was from the same cut, the fat content, texture, and flavor were subtly different.  

“So just because it’s attached to the skin doesn’t mean it’s all the same part of the meat?”  

Jung So-yeon, who had been eating with a serious expression, responded to my confusion.  

“This meat is… insane.”  

“So-yeon, you seem to know a lot about gourmet food. You’ve probably tried all kinds of meat, right?”  

“Yeah. But I’ve never had anything like this. Of course, since this is the first time I’ve encountered this monster meat, but still… I’ve eaten the famous horned ox meat in every grade, and I’ve tried almost every top-tier monster cuisine.”  

As she spoke, Jung So-yeon closed her eyes.  

And then, tears rolled down her cheeks.  

…Huh? Tears?  

Why is she suddenly crying?  

“Kyu-seong, thank you.”  

“Uh…?”  

“Thank you so much for letting me taste something this delicious.”  

“Uh, well… I mean…”  

I wasn’t sure if this was something to cry about, but I had seen people get emotional over my food before, so it wasn’t completely unfamiliar.  

The only difference was that I hadn’t grown this meat myself.  

“This meat needs to be analyzed more thoroughly. The taste, aroma, and fat content vary depending on which part of the skin it was attached to.”  

“I should take some to my brother first.”  

Ideally, I wanted to bring him a fresh hide before the meat was butchered.  

Looking at the remaining portions, there was still some left, but not much.  

‘One hide could probably yield about five servings.’  

Since only the meat attached to the skin was edible, the yield wasn’t very high—five servings at best, if scraped clean.  

Fortunately, there were quite a few of them.  

I had counted last time—there were 93 wild boars.  

Some were still young, but all of them were going to shed their skins soon, so there wouldn’t be an issue.  

“How often do they shed?”  

“I’m not entirely sure, but I’d guess about once a month.”  

“Ohh.”  

That meant, assuming there were 90 boars, with five servings per hide…  

A simple calculation gave me 450 servings of meat per month.  

To be conservative, I could expect at least 400 servings every month.  

Getting 400 servings of meat every day would be great, but 400 per month felt a little lacking.  

Considering how many mouths we had to feed, the only solution was to raise more wild boars and increase their numbers.  

After finishing our meal, we headed straight to Jae-seong’s lab—with the rabbits who had cooked the meat.  

Knock, knock!

“Come in!”  

Inside, we found a group of people busy working with apples.  

They had just received apples as a new ingredient, and they were already moving on to the next batch for research.  

“Brother! These apples are amazing! They have a strong apple aroma and taste, but the sweetness isn’t overpowering, making them perfect as a sauce, garnish, or additive!”  

Jae-seong, unaware that I had brought meat, cheered excitedly.  

At the same time, the others gathered around, marveling at the apples.  

“You could make a drink while keeping the aroma intact!”  

“What if we marinate the meat with apples? That would get rid of any gamey smell and leave a subtle apple scent in the meat!”  

“It would be perfect for desserts! A dessert with lemon, and maybe a touch of whiskey…”  

As their excitement grew, I cleared my throat to regain their attention.  

“Ahem!”  

“So, what is it this time? Are you here because of the apples?”  

“No, I came with another new ingredient.”  

“Another one?!”  

Their expressions were priceless.  

Everyone’s eyes widened in surprise.  

At that moment, the rabbits with us confidently placed the meat onto the table.  

Thud!

The fresh meat had a beautiful combination of white marbling and red muscle.  

The moment they saw it, they all turned to me with shocked expressions.  

“This is…!”  

“Brother, what did you bring this time?”  

Their serious faces made it seem like they were making some kind of wild assumption.  

“I got this meat from the wild boars the Little humans brought. But don’t get the wrong idea. Let me explain everything.”  

It would have been great if Choro had explained, but he had stayed behind in the cat village to inspect supplies for Chiyon.  

So, I had to explain everything myself.  

Once I finished, they finally understood and looked at the meat in awe.  

“What about the hide?”  

“I gave it to the cats to use as material.”  

“Nothing goes to waste, huh!”  

Hearing my review of the taste only fueled the chefs’ enthusiasm even more.  

Meanwhile, the rabbits, who hadn’t had the chance to cook the meat, watched with envy.  

-Beep!

The rabbits who had cooked the meat lifted their heads proudly, touching the meat with an air of superiority.  

“It looks like the little humans will be bringing more livestock in the future. Have any of you met them in person?”  

“No, we’ve only heard about them.”  

“Next time, could you meet them and teach them how to cook? Their ingredients seem different from ours, so they don’t really know how to prepare them properly.”  

“Oh, sure! We’ll go together and show them how to cook!”  

With that, Jae-seong’s team had not only apples but also meat to research, and they eagerly dove into their work.  

Seeing how happy they looked made me feel proud.  

“Hmm, it’s about time…”  

Quite a bit of time had passed.  

Seon-ah should be getting off work and heading to the dungeon soon.  

I felt a little bad about giving her work the moment she arrived, but what choice did I have? I needed her help.  

“Lee Kyu-seong, Kyu-seong!”  

“Oh, Ara! You’re done?”  

Ara, smelling of sweet apples, ran over to me.  

Then, she suddenly froze and sniffed the air.  

“What is this scent?!”  

“Meat.”  

“Meat?!!”  

She looked absolutely shocked.  

Grinning, I showed her the prepared meat.  

“Ta-da!”

“Oooooh! Where did this come from?!”  

“You know the wild boars we brought in?”  

“Gasp!”  

Before I could even explain, Ara’s face turned pale, and her eyes started welling up with tears.  

“Did they say their farewells…?”  

“No, no! This is just the meat attached to their shed skin. Let me explain.”  

Just like with Jae-seong’s group, Ara had misunderstood.  

Once I explained properly, she tilted her head in confusion at first but soon nodded in understanding.  

“Oooooh! That’s incredible! These pigs are just factories for making endless meat!”  

“Exactly. Thanks to them, we can enjoy delicious meat now.”  

…But Ara, why are you eating raw meat?  

“Mmm, yum!” 

Somehow, she had already started chewing on the raw meat I gave her.  

Her face lit up with joy.  

“This is delicious!”  

“You’re supposed to cook it first!”  

“Hmm? But it’s tasty as it is.”  

Then, raising the remaining meat, she shouted:  

“Let’s cook the rest!”  

“Haha, sure, sure.”  

Now that I thought about it, Cheong was nowhere to be seen.  

I should check on him while also seeing how my mother’s jam and apple syrup turned out.  

Leaving the meat in the kitchen, I went to find my mother.  

There, I found Cheong fast asleep, his hands and mouth smeared with apple jam or syrup.  

My mother smiled warmly at the sight while finishing her work.  

“Are you done?”  

“Yes. Since the kids helped, it was quick.”  

“Let me see. Oh, wow.”  

There was quite a lot—dozens of jars.  

Though, at a glance, I couldn’t tell which ones were jam and which were syrup. There was a slight difference in color.  

“Oh, Mom, we also secured a meat source.”  

“Meat? Where from?”  

“We found pigs that shed their skin, and there’s meat attached to the shed hides.”  

Saying it out loud, it did sound a little strange.  

But my mother just nodded, as if she wasn’t surprised.  

Considering my crops were anything but normal, she must have figured the meat would be the same.  

“I gave some to Jae-seong for research and saved the rest. The rabbits are grilling it now. You should try some.”  

“Shall I?”  

After finishing up with Jung So-yeon’s help, we headed to the open kitchen.  

Just in time, the meat was ready.  

“Mmm!!”  

My mother and Ara immediately dug in.  

Even after I washed Cheong’s face and hands, he was still asleep.  

But when I placed a piece of meat in his mouth, his eyes snapped open.  

“This is amazing. What kind of meat is this?”  

“Wild boar.”  

“This is pork?!”  

Her reaction made sense.  

I also had trouble distinguishing whether it was pork or beef at first.  

And then—  

The person I’d been waiting for finally arrived.  

“What the heck! Why are you all eating meat without me?!”  

Seon-ah had returned from work.  

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-Bawk bawk bawk bawk.  

The awakened chicken was placed with the boar that had been brought in earlier.  

I was a bit worried about whether they would get along, but I confirmed that they were fine together.  

-Bawk bawk bawk?  

“Will this one lay eggs too?”  

Of course, it will.  

I’m curious about their eggs as well.  

“Have you ever seen a monster like this before?”  

“No, this is my first time seeing one.”  

I asked Jung So-yeon, an expert in monsters and dungeons, but even she didn’t know about this chicken.  

The total number was twenty-five.  

These creatures had invaded twice, and another three had come separately.  

“I’ve brought them!”  

Hearing Choro’s voice from behind, I immediately went toward the portal to check.  

The second monster that appeared was a small dog.  

‘Ah, to the little humans, it must look like a giant dog.’  

Compared to slimes, the little humans were slightly smaller.  

The dog-like monster that had been brought in was about the same size as a slime.  

“They’re incredibly quick. And their intelligence is no joke—I’ve been outsmarted by them more than once.”  

The dogs, paralyzed, lay with their tongues hanging out.  

Their coarse black fur made them look like wolf pups.  

After a little while, the paralysis seemed to wear off, and they began twitching.  

‘Oh?’  

But looking closer, it seemed like they were already free from paralysis and were just pretending.  

I took out a dog chew in front of the largest one—though it was only about the size of a Maltese.  

I could see its nose twitch as it caught the scent of the treat.  

“If you don’t get up, I’ll eat it myself.”  

I didn’t expect them to understand me.  

But without realizing it, I mumbled and pretended to bite into the chew.  

-Whimper.  

Noticing that I was going to eat the treat, the dogs hesitated but began getting up one by one.  

Now that I looked at them closely, they were so thin that their ribs were visible.  

‘Did they lose in a competition for food?’  

The fact that they had come to the little humans’ castle despite the lack of food here suggested that was the case.  

“How long are you going to keep pretending to be paralyzed?”  

After finishing one dog chew, I took out three more.  

The scent became even stronger.  

-Whimper.  

Finally, the smallest one couldn’t resist any longer, slowly opened its eyes, tucked its tail between its legs, and stood up.  

Jung So-yeon, who had been watching, sighed in pity at the sight.  

“Here, eat this.”  

The dog, half wary and half frightened, was too hesitant to approach, so I tossed the treat to it.  

It quickly grabbed the chew from the ground and started munching.  

Chomp chomp chomp.  

It ate so eagerly.  

As I watched the chew disappear in an instant, I threw another one.  

By then, the other two dogs began watching carefully and started getting up as well.  

“You two eat too.”  

I took out more chews and tossed them toward the dogs.  

They moved swiftly to grab the treats and eat them.  

Despite their short and stocky build, they were incredibly agile.  

“How about raising them as herding dogs?”  

“Oh, that’s a great idea.”  

There were no sheep, but there were boars and chickens.  

If they could be domesticated, they would be great for managing the livestock.  

‘If the little humans keep bringing more like this…’  

“Aww, how cute.”  

As I was lost in thought, I heard laughter.  

When I checked, Jung So-yeon was already petting the dogs.  

One was lying on its back, showing its belly and playing around.  

Another was excitedly running around.  

The last one, still hungry, was staring at me intently.  

These creatures were more sociable than I expected.  

After handing Jung So-yeon some treats to feed them, I asked Choro,  

“They seem to follow people well. Have you never tried taming them before?”  

“The tough-maned ones never follow humans. They tend to ignore anyone who looks weaker than them.”  

“Huh? Then what’s this?”  

“I’ve never seen this before either! As expected of you, my lord!”  

Oh, is that so?  

They just looked like ordinary puppies to me.  

Honestly, even Earth’s wolves would probably be stronger than these monsters.  

“Ah, Choro, I have another question.”  

“Please, ask me anything.”  

“Does your village have any records or information on local monsters?”  

“Ah, we used to, but I believe they’re lost now.”  

Choro responded with a troubled expression.  

Well, given that they didn’t even have proper equipment, it wouldn’t be surprising if they had lost such records.  

I was only asking because I wanted to know if there were more livestock-type monsters.  

“Did your people ever raise livestock?”  

“We did. But they were distinctly different from monsters. Monsters, by definition, contain mana stones within their bodies. They are fundamentally different from regular animals.”  

“That  makes sense.”  

As Choro said, the biggest distinction between beasts and monsters was the presence of mana stones.  

Monsters had mana stones within them.  

This allowed them to use mana, granting them powerful physiques and various supernatural abilities.  

“Even the tough-maned ones use an ability called Howling. They utilize sound to manifest different effects.”  

“Oh, really?”  

“Yes. For example, they can cause confusion, dizziness, and nausea—or even the opposite effects.”  

“Whoa.”  

These creatures were more impressive than I thought.  

Choro also explained that the boars had hard armor, while the chickens could charge while engulfed in flames.  

“They get covered in fire?”  

“Yes. But they rarely use it because it also harms them.”  

What a strange bunch.  

“Sit, lie down, roll over, high five!”  

While we were talking, Jung So-yeon had somehow already trained all the dogs.  

When did she even teach them all that?  

As Choro had mentioned, they were exceptionally smart.  

The fact that they could learn tricks in such a short time proved it.  

Taking the three dogs with me, I headed back to the pasture where the livestock were kept.  

The boars that had arrived first seemed to have grown accustomed to the place.  

They quietly alternated between eating and sleeping without any aggression.  

“It must be because this place is peaceful. Where we live, they have to compete for food and deal with predators.”  

Choro marveled as he explained that this was not how they usually behaved.  

“Still, who would have thought you could tame those fearsome fangs? As expected of you, my lord.”  

“Huh? Nah, I think they just like the food we give them.”  

The food given to the boars was the leftover produce from farming.  

Thinned-out sprouts, wilted crops after all nutrients had been used, hay left after rice harvesting.  

Of course, other low-market-value crops were also mixed in.  

And the boars went absolutely crazy for it.  

‘After that, they became much tamer.’  

Once they tasted delicious food, the boars became noticeably calmer.  

Of course, part of it was thanks to Ras giving them a solid lesson with his fists.  

“Huh?”  

As I was thinking of trying to train the dogs as fence-guarding herding dogs, something unusual caught my eye.  

Jung So-yeon seemed to have noticed it too, as she tilted her head and narrowed her eyes.  

“What is that?”  

Choro provided the answer.  

“Oh! That’s the shed skin of the Fearsome Fangs!”  

“Shed skin?”  

Shed skin?  

Do boars even shed their skin?  

Both Jung So-yeon and I tilted our heads in confusion, and Choro mimicked us, looking puzzled.  

“Why are you reacting like that?”  

“I mean, isn’t it weird for a pig to shed its skin?”  

“Ah! I suppose that’s not common in your world!”  

From what Choro said, shedding skin seemed to be a normal occurrence in their world.  

“The Fearsome Fangs periodically shed their skin. Their hardened outer layer, reinforced by mana, becomes too tight for their growing bodies.”  

“Ah-ha!”  

So it’s like lobsters or crayfish?  

It reminded me of crustaceans that molt their hard shells to grow bigger.  

“But it’s actually very rare to see this shed skin.”  

“Really? Why?”  

“During the molting process, the Fearsome Fangs are extremely vulnerable, so they find the safest place possible to shed. And such places are usually difficult for humans to find.”  

“Ah, that makes sense. But if it shed its skin here, does that mean it feels safe?”  

“It seems so. But it’s still surprising. I never thought it would shed in such an open area.”  

Choro’s eyes sparkled in amazement.  

“This shed skin is an incredible delicacy! I’ve only had it twice in my life. I never expected to see it here like this.”  

“A delicacy?”  

“Yes! Inside that hard shell, there’s meat attached to it. Once they reach a certain size, they maintain a stable form, which is a characteristic of the Fearsome Fangs.”  

“Whoa! There’s meat attached?”  

That means—!  

We don’t have to butcher them to get meat?  

All we have to do is collect the shed skins whenever they molt!  

This is such a convenient and humane way to obtain meat!  

We immediately retrieved the shed skin.  

The boars cautiously moved away as we approached, but they didn’t seem overly wary.  

It seemed they had gotten used to us since we fed them daily.  

“So this is the shed skin, huh?”  

At a glance, it looked like a hardened pig-shaped shell.  

It was about the size of a medium-sized dog.  

The back was split open—probably where the boar had crawled out.  

When I peeled open the cracked back, just as Choro said, there was fresh-looking meat attached inside.  

“Is there a specific way to prepare or process this?”  

“There is, but it doesn’t require much effort.  

When you hunt Fearsome Boars normally, their meat has a strong gamey and fishy taste, making it difficult to eat.  

But this shed skin meat has no unpleasant odor—it’s a top-tier cut of meat.”  

“Wow, that’s amazing.”  

Now this really makes me want to raise them as livestock.  

And since we had also brought chickens this time, I was curious about their eggs as well.  

I’ll have to ask Choro about that later.  

But for now, tasting the meat took priority.  

Since Choro had eaten it before, he personally started peeling the meat from the shed skin.  

‘But wait… is he really using that sword like that?’  

The knife he was using to peel the meat was a warrior’s blade.  

Something about that felt weird.  

But Choro was skillful, expertly separating the meat like a seasoned professional.  

After meticulously preparing the meat, he cut it into easy-to-eat portions.  

“Rabbits!”  

Nearby, some rabbits had already caught the scent of the meat and were waiting.  

When I handed it to them, they immediately took it and started chirping excitedly, discussing how they would cook it.  

“This shell is also a great material. The Fearsome Fangs reinforce it with mana, making it extremely tough. We usually use it to craft armor.”  

“Oh, it’s light but sturdy. This is great!”  

The leftover shell seemed quite useful as well.  

While the rabbits were cooking, I took the shell to the cats.  

They examined the material with serious expressions.  

-Meow!!  

-Nyan nyan nyan nyan.  

They quickly launched into an intense discussion.  

Even though they were serious, they looked so ridiculously cute that we just stood there watching them.  

-Nyan!  

Eventually, one cat stepped forward as their representative, pointed at the shell, and gave a big thumbs-up.  

“Oh, so it’s a good material?”  

-Nyan nyan!  

The cat nodded.  

Then, they all scurried off, eager to start crafting something with the shell.  

“There’s nothing going to waste here.”  

“True. Oh, and the livestock manure could be used as fertilizer.”  

“Oh! I hadn’t thought of that, but that’s a great idea.”  

Hmm, I should assign some workers to manage the livestock.  

Goblins would probably be the best choice—I’ll have to gather the Seven Sins and discuss it.  

Sniff sniff.  

Suddenly, an incredible aroma of cooked meat wafted through the air.  

The mouthwatering scent of grilled meat made my stomach growl.  

“Wow, this smells insane! My mouth is watering just from the scent.”  

“Let’s go check it out right now!”  

Before Jung So-yeon even finished her sentence, she was already heading toward the rabbits’ cooking area.  

Choro and I hurriedly followed.  

Finally, our dungeon was getting a steady supply of meat!  

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