Hassan al-Din Sinan was never an ordinary man, even before his awakening.
In modern times, he was the leader of the Nizari branch, descendants of the Fidais, who were more famously known as the Assassins.
By now, the glory of the assassin organization had become a thing of the past, and it had long since transformed into a group dedicated to wisdom and culture.
…At least, that was how the world perceived it.
However, those in the underworld and high-ranking officials knew the truth.
The Assassins still existed.
And at the very top of them stood their leader, Hassan al-Din Sinan.
His assassination techniques had been honed to their absolute peak.
His patience allowed him to endure even when a blade was at his eye.
His vast network of connections was built over centuries of history.
Then, as the era of Great Awakenings dawned, Hassan became one of the First-Generation Awakened.
His abilities, which were already dangerous, were further enhanced, giving wings to his assassination skills.
Now, having completed all quests and reached the rank of a Level 9 Awakener, he had become a monstrous being capable of controlling the world.
“Hmm.”
Yet, even someone like him had something troubling his mind recently.
Before heading out to find Kyu-seong, he stepped outside for a moment and frowned.
Hwooooosh—!
A raging sandstorm.
Due to the increasingly severe dry climate, the periodic sandstorms had now become a daily occurrence.
As a result, the streets that were once bustling with pedestrians and children had become nearly empty.
“This is serious.”
Ironically, despite being born in the desert, Hassan despised sand.
Not just disliked—it was an almost pathological aversion.
Yet, he remained in this place due to his responsibilities as the leader.
Now, with the sandstorms becoming rougher and more frequent, even the bright laughter of children—one of his few sources of joy—had disappeared.
‘The greenification project keeps failing…!’
The region was wealthy thanks to its oil reserves, but no amount of astronomical funding could create greenery here.
Eventually, they discovered that the abnormal concentration of mana in the area prevented any kind of green landscape from taking root.
Had they attempted it before the Awakening Era, it might have been possible.
But now, it was practically impossible.
“Tch.”
Clicking his tongue, Hassan turned to the man standing behind him—Muhammad.
“Take care of the people. If Isthart contacts us, tell them to wait for now.”
“Understood, Mr. Hassan.”
In an instant, Hassan disappeared.
Watching his incredible abilities in action, Muhammad turned his gaze to the sandstorm-ridden city.
It was a wretched sight.
If only he could get rid of these sandstorms, he felt like he could accomplish anything.
“…Haah, I need to go make my report.”
Muhammad Kazami.
He was also a member of the Nizari lineage and served Hassan.
However, his official affiliation was with the Isthart Guild.
Since Hassan was also a part of Isthart, it wasn’t a major issue.
But he still had higher-ups to report to separately.
As Muhammad tore through space and vanished, only the fierce howling of the sandstorm remained.
***
“I received the Chuseok gift well. Even the guild leader, who usually eats nothing but bizarre foods, couldn’t stop eating the rice cakes this time.”
“I’m glad he liked them. But you know about Chuseok?”
“Of course. We have a similar holiday as well.”
Yu Bihong’s laughter came through the phone.
I knew China had a similar festival, but I never expected him to be familiar with the word “Chuseok.”
I had underestimated her too much.
“Once the Mid-Autumn Festival ends, we’ll come to escort Ms. Seon-ah personally. Miss Ryu Cheon will likely accompany us as well.”
“Thank you for the consideration. Could I tag along for a bit then?”
“Of course! The guild leader will be pleased as well.”
As the conversation continued in a friendly tone, I sensed a brief pause from Yu Bihong.
Curious, I waited, and soon, he spoke again.
“I heard that the Isthart Guild recently visited Mr. Kyu-seong.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Did they proceed with a contract?”
“No. It was a sudden visit, so we only exchanged greetings.”
It certainly was unexpected.
A sudden influx of masked figures of unknown origin—along with two guild members from Isthart.
In the end, thanks to Ara’s intimidation ability, I forced them all to their knees.
Several days had passed since then, but nothing else had happened.
However, the government had taken on a more vigilant stance.
‘Our guild, along with the terrorist groups and the Iron Blood faction, are all on high alert as well.’
I had only heard bits and pieces, but since direct contact with me was difficult, it seemed that guilds from various nations were pressuring the Ara Hongryeon Guild instead.
Of course, Ara Hongryeon still had time left on their contract, so they were holding out.
“Well, I just wanted to let you know that even if it’s just while Ms. Seon-ah is with us, we’d be open to forming a contract with your guild.”
“Just while Seon-ah is there?”
“Yes. Since I doubt Ms. Seon-ah will stay long, we’re wondering if a temporary contract would be possible during that period.”
That was tempting.
Of course, I couldn’t leave Korea.
But the people at Skyscraper should already be aware of that.
‘Seon-ah’s time with Skyscraper Guild will be at most three years. A three-year contract wouldn’t be bad.’
And that was the maximum.
It could even be just a one- or two-year contract.
Overall, it was a contract period that worked in my favor.
Of course, I’d have to hear the detailed terms, but I doubted Skyscraper would treat me poorly.
“I’ll think about it a bit.”
“Please don’t feel pressured. Even without a contract, we’d be more than happy to maintain a friendly relationship with you, Mr. Kyu-seong.”
“Thank you.”
After finishing the call, I briefly went through the rest of my tasks.
I responded to messages from Japan, various domestic guilds, and headquarters.
By the time I was done, two hours had already passed.
“Ara, sorry. You must have been really bored.”
“Not at all! Tada!”
Ara proudly displayed a bunch of beetles and stag beetles she had caught.
“…You’re not planning to eat them, are you?”
“I’m going to raise them!”
As if reading my mind, Ara shouted, and I vigorously ruffled her hair.
She let out a bright laugh, her tiger ears twitching.
“Shall we go inside now? Or do you want to collect more?”
“I’m going to keep collecting! Can I do it with you?”
“Of course! Let’s do it together.”
I started collecting insects with Ara.
Ara wanted to collect and raise anything, as long as it was big.
Since I also liked insects and animals as a child, I enjoyed revisiting my childhood innocence.
She was deliberately not using her abilities to find them.
If she used the Third Eye, she could find them in an instant, but it was adorable how she chose not to.
Still, her heightened senses made it easy for her to quickly find and catch insects.
“There’s one here too.”
“Oh! It’s so shiny!”
“This is called a jewel beetle. It’s a very rare insect. It’s a natural monument, so you can’t catch it—just observe.”
…Who are you?
An old man suddenly appeared, naturally explaining the insect to Ara.
“Who…?”
I sensed something was off.
Since Isthart Guild’s visit, security around my dungeon had become much tighter than usual.
And yet, this man had infiltrated as if it were his own home, slipping past Ara’s detection and reaching us unnoticed?
“I am called Hassan. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Lately, it seemed like foreigners learning Korean was a trend.
He wasn’t using a translation item, yet his fluent Korean was impressive.
“I’m Lee Kyu-seong.”
“I’m Ara!”
We naturally exchanged introductions.
Then, I suddenly realized where I had heard the name Hassan before.
“Are you… the Mountain Elder Hassan?”
“Haha, some call me that.”
His original title came from the “Old Man of the Mountain.”
I recalled that the founder of the Assassins was called that, and this man before me was his descendant.
In reality, he had earned the nickname only in his later years.
Now, he was known as one of the world’s only seven Level 9 Awakeners.
“Did you come from Isthart?”
“Think of it as a casual visit. It has nothing to do with the guild.”
Even as he spoke, he caught another insect and showed it to Ara.
“This is a blue glass-winged longhorn beetle. Isn’t it beautiful?”
“Ohh! Can I take it?”
“You can’t take a jewel beetle, but this one is fine.”
“Oooh!”
Hassan was famous as an Assassin.
In other words, he was a killer.
Naturally, I had some preconceived notions.
Now that he was near us, I couldn’t help but feel tense.
“There’s no need to be so nervous. I didn’t come with any hostile intentions—I was just curious.”
Hassan patted Ara’s head.
“Besides, this clever child already sensed me approaching. If I had any ill intent, things would have gone south long ago.”
“Uh… okay…”
“Haha. Sorry. I would have announced my visit, but security was too tight. Though, that is our own fault as well.”
On the surface, he seemed like a friendly old foreigner.
Even Ara didn’t seem too bothered, so maybe it was fine.
“You said you came out of curiosity. Were you looking for me?”
“That’s right. I’ve been keeping track of your recent events, and seeing how you keep overcoming them unharmed made me curious. And now, you even made some of our Isthart members kneel. That caused quite the uproar within the guild.”
“That wasn’t intentional—it was an accident.”
“Haha! I’m not here to scold you. It’s purely my personal curiosity that brought me here.”
Hassan took a slow look around.
“This is a great place. Both Korea as a country and this mountain you live in.”
“You like mountains?”
“Yes, I do. That’s why I know a lot about insects as well. Collecting insects started as a way to extract poisons, but now it has become my only hobby.”
“Ha… haha…”
Just then, Ara held up her container full of insects and shouted.
“I caught them all! Now I’ll take them home and raise them!”
“How will you feed them?”
“Umm… sweet potato fries?”
Ara’s adorably innocent answer made me laugh, momentarily forgetting about Hassan’s presence.
Hassan, too, was smiling warmly at Ara.
“Insects have specific diets, which is why they live in nature.”
“They can’t eat sweet potato fries?”
“No, they can’t.”
“Hmm… that’s disappointing.”
Ara opened the container and released the insects.
They crawled out slowly before spreading their wings and flying away.
Watching them go, Ara made a resolution.
“Then I’ll catch insects that can live at home!”
“What kind of insects?”
“Big ones!”
Ara spread her arms wide.
At that size, it wouldn’t be an insect but a monster.
…Wait, was she actually talking about a monster?
No, now wasn’t the time to think about that.
I subtly glanced at Hassan.
Just how long did he plan to stay here, chatting about trivial matters?
“Hassan!”
“Hmm?”
“Are you coming to visit my house? There’s a huge variety of insects there that you won’t find here!”
“Oh! Dungeon insects have recently piqued my interest. There are still rare Earth insects I haven’t collected, but dungeon insects aren’t restricted by conservation laws.”
Hassan nodded, clearly excited.
At this rate, anyone would think he really was just here for the insects.
“Would you like to visit my home?”
“Can he come over, Kyu-seong Kyu-seong?”
I scratched my head.
His immense reputation made me hesitate.
But, in reality, the dungeon was safer than being outside.
Right now, it was just me and Ara here.
But inside, I had the other Seven Deadly Sins, as well as Kyler.
‘But if Kyler is inside, getting discovered could be a problem…’
After thinking for a moment, I came up with a compromise.
“It’s a bit difficult right now, but could you visit again tomorrow? Since it’s a space where my family lives together, I need to discuss it with them first.”
“Haha, I was being too hasty. The moment I heard ‘dungeon insects,’ I lost my sense of reason for a moment. Of course, I can wait.”
Lost his reason? That was a ridiculous thing to say.
But I wasn’t bold enough to point it out.
With that, Hassan disappeared, saying he would return tomorrow, and Ara and I returned to the dungeon.
First, I needed to ask the others for their opinions.
Especially Kyler.
‘Since Kyler is also a Level 9 Awakener, he should know something about Hassan.’
***
After Kyu-seong and Ara entered the dungeon—
Hassan, who had seemed to vanish, reappeared smoothly.
“Apologies, but this is my area of expertise.”
With that, Hassan concealed himself once again and infiltrated the dungeon.
Upon entering, he took in the interior of the dining hall with an impressed gaze.
Finally, he located the entrance to the Dungeon of Gluttony.
One of his abilities—Tracking—had already been activated.
This ability allowed him to follow a target under any circumstances.
[Dungeon of Gluttony]
[Access granted once via Tracking.]
[Re-entry is impossible.]
‘A powerful dungeon indeed.’
Never before had he encountered a dungeon where re-entry was entirely prohibited.
His ability was formidable, yet even it was restricted to a single entry here.
His anticipation grew even stronger.
As Hassan stepped into the dungeon, his eyes widened, and his jaw dropped.
A breathtakingly beautiful landscape.
But more than anything, the sight of the massive tree in the distance struck his heart directly.
‘How can such a magnificent tree exist?’
What he was gazing at was Yggdrasil, the World Tree.
For someone who loved plants and insects, it was the most awe-inspiring sight he had ever encountered.
However, at that moment—
“Hassan!!?”
“Kyler Lucas. How is it that you are here…?”
Kyler, who had been passing nearby, sensed Hassan’s presence and immediately spotted him.
Cliche Novel 