Round 147

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Meluca bloomed, but now the real journey began. The goal was to ensure a stable and abundant harvest for all of Alfheim, and the small field we had now wouldn’t suffice. However, having finally succeeded in making the flowers bloom, there was no reason to be anxious anymore.

“Hmph, indeed, it’s me. And who am I? The Goblin King, Mammon!”

When we approached Mammon with Frey, he boasted with pride, and the surrounding goblins looked at him with admiration, chanting “Kiric!”

-Hmph! Thank you!

“Are you really thankful?”

Frey, perched on my shoulder, completed the sentence with a mismatched combination of words, flapping her wings. Mammon chuckled arrogantly at the sight and crossed his arms.

“If you ever need my poison in the future, just let me know. I will personally help you!”

-Hmph! Got it! 

Frey responded, whipping her tiny head around. She didn’t say no, after all. I had already arranged for Mammon to prepare the poison in advance, so there was no rush. By now, he should have produced enough poison to create a new Meluca flower field.

“How’s the mine?”

“No problems! The ground is becoming slightly firmer, but it’s still manageable!”

We had assigned two goblins and one Kkumuri to work in the mine. Since there was a risk of collapse as they dug further, we asked Kkumuri to continuously reinforce the tunnel.

“Hmm, the ground is getting firmer…”

“Uh, my lord.”

“Hmm, speak.”

Mammon, who had been confident when he said he’d entrusted his works outside, now spoke in a nervous tone. I felt his anxiety and patted his head reassuringly.

“At my workplace, the captain was very impressed with your creations. He said he could feel the dedication and effort, and that they were extraordinary.”

“Heh, some humans have an eye for quality. Of course, excluding you, my lord!”

“I’ve entrusted your works to him. He even expressed a desire to personally purchase them. What do you think?”

“Hmm…”

“If they sell, the captain will continue buying your creations. I think he might even hold an exhibition solely for your works.”

“An exhibition?!”

Mammon’s astonished expression softened as he began to dream. The goblins around watched him curiously.

“Take your time to think about it.”

“Yes! Understood!”

Feeling a bit guilty for interrupting their rest, I decided to inspect the mine first. Next to the mine were various minerals and stones we had collected, now covered in a blanket of snow.

“I should ask the Kkumuri to build a materials warehouse.”

“We’re a bit short.”

“We’ll work harder!”

“That’s not what I meant. I’m already grateful for what you’re doing.”

The stones we had mined seemed insufficient for building the goblin village. We’ll have to start with the materials we have and gradually expand the village.

“There are specialists for this kind of work…”

“What do you mean?” 

Curious about Mammon’s hesitant remark, I turned to see Ara, who had been examining the mined stones, exclaiming, “Ras!”

– Gula, no, Ara, you remember too. 

‘Ras? What’s Ras?’

However, I quickly figured it out. The common ground that Ara and Mammon shared, plus the mistake of still calling her Gula.

“Could it be that Ras is one of the Seven Deadly Sins?”

“Ras of Wrath, and his subordinates are experts in such tasks. They’re very strong, they love digging, and they’re quite simple-minded…”

So, it really was about one of the Seven Deadly Sins. I was already aware of Wrath. It was the dungeon that appeared after Avarice.

Talking about the Seven Deadly Sins with these two feels like discussing another world. Calling a monster that is the worst and strongest opponent for humanity like a next-door neighbor feels like a joke.

‘These two are also part of the Seven Deadly Sins.’

Thinking about it, I had two members of the Seven Deadly Sins with me, and life was indeed full of surprises.

“Can’t we bring Ras and make him work?”

“Ras is a dog!”

“That guy may be a bit simple-minded, but he works very well…”

“Ras is cute!”

I scratched my head while watching Ara and Mammon, whose conversation seemed oddly out of sync despite talking to each other.

“What about this Ras?”

“He is the leader of the Gnolls. He has trouble controlling his anger.”

“Gnoll?”

Unlike the chaos caused by Avarice, no information about Wrath had ever been made public. It was only known that it existed near a border in Austria and was under the control of the European Union, with no one being able to approach it.

“A dog.”

“Yeah, if it’s a Gnoll, a dog seems right.”

Specifically, maybe a hyena? Anyway, since Ara called it a dog, I’ll call it a dog too.

Besides Ara, who is Gluttony, Mammon of Avarice, and now Ras of Wrath…

‘Are they all low-ranking monsters?’

Is this a concept of the Seven Deadly Sins? There are no high-ranking monsters. At this point, I wondered if all the Seven Deadly Sins were low-ranking monsters.

If so, it meant that except for Ras, the leader of the Gnolls, the rest of the creatures in the Wrath dungeon were likely just ordinary Gnolls.

[!!Special Hidden Quest!! : Seven Deadly Sins]

[Gluttony has begun to be conquered! Conquer the remaining Seven Deadly Sins!]

[Pride: X

Avarice: 0

Envy: X

Wrath: X

Lust: X

Sloth: X]

I checked the quest after a long time. It was a unique quest that gave rewards for conquering each of the Seven Deadly Sins. I couldn’t help but feel a creeping desire.

‘With Ara and Mammon, couldn’t we win over this Ras too?’

For now, I’ll keep this in mind and plan for later. Unlike Mammon, there was no information available, and while Ara and Mammon were exceptionally nice, there was no guarantee that Ras would be the same.

But why did I feel like Ras, the Gnoll leader, would be simple and cute like our kids?

“If I could poison Ras and make him work for me… Hehehe, hahaha!”

Seeing little Mammon laugh like an overlord made me laugh involuntarily too.

– Sigh, for our proud Alfheim to have to rely on such a creature.

“Crafting party! Ehehe! Exhibition! Ehehe!”

Leaving Mammon to his joyful fantasies, I approached Ara and examined the accumulated materials.

With this amount of materials, how much of a village could we complete? Ara was nearby, so I asked through her.

“Heheng.”

“Thirty houses!”

“Thirty? Are you talking about houses?”

“Heheng.”

“Yes!”

There were 500 goblins, and considering the ones with families, there were about 200 households. First, we needed an accurate count of the households. Even then, thirty was quite low. Goblins’ physical strength wasn’t as high as that of ordinary humans, so their work output was naturally lower. Moreover, I had provided them with welfare benefits, encouraging them to take it easy, which was inevitable.

“Mammon.”

“Hehe, yes?!”

“I’m planning to build a village once winter ends. Can you investigate how many goblin families there are in advance?”

“Investigate the number of households! There are 98 households in total!”

“Oh, really? You already knew that?”

“I am Mammon, the mighty Goblin King! Of course, I know this much!”

“Ohhh.”

I was genuinely impressed. Maybe I had underestimated Mammon, focusing too much on his pure and cute side. And the number of households was smaller than I had expected. Seeing that there were less than 100 goblin households, it seemed they lived in large families.

“You’re even building houses for us… I’m deeply moved and already looking forward to it!”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t do it sooner.”

“No, it’s fine! We have been living with the ground as our floor and the sky as our blanket! Having a house for the first time is more than enough to be amazing!”

I faintly heard Mammon’s muttering that he had a house, though.

“Since we’re here, let’s check the land we sectioned off last time.”

“I will guide you!”

***

Two more days passed. And we finally reached the end of winter. The sky remained a bright, dreamy, purplish color, but the once white world was now beginning to show signs of green life sprouting up.

…And I was currently facing an unexpected crisis.

“Uuuu.”

It was the first time I saw Ara’s expression like this. Looking at Ara with tears welling up, I couldn’t hide my distress.

“Snowy… Snowy…”

Ara was talking about Snowy, the small snowman my mother had made for her. The very snowman that was decorated on Ara’s hat storage roof. And our Snowy was slowly melting away with the end of winter.

“Uuuuh. Snowy is disappearing!”

In the end, Ara burst into tears. Trying to hold the melting Snowy only made it melt faster, causing quite a commotion.

“Ara, Snowy isn’t disappearing. He will come back when winter returns.”

“Waaaaah!”

It had the opposite effect. With Ara on my shoulders, I desperately tried to think of a way to handle this situation.

‘Freezer? No, how can I save it right now?’

Should I ask Bokkeum to eat it? But I knew Bokkeum could only expand space, not freeze it. For now, to prolong Snowy’s life even a bit, I suggested to Ara that we move Snowy to a place where the snow hadn’t melted yet.

“If you touch him, he’ll melt.”

Sniffle.

Ara, sniffling adorably, made me want to tease her, but I resisted the urge.

“Let’s move it quickly and carefully.”

“Uuuu.”

Ara, with trembling hands, quickly but cautiously picked up Snowy. I swiftly moved to a shaded area where the snow hadn’t melted yet and set Ara down there.

Drip. Drip.

Snowy was melting away, smiling. 

“Waaaaah!”

Even though we placed him in the shade, it seemed unlikely that he would survive. It was natural for the snow to melt once winter ended. I hadn’t realized how much Ara cherished this snowman; I thought she had forgotten about it after that day.

‘Children are much more sensitive than I thought.’

Or maybe I had become too numb. It was a moment where I realized I was getting older.

Having run out of comforting words, I simply stood beside Ara, watching Snowy melt away together.

“Sniff.”

Eventually, Ara stopped crying and silently paid her respects to Snowy, her eyes still swollen and filled with tears.

“Next time, I’ll make you even better. Thank you for protecting the hats.”

“Snowy, you were a really good snowman.”

We bowed our heads in farewell to Snowy. As we were saying our goodbyes, slimes and Kkumuris, who were happily welcoming spring, came over to see what was happening.

A Kkumuri?

“Heheng?”

Imitating us, they bowed respectfully. After a brief moment of mourning, we raised our heads to see an empty patch of dirt where Snowy had completely melted.

“Uuu, sniff…”

As Ara was about to start crying again, a Kkumuri waddled over and began touching the spot where Snowy had melted.

“Heheng.”

The Kkumuri began shaping the dirt, gradually forming it into something.

“Huh?”

“!!”

What the Kkumuri created was a dirt version of Snowy.

“Snowy!!!”

Ara, her tears forgotten, shouted with joy and gently picked up the new version of Snowy. Her careful but hurried movements were incredibly cute.

“Heheng.”

The Kkumuri, having revived Snowy, looked at me with a blank expression as if asking if it did well.

“Good job.”

Thumbs up. 

This little guy was amazing. Snowy was almost perfectly restored, except he was now made of dirt. Maybe we should call him Dirt-Dirt now?

“Snowy!”

It seemed Ara still considered it Snowy. We placed the new Snowy back on the roof. I touched him slightly, and he was so sturdy that it was clearly the work of the Kkumuri. Snowy now seemed safe from any unexpected accidents.

With that little incident over, I checked the time. It was almost time.

‘Golden Carrot’

Finally, was I about to move beyond level 1?

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Patron 38

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Liyan Aguileras doesn’t like lies.  

It goes beyond mere dislike—she despises them.  

This hatred stems from her experiences growing up as the daughter of a Red Tower Master.  

She enjoyed abundant privileges, but with that came countless lies and deceptions.  

Lies that were so intense they left her traumatized.  

Thus, she came to hate lies with an almost compulsive aversion, and this loathing intensified when the liar in question was a magician, a result of the trauma from her childhood.  

So, when Liyan Aguileras first met Count Palatio, she instinctively despised him.  

Despite the rumors that Count Palatio had contributed greatly to capturing foreign threats, Liyan saw him as weak.  

He lacked the ‘eye’ that is essential for becoming a high-ranking magician, but Liyan, having a decent amount of talent, could easily see Alon’s mana.  

It was pitiful, barely a flicker of power.  

While he was undoubtedly a magician, the meager amount of mana he possessed wouldn’t even qualify him to reach the second tier.  

This reminded her of another rumor—one that suggested Count Palatio wasn’t the hero who stopped the foreign threats, but rather the benefactor of Deus Macallian, one of the Master Knights.  

The idea that he had stolen the glory of Deus Macallian quickly rooted itself in her mind as the truth, leading Liyan to develop a deep hatred for the Count.  

Yes, that must have been it.  

But how?  

Liyan now stared at Alon in shock.  

More precisely, she was watching the phenomenon Alon had created.  

A chilling space had formed around him, spreading wide across the scorching desert, freezing the very air in the middle of this blazing land.  

When she saw frost starting to form on the sand near him, Liyan couldn’t comprehend what was happening.  

This was a spell that could never be manifested by the amount of mana Alon possessed.  

And it wasn’t just that.  

Though she didn’t understand how the spell was cast, Liyan could grasp its structure.  

“Compound magic, and at least three different spells…!”  

Compound magic.  

To explain it theoretically would take a long time, but simply put, it refers to linking two or more spells together.  

Of course, linking spells is no easy task.  

Various elements must be added to implement magic, but the basic arrangement structure must still be followed.  

In short, linking spells meant this: if even one structure is disrupted, the entire magic is nullified.  

The magician must re-establish the spells with their own equation to make it work.  

The difficulty of linking increases exponentially with each additional spell, making it a challenge that only magicians of at least the fifth tier can attempt.  

That’s why, as Liyan dumbly watched Alon prepare his next spell—  

“!”  

—she witnessed something.  

The man with the eyepatch, who had been standing in front of her just moments ago, had suddenly reached Alon.  

No one had noticed how it happened—it was over in an instant.  

Mercenaries, who belatedly realized that protecting Alon was their best strategy, quickly turned their bodies.  

Liyan, too, instinctively started to prepare her magic to aid Alon, but it was already too late.  

The man with an eyepatch was standing before Alon with a sly smile, poised to swing his twin scimitars.  

However, what Liyan saw was not Alon’s head being severed—  

“Freeze.”  

Snap-!  

—It was the man with an eyepatch, frozen in place.  

Frozen in the very posture of swinging his twin scimitars, the man turned into an ice statue in that brief moment.  

“Shatter.”  

With Alon’s low murmur,  

Crack—Crash!  

The ice shattered, and the body of the man who had driven them to despair was instantly broken into countless fragments.  

Silence.  

“Hoo—”  

With a quiet exhale from Alon, a white breath once again swept over him.  

Retracting the hand that had formed the seals even Liyan couldn’t fully comprehend—  

“I’ll give you a chance.”  

—he spoke, as if he had anticipated everything.  

Without any change in expression, he looked coldly at the group of bandits, who were now frozen in fear.  

“Get lost.”  

It was a quiet yet unmistakably clear pronouncement, carrying a sharp intent that no one could misinterpret.  

With just a single attack, the bandits, having lost their leader in an instant, hesitated briefly before turning to flee in all directions.  

Watching Alon calmly dispel his magic as if nothing had happened, Liyan realized just how ignorant she had been and continued to stare at him.  

A hint of admiration flickered in her eyes.  

***

As he watched the retreating figures of the bandits, who had fled in a heartbeat, Alon felt a sense of relief and bewilderment hidden behind his expressionless face.  

‘Things didn’t go exactly as planned, but it worked out in the end, so that’s a relief.’  

Alon knew about the Bloodsand Bandits.  

They appeared as part of a side story in the game.  

In the game, this bandits had a characteristic where, once their leader was dealt with, the remaining members would scatter.  

That was why he aimed to take down the leader quickly, and he had succeeded as intended.  

…Though, it was unexpected that the leader had rushed at him before he had even fully manipulated the magic array.  

‘It seems reducing the penalty worked.’  

Alon suddenly felt the searing desert heat seep back into his bones.  

The cold that had spread from him moments ago was from a spell he had spent over half a year developing after returning from Caliban—‘The Extreme Cold.’  

This spell, which required the simultaneous use of spatial magic, frost magic, and maintenance magic, had the effect of temporarily transforming the surrounding environment to resemble the frozen tundra of the North.  

However, for Alon, this transformation was critical.  

‘The Extreme Cold’ was important because it allowed me to partially fulfill one of the four conditions required to twist the world’s laws for killing foreign entities—‘magic must be used on the land of extreme cold.’  

In other words, the spell allowed him to reduce the number of penalties he bore from four to three, making it quite valuable for him.  

The negative consequences of these conditions limited his magical abilities.  

‘The magic I linked with the extreme cold spell worked well. The difference in difficulty between bearing one fewer penalty is indeed substantial. Even though the spell itself became more powerful than I had initially expected… due to the belt.’  

Though Alon felt momentarily disoriented by the unexpected surge in power,  

‘Well, I suppose that’s a good thing.’  

Shrugging his shoulders, he consciously reached for the ornament around his waist—a belt adorned with three amethysts—called the “Belt of the Forgotten.”  

This item doubled both the damage he inflicted and the damage he received, a feature that applied to Alon even with the three penalties he was carrying.  

‘…If I can obtain that item here, I could remove one more penalty for sure.’  

Thinking this, Alon loosened the belt and tucked it into his pocket.  

‘I’ll still need to adjust the extreme cold spell. For consuming the power of three spells, its duration is far too short. It barely lasts a minute… I should look into improving that.’  

With these thoughts in mind, he returned to the carriage.  

From that day, including the next, as they neared the desert city, two changes occurred in Alon’s life.  

“Ah, Count Palatio! This is a special wine produced in Gur, and it’s said to taste absolutely wonderful. How about a glass?”  

“Thank you.”  

“And this here is ham that I brought to sell as a local specialty in the city. Would you like to try it? It’s incredibly delicious…!”  

The first change was the attitude of Rad, the head of the Golden-Haired Caravan, which had shifted 180 degrees.  

In the span of just one night, Rad had presented Alon with even more lavish gifts than he had offered Liyan over the past few days, acting as if he would give him anything, even his liver and heart.  

“If there’s anything else you desire, please don’t hesitate to let me know!”  

Rad fawned over Alon so much that it seemed his hands would wear out from all the groveling, before disappearing after bowing deeply.  

“That man’s attitude changed 180—no, 360 degrees.”  

“…Wouldn’t 360 degrees mean he stayed the same?”  

“I meant his reaction changed that much.”  

The second change was—  

“Count Palatio.”  

“…Liyan Aguileras?”  

“Yes, if it’s not an inconvenience, I’d like to discuss magic with you. Would that be alright?”  

Liyan Aguileras’s attitude toward Alon had completely changed.  

On the night the bandits attacked, she had bowed deeply to him, something that seemed impossible for her pride, offering an apology.  

From the next day on, she began to seek out Alon frequently, asking various questions about magic.  

“So, you mean this part can be arranged arbitrarily in the magic array—”  

“Yes, to use compound magic, you need to maintain the structure, so instead of fixing the array, you twist it through rotation.”  

Liyan Aguileras’s conversations with Alon proved to be quite beneficial for him.  

Until now, Alon had been self-taught in magic, relying on twisting spells through language alone.  

Liyan’s questions and knowledge provided him with valuable academic insight.  

Whenever he explained an array structure that was slightly superior to hers, she would unconsciously or perhaps consciously react with soft murmurs like “Oh… I see,” which Alon found quite satisfying.  

Of course, as their conversations increased, the overly admiring gaze she began to send his way felt a little awkward.  

“Here you go.”  

“And this is…?”  

“A potion.”  

Today as well, as soon as their conversation ended, Liyan naturally handed him a mana recovery potion.  

Though it wasn’t of the highest grade like the ones Penia had given him, the potion Liyan handed him daily was still fairly expensive, leaving Alon feeling a bit embarrassed behind his expressionless face.  

“You don’t have to bring a gift every time you visit.”  

“I’m learning from you. Please, don’t feel burdened and just accept it.”  

Since she insisted on giving him a potion almost every time they met, Alon eventually ended up receiving about four mana potions by the time they arrived at the desert city.  

***

After a journey of more than a week, Alon arrived in the desert city, parting ways with Rad, who had told him to rely on him for anything, and Liyan, who promised to formally apologize to him again sometime later.  

“…It’s understandable for a merchant, but the daughter of a Red Tower Mage has changed so much that it’s hard to adjust,” muttered Evan as he watched Liyan walk away.  

With that, Alon entered the desert city, leisurely taking in his surroundings.  

Aside from the sandy hue of the buildings, it wasn’t much different from the capital of Asteria.  

However, one structure stood out—the gigantic coliseum that could even be seen from the south gate, which seemed to symbolize the colony itself and exuded an overwhelming presence.  

‘It looks like it could hold more than 100,000 people.’  

Gazing at the massive coliseum visible even beyond countless other buildings, Alon shared his thoughts and began walking with Evan toward where Seolrang was.  

After about 20 minutes—  

“Well, well, noble lord, care to have a chat with us?”  

Alon was confronted.  

In front of him and Evan stood a group of over ten men who, at a glance, clearly screamed, “We’re thugs!”  

Yet, interestingly enough, the surrounding mercenaries simply watched the situation without intervening, despite the thugs picking a fight with Alon.  

Some even seemed entertained, as if this was a common occurrence, while others pretended not to notice the situation at all.  

It was a very strange atmosphere.  

“If things go well, we could even introduce you to our boss, Malian. How about that?”  

The thug’s words immediately made Alon understand the odd situation.  

‘…These guys must be Malian’s men.’  

Recalling the name of Malian, one of the four Baba Yagas of the colony, also known by the ominous title “Beast of Horror,” Alon soon realized his mistake.  

‘This is Malian’s territory.’  

Alon remembered that, in the game, whenever you entered Malian’s area, thugs like these would try to extort you.  

Sighing resignedly, Alon thought, ‘Do I have no choice but to let them rob me?’  

He knew that fighting here would be a bad move.  

Dealing with the thugs blocking his way would be easy, but doing so would put him at odds with one of the four Baba Yagas.  

This would create unnecessary restrictions for Alon, who needed to operate in the colony for the next few days.  

Just as he began to reach into his pocket,  

Thud—  

“Hey, are you sighing with us right in front of you?”  

The thug who had been smirking a twisted smile just moments ago lightly tapped Alon’s forehead.  

It was as if he was mocking a child, grinning crookedly.  

Evan, standing beside Alon, instinctively furrowed his brow and reached for his sword, but—  

Boom!  

The thug who had tapped Alon’s forehead was suddenly slammed to the side, crashing into a nearby building.  

It had happened in an instant.  

Both Evan and Alon wore bewildered expressions as they looked at the thug, who had been thrown across the street, while the other thugs who had been smirking just moments ago had their expressions freeze in shock.  

“Hey—”  

And then,  

“What do you think you’re doing to my Master?”  

Crackle—  

“Huh? Why don’t you tell me?”  

—accompanied by lightning.  

“Explain what you just did.”  

The faces of the thugs who had been laughing earlier quickly transformed into ones of fear and panic.  

“Go on, explain yourself.”  

Golden eyes gleamed with fury.  

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Copy 13

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Aiden was strolling through the streets at dawn.

The pier at the edge of the capital.

A massive ship could be seen cutting through the bluish dawn.

Most of the weapons smuggled into the capital are brought in through ships traversing the canal.

And today’s incident will take place right here.

-Quest Info

▶ Failure to complete the listed events will result in significant penalties!

<Life is Beautiful>

– Katia Heinkel Craven desperately wants something from you. Help the target fully experience ‘sensation’ to the best of your ability!

A related event is imminent. (D-Day!)

★ Depending on how you handle the event wisely, the way ‘The Weaver of Fate’ applies to the target will change.

Act 1, <Cracks in the Capital>

– Your frequency of interaction with important figures in the scenario has significantly increased.

– Soon, your presence will officially be integrated into the scenario. The direction of the scenario will be determined by your actions!

– A related event is imminent. (D-Day!)

Main Quest

Act 1, <Cracks in the Capital>

– A group is smuggling weapons into the capital. Arrest them all.

Clear Condition: Ensure no civilian casualties.

—

Fail the quest, and you die!

Seeing the list of incidents that will break out at the same time shoved in his face made his chest feel tight.

Especially the “death upon failure” etched smartly into the main quest.

Unlike a side quest he received once before, this felt like it’s being particularly emphasized that he ‘must’ succeed.

‘It’s just like the game I saw.’

The savage threat of “fail this, and I’ll kill you” reminded him that he’s standing in a game world.

But unlike a game, where death allows for a retry, here, once he dies, it’s the end.

At least, he thought, the relief is that today will be the last time he has to worry about such things.

‘For sure……….’

Aiden recalled the ‘progress’ of the incident in his mind.

No matter how discreetly they try to smuggle the weapons in, bringing in enough for a coup is bound to get noticed. The capital’s police force will catch wind of it and rush to crack down on them, marking the start of the ‘scenario’ that will sweep the entire world.

‘You’ll be there.’

And within the police squad, there will be Aiden’s target.

The savior, who will awaken their talents in today’s ‘crisis.’

The protagonist of this world.

At this point, just a rookie in the capital’s police force.

Aiden doesn’t know their appearance or personality, but one thing is certain: today, they will make their debut.

They must, for the future of the world.

‘So, take some of this burden off my shoulders.’

That’s his true desire, anyway.

Regardless, to take the first step, he needs to meet up with the person he arranged to meet.

They should be waiting around here.

As Aiden scanned the surroundings, suddenly, a face popped down from above.

It was Katia, hanging upside down like a bat, her legs hooked onto a nearby streetlight.

His heart nearly jumped out of his chest.

“Hi.”

Katia waved from her inverted position, smiling brightly, but just seeing her made his chest feel heavy.

Although she appears to be just a girl, her presence exudes the pressure of facing a massive predator.

He feels something similar with Noel, though at least with her, there’s no certainty she’ll actually cause harm, unlike Katia, who feels like a ticking time bomb.

“It’s strange.”

The beast in human form spoke the moment she saw Aiden’s face.

“What is?”

“That you didn’t notice me until I got this close.”

“…..”

“For someone as extraordinary as you who can use the same sacred powers as I do, how come you can’t manage something so simple?”

“…..”

“You’ve got all this power but no idea how to use it. I want to drag you off to the Holy Kingdom and dissect you.”

Her unexpected, direct jabs were definitely contributing to the oppressive feeling he had.

And she was absolutely right.

All of Aiden’s abilities are overwhelmingly powerful, but he doesn’t have the slightest idea how to ‘effectively use them for combat.’

To a seasoned warrior like Katia, he must seem utterly pathetic.

“Well, it’s fine.”

Katia dropped down from the streetlight and continued.

“As long as you keep your promise, the little details don’t matter. So, what’s first?”

“I’ve got someone to introduce you to. Let’s meet them first.”

For our protagonist, making an impression on Katia shouldn’t be a problem.

After all, in the original story, Katia became an ally after sensing something from the protagonist during their first encounter.

In no time, and by any means necessary, he will break through her congenital insensitivity and make her ‘feel’ something—that’s how her personal quest begins.

He vividly remembered how Katia ended up following the protagonist everywhere after that encounter.

Katia chuckled softly and responded, “I’m looking forward to it.”

…Though she sounded cheerful, it also felt like she was saying, “Handle it well, or else.”

The crackdown site was heating up.

Literally, as bombs exploded and bullets flew through the air, raising the temperature.

The police were continuously urging the criminals to surrender through loudspeakers, while the smugglers shouted insults, and the sound of gunfire and explosions added to the chaos.

It was absurd how intense things had gotten for a weapons smuggling operation.

‘At least no civilians are getting hurt, thank goodness.’

No matter how they aren’t regular soldiers, the capital police are still elite members among law enforcement organizations. 

These aren’t the kind of people who would struggle with wiping out a criminal organization like this. 

It doesn’t seem like the “no casualties” condition for clearing the quest will be too difficult. 

And outside of the intense battle,

“Do we really have to stay this quiet?”

While Aiden was getting increasingly stressed just by being there, Katia, who had been hiding in the shadows and watching the scene, spoke up in a disgruntled voice.

She didn’t seem to care much about what needed to be done here but was clearly frustrated by how ‘boringly inactive’ they had been.

‘Seriously…?’

With no sensory experiences directly affecting her, Katia enjoys indulging in bizarre activities just to feel ‘something’, even mentally.

“Just hang in there for a bit. It’s not like we’d gain anything from jumping in now.”

“If this ends up being boring after all this waiting, I’ll really be mad.”

As crazy as it seemed to hear someone complain about being bored while bullets and bombs flew around them, Aiden knew one thing for sure: when Katia gets mad, it signals the beginning of a major catastrophe that could easily result in a death toll in the double digits—or worse, triple digits. 

It wasn’t something to take lightly.

‘They should be showing up soon…’

Luckily, before Katia could grumble further, the incident Aiden remembered was unfolding before their eyes.

“Everyone, stand back!”

That’s right.

Aiden nodded inwardly as one of the cornered criminals stepped forward, holding a box that was clearly dangerous.

“…A Hellfire Bomb?”

Even Katia, who had been watching with disinterest, let out a whistle of surprise.

“Weren’t those too expensive to use even during the Allied War? What’s something like that doing here in the backstreets?”

As she muttered that to herself, Aiden noticed the growing panic on the faces of the capital police. They knew instinctively that if that thing went off, the entire area would be obliterated.

“Wait, calm down—”

“Put down your weapons! If you don’t drop everything, I’ll detonate this right here!”

‘Ah, the nostalgia. Isn’t this the first cutscene right after the tutorial? And then, here, our magnificent protagonist is supposed to appear, swiftly subduing the lowlife threatening to blow up the area, marking the grand beginning of the story.’

Yes, any moment now.

One.

Two.

Three.

“Captain, what should we do?”

“For now, don’t provoke him. Can’t you see how crazed he looks?”

“Hey! What are you whispering about? I said, put your weapons down!”

“Wait, calm down. Okay? We’ll put them down. Just relax.”

He should be here.

No.

He ‘should’ have shown up by now…

Aiden’s spine tingled as he looked at the situation in front of him, where ‘nothing’ was happening.

His hands and feet grew cold.

Of course.

The one who was supposed to be here was nowhere in sight.

‘He’s not here?’

At this moment, he ‘had’ to be here.

In this chaotic situation, there must be at least one person who steps forward to show ‘courage.’

But.

There wasn’t.

Everyone was too afraid of dying, and no one dared to make a move.

Here, there were only ordinary people.

There was no shining figure, no one carrying the fate of the world.

The ‘protagonist’ Aiden had hoped to shift the burden onto was nowhere to be found.

Aiden tightly closed his eyes.

In the end.

The ‘worst-case scenario’ he had desperately wanted to avoid was now materializing before his very eyes.

“Hey.”

And before he could even process his thoughts,

A chilling voice came from beside him.

“So, where’s the person you were going to introduce me to?”

“…”

“Don’t tell me it’s one of those pathetic fools over there, right?”

It wasn’t exactly the kind of atmosphere where he could honestly say “no.”

He was sure that if he did, it wouldn’t be surprising if his head got lopped off right then and there.

In fact, knowing Katia’s usual temperament, that would be ‘normal’.

Again.

A switch clicked on in his mind.

His survival instincts, which always kicked in during extreme situations, were now in play.

“Aiden, aren’t you going to answer?”

Even the usual smile Katia wore like a mask was beginning to fade as she asked that sentence again.

It was essentially the final warning. It was as if she were saying, “Did you really waste my time on this nonsense?”

Meanwhile, in Aiden’s mind, estimates were being calculated at a terrifying speed.

‘The most urgent thing right now…?’

What he had to do, right here and now, was somehow make this monstrous princess beside him ‘feel pain’.

If he couldn’t pierce through all the ‘divine powers’ that Katia possessed and manage to inject some sort of ‘sensation’ into her…

He was going to die, right here.

‘The premise is…’

And he had already considered a way to achieve that goal once before.

The solution was to land a powerful ‘strike’ strong enough to break through all the divine powers Katia held.

What he had on him right now was a single revolver he carried for self-defense and a bunch of half-baked supernatural abilities that, as Katia pointed out, he didn’t even know how to use properly.

Pitiful weapons, with powers as useless as pearls around a pig’s neck.

With these in hand…

He had to land a ‘strike’ strong enough to surpass a monster on par with Noel.

So then, the question is.

Can he do it?

Is there a way?

The calculations were quick, and the conclusion even quicker.

“Are you deaf? I’m asking you a question.”

“Shut up for a moment.”

There was.

Just one way.

A method he had once decided on before, but it was something he absolutely didn’t want to do.

A method he really, really didn’t want to use.

“I.”

To do that, first.

There’s someone he had to call.

As he said that, Aiden reached into his coat and pressed something.

“I told you to wait.”

One second, two seconds, three seconds…

He counted, up to ten.

After a short moment of silence.

The unexpected event occurred immediately.

“What’s going on?”

Someone sharp enough to sense the change at the pier muttered those words.

It was probably because they instinctively felt that something in the environment had changed.

Although it couldn’t be seen with the naked eye, anyone with a good sense would have noticed the formation of intense currents around them.

Starting with faint movements.

Then wind, followed by a storm, and finally, a typhoon that seemed to lift even the heaviest objects.

Eventually.

From the sky.

A ‘human’ wrapped in pure white mist crashed down, resembling a meteor.

-!!

–|||||||||

With a thunderous boom far more intense than the earlier deafening noises of the battle, almost everyone in the vicinity screamed.

That is, except for Katia, whose eyes were now gleaming, and Aiden, who had ‘called’ the figure.

“Hoo—”

Noel, slightly adjusting her hat that had been dislodged from the force of her landing, casually looked around.

“Oh.”

She soon spotted Aiden and gave a soft smile.

“—Did you call for me?”

Her greeting was calm, entirely unfitting for her fearsome entrance.

Aiden, fiddling with the switch still in his hand, stared at Noel in disbelief.

It was the signal device she had once given him, telling him to press it if he was ever in danger.

…‘So she really did come running the moment I was in trouble.’

It wasn’t a lie after all.

Prev | TOC I Next


Round 146

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The restaurant run by Ino Junichi.

Originally famous, this restaurant began to receive rave reviews as an irreplaceable restaurant worldwide at some point.

Customers didn’t know the reason, but those working at the restaurant did.

Chef Lee Jae-seong,

It was the change that occurred after he came here. However, it wasn’t just because of him.

Tap-tap-tap.

Sizzle!

The lively sounds of the kitchen, the synchronized movements and voices of the chefs fit together like cogs in a machine.

“Chef! The secret ingredient!”

“Ready!”

Each menu had a secret ingredient.

It was Kyu-seong’s produce.

Using the limited quantities of Kyu-seong’s ingredients,

Jae-seong created new dishes that highlighted each menu item.

This effort resulted in tremendous success, with rave reviews pouring in every day.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Last order!”

It was just before break time.

The chefs gave their best effort to finish up.

“Chef!”

“Yes, coming right up!”

Everyone had their assigned roles and responsibilities, and Jae-seong’s role was to check the completed dishes and finish them with Kyu-seong’s ingredients.

He sprinkled finely powdered magical baby carrots on the last dessert and added a sauce made from magical Layla juice.

“It’s done.”

“Whew.”

As the last dish left the kitchen, everyone let out a long breath and smiled with satisfaction.

“Great job, everyone.”

“The chef worked the hardest.”

“But we still have the afternoon, so don’t relax too much.”

“Ugh, isn’t that too strict? We just started our break…”

In the cheerful atmosphere, Jae-seong smiled warmly as he checked his phone.

“Hmm?”

He noticed a message from Kyu-seong. They usually contacted each other when delivering ingredients every week, but the delivery date…

After checking the message, Jae-seong stroked his chin with a troubled expression.

“Is something wrong?”

“Oh! Chef Orie.”

Chef Orie, who had just finished her work, approached while wiping her wet hands.

Ino Junichi’s restaurant was extremely spacious, as big as a football field.

Therefore, different chefs were in charge of different sections, and Shimomoto Orie was the head chef of the adjacent section.

Jae-seong and Orie had become very close recently, working together every day to research Kyu-seong’s ingredients.

“My brother contacted me to ask if I could come back to Korea for a bit. He found some special ingredients and needs my help…”

“Special ingredients?!”

Orie’s eyes sparkled.

That was natural since all her experiences handling Kyu-seong’s ingredients had been a once-in-a-lifetime source of inspiration for her.

If Kyu-seong called something special, it must be extraordinary.

“You must go!”

“But if I do, the kitchen will…”

“I’ll talk to Mr. Junichi.”

Right then and there, Orie called Ino Junichi. Jae-seong, like a bear, didn’t know what to do and fumbled around.

“Oh, you don’t have to go that far…”

But before he could stop her, the call was connected.

“Yes! This is Orie! I’m calling about Chef Jae-seong. Yes, yes. Yes.”

Watching Orie speaking in Japanese, Jae-seong eventually decided to wait quietly for the outcome. Somehow, things would work out.

“Yes, thank you.” 

Orie smiled broadly after the short call ended. 

Seeing this, Jae-seong guessed that things had gone well.

“Is it settled?”

“Of course. Not only that, but Mr. Junichi and I will be going together, assuming we get Mr. Kyu-seong’s permission.”

“What?!”

It was natural for him to go, but Jae-seong hadn’t imagined that Orie and Junichi would also go, and he was surprised.

Fortunately, there were no other chefs around. Everyone had cleared out, giving space to Jae-seong and Orie when she appeared.

“Oh, if it’s inconvenient, we can cancel our plans.”

“No, it’s fine. I like it too. But since my brother’s opinion is important, I’ll ask him first.”

“Thank you.”

Thinking about it, there was nothing bad about it.

If they had found an ingredient that required his help, it wouldn’t be a loss to have Orie along. In fact, it might be beneficial.

“I’ll ask him right away.”

“Please, let him say yes!”

***

After harvesting the golden carrots and contacting Jae-seong, we checked all the other fields. As expected, the special occurrence only happened in the carrot field.

“What a shame.”

“It is a shame.”

The weather was gradually warming, signaling the end of winter. The snow had noticeably thinned.

And above all…

-Growl!

“Gomgom! You’re awake!”

Gomgom approached us with a refreshed look. Excited, Ara immediately ran over and hugged Gomgom.

-Roar!

“Oh, it was the warmest winter ever.”

Seeing the satisfied Gomgom, I thought I should prepare some hay for his house next winter.

‘Come to think of it, I need to replant the rice.’

The rice fields that had grown so well turned into a disaster when winter came. They all drooped and didn’t ripen.

Of course, it wasn’t a loss. They grew quickly and the slimes managed them all.

“Ahem.”

I felt a slight pang of guilt, but it was a win-win situation. The slimes enjoyed playing, and I got the harvest.

Anyway, I should try rice farming again as soon as winter ends. The timing seemed right for the chili farming and making meju to be completed. If that happens…

‘I can make rice with soybean paste stew, gochujang, kimchi, kimchi stew, and marinate bulgogi with soy sauce. 

Ah, just imagining it makes my mouth water. Hurry up and end, winter!’

After confirming that the Rookies from the infinite dungeon adapted quickly to the fields, we decided to head to the fairy village.

I hadn’t checked on them since the unfinished elixir. They must be doing well.

We headed to the fairy village with Golgol and Chirpy. As we passed through the World Tree forest, I realized I hadn’t seen Pururuk recently.

‘Does it have a different habitat?’

According to Frey, it wasn’t often found, so I wondered if it lived elsewhere and occasionally came around here.

The dungeon was vast, and there were many places I hadn’t explored yet, making it a plausible assumption.

***

When we arrived at the village, the fairies greeted us warmly as always. Some children were exhaling warm steam, as if they had just come from the hot springs.

“Ara, shall we stop by the hot springs on our way back?”

“Let’s go right away!”

At the Meluca flower field, a cozy leaf house came into view. Crawling into the house, the fragrant scent of flowers greeted us.

“Wow.”

The flowers had really bloomed.

Seeing the Meluca flowers in full bloom made my heart ache a little.

‘We really did it.’

If we had failed in cultivating Meluca, all these lovely Alfheim would have starved. But in the end, we succeeded.

The Meluca flowers had quite a unique appearance.

They were larger than regular flowers. Of course, by regular flowers, I mean compared to the other wildflowers here.

The flowers were about the size of Ara’s fist, and their color was much richer than dried flowers. They had a unique blend of dark purple and white stripes.

The shape was similar to a tulip, making them even more striking.

-Now we just need to pollinate them well to increase their numbers!

“Great. Then we need to quickly find a place to turn into a Meluca flower field.”

-There are a few selected spots!

“Oh, really? Then let’s take a quick look around and go right away.”

-Hehe! Sounds good!

As we admired the flowers, the fairies wandered around enthusiastically. They seemed busy, but they weren’t managing the flowers directly.

They were just literally sightseeing.

Drip.

Some children were drooling while looking at the flowers. Unlike me, they saw the Meluca flowers as food.

Drip, drip.

And there was another person drooling.

“They look delicious…”

“Once we have plenty of Meluca flowers, we’ll taste them too.”

“Okay.”

After greeting Poispois, whom we hadn’t seen in a while, we stepped outside. I noticed that the fairy village was decorated with the transparent leaves of the World Tree.

It was hard to see because it was transparent, but it was well decorated.

-Thanks to that, we were able to stay much warmer! As expected, the lord’s idea is great!

Frey noticed where my gaze was and suddenly praised me. I found it cute and patted her head with my finger before heading to the place the fairies had scouted.

It wasn’t far; if the mine was to the east of the World Tree, this place was to the south.

It was a wide basin at the end of the forest.

-How is it? This is the closest wide area!

“Looks good. What do you think, Ara?”

“Hmm!”

When it was her turn to inspect, Ara suddenly got serious and ran around. She checked here and there, then brushed away the snow to examine the ground and soil, crossing her arms and nodding.

“It’s good! But it lacks shade!”

“Oh!”

Meluca needs shade to bud. However, this place, although surrounded, was an open basin.

-Then what should we do?

“It’s good to have a place with plenty of shade. But it should also be close to the sparkling tree.”

-Ah! Then let’s go to the second location!

Oh, it looks like they had scouted such a place in advance.

We immediately gave up on the first location. I planned to turn it into another flower field later.

-How about this place?

“Hmm.”

It was a small piece of land within the World Tree forest.

However, with the World Tree roots protruding everywhere, it was hard to call it flat. Still, it was flatter compared to other places.

“Hm!”

Ara once again bustled around, checking here and there. Finally, she exclaimed.

“This is good!”

-Oooooh!

Frey’s joy and Ara’s prideful demeanor were adorable. It was like watching little kids play house.

“Does it take long to get Meluca seeds?”

-According to what Priest Poispois said, it’s not exactly clear, but we should know for sure about a week after winter ends!

“That’s perfect. We can prepare this place in the meantime.”

-That sounds great!

Wonderful. The unexpected success of cultivating Meluca flowers slightly delayed our schedule, but I felt great. Thinking back, Mammon’s help was significant.

‘I could have managed it eventually by combining Poispois, but that would have made me anxious and impatient.’

I was planning to visit Mammon next, and I should share this good news. Considering his personality, he would smirk with pleasure.

“Frey, we’re heading to the goblin village now. Do you want to come along?”

-Ah! I should express my gratitude! He’s an annoying fellow, but I’m not a queen who would withhold thanks for such a reason!

Prev | TOC | Next


Patron 37

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Two weeks and three days had passed since Alon left Teria, the capital of the Kingdom of Asteria. 

He was currently crossing the southern desert, a necessary passage before reaching Colony.  

“Whew—”  

Alon glanced at the scorching sun, feeling as if just breathing in and out was enough to sear his lungs.  

“It’s filthy hot.”  

At Evan’s voice, who was blankly staring at the sky, Alon nodded in agreement, albeit with difficulty. 

No matter how well-made the carriage was, it couldn’t block out the heat.  

“If only I had an Ice Crystal Stone—”  

Evan was lamenting about an artifact so expensive that even purchasing one required the cost of several mansions. 

His tongue hung out like a dog’s, which looked quite ridiculous, but Alon couldn’t bring himself to laugh. 

The desert was, quite frankly, unbelievably scorching.  

‘I should have already arrived by now… if only I’d moved a little faster…’  

With a soft sigh, thoughts flickered through Alon’s mind.  

In reality, Alon had arrived at the edge of the desert just over a week after heading toward Colony. 

If he had entered the desert immediately back then, he could have already reached Colony.  

But there were two reasons why Alon had been lingering in the desert.  

One was because he made a brief stop in another territory to prepare a gift for the Seolrang in Colony.  

‘Even if it’s our first meeting, and they don’t help, I should at least bring a gift.’  

As a result, even though he should have already arrived in Colony, Alon was now still traversing the desert under the scorching sun.  

In retrospect, it didn’t matter whether he left early or late, as the distance to cross the desert was the same. 

But as he felt the burning sun, Alon couldn’t help but feel somewhat unfair.  

“Whew—”  

How much time had passed since those unreasonable thoughts stirred in him?  

“We’re camping here!”  

Just as the blazing sun began to sink and turn into a sunset, Alon heard a voice from outside and stepped out of the carriage.  

What he saw was a line of dozens of carriages on the dimming ground, each with a small lantern hanging from it.  

This was the second reason Alon had delayed his departure.  

“I’ve been seeing this for five days straight, but it still gives a sense of security the more I see it.”  

At Evan’s remark, Alon nodded.  

He had been traveling with a caravan to cross the desert. 

He knew far too well that crossing such a vast desert alone was a terrible idea.  

“By the way, Count.”  

While watching the merchants starting to set up camp as per the caravan leader’s command, Evan spoke up.  

“What is it?”  

“Are you not going to practice magic?”  

Though trying to act indifferent, Evan couldn’t hide the hint of anticipation in his expression.  

Alon, who was momentarily puzzled, soon realized what Evan was getting at and replied.  

“I plan to, but it will be different from the magic I’ve been studying so far.”  

“Ah.”  

Evan looked a little disappointed, but Alon had no intention of giving in.  

After months of research, he had mastered his current magic to the point that practicing it now was meaningless.  

“…Can’t you practice just once?”  

“No.”  

“Ugh…”  

Evan sighed in regret at Alon’s firm refusal.  

But his disappointment was short-lived.  

“Whoa, that’s just… completely flat. You’d think it was a bug.”  

As the sun finally disappeared and the weather turned chilly, Alon lit a campfire and followed Evan’s gaze.  

Evan was looking at five people.  

One was a man dressed in quite luxurious clothes, and another was a woman with fiery red hair that seemed to symbolize flames. 

Behind them stood mercenaries, each holding their respective weapons.  

‘The caravan leader and the mage from the Red Tower. Not a day goes by without seeing them.’  

Alon knew them well.  

In fact, it was impossible not to know.  

The man groveling before the red-haired mage and mercenaries was none other than the leader of the ‘Golden-Haired Caravan,’ and the mage had been picking fights with Alon at every opportunity lately.  

“Look at him, offering food without fail every day. Does he have no pride?”  

Evan shook his head, watching the caravan leader diligently rub his hands together and present high-quality wine and food once again.  

However, both Evan and Alon understood why the caravan leader was acting so submissive toward the mage. 

From the caravan leader’s perspective, it was a great advantage to be on friendly terms with a mage from the Magic Tower, especially since the mage in question was the daughter of the Red Tower Master. 

Although she had not yet ascended to the position of Vice Tower Master, she was already ranked at the 4th level at the young age of 23. 

In the world of trade, where connections were as important as business acumen, it made sense for the caravan leader to treat her with utmost reverence. 

While Alon himself was also in a position where important connections naturally gravitated toward him, it seemed that the caravan leader, unaware of Alon’s recent rise as a faction leader, had decided not to bother building a relationship with him. 

More precisely, it was likely that the caravan leader had wanted to befriend both sides but, due to the mage’s ongoing conflict with Alon, chose to focus all efforts on her. 

As Alon absentmindedly watched the caravan leader bowing, he soon realized that the mage had noticed him staring. 

“Hmm. What are you looking at?”  

The sharp-eyed woman, Liyan Aguileras, quickly caught on and approached to pick a fight with him. 

“Just happened to glance over.”  

“Do you enjoy spying on others?”  

Liyan started provoking him without hesitation, her voice tinged with contempt and scorn. 

“I don’t have that kind of hobby.”  

“Is that so? My mistake. I thought someone who eagerly spreads rumors might also enjoy peeping.”  

Despite Alon’s neutral response, Liyan continued to provoke him. He let out a sigh. 

‘How tiresome.’ 

Alon wasn’t entirely sure why she constantly picked fights with him. 

However, he could guess a few reasons, one of which was the rumors. 

Word had spread, primarily among the mages of the Blue Tower and Caliban, that Alon had played a significant role in dealing with foreign threats using magic. 

Though Alon had never spoken a word about it, Liyan seemed convinced that he had personally spread the rumors. 

Another reason she antagonized him was:  

“I’ve said it several times, I didn’t spread the rumors.”  

“You’re as evasive as the Blue Tower.”  

It seemed that Liyan harbored a strong hatred for the Blue Tower.  

Behind his expressionless face, Alon stifled a laugh. 

Even if Alon seemed suspicious to her, picking fights so openly wasn’t exactly a rational behavior, even in this world. 

But Alon merely listened to her provocations because they felt too childish to elicit any real reaction from him. 

That, however, was only part of the reason. 

The real reason he tolerated her was her status. 

Unlike Penia, Liyan held no formal position in the Red Tower. 

However, being the daughter of the Red Tower Master was a far more intimidating title than any official rank.  

Although the Red Tower Master had dramatically died after single-handedly charging at one of the Five Great Sins who destroyed the Red Tower, he was not a minor character, even in the game. 

In other words, the Red Tower Master’s fiery temperament had driven him to embrace death itself. 

In simpler terms, he was considered a madman.  

Seeing the caliber of mercenaries around Liyan, despite her not being particularly strong for a 4th rank mage, it was clear how much her father valued her. 

‘Well, it’s not like I’ll be seeing her again once I finish crossing the desert.’ 

Alon decided to brush off her provocations for now. 

“Hmph…”  

Noticing that Alon was only half-heartedly responding, Liyan scowled and turned sharply, heading back to her carriage. 

Alon shook his head as he watched her leave.  

***

The next day. 

Rad, the leader of the Golden-Haired Caravan, who traveled across various kingdoms except for the Empire, where over 30 wagons couldn’t pass, smiled as the sun beat down on him.  

Sweat dripped from his large body, showing how much his flesh was suffering from the heat, but his face was filled with satisfaction. 

And with good reason—he now had the chance to build a connection with the daughter of the Red Tower Master. 

If everything went well, he might even secure a supply contract to regularly deliver goods to the Red Tower in the city they were heading to. 

Thus, despite the scorching heat, Rad was feeling quite happy. 

‘It would’ve been nice to build ties with the noble too…’  

Rad glanced back with a slight look of regret. 

The carriage of Count Palatio, who was traveling with the caravan, stood at the end, but Rad didn’t seem particularly concerned, aside from the faint regret. 

Rad, a veteran of the trade route, knew all too well that it was impossible to catch two rabbits at once.  

Moreover, he didn’t find it too disappointing not to befriend Alon, considering the rumors about his magic prowess seemed a bit exaggerated for someone of his 3rd-level abilities. 

Liyan had repeatedly assured Rad that Alon’s magic power didn’t match the rumors, so it wasn’t too disappointing to let that connection slip. 

Of course, if Rad had been more up-to-date with the latest news, the situation might have been different. 

Unfortunately, he only knew that Alon had some ties with one of Caliban’s Master Knights. 

In any case, Rad continued his journey through the searing heat, relatively content with his circumstances.  

“Everyone, prepare for battle!”  

At the sudden shout from a mercenary at the front of the caravan, Rad frowned.  

If the mercenaries were calling for battle in the middle of the desert, there could only be one reason.  

‘Tsk, bandits…’  

Rad sighed as he thought of the bandits who roamed this vast desert, targeting caravans, but his face showed no signs of fear.  

And why would it? The Golden-Haired Caravan had dozens of mercenaries that Rad had hired, along with over ten B-ranked mercenaries tasked with guarding the daughter of the Red Tower Master.  

In other words, Rad was confident that no ordinary group of bandits could harm the caravan.  

However, the moment he saw the massive flag in the distance, Rad’s face turned pale with fear, and his eyes widened in horror.  

The banner approaching through the cloud of dust was one that no merchant should ever encounter.  

‘Blood Sand…’  

The name of the infamous bandit group came to Rad’s mind, and his face quickly filled with terror.  

Even from a distance, it was clear there were dozens of them, and each member of the Blood Sand bandits was said to be as strong as a knight.  

Swoosh!  

Before Rad’s thoughts could finish, one of the bandits at the front swung a chain sickle toward a mercenary, instantly taking his life.  

And with that, the battle began.  

No, it was more of a massacre.  

The bandits, who clearly had no intention of negotiating, slaughtered the mercenaries protecting the wagons in mere moments.  

Just like that—  

“Incredible, isn’t it?”  

In less than two minutes, most of the mercenaries had been killed by the Blood Sand bandits, and a man stepped forward.  

Wearing an eyepatch on one side and twin scimitars on his waist, he surveyed the bloody scene with a cold smile.  

“Oh…”  

Among the elite mercenaries still barely holding out, the man spotted the mage, Liyan, filled with fear and tension, and his twisted grin widened.  

“Well, look at this. We really hit the jackpot.”  

His voice was filled with excitement.  

“Who are you?”  

Liyan frowned and asked sharply, but the man simply drew one of the scimitars from his waist and replied.  

“You’ll find out once you come with me.”  

He grinned wickedly and infused his sword with magic.  

As blue energy began to blaze from his sword like fire, Liyan’s expression grew grim.  

Despite his casual demeanor, she felt a deep sense of dread as she recognized how powerful the aura emanating from his sword was—far beyond that of ordinary knights.  

In that moment, she realized there was no way to escape.  

That, perhaps, a fate worse than death awaited her.  

As this terrifying thought crossed her mind, past traumas began to flood through her memories, her body trembling uncontrollably at the mere recollection.  

She could feel the horrible memories gnawing away at her sanity, taking over her mind.  

But just as Liyan’s mind was on the verge of collapsing—  

“-?”  

—something brought her back to her senses.  

It was the air.  

The hyperventilation triggered by her trauma suddenly ceased.  

Slowly, her breath escaped, forming a visible mist.  

And in that moment, as the white vapor became visible in the air, Liyan realized something.  

The air, which had been suffocatingly hot just moments ago, had now turned icy cold.  

“What…?”  

As Liyan stood there, dumbfounded, she noticed that the twisted grin on the man’s face had also morphed into a look of confusion.  

Not only had the once-hot ground grown cold, but frost had begun to form on the sand.  

And then—  

Step. 

In the dead silence, the sound of footsteps echoed.  

The bandits turned their attention toward the sound.  

The mercenaries, who had been tense and fearful just moments ago, also shifted their gaze.  

The man, who had been holding his scimitars and targeting Liyan, turned his eyes as well.  

And there, where Liyan, who had just been consumed by her trauma, now stared—  

A man was walking forward.  

Step. 

His pace was neither hurried nor slow.  

Step. 

His expression remained impassive, as though the situation held no significance for him.  

Step.

The ashen energy flowing from his bracelet merged with the surrounding cold, and finally, he stopped.  

At that moment—  

“Freeze—”  

—Count Palatio murmured a phrase.  

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Round 145

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Morning had dawned.

Of course, sunlight didn’t reach inside the dungeon, so I noticed the time by the alarm.

With winter coming to an end, it was time to prepare, prioritizing seeds to plant in the goblin fields and construction for the goblin village.

‘I should also check the Meluca flowers. Shouldn’t they be blooming soon?’

Maybe they wouldn’t bloom because it was winter. We would know for sure by the end of winter.

“Ugh!”

Ara stretched energetically as she woke up.

Thanks to a good night’s sleep, she looked full of energy instead of groggy.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes! I slept very well, Kyu-seong Kyu-seong!”

Hearing Ara’s lively voice, the Rookies from the vegetable garden wriggled over.

“Good morning.”

Squirm!

After playing with the soft slime for a bit, I went down to the pond for a quick wash. Ara, next to me, splashed water on her face with enthusiasm.

After drying Ara’s face with a towel, we looked around the field to find all the crops had been harvested and the field was empty.

“Oh, it’s all done?”

Squirm!

The slimes, bouncing around, seemed to be saying they were bored.

“It was all finished yesterday!”

“So, yesterday was the last day.”

Checking the storage, I found the harvest neatly stacked. Although it was only 1,000 pyeong of land, the high yield of my crops meant there was quite a lot.

“Now it’s time for you all to move to the Dungeon of Gluttony.”

Squirm?

The ten or so Rookies tilted their heads in confusion.

With that, we headed towards the Dungeon of Gluttony.

“What will we do today?”

“Well, first we’ll check the fields, sort any harvested crops…”

We’ll select seeds for the goblin fields, visit the mine to check the amount of extracted minerals, and see how many stone materials have been mined for building the village.

“A busy day.”

Ara’s eyes spun as she listened to my plan.

“We don’t have to do everything today. Let’s take it step by step, slowly.”

“Okay!”

With the Rookies in tow, we crossed over to the Dungeon of Gluttony. The unfamiliar scenery made the slimes freeze in place, startled.

Ara opened her arms wide and welcomed them with a big smile.

“Welcome to the Dungeon of Gluttony!”

Squirm, wobble?

The slimes began exploring the area, moving around curiously. On my back, Bokkeum, watching them, responded for the first time in a while.

Bokkeum.

It felt like he was saying, “I remember when I was like that.” His reserved reaction was so typical of Bokkeum.

As usual, Purr and Woofy came out to greet us, but since we had more companions this time, we walked towards the slime village.

It was only a 10-minute walk, so we moved slowly, showing the Rookies around the dungeon.

Squirm?!

Squirm squirm!

The Rookies started making a fuss upon discovering the village. The vast fields near the village also excited them.

“This is where you’ll be staying from now on.”

Squirm!!

The Rookies spread out excitedly in the village, where the veteran slimes and Kkumuris welcomed them.

Squirm!

“Oh, Mark2.”

At that moment, Mark2 urgently came to find me.

Did something happen?

“Oh, is that so?”

Ara, understanding Mark2’s squirming, nodded in response.

“What? What’s going on?”

“Something strange happened in the field!”

Something strange in the field? What could it be?

Judging by their reactions, it didn’t seem to be anything bad. We needed to go and check it out.

As we headed to the field, the other slimes followed closely behind me. They seemed reassured, as if having their leader present made them fearless.

The entire field was covered with leaf houses, so nothing unusual was immediately visible. However, upon closer inspection, I noticed a faint light coming from one of the houses in the middle.

“What is that?”

“Oh wow!”

Sensing something unusual, we quickly headed to the house where the light was coming from.

The sight that greeted us was astonishing.

“What is this?”

There, waiting to be harvested, was a gigantic golden carrot emitting a radiant light. My brain froze in this unprecedented situation in all my farming experience.

“Wow!”

Ara, excited, ran over and began caressing the golden carrot’s exposed base, rubbing her cheek against it.

“It’s a magnificent carrot.”

Seeing her drooling and caressing the carrot snapped me out of my daze, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Shall we check it out?”

“Yes!”

I didn’t know why this had happened, but I moved closer to the carrot. As I approached, I realized that there were no other carrots in sight except for this golden one.

“Did you harvest all the others?”

Squirm.

Mark2 shook his body from side to side, indicating they hadn’t been harvested.

“They all disappeared, leaving only this one!”

“Really? Did the carrots merge into one?”

We finally reached the carrot. Its circumference was roughly the size of one slime, not quite large enough to wrap my arms around, but about half that size.

We wouldn’t know how deep it went until we harvested it.

“Shall we harvest it?”

“Can I do it?”

“Go ahead.”

Ara carefully started digging around the carrot. Her meticulous work made her look very cautious.

‘She looks like an expert.’

Oh, she is an expert, right? Ara is a slime too. I sometimes forget that.

“Mark2! Help out!”

Squirm!

Ara called Mark2 to assist with the work. I squatted nearby, watching them work.

Their meticulous and careful digging was akin to extracting a precious wild ginseng, ensuring not to damage the carrot’s fine roots.

Although I could check the item window now, I decided to wait until the harvest was complete.

‘Why did this suddenly happen?’

Was it just luck? If Mark2 didn’t know why this occurred, then it likely wasn’t his doing.

After about 30 minutes, the full form of the golden carrot was revealed. The highly concentrated carrot scent, which hadn’t been noticeable before, now filled the entire house. The scent was so strong that it should have been overwhelming, but it wasn’t at all.

In fact, it was a smell I could inhale forever.

“Whew!”

Ara let out a satisfied sigh, pretending to wipe non-existent sweat from her forehead. It was amusing to see Mark2 mimic her actions.

“Is it done?”

“It’s done. It was a very difficult task.”

“Wow, our Ara is amazing. Mark2, you did a great job too.”

At my praise, Ara and Mark2’s pride seemed to skyrocket. Of course, Mark2 didn’t have a nose, but the sentiment was clear.

“Shall we check it out now?”

“I’m curious!”

The carrot was roughly about 1 meter long, perhaps a bit less.

When I lifted it, it was quite heavy, feeling much weightier than it looked.

Then, the awaited item window appeared.

[???]

[A powerful carrot imbued with the energy of the soil, slime, crop, and magic due to a stroke of luck. Its effects increase with the star rating]

[1-star Effect: 

– Permanently increases earth affinity slightly upon consumption. 

– Permanently increases all vision-related abilities upon consumption. 

– Permanently increases magic power by one tier for magic below 3rd tier upon consumption (limited to once)]

Ta-da~!

[Please name the crop.]

Star rating? This was the first time I’d seen such an item.

It seemed the usual level indicator had disappeared.

And below that, the item effects were just insane.

“What is this!”

[Would you like to name the crop ‘What is this’?]

“No, wait a minute.”

My mind was racing.

First of all, I skimmed over the increase in earth affinity and vision-related abilities. Even though these permanent increases were impressive, the last effect was simply too powerful.

‘Does it forcibly increase the tier of an awakened being?’

No, it could increase the tier of monsters as well. Although there were conditions of being below the 3rd tier and a one-time limit, it was still an incredible ability.

If I ate this, it meant I could finally surpass being a perennial Level 1 awakened being.

Tremble

My “Commoner” passive was triggered.

Eventually, I calmed my trembling hands and carefully placed the carrot back on the ground.

“Could this even turn a non-awakened person into an awakened one?”

That didn’t seem likely. The ability probably only worked on already awakened beings.

But the most surprising part was that this was the effect of a 1-star crop. The description suggested that the number of stars could increase, so if there were 2-star or 3-star crops…

“That’s crazy.”

“Is it crazy?”

Of course, this was the first time I experienced something like this while farming, so it wasn’t likely that star crops could be harvested often. Since I had only managed to harvest a 1-star crop by sheer luck, getting higher star ratings would be extremely difficult.

Calm down, and let’s name it first.

“Ara, what should we call this?”

“Carrot Carrot?”

Ara tilted her head as she spoke.

No matter how amazing this thing is, calling it “Carrot Carrot” is a bit…

“How about ‘Magic Storm Concentration Carrot’?”

“Th-that’s okay. It’s cool, I guess.”

Ara, poor at lying, showed her true feelings.

Seeing her try to make it sound cool, it seemed like she didn’t really like the name.

“Shall we just call it the Golden Carrot?”

“That’s simple and good!”

So, the first star-rated crop we harvested was named the Golden Carrot.

After harvesting it, the light it emitted disappeared, which was actually a relief. It would have been a bit troublesome if it kept glowing.

“Mark2, just out of curiosity, do you think we can plant this again to get seeds?”

Mass production of Golden Carrots! If that happens, I’d be invincible!

Squirm.

But seeing Mark2 gesture that it was impossible, I quietly accepted it. The description did say it was a stroke of luck, after all.

Perhaps such events could happen occasionally, but it seemed like this special item couldn’t be grown or harvested at will.

“So, there’s only one thing left to do.”

I noticed Ara drooling as she stared at the carrot.

There was no way I could sell such an item anyway. So, there was only one thing to do: eat it deliciously.

“Hmm… But is it right for me to cook this with my cooking skills? Just eating it raw feels like such a waste.”

So, what should I do?

‘I’ll have to call Jae-seong.’

The carrot was quite large, easily several times bigger than a regular carrot. Sharing a bit wouldn’t be a problem.

And cooking it would yield more servings than just eating it raw.

I wanted the slimes, the Kkumuris, and the others to have a taste too.

‘Is that too greedy?’

I decided I needed to discuss this with Jae-seong. He might have the answer.

“No point in waiting. Ara, let’s contact Jae-seong.”

“Yes! Jae-seong Jae-seong, that’s a great idea!”

Ara wagged her tongue, probably excited at the thought of Jae-seong cooking the carrot.

Ara, who already loved Jae-seong’s cooking, would enjoy eating the carrot raw, but she couldn’t help but look forward to it being cooked.

“Carrot fries! Carrot fries!”

“Haha, that sounds good too.”

Jae-seong should be able to come back to Korea for a bit, right? Let’s call him right away.

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Patron 36

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In the midst of a situation so confusing it made his head spin, Alon managed to gather three pieces of information from the naturally unfolding conversation.

The first was that the alliance between Count Zenonia and Duke Altia had apparently been orchestrated by Alon.

The second was that this faction, called “Kalpha,” had been formed due to a letter Alon had sent to Count Zenonia.

And third, the gifts he had been receiving were actually from nobles who wanted to join this faction, and the gifts were part of their process of seeking permission from the faction leader.

Through the torrent of words spilling from Duke Altia and Count Zenonia, Alon could piece these facts together, though with difficulty.

Keeping a neutral expression while feeling disbelief, he stared at the two.

Even though he had some grasp of the situation, there was still much he didn’t understand.

—No, to be more precise, there were countless things he wanted to question.

If Alon weren’t some kind of Jekyll-and-Hyde-like split personality, he hadn’t ordered or commanded anything through Count Zenonia.

In other words, he’d never told them to form an alliance… really, he swore he hadn’t…!

‘No, all I did was send a letter to express my dislike for other nobles. How did things escalate to this point?’

Alon’s head spun as he looked at the two, trying to grasp what was going on.

‘Is this what they call the realm of genius, where the criminal can’t comprehend the moves of a mastermind…?’

Alon recalled a video from the previous world, which said that ordinary people take words at face value, while geniuses hear multiple layers of meaning in a single phrase.

With a slightly complex gaze, he looked at the two again.

—Now that he thought about it, Deus wasn’t the one responsible after all…

He recalled the countless gifts that had been pouring in for months.

Alon had indeed found it odd. No matter how influential Deus might be, he didn’t think his fame was so great that other nobles would send expensive gifts to forge connections.

It was only now that he realized that the letters he received were filled with praises—not for Deus, but for Alon himself.

—This isn’t easy.

Alon kept silent, realizing that through a series of coincidences, he had unknowingly helped form the faction himself.

By the time he pieced together the facts, his instincts told him there was no jumping off the “Kalpha” train anymore.

He’d already accepted too much.

Of course, if he truly wanted to leave, there were ways out, but they were hardly ideal choices.

Now that both the royalist and aristocratic factions clearly saw him as an enemy, leaving this faction would be more of a loss than a gain.

To be honest, if the losses were bearable, he would have pressed the “escape” button without hesitation.

…But what if he told them it was all a misunderstanding—what would those two do then…?

Alon glanced at Duke Altia and Count Zenonia.

Their conversation had just ended, and they were both looking at him now. To anyone else, they would appear to be beautiful, elegant nobles.

But Alon knew better. He knew how frightening Count Zenonia truly was.

And although Duke Altia wasn’t the character he’d seen in the game but someone who should have disappeared, Alon wasn’t taking her lightly either.

After all, masterminds always have their reasons, and they possess a sensitivity that ordinary people can’t comprehend.

Even if Alon explained everything clearly, there was a high chance these two would simply think, ‘How embarrassing, let’s just kill him,’ which seemed to be their natural thought process.

Of course, Alon didn’t know them well, but in this game, most characters labeled as “masterminds” tended to be deeply flawed individuals.

Thus, whether he liked it or not, he had to remain as the leader of Kalpha.

Yes, whether he liked it or not.

…At least, until he could come up with a good enough reason to step down later.

However, Alon had no desire to stay in the leadership role for long.

He knew that being the leader of a faction came with many responsibilities, despite the numerous benefits.

In short, for Alon, whose motto was to live leisurely as a noble without working for the rest of his life, the leadership role didn’t suit him. So he made a decision.

He would lead for a while and then retire when the time was right.

“So, what do you plan to do now?”

“Hmm.”

Just as he reached that conclusion, Duke Altia’s voice broke through, causing Alon to let out a brief groan.

From their conversation, it seemed that Duke Altia and Count Zenonia believed Alon had some grand plan behind the formation of the faction, but naturally, he had no such plan.

No, there couldn’t have been any plan.

After all, he only found out today that he was the leader of Kalpha.

But since he couldn’t tell them the truth, Alon rolled his eyes and decided to stall for time.

“For now, let’s start by cleaning up the underworld.”

“…Clean up?”

“Yes. That way, it will be easier for us to operate.”

Of course, Alon had no idea how things would actually become easier.

But since he couldn’t even remember what topics had been discussed at the assembly earlier that day, bringing up a political subject would obviously be a bad idea. This was his best attempt at using his head.

…It was clumsy, but for Alon, it was the best he could do.

“Well then, I have some matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave.”

Alon stood up, turned around immediately, and began walking away.

He hurried his steps, as he didn’t have any solid answers if they asked further questions.

Thus, with a somewhat brisk pace, Alon made his way out, eventually running to his carriage in an empty hallway, worried that someone might stop him.

“Count?”

“Let’s head straight to the colony.”

He made up his mind to leave for the colony that very day.

‘The letter should have arrived by now. I hope I can get some help like I did with Deus.’

With those thoughts, Alon’s carriage began moving.

…It was a midsummer night.

***

Meanwhile,

“Clean up the underworld, huh…”

Count Zenonia murmured, recalling how Count Palatio had disappeared like the wind, as if he had nothing more to say.

Duke Altia, after a brief moment of thought, opened her mouth.

“When he says ‘clean up the underworld,’ there’s only one thing that could mean, right?”

“Indeed. We’ve already had our territory firmly under control for a long time. So if he’s telling us to clean up…”

“There’s no other option but the remaining territories.”

“Indeed.”

At that point, Count Zenonia and Duke Altia fell silent, but soon, both of them smiled, as if by mutual agreement.

What they were about to suggest was a dream that would have been impossible when they acted individually.

But now, with their alliance and the formation of the faction, it was possible.

“Unifying the underworld.”

“That sounds fun.”

Count Zenonia and Duke Altia smiled deeply.

“I’m curious to see what he’s planning. He’s becoming more and more intriguing.”

“Indeed. I’m eager to see what he has in store for us.”

Clink.

With those words, the wine glasses they held clinked elegantly against each other.

“I’m looking forward to it. Truly.”

Their admiration for Alon spread along with the fragrance of the wine.

***

A week later.

As Alon was heading south to the desert city after leaving Teria,

“Hmm~”

A man, the “Agent,” was gazing at a distant carriage.

It was the carriage carrying Count Palatio, the man who was his target.

Watching the carriage steadily moving south, the “Agent” pulled out a quill from his pocket and thought to himself.

‘I’m intrigued by the Abyssal Core, but there are still some things that bother me.’

Of course, the “Agent” could easily approach Count Palatio at any moment, and with just a stroke of his quill in the air, he could end his life.

However, the reason he was still hesitating was none other than the rules shared among those who bore the name “Agent.”

“I was told not to make troublesome enemies if possible…”

In truth, Count Palatio did not fall under the category of a “troublesome enemy.”

Rather, the ones considered troublesome were those in Caliban, specifically Deus, who seemed to have a great debt of gratitude toward Alon.

‘He will definitely take action.’

Of course, the Agents were not afraid of Deus moving against them.

Each of them was as skilled as a Swordmaster, and they were confident that they could kill even the Sword of Caliban if they desired.

However, regardless of skill, it was always best to avoid creating unnecessary bad blood with those who wielded significant power in the public eye, as it could lead to unwanted complications.

Even if a considerable sum of money was involved as payment, the same rule applied.

Still, the reason the Agent accepted Carmine’s request was because the reward he offered was too tempting to pass up.

‘Three Abyssal Cores…’

The Abyssal Core.

It was a special item secretly distributed in the underworld by Duke Komalon. When absorbed through a specific process, it granted the user extraordinary powers. It was something money couldn’t buy.

This was because, unlike the Abyssal Gems, which enhanced physical abilities, Duke Komalon rarely circulated Abyssal Cores.

Thus, Abyssal Cores were sold for exorbitant prices on the black market. However, the Agent didn’t take the job just to sell them.

‘How powerful would I become if I used it…?’

The Agent’s lips twisted into a characteristic sinister smile, thrilled at the mere thought.

Quickly shaking off those idle thoughts, the Agent focused on the fast-approaching carriage.

He picked up his quill.

And then.

“Sorry, but it’s just business.”

With a quiet mutter, the Agent’s hand began to draw a horizontal stroke with the quill—

“?”

The Agent suddenly noticed something.

His right hand, which had just been holding the quill and emitting black ink into the air, was gone.

For a moment, the Agent wore an expression of confusion, unable to comprehend the situation. But soon, as unbearable pain surged through him, he tried to scream.

“Guh—!?”

Before he could, an even sharper pain hit him, and his body, which had been floating in the air just moments before, was hurled into the forest.

The next thing he saw as he slammed into a tree, clutching his severed right arm, was—

“!?”

A boy with black hair and blue eyes.

He looked young, not even an adult yet, with a youthful appearance.

The Agent quickly deduced that the person who had cut off his hand was none other than the boy standing before him, and he tried to speak—

“!”

But he realized that his mouth wouldn’t open, as if it had been forcibly sealed by something.

“How unfortunate.”

The boy, still wearing a bright smile, spoke in a voice that didn’t match the situation—cheerful and lively.

And then.

As the Agent stared at the boy’s face.

Crack—!

His neck twisted two full turns, and he met his death.

The Agent died with a bewildered expression, as if he hadn’t realized how he had died.

The boy, who had been watching him, turned around.

“If only your target wasn’t the Count… no, if only it wasn’t him, you wouldn’t have died by my hand.”

With that, the boy disappeared, leaving only the Agent’s corpse behind in the forest.

A corpse with its neck twisted twice.

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Round 144

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Since Ara’s filming was finished here, we decided to part ways with the actors and the filming crew who still had scenes left to shoot.

“I’ll get in touch again when the drama starts airing.”

“Yes. See you next time.”

Director Jung Tae-gyu shook hands and saw us off.

Leaving behind writer Yoo Hyun-joo and actors Kim Hye-na and Kim Kang-woo, who looked a bit disappointed, I headed straight to Ara Hongryeon. 

Even in the car, I observed the guild master closely examining Mammon’s work.

‘He’s really engrossed.’

I wondered if there was something so interesting about it, but there must be something I hadn’t seen.

“Brother, is it okay if I come too?”

“Why not? It’s not like I’m going for work.”

“Great!”

Seon-ah, who ended up tagging along, seemed a bit flustered but didn’t refuse like the true awakened geek she was.

The first guild in South Korea, Ara Hongryeon. 

Of course, she’d jump at the chance to follow us if given the opportunity. 

And she’d been there once already, right?

The guild master was so seriously immersed in the artwork that we arrived at Ara Hongryeon quietly. 

It wasn’t far, so we got there quickly.

“Kyu-seong, may I take a picture of this piece?”

“Huh? Yes, of course.”

After taking the photo, the guild master immediately called someone.

“Yes, yes, Curator Lim Sun-ho. I just sent you the picture. Yes, yes.”

Something… something was happening. 

I didn’t know who he was calling, but sending the photo made it feel like this was escalating.

“Ah, sorry for the wait.”

The guild master finished the call and guided us. 

It was the place we visited the first time we came to the guild.

“This is…”

It was Ara Hongryeon’s treasure warehouse. 

Unlike the other numbered warehouses, we headed to an unnumbered one in the far corner.

“This is my personal storage.”

“Wow.”

The guild master’s private collection! 

Honestly, if I hadn’t heard he collected art, I would have imagined it filled with all sorts of rare items…

‘A bit disappointing.’

As the warehouse door opened, a vast white space was revealed inside.

“Wow.”

“Oh!”

Seon-ah and Ara exclaimed in awe. 

Jeong So-yeon, who seemed to have experienced this before, still looked around in amazement.

The white space was filled with various artworks. 

Honestly, it was large enough and had enough pieces to hold an exhibition right then and there.

“I really didn’t know much about you, guild master.”

“Haha. You can start learning from now on.”

“I feel like I’ve heard this before…”

As we went further inside, we saw a desk set up like a laboratory. 

It was an odd sight in the exhibition-like space, so I tilted my head in curiosity. 

The guild master explained.

“This is where I conduct detailed analyses of the pieces. We verify their authenticity, identify the materials used, and determine the period they were made.”

“…Guild master, you’re really serious about this.”

“Since it’s my only hobby, I got a bit more into it.”

It’s beyond serious, more like a professional level? 

I should reflect on thinking of him as a semi-professional just a moment ago.

“Kyu-seong, if it’s not too much trouble, could we see the rest of your collection?”

“Of course.”

I immediately took out the rest of Mammon’s sculptures, as well as the ring, necklace, and earrings.

“Wow, what are these? They’re so pretty!”

Seon-ah reacted, clapping her hands as if she had guessed.

“They came from there!”

“That’s right.”

Seon-ah had been with us since the early days of the mine, so she knew, even though she hadn’t met Mammon yet, she had heard about it from me and had a rough idea.

“This, this is…”

Jeong So-yeon also examined the crafted pieces with shining eyes, while Guild Master Han Seok-jun looked at the works with an astonished expression.

“They are pieces of incredible determination born out of hardship and adversity!”

“Hardship and adversity? Incredible determination?”

I looked again at the items Mammon had made.

‘Hmm…’

Do such intense emotions come from these cute little pieces?

Of course, they had a profound composition and appearance that might be difficult for an ordinary person like me to understand, but whether they conveyed those feelings was unclear to me.

“Guild Master, what do you think of these accessories?”

“They are intuitively beautiful items. Not too flashy but elegantly refined.”

“Do you feel any other emotions from them?”

“Hmm, unlike the sculptures, I can’t feel it from the accessories.”

So, to the general eye, the accessories seemed more intuitively beautiful, while someone with a discerning eye like Guild Master Han Seok-jun found the sculptures more meaningful.

Of course, it could also be a matter of Guild Master Han Seok-jun’s personal taste.

Ring-ring.

“Excuse me, I need to take this call.”

“Sure.”

The caller seemed to be the curator the guild master had just sent the photo to. They exchanged serious words, making me nervous as well.

“Kyu-seong, would it be alright to take photos of the other pieces too?”

“Of course.”

I nodded eagerly, having no choice but to wait.

Meanwhile, Seon-ah and Ara were going around the warehouse, discussing each piece they saw.

“Oh wow, this is impressive.”

“Indeed. Almost as impressive as Ara?”

“Wow! Am I as impressive as this?”

They were talking while looking at a painting depicting a medieval battle. Jeong So-yeon joined in, explaining the pieces to them. Curious about her knowledge, Seon-ah asked first.

“How do you know so much about this, Jeong So-yeon?”

“Working with our guild master, it gets ingrained in your ears. I’ve heard the explanation for this painting dozens of times.”

At Jeong So-yeon’s words, Seon-ah glanced at the guild master. Fortunately, he was too busy taking photos to notice.

“Guild Master, how are things looking?”

“Well, from what I see, these are very outstanding pieces. I would love to meet the artist personally.”

That artist is Mammon. If I told him that Mammon, the 9th rank boss of the Dungeon of Avarice, made them, it would cause quite a stir, right?

“The artist has personal reasons that make it difficult to appear in person.”

“I see…”

Hearing it would be hard to meet the artist, the guild master nodded understandingly, making who knows what kind of assumption. It’s a relief that he came to his own conclusions.

“Then, could you tell me the production cycle of these pieces?”

“Ah! I’ve heard about that. It takes roughly 5 to 10 days.”

“What? Such pieces take only 5 to 10 days?”

“Oh, but since they also make accessories like these, it might take longer.”

“Still, that’s a fast pace. It’s really impressive.”

Since we were already discussing it, I decided to ask about the accessories as well.

“Can we get these accessories appraised too?”

“Sure. Shall we even consider listing them for auction?”

“Auction?”

“Yes. Although auctions can be unreliable due to fluctuations in value based on timing, these items are worth a try.”

“Ah, but these items are meant for my family, so I’ll consider auctioning them if we get more in the future.”

“Oh, they weren’t for sale. My apologies.”

It was fascinating to see the guild master’s excited energy. I had never seen him so joyful, almost like a child.

“So, are these sculptures part of your personal collection, Kyu-seong?”

“Oh, as I mentioned earlier, these can be sold. But it’s more important to see how much they are recognized artistically before selling.”

“I’ll examine them thoroughly! I’ll also show them to my acquaintances in the industry.”

“Thank you for your attention.”

“No problem. My heart is racing. I can’t believe you know an artist capable of making such amazing works, Kyu-seong.”

Listening to the guild master, one would think Mammon was a world-class artist. Honestly, I don’t know much about it.

“The accessories are certainly beautiful.”

Originally, Picasso painted works that even ordinary people found impressive, and later he mastered and moved on to cubism. Frankly, I’m not sure. It feels foreign since I haven’t had many opportunities to encounter art.

We decided to leave the pieces with the guild master for now. Since we were here, we took the opportunity to listen to the guild master’s explanations and appreciate his collection.

“It’s interesting.”

Without the explanations, the pieces seemed cryptic, but with them, they became very intriguing. Maybe I do have an artistic sense after all!

Pat-pat.

Seeing Ara asleep in Seon-ah’s arms, I realized it was getting late.

“It’s time for us to head back.”

“Is it that late already? I hope I haven’t kept you too long.”

“Not at all. It was a fresh and enjoyable new experience. I’d love to see your expanding collection in the future.”

“Then I’ll invite you again when the time comes.”

It was dark when we stepped outside. Jeong So-yeon left with a big smile, saying it was time for her to go home. Seon-ah and I took a taxi back, with Ara asleep in her arms. She handed Ara over to me and got off at her home.

“I’ll come again over the weekend.”

“Sure, come anytime.”

After seeing Seon-ah off, I returned to find the dark mountain welcoming us. I remembered that my father had arranged for electricity and water to be connected, for which I was truly grateful.

“Once the electricity is in, we should start with the lighting.”

While I was fine as an awakened, it was difficult for my family and other regular people to come at night. Despite plans for road leveling, the slope meant it was easy to trip without light.

“We should go for soft, sophisticated lighting.”

I had always dreamed of a luxurious single-family home, and now I had the chance to realize that dream. Although I’d spend most of my time in dungeons, it was all about the feeling.

After finishing all the busy tasks of the day and returning home, Ara rubbed her eyes and looked around.

“Is this home…?”

“Yes, we’re here. Let’s sleep in the bed.”

The one who worked the hardest today was undoubtedly Ara. Let’s get a good night’s sleep tonight.

***

Meanwhile, inside the Dungeon of Gluttony.

In the field where winter was coming to an end, tree leaf houses had been built everywhere.

The slimes, who were diligently working—or rather, playing in the field—noticed a mysterious light.

Squirm?

Wobble?

A light emanated from the middle of the carrot field, illuminating the surroundings as brightly as the sun.

If Kyu-seong had been there, he would have seen a system window like this:

[Random Effect Triggered!]

[A mysterious crop, imbued with the energy of the soil thanks to the slimes’ diligent care, is growing!]

But Kyu-seong was not present at the moment.

The slimes, startled by the sudden event, squirmed and fussed.

Wobble! Squirm squirm!

Squirm?!

They quickly summoned Mark2, the most skilled farmer among them.

Upon seeing the glowing phenomenon, Mark2 fell into deep thought.

Squirm…

This seems…

Like a good thing!

Squirm squirm!

Wobble!

Though they didn’t know exactly what it was, the other slimes started dancing joyfully in agreement with Mark2’s opinion.

Prev | TOC | Next


Round 143

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We practiced a bit more for a short period. 

However, Ara’s acting did not change dramatically. 

“Let’s go ahead and start filming…” 

The director said awkwardly. 

Neither I nor anyone else expected Ara’s acting skills to suddenly improve, so we just silently nodded in agreement. 

“Alright, alright! Let’s get started! Everyone, standby!” 

Still, it was fortunate that we spent an hour planning the movements with Ara and rehearsing with Kim Hye-na in advance. 

Signs that the filming was about to start appeared, and Ara stood in a corner of the street as her role required. 

I was slightly worried about her wide-open eyes, but she soon spotted me on the other side and smiled brightly. 

“Action!” 

The director’s signal dropped, and the camera started rolling. 

The first scene was Kim Hye-na and Kim Kang-woo sitting on a mat at Hangang Park, chatting amicably. 

Soon, Kim Kang-woo left to get the food he ordered, and Kim Hye-na also left for a moment. 

“Glug.” 

This is where Ara entered. 

Ara appeared awkwardly, holding the hand of a boy younger than herself. 

They were supposed to be siblings. 

‘Good, good.’ 

Ara moved according to the planned movements. 

Then, the boy holding Ara’s hand suddenly ran towards the mat that Kim Hye-na and Kim Kang-woo had set up. 

There were pre-prepared foods on the mat, and the scene involved the boy picking up and eating the food. 

‘Ara is supposed to lie that she ate the food instead of her brother here.’ 

The setting was that she was covering for her younger brother. 

Normally, the scene would continue with Kim Hye-na and Kim Kang-woo noticing the lie and finding it cute… 

Munch! 

“Huh?” 

Ara, along with the boy playing her brother, was eating the food. 

Everyone was surprised by the unscripted situation, but the filming director signaled to keep going. 

Ara’s eating scene was being captured in close-up. 

The way she ate so heartily and deliciously was making me hungry. 

“What? What are you guys doing?” 

Ara’s brief eating show was followed by Kim Kang-woo’s entrance, holding the ordered food in both hands. 

He acted startled while the boy playing Ara’s brother hid behind her in fear. 

“What? What happened?” 

Kim Hye-na soon followed. 

Ara, now being questioned by the two, spoke with her cheeks puffed up. 

“I. Ate. All. Of. It.” 

“Huh?” 

“My. Brother. Did. Not. Eat. It.” 

Ara’s lines were delivered stiffly, like a robot, making her lie even more apparent. 

Her poor acting actually suited the scene. 

Kim Kang-woo and Kim Hye-na burst into laughter at the siblings with sauce all over their faces. 

It was genuine laughter. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“You must have been hungry. Where are your parents?” 

Ara shook her head. 

The scene at Hangang Park ended with Kim Kang-woo and Kim Hye-na looking for the siblings’ mother. 

“Cut!” 

“Huh?” 

The filming ended. 

Ended? 

As I came to my senses and looked around, everyone else had the same bewildered expression.

“Finished in one take?”

“It turned out much better than we feared. The fact that she can’t act actually fits the role perfectly…”

The staff murmured among themselves, and soon the filming director burst into hearty laughter.

“Hahaha! Good, good! Very good!”

Yoo Hyun-joo, the writer, also nodded with a satisfied smile on her lips.

“She really brought out the cuteness. This is good!”

“Revising the script was a stroke of genius. Since the acting required an obviously awkward lie, Ara’s poor acting actually fit even better.”

If she acted well, it would have actually been a minus.

In this situation, our Ara splendidly performed an awkward and stiff role.

“Kyu-seong Kyu-seong!”

Ara ran over with little steps as soon as the filming ended.

She soon threw herself into my arms with her small frame.

“Well done, Ara.”

“Did I do well? Did I do well!”

“Yes. You did very well.”

I wiped off the sauce and crumbs still on her mouth as I praised her. Ara’s beaming expression was cute.

“I want to see it!”

“Sure. Shall we ask the director?”

Just then, the assistant director approached us and suggested we monitor the scene together. 

When we went towards the camera, we saw the actors already gathered.

“Wow.”

Soon, the vivid scenes appeared on the screen.

Since it hadn’t gone through editing yet, the raw atmosphere was still alive.

“Look at her eating the food.”

“It turned out so cute. Good thing they didn’t stop the filming.”

“Yeah, it actually worked out better. It makes her look more innocent.”

“By the way, her skin is glowing. How is her skin so good?”

Unexpected praise came for Ara’s impromptu eating scene. Ara tilted her head and asked,

“Is it about eating food?”

“Did Ara think she was supposed to eat?”

“It was written in the script!”

We confirmed to Ara, who insisted on checking the script again. Seeing the part where the younger brother was supposed to eat, Ara froze.

“It wasn’t me who was supposed to eat…”

She looked shocked. It seemed she had mistakenly thought her character was supposed to eat. Even Ara, who seemed perfect, made cute mistakes.

“It actually turned out great, Ara.”

Seon-ah tried to console her. Since everyone’s attention was focused on Ara’s scene, everyone around applauded.

“You were so cute, Ara!”

“This is much better. To improvise like this on your first acting job, Ara will grow up to be a great actress!”

Her ears, which had drooped while listening to the praise, gradually perked up.

“Ahem!”

Watching the now-proud Ara, everyone burst into laughter.

As we continued monitoring, half feeling amazed and half excited that this would soon be on TV, we sensed some commotion in the parking lot.

“Oh, I’m late. I should have come earlier.”

“Huh? So-yeon? Guild Master?”

People we didn’t expect had arrived.

Thanks to them, everyone else was in an uproar.

“Ara Hongryeon?!”

“It’s Han Seok-jun the Guild Master and Jeong So-yeon.”

“Wow.”

The reaction I had shown when I saw Kim Kang-woo and Kim Hye-na was now being shown by the filming crew.

Even the actors, the filming director, and writer Yoo Hyun-joo all had surprised expressions.

Next to them was Kim Tae-yang, smiling, seemingly having brought them.

“Oh! Jeong So-yeon! Han Seok-jun!”

“Ara! Is the filming already over?” 

Jeong So-yeon lifted Ara up as she ran over to greet her. 

“Yes! It was perfect!” 

“Oh, really?” 

“…Well, I made a little mistake, but it was okay,” Ara confessed in a small voice. 

Jeong So-yeon rubbed her face against Ara’s, making her giggle, and the sound of Ara’s laughter filled the set as I approached them. 

“I didn’t expect you two to come, what a surprise.” 

“We rushed over to see Ara’s debut in the entertainment industry, but we were late. We heard about it from Mr. Tae-yang.” 

“Oh.” 

Although I had told them about the contract with Iron Blood Entertainment, I hadn’t mentioned when the filming would take place. It seemed Kim Tae-yang had informed them and brought them here. 

Feeling both a bit apologetic and grateful that they had come all the way to watch, I awkwardly smiled as the filming director approached. 

“Mr. Kyu-seong, are these people…?” 

“Oh, this is my boss.” 

“Boss?” 

The director seemed confused, thinking I was joking. 

“He is my guild master.” 

“Whoa! Mr. Kyu-seong, are you also a member of Ara Hongryeon?” 

Had I never mentioned it? I guess it wasn’t something that had come up in conversation. 

“Nice to meet you. I’m Han Seok-jun.” 

“Oh, yes, yes. I’m Jung Tae-gyu. I never imagined Mr. Kyu-seong was a member of Ara Hongryeon.” 

Even though I mentioned being a member, the director seemed amazed that the guild master had come all the way here. 

The reactions of the other people were similar, and the director courteously showed the recently filmed scene to the guild master and Jeong So-yeon. 

“Hahaha.” 

Jeong So-yeon laughed as she watched Ara’s scene. 

Then, she hugged Ara again. 

“How can you be so cute, Ara!” 

“Hehe.” 

The guild master also smiled satisfactorily and nodded. 

“It was filmed very cutely. I hope the drama becomes a hit.” 

“Oh, thank you for the kind words.” 

Finally, Kim Tae-yang also smiled contentedly and patted my shoulder. 

“Our choice was indeed correct. Please take care of the advertising matter as well.” 

“Haha. Yes, thank you.” 

With the warm atmosphere continuing, we had some time for small talk since the filming ended early. 

“Wow, Ara eats a lot.” 

“Thanks to that, I’m considering starting a new channel called Ara’s Mukbang.” 

“That’s a great idea! Start it right away!” 

Before we knew it, Seon-ah and Ara were surrounded by Kim Hye-na, Kim Kang-woo, and Yoo Hyun-joo, actively chatting. 

The initial tension was nowhere to be seen. 

“I’m so glad it ended safely. We’ll have to wait to see the results, though.” 

“I’m sure it will turn out well.” 

I was talking with Han Seok-jun, Kim Tae-yang, and the filming director, Jung Tae-gyu. 

“Guild master, I wanted to ask you something.” 

“Go ahead.” 

“Do you have any connections in the arts?” 

“The arts? You can talk to me about that.” 

“Huh?” 

I tilted my head, and the guild master smiled awkwardly. 

“My hobby is collecting artworks. It’s almost my only hobby.”

“Oh!” 

I hadn’t expected to meet someone involved in this area. 

Of course, I wasn’t sure if he was an expert, but if collecting artworks was his hobby, he must be quite knowledgeable. 

‘Moreover, he’s the guild master of Ara Hongryeon.’ 

I guessed his wealth was enormous. 

Given his status, he would likely be a semi-expert in this field. 

“I also know someone. If you want, I can introduce them to you, Mr. Kyu-seong,” Director Jung Tae-gyu added. 

It seemed like everyone in this industry knew each other through one connection or another. 

“Actually, I acquired some items that I’d like to show you…”

I took out a sculpture and a ring made by Mammon from Bokkeum, which I had slung over my shoulder. 

The sculpture was of a thinking Gorgol. 

‘It looks profound every time I see it.’ 

It was a hand-sized piece, with the creature sitting with its chin on its hand, almost like a human. 

Moreover, it wasn’t just made of stone but a type of ore. 

Other gemstones, not Arastones, were scattered, enhancing the piece. 

Though not bad, it seemed a bit ambiguous to someone like me, who wasn’t versed in art. 

“What’s this…?” 

“What do you think, Guild Master?” 

Was it my imagination? The guild master’s pupils seemed to dilate. 

“Kyu-seong.” 

“Yes.” 

“Where did you get this piece?” 

“Uh… from my house?” 

“Is it for sale?” 

I was slightly surprised by the guild master’s uncharacteristically enthusiastic response, but I nodded. 

“I have permission to sell everything except for the ring.” 

“Do you mean there are more pieces?!” 

Han Seok-jun’s jaw dropped in shock.

Prev | TOC | Next


Copy 12

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“Ms. Noel.”

“Yes, Chief.”

“You picked a good husband.”

Noel silently refilled Dunadan’s glass. She never thought her hobby of collecting liquor would come in handy like this. Though it was clearly too early to drink, she couldn’t help but pour when she saw his condition.

At first, she wondered why he had come so suddenly, but after hearing what had just happened, it made sense.

“Aiden managed to collect three cores of law within a few hours?”

“And effortlessly so, at that.”

When Noel cautiously recounted the recent events, Dunadan downed the glass of liquor in one gulp, the emptiness in his movements evident.

“Do you know that creating the first core is used as a coming-of-age rite in the Confederation, Ms. Noel?”

“I’ve heard from those who fought with me.”

“And you also know that everyone in the Confederation is required to learn how to handle the power of law from birth, right?”

Even with all that early training, creating just one core by the time they reach adulthood is considered ‘average.’ The individual combat power of the Confederation members, relative to their population size, is among the highest on the continent.

‘Indeed…’

Noel rummaged through her memory. She remembered that even warriors with only two or three cores shone brightly during the hellish Union Wars.

And yet, this person, Aiden Kellermain… had reached that level in just a few hours.

“Simply possessing abilities and mastering them are completely different matters.”

There are those who are blessed. People who handle multiple abilities effortlessly. It’s hard to deny that Aiden Kellermain falls into that category.

So…

“To be honest, I was preparing myself to console you. Even those confident in their strength find it hard to master the power of law.”

He had seen many who were geniuses, who had been blessed, and yet despaired, wondering why they couldn’t handle this.

And what method he used, no one knows, but this man is someone who possesses both Noel’s pure white energy and the divine power of the royal family of Holy Kingdom. It wasn’t hard to imagine he would be quite proud.

Dunadan had expected Aiden to experience the same sense of frustration, the same ‘wall’ he and others had faced when they first dealt with the power of law.

But instead, it was Aiden looking at a ‘beginner’ and feeling those emotions. That was something Dunadan had not foreseen.

“That man is a genius.”

Seeing Noel quietly nod in agreement, Dunadan’s face briefly contorted as if he were reflecting on the words he had just spoken.

“No… calling him a genius is actually an understatement.”

He swirled the liquor in his glass as he continued.

“He’s a monster.”

Aiden’s talent is undeniably extraordinary, but it’s not unique. Even historical records are full of individuals whose talents could only be described as violent.

The savior of humanity, the fallen god of destruction, the forgotten…

With such terrifying names etched in the continent’s history, his abilities are not unprecedented.

That’s what Dunadan had thought—until he saw firsthand what Aiden had done yesterday.

“I’ve been called a genius my whole life, but I’ve never seen anything like that. If I went back to the Great Plains and told the other chiefs, they’d think I was insane.”

After Dunadan’s blunt evaluation, Noel was silent for a moment before speaking up.

“How long does it usually take to reach that level?”

“For an ordinary person, about ten years.”

“It took me two.”

“Trust me, Ms. Noel, you really picked a good husband. I’m curious to see how far that guy will go.”

What took a so-called genius two years, he had accomplished in a night, within just a few hours.

Noel touched her cheek, momentarily pondering what she should say.

Dunadan, having been born with the talent to look down on others his entire life, had become the standard of genius. Now, he was on the verge of losing his mind after seeing talent that seemed to erect an insurmountable wall.

Should she console him?

Or…

“Of course, it’s Aiden.”

“…It’s nice that you have such a good relationship, but do you have to boast about your husband in front of me right now?”

Noel chuckled softly as she refilled his glass again. In truth, it wasn’t so much boasting as her being just as astonished by the events.

Not only his abilities, but she was also questioning the man’s actions.

‘Why did he suddenly start training?’

Anyone with half a brain would know that Aiden went to extreme lengths to avoid getting involved in any ‘big,’ ‘troublesome,’ or ‘difficult’ matters. Of course, by being by her side, he naturally had to deal with such things, but it was clear from his behavior that he didn’t welcome it.

In fact, wasn’t Noel almost always by his side, practically watching over him, to ensure he didn’t get caught up in anything suddenly?

As she mulled over these doubts, Dunadan, once again in a dazed voice, dropped a sentence out of the blue.

“That’s a decent drink.”

“I have another bottle, so I’ll gift it to you.”

“Don’t you want to have a drink-off?”

“I still have official duties left to attend to.”

Noel gave a bitter smile. At least one person needed to stay clear-headed, just in case someone else was too out of it and caused some unfortunate mishap. That’s probably why, if not for the curiosity she harbored, this wouldn’t be happening.

“But why did Aiden want to learn the power of law?”

“He said there’s someone he wants to impress. He wants to become a better person.”

“……”

“I told you, didn’t I? You picked a great husband. A guy with that much talent, who is that devoted, must be living a worthwhile life.”

Noel stared at Dunadan in silence for a long time. So long, in fact, that the person who had spoken started to feel awkward. It almost seemed like she was trying to suppress her confusion.

“You didn’t mean me, right?”

After staying quiet, Noel cautiously muttered that. Dunadan, finding it ridiculous, responded in disbelief.

“If not for his newlywed wife, who else would he say that to?”

Noel’s expression grew even more unreadable. Well, he wasn’t wrong. But still, Aiden was someone who had been kidnapped and forced into a contract marriage. There’s no reason for him to say something like that to ‘her’.

-You don’t remember? From when we were kids?  

-Never mind. I didn’t expect you to have really forgotten.  

-It’s not impossible, though.

The string of thoughts pounding in her head caused Noel to rub her face. Again. And again. And again. 

Even though she wanted to dismiss it, these thoughts kept ensnaring her. Could it be that guy… actually liked her in the past? Is that why he’s saying such things without any shame?

She wasn’t sure. She wanted to push these thoughts to the back of her mind, convinced she couldn’t figure them out immediately. But with the constant reminders, it was impossible to ignore them.

And when thoughts like these crop up, the solution is pretty clear.

Noel sighed, went to the cupboard, and pulled out another glass. Seeing her actions, Dunadan chuckled.

“Don’t you still have work to do?”

“Now that I think about it, a few drinks might actually help, rather than hinder.”

“Of course.”

With a clink, the two glasses met at the rim.

‘…Does he really like me?’

As she poured liquor into her glass, Noel found herself mulling over the thought again.

‘…No way. That doesn’t make any sense.’

She downed half the alcohol in one go, trying to shake the thought from her mind.

Whether it was the drink or something else, her face felt hot.

***

From the system window:

『Dunadan U’zal』  

Bond Level: 2  

– You can copy one additional skill.  

<Copied Skill>  

General Ability: Power of Law  

An ability granted by the god of Ascension, Urgan. It can be used by imposing self-restrictions.  

▶Number of Cores: 5  

※ Skill correction allows for rapid mastery. A unique trait is applied.  

※ Only ‘unique’ restrictions can be designated. It cannot be used by any other means. However, if these conditions are met, the skill will change.

Aiden stared at the number “5” next to the core count in the system window.

‘I stopped at three because of the chief…?’

The more cores he gained, the more he felt like he was losing his mind, so he became increasingly conscious of it. That’s why the additional questions he wanted to ask were left unanswered.

Two sentences attached to the bottom of the skill window were the problem.

‘I can only use special restrictions?’

In the game, it was possible to use simple restrictions like “skip a meal” or “don’t sleep for more than seven hours.” However, when Aiden tried, all of those types of restrictions were invalid. Just as it was written in the skill window, only special ones seemed to work.

‘What does “unique” restrictions even mean?’

Judging from the system’s terminology so far, it likely referred to something that no one else had used before.

‘A restriction that no one else has used?’

Just thinking about the number of people in the Great Plains made him dizzy. And the number of people using the power of law on the entire continent made it even more overwhelming.

At this rate, did he learn the power of law only to be unable to use it?

‘I need to think this through.’

As he closed the window, a new message suddenly appeared in front of his eyes.

—

-System Message-  

▶The affection level of ‘Noel Astria Simus’ has increased.  

The bond level has risen from 2 to 3.  

An additional skill copy is granted!  

▶Content related to the main quest will be added soon!

Aiden blinked in confusion as he stared at the sudden window that appeared.

‘Did that actually work?’

Aiden had considered that the remark he casually tossed to Dunadan might be passed on to Noel. To be honest, it was half a joke, but now that her affection had really increased, it left him feeling a bit uneasy.

At this point, he realized he needed to reconsider his approach. If her feelings were rising this quickly, it might eventually lead to a deeper relationship. 

‘But surely it won’t go that far, right?’

For now, it was just a series of coincidences that had drawn her closer to him. The attention she was giving him would eventually shift when the real ‘protagonist’ showed up. After all, Aiden planned to pass everything off to the protagonist and return to a normal life. He just needed to make good use of the situation until then.

Aiden tapped his chin, lost in thought.

‘What do I have left…?’

Currently, he had three skill copies remaining: one from Katia, one from Noel, and one he could get from the Emperor. 

‘I don’t need to learn them right away.’

Who knows what might happen in the upcoming events related to the main scenario? It would be odd to prepare a skill in advance. He’d already skimmed through the available skills, so when the time came, he could flexibly choose the most suitable one for the situation. 

After all, the reason he’d gone through the trouble of learning the power of law was to prepare for an unexpected emergency.

‘…Though it would be ideal if nothing happens, and I don’t have to use anything at all.’

Wasn’t that why he was working so hard now?

***

His destination was a place he had visited before—Billy Hagan’s tool shop—to retrieve the information he had requested.

As soon as he walked into the shop, Billy snorted upon recognizing his face.

“Oh, you’re the guy who sticks his nose into dangerous business, right?”

A weird way to be remembered, but whatever.

“The information?”

The moment Aiden asked, a rolled-up stack of documents was dropped onto the counter.

“I’ve got everything: trade volumes, distribution routes, and the most important bit—the ‘location of the transaction.'”

Billy emphasized the location, likely because Aiden had specifically requested it, suspecting it might be where an incident would occur.

Aiden nodded and began to flip through the documents. The work was certainly worth the extra payment. 

He placed a bag of gold coins on the counter.

“Added 50 more gold as a token of appreciation.”

“You rich or something?”

Noel had indeed been generous, so Aiden gave a casual nod.

After confirming the amount, Billy chuckled, removing the extra gold.

“Take it back. I didn’t do the full job anyway.”

“What?”

“Those weapons, I couldn’t find out who’s distributing them.”

“It’s 550 gold. You could’ve put in more effort.”

Billy laughed heartily and replied, “You kidding me?”

“If I couldn’t find it, it means it’s at least a high-ranking noble. Do you want someone’s head to roll for that?”

“…I see.”

Aiden nodded, though his expression tightened.

‘Was that always untraceable?’

A high-ranking noble, huh?

In the game, tracking the group responsible for distribution wasn’t particularly difficult. They were just common thugs. Finding out who was pulling the strings had been the tricky part. 

But hitting a wall this early? That wasn’t how he remembered it.

‘Something’s different.’

The strained relationship between the prince and emperor, who were supposed to be allies in Act 1, felt off. The first main event of the scenario wasn’t quite lining up either. There was a growing sense of dissonance, like small details were constantly out of place.

And that feeling—that the world was diverging from the original—was only growing stronger with one particular issue.

“Mr. Billy…”

“Just call me Billy. What is it?”

“The details I requested about that person… they’re missing from this.”

“If it’s missing, it’s because I couldn’t find it.”

“…Really?”

Once again, the information about the ‘protagonist’ was absent.

Even someone as competent as Billy hadn’t been able to locate anything.

Aiden hadn’t lost hope just yet. Even if the main scenario seemed to be going off track, if the protagonist didn’t exist, the very foundation of this game-like world would be at risk.

But…

What if?

What if, when tomorrow’s event arrives, the protagonist isn’t there?

What if this world truly is a ‘world without a protagonist’?

***

Quest Info

Failing the events listed here will result in severe penalties!  

Sham Marriage  

– You have been chosen as the spouse of Lady Noel. Keep the contract until the end!  

Act 1: The Institutional Rift  

– Your interactions with key figures are increasing.  

– Soon, you will be officially integrated into the scenario. The direction of the story will depend on your choices!  

– A related event will happen soon. (D-2)  

Life is Beautiful  

– Katia Heinkel Craven has something she desperately wants from you. Help her experience things fully!

—

If he had to resolve these terrifying events ‘all by himself’…

He had an idea. Something he could do, though he absolutely didn’t want to, and the chances were slim.

But if that moment of desperation arrived…

He’d have no choice.

He would have to do what needed to be done.

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