Chapter 38

< Dungeon + Mill >

On the second day of skill application, Peace's training went smoothly.

"Level 2 unicorn variant, Flame Unicorn Spirit. It is currently 4:39 PM on the second day of the monster taming skill application. Through accelerated growth from training, it has grown from a body length of 41 cm and a weight of 2.8 kg to a body length of 51 cm and a weight of 5.6 kg."

I turned off the camcorder and looked at Peace, who was sitting with a wide-open chest. The small cat-sized creature had grown significantly in just one day. If this continues, after three days of training, it might grow to the size of a large cat or even a large dog.

'Soon, I'll need to find a separate place for Peace to stay.'

I could bring it home this month, but from next month, it would be impossible. It will likely grow to the size of a tiger. I'm already feeling a bit sad about it.

'I can't suddenly show its rapid growth, so I'll have to move it secretly.'

I'll need to borrow a cart, cover it with cloth, and move it. It's a hassle to go back and forth, so I'll just stay here for the remaining two days. There's no need for more theoretical education.

I told Youngwoo to rest and train for the next two days. Yerim said she would enter the dungeon right after today's class, so I don't need to worry about her.

This time, they plan to form a proper team to tackle a C-rank dungeon. Since the Hyeyeon Guild hunters are used to B-rank and above, they will clear it in a few days.

'They will continue to raise her well in the guild... Yerim is now out of my hands.'

After giving her some skill advice, there won't be much more I can do to help. It's a mix of relief and regret.

After organizing my thoughts, a yawn escaped me. I'm so sleepy. My eyelids feel like they weigh a ton after staying up all night.

"Peace, are you not sleepy? Let's take a quick nap."

I picked up Peace, who was hopping around, and headed to the lounge. Just for an hour.

While I was napping, Youngwoo brought me a packed lunch. The food was as delicious as always. It could even be sold for money.

After that, Yerim stopped by to see me before entering the dungeon, and now, in the evening:

"Ugh, I lost! Sob, sob!"

The goblin collapsed on the floor and cried.

This time, the preparation was thorough, making it feel like watching a realistic 4D horror movie. But in the end, it was just a matter of activating the Fear Resistance skill.

It seems that the Fear Resistance skill's message window only appears when a certain level of intimidation is felt. Usually, it only provides a calming effect, and it only becomes 100% effective when the message window appears.

After all, if fear, anxiety, and intimidation were completely nullified all the time, it would be impossible to feel normal emotions. Emotions are interconnected.

"I can't go home! I won't go!"

He wriggled and lay down, resisting. He seems more afraid of being scolded than of losing the bet. Is he really a child? If this is acting, he deserves an acting award.

I placed the now heavier Peace on my lap and watched him, then suddenly asked:

"Goblin, how old are you?"

"Age? I haven't counted since I turned a hundred."

...A hundred? Not ten? Is this a joke?

"If you don't want to reveal it, just tell me if you're a minor or not."

"Fine! Since it's a bet, you have the right to know! I'll tell you even if I get scolded!"

The goblin floated up from his seat. His face, which was usually scowling, had changed to a wide-smiling mask. Was this a noble's mask? I can't remember; it's been too long.

"Do you think I'm a goblin?"

"...What?"

So,

"......You mean a real goblin?"

"Of course, a real one, not a fake."

What are you talking about?

"There's no such thing as a goblin in this world."

The goblin spun in the air.

"There are dungeons and Awakened people, right? Your younger brother controls fire, and your ward spreads ice fog!"

"That's... that's... the system..."

"What's the system?"

The system, well.

Thinking about it, the existence of goblins or ghosts in the world is more realistic than the sudden appearance of dungeons and Awakened people.

Goblins are part of folklore, but the system is completely out of the blue.

Still, the idea of goblins existing is a bit... absurd.

"But you're an Awakened person, right?"

It's strange, but you clearly have a name.

The goblin laughed. It was a laugh that sounded like floating bubbles.

"Leader Kim Seobang, I'm over a hundred years old, and I'm three years old!"

Three years. Three years.

The first appearance of dungeons and Awakened people was three years ago. Born with the system. A sudden thought popped into my head.

"......Is it mixed with the power of the dungeon?"

The goblin perked up at my muttering.

"Do you know? How? Do you really know?"

Of course, I don't have the current knowledge, and I don't know much about it.

The mixing phenomenon only rarely appeared after the dungeon breaks became less frequent, and even five years later, it wasn't properly investigated.

But why so soon... No, three years ago was when the first dungeons started appearing. The power that leaked out was weak, but it was an environment where something mixed could appear.

"Ultimately, you're not a real goblin, right?"

The goblin grinned at my words.

"I am a goblin, right?!"

"Sure, sure. You're like an old mill in the Yun family's house."

Yun Yun, so the front is the surname and the back is the wheel character, right? A mill or a cart, or maybe just a wheel.

"How did you know?!"

The goblin froze in the air, looking incredibly surprised.

"Maybe you're a shaman's golden bell...?"

"I'm 100% human."

If a shaman's golden bell mixed with the power of the dungeon and became an Awakened person, would it gain the ability to predict? ...It's a bit tempting. There's no way to artificially create a goblin.

"Do you know anything about the system? Maybe some memories or information mixed?"

"No, I don't know."

Of course not.

At least, the goblin's unique personality and unprecedented special skills made sense. It seems that a skill like spatial movement, which is a cheat, can't be obtained with ordinary talent.

'The power of the dungeon can be seen as a gateway to another world and the space that contains that world, so it makes sense to gain such special skills.'

That's why there were no spatial movement-related skills in the optimized skills. Floating and hiding are the goblin's optimized skills.

'What exactly is a dungeon?'

Why were they created and spread in this world, and why are they tackled by the Awakened system?

I didn't think deeply about it before the regression.

But now, I can't just let it go. Most importantly, the system approached me first.

'I should enter a dungeon once.'

I can't keep pretending I don't know. Now that I have the goblin, I can go safely.

"Is spatial movement possible in a dungeon?"

"Huh?"

"Outside the dungeon. Or applying stealth to avoid monsters is also fine. What's the highest rank dungeon you've entered?"

"I haven't entered one."

What?

"You've never entered a dungeon? Not even once?"

"Yeah. I can't."

This is the first I'm hearing this.

"I tried to enter, but there was a repulsion. I was bounced out with a 'pop'!"

"Repulsion? Because of the power of the dungeon?"

Is it impossible to put a dungeon inside another dungeon? It's treated similarly to a dungeon...

"What, why are you looking at me like that? Suspicious!"

"You're looking at me with eyes that say you're precious and important."

"That's true, but!"

How can I investigate this? The problem is that there's no method.

Wait, if it's similar to a dungeon...

I put Peace down and stood up, then spread my arms wide toward the goblin.

"Goblin."

"Yeah?"

"Let me hug you once."

Just in case, maybe the person who created the system is trying to contact me through a pseudo-dungeon.

"Eh? Why?! No way!"

The goblin, who I thought would hug me without thinking, shook his head and jumped into the air. It's a strangely overreacting. I picked him up and held him.

"I need to check something. I have no ill intentions toward an uncertain race."

"Still no! I promised not to wrestle!"

Wrestling? Did he challenge people to wrestling before scaring them? He's really a goblin through and through.

"Then come behind me and hug."

"...Do I have to?"

"It's important."

"But if I hug, I'll want to throw you with a leg sweep."

"Just bear with it."

The hesitant goblin moved behind me and hugged me from behind.

"Done?"

"Just a moment."

I quickly checked my status window, but there was no change.

"Try spatial movement while hugging me."

"You're already bossing me around."

What, we haven't even started yet. The goblin grumbled and spatially moved with me. This definitely feels similar to passing through a dungeon gate. It's different from a mini portal.

I opened my status window and saw a change.

[Dragon Slayer (L) ←]

This time, it was just a simple arrow. No time for emojis. Then,

[Poison Resistance (L) ←]

And,

[Poison Resistance (L) - Completely immune to all poisons below the legendary level

Effectively detoxifies

Harmful poisons to the human body

Including weak poisons]

This time, there was an explanation. But what is this?

Is the check done?

...Did he check it alone? Was it just to check something in the dungeon? Or was it because of the lack of time? The last part seems hastily written.

"Done? Let go? I can't bear it anymore!"

"Just a moment. Once more, or a few more times, try moving."

"No! It's tiring to move with someone! The distance is shorter, and I can't do it consecutively!"

The goblin shouted while moving far away from me. He can easily move alone multiple times, but it seems tiring to move with someone.

"Can't you create a portal yet?"

"Portal?"

Of course not yet. The long-distance portal skill came three to four years later. Since he can't enter dungeons, his growth must be slow. To level up outside, he would need to buy and hunt monsters or wait for dungeon breaks.

No choice but to apply keywords and raise him.

"Goblin."

"Yeah?"

"My dear subordinate, I hope you do well in the future."

I'll start talking about love with agape for all. Enthusiastically, consistently, every time I see you, hello.

The goblin let out a "Beeep" and ran away. Why?

"Here is the camcorder with the growth record."

I handed the camcorder to Seok Shimyeong, who couldn't hide his raised corners of his mouth. Yuhwan was preparing for the dungeon raid, so Seok Shimyeong received and checked the record.

"I am truly impressed, even moved, by Han Yujin."

Seok Shimyeong said with a rich, chocolate-like voice. His voice is really good. I'm envious. He could probably end a relationship from phone calls with a complete stranger.

"I feel like bowing in apology for not recognizing your talent. I should have had you sign a contract three years ago."

While saying this, he showed a look as if he wanted to grab my hand. No, I won't sign a contract.

"From what I heard from Yuhwan, you plan to remain unaffiliated for a while."

"Yes. You said you would sign a contract when Hyeyeon becomes the top guild in the country. Can I confirm this again?"

"That's... "

I started to speak but closed my mouth. Something feels off.

"...Are you recording?"

"Ah, you're not just anyone."

Seok Shimyeong laughed and admitted he hadn't turned off the recorder. This guy is really something. He's trying to slip it by.

"Turn it off?"

"Isn't recording necessary when adjusting contract terms?"

While saying this, Seok Shimyeong turned off the recorder obediently.

"Is there anything else?"

"For the sake of Han Yujin's trust, no."

Then don't record in the first place. Anyway, this guy must have been a black-scaled loach in his past life.

"The negotiations for Ki Seung-su will take place with the three major guilds and the Hunter Association. I will accompany you, but the main representative will be the guild leader. Don't worry; I've trained you well."

No, being trained by you is more worrying. Don't corrupt our good Yuhwan, loach.

"Although it's a new dungeon with no information, with the guild leader participating, it won't take long. If it's a slime dungeon, it will be cleared within four days."

The weakness of slimes is fire. However, burning them means they can't be used as materials, but for a new dungeon raid, safety and information gathering are more important than material acquisition, so it will be cleared quickly.

"If the negotiations are successfully concluded, would you consider appearing on a TV show?"

"...What?"

What show are you talking about?

< Dungeon + Mill > End

ⓒ Geunseo

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