Chapter 45

< I wish you would just leave me alone >

[Why don't you come and see me now?]

After returning home, I sent a text message to the goblin's contact number that I had received from Seok Simyeong. It said that the goblin only receives texts and doesn't answer calls.

There was no reply, but soon enough, the goblin appeared in the air. I know that mask. I saw it in the Korean textbook. It was definitely a mask of a paljuk. A paljuk... it was a role that mocked and ridiculed the yangban it served. I remember the Korean teacher's imitation of the paljuk so vividly.

...Is this on purpose? Huh?

“Oh, Chief Kim, you called me. I thought you had gone to the netherworld, so I was about to put a dried cod head on the altar and stick a spoon of rice into it to pay my respects!”

“...That’s enough.”

“Oh, why won’t you play along!”

Are you going to bring a janggu and beat it? I need to send you away quickly; I’m too tired to play with a three-year-old.

“Alright, I have a task for you.”

“I’m a busy person! I don’t do trivial things!”

For a subordinate, you’re awfully arrogant. I took out the tablet I had prepared.

“Maybe you’ll change your mind after you hear it.”

“You’re so confident. Tell me!”

The goblin crossed his arms and tilted his head. Is he my boss now?

“You should be more respectful as a subordinate.”

“Tell me!”

“The task is simple. Investigate the dungeons in other countries.”

“Dungeons?”

“Yes. I’ve put the details of what needs to be investigated on this tablet.”

I organized the items and methods of investigation based on my memory. First, I’ll investigate all the dungeons in nearby Japan, then pass the data to Seok Hyeonyang to get feedback on any shortcomings and supplement them.

“Normally, foreigners can’t access dungeons. But since you can hide and teleport, you should be able to investigate them easily.”

“Of course I can! But why do I have to do it?”

“If we discover the principles of dungeon creation, we can reduce the damage from the Dungeon Break. In simple terms, it means saving many people. You, the great goblin, will be doing a heroic deed.”

“I like that!”

The goblin shouted as he snatched the tablet. Does he know how to use it? Fortunately, the goblin skillfully swiped through the tablet screen.

“But do I really have to go to another country? It’s so far.”

“You can sneak onto a plane to Japan; it’s quick. Please, dear Yoon Yoon.”

I need to apply the keyword soon to get the long-distance portal skill. The goblin grimaced at the word “love.”

“Not that again! I won’t do the job?!”

“Why do you dislike being called ‘love’ when you’re a goblin? Goblins are a species that overflow with love.”

Goblins can transform into beautiful women to enchant men or seduce women. Refer to the encyclopedia.

“...Is that so?”

“Of course. Real goblins must be familiar with love. I love you, Yoon Yoon. Now, you say it.”

The goblin, hesitating, shouted loudly.

“I love you, Kim Seobang!”

“Good job. I love you too, Yoon Yoon.”

We sang love songs to each other, and I checked the skill window just in case, but the goblin’s name wasn’t there yet. Maybe it’s because I don’t know much about the goblin’s personal matters, or a few times aren’t enough. I should count how many more times it takes.

“Ugh, I’ll go to Japan...”

“Come back safely. Take care of yourself. Your safety is the most important. If you need anything, just let me know. I love you.”

The goblin’s figure suddenly disappeared.

I stared at the empty space and sighed involuntarily.

‘This should do it.’

I sat on the bed and then lay down.

Now I just need to pass the data to Seok Hyeonyang. If I bring her research lab into my building, it will be safe and free from interference by the government or specific guilds.

Unlike five years later, the information won’t be hidden or monopolized.

‘And there are Ki Seung-su and Yu Myung-woo. I’ll make two A-rankers into S-rankers. This should be enough, right?’

Now, there’s nothing much I can do besides raising the kids. Maybe I’ll occasionally go around and catch promising unawakened individuals to awaken them?

Knowing the future information doesn’t mean I know everything about the world, and many things will change, so it won’t be very useful.

If I lay the groundwork like this, they should do better on their own.

Honestly, I’ve done too much. Once you start, it’s hard to stop, and that’s exactly what happened.

But now it’s really the end. I’ve secured safety, made a good fortune, and my younger brother, who was already doing well, will do even better.

If I raise Kim Sung-han and successfully bring Moon Hyun-a in, we’ll have four S-rank combat hunters. I’ll keep sending promising combat or healer types to maintain the top position in the country... Hmm. Should I really join Hyeon?

That would be troublesome.

I want to cancel the discount for my younger brother and change the condition to being the world’s number one.

‘But my younger brother won’t use me too much, right?’

Just putting my name on it and being done with it.

Anyway, it’s really the end. All done!

Except for one thing,

‘...I’m still a bit worried about the system creator.’

But I’ve confirmed it, right? Maybe it’s really over. I should have tried spatial teleportation when I called the goblin.

It feels uncomfortable.

...Damn, I’ve done enough. I’ll just fill the waiting room occasionally.

Let me live peacefully and raise monsters.

“Auntie, the commercial is over!”

Yerim, sitting on the sofa and hugging a cushion, was making a fuss. By the way, this is the fifth sofa. The previous four were destroyed by Peace.

“Not really.”

“Why not? I even set it to record.”

Why did you even record it? ...Actually, I set it to record too. Peace is in it, after all. It’s a bit embarrassing to see myself, but I need to save the parts with Peace.

As I sat on the sofa, Peace jumped onto my lap as if waiting for me. Jump gently. Think about your size.

-Grumble

Yerim’s eyes widened as I patted Peace’s head.

“Doesn’t Peace completely ignore you when you’re not around?”

“Ignore me?”

“When you’re not around, he doesn’t even wag his tail and completely ignores people. He doesn’t even pretend to be the main body.”

“Yerim, you’ve been tormenting him since the first meeting. It’s understandable that he ignores you.”

Yerim looked indignant at my words.

“That’s different. Look, it’s starting.”

A short narration played, and Yerim was introduced first. A subtitle appeared, calling her the youngest S-rank combat hunter.

“Already started?”

Yu Myung-woo came out with snacks, and the smell made me sit up straight.

“What is that?”

Yerim, interested, put down the cushion she was holding. Yu Myung-woo placed the plate on the table.

“Crunchy rice and butter potatoes.”

Just hearing it sounds delicious. My hand and Yerim’s hand moved almost simultaneously, each picking up a piece of crunchy rice and bringing it to our mouths.

Crunch

Wow... How can it be so perfectly crispy? The amount of sugar sprinkled is just right, enhancing the savory flavor without overpowering it.

“Wow, what is this? What is this? Did you make it yourself?”

Yerim, eyes wide, picked up a butter potato with a fork. She put it in her mouth without hesitation and chewed, then made an expression of amazement.

“Myung-woo oppa...!”

...The honorific changed to “oppa.” Yerim, you, how can you be swayed by a piece of fried rice and a potato?

Of course, it’s a swaying taste... Ugh, this potato is so delicious. It’s a pity that Peace is only interested in magic stones and monster meat.

-Clang!

Then Peace cried out towards the TV. Looking up, I saw myself sitting in a chair with Peace in my arms. Seeing my face on the screen made me a bit embarrassed... Wait, what’s that subtitle?

“Uncle, look at the introduction! It says ‘Monster Dad’.”

Yerim, holding crunchy rice in both hands, laughed. As she said, the subtitle at the bottom of the screen read “Monster Dad Han Yujin.”

Damn, I clearly said I was a monster tamer, a monster tamer. It sounds like a subtitle from an animal farm or a show where Peace, be a good boy, and it ends there.

Was it that kind of program? What is this?

“Appearing on TV, you’re really amazing.”

Unlike Yerim, who was laughing, Myung-woo was genuinely impressed. You are amazing. You’ll be able to appear on such shows soon too.

Then my phone rang. A call came from an unknown number. Who is it?

“Hello.”

[Han Yujin! I just saw you on TV. Do you remember me? We worked together at the factory!]

I don’t remember at all. It was four years ago, but it feels like nine years ago. There’s no way I could remember.

“I’m sorry, I don’t remember.”

[Really? That’s a bit disappointing. Want to meet up? I’m doing a business now, and it’s a really amazing item!]

Ah, it’s that kind of call. You’re quick to call after I appeared on TV.

“Is that so? What kind of item?”

Showing interest, he started to ramble. Hmm, it lacks creativity. It’s not persuasive, and the explanation is poor.

“I’m not really interested. I’ll decline.”

I hung up and blocked the number. Yerim, who had been watching me, shook her head.

“Why did you even answer? Just hang up. I changed my number. Even parents of students from other classes and relatives of in-laws were contacting me. You should change it too.”

“I don’t plan to change it for a while. It’s fun.”

“...Fun?”

“Yeah. I like receiving spam calls. Especially the creative ones.”

One of my few hobbies. They pay for the call, they talk enthusiastically, they’re polite, and it’s a cost-effective way to spend my free time. The only downside is that the scripts are too similar.

“Oh, another one.”

“...Uncle.”

Yerim looked exasperated. Myung-woo also looked confused. Is it that strange?

“No, well... If there’s a really good product, I might invest.”

“You’ll get scammed. Why don’t you try a different hobby?”

“You might get scammed big time.”

These kids. I know more about hobbies than they do. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to answer the call and put it on silent. With Ki Seung-su’s value, huge guilds are making investments, and stories of money are coming from everywhere.

It should be interesting for a while.

“Yawn.”

I yawned and came out to the living room. Listening to a smooth talker, I ended up staying up too late. With that level of storytelling, they should aim for TV appearances or write a book, not try to scam people. It’s a waste of talent.

‘If I optimize my awakening, I might get related skills.’

Like, “Even if you drown, your tongue won’t.”

“Sorry for being late. Were you bored?”

When I opened the door, Peace, who had been waiting, quickly ran out and rubbed his cheek against my leg.

-Grumble

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s go out after eating.”

We ate a light breakfast and lunch and went outside. Peace, who had been in my arms, led the way, walking briskly.

There are guards at the elevator and stairs on the dormitory floor, unlike before. They’re not ordinary security guards but hunters.

“Hello.”

I greeted them and took a look. B-rank, offensive type. The visitor badge around his neck indicates he’s from MKC.

Since my protection is being handled jointly, each guild is taking turns sending bodyguards.

Yesterday, Breaker sent an A-rank, but MKC is frugal. Of course, B-rank isn’t a low rank. The A-rank from Breaker was different from the guild leader, being friendly and interested in Ki Seung-su.

Maybe he was friendly because of the latter, but it’s better to be friendly with an ulterior motive than to be unfriendly without one.

“Are you going to the training room?”

“Yes.”

The B-rank hunter pressed the elevator button for me. It’s treatment I couldn’t dream of before the regression, but now I’m a B-rank too.

When the elevator arrived, Peace familiarly got in and pressed the button for the basement floor. He’s really smart.

We arrived at the basement floor where the training rooms are located and received the key to the training room Peace uses from the management office. It’s not a special privilege to have a dedicated training room.

Since lethal skills can’t be used in the city, the training rooms are rarely full. B-rank and above usually use the training facilities in Gyeonggi Province.

Therefore, the underground training rooms in Hyeon are more frequently used by sub-guild members than by Hyeon guild members.

Most large guilds have several small and medium-sized guilds under them. This is because they need to manage a certain percentage of mid and low-level dungeons, not just high-level ones.

Sending high-level guild members to mid and low-level dungeons is a waste of manpower, so they assign the task to their sub-guilds. In return, they provide a strong backing and access to facilities like training rooms and equipment management teams.

Hyeon also has a few sub-guilds.

‘Until five years later, they didn’t cause much trouble.’

I can’t remember every small and medium-sized guild, but that’s how it was. The fact that the sub-guilds were well-behaved means that Yoo Hyun, as a guild leader, was moderate. I, who found my younger brother annoying for being flawless for five years, can vouch for that.

He’s the best among guild leaders.

< I wish you would just leave me alone > End

ⓒ Geunseo