“Waaa, hua!”
The clear, joyful voices of the children echoed beneath the fences.
Though they saw the same scenery every day, the view from atop the sturdy wooden fences offered a fresh, thrilling perspective that filled them with awe.
Their small fingers pointed as they exclaimed in wonder.
Their pure, radiant joy brought a warm smile to Sang-woong’s face.
Finally, I can rest easy.
Gently ruffling their soft hair, he thought to himself.
“Phew, it’s finally done.”
Looking at the robust fences, Sang-woong let out a sigh of relief.
Though late, the fact that he’d secured a safe perimeter lifted a heavy burden from his heart.
At that moment, he felt the ground beneath his feet tremble faintly.
It was an ominous vibration, like a massive beast stirring underground.
A monster raid. Sang-woong’s instincts kicked in.
Sure enough, Aria’s urgent voice pierced his ears.
“Master! Monsters are attacking again!”
“Got it. I’ll hold them off. Aria, get the Afua to safety inside the fences now.”
“Yes, Master!”
Aria darted toward the Afua without a sound, ensuring every tribe member was safely inside before the monsters could fully emerge.
Sang-woong sprinted toward the entrance of the sturdy fences.
Seeing the reliable golems steadfastly guarding the gate, his anxious heart calmed slightly.
But it was too early to relax.
The monsters had already breached his defenses.
His appraisal skill activated, displaying detailed information about the intruders.
- Red Bears have invaded the land. Red Bears are bear-like monsters boasting tough hides impervious to most attacks and immense strength. However, they are noticeably weakened by the powerful energy of this land. –
Reading the details, Sang-woong’s eyes widened at the unexpected information.
“Weakened combat strength?”
It was unforeseen, but everything clicked in an instant.
The purified air of the land was incompatible with hostile forces.
Hunters were contaminated by the foul air of dungeons, and ordinary people suffered from a terrifying illness called dungeon disease.
Conversely, the land’s air was like poison to monsters.
“Roooar!”
Over thirty massive Red Bears, their red eyes gleaming, roared in unison.
Their ferocious bellows shook the land, rattling the air.
Their imposing size and overwhelming numbers created a formidable presence, rivaling Sang-woong’s golem forces.
With red fur billowing, the giant monsters charged toward him.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Their massive bodies exuded crushing pressure, but Sang-woong, reading fear and pain in their ferocious faces, gave a faint smile.
Their ragged breaths and bloodshot eyes showed clear signs of distress from the land’s energy.
“We’re not backing down either!”
Raising his sword high, Sang-woong’s commanding voice echoed across the battlefield.
“Charge!”
At his order, the stone golem thundered forward with heavy steps.
Wood golems, wielding sturdy clubs, followed, shaking the ground as they charged fiercely.
A suffocating tension gripped the surroundings.
The golems’ roars clashed with the Red Bears’ savage growls in a fierce collision.
The stone golem, rolling forward like a boulder, surged toward the ferocious Red Bears.
They swung their sharp claws, but the stone golem blocked them coldly with its steel-like left arm.
Its massive right arm swung like a storm, smashing a Red Bear’s jaw with devastating force.
Boom!
The destructive power of the stone golem’s rock-hard fist was unimaginable.
The Red Bear’s jaw shattered, its massive body collapsing backward.
The golem mercilessly stomped on the fallen bear’s head with its pillar-like leg.
Crunch!
With a horrific sound, the Red Bear’s head was obliterated.
A familiar message appeared before Sang-woong.
- You have defeated a Red Bear. Gained 20 experience points and 5 points. –
The rewards were over five times greater than those for defeating a regular goblin.
Nearby, a wood golem swung its curved club, fiercely battling a Red Bear.
The bear’s sharp claws were repeatedly blocked by the golem’s sturdy wooden shield.
Seizing the moment, the wood golem whirled its club like a tornado, relentlessly pressing the Red Bear.
Each swing of the club, cutting through the air, struck the bear’s massive body with a dull thud, shaking the battlefield.
The Red Bear absorbed the blows with its tough hide, trying to close the distance, but the golem’s relentless attacks brought it down.
“This is reassuring.”
The golems were perfectly holding off the intruders.
Now it was Sang-woong’s turn.
He dove into the battlefield with lightning speed.
His gleaming blade reflected the sunlight, radiating brilliance.
His steps were as light as the wind.
Dodging the Red Bear’s ferocious attacks by a hair’s breadth, he struck at their openings.
His sword sliced through their tough hides, the sound of bone being grazed echoing sharply.
“Graaah!”
The Red Bear roared in pain, staggering, but Sang-woong’s blade didn’t stop.
After felling one, he charged at another without pause.
The bear swung its long arm, but he dodged nimbly, unleashing faster, stronger strikes.
The wood and stone golems, as if bolstered by Sang-woong’s presence, fought with renewed vigor.
The wood golem swung its club faster, while the stone golem hammered the beasts with heavier fists.
Faced with the golems’ flawless teamwork and Sang-woong’s sharp swordsmanship, the ferocious Red Bears couldn’t hide their panic.
The tide of battle had fully turned in Sang-woong’s favor.
Only the anguished cries of the red-furred beasts echoed across the battlefield.
“Good work.”
As the fierce battle ended, Sang-woong spoke briefly to the silent golems.
Familiar with the routine, they retrieved glowing mana stones from the Red Bears’ corpses and buried them.
Sang-woong sold the mana stones for points, investing all of them in equipment for the stone golems.
After cleanup, he returned to the restaurant.
He planned to buy healing potions to treat the Afua’s injuries.
Though he’d already provided first aid, nothing healed wounds as quickly and effectively as a healing potion.
He opened the dark web, checking the veiled site where his detox potions were listed.
He wanted to buy healing potions and see how his potions were selling.
Browsing the potion category, he found his shiitake detox potion listed prominently.
“The response is better than I expected.”
The reviews were overwhelmingly positive.
But something made him frown: the price.
The veiled site was selling his detox potions for a staggering 6.5 million won.
He’d expected them to sell for around 5 million won, considering market rates, so this was unexpected.
Their strategy was premium pricing.
Standard detox potions were so foul-tasting that hunters dreaded drinking them.
But Sang-woong’s shiitake detox potion excelled in both taste and efficacy.
The veiled site capitalized on this, targeting wealthy hunters with a high-end sales strategy.
It was a result of their savvy, so Sang-woong had no real grounds for complaint.
“But why does it bother me so much?”
He recalled the veiled site’s black market dealers—the sunglasses man and the cheekbone man.
Their dismissive attitude and clumsy intimidation irked him.
The thought of such people profiting massively from his hard work grated on him.
So, he quickly accessed another black market site and bought healing potions.
Shortly after, customers began trickling into the restaurant.
A glance at the clock showed it was already lunchtime.
Customers sat at tables, chatting and taking deep breaths.
“The food here is great, but the real star is the air.”
“Exactly. I went to a countryside resort once, but the air here is even better.”
Lately, the word “air” had naturally crept into customers’ conversations.
This change came after the land expanded, bringing the dungeon gate within its boundaries.
The purified air from the land flowed through the gate, and customers instinctively reacted to its crisp, clean quality.
“Must be nice to be the owner, breathing this air every day.”
“No kidding. I came here because I heard the Wi-Fi was good, but I never imagined it’d be this amazing.”
The man responding was Lee Do-hyun, the husband of Kim Seo-ah.
Recently hired at the personnel department, he was having lunch with colleagues.
Lately, Lee Do-hyun felt happy every day.
Adjusting to a new job was tough, but ending his weekend-only family life and seeing his loved ones daily was an unmatched joy.
The greatest source of his happiness was his daughter, Lee Ji-an.
Since moving here, her chronic atopic dermatitis had noticeably improved, like magic.
He wasn’t sure when it started, but a miraculous change had begun.
His daughter, who used to wake up multiple times a night crying from itching, now slept soundly through the night.
Seeing her peaceful face as she slept filled Lee Do-hyun with boundless happiness.
Her once-dull face regained vitality, and her inflamed skin gradually cleared.
He was moved daily by the unbelievable change.
But her improving dermatitis wasn’t the only transformation.