Chapter 4: Intrusion

“Master, you’re taking care of my food first… sob, I can’t even describe this overwhelming joy! Aria feels like the whole world is filled with happiness!”

Aria’s tiny body trembled with deep emotion.

Her moist eyes looked up at Sang-woong.

With a warm smile, Sang-woong gently placed the spirit food into Aria’s small hands.

“You must have been starving all this time, huh? Eat up. If it’s not enough, just let me know anytime. I’ll buy plenty more.”

At Sang-woong’s kind words, Aria finally burst into tears she had been holding back.

Large teardrops rolled down her cheeks like dewdrops.

Flustered, Sang-woong quickly wiped her tears with his sleeve.

How long has it been since she last ate properly?

Aria’s tears seemed to carry not just sadness but the weight of the hardships and pain she had endured.

Though Sang-woong couldn’t fully grasp the extent of her struggles, he could vaguely sense their depth.

He stayed silently by her side, waiting for her overwhelming emotions to settle.

After crying for a while, Aria suddenly gave an awkward smile, her eyes red and slightly embarrassed.

“Are you okay now? From now on, I’ll make sure our Aria can always smile. I’ll protect you by your side.”

“Hehe!”

At Sang-woong’s firm promise, Aria smiled brightly, as if she had never been crying.

Her expression was as lovely as flower petals sparkling under spring sunlight, warming Sang-woong’s heart.

“Eat up.”

“Yes, Master!”

With a clear, cheerful voice, Aria carefully unwrapped the spirit food as if handling a precious treasure.

Inside was a smooth, glossy golden food, resembling a perfectly ripened mango pudding.

Aria opened her small mouth and delicately took a bite.

“Oh… it’s so delicious.”

Her cheeks puffed up adorably like soft cotton candy, and the happiest smile in the world bloomed on her face.

While Aria savored the spirit food, Sang-woong mentally sorted out what he needed next and opened the shop window.

The first thing that caught his eye was, of course, the Appraisal Skill.

Without hesitation, he purchased the skill and immediately opened his status window to check the changes.

• Name: Park Sang-woong
• Level: 50
• Rank: Rank 8 Hunter
• Talent: Rank 0 Hunter
• Strength: 156
• Agility: 161
• Stamina: 153
• Mana: 160
• Corruption: 67%
• Skills: Body Enhancement (45), Appraisal (1), Inventory (1)
• Trait: Master of the Land
• Points: 1,100

The newly acquired skill and trait, along with his remaining points, were neatly displayed.

“1,100 points left… What should I buy?”

Sang-woong pondered carefully.

The shop’s inventory was limited, but each item was essential for his situation.

He decided to purchase two Wood Golems first.

Above all, protecting his land was the top priority.

He felt a heavy presence in his inventory as the purchase was made.

Thud! Thud!

As the Wood Golems were summoned from the inventory into reality, their heavy footsteps echoed softly on the ground.

But instead of excitement, Sang-woong’s face showed bewilderment.

Far from the towering, muscular figures he had imagined, the golems stood just over 2.5 meters tall with awkwardly protruding potbellies.

Their faces looked like roughly molded clay, with indistinct features.

This is what they look like…?

The high expectations fueled by the Inventory and Appraisal Skills deflated in an instant.

“Well, if you think about it, it makes sense. Expecting top-tier performance from a Level 1 shop for just 200 points is unreasonable. The low skill prices are probably a kind of beginner’s perk.”

At that moment, Sang-woong faintly sensed the land expressing discomfort, a subtle feeling.

“Master! Look over there! Goblins are invading!”

Aria cried out urgently, her face pale.

“Ugh, those pests already?”

Sang-woong couldn’t hide his irritation at the sudden arrival of uninvited guests.

As soon as the land’s energy began to recover, they must have sensed it and come rushing in.

“Wood Golems, follow me!”

Sang-woong swiftly drew his sword and sprinted forward, the Wood Golems following with heavy footsteps.

There were over 20 goblins invading the land at a glance.

But Sang-woong wasn’t intimidated in the least.

He was a veteran Rank 8 Hunter who had fought countless monsters over decades.

No matter how many goblins there were, they were no match for him.

“I’ll wipe them all out!”

At Sang-woong’s cold command, the Wood Golems let out a booming roar and swung their massive fists.

Thwack!

With a single heavy blow, a goblin’s head shattered like a watermelon.

Sticky red liquid splattered everywhere, and the goblin’s body collapsed powerlessly to the ground like a crushed insect.

“Whoa!”

Sang-woong, who had been disappointed by their comical appearance, let out a brief exclamation at the unexpectedly powerful attack.

Then, a surprising message appeared before his eyes.

• Defeated a goblin. Gained 3 experience points and 1 point. –

“I’ve never seen a message like this before. And I didn’t even kill it myself, yet I’m getting experience and points? What an unexpected haul!”

Sang-woong’s eyes sparkled as if he’d discovered hidden treasure.

The Wood Golems, which he had dismissed for their unimpressive looks, now felt like reliable allies.

The fact that he could earn experience and points without fighting himself was astonishing.

“Maybe the Wood Golems are just as useful as skills.”

Through the goblins’ sudden intrusion, Sang-woong realized another important fact.

Monsters typically lived centered around their territory, with weaker ones pushed to the outskirts by stronger ones.

The appearance of goblins here paradoxically suggested that this area was still relatively safe.

At this early stage, if the location had been unfavorable, he might have been helplessly overwhelmed by a powerful monster’s invasion before even getting started.

Sang-woong let out a sigh of relief, calming his nerves.

“Graaah!”

The Wood Golems roared as if echoing the forest itself, relentlessly swinging their heavy fists.

The much smaller goblins screamed and collapsed powerlessly with each grazing blow.

But the goblins’ resistance was not insignificant.

Despite watching their comrades’ heads explode before their eyes, they didn’t stop, charging at the Wood Golems and stabbing their bodies with rusty knives.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

The Wood Golems’ bodies, made of sturdy wood, splintered like wood chips where the dull knives struck.

But the golems, seemingly immune to pain, continued swinging their fists fiercely, undeterred by the damage.

It was a desperate scene, like countless soldiers facing a formidable general.

“Time to warm up a bit myself.”

Sang-woong could have easily handled the goblins alone but deliberately stayed back, closely observing the Wood Golems’ movements and abilities.

He needed to accurately assess their performance to plan future defenses.

“Wood Golems, fall back!”

At Sang-woong’s command, the golems retreated without hesitation, like disciplined soldiers.

Having gauged their capabilities, there was no need to let them fight unnecessarily.

If they got damaged from prolonged combat, the loss would ultimately fall on him. He needed to conserve even small resources.

Sang-woong’s sword danced, cutting through the air with sharp precision.

Each time the blade flashed, goblins fell like paper.

In an instant, fourteen goblins were defeated effortlessly, and messages flooded his vision.

• Defeated a goblin. Gained 3 experience points and 1 point. –
• Defeated a goblin. Gained 3 experience points and 1 point. –
• Defeated a goblin. Gained 3 experience points and 1 point. –

“Wow, Master! You’re amazing! Truly the coolest person in the world!”

Aria clapped her hands together, gazing at Sang-woong with starry eyes, like an enthusiastic fan meeting their idol.

Her clear eyes sparkled like the night sky, filled with genuine admiration.

Sang-woong felt a bit shy at her pure praise but couldn’t help feeling his shoulders rise with pride.

“Haha, Aria, I’m not that amazing.”

“No way! To me, Master looks like the ultimate hero of the universe!”

“I’ll gladly accept the compliment.”

Sang-woong chuckled and gently patted Aria’s small head.

Then, out of habit, he approached a goblin’s corpse, slit its stomach, and retrieved the glowing mana stone.

“Hmm… what should I do with these mana stones?”

Monsters would continue to invade the land, and mana stones would steadily accumulate.

As a retired hunter, suddenly selling mana stones might seem suspicious.

“Should I sell them on the black market?”

Sang-woong considered it briefly but shook his head.

He wasn’t desperate for money, and he didn’t want to resort to the black market.

“Eh, I’ll just hold onto them. They’ll come in handy someday.”

At that moment, a new message appeared.

• Mana stones can be sold through the Shop Window. –

“Oh, that’s convenient!”

Without hesitation, Sang-woong opened his inventory and sold the mana stones through the shop window.

Each stone was worth 1 point, adding 20 points to his balance instantly. It felt like an unexpected bonus.

Now, the remaining task was dealing with the goblins’ gruesome corpses.

Left as is, the rotting smell could attract other monsters drawn to the scent of blood.

What he needed right now was a sturdy shovel.

“Aria, I’m going to the restaurant to grab a shovel. I’ll be right back, so wait here.”

“Yes, Master! Be careful!”

As Sang-woong headed toward the dungeon gate, a sudden worry crossed his mind.

What if more goblins show up while I’m gone?

He used up his remaining points to purchase three more Wood Golems. The more forces, the better.

Looking contentedly at the five Wood Golems sturdily guarding his surroundings, Sang-woong suddenly realized another critical fact.

He had overlooked that the Wood Golems only moved under his direct commands.

If he left, they would be helplessly vulnerable.

“Aria, can you give commands to the Wood Golems?”

He asked cautiously, hoping for a solution.

“Yes, Master’s commands come first, but… I can give orders after that!”

Aria answered brightly.

“That’s perfect! If goblins invade while I’m gone, use the Wood Golems to fight them off.”

“Yes, Master! Don’t worry, I’ll drive them away!”

“Good, I trust you. I’ll be back soon!”

With a reassuring glance at Aria, Sang-woong turned and left.

Back at the restaurant, he glanced at the silver clock on the wall and froze in shock.

“What… how is this possible?”

The clock’s hands pointed exactly to 10:20.

He had entered the dungeon at precisely 10:00, meaning only 20 minutes had passed.

“It felt like I was in there for two or three hours…”

Sang-woong pondered deeply for a while, and finally, a startling hypothesis came to mind.