I opened my eyes only after the battle had completely concluded.
- Have you awakened?
“Where is this…?”
- It is my home. We are still in Eliya.
“Ugh. How long was I out?”
- Hmm. About three hours have passed.
Still, I could roughly remember the final moments.
Moths, mosquitoes, flies, bees—all sorts of aerial Monsters had swarmed toward us while we were hiding in the rear.
With Kasia exhausted and at her limit, I had borrowed her Spirit Arts to give the Monsters a solid blow before passing out.
“It really is Eliya, isn’t it? The Spirits felt so clear and powerful.”
- Do you perhaps have an Elf among your ancestors? I was surprised by how well you handle the Spirits.
“It’s all thanks to you.”
Perhaps because I had truly felt the Spirits this time, I could still faintly sense them fluttering around me even though the Spirit Arts duration had ended.
“But where did everyone else go?”
If we were still in Eliya, the others shouldn’t have returned to Earth yet, but I didn’t see anyone.
- They are investigating something they discovered outside.
“Investigating? What did they find?”
- Let us go and see together. It was something I had never seen before either.
I left the house with Kasia.
It was getting dark.
I didn’t have to go far to find the group; they were gathered in Eliya’s Central Plaza.
“Hey. What are you guys doing here? I heard you found something.”
“You’re awake. Come take a look.”
“Minho! Are you feeling okay?!”
“I was so worried, Minho!”
“It is a relief.”
As I stepped closer, a strange stench hit my nose.
“Ugh! What is this!”
As I hurriedly covered my nose, Suyeon handed me something.
It was a nose plug made of rolled-up tissue.
Once I stuck it in my nose and breathed through my mouth, it became somewhat bearable.
“It’s pretty bad, right? The source of the smells we caught before the battle was rotten matter.”
“It seems like more than just ‘pretty bad’… but rotten matter?”
Then, Minjun picked up the items in front of him.
The rot pierced through the nose plugs.
“Ugh! Put it down for now!”
“It’s a variety of things—rotten meat, decaying plants. Surely these weren’t originally in Eliya?”
- Of course not! Our Eliya is a place filled with the scent of flowers and trees, devoid of such filth!
Kasia snapped back.
I had been here a few times and knew Eliya was a truly beautiful place.
“It seems these things lured the Monsters here.”
- I think so too. Bombardier Beetles are fond of rotten things.
“Bombardier Beetles?”
Bombardier Beetles, out of nowhere.
Didn’t we clear them all out at The Pit?
Suyeon kindly explained their deduction, as they had apparently talked quite a bit while I was unconscious.
“They say the habits of these Monsters resemble the Bombardier Beetles. It seems they changed like this after being poisoned by that purple smoke.”
“So they were drawn here as if being led?”
“That seems to be the case. It’s clear someone intervened.”
Back at The Pit, they had tied the Bombardier Beetles upside down and sprayed toxic gas.
The Monsters that inhaled that smoke suffered a Mutation.
And then, to lure those mutated individuals, they had placed rotten matter in Eliya.
- Just who… Why would anyone do such a wicked thing to our Eliya!
“If an Elf doesn’t know, there’s no way we could.”
“Kasia, do you have any inkling? Anything at all, no matter how small.”
- I have no idea… We have always lived happily among our own kind without interference from Other Races.
“Other Races?”
I had heard from Kasia before.
That Eliya wasn’t the only world, and that there were other villages and countries where Other Races lived.
“Tell me more about that.”
- On the continent, there are Elves, Dwarfs, Beastmen, Vampires, and so on… many races live there. Since we do not interfere with one another, there is almost no interaction, so we rarely meet.
“No Merfolk? Are they from a different world?”
- Ah. I excluded them because they live only in the Sea, not on the continent.
Among the races Kasia mentioned, I had met Elves, Dwarfs, and Merfolk.
I had certainly heard about Beastmen and Vampires during my conversation with the Merfolk.
“Who on earth would do this… Surely it isn’t the Vampires again?”
They were the race that had placed a Curse on the Dragon King.
It was a perfectly reasonable suspicion.
“Vampires? Those are just Monsters.”
Minjun chimed in from the side.
To Hunters, Vampires were nothing more or less than Monsters to be hunted in a Dungeon.
However, they were also an Other Race capable of conversation.
- Monsters… That is not so. I do not wish to admit it, but they are an outstanding race. Highly intelligent and more powerful than any other.
“I suppose… they were tricky to deal with in Dungeons because of their powerful magic.”
Jinsu, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke up.
“Since they’re a powerful race, maybe they’re trying to take over the whole continent? Like a Race War or something.”
I hoped I hadn’t been swept up in something of that scale.
- That shouldn’t be possible…
“Why? You said they did something bad to the Merfolk too.”
- That is what’s strange. Vampires… are trapped underground and cannot leave. Even if they do, it is only for a brief moment during the dark of night.
Only Vampires?
Was it a racial trait?
- There is a legend from the ancient past that they were forsaken by a god. They cannot withstand the light of the sun, so they must live only underground.
They were the prime suspects, and I was almost certain, but there was no clear evidence in sight.
“It doesn’t look like we can find out anything more here. Let’s head back.”
“Yeah. We’ve secured the Trnalpria, at least.”
Just as Minjun said, there was nothing more to confirm.
Unless we went down to the underground, the land of the Vampires.
Kasia had a lingering look in her eyes, but she seemed to agree as she nodded without a word.
“Then let’s go back.”
We returned to Earth.
Perhaps because a full day hadn’t passed in Eliya, it was still morning here.
It’s been a really long day.
“Minho, when are you planning to go to the Dragon Palace?”
“I should probably go as soon as possible, shouldn’t I? Why?”
“What do you mean ‘why’? We helped you get the Ingredients, did you think you were going without us?”
“Oh? You were planning to come along? You kept saying how busy you were…”
“What?!”
It was funny to see Minjun getting worked up.
Did he really think I’d leave him behind?
“I’m joking. I’ve already packed enough for everyone.”
“Oh, Minho! You startled me!”
“I was going to follow you anyway, so I wasn’t worried~”
Suyeon gave Jinsu a sharp look for being annoying before continuing.
“So when are we going? Going to Seoul and then back to Donghae… whew.”
“Then you don’t have to go, Suyeon.”
“You little jerk. You want to keep acting up?”
Jinsu and Suyeon were bickering again, just like they did during the recovery Party.
I decided to leave them to it…
When should we go to the Dragon Palace?
“When are you guys free?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s go tomorrow. I’ve cleared my schedule.”
Tomorrow already?
He must really want to see the Dragon Palace.
“But we have to take Sunwoo with us.”
“Sunwoo? Who’s that?”
“A researcher. She’s the one who will examine the Dragon King’s symptoms and make the medicine.”
Kasia quickly jumped into the conversation with Minjun.
- That woman from before? The one researching the Porti?
“Ah. You’ve met her, Kasia. That’s right.”
- She should just stick to researching Potions, why go all the way to the Dragon Palace…
“Hmm?”
- It is nothing.
It sounded like something.
Maybe she was just irritable from exhaustion.
“Anyway, I’ll give her a call and let you know. So, are you guys staying here tonight?”
“That’s right, Minho. We actually talked it all out among ourselves.”
“What? Without me, the Owner?”
I didn’t hate it.
In fact, I liked it.
At some point, I had become more comfortable with company than being alone, and now I even welcomed the bustle.
Suyeon sputtered as if my reaction had left her speechless.
Is this why Jinsu keeps teasing her?
“Haha. I’m kidding. You’re always welcome. You can sleep like you did that day. Without the Vigil this time.”
“Phew… You scared me, Minho!”
As Suyeon huffed, Jinsu slid over to my side and whispered.
“Minho, this is fun, right? This is why I can’t stop.”
“Tell me about it. She’s fun to tease. Her reactions are great. Heh heh heh.”
Suyeon saw us and shouted.
“Bae Jinsu, don’t you dare say anything useless!”
“Who, me? I was just talking about the Dragon Palace, the Dragon Palace.”
He was an expert at making excuses.
Maybe I should learn a thing or two from him?
I prepared sleeping arrangements and served food so my guests wouldn’t be uncomfortable.
Since everyone in my house is serious about eating, there’s no shortage of food.
Everything should be delicious!
Now, I picked up my Smartphone to call Baek Seonwoo.
Vrrr~
[ Caller : Baek Seonwoo ]
Huh?
What, I was just about to call her.
“Hello?”
The timing of the call was perfect.
Baek Seonwoo said she was already in Chilcheon-ri.
Development of the Mid-grade Potion was completely finished, but the High-grade Potion research wasn’t going well, so she had come down to her grandmother’s house to clear her head.
It struck me again that Baek Seonwoo was Grandma Park’s granddaughter.
“So tomorrow works for you? Yes. We’re planning to leave early tomorrow morning, so come over early, have breakfast with us, and then we’ll head out. Yes, see you tomorrow.”
That was lucky.
Since she was interested, I saved the time I would have spent persuading her and waiting for her to arrive.
Then again, if you grew up reading fairy tales, you couldn’t pass up the Dragon Palace.
“Did it go well?”
Minjun approached and asked, having waited for me to finish the call.
“Yeah. She’s joining us tomorrow morning. Why aren’t you eating? Is it not good?”
“I already finished.”
“What?”
Only about five minutes had passed…?
“The hamburger omelet rice was good. I had three bowls.”
“Three bowls in five minutes… No, three bowls? Then what about my food? Don’t tell me!”
“Oh, was that yours? There was rice left, so I ate it all.”
“Ugh, Do Minjun…!”
I was fuming.
My food!
“What? You can just make more.”
I gathered my rage to vent the fire burning inside me, but then his massive forearms caught my eye.
“I’ll let it slide this once.”
I turned around and went back into the kitchen to cook again.
It wasn’t because I was intimidated.
I was just letting it go because he worked hard in Eliya.
Right.
Since I was too hungry to wait for new rice to cook, I put some instant rice in the microwave.
However… the omelet I had left on the plate was gone too.
S-sure.
I can make another omelet.
There are plenty of Eggs.
Just as I was trying to calm my mind, I noticed the plate that had held the Salisbury Steak was empty as well.
This… I really can’t stand this.
“Do Minjun, you jerk! You ate the steak and the omelet too!?”
I shouted and stormed into the living room, but Minjun was taking his shirt off to go wash up.
“Yeah. The steak was good too. You’re a good cook.”
Did I… Did I ask because I wanted a compliment!!
But the muscles on Minjun’s shirtless body rippled, asserting their presence.
“I’m glad it was delicious! Tell me in advance next time! …So I can make more.”
“Sure.”
Then he slipped into the bathroom to wash up.
Phew.
It’s so unfair, maybe I should bulk up too.
But could I even beat an S-rank Hunter even if I did?
Probably not.
Now that lunch was over, it was time for my chores.
First, I planned to plant the Trnalpria I had gathered from Eliya.
I might not usually need Air Bubbles, but I thought they would be useful when raiding underwater Dungeons or Dungeons where breathing is difficult.
‘If I get the chance, I wonder if I can ask Sunwoo to research this so it can be compressed for easier consumption?’
Well, I’ll discuss that tomorrow.
First, I had to find the lowest ground in this area.
Trnalpria grows well in lowlands where air is abundant.
But no matter how much I looked around, I couldn’t see any lowlands.
There were mountains in the distance, and the Sea was just a bit further away.
There was nothing that could be called a lowland.
‘Should I make one?’
It would be hard to dig a deep pit like the one I saw in Eliya, but I could artificially create a spot lower than its surroundings.
How deep would it need to be?
If I made it low enough for air to collect, wouldn’t it grow well according to the environment?
Now that I had the method, I grabbed a shovel from the Feed Storage.
Wait, wait.
Is there a reason I have to dig this all by myself?
There are several strong workers inside the house resting after their meal.
I opened the front door and shouted.
“Earn your keep!”
Embarrassingly, it was silent.
No one was in sight, and no one answered.
Only Heuknyang was sitting on the sofa, staring at me.
The TV screen was flickering.
That meant Kasia had been nearby.
I approached the back of the sofa quietly on my tiptoes, and sure enough.
“Kasia? What are you doing here?”
- Th-that is…
“You didn’t hear me when I called? Go outside and dig some ground. Just enough so you don’t collapse. The others will dig the rest.”
- I understand…
Kasia’s shoulders slumped as she headed outside.
Good, one success.
I threw open my bedroom door, and Do Minjun was pretending to sleep in my bed.
I gave him a nudge with my foot.
“Hey, are you pretending to sleep? I know you’re awake.”
The guy kept pretending to sleep until the end.
“You have to earn your meal. Especially since you ate mine too.”
Perhaps he felt guilty, because he reluctantly got up and went outside.
Then, I heard a very faint rustle of fabric that I wouldn’t have caught if I wasn’t focused.
When I turned around, a fluorescent outfit was making its presence known behind the door.
“Gotcha!”
When I slammed the door shut, Jinsu, who had been pinned against the wall in that exact position, looked sheepish.
“Can’t Kasia just do it all at once?”
“Kasia was in the battle too, she’s tired. She even fainted.”
“Ah, right…? Haha. I was only thinking of myself.”
Jinsu eventually went outside too.
“Where did those two go?”
When I went into Kasia’s room, Suyeon was standing in front of the door.
“Eek, you startled me!”
“I-I was just about to go out.”
Suyeon scurried outside.
“Janghyun? Where are you?”
We were still a bit awkward, but I intended to treat everyone fairly.
But where did he go?
The house isn’t that big, so there aren’t many places to hide.
I gave up the internal search and went outside; Park Janghyeon was already there.
“Oh? Where were you, Janghyun?”
“I was playing with Hindungi. I like dogs.”
He must have been playing behind the house.
I quietly pressed a shovel into his hand and led everyone to the spot I had picked out.
“Everyone, you can dig here. About 5 meters deep. I’m going to plant Trnalpria, so make it about this size.”
Clap! Clap!
“Alright, let’s get started!”
Using S-rank and A-rank elite talent to dig a hole—that’s me, Do Minho.
As expected of elite talent, the digging was finished in no time.
Still, I should be the one to plant the vegetation.
I carefully went down and planted each stalk with care.
Time to go back up.
Wait. This is a 5-meter Pit… how do I get out?
“Kasia!”
There was no answer; she must have already left.
“Kasia! Get me out too!”
You didn’t really leave, did you?
“Kasiaaaa!”
I was finally able to escape thanks to Kasia, who appeared after quite some time.
I really should be more kind-hearted.