It didnโt take long for the Goblin Shamanโs gleeful smile to fade into a dumbfounded expression.
It was as if it had bitten into what it thought was delicious candy, only to find a stone!
Despite being pelted by the ferocious barrage of stones, Sang-woong charged straight toward the Goblin Shaman with the same relentless speed he had started with.
At this rate, heโd reach his target in no time.
โKEHHH! KIYAAA!โ
The Goblin Shaman frantically waved its staff, shrieking.
At its command, the goblins immediately blocked Sang-woongโs path.
A hundred goblins aligned like an army, ready to confront him.
โHuh, was a Goblin Shaman this cunning?โ
In his past life, Sang-woong had encountered Goblin Shamans a few times, but none were this clever.
Still, he wasnโt intimidated.
Ants scattering or grouping up were still just ants.
In fact, this made things easier.
No need to chase them down individually.
Sang-woong and the hundred goblins clashed fiercely.
The outcome was as expected.
The goblins fell like autumn leaves in a storm, shrieking.
Despite their ferocity as monsters, refusing to flee and stubbornly attacking, Sang-woong was almost grateful.
Slash! Thud! Crack! Swoosh!
He unleashed the seasoned prowess of a Rank 8 Hunter.
Brandishing his sharp sword, he struck with heavy fists and delivered powerful kicks without hesitation.
The battlefield was soon filled with the stench of their vile blood.
Before long, the goblins were annihilated.
Now, only the treacherous Goblin Shaman remained, trembling with fear, leaning on its staff as its legs shook.
โKIIK!โ
Its panicked breaths and violently trembling eyes betrayed its terror, as if an earthquake had struck.
As Sang-woong approached, the Goblin Shaman stumbled backward.
โThis guy sends his minions to their deaths while retreating himself? Monsters or humans, the higher-ups are always the sleaziest.โ
In his previous life, Sang-woong had witnessed countless unjust situations.
Leaders who boasted theyโd take responsibility, only to shift blame to their subordinates when things went south.
โIโll make sure you die painfully.โ
Sang-woong kicked a stone at his feet.
The stone shot forward like a fastball, striking the Goblin Shamanโs stomach with a sickening thud.
It was as if the stone had vanished into its body.
โKEHHHH!โ
An earsplitting scream erupted.
Unable to bear the pain, the Goblin Shaman rolled on the ground, writhing.
โMan, that thingโs got some lungs.โ
As expected of a commander of goblins, it had an impressive voice.
Sang-woong slowly walked to the bleeding Goblin Shaman.
Despite its ruptured insides and impending death, it looked at him with pleading eyes, begging to be spared.
โFine, try to survive.โ
Sang-woong didnโt bother ignoring its final wish.
โBy the way, I got the points, but now thereโs a ton of work to do. Ugh, isnโt there someone who can do this for me?โ
Farming was enjoyable, but fighting monsters and harvesting mana stones was growing increasingly tiresome.
Strange, considering it was something he used to do as routinely as eating.
As Sang-woong extracted about thirty mana stones, the Goblin Shamanโs life force finally faded.
โWait a minute, I donโt have to do all this myself.โ
He glanced at the idle Wood Golems.
Though specialized for combat, they could likely handle this task without issue.
He issued a command.
The golem, perhaps not suited for delicate work, clumsily tore into a goblinโs stomach to retrieve a mana stone.
It didnโt matter.
Goblin corpses were worthless anyway.
After collecting all the mana stones, the Wood Golem began digging with its massive hands.
โItโs like a walking excavator.โ
Sang-woong buried all the goblins and returned to the land.
He washed himself with water from a pond heโd made by digging part of a stream.
Though he had dealt with all the invading goblins, his expression was grim.
โI messed up. I shouldโve secured more Wood Golems before expanding the land.โ
The moment the Goblin Shaman appeared, he realized how reckless it was to expand the land just to earn more points.
The reason there had been no monster invasions before was that the landโs energy was weak.
But with the recent expansion, the landโs energy had been restored.
As a result, it spread further, attracting a Goblin Shaman, a creature he hadnโt seen before.
To handle such troublesome monsters, he needed far more Wood Golems than he currently had.
If a Goblin Shaman appeared while he was awayโฆ he didnโt even want to imagine the consequences.
Heโd be helpless, and the land would be lost.
That would mean losing his own life as well.
Ultimately, securing enough Wood Golems to fend off powerful monsters like the Goblin Shaman was urgent.
This meant heโd have to guard the land himself until he gathered enough points to buy them.
โNo choice, then.โ
Not knowing how long it would take, Sang-woong returned to the restaurant, put up a โClosedโ sign, and came back.
โWow, Master! Youโre staying here for a while?โ
โProbably.โ
Ariaโs eyes lit up with joy at the news.
Her excitement eased Sang-woongโs heavy heart.
He got to work diligently.
First, he began reclaiming the newly expanded land.
Clearing the barren soil, picking out stones, and carefully checking for plants with special effects.
Then, his eyes caught an unfamiliar plant with green leaves, which he identified with his Appraisal Skill.
- Solaris. Edible. Improves skin condition. –
โOh, found one. Letโs transplant this.โ
Sang-woong carefully dug it up, ensuring no roots were damaged.
- The Master of the Land has acquired a valuable item. A well-grown superior Solaris plant can be sold for 500 points in the shop window. Would you like to sell it? –
โOh, thatโs a good price!โ
Grinning at the high value, Sang-woong transplanted it to the field reserved for effective land plants.
Besides the newly discovered Solaris, there were many other effective land plants already present.
โThis way, Iโll rack up points in no time.โ
While reclaiming the land, he transplanted all the effective plants he found.
Whenever monsters invaded, Sang-woong swiftly dealt with them and continued working the land diligently.
โWhat should I plant this time?โ
He pondered what to plant in the newly reclaimed land.
Avoiding crops heโd already planted, he wanted to try something new.
โHow delicious will these new crops be?โ
The thought alone made his mouth water.
And if possible, he wanted to grow high-value crops.
โExpensive crops fetch more points, so whatโs good?โ
Indeed, sweet potatoes were pricier than lettuce, and cherry tomatoes were pricier than sweet potatoes.
โIโll plant my favorite Shine Muscat grapes, and maybe apple mangoes. Oh, and bamboo shoots too.โ
While deliberating, he spotted a cut tree from the reclamation.
The sight sparked an idea.
โRight, mushrooms! I forgot about mushrooms!โ
Mushrooms were an excellent crop.
Not only were they tasty, but they yielded high output per area and had a short growth period.
They also required less labor, making them ideal.
The catch was that temperature and humidity were critical, but Sang-woong wasnโt too worried.
Since all the crops heโd planted so far thrived, he believed mushrooms would too.
Over time, with the points he gathered, Sang-woong bought 20 Wood Golems.
That should be enough to feel secure.
โAria, see you later.โ
โYes, Master, come back safely.โ
After finishing everything, he left the dungeon, and two days had passed.
He was relieved to reopen the restaurant sooner than expected.
Blinding sunlight poured through the window, tickling Sang-woongโs face.
A small bird perched on the windowsill, chirping melodiously.
Like a natural alarm clock, its song filled Sang-woongโs ears.
โWowโฆโ
The dazzling sunlight and birdsong prompted Sang-woong to slowly open his eyes.
Rubbing his eyes drowsily, he stretched.
โYawn, slept well. I feel like my bodyโs been better since going in and out of the dungeon.โ
Thinking of the dungeon again, Sang-woong quickened his pace.
He washed up quickly and changed clothes.
โI wonder if the newly planted crops are growing well.โ
He had finished planting new crops and saplings in the expanded land yesterday.
By now, about five days would have passed in dungeon time, so it was time to check if they were adapting well.
With a flutter of excitement, Sang-woong headed to the dungeon.
As he passed through the gate, a message appeared, signaling traces of recent invaders.
โNo Goblin Shaman this time, thankfully.โ
Without a Goblin Shaman, defense would be manageable.
The Wood Golems likely sustained minimal damage.
After checking the message, Sang-woong walked toward the land, and as always, Aria was the first to greet him.
โAria, I told you not to come out this far.โ
Sang-woong raised his voice slightly.
Though close to the land, this area wasnโt under his control, and monsters could appear.
The land was safe with the Wood Golems, but an attack here would be disastrous.
โMaster, Iโm fine. Iโve gotten stronger lately and can fly faster. Want to see how fast?โ
Thanks to regular spirit food and snacks, Aria was much healthier than when they first met.
Her complexion was brighter, and her chubby cheeks added to her cuteness.
To show off her speed, Aria zipped around playfully.
โYou stubborn thing.โ
Sang-woong shook his head lightly, as if giving up.
โEee, but I wanted to see you sooner, Master.โ
Pouting and acting coy, Aria resembled a lovable child.
Sang-woong burst into laughter.
โHahaha, alright. But always be aware of your surroundings. It could be dangerous.โ
โHehe, yes, Master.โ
Aria smiled brightly in response.
Stepping onto his land, Sang-woong took a deep breath, as was his habit.
โAh, if air had a taste, would it be like this?โ
He could feel with his whole body that the bad air was being purified.