Chapter 139
“You’ve also grown.”
“Yes?”
“It’s nothing.”
While the girls screamed and looked around the cafeteria that grew wider into a second-floor area than the Ta X Palace, Soo-rin came out from the room and asked Jung Si-woo for help. Did she finally give up on getting jealous of the other girls for petty reasons?
Jung Si-woo thought that Soo-rin grew up, but in fact, Soo-rin gained back her mental stability after thinking that she had established an overwhelming superiority over other girls when she went shopping and watched a movie with him. As he finished installing the canopy in Soo-rin’s bedroom, Marina quickly clung to him.
“Si-woo, so what about the Gatling? Will it be done in the kitchen over there?”
“Nope, it’s not that simple. It will be done in the residential area.”
“Residential area!?”
Marina’s eyes sparkled once again. Jung Si-woo already planned to take them to the residential area as he had already let them into the cafeteria, so he led them without any hesitation.
“Wide!”
“Isn’t this outside…!? A normal amount of mana can’t handle the maintenance of this wide space!”
“Otherworld…it’s another world!”
Seria, who kept her cool at the vast area of the residential area, finally gave in to the excitement. He led them to the smithy. Luta, who was resting under the parasol installed through magic, saw them and seemed to be speechless.
“You didn’t bring the Other Worldly people that we asked for, and yet, why did you bring humans like us?”
“Were there other people that came here first ahead of us…?”
Jung Si-woo wanted to prevent any misunderstanding from arising, so he explained as briefly as possible to Luta, although it was a hassle. Marina suggested a deal with Luta as soon as she heard his explanation, but surprisingly, Luta declined.
“I’m a fairy merchant exclusively in charge of Mr. Jung Si-woo. Please speak with the fairy merchant you’ve met in the Sky Castle if you want to trade with us.”
“So you are saying there are some, right?”
“Of course. I won’t accept any more money!”
Marina took out a bundle of dollars, but Luta sneered at it.
“We don’t trade with such papers but only in beads.”
“This isn’t a dungeon, so there aren’t any beads left, you idiot.”
“And that is why I don’t trade with you, dumb lady.”
“…Si-woo, this girl is bullying me!”
Jung Si-woo adequately consoled Marina, who was crying and clinging onto him. And he was able to clearly understand the concept of the fairy merchants. At first, he regarded them as people concerned with the Ant Cave dungeon, but they weren’t. They were a group that intervened in the player or resistor’s growth system or, in other words, the Sky Castle, and they take beads in return for their help.
“It’s forbidden!”
“I didn’t ask.”
“Si-woo, let’s go inside. I don’t like her.”
The members kept their distance from the fairy merchant Luta, who didn’t seem to trade with anyone except Jung Si-woo. They met with Caina, who was guarding the entrance in civilian attire, and Marina screamed.
“Another girl!”
“She is my subordinate. She was a Death Knight at first, but things turned out this way.”
[I’m Caina. And I’m a Dragon Knight now.]
“Ah, Master’s here!”
“Hick, it’s a boy this time!”
“Cute!”
Those who were upset when they encountered Caina screamed out in joy when Beto came out after her. This was when Beto’s charm was acknowledged. Jung Si-woo looked at the immature actions of Caina, who drew out her large sword to prevent Marina and the others from approaching Beto, and he took out the Gatling gun from his inventory.
“Beto, this is the sample.”
“Whoa, it’s really big.”
Beto seemed to think that the usual pestering by Caina was enough, so he quickly got away from the girls and came to Jung Si-woo. He even printed out the blueprint of M61 Vulcan and handed it over to Beto.
“As you know, you don’t need to mimic modern technology. All I need is a concept of magic engineering that’s similar to this.”
“No, there are a lot of factors that I can learn from this. Even mana-engineered objects are used by humans, after all. The humans on earth enhanced the technology to this point to fight against monsters without mana!”
The innocent Beto didn’t think of the fact that humans researched weapon engineering to kill each other. Jung Si-woo decided not to the point that out.
“I will try researching it! It’s worth the try!”
“Good, that’s the answer I wanted.”
Jung Si-woo was very satisfied with Beto’s reliable answer. Marina tilted her head and asked a question as she quietly looked at them from a distance(thanks to Caina’s resistance).
“Is this child going to craft the guns?”
“Arin, show her.”
“Yes.”
One minute later, Marina confirmed the information on the tailored magic cannon, and she tried to approach Beto once again. Still, she was swiftly hit by Caina with the back of her blade.
“Ouch!”
[Don’t you dare come close to my little brother.]
“Marina, you really don’t learn…”
They were left behind as Beto went straight for his research and wandered outside. Lee Seo-hee took a look around the wide residential area that seemed endless, inhaling deeply. Even the air felt pure.
“I understand why Si-woo didn’t come out since such a place exists.”
“It’s not been that long since this place has been opened to outsiders.”
Jung Si-woo felt light as he showed what he has been concealing for a long time. Even if that was unnecessary, sharing secrets brought people close to one another. It might be a bit much to say that his action was an appreciation of the trust that others had been showing him, but everything was well since they all seemed happy.
“Can I visit here often?”
“Sure, though it’s impossible to come here without me.”
Jung Si-woo was quite alerted since trouble happened whenever everyone had gathered around in one place, even when they were enjoying a day off. Yet, everything went smoothly until everyone left. After that day, peaceful days continued. There were times when monsters appeared, and a raid party was formed to subdue the giant monsters. Still, in just a few months, the people of earth had grown quite used to the monsters, which they didn’t see in their everyday lives.
There were new buildings made from the reinforced ingredients mixed with monsters’ drops, starting with important structures related to the government. Additionally, a large scale of construction was undergoing to maintain communication even in case of crisis. Such was worthy roofing called the progress of mankind. It was a desperate resistance to maintain civilization at all costs.
And there were times when some regions couldn’t be protected, so humanity was pushed back. Still, they succeeded in protecting more than 70% of the land from the monsters. The 33rd level dungeon completion was constantly ongoing. The Yongseong guild of China was able to clear the dungeons without any sacrifices. They cleared the 33rd level dungeon after inviting other famous rankers.
The Soaring Tempest guild of Korea failed to complete the 33rd level dungeon for two months since then. They weren’t able to gather enough members, and nobody paid attention to them even when they declared they would complete it. And the existing members of the guild started to quit after things turned out that way. The disbandment of the Soaring Tempest guild was something natural and cruel. Kim Ha-Ryong disappeared in the end. This was what everyone expected. The outcome was foreseen since all of his attempts had failed due to Jung Si-woo.
“Now, awakening a new divine power, proclaiming myself as a demon lord, and taking over a small country will make things complete.”
“Stop with your scenario, Oppa.”
“Or traveling to the Otherworld and confronting my other self is quite a good scenario…”
“You sound awkwardly convincing, so stop it!”
“Actually, I have my spirit by my side, so that won’t be happening.”
“Oppa, are you fooling me?”
Jung Si-woo was able to enjoy a quiet life for those two months. He decided to hone his skills that were far behind his level and indulge in training his physique rather than clearing the dungeons for now due to his abrupt increase in level. He mainly focused on increasing his Dragon Dignity and maintaining his Combat Charge and Stone Skin. As a result, he increased Dragon Dignity by 2 levels while Combat Charge and Stone Skin were increased by 5.
Of course, he didn’t completely abandon the other world. He visited it whenever it came to his mind to look for stronger monsters. He observed the subordinates of the fire and legion gods. Aside from that, he tried to look for sacred artifacts, the fragment of the power of gods obtainable killing the subordinates of other gods. It wasn’t something that could be easily found, though.
“It seems like something is about to happen soon.”
“Because of the sacred artifact from the legion god you’ve brought, Oppa.”
Like what Soo-rin mentioned, he obliterated the village of the teddy bear…the Red Tibade and obtained the sacred artifact of the legion god, which enraged Kenato, the head of the legion god’s worshippers. On the other hand, the force of the fire god was very pissed since they were provoked when they didn’t do anything. The situation was as dangerous as a lit stick of dynamite.
“Where would you use this…”
“Just put it inside the hammer.”
“I’ll take some more time for now.”
The sacred artifact of the legion god, the Teddy Bear Crown, was created when God’s powers were gathered. It was an object that had most of the features of the legion god, and if it were to be absorbed by the hammer, it could strengthen the hammer, but there was a possibility that the trait of the legion god would completely disappear.
“For now, let’s head back to earth. I hope there will be a war the next time we come here.”
“Ah, Oppa, you are thinking of the worst-case scenario.”
“Yup. very much.”
Jung Si-woo nodded his head without the slightest hesitation, and he returned back to the earth. As soon as he returned, his phone started ringing. It was Marina.
[Si-woo, didn’t you know that all rankers are being summoned right now?]
“I’m not interested.”
Jung Si-woo was treated like an honorary member of the WPC, but he wasn’t participating. It was because he was treated rather, especially unlike the normal players. However, Marina was at a loss for words at his reply.
[It was something that happened a month ago, and are you telling me you didn’t know…?]
“What is it?”
[Charting a new sea route.]
As Jung Si-woo tilted his head thinking whether he was playing World of War***, Marina got angry at him over the phone.
[The route that we gave up due to sea monsters! Don’t you know that the entire world is busy charting the new sea route in the southern pacific ocean?]
“Oh.”
It really sounds like the World of War****, Jung Si-woo replied to her.
“I’ll be there now.”