Exploration (1)
'What was that?'
I peered back into the hole in the Gongcheong Oil spring.
Nothing was visible.
There was definitely something there.
I hadn't imagined it.
That light had been mana, without a doubt.
And I'd felt the gaze of some presence at the same time.
A monster?
A chill ran down my spine.
Goosebumps prickled my arms.
I still had zero combat experience against monsters.
My body trembled involuntarily.
Archeron!
I called out to him mentally.
Guardian Archeron has been summoned.
ZZZIIING!
Archeron burst through a rift in space.
He immediately dropped to one knee before me.
"You called for me, Master?"
"Yeah. Right now, in that Gongcheong Oil spring..."
I explained everything I'd seen, felt, and experienced moments ago.
"Keron. I will commence scanning immediately."
Something like faint anger flickered in Archeron's eyes.
Probably just my imagination.
"Precise Scan."
Whoooong!
Archeron extended both arms, sending out waves of faint mana that rippled outward like water.
The scan enveloped the entire Gongcheong Oil spring and the connecting wall beyond.
Gulp.
Watching the scene, a wave of inexplicable tension made me swallow dryly.
"Chu!"
"Popo."
"Awoo-"
@Groooar-!
Chuchu, Popo, Fenril, and even Mandrian had gathered beside me, all watching with anxious expressions.
"Keron-"
As the mana waves of the precise scan faded, Archeron let out a puzzled tone.
"What? Did you detect something?"
"My apologies, Master. Even my detection cannot pinpoint it accurately."
'Whoa.'
I blinked at his words.
Archeron's scans weren't enough?
"However, something does seem to exist. There are traces of someone deliberately scattering detection mana.
Even with constant scanning active, it evaded capture—suggesting it's inherently undetectable."
"This feels unsettling."
"Issue your command."
KIIIING. Clank.
"I will annihilate the spring."
Archeron revealed six barrels, locking onto the Gongcheong Oil spring.
"No, stop! That's not it."
KIIIING! Clank, clank!
Archeron retracted the barrels at my words.
This guy.
He's always been hypersensitive when it comes to my safety.
"Above all, Master's safety is priority one."
"Yeah... reliable as ever."
Still, it was a problem.
Some presence was lurking there.
But no immediate solution in sight.
"Master! Shall I set up a barrier?"
Bellerin, who had been crafting the probe, turned her head and called out.
She'd been listening to our situation even while working.
"You can do that?"
"Yes!"
"Oh. Then please do it right away."
"Yep!"
Bellerin scurried over and pulled something from her bosom.
Palm-sized discs.
She placed them at intervals around the Gongcheong Oil spring.
ZZIIING!
The discs resonated, generating a mana reaction.
Pzzt, pzzzt!
A net-like mana barrier spread over the spring.
"Whoa."
"Popo!"
"Chuuu!"
Everyone let out gasps of admiration.
"Hehe. This barrier won't be pierced easily!"
"How do you deactivate it?"
"Ah! Just place your hand on one of the discs and sync your mana!"
Bellerin placed her hand on a disc, triggering a mana reaction.
Pzzt!
The barrier vanished.
"Oh. Nice."
I nodded and patted Bellerin's head.
"Then I'll get back to making the probe!"
"Yeah. Good luck."
She trotted off with her hammer toward the probe site.
What a versatile girl.
"Good work, Archeron."
"Keron. Not at all, Master."
"Oh, how about the shadow wolf clan? Have they settled in?"
"Yes. They've established dwellings among the Elatrium."
"Good. That's great."
I should share some food as a welcome gesture.
"Take these to the shadow wolves."
I offered potatoes, sweet potatoes, and cherry tomatoes.
Shine Muscat and kiwis we'd keep for ourselves to eat regularly.
Just share a bit of the overflowing potatoes, sweet potatoes, and cherry tomatoes.
'Auctions wouldn't fetch much anyway.'
With Baekyang Herb and Lunadria prices skyrocketing, auctioning crops had lost its appeal.
From now on, crops would just feed our family well.
"Keron. Understood."
ZZIIING!
Archeron picked up a basket of crops and opened a portal, heading out of the lair.
'While I'm at it, should I send some to the orphanage kids?'
Sarang Orphanage.
Whenever I'd visited as a child, Director Kim always stuffed my hands with food.
Strawberries, apples, corn, and more...
'Ah, strawberries and apples sound good now.'
I glanced around the lair.
Plenty of space.
Lots of crops I could plant.
Plant whatever I crave as soon as I get it.
We couldn't leave until Dania hit Lv 500 anyway.
Until then, I'd build an environment where we could eat whatever we wanted without worry.
"Yaaawn."
Time for a nap first.
I'm beat.
Sleep, then harvest crops for the orphanage and send them to Director Kim.
"Popo!"
"Chuuu!"
"Awoo-!"
As I lay down beside where Dania was sleeping, the guardians swarmed over and snuggled into my arms.
"Sleep well, everyone."
With my words, we all drifted off.
"Yaaawn!"
Bellerin set down her hammer for a moment, leaning against the wall and dozing off.
The lair fell silent as everyone slipped into dreams.
At that moment.
Slosh!
A being poked its head out from the Gongcheong Oil spring.
Covered in scales shimmering with blue light.
Each scale reflected light like a jewel, emitting a mesmerizing glow.
"Fweee, fweee-"
It let out a faint whistling sound before ducking back into the spring.
Then.
Whoooong!
A subtle blue light swirled in the Gongcheong Oil spring before fading.
At that time.
Interest in the Mithril posted by Madoje continued to grow.
Supreme grade was the term for anything surpassing top-grade.
People began speculating Madoje's mithril was Supreme grade.
Madoje's name spread rapidly, reaching even Rainbow Potion—Kim Jeonghwan—who was buried in potion research.
"As expected of Madoje."
He nodded, as if he'd foreseen his fame spreading like this.
'Once the final mana potion's complete, contact him first.'
Thanks to Madoje, the urgent crisis was averted, and mana potion production sailed smoothly after.
The warm winds blowing through Sarang Orphanage all started from Madoje's kindness.
"Hello, Director!"
"Hi!"
Bright, innocent voices.
It was Junho and Sua.
The two I'd taken to the Bangbae-dong gourmet last time.
"Directooor! I wanna eat those potatoes and sweet potatoes again!"
"Sua too!"
The kids brimmed with more vitality than before.
Ever since the Bangbae-dong gourmet visited the orphanage, an odd liveliness had sparked in everyone.
"Aigoo, our Sua and Junho. Potato and sweet potato ghosts, huh? Aren't you sick of them yet?"
"Nooo!!"
"Hehe. Never get tired of sweet potatoes and potatoes!"
Kim Jeonghwan's lips curved up watching their pure laughter.
Yes, this was why he ran the orphanage—for these expressions.
The kids' bright, innocent smiles lit up the depths of his heart like stars piercing a dark night sky.
"Got it, you rascals. Uncle here will pull some strings soon."
"Woooah!"
"Director's the best!!"
Gazing at their beaming faces melted away all his hardships like snow in sun, filling his chest with warm fuzziness.
This smile was enough.
He reaffirmed his resolve.
'Yeah, if you can smile like this, what wouldn't I do for you?'
Kim Jeonghwan thought he'd somehow secure Madoje's potatoes and sweet potatoes, no matter how tough.
"Yawn."
Refreshing.
After a deep sleep, my body felt light as if it could float away.
"Kkyung. Seojun! Hungy! Food!"
Dania demanded food the moment she woke.
Just like always.
"What do you want today?"
"Dania wants Han-bing-gwa! Han-bing-gwa pwease!"
Still obsessed with Han-bing-gwa.
"Okay. Eat this first though."
I offered Shine Muscat.
"Shine Muscat yummy too!"
Nom nom.
She snatched and devoured the Shine Muscat.
Then I opened a Han-bing-gwa for her, and she slurped it happily like sucking candy.
'Gotta feed her Mandragora later.'
Seondo not ready yet, but Mandragora had regrown.
With her resistance still low, I'd push Dania's level past 160 via Mandragora.
'I'll break Lv 50 today too.'
Lv 50 wall.
Not as big as Lv 80, but still a hurdle.
No worries though.
Spiritual herbs would let me leap over it, I just knew.
"Everyone hungry? Have some Shine Muscat first."
"Popo!"
"Chuuu!"
"Awoo!"
They chirped back like chicks. So cute.
@Groooar-!
......Mandrian still needs work before I call it cute.
I'll try harder.
'Check blue cabbage and carrots' effects later.'
Grill blue carrot with Nagatara meat, wrap in cabbage—sounds delicious.
Mouth already watering.
"Huh?"
I turned and froze in surprise.
Why?
"What the...?"
The Gongcheong Oil spring.
I'd checked the barrier was fine.
Gongcheong Oil, Lv101
The Gongcheong Oil's level had risen.
Definitely Lv100 yesterday...
'Whoa.'
Unbelievable.
Probably that unknown entity's influence beyond the hole.
Like a conch spirit or something?
If it doesn't harm us, coexisting might be fine.
The thought crossed my mind.
Right then!
Bellerin's voice pierced my ear.
"Done!"
Bellerin, cheeks smudged with soot, thrust both arms skyward.
She turned to me with a radiant smile.
"It's complete! Probe Unit 1!!"
Finally.
The moment the probe for exploring outside the lair was finished.