Out of the Lair (2)
Pop!
The kiwi's flavor burst across his tongue.
A fresh sweetness mingled with tangy acidity, spreading gently through his mouth.
Crunch!
Kiwi after kiwi slid down his throat without pause.
The sense of magical fullness began to ebb away slowly.
"This time..."
Mandragora roast!
The taste he'd been hooked on lately.
Similar to grilled deodeok, but far nuttier with a superior texture—no matter how much he ate, it never got old.
Crunch!
Your level has increased.
"Oh!"
Another level up in the meantime.
That brought him to Lv 59.
The result of nonstop munching since earlier.
"Four levels in a single day."
This works?
He sipped some clear spirit dew to soothe his bloated stomach.
'But I've still got 11 levels to go before 70.'
A long way ahead.
Still, maybe reaching Lv 70 first would be faster than waiting for Bellerin to finish the dimensional amplifier.
...Or so he'd thought.
"Kyaa! It's done!"
Bellerin thrust both arms high, cheering triumphantly.
No way?
Tada! The dimensional amplifier!
What Bellerin brought over.
A silver device forged from mithril, about 20cm long—perfectly sized to fit on Archeron's forearm.
At its center sat a crystal core that amplified dimensional energy, while its surface bore intricate grooves and ancient runes for energy distribution.
Keron. I shall equip it.
Archeron, waiting at the side, extended his arm and fitted the Dimensional Amplifier.
Keron. A perfect fit.
"As expected of Bellerin. You make great stuff."
"Heehee. Thanks for the praise!"
Bellerin rubbed her nose at his words.
The more he saw, the more impressive she seemed.
Keron. Initializing.
Vrrr!
The dimensional amplifier's core spun furiously.
Keron. Dimensional Slash.
Riiip!
A rift over two meters wide tore open, revealing the world beyond the lair.
"Success!"
"Popo!"
Bellerin and Popo hopped around in delight at the sight.
Kkyu! A space to the outside opened up!
Dania peeked over curiously too.
"Awoo!"
"Chu chu!"
@Groooar!
Fenril, Chuchu, and Mandrian gathered at the rift.
"Yawn."
Only Azkai lounged lazily on the other side, curling his body.
"Ah."
He wanted to leap out right then.
'But my level's too low.'
The dimensional slash from the amplifier churned with violent mana pressure.
His Dragon Blood eyes saw the flows clearly.
Jump in now, and he wouldn't even leave bones behind.
Now he understood why Bellerin had insisted on at least Lv 70.
'A feast for the eyes, but out of reach.'
As he smacked his lips—
"How about I make a magic tool to withstand that mana pressure this time?"
Bellerin's words made his ears perk up.
He stared at her, eyes wide.
"Using the Supreme-grade magic stone we got, even at Lv 60 you could handle that pressure with a magic tool I craft!"
"Whoa, Bellerin. You're the best. Make it now!"
"Yep! This one's quick!"
She clenched her fists in a fighting pose at his command.
Then dashed to her workshop.
Meanwhile, the rift began to close.
Shhh.
At first, he'd felt disappointed, thinking it a distant dream.
But not anymore.
'Just one more level.'
Time to grind.
'Oh!'
Come to think of it, hitting Lv 60 should unlock the next guardian, right?
His eyes sparkled brighter.
'In that case...'
The least burdensome option for now.
Gongcheong Oil.
He approached it.
The Gongcheong Oil had reached Lv 105 before he knew it.
Every time he woke from sleep, its level had climbed.
'Probably because of whatever's inside...'
The presence felt beyond the Gongcheong Oil spring's passage.
Thump!
Just sensing it made his heart race.
'Huh?'
What was this?
Puzzlement mixed with his pounding heart.
Thump, thump, thump—
reacts to the aura of a Dragonkin and living being.
'What...'
The owner of that aura was Dragonkin?
Dragonkin meant dragon-related beings.
Whatever it was, definitely tied to known types like wyverns or drakes.
"Come out. Show your face?"
He called cautiously, but no response from the passage.
"Hm."
Too bad.
Still, he'd meet it someday.
'Level up first.'
He scooped just enough Gongcheong Oil for a single gulp.
And swallowed without hesitation.
Whoosh!
A chilling cold spread through his body.
Your level has increased.
He'd reached Lv 60.
'Alright then.'
His gaze turned to the passage leading to the Guardian Room.
Time to check.
Whether he could summon the sixth guardian.
***
Superhuman Management Bureau Director Kim Do-chul.
He might not know much else, but he had an uncanny nose for profitable opportunities.
"Mass-producing Madoje-brand insect repellent spray?"
"Yes. Through this collaboration..."
"No explanations! Push it through now!"
He decided on the spot.
Swift and decisive.
Even Lee Jeong-won respected him for this.
No matter how much flak Kim Do-chul got as a rubber-stamp director who ignored fieldwork, he made razor-sharp calls on major ventures like this.
"Rename it! 'Insect-type Repellent Spray'? What kind of name is that? Confirm they okayed a rename?"
"Yes. Mado side replied it's fine."
"Good. Perfect. And Jeong-won. Time for a promotion, eh? We're setting up a special Madoje support team. Suffer as team lead for 1-2 years. Once the ventures stabilize, straight to department head."
"...!"
A golden opportunity for Lee Jeong-won.
Thus, he took the helm of the newly formed Madoje Exclusive Support Team.
First order: Establish the business entity.
Mado Corporation.
A public-private joint venture, split 50/50 between government and Madoje.
Mado Corporation's debut act: Promote the insect-type monster repellent spray from Madoje.
Renamed from to Insect Spray Gun.
The promo was a smashing success.
Overseas buyers flooded in, turning it into a massive sensation.
It even boosted Korea's prestige.
Even China and Japan, who usually dismissed Korea, bowed their heads to snag Insect Spray Guns.
"Overseas buyers are swarming—total chaos!!"
Lee Jeong-won's lips twitched upward.
Signs of a mega-hit.
Mado Corporation.
How high this joint venture with Madoje's wings would soar remained to be seen.
***
Guardian Room.
"Oh."
An exclamation escaped him.
Why?
Shiiiine!
A stone tablet before him scattered brilliant golden light.
Lv 60 confirmed.
The sixth guardian, Dragon Fairy, awakens from long slumber.
'Dragon Fairy?'
The name made his eyes light up.
Shiiiine!
From the pouring golden light emerged a tiny lifeform.
Hello! Master. Dragon Fairy Lulumiel greets you, sir!
Lulumiel.
The newly arrived sixth guardian.
She resembled a cute kitten in size.
Gleaming silver scales and sky-blue eyes.
A sleek, elegant body like a long serpent.
Two small, pointed horns atop her head.
Semitransparent wings on her back.
Tiny, but they sparkled rainbow hues in the light.
Starlike illusions scattered with every flap.
A mix of fairy and dragon.
"Nice to meet you."
He reached out to stroke her back.
Luu~
She smiled with her eyes, purring happily.
As he petted her, he checked her status window.
Impressively high level.
Second only to Azkai.
And eight stars total, six filled.
'This is huge.'
Azkai had nine stars with six filled—not much difference.
So, what could this little one do?
"What can you do?"
I'm a buffer!
"Buffer?"
Yes.
Lulumiel smiled and continued.
Shall I show you?
"Sure."
Yep.
At her words, Lulumiel gazed at him, her sky-blue eyes twinkling.
Flash!
Starlight Blessing infuses you.
"Oh...!"
Starry energies wrapped his body.
Power surged through him.
No exaggeration—it felt like several levels higher.
I can use many other buffs too!
Healing, skill enhancement, barriers—she was a versatile buffer.
Makes sense.
Lv 355 with eight stars.
She had to deliver.
'Wonder how she'll synergize with Azkai and Archeron.'
Those three together? Even mantis or spider legions wouldn't worry him.
Perfect timing, with lair exploration imminent.
"Let's head out for now."
Yes!
Outside the passage, he introduced Lulumiel to the other guardians.
Kkyu! So cute~!
Surprisingly, Dania took to her most.
Lulumiel apparently struck her as adorable.
What an honor to meet the great one!
Lulumiel bowed low before Dania.
I'll get along well... Eek?!
Dania scooped her up in both arms and rubbed her face against her.
"Haha. Dania, you're making Lulumiel uncomfortable."
Only at his intervention did Dania release her.
This felt like Lulumiel was about to become Dania's cuddle toy...
Uh, heehee... It's an honor...
Lulumiel floated dazedly, unable to refuse.
Aigoo. Poor thing. He'd have to look after her more.
Truth be told, her cuteness would win everyone over anyway.
Bellerin was approaching with sparkling eyes too.
"A new guardian! Oh my, so cute!"
Hee— Nice to meet you. I'm Lulumiel.
As they greeted each other, he spotted what Bellerin held.
"Bellerin, that..."
"Ah! Master. This bracelet lowers mana pressure! Just finished!"
Oh!
Finally.
Time to step outside the lair?
He slipped on the bracelet and looked to Archeron.
Archeron immediately moved to perform dimensional slash.
Or tried to.
"Chu!!"
Chuchu appeared at the perfect moment.
He rushed over, frantically tapping the exploration lens on his head.
Gesturing to check it quick.
What?
Puzzled, he played the footage from Chuchu's lens.
"...!"
The footage left him speechless.
A massive centipede legion marching toward a glowing canyon.
Overwhelming numbers.
Several times the mantis and spider forces.
An endless horde.
What could be there?
'No way...'
The Dragon Lair where traces were spotted north?
That realization hit like lightning.
No time to dawdle here.
"Archeron!"
At his shout—
Archeron swung his arm.
Riiip!
The space tore open sideways.
He dove straight in.
Flash! Blinding light swirled before his eyes.
And his view flipped.