Chapter 180
Chapter 180
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 180
Chapter Title: The Trusted Axe
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"Where are you going again? We had a deal! You're not supposed to go out for a whole week!! Until the first day of school!! No matter what happens, you're staying inside!!"
"Did we?"
"Did we? Did weee?!"
"Look at this!! I'm the only one who was serious again!!"
When has she ever been serious? Who knows. And what was that? Talking like some guy whose love was promised but betrayed. That's not it at all.
You're just pissed because you wanted to stay home and I dragged you out.
Raphael kept throwing a fit beside me, but I ignored her and kept walking. If you're not buying crayons for the kids, then shut up.
I didn't even respond and just strolled on casually, so she pouted her lips and followed along.
You're gonna come anyway, so why all the nagging? She kept chattering even when ignored, so I tapped her head a few times, and only then did she quiet down.
It was kinda like pressing a button. Fun.
"Oppa. Where are we going anyway?"
"Oh."
Come to think of it, I dragged her out without explaining. Raphael would follow happily if I said we're going to make money, but talking about money to the kids feels off.
Kids are best off not thinking about money.
"Hm."
Levatein, nestled in my arms, looked up curiously. After a moment's thought, I answered.
No need to overthink these things.
"For a walk."
"Yeah. A walk."
For some reason, Levatein threw her hands up and laughed. Guess she just likes the word "walk."
"A walk...? Oppa, do you even know what a walk means?"
I do. Of course I do. Strolling around a park near home or something. That's common sense anyone knows. Don't underestimate a 21st-century civilized person.
"Who the hell goes on a walk by taking a warp gate all the way out here..."
Can't argue with that. So what is this then? It's to make money, but it feels like a walk.
How do I explain this? As I pondered with my hand on my chin, a voice came from my shoulder.
"A stroll."
"........"
What was that distrustful look? Don't you trust your dad?
"Seong-hoon."
"What."
"Do people go on strolls these days by taking warp gates to other regions?"
"....."
Shut up.
What do you know.
Well, convincing them in the end was no big deal. I'm the head of the household, after all. If the head can't convince the family, he should step down.
Like I said before, forgiveness is easier than permission. But it really did feel like a walk.
The place we're heading to now is a dungeon. Normally, dungeons are managed by heroes under government oversight.
High-rank dungeons that are discovered or break out are immediately cleared by heroes and vanish, but undiscovered ones or low-rank ones sometimes get managed.
But not for long. They're left temporarily for cadet training, then erased right after the experience ends.
Dungeons are unpredictable spaces, after all. That's why they're called dimensional rifts.
Like the dungeon where I got Levatein, the rank can suddenly change, the geography shifts in real-time, and the monsters that spawn can vary.
Managing a place like that and having the raid level change suddenly complicates things, so they're usually wiped out immediately.
In that sense, the place we're going to now is an undiscovered dungeon.
Of course, it's one Kim Tae-hyun will have to train in later?
So what?
My priorities shifted a bit, but that doesn't mean I've stopped interfering with Kim Tae-hyun. He just got pushed down the list a little. No reason for me to leave this dungeon for him.
Yeah. That's right.
"Seong-hoon. We're getting into less and less populated areas."
"Oppa. Are we really going the right way?"
I didn't answer. We're heading to an undiscovered dungeon, so of course there'd be no people. If there were, it'd have been found already.
Coming to a mountain with nothing but trees is only natural.
"Kids."
I turned around and said with the biggest smile I could muster.
"Today's a special kind of walk."
Yeah. A bit bloody, with a rusty smell, but...
At the very bottom, treasures of gold and silver await.
"Oppa. Your eyes just turned into dollar signs."
That's your imagination.
Finding the dungeon entrance wasn't hard. Just trees and grass around, but with Lachesis here, not finding it would be weirder.
"Ugh, I hate this feeling. I've thought it every time, but this goosebump-inducing vibe is the worst."
"Definitely."
I hate it too. No way this deathly stench feels good. Sion looked uncomfortable too, so I patted her head.
She looked up at me and reached out, so I gave her the hand I was petting with, and she grabbed it tight with her little fingers.
"No need to be scared. It's really nothing big."
Actually, there are lots of big things. That's what dungeons are. You never know when the raid level changes or what'll happen.
That's why I brought everyone, just in case.
They probably won't need to step in.
"It's really just a walk. Think of it as dungeon sightseeing and coming back."
"Me too."
Levatein looked up at me and grinned. She seems thrilled just to go anywhere with us.
Maybe because she's a weapon, she's got no fear at all. Even in a dungeon, our kid's cuteness doesn't fade.
"Seong-hoon. But didn't you say you'd never come to a dungeon even if you died?"
"Yeah."
"Then why?!"
"For my daughter, I'd even─"
"Don't joke around."
She won't even let me finish. I clicked my tongue, then handed Sion's hand over to Raphael.
Seeing her naturally take Sion into her arms, I figured showing was better than telling, so I opened my [Inventory].
"Watch closely."
What I pulled out was, of course, the [Death Reaper]. Not just any [Death Reaper], but one with the upper spirit [Sylphid] inside. Which means─
「Kyaeeeeek!!!」
I grinned at the perfectly timed monster appearance. See? Sometimes my mouth is useful.
Flags depend on how you use them.
The one that appeared was the same dwarf from before. Small, vicious-looking guys.
But different this time. Not regular dwarves, but upper variants wearing pointy hats.
And equipped with various gear.
"S-Seong-hoon!! It's a monster!!"
Why freak out when it's weaker than me? Ignoring Raphael hugging Sion and screaming, I threw the scythe.
This dungeon's obviously higher rank than the one I experienced before. The monsters are upper variants too.
Pretty dangerous place.
"Nope."
I've gotten pretty strong too. As I threw the scythe, it floated up buoyed by the wind. I hadn't maintained it even once, but the [Death Reaper]'s blade rang sharply in the air.
A chilling sound pierced my ears. Even though it's my weapon, goosebumps rose all over my body.
"Rip them all to shreds."
But that blade would never turn on me. As if responding to my words, the scythe spun and flew off.
Dancing through the air like it was alive. Blood sprayed with every movement.
The sounds were of death. Flesh tearing, screams for mercy.
Not something for kids to see, so I covered their eyes and ears.
"Levatein. Count to 10. I'll give you something tasty."
Before Levatein even finished counting to 10, the pure white scythe returned to my arms.
Not a drop of blood on the scythe floating above my head. This is why I came to the dungeon.
Before Maldives, dungeons meant suffering.
Now? Just throw it, and it auto-kills everything. A murder scythe was born.
"Sylphid. Good work."
「Yep.」
Feels just like auto-farming. Float it and walk; it finds and kills enemies on its own.
"I decided to call this weapon the Auto-Search Annihilator Machine."
"No 'machine' in the name?"
"If I think of it as a machine, the spirit becomes AI. Watch. Sylphid. What are you?"
「I'm AI!!」
See? It's AI. A being created by computer engineering.
I popped a candy into Levatein's mouth after she finished counting and opened her eyes, then turned proudly to the others.
"Seong-hoon."
"Oppa."
""So dumb. (Yo)""
That hurts my feelings. Isn't it cool?
Way too harsh.
With that, we started walking, and we reached the lower floors pretty quickly. We ran into monsters several times, but we have the Auto-Search Annihilator Machine—no, spirit.
Slaughter in 10 seconds, return, repeat. We're heading to the dungeon's deepest floor at top speed.
Not literally running, of course.
"Sion. Your role's important. Got it?"
"Yeah. Oppa. Trust me."
Now relaxed and smiling, I chatted with Sion as we walked.
"Keep a good eye on Raphael. Since you're holding her hand. Make sure she doesn't do anything weird?"
"Don't worry!! If unnie tries anything funny, I'll call you right away!!"
That's it. Sion, our second—no, first?—kid who only does the right things.
Who knows. Anyway, as I petted the child, Raphael glared at me like she was displeased.
"Do you think I only cause trouble? I'm the one who opposed this! You should be asking me to take good care of Sion!!"
At that, Sion and I locked eyes. I offered her a handshake, and she took it, shaking it up and down.
"Take good care of the damn blonde."
"Yes. Don't worry!!"
"You people!!"
Yelling won't change anything. No one in the world listens to ex-cons.
A living time bomb. That's Raphael. But Sion's sharp, so it'll be fine.
Ignoring Raphael's grumbling, we kept walking. Another monster popped out, and an intense battle ensued.
Scythe VS monsters—pretty ridiculous matchup, but to check if any slipped by, I turned around─
"Sion. Isn't this flower pretty? Even caves have flowers like this."
"Yeah. Oppa would like it."
"Right? Seong-hoon doesn't smile much, but when he does, it really shows he's happy. In my eyes, giving him this would make him smile."
"Really? Let's pick it!!"
I was getting my foot chopped by the trusted axe.
It is my axe.