The Shut-In's First Venture

My farming method is nearly perfect, limited only to the first floor.

I don't even have to go myself. The goblins just bring back piles of loot. What could be better than this?

The problem is that this method only works on the first floor.

The first-floor labyrinth exists solely for me and the goblins.

From the second floor onward, I'll run into every Awakened in South Korea.

To them, goblins are what?

Monsters.

Monsters that must be killed on sight.

That leaves me with two choices.

Stay holed up on the first floor and live off four Ether for the rest of my life?

Or take the risk and enter the second floor?

Of course, the goblins will be the ones taking the risk.

I'll just stay in my room and give orders like always.

Pop.

A small ball of fur appeared in front ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of me.

"I'm back!!"

"Oh, hey. How'd the talk go?"

"It didn't go well at all!"

"...Right?"

Of course. Things like this never go smoothly.

Mongmo, who had transformed into a human and visited the Association.

Mongmo had two tasks.

Sell the Ether and secure the Association's help.

In the end, he returned with exactly the result I expected.

Ether sold. Negotiations failed.

"Yeah, makes sense. Who would actually listen if the Association suddenly told everyone not to kill monsters?"

"I told them no one would follow such an announcement!"

"Good job. What about the Ether money?"

"It should have been deposited into Master's account!"

"...Huh?"

"Check the account!"

I hurriedly opened my phone and checked the bank app.

"...It's in there. 13 billion won."

"I carried out the orders perfectly!"

"But Mongmo."

"What is it, Master!"

"Then there was no point in you going at all, was there?"

"Huh?"

"They'll ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠know exactly who I am from the account details, right?"

"...Is that so?"

"What do you mean 'is that so,' you idiot!!!"

Kim Min-woo frowned as he looked at the Ether inside the small bottle.

The sudden appearance of Mongmo.

And the existence known as "Shut-In Hyeolma."

Knock knock.

"Come in."

An Association employee entered the chairman's office, handed over some documents, and quietly left.

Kim Min-woo opened the file and began reading.

Park Hyun-gi. 28-year-old male.

Freelance web designer.

Special note: rarely leaves the house.

"...Just an introverted guy?"

When they traced the account that received the deposit, it belonged to a man living in Seoul.

The existence called "Shut-In Hyeolma," which had appeared like a comet, turned the world's common sense upside down.

Not only had he farmed four Ether right after awakening, but he had also summoned an unknown being named Mongmo into reality.

According to Mongmo, his ability was that of a monster tamer.

"Then it all adds up. If he's controlling monsters to scour the labyrinth..."

That must be how he managed to farm four Ether a month.

The fact that he supplied four Ether using only the first floor without ever entering the second floor was an incredible feat.

The problem was...

"Even if it's the Association, how are they supposed to tell people not to kill monsters?"

If they told Awakeners not to hunt monsters, the Association would obviously get beaten to a pulp.

Of course, he wanted to support him.

"But his ability is real. At minimum S-rank... maybe even SS-rank from the very start."

Kim Min-woo reached a conclusion in his mind.

Park Hyun-gi was a gem.

A raw gem among raw gems who was extremely shy and had hidden himself away like a rock.

This one absolutely had to be nurtured.

If he properly raised Park Hyun-gi, there would be no need to cower before the National Assembly!

Beep.

When he pressed the button on his desk, his secretary Kim Hyun-ah entered.

Kim Min-woo held up the documents.

"Keep everyone connected to this under strict confidentiality. And starting today, this is classified as Level 0."

"Understood."

Level 0.

The Association's highest classification, not even disclosed to the nation.

"And Hyun-ah. I need you to handle something."

I grabbed Mongmo's cheeks and stretched them hard.

"Hngaaah! I did exactly as instructed...!"

"You idiot! You said you'd handle it yourself! How is this any different from just blurting out that Shut-In Hyeolma is Park Hyun-gi?!"

"Earth's transaction methods reveal far too much personal information!"

"That's exactly why you said you'd take care of it!!"

I vented my anger by stretching his cheeks like taffy, but the damage was already done.

"It's fine! The Association chairman seemed like a smart man!"

"You should've been smarter!"

"Hwaaaang!"

Before leaving, Mongmo had been so confident, telling me to trust only him as he headed to the Association.

I trembled with a sense of betrayal.

How could you do this to me?

I even bought peanuts as a reward.

"B-but I sold all the goods!"

"...Sigh."

When I let go, Mongmo rubbed his cheeks with his short hands.

What's done is done.

Can't put the spilled water back. I should keep at least one Ether saved for emergency escape.

"Alright, then... let's move ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠first."

13 billion won in the account.

With this, I could do everything I planned.

Since I couldn't leave this to Mongmo, I put on a hat the next day and went outside.

But something felt off.

"Oh my! There's a nice house available in Gangnam right now!"

"...Gangnam? We're in Sindaebang, aren't we?"

"No, that house really is cheap! It's practically free! Everything the young man mentioned is included!"

"...Well, it is cheap, but..."

Before I knew it, I was being dragged along, and by the time I came to my senses, the seal was already stamped on the house purchase documents.

"Excuse me, sir. You dropped your business card here."

"Haha? Oh, it did fall there. Since you picked it up, you might as well keep it! As for me, I'm a labyrinth by-product dealer...!"

"...?"

Suddenly, a place to sell junk items appeared.

"Oh my, I heard a huge grocery mart is opening in our neighborhood!"

"They say they'll deliver everything right to your doorstep no matter how much you order!"

"They even operate their own delivery trucks!"

"...?"

Suddenly, the food supply issue was solved.

"...What the hell?"

One by one, my worries were being resolved.

"...Whoa."

"Then have a good day!"

"Yes. Thank you for your hard work."

After the moving company employees left, I looked around the house.

A two-story detached house in Gangnam.

Complete with a parking lot in the yard.

The parking space was large enough for a food truck to drive in.

With the high walls, the inside of the house was completely hidden from outside view.

"...This is really my house?"

I bought this place for only 5 billion won.

It was listed for 20 billion online...?

Suspecting fraud, I even hired a lawyer and reviewed the documents dozens of times.

It was a clean deal with no issues.

This spacious house was now truly mine.

Since I moved, I should set the base first.

"Declare base."

"Yeah."

When I declared the base, one of the doors on the first floor glowed brightly.

I approached and opened it.

"Kerrrk!"

"Get out, kerk! Go get more items, kerk!"

"Where do I put this, kerk!"

Our 550 goblins were tirelessly raiding the labyrinth like they were running a factory.

Everything was going smoothly, as if the world itself was telling me to focus on conquering the labyrinth.

Still, since I moved, I should at least eat some jajangmyeon.

"Gob, come out."

"Kerrk? Are you done, boss?"

"Yeah."

Even if I couldn't give it to the others, jajangmyeon wasn't a waste on Gob.

I called over Gob, who was looking around curiously at the new house after coming out of the labyrinth, sat him down, and handed him the opened container of jajangmyeon.

"Eat it with chopsticks."

"Kerk!"

Gob was already quite skilled with chopsticks.

Aside from the "kerk" sounds before speaking, there were no communication issues.

"I'm hungry too, Master!"

"You eat this."

I gave Mongmo, who popped out of my pocket, five peanuts.

Placing Mongmo, who was cracking peanuts with his front teeth, beside me, I picked up my own chopsticks.

The sound of mixing echoed as the jajangmyeon was deliciously stirred.

"Kuh, as expected, moving means jajangmyeon."

After taking a big bite and chewing on some pickled radish, it was pure bliss.

Good thing there's no garlic in jajangmyeon.

"Kerk! Delicious! So delicious, kerk!"

"Yeah, eat slowly. Have some of this too."

"What is this, boss?!"

"Sweet and sour pork."

"Sweet and sour pork! Kerrk!"

Gob grabbed a piece of sweet and sour pork with his hand and shoved it into his mouth.

"Meat! Meat!"

"Don't eat it like that. Dip it in the sauce, like this."

I picked up a piece, dipped it thoroughly in the sauce, and ate it.

Gob tilted his head while watching me.

"Kerk? Is this food you have to dip, kerk?"

"Yeah."

"Then I'll do this!!"

Gob poured the entire sauce over the sweet and sour pork.

"This way I don't have to dip it every time, kerk! Gob is smart!"

"You idiot!! What are you doing pouring it like that!"

"Kerk? Why not, boss?"

"The best part is dipping it!!"

"Why bother dipping every time? Kerk?"

Dinner with Gob, who had become more talkative and assertive.

Eating alone in my room every day, then suddenly having a conversation while eating... it felt strangely unsettling.

Come to think of it, how were my parents doing?

After giving Gob, who had poured sauce over everything, a light smack on the head, I picked up the phone.

Ring ring ring.

-What's up?

Without even a greeting, she asked what was wrong.

Same as always.

"I just thought of you and called."

-Thought of me, my ass. You called because you ran out of food again, didn't you?

"No. I really just thought of you."

-You... did something wrong?

How had I been living all this time?

No, I really had been trying my best.

I even sent them allowance sometimes, even if it was small.

"Aish, Mom! I didn't!"

-Fine. I'll come up soon with some side dishes.

"...!"

For a moment, my eyes met Gob's and I snapped back to reality.

"N-no! I'll go instead. You don't have to come up."

-Huh? The guy who said it was too bothersome to leave the house and wouldn't even come during holidays?

"The house is just a bit messy... I'll go. I could use some fresh air after so long."

-Sigh. The house is probably a mess as usual. Clean up a bit.

"...Madam Jang, did something bad happen? Why are you so prickly?"

-Oh my? Talking back to your mom now? Anyway, call when you're coming. I'll make plenty of that garlic pickle you like.

As expected, her words were prickly, but our Madam Jang knew her son's tastes inside out.

But.

"...Mom, I can't eat garlic anymore."

-What are you talking about? You wouldn't even eat meat without garlic.

"...I developed a garlic allergy."

-...You did?

She probably never imagined her son had become a vampire.

The world was pushing me to scour the labyrinth, so I decided to focus on it for a while.

Food and junk items were all solved.

And living expenses were solved too.

First, I selected a vanguard of 10 goblins.

Ten goblins who could now speak.

The place they were heading was the gray gate among the green, gray, and red gates.

The second floor of the labyrinth, the underground ruins.

The reason I chose the underground ruins was because of the items that came ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from there.

To unlock the Base Training Center, which looked promising at a glance, I needed the wooden dolls and stones from the underground ruins.

First, I had to gather those and open the training center.

Ten thief goblins stood before the gray gate with determined faces.

"Alright! So what do you do if you meet a human?"

-Kerk! We run away!

-Kerrk! We hide!

-Kerrk. We play dead!

"No playing dead. Run or hide."

-Kerk!

This vanguard would receive direct orders from me in third-person familiar mode.

There was no option to kill humans.

If I got the first button wrong, I might really become humanity's public enemy.

And since goblins could be replenished infinitely on the first floor, I absolutely could not make humans my enemies.

"What if you're discovered by a human? You can't run or hide. Then what?"

Hearing my words, the goblins knelt in perfect unison.

-Please spare us!

-We'll give you everything we have!

-This humble one has a wife and child at home!

"Yeah. Beg unconditionally and run. Just give them everything."

-Kerk!

With the final mental training complete, preparations were finished.

"Then... move out!"

The thief goblins charged forward energetically.

Toward the second-floor labyrinth. The underground ruins.

End