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Chapter 104

To buy the necessary equipment and tools for heading to the desert, Yeon-woo’s destination was the Convenience Store.

“Why on earth would you go to a convenience store instead of a specialized shop for Gate supplies?” one might ask.

“Welcome~!”

As soon as I opened the door to the store, I saw a stylish counter where a hunched-over Goblin with an impressive long white beard was reading a newspaper.

[G-Goblin!!]

“It’s okay, Shar. It’s a different Goblin.”

Yeon-woo calmed the startled Shar and approached the counter to pick out some items. Spotting the familiar face of the uncle after a long time, Yeon-woo couldn’t help but smile.

“Uncle, you’re still running the shop?”

“Huh? Is that you, Yeon-woo? Wow, it’s been a while! What have you been up to lately?”

“I got into the Academy. Didn’t you know?”

“What? The Academy? Wow, you’ve made it big!?”

The Goblin shopkeeper, Uncle Laguna, jumped up in excitement to greet him. Stepping out from behind the counter, Laguna enveloped Yeon-woo in a warm hug, which made him feel a bit embarrassed.

“So, what brings you here? Looking for something in particular?”

“Oh, I’m planning a trip to the desert. I need two for the kids and one for myself. Can you help me find them?”

“That’s a given, no question! But who are these kids? Your new siblings?”

“No, they’re my kids.”

Laguna looked at Yeon-woo with a knowing look before slowly opening his mouth.

“Could it be that you’re also a Goblin?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Just wait a moment; I’ll get what you need. Also, pick up some snacks while you’re here.”

Chuckling and bantering with Yeon-woo, Laguna disappeared into the stockroom. As Laguna suggested, maybe I should buy some snacks. Thinking this, Shar tugged on Yeon-woo’s arm.

“W-What kind of person is he…?”

“It’s a long story…”

In the western forest, there are mindless forest Goblins that Yeon-woo had dealt with, but there are also Goblins that interact with humans. Among them, the most famous is the Golden Goblin tribe, to which Laguna belongs.

Golden Goblins don’t look much different from ordinary Goblins at first glance. They usually have slightly larger heads and somewhat inferior physical abilities, which makes them often on the lookout for danger.

However, the biggest difference is their intelligence and their lust for shiny things… basically, their greed for gold and wealth.

Instead of fighting the few adventurers for gold, they decide to interact with humans.

The leader of the Golden Goblin tribe, Ilun, currently reigns as the owner of the Musk trading company, swearing under the name of the Golden God that their tribe will not harm humans in exchange for being allowed to conduct business with them without discrimination.

Humanity, well aware of the gravity of such oaths made with gods, accepted this, and even now, the Golden Goblin tribe continues to thrive in commerce among humans…

As for how a Goblin opened a convenience store in the city, the answer was this:

“I’m the landlord.”

“…Of this building?”

“Y-You’re the landlord…!! I’ve heard that’s an amazing job!”

Yeon-woo nodded silently. Not only this building but most establishments in this area belonged to Laguna. Of course, very few people know this. Who would have thought that a Goblin running a convenience store would be so remarkable?

“I got to know him while I was indebted to him long ago.”

Feeling that it would take too long to explain such a backstory, Yeon-woo stopped talking and piled a bunch of jelly onto the checkout counter. Since he was just browsing, he figured he wouldn’t need a full meal. Those items were likely stored in the back anyway.

As the three of them snacked on jelly and chatted, the door behind the counter swung open, and Laguna walked in, shouldering a bag.

“Here it is! Let’s see, this is the hood… and this is the shoe cover. Use the staff if you want.”

Laguna explained while pulling out each item from the bundle. He also had a plastic sled that seemed to be brought out just for the trip. Laguna was quite perceptive.

“I’ll give you a few for free since you’ve owed a debt to the future Great Hunter. How about that?”

“This is why your store does so well.”

There might not be anything completely useless among those items, but the temptation of being able to get a few things for free was too great to resist. Even if he didn’t need the staff or sled, he could feed them to the Doppleganger or save them for a future need.

Yeon-woo and Laguna shook hands warmly. There was nothing complicated enough to need a lesson in operation, so Yeon-woo left the store saying he would return.

*

Step, step. The sensation of sand beneath his bare feet sent a delightful tickle up Yeon-woo’s legs.

“Hehe, this feels ticklish!”

“It’s hot…!”

Watching the two kids wandering the desert barefoot, Yeon-woo wore a serious expression. They looked like ordinary kids at first glance, but in reality, Shar, wrapped in her dragon body, was something else entirely. And Tae-oh, who had slightly subpar physical abilities compared to average kids, was also walking barefoot.

‘They do seem slightly dull in their senses…’

Thinking to join in on the fun, Yeon-woo boldly took off his shoes, but he almost burned his feet immediately and had to cool them down with his Elemental Mana. Thank you, White In-gyeol…!!

Regardless, the children looked incredibly excited to see the desert for the first time. Even if Yeon-woo felt like he might melt, it was definitely worth it to see their smiles.

Of course, while having such a touristic moment, he didn’t let down his guard. This seemingly peaceful white sea certainly housed a Field-type Gate.

‘…But as long as it’s a desert, it shouldn’t be too tough of a field.’

It’s known as a place where the difficulty-to-reward ratio is remarkably favorable. A minimal level of vigilance should suffice.

“But why did we come to a place like this? It’s fun though.”

“Here, Tae-oh thinks it’s nice and warm…”

Seeing someone describe the desert as warm was a first for him. But since Tae-oh loved warmth, it could be taken as the highest compliment.

“Then shall we start enjoying some real fun from now on?”

“Real fun…!?”

“W-What does that mean?”

As Yeon-woo said this, he pulled out the Doppleganger. This artifact, which could change shape according to his will, took on a form resembling a shield. Yeon-woo placed a large, flat board on the ground.

“Oh, this is called a sled…”

It would be super fun in the desert.

Ji Seung-ho was a promising hunter who could boast about reigning second to none in this field, the white sea.

Although he had been receiving love calls from various small to medium clans, he hadn’t left the white sea yet because he wanted to gain a bit more experience.

The monsters of the white sea weren’t particularly strong, but they could be a nuisance. Especially since most of them lived buried in the sand, one would have a hard time if they didn’t have a keen eye for spotting hidden threats.

In that sense, the presence of curious tourists who came for fun in the white sea was somewhat bothersome for Ji Seung-ho. A boy here with two cute siblings… Were they perhaps from a wealthy family?

Nonetheless, it seemed like they had come properly equipped, so Ji Seung-ho sighed in relief. He was glad they weren’t entirely ignorant of the dangers of the desert.

If tourists came and ended up dying in the field, hunters who worked in that area would bear the brunt of the losses. Of course, they always took maximum precautions, but keeping an eye on others while hunting wasn’t always easy.

‘Ah, they’re going sand sledding. How fun…’

Using shabby protective gear or sleds could lead to injuries, but fortunately, the siblings looked like they were using pretty decent equipment.

The fact that he could tell even from a distance spoke volumes about how long Ji Seung-ho had been in that field.

However, as he took a casual look at the ridge they intended to ride down, Ji Seung-ho felt compelled to rush and warn them.

A White Scorpion, one of the more troublesome monsters in the white sea, was flicking its tail right in their path.

“St-stop!”

Before he could even finish his warning, the sled zoomed down the ridge. Ji Seung-ho hurried after them. Even if they got stung, he could quickly administer an antidote, thinking that would be an easy fix. But then he stopped midway, staring blankly at the scene.

The oldest boy in the sibling trio, sliding down the hill on the sled, suddenly brandished a sword from who-knows-where and effortlessly sliced the White Scorpion in half.

‘…What the heck is that kid doing?’

Though he had no idea, Ji Seung-ho was certain this wasn’t something he needed to worry about, so he turned around to concentrate on the hunt.

*

‘Whoa, that startled me.’

Who would have thought a monster would be hiding along the path he chose? Fortunately, it wasn’t particularly armored, and since this type mainly invested in camouflage and poison capabilities, it was easy to slice it up with the sword created by his dragon magic.

Fortunately, having dispatched the monster quickly, Shar and Tae-oh didn’t seem to notice, too busy squealing with delight.

“Papa, let’s do it again! Again!”

“So much fun, so much!!”

Watching the kids enthusiastically urge for another turn, Yeon-woo began to feel that a little mishap was nothing at all.

“Alright, how about this time you two ride together!?”

Hearing that, the two kids were momentarily stunned before they thundered up the hill. Yeon-woo decided to catch them at the bottom, advising them to be careful not to let their bodies touch the ground.

After all, even if they strayed a bit far, Yeon-woo had control over the Doppleganger Weapon, so he would be able to handle any accidents that came up.

‘Little by little, I need to help them gain independence.’

There was no better game than this to instill caution while still allowing for excitement in their outdoor activities. He could teach them about suspicion more seriously when they grew older.

In life’s affairs, there’s always a combination of harm and benefit. If you don’t experience both trust and doubt, the day will come when the sharp thorns pierce you.

At the same time, it was also to help Yeon-woo get used to living without the kids. Though it had only been four months—one month if counted for Tae-oh—Yeon-woo found it hard to imagine a life without them.

‘What if they grow up and face puberty? I might get injured emotionally…’

He wanted to practice detaching in advance… before his own heart could get hurt.

‘No touching the laundry with me!!’

‘I wish you wouldn’t interfere.’

Imagining the grown-up kids increasing their voices in his mind, Yeon-woo wiped away a tear inwardly.

(To be continued in the next chapter)

 

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