novelThe Meaning of Family (2)
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Chapter 59 - The Meaning of Family (2)
(TLN: This is a sponsored chapter. Queue is cleared. It was raining, so I decided to buckle down and translate. Thank you for the donation Thomas and Hussain. Please turn off the adblockers if you are able to. Thanks and enjoy~)
Vivian Rodrio
She was born in the demon world where only darkness existed. She was able to see the world for the first time when she made a contract with her master, Kahng-woojin.
Her master was strong, and his other familiars were also amazing.
Alandal's power soared high into the sky, and Trahnet's minions were no match for them. There were also a lot of followers who came looking for the Immortal's land.
During all of this, her master had learned of a way to contact the Dimensional Guardian, and everything ended after that.
She waited for a long time in the Sealed Room where there was only darkness.
Bibi was the first one to hear Woojin's voice again.
This wasn't Alphen. It was earth, but she didn't care.
Wherever Woojin went, that was the place where Bibi wanted to be.
This was her master's new roosting place.
She lived with the great female human, who had given birth to her master, and master's younger sister.
Her master had left after putting her in the care of a young female human named Kahng-sooah. She had always been with her master, since she had to chase away the evil spirits that tormented her master every night. However, she wasn't able to follow him on his hunt anymore.
If her master hunted with her than her level would rise. She'll be able to regain the power she had lost, but she was given a more important mission by her master.
She had to protect this little human called Sooah....
This little human never left her alone.
It had been one day since her master had left her behind as he headed for the hunting ground.
"Catch it, Bibi!"
The little human called Sooah used a laser to move the point around in front of her eyes. Ah, what an annoying human.
"Peeee. What is this? What kind of a cat is this?"
The little human sighed from disappointment.
Bibi couldn't believe she had to participate in such a petty game...
She sauntered up to her feet, then she chased the point.
"Poo-haha. Try catching it."
The laser point was quickly moved away from her, and it aggravated her. She quickly chased after it once again, but the laser point moved a distance away.
"Nyahhhhhhng."
The little human dared to irritate a being with succubus' blood flowing inside her veins?
That damn red dot. I'll catch it.
She quickly chased after the laser point, but it was impossible to catch it.
"Nyah nyah nyah.."
Her butt wiggled in excitement as she ran, and she didn't see the leg of the table.
Kohng.
"Uh? Are you okay, Bibi?"
The surprised Sooah approached her, but Bibi swiveled her head away.
'Chet. I can't believe I became absorbed in this game. '
She had been fool by this little human's tricks.... It wasn't as if she had been enjoying herself. She played with her, since she had to act like a cat.
She jumped on top of the sofa. After she got in position, she squatted on her haunches.
"Bibi. Should unni give you a can?"
"Nyahhng."
The can of cat food was quite delicious.
She hurriedly jumped down to rub her body against the little humans leg. The little human let out a trill of laughter.
'Hah. Please come back quickly, master-ahong. '
She wanted to be with her master and Dolsae-jjing. Moreover, she wanted to hunt with her other friends.
*
Seoul National University station's 6th exit.
This was a 5 star Dungeon, and it was the main source of income for Guild Alandal.
It was a map crawling with the Naga. The guide made by Kahng-woojin was shoddy, and the map was too large. It was also quite difficult, so the appointment schedule wasn't packed.
Woojin made appointments for all the empty spots in the schedule.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes, sir!"
Woojin grinned as he saw Sunggoo answer with a grim expression on his face.
Woojin used his Warrior's Senses, and he saw Sunggoo's level was 37. If he breaks through to level 40 then he'll be a 4th Circle magician. He'll be a Rank C.
When Minchan was in the Hammer guild, he had forged Sunggoo's rank to be Rank D. Currently, he was Rank D, but he will surpass that rank soon.
"Ok. Let's go."
He had made an appointment for 12 hours. This meant 2 days would pass inside the Dungeon.
In two days...
"If you are able to come back alive, you will be a Rank C."
"Yes, hyung-nim!"
One could feel power within Sunggoo's voice.
If Woojin said he'll make a block of fermented soybean from adzuki beans then he would believe it.
They headed into the Dungeon with Sunggoo in the front.
It had been over 4 hours since they had entered the Dungeon.
Sunggoo fell over from a lack of breath. As he lay on the floor, his vision started to dim into darkness when some unknown energy entered him. His vision suddenly started to become brighter.
"H... hyung-nim."
Every time Sunggoo was about to die, Woojin used the Soul Extraction to recover his energy. Woojin raised him back up.
"It is still impossible for me to solo this Dungeon. I wouldn't be able to do it even if this was a 4 star Dungeon."
"......."
Yes, hyung-nim. Rank C Roused don't normally solo a 4 star Dungeon. Moreover, the Naga's Desert Temple was a 5 star Dungeon.
"Look at them closely. You have to learn all the monster's special characteristics, and weaknesses. If you are short on strength, then come up with a good plan."
"Yes, hyung-nim."
Even after Sunggoo overcame a deadly situation, he wasn't given a break. It felt like each word spoken by Woojin was engraved into Sunggoo's blood.
"Almost everything that shows up here is poisonous. This is the only meat we'll be able to eat.""
Woojin had cut open a horrifyingly ugly Worm to get the Worm's meat, and he was cooking it over the fire. Also, they didn't need to gather wood for the fire.
They used the flame magic to quickly cook the meat.
It tasted bland.
It was dry and a little bit bitter. It was like chewing dried fish.
They ate this food for survival not because it was delicious.
Woojin didn't teach Sunggoo only about fighting.
He taught Sunggoo how to survive. He was instructed on how to win when meeting certain monsters. If he couldn't face an enemy head on, then he was told to hide and wait for an opportunity to attack.
Woojin was teaching all the battle and hunting techniques he knew.
"From here on out, the only troublesome opponents are the Naga. Don't be feeble minded, and don't be afraid. It is possible for you to defeat any monster in here.."
"Yes, hyung-nim."
If Woojin said so, then it was so. Sunggoo recovered his vigor, and his fighting spirit burned once again.
"Well, you could probably fight a one on one battle. If there are 2 of them, then you will most definitely be killed."
"......."
"Ah. Why do you keep giving me that constipated expression? I'll set it up, so you'll only have to face them 1 on 1."
"Yes, hyung-nim."
When Woojin and Sunggoo arrived at the Naga's abandoned city of Ragrecia, the battle started in earnest. The Naga were scattered around the city, and they didn't gather in one place unless they were provoked.
Originally, the city was entangled like a maze. Woojin placed Bone Walls at every strategic point. He mad is so that Sunggoo would be able to focus on a 1 on 1 battle.
If two Naga showed up, then Woojin would kill one. He left the other one alone, so Sunggoo could defeat it.
The Naga Warriors were valiant and strong.
The Naga Warriors wouldn't ignore a weakness or a momentary lack of focus. Sunggoo was still very inexperienced.
Shoo-ooh, pook!
"Huh-ook."
Empty air escaped Sunggoo when he saw his stomach be pierced by a spear. His thoughts turned yellow from the fear of death, and he could only think about the pain he was feeling.
The Naga Warrior put on the smile of a victor when it happened.
Hweeek. Kwang.
"Ggweeeek."
The Naga's head was crushed by a hammer swung by Woojin. Woojin indifferently looked at Sunggoo, who had a spear penetrating his belly.
"H... hyung-nim."
"Why would a bastard, who will die soon, call out for me?"
"...... !"
Sunggoo's eyelids fluttered. His hands grabbed the spear piercing his stomach, but he was slowly losing his strength.
"Even if a hole was made inside your stomach, you should have done everything to at least cut off your opponent's head. Did you already forget about the new technique you learned?"
"I... I'm sorry."
"You don't have to apologize to me. You are the one who is going to lose your life, so why would you apologize to me?"
"......."
If one suffered an attack, then one had to do everything to counter-attack. If one dumbly stood still, it was basically waiting for the opponent finish the job. It was the action of a loser.
Sunggoo had his chance. He had hesitated for a moment, and he had been swept up by his fear. He had blown his opportunity.
"If you want to live, then take out the spear yourself.."
"......."
Sunggoo looked at the spear penetrating his stomach. Woojin wanted him to take this out himself?
Even if he ignored the fact that it will hurt, his intestines would spill out... Since he could endure the pain, it would be better if hyung-nim could do it...
"If you die, I'll give your soul as a snack to ShingShing."
"Ooh ooh ooh."
Sunggoo grabbed the spear, and he put his strength into it. He was too scared to die like this. It was funny. Every time he thought about dying, he felt fear, but it also gave him an equal amount of courage.
"Ggoo-uh-uhk!"
Every time the spear moved a little bit, it felt as if his vertebrae was being twisted. He was subjected to an extreme amount of pain. Is this how having a hole in one's insides felt? The inside of his head turned white, and it made him wonder if his stomach had somehow disappeared.
"Ggooh-ahhhh."
His knees automatically bent. The spear blade broke free, and he saw his insides fall out. He didn't know if it was his small intestines or large intestines.
He supported his intestines with one hand, and he pulled out the spear with the other hand.
"Koo-ahhk!"
After the blade of the spear was pulled out, blood started to pour out from the wound. He tried to block it his hands, but it was of no use. The spear point had also exited the back, so blood was flowing out from both sides. He felt the blood flow down the small of his back.
His consciousness was quickly fading, and across his heavy eyelids, he saw Woojin grinning.
Woojin extracted a soul from the Naga, who died from a crushed head. Then it was absorbed into Sunggoo.
The spinning world came to a halt, and his wounds started to quickly heal. It seemed one soul would be insufficient, so Woojin took two more souls from his Spirit Armor. Then he absorbed the two souls into Sunggoo.
"Doesn't that hurt like hell?"
Isn't that obvious?
"Yes...."
"If you want to live, then you have to become mean and tenacious.."
He knew it. This was why he had become much more mean and tenacious. It was just that he still fell short.
"What happens if I suddenly disappear? What are you going to do?"
"......."
If hyung-nim disappeared, then Sunggoo wouldn't be able to come inside this Dungeon. He would have to make the rounds in the low rank Dungeons, and he would have to live out his life as a bloodstone miner.
Woojin grinned as if he had read Sunggoo's mind.
"How long do you think the monsters will stay inside the Dungeon??"
"What?"
Woojin kept asking him questions even when he was in agony.
"Try imaging it. What would happen if all the subway stations on earth had a Dungeon Break at the same time? Wouldn't that be quite the sight? Right??"
"......."
This was an absurd and preposterous story.
"Hunting? Bloodstones? I bet it wouldn't be easy to find food even for immediate consumption? The 6 billion global population? I'll guarantee it'll take less than 3 days to reduce half of the population."
Sunggoo listened to the scary story. Woojin told it to Sunggoo as if he was calmly reading from a fairy tale book. This was the first time Sunggoo felt as if he didn't know who Woojin was.
"H... hyun-nim."
"I'm satisfied with just protecting my family. Even if that bastard Trahnet invades this place, it would take time to eat the entire earth.."
He had lasted for 20 years time on Alphen. He knew he could do the same on earth. The era of peace right now would be like a dream.
"Doesn't it make you mad? Someone's claiming your front-yard without your permission?"
"......."
"If you want to protect your family, then don't be so soft."
"......."
What? Why did he suddenly feel this sense of crisis?
"If those bastards invade us, I won't be able to protect you from the back. You will have to survive on your own."
"......."
Woojin's words held the truth.
When the war begins, there will be no one behind Sunggoo.
He would stand in the front lines of the war.
If Sunggoo wanted to follow Woojin's back without dying then he had to become much stronger by a large margin. Moreover, he had to do it quickly.
The only person who could make this come true was Sunggoo.
*
After starting the Dungeon at 7 AM, they came out at 7 PM.
Sunggoo was utterly worn out, and Woojin had a smile like always. They headed towards the office.
"President. You are here?"
When Woo-soonghoon's loud voice rang out, everyone got up from there seats. It seemed a good number of the empty desks had found owners.
"H... how do you do?"
The new employees started giving their greetings. There were a mixture of experienced workers, and new workers. Jung-minchan probably chose good employees, and he'll probably keep them in line.
There were couple bastards with odorous souls, but...
"Did you ready it?"
"Of course."
After hearing Woojin's words, Soonghoon confidently led Woojin to the lounge.
It was a place where the employees could take a break. There were glass desks off to one side of the room, and the latest computer rig with large monitors was placed there.
To be exact, there were 5 computers decked out.
"What is that?"
"It a special game room made for president. I investigated the new hires, and there are 2 Diamond players. There is even one platinum... Hehe. You won't have to worry about your team rank. We just have to be bused around."
Woo-soonghoon was a Silver 2, so he spoke with confidence. Woojin let out a sigh.
"You do a lot of unnecessary things. Did you prepare the other thing?"
Soonghoon guessed he wasn't talking about this? Woo-soonghoon was momentarily taken aback, but he remembered the passing word spoken to him in the morning.
"Ah. Do you mean the dog?"
"Yes."
"Of course. I've prepared it."
Woo-soonghoon brought a steel cage forward from the corner of the room. The dog was about the size of his thigh, and at a glance, one could tell it was a puppy of a large breed.
"He is a mastiff. His father performed very well in the dog fighting ring. I had a very difficult time getting him. His mother was also quite well built, so he'll probably grow up to be around 80kg. If he'll be president's pet, shouldn't the dog be of this caliber/"
Ha-ah. Why does this bastard always over-do things?
"I'm going to give it to my little sister. Are you sure this dog is suitable for a 7 years old."
"......."
Soonghoon's eyes quickly shook. However, his 8 years experience as a salesman wasn't all for naught.
"Then the mastiff is the right choice. These brutes were used in warfare in the past. He'll grow up to be a very large dog. He'll become a reliable bodyguard for you little sister. When president is absent, he will loyally protect the house."
... his explanation was oddly convincing?
Woojin stroked his chin.
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