I Was Kidnapped By The Strongest Guild

Ke-luk, ke-luk.

Sophia sneezed repeatedly without a pause.

Her eyes were brimming with tears, perhaps severely irritated.

It was over a minute later when Sophia finally stopped sneezing.

"Are, are you okay?"

"Kkng..."

Sophia nodded her head and wiped the corners of her mouth.

Somehow, her face was filled with dissatisfaction.

"Drinking water too quickly isn't good for you."

Juuk-!

Sophia tugged at my cheek, but strangely, I didn't mind.

Maybe it was out of respect due to her age.

"Then what is it...?"

"It's because of the pond water. Who in the world drinks pond water?"

She looked at me as if I lacked basic common sense.

As someone who heard that the pond water was extremely clean, I felt unfairly judged.

"I heard this pond water is clean enough to drink."

"And so, did the guild people tell you to drink from the pond?"

"No, no, they did say to fetch water from the guild building but..."

Though I had permission, the thought of entering that fearsome space on my own was out of the question.

People apologized, saying they were sorry, but I still couldn't fully trust them.

"It seems I need to start by teaching you some basic common sense."

"Oh..."

Being treated as someone lacking in common sense was frustrating.

But I couldn't argue since it wasn't entirely false.

For nearly eight years, I didn't even know about the existence of 'beast-kin'.

"Let's start with teaching you the important elements of mana and its attributes. Follow along closely."

"Yes..."

Well, whatever.

Learning the common knowledge of this world wouldn't hurt.

I planned to study hard to at least reach the level of an average person.

---

---

Puck-! Puck-!

I dug into the grassy patch next to the tent with a planting spade.

It was an expensive spade I had bought for five thousand won from a nearby general store.

"So, you mean, I'll start to feel mana instinctively?"

"Exactly. You'll come to know it as naturally as breathing."

"Aha."

Maybe the reason time seemed to slow down in urgent situations was because I used mana instinctively.

I tried to use mana again, inhaling sharply and exerting force, but time didn't seem to slow down.

I awkwardly scratched the back of my head.

"However, relying solely on instinct is not enough. Beast-kin are not mere animals."

"I see."

Puck-! Puck-!

I continued to stab the soil with the spade while responding.

The high-quality soil was dug up deeply and easily.

"What are you doing, though...?"

"I'm making a garden. This time, I'm going to grow cabbages too."

"...Is that so."

Sophia approached me, leaning on her staff.

She poked the ground with the blunt end of her staff, creating perfect holes for planting seeds.

"Oh."

Was Sophia willing to help?

Just as I reached for the seed pouch tied around my waist, I heard a familiar set of footsteps from behind.

"Gyeoul, Elder Sophia."

It was Han Yeoreum's voice.

Both Sophia and I turned to look at her.

"Don't call me elder, you."

"Then what should I call you...?"

"Just call me Sophia."

Sophia grumbled and jabbed the ground with her stick.

I planted seeds into the holes she made.

Yeoreum approached us.

"Gyeoul, thanks to you, something good happened to the guild."

"Something good...?"

"Yes. We've started interacting with the beast-kin of the Korean Peninsula."

Why was this thanks to me?

I rolled my eyes, unable to understand.

"...Is that really good?"

"Yes, it's really good. I want to give something back for what you've done. Do you need anything?"

"Uh..."

Caught off guard, I glanced at Sophia.

But she was busy planting seeds.

"It's not for free. It's to thank you for what you've done well."

"Then, then..."

"Then?"

"Could you just buy me a hamburger...?"

I said, eyeing the girl cautiously.

I was worried I might be asking for too much.

"Hey, Gyeoul. You can ask for something bigger."

"Something bigger?"

"Yes. A hamburger isn't really enough to balance it out."

Was interacting with the beast-kin that significant?

I hesitated and then showed two fingers.

"Then, how about two?"

"Two? Can you even eat two hamburgers, Gyeoul?"

"No. One is for Grandma Soph... for her."

Sophia twitched at the sound of 'grandma'.

I quickly corrected myself.

"Um... that's a good idea, but don't you have a bigger request?"

"Uh..."

Was the interaction with the beast-kin that significant?

I stared blankly at Yeoreum and then ran into the tent.

"Gyeoul?"

Ignoring Yeoreum following me, I pushed away the soil in a corner of the tent.

A buried jar emerged from the ground.

"I actually have a lot of money."

When I opened the jar, bundles of banknotes appeared.

They were crumpled and dirty, but...

"Yeah. Gyeoul's rich?"

"Yes. This is all together three million three hundred thousand won. I'm worried about leaving it here."

"Oh. You want me to keep it safe for you?"

"Yes..."

Yeoreum, being incredibly wealthy, wouldn't steal a mere three million three hundred thousand won.

I handed her the jar of money, keeping aside five hundred thousand won for the cafeteria and emergencies.

"Okay. I'll keep it in the safest place in the world for you."

"Th-thank you."

I was worried because I couldn't open a bank account without an ID.

It was a relief to have Yeoreum as a safe place to keep my money.

Phew.

As I let out a sigh of relief, the tent flap opened and three beast-kin entered.

"Gyeoul, let's head out."

"Where to...?"

"Now that we've learned the theory, shouldn't we practice? Let's go to the hunting grounds."

"Ah! I want to come too!"

Flash-!

Seeing Yeoreum raise her hand excitedly, I nodded in agreement.

Certainly, after learning the theory, I should know how to apply it in real situations.

---

---

The grades of hunting grounds are numbered, ascending from the lowest.

For anyone born a human, the beginner's hunting ground is level 0.

The reason for the '0' is because no one has ever died in the beginner's hunting ground.

Then how difficult would a 'Level 1 Dungeon' be, where the numbering starts?

Kim Min-jun, a dungeon management civil servant, could say confidently.

Someone with about a year of soldier training could clear it.

That's how easy Level 1 Dungeons were, so the daily life of Kim Min-jun, the civil servant in charge of Level 1 Dungeons, was more peaceful than expected.

"Yawn."

At a makeshift desk outside the Goblin Dungeon.

Kim Min-jun sat there, yawning and looking around.

'But still, it's better than the beginner's hunting ground.'

Rookie adventurers were holding their weapons, their faces tense with nervousness.

It was better to see this tension than the carefree comings and goings at the beginner's hunting ground.

These hopeful individuals, carrying the seed of adventure.

He had applied to be a dungeon management civil servant because he liked these romantic souls.

Hehe.

Just as Kim Min-jun smiled and was about to start paperwork.

The rookie adventurers outside the dungeon began to stir.

'Huh?'

Their gazes were fixed on a group.

Kim Min-jun reflexively turned his eyes in that direction.

"That is..."

Han Yeoreum.

One of the top ten adventurers in South Korea.

Walking beside her were two beast-kin warriors who looked strong at first glance.

Warriors of the beast-kin, so powerful that their racial trait is known as 'combat'.

They must be high level adventurers.

Kim Min-jun furrowed his brows at their presence, which seemed out of place for a Level 1 Dungeon.

'What's going on?'

Had the dungeon's rank suddenly escalated?

As Kim Min-jun's imagination ran wild, Yeoreum approached him.

"Hello."

"Yes, what can I do for you?"

"Not much, we're here to apply for dungeon entry."

"Uh...?"

An application from a high level adventurer.

This was definitely not a normal situation.

Kim Min-jun thought of the rookie adventurers inside the dungeon and sprang to his feet.

"Is there a problem with the dungeon?!"

"No, just here to train our kid."

"Kid...?"

Kim Min-jun's gaze followed Yeoreum.

Then he saw the child hidden behind Yeoreum and the two beast-kin.

With white hair and drooping feline ears, the child was a beast-kin, clearly terrified at first glance.

"Th-this is the level one hunting ground? It's a really dangerous place..."

Trembling.

Unlike the typically aggressive beast-kin, this one looked frail.

The child looked terrified, but since their guardian was Yeoreum, I couldn't deny their entry.

'...It should be okay, right?'

Han Yeoreum, one of the strongest members of the Yeomyeong Guild, along with two beast-kin warriors.

What kind of being would the child be?

Whatever it was, it certainly wasn't ordinary.

Recalling his superior's order to report any remarkable adventurers, Kim Min-jun handed them the permit.

"You know you're not supposed to catch them all, right?"

"Yes. We'll just catch a few and come out."

"I, I can't catch many. Let's just catch one and go, okay?"

Kim Min-jun chuckled as he watched the child clinging to Yeoreum's clothes and whining.

It was a laugh that came out without him realizing it.

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4/5 Enjoy the chappy!