[ I Wish They’d Just Leave Me Alone ]
[Why don’t you come meet me now?]
After returning home, I sent a text to the contact number for Goblin that Seok Gimyeong had given me. Apparently, they only receive texts, not calls.
There was no reply, but it wasn’t long before Goblin revealed herself in mid-air. I recognized that mask. I’d seen it in my Korean literature textbook. It was the Malttugi mask, right? Malttugi, the character who mocked and ridiculed his master. I still remember how my Korean teacher’s impression of Malttugi was spot on.
…Did she do it on purpose? Hmm?
“Geez, Boss Kim, you called for me! I hadn’t heard from you in so long, I thought you might’ve set off on your final journey to the afterlife. I was just in the middle of placing a dried pollack head on your memorial table, sticking a big spoon into a mountain of rice, and bowing twice!” (TL Note: Kim is the most common surname in Korea, so she’s pretending not to know his name)
“…That’s enough.”
“Why aren’t you playing along?”
Should I grab a drum and start banging it? I should send her off quickly; I’m too tired to play around with someone as tricky as a three-year-old.
“Enough, I have a job for you.”
“I’m a busy Goblin! I don’t do petty tasks!”
She sure was acting cocky for someone who was technically under me. I took out the tablet I had prepared.
“You’ll change your mind when you hear it.”
“You’re pretty confident. Let’s hear it then!”
The Goblin crossed her arms and nodded her head. Is she my boss or something?
“Shouldn’t you be a bit more respectful to your superior?”
“Fine, fine, tell me!”
“The job is simple. I need you to investigate dungeons in foreign countries.”
“Dungeons?”
“Yeah. I’ve outlined the details on this tablet.”
I had written down the investigation criteria and methods as best as I could recall. First, the plan was to investigate all the dungeons in nearby Japan. Once the data was collected, Seok Hayan would review it and point out any shortcomings, and then we could address those.
“Normally, foreigners aren’t allowed access to dungeons, but with your ability to turn invisible and teleport, you should be able to investigate easily.”
“Of course, I can do that! But why should I?”
“By discovering the laws governing dungeon creation, we can reduce the damage caused by dungeon breaks. In simple terms, you’ll be saving countless lives. The great and powerful Goblin would be doing a heroic deed.”
“I do like that kind of thing!”
The Goblin snatched the tablet out of my hand, shouting in excitement. I hope she knows how to use it. Thankfully, she seemed to navigate the tablet screen with ease.
“But do I really have to go to other countries? It’s too far.”
“Japan’s close. Just sneak onto a plane, and you’ll be there in no time. Please, my beloved Yun Yun.”
Hurry up and unlock that keyword so I can get the long-distance portal skill. At the mention of ‘beloved,’ Goblin cringed.
“Not that again! I won’t work if you keep saying that!”
“Why does a Goblin hate being called ‘beloved’? Goblins are naturally affectionate beings, after all.”
Goblins can shapeshift into beautiful women to seduce men or pursue women, according to the encyclopedia.
“…Really?”
“Of course. A true Goblin should be accustomed to love. I love you, Yun Yun. Come on, you try it too.”
Hesitating for a moment, Goblin then shouted loudly,
“I love you, Mr. Kim!”
“Good, that’s right. I love you too, Yun Yun.”
As we exchanged proclamations of love, I checked my skill window just in case. Still no sign of Goblin’s name appearing. I guess knowing her personal backstory might help, but saying it three or four times didn’t seem to cut it. I wonder how many more times I’ll need to say it.
“Ugh… I’ll head to Japan now…”
“Have a safe trip. Be careful. Your safety is the most important thing. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. I love you.”
The Goblin disappeared without a trace.
I stared at the empty space for a while before letting out a sigh.
‘This should be enough, right?’
I sat on the edge of the bed and eventually lay down completely.
Now, I just had to pass the data on to Seok Hayan. Once her research lab was set up in my building, her safety would be guaranteed, and there’d be no interference from the government or any particular guilds.
Unlike five years in the future, no one would be hoarding or monopolizing information now.
‘And there’s Peace and Yu Myungwoo too. I’ll probably end up turning both into S-rank hunters. Haven’t I done enough at this point?’
Now there’s not much left to do except raise the kids. Maybe I’ll occasionally awaken some promising non-awakened individuals as I wander around.
Even though I have future knowledge, it’s not like I know everything. Many things have already changed, so some of it is useless now.
With this much groundwork laid, things should run more smoothly from here.
Honestly, I feel like I’ve done way too much. Once you start rolling, it’s hard to stop.
But this is really the end now. I’ve ensured everyone’s safety, secured a decent fortune, and my younger brother, who was already doing well, will do even better.
If I manage to raise Kim Seonghan properly and bring Moon Hyunah into the fold, that’ll make four S-rank combat hunters. And if I keep finding promising combat or healer types, it’s only a matter of time before we achieve the number one spot in the country… Hm. Should I really join Haeyeon after all? That sounds like a pain.
Maybe I should cancel the family discount and change the deal to being the number one in the world instead.
‘At least my brother won’t work me to the bone, right?’
I might just get a title slapped on me and be done with it.
Anyway, this is really the end. Everything’s done!
Except for one thing…
‘…The guy who made the system still bothers me.’
But they said it was all confirmed, didn’t they? It’s probably really over. Maybe I should’ve tested teleportation when I had Goblin summoned.
It feels off.
…Damn it, whatever. I’ve done enough. I’ll just fill the waiting time occasionally and live peacefully raising monsters.
“Hey, Mister, the commercials are over!”
Yerim, who was sitting on the couch hugging a cushion, shouted excitedly. By the way, that couch was our fifth one. The previous four were devoured by Peace, who’s now rolling around on the table. The king of destruction, I swear.
“I’m not really interested.”
“Why not? I even set the recording!”
Why bother recording it? …Well, I set it to record too, but still. Peace is going to be on it. Even if seeing myself is a bit embarrassing, I have to save the parts with Peace.
As I sat down on the couch, Peace jumped onto my lap, as if he had been waiting. Take it easy when you jump, remember your size.
-Grrrr
I patted his head as he nuzzled against me, and Yerim shot me a long, knowing look.
“Did you know Peace is such a pretender?”
“What do you mean, a pretender?”
“When you’re not around, he doesn’t even wag his tail, let alone acknowledge anyone. He totally ignores people.”
“Well, you did torment him the first time you met him. He has every reason to ignore you.”
Yerim made an indignant face at my comment.
“That’s different! Oh, it’s starting.”
A short narration played as Yerim was introduced first. The caption described her as the youngest S-rank combat hunter.
“It’s on already?”
Yu Myungwoo came out carrying snacks. The delicious smell immediately made me sit up straight.
“What’s that?”
Yerim also perked up, putting down the cushion she had been hugging. Myungwoo set the plate he was holding down on the table.
“Fried scorched rice and buttered potatoes.”
Just hearing it sounded delicious. Yerim and I both reached for the food at almost the same time, each grabbing a piece of fried scorched rice and popping it into our mouths.
Crunch.
Wow… How did he get it so perfectly crispy? And the amount of sugar sprinkled on top is just right. It brings out the nutty flavor without overpowering it with sweetness.
“Oh my god, what is this? What is this? Did you make this yourself?”
Yerim, her eyes wide with amazement, stabbed a buttered potato with her fork. Without waiting for it to cool, she stuffed it in her mouth and chewed, her expression turning blissful.
“Myungwoo oppa…!”
…Her way of addressing him just turned into ‘oppa.’ Yerim, you little brat, didn’t you used to look down on Myungwoo? Now you’re swooning over him after one piece of fried rice and a potato.
Though, I have to admit, it’s worth swooning over… Ugh, these potatoes are too good. It’s almost a shame that Peace only cares about mana stones and monster meat.
-Kyann!
Just then, Peace let out a cry toward the TV. I looked up to see my own face on screen, sitting in a chair while holding Peace. Seeing myself on TV was a bit embarrassing… Wait, what’s with that caption?
“Mister, look at your caption! It says ‘Monster Dad!’”
Yerim, holding a piece of scorched rice in each hand, laughed hysterically. Sure enough, the caption under my name read: “Monster Dad, Han Yujin.”
Damn it, I distinctly told them I was a beast tamer, that my skill was called ‘Beast Tamer.’ Why did they turn it into ‘Monster Dad’? It looks like something from a family variety show, where the dad says to his kid, “Listen to your dad, Peace~” as the show ends.
Is this that kind of show? Why does it look like this?
“Being on TV, you’re really amazing.”
Unlike the giggling Yerim, Myungwoo was genuinely impressed. Amazing, my foot. You’ll be on TV like this soon enough too.
Just then, my phone rang. It was a call from an unknown number. Who could it be?
“Hello?”
[Yujin! I just saw you on TV. Do you remember me? We used to work at the factory together!]
I didn’t remember at all. I worked at the factory, what, four years ago? But with everything that’s happened, it feels more like nine years ago. No wonder I couldn’t recall.
“Sorry, but I don’t really remember.”
[Really? That’s too bad. How about we meet up sometime? I’ve started this new business, and it’s got this amazing product!]
Oh, it’s one of those calls. They’re quick, aren’t they? How long has it been since the broadcast aired?
“Really? What’s the product?”
Showing a little interest, I let them start babbling on. Hmm, not very creative. It lacks conviction, and they’re not explaining it well.
“I don’t think I’m interested. Thanks, but I’ll pass.”
I hung up and blocked the number. Yerim, who had been watching me take the call, shook her head in disbelief.
“Why even answer? Just hang up right away. I changed my number, you know. I even had people contact me from a distant relative’s in-law’s cousin’s friend’s side. You should change yours too.”
“I’m not planning on changing it anytime soon. It’s fun.”
“…Fun?”
“Yeah. I like spam calls. Especially creative ones.”
It’s one of my few hobbies. They pay for the call, they talk enthusiastically, and the service is good. What’s not to like? It’s an affordable, low-effort way to kill time while lying around. The only downside is that the stories tend to get repetitive.
“Oh, another one.”
“…Mister.”
Yerim looked at me in disbelief. Myungwoo seemed equally confused. Is it really that weird?
“No, I mean… If they really have a good product, I might invest.”
“You’ll get scammed. Find a different hobby.”
“Yeah, you might get taken in if you’re not careful.”
These kids… I’ve been doing this for years now. I know how it goes. Still, I felt self-conscious, so I didn’t take the next call and switched my phone to silent mode. With all the buzz surrounding Peace’s value and the fact that major guilds were considering investments, I was bound to get all kinds of calls.
Looks like things are going to be fun for a while.
“Huaah…”
Yawning, I walked into the living room. There was a really chatty person last night, and I ended up staying up too late. Someone with such a knack for conversation should be on TV or write a book instead of trying to scam people. What a waste of talent.
‘If I used Optimized Awakening, they’ll probably get a related skill.’
Something like “A Tongue That Floats Even in Water.”
“Sorry I’m late. Were you really bored?”
As I opened the door, Peace rushed out and rubbed his cheek against my leg.
-Grrr
“Okay, okay. We’ll go out as soon as you eat.”
After having a lazy late breakfast that was more like brunch, we headed outside. Peace trotted ahead of me, leading the way.
Near the dormitory floor’s elevators and stairs, there was a guard posted now, unlike before. Not just a regular guard—it was a hunter.
“Hello.”
I greeted him and took a quick glance. B-rank, attack type. The visitor badge hanging from his neck showed he was sent by MKC.
Since my protection was being handled jointly, each guild was taking turns sending bodyguards.
Yesterday, Breaker had even sent an A-rank hunter, but MKC seemed a bit stingy. Of course, B-rank wasn’t low, but still. The A-rank from Breaker had been surprisingly nice, unlike the guild leader. Friendly, not arrogant, and a beauty to boot, with a keen interest in Monster Mounts.
Probably why she had been so kind, but hey, I’ll take motivated kindness over unmotivated rudeness any day.
“Are you heading to the training room?”
“Yes.”
The B-rank hunter pressed the elevator button for me. This is the kind of treatment I could have only dreamed of before. But now, I’m also a B-rank.
When the elevator arrived, Peace hopped on and quickly pressed the button for the basement floor. Such a smart boy. Whose kid is he, seriously?
We arrived at the basement floor, where the training rooms were, and I collected the key to Peace’s private training room from the management office. Though calling it “private” wasn’t exactly a special favor.
Since combat-capable skills were banned in urban areas, the training rooms were almost never fully booked. If anything, there were always more rooms than there were people to use them. Most hunters B-rank and above preferred to use dedicated training facilities in the outskirts, like in Gyeonggi Province.
As a result, Haeyeon’s underground training rooms were used more often by their affiliated smaller guilds than by Haeyeon guild members themselves.
Most major guilds had several smaller guilds under their umbrella. This was because they had to manage not only high-level dungeons but also a certain percentage of mid-to-low-level dungeons.
Sending high-ranking hunters from the main guild to clear mid-to-low-level dungeons would be a waste of manpower, so they entrusted those duties to smaller affiliated guilds. In return, they provided support like access to training rooms and equipment management teams.
Haeyeon had a few such affiliated guilds as well.
‘Up until five years from now, none of them caused any major issues.’
I didn’t remember all the smaller guilds in detail, but that’s how it had been. The fact that Haeyeon’s affiliated guilds were so well-behaved was proof that Yuhyun, for a guild leader, was pretty mild-mannered. I can guarantee it, having spent five years with nothing to criticize about my brother, which only made him more annoying.
Out of all the guild leaders, he’s the best.
–TL Notes–
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Seems more likely he has an iron fist