Do-Jun visited the Treasure Goblin Company for the first time in a while. With the new year, plans were being made to send S-rank Hunters, other than those from Behemoth and Icarus Guilds, into the Core. To prepare them as much as possible before they entered the Tutorial Zone, Do-Jun wanted to gift them some Core artifacts. “Kerk. That’ll be a hundred and thirty orange stones in total,” said the goblin. Do-Jun selected fishing rods for each S-rank Hunter taking on the tutorial. The rods, known as Marvelous Fishing Rods, were grade-3 artifacts. They guaranteed a catch rate of grade 4 or higher artifacts from the Artifact Lake located at the center of the Island of Beginnings.[1] Do-Jun pulled the exact number of orange stones from Ivela’s pouch to pay. However, the goblin wasn’t paying attention to Do-Jun and stared blankly into the distance. Nearby, Byeol was chewing on something, and when her eyes met the goblin’s, she blinked innocently. In her tiny hand was a worm-shaped gummy. Every time Byeol swallowed a piece of gummy worm, the goblin’s Adam’s apple bobbed in sync. What is that? The goblin’s mind was filled with only one thought: the gummy. He had tasted Earth’s chocolate bun twice before, but this was something entirely new. A rare and exotic food he had never come across. “Can I buy these?” Do-Jun asked the goblin, whose mind seemed to be elsewhere. “Oh! Apologies, kerk.” The goblin reached for the orange stones in Do-Jun’s hand but hesitated mid-motion. “Hey... Can I ask you for something? Kerk.” Do-Jun already had a good idea of what this request would be. Sure enough, the goblin asked if he could taste the gummy that Byeol was eating. Scratching his head, Do-Jun looked at Byeol. She rummaged through the packaging, checking how many pieces of gummies were left. After counting about five, she nodded. “Here! You can hab one!” Byeol cheerfully handed over a gummy, realizing she still had plenty left. Naturally, she didn’t offer the Coke-flavored one, which was the highlight of the gummy worms and was always limited to just one per pack. “Kerk, kerk! Thank you!” The goblin received the gummy reverently with both hands, as if handling a sacred relic, and carefully placed it on his desk. Watching this, Byeol pulled out another gummy for herself and said, “If you eat that, you’ll go to heaven.” “Kerk! Is... is that true?” the goblin asked in shock. “Yup! That’s what they said on TV.” When the gummy worms first launched, there was a commercial claiming their taste was so heavenly that it could literally bring you to heaven. The goblin, now even more moved by Byeol’s words, handled the gummy with the utmost care. “What’s this food called, kerk?” The goblin then informed Do-Jun that he could take all the artifacts, including the displayed fishing rods, free of charge. He even hurried away through the other goblin merchants, waving the gummy proudly. “Delrug, what’s that in your hand?” “Is it edible...? Looks fascinating.” “What’s with the fuss, kerk? Acting like you’ve never seen a gummy worm before.” Do-Jun watched the goblin parade the gummy around with a blank expression. At least, now that the artifacts were free, he selected a few essential items for the S-rank Hunters and returned to Earth. The Treasure Goblin Company was also a place for various amusements, including a gambling pit for adults. In one corner of the “casino,” a man was trembling as he experienced the bitter taste of society. “What a shame! So close, kerk!” The casino manager, Kukulkan, dramatically smacked his forehead and sighed at Kiriel’s misfortune. Stunned, Kiriel stared blankly at the scoreboard. The number displayed was 776. “Kerk, I can’t believe you were off by just one number, kerk.” The scoreboard displayed a random number between one and one thousand, but Kiriel’s turn had ended, and the button he pressed was now a dull gray. He had no game tokens left, nor could he afford more since each round cost ten purple stones. “Want to try again, kerk?” Kukulkan asked him. The prize for winning the jackpot, the number 777, was Hermes’ Footsteps, a relic of the Deep Realm. This artifact granted the ability to fly or step freely in midair as if walking on invisible platforms. It was a treasure that could significantly increase anyone's strength. “No... I’m broke,” Kiriel muttered in disbelief. The most update n0vels are published on novᴇlfire.net “Kerk. Well then, I also accept collateral. If you put Gungnir up as collateral, I’ll give you a thousand turns. If you hit the jackpot within those tries, you’ll win both Hermes’ Footsteps and Gungnir. Kerk.” “But if you don’t hit the jackpot, Gungnir is mine. Kerk.” Kiriel hesitated. Gungnir was like an extension of himself. The thought of using it as collateral and handing it over to someone else was unthinkable. Byeol left the apartment with a picture book in her hands. It was Kiriel’s turn for story time, so she headed to the street stall where he was. She thought Kiriel was great at reading stories. He used different voices for each character and acted out the scenes, making it very entertaining. “Oh, hey, Byeol,” Hakase greeted her. “Hi! Where’s Kirieh?” Hakase noticed the book Byeol was holding, Cinderella. He scratched his head, muttering, “Ah, it’s his turn today, huh?” However, he wondered if Kiriel was in the right state of mind to handle it, given his earlier frustration. “Kirieh!” Byeol called out as she saw Kiriel sprawled on the pavilion, staring blankly at the ceiling. Smiling brightly, she ran toward him with quick, excited steps. But as she got closer and caught sight of Kiriel’s vacant expression, she froze. His half-open mouth and hollow gaze toward the roof created an unsettling atmosphere. “Kirieh, what’s wrong? Are you hurt? Want me to kiss it better?” Byeol asked in concern. Looking like a defeated soldier who had just returned from a lost war, Kiriel sat up. Though he wanted to be left alone, Byeol was the exception. His eyes landed on the fairy tale book Byeol was holding. He asked, “Is it my turn to read fairy tales today?” “Yeah! It’s storybook day!” For some reason, watching her made him smile despite his miserable situation. He decided he wouldn’t think about Gungnir or Hermes’ Footsteps for now. “As you know, I’m famous in the Deep Realm for being the best at reading fairy tales,” he said. Byeol handed him the Cinderella storybook. Kiriel poured his heart into his performance for this reading session. The fairy tale session was a huge success. Byeol was so happy that she brought over more books, and Kiriel dutifully read all of them. Afterward, Kiriel returned to the food stall. “Where’s Byeol?” Hakase asked. Kiriel slumped over a table, completely exhausted. Hakase frowned and sighed, aware of the reason for his dejection. At first, he thought Kiriel had lost Gungnir because of some foolish mistake and was probably confiscated by Do-Jun. But no—Kiriel had lost it gambling at the Treasure Goblin Company. “You idiot. Losing your weapon to a goblin? You’re a disgrace to all Transcendents.” Normally, such an insult would have provoked an immediate reaction from Kiriel—perhaps a retort like, “You want to die, huh, lizard?”—but this time, he just sniffled. “I wanted to die the moment I lost Gungnir,” he muttered in despair. “Then just go ahead and die.” “Should I? I should, right...? Without Gungnir, I’m like a taiyaki without any filling.” Hakase clicked his tongue and tossed aside his apron. “First, you get beaten by some kids, and now this. Unbelievable.” In the Treasure Goblin Company Casino, Kukulkan was humming gleefully. He had managed to obtain Gungnir, a relic of the Deep Realm. Although he had been on edge, fearing Kiriel might hit the jackpot, luck had smiled on him instead. But then, someone strode toward him—a long-haired young man with striking good looks and the number “5” engraved on the back of his hand. The man’s gaze locked onto Gungnir in Kukulkan’s hands. “Was it you?” Hakase asked. “The one who took my friend’s weapon.” “Friend? Oh, you must mean Kiriel. Kerk.” Hakase scowled, pulling out an orange gemstone to show Kukulkan. “Here, I’ll try my luck at the game with this. If I win, give Gungnir back.” “K-kerk! That’s... a Dragon Orb!” Dragon Orb was the source of immense power for dragons, akin to their very heart. “So, you’re a dragon, huh? Kerk.” “That’s right!” Hakase roared, startling Kukulkan, who nervously stroked his chin before nodding. “Fine. But no backing out later, kerk.” “Dragons don’t go back on their word.” A sign hung on the food stall’s entrance. The food stall wasn’t open that evening, but Do-Jun still sensed two distinct presences inside. What were they doing, and why was the stall closed? Do-Jun’s form briefly disappeared, reappearing inside the stall. He looked around and saw two men sitting there, looking utterly defeated, their eyes lifeless like dead fish. Sighing, he asked what had happened. The two men hesitantly recounted the entire story. By the end, Do-Jun pinched the bridge of his nose with a heavy sigh. Even at the Treasure Goblin Company Casino, rumors about the legendary gummy worms started to spread. Said to be better than the chocolate bun and a taste of heaven, it was on everyone’s lips. Kukulkan longed to taste the gummy, thinking he could die happy after just one bite. Just then, a man appeared before him. “We’re closed, kerk,” Kulkulkan said without even looking his way. “I’m here to buy Gungnir and the Dragon Orb.” “Kerk. Those aren’t for sale. Even if they were, you couldn’t afford them. Kerk.” “How much?” Do-Jun asked. “At least a hundred thousand purple stones each, kerk.” It was an absurd price. Do-Jun pulled out a brand new, unopened pack of gummy worms he had bought at the convenience store for 1,000 won. Kukulkan’s eyes widened in shock. “I-is that...!” Kiriel and Hakase were stunned. Before them lay Gungnir and the Dragon Orb, placed on the table by Do-Jun. “Don’t tell me... you...” Do-Jun casually explained that he had bought them back from Kukulkan. Moved to the point of tears, the two men felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude. “In exchange, your storybook duties are extended by a week.” With those words, Do-Jun left the food stall. He didn’t bother to mention that both items had been traded for a single pack of gummy worms—as a package deal, no less. 1. Just a reminder, the Artifact Lake and the Island of Beginnings were part of the tutorial’s first stage. ☜