Yoon-Hee patted Yong-Yong on the head with a smile.
“I’m off! Take good care of the house while I’m gone.” She waved goodbye and closed the door.
Yong-Yong had gone to bed early the previous night and was already wide awake this morning.
He jumped up and turned the doorknob. A clicking sound was heard, but the door didn’t open, proof that the lock was functioning properly. He remembered seeing on TV that locking the door carefully was important when no adults were home.
Karsiel and Byeol were fast asleep, hugging each other tightly. Byeol always wore panda pajamas to bed, and with the hood pulled over her head, she looked just like a baby panda.
With Do-Jun at work, Yong-Yong had truly become the master of the nest.
And what does a nest’s master do?
After pondering deeply, Yong-Yong got an idea. He opened a drawer and pulled something out.
***
The low hum of the fan motor and compressor echoed as the refrigerator door opened. The refrigerator light cast a soft glow inside, illuminating the containers of side dishes and today’s lunch—grilled mackerel.
“This is bad...” Yong-Yong sighed.
Yoon-Hee didn’t know this, but Byeol wasn’t particularly fond of grilled fish. At her pickiest, she wouldn’t even touch it.
“Should I use the coupon?”
Last week, Yong-Yong finally collected ten fried chicken coupons. With ten coupons, the chicken shop would deliver a free whole fried chicken. However, wanting to save the chicken for a special occasion, Yong-Yong shook his head and took out the plastic-wrapped grilled mackerel instead.
He placed the mackerel in the microwave to heat it up. After laying out various side dishes on the table, he scooped rice into a bowl.
That’s when Byeol walked into the kitchen with clear, wide eyes, fully awake.
She gasped as soon as she sniffed the strong fishy smell.
Byeol glanced nervously at Yong-Yong, then placed a hand on her forehead and dramatically declared, “My fohed hot. Byeol is sick. I need more sweep.”
With that, she scurried back under the blanket.
Dragons were known for their incredibly sensitive hearing, capable of catching even the faintest sounds. As such, Yong-Yong could clearly hear Byeol muttering under the covers, “S-Sieh... F-fish...”
Yong-Yong immediately pulled out a notebook labeled “Nest Management Log.” He opened to the first page and began to write.
“Byeol pritended to be sik to aboid eating fish.”
***
Do-Jun’s days had been unusually peaceful lately.
Most of his time was spent processing administrative tasks, exploring Fissures, or conducting regular patrols with Ye-Ji. There wasn’t much else to disrupt his routine.
Do-Jun opened a drawer and saw that it was crammed with documents. Since he had some free time today, he decided to sort and organize them.
The majority were printed reports from Fissure explorations or records of complaints submitted by citizens.
Amidst the papers, he spotted a golden business card that read “Treasure Goblin Company Pass” and was reminded of the Treasure Goblin he had encountered when giving a Fissure presentation to the Academy students at Dongguk University.
He recalled what the goblin had said. “If you visit us sometime, I’ll give you a proper reception.”
Resting his chin on his hand, Do-Jun examined the card closely.
[Treasure Goblin Company Pass]
Grade: S
Effect: Teleports the user to the “Treasure Goblin Company.” (Single-use)
He didn’t know much about the Treasure Goblin Company, but it seemed worth visiting at least once. Besides, the card had been sitting unused in his drawer for quite some time.
Maybe I should pay him a quick visit, he thought. He felt that he might never go at all if he didn’t go now.
***
Treasure Goblin Maxim immediately knew that Do-Jun had arrived at the Company. The access pass Do-Jun used was enchanted with special magic that allowed the goblins to identify the visitor.
Maxim quickly ran to the entrance of the Company, where Do-Jun was.
“Thank you for coming all the way here!” he greeted Do-Jun with a broad smile.
The Company was vast, with many things to watch out for, so a guide was essential.
“The Skillbook was really handy, thank you,” Do-Jun said. The A-rank skill, Binding Chains, had been passed on to Yoon-Hee.
Perhaps because of the gratitude, Maxim scratched his head and laughed sheepishly.
“Oh, that’s nothing! We can provide those as complimentary gifts anytime. Anyway, I’ll make sure you’re fully satisfied with your tour of the Treasure Goblin Company today.”
With that, Maxim handed Do-Jun a card.
Before Do-Jun could even wonder what the card was for, Maxim explained, “It’s a wallet for holding mastery stones, which are used to purchase items here at the Company.”
“Mastery stones, huh. So this place really is part of the Core,” Do-Jun muttered.
“Ah, you’re well-informed,” Maxim said, looking slightly impressed.
With that, he guided Do-Jun through the Company. Sёarᴄh the NovelZone.fun website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
***
The structure of the Treasure Goblin Company was simpler than expected.
It spanned from the first basement floor to the eighth, with each floor dedicated to the sale or purchase of artifacts. The lower the floor, the higher the grade of artifacts they dealt with, much like the system in the Core.
“I see you have adventurers here as well,” Do-Jun commented.
“Indeed, sir. We’ve heard that adventurers below the fourth floor of the Core can enter our company without a pass.”
The adventurers, familiar with the setting, casually browsed for artifacts that they needed or sparked their curiosity. Transactions were made using the mastery stones stored on their cards as currency.
Despite the cutting-edge facilities, the place was lively and had the atmosphere of a bustling local market.
“If there’s any artifact you’re looking for, please let me know. Of course, there are limits to what I can offer, but if it’s within my means, I’ll gladly assist,” Maxim said.
“I’ll let you know if I see anything.”
Do-Jun glanced over the artifacts, but nothing caught his eye. Besides, for someone of Do-Jun’s caliber, artifacts were unnecessary luxuries.
He already wielded the Heavenly Demon Sword, a blade that made the world tremble in fear. There was unlikely to be any weapon that could surpass it.
Just then, a carriage approached from a distance—or rather, flew toward them.
[The Jade-Faced Noble arrives!]
[Show your respect!]
Horses galloped through the air as the carriage made its way closer. Finally, it landed on the ground.
Everyone present—Treasure Goblins and adventurers alike—fell to their knees and bowed deeply.
“S-sir, please do what I’m doing,” Maxim muttered to Do-Jun as he lowered himself like the others.
The Jade-Faced Noble was a figure of overwhelming power, a Transcendent ranked third among the strongest beings of the Deep Realm. Although his title spoke of elegance, his methods were notoriously brutal. He occasionally visited the Treasure Goblin Company to browse or purchase artifacts.
Of all days, today had to be one of those days.
“Sir!” Maxim urged Do-Jun.
However, Do-Jun neither knelt nor bowed. He didn’t even lower his gaze. He merely looked at the man stepping out of the carriage.
Panicking, Maxim grabbed the hem of Do-Jun’s pants, urging him to bow. “Sir!!!”
Maxim was on the verge of tears as he clung desperately to Do-Jun.
At that moment, the Jade-Faced Noble locked eyes with Do-Jun. The air grew chillingly cold, the tension palpable. It felt as though the slightest movement could ignite a deadly battle.
Wei Zhongqi, known in the Core as the Jade-Faced Noble, visibly trembled as if he had seen a ghost. Do-Jun’s icy gaze bore into him, and the blood drained from Wei Zhongqi’s face.
And then, to everyone’s utter shock, Wei Zhongqi fell to his knees before Do-Jun. The onlookers gasped in shock, their mouths agape.
“I see you recognize me,” Do-Jun said.
“Wei Zhongqi of the Shadowless Squad humbly greets the Heavenly Demon.”
The Jade-Faced Noble, one of the Deep Realm’s most feared figures, had once been a disciple of Heavenly Demonism. At the age of fifteen, he joined the sect and barely graduated from its Black Assassination Academy, finishing at the very bottom. He was then assigned to the Shadowless Squad, the sect’s secret investigative unit.
Do-Jun remembered him well.
“You were always a late student.”
Wei Zhongqi had always been slow to learn and was frequently outpaced by peers and juniors in receiving assignments. Do-Jun had often lent a helping hand, and Wei Zhongqi was fully aware of this.
“It is an honor that you remember me.”
Wei Zhongqi slowly lifted his head to meet Do-Jun’s gaze.
Though his demeanor had somewhat changed since their time in the Central Plains, there was no mistaking it—this was the Heavenly Demon, the leader who once ruled over the world.
“It’s been a while. It’s nice to see you,” Do-Jun said with a faint smile.
Wei Zhongqi blinked, unsure if he had seen it correctly. The Heavenly Demon he remembered was always cold, emotionless, and detached. He never openly displayed sadness, joy, or anger.
Did he... just smile?
***
Bubbling noises filled the air as dinner was being prepared.
Having finished his shower, Do-Jun sat on the sofa, drying his damp hair with a towel. Yong-Yong poked his head out from under the table, watching Do-Jun intently. He then crawled over and began patting Do-Jun’s shoulders.
“Master, you’ve worked so hard.”
Suspicious, Do-Jun scanned the room, wondering if Yong-Yong had caused some mischief. He even checked behind the TV to see if it had been broken like last time, but everything seemed normal.
Noticing Do-Jun was done with his shower, Byeol emerged from the bedroom.
“Daddy! Byeol ate fish.”
“Did you? Was it tasty?”
“Fish... not good, but I still ate it!”
Do-Jun tilted his head, trying to figure out where Byeol was going with this.
“And I also read a book!”
“Wow, you even read a book? Good job, Byeol.”
“Mhm.”
Byeol stared at Do-Jun expectantly, her eyes shining with anticipation, but Do-Jun just looked puzzled.
“Oh... Yong-Yong twicked me...” Byeol hung her head low, sighed dramatically, and trudged back to the bedroom with drooping shoulders.
That’s when Do-Jun saw a book lying on the table. Curious, he opened it to check its contents.
“Nest Management Log”
“Byeol pritended to be sik to aboid eating fish. Told her Master wood give her a kiss if she ate it.”
“Karsiel tryd to read a book to Byeol, but she refewsed, saying it was boring. Told her Master wood give her a kiss if she read it.”
.
.
.
Reading the notes in the journal, Do-Jun looked at Yong-Yong in disbelief.
In return, Yong-Yong gave him a thumbs-up and winked.
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