“Not today. I’m really taking the day off.”
“Then tomorrow’s okay?”
“Tomorrow I’m going Chuseok gift shopping with Yerim. We also have to buy the ritual items and groceries for the table.”
Yuhyun said he’d take care of ordering the hanbok. If I have ti, I’d like to check on Seong Hyunjae to see if he’s still resting well, but I didn’t expect my eyes to end up like this. Should I sneak out? With the black wildcat jacket, even S-ranks would have a hard ti noticing if I used Stealth. So it wouldn’t be too hard...
“You’re doing ancestral rites?”
“Just a simple one. Buying most things pre-made, frying a few jeon, and making songpyeon.”
“We’re really making songpyeon?”
Yerim, who was eating a sandwich loaded with eggs and bacon, asked.
“It’s Chuseok.”
“Hardly anyone makes their own songpyeon these days. Co on, Hyungnim.”
Moon Hyunah’s comnt about how everyone just buys their food made feel a little embarrassed, but still, it’s Chuseok. Moon Hyunah propped her chin on her hand and stared at .
“You’re not gonna work Yerim to the bone frying jeon, are you?”
“Why would I? And hey, I’ve even done part-ti work making holiday food. I’m not amazing at cooking in general, but I’m good at frying jeon.”
I used to help out at a local banchan shop during the holidays. It was a long ti ago, but I still rember most of it. Their braised tofu was really good. I had known a fair number of people in the neighborhood outside the shop too, but after leaving like I was running away, I never contacted anyone or even went near the area again.
If I ran into soone, they’d definitely bring up Yuhyun, ask a bunch of questions. And all the old mories would co flooding back.
“But didn’t anyone contact Mister Han?”
“Hmm?”
“I an for holiday greetings. They usually send sothing to all the S-rank Hunters, ask them to make an appearance or sothing for the broadcast.”
Ah, that. S-rank Hunters are practically celebrities, so they’d sotis show up in holiday greetings or New Year’s bell-ringing events. Yuhyun hadn’t made a single appearance in the past eight years, though.
“I an, I’m officially just B-rank. Did you get contacted, Yerim?”
“I did! They said they wanted and Mister and the Guild Leader to appear together.”
“ too?”
“You’re family. It’s Chuseok. Oh, and Peace as well.”
Well, it’d look nice, wouldn’t it? From what I rember, Choi Seokwon used to appear the most often, but he’d already crossed over the Jordan River, so the organizers were probably in a tight spot. He likely fild a bunch of comrcials too.
“Not many S-ranks are expected to appear this Chuseok. The Sesung Guild Leader’s taking a break for a while too.”
“As if that guy would do a holiday greeting anyway.”
Moon Hyunah remarked. He’d only done a New Year’s greeting once—before the regression. So who knows if he’ll do it again this ti.
“But Chief Song’s still around. He’ll probably do another one this Chuseok, all stiff-faced like, ‘Have a safe holiday season.’”
“Along with sothing about civilian evacuation asures in case of a dungeon break.”
“Yerim, are you going on air?”
“By myself?”
Yerim looked at , then quickly turned away.
“No, I an, you said you’re doing ancestral rites.”
“It’s not like it’s on the sa day. Want to go with you?”
“Mister’s eyes are like this, and you’re still tired.”
“I should be able to see a bit by then. I’ll ask Yuhyun too.”
She said he’d obviously say no, but she still looked hopeful. If it’s just recording a quick holiday greeting, it wouldn’t be that hard.
It was nearing noon, but the weather stayed cool. Felt like autumn was truly setting in. We chatted, laughed, and ate delicious food.
Ate and... hmm.
“I’m full.”
“Just from that?”
“Eat more, eat more.”
I’d eaten two {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} palm-sized sandwiches. Plus a rich chocolate tart, thin-fried sweet potatoes, perfectly ripe grapes and apples. It was basically a full al. Yerim split open a large dumpling packed with minced at using her chopsticks. The juices spilled out onto the plate.
“Just three more years and I’ll be taller than you, Mister.”
“I’d say two’s enough. So you’d better step it up too, Mister Han.”
“I’m fully grown, thank you very much.”
Maybe I’d grow a tiny bit more thanks to level-ups, but that was about it. Yerim, on the other hand, still had a lot of growing to do. Even Yuhyun looked like he’d gotten a bit taller.
“When are we doing that drinking night? Honestly, I ca today to invite you out.”
“I’m free tonight!”
“Yerim, no.”
At my words, Yerim pouted.
“I’m an S-rank Awakened, and yet there’s still so much I’m not allowed to do? They say we’re equal to adults.”
“That’s for Hunter-related matters only. You’re still a minor. The laws are going to change soon, too. We’ll do the drinking party after-Chuseok.”
Chief Song must be ntally exhausted right now. A drink would probably help—but pushing too hard wouldn’t be good either. And most of all, with my condition like this, there’s no way Yuhyun would let out.
“Also, I can buy better booze than your neighborhood stores.”
“What?”
Moon Hyunah looked at with eyes that practically lit up.
“I still have so points left in the shop. They’ve got alcohol in there too. Just keep it a secret. It’s cheap, so I can get you maybe three or four bottles.”
“Mister Han, you’re seriously the Lord of Liquor now!”
After being the landlord, now I’m the Lord of Booze, huh.
“How many points do you have left? There’s probably no way to get more now, right? What a sha.”
“I’m saving what’s left as much as I can. There’s a set of gear I’ve had my eye on. Thinking I might use it to unlock that.”
“A set? Is it the cat one?”
“It’s a wildcat.”
“Whatever! It was a gun, a jacket, and shoes, right? Collect them all, Mister!”
Yerim said, her face full of curiosity.
“Usually those co with set bonuses. Since it’s an S-rank set, it’s definitely gonna be good.”
“The problem is, it’s soulbound to . The Rookie’s not gonna take it back, but still, no one else can use it, so the points feel a little wasted.”
“What do you an wasted? You’re using it well. Since it’s a cat set... maybe if you collect them all, you can transform into a cat?”
Now that’s a completely useless skill. And it’s a wildcat, by the way.
“A cat transformation skill? What would I even do with that? It’s totally...”
...useful? If I could turn into an ordinary-looking cat on the outside, it’d be a great way to move around unnoticed. There are so many stray cats out there that I could go out without drawing attention. As long as I kept it a secret, I could even use it to hide in an ergency.
“Why not? Like a ten-ter-tall giant cat monster!”
“...That would be totally useless.”
Moon Hyunah laughed and said if I ever transford, she’d take care of . My place is perfectly intact, thank you very much.
“So basically, you can freely bring over those items, which is useful in a lot of ways. Everyone else chose skills, except for Yerim’s spirit.”
“Yeah. I also asked Myungwoo to check if he could manufacture the gun. There are bombs too. But I think the bombs might be a bit dangerous.”
“There are real bombs in the world, Mister Han. No need to worry before you even buy them. The high-grade ones will be expensive, sure, but if you manage them well, they’ll be fine. Sa goes for poison and curse items.”
That’s true. Moon Hyunah loosely crossed her arms and glanced toward the building with the forge.
“A lot has changed, and more will continue to change—just like always. Give it a hundred years... no, even ten, and dungeons and Awakened will beco normal. The ti before will feel like a blur.”
Normal, huh. Well, even without dungeons, the world people live in has changed plenty. In the Middle Ages, dungeons and Awakened appearing would’ve probably been less shocking than suddenly introducing modern society.
“People have already adjusted.”
Makes you wonder what daily life really ans. When even a world where monsters show up can beco normal. I rembered people going about their day, only to retreat into shelters as soon as the sun went down. Maybe I’ll eat another grape.
“Hyung, careful.”
Yuhyun said, opening the car door for . Even though Belare was helping , he looked nervous, afraid I’d misstep. As soon as we got out of the car, I felt eyes turning our way. Despite it being a weekday, the Hunter Market was packed with custors. There were Hunters, of course, but today there were a lot of civilians too. Technically the gifts were labeled for Hunters, but the vitality potions could be used by non-Awakened people too, making them popular. They were high-end ergency supplies perfect to keep at ho.
Before the regression, stamina potions were the most popular gift item. Especially for households with students preparing for exams.
“It’s Park Yerim!”
Soone shouted. Yerim smiled and waved.
“It’s really her! The Haeyeon Guild Leader’s here too.”
“Isn’t that a monster on Han Yujin’s neck?”
“Unnie, you were so cool! You’re the best!”
Wait, unnie?
“...They look like high schoolers.”
“Mister, if you’re cool, you’re automatically ‘unnie.’ And, well, I am super cool.”
Is that so. Well, she is cool. Probably because of the Korea-Japan match, most of the attention was on Yerim. Yuhyun had wiped out a bunch of SS-rank monsters too, but the difference between watching a fight on live broadcast and not was huge. Plus, seeing an entire city lt down wasn’t sothing people could just admire—it was more terrifying. The fact they weren’t panicking over it was a relief in itself.
“First we need to get the top-tier gift set. They said stock’s limited. And we’ll get potion sets for the non-Awakened.”
I was planning to send the non-Awakened employees a package with Korean beef and potion sets. The beef had already been ordered from a departnt store. I wanted to pick it out in person, but with how crowded it would be, going around with both Yuhyun and Yerim would just cause trouble.
Even now, non-Awakened and lower-ranked Awakened were subtly avoiding us. Yerim was fine, but my younger brother’s expression was ice-cold, clearly not thrilled about being out.
“Hey, Guild Leader, ease up a little.”
Yerim grabbed my arm and nudged Yuhyun.
“I know it’s annoying, but can’t you tone it down a bit? Or is your control slipping? I can manage mine just fine~”
“I have no intention of letting anyone near Hyung.”
Yuhyun said quietly. Then he scanned the area with an even colder gaze.
“Okay, okay. Let’s just get the shopping done. You two don’t need anything?”
“Nothing here catches my eye.”
Yerim shrugged. Then added quietly, Gotta save money.
“There are Myungwoo oppa’s items, but the Hunter Association also gave priority access to S-rank auction items this ti. For representing Korea and all. But, well, it’s just a priority slot...”
You still needed money to make a purchase. Priority ant you could buy at 1.5 tis the starting bid, I think. If you picked wisely, it could be a great deal.
“If you see sothing you like, say so.”
“I’m good.”
“You said they used your skill. Let at least repay you.”
“Well, okay then. But seriously, the stuff here’s kind of whatever now. Instead, do a favor next ti, okay?”
“Sure. Anything you want.”
We headed up to the sixth floor to buy the premium gift sets. It was less crowded up there, but still much busier than the last ti I ca. People in formal suits were coming and going with packaged boxes in hand.
“Welco. I’m Ki Yunseo, manager of the sixth floor of the Hunter Shopping Mall.”
The manager greeted warmly, saying it had been a while, Director Han. Was this the sa person who helped us last ti? Like before, we were guided to a small glass-walled reception room. Yerim fluttered off, saying she was going to browse around.
Three types of gift sets were laid out on the table in order.
“These sets contain high-grade vitality potions, mana potions, and antidotes. The difference between the first two is only in quantity, and the last one excludes the mana potion and is intended for non-Awakened recipients. Normally, potion sales and gifts to non-Awakened are restricted, but this has been lifted for Chuseok only.”
It was ant to prevent the rich from hoarding potions. Even if it’s Chuseok-only, including high-grade potions in gift sets probably ans supply has piled up. Still, they could just lower the prices.
“And this is a slightly special product.”
The manager carefully placed a small, silver-hued bottle on the table.
“It’s a tonic released overseas, especially effective for non-Awakened individuals. Of course, it’s also good for Awakened with low stats. We recomnd it for anyone D-rank or below. It’s not much use for those above that.”
“A tonic?”
Yuhyun tilted his head. I explained it was like a health supplent, and he stared seriously at the bottle. Seeing his interest, the manager began enthusiastically explaining sothing about dungeon byproducts and healers. So even this kind of stuff is coming out now.
‘The issue was the narcotics.’
But there’s nothing I can really do about that. Like Hyunah said—bombs and drugs already exist. Even in Korea, I should just focus on helping Chief Song with better enforcent. Speaking of which, what should I get him as a gift? Hanwoo won’t work, so maybe ham? Better than tuna, right? Honestly, I’d love to just fill his freezer with Korean beef—
“Oh.”
A familiar face appeared beyond the glass wall. It was Song Taewon. Speak of the devil—he showed up the mont I thought of him. Must have been at the Hunter Association already. Chief Song walked around the wall and entered the reception room.
“May I speak with you privately for a mont?”
At his words, Yuhyun imdiately frowned. Yerim had also returned at so point and stood by my side like a guard.
“Sure. We don’t need to go far, do we?”
“This private room is fully soundproofed and secure.”
When I stood up, Yuhyun stood too. And Yerim naturally followed. At the door, Song Taewon glanced at the two trailing behind .
“Please wait here.”
Their gazes sharpened. Before Yuhyun could open his mouth, I spoke first.
“It’s just right over there. Wait a sec.”
Whatever it’s about, it could involve Seong Hyunjae. We had agreed to keep his condition a secret. Yuhyun was one thing, but I couldn’t say anything in front of Yerim.
“Five minutes.”
“Give ten.”
“Nope.”
“Hey...”
I pacified them both and stepped into the private room. Aside from the thick door, it looked like a luxurious lounge. I had a rough idea of what this was about.
“Is it about my skill?”
“Yes.”
I walked toward the sofa, but Song Taewon didn’t budge. So I stayed standing and opened my mouth.
“It’s only usable for a very short ti, so there’s no need to worry.”
“Even so, it’s S-rank. It needs to be verified.”
“Verification, huh. Well, that’s a bit tricky. I can’t use it right now.”
I looked up at him and smiled.
“You can just pretend it doesn’t exist. I can’t use it unless I’m literally in a life-threatening situation. That’s how it is.”
I took off my sunglasses. Noticing sothing odd, Song Taewon’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. Then I deactivated the Teacher skill. My vision instantly went pitch black. Not just sight—thermal detection vanished too, and I staggered instinctively. I stumbled into the sofa trying to catch my balance. A pair of hands quickly reached out and steadied .
-Shh!
“I’m okay, Belare.”
“Your eyes...”
“Yeah, I can’t see. It’s temporary. This happens when I overuse my skill. My stats are F-rank, so I can’t handle the backlash.”
After a brief silence, I heard a short sigh from above my head. Song Taewon helped stand upright.
“Understood. Clearly, no rank adjustnt is necessary.”
“At this point, I’ll be lucky if my rank doesn’t drop.”
I reached for Belare and reactivated the Teacher skill, then put my sunglasses back on. Song Taewon’s face had gone stiff.
“Ham’s better than tuna, right? What if I sneak so Hanwoo into your place?”
“That’s not acceptable. Now that verification is complete, I should...”
He trailed off—unusual for him. It looked like he had more to say but hesitated, then turned away. I thought about stopping him... but didn’t.
“Thank you for helping that day.”
His hand paused on the door.
“Seong Hyunjae’s safe too. He’s probably sleeping soundly by now. I’ll be fine too, once I get a bit of rest.”
“...I see.”
He opened the door and stepped out. At the sa ti, Yuhyun and Yerim burst into the room.
“You okay?”
“Nothing happened, right?”
“Of course I’m okay. What do you two even think of Chief Song?”
At my words, their expressions turned ambiguous. Seriously, what do-they think?
“Publicly, he’s trustworthy.”
“He’s like a civil servant uncle trying really hard to act stiff.”
...Honestly, both are accurate.
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