Chapter 128
Chapter 128
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 128
Chapter Title: Heartfelt Gratitude
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Bang!
A single gunshot rang out.
Thud!
One horned lizard collapsed.
“Phew!”
A sigh scattered into the air. Yuseong, having taken down the horned lizard, walked over to its body.
“It’s definitely tough dealing with monsters that are about ten levels higher.”
Yuseong spoke with genuine sincerity. Compared to the past when he’d swept through them like a tiger charging into a pack of rabbits, it now took a ridiculously long time to take down even one. The increased difficulty was unmistakable.
But the viewers didn’t seem to agree.
[LOL, tough?]
[Those weren’t just any monsters—they were side boss-tier with a huge level gap. Why’d it go down so easily?]
[Anyone can see it looked easy.]
[You can’t take down three tough monsters at once.]
Just moments ago, while he was fighting one, two nearby horned lizards had waddled over. They must have reacted to the sound of battle while patrolling the area. Naturally, they charged at Yuseong upon spotting him.
The viewers had assumed Yuseong couldn’t handle them head-on.
But they were wrong.
Yuseong lured the horned lizards into attacking each other or used one’s body as a shield to fight them off evenly.
If the mobs had even a basic grasp of coordinated attacks, it would’ve been impossible, but fortunately, they weren’t that smart.
Even so, the fact remained that he’d triumphed over three monsters each nearly ten levels above him.
Plus, no matter how dumb the mobs were, there weren’t many players in the world who could exploit them like that.
In other words, to the viewers, Yuseong’s words sounded like nothing but whining.
“That was a close call too. And didn’t I run away once?”
[Against five ten-level-gap monsters?]
[Running from that is impressive in itself.]
No matter what Yuseong said, the viewers weren’t budging from their stance.
Yuseong picked up the bundle left behind as the horned lizard’s body vanished.
“The rewards are solid, as expected.”
The money was good, and the items dropped were quite pricey. Factoring in the experience points, this was far more efficient than his previous hunts.
“Compared to these guys, the side bosses barely give any rewards.”
[They’re just for trophies.]
[If they buffed those rewards, it’d cause an uproar.]
Switching his hunting grounds here had been the right call a hundred times over.
“A bit more grinding, and I should hit at least one level by tonight.”
[Already?]
[Makes sense with the level gap, but still.]
[Even bus parties don’t level that fast.]
[High risk, high return indeed.]
Yuseong tossed back a few replies. Then he began scouring the forest again for his next target.
* * *
Three days had passed since his last trip to that world, and the day for the isekai transfer to reactivate had arrived. Yuseong headed straight there.
The sight before his eyes wasn’t the familiar second-floor room of the house anymore. It was a place with striking floor-to-ceiling glass walls—his new base.
He showered first, as usual. And just like before, the Guide had prepared clothes here too, which he changed into.
[Welcome.]
The same greeting as always. He nodded and picked up the earphones, like he always did.
Here, too, the earphones were in front of the TV, just like at the house. But their size and shape were slightly different from the old ones.
“Different from the ones I used before.”
[I’ve refined them to be a bit smaller. Most people won’t notice them now.]
‘Come to think of it, the old ones got spotted by the barber while I was getting a haircut.’
Yuseong nodded in understanding and put on the earphones. But this time, it wasn’t just the earphones.
“What are these?”
[Smartphones.]
Yuseong picked one up. A device with a screen the size of his palm. Pressing the button on the side brought the display to life.
[Portable computers with communication functions.]
“And?”
[They’re an essential item for people in this world right now. I figured you should have one too, so I got it for you.]
“I already have a portable computer.”
Yuseong shook the one on his wrist. Even without thinking deeply, it was obvious his portable computer outclassed this so-called smartphone in performance.
For starters, this thing didn’t even have holograms. It was bigger and heavier too.
[Carrying a portable computer around in this world is too risky.]
‘Fair point.’
His portable computer projected holograms by default. But this world hadn’t popularized holograms yet. No, they hadn’t even secured the technology properly.
‘That’s why they wanted the hologram components.’
Yuseong readily removed his portable computer and set it in front of the TV.
In the past, he never would’ve parted with such a valuable item, but now he could easily acquire another one.
[Instead, please wear this watch.]
Yuseong glanced at the wristwatch next to the smartphone. An analog watch with a ticking second hand.
“A watch?”
Yuseong tilted his head and picked it up.
“This is a watch?”
Yuseong barely grasped the concept of timepieces, but analog watches were beyond him.
The hands ticking around in a circle were intriguing, but he had no idea how to read the time with it.
[Before digital watches were invented, people used these to tell time.]
The Guide briefly explained how to read the watch.
‘Neat.’
With a rough idea now, Yuseong fiddled with it, turning it this way and that.
“But do I really need to wear this? I could just check the time on the smartphone earlier.”
The screen blatantly displayed the time front and center when turned on. No need to carry two timepieces.
‘No, did people in this civilization just value time that much?’
One as backup in case the other broke. If that was their culture, it made sense.
But the Guide’s explanation was different. It was cultural, but not quite what Yuseong imagined.
[These days, watches are more part of an outfit or a way to show off wealth than for telling time.]
“Wealth?”
[Watches can be ridiculously expensive.]
“Hmm, do they come with extra features? That’s what boosts value, right?”
[Their only function is telling time. Some can’t even do that.]
“They’re watches?”
[Yes, watches.]
“Uh, care to explain what kind of nonsense that is?”
[As I said, modern watches serve as fashion items or symbols of wealth—essentially accessories.]
Accessories. An incomprehensible concept to Yuseong, who’d spent his life starving and risking death. Back then, he would’ve spat curses at the sheer idiocy.
But things were different now. Yuseong walked to the glass window, taking in the sprawling cityscape.
‘Yeah, if the idle rich want to live idly, who am I to complain.’
Having seen the reality of that leisure, he couldn’t bring himself to gripe.
“But I don’t need to wear something like this.”
Unlike others, Yuseong had no interest in useless baubles.
[You have a dinner appointment with Lady Western Garden.]
“Right.”
[The place is a pretty upscale restaurant. It’s best to mind your attire for somewhere like that. That’s why I recommended the watch.]
“I see.”
Even dining required fussing over clothes.
Come to think of it, Lady Western Garden had asked him to avoid sandals or overly casual outfits. Yuseong had brushed it off, figuring the Guide would handle it, and promptly forgotten.
‘Is this what culture means—living more tediously?’
The clothes the Guide had prepared this time felt slightly more uncomfortable than usual too.
‘Anyway, if it’s better to wear it, I will.’
Yuseong strapped on the watch. He was used to something on his wrist from the portable computer, so it didn’t feel off. Just reading time on an analog watch was awkward still.
* * *
The appointment was in the evening, so no rush. Yuseong spent the time sightseeing the city. He’d already explored on foot around the base. This time, he took the car.
A car was prepared here too.
‘Not the one I saw before.’
A distinctly different design.
He opened the door and slid into the driver’s seat. As before, he left the driving to the Guide. The car started navigating the city.
[That building is an apartment. Apartments are the most famous type of housing in Korea, characterized by…]
Yuseong listened with interest to the Guide’s explanations. Walking tours were fun, but cruising by car with commentary offered a fresh thrill.
Traffic was heavy with cars everywhere, and traffic lights every short stretch kept speeds low. But that let him take in the sights more thoroughly.
‘Making time for this now and then wouldn’t hurt.’
Before him lay an entire planet’s worth of human civilization. Endless wonders to behold. The thought excited him.
Time passed, and the appointment neared. The Guide turned the car toward the destination. Evening rush hour clogged the roads more, but the Guide deftly found the least congested routes.
Of course, Seoul at this hour had its limits. Still, they arrived on time without issue.
Yuseong parked in the lot and followed the Guide’s directions into a building. Up the elevator, and they reached the spot.
“Welcome.”
The staff bowed politely.
Unfamiliar with such places, Yuseong stood blankly.
“May I have your name?”
“Lee Yuseong.”
“Mr. Lee Yuseong, you have a reservation with Ms. Seo Hye-won, correct?”
“Yes.”
That was indeed Lady Western Garden’s real name.
“Confirmed. This way, please.”
Yuseong followed the staff inside. Soon, he was shown to a private room.
Hye-won was already there.
“You’re early.”
“Am I?”
Yuseong checked his watch. He fumbled through the new skill of reading analog time.
‘Ten minutes early… I think.’
Better than late.
Yuseong sat across from Hye-won.
“As I mentioned in the message, I picked the menu. That’s okay, right?”
“Of course.”
She’d rattled off the restaurant’s menu and asked if anything caught his eye, but Yuseong left it all to her.
He didn’t even know the dish names, and he was confident he’d enjoy whatever came.
“Before the food arrives, I want to say this first.”
Hye-won stood from her seat. Then she bowed deeply.
“Thank you so much for saving my grandmother. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve lost my only family.”
Yuseong was still getting used to dealing with other people.
But even he could tell the sincerity overflowing in Hye-won’s voice.