Chapter 103
Translator: MJK
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: Snowy Mountain Rampaging Gorani!
It was the day of the annual county residents' health marathon, held just once a year.
The entire village was buzzing with excitement.
Near the starting line, the elderly folks decked out in colorful tracksuits were stretching and warming up.
"Grandpa! Grandma! Fighting!"
"Mr. Kim! You got this! Don't fall down!"
So-ye cupped her delicate little hands around her mouth and cheered at the top of her lungs.
"You bet! Gramps'll bring home first place!"
The elders waved back at So-ye, pumping their fists with determination.
"The village is pretty small and quiet, right? It's even more laid-back on normal days."
"Yeah. It really feels peaceful."
Xiao Lin replied with a soft smile.
"How are your parents doing?"
"They're good. They headed to some abandoned mines in Gangwon Province for volunteer work, purifying the lingering polluted mana there. They wanted to show their gratitude to the Korean government for taking us in."
The powerhouses who once dominated China's hunter scene were now nameless volunteers roaming old mining towns. It felt genuine.
"Have you looked into a place for you and Liu to stay? Apartments in Seoul have great security..."
"Still thinking it over. Liu's looking for somewhere good for recovery..."
That was when it happened.
Bang!
The starting pistol cracked through the air.
Tat-tat-tat-tat!
Dust kicked up from the ground.
Xiao Lin and Liu's eyes widened in unison.
"...That's a marathon?"
"Not exactly—it's a short course."
Xiao Lin's mouth fell open.
At the crack of the gun, the village elders from the seniors' center had bolted out—no canes, no knee braces, just light training gear as they sprinted down the asphalt.
'But... that speed?'
It looked like they were gunning for a 5K at full 100-meter sprint pace.
"Old man Kim! Wait up! You had two ears of corn this morning!"
"Hah! You stay put, old man Park! You scarfed down a honey potato!"
They bantered back and forth, but their faces showed no sign of fatigue—brimming with vitality and energy instead. It was impossible to believe these silver-haired seniors were exploding with such power.
"Unbelievable..."
Liu muttered blankly. As an S-rank healer, she scanned their life forces.
"I've seen Bama Yao, China's famous longevity village, but nothing like this. Their physical ages are at peak 20s levels. No—overflowing with even more vigor."
"Twenties might be..."
"It's true. No bad energy in their bodies at all—just pure, clean life force packed to the brim. It's like they've been reborn."
The energy flowing through this entire village was extraordinary. Pure qi emanating from the soil, the water, the food—it was creating miracles like this.
'This is the place.'
The one spot in the world where she could reclaim her lost three years and find true healing.
"Lin."
Liu grabbed Xiao Lin's sleeve.
"How about we live here?"
"Here?"
"Lin, I don't want Seoul or fancy villas anymore. I just want to live healthy and smiling like those grandparents."
Liu's eyes shone with desperate longing. Xiao Lin stared blankly at the running elders, feeling the village's serene yet vibrant energy herself.
"Mr. Gorani-man, could we... live in this village?"
"In this village?"
Kang-hyun was startled by the question. An S-rank hunter's choice of residence was no small matter. It could spike local real estate, reshape commerce, even redraft national defense maps. Two walking megacorps and strategic assets moving was a big deal.
"You know the government's going nuts trying to lure you both to Seoul."
The Blue House and Seoul had already prepped outrageous offers.
"They're even talking standalone mansions on prime Gangnam land, with top-tier security, medical, and amenities."
Korea's priciest, flashiest spots were lining up to welcome them. Yet they wanted to ditch it all for this backwater without even a convenience store.
"We're grateful for all the Korean government's promises to us S-rank hunters. And... we've been thinking. How can we repay Mr. Gorani-man's grace?"
Xiao Lin's plan: Redirect their promised budget and manpower to this village—for Kang-hyun and the residents' convenience and safety only.
"Block outsiders, upgrade rundown facilities to luxury, and use what we're entitled to for the village where Mr. Gorani-man lives—what do you think?"
"That's..."
"Honestly, Gangnam penthouses or villas mean nothing to us. But paving these roads, installing security systems, building top medical facilities for the elders—that's real repayment, right?"
Xiao Lin's gaze was dead serious. She'd hold their residency hostage if needed to benefit her benefactor's village. Imagining the elders' joy left Kang-hyun no grounds to refuse.
"If you've decided, I won't interfere. Go for it."
Xiao Lin and Liu's faces bloomed with smiles.
"Then, any empty houses around here we could live in...?"
"There's a nice tiled-roof house across the stream—great sunlight, big veggie patch for puttering around."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Owner just listed it after moving to Seoul."
"Security goes without saying, right? With Mr. Gorani-man here. Liu needs quiet for recovery."
No trace of worry in her voice. She'd seen Gorani one-shot a disaster-class beast in Okinawa. Nothing safer than here, short of the Pentagon's bunker.
"Don't worry. My Gorani's the boss of this turf—no ghosts even dare approach."
Xiao Lin and Liu nodded in full agreement.
"Hooray! I'm number one!"
Old man Kim's booming cheer echoed joyfully as he crossed the finish line.
"But really, you sure? Gotta drive out for a convenience store—this is real sticks."
Kang-hyun meant it sincerely. They were used to city glamour. Even with transport, rural life's lacking infrastructure might chafe.
But Liu just shook her head with a gentle smile.
"No, that's why it's perfect. I'm sick of the noise. I want to breathe the earth and live peacefully like those grandparents."
Xiao Lin chimed in, meeting Kang-hyun's eyes with earnest resolve.
"And above all, it has to be here."
"Why's that?"
"Because we want to live by Mr. Gorani-man's side, repaying our debt. Be neighbors who can rush over anytime you need us."
It sounded like pledging their lives to serve him. But her sincerity was impossible to turn down, so Kang-hyun nodded.
"...Alright. Looking forward to it, neighbors."
This obscure rural village on Gyeonggi's outskirts—once just farms and greenhouses—would soon be dubbed a strategic hotspot.
Kunlun Mountains, China, near Peak 4 of the sealed zone.
It appeared abandoned, but it hid a secret magecraft lab run covertly by Zhu Lun and the Crown Prince Party—for banned experiments and processing illegal mana stones.
"Heard Zhu Lun got nabbed. What now?"
"Relax. No one's finding this place. Coordinates are top secret..."
The guards were chatting when—
Rumble-rumble-boom!
The ground shook like an earthquake.
Thinking landslide, they turned—and froze at the impossible sight.
"W-what the hell is that?!"
Barreling along the snowy ridge was a house-sized beast at insane speed.
"No animal's got muscles like that! Ogre? Mutant bear?"
"Mana beast! S-rank!"
It was a ripped Gorani. Not content with treating snow-covered peaks like flat ground, it headbutted massive boulders ahead, shattering them gleefully.
Boom!
Crack!
Splat!
"Kiyoooooot!!!"
Gorani was in heaven. Wide-open views, crisp air.
And perfect obstacles to smash!
"S-stop it! It's heading for the lab!"
The guards frantically activated defenses. A billions-won A-rank mana barrier enveloped the lab in a blue dome. Impenetrable even to tank shells.
But to the ecstatic Gorani, it was...
Sizzle—pop!
...just toy blocks. It blasted straight through without slowing. The shockwave crumbled the lab's outer walls.
"Aaaagh!"
Chaos erupted inside.
Gorani spotted a pile of top-grade illegal mana amplifiers in the courtyard. Shiny—looked tasty.
Crunch! Nomf!
It chomped them like dog treats.
"No! That's worth a fortune!"
"It's eating the mana cores like candy!"
Researchers clutched their heads, screaming. Billions in illicit gear became Gorani's chew toys.
And that wasn't all.
"Kiyot?"
Gorani found Zhu Lun's hidden backyard camouflage container—slush fund vault—and booted it like a soccer ball.
Whoosh—kaboom!
It soared sky-high, plummeting off a distant cliff. Gold bars and mana stones scattered into the snow, returned to nature.
"My money! The research data!"
"Monster! Run!"
Researchers fled in panic.
"Kiyung?"
Gorani beamed. Finally, playmates? Tag?
Tail wagging, it chased the runners with delight.
"D-don't come closer! Please!"
That day, Kunlun's secret base was perfectly leveled—by one Gorani.
A few hours later.
Rural home courtyard.
"Kiyot!"
The dimensional gate opened, and Gorani returned triumphantly. In its mouth: spoils of war. A rare Snow Mountain Bellflower Root.
"Hey, have fun?"
I patted Gorani's head. Its fur carried fresh snow scent and a vibe of victory. Looking refreshed, stress clearly vented.
"This for me?"
"Kiyoot!"
I took the bellflower root. Thick as an adult arm, soil-dusted skin wafting deep aroma.
"Nice deodeok."
[Item: Kunlun Mountain Wild Bellflower Root]
[Grade: Rare]
[Description: A wild bellflower root tenaciously grown in the crevices of blizzard-swept snowy mountains. Toughened by harsh conditions, its flesh is rock-hard. The bittersweet yet sweet flavor spreads richly with every chew.]
Way thicker than market stuff. Pound it tender, slather in spicy-sweet gochujang, grill over charcoal...
Just thinking made my mouth water.
'Plant it in the garden a few days—it'll soften up even more deliciously.'
I smiled contentedly, pocketing the root.
"Good job. Let's eat."
A peaceful evening, patting my proud Gorani's rear.