Chapter 038
[Chapter 038]
< Mysterious Baeksu >
Shin Seung-ah’s proposal was exceptional.
The fact that she burned over 100 million won just to have a single conversation with me showed how desperate she was.
‘The reason is······.’
As she mentioned, it was S-Rank Hunter Yu Jin-hyuk’s injury.
Since he was the pillar and symbol of MK Sphere, if he collapsed, the entire guild would be shaken.
Heart of Steel Yu Jin-hyuk.
An S-Rank Hunter who had been fighting the terrible injury known as the Curse of the Demon Dragon for 3 years.
The despair of falling from the top was likely tormenting him more than the physical pain.
Although Manager Kim Min-jun had visited me before, I didn't get the impression that he leaked information to Shin Seung-ah.
When we met again, he only expressed gratitude for the potato soup he ate that day and remained strictly polite thereafter.
In other words, Kim Min-jun was not the one who leaked the info.
[Gorani Man 12: What method of trading do you prefer?]
[Shin Seung-ah: Since the seedling is in an incomplete state, I wonder if it can withstand even a small amount of damage. It is currently in a state of suspended animation.]
I checked the detailed information of the seedling further.
[······Due to the special environment of the Tower's high floors, the internal endosperm is already partially differentiated into seedling tissue at the seed stage. It holds extreme life force, but is currently in a perfect state of suspended animation (apparent death).]
[Shin Seung-ah: Therefore, I would like to meet you at the restaurant U-Hwa-Ryeong. I will perfectly guarantee your identity.]
It was the place where I had previously met Yu Seo-jin.
[Gorani Man 12: That’s fine.]
[Shin Seung-ah: When would be convenient for you?]
[Gorani Man 12: Let's do tomorrow.]
Since tomorrow was the day the first cooking class opened, it was better to handle everything at once while going to Seoul.
* * *
The day of the appointment, Gangnam Station.
[GoraniFan59: Hello customer. I am the manager of the Gangnam secret restaurant, U-Hwa-Ryeong.]
This time, a Gorani fan.
Soon after, an encrypted message arrived through the Tower system.
[A system message has arrived in your secret mailbox.]
[U-Hwa-Ryeong's random door opening time, 2:55 PM. Location, toward Gangnam Station Underground Mall Exit 7, the very last stall of the men's restroom.]
Again, upon entering the entrance, the same phenomenon as last time appeared.
A space where voices and appearances were blurred and distorted.
However, in my eyes using Internal Energy, the essence of the opponent was clearly visible.
“Hello, I am Shin Seung-ah.”
An undisturbed sharp bob cut, intelligent titanium glasses, and eye-catching red lipstick.
During my days at the Bureau, I had heard rumors about Shin Seung-ah.
The youngest monster executive known as the Witch of MK.
After the appearance of the Tower, numerous large corporations jumped into the Hunter industry by pouring in massive capital.
However, most tasted bitter failure, and the MK Group was no exception.
It was famous that Shin Seung-ah helped establish MK Sphere as the 3rd ranked guild in a single stroke by aggressively acquiring and merging failing guilds.
“Thank you for readily allowing this meeting.”
Shin Seung-ah pushed a giant specialized storage box toward me.
“This is the seedling I mentioned.”
Inside, a small ash-colored seedling was sleeping.
It looked like a fragment of death, turned into a mummy as if all life force had been sucked out.
I flowed a very faint amount of Internal Energy into the seedling, within a range that wouldn't cause damage.
Twitch!
The dead seedling trembled minutely as if reacting to the energy.
And in my head, information completely different from the description Shin Seung-ah sent surfaced.
[Item: Heart Seedling of the Sun Bird]
[Rank: Legendary]
[Description: A dormant individual where the immortal Sun Bird uses its own heart as a seed to prepare for resurrection. It holds the extreme essence of the sun, and can be awakened again if intense and special life energy is injected.]
‘A heart?’
According to the National Hunter Management Bureau database, heart-type items were unconditionally classified as top-tier materials regardless of which monster they came from.
This was because they contained the essence of life itself.
But this was the heart of the unheard-of Sun Bird, and the rank was Legendary.
It was a mythic-class item whose value was meaningless to even measure.
‘I can save it.’
Seeing it accept even faint Internal Energy meant there was a possibility.
What was certain was that the Bureau was clearly unaware of this item's nature.
If they had seen the same detailed description I checked, they wouldn't have had a reason to offer this item as just a down payment.
Of course, there was no reason not to accept it when she was offering.
“It seems sufficient as a down payment.”
“Thank you.”
“And, before the contract······ I have one thing to make clear.”
“What is it?”
“I do not guarantee Yu Jin-hyuk’s complete recovery. I am merely helping so that there is progress in his condition. If that’s fine, let's proceed with the contract.”
“······Understood. That is fine as well.”
It was natural.
No matter how extraordinary my garden crops were, there was no way they could single-handedly root out the Curse of the Demon Dragon that had tormented an S-Rank Hunter for 3 years.
I didn't want to instill false hope or make promises I couldn't keep.
“Please deliver this to Hunter Yu Jin-hyuk. Tell him to consume one root consistently every day.”
Inside the bundle was a [Carrot of Life] with Internal Energy removed and the super-regeneration effect maximized.
It wasn't permanent, but it was a premium product with a certain temporary recovery effect.
Shin Seung-ah received the bundle preciously.
“Truly, thank you.”
And then, she opened her mouth after hesitating.
“But······ by any chance, is there a specific reason why you accepted this trade?”
“A reason?”
“Honestly, if it's a good item, you could likely already obtain almost anything you want.”
She wasn't wrong.
It had already been a month since I started Dang-geun-tap (Tower Market).
Now, as the fame of the crops spread, the quality of the items coming in was starting to change.
I could obtain almost any intermediate-level item if I put my mind to it.
“Ah, I was just personally curious. You don't have to answer.”
A reason.
Of course, wanting the seed was the primary reason.
But more than that, there was a reason why I couldn't just ignore this trade.
“Once, I saw Hunter Yu Jin-hyuk. It was when he was breaking through the Tower's 50th floor and emerging as a national hero, truly at the peak of his value.”
At that time, the 1st rank S-Class was someone else, but the one who enjoyed overwhelming popularity was Yu Jin-hyuk.
The entire nation went wild for his strength and humility.
“I had an experience getting an autograph then. Because my sister liked him so much.”
“Ah······.”
“Even though it was a request he could have passed by, he stopped without showing even a hint of annoyance to give the autograph. He wrote 'I wish for your recovery' so meticulously that it's still hanging in my sister's hospital room.”
Hunters are born with the fate of stars.
I had seen too many hunters pretending to be good heroes in front of the public while committing all sorts of hideous acts behind the scenes.
But Yu Jin-hyuk was always consistently humble and sincere, whether cameras were there or not.
“Seeing such a good person suffering from an injury is······ just, a bit unpleasant to watch.”
Shin Seung-ah stared for a moment without saying anything, then presented a box she had prepared.
“This is a tactical analysis artifact our MK artifact team has been developing for over a year. It's an unreleased prototype.”
Inside the box was a small ear cuff that looked like a sparkling jewel.
[Item: Tactical Analysis System ODIN]
[Rank: A]
[Form: Thin Ear Cuff type]
[Description: A personal assistant AI connected in real-time to MK Group’s supercomputer. It analyzes all combat data of hunters and monsters accumulated in South Korea over the last 20 years and suggests the optimal course of action to the user via voice. (Unreleased prototype)]
“It is currently the only item of its kind in the world. It contains technology that would be impossible without MK’s massive capital and infrastructure.”
“You're giving this to me?”
“After meeting you today, I judged that giving this would be the right thing to do.”
There was not a single tremor in Shin Seung-ah’s eyes.
Giving this itself meant MK was showing their entire hand and showing the highest level of courtesy.
Apparently, I had received something even bigger than I thought.
* * *
Gangnam, Chef’s Atelier Cooking Class.
A place that was crowded thanks to top-tier imported kitchen equipment and a private system.
This was also a place where there were more scions of wealthy families or celebrities looking for socializing or showing off than people actually trying to learn cooking.
Among them, I-hana’s gaze stayed on a man.
A young man visiting such a high-end cooking class on a weekday afternoon. Just what kind of work did he do?
“Now, let's go around and do a brief self-introduction, shall we?”
At the instructor's words, people took turns speaking.
“Hello, I am a freelance writer. I came here for a change of pace after finishing a deadline.”
“I am a college student preparing to be a food blogger.”
“I am I-hana. I came here simply because I like cooking.”
I-hana didn't bother revealing that she was a B-Rank Hunter.
And finally, it was the man's turn.
“I am Jang Kang-hyun. Currently, I am resting. I am a Baeksu (unemployed).”
‘U-unemployed?’
A boldness that didn't hide anything and introduced himself without a hint of shame.
At that appearance, I-hana felt a strange curiosity.
Currently, I-hana was a promising B-Rank Mana Sensor belonging to the 2nd ranked guild in South Korea, Phantom.
Phantom, backed by giant foreign capital, was famous for the flashy self-display of its hunters as much as its skill.
Unlike Korean culture, which considers humility a virtue, they regarded PRing oneself as part of one's ability, so it was perhaps a natural atmosphere.
Because she was in such an environment.
Such a plain and honest person gave a fresh feeling.
“Now, everyone! The menu we’re going to make today is, handmade hamburgers!”
本格的 (Honkakuteki - Full-scale) class started with the instructor's energetic voice.
Since I-hana’s neighbor was the newly registered man, her gaze kept going there unintentionally.
“······Aren't the hamburgers a bit small?”
She said this because he was choosing mini buns the size of a child's palm.
“Ah, it's for my sister.”
“Aha, your sister······.”
No wonder he was busily taking out ingredients directly from a large icebox earlier.
This was a place where students could bring their own desired ingredients to cook.
Some people brought high-end ingredients like foie gras or caviar to make their own hamburgers, so it wasn't a strange thing.
‘He doesn't seem like someone skilled at cooking.’
Well, that’s why he’s in a cooking class.
I-hana was the same, but still, she felt like she could act like she knew a bit since it was her second time attending.
“You’ll hurt your hand if you do it like that. Give it here.”
Because the way he was slicing onions looked somewhat precarious, she intervened without realizing it.
However, the moment he lifted the knife.
‘Hmm?’
It was strange.
From the tips of his fingers, she felt a very faint but extremely pure and solid energy enveloping the blade.
It was a completely different type of energy than anything she had ever felt before.
“No······ just look at this.”
She stopped his hand instinctively and stared at the sliced onion pieces.
Clearly, the knife work was clumsy, but the thickness and size of the results were perfectly uniform without even a 1mm error.
Like a machine.
‘······What the.’
Looking again, he was just someone unaccustomed to cooking; his skill itself wasn't bad.
“You're doing well, actually?”
“Is that so?”
Man, she almost made herself look awkward by intervening unnecessarily.
He handled each ingredient preparation delicately.
The problem was what came next.
The process of grilling patties, making sauces, and stacking ingredients.
During that process, he kept tilting his head.
He followed the recipe perfectly, but he seemed to have no confidence at all that the result of the combination would be a delicious dish.
In a word, a person without a 'sense' for cooking.
And I-hana discovered a decisive part of her curiosity about this man.
‘Energy······ cannot be felt.’
I-hana’s specialty was mana sensing.
Her ability was to read the minute flow of mana or waves of emotion in others.
She scanned this man as well, but it was more accurate to say nothing was felt.
‘But what was that just now?’
That flash-like movement that passed by his fingertips when he was slicing onions earlier.
It was a level of extreme precision that could never come from an ordinary person.
The fact that it wasn't mana, and yet he seemed clumsy at cooking······.
That contradiction.
An unknown sense of dissonance was strongly stimulating I-hana’s curiosity.
* * *
The next day.
A giant specialized storage box arrived at Yu Jin-hyuk’s private hospital room.
A simple bundle wrapped in high-end silk.
Ten fresh carrots with the soil still damp.
In an ordinary person's eyes, that’s how it looked.
“Is this······ from that Gorani Man 12······.”
However, in Yu Jin-hyuk’s eyes, it looked different.
“······It feels like my last hope.”
Over the past 3 years, he had tried every medicine and elixir in the world, but it was all for naught.
He had experienced countless hopes turning into despair.
Now, he was afraid to even expect anything.
“······.”
But at the same time, the pure life energy emitting from these small carrots in his hand.
It made him expect something again.
A faint hope that this might be the last straw rose again.
If even this had no effect······ then really, at that point.
He might have to give up everything.
Crunch.
Having made up his mind, Yu Jin-hyuk took a bite of the carrot root.
< Mysterious Baeksu > END