Chapter 106

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 106

Chapter Title: Epic Quest: Yoon Sua's Joy 2

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Damn it, shit.

What if she heard me? Honestly, it's too much. They handed out Oh Hana's quest so damn early, but there's still no sign of clearing it.

And Yoon Sua's quest? Just that one so far, and nothing but radio silence...

The excitement faded fast.

It was that important of a quest. I needed to calm down and check it over carefully.

"Nice... fuck yeah!"

"Huh?"

"Nothing. Just talking to myself."

The reward was so damn good it made cheers and curses burst out on their own.

Honestly, I hadn't checked the quest details closely yet, so whatever on the content. But that 'Elixir (Replica)' kept dancing in front of my eyes.

If she takes that, Yoon Sua will get healthier than she is now. Not a full cure, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠though. Better than nothing, sure, but still disappointing. So damn disappointing.

"Heh heh, when Aebom drops by later, I should peel a few more apples for her."

It stung even more because I desperately wanted Yoon Sua to get genuinely healthier. Damn it. I won't truly know how much pain she's in until I suffer like that myself.

For now, all I could do was vaguely imagine how tough it must be.

'You fucking god bastard...! Why are the standards so goddamn strict just for Yoon Sua?'

The other quests weren't a cakewalk either, but that aside, her life just felt like it was cranked up to a higher difficulty than everyone else's. Like she was cursed or something.

Tsk. I smacked my lips idly and checked out where this Cheonyeongsan Mountain the quest mentioned even was.

It even kindly noted some precautions at the end. Beware the average trap. Just because some people climb well doesn't mean everyone does.

'I'm at least above average, though.'

Lately, I'd been feeling the physical superiority from all these quest rewards. So solo, it'd probably take less than 4 hours round trip.

But the problem was doing it with Yoon Sua.

Remember how just a 3-kilometer walk wrecked me not long ago, never to be matched in my life? Flat ground's one thing, but climbing a mountain would be way tougher.

A quick search showed the summit trail alone was over 10 kilometers.

'Argh, shit...!'

All I could count on was the quest rewards: Stamina +5 and Strength +3.

Plus the light workouts I'd been doing lately to impress the girls I lived with. Could that really let me carry a person up a mountain?

'Goddamn. If it was 300 meters, I'd be 100% sure.'

I knew what that height felt like. The mountain behind my parents' house was about that, a casual stroll like child's play. Course layouts matter, of course, but elevation gives a rough gauge.

'627 meters... and a whopping 11 kilometers of trail...'

And that's not even counting the way down.

How the hell do I pull this off? How...!

A 'piggyback frame' popped into my head on reflex.

More precisely, that old folktale from middle school Korean class about the Goryeo-era carrier. A father carries his old man up the mountain in one and dumps him, but his son gives him enlightenment with some fancy words... Something like that. Right?

'Whoa, creepy that I still remember this.'

Mandatory education pays off. But could a frame work?

Surprisingly, online shopping had them from 50,000 won up to a insane 2.35 million won model.

Not overnight shipping like lightning deals, but damn, what isn't on these sites?

"Hmm."

Anything under 200,000 won was out. Too risky. Even if built tough for hauling tens of kilos of bricks.

Yoon Sua riding it would still be hell on her.

"Urgh!"

I stared down every frame listing for ages before shaking my head.

No dice. Not happening.

Even with a sturdy one, my stamina might not hold. Sure, quest rewards boosted it, but one failure meant no ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠take-backs. I had to calculate conservatively.

Had to be confident I could handle 14 kilometers, not 11, for over 80% success odds.

'Old tales are old tales.'

Time for better tools now.

Human transport gear, emergency patient ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠carriers, pro hiking tips, etc.

"You're actually at the computer today, Hyunwoo?"

I'd been glued to the screen, eyes half-dead from searching all day like I was diving into it. Next thing I knew, Han Aebom was back from work.

"AI, tell me easy ways to carry someone up a mountain?"

Han Aebom peeked at my searches and chuckled softly.

"Take a carriage. Pfft. Use a helicopter... Mobilize tons of manpower. Not wrong, but not what you're after, huh."

"Yeah. This AI's 'world-changing revolution,' my ass. Still got a ways to go."

AI tech wasn't there yet, so programmer wannabes like me kept grinding.

But damn if it didn't piss me off not spitting out a straight answer.

Watching me tear my hair out, Han Aebom munched an apple and said,

"No clue what's up, but if it's not stairs—just an open slope—a wheeled cart might work?"

"Wheeled cart?"

I stared, skeptical. She nodded.

"Yeah. I went to Indonesia once for a personal project. Tourists there used local carts for 'hiking' all the time."

Call that hiking?

"Of course, stairs mean walking yourself. But these days, they avoid them for safety, carving custom trails instead. Korea's surprisingly safety-obsessed. Even sturdy stairs crumble in rain or time, turning hazardous."

She never said anything wrong. What kind of person is she?

"So stairs are mostly for soldiers on ops or ambushes. Civilians stick to flatter paths to the top, even if rugged. Probably stairs right before the summit, though."

I double-checked her words online. Yup—Indonesian cart hikers existed, and Cheonyeongsan had road-like paths almost to the top.

'This could work!'

Confirmed, I sprang into action.

"Thanks, Aebom."

"No biggie."

Grateful nod to her first, then I arranged a cart for mountain hauling.

Not on shopping sites, but a specialist factory for handcarts said custom builds for cash.

Korea's something else. Money buys anything.

Not cheap, but for Yoon Sua? Worth every penny. No skimping and risking quest failure or her hurting.

Threw in fluffy blankets and a neck pillow too.

Tsk. Saving's a bitch, but spending? Blink of an eye.

Didn't regret a cent.

Bustling for someone else breathed new life into living. One day after my convenience store shift, instead of heading home, I went straight to Cheonyeongsan.

Quest wasn't all stingy—it was just a short uphill from our studio apartment.

Lived here years and never knew about the mountain. Korea really is full of 'em.

"Whoa, no joke."

Hadn't even started proper climbing—just past the entrance on bumpy trails—and stamina drain was insane. Especially the steeper-than-expected slopes.

'Solo? Easy.'

Issue was the cart with Yoon Sua aboard.

"Summit first, then down."

Memorize the route to cut stamina waste on the real run. Can't afford fumbling blindly.

Solo, I hit the summit in about an hour. Fewer stairs than expected.

Quest assuming worst-case for no-fail policy, maybe.

'Can I do this?'

Questioning myself at the top, I yelled,

"You bastard! I'll make it happen!"

Even if my legs shatter, back breaks, lungs collapse.

Yoon Sua's quest? Non-negotiable.

Keep smashing these damn quests, and someday I'd get the real Elixir, not replica. No other way!

'That should... fully cure Yoon Sua, right?'

Not easy.

And yet, I realized—barely living together, and I cared this much. How must her family feel, protecting her under one roof for 26 years since birth?

Couldn't even imagine.

Time passed, and the custom cart arrived. Worth the cash: perfect size for Yoon Sua, smooth ride, tough enough for over 100kg without budging.

Prepped, I finally brought it up with the apartment crew.

"Wanna go hiking?"