Chapter 72
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: The Coconut Family’s Entrance Test
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Cheon Doun took Dodagi out of his bag.
Dodagi, who had been massaging for dear life, looked up at the hand that enveloped him.
-Huuung?
“Yeah, it’s okay now.”
-Huuung!
*It’s a relief my massage was effective.* Dodagi’s leaves unfurled wide.
He was basking in a sense of accomplishment.
“Is… is that a monster? That’s a monster, right?”
I Baekho asked, his face a mask of bewilderment.
A palm-sized plant was hardly terrifying, but to I Baekho, who had only crossed through a Gate a few times, everything seemed bizarre.
“It’s a monster. We’ve picked enough grapes, so let’s get going.”
As Cheon Doun shouldered his bag, Kim Nari jumped down first. I Baekho, looking confused, followed her.
Before jumping down, Cheon Doun looked up at the grapevine.
The growth of that tiny seed marked the passage of time.
“You’ve grown a lot.”
As always, the grapevine gave no reply.
“Sorry about this. Our little one is a bit clumsy with her strength.”
He said, touching the part of the trunk that Kim Nari had broken when she’d tried to chop I Baekho’s neck.
Still, the tree did not respond. Instead, as if in answer, a bunch of grapes dropped right in front of Cheon Doun.
The grapes were plump and full, incomparable to the ones they had picked.
*Look at my size. A scratch like that doesn’t even count as a wound. It didn’t even tickle, so don’t worry about it.*
The tree conveyed its thoughts through the bunch of grapes. Receiving them, Cheon Doun’s lips curled into a smile.
“Alright. I’ll enjoy them. I’ll come by again when I have time. Take care.”
Cheon Doun smiled and leaped to the ground. Though there wasn’t a breath of wind, the leaves of the giant tree rustled.
With a farewell from the tree, which had now grown as large as the World Tree, Cheon Doun turned away.
* * *
I Baekho, grandson of the Hunter Association’s Chairman.
He couldn't hide his bewilderment as he followed Cheon Doun and Kim Nari.
He knew this wasn’t a hallucination. He knew, but he couldn’t get used to the fact that there was a young child in the Demon World.
‘Could she be the Machine Lifeform from the news?’
That seemed more realistic than her being an Awakened at such a young age.
But what were the chances of running into a missing Machine Lifeform in this vast Demon World?
‘Is it more likely that she’s an Awakened? Maybe she awakened early due to a unique constitution.’
He didn't know. He didn't know the identity of the young man walking beside him either.
The very act of strolling through the Demon World in such casual clothes was just too unbelievable.
‘Could it be that the scent of the grapes is making me see a mix of hallucinations? Maybe he’s actually wearing full gear, but it just looks like that to my eyes…’
Even such strange thoughts crossed his mind.
After walking for some time, the sound of a waterfall grew louder in the distance. At the same time, a savory aroma wafted toward them.
‘This is… the smell of soy sauce. And sesame oil.’
The smell of freshly cooked rice made his mouth water. At the same time, his confusion deepened.
Why in the world would the Demon World smell like a home-cooked meal?
“Oh, hyung-nim. You’re back? The chimeras have already gathered. They must have followed the smell.”
When they reached the waterfall valley, Nam Giseok, who was standing in front of a large cauldron, waved his hand.
“Just a little more stirring and it’ll be done… Hmm? Who’s that behind you?”
He paused upon seeing I Baekho. Their eyes met, and I Baekho quickly bowed.
“Ah, hello! My name is I Baekho. I was being chased by a monster and received their help. I’ll be in your care for a short while!”
Even as he greeted him, I Baekho wondered if this was really happening.
‘What is this? Why is there a campsite in the Demon World?’
Tents, a portable table, and cookware were visible in the distance. A cauldron sat over a campfire, and a man was stir-frying rice.
That bald man was even wearing a pristine white apron.
At this point, the theory that he was hallucinating due to the grape scent gained more credibility.
“We have a new person. Well, I made plenty, so it’s fine. Everyone, please have a seat. You too, newcomer.”
I Baekho, though dazed, did as he was told and sat down.
Cheon Doun looked I Baekho over.
“You said you’re the grandson of the Hunter Association’s Chairman?”
“Ye-yes! That’s correct.”
“What’s the current Chairman’s name?”
Cheon Doun asked, recalling what Guu had said.
Had he mentioned that the man he saved might have become the Chairman? Curious, he asked, and I Baekho immediately answered.
“The Chairman’s name is I Unsu. He’s my paternal grandfather.”
“I Unsu…? I Unsu… Ah, right. I remember now. That was his name. I can’t believe he actually became the Association Chairman.”
“You know my grandfather?”
“I do. Assuming he’s not someone else with the same name. Isn’t he the one who took the Chairman position when the Association was temporarily established?”
At Cheon Doun’s words, I Baekho nodded.
“That’s right. My grandfather is the first Chairman.”
“Amazing that he’s still active at his age.”
“Ah, my grandfather is also an Awakened. He’s a rare case who awakened in his thirties, so he’s still quite vigorous thanks to that.”
I Baekho replied, his face filled with hope.
Who would have thought he’d meet someone acquainted with his grandfather in a place like this?
It was a stroke of luck he’d encountered just when he thought he was going to die after losing his return stone.
He was so happy that he failed to notice Cheon Doun was speaking about his grandfather as if he were a peer.
At that moment, a large shadow fell over him. I Baekho looked up instinctively and fell off his chair in terror.
“A m-monster…!”
Where he looked, the Yu siblings were descending.
They had both changed back into their original forms to bring out their wings.
Yu Jia was wearing her bone helmet, and Yu Beom had returned to his bird-headed form, making them look like monsters.
“So this is where everyone was. You weren’t home, so I was wondering. Were you trying to eat something delicious without us?”
“Of course not. Please, have a seat. I made plenty, so there’s no problem!”
Nam Giseok greeted the two with a bright face.
Their quick return made Cheon Doun look puzzled.
“Why are you back so soon? You said you were going to look around more.”
“We were going to, but there wasn’t much to see once we started wandering. It’s not like it’s a tourist spot. Seeing it from the sky was enough.”
“You flew?”
“We did.”
“It’ll be on the news.”
“You think so? Are we going to be famous now?”
The siblings looked at each other and laughed. While everyone was in a friendly mood, only I Baekho, who had tumbled to the ground, wasn’t smiling.
‘What… what is that? They know monsters? What is this place? Who are all these people?’
Perhaps he really was seeing a reality mixed with hallucinations.
I Baekho didn’t dare sit back down, instead peeking out from behind the table leg.
“Come to think of it, we heard something interesting after you guys left. They’re planning to tear down the slums in Gold City.”
At Yu Beom’s words, Cheon Doun paused.
“Tear down the slums?”
“Yeah. It still feels like a rumor, but if it’s true, doesn’t it piss you off? They’ve never offered a single bit of support, so who are they to decide to get rid of the slums?”
Yu Beom said with a scowl. Beyond her bone helmet, Yu Jia’s gaze also darkened.
“Yeah. Not a great feeling.”
Cheon Doun muttered.
He didn’t have fond memories of the slums, but for him and the siblings, it was the last place they had lived as humans.
No one would be happy to see even that trace of their past disappear.
“I… I’ve heard that rumor too.”
I Baekho, who had been listening quietly, raised his hand.
He flinched as all eyes turned to him, but he cautiously sat back down and began to speak.
“I… I had many opportunities to meet high-ranking people through my grandfather’s connections. They said they were going to demolish the slums within a year or two and build a new city. I heard that at last year’s year-end party… so it wouldn’t be strange for rumors to be circulating around this time.”
“Ooh, a new city! Isn’t that a good thing then?”
Kim Nari asked, intrigued. But I Baekho shook his head.
“It’ll be good for the people who move in after about ten years. But not right now.”
“Why not?”
“I only heard it in passing, so I’m not certain, but it sounded like they were going to do it forcefully.”
“Forcefully? Then what happens to the people living there now?”
Kim Nari asked again. *Is it okay to tell a child something like this?* I Baekho hesitated before speaking.
“They’ll be kicked out without a single cent of compensation. The slums are… a bit of a lawless area, and they have a strong image as a city of criminals. So probably no one will strongly oppose it.”
I Baekho continued, looking at Cheon Doun.
“Still, since there’s public opinion to consider, it seemed like they were going to lay the groundwork first. The central part of the slums is a particularly dangerous neighborhood, right? Around Districts 10 to 13. They said they would film that area and release it to the media. To show how dangerous this place is, how dilapidated and dirty, that it can’t be left as is… They’ll seize control of public opinion that way first.”
Cheon Doun smiled. If that was the case, then all they had to do was clean up the city.
“Looks like the Space Family will have a lot of work to do.”
Road repairs, streetlight installation, building renovations, and so on.
There was much to do besides cleaning, but it wasn't a problem.
He could provide unlimited financial support to overhaul the entire city.
He just needed to pick up a few rare materials, give them to Manager Kim, and have him sell them to the Alchemy Association.
“Well, if it comes to it, we can just find the guys who want to tear it down and stomp them out. If we tear them down first, that’ll solve it cleanly.”
At Cheon Doun’s words, the siblings nodded. That was also an option if everything else became too much of a hassle.
They had nothing to worry about.
“Anyway. Who’s the kid? Is he a hopeful applicant for our family?”
Yu Beom asked, looking at I Baekho.
I Baekho’s body tensed under the gaze that scanned him from head to toe.
He was only holding on because the siblings weren’t showing any hostility, but he broke out in a cold sweat from the sheer pressure emanating from Yu Beom.
*That’s an unbelievably strong monster. Dozens of A-rank Hunters wouldn’t be able to beat him.* The thought came to him unbidden.
“This isn’t a place just anyone can enter. Have you taken the entrance test?”
“The e-entrance test?”
“That’s right. To join our Coconut Family, you have to pass an entrance test.”
Yu Beom began to spout nonsense with a serious face.
Yu Jia didn’t stop him, instead nodding in agreement. I Baekho, taking their prank seriously, tensed up.
“What… what does the Coconut Family do?”
Instead of answering, Yu Beom looked at I Baekho with low, sunken eyes.
Under that cold gaze, I Baekho’s fingertips trembled slightly.
‘Did… did I ask something I shouldn’t have?’
The Coconut Family. For some reason, it sounded like a group that made handicrafts out of coconut shells.
But given the grim atmosphere, it was clearly not some cutesy club.
“If you were to join… you would find out what we do.”
Yu Beom said in a quiet voice.
The Coconut Family, an organization that made gang members clean, was suddenly radiating the air of a secret society.
Yu Beom pointed at Cheon Doun.
“This here is the Boss of the family. Cheon Doun.”
At the sudden introduction, Cheon Doun paused.
*Is that so? Was I the Boss?* Cheon Doun nodded with a serious expression.
“I’m the Boss.”
He decided to play along with the siblings’ little skit.
“S-so you were the Boss. I thought there was something different about you. Then those two are…”
I Baekho looked at the siblings, who appeared to be avian-type monsters.
The siblings exchanged a look before speaking.
“I’m the organization’s right hand, Yu Beom. I’m in charge of interrogations.”
“The left hand, Yu Jia. Assault Captain.”
The two, both over seventy years old, spoke with glee, enjoying teasing the twenty-year-old young man.
“Th-then what about him? Is he a member of the family too?”
I Baekho asked, looking at Nam Giseok. *Should I say something too?* Nam Giseok racked his brain.
He couldn’t ruin the mood by saying something like, “I’m Nam Giseok, a B+-rank Hunter.”
They already had an interrogator and an assault captain. The right and left hands were also taken. What else was there?
Since the siblings handled combat, he needed an important, indispensable role in a different field.
“I am the… number one chef of the Coconut Family, Nam Giseok.”
Nam Giseok said, stirring the egg drop soup with a ladle.
As he was cooking at that moment, the white apron he wore made him look exceptionally professional.
“Number one chef, Nam Giseok…!”
*They even have a dedicated chef. This family is surprisingly systematic.* I Baekho’s eyes wavered.
Kim Nari, who had been watching, stepped forward.
“I’m Kim Nari!”
Kim Nari shouted, stating things as they were. Cheon Doun, finding the situation amusing, took Dodagi out and placed him on the table.
“This one is our strategist.”
“E-even a strategist…”
Dodagi recognized I Baekho immediately. *Isn’t this the one who tried to carelessly touch my benefactor?*
*You audacious thing. You still haven’t learned your lesson.* Dodagi stood up straight.
It spread its leaves as wide as possible to look bigger, then slammed the table with its rootlets.
-Huuung!
“He’s saying, ‘Rookie, you’d better do well from now on. I’ll be watching.’”
Cheon Doun provided a fake translation with a straight face.
*Was that short ‘huuung’ really such a long sentence?* A flicker of doubt crossed his mind, but I Baekho nodded.
He figured it was possible if it was some kind of monster language.
“Those chimeras are the hellhounds that guard this place.”
Cheon Doun said, pointing at the chimeras huddled together on the ground.
The chimeras, waiting for Nam Giseok’s soy sauce and egg rice, were instantly transformed into hellhounds.
“H-hellhounds. I see. They all look very fearsome.”
To I Baekho’s eyes, the chimeras sitting there with their bright, eager eyes looked terrifying.
“And we have the Space Family as a subordinate organization.”
“Even a subordinate organization.”
*Where on earth have I ended up? What in the world does this Coconut-something do, this group I might be joining?*
I Baekho looked at Cheon Doun with trembling eyes.
“Th-then… where is your headquarters?”
“Headquarters?”
Cheon Doun thought of his fluorescent log cabin.
“The headquarters… right. I’ll tell you if you pass the entrance test.”
A non-existent entrance test had just been created. I Baekho looked at Cheon Doun with a tense expression.
‘This is no ordinary place. What happens if I refuse to take the test? Will they… dispose of me to keep me quiet?’
That had to be the only reason they had so casually revealed the Boss’s identity and the organization’s members. He had no choice.
I Baekho swallowed dryly. He hadn’t been this nervous even during his Hunter promotion exam.
A bead of cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
‘Ah, that was fun.’
The siblings and Cheon Doun, having had their fun teasing the young man, happily waited for the soy sauce and egg rice.