Chapter 149
Translator: uly
Chapter: 149
Chapter Title: Selling Poverty
Jang Chaewon's eyes grew misty as she stared at the TV.
On the screen, a pair of poor siblings were sharing a bowl of noodles at a restaurant. The brother yielded bites to his little sister, and she did the same for him.
"Here, you eat this."
The kindhearted owner, having heard their plight, served up generous helpings of delicious food.
Of course, he didn't charge them a dime. When they left, he even packed up extra to go.
"Come back anytime you're hungry, got it?"
The siblings bowed their heads, tears streaming down their faces.
Not long after, the host who'd been secretly watching appeared.
"Sorry about that. It was a hidden camera prank."
The host wiped away tears, visibly moved.
"How could you show such kindness?"
The owner waved it off with a smile, as if it were nothing.
"How could I just stand by when those kids were starving? Anyone would do the same."
Tears finally spilled from Jang Chaewon's eyes as she watched.
"It's so heartwarming."
"Poverty's become entertainment now, has it?"
"Huh?"
The Heavenly Demon snorted from across the room, slurping jjajangmyeon.
"In this era, food is plentiful. With the barest effort, no one starves."
"What are you even saying? It's just showing the beauty of humanity."
"The beauty of humanity?"
Contempt filled the Heavenly Demon's eyes as he glanced at the screen.
"A human stuffed with hoarded food tosses a scrap of leftover meat to a dog—is that beauty?"
Jang Chaewon paused mid-bite of her fried rice, letting out an "Ah."
The Heavenly Demon was revealing his bleak, apocalyptic worldview once again. And she couldn't tolerate that kind of thinking.
"I know you've had a tough past, but I wish you wouldn't see the world so cynically."
She set down her spoon and met his gaze head-on.
"You've probably received kindness from others too, right? Weren't you saying someone bought you jjajangmyeon back then?"
"Elder Gok? He saw my talent and bought it to lure me to the Ten Thousand Demons Palace."
"So you've never once accepted help from anyone your whole life?"
"I have."
Unexpectedly, the Heavenly Demon nodded readily.
"Once, a beggar helped me when I was starving to death."
"A beggar?"
"Yes. He said my face resembled his dead child."
A profound light flickered in the Heavenly Demon's eyes as he recalled the past.
"The beggar sold his blood at the Spring Arrival Medical Forest to buy me dumplings."
Jang Chaewon blinked in disbelief.
"They have blood donation in the martial world? Like the Red Cross or something?"
"The Spring Arrival Medical Forest makes a miracle pill called the Star-Seeking Pill from human blood. They pay top dollar for it."
"Hmm. I see. And then?"
"The beggar died."
Jang Chaewon gaped at the absurd reply.
"What? Why?"
"No idea. He was malnourished and sickly—death wasn't surprising."
His eyes deepened further, lost in memory.
"As he lay dying, the beggar regretted it bitterly. He wondered why he'd done such a pointless act of kindness."
"......"
Jang Chaewon was speechless.
Even if that world was brutal and savage, the Heavenly Demon seemed to attract unusually harsh fates.
"Anyway, that sort of thing isn't true kindness or help."
The Heavenly Demon crossed his arms, his expression firm.
"It's just the well-fed saying, 'This world's beautiful and worth living in.'"
"No, you're wrong."
Jang Chaewon was equally firm.
"There might be differences in scale, but it's still kindness."
"This world overflows with fresh water and food. That's why people don't mind giving a little."
The Heavenly Demon spoke matter-of-factly.
"That owner's 'gift' to the kids was probably pocket change. Right?"
"Well......"
"But what if someone were starving in abject poverty? Or if ingredients cost hundreds of times more? That owner wouldn't have lifted a finger. Am I wrong?"
Jang Chaewon sighed deeply instead of answering.
To him, she must seem like someone living like a famine-stricken African villager from 30 years ago.
But after the First Busters, with dungeons spawning and Awakeners rising, hunger had vanished.
Tasteless or not, dungeon ingredients and monsters regenerated endlessly.
The starvation that plagued the Third World was finally gone.
"You guys still have food shortages?"
The Heavenly Demon nodded at her question.
"Of course."
In the martial world, endless blood feuds and famines repeated.
Starving or dying by the blade was everyday life—a place where a mere brush could be fatal.
'Ah, I can't explain the difference.'
With a sigh, Jang Chaewon conceded.
"Yeah, I get where you're coming from."
She stared straight into his crimson eyes, which viewed the world so negatively.
"But small kindnesses are kindnesses, and big ones are too. Don't reduce human warmth to something so simplistic."
"I don't think simplistically."
The Heavenly Demon downed his barley tea and spoke flatly.
"I just don't like turning poverty into spectacle."
Jang Chaewon nodded, seeing the sunken look in his eyes.
"Yeah. You're right too."
Only now did she glimpse his heart.
Even in this abundant world, poverty lingered. It must have stirred bad memories.
"Next time something like that comes on TV, I'll turn it off right away."
She offered a gentle smile.
The only kindness she could give him now was a warm one.
That evening.
Jang Chaewon lay in bed, browsing the web on her hologram screen.
Scrolling a video site, she suddenly typed "food shortage" into the search bar.
-Ethiopia, Madagascar, South Sudan, Yemen, etc.: 270 million in famine. Needs $15 billion in emergency aid.
The only results were decades-old news.
Otherwise, just history lectures for exam prep.
"I see."
Her loathing for dungeons softened a bit.
The very things she'd hated had enriched the human world.
Click.
She shut down her computer via the floating keyboard, eyes still on the screen.
"Everything has pros and cons."
She murmured softly and closed her eyes.
* * *
The next day.
Shield Boundary Zone, Mom's Hand Baekban Restaurant.
With the owner's permission, a control room was set up on the second floor.
Large screens, radios, mics—staff in headsets monitored the eatery.
"Hello, viewers! Time for another hidden camera prank."
The host beamed at the camera from the control room.
"Today, we're at a baekban joint in a housing complex not far from the Shield Boundary Zone."
He pointed to the restaurant on the big screen, smiling.
"This area's known for housing struggling low-rank Awakeners. Today's theme: Awakeners showing compassion to a hungry child!"
He gestured to the door, where child actors in ragged clothes stepped in front of the camera.
"These two kids will order one bowl of noodles. The brother starves."
He patted their heads, mugging for the camera.
"What will the customers do? Will kindness prevail?"
The prank went off without a hitch.
Most patrons noticed the kids sharing noodles, showed interest, or ordered extra food.
Some packed leftovers for them to take home or slipped them cash.
"We've got plenty of good footage, but......"
The PD reviewing the recordings looked troubled.
"No Awakener customers, though."
Indeed.
They'd chosen this Shield Boundary Zone complex for its low-rank Awakeners.
But today's guests were all ordinary folk—no Awakener sightings.
"Yeah, we came here on tips about Awakeners."
The host smacked his lips, eyes on the monitor.
Then—
"Hey, an Awakener's coming!"
A staffer shouted at the screen.
At the alley mouth, a hulking man with red eyes strode toward the restaurant.
Clearly an Awakener.
The PD yelled urgently.
"Get ready, quick!"
Creak.
The Heavenly Demon pushed open the rusty door and took a corner seat naturally.
"Grilled fish and pork baekban, one each."
"Huh? Oh, sure."
The owner auntie blinked at her regular.
"What's up? Sunday dinner?"
"Sounds like nagging."
"N-No, I mean......"
She brought cool water and a wet towel, smiling awkwardly.
"How about eating elsewhere tonight?"
She knew full well.
His personality was ruthless, utterly indifferent to others.
If he acted normal, the prank team might freak out.
"Hunger cares nothing for days of the week."
He philosophized, scrubbing his face with the towel.
'If it goes wrong, I'll just ask them not to air it.'
The auntie gave a resigned smile and nodded.
"Right. Coming right up."
Slurp.
He gulped the steaming cabbage soup, then scooped fluffy rice.
Topped it with a piece of hot mackerel and spinach namul.
Chew chew.
Salty mackerel flesh danced with fresh spinach over the rice.
This world brimmed with food, but baekban was the pinnacle.
"Whew."
Next, spicy pork stir-fry with onions.
After piling rice, he shoveled in kimchi powder-dusted pork.
"Mmm."
A satisfied hum escaped.
Eating good food was one of humanity's greatest joys.
Gulp.
In the control room, even the host swallowed hard.
"We could film mukbang with that guy."
He'd seen plenty eat on these screens, but no one savored like that giant.
"Makes me hungry too, huh?"
The PD nodded beside him.
"Just this once, then we grab rice and mackerel—huh."
Snapping out of his trance, the PD barked.
"Child actors, go in now!"
"Yes!"
The kids, munching kimbap in the corner, wiped their mouths and stood.
Creak.
The rusty door opened. The ragged-clad siblings entered hand-in-hand.
Brother about ten, sister eight. They scanned the room and sat at a table not far from the Heavenly Demon.
"One bowl of noodles, please."
"Sure."
The auntie forced a dry smile and headed to the kitchen.
Soon, steaming noodles arrived at their table.
"You're not eating, bro?"
The brother shook his head at his little sister.
"I'm full. It's fine."
"You didn't eat dinner either."
"I did earlier."
He stroked her innocent head.
"Eat up quick."
Any adult man would've paused at such talk—but the Heavenly Demon kept eating, unperturbed.
Chew chew.
Spoon and chopsticks moved seemingly at random, but each motion maximized flavor after deep thought.
He savored every grain, every bite, every seasoning.
Chew chew.
His reverent eating bordered on sacred.
"O-Oppa."
The brother, lost staring at the Heavenly Demon, forgot his line. The sister panicked.
"W-Watching you eat fills me up."
"Huh?"
That was his line.
The flustered sister recited it, so he scratched his head.
"Eat up. Watching you fills me."
She drooped her head.
"Then let's share."
"No."
Gulp gulp.
Meanwhile, the Heavenly Demon drained his bowls spotless and chugged water.
He seemed ready to leave.
"U-Uncle."
The sister piped up softly at him.
"My brother's hungry too. Could you buy him rice?"
A blatant plea for help.
The director had prepped this line for cases where the mark missed their dialogue.
"Hungry, eh?"
The Heavenly Demon smirked, picking meat from his teeth.
"What nonsense."
He stood and headed to the counter.
"Bill here."
As he pulled cash from his butt bag, the auntie whispered low.
"The kids seem hungry. Spot 'em something, uncle."
"Nonsense."
"Huh?"
He ignored her and strode out.
In the control room, the PD and host gawked.
"What the—?"
The host griped irritably at the screen.
"Kids ask for one meal, and he says no?"
"Yeah. Looks like a strong Awakener, but cheapskate."
Grumbling, the PD waved at staff.
"Wrap shooting. Send the kids up."
"But no other Awakeners yet."
He dismissed the subordinate.
"No generosity from misers. Same here. Pack up."
How much time passed?
As they prepped to leave, the child actors returned, licking huge candies.
"Huh? What's with the giant candy?"
The host grinned curiously.
"Never seen one that big. From Mom?"
"Nope."
The girl beamed, eyes twinkling.
"Uncle bought it."
"Uncle? Which one?"
She pointed gleefully at the screen.
"The one eating rice earlier."
"Him? The Awakener?"
The PD rushed over. The boy nodded.
"Said we're full, so have candy. And no more lying next time......"
"Huh? What?"
"He knows we're not hungry. We ate kimbap before going in."
Only then did they recall the kids munching kimbap.
"So that's why no rice?"
"Yeah."
The PD and host exchanged glances, smacking lips.
"That guy's a real Awakener."
"Yeah. Different from us."
Awakeners littered dungeons but were rare on streets.
Low manifestation rate, plus they dungeoned day and night.
"Oh yeah, one more thing."
The boy, staring at his candy, addressed them.
"Uncle said tell the ones behind this."
"Huh? Tell what?"
The PD blinked. The boy looked down.
"Don't sell poverty as entertainment."
Silence fell.
"Ahem."
The PD cleared his throat, patting the boy's head.
"Don't mind him. He doesn't know better."
"Yeah."
But the boy's face darkened, sensing something.
Seeing it, the PD forced a bitter smile and snapped at staff.
"Gonna camp here all night? Hurry up!"
-Don't sell poverty as entertainment.
The PD and host bustled busily.
But the man's words echoed in their heads for a long time.