Chapter 1
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Today, the Protagonist Disappeared. Or Maybe Yesterday - 1
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Righteousness and heroism were nowhere to be found, replaced by an overflow of lust and desire. It was your run-of-the-mill erotic martial novel, easy enough to come by.
An erotic martial novel that pushed a shallow protagonist who relied solely on his half-baked martial prowess, ignoring righteousness and propriety in favor of base lust, was the kind of thing you read just to kill time.
But now, that was no longer an option.
All I had done was finish the finale and go to bed. Who knew I'd end up possessing the world of that erotic martial novel?
Or... could you even call it possession?
After all, I'd entered this world in the exact form of my childhood self...
Whatever the case, I hadn't even left so much as a single comment out of the 5,700 characters the author begged for, so why me of all people?
Sure, as a seasoned reader, this situation wasn't entirely unfamiliar. But still, an extra without even a name—not even a side character...
In this world, I was a mere errand boy for Yangcheon Fortress, the Evil Faction outpost ruling Un-ga Village, where the protagonist first makes his mark.
A throwaway one-shot villain in the erotic martial novel, meant solely to showcase the protagonist's power.
The kind of mob who falls over with a simple "Argh!"
In that erotic martial novel, the protagonist slaughters everyone in Yangcheon Fortress, rescues the village chief's imprisoned daughter, and scores his first lay.
I turned my head and cast a glance at the lord of Yangcheon Fortress.
Yangcheon Fortress Lord, Iron Shell of Fierce Dragon Escort.
A man twice my height and three times my bulk.
His brutish face, covered in a scraggly beard, twisted as he bellowed, oblivious to his own impending doom. He looked every bit the fool fated to die just to make the protagonist shine, ranting about dragging the village chief's daughter in here.
Anyway, the key point was that he had the face of someone doomed to a short life in any martial arts tale.
Meaning, if I stayed here, I'd die.
The protagonist would arrive in about a month. Imperial Year 328, January 1st.
It was late November now, so time was short.
Whatever the circumstances, now that I'd possessed this body, I had to live on with it.
And I had no intention of dying meekly in some dangerous spot.
So, there was only one thing to do.
Escape.
Once resolved, action must be swift.
When night fell, I grabbed the few silver coins I'd apparently saved up, left a note, and slipped out.
Of course, it wasn't a reckless flight.
I had a solid plan.
The world would soon plunge into chaos.
Until the final boss, the Blood God, emerged, the Blood Cult's hordes would rampage, and those connected to the protagonist would suffer greatly trying to stop them.
But in the end, the protagonist and his companions—no, his harem—defeat the Blood Demon and usher in an era of peace. So I could just sit back, watch the show, and enjoy the rice cakes.
Knowing the future made choosing a path simple.
I could leverage the skills I had before possessing this body, work a normal job, and get by.
That's why I chose to work at Hwapyeong Inn in Je-gok Castle, a few days' journey from Un-ga Village.
I could cook decently enough, so starting as kitchen help there, I could eventually become a head chef and live quietly.
Why bother suffering needlessly?
Conveniently, Hwapyeong Inn was hiring kitchen assistants with room, board, and a monthly wage of one silver nyang. No worries about food or shelter.
So I headed straight there, applied for the job, passed a few tests, and proudly became an assistant chef and server.
Turns out, my choice wasn't bad at all.
It was busy, but nothing too tough.
And so, I began settling into this world as Hwapyeong Inn's assistant chef and server.
"Jin Hyun!"
"Yes, Innkeeper sir."
"It's New Year's today, so we won't have many guests. Whip up some food for us."
"Got it."
Hwapyeong Inn's head chef had worked at a famous capital inn in the past, they said. Which made him pricey, so he didn't cook for the staff.
Arrogant guy, but not a bad one.
He even taught me well when I asked.
"So, what should I make?"
"You know what you're good at. That... that... what was it."
"Spicy stir-fried pork and Gyeongyang-style tonkatsu?"
Obviously, this world had no spicy stir-fried pork or Gyeongyang-style tonkatsu.
But the innkeeper smacked his lips and requested them for a reason.
Because that's what I'd made during my assistant chef interview.
Surprisingly, all the ingredients were there—not just pepper, garlic, and chili, but even butter and heavy cream, the sorts of things you'd expect in Western cuisine.
I was puzzled about the butter and cream, so I asked. Turns out they imported them for the Western foreigners and southern dwarves who frequented the place.
Come spring, Je-gok Castle saw plenty of foreigners, so they needed to prepare dishes for them.
Not weird at all.
The author of this erotic martial novel had set up an Elf Kingdom to the west and a Dwarf Kingdom to the south, probably to include elf and dwarf waifus.
Anyway, it worked in my favor.
The worldbuilding was just superficially martial arts-flavored, so plenty of ingredients I could use were available.
"Yeah, that. The spicy one that sticks so nicely to your tongue. And that Gyeongyang-style tonkatsu was sweet and mouthwatering. Come spring, let's add them to the official menu."
"Huh? Does that mean I become head chef then?"
"Haha, kid. Learn a few more things from the head chef first, then we'll talk."
"Thank you!"
If I started cooking in earnest, my wage would go up too. What to do with the extra coin?
Invest in real estate for the future?
-Sizzle!-
I headed to the kitchen, sliced and pounded the meat, seasoned it with pepper and salt, then dredged it in flour, egg wash, and breadcrumbs. Prep done... now the sauce.
I had pre-made spicy stir-fried pork, so just a quick reheat.
Melted butter and flour to make a roux, mixed in ketchup, soy sauce, water, sugar, and vinegar, then simmered it down. Sauce complete.
"Hm hm~."
Takes me back to cooking before the possession.
Back then it was for shoots, so all sorts of hassles, but here it's straightforward and easy.
I plated the tonkatsu and wok-heated spicy stir-fried pork. Lunch prep done, I headed out.
"Lunch is ready!"
At my call, the inn staff claimed the empty seats on the first floor.
"Jin Hyun made it today?"
"Yeah. You gotta show off those skills more often, or life here's no fun."
I shrugged at their grinning, relaxed banter and glanced at the innkeeper. Ingredients were his property, after all—I couldn't touch them freely.
"Ahem. It's New Year's, so I specially ordered Jin Hyun to make it!"
"Oh, thank you sir!"
"Thanks!"
They teasingly thanked the puffing innkeeper and dug in.
Both dishes were guy favorites, so everyone ate heartily. Even our sole waitress, Chunhye sis... well, she always eats well anyway.
"Can I get a meal now?"
That was when it happened.
I'd figured no guests on New Year's, but the inn door swung open.
In walked a beauty who left everyone speechless.
Her long black hair was dark as a moonless night, contrasting with skin white as moonlight.
Bold, dark brows framed sharp, beautiful eyes that gleamed red, amplifying her mystique.
A slender face with a long, pale neck. Her form-fitting black qipao-like dress hinted at a firm, voluptuous figure that only heightened her allure.
Of course, if anyone asked why qipao in a martial arts world, I'd have nothing to say.
But with elves and dwarves showing up, what's wrong with a qipao and stockings?
"...Wow..."
No one could tell who sighed first—she was that stunning.
And only I was shocked for a different reason.
Yes, this woman was one of the erotic martial novel's side characters, the protagonist's brief early mentor who fades out.
One of the Eight Great Heavens of the Nine Provinces.
Sword Heaven, Yu Ye-ryeon.
"Hm. Staff meal time? Then I'll come back later..."
"N-No! It's fine! Please, come in!!"
"Am I interrupting?"
"Not at all! Not at all!"
The flustered innkeeper hurried to greet her. Yu Ye-ryeon glanced around, her eyes landing on our food.
"Hate to order separately and bother you... Mind if I have what you're eating?"
"Of course! Jin Hyun! Bring out a portion of spicy stir-fried pork and Gyeongyang-style tonkatsu!"
"Ah. Yes sir."
I hadn't expected to meet Sword Heaven here. But thinking about it, it wasn't strange.
The protagonist Wi Cheonryong meets Sword Heaven Yu Ye-ryeon the day after New Year's, in Un-ga Village.
After spending the night with the village chief's daughter, Wi Cheonryong catches her eye witnessing the Yangcheon Fortress incident, and she takes him as a disciple.
From there, events tied to him explode, marking the true start of the story—right around the corner now.
"Here you are."
I'd prepared extra just in case, so it was easy. She eyed the generous portions of spicy stir-fried pork and tonkatsu with curiosity.
"What's this?"
"Tonkatsu and spicy stir-fried pork."
"Hm... Similar to cutlets from the west."
"Practically the same. You've been to the Western regions, then."
"Yes. Wandering in search of a worthy disciple. Haven't found one yet."
A worthy disciple, huh. You'll meet him soon.
I bowed politely and returned to my seat.
As the meal wrapped up and I headed to the kitchen to wash dishes...
Having cleaned her plates spotless, she placed a silver nyang on the table and said to me,
"Delicious. Better than what I had in the west. Especially the spicy stir-fried pork? Seems like simple stir-fried meat, but that spicy-sweet cling... Got any other dishes up your sleeve?"
"I know a few..."
"Perfect. I'll stop by on my way back—show off your skills then too."
Huh? Does that mean I get to see the protagonist?
Sweet. Let's see what he looks like.
I nodded, and she flashed a grin before turning and walking out. As some guys stared dazedly, swallowing hard, I clenched my fist.
Alright. The real story kicks off now.
A few days later, brimming with anticipation...
When she returned to the inn, no one was by her side.