A Sturdy Shed and Ominous Rumblings

"Got it, Sujin."

"Hehe! Thanks, Yelena!"

Yelena joined them at the breakfast table that morning. She'd been glued to Sujin's side since yesterday, and now she was sitting right next to her, digging into her meal.

"Yelena, how's the taste? Suit your palate?"

From a Korean perspective, it was the most ordinary breakfast imaginable: kimchi jjigae loaded with chunks of pork, seasoned soybean sprout salad, stir-fried anchovies still chilly from the fridge, and seaweed stem salad. Each plate came with a hefty mackerel as the main dish.

"Delicious. Sujin. True feast."

"Ahaha! A real feast, right? Glad it hits the spot."

Yelena beamed contentedly at Sujin and attacked her chopsticks with gusto.

"...You're pretty good with chopsticks."

For a foreigner, her chopstick skills were pro-level. The way she cleanly filleted the mackerel wasn't amateur work.

"...Mom taught me."

"Oh. So your mom's Korean?"

"......"

Yelena didn't answer, just focused back on her food. The offhand joke hung awkwardly in the air, but it probably wasn't the case anyway. Yelena looked purely Western, not mixed at all.

"...Where're we building the shed?"

"Yeah, remember that old spot where Dad made us a pool? Right there."

"Materials?"

"Haha, why the rush? Bro can't build a shed single-handed anyway. Just help tidy up the ground around it. We'll call pros later."

Come to think of it, Sujin still didn't fully grasp my strength. This was the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠perfect chance. If she saw me hauling construction materials solo, it'd click.

"Heh. Just wait and see, little sis."

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I've got plans today."

"...What?"

"Gotta head out right after eating."

"W-Wait, Sujin!"

"Text me on KakaoTalk if you've got questions~"

Sujin stood up without even hearing me out. She threw on a gray coat I'd never seen before and headed for the door.

"Oh."

She paused, then came back over to me.

"Get along with Yelena, okay?"

"That's not the point right now..."

"Got it, Sujin."

Yelena, oblivious to the tension, smiled lightly and nodded. Sujin smiled back, then suddenly leaned in close to my ear.

"Get along? From what I know, Yelena's single too."

"What?"

"Y'know how these things go? Honestly, you and her? Total match made in heaven looks-wise."

"What're you even saying? Look at our age gap."

"Oho~ Already know each other's ages?"

"No, that's not...!"

"Hehe! Catch ya later!"

And with that, Sujin bounced out the door.

"Ha. Jeez."

"......"

Left alone with Yelena in the house. Her wary glare was the cherry on top.

"...What're you staring at?"

"Hmph."

As an awakener, Yelena had probably overheard Sujin's whisper. Their senses were way sharper than normals'.

"Ignore what Sujin said. Let's just build that shed like we planned."

"What's a shed?"

"Like a little house. Technically illegal if you live in it, but whatever."

"Don't get it."

"Anyway, we'll finish before Sujin gets back, so help out."

"Got it. For Sujin."

"Yeah, think of it that way."

I finished breakfast first, ignoring Sujin's absence. As I cleared the table and started on dishes, Yelena hovered nearby.

"What?"

"......"

She was hemming and hawing—probably felt bad watching me do chores.

'Kid's got some manners.'

"Fine. You handle lunch instead. Looks like Sujin's gonna be late."

"...Got it."

With cleanup done, it was time for the shed. I grabbed the toolbox from the yard corner and headed to the spot Sujin mentioned.

A pile of dark-stained wooden planks. Pulling back the tarp revealed stacks of dry brown lumber beams—freshly bought, by the look.

"These'll rot if you leave 'em like this."

Winter kept it from being a big issue, though.

"Soo-hyeok. What should I do?"

Yelena had come to help with construction.

"You handle the yard first."

"Yard?"

"Y'know, clear out the big rocks, pull weeds, level the ground."

"Got it."

I inspected the beams, sketching a mental blueprint. I'd overlooked it passing by before, but there were plenty of solid materials: insulation in bags, plywood sheets stacked neatly.

"Can't exceed 6 pyeong... Nah, laws might've changed."

Quick phone search—no changes. Should be fine if I kept it modest.

'Sujin's just building it for show anyway.'

"Hup!"

I hefted armfuls of beams onto my shoulders and carried them out. Sujin would've gawked, but she wasn't here.

Slash! Slash!

"Huh?"

Outside, Yelena wasn't pulling weeds—she was chopping them down. She'd grabbed the firewood axe from the yard and showed off dazzling axe work. Soon, the area was a pristine gravel patch, weed-free.

"Whoa."

"Huff. Huff. This good?"

"Damn, perfect. Good job."

"Heh."

A little praise, and Yelena puffed up proudly. I'd had low expectations, but she pulled her weight.

"Alright then."

With the big stuff cleared, it was my turn.

"Huuup."

I steadied my breath and stance. First time using this since landing back home, but no issue—it didn't need mana.

The strongest human I knew, Knight King Lebron, taught me. Strikes branch into types. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Same power, different paths.

Collision: raw strength clash. Basic.

Destruction: shatter the impact point for big damage.

Crush: pulverize the foe outright. That's the one.

Key is reading the target's structure.

"Like this."

...Boom!

A light stomp unleashed a heavy roar, heaving the ground upward. The force didn't stop, surging into the airborne soil.

Pop-pop-pop-crack!

Like a fuse igniting, shockwaves pulverized gravel and sand to powder. As the power faded, the fine dust settled lightly.

"Mm. Nice."

"Wh-What was that, Soo-hyeok?"

"Haha, just stomped once."

"Ugh......"

"C'mon, plenty left to do. Can't slack now."

Yelena looked miffed, like her work was pointless now, but she followed orders quietly.

"Lay this here..."

Crunch!

"Drive that there."

Crack!

"Fill with insulation."

Extra hands made it easier—especially A-rank hunter hands.

By sunset, the shed was done.

"Whew."

Sloped roof for rain runoff, insulated plywood walls, elevated floor against dampness. Even I was impressed by the sturdy build.

Thump thump. A test tap—no wobble.

'Who knew Dad's old lessons would pay off.'

Back then, I'd griped about the hassle.

Live long enough, huh.

"Hey, stand in front there."

"Why?"

"Duh, commemorative pic. Gotta show Sujin."

"No pics."

"Ugh, picky."

Fine, I'd pose. V-sign in front of the new shed.

"Don't like fingers."

"Huh? What then? What's trendy?"

"Just stand. Fingers make you look old."

"Mm."

'I am old.'

I stood still by the shed as instructed. Yelena snapped the shot.

Click.

"Lemme see."

The pic showed me grinning cheesily in front. Hadn't taken one in ages.

"Eh, came out decent."

Sujin'd freak on KakaoTalk.

As I went to send it...

...Boom.

A distant heavy rumble echoed. Not like the shed's thud.

"...Hear that?"

"Yeah."

"What was it?"

"Earthquake? Nah."

"Gangwon-do, Korea. Quakes don't happen here."

Pre-otherworld, quakes were Japan's problem. Plus, this felt unnatural—heavy, ominous.

"Hold your breath a sec."

"...Inhale."

With Yelena holding, I felt the earth's faint tremor. Tracing it led to the back mountain—the ongoing field.

"...Where'd Sujin say she was going today?"

"Mmph. No idea. Didn't say."

"Yeah. Breathe."

"Haa."

Maybe just a bad feeling. But my gut never lied.

I called Sujin. Short ringtone, then a robotic voice.

Click! Phone off, I stomped toward the back mountain rumble.

Praying my unlucky hunch was wrong.

* * *

Early morning. In a cramped room packed with monitors and cutting-edge gadgets, five people checked their gear.

Diverse in gender, age, weapons: sword, gun, bow, knuckles, spiked shield.

One common thread: each weapon bore the Myoryong Guild emblem—a bearded dragon.

This wasn't just any room. A modified truck with a crane, Myoryong Guild's base camp.

The bald man ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠recited the job crisply. Myoryong Guild Master Kang Dae-hee.

"B-rank, right? Sign said 'C-rank monster zone' earlier."

"Ignore that. Slapped on over five years ago, half-assed."

"Aha."

"Yoon Ji-hyang, any special notes?"

"Yep~. No extra mana cores. Solid B-rank field~."

Yoon Ji-hyang chewed her gum with a casual smack.

"Oh, some ent colony got wrecked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a few days back~."

"Cause?"

"Not monster infighting~. Probably client tidied up for fun~."

"What? Doesn't that cut our pay?"

Jin Mu-baek, sharpening his sword, frowned.

"Nah. A-rank client's participation was in the contract."

"Yay~ Less work for us~."

Clunk. Truck door slid open amid the chatter.

"You're here. Park Sujin."

"Yeah. Been a while, old-timer."

A short-bobbed woman in her early twenties. A-rank hunter Park Sujin, who posted the request.