Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Ark Shandy Rendezvous (3)
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It was noon, a busy time with lunch preparations in full swing.
All the meals at the mansion were handled by Lee Gyeo-ul, and this big sister's cooking skills were seriously no joke.
"When you're cooking, think of it as making food for someone else's family, not yours. That's how it turns out delicious."
She whipped up kimchi jjigae, spicy pork stir-fry, and even a health-looking soybean paste soup, but loaded them all with MSG and salt to make them stimulating and mouthwatering.
For me, a vampire who couldn't get nutrition any other way besides blood, eating was unnecessary. But Lee Gyeo-ul's food was just that good, and I couldn't exactly skip out when all the members gathered, so I made a point of sitting at the table every time.
Today, too, I was half-sprawled on the sofa, watching TV like one of those jobless uncles you find lounging around the house.
Lee Gyeo-ul had told me not to get in the way of her prep and to just scram, so there wasn't much for me to do anyway.
I let out a big, lazy yawn and fiddled with the TV remote.
When there wasn't TV on, I'd usually lie there scrolling my smartphone or messing with the computer. I could see why they called it the "idiot box."
It kinda hit me why my dad would hole up in the master bedroom every day off without fail, glued to the screen.
"Hey."
Yubyeol-ha strode over and plopped down in the empty spot on the sofa.
"What."
"Uh... wanna go to Korea in a week...?"
"Out of nowhere?"
I shot her a look at the sudden invitation.
"I've got business taking me back home anyway, and it lines up perfectly with all the schools being on break."
"Can't you just go alone? Why drag me into it all of a sudden?"
Yubyeol-ha squinted, her lips twitching before she let out a sigh.
"Sigh... forget it if you don't wanna."
"Didn't say I didn't. A week from now, huh?"
South Korea.
The home base of the 21st Century Secret Society, where most of its monsters gathered—and where its leader, Zero One, was holed up.
The Society wasn't going to limit itself to Academy City anymore. Their moves would get bolder, rippling out to more countries ahead.
I'd have to visit at least once to brace for the showdown with them.
South Korea had a faction that could be a huge help in the fight against the Society.
The Korea Hunter Association—an independent outfit where even powerful monsters in modern society couldn't wield influence. A place where skilled hunters like Lee Gyeo-ul and Hound Dog belonged, and in the original story, they'd been solid allies for Kim Si-hu and his crew.
Going with Yubyeol-ha, whose identity was backed up, it'd probably be easy to secure their aid for the war on the Society.
Unlike Lee Gyeo-ul, who'd pissed off a ton of hunters over Han Cheong-ah's case, Yubyeol-ha was the top prospect set to lead the future.
Her face lit up.
"Yeah! We'll head to Korea in a week. Planning to stay about three days, but if you wanna hang longer, we can..."
"Got it. Remind me again the day before."
"Wh-what're you two chatting about so happily...?"
Mimir, sans her usual pointed hat, squatted down in front of the sofa.
"Talking hometown stuff."
Yubyeol-ha brushed a strand of hair off Mimir's cheek as she spoke. Their first meeting had started with a knife to the throat, but now they got along great.
After I'd stopped their chase—sparked by some minor misunderstanding(?), at least—they'd talked it out and ended up buddies like this.
Mimir's total loner vibe played a part too. She always whined like an abandoned puppy, somehow stirring up everyone's protective instincts in AOD.
Lee Gyeo-ul did it, Han Cheong-ah did it, even Cheryl looked after her...
"H-hometown talk. I-I wanna talk hometown too. About five hundred years ago, there was this kingdom that's long gone now..."
"Today's the moment you've all been waiting for: Winter-noona's limited-time special Korean course!"
"Whoa, that sounds amazing~ No choice but to get off the sofa and head to the table!"
"Hiiing..."
Mimir's random TMI dumps were way too boring to sit through, so Yubyeol-ha and I bolted for the table. The dejected witch shuffled after us like a limp noodle.
"We didn't even call you yet, geez..."
"You've arrived."
The table was laden with a feast. Han Cheong-ah was setting out the utensils.
"Alright, time for lunch. Everyone sit down and grab your chopsticks."
We took our seats and dug in.
The food was top-notch. No appetite to speak of, but my vampire taste buds didn't lie—the grub slid down smooth.
"Oh yeah, Do-hyun, I sorted things out with the doc on the blood stuff. Delivery in about a week, and we'll get a dedicated blood fridge installed too. But if I smell blood in the house, you're dead meat...?"
"Thanks."
Blood was water and food for vampires. Stuff like this didn't provide real nutrition, so feeding was essential.
After the Irregular mess, my blood supply had dried up, leaving me in a bind. I'd been stressing over it when Lee Gyeo-ul hooked me up with a Korean line.
Illegal, sure. But legal options were basically nil. Better than grabbing a passerby for a bite, right? Classier.
"Cheong-ah."
"Yes."
"Didn't I say you'd die if you play with your phone at the table?"
Yubyeol-ha startled and quietly set her phone down.
Han Cheong-ah coolly eyed her smartphone and shot back.
"Mind taking a quick look at this, everyone?"
Her phone screen showed some news.
"There's this video blowing up online communities lately. It's footage captured during popular YouTuber J's livestream. Let's watch it together and see why it's such a hit, subscribers."
With the hooded female YouTuber's explanation, the video switched scenes.
It was Academy City during the Irregular incident. Screams rang out amid crumbling buildings—a hellscape unfolding.
"About two weeks ago, a massive terrorist attack by Irregulars hit Academy City. The unprecedented assault caused massive casualties."
"YouTuber J kept streaming live amid the chaos, filming the scene. Then suddenly, a terrorist showed up and smashed his smartphone..."
The clip vividly showed an Irregular popping up out of nowhere, bashing the cameraman and snatching his phone. But the real kicker came next.
A masked man appeared in the footage, freezing the terrorist solid and taking him down.
Even Han Cheong-ah's voice leaked out: "No idea why you're watching this nonsense, but greetings anyway. Hello, viewers."
"The blue-haired figure in the video bears a striking resemblance to the protagonist of that viral 'Academy City Monster Battle' clip from before. Who could he be? A state-sent hunter? Or some mysterious superhero straight out of movies or comics?"
"This time, it wasn't a monster but a terrorist he beat down—yet his heroic rescue of those in peril has folks cheering him on."
"And finally, bad news: The city built to guide Psykers on the right path has lost that function. It's under repair now, but prospects look grim. This has been Mujub from Herken News Channel."
The Rekka Channel video ended.
"We made the news."
Han Cheong-ah puffed up proudly. The table vibe shifted.
A quick glance around showed everyone's eyes had gone weird.
"Enough."
I cut in before mouths could open, but...
"Hey hey, superhero. Sign something before you get even more famous. Eat extra side dishes from my plate in return."
"The birth of a second hero, huh... Guess Korea's first 'hero' has to step up."
"Uh, ice hero, so how about Seo-ju Iceman...?"
Everyone cracked up at Mimir's lame joke. She tilted her head, dead serious.
"Wh-what's so funny... Seo-ju Iceman's cool. And original ice cream tastes good too."
"Seo-ju Iceman is scary-ass cool."
"Sis can sew costumes too—want a skintight suit?"
Yubyeol-ha clutched the table, wheezing like she might pass out.
I closed my eyes as the table turned into a full-on roast fest in seconds.
Fine. Laugh, gotta laugh.
But seriously, Seo-ju Iceman was just too much.