Chapter 114: Earth Adaptation Period
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 114: Earth Adaptation Period
“Juriel!”
Li Lingwei’s voice was bright as she called out.
Inside her clenched fists, her palms were slick with sweat. Juriel scanned her surroundings for a moment before spotting her and hurrying over. The two women, their faces etched with tension, gripped each other’s hands tightly.
It was impossible not to be nervous. They were taking their first steps into an entirely unfamiliar world.
Though they had heard snippets about Earth from Seo-un and Gi-chan, this was a place where they knew no one. No matter how high-and-mighty they had been in their own worlds or within Cloyd Survival, they couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. This was especially true for Li Lingwei, who had arrived several hours earlier than Juriel.
“What took you so long?!”
“I’m sorry. I had to release all the servants bound to me first.”
They had agreed to arrive at the same time via their private chat, but Juriel had been hours late and hadn't responded to messages, leaving Li Lingwei deeply worried. She had feared they might have been dropped at different locations during the transition to Earth.
“Su-hwa told me we were in South Korea, and I was so worried I’d misheard her.”
Juriel gave an awkward smile. She was seeing a side of Li Lingwei she had never seen before—the usually cynical and stoic woman was visibly shaken.
The blatant stares from the many people passing by only made them feel more vulnerable.
“O-our clothes... they seem to stand out too much.”
Li Lingwei, dressed in a striking, flowing crimson outfit, looked like a female lead straight out of a classic martial arts film. She was a sight that commanded the attention of everyone in the vicinity.
Juriel wasn't exactly blending in either. Her emerald lace dress was ornate, and the white gloves on her hands were equally eye-catching.
Above all, it was their sheer beauty that drew people's gazes. A Westerner and an Asian woman, both possessing looks that would put top celebrities to shame, dressed in such exotic attire—it was impossible for people not to stare.
“T-there are quite a few others dressed in strange ways besides us...”
Juriel nodded at Li Lingwei’s words and linked arms with her tightly. With only each other to rely on, the feeling of being treated like a public spectacle made them shrink back.
What if someone had stared at them so blatantly in their own worlds? Li Lingwei would have struck them down on the spot, and Juriel’s guards would have broken their limbs before she even had to step forward.
The two women followed the gazes of the crowd toward others dressed in similarly flashy outfits. They watched people walking around in colorful fabrics, wondering why the attention was focused solely on them.
“Wow, is that cosplay?”
“We’re in Insadong, after all.”
“I guess there are places that rent out clothes like that nearby?”
“Great idea. Are they promotional models?”
The comments from the passersby didn't escape the two women's keen hearing.
“Models? Cosplay... What is that?”
“I-I’m not sure either.”
As the two stood there with confused expressions, a tall man approached them.
“Excuse me.”
“What is it?”
Li Lingwei habitually stepped in front of Juriel, extending her arm to keep the man at a distance. To any onlooker, it seemed like an incredibly exaggerated reaction.
“Ah... are you, uh, cosplaying?”
“What is that?”
“Oh... well, I don't usually do this. Really! But you’re both so beautiful I fell for you at first sight. Could I get your number...?”
Li Lingwei looked at the man, whose short hair was styled in a peculiar, upright fashion. Deciding he wasn't worth her time, she tilted her chin up, grabbed Juriel’s hand, and walked right past him.
“Wow, they’re really committed to the concept.”
“Tell me about it. She looks like she jumped straight out of a Wuxia movie.”
Ignoring the whispering crowds, the two women continued down the street, their eyes growing wider by the second.
“H-how high do these skyscrapers even go?”
“I don't know. I’m not sure either.”
“Should we call Seo-un now?”
“Juriel. We shouldn't be a burden to him. How pathetic would we look if we asked for help before we even handled the basics?”
Juriel nodded at Li Lingwei’s words. “You’re right. Then, to Su-hwa...”
“No. It’s better if we handle things like food, sleep, and clothing on our own. He and she didn't seem to be on the best of terms. There’s clearly some past grievance between them in this world. It’s not good to be indebted to her in such a situation.”
Even as they exchanged serious conversation in the middle of Insadong while dressed in their conspicuous attire, they continued to be the focal point of the street.
“First... the clothes are the problem. Let’s get some clothes.”
“Right! But... where do we get money?”
“Don't worry. I was told that gold holds significant value as currency here as well.”
“I mostly have jewels...”
Their eyes grew busy as they surveyed the skyscrapers filling their vision.
*
“If we mishandle this, it will become a great burden in the future. Please reconsider.”
Jeong Su-hwa, standing behind the man who bowed as he pleaded, also lowered her head.
“I cannot create a present controversy out of fear of a future burden,” the official replied. “The world is already noisy enough with all this talk of Ability Users. Though it hasn't surfaced yet, there is no shortage of anxious eyes. Legal immunity in this situation? It will undoubtedly be labeled as special treatment and spark a controversy. That blade will be pointed at me and the ruling party.”
“It is special treatment. And it must be done. If we lose him... South Korea will fall far behind in the changes to come. Why do you think other nations are going out of their way for him? Please, look at the bigger picture.”
“I’ll pretend I didn't hear that. You may leave now.”
The middle-aged man sighed heavily as he stepped out of the office following the dismissal. “Sigh. Is there... is there no other way?”
With an expressionless face, Jeong Su-hwa shook her head. “There isn't. I just hope he... wait a moment.”
She suddenly cut herself off, appearing focused on something. The middle-aged man waited, hoping for some kind of breakthrough.
“The first Otherworlders might be coming to Korea.”
“Otherworlders?” The middle-aged man briefly thought of famous celebrities before quickly shaking his head. “What do you mean...?”
“I’ll report back later. Excuse me.”
Jeong Su-hwa hurried away.
*
“Um, excuse me, customers. I’m sorry, but... we only take cash or cards...”
Seeing the flustered female staff member, Li Lingwei bluntly held out a gold bar, then pulled another one from her robes.
“I suppose it’s not enough. Then, two.”
“N-no, that’s not it...”
The staff member was speechless. These women had walked in wearing strange clothes, picked out a mountain of items, waited for them to be packaged, and then suddenly produced shining gold bars.
“Lingwei. It seems the cost of living here is quite high. I’ll handle it.”
Juriel stepped forward confidently and unfastened a necklace with a large sapphire hanging from it. “This should be enough, right?”
The staff member was at a total loss. “I-is this some kind of hidden camera prank? Are you YouTubers?”
At the mention of unfamiliar words, the two women looked at each other.
—What’s a hidden camera?
—Are they doing something secretly? And what’s a YouTuber?
—Should we just say yes for now?
—Without knowing what it is?
The owner of the clothing store stepped in, taking over for the bewildered employee. “You young people are taking this joke too far. You shouldn't interfere with business like this.”
“We have no intention of joking,” Li Lingwei said. Her tone was so serious and blunt that the owner’s brow furrowed deeply.
“Listen, you! What are you trying to do with fake gold! I tried to be nice, so you should have taken the hint!”
As the owner’s voice rose, Li Lingwei’s brow furrowed as well. “Fake? Do I look like someone who would carry around fakes?”
“Me? Me? You’re so much younger, where do you get off using such informal speech! Do I look like a joke just because I sell clothes? If it’s real gold, go sell it at a jewelry store! Why are you causing a scene in a clothing store!”
The two women’s eyes sparked as they caught a keyword.
“Jewelry store?”
“Where is that?”
The owner, seeing how incredibly serious the two were, suddenly lost all the energy to be angry. “What is with these two, seriously?”
Li Lingwei spoke again with a serious expression. “Please guide us to this 'jewelry store.' We will compensate you handsomely for your trouble.”
“Sigh.” The owner threw up her hands as if defeated by their sheer earnestness and led the way. “Fine. This is a jewelry store.”
As they pushed through the glass doors, the two women’s expressions brightened at the sight of transparent display cases filled with various precious metals.
Leaving behind the clothing store owner, who stood with her arms crossed to see how this would play out, the two approached the elderly jeweler and pulled out the jewels and gold bars.
“We wish to sell these.”
The jeweler was flustered when two women in clearly abnormal attire suddenly laid out a sapphire necklace and gold bars.
“...They’re real.” After checking the gold and the sapphire, the owner slumped into his seat and wiped sweat from his forehead.
Behind the two women, the clothing store owner’s eyes widened. “They’re real?! You’re saying those are real?”
“Yes. They’re real. Customers, I’m sorry, but it’s impossible for our shop to purchase all of these. Especially the sapphire in this necklace—it easily exceeds 30 carats... The diamonds surrounding it are also genuine, and the cut isn't Korean. The brilliance and cut are both top-tier. This piece is worth at least 700 million won. A small jewelry store like ours can't buy something like this.”
At the mention of 700 million won, the clothing store owner’s jaw dropped. Li Lingwei and Juriel looked at each other and nodded.
—I’ll handle this. I have more experience dealing with merchants.
With that, Li Lingwei stepped forward. “Well, we won't ask for the full price. Our circumstances are urgent, so we’ll take a quick sale price. Just give us whatever you can.”
The middle-aged owner looked at the woman in red with a strange gaze. She was trying to bargain without seemingly understanding the value of what she held. Juriel stepped in.
—Lingwei. Step back. That man is looking at us strangely.
Juriel spoke up, her Korean fluent thanks to her translation item. “Setting the necklace aside, can you do something about these gold bars?”
When the owner shook his head after weighing the two gold bars, the two women’s faces darkened.
“Four kilograms. Phew. Even at the current market rate, that’s over 150 million won. Where would a small shop like this get 100 million won in cash right now?”
Li Lingwei stepped in again, feeling the urgency. “Like we said, we’ll just take whatever you have on hand. Can you not even manage to buy one?”
The middle-aged man stared at the woman for a long time, wondering if she was sane, before finally speaking. “I only have 60 million won in the shop right now. If you’re okay with that...”
Before the man could even finish, Li Lingwei nodded. “Fine!”
“Then please write your account number here and show me your ID...”
Seeing the two women staring blankly at the paper he held out, the man realized something was wrong.
“Um, what is an 'account number'...?”
“As for ID, I suppose this won't do?”
The man’s mouth fell open as Juriel produced a fancy gold medallion engraved with complex characters.
After many twists and turns, the two women left the shop carrying twelve bundles of 50,000-won bills. When Li Lingwei swept the stacks of cash into her subspace, the expressions on the faces of the onlookers suggested they couldn't be more shocked even if the world were ending.
“Y-you should have said you were Ability Users,” the clothing store owner said. They had somehow become friendly during the ordeal.
Juriel replied, “I suppose that’s what they call us here.”
“Ah, so you both came from abroad? No wonder... It would have been better if you’d said so sooner. But how do you both speak Korean so well?”
“It’s thanks to an item.”
“Ah, I saw that on TV. Right, they say those items have all sorts of miraculous functions. Was making the money disappear like that one of them?”
“It’s called a subspace.”
“Oh my, how fascinating.”
Chatting about this and that, they returned to the clothing store. The owner held out her hand. “Since you’re foreigners, I’ll give you a special discount. Just pay 390,000 won. I took off ten thousand.”
At that, Li Lingwei pulled out a bundle of 50,000-won bills and pressed it into her hand. “The rest is a gratuity. You were a big help.”
The owner, momentarily gripped by greed, shook her head and stopped the two women as they turned to leave. “I’ve been doing business here for ten years. I’m not the kind of person to rip off foreigners. Here! I’ll only take ten thousand won as a tip.”
Juriel smiled as she watched the owner firmly press the remaining 4.6 million won back into Li Lingwei’s hand.
“Then at least take this.” Juriel insisted on pressing a ring with a small diamond into the owner’s hand. Leaving the stunned clothing store owner behind, the two hurried on their way.
“But why are people still staring?”
“I don't know. Our clothes don't look that conspicuous, do they?”
Even though they had changed into short skirts and modern shoes, the two looked puzzled as the stares continued.
—Vrooooooom!
“A-a monster?!”
Juriel looked up at the sky and reached for her staff, but Li Lingwei stopped her.
“Juriel. Don't panic. That’s not a monster.” Li Lingwei spoke as she watched the 'bird' passing through the sky with a roar.
“It’s not?”
“No. That’s... just a bird that flies in the sky. I was quite surprised at first too, but no one else seems to care.”
Only then did Juriel realize that the people around her were focused more on her suddenly pulling out a staff than on the plane cutting through the sky.
“Now that we know how to get money, we just need to find a house.”
“We should find a house near him.”
“Let’s find one first.”
“But where do we find a house?”
“...”
*
—Boom!
Seo-un narrowly dodged a bolt of lightning striking from the sky and charged forward, his arms hanging loose.
—Slash!
Gi-chan moved his staff, skillfully defending against the reaching Blood Bone Claw. As he retreated, he swept his staff, and an Ice Snake opened its maw to lunge at Seo-un.
—Crack!
Seo-un instantly tore the Ice Snake apart with the Aura gathered at his fingertips and closed the distance to Gi-chan in a flash.
—Clang!
“Ugh!” Gi-chan, knocked backward, barely managed to pick himself up. “Hyung! Using Aura is cheating!”
“Don't you know you should train like it’s a real battle? I got hit by Call Lightning twice, you know.”
“But you have Magic Resistance.”
“Just because it’s high doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. Anyway, it’s been a few days already. Since nothing’s happened, I guess the thing we were looking forward to isn't going to happen.”
Seo-un’s face crumpled as he glared at Gi-chan. “Looking forward to?”
“Ah, no. The thing we were worried about.”
“They say words have power. Watch your mouth.”
“Yes. We’re going up today, right?”
“We have to. I think it’s time I gave them an answer.”
“Have you decided?”
“Yeah. They said they’d handle all the tax issues and even give me legal immunity. You’re okay with it too, right?”
“I’ve got nothing to lose,” Gi-chan replied. “Besides, it’s been hard to handle the items you’ve been bringing lately on my own. They aren't just broken materials; items worth dozens of coins are a big deal. Plus, I won't have to go to the military.”
Seo-un’s brow furrowed as he saw Gi-chan put extra emphasis on that last part. “You should still serve in the military. I’ll talk to them about that.”
“You really don't have to.”
“No. A man should serve his time.”
As they exchanged jokes while descending the mountain, a familiar voice reached them.
—Seo-un. We’re here. We’re in a place called Seoul.
In an instant, Seo-un and Gi-chan’s movements stopped dead, as if they’d been struck by lightning.
—We’re at a place called the Shilla Hotel!
The fact that the words 'Seoul' and 'Shilla Hotel' had come from those familiar voices sent goosebumps over Seo-un’s entire body.
“Looks like... my words had power.”
The moment Seo-un’s brow furrowed as he glared at the awkwardly laughing Gi-chan, Gi-chan used his Lightness Skill and leaped down the mountain.
“Hey! Kang Gi-chan!”
“What else can I do? You have to manage your teammates!”
—Vroom!
As Gi-chan threw himself onto his bike and began to flee, Seo-un quickly gave chase.
*
“So, you’re saying it’s been a few days since you arrived?”
“It’s the fourth day.”
Juriel nodded at Li Lingwei’s words.
“Ah... how did you manage to find a hotel like this?” Gi-chan’s eyes sparkled as he looked around the suite, which was beyond the concept of 'spacious.'
“Well, it’s nothing much.”
Seo-un’s eyes darkened as he watched Li Lingwei tilt her chin up as if it were no big deal. In Seo-un’s stead, Gi-chan spoke up excitedly. “Isn't it expensive?”
“At first, we were scared because we didn't have a sense of the prices, but it wasn't that expensive. Grandfather gave me some starting capital, thinking of his granddaughter getting married.”
“Wow, just how much did he give you...?”
Before he could finish, Juriel began pulling gold bars out of her subspace. Gi-chan’s eyes nearly popped out as he saw the steel table fill up with gold bars, various jewels, paintings, and ceramics. The endless stream of gold bars was already enough to make the table sag.
“T-that’s enough. You don't have to show us anymore.”
“It seems Juriel’s jewels are more valuable than mine,” Li Lingwei noted.
Juriel gave an awkward smile. Gi-chan wore a mischievous expression as he looked at the two women.
“But it’s surprising that you two are staying together.”
“Why?”
“The two of us go back a long way, just like you two. I’ve survived by relying on Juriel.”
Gi-chan, his eyes full of mischief, shook his head exaggeratedly. “Even so, you’re romantic rivals. In dramas, even close friends, when faced with a love triangle—urk!”
As Seo-un’s fingertip lightly poked Gi-chan’s side, his face turned pale and he was cut off.
“Gah! Are you... trying to kill me?”
“If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll seriously consider whether to actually kill you. I’m getting legal immunity, after all.”
Despite Seo-un’s words, which hid his embarrassment, Gi-chan burst into laughter even while clutching his aching side. However, Juriel and Li Lingwei lost their smiles and spoke with serious expressions.
“You don't have to worry about that.”
“Right. Lingwei and I have already finished talking.”
Seo-un’s eyebrows twitched at the mention of a conversation being finished without the person involved.
“How did it end?” Gi-chan asked, dying of curiosity.
“We decided to both be primary wives. If one of us became a concubine, it might shake our friendship.”
“Right. We decided to settle it well so Seo-un wouldn't have to worry. We can't be a burden to him.”
‘No, that’s not the problem...’
Seo-un cut off his train of thought and stood up abruptly. “You’re hungry, right? Let’s get something to eat.”
Leaving only those words, Seo-un walked out. Gi-chan followed, clutching his stomach and stifling his laughter.
—Hyung. Isn't Sweden monogamous too? Maybe you should look into the Middle East?
Ignoring Gi-chan’s joke, which continued to needle him to the end, Seo-un hurried outside.