33-40

Chapter 33

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

Sitting across from Ho Sung, the champion rang the bell quietly. As the manager walked toward them, shaking uncontrollably, Min Sung wiped the blood on his hands with a wet towel and said to the manager, "I'll pay for all the damage I caused. Is our order almost ready? Oh, and we're gonna need another bottle of soju."

"R-right away, sir!" the manager said, frightened. After running to the kitchen, he brought out another bottle of soju.

"Are soldiers of the Central Institute in the habit of killing civilians?" Min Sung asked Ho Sung as he poured himself a cup of water.

"Rarely. They care about their reputation, surprisingly."

"Reputation, huh?" Min Sung said, chuckling while drinking his water. At that moment, the Lich Doll, still half asleep, crawled out of his pocket. Looking at the unconscious soldiers, the doll's deep, dark eyes sparkled dangerously.

"Master? Can I?" the doll asked.

"Can you what?" Min Sung asked back.

"Turn them into my undead minions."

"No. Not when they're alive," Min Sung said. With its master's emphatic disapproval, the doll removed the dangerous glare in its eyes almost immediately. After that, it crawled back into the champion's pocket.

"These guys are from the Central Institute. The officials will be here any minute. Are you sure you still wanna stay here?" Ho Sung asked, peeking his head to look out the window. Instead of giving him an answer, Min Sung downed the glass of soju. The stinging sensation in his throat followed after a potent whiff of alcohol. It wasn't exactly the tastiest. However, after the glass of soju, Min Sung felt something he had never felt before. It almost felt like the alcohol was being absorbed into his cells. At that moment, the manager brought out the appetizers with another employee, who was shaking uncontrollably just like the manager. Although they seemed unstable, the appetizers made their way to the champion's table safely.

Min Sung examined the appetizers carefully. Just like he had been told by Ho Sung, the beef tataki had a red hue to it. Without hesitation, Min Sung's picked up a piece of beef tataki with his chopsticks, dipped it in soy sauce mixed with wasabi, and brought it up to his mouth. Although it didn't have much of a chew to it, its smooth texture was rather inviting. On top of that, the burning, stinging sensation from the wasabi brought out the flavor of the meat even more. Then, Ho Sung poured him another glass of soju and served him a small bowl of oden hot pot, glancing anxiously at the soldiers sprawled across the pub. However, as if paying no attention to them, Min Sung raised his glass again.

After several glasses of soju, the champion started to understand why people drank it. Although bitter in taste, the alcohol within it seemed to have a certain effect on the body. Upon disabling his immunity control, he immediately felt the unique-but-pleasant effect of the alcohol. At which point, he was able to make sense of the alcohol's role.

'This oden hot pot really hits the spot,' Min Sung thought. Combined with the high-quality fish cakes and the subtly sweet, yet incredibly complex and refreshing flavors of the broth, the oden hot pot rewarded the champion with a scrumptious experience. With a satisfied smile on his face, Min Sung poured himself another glass of soju. After a shot, he savored the warm broth of the hot pot, brought a piece of fish cake up to his mouth and bit into it. The experience was even more rewarding than when he had had the broth on its own.

Although Min Sung's preference was starting to lean toward the hot pot, it didn't mean that the

beef tataki was the inferior choice. In fact, if he hadn't been drinking, the beef tataki would have been the preferable choice.

(TL's Note: In Korea, people often accompany soju with some kind of savory broth.)

Just as Ho Sung had said, the atmosphere combined with the food and the understanding of the drink created a distinct experience, and it didn't take long at all for the champion to experience it firsthand. However, the alcohol didn't seem to have a lingering effect on the champion's body.

'Maybe I just haven't had enough,' Min Sung thought. From then on, the champion started to drink at a faster pace.

"I'm gonna be way too drunk at this rate. Sir, would you mind if I slowed down and took a break?" Ho Sung asked, and Min Sung replied, "Suit yourself," and continued to drink. Just like that, one bottle became two; two became three; and eventually, there were over twenty empty bottles on the table. Amazed by that, Ho Sung stared at the champion, who was just as confused. Although he was slightly buzzed, he simply couldn't get drunk. Wanting to get the full experience, Min Sung kept drinking while savoring the appetizers, but his effort was to no avail, only filling the table with even more empty bottles. It seemed to have something to do with his body's advanced detox ability. Still, the slight buzz from the alcohol made it clear for the champion why people drank.

"Uh, sir? Seems like you've had quite a few there. I think we should get going," Ho Sung said, glancing toward the entrance. Looking down at the empty plate and the nearly empty pot, Min Sung nodded and rose from his seat, reminding himself that there was always next time. At that moment…

"What the…?"

… Upon standing up, Min Sung felt yet another sensation that he had yet to feel, one that he didn't feel while sitting down. It felt as though the alcohol was rushing up to his head, making him sluggish. Feeling the pleasant light-headedness, Min Sung chuckled inadvertently.

"Haha… This is new."

"A-are you OK, sir?"

"I'm fine."

With that, the champion's eyes returned to their deep, cold appearance. With which, he looked at the soldiers sprawled across the ground, thinking, 'Hopefully, I can have a drink in peace next time.'

Feeling as though all of the unpleasantness had been washed away by the satisfying meal and the alcohol, Min Sung pulled out his wallet and handed the manager a debit card. At which point, Ho Sung took cash out of his own pocket in a hurry and beat him to it, saying, "I got this. We should head out,"

"Why are you paying?" the champion asked.

"Paying with a card will leave a trace. Besides, I've been meaning to buy you a drink to thank you. OK, let's get outta here," Ho Sung replied, rushing out of the pub while looking around cautiously. Feeling slightly tipsy, Min Sung tilted his head back, caught his breath, and exited the pub.

—

After the champion and Ho Sung left, the manager and the employee, still in shock, looked in the direction the two had disappeared. Then, looking toward the unconscious soldiers on the ground, they swallowed nervously.

"Do you think we should call the cops?" the manager asked, looking at his employee, who nodded weakly and said, "I-I think so."

"What if they come back after that?"

"On second thought, maybe not."

"What if the Central Institute is onto us?"

"Then… We call the cops, I guess."

"What are you saying?"

"I don't know! I just wanna go home!" the employee said, teary-eyed. At that moment, at the sound of the door creaking open, the two looked toward it with apprehension. Unfortunately, to add to their fear, a skeleton about the size of an adult's palm tottered into the pub.

"…?"

"...!?"

While the two were seized by fear, the Lich Doll glared at them with dark, fiery eyes. Then, black smoke started to billow from the floor. It coiled around the manager and the employee in a matter of seconds, and the two fell unconscious on the ground.

—

Having arrived on the scene with his team, Tae Gyum, the three-star Director of Investigations, gritted his teeth.

'Who would dare to do something like this to soldiers from the Central Institute?'

Furious, he flung the door open and walked into the pub, where a rescue team was busy treating the wounded. It was an appalling sight.

Tae Su, the man with the dragon tattoo, had a shattered jaw, while Ji Ahn Choi, the brunette, had a wooden fragment in one shoulder, while her other arm was nearly cut off. The other three, on the other hand, seemed to be relatively unharmed on the outside. However, they were brutally injured internally.

'Ruptured stomach, broken ribs, caved-in face… Who would do something like this? And why didn't I hear about it from the Shadow Guild?' Tae Gyum thought. The Shadow Guild should've reached out to him and offered to sell him intel, which he would purchase to analyze the situation and respond accordingly by sending the necessary manpower. Unfortunately, Tae Gyum was too late, and the perpetrator had long left the scene. At that moment…

"Sir," one of his subordinates came and called to him, adding, "The two witnesses are claiming that they have no recollection of the suspect's face. All of the surveillance footage and the black boxes of all of the cars in the area were removed."

At the subordinate's description of the situation, Tae Gyum was struck by a sudden realization, 'Could it be!? The same man who killed the basilisk!?' Seeing a correlation between the two seemingly unrelated cases, Tae Gyum walked out of the crime scene for a smoke and immersed himself in thought with a furrowed brow.

Seoul wasn't the only city with anonymous organizations. In fact, they were all across the country, and the word was that there were hunters among them who were even more powerful than miscellaneous types. Always moving in the shadows, the mysterious hunters hadn't been seen since the monster break.

'Yet, they're starting to turn up now? No, this isn't like them. This is way too obvious and explicit. Besides, they wouldn't leave a mess like this. There has to be a third-party involved here,' Tae Gyum thought, looking back at the pub with a stiff expression.

Chapter 34

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

Glancing at the champion walking next to him, Ho Sung was still filled with astonishment. After having casually knocked out a number of Central Institute soldiers, the champion had proceeded to eat and drink without a care in the world. On top of that, his alcohol tolerance was, in simple terms, inhuman.

'How can one drink twenty bottles of soju in just one hour? Is this guy even human?' Ho Sung thought. The more he looked at him, the more astonished Ho Sung became.

"Uh… sir?"

"What?"

"Have you been that strong since you've been enlightened?"

"Enlightened? What does that mean?"

"There were a handful of chosen individuals who were appointed as hunters and given powers when the monster break first took place."

"I was never part of such a peaceful time," the champion replied, chuckling. When the champion told him of a time that could only be described as hell on Earth, where monsters flooded the planet, causing innumerable casualties and practically turning the world upside-down, Ho Sung became even more confused.

"You wouldn't believe or understand even if I were to describe to you the time and place I lived through," Min Sung said, staring into the air with blank eyes. At that point, Ho Sung got the impression that it was something he couldn't even dare to imagine.

'Does he have some sort of a big secret?' he thought. However, he shook his head and reminded himself, 'Whatever it is, it doesn't matter anymore.'

"Sir, in your opinion, do you think one simply tries harder at becoming stronger? You know, going through the grind, hunting repeatedly and leveling up as much as you can. Do you think that's the path to true power?"

"Try several thousand," Min Sung said, chuckling at Ho Sung's question.

"… Sir?" Ho Sung asked, looking at the champion with a puzzled expression.

"I'd imagine anybody could be strong if they lived like a beast and survived whatever life-threatening circumstances came their way," the champion replied as if reminiscing to his past. There was something desolate about the look on his face.

'What could he have meant? Something greater than effort? Putting oneself through challenges that transcend life and death?' Ho Sung thought, and asked, "Speaking of which, may I ask you one last question? It's something I've been meaning to ask."

"Go on."

"There's no mistake that you're unimaginably powerful, and the way I see it, your potential is practically limitless. At least to my eyes, anyway."

"And?"

"I also get that you have no interest in money or power. It's a matter of preference. BUT, in terms of human instinct, it's not quite the same story. You possess the kind of power that would attract practically any and every woman that exists on this planet. Yet, you take no interest in them. Why is that?"

"That's one of the things that made me who I am today," the champion replied, and Ho Sung felt as though there was a large bell going off in his head.

'Not letting his desires control him. Remaining steadfast, unwavering. Was that the secret to his strength all along?' Ho Sung thought, his mind boggled.

—

After dropping the champion off, Ho Sung returned to his home and sank into his couch, still mind-blown by the champion's answer.

"That's one of the things that made me who I am today."

Reciting the champion's words, Ho Sung chuckled.

There was a reason for everything. If one could conquer the world simply by trying harder, then nobody would have to experience failure. The path to true power often entailed tremendous pain, and in order to obtain that power, one had to push not only their body, but also their mind beyond their limits. For that reason, becoming stronger was impossible for those who were drunk with wealth, power, and women. Only a hero was given the right to pursue power in its utmost purity.

Yet, Ho Sung

was no more than a chain-smoking thug on the streets, thirsty for women, wealth, and power.

'How can somebody like me even hope to become more powerful?'

At that moment, his eyes gleamed with determination.

'I'm gonna change. I'm gonna push myself and I WILL become stronger. I have to be prepared for the challenges that will come my way.'

After some contemplation, Ho Sung nodded determinedly, rose from the couch, and walked toward the kitchen. Then, he pulled out a pair of scissors, unfastened his belt and pulled his underwear down below his knees. Looking down at his genitalia, he brought up the scissors.

"…"

At that moment, the air sank into a suffocating silence, and Ho Sung hesitated. After a long pause, he swallowed nervously, said, "No, this isn't the way to do it," and tossed the scissors into the sink, pulling his pants up and shuddering at the thought of what he had been about to do to himself.

"Let's not get ahead of myself here. What's the point of becoming stronger if I don't have the one thing that makes me a man? I just gotta look away from women and focus on getting stronger, like Min Sung Kang."

Nodding, he went into his room and sat in front of his computer. Upon turning on the power, the data on the champion he had typed out a few days back appeared on the screen.

[Min Sung Kang's Profile]

[Name: Min Sung Kang]

[Age: ???]

[Level: N/A (Misc. type)]

[Pet: 'Bowl,' the Lich Doll (Lv1,000)]

[Personality: Lonewolf. The epitome of arrogance and heartlessness.]

[Likes: Eating]

[Dislikes: Anything that bothers him]

[Goal: Having three meals a day]

[Weaknesses: None]

[Threat Level: Extreme]

Then, Ho Sung stuck a cigarette in his mouth, lit it, and took a deep drag off of it. Breathing out the smoke, he added another item to the list of information on the champion.

[Characteristics: Sterile]

After saving, Ho Sung leaned back and stared up at the smoke billowing up to the ceiling with dismay.

"So, that's what it took, huh…"

—

"Ma'am, I think there's a high probability that there's a third party involved in this case," Tae Gyum said, and Ji Yoo, the master of the Central Institute took off her glasses, smiled bitterly, and said, "Yes, I'm looking into this mysterious individual personally."

"Ah…! Right! I apologize, ma'am. I had no idea," Tae Gyum said, caught off guard, staring intently at Ji Yoo as she immersed herself in thought. Then, he jumped all of a sudden, looked down, and apologized profusely, "F-forgive me, ma'am!"

"For what?" Ji Yoo asked, giving Tae Gyum a puzzled look.

"N-nothing. Is there anything else you'd like me to do?"

"I just need you to focus on this case for now. Not only are there dungeon gates appearing out of thin air in the middle of the city, but there are monsters crawling out of them. So, concentrate your resources on this investigation."

"… Yes, ma'am," Tae Gyum replied, bowing politely.

—

As per usual, Ho Sung checked his phone next to his pillow after waking up in the morning. Then, upon checking the message, he jumped out of bed. Rubbing his eyes in disbelief, he read the message again.

'We're going to a dungeon. Meet me at my house.'

With a bright smile on his face, Min Sung changed out of his clothes and rushed into the bathroom to wash up. Although he slipped on a puddle of his dog's urine, that wasn't enough to remove the smile from his face. Ho Sung was finally getting the champion's help to level up by his side.

'I didn't think he'd get back to me this soon!'

Knowing Min Sung's lazy side, Ho Sung had been on his toes, anxious that the champion might not keep his end of the deal. Now that he had received a confirmation from the champion, Ho Sung was determined to become stronger more than ever.

After getting ready in a hurry, Ho Sung arrived at the champion's house. While waiting for the champion anxiously, Ho Sung thought, 'You've come a long way, Ho Sung Lee. That old life as a slave is gone for good.'

Now that he had the goal to become stronger, Ho Sung sensed a noticeable difference in his life. After all, defeatism only dragged one deeper into self-pity and lack of growth.

'If I'm leading a dead-end life, I might as well make the most of it. The harder I work and the more pain I put myself through and endure, the stronger I'll become. Besides, I'm alongside a miscellaneous type!' Ho Sung thought. Excited that there was a means to turn his life around, Ho Sung rang the doorbell. Soon, Min Sung came out, and the two headed for the dungeon together.

—

The two entered the dungeon. Since Ho Sung wasn't at a high enough level to enter the labyrinth, he ended up in Dungeon 12, the dungeon with the highest difficulty among ordinary dungeons. Dungeon 12 was also a place most optimized for players like Ho Sung, who was being accompanied by another player at a higher level. Due to the resilient monsters within it, many hunters tended to shy away from training in Dungeon 12. At the same time, the monsters rewarded players with an abundance of experience. Besides, the monsters couldn't possibly stand a chance against the champion, who was practically invincible.

'My level will go through the roof by the time we're done here,' Ho Sung thought, his eyes sparkling with hope and anticipation. Then, he witnessed something strange.

'What's he doing?' he wondered. Min Sung, who had taken a mat out of his inventory, was on the ground, looking into his phone. Ho Sung blinked and stared at him in confusion.

"Uh… Sir?"

At Ho Sung's voice, Min Sung tapped his pocket. After which, Bowl came crawling out, half asleep, shaking his head as if trying to wake himself up. Then, walking up to Ho Sung, Bowl poked at his leg.

"…!?"

As Ho Sung stared at the doll, puzzled, Min Sung opened his mouth with his eyes fixed on his phone, "Bowl will draw the monsters to itself. Kill 'em, get the loot, and hand the carcasses over to him.'

Chapter 35

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

Dumbfounded by the champion's attitude and statement, Ho Sung stared at him in a daze. Then, looking down at Bow, he thought, 'What the hell!? This isn't what we agreed on!? This wasn't what I was looking for!'

At that moment, Min Sung glared piercingly at Ho Sung and said, "Well? What are you doing standing around?"

Ho Sung swallowed nervously, and the words he was itching to say faded from his mind.

'Of course… Why did I ever think that lazy bum would lift a finger to help me out? Ha… What was I thinking?' he thought, looking down at Bowl, who looked up at him to rush him.

'This little guy was level 1 not that long ago. I can't believe I'm getting a boost from this tiny little thing,' Ho Sung thought. However, he soon came to terms with the reality of it all.

"… I'm goin' now," he said, following Bowl with his drooped shoulders.

"Make sure to bring back all the loot," Min Sung replied.

—

"Huff! Egh…!" Ho Sung let out, short-winded, his arms heavy. He was in a state similar to the one time he raided a dungeon on his own. The temptation to throw his sword away and fall flat on the ground seduced him more by the minute.

"Don't just stand there! Make yourself useful! Attack them!" Ho Sung shouted, glaring fiercely at Bowl, who only cackled as if amused by Ho Sung's pathetic stamina, which only added to Ho Sung's anger.

'That thing's as nasty and perverted as its master!' he thought, biting down on his lower lip forcefully. However, there was no other way.

'All right, Ho Sung. Let's be positive here. It's not every day that you get this kind of opportunity. It's a privilege to grow stronger. Let's take one baby step at a time. Remember that slow and steady wins the race. The experience will be my wealth, and it will build a foundation.'

With that, he picked up his sword and charged forward, shouting, "Ahhhhhhhh!" However…

'Clang! Clang! Clang!'

No matter how many times he attacked the monster, he simply couldn't inflict any significant damage to it. It was as if striking a boulder with a rebar repeatedly.

"Damn it! Just die already! Die! Die, you son of a bitch!" Ho Sung shouted, swinging his sword frantically. Meanwhile, Bowl looked at him, cackling while being attacked by the monsters around it.

—

[Would you like to leave the dungeon? (Y/N) ]

Ho Sung stared at the text floating in the air with sunken eyes. He had no strength left in his body to even lift a finger. His back and shoulders bent forward like an old man's, and even keeping his eyes open was a struggle. Eventually, with his hand shaking uncontrollably, he tapped the text window in order to leave the dungeon. As much as he was willing to continue in spirit, his body simply couldn't keep up.

—

At Min Sung's glance, Ho Sung took the loot out of his inventory one item at a time. After which, he looked at the champion.

"Ho Sung Lee," the champion said.

"Sir?"

"Is this everything?"

"Yes, it is."

"Look at me in the eyes."

"I-I'm serious! You don't think I'd hide stuff from you, do you!?"

"All right. But if you are…"

"I mean it! You have to trust me!"

After examining Ho Sung's expression briefly, Min Sung turned toward the vendor.

"Would you like to sell them all?" the vendor asked, and Min Sung nodded. At which point, the vendor said, "All right. Your total comes out to 5.2 million won," and brought out a bundle of cash from the safe. Taking the cash, Min Sung left the store and looked up at the sky. Aside from a few puffy clouds, the Sun was quite bright, like a pleasant day in early summer. Wondering about what kind of treats he'd come across

in the summer, the champion got into Ho Sung's car.

—

"Go home and wash up. You smell horrible."

"Will do, sir. Rest up."

After sending Ho Sung away, Min Sung entered his house. Then, sinking into his sofa, he stared up at the ceiling in peaceful silence. Since he wasn't all that hungry or had anything in particular to do, he glanced at the TV and picked up the remote. With a series of beeping noises, the TV came on, playing a slew of food shows colloquially known as muk-bang. Due to their increasing popularity, there were quite a few channels that were jumping on the bandwagon. Then, as Min Sung was flipping through the channels, a certain channel caught his attention.

"The King of Cooking?"

Although it was clearly food-related, it was slightly different from the shows Min Sung had been in the habit of watching. Unlike muk-bang, which focused on eating, the show also showed the process of making the food. Hosted by a man who was widely known as the king of the franchise industry, the show involved the host cooking for his guests and tasting the food together with them. It was also one of the most popular shows on public TV.

[Cooking isn't all that hard. We cook so that we can eat, and there's nothing fancy about that. You make the food and you eat it. That's where the meaning of cooking lies, and that's where the artisans really shine.]

At the host's remark, Min Sung immersed himself in thought, 'You make the food and you eat it, huh…' realizing that it had never occurred to him that he wanted to cook himself. Soon, the realization started to tug at his curiosity.

—

Without a single piece of clothing on his body, Ho Sung fell to his bed. 'Who would've thought taking a shower could be so exhausting?'

Thanks to Bowl, who hadn't lifted a finger to help Ho Sung aside from standing still and taking blows from the monsters, Ho Sung had spent every bit of his energy in the dungeon.

'That stupid skeleton,' he thought. Then, just as he was about to fall asleep, his phone started going off. With his eyes still closed, Ho Sung furrowed his brow and answered the phone, thinking, 'Sigh… Who the hell's calling at this hour?'

"Yes, hello?"

"It's me."

"Is that your name? It's me, who!?" Ho Sung snapped, sitting up on his bed while glaring at the phone. Then, checking the name of the caller, he apologized profusely, "S-sir! I am so sorry. I was just so beat that I didn't even know what I was saying."

"Save it. I need you to look into cooking schools," the champion replied.

"… Cooking schools?"

"That's right."

"When do you need to know that by?"

"Is that a question?"

"I-I mean, I was gonna look into one today as soon as they open, of course. I just wasn't sure if you were in a hurry or…"

"Register me for a class. I wanna start first thing in the morning," Min Sung said, hanging up. At which point, Ho Sung looked down at his phone, chuckling, and said, "Wow, this son of a bitch…"

Then, sinking into his bed, he murmured, "Cooking school my ass. Why should I give a rat's ass about what you make at home?"

The time was 6 a.m, which meant Ho Sung would only get two to three hours of sleep.

"Agh…! Ahhhhh! This guy drives me up the wall!!"

With that, he barely managed to calm himself down, set an alarm, and forced himself to sleep. After all, there was not a minute to waste.

—

Next morning, Min Sung received a message from Ho Sung saying that he had registered the champion for a beginner's class at noon. Since it was ten in the morning, there was still some time to spare. Although Min Sung was starting to get hungry, he didn't feel the need to eat since the curriculum stated that students would get to eat their own creations.

Soon, Ho Sung Lee arrived at the champion's house, and after the champion got into Ho Sung's car with Bowl, the car headed off to a cooking school called 'The Korea,' which was one of the largest cooking schools in the country. With countless students enrolled, the school had birthed some of the most talented chefs across the country.

"Sir?" Ho Sung called to the champion.

"What?"

"So, I was told that the beginner's class will be taught by the director today."

"Is that supposed to make a difference?"

"I'm sure the director is a better teacher than the other instructors. One doesn't become a director for no reason."

Looking out the window, Min Sung remained silent. Who taught the class was hardly important to the champion. What really mattered was that he was learning how to cook.

"I think we're almost there," Ho Sung said. When Min Sung looked ahead, the school building came into view.

—

"You're taking the class with me?" Min Sung asked, giving Ho Sung a puzzled look. With an obsequious smile on his face, Ho Sung said, "Why, of course! I gotta be there for you in case you need me! Haha!"

Ignoring Ho Sung's enthusiasm, Min Sung made his way to the classroom. Coughing awkwardly, Ho Sung followed. Then, they arrived at a classroom labeled 'VIP-1 Beginner's Class.' Sensing Bowl peeking its head out of the pocket, Min Sung shoved the doll back into his pocket and went into the classroom. There were already a large number of students preparing for class there. The class was mostly made of young married women or older ladies, who were memorizing the recipes off their books. Then, as Min Sung stood still, confused, a young woman came into the classroom and led the champion to his place by the window with a friendly smile. Upon seeing the nametag on her chest, Min Sung speculated that she was a teaching assistant.

After being brought to his post, which was right next to the champion's, Ho Sung, looking around curiously, said, "They weren't lying when they said that they were the biggest cooking school in the country."

Chapter 36

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

Crossing his arms, Min Sung examined the U-shaped station that had been assigned to him. Each station was equipped with all the necessary kitchen gadgets, from microwaves to ovens and various other cooking tools. Fitting to the name of the class, every gadget and appliance was top of the line. Now, with about five minutes left until the class started, Min Sung closed his eyes. A wave of emotions washed over him, as though he was finally being rewarded for his time at the inescapable hell that was the Demonic Realm. The fact that he wasn't just eating, but actually cooking his own food, was a turning point in his life. At that moment…

'Click!'

… the door opened, and a skinny woman, who was well-advanced in age and was smiling gently, walked into the classroom. She had to be the director.

"Hello, everyone," the director said into the microphone on the table, and her voice echoed throughout the classroom from the speakers.

"My name is Mi Yun Cho, and I'm here as the special instructor for the VIP Beginner's Course today," she said, pushing her glasses up. She introduced herself briefly and gave a brief introduction of the class to the students. Shortly after, the assignment of the day appeared on the screen of a large monitor at the front: broccoli soup. After putting the recipe up on the screen, the director walked the students through it and started demonstrating the recipe in person. Watching her adept movements, the process didn't seem all that difficult to Min Sung. She whipped up a bowl of broccoli soup in no time, and the students applauded her as she smiled brightly. With that, the class officially started.

As the director explained the process of preparing the ingredients with eloquence, the students, including Min Sung, put on their aprons as per instructions and started preparing their ingredients. First, Min Sung picked up a kitchen knife, which he felt confident about handling. In fact, he was confident that he was better than anyone else on the planet when it came to bladed tools or weapons.

'Piece of cake.'

Following the instructions on the monitor, Min Sung prepared the broccoli, onions, and potatoes with frightening speed and precision. Naturally, it wasn't long before he became the center of attention, but he paid no mind to it.

The next step was to place the potatoes, broccoli, and onions on a preheated pan and sauté them. After checking that the pan had reached the appropriate temperature with his hand, Min Sung placed the ingredients into it, and they sizzled as they touched the surface of the pan.

Then, when the ingredients turned golden brown, he moved them into a blender, added some milk, and turned the power on. At which point, the blender whirred loudly and started turning the vegetables into liquid. Looking at it, Min Sung smiled subtly, thinking, 'This is a lot easier than I thought. I didn't know cooking could be this simple.'

Upon experiencing it firsthand, Min Sung quickly realized that cooking wasn't as complicated as it seemed. Still, the process was just as intriguing and exciting. Staring at the blender, impressed, Min Sung stopped it as the purée reached the appropriate consistency, poured it all into the pot, added some water, and turned on the stove, watching it carefully with his arms crossed. Shortly after, the soup started to bubble and came to a boil.

'Now, the next step.'

Following the recipe, Min Sung added some Cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, and ground black pepper. Then, while the soup boiled, he poured it out of the pot and into a bowl and garnished it with four pieces of deep-fried crouton.

'Done.'

A smile appeared on the champion's face as the soup came to completion. Considering his limited cooking experience, which had been limited to making instant noodles and curry as a child, it was a notable achievement.

When he looked toward Ho Sung, he saw that the director was tasting Ho Sung's soup.

"Hm, that's not half-bad. Though, the flavors would've been brought out even more if you had cooled down the ingredients before you puréed them."

"Really? I didn't think it would make that much of a difference," Ho Sung said. At which point, a bitter smile appeared on the director's face.

"When it comes to cooking, steps are everything. It might seem insignificant, but the results will tell the difference."

Then, she came to Min Sung's station. While she looked down at the soup, Min Sung signaled to her with his chin to try it.

"Is this… broccoli soup?" she asked, looking perplexed. Broccoli soup made properly had a bright green color to it. Yet, Min Sung's seemed like a patch of moss that had grown in the depths of the ocean.

"Why don't you try it?" the director said, gesturing with her hand to Min Sung. In response, he scooped up a big spoonful and brought it up to his mouth. At that moment, his face twisted into a scowl, and he looked down at his soup with confusion.

"You used way too much of the ingredients and you got the milk-to-purée ratio all wrong. More importantly, you let it sit in the heat for too long. Please try again," the director said. Then, after she moved on to the next table with a friendly smile on her face, Ho Sung walked over to Min Sung and struck up a conversation.

"What happened? Why didn't she try yours?"

"Don't ask."

"'Scuse me! You there! Director! Why didn't you try this man's soup like you did mine? Do you know who this is!?" Ho Sung shouted, and stopping in her tracks, the director looked toward him and said with beaming eyes, "Try it. You'll see why."

"Why is she telling me to try it?" Ho Sung grumbled, chuckling. Then, he tried a spoonful of the champion's broccoli soup.

"Ugh!!" Ho Sung let out, reaching desperately for the sink. "Good God! What is this!? Why does it taste like that!? Oh, I feel sick!"

Staring at Ho Sung gagging into the sink, Min Sung's expression hardened, and even more as the sound of Ho Sung vomiting echoed throughout the classroom. Then, staring intently at Ho Sung, who kept vomiting, the champion slowly untied and removed his apron.

—

Later that day, Min Sung received a message from Ho Sung saying that he was going to see the doctor. It wasn't surprising when considering how many times he had been going to the restroom. Because the two had left in the middle of the class, Min Sung was quite hungry. At that point, he had no choice but to seek out a restaurant for himself. In the end, cooking turned out to be anything but easy.

'I was arrogant. I guess I gotta go out and eat.'

With that, Min Sung looked around the street in search of restaurants nearby. Although finding one wasn't an issue, Min Sung was eating at a slightly awkward time, which made it more difficult to pick out a good restaurant from the bad ones.

'What's the worst that could happen? I don't always have to rely on Ho Sung for recommendations. I'll just find one that looks decent.'

There was a slew of restaurants nearby that specialized in seafood, bulgogi or bibimbap. However, Min Sung was looking for something a bit more simple. At that moment, a certain sign caught his eye.

[Ilmi Restaurant]

The restaurant's appearance was far from beautiful. In fact, it looked like it was nearly forgotten. Among the menu items painted on the window, there was one particular item that caught the champion's attention. The most basic, yet most foundational, dish in Korean cuisine: the soybean paste stew. Seeing its name, Min Sung started to salivate. It was intriguing how the human body could crave so many different things. Biting on his lower lip, Min Sung rubbed his belly as his craving for soybean paste stew took over.

'I can't resist. I don't care if it's good or not. I need to have soybean paste stew now.'

With that, he walked into the restaurant and was greeted by a middle-aged woman wearing a white bandana. She was wiping the tables.

"Welcome!"

Although the interior was as run-down as the exterior of the restaurant, it was still relatively clean. Not only did the woman appeared to wear the bandana in order to keep her hair from falling into the food, but the floor and tables were also kept sparkling clean, which made Min Sung look forward to the meal even more. Sitting at a table, Min Sung said, "One soybean paste stew, please."

"Yes, sir. Mom! One soybean paste stew!" the woman said, shouting toward the kitchen. From the sound of it, it seemed like the restaurant was being run by the woman and her elderly mother. There was something very human and comfortable about the atmosphere. After shouting the order toward the kitchen, the middle-aged woman started to set up the table with various side dishes. Looking at them, Min Sung focused on the sound coming from the old TV. It was a discussion show where the three male hosts discussed topics such as politics and issues sprouting within society. That time, their topic of discussion seemed to be hunters.

Chapter 37

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

[The deepening tension between the Central Institute in Seoul and its regional subbranches. Potential of a war breaking out between the miscellaneous types?]

"The damage will be catastrophic."

"I hope the situation resolves peacefully. I mean, these are some of the most powerful individuals in the world, and the government can do practically nothing to intervene."

"I'm just surprised that we know about this. Am I right?"

"I'm sure it was a political move by the Central Institute to prevent a civil war. In my opinion, I think it was a smart move."

"That seems likely. If I may add to that, it seems to me that the regional branches are trying to climb the ladder and take over the capital headquarters."

While the hosts were discussing the inner conflicts within the Central Institute, the middle-aged woman returned with a bowl of rice and the steaming soybean paste stew on a round aluminum tray.

'Huh! I don't see those around much these days,' Min Sung thought. There was something nostalgic and familiar about the aluminum tray, and Min Sung was quite fond of the comfortable, traditional feel, and much like the restaurant, its atmosphere and home-cooked meals.

"Enjoy," the woman said, and Min Sung returned her wish with a brief nod. Picking up a spoon, he scanned the side dishes on the table, among which were kimchi, spicy seasoned cucumber, season lettuce, pan-fried ham, egg-coated sausage slices, pickled garlic, steamed eggs, and leek pancakes. For a modest price of five thousand won, the variety of side dishes that came with the meal was impressive. At that moment, Min Sung's stomach roared loudly.

'I better eat.'

After opening the lid on the bowl of rice, Min Sung scooped up a heaping spoonful of it and brought it up to his mouth. Not only had the rice been perfectly steamed, but it was soft and subtly sweet.

'I wouldn't mind eating just rice,' Min Sung thought. Then, as the champion was savoring the rice, the bell attached to the door rang, and a handful of people came into the restaurant. At that point, Min Sung's expectation toward the soybean paste stew heightened even further. Sure enough, the stew exceeded his expectations by a mile.

The combination of minced pepper, small cubes of tofu, green onions and Enoki mushrooms filled Min Sung's mouth with savory umami. Although the soybean paste used on the stew was on the sweeter side, it was just the way Min Sung preferred to its thicker, richer-tasting counterpart, and the restaurant seemed to offer just what the champion was looking for. After putting another spoonful of rice in his mouth, Min Sung moved on to the side dishes.

Picking up a piece of the seasoned cucumber, he brought it up to his mouth. With that refreshing crunch, came a rush of flavors that were just as refreshing as the cucumber's texture. The firm and crunchy texture of the cucumber was proof that it had been freshly seasoned and that the restaurant made it a priority to keep their ingredients fresh.

Going back to the stew, Min Sung took some of the Enoki mushrooms and placed them on top of the rice. After that, he scooped up some of the broth, cubes of tofu, pepper and green onions and mixed them into the rice. Taking a spoonful of the steamy, mouthwatering concoction, Min Sung brought it up to his mouth. The spice and the sweetness of the soybean paste stew created a perfect harmony. Closing his eyes tightly, Min Sung became completely paralyzed, as if he had taken a powerful blow. The only thing he could do was to keep chewing, letting the flavors in his mouth overwhelm him.

'I didn't know soybean paste stew could be this good.'

Opening his eyes, Min Sung picked up a slice of egg-coated sausage and bit into it. It tasted just like he remembered from his childhood. Soft. Savory. Sweet. Satisfying. Although the world had gone through a sudden change with the appearance of hunters and monsters, the food seemed to be completely

unaffected by it. In other words, the tradition of the Korean cuisine remained intact.

'I can't take this anymore.'

Then, mixing the stew and the contents within it with the rice, Min Sung practically inhaled what was left of the rice in the blink of an eye. It was just the meal he had had in mind: perfect.

—

Bedridden in the hospital, Ho Sung couldn't move a muscle. Looking down at the patient who had returned yet again, the doctor shook his head and said, "First, you wreck your body after putting yourself through hell. And now, food poisoning? What did you eat anyway?"

At the doctor's accusatory remark, a bitter smile appeared on Ho Sung's deathly pale face.

"Broccoli soup," Ho Sung replied.

"Broccoli soup?" the doctor asked, flabbergasted. At which point, Ho Sung reminisced about when he had first tasted the champion's ghastly concoction, nodded weakly and said, "That's right."

"I thought it was some sort of poison. You're lucky we were able to treat you fast enough. Otherwise, your stomach would've been ruined."

Hearing that, Ho Sung gritted his teeth, thinking, 'Min Sung Kang, you shitbag. You were supposed to make broccoli soup, not some deadly poison. Was he trying to kill me or something? Nah… I can't jump to conclusions like that.'

"Anyway, don't forget your medications, and you'll be outta here by evening. Oh, make sure to stay away from food that is too spicy and/or salty."

"By evening? I can barely walk!"

"We had someone heal you. You'll be fine," the doctor replied, chuckling. After he left, Ho Sung looked out the window at the sunset with an empty look on his face. When it occurred to him that he would have to return to being the champion's slave once he got discharged from the hospital, he chuckled and said, "Ain't life just peachy?"

At that moment, his phone started to go off. Startled, Ho Sung breathed short breaths, swallowed nervously, and checked the name of the caller on the phone's screen. To his dismay, it was Min Sung.

"Sigh…" he let out inadvertently, thinking, 'I did puke my guts out after tasting his food. I'm sure he's butthurt.'

Then, taking a deep breath, he cleared his throat and answered the phone in a bright voice, "Yes, sir! Ho Sung Lee here!"

"Are you all right?" Min Sung asked.

"Sir?"

"I said, are you all right?"

"Oh, right. I'm fine, sir. Seems like I'll be out of the hospital in no time."

"Well, let me know if you need a boost after you get out of the hospital."

"… Sir?" Ho Sung asked, springing up from his bed. "Do you mean that!?"

"Yes."

"Thank you! Thank you so…"

'Beep. Beep Beep.'

Despite how the call ended on an unpleasant note, Ho Sung smiled with joy. Although it was humiliating to get a boost from Bowl, the fact that he was even getting a boost was something to celebrate. At that moment, Ho Sung tilted his head in confusion.

"Hm…?"

All of a sudden, his body felt noticeably lighter, and his stomach more at ease. Then, sticking a cigarette in his mouth, he shook his head and said, "Stress kills."

Having been trying to come up with an excuse to follow the champion into a dungeon, Ho Sung was delighted that things were practically working themselves out.

'Maybe he felt bad for feeding me that crap? Thought he was some heartless asshole, but I guess he's not actually that bad of a person after all! Hehe. Maybe I should taste his cooking more often!' he thought. Then, the smile faded from his face as he remembered the consequence of having tried the champion's cooking. Shuddering, he took his lighter out. At that moment…

"Sir! You can't smoke in here!" the nurse shouted. Looking at the cigarette in his hand with lingering attachment, he shrugged and put it back in his pocket. Then, he fell on his bed and crossed his legs. Staring up at the ceiling, he chuckled while shaking his foot.

'I'm gonna get stronger. No matter what.'

Looking at him with disdain, the nurse checked on Ho Sung briefly and slammed the door shut behind her on her way out.

"… Stronger."

Swimming in his imagination, Ho Sung couldn't help but smile. Then, feeling a sharp pain in his lower belly, he grasped for it and curled up like a shrimp, trembling.

—

Next morning, Min Sung opened his eyes with the sound of the doorbell. Getting out of bed, he made his way to the front door, stretching on the way. When he opened it, there was Ho Sung with an uncomfortable smile on his face.

"Good morning!" Ho Sung said.

"What time is it?"

"Six o'clock."

"What are you doing here at 6 a.m?" Min Sung asked, furrowing his brow.

"It's just that you promised to give me a boost, so I thought I should get here first thing in the morning. Am I here too early?"

Seeing Ho Sung's eagerness, the champion let out a small sigh and scratched his neck.

"How's your stomach?" Min Sung asked.

"All better now!"

"Good. Wait here," Ming Sung said after nodding.

"Yes, sir!"

Then, Min Sung got in the shower and prepared to leave the house.

"Master? Are we going to a dungeon?" Bowl asked, looking up at him.

"That's right."

Hearing that, the doll danced for joy, cackling. Picking it up, Min Sung shoved it into his pocket and headed out. Ho Sung had already started the ignition, ready to leave at any moment. As soon as the champion got in the car, Ho Sung drove off at an impressive speed for the size of the car.

Soon, a levitating dungeon gate appeared in the distance.

"Ho Sung Lee."

"Yes, sir!"

"You mind bringing your voice down?"

"Haha! Sorry about that, sir."

"Excited?"

"Of course! You're giving me another boost! I was so touched when you offered."

"Tell me, what's your maximum speed?" Min Sung asked.

"… Sir? Uh… How do I answer this? Would it help if I told you how long it takes for me to travel one-hundred meters?"

"Sure."

"About six seconds, using a skill."

"Does your skill come with a condition?"

"It goes on cooldown once I use it, but the time is not very long at all."

Looking out the window, Min Sung nodded and said, "I'm gonna make this fast. You fall behind, and that's it. So, you better keep up if you wanna make this count," Min Sung said. Hearing that, Ho Sung looked at Min Sung through the rearview mirror with widened eyes.

Chapter 38

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

[Welcome to Dungeon 66.]

[Special event!]

[Checking players' stats.]

[Special hidden event!]

[Special reward awaits those who clear all 120 floors of the dungeon within twenty-four hours.]

As the darkness faded, a waiting room appeared. Made almost entirely of white marble, there was an automatic door within it that appeared to be the dungeon's entrance. While Ho Sung was looking around the room, Min Sung took his Orichalcon Dagger, which sparked and crackled with white lightning, out of his inventory.

"Are you doing the hunting yourself?" Ho Sung asked, looking at the champion nervously. Instead of giving him an answer, the champion took Bowl out of his pocket and tossed it into the air. After spinning in the air, the doll landed on its feet and said while dancing for joy, "Master! It's such an honor to see you in action!"

Then, Min Sung said to Ho Sung, "Like I said earlier, if you fall behind, there won't be a second chance. So, concentrate."

While Ho Sung nodded nervously, Bowl threw its arms in the air with excitement. Stretching his neck and shoulders, Min Sung started off, adding, "Make sure to pick up all the loot."

[1st Floor]

An echo reverberated as they passed through the rotating door. However, paying no attention to it whatsoever, Min Sung bolted forward. Startled by Min Sung's unannounced and nonverbal signal, Ho Sung and Bowl rushed to catch up to the champion. Min Sung, who had gone ahead, came across the first monster: a minotaur.

About 1.99 meters tall, the monster had a cow's head and a human's body. Unfazed, Min Sung charged toward it unhesitantly and swung his dagger. Then, a streak of light from the dagger cut into the minotaur's waist, almost cutting it in half.

Roaring thunderously from pain, the minotaur dropped the axe in its hand and fell to its knees, spilling blood and guts. Then, seeing the monster in that vulnerable state, Ho Sung and Bowl charged toward it like hyenas. Meanwhile, Min Sung, who remained ahead of the two, came across three more minotaurs who charged toward him. After he killed them in the blink of an eye and rushed past them, the three minotaurs fell to the ground like dominos, spilling blood everywhere. Shortly after, Ho Sung and Bowl arrived. While Ho Sung swung his sword, Bowl cast black magic spells and brought the minotaurs back to life.

Meanwhile, Min Sung picked up his pace. That time, coming across five minotaurs charging toward him, the champion raised his dagger and swung it diagonally. With a crackling thunder, the minotaurs were cut off at their legs and fell to the ground. Leaving them behind, Min Sung kept on.

—

Fifteen minutes had past when Min Sung reached the 12th floor. Feeling that he wasn't being fast enough, Min Sung decided to take a different approach to his hunting method. Instead of rushing ahead of them and incapacitating the monsters, he had Ho Sung and Bowl split up and bring the monsters to him, which couldn't take longer than two minutes. However, while Bowl got a move on almost immediately, Ho Sung fell into a state of panic.

"What are you doing? Get a move on," Min Sung said to him impatiently.

"I-I think it's too dangerous for me to do this alone. What if I go with Bowl…"

"No, you're doing it alone."

"But, sir! That's way too dangerous…"

"Then, you'll die," Min Sung said with cold, cruel eyes. Seeing that, Ho Sung started off reluctantly in order to lure the monsters. As Ho Sung and Bowl split up, Min Sung continued on his way forward. Soon, Bowl returned with thirty dark hounds chasing after it, and Ho Sung, who was screaming and covered in tears, came running toward the champion with fifteen monsters, a mixture of dark hounds and stone golems. Including the fifty monsters that were chasing after Min Sung, there were a whopping ninety-five monsters. Soon, the monsters were cut up into pieces as the white streaks of light flashed out of the champion's dagger like a spider's web.

—

[Level up!]

Looking at the messages repeatedly popping up in front of his eyes, Ho Sung couldn't contain his excitement. On his own, raising his experience points by even 1 percent had been a laborious

challenge. However, in the presence of the champion, his level, not just his experience points, shot up through the roof.

Boost, or commonly referred to as 'bus,' had been part of the jargon used by the online game community of the past, and it involved a high-level player helping a significantly lower level player become stronger. In those terms, the champion's boost, or bus, was an ecstatic experience. Witnessing the champion reaching the forty-eighth floor in less than an hour, Ho Sung couldn't believe his eyes.

'I was forgetting just how monstrous this guy was.'

It was as if he felt the champion's power down to his very cells. In Ho Sung's eyes, Min Sung Kang was a god of war, the pinnacle of warriors.

—

Looking down at the blood dripping down his dagger, Min Sung nodded. There was no need to bore himself to death or reminisce to his time in the Demonic Realm while killing the monsters in the dungeon. What was more important was the present and the fact that he was back on Earth, his home, where killing monsters was just a means to make money.

Although most people saw capable hunters as those who had the most ideal career, Min Sung thought otherwise. To him, there was no dignity in killing monsters that were weaker than him. In fact, he believed that the very act reduced him to a mere butcher or a predator armed with a sword. And most importantly, monsters were creatures capable of killing his appetite just with how they looked.

At the swing of the champion's dagger, another monster met its demise. It was Cerberus, the mythical three-headed dog. Despite losing two of its heads, the monster writhed in pain without dying. Looking back, Min Sung murmured in a low voice, "Too slow."

Then…

"Huff! Huff!"

Short-winded, Ho Sung reached Cerberus and cut off its last remaining head with his sword. After which, the monster exploded and dropped an item. Staring at Ho Sung, who was preoccupied with choosing which items to pick up, Min Sung said, "If you start complaining or falling behind, I'm feeding you to one of these dogs. You got that?"

"Yes, sir!"

With that, the champion kicked the ground and continued on his way.

—

"Huff! … Agh! Ptooey!"

Holding his side, Ho Sung spat on the ground. Keeping up with the champion was proving to be extremely strenuous. Ho Sung realized that it had been foolish to expect an easy ride when the champion had first offered to take him to a dungeon.

Min Sung was blazing through the dungeon at a truly frightening speed, and keeping up with him and delivering the final strike for experience points was not an easy task by any means. On the other hand, Ho Sung was also leveling up at an unbelievable rate. At that point, the real question became whether or not he'd be able to even stand on his feet by the time the champion reached the top floor.

'No. You gotta change your way of thinking, Ho Sung. I don't have a choice. If I don't keep up, I'll be dead,' Ho Sung thought. By that point, he was well aware of the champion's personality. Min Sung was a man of his word, and the fact that he had killed Ho Sung's clansmen was proof of that.

'I have to keep going. It's the only way to survive,' Ho Sung thought, biting down on his lower lip to the point of making it bleed. Using one of his skills, he boosted his speed. Then, looking down at Bowl, he let out a moan as a wave of envy washed over him. Unlike Ho Sung, who was drooling and gasping for breath, Bowl showed no signs of weariness, as if it had no lungs. Perhaps it had something to do with its level. Killing monsters like fish in a barrel, the doll kept leveling up alongside Ho Sung. Since the only way for him to earn experience points was to wait until he could deliver the final blow to the monsters, Bowl was leveling up at a significantly faster rate.

'The doll and I are NOT the same. That wasn't the case from the get-go. Come on, Ho Sung, just accept it. You gotta get stronger. You gotta focus on keeping up with Min Sung Kang. Otherwise, death will be the only possible outcome,' Ho Sung thought, clenching his teeth tightly, nearly crushing them. Dodging the monster's blows, he lured the monsters toward the champion. Despite his lungs having long reached their limits and despite being covered in wounds, Ho Sung kept on with fierce determination.

—

"Huff… Huff… Huff."

With a pale face, Ho Sung, covered in wounds all over, breathed laboriously. Meanwhile, wiping the blood off his dagger, the champion scanned him up and down and said, "Looks like you're reaching your limit."

"No, I can do this," Ho Sung replied, staggering, struggling to balance himself. Then, with a smile, he said, "I'm gonna get stronger and show you just how thankful I am."

"Maybe you should stick to recommending restaurants," Min Sung said, turning around and bolting away. At that moment, with a loud whistle followed by what looked like black streams of air surrounded Ho Sung.

"… What the…!?"

Ho Sung felt his stamina getting restored almost immediately, and his body became light as a feather. Looking toward Bowl, he murmured, "Did you just?" Instead of giving him an answer, Bowl cackled and disappeared in a puff of smoke before Ho Sung's eyes, reappearing next to the champion. After that, Ho Sung chuckled and said, "You know what? At this rate, I might actually start liking the little guy."

Clenching his teeth tightly, Ho Sung bolted forward as fast as he could in order to catch up to Min Sung and Bowl.

[You've slain the final boss.]

[Dungeon cleared!]

[You've reached level 200!]

[Congratulations! You've learned a new passive skill: 'Aura']

[You've earned the special reward.]

As a series of messages appeared before his eyes, Ho Sung stopped in his tracks. More accurately, one particular message lingered in his gaze.

"Hey! What are you doing standing around? Pick up the items," Min Sung said impatiently, furrowing his brow at Ho Sung. However, despite the champion's command, Ho Sung stared at that certain message dazedly.

"I said, what are you doing?" Min Sung said, kicking Ho Sung in the butt. After getting pushed forward by the impact, Ho Sung looked toward the champion with tears running down his face, which baffled the champion even more.

"Thank you, sir… Thank you so much!" Ho Sung said, kneeling on the ground and bowing to the champion.

"What's the meaning of this? Have you finally lost your mind?"

"Sniff! I just thought the day would never come. I wouldn't have known in my dreams that I'd learn a new skill, let alone Aura. Thank you, sir, from the bottom of my heart!"

"Just shut up and pick up the loot before I tear you apart."

"Yes, sir. Sniff!"

Wiping the tears off his face, Ho Sung picked up the loot.

Chapter 39

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

Frantically running after the champion, Ho Sung had finished off the monsters that had been incapacitated by the champion. Paying no attention to his level or how much experience points he had earned, Ho Sung had focused solely on keeping up with the champion. Of course, the process hadn't been without peril. Ho Sung had found himself on the brink of death several times. However, it hadn't been the champion who had saved him. Instead, it had been Bowl, the champion's pet Lich Doll. After that, Ho Sung became genuinely grateful for the Doll.

'I'm sorry, little guy. I've been a jealous, spiteful jerk. I'll treat you better from now on.'

If it hadn't been for Bowl, Ho Sung would've died long ago. He would've definitely never reached level 200 and become an Aura user.

'I still can't believe I'm an Aura user now. This is crazy!' Ho Sung thought while driving with a silly smile on his face.

—

After selling the loot, Min Sung came out of the store with his money, which added up to one hundred twenty million won. For clearing a hundred twenty floors in the labyrinth, it was hardly a reasonable return. On the other hand, it was not chump change by any means.

'It's so easy to make money these days,' Min Sung thought. Previously, he had made a whopping two billion on a single day. The amount of money he found himself making was mind-boggling. By that point, dungeons had become a boon to the champion.

After clearing yet another labyrinth and selling his loot, Min Sung started to feel hungry. Catching onto that, Ho Sung, being the tactful, knowledgeable foodie that he was, came over to him and asked, "Should we go eat?"

When the two came out of the store, it was raining just like they had predicted after exiting the labyrinth by the thick, rain clouds in the sky. Opening up an umbrella, Ho Sung held it above the champion's head, who called to him, "Ho Sung Lee."

"Sir?"

"Take it," Min Sung said, tossing Ho Sung a weapon. Covered in blood, the sword spun in the rain and lodged itself on the ground. Staring intently at it, a look of shock appeared on Ho Sung's face. That had been the special reward for clearing the labyrinth within the given time limit.

[The Warlord's Sword]

[Grade: Legendary]

[Damage (against small/large monsters respectively): 13 / 16]

[One-Handed]

[Additional Properties: Strength +5, Additional Damage +12]

[Material: Mithril]

[Enhancement: There's a risk of destroying the item when upgrading beyond +0]

[Durability: Damaged]

[Tradeable with other players]

[Becomes untradeable upon personalization.]

[Level Requirement: 200-400]

[Property: Protection from magic explosion damage]

Holding the sword in his hand, Ho Sung's jaw dropped open. Not only was it a legendary item, but it also offered added protection from magic explosions.

"S-sir? I-I couldn't. I don't deserve this kind of gift…"

"What do you mean?"

"This is way too extravagant of a gift. You'll get at least three hundred million for it, easy. Even if you were to sell it at the store for cheap."

"Huh! It's that expensive, huh?"

"Yes, it is. The biggest window in the market is for level 200 to 400 items. That's why they're sold at such high prices. If you put this sword up for an auction, I'd say you could get up to five hundred million won…"

"Well, I gave it to you, so you can keep it. Let's go eat," Min Sung said, walking ahead. Still blown away, Ho Sung followed after the champion in a hurry, holding the umbrella over his head.

—

"Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, and French. What are you feeling like today, sir?" Ho Sung asked, eager to please the champion. Staring out the window at the rain, Min Sun immersed himself in thought.

'What to eat?'

To Min Sung, there was nothing more challenging than choosing what to eat. Then, while he was still deep in thought, the car came to a stop, and something caught the champion's eye. Captivated by the images on the TV in the

display window of an appliance store, Min Sung rolled the window down in order to get a closer look.

"What kind of show is that?" Min Sung asked. Looking in the direction the champion was looking, Ho Sung replied, "Oh, that? It's actually a movie called 'War Against Crimes.' It's a gangster movie set in the '80s. It's pretty good."

The TV showed a man, who seemed to be the mob boss, eating Chinese food.

"Jung Oh Ha. That guy knows how to act," Ho Sung said.

"… How can one eat sweet-and-sour pork like that? He makes it look so delicious," Min Sung asked, shocked by the actor's performance. To which, Ho Sung chuckled and replied, "There's a reason why people call him 'The Muk-Bang Actor.' There's even a theory that he pioneered the genre."

'I'd love to experience what it's like to eat like that,' Min Sung thought, his mouth watering. "Is that restaurant actually around?"

"Yes, it is. It's famous too. Though, they renovated the place not too long ago, so the restaurant's a little bigger than it used to be. It must have been getting a lot of customers after the movie came out."

"How's their food?"

"As far as I know, their reviews are pretty good."

It was currently 5 p.m on a chilly, rainy evening. Min Sung couldn't pass on Chinese food on a day like that.

"Take me there," Min Sung said, his eyes still fixed on the TV.

"Uh… That place is in Busan. It's about five hours away from here."

"Busan, huh?" Min Sung asked, and Ho Sung nodded affirmatively, "Yes, sir."

"I'll give you a call. I expect you to answer it."

"… Sir?"

With that, Min Sung got out of the car.

"Sir!? Your umbrella!"

"Don't need one," Min Sung said and slammed the door shut.

—

Ho Sung couldn't make sense of the champion's bizarre behavior to get out of the car and walk in the rain, but soon, he was astonished by what he saw. It seemed like the raindrops were dodging the champion.

"He surrounded himself in Aura?" Ho Sung murmured, looking at the champion in shock. "Is he even human?"

At that moment, the champion disappeared in plain sight.

"What the!? Where'd he go!?" Ho Sung said, looking around. Min Sung was nowhere to be found. While he was distracted, the cars behind him started to honk their horns at Ho Sung, whose car remained stopped despite the light having turned green. At which point, Ho Sung, still dumbfounded, stepped on the gas pedal, saying, "What the hell just happened?" Clicking his tongue, he looked for a place to park. After parking his car at an alleyway, he rolled the window down and lit a cigarette, feeling the raindrops on his face.

About twenty minutes later, Ho Sung found himself asking, "What do I do now? Do I just go home?"

Then, as he was scratching his head, his phone started to ring. It was Min Sung.

"Yes, hello?"

"I'm in Busan. Where can I find this restaurant?"

"… I'm sorry? Oh, right. Busan… WAIT, WHAT!? You're in Busan!?"

"Where is the restaurant?"

"H-h-hold on. One minute, sir," Ho Sung said, searching for the restaurant on his phone. Then, sending the address to Min Sung, he said, "All right, I sent you the address. By the way, did you just say that you were in Busan…"

'Beep. Beep. Beep.'

When the call ended abruptly, Ho Sung looked down at his phone, bewildered.

"… He's in Busan?"

Rubbing his eyes, he checked the time once again. No matter how many times he did so, it had only been twenty minutes since the champion had gotten out of the car.

'He went from Gangnam to Busan in twenty minutes?' Ho Sung thought, his eyes wide with astonishment. "Hell… Is this guy even human?" Ho Sung asked with goosebumps all over his body.

—

[The Great Wall]

Using the address given to him by Ho Sung, the champion arrived at the restaurant. Unlike its grand name, the restaurant wasn't nearly as big.

'Is this the restaurant from the movie?'

Although not the most spectacular on the outside, the interior was rather luxurious, unlike in the movie. Min Sung walked into the restaurant while wondering if he'd be able to go through the same experience as the actor. The interior, while luxurious, was toned down, making it look like a bar.

'Just like in the movie,' Min Sung thought. Although the interior seemed noticeably newer, the lighting was just dim enough, creating a comfortable atmosphere. Despite the restaurant's humble size, it was filled with customers, leaving only a few tables open. At that moment, a young male employee dressed in a red uniform walked up to Min Sung and asked, "Hello. How many?"

"One."

At that, the employee led Min Sung to a small table by the window.

'Just like in the movie,' Min Sung thought. Listening to the loud sizzle coming from the kitchen and the sound of rain coming from the window, which was cracked open slightly, Min Sung looked through the menu briefly. After which, he remembered that he didn't need to do that and rang the bell on the table. He had come to the restaurant with a certain dish in mind.

A waiter came to his table and asked, "May I take your order?"

"One sweet-and-sour pork, fried dumplings, and soju."

"Coming right up."

With that, the waiter left, and Min Sung looked the movie up on his phone.

'"War Against Crimes," was it?'

Upon searching, the movie's poster appeared on his phone, and next to it, was a text that read 'download.'

'I didn't know I could watch a movie on my phone,' Min Sung thought, tapping 'download' on the screen. Then, a new window asking for payment information appeared, and after filling it out, Min Sung played the movie on his phone. Watching the movie, the champion smiled and thought, 'This movie's well-made.'

Not only did the movie capture the atmosphere and the sentiment of the time, but the actors' performances were top-notch. Although he had just started watching it, the movie was rather captivating. At that moment, while Min Sung was enjoying the movie, the door opened and a group of four men came into the restaurant.

Chapter 40

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

Upon entering the restaurant, the four local hunters, one of whom were sporting a snake tattoo on his arm, called out to the owner.

"Where's my money? Business seems to be booming. I don't see why you're falling behind on payment. How do you explain that, huh!?" the man with the snake tattoo said intimidatingly.

At which point, the owner became teary-eyed and replied, "How am I supposed to make a living when you keep asking for more and more?"

"Sigh. Look, lady. Do you think you'll be able to have a thriving business without our protection? Have you forgotten about that?"

"That's not what I meant…"

"I expect to see your payment by today," snake tattoo said in a heavy, intimidating tone, and the owner, sighing deeply, replied, "… All right."

"Oh, and make sure to feed my boys well, will ya?"

With an evil smile on his face, snake tattoo sat at a table at the center of the restaurant. Meanwhile, while Min Sung was focused on the movie, paying no attention to the hunters, the waiter made his way to the champion's table. Glancing in Min Sung's direction, the man with the snake tattoo waved at the waiter and said, "Hey, you. Bring them over here."

As the flabbergasted waiter looked back and forth between the champion and snake tattoo, the man with the snake tattoo said impatiently, "Now! Before you regret it."

Sweating profusely, the waiter looked toward Min Sung nervously and took the steaming plate of sweet-and-sour pork to the snake tattoo's table. Seeing his order end up at another table, Min Sung looked toward the hunters. At which point, snake tattoo rose from his seat and walked over to the champion.

"You got somethin' to say?" he said, chuckling. Pausing the movie, Min Sung looked at the man's face and returned the question, "What do you think?"

"Then, why don't you go out and become a hunter yourself? What the hell is this guy watching anyway?" snake tattoo said, peeking at Min Sung's phone. Then, he shouted to his crew, "Eh!? Ey, boys! This guy's watching 'War Against Crimes' on his phone! Puahahaha!"

"Was he gonna eat like the actor in the movie? Who does he think he is? Jung Oh Ha? Hahahaha!"

Hearing that, Min Sung quietly poured himself a cup of water, downed it, wiped his mouth with a sheet of tissue paper and rose from his seat, bumping past snake tattoo while saying, "Outside."

A look of disbelief appeared on the man's face. However, it wasn't long before that look turned into a ridiculing one. At that point, the rest of the crew, who had started eating, put their chopsticks down and rose from their seats, snorting. Just like that, the four local hunters, chuckling ominously, exited the restaurant.

Within one minute of leaving the restaurant, Min Sung came back inside and returned to his seat while wiping the blood off of his sleeves. At which point, the rest of the customers paid for their food in a hurry and rushed out of the restaurant in fear. While the crowd of customers was running out of the restaurant, Min Sung rang the bell on his table.

'Ding!'

Startled by the sound, the waiter, who had been standing there in a daze, walked over to the champion's table.

"… Sir?"

"Where's my order?" Min Sung asked, looking slightly displeased.

"Oh! We-we'll bring out a fresh batch as soon as we can! I apologize!" the waiter replied, bowing at a ninety-degree angle and making a run for the kitchen.

With that, Min Sung picked up a piece of pickled radish, brought it up to his mouth and savored the refreshing flavor and crunch. Soon, the sweet-and-sour pork and fried-dumplings made their way to the table. Since the movie was much better than he had expected, Min Sung decided to eat while watching it.

First, Min Sung opened the bottle of soju and poured himself a glass. Then, looking toward the sweet-and-sour pork, he was mildly surprised by its unusual appearance. Unlike the usual golden-brown pieces of deep-fried pork doused with a golden, syrupy sauce, the sweet-and-sour pork on Min Sung's table had a much lighter hue to it.

'Well, one should never judge a dish without first tasting it.'

Picking up a decently-sized piece of pork with his chopsticks, Min Sung brought it up to his mouth. Followed by the unique texture of the tender and lightly-battered pork, the sweetness of the sauce filled his mouth.

'I don't think I've had sweet-and-sour pork like this before. What did they do differently?'

Then, when he looked

down at the menu, the answer became clear.

'Ah! Sticky rice! That's it!'

Although there was no honey in the dish, the sweetness made Min Sung question that speculation. Then, with his eyes fixed on the move playing on his phone, Min Sung picked up a piece of fried-dumpling, dipped it in soy sauce and brought it up to his mouth. Followed by a big crunch, the juice inside of the dumpling filled his mouth. Breathing out hot steam, Min Sung raised his glass with his eyes fixed on his phone. Then, he poured the glass of soju into his mouth.

Swallowing, he nodded with deep satisfaction. A good movie accompanied by good food. There was nothing better. Watching the movie, Min Sung ate unhurriedly, savoring every bite.

Meanwhile, after mustering up courage, the owner went outside. She was filled with shock by what she saw. Breaking out into cold sweats, she looked toward the champion cautiously with her employees, one of whom she kept poking at to go check on the mysterious customer. Shaking uncontrollably, the employee approached Min Sung cautiously and reluctantly.

"S-sir?" the employee started off.

"Yes?"

"T-those hunters outside… T-they're not dead, are they? Otherwise, we might have to call an ambulance…" the employee asked, still shaking. At that moment, a line from the movie reverberated from the phone in a timely fashion.

'These are alive, all right.'

Looking at the employee, Min Sung said, "You heard him."

—

Upon arriving at the restaurant, the paramedics carried the four local hunters to the ambulance while the owner and her employees watched in a daze. Since the surveillance and all the black boxes in the area were fried, they had to go through a process that felt more like an interrogation. After the ambulance left and the police withdrew empty-handed, the owner and the employees stood in their places, the image of the mysterious customer who calmly enjoyed his meal while watching a movie on his phone still lingering in their heads.

—

"Hehe! Heh! Ehehe!" Ho Sung let out as he walked down the street, unable to help himself. Not only was he at a level high enough to be able to use Aura, but he had also received an extravagant gift from the champion: The Warlord's Sword.

In order to make sure that he wasn't dreaming, Ho Sung pinched himself on the cheeks repeatedly. However, no matter how many times he did so, the pain reminded him that he was, in fact, awake.

"Hehehe!" snickering, Ho Sung smoked his cigarette.

"Life is good!"

In the end, meeting the champion turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

'I'll accept him as my master. I'll work my ass off for him,' Ho Sung thought determinedly. Then, taking his phone out, he changed Min Sung Kang's name to 'Master.'

"Hm. Heh. hehe," Ho Sung let out a stifled chuckle, feeling proud of his level and his new ability. With Min Sung away in Busan, Ho Sung decided to celebrate on his own that night by going to a pub in Itaewon, where he was a regular.

Being a Friday night, the pub was booming with people. Nevertheless, due to ethnic diversity and a large number of customers being on their own, enjoying a beer or two by himself was hardly going to be an issue. After ordering a beer, he sat at a table and stuck a cigarette in his mouth.

'Man! I can't remember the last time I had a break!'

At that moment, an anxiety-provoking thought entered his mind. 'What if he comes back to Seoul? Eh, I'll worry about it then. For now, I'm just gonna enjoy the moment, even if it's only for a few minutes.'

Looking at the foreigners shooting pool, Ho Sung waited for his beer patiently. Shortly after, a stein of beer filled to the brim made its way to the table. Without hesitation, he raised the glass and guzzled it down.

"Oh, yeah! That's the stuff!"

There was nothing like having a beer to celebrate an accomplishment. On top of that, having an item that went for up to five hundred million won was a huge plus and a source of insurmountable joy.

'Yeah, this is more like it. This is what it means to live!'

"Hehehe!" chuckling, Ho Sung raised his glass to drink some more. At that moment, a group of three men approached him.

"Eh?" drinking his beer, Ho Sung looked in their direction. They seemed to be the members of the Ace Clan. Among them, was Min Wook Cho, a level 101. Sitting next to Ho Sung, he asked with a surprised expression and in a cautious tone, "Are you Ho Sung Lee? The Head of the Diamond Clan?"

'Who the hell…?'

Furrowing his brow, Ho Sung replied, "That's right. Can't you tell?"

Ace Clan had a reputation as one of the more prominent clans in the streets. Since the Diamond Clan had been obliterated by Min Sung Kang, it was extremely likely that the Ace Clan had taken the opportunity to expand their territory. However, as most clans tended to be, actionable area was limited to the streets, which made it nearly pointless to compare and contrast the clans.

"I thought so! Min Wook Cho. Pleased to meet you," Min Wook said, reaching out for a handshake enthusiastically. However, instead of shaking his hand, Ho Sung glared piercingly at him. For hunters, vigilance was a habit. Considering that their job often required them to put their lives on the line, it was a necessity.

"I don't wanna be bothered right now. Take a hike…"

"Sir. Please take us under your wing."

"… Eh?" Ho Sung let out, looking at them with widened eyes. By contrast, they were all looking at him with sparkling eyes. "What the hell's the meaning of this?"

"Level 200? I can't believe my eyes!" Min Wook said, astonished while staring up at the text above Ho Sung's head.

"We don't hear much about you and your clan these days, but I can see that you've been busy! I had no idea!"

"Wait, you two…"

"Sir, you're going back to your clan, aren't you?"

"Wha-?"

"With you as their leader, the Diamond Clan will surely take hold of the trading rights in Seoul without problem. In which case, we wanna be part of it!"

"But aren't you guys in the Ace Clan?"

"We've been meaning to leave, anyway. For how incompetent he is, this clan head of ours is one messed up, greedy son of a bitch. He's NOT clan head material. I can tell you that."

It was common for clan heads to be rough around the edges, especially when they were on constant alert for potential threats. In that world, it was impossible to get by without getting one's hands dirty.

"How did you even get to level 200 anyway? We're astonished!" Min Wook said, him and his crew looking at Ho Sung with sparkling eyes.

"Ahem… Blood, sweat, and tears. That's what! You gotta hustle if you wanna get to where I am," Ho Sung said, staring into the distance.

"Ah, right. Hustle! Well, you must have gone through enlightenment at some point! Congratulations, sir!"

Min Wook couldn't have been further from the truth. In fact, Ho Sung couldn't have reached his level without the champion's help. Of course, there was no way that Ho Sung was going to disclose that to the hunters in front of him.

'I better play along and keep my mouth shut,' Ho Sung thought.

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