By Zephyria “What is this….”
Eui-jae carefully placed his hand on the wound. Despite the gruesome injury, no blood came off. Is this the same kind as the spear that was lodged in his back? Nam Woo-jin, who was watching him, frowned.
“First… the situation is urgent, so let’s try some emergency treatment.”
He reached out and placed his hand over Lee Sa-young’s wound. A pure white light flowed from Nam Woo-jin’s hand. The light gently flowed towards Lee Sa-young’s heart. Before long, the blood seemed to have returned to his face, which had been pale white. Although it wasn’t very noticeable because he originally had a pale face.
“…Hoo.”
Nam Woo-jin took a small breath. Cold sweat was beading on his forehead and temples. He bit his lip and furrowed his brow. Treatment using his own life force. Nam Woo-jin, who had held out until the end even looking like a mummy. He unknowingly snatched Nam Woo-jin’s wrist. The pouring light stopped. Nam Woo-jin looked at Eui-jae with a bewildered expression.
“What… What’s wrong all of a sudden?”
A hand as dry as a mummy overlapped and disappeared from his sight. Even though it was dry, he could see a normal hand. Ah. Eui-jae released the wrist he was holding and lowered his head.
“I’m sorry.”
“…It’s okay.”
He stroked the wrist that had been grabbed. He must have snatched it too hard, as wrinkles were all over the thick protective suit and gloves. Eui-jae deliberately took a step back. Nam Woo-jin stroked his wrist, then carefully observed the wound and muttered.
“I’ve seen this kind of wound before. Just recently.”
“Recently?”
“It was when the big-mouthed Monster appeared. At that time, among the people who experienced the Freeze Phenomenon, there were some who complained of pain without wounds.”
“……”
“Do you understand? The pain came before the wound. Wounds actually appeared on the areas where they complained of pain. Of course, it was a wound that could not be touched or treated, and it disappeared before long.”
“So this is also….”
“It’s probably the same phenomenon. The wound is a bit big… and there are many of them.”
Before he knew it, Lee Sa-young’s upper body was covered with large and small wounds. Eui-jae bit his lip. Nam Woo-jin observed Sa-young with white eyes.
“Assuming it’s the same phenomenon as before, it will recover if we wait. Maybe he fainted because… he couldn’t bear the excessive pain. Bring me a painkiller.”
“Yes, Master.”
The boy trotted out of the room. Nam Woo-jin sighed with his arms crossed.
“All we can do now is… inject a painkiller and wait. Even if I treat him with my ability, it won’t get any better. That’s how it was back then.”
“What is the reason for this phenomenon?”
“What else could it be?”
Nam Woo-jin shrugged.
“It must be the influence of Doomsday. However, the difference is that it happened to an unspecified number of people back then, and this time it only happened to Lee Sa-young.”
“……”
Eui-jae gritted his teeth as he looked at the wounds that appeared and disappeared repeatedly. They were probably the wounds he had suffered in the previous world.
Doomsday is watching this world. Lee Sa-young volunteered to act as a warden to disrupt it, but this will not last long. It’s amazing that he’s held out this long.
The boy returned with a vial and syringe. Nam Woo-jin carefully inserted the needle into a vein. Before long, the needle turned black and melted. Tsk, Nam Woo-jin clicked his tongue and winked at Eui-jae.
“I’ll get another tool, so please watch over him.”
Then he left the room with the boy. It was quiet. Eui-jae put his finger under Lee Sa-young’s nose. Feeling a small breath was a relief.
At that moment, footsteps approached and Hong Ye-seong appeared. He entered the room in great strides, panting heavily and without any protective gear. The Emotional Eye rotated rapidly, checking Lee Sa-young’s wounds.
“I knew it, I knew it.”
It’s the intelligent Hong Ye-seong. Eui-jae sighed.
“Where have you been?”
“I went to my sweet home. To fix this.”
He had a neatly folded black cloth under his arm. Eui-jae looked at Hong Ye-seong’s profile and asked.
“Can you really fix it?”
“If I can’t, we’ll all die, so I have to do something!”
“……”
Eui-jae watched Hong Ye-seong busily preparing something and suddenly opened his mouth.
“Can’t I do it instead?”
“What?”
“What Lee Sa-young is doing now. Can’t I do it too? I was also an axis.”
“Huh.”
Hong Ye-seong stopped walking as if he was dumbfounded and looked Eui-jae up and down. Then he twirled his index finger next to his temple.
“You’ve finally gone crazy. Friend, you need to… take care of yourself.”
“No, isn’t it a reasonable suggestion?”
“Friend… Why didn’t I bring it up to you? Haven’t you ever thought that your Soul might be bigger than Lee Sa-young’s Soul?”
“……”
“Besides, you alone during Doomsday… No, never mind. I can’t say this yet.”
Hong Ye-seong slapped his mouth with his palm and shook his head.
“I have my own plans. And wait, because there’s something only you can do.”
“……”
“Anyway, I’ll take care of this, so don’t worry.”
After speaking, Hong Ye-seong unfolded the translucent black cloth and dropped it. The cloth gently fell and covered Lee Sa-young’s entire body. He carefully checked that there were no protruding parts, then took a deep breath. Then, he pulled out a long black sword from his chest. The sword looked similar to the Basilisk Fang. Blue letters flashed faintly on the handle.
“Instead… I won’t be able to see you for a while.”
“What?”
Wind blew in the operating room without windows. The wind was blowing from under his feet. Long brown hair that reached his shoulders fluttered. The Emotional Eye shone brilliantly through his hair.
“I’ve been watching it for a long time. Hiding alone in the cracks of the world, becoming your eyes.”
“……”
“And I came to a conclusion. You can do it.”
The moment he mentioned Doomsday, the ground rumbled. Cough, cough, along with the sound of coughing, Lee Sa-young’s body under the cloth shook violently. The word ‘you’ was strangely unsettling. Isn’t it a word that excludes himself? Hong Ye-seong slowly approached Lee Sa-young and raised his sword high. In that state, he pointed at Eui-jae with his calloused index finger.
“Go to the Dungeon.”
“Dungeon?”
“You’ll be able to find scattered memories. Things that the old you left behind.”
“Are you talking about the Memorial Dungeon?”
Hong Ye-seong smiled without answering. And,
Stab―
He pierced his stomach with the sword.
Eui-jae’s eyes widened. Even though it had completely pierced his solar plexus, not a single drop of blood flowed. Instead, the speed of the rapidly rotating Emotional Eye gradually slowed down. Stagger, the green tracksuit tilted. Eui-jae hurriedly grabbed Hong Ye-seong’s shoulder to support him.
“Hey, are you crazy? What are you doing!”
“Don’t worry… It won’t affect the real Hong Ye-seong.”
“Is that what you have to say right now? You!”
“I’m… someone who shouldn’t have stayed until now in the first place.”
Hong Ye-seong gasped for breath. He slowly pulled out the sword. Clang, the sword fell weakly to the floor. After catching his breath for a moment, he pushed Eui-jae away with surprising force. Eui-jae fell backwards as if he had been bounced off something, then quickly regained his posture. ‘Hong Ye-seong’ spread his arms wide.
“I’m here!”
…….
“Yes, the ghost of the Destroyed world is here!”
…….
“The proof that you failed!”
Rumble…. Thunder rumbled violently. The ground vibrated. The ceiling, walls, and floor were all shaking. Thump, thump, thump, something huge was approaching. A chilling shiver ran down his neck.
He knows. What is coming now.
He knows. What ‘Hong Ye-seong’ has done.
Eui-jae couldn’t even blink and stared at him. Soon, a jet-black circle appeared to his right. He looked back at Eui-jae for the last time. The friend smiled.
“Goodbye, friend.”
Golden light rose from his body. The light, which had been floating in the air for a moment, was soon sucked into the black circle and disappeared. Immediately after, the black circle disappeared without a trace. At the same time, the huge shadow that seemed to cut his entire body in half also disappeared.
Hong Ye-seong’s body staggered greatly, then collapsed to the floor like a doll with its strings cut. Eui-jae caught his rough breath and stared at the empty space where the circle had disappeared.
“…Hong Ye-seong.”
No answer came back.
Special Side Story
Special Side Story
One day, ahead of the great national holiday, Chuseok. Eui-jae received a question from his regulars. “Are you closing the Hanover Soup Restaurant for Chuseok?” Eui-jae replied indifferently.
“What holiday is there for the self-employed?”
The Hunters seemed somehow excited. Time passed, and it became the Chuseok holiday. Eui-jae stood in front of the supermarket display, deep in thought. ‘It’s Chuseok, shouldn’t I eat holiday food? Holiday food for Ha-eun and Grandmother.’
‘I could buy it at the market, but making it myself would be better…’
Kids like to play with stuff, right? It’s an era where Squishy toys containing actual slime come out. They say developing fine motor skills is important for children. Making Rice Cake together would be fun.
With a serious face, Eui-jae moved to the large Chuseok section. As befitting a major holiday, ancestral rites foods, various pancakes, and Rice Cake ingredients were on display. Eui-jae first picked up the Sesame.
‘Ha-eun doesn’t like beans, so Sesame Filling would be better…’
He opened his phone and searched for how to make Rice Cake. Sesame, sugar, non-glutinous rice flour. Should I make mugwort Rice Cake too? Grandmother might like mugwort more. While I’m at it, I should make pancakes too. You need to smell the oil to feel the holiday spirit.
‘Donggeurangttaeng is too cliché…. What kinds of pancakes are there? Donggeurangttaeng, Sanjeok, Dongtaejeon, Zucchini Pancake…. Still, making a variety would look better…’
Unaware that things were getting out of hand, Eui-jae’s hands moved faster. Thuk, thuk, thuk, the hands putting things in the cart were agile and efficient.
And in Cha Eui-jae’s hands as he left the supermarket,
“Thank you~”
‘…Did I buy too much?’
Like Santa’s sack, he carried two heavy shopping bags filled to the brim. The strawberry pattern on the shopping bags stretched as if about to burst. Eui-jae looked up at the sky, sighed deeply, and trudged along. Oh well, whatever. If there’s any left over, I can give it as a side dish with the Hangover Soup.
He didn’t know at the time that thinking that way was a huge mistake.
Sizzle, sizzle, the pancakes on the frying pan browned nicely. The savory smell of oil tickled the tip of his nose. But Eui-jae couldn’t enjoy the smell. He trembled as he held the spatula.
‘Too much to do…!’
Doing alone what the whole family would sit around and do was impossible to finish in a short time, no matter how fast he was. Preparing the ingredients for the Rice Cake, preparing the ingredients for the pancakes, frying them, and preparing for the next business hours made it even worse. He had only prepared the dough and filling for the Rice Cake and hadn’t even touched it.
There’s no choice. The dough can be aged a little more, and the pancakes can be reheated. Eui-jae quickly moved the pancakes onto the oil paper.
‘I’ll leave them for a while and finish after work…’
He sighed and checked the time. He had been frying pancakes without thinking, and it was almost time to open the store. I can’t even get rid of the oil smell. Eui-jae trudged over and took down the sign hanging on the door. Then, he took off the apron covered in flour and changed into a clean Toad Apron. He also washed his hands thoroughly.
Soon, the sliding door slid open, and dark heads poured in.
“Hello!”
“Yes, just a moment.”
Eui-jae put the pen and order form in the front pocket of his apron and left the kitchen. He saw several familiar faces. Especially Bae Won-woo, a regular among regulars, who had emptied two bowls of Hangover Soup in the morning, yet came again without getting tired of it. Honeybee was also there for some reason. Eui-jae clicked the end of the pen and said.
“Bae Won-woo-ssi, three bowls, Honeybee-ssi, two bowls, right?”
“Yes, that’s right!”
“That’s right.”
Eui-jae went around to the other tables and confirmed the orders. Meanwhile, Bae Won-woo looked around the store and sniffed.
“But what is this savory smell? It’s not the smell of Hangover Soup.”
“I know. Doesn’t it smell like pancakes? It’s Chuseok.”
“No, I smell oil too…. It’s a smell from an oil mill.”
‘Dog nose…’
How did he smell the Sesame roasting? The other Hunters started sniffing along. They looked like they were about to come into the kitchen. Well, if I’m going to get caught anyway, it’s better to say it first. Eui-jae shrugged and confessed honestly.
“It’s Chuseok, so I was going to make Rice Cake with Ha-eun. I roasted Sesame. I fried some pancakes too.”
Rice Cake? He said Rice Cake. There are pancakes too. No wonder it smelled so good. Murmurs spread among the regulars. A strange anticipation pricked their skin. Ignore it, ignore it. Eui-jae pretended not to notice and put his hands in his apron pockets. Bae Won-woo’s eyes sparkled.
“Oh, Rice Cake! Does the part-timer make Rice Cake by hand too?”
“Yes…. I thought Ha-eun would like it.”
“Then are you selling Rice Cake and pancakes too?”
“No, I’m not selling them, I’m just making them….”
“Can’t you sell them? We can’t eat Chuseok food.”
The hand that was busily scribbling on the order form stopped. Eui-jae blinked.
“Why couldn’t you eat it?”
A moment of silence flowed. Just when he thought he shouldn’t have asked, the Hunters opened their mouths and clamored.
“I’ve been running Dungeons since morning!”
“I was dealing with a Rift that opened up near the intersection.”
“They want me to get some leather by today. It’s a holiday, can’t they give us a break?”
“Rifts don’t care about holidays.”
“I don’t want to go home because I don’t want to hear my mom nagging. She keeps telling me to get married.”
“I guess I won’t be going home this year either.”
Yang Hye-jin, a Hunter affiliated with the Rift Management Bureau, sighed. She was wearing her fluorescent green safety vest again today. The Hunters sitting around her nodded vigorously. He hadn’t realized it because they always looked so scruffy, but even today, on the Chuseok holiday, they didn’t look very neat.
Come to think of it, Eui-jae didn’t have any holidays when he worked as a Hunter either. If his aunt hadn’t taken care of him with Rice Cake Soup and Rice Cake, he would have forgotten about the holidays and worked.
“…….”
Lee Sa-young would laugh if he saw this. He’d say he’s buying trouble. Even as he thought that, Eui-jae didn’t swallow the words that came out.
“…Do you want to make Rice Cake yourselves?”
“Yes?”
“I only made the ingredients and didn’t even touch them. I don’t have enough time to make them for you, so if you make them yourselves, I’ll steam them….”
“Wow! Great!”
“Part-timer, you’re the best!”
Applause and cheers erupted. Excited voices were heard from all over.
“Wow…. When was the last time I made Rice Cake myself?”
“My family always buys it.”
“I think I made it in kindergarten.”
“You remember that.”
“What shape should I make?”
“What, are you going to do crafts with Rice Cake?”
The Hunters started talking among themselves. Their childlike excitement was amusing and pleasing to see. Eui-jae turned and headed to the kitchen. Before he knew it, the corners of his mouth were also twitching upwards.
Thwack, a heavy fist landed on the white, chewy dough. Eui-jae took a deep breath and looked at the ceiling.
‘I shouldn’t have done this.’
It didn’t take long for Eui-jae to regret it. What, enjoying making Rice Cake like children? That was good. Eui-jae was proud to watch. Seeing the Hunters laughing and making Rice Cake in various shapes created a holiday atmosphere, which was nice.
The problem arose from the popularity of the Hanover Soup Restaurant. The Hanover Soup Restaurant is a hot place for Hunters, and Hunters don’t rest even on holidays. In other words, there are many customers who visit the Hanover Soup Restaurant even on holidays.
But what if the first customers, who would normally eat quickly and leave, were sitting in the store making Rice Cake?
“Get out of there, you guys!”
“We condemn the people who take up tables just because they came first!”
“We want to make Rice Cake too!”
“I’m starving!”
The Hunters outside the door clenched their fists and started protesting. Experiment terminated. Eui-jae tried to ignore the murmuring voices from outside and roasted Sesame. He didn’t want this kind of social experiment. Moreover, he didn’t know why they wanted to make so much Rice Cake, but he had to make more dough in real time because it wasn’t enough.
‘Haa, it’s hard.’
I’d rather take a spear and slaughter Kraken Leg. It seemed less difficult than this.
At that moment, the protesting sounds gradually subsided. Instead, an ominous silence flowed. Eui-jae instinctively sensed the cause of the silence. There were only two people who could immediately silence those noisy Hunters. Jung-bin, or Lee Sa-young.
The sound of the sliding door opening was heard. Eui-jae closed his eyes and calmed his breath. He waited for his fate without checking the signs in detail, afraid of facing the unwanted reality. And, he stepped out of the kitchen and opened his mouth.
“Welcome―”
“Ah, hello.”
Jung-bin, standing at the door, smiled and greeted him. Yes! It’s a relief if it’s Jung-bin! Before Eui-jae could relax, Jung-bin stepped aside. A black shadow was briefly seen beyond the open door. Soon, a dark Gas mask entered the store. The eyes beyond the Gas mask lens seemed to narrow. Eui-jae squeezed his eyes shut.
‘It was both of them!’
Honeybee, who was skillfully making Rice Cake, raised one eyebrow.
“What’s up, what brings you two here?”
Jung-bin said with a laughing voice.
“We received a report that the Hunters were being noisy. But…. Are you selling Rice Cake instead of Hangover Soup today?”
“The part-timer said he’d steam it for us if we made Rice Cake.”
“Ah, that’s right. It’s Chuseok….”
Judging from his tone, Jung-bin seemed to have been working without realizing it was Chuseok. Eui-jae looked at his former colleague with pitiful eyes.
“D-Do you want to join us?”
Someone held out Rice Cake dough. Jung-bin’s eyes widened, and he covered his mouth and laughed, haha.
“If it’s okay for me to join. Instead, I’ll sort out the situation outside and join you.”
Jung-bin looked at Eui-jae as if asking if it was okay. Of course, he was welcome, so Eui-jae nodded his head until it almost fell off. It meant, please do something about those guys. Jung-bin smiled and made a phone call to someone before heading back out of the store.
Meanwhile, Bae Won-woo, who was carefully trimming the edges of the Rice Cake, asked.
“Sa-young, what brings you here?”
“I had something to do with Jung-bin… and I was with him.”
A languid voice pierced his ear sharply. He was probably raising the corners of his mouth and smiling annoyingly.
“I followed him. It looked fun.”
‘It’s not fun at all, you jerk.’
Whether he knew Eui-jae was glaring at him or not, Lee Sa-young walked leisurely to the table where Bae Won-woo was sitting. Just in time, a Hunter who had finished making a rabbit-shaped Rice Cake quickly got up and gave up his seat. Sa-young looked at the white dough and rested his chin on his hand.
“I want to make it too.”
“Huh? Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
Yes, he had been prepared for it from the moment Lee Sa-young stepped into the store. He had even finished the simulation in his head. Eui-jae quickly brought two pairs of plastic gloves and an apron from the kitchen. And he abruptly handed them to Sa-young, who was sitting with his legs crossed. Violet eyes moved between Eui-jae’s hands and face. Eui-jae said bluntly.
“Put them on and join… us.”
If he wore plastic gloves over his Gas gloves, there would be no fear of Poison getting on him. It was a bonus that he hurriedly changed the ending to honorifics after almost speaking informally. He would speak informally when it was just the two of them, but it was a bit much to speak comfortably in front of Bae Won-woo or the other Hunters. Sa-young let out a low laugh as if he found it amusing, and accepted the plastic gloves and apron. And he stared intently at Eui-jae as he put on two layers of plastic gloves over his black gloves.
“…Thank you?”
Laughter filled his violet eyes. Eui-jae slyly avoided his gaze.
Jung-bin, who had gone outside, appeased the protesting Hunters and rented plastic tables and chairs from a nearby convenience store for a rental fee. Of course, the rental fee was paid by the generous Wave Guild Guild Master. With the people who were waiting sitting around the tables and making Rice Cake, it seemed like peace had come.
Except for Eui-jae.
“…….”
Late at night, Eui-jae was squatting in the quiet store kitchen. From the steamer placed on the fire, the sound of air escaping, shiiik, was heard.
Once they tried making it, they found it fun, and people made several Rice Cake each. Thanks to that, the number was considerable, and he couldn’t steam them all at once. If he waited until all the Rice Cake were steamed, they would probably be stuck here until the end of business today, so Eui-jae kicked out the Hunters who had finished making Rice Cake.
‘I’ll steam them and give them to you when you come tomorrow.’
The Hunters said, “Really? I’ll definitely come tomorrow, please take good care of our dinosaur,” and staggered out. Eui-jae stood up and slightly opened the lid of the steamer. White steam soared up, revealing the glossy, cooked Rice Cake. The neat Rice Cake are Jung-bin’s, the dumbbell-shaped Rice Cake are Bae Won-woo’s, the glitter-shaped Rice Cake are Honeybee-ssi’s, the bear-shaped Rice Cake are Polar Bear’s, the dinosaur-shaped Rice Cake are Yang Hye-jin’s new recruit’s, and….
“…….”
Eui-jae looked at the Rice Cake isolated in the corner. He carefully picked up the Rice Cake. A pretty half-moon-shaped Rice Cake. Lee Sa-young said it was his first time making it, but he made it beautifully without any tears.
‘He lives up to his face.’
Sa-young, who had finished his share of Rice Cake, unlike the others, got up from his seat with a light heart, without any signs of regret. Instead, before leaving the store, he approached Eui-jae and whispered.
‘Hyung, you eat the one I made. It’s a gift.’
I don’t need it.
‘Why, are you afraid there might be Poison in it?’
…….
‘Try it. I made it pretty.’
“…It is really pretty.”
Eui-jae shone the half-moon-shaped Rice Cake in the ceiling light, blew on it, and slowly took a bite. Underneath the warm, chewy rice dough, sweet and savory Sesame Filling was chewed. Eui-jae sighed softly. A smile appeared on his tired face.
“…It’s delicious.”
Poison, what Poison, it’s perfectly fine.
Eui-jae finished off Lee Sa-young’s Rice Cake and stretched out his arms, feeling refreshed. A warm Chuseok day was coming to an end.