By Zephyria The surroundings were typical of a Korean rural village. Yohan, with a mind of his own, idly looked at the rice paddies, which were filled with disgusting plants that looked highly toxic no matter where he looked, with eyes full of gluttony, and said.
“If I get the chance, I’d like to try purifying those too.”
“Plant-based ones might be easier to purify than animal-based ones. They’d be good for practice.”
No. Yohan wasn’t trying to purify plants for such practical and realistic reasons. It was simply because yesterday, while grilling and eating meat, the Korean soul, which flowed with Ungnyeo’s blood, cried out for garlic or chili peppers….
Today, they decided to venture a little further out to explore. Walking along the road as if on a stroll, they saw abandoned tractors, cars, and dilapidated houses. Monsters would occasionally pop out from the overgrown weeds, but they generally met an unfortunate end, kicked by Lee Hyun-muk.
“But, you know, for some reason, it seems like the monsters are afraid of you, Lee Hyun-muk, and don’t attack.”
“You saw correctly.”
“I see, they’re afraid….”
It wasn’t a mistake that the monsters were cautiously avoiding Lee Hyun-muk and running away. Yohan nodded in satisfaction, thinking they recognized the intimidation of a High-level Awakened, and asked Lee Hyun-muk.
“Then, will they be afraid of me and run away too?”
He asked with sparkling eyes, and Lee Hyun-muk looked at him intently before saying in a gentle tone.
“Perhaps, but still, I think it would be best for you, Yohan, to stay close to me and not wander off.”
Although he said it kindly, the implication that it wouldn’t be the case was clear. Yohan replied with disappointment.
“Yes….”
Yohan once again realized that he was not a combat-type Awakened. It wasn’t that he didn’t think he could purify monsters if he were in danger. But upon further reflection, purified monsters didn’t just turn into ordinary animals. Wasn’t the frog he ate so deliciously yesterday enormous? If he purified a monster and a giant, enraged bull appeared, he would still be attacked.
“Huh? Isn’t that a mart?”
Yohan, walking dejectedly, exclaimed with delight. Only a sign that read something like 〈□◇Mart〉 remained, but it was clearly a rather large mart. As Yohan sent a pleading gaze, Lee Hyun-muk silently strode into the mart. Yohan watched from a corner with awe as Lee Hyun-muk dealt with the monsters inside the mart.
“I’ll purify them!”
After the one-sided battle ended, Yohan quickly ran over. He had been enjoying using his ability quite a bit since his Awakening. He felt immensely satisfied and proud seeing the dirty and disgusting things become clean and return to normal. If he had to compare it, it was similar to the feeling after tidying up a messy room.
As Yohan used his ability up close, waves of shimmering light enveloped Lee Hyun-muk’s body. As Lee Hyun-muk absorbed the light that permeated him, the angle of his eyebrows relaxed further. The dirty bodily fluid clinging to his body slowly disappeared, becoming clean.
“When I witness your ability, it feels like taking a warm bath.”
“That’s a good thing, right?”
To Yohan’s question, Lee Hyun-muk gave a faint smile. He lowered his gaze with his lustrous black eyes and, for no particular reason, suddenly tapped the cheek of the tensed Yohan.
“Yes, Yohan. Of course, it has to be a good thing.”
Yohan turned away with a smile, pretending nothing was wrong, but heat was slowly rising in his ears. He was already twenty-three, so why did he feel so differently compared to Lee Hyun-muk? Was the difference between one’s twenties and thirties this significant? Even as an adult, Lee Hyun-muk felt like the ultimate adult, making his heart pound.
‘It feels like seeing a celebrity… No, he’s actually similar to a celebrity, isn’t he?’
Even if he had fallen into the Abyss by chance, Lee Hyun-muk was still the most famous person in Korea three years later. Yohan attributed his racing heart to this. With a fluttery heart, he diligently searched the mart. The pungent stench emanating from all around was barely noticeable.
The first place he ran to was the seasoning corner. After picking up salt and sugar that were barely spoiled, he carefully examined condiments like gochujang and doenjang. A wrinkle formed between his brows.
“So this is what spoiled means… Now that I look at it, the text is really strange.”
Yohan, with Light Particles floating around him, used the light to read the descriptions of the condiments. The spoiled descriptions were as follows:
[▉Yang… High▉]
Date: From 9▉99 to 99▉
Expiration: Until the 4▉ date
Product Name: ▉Yang… High▉ Type: Content Amount: Blood Content: ??% Raw material name and content: Sa▉(5.6%), death (3.2%), death (2.7%), cái, chết, toqu, θάνατος, dood, død, muerte, dauða, ความตาย….
“I can’t recognize the words, but it feels really unpleasant….”
Looking at the ingredient list, Yohan recalled the jellies he had picked up shortly after falling into the Abyss. He placed his hand over the gochujang and shook his head slightly.
“I really thought it was imported from abroad.”
“I thought it would be better not to know. I figured you’d realize the reality soon enough anyway.”
Yohan also felt that Lee Hyun-muk’s judgment was correct. It might have been like drinking from Wonhyo Daesa’s skull, but if he had learned the truth earlier, it would have been even harder to endure.
“So, if you fall into the Abyss, it’s really hard to eat normal food, isn’t it?”
“Eat rotten things, eat corrupted things, or starve.”
Lee Hyun-muk replied in an indifferent voice. Yohan genuinely felt fortunate to have awakened his purification ability. Being a Dealer or anything else didn’t matter. He was so happy to be able to give Lee Hyun-muk proper food. He was his benefactor who had saved his life countless times, so he wanted to repay him in this way.
“Okay, I’ll try opening it.”
Even after purification, there seemed to be no significant change, so Yohan nervously opened the gochujang. Carefully peeling off the plastic, the condiment revealed itself, slightly reduced in volume but with a healthy, fine color. Yohan carefully dipped a finger in and tasted it, overjoyed by the familiar spiciness.
“It’s gochujang! It’s a success!”
Confirming it was safely purified, Yohan excitedly swept up condiments of various types. However, the foods that were already rotten and fermented could not be restored. Disappointed, Yohan threw away a bread bag that contained only crumbs, close to a handful of dust. Just as the overgrown size of purified monsters didn’t decrease, severely corrupted parts didn’t return even after purification.
Although there were many unrecoverable foods, Yohan was still able to fill two carts. The biggest hauls were a sack of rice and a pile of kimchi cans. Although the weight had halved after purification, it was still rice and kimchi. Excitedly, he pushed the carts with his unbroken arm and returned home.
Eating the precious kimchi, like gold, with freshly cooked rice was no less than a feast. After a pleasant meal, Yohan was disappointed when he purified the refrigerator, only to find side dish containers filled with fine powder and a lot of plastic. Lee Hyun-muk said to him.
“Yohan, I’ve set a goal.”
“A goal?”
Closing the refrigerator door, Yohan approached Lee Hyun-muk, bewildered. After falling into the Abyss, the goal had always been survival, and now he intended to pursue a stable life. Lee Hyun-muk gestured towards Yohan’s arm and said.
“Once your arm heals, I think I’ll go look for my spear.”
“Really? Do you know where the spear is?”
Yohan asked in surprise. The weapons of Awakened were not ordinary. The more dangerous the Rift area, the higher the probability of obtaining materials not found on Earth by hunting monsters. Awakened individuals of the supporter class would then use their abilities to shape and process these materials into weapons or armor. Ordinary weapons easily decayed in Rifts, so all Awakened desired weapons made from these special materials.
Lee Hyun-muk’s spear was also made that way. It was known that he and his teammates had hunted a danger level 10 monster that had burst from a Rift and used its horns to create and share weapons.
“If my memory serves me right, it should be not far from here. Now that you’re here, we should avoid bare-handed hunting.”
“Then let’s go find it quickly!”
Yohan was all for it. He had always worried seeing Lee Hyun-muk confront monsters bare-handed. This was because not only were bodily injuries dangerous, but the probability of Corruption increased with every direct contact with a monster. It wasn’t for nothing that melee-combat Awakened preferred weapons with long reach, like spears.
‘Will the combat styles change if purification-type Awakened appear in the future?’
He rubbed his chest. At first, he hadn’t fully realized it, but now he knew very well that he was of a higher class. He could feel the immense energy within him restless to flow somewhere. It wasn’t seeking Lee Hyun-muk, who had already Awakened, but rather others who possessed the potential to Awaken.
Yohan smiled wryly. After all, there were only Lee Hyun-muk and himself in this Abyss…. As long as they couldn’t escape the Abyss, he would be the first and last Purifier.