By Zephyria The woman raised the corners of her lips coolly and smiled. Her smiling face was full of mischief.
“Oh my, look at my mind. I didn’t even tell you my name. I’m Jang Mi-sook. Call me Auntie comfortably. It’d be even better if you called me ‘Noona’.”
“…….”
“Hoho! Was I being too forward?”
Eui-jae opened his mouth slightly, then unconsciously raised his hand to check his Gas mask. He was glad his face was covered. He bit his lip. The moment he heard the title ‘Auntie’, he felt like the floor was collapsing beneath him.
“…….”
Eui-jae scrutinized Jang Mi-sook’s face for no reason. And her perfectly normal hands. Of course, the woman in front of him and the Auntie bore no resemblance whatsoever. They shouldn’t.
“Let’s go quickly. They’re waiting. Honestly, they have no patience at all….”
Jang Mi-sook grumbled, turned, and started walking. His feet, which had been about to follow as if possessed, stopped abruptly. The face inside the Gas mask crumpled. What held Eui-jae back was none other than the aftershock that would come from disobeying Sa-young’s orders.
It’s not that Lee Sa-young is scary or anything. It’s just.
‘Isn’t he going to nag me again for moving on my own….’
It’s hard to appease the sulky Lee Sa-young!
The thought of having to spend a long time appeasing him again was daunting. He could already hear Lee Sa-young’s sarcastic voice….
‘Uh…, and?’
‘Ah…. Is that so?’
‘You did a great job…. Ah, you know I’m not praising you, right?’
Damn it. Eui-jae gritted his teeth.
‘It’s like a shackle.’
If they were trying to put a shackle on him, they succeeded. Because Cha Eui-jae, who used to move his body without thinking, had started to think. Eui-jae rubbed the floor with the soles of his shoes and continued to think.
It’s better to stay still than to rummage around in unfamiliar places. All Eui-jae knew about the seafood market was that Mackerel was somewhere here. The information gap is too big.
Actually, he wasn’t too happy about following Sa-young’s orders. Nevertheless, one thing was certain. Now there was a place to ask for help even if Eui-jae didn’t move himself. Lee Sa-young or Min-gi Seo. The belief that they would help him even if he did nothing.
“…….”
Jang Mi-sook, who was walking ahead, turned around with a puzzled look.
“What are you doing standing there? I told you to hurry up.”
“That….”
Ahem, Eui-jae cleared his throat and spoke haltingly.
“The Guild Master… told me to wait here.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry.”
Just then, a burst of laughter erupted from the front. Jang Mi-sook was laughing so hard that the seafood market seemed to shake. She stopped laughing after a long time and wiped the tears from her eyes.
“Oh my, I haven’t heard anything like this in a long time. Are you a newbie?”
“…….”
Is this something to laugh about? Before he could wonder, his phone rang. Jang Mi-sook gestured with her chin with a smiling face.
“Why don’t you check? You should have received a text.”
Eui-jae took out his phone from his jacket pocket and turned it on. As she said, a text message had arrived. It wasn’t just one, though.
The sender was….
Sa-young: It’ll take a while
Sa-young: You can follow the person named Jang Mi-sook
Sa-young: I’ll be there soon
Lee Sa-young.
Eui-jae hesitated, then moved his fingers to send a reply.
Okay
Beep. Sent. It was the moment he put his phone back in his pocket.
“Still, I like your suspicious attitude. Trust is an important virtue. Especially in times of chaos like these.”
“…….”
“Staying here was a good thing too. This is the safe zone, right up to here.”
“…Yes?”
“You’ll see when you get there.”
Jang Mi-sook smiled. As if to say, ‘Do you believe me now?’ She pointed to her in-ear and shook her head.
“Sigh, anyway, let’s go quickly. They keep urging me on.”
The seafood market is a Dungeon.
It’s not a metaphor, it actually was. Behind the Gas mask, bright blue eyes scanned the area. Each time he took a step, the surrounding area was being reconfigured.
A store selling live fish turned into a store selling freshly fried tempura, then into a store selling shellfish. He tried to find a pattern, but there was no pattern to be found. It seemed to be running according to the Master’s whims. With each step, there was a creaking sound, like a cube being turned and fitted together. It was enough to make him feel nauseous.
This place was a living, breathing maze.
“You’re not that surprised? People who see it for the first time usually faint.”
“Ah…. No, I’m surprised.”
Jang Mi-sook burst out laughing at Eui-jae’s mechanical reply.
“You have no talent for lying!”
“…….”
Am I really that bad at lying? Eui-jae pouted for no reason. Jang Mi-sook pointed to the side street that was changing in real time.
“Want me to tell you something interesting? There’s a lost and found here too.”
“A lost and found? …Really?”
“Of course I’m telling the truth! Newbies who don’t know anything come in here all cocky, thinking they’re going to buy and sell information, and then they get lost. Dozens of them come in every day.”
Jang Mi-sook was familiar with this scenery, skillfully leading the way through the tangled paths. Without a dedicated guide, he would definitely get lost. Now he understood why Lee Sa-young had told him to stay put. He almost ended up wandering around alone and reuniting at the lost and found. Ah, how terrible.
‘I’m glad I listened.’
Eui-jae changed the subject for no reason.
“Then what should people who come for the first time do?”
“They have to register first! And then wait until a dedicated guide is assigned.”
“…I guess not just anyone gets assigned.”
Eui-jae looked around. In the changing scenery, the owners of the stores were leisurely doing their jobs, but their eyes were gleaming. They were the eyes of merchants.
“You’re quick to catch on. That’s right. This place runs on information. People who are judged to have valuable information are assigned first. Guilds get guides assigned on a Guild basis. That’s why you’re special. You should have looked for me at the entrance when you came.”
“…I didn’t hear.”
“Hoh ho ho, thanks to you, it was fun.”
“…….”
Eui-jae asked awkwardly.
“Are all the store owners Awakened?”
“Some are Awakened, some aren’t.”
“How is the safety of those who aren’t secured?”
“Safety?”
Jang Mi-sook turned around and burst out laughing again. He was almost used to her hearty laughter.
“Oh my, don’t worry! This place is safer than most places.”
“…….”
“Okay, we’re here.”
The place she stopped at was a store similar to the ones he had seen so far. Tanks with water constantly circulating, fish swimming inside the tanks, the salty and fishy smell of fish and seawater.
A sign hanging from the ceiling flickered. The white sign had ‘Rose Seafood’ written on it in pink letters.
“…Oh, you’re here.”
A gloomy voice echoed. Eui-jae looked for the source of the voice. A young man with shaggy hair was washing a knife in a hunched posture. For some reason, only that area was exuding a dark aura. He was wearing a colorful outfit with a bright blue vinyl apron, red boots, and pink rubber gloves. Even if he tried to see his face, he couldn’t see it properly because of his long bangs.
Jang Mi-sook patted Eui-jae on the back.
“This is my son. Say hello.”
“Yes? Ah, hello.”
The son also bowed his head silently. Jang Mi-sook laughed hoho.
“He’s a bit shy…. Go inside and sit down. Son! Slice up a plate of flounder.”
“Yes….”
The son put down the knife, picked up a net, and walked awkwardly towards the tank. Eui-jae shook his head.
“The sashimi is okay….”
“You have to eat a piece before you leave. Go in quickly!”
A moment later, Cha Eui-jae was sitting stiffly on a cushion, as if his refusal was meaningless. Jang Mi-sook’s hand movements as she pushed him into the room, wiped the table, placed the cutlery, water bottle, water glass, and wet wipes were so fast that he couldn’t dare to imitate them. Of course, Eui-jae could have imitated them.
Is she an Awakened? His eyes followed Jang Mi-sook’s every hand movement. It was to use it at the Hanover Soup Restaurant. But his gaze soon stopped.
‘…I won’t be going to the Hanover Soup Restaurant anymore.’
Eui-jae stared blankly at the side dishes that were being placed in front of him. Today, he missed the automatic pet feeder, no, the automatic kimchi and side dish self-service bar, that was rotting Mana Stones in the darkened Hanover Soup Restaurant.
‘I wonder if they’re all doing well….’
He never thought he would miss the customers who were like enemies. Where would all the Hanover Soup Restaurant regulars eat? Were they all starving? Even though he had worked as a Hanover Soup Restaurant part-timer for a much shorter period than he had worked as a Hunter, he couldn’t help but worry about them.
“Okay, the flounder sashimi is here!”
A white plate suddenly appeared in his dazed vision. A plate full of plump and chewy sashimi was placed in front of him. Crazy, it looks delicious. Eui-jae snapped out of it. Jang Mi-sook smiled brightly.
“I’ll close the door, so take off your Gas mask and enjoy.”
As expected of the Wave Guild’s dedicated guide. She was very considerate. Thud, the sliding door closed. Eui-jae raised his head. This place where the door was closed was a secret room. But there was a man sitting across from him. Jang Mi-sook’s son.
The hair that gloomily covered his face was dark blue.
“…….”
Eui-jae wasn’t surprised and tore open the packaging of the wooden chopsticks and split them. Snap, the sound of them splitting was clear. And,
Swaaack￣!!
Without showing any surprise, he caught what was flying towards his face with his chopsticks. Eui-jae frowned and checked what he had caught with his chopsticks. It was a stiff business card.
Noryangjin Seafood Market
Mackerel
Eui-jae, who had read the contents of the business card, sighed. He crumpled the business card in his hand and crushed it. His posture, which had been upright, naturally became crooked.
“Hey.”
“…….”
“You know me.”
“…….”
The dark blue head moved up and down slightly. Of course he would. Eui-jae threw the crumpled business card at the head.
“Don’t throw things at the table, throw them!”