Episode 33
An hour and a half by KTX.
As I sat by the window and looked at the scenery, I quickly arrived at Iksan Station.
I held the gift I had prepared before coming down in both hands.
‘I have time, so let’s walk.’
My parents run a whole chicken restaurant in the market.
It’s been 20 years since they established themselves in the southern market.
The location of the store is in the old town, so there is not much floating population.
However, there are quite a few customers who stop by because they use the old-fashioned method of frying.
Sizzling.
The sound of a whole chicken frying can be heard from far away.
A fragrant smell that stimulates the nose.
‘When I was young, I got sick of being in charge of too much.
‘It was.’
After living abroad, I lost that habit.
Tired of the Chinese God?
If you say something profane like that, you’ll get hit in the back by your friends who are living alone.
Grumble-
I went inside by pushing the old-fashioned sliding door.
My mother came out to the entrance, wearing an apron with a picture of a whole chicken on it.
“Mother. I’m here.”
“Welcome… are you Mincheol? Why did you come without calling?”
“I just came down because I wanted to see your face.”
I smiled humbly.
My mother’s eyes turned to my hands.
“Oh my, look at this guy. What did you buy so loudly?”
“It’s no big deal.”
“It looks heavy just by looking at it. Mincheol’s dad!”
After a while, my father came out of the galley.
Over her clothes, she wore an apron identical to her mother’s.
“I’m home.”
“Is Mincheol here? Come down and tell me to pick you up.”
“Well, the station is just around the corner.”
“But that’s true. I had luggage, so I shouldn’t have called.”
My father rubbed his nose with the back of his hand.
“Have you eaten?”
“No. I just came down to eat chicken.”
“Minjeong will be here soon, so wait. We can eat together.”
Jeon Min-jeong.
My sister is two years younger than me.
“Ugh. Why is she coming?”
“You’re helping out at the store in the evenings.”
Mother’s expression suddenly hardened.
“Don’t fight.”
“We’re not fighting. Whenever I see him, I think he’s fighting.”
“It’s true, isn’t it, honey?”
“That’s right. They are my children, but it seems like they had two enemies in their past lives.”
“What was your past life?”
Pick. She smiled, but inside she was pricked.
Wasn’t my past life a fighter?
For a moment, I thought seriously about whether it was really a bad relationship from my previous life with my younger brother.
Grumble.
The sliding door opened again.
“I’m back, hey. Why did you come here?”
“Look at what you’re saying to your heavenly brother.”
“Even though I drank Seoul water, my mouth smells like shit.”
A woman who rushes forward without saying a single word.
My younger sister, Minjeong, is two years older than me.
My mother frowned when she heard the conversation between me and my younger brother.
“Ugh. When will your siblings grow up?”
“He needs to grow up!”
We point at each other and at the same time
said.
ah.
Upset.
I said the same thing as that guy.
My younger brother muttered, his expression distorted.
“Tsk tsk. I don’t feel good.”
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hey.
Is that what I want to say?
“Jeon Min-jeong. Stop fighting with your brother and hang a rest on the door.”
“yes.”
How long did you wait?
My father brought me freshly fried chicken on a plate.
“Sniff. This is the smell.”
At my house, we make chicken the old-fashioned way, by boiling oil in a cauldron and then frying it.
Smoke billowing up.
The fragrant scent tickles the tip of my nose.
The whole chicken, deep-fried at high temperature, shimmered golden brown under the lights.
“It was just done with new oil.
“It will be delicious.”
“thank you for this food.”
When it comes to chicken, of course it’s legs!
I reached for a plump chicken leg.
The moment you take a bite.
The crispy batter crumbled in my mouth, followed by the juiciness of the well-cooked flesh that satisfied me.
“It’s this taste. You don’t get this taste in Seoul.”
“Of course, Dad’s chicken is the best!”
My younger brother gave a thumbs up.
My father smiles happily.
I stretched out my hand while my brother’s eyes were elsewhere.
slap!
“Hey. Have some manners with your legs?”
My younger brother glared at me with flounder eyes.
Anyway, I’m quick to notice.
“By the way. I brought you some gifts for the two of you.”
“You mean the one you brought earlier?”
My father asked, pretending not to know.
He pretends like nothing is wrong, but secretly looks forward to it.
“Red ginseng set and cosmetics. Open them later.”
“Hmm, I guess working as a hunter makes some money. The kid is all grown up.”
“Honey, she’s all grown up! She’s still a baby.”
As my mother lit the double wick, my father turned his gaze elsewhere.
“Mincheol, I am grateful, but from now on, please come down empty-handed.”
“Ah. It’s just a few things.”
“Then don’t use it because it won’t be long.
“Save all the money you earn for your future.”
My mother’s words were correct.
I simply agreed and said, ‘Yes.’
“Brother. Don’t you have anything of mine?”
“I’ve never had a younger sibling like you.”
“Brother, please don’t do that and give the girl a small gift as well.”
“Wow. I’m getting goosebumps.”
“Hey! Is there really nothing?”
“Ugh. It’s old.”
I pretended not to win and held out the envelope of pocket money I had prepared in advance.
“Thank you, Orabang!”
“Yes. Just know the topic and learn about it on a regular basis.”
“I gave you pocket money, so I’ll just look after you this time.”
Shaking my head.
That enemy guy. He tries his best not to say a single word to me.
“Hmm. I thought it was quiet, but they didn’t turn on the TV.”
My father pressed the TV power button.
There’s news on TV right now.
It was.
-A large gate that appeared in Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do disappeared 18 days after its occurrence. Reporter Kim Jin-ju covered the detailed news.
“Oh my. Honey, is that gate finally closed?”
“That’s right. I saw it when I was crossing Jeonju the other day and it was really big.”
“Phew. I’m glad nothing happened. Gates are scary.”
“Honey. If anything happens, I will protect you.”
;Ho Ho! What are you saying in front of the kids?
yo. this.”
My mother used her strength to push my father.
My father is greatly shaken.
He soon took his stance again without showing it, but I made an effort to pretend not to notice and cut into the chicken.
‘Now that I think about it, it was near my house.’
The location of the gate was near the road leading between Iksan and Jeonju.
It seems like the two of you also witnessed the gate.
‘Closing it quickly was a good thing in the end.
It has become.’
A bet with the Hwarang Guild.
At the time, it was a shame to close the gate so quickly, but seeing my parents’ reaction made me think I did a good job.
I was watching the news while eating chicken.
“Hey. Isn’t that you?”
Push!
A piece of chicken I was eating got stuck in my throat.
My face, which I had submitted as an ID photo, was plastered on the news screen.
‘no. If you’re going to use a photo, hang something that looks human.’
What are you supposed to do if they hang up an ID photo of you with a mop of hair and sleepy eyes?
Next to the photo, there was an interview with Choi Yu-jin, leader of the Hwarang Guild attack team.
-This boss raid was conducted by Hunter Jeon Min-cheol alone. In Hwarang Guild, I was in charge of escorting him so he could focus on boss raids.
-Hunter Jeon Min-cheol, you passed the last hunter exam with top honors, right?
-yes. This operation is an interstellar alliance
It was carried out in collaboration with Lang Guild.
Tuk.
The chicken that was in my brother’s mouth lost its strength and fell into the bowl.
No one pointed it out.
The screen went back to the announcer.
-Hunter Jeon Min-cheol, who played an active role in the unprecedented situation of a large gate. He showed amazing performance following the Hunter Exam, so I’m looking forward to his future. Until now, I have been reporter Kim Jin-joo.
The family’s eyes all turned towards me.
Shock and surprise.
Conflicting emotions were in the eyes.
My mother stared at me for a long time, then spoke in a slightly quiet voice.
“Son. Don’t you think I need some explanation?”
ah.
Sure.
But where and how should I explain it?
I quickly gathered my thoughts as the eyes of my family demanded an explanation.
* * *
I came down to Iksan and rested for about two days.
A proper rest after a long time.
I met friends from my hometown and played, ate, and slept without thinking about anything.
‘It’s been a while since I had a good rest.’
After becoming aware of my past life, I did not rest even for a single day, as if I was being chased by something.
Train your body.
Enter the gate and hunt the monster.
Or, he practiced Seongcheon Jogye Gong.
When I returned to my hometown, more images of my current life came to mind than memories or thoughts from Deimos.
‘I rested enough.’
I gathered my loose mind.
I immediately said hello to my parents.
“I’ll go up now.”
“Hmm. Please contact me often. Your mother is disappointed.”
“Mincheol’s dad! You’re talking nonsense.
Is…”
Pow!
When my mother playfully struck my father once, his body shook violently from side to side.
“Son. Don’t do anything dangerous.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll never do anything dangerous.”
“What about the Palbok-dong gate?”
Ana.
Even my mother criticizes me with facts.
“That won’t happen. Don’t worry.”
I hesitated and held my mother’s hand tightly.
Even as I spoke, my chest felt like it was being stabbed with a needle.
‘sorry. Now we have to take risks.’
To protect my family.
I must become strong to protect what is precious to me.
After taking a break for the first time in a long time, I realized once again what is valuable to me in this life.
It wouldn’t matter if you didn’t know.
This award realizes the importance and value of ‘power’.
I had to become strong enough not to be swayed by anyone.
I also said hello to my younger brother who was lounging around at home.
“I’m going.”
“Go or leave.”
“Next time, there will be no pocket money.”
“The girl will work hard to protect her brother’s empty seat.”
“I see you’re talking nonsense, but you’re fine. I’m gone.”
Just like when I came down, I used the KTX and arrived in Seoul quickly.
-Our train will arrive at Seoul Station, the last station, in a while. Please prepare in advance. today…….
Not long after the announcement was made, the train stopped.
Pusui Lee-
A door opens with a loud sound.
A beautiful woman in a suit was waiting for me outside the door.
“You came on time.”
“Ellie. You’re really not late.”
“Did you see I was late?”
“Not yet.”
“You won’t see anything like that again in the future.”
but.
Ellie never made a mistake.
I really liked her neat way of doing things.
“Are you going straight to the tower?”
“huh.”
“I’ve arranged a vehicle for you. I’ll show you around.”
I took a car prepared by the Interstellar Alliance and went to the tower.
Tower of Trials.
A large structure rising high into the sky.
Among the myths that come down to Earth, it is reminiscent of the Tower of Babel, which was built to reach God.
A door made of marble.
I stood in front of the entrance to the tower.
Ellie, who followed me behind to see me off, looked at me with complicated eyes.
“Take care of the work entrusted to you by Martin.
Please tell me to ask for it.”
” all right.”
Those who challenge the tower stay inside for quite a long time.
Average one month.
Even if it is short, they stay for about a week to two weeks and undergo the ordeal of the tower.
I won’t be seeing Ellie for a while.
The moment you turn to enter the tower.
Ellie, who had been quiet, suddenly opened her mouth.
“Mincheol Hunter. Is there anything else you want to say?”
“Uh, I’m done.”
“Really? There really isn’t any?”
what.
Did I forget something?
I tried my head, but nothing came to mind.
Ellie, who couldn’t see my puzzled expression, screamed in frustration.
“I need to say hello and say I’m back! If I want to come back safely from the tower!”
“Ah. You didn’t say hello.”
Is it that important?
I’ll see you again when I get out of the tower anyway.
I wasn’t too worried about the ordeal in the tower.
Hunters who challenge for the top have an average A rank.
The survival rate is about 70%.
My physical abilities lagged behind those of Class A hunters.
However, there are skills, past life karma, and experience that can overcome the difference.
Ellie seemed to think differently.
‘I never thought I would be worried about someone.’
It felt different from family.
It’s an unfamiliar feeling that I never experienced in my past life.
“Let’s have something to eat when we come out.”
“Bob… this?”
“Uh. Privately, not publicly.”
I waved to Ellie and took a step towards the tower.
