Round 3

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After descending from Obongsan Mountain, I rode the bus and then took the subway to my destination, all the while keeping my eyes wide open, vigilant that the bag containing the potion would not be stolen or suffer any impact.

Seoul, Yongsan.

Once famous for its electronics market, it had now transformed into a marketplace for awakened ones, resembling a general store of sorts.

Here, items from dungeons were sold wholesale, and direct transactions among the awakened ones occurred frequently.

Above all, with the artisans who had awakened their abilities starting to do business here, Yongsan had become the mecca for awakened individuals in our country.

‘I thought I would have set up a shop here too once…’

Considering my ability was in item creation, it was a natural thought.

However, unlike other creators, I could only synthesize liquids, and furthermore, the cooldown was so long that mass production was impossible. I had realized long ago that opening a shop was out of the question.

Ding-a-ling!

“Welcome! Oh? Is that Kyu-seong?”

As I opened the door, Young-seong hyung, the owner of the store, greeted me warmly.

This store had been a regular spot for me ever since I first became an awakened one, and after getting to know each other a bit, he had become a supporter who would buy my potions at a reasonable price.

“Hyung (Brother), how have you been?”

“Not bad, what about you? It’s only been a week this time?”

“Yes. And I have quite a lot this time.”

“Hmm? What’s the matter all of a sudden? Need some cash?”

Young-seong hyung, who was about 15 years older than me, always treated me like a beloved nephew.

Instead of answering, I took out all the potions from my bag and laid them out on the counter.

Eighteen in total.

They were half of the stock I had painstakingly accumulated.

Considering I had used my ability every single day for over three years, it wasn’t much, but unavoidable due to basic expenses.

“Kyu-seong, tell hyung. What’s going on?”

“Nothing much. Just thought I might run a dungeon.”

“Suddenly?”

“It’s because of a quest, you know.”

The third quest, which had been stuck for three years.

However, I hadn’t told anyone about this.

It wasn’t something to be proud of, and there was no need to bring it up for sympathy or potential disdain.

If speaking out could have solved the quest, I would have done so without a second thought about pride. But otherwise, there was no need to mention it.

Young-seong hyung might guess what my ability was about, but he didn’t know I was still stuck on the third quest.

Now, I thought maybe I could resolve it, which is why I had come to sell the stock.

“Going to be in the dungeon for a while?”

“Yes. It could be days, maybe even months.”

“Tsk. You’ve got it tough. If you need help, just tell hyung. I have quite a network, you know.”

Even though his shop was small, Young-seong hyung’s statement wasn’t just for show.

Although I didn’t need help immediately, I was grateful and bowed my head.

“Thank you, hyung. I’ll definitely take advantage of ‘hyung’s chance’ if it’s urgent.”

“Sure. Don’t hesitate to ask anytime.”

Hyung neatly arranged my potions and then went into the back room for a moment.

After a brief wait, he came out with a thick envelope.

“Here’s some money. I put in a bit extra, so don’t misunderstand and make sure you take it.”

“Hyung, you really don’t have to do this.”

“Shh, boy. We’ve known each other for three years now. Think of it as pocket money from hyung. It’s not much compared to what I’ve earned thanks to your potions.”

There was no reason to refuse the gift.

However, perhaps it was because I had been staying in dungeons and not meeting people lately, or maybe it was due to the hardships I had endured and the events of the previous day.

Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming surge of emotion.

“……Thank you.”

“Sure. You look thinner every time I see you; make sure to eat well. It would be a shame to waste such a handsome face, kid.”

As I expressed my gratitude, not wanting to show my choked-up emotions, I was about to leave the store when.

“Hey, Kyu-seong!”

“Yes?”

“Take this, too.”

Young-seong hyung suddenly appeared and thrust something into my hand. Looking down, I saw a box wrapped in cloth.

The cloth was boldly marked with the words ‘Hoengseong Hanwoo’.

“Go and grill some at home.”

“No, hyung…”

“I had some leftover. You’re not going straight home now, are you? Since you’re out after a long time, you should see your family before you go back. Take it and eat it together.”

“I’ll enjoy it, hyung.”

I did not refuse and bowed my head once more as I left the store.

The pocket of my chest holding the envelope of money and my hand carrying the meat felt especially heavy.

“This won’t be enough.”

I looked at the meat Young-seong hyung had prepared for me, smiled bitterly, and headed back to Yangju, where my family was.

* * *

“It’s been a while.”

Not far from the dungeon where I had been staying.

It seemed like almost a month since I last visited.

I could have visited more often since it was close, but I didn’t. How could I face my family when I had been stagnating for three years?

I hadn’t done anything wrong, but I still felt reluctant.

Beep! Beep-beep-beep!

Ding-dong-

“I’m here.”

As I opened the front door and entered, my mother, who had heard my voice, got up from the sofa where she was watching TV.

“Oh my, why didn’t you call before coming?”

“I’ll be heading back soon. Where’s Dad?”

“He should be back any minute now. I thought it was your dad at the door, oh, by the way, have you eaten?”

“I actually brought some meat. Are the kids out too?”

“Jae-seong will be back soon. Seon-ah went to a university MT yesterday. She’ll probably be back tomorrow.”

“Ah, she went to an MT. I envy college students.”

After dropping off my bag, I glanced around the house.

Nothing had changed at home.

It looked like an ordinary home, but I knew the family’s financial situation wasn’t great.

And I had contributed to that situation.

“How have things been lately? Are you doing well?”

“So-so.”

I replied vaguely and pulled an envelope from my pocket.

Since I had already set aside my living expenses, I handed the envelope directly to my mother.

“Mom, here. Add this to the household expenses.”

“My child, what’s all this money suddenly? That’s okay. You keep it and use it.”

The reason I could become an awakened one.

That was possible through the enormous support of my parents.

There were two ways to become an awakened one: one was natural awakening and the other was forced awakening.

‘It must have been in the hundreds of millions.’

Honestly, I don’t know the exact amount.

At that time, my father was running a business, so money was not a big issue.

But life is unpredictable.

My father’s once thriving business suddenly started to falter, and it was awkward to give up on becoming an Awakener after already having invested so much money into it. 

Faced with a difficult choice, my father ultimately chose to support me. 

‘And so I became an Awakener, only to have the ability of ‘liquid synthesis.”

He never showed it outwardly, but I’m sure my father must have been the most disappointed when he heard about my ability.

“It’s not much. But since I’m an Awakener, I’m making some money, so consider this pocket money.”

“You should invest that money in your abilities to earn more. Keep it.”

“Mom.”

“Child, I said it’s okay. Keep it and use it for yourself.”

Beep! Beep-beep-beep!

Ding-dong-

Just then, my father returned.

My younger brother Jae-seong was with him.

“Uh? Brother?”

“Kyu-seong is here.”

Jaeseong, the second child, had been working in a small restaurant since last year. Having graduated from a vocational college, he matured much earlier than either me or our youngest sister, Seon-ah, perhaps because he was sandwiched between us.

I felt a bit guilty; if it weren’t for me, he might have been able to study at a culinary school in France and become a successful chef by now.

“You’re here, Dad. Long time no see, Jae-seong.”

“What have you been doing? And what’s that?”

“I brought some money for living expenses. Dad, please take it.”

As I tried to give the envelope to my father, my mother quickly took it.

“No, he said he’s giving it to me.”

“It was supposed to be given to me originally.”

Watching my parents playfully bicker, I also gave some pocket money to Jae-seong. It was only 100,000 won, but carrying a debt of gratitude, I wanted to give him something.

“What’s this money? Keep it, brother.”

“How can you talk exactly like Mom without missing a beat? Should I just give it to Seon-ah then?”

“No, then I’ll take it.”

After some lively discussion, we had dinner together.

I couldn’t really join in the conversation, just awkwardly smiling and listening.

Maybe it was because I’d been living in dungeons for so long.

I didn’t even know what was trendy in the outside world these days, nor was I up to date with the latest news or gossip.

“When are you going back?”

While grilling the meat, I shrugged my shoulders at my father’s question.

“I have to go back right after we eat.”

“Why not take a few days off?”

“Ah, what’s the point of me taking a break? Even if I do, there’s nothing for me to do.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard.”

“……”

My father said it nonchalantly, but why did the past three years flash before my eyes?

I had not taken a single day off.

People might think I’m just slacking off since I haven’t completed the quest or made any progress, but that wasn’t the case.

I realized more each day that I wasn’t moving forward, and even in moments of inactivity, I discovered that rest was not permitted for me.

“Here, Mom will grill the meat, so wrap this up and try it. Ahh.”

“Ah, um.”

Even as I chewed the wrap my mother made, I couldn’t really taste it.

Thoughts of whether coming home was a mistake or indeed the right decision intertwined complexly.

“I enjoyed the meal.”

“We enjoyed having you. Come home more often. Isn’t it hard for us to even see our son’s face?”

My mother smiled warmly at me.

Rejecting my family’s requests to stay the night and returning to the dungeon, I felt strange.

“I’ve become sentimentally emotional for no reason.”

Would I have felt this way if I hadn’t undergone a dual awakening? I don’t think so. They say the most dangerous moment for a person stranded at sea is when land first comes into view. The sight of hope and the deceptive sense of proximity can make them jump into the sea in desperation, unable to endure even that short period.

‘I think I understand that feeling a bit.’

It’s still too early to rejoice or cry. Emotions should only be released when true success is achieved, not in ambiguous situations where it’s premature to let down your guard. Lost in these thoughts, I soon arrived at the dungeon, where the familiar scenery unfolded before me.

At the same time, Mark Two and Slime One greeted me as if they had been waiting.

Gurgle—

Gloop! Gloop!

“Did you have a good day today? Have you been working hard?”

Gurgle!

Huh? I thought the scene was familiar, but something fresh caught my eye. I first thought I was seeing things because of the slime, but upon closer inspection, there really was something fresh…

“A sprout?”

I calmed my startled heart and ran straight to the garden, feeling the slimes eagerly following behind me.

“It’s not a weed, is it?”

It wasn’t clear, but weeds usually don’t grow with such dicotyledonous leaves. No, to anyone’s eyes, this was clearly not a weed.

“Unbelievable…”

Was it because of the slime?

But could it really grow this much in just one day?

Or perhaps it was always meant to grow, and the timing just coincidentally matched with the presence of the slime?

“Wow!”

Whatever the case, the important fact was that a sprout had finally emerged. I hadn’t managed to sprout anything in the last three years, and this was the first sign of success I had cultivated.

Gloop!

As I marveled at this, Mark Two gurgled proudly beside me, as if asking for praise.

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