Kyung-seong, who was brought along unexpectedly, took a seat at the restaurant. His mind was still not functioning properly due to the suddenness of it all.
‘Am I really sitting with Predator Kang Hanul?’
Predator Kang Hanul.
A first-generation Awakener and a combat Awakener who had left behind many legendary feats. Although he held the position of Team 2 leader at Ara Hongryeon Guild, it was merely out of consideration for his juniors. In terms of skills and experience, he was already an eminent figure.
He was also consistently ranked within the top 10 Awakeners in South Korea.
“What’s your name, friend?”
“I’m Lee Kyu-seong. Nice to meet you.”
“Oh! Kyu-seong! Good, good. You’re handsome too.”
The hearty Kang Hanul grinned and soon placed an order. Watching him, Choi Young-seong sighed.
“I wish you knew how rude what you’re doing is, Hanul.”
“Ah, that’s true. Sorry for suddenly dragging him here. I’m the type who doesn’t look back when I like someone.”
“It’s not that you like the person; it’s something else you like.”
“Ah, what do you see me as! Of course, I like both. Isn’t that right, friend Kyu-seong?”
“Ha, haha…”
Kyung-seong laughed awkwardly and glanced at Choi Young-seong.
Kyung-seong had never imagined that Choi Young-seong knew Kang Hanul.
“I’m sorry on his behalf. Anyway, did you come here because you had some business? The results aren’t out yet, are they?”
“Ah, I just came to give you this as a thank you for everything up to now.”
Kyung-seong rummaged through his bag, catching Kang Hanul’s eye like prey.
“What’s the gift?”
“This, it’s nothing much but try this.”
It was a carrot and some cherry tomatoes he had previously brought, packaged in an envelope.
The color of the cherry tomatoes was as radiant as the carrots, confirming they were no ordinary items.
“Did you discover these tomatoes?”
“Something like that.”
Just then, Kang Hanul, who had been watching, interjected.
“Are these for Young-seong?”
“Yes? Yes.”
“Hey, Choi Young-seong. Can I try one too?”
“Even if I told you not to, you’d take them anyway, you rascal.”
“Hahaha! That’s Choi Young-seong for you! You know me so well!”
The drinks arrived before the food they ordered.
Lee Kyu-seong, who was not good with alcohol, awkwardly declined.
“I’m not good at drinking alcohol.”
“Oh, is that so? Then you should at least have a soft drink. Boss, one cider here!”
He then poured himself a shot and drank it straight away.
“Ah, good! Now for a tomato as a side dish…”
“Kyung-seong, can I eat this?”
“Of course. I’ve eaten it too. An item window pops up after all.”
“…What?”
Choi Young-seong and Kang Hanul looked at each other blankly.
Then, they both stared intently at the tomato.
“Is it real? Plus, it has toxin resistance?”
“Hahaha! A tomato that’s an item, I’ve never heard of such a thing! If it’s a tomato with toxin resistance, of course it’s something you can eat. Yum!”
Pop!
Kang Hanul immediately popped one into his mouth and chewed. Watching him, Choi Young-seong asked worriedly.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
“Hmm…”
Kang Hanul chewed with a serious expression and then casually reached out for another cherry tomato.
“Are you cheating me?!”
“Uhahahaha!”
Kang Hanul immediately popped another tomato into his mouth. After chewing for a moment, he grabbed Kyu-seong’s arm with a delighted expression.
“Where did these come from? Which dungeon are they in? I’ll go right now, wipe out all the monsters, and bring back the fruits!”
“It’s a trade secret. Haha.”
“How much? I can pay a fortune for food of this quality, whether it’s fruit or vegetable, or whatever this is!”
“Uh!”
Just then, Choi Young-seong also popped a tomato into his mouth and made a surprised face. As a former researcher, he was more interested in analyzing the crop than its taste.
“This must be a crop from a dungeon, right? But how is it possible that it contains magic? There have been attempts to grow crops in dungeons before, but they all failed…”
“Uhahaha! Why worry so much, Choi Young-seong! We just need to enjoy it! Uhaha!”
Even as he spoke, Choi Young-seong slapped Kang Hanul’s hand away from another tomato.
A sullen Kang Hanul watched as Choi Young-seong put the bag of tomatoes far out of reach and asked Kyu-seong.
“Is it really okay to just give these away?”
“It doesn’t really matter.”
“Hmm…”
Choi Young-seong’s serious response made Kyu-seong wonder if he had done something wrong. Unlike Kyu-seong, who didn’t think it was a big deal, Choi Young-seong, as a former researcher, saw it as something that could cause significant ripples in the Awakener industry.
‘It would be too rude to ask where he got them.’
After contemplating, Choi Young-seong stood up.
Then, as Kang Hanul was still savoring the tomato in his mouth, he tilted his head in confusion.
“What’s up, Choi Young-seong? Where are you going?”
“I need to look into this. Sorry to leave suddenly, Kyu-seong. Let’s keep in touch.”
“What? Okay. Take care.”
Even Kyu-seong sensed that something was unusual. However, he could only think of it as just a crop.
“It tastes good and has some strange buffs, but it’s not that impressive yet…”
“Not yet?”
“Well, it’s just level 1, so maybe higher levels taste better and are more impressive.”
“That was just a level 1? Uhahaha! Amazing!”
Kyu-seong rummaged through his bag and took out more tomatoes. Initially intended for his family, he decided to share some with Kang Hanul since he could always give more to his family later.
“Here, have some more.”
“Oh? Really, is that okay?”
“Yes. I have plenty of tomatoes.”
“…Kyu-seong.”
Kang Hanul suddenly called him in a low voice, making Kyu-seong flinch.
“Yes?”
“…I’ll enjoy the meal! Uhahaha! Thanks, thank you!”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Did you have plans, Kyu-seong? I hope I didn’t keep you.”
“Oh, I was supposed to visit my family.”
“Oh! I’ve made a big mistake.”
Kang Hanul pulled out his wallet and handed over a business card.
“Here’s my number. Can I get the friend’s number too?”
“Sure, just a moment.”
As soon as he dialed the number on the business card, Kyu-seong’s number was saved in Kang Hanul’s phone.
“Uhahahaha! Great! Let’s meet again later!”
“What?”
“You’ve got to visit your family! Go on!”
“What about the meal…”
“Ah, don’t worry about it! Let’s have a meal together next time when we’re free! Uhaha!”
Due to Kang Hanul’s presence, attention was gradually focusing on them. It would have been more surprising if people hadn’t recognized such a famous figure.
The reaction of Choi Young-seong and the enthusiastic response of Kang Hanul made Kyu-seong wonder if his crops were more extraordinary than he thought, and he felt somewhat burdened by people’s stares.
“Then, I’ll see you next time. It was nice meeting you.”
“Oh, sure! Let’s meet again!”
As Kyu-seong hurriedly left, Kang Hanul, left alone, rolled a tomato in his hand.
“Heh, he says he has quite a few tomatoes? This must mean…”
Kang Hanul’s beast-like instincts were telling him. This crop wasn’t just from a dungeon; it was related to Lee Kyu-seong’s abilities.
“I must get close to him! I’ll turn us into sworn brothers! Hahaha!”
* * *
Phew, what a day.
Kang Hanul was already well-known, so his personality was no surprise. However, there’s quite a difference between hearing about someone and experiencing their personality firsthand.
‘Is it because I couldn’t sleep? My energy is running low.’
When I arrived home, unlike last time, all the family members were gathered.
“What’s the occasion?”
My sister, Seon-ah, who wasn’t there last time, greeted me with a puzzled look.
“Oh, our son’s home? Why didn’t you say you were coming? Did you eat?”
“Yes, I ate. I just stopped by to give you something.”
I handed over all the carrots and remaining tomatoes from my bag.
“What’s all this?”
“Is Kyu-seong here?”
“Brother?”
As family members came out of the rooms, they examined the crops I had handed over.
“Why are the colors like this? And why are these carrots so big?”
“Where did these come from?”
As everyone was fascinated by the unfamiliar look of the crops, I proudly said,
“I grew these myself. I’m planning to make some money with this.”
“You farmed these, Kyu-seong?”
“Yes. I originally started farming reluctantly due to a quest, but things worked out well, and I was able to harvest these crops. This technique is unique to me; others can’t replicate it.”
“Hmm.”
They nodded, but their expressions seemed to doubt that it was anything significant. So, I confidently suggested,
“Try them and see what you think.”
“Alright, let’s just try one tomato.”
Mother was the first to pop a gem-like cherry tomato into her mouth.
Pop!
And then came the wave of sweet and tangy tomato flavor.
The concentrated taste of the tomato and the enduring sweetness must have been dancing in her mouth by now.
“I want one too.”
Jae-seong, who had been carefully examining the crops, followed Mother’s lead. Being an aspiring chef, he was particularly meticulous about food.
“Uhmm!?”
Jae-seong looked at me in shock.
Mother looked utterly spellbound.
“Let me try one too!”
The youngest, Seon-ah, quickly popped a tomato into her mouth, and Father also silently ate one.
“What is this!”
The lively Seon-ah was the first to react.
She spat out a word and then reached for another tomato.
“Is, is this really a tomato? This can’t be real.”
Jae-seong’s hands were trembling.
Hey, you okay?
“Brother!”
“Uh, yes?”
“How many more can you make? Or can you only make tomatoes and carrots?”
“No, well… I’ve just succeeded, so currently I only have these two, but I’m slowly increasing them.”
Jae-seong looked at the tomato with a serious expression. He then took one tomato and went to the kitchen, where he cooked alone.
“It’s delicious.”
“Right? I can’t do it every day, but I’ll bring what I harvest once a week.”
“That’s good.”
Everyone liked it, which made me happy. I had suspected it, but feeling acknowledged made it even better.
“Brother!”
“Why do you keep calling me?”
“Do you have cabbage, lettuce, potatoes, or asparagus?”
“No, I’ve planted potatoes, but not the others.”
“Hmm…”
“What’s up?”
“It’s nothing, just thinking some more.”
What’s there to think about? Is he thinking of cooking with my crops…
“Huh?”
That’s not a bad idea, right?
Of course, opening a restaurant involves a lot of effort, and it’s not something Jae-seong could decide hastily. So, I decided to wait for Jae-seong to ponder his decision.
‘I’m not even sure what will happen myself.’
If the crops continue to grow well, there shouldn’t be any issues, but one must always consider the future.
Moreover, the most crucial element, money, was missing.
And if money was gathered, there were other priorities to handle before thinking about a restaurant.
‘I need to buy a dungeon.’
The slime dungeon where I’m staying.
The current dungeon owner still didn’t know about the underground space.
So, it would be best to buy it at the current price as soon as possible. Of course, it’s not certain if the owner will sell.
There’s nothing that can’t be solved with money! If it doesn’t work, it’s just because there isn’t enough money!
“I’m going to head inside!”
“Already leaving?”
“I have work to do. I don’t have time to rest now.”
“Just make sure not to overdo it. Health comes first. It’s all pointless if you get sick.”
“Brother! Bring more next time! This was too little!”
With my family’s farewell, I returned to the dungeon. The day seemed long but passed quickly.
“I’m back!”
Squirm!
The slime on the surface greeted me.
The rest must be underground.
But what’s that…
“Is that a Layla fruit?”
Squirm!
Finally, the Layla was also bearing fruit.
Cliche Novel 