Chapter 187: Chapter 187
Pouring rain
Dirt mixed with blood.
The traces of human and devil bodies.
In a place resembling Hell, the devils all over the world looked toward the same direction and began running that way.
The devils, who were so determined to take over the world, disappeared through cracks in space in the blink of an eye.
People who were prepared to be killed by devils were confused, but once they realized they were alive, they were either relieved or fainted.
***
The Demon King, Veld, was furious.
That was because the dumb devils were spreading ashes over finished rice.
The Rank 1 Devil God, Zeke, had the power to make commands to the rest of the devils.
But Veld never imagined he would summon all of the devils to their Black Towers.
Veld communicated with the Devil Gods through his trill.
What do you think you're doing? Why are you summoning the devils back to the Black Towers?
"…"
He demanded an answer through the trill, but the Devil Gods didn't respond.
Veld was angered by this.
Tell the devils to attack the humans!
The Demon King was able to control the Devil Gods, but the ones who could control the devils below them were the Devil Gods.
And since Devil Gods were different devils, they didn't simply react instinctively to commands without thinking.
"We've been preparing for decades. How could you…!"
Veld was conflicted as he looked into his glass ball.
He wondered if he should go to where the Devil Gods and Black Slaughterer were and convince them, or if he should just plan for the future.
He made his decision quickly.
The reason why he didn't move with the Devil Gods was for his own safety.
After all, if the Demon King died, the Demonic Realm would come to an end.
Veld looked into his glass ball and then smashed it into pieces with his fist.
***
"As you can see, the Devil Gods are returning to the Black Towers. We will stop this war, so please send us back," the Rank 1 Devil God, Zeke, pleaded.
Min Sung allowed the rain to hit him as he looked around.
As a result of their short battle, their surroundings were in ruins.
He didn't have to look at the rest of the world to know what happened everywhere else.
"You sure are shameless for someone who came here and caused this commotion," Min Sung said in a low and sharp voice.
Just the sound of his voice made the Devil Gods shiver, and what he said made them feel burdened.
"But if you try to kill us, we'll have no choice but to summon the devils again. I doubt you want that."
Min Sung, who was taking a look around, glared at the Devil God, Zeke and laughed.
"That's true, but it's usually just one of you who have the military authority."
Their system in the Demonic Realm was as detailed and precise as their greed, and that worked to his advantage this time.
"… Gasp?!"
When Zeke jolted his eyes wide open, the Durandal had already left Min Sung's hands.
Min Sung's Durandal went through Zeke's neck at a lightning-fast speed.
Since he had his guard down during the negotiation, he failed to block Min Sung's sudden attack.
Zeke disappeared into thin air without even the chance to transform back into his real form.
The remaining Devil Gods looked at Min Sung in fear, and they were unable to move their bodies.
"If you had eliminated me, you would've been able to take over the human world with your devils again, but you're still just as greedy as I remember."
Despite the fact that Min Sung had just used his sword skill to kill Rank 1 Zeke, he still had enough energy to face off against the other Devil Gods.
And since their most powerful Devil God had died, they were already much weaker than before.
The Devil Gods surrendered to their anxiousness.
"We've given up on the war! We surrender!"
"Put down your sword."
"We promise. We won't…"
"We won't…!"
The Devil Gods surrendered from all four directions.
Seeing them being so noisy on their own made Min Sung see them as cute, and that tempted
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him to tease them further, but whatever the case, they had come from the dreadful Demonic Realm, and that reality got in the way of Min Sung's attachment.
He had to kill them as soon as possible.
Min Sung's Durandal refused to accept their pleads for a negotiation.
Kaboom!
The sound of thunder and lightning reverberated throughout the place.
The Devil Gods began to shed blood as they transformed into their original form.
"This coward…"
"We surrendered…!"
Despite the fact that they were from the Demonic Realm, the Devil Gods reacted in a way that reminded him of human emotions.
This amused Min Sung, while also being unpleasant and worrying.
Min Sung's Durandal trembled with magic power while making noises resembling that of a savage beast.
"Let's get going, so I can eat."
Min Sung glared at the Devil Gods with no forgiveness.
It was impossible for the Devil Gods to run away from Min Sung.
The Devil Gods had never faced off against Min Sung when he was fully hydrated and fed.
Before this, they had always fought Min Sung when he was deprived of sleep and nutrients.
So now that Min Sung was in his best condition, the Devil Gods fully realized that Black Slaughterer was their biggest natural enemy.
Min Sung began a full round of annihilation as if he was a wasp killing little bees.
The Devil Gods, who transformed back into their original form, did their best to attack, but Min Sung easily dodged every attack and disabled all of their magic.
He then went on to apply fatal damage upon the Devil Gods.
Min Sung was unshaken as he maintained his leisure and stability.
The Devil Gods' attacks weren't a threat while Min Sung was full of energy.
Every time Min Sung's Durandal struck the Devil Gods, they trembled and screamed in pain.
Most importantly, Min Sung knew the Devil Gods' habits, which meant he knew exactly what move they would dish out next.
Since he was in his optimal condition and even had information on them, it was a fight he wouldn't lose.
In addition, Min Sung also used all sorts of techniques from the Samchunkyo books, making it easier for him to freely utilize his magic.
Min Sung effortlessly teased the Devil Gods, who almost turned the human world into Hell after putting everyone in fear.
The Devil Gods were so weak against Min Sung that it almost looked pathetic.
If someone from the skies saw this, they would pity them wondering how they could be called Devil Gods.
Grumble…
He sensed another signal from his belly.
Min Sung glared down at the Devil Gods and clenched tightly onto his Durandal.
"Get out of my world."
Min Sung's Durandal gave off magic power that radiated brightly.
Min Sung's magic power was targeted toward the Devil Gods that were still left.
That magic power swallowed the Devil Gods whole.
The Devil Gods, who had enough power to destroy the human world, got ripped up and disappeared due to Min Sung's sword.
***
When the top-ranking Devil Gods were annihilated by the Black Slaughterer, the remaining Devil Gods became uneasy.
They stopped in their tracks and became conflicted in the chaos.
The Demon King, Veld, tried to give military authority to one of the Devil Gods, but none of them wanted to accept it.
The human world was currently too dangerous because the Black Slaughterer was there, and the Devil Gods sensed it.
They might have been able to use the devils to take over half of this world, but if they were to do that, the proabblity that they would be killed by Black Slaughterer was too high.
Take the military authority and take over the human world!
Veld screamed at the Devil Gods, but…
"What's the good in that? We'll end up getting killed by the Black Slaughterer in the meantime."
"We weren't ready. We must go back to the Demonic Realm."
"The Black Slaughterer is too powerful…"
"If we're too greedy, we could lose everything."
"We must step back."
"We should prepare again…"
The greedy Devil Gods advised to Veld that they should go back to the Demonic Realm.
The Demon King, Veld, was so furious that he shouted in rage with a flushed face.
***
The towers began disappearing all over the world.
That meant that Veld and the Devil Gods were returning to the Demonic Realm.
As soon as the Black Towers began to disappear, the scared humans began to poke their heads out again.
Thanks to Min Sung Kang, the dark world found the light again.
The first ones to act were the reporters who were still alive.
They were the first ones to spread the word that Min Sung kicked the devils out.
Shortly afterward, people began to return to their original places.
They were still anxious, but a part of them also held strong feelings regarding Min Sung.
Min Sung was the only one who saved the world from the Demonic Realm, and everybody knew that.
To everybody in the world, Min Sung was now a myth and a guardian.
The media continuously published articles about Min Sung's power, and as a result, the people learned just how important he was.
Min Sung, who kicked out the devils, Devil Gods, and the Black Towers, was now labeled as a God in everybody's minds.
***
As soon as all of the Black Towers disappeared, people found stability once more, but it wasn't over just yet.
When they were happy that the dungeons were gone, the Black Tower appeared.
They couldn't be certain that the world was safe for good just because the Black Towers were gone.
As a result, they were even more anxious than before.
Although the citizens still trembled in anxiousness, they still had hope thanks to Min Sung's existence
He was the reason they could smile again.
Chapter 188: Chapter 188
***
Major construction began.
As a result of the devils' invasion, many regions were destroyed, which meant they had to be restored.
The entire world focused on restoring the places that the devils destroyed while Min Sung returned home and looked for his personal chef, Woong Jang.
Since the roads were in bad shape as well, it was most comfortable to just eat Woong Jang's cooking at home.
"I'll prepare it for you right away," Woong Jang said with a smile.
When Min Sung entered the living room after he showered, Ho Sung Lee and Bowl opened the front door together.
"Master!"
Bowl shouted in a cute voice and ran over to Min Sung and stuck onto him tightly.
On the other hand, Ho Sung Lee looked dazed.
"What's wrong?"
Min Sung asked Ho Sung Lee.
"I thought I died, but when I got up, the devils, Devil Gods, and the Black Towers were all gone," Ho Sung Lee said with a blank look on his face.
He looked quite shocked.
"By the way, how did you eat those human-looking devils anyway? I tried to eat them, but their skin was too hard for my teeth to pass through."
Just thinking about it made Ho Sung Lee tremble again.
"Really? I've never eaten devils either, so I didn't think that far."
"Pardon…? You haven't?"
As soon as Min Sung lifted his hand, a strong force filled the air around them before fading out.
"I can absorb vitality and nutrients through absorption. I've eaten monsters before, but I've never had to eat devils."
Ho Sung Lee's face twitched.
"Then why did you tell me to eat those human-looking devils?"
"Well, you didn't."
"That's because my teeth wouldn't go through…"
"You should have at least sucked their blood or something."
Min Sung looked at him as if he was pathetic.
"You're still weak, I see, both your mind and body."
Ho Sung Lee looked down without a word.
Min Sung went into his bedroom with Bowl hanging onto him in order to change his clothes.
***
Woong Jang's granddaughter, Sia Jang, came down the stairs from the 2nd floor when she spotted Ho Sung Lee looking sad and serious.
Meanwhile, Woong Jang simply stared at Ho Sung Lee as he laid on the ground with many thoughts.
It was silent.
A moment later, Ho Sung Lee sat on the ground with his back leaning against the wall and smirked.
When Woong Jang saw this, he kneeled down beside him and patted Ho Sung Lee on the back.
"Don't be so upset. He cherishes you. That's why he's trying to make you stronger."
Ho Sung Lee sighed while looking into space and then let out a smirk.
"Yes, I know, and he was right."
Woong Jang smiled and tapped Ho Sung Lee's shoulder again.
Ho Sung Lee scratched his head.
"But… It's really hard to live up to his expectations. Of course, it's my fault for being weak."
Woong Jang wiggled his nose and leaned on Ho Sung Lee's shoulder to get up.
Ho Sung Lee then watched on as Woong Jang proceeded to prepare food for Min Sung.
He heard footsteps.
When he looked beside him, there was Sia Jang.
Once she realized Ho Sung Lee was staring at her bare legs underneath her short shorts, she kicked Ho Sung Lee on the butt.
"What are you looking at, pervert?"
Ho Sung Lee rubbed his butt with a smile.
Sia Jang gave him something.
"… Hm?"
Ho Sung Lee looked at it with surprise.
"What's this?"
"A chocolate bar."
Ho Sung Lee smirked and accepted Sia Jang's chocolate bar.
"Why are you giving this to me?"
"Because I'm thankful," Sia Jang said shyly.
"For what?"
"You protected us."
In response, Ho Sung Lee showed a blank expression and then a sad one.
"… I didn't do anything. It was all Min Sung," Ho Sung Lee said without much confidence.
Sia Jang glared at Ho Sung Lee.
"Are you stupid?"
"…?"
"You risked your life to fight."
"…"
"That's why I'm thankful to you," Sia Jang said as she looked into the distance with her arms crossed.
After much thought, Ho Sung Lee laughed.
"Really…?"
"Yeah," Sia Jang responded sharply.
"I'm going to go out for a walk. It's safe now, right?"
Sia Jang asked Ho Sung Lee.
Ho Sung Lee sighed and then nodded.
"Yeah, but don't go too far. Just in case."
"Ugh, you sound like an old man. Anyway, don't be
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so down, pervert!"
Sia Jang flashed him a smile and then walked out of the house.
Ho Sung Lee watched until he couldn't see her anymore.
He let out a laugh and looked to his side when he flinched as if he saw a ghost.
"Gasp…?!"
That was because Min Sung was standing there like a ghost after getting changed.
Ho Sung Lee dropped his jaw and grabbed onto his beating chest.
"S-Sir…! When did you get here?"
"What are you doing here laying around? Go get ready to eat," Min Sung said in annoyance before plopping down on the couch.
"Yes, Sir!"
Ho Sung Lee sprung up and ran over to the living room before returning to Min Sung.
"Um, Sir…"
Ho Sung Lee cautiously called.
"What?"
Min Sung answered while flicking through the TV channels.
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"What you said earlier. It's all my fault."
"Humans don't change easily. No need to be sorry. You're just not good enough, that's all."
Ho Sung Lee felt hurt because that meant he didn't have any expectations for him.
In response to Min Sung's hurtful words, Ho Sung Lee kept quiet and bowed when Sia Jang's words came to mind.
'You risked your life to fight. That's why I'm thankful to you.'
'Anyway, don't be so down, pervert!'
The sound of her voice rang through his head.
He couldn't let himself be down because of Min Sung's cold words.
He couldn't think of the reason, but his body just told him not to be so discouraged.
"Sir."
"…"
"I won't disappoint you next time."
Min Sung scoffed while watching TV.
"Yeah right."
Ho Sung Lee clenched down on his teeth and bowed down to Min Sung.
He then headed into the kitchen to prepare for their meal.
"Where should I set the table?"
Ho Sung Lee asked Min Sung from the living room.
"The yard."
"Yes, Sir."
Ho Sung Lee quickly asked Woong Jang what he could help with. Woong Jang told him to set the table, so Ho Sung Lee headed to the yard in order to set up the table.
When Ho Sung Lee got to the yard in order to set up the table in the garden, Ho Sung Lee blankly stared in one direction.
"What the hell is that…?"
Ho Sung Lee mumbled to himself with a dazed look on his face.
The golden goblin, Ssol, was running around a tree that seemed to be hundreds of years old.
Ho Sung Lee stared at the tree with his jaw dropped.
The tree was too large for anyone to have planted recently.
The tree was so tall he had to bend his head back, and the tree trunk was so wide that not even 5 adult humans could wrap around it.
Ho Sung Lee blankly stared at the tree before calling Ssol with his finger.
"Hey, Ssol. What's this?"
In response, Ssol rubbed his cheek on the tree and laughed.
"It grew here," Ssol replied.
Ho Sung Lee's eyes looked like they were going to pop out as he approached Ssol.
"What?! It grew here?"
Ssol didn't answer and hung on the tree like a baby koala.
Ho Sung Lee immediately opened the terrace doors and reported it to Min Sung.
"Sir, you need to see this. Ssol said something grew in the yard," Ho Sung Lee said urgently.
Min Sung walked out to the yard through the terrace although he felt bothered.
Even Bowl stared up at the tree in fascination.
Min Sung went up to the tree and put his hands on it.
There was no particular energy coming from the tree.
It was just an ordinary tree.
Nothing more, nothing less.
"What kind of tree grows this fast?"
Min Sung asked as he looked up.
"Exactly," Ho Sung Lee replied.
"But it's refreshing to see. I'm hungry. Prepare the food."
"Oh, sure."
HO Sung Lee ran off to get the table, but he still couldn't' look away from the huge tree.
***
"Chef Jang, have you seen the huge tree?"
"Yeah. It was scary because it grew so fast, but I don't think there's a problem. Oof!"
Woong Jang continued as he put down the main dish on the table, "Not yet, at least."
Woong Jang smiled.
"Don't you think it could be a symbol for something similar to a new dungeon or tower?"
Ho Sung Lee asked.
"Don't make so much noise while I eat. I need to focus."
"… I'm sorry."
Ho Sung Lee quietly sat down.
Sia Jang, who just came back from her walk, sat down in order to eat.
"Did you see that huge tree?"
Ho Sung Lee whispered to Sia Jang.
"Yeah. Why?"
"Isn't it weird?"
"I thought it was cool, but we're living with Min Sung, right? So whatever."
Sia Jang pointed at Min Sung and then rubbed her belly out of hunger.
"Ugh… I'm hungry after that walk," Sia Jang said as she put her head down on the table.
Under the shade provided by the mysteriously large tree, Woong Jang's main dish revealed itself and filled the garden with a delicious scent.
The amazing smell made Sia Jang scream, and Min Sung picked up his spoon while Bowl and Ssol glanced over with curiosity.
It was only Ho Sung Lee who still had his eyes set on the mysterious tree in the garden rather than the food on the table.
Chapter 189: Chapter 189
***
A large pot was placed on top of a circular table.
When he opened the lid, hot steam came out inside of it, and the food that was inside revealed itself.
Woong Jang's dish was spicy seafood stew.
The seafood stew sparkled in Min Sung's eyes.
The large pot was full of all sorts of seafood.
For most foods, it didn't seem so desirable after a long period of time, but to Min Sung, spicy seafood stew wasn't like that.
Min Sung craved spicy seafood stew so much while catching Devil Gods that he thought of it every second while killing the devils, Devil Gods, and taking down the Black Tower.
That was how much he craved spicy seafood stew.
His hands shook.
"We have tons, so help yourself," Woong Jang said with a warm smile.
And that was exactly what he was going to do.
"Thank you."
Min Sung paid his respects to his personal chef and took a bite of the white rice.
With the white rice still inside his mouth, he ate a spoonful of the broth.
The broth containing crab meat was so delicious that it made his intestines shiver.
What made the scent that much more delicious was the Jejudo shrimp inside it.
Rather than all of the other seafood, Min Sung was particularly surprised by the shrimp inside the broth.
The addition of shrimp made the flavors that much stronger.
Adding shrimp naturally intensified the broth's scent and the depth of the flavors as he swallowed the spicy seafood; that made the stew sensational.
Min Sung opened up an abalone and ate it with the rice.
Om nom…!
Eating the abalone along with the white rice made him feel like he was in Heaven.
He ate a pink piece of octopus and chewed on a big chunk of crab meat.
As soon as the crab meat crunched in between his teeth, the flavors were too good to be true.
Gulp, gulp-!
His throat welcomed every single bite.
"Wow… This broth is delicious."
Ho Sung Lee also gave Woong Jang a thumbs up for the delicious food.
Woong Jang responded to Ho Sung Lee's praise with a wink.
"My grandpa's such a good cook."
Everyone laughed and chatted, but Min Sung couldn't hear any of that.
Min Sung's mind was completely focused on the food.
Every time he got a taste of the broth, the hot temperature exploded inside his mouth.
He frowned out of pleasure.
It was so good that Min Sung almost lost his mind, and he ended up emptying his rice bowl and sprinted right through the climax of the meal of spicy seafood soup.
***
After his amazing meal, Min Sung sat on the bench in the garden and enjoyed leisurely while drinking his iced Americano.
He hadn't been so relaxed in a long time.
Min Sung closed his eyes. He let the wind hit his face and smelled the scent of the garden as he chugged down his Americano through a straw.
Just as he slowly opened his eyes as he enjoyed the scent of the coffee…
'… What's this?'
… Min Sung looked at the large tree in the yard with both caution and curiosity.
Around the tree were purple lights resembling that of fireflies.
As soon as those lights appeared, the tree began to move as if it was alive.
Wriggle, wriggle-!
The tree moved back and forth while the leaves fell to the ground.
Min Sung continued to watch the tree in shock.
The mysterious tree wriggled around as if it had muscles, and then it grew at an incredible speed.
Min Sung continued to watch with his chin propped up with his hand.
Crack!
He could hear the roots of the tree extending, and the tree became so tall that it was above the roof of the house.
As soon as the purple lights disappeared, the tree remained silent as if nothing had happened.
Min Sung looked at the tree with knitted brows.
"A tree that grows a lot quicker. The Demonic Realm… Devils, Devil Gods, Black Tower…"
Min Sung mumbled with his eyes fixed on the tree, but the look in Min Sung's eyes looked as calm as usual.
He didn't know what was going to happen.
Min Sung sighed. He finished his iced Americano and then laid on
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the bench.
He bathed in the sun shining through the tree leaves, making him want to take a nap.
Min Sung then fell into a nice afternoon nap on the bench like a little baby.
***
The Devil Gods and Demon King Veld trembled with rage as soon as they returned to the Demonic Realm.
If it wasn't for the Black Slaughterer, they would have accomplished their goal.
Veld grabbed his head with both hands and groaned loudly.
"You stupid bastards…!"
Veld was grieving the fact that the Devil Gods failed to follow his orders as they were supposed to.
This was their only chance.
Getting a military together and attacking the human world could be put off until later.
However, there was a reason why they had to attack the human world right now, and the reason why they couldn't reveal that reason was so that they could monopolize on holding authority over the human world.
"Damn it…"
Veld's head felt like it was going to explode.
He grabbed his head. He fell on the ground and clenched down on his teeth.
He couldn't give up just yet.
If he lost this opportunity, his own ambition, as well as his position in the Demonic Realm, were going to be flushed down the toilet.
Veld was conflicted.
Did he have to take a risk so that he could monopolize on the authority all on his own, or was it better to tell the truth, get a military together, and come up with a plan?
Veld stood on the crossroads between those two choices, unable to make a decision.
Time continued to pass, and Veld thought some more in a cold-hearted and calm manner.
And once he made his decision, his eyes sparkled.
There was no answer if he went against the Black Slaughterer.
In that case, there was only one way.
Veld's eyes shined with greed regarding his far future.
***
Ssol, who was distracted because of the tree in Min Sung's yard, suddenly remembered the promise he made to Ho Sung Lee.
As soon as it came to mind, a gold exclamation mark popped up on top of Ssol's head.
Ssol immediately ran into the house as if he was possessed and looked for Ho Sung Lee.
When Ssol found Ho Sung Lee doing dishes in the kitchen, he punched him in the butt.
Ho Sung Lee looked back from doing the dishes with a curious look on his face.
"Hey, Ssol. What is it?"
"Produce 101. Blind date," Ssol said shortly.
In response, Ho Sung Lee dropped the plate he was holding.
As a result, the sound of plates breaking inside the sink could be heard.
Ssol looked at Ho Sung Lee and tilted his head.
Ho Sung Lee began dripping in sweat with an awkward look on his face.
"What's wrong?" Ssol asked Ho Sung Lee.
"O-o-oh yeah. Blind date. I agreed to do that for you, didn't I?"
Ho Sung Lee was paralyzed, unable to move, and he stumbled while dripping in sweat.
"When are you going to do that for me?"
Ssol asked with sparkling eyes.
Ho Sung Lee remembered making that promise to Ssol just to get him to join them, which made his head go blank.
"It'll take some time, but I'll do it for you, so don't worry."
Ssol flashed a smile and swung his arms in the air. He ran back to the backyard at lightning speed.
Ho Sung Lee remained standing in front of the sink with a blank look on his face. He closed his eyes shut and let out a sigh.
"Where do I get 101 goblins from…?"
Ho Sung Lee looked at Ssol, who was playing around the trees in the backyard and sighed deeply.
***
Ho Sung Lee also became famous around the world as a hero who saved mankind.
Ho Sung Lee went to find Shadow Guild, the best intelligence agency in the world, but when he arrived, he saw the building surrounded by reporters.
Every time he moved or even breathed, the cameras flashed.
And every time that happened, Ho Sung Lee felt sick.
You're weak.
Both your mind and body.
People don't change.
Every time the flashes went off, he felt like he was being stabbed by Min Sung's words.
'Damn it.'
He didn't like that the reporters and citizens were calling him a hero, and he was in no place to feel superior because of that title.
He was nothing but Min Sung's pawn, after all.
When would he be able to meet Min Sung Kang's expectations?
He couldn't think of a way, making him sigh over and over again.
With that thought in mind, Ho Sung Lee headed to the lobby desk and fill out an application.
When the female employee handed him the application, he was also told that he could proceed without taking a number.
Whatever the case, Ho Sung Lee liked the fact that Min Sung Kang's fame made many things convenient in his life.
Although, he had to endure so many near-death experiences that he wasn't so sure if he liked this kind of life…
"You can enter through this door."
The employee knocked on a door labeled 'VIP' and opened the door for him.
As soon as Ho Sung Lee entered, a cute and young woman smiled as she led him to a comfy couch.
Ho Sung Lee sat down, and the employee in charge asked him what brought him here.
And in response, he said, "Please find me a female goblin," in a low voice.
"…"
An awkward silence took place between Ho Sung Lee and the employee in charge.
"You want… a female goblin?"
The employee in charge asked once more just in case she heard it wrong, and Ho Sung Lee naturally nodded.
"Yes, a female goblin."
"…"
There was another awkward silence.
Chapter 190: Chapter 190
"… Does it have to be a female, not a male?" The employee in charge cautiously asked with a tense look on her face.
From the look in her eyes, it seemed like she was facing off against a monster, which made Ho Sung Lee realize he made a mistake.
"Oh, don't they exist? The hunter I serve has a gold goblin himself."
That was when the employee in charge laughed with relief.
"Oh, I see. Hahaha, so that's why you're looking for a female goblin."
"That's right… May I smoke?"
"Oh! Sure. Feel free."
She felt bad about the misunderstanding and pushed an expensive ashtray toward him.
Ho Sung Lee lit his cigarette. He breathed in and breathed out.
Finding a female goblin was a problem, but if he happened to find out, more problems would follow.
Ho Sung Lee thought of Ssol and grimaced.
What if the blind dates happened to fail?
He felt sorry to Ssol, and there was no doubt he would fall into a deep depression, and the harm that would result from that would be his responsibility.
Ho Sung Lee closed his eyes shut and breathed in his cigarette.
"Um…"
Ho Sung Lee opened his eyes in response to the employee in charge.
"… Yes?" Ho Sung Lee answered with a tired voice.
"I just checked, and there's a female goblin."
Ho Sung Lee looked at the employee in charge with shocked eyes.
"Already?"
"Yes."
The employee in charge smiled with pride, but Ho Sung Lee was still dumbfounded.
He didn't think there would be any since the dungeons containing monsters were all gone.
So Ho Sung Lee couldn't believe that they had found one already.
"There's a female goblin…?!" He asked in a louder voice.
In response, the female employee laughed. She flashed an awkward smile and nodded.
"That's right."
"No way…"
He didn't think he would find a place that could find him a monster.
Ho Sung Lee couldn't get rid of his shocked face.
"Look over here."
The employee in charge showed him a video on her tablet.
She then explained, "There's an organization that analyzes monsters, but that doesn't mean they do experiments on them. They check their tendencies or habits and compile data, so they have many times of monsters, and one of them is a goblin."
The employee in charge smiled.
Ho Sung Lee's heart felt weird as he looked at the goblin looking trapped inside a cage through the screen.
It was clear that monsters were vicious creatures that killed humans, but after spending time with Ssol, he started to feel sorry for the monsters trapped in cages.
And the thought of having to connect Ssol with those females made his head feel dizzy.
"Here's the address as well as the map."
The employee in charge handed Ho Sung Lee the papers with a friendly smile.
Ho Sung Lee accepted the papers and sighed as he got up.
"Thank you."
Ho Sung Lee left the VIP room without much energy in his body.
***
"Graaaaaa!"
"Graaaaaa!"
"Hisssss!"
The goblins inside the cages unleashed their violent nature and cried loudly at the presence of a human.
Ho Sung Lee looked around with sunken eyes.
The noises coming from the trapped goblins were horrendous.
Ssol's entire body was gold, and he was so naïve that he looked cute, but compared to Ssol, the trapped goblins looked despicable.
They smelled horrible, and he didn't like the way they looked.
They looked appalling.
They had long noses, wide lips that drooled, and their eyes were gray.
On top of that, their skin was wrinkly, and their entire body seemed to be suffering a skin disease.
Did Ssol want to be matched up with monsters like those?
Ho Sung Lee sighed.
"I made a promise though…"
As Ho Sung Lee mumbled to himself…
"… Pardon?" The organization employee asked.
Ho Sung Lee shook his head.
"It's nothing. How many female goblins do you have here?"
The organization employee counted on his finger.
"Only 10," he replied.
Ho Sung Lee scratched his head with a troubled look on his face.
'Only 10…'
He promised to set Ssol up with 101.
Ho Sung Lee thought for a moment before calling the Shadow Guild.
Their
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attitude changed as soon as he revealed his identity.
Oh, hello, Mr. Sung! How can I help you?
"I need a goblin. Not just a goblin, but a female one."
…
Since this wasn't the employee in charge that Ho Sung Lee spoke with, the person on the other line sounded taken aback, but Ho Sung Lee couldn't be bothered to explain why he was looking for a female goblin, so he added, "I came by Shadow Guild today. There's an organization that analyzes monsters in our country. I'm sure they have others in other countries as well. Please find out if they can send their goblins over to our country."
Oh…! Sure, of course. I'll call you as soon as I confirm.
Once Ho Sung Lee hung up, he grimaced at the screaming and smelly goblins and explained the situation to the organization employee.
He told him about his contract with Min Sung and Ssol, and the organization employee was fascinated as he said he had seen it before on the TV news.
"Are you able to wash the female goblins and move them to a clean room?" Ho Sung Lee asked.
"That's not too difficult to do. We can definitely clean them up and put them in a room, but…"
The organization employee's face grew dark.
"Due to their horrible personalities, they must still be inside the cages…"
Ho Sung Lee laughed bitterly.
"Of course."
"And we can't put all 101 in one room, so we'll have to divide them up. Is that all right?"
"Yes, that's fine."
"Oh yeah. Since this is a blind date, they should be dressed up. I have a personal party planner. Shall I contact them?"
"Oh… That'd be perfect."
Ho Sung Lee looked at the organization employee in shock.
He was surprised that they took care of the matter so professionally, and as a result, he was going to be able to give Ssol his blind dates easily.
The problem of finding female goblins turned out to be easier than expected, but the problem was how this would all end.
The pressure and stress resulting from that worry made Ho Sung Lee feel sad.
"… What am I doing?"
In response, the organization employee asked, "Pardon me?"
Ho Sung Lee shook his hands.
"No, it's nothing."
The organization employee looked at Ho Sung Lee and tilted his head.
***
"I need to be positive. Since I made the promise, I need to see it through."
Ho Sung Lee watched as the goblins entered the organization. The goblins showered, and as the party planners started decorating the rooms, the preparations for the blind dates took place, and it finally came to an end.
Ssol was set to begin his blind dates the next morning.
Ho Sung Lee headed over to Min Sung's house from the monster organization in order to report the news.
***
Min Sung sat on the bench in the backyard as he stared at his Durandal in his hands.
It was a weapon enchanted with a +7 ability.
As he looked at the weapon, Min Sung thought about the power it held.
When he thought about it, using this weapon clearly made it less straining to deal his attacks, and the fact that he was able to apply more magic force with it was proven through his own body and skin.
And the words of 'that man' from his dreams still lingered in his mind.
The part about needing to be properly armed before facing the new world.
That meant that something more dangerous than the Demonic Realm existed there.
Min Sung smirked.
He wasn't at all curious about what kind of world it would be.
That was outside his interest.
Becoming stronger or more dominant, he wasn't interested in all of that, but there was a reason why he had to protect this world.
That was why he had to be powerful enough to survive in that world, despite his lack of interest.
'I wonder how powerful they are?'
With that thought in mind, Min Sung used the 'shining weapon magic order sheet' of his '+7 Devil's Durandal'.
As the order sheet ripped, a powerful light shined from it, and a moment later, the light disappeared and was replaced with words from the system.
[Your '+7 Devil's Durandal' shined brightly, but it has vaporized.]
Just as the system words explained, the Durandal in his hands disappeared into thin air.
His hands felt empty, and Min Sung smirked at the fact that he just lost his weapon.
"The chances are always so low."
Min Sung smiled sadly.
He lost his weapon, but he still had plenty of weapons in Ssol's golden pouch.
He had picked up a lot of high-quality weapons over time.
All he had to do was rearm himself.
Just as he was thinking that…
"Sir, I'm here."
Ho Sung Lee appeared.
"What were you doing?" Ho Sung Lee approached Min Sung from behind and asked.
"I used the magic order sheet on the Durandal."
"Gasp?!"
Ho Sung Lee jolted his eyes wide open and gasped.
He gulped and carefully asked, "Y-you succeeded, right?"
"No, I lost it."
When Min Sung replied as if he lost a weapon worth just a dollar, Ho Sung Lee sighed.
It didn't seem like he realized how much value he had lost.
"… Why did you do that all of a sudden?"
"I need better equipment."
Ho Sung Lee's heart began pounding.
'At a time like this?'
Chapter 191: Chapter 191
Min Sung didn't know Ssol's current situation, and that fact made Ho Sung lee's heart pound like crazy.
"Why?"
"I'm too lazy to explain."
Ho Sung Lee dripped in sweat.
If Ssol failed at his blind dates and ended up with depression, he was going to be screwed.
"But what's wrong with your face?" Min Sung asked Ho Sung Lee.
"I-It's nothing."
"Aren't you here because you wanted to tell me something?"
"No. I just came to say hi. Haha, it's not like I'm busy these days. By the way, this tree keeps on growing. Kind of scary. Haha, I'll get going now."
Ho Sung Lee bowed at 90 degrees and hurried out of the garden into the living room.
He was relieved he knew about it early.
He had to find Ssol right away.
The most important thing was to deliver all of the items to him.
The blind date came after that.
***
Ssol wasn't in the garden.
'Where is he?'
Ho Sung Lee looked for him as if he was playing hide-and-seek.
And after a tiring search, he managed to find Ssol in the yard outside the front door.
Ho Sung Lee stopped in front of Ssol, who was playing with mud, and caught his breath.
"Hey, Ssol!"
In response, Ssol, who was throwing mud in the air under the bright sun, flashed a smile and looked up at Ho Sung Lee.
"Let's go to Min Sung. Right now," Ho Sung Lee said.
"Why?"
"He needs equipment."
Ssol looked at his golden pouch with a sad look on his face.
Ho Sung Lee gulped and laughed.
"Haha, you know that blind date we talked about? I'm already setting those up. Once you hand over the equipment to Min Sung, I'll set you up right away. How's that?"
Ssol's face beamed and then soon turned back to his straight face.
"Set me up on a blind date first," Ssol said with a straight face.
"W-what? No, Min Sung is your master. He needs items right now."
"Blind date comes first."
"Don't you trust me?" Ho Sung Lee's cheeks twitched as he asked.
At that moment, Bowl dug through the dirt to get out of the hole he was in.
"Agh!"
Ho Sung Lee was startled by Bowl's sudden movements and landed on his butt.
"I'll go and ask him if this is true."
Bowl ran into the house still covered in dirt.
Ho Sung Lee watched Bowl run in the distance as he hit his forehead with his hand.
And that was when Ssol realized why he reacted the way he did.
Things got more complicated.
Ho Sung Lee felt his heart pounding as he watched where Bowl ran off to.
This was followed by a feeling of anxiousness, which became a reality.
"He said he doesn't need a weapon right away," Bowl said as he returned to the garden.
"Set Sssol up on a blind date first," Bowl said as he jumped back into the hole.
Ho Sung Lee watched Bowl and Ssol in the hole before he scoffed and wiped off the sweat on his forehead.
Ho Sung Lee got up. He brushed off his butt and went back to Min Sung with courage.
Min Sung was watering the large tree in the yard.
"Sir."
"What is it? Min Sung answered.
Ho Sung Lee notified Min Sung that he finished preparing the blind dates he promised Ssol.
After that, he explained why taking care of the items beforehand just in case Ssol went into depression was the best thing they could do.
"Just set him up first," Min Sung said without even looking at Ho Sung Lee.
"But if something goes wrong and Ssol gets depressed, he won't be able to take out your weapons from his golden pouch."
"A promise is a promise."
Ho Sung Lee bit down on his lip and looked at Min Sung.
'Wait, since when was he so easygoing?'
In any case, since the tiger became a little nicer, his position as a fox became less worrisome.
"But Sir, seeing how this tree has such big leaves, it might be a tree that protects our land," Ho Sung Lee
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said as he looked up at the large and mysterious tree.
"Ho Sung."
"Yes, Sir," Ho Sung Lee replied with a smile.
"Make sure Ssol finds his partner."
Min Sung wasn't speaking in a scary tone, but Ho Sung Lee felt as though he was going to get a death sentence if he failed this mission.
'F*ck.'
He received a command.
Once he received any kind of command, he had to fulfill it.
Ho Sung Lee felt the anxiousness inside his chest, but he overcame it by putting more strength in his body.
"Yes, Sir."
After bowing without another word, Ho Sung Lee left the garden with a complicated mind.
***
The next morning.
Ssol woke up early in the morning and showered for 2 hours.
After showering, he carefully wiped off the water from his golden body.
When Ho Sung Lee saw this, his heart felt heavy.
Min Sung Kang told him to make Ssol's blind date succeed.
Ho Sung Lee rubbed his chin while watching Ssol.
Since Ssol was golden from head to toe, he put a lot of pressure on most female goblins.
But if he thought about it in his shoes, he would've felt just as pressured if he was set up with a completely golden woman.
So it was no different for the female goblins.
There was no doubt that 100 out of 100 of them would say they didn't want Ssol.
Ho Sung Lee watched Ssol work hard on dressing himself up as he felt more and more scared of what Min Sung would do to him.
'What do I have to do to make the blind dates successful?'
Ho Sung Lee watched Ssol with wide eyes. He grabbed his throbbing head and continued to think hard.
***
Ssol finished dressing up.
Ssol was excited just like a little kid as he waited to leave.
After telling Min Sung that they were leaving, Ho Sung Lee took Bowl and Ssol into the car.
On the way to the monster analysis organization, Ho Sung Lee smoked his cigarette with a grimace.
He was going to be kicked to the curb.
What did he have to do to make Ssol look attractive and help him to start dating?
He thought about it long and hard, but his chest felt stuffy.
Since Min Sung gave the orders, he had to see it through, but he couldn't figure out how which made him feel like his life was going to come to an end.
***
"Ssol?"
Ho Sung Lee called Ssol, but Ssol didn't answer.
Ssol was excited like a little kid going on a field trip when they first left, but he was now frozen still.
It was probably trauma
He was traumatized by getting rejected from all the female goblins and getting kicked out of the goblin pack just because he was golden, and this trauma caused these symptoms.
Ho Sung Lee patted Ssol on the back as he said, "Don't be nervous. You're the one leading this blind date, not them."
However, Ssol couldn't hear any of those comforting words.
Ssol was still frozen.
Ho Sung Lee sighed and headed to the stage where the blind date was arranged.
Originally, there were 8 rooms where between 12 and 16 female goblins were split up, but the plans changed last minute.
They decided to set it up like a stage of a television show instead, and the countless people working there agreed to help with the large-scale blind date.
Thanks to Min Sung Kang, there was a line-up of people just waiting to help him out.
As soon as they arrived on the stage, Ssol expressed his surprise.
He was surprised to see such a vibrant setup.
There were 100 seats set up in the form of a pyramid in the large hall, and on top of it was a throne where Ssol was to sit.
The stage was set up for Ssol's blind date in the same way it looked on TV.
Not only was Ssol surprised by this but so was Ho Sung Lee.
At that moment, some people approached.
It was the people from the broadcaster who set up the stage.
They cautiously asked if they could start filming, but Ho Sung Lee said no.
If it succeeded, it would become a movie, but if it didn't, it was going to be a humiliation.
People were going to whisper about it wherever they went.
Ho Sung Lee patted the nervous Ssol on the back and asked for the program to begin.
***
Surprisingly, a celebrity went up on the stage to host the show.
He wondered why a celebrity was hosting a goblin dating show, but when he thought about Min Sung Kang's fame, he understood.
An employee told him to get Ssol seated.
Ho Sung Lee took Ssol's stiff body and put him in the throne placed on top of the pyramid, and at that moment, a shocking program—'Propose 101′ starring 101 goblins including Ssol—began.
Stage music turned on, and the employees of the analysis organization began escorting the goblins out.
"Graaaaa!"
"Hisssssss!"
"Aghhhhhh!"
"Ugh! Ugh!"
They all made monstrous sounds as they got dragged up on the stage by the organization employees.
Since the goblins couldn't speak like Ssol, they still had animalistic habits.
Ho Sung Lee knitted his brows at the sight, but Ssol stared at them with his jaw dropped to the floor.
The golden goblin Ssol was excited at the sight of 100 female goblins filling up the stage.
This was the best moment of Ssol's entire life.
Chapter 192: Chapter 192
***
Min Sung, who was resting well at home, entered the living room in order to have some juice when a system message popped up.
[You're too far away from Ssol, with whom you have a contract with.]
[The golden goblin Ssol is anxious.]
[The golden goblin Ssol is becoming more and more anxious.]
[The owner needs to be by his side in order to stabilize the golden goblin Ssol.]
Min Sung knitted his brows at the constant system pop-ups as he poured himself a cup of orange juice
After taking a nice sip, he clicked his tongue and left the house.
***
As soon as he left the house in his car, the reporters swarmed in like wild animals.
Min Sung ignored their requests for interviews.
He had no interest in acting like a monkey in front of the media.
Min Sung drove through the reporters and headed to where 'Propose 101' was taking place.
As soon as he arrived, there were 100 goblins on top of a vibrant stage, and the organization employees were working hard to keep them under control.
While the sounds of goblins crying rang from all directions, the celebrity host showed a puzzled look on his face.
Despite the chaos, 'Propose 101' was proceeding as planned.
[The golden goblin Ssol is beginning to stabilize.]
Ssol's face began to loosen up, and then he looked around. He spotted Min Sung and then waved his hand like a little kid.
When Min Sung saw Ssol waving his hand while sitting on top of the pyramid stairs, he greeted him back by showing him the palm of his hand.
Ho Sung Lee also bowed and greeted him with surprise.
"Grrrrrr!"
"Roarrrrr!"
"Hissssss!"
Goblins cried from all directions.
'So noisy.'
Min Sung began to show his violent and temperamental self again.
In order to control the goblins, Min Sung let out a vibe that monsters were afraid of.
As soon as he did, the goblins grew silent as if they had cold water poured on top of them.
When the goblins became tame, the celebrity host was surprised and took that chance to proceed with the show.
The first thing to do was seating the female goblins according to their appearances.
For Min Sung, it was difficult for him to see the difference between any of them, but Ssol surprisingly had a clear preference.
Ssol sat the female goblins according to their rank without any hesitation.
The real blind date began once all of the goblins were seated.
***
Ssol thought to himself.
Since there were 100 female goblins here, there had got to be one that he could take home.
He proceeded with the blind date with that anticipation in mind.
The blind date was planned so that he could have one-on-one interactions with each of them on stage, but since there were many of them, he didn't have much time.
As soon as the blind dates began…
"Roarrrrrrrrrr!"
As soon as a female goblin sat across from the golden goblin Ssol, she screamed as if she wanted to kill him.
Although Ssol was taken aback, he tried to be friendly with the female goblin in 1st place, but the female goblin wriggled around in resistance.
She looked at him as if she was going to kill him.
In response, Ssol showed a hurt expression on his face.
It wasn't that he didn't see it coming, but having it happen in real life made him feel hurt and sad.
The start was so depressing that Ho Sung Lee became impatient.
Ssol was so naïve that he had a weak mentality, and just as Ho Sung Lee felt anxious about, the second and third female goblins reacted in the same way, making Ssol more and more discouraged.
Every single one of the female goblins turned Ssol down.
They were going to fail at this rate.
Ho Sung Lee squeezed his temple as he thought of a way to make him succeed.
If he failed, he was going to be beaten to death by
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Min Sung.
Mission failed.
Expectations not met.
Disappointment.
These three things were what Ho Sung Lee hated and was the most afraid of.
'I need to find a way.'
Ho Sung Lee thought hard before he jolted his eyes open.
Since he couldn't turn this around with a normal method, he had to approach it in a different way.
That was when he thought of an idea that was similar to the answer of a nonsense problem.
'I have no other choice.'
Ho Sung Lee began moving.
***
When the host called for a break, Ho Sung Lee borrowed tranquilizers from the organization employees.
After acquiring enough, the blind dates began again.
Ho Sung Lee shot the tranquilizer at the female goblins that had the blind date with Ssol but turned him down.
When the other female goblins saw that, they immediately grew agitated.
They were scared.
Once they fainted from the tranquilizer, the organization employee dragged them away.
This was an effective method.
As soon as a few goblins got shot down and dragged away, the other goblins began to act differently.
He made it clear that they would be tranquilized if they rejected Ssol as if he was training a pet, and it was effective.
It was immoral, but he had no other choice if he wanted to turn things around.
***
"Hey, Ssol. Get a hold of yourself."
Ho Sung Lee patted Ssol on the back to cheer him up like a boxer's coach and shook him by the shoulder.
Ssol's eyes were hazy.
"Hey, don't be discouraged. You think they hate you, don't you? Haha, it's not like that."
In response, Ssol looked up at Ho Sung Lee.
"They're just a little shocked because you look different, but didn't I tell you? You're special. You're so special that you're superior. No wonder the female goblins feel uncomfortable with the blind dates."
"But they all hate me…"
"They're just not used to it yet, and Ssol, since you're different from other goblins, you don't have to have partners like they do."
Ssol looked at Ho Sung Lee with a dazed face.
Ho Sung Lee continued, "Ssol, look how special you are. You're completely gold. You're worth so much. Do you know what that means?"
Ssol shook his head in response.
"That means you're the king of goblins."
Ssol's eyes grew wide.
"I'm the king…?"
"Yeah. The king. You're the king and legend of goblins, so you don't have to explain yourself. After all, in the animal kingdom, only the strongest males get females. You know that, right?"
Ssol rolled his eyes and then nodded to what Ho Sung Lee had to say.
"Ssol, who are you?"
"A-a king. I'm the king of goblins."
"Yeah. You are. A strong one at that, so don't look for validation and dominate over the females with your power."
"How?"
Ho Sung Lee laughed.
"Hey. You have me. I'll help you."
Ho Sung Lee's words of encouragement turned Ssol's sadness into a smile.
***
Ho Sung Lee just said it as last words of encouragement, but it actually had a large effect on Ssol.
They sent up a few male goblins up to the stage, and in order to win over females, they began to fight Ssol in order to determine the rank.
But it was impossible for ordinary male goblins to stand a chance against Ssol, who was unimaginably fast.
Ssol defeated the other male goblins at the speed of light.
That was how he proved that he was a powerful male, and when the female goblins saw that, their attitudes changed.
A goblin who was able to defeat any male goblin that got in his way.
A goblin who could interact with humans.
The thought of him being a special goblin began to win the female goblins over.
That was the part Ho Sung Lee was targeting.
He set up a show with Ssol to do just that.
They made it so that the female goblins would have no choice but to rely on Ssol, and in order to do that, they had to increase Ssol's 'worth', and it wasn't long before an unbelievable phenomenon unfolded before their eyes.
The female goblins began to fight in order to appeal themselves to Ssol.
They glared at each other, and Ssol regained his confidence and smiled.
The place turned into a festival.
Ho Sung Lee put a floral necklace around Ssol's neck and put a floral crown on his head.
Ssol danced with the female goblins and had a blast.
'Propose 101' was a success.
***
"Sir, it's been resolved."
Ho Sung Lee briefed Min Sung about Ssol's blind date.
Min Sung, who was sitting in a chair, nodded as he got up.
After telling Ho Sung Lee that he did a good job and to wrap it up nicely, he left Ho Sung Lee to finish things off and went outside.
Since Ssol was more stable than ever, he didn't have to stay here anymore.
More importantly, he felt like he had to leave so that Ssol could have an even more fun time.
***
On his way home, he received a call.
The person who was calling was General Ji Yoo Kim from Central Institute.
Min Sung answered it while driving.
"What is it?"
Do you have some time? I need to tell you something.
"Is it important?"
It is.
"Come over to my house."
Min Sung hung up.
Chapter 193: Chapter 193
***
The doorbell rang.
When he answered the door, Ji Yoo Kim greeted him with a sweet smile.
"What do you want?" Min Sung asked at the front door.
Ji Yoo Kim smiled with a vein popping out of her forehead.
"Can I go inside first?"
Min Sung gestured her to come in with his chin and sat down on the sofa first.
***
"Wow… So this is it. It looks even better in person," Ji Yoo Kim said as she looked at the mysterious tree on the other side of the window.
"You didn't come to my house just to see the tree, did you? What are you doing here?" Min Sung asked.
"I did come to see the tree," Ji Yoo Kim said with a smile.
"Why?"
Ji Yoo Kim replied with a serious look in her eyes, "It's so coincidental that a mysterious tree like that appeared at a time like this."
"So?"
"Most importantly, the whole world is interested in this tree right now. Some are even saying it's protecting this land. There's no basis for it, but still."
"What do you need?"
"Research?"
"With whose permission?"
"That's why I came to ask you ."
"I won't give you permission. If I do, you're going to keep coming here, and I don't like it when people invade my personal space."
"I'm not asking just for research. Even though the dungeons and towers disappeared, people are still anxious. Actually, they're left with a lot of side effects."
Min Sung poked at the mysterious tree in the yard with his finger.
"And that's going to solve that for you?"
"Of course. People need something to rely on."
"But why does that have to be my space?"
"That's what I want to ask."
Min Sung looked far into the distance
Ji Yoo Kim laughed.
"Please put our world's people at ease, Min Sung."
"You're smooth with your words."
Ji Yoo Kim laughed bitterly.
"That's my job as the general of Central Institute."
Min Sung clicked his tongue. He put his hands in his pocket and slowly got up.
"And what do I get in return?" Min Sung asked Ji Yoo Kim.
Ji Yoo Kim flashed a smile.
"Tell me what you want."
"A contract."
"What kind of contract?"
"A promise not to hide anything from me from now on."
"I don't have to sign a contract for that…"
"No, people have a tendency to get other thoughts when they feel freer, and that will end up screwing me over."
"You're thorough."
"Regarding the detailed conditions…"
"No, just one condition."
Min Sung looked at Ji Yoo Kim with cold eyes and continued, "Your life."
Ji Yoo Kim let out an awkward laugh.
"My life?"
Min Sung took a step closer to Ji Yoo Kim.
"Listen carefully. If you die, Central Institute disappears, and remember that there aren't many humans who can replace you. Remember that as soon as you die, this country will be doomed."
"But you're also someone who's protecting Korea as well as the world…"
"That's true, but I might be able to protect the world, but I don't know about keeping order. I'm not in a place like you to take responsibility."
Ji Yoo Kim laughed bitterly.
"You're very threatening."
"That's why it's a contract."
"Then prepare the contract. I'll stamp it for you."
"Make sure that as small number of humans as possible enter my house."
Ji Yoo Kim smiled and nodded.
"Sure."
"If that's it."
"Can I see the tree before I go?"
Ji Yoo Kim showed a cute and playful look on her face.
Min Sung pointed at the front door with a straight face
Ji Yoo Kim sighed.
"Okay, fine."
Ji Yoo Kim walked toward the door and then turned around.
"Oh yeah. Where's Ho Sung?"
"Why?"
Ji Yoo Kim smiled.
***
While Ssol enjoyed his party, Ho Sung Lee smoked a cigarette in the driver's seat.
As soon as he took a puff, he suddenly remembered something as suffocating and unpleasant as the smoke that came out of his mouth.
It was Min Sung Kang's words.
'You're still weak.'
He felt bothered by it because it sounded like he was calling him useless, and the one who took out the dagger was Woong Jang's granddaughter, Sia Jang.
She told him that he was worthy just for putting his life on the line to fight.
Those two opinions conflicted inside his head.
It would be best if no more dungeons or towers appeared so that no hunters would be needed, but no guarantees could be made.
Just like how dungeons disappeared and the towers appeared.
For the same reason the citizens were worried, so was Ho Sung Lee.
There was a little difference, but it was ultimately the same thing.
After all, he wasn't worth as
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much as one human being to Min Sung Kang.
That was what Ho Sung Lee was the most serious about.
'How can I resolve this?'
Ho Sung Lee smoked his cigarette and continued to think deeply.
The idea that got in the way of Ho Sung Lee's thought process was the belief that people don't change.
Ho Sung Lee threw away his cigarette outside the window with a stiffened face.
'That just means I have to change.'
He had to change in order to change the situation.
He shut his eyes closed and sighed.
He had to change himself.
Ho Sung Lee opened his eyes and started his car.
***
Ho Sung Lee brought Ssol home.
"We're back, Sir."
Min Sung looked at both Ho Sung Lee and Ssol.
Ho Sung Lee was dressed up in a designer striped suit and a proper hairdo.
On the other hand, Ssol was smiling like a fool while looking far into space.
"The monster analysis organization said we can bring Ssol over to meet goblins whenever we want," Ho Sung Lee explained.
Min Sung looked at Ho Sung Lee and then headed to the garden.
Ho Sung Lee immediately followed.
As soon as Min Sung got to the garden, he immediately looked up at the tree, which was now taller than the house.
"The analysis team of Central Institute will come."
Ho Sung Lee looked up at the tree with Min Sung.
"Are they going to analyze this tree?"
"Yeah. We're going to stay somewhere else for the time being. Tell Woong Jang to come with us."
Ho Sung Lee looked around.
"Um, Sir. Then does that mean Woong Jang's granddaughter…"
Min Sung glanced over at Ho Sung Lee with sharp eyes.
Ho Sung Lee coughed.
"Do what you want."
Ho Sung Lee hid his smile and bowed.
"Yes, Sir."
"But what's with your outfit. Did you want to go into the dating business since Ssol was going into the market anyway?"
Ho Sung Lee flashed a smile.
"Why can't I?"
"Well, it's not that you can't, but it doesn't make sense for a human with no talents to start dating."
"This outfit is my way of saying I'll do things better from now on. I'm going to change."
Ho Sung Lee looked at Min Sung straight in the eyes without looking away.
Min Sung smirked at Ho Sung Lee and walked off.
"We're going to write up a contract. In return for letting the Central Institute look over that tree, they're going to promise not to keep any secrets from me, and if they violate it, the general of Central Institute, Ji Yoo Kim's life is mine."
Ho Sung Lee looked at Min Sung with surprised eyes.
"Prepare the contract, stamp it, and send it to Central Institute."
"Yes, Sir."
Min Sung entered his bedroom and closed the door.
Ho Sung Lee bowed and then let out a sigh.
"So her life is on the line…"
Ho Sung Lee laughed.
At that moment, his phone rang.
It was Ji Yoo Kim.
Ho Sung Lee went back to the garden and answered it.
"Hello?"
Have you heard from Min Sung?
"Yes, I just did. I'll see you once I have the contract."
When will that be?
"How's tomorrow morning?"
Sounds good to me.
"What time is good for you?"
Any time is fine with me.
"Then how about 9?"
Sure.
"Then see you tomorrow."
I have something to talk to you about after, so please make some extra time.
Ho Sung Lee tilted his head.
"Something to talk to me about? Is it about Min Sung?"
No, it's not. See you tomorrow.
"Oh… Okay."
He hung up.
Ho Sung Lee looked down at his phone in confusion.
"What does General Kim have to say to me?"
Ho Sung Lee thought about it and then forgot about it since he would hear about it tomorrow anyway.
He had to prepare the contract first.
Ho Sung Lee called up a famous law firm.
Hello?
"My name is Ho Sung Lee."
As soon as he revealed his identity, they redirected him to the CEO.
He soon spoke to the CEO of the law firm, and after telling him he would leave right away, he got his coat and left Min Sung's house.
***
The next morning.
Ho Sung Lee got his contract and headed to Central Institute.
Ji Yoo Kim greeted him with a bright smile.
"It feels like it's been a long time."
Ji Yoo Kim offered a handshake.
Ho Sung Lee shook her hand and sat down.
"What a strange feeling. When we first met here…"
Ho Sung Lee stopped himself when he realized he made a mistake.
"Oh, I wasn't trying to embarrass you," Ho Sung Lee said while waving his hands.
Ji Yoo Kim smiled.
"I've been regretting the fact that I didn't protect you. I'm very embarrassed that I tried to send you abroad. I'm the leader of a country, after all."
"I'm sorry."
"Not at all. I was going to mention that anyway."
Ho Sung Lee scratched his head and smiled.
"Oh! Here's the contract."
He handed her the contract.
"I made it through a major law firm. It has the conditions that you agreed upon, and if there's an issue, the lawyer is right outside, so we can edit it right away."
Ji Yoo Kim looked it over and smiled.
"There's no problem. We'll have our lawyer check it one last time, but I don't' think it'll need to be edited."
Ji Yoo Kim set the contract aside and looked at Ho Sung Lee.
"Okay. Now let's move on to our conversation."
Chapter 194: Chapter 194
Ho Sung Lee looked at Ji Yoo Kim with a nervous look on his face.
"No need to be nervous. I'm saying this for you."
Ho Sung Lee breathed out his anxiousness and laughed.
"Okay. Go ahead. I'm ready."
In response, Ji Yoo Kim handed him a document.
Ho Sung Lee accepted it with confused eyes.
Once he checked it over, Ho Sung Lee was surprised.
"This is…"
Ho Sung Lee trailed off.
Ji Yoo Kim smiled at Ho Sung Lee.
"I know it's not enough, but please understand that this is the best we can do."
Ho Sung Lee looked at the contents of the document and laughed bitterly.
The document that Ji Yoo Kim prepared contained the compensation that would be given to Ho Sung Lee.
And to him, the number was astronomical.
Ho Sung Lee shook his head.
"This is too much. I don't think I can…"
"This is to repay for all the inconvenience Central Institute caused you. Although it's probably enough, I think you have more than enough reason to take it."
Ho Sung Lee looked at the number on the paper and laughed awkwardly.
"You dismantled the explosive. You also lost your weapon and saved Seoul. This is to compensate you for fighting with your life. I know it can't be compensated with money, but please understand that this is the best we can do."
Ho Sung Lee smiled bitterly.
"No, it's more than enough, but what's for certain is that this should be given to Min Sung, not me."
In response to Ho Sung Lee's dark expression, Ji Yoo Kim smiled brightly.
"Ho Sung."
"Yes?"
"You're a very smart person. That's why a man like Min Sung Kang chose you."
Ho Sung Lee laughed.
"Haha, that's not true. I just prepare meals for him…"
"I don't' think so. You're someone that Min Sung needs. Ho Sung, you don't only prepare his food; he actually trusts you."
Ho Sung Lee laughed bitterly.
"I'm still not acknowledged by him though."
"Well, I'm aware of how much you support him. You might feel like you're lacking, but that's not how everyone else sees it."
Ho Sung Lee looked far into the distance with thought.
JI Yoo Kim continued, "Ho Sung, what do you think about maximizing your strong points?"
"… My strong points?" Ho Sung Lee asked Ji Yoo Kim.
"Yes, you're much smarter than you think. Why don't you think about just how much you're actually capable of?"
Ho Sung Lee felt it.
He realized Ji Yoo Kim wasn't just giving him a warning as the general of Central Institute, but she actually understood and acknowledged him as a person.
"Thank you, General Kim," Ho Sung Lee said with all his sincerity.
Ji Yoo Kim gave him a warm smile.
Ho Sung Lee realized something else at that moment.
That she didn't become the general of Central Institute with just abilities alone.
As the general of a place called Central Insitute, she held much more influence and potential.
"Thank you, General Kim. Thank you for fighting for his world and for understanding me. Thank you for cheering me on."
"Don't mention it."
"Haha."
Ho Sung Lee laughed and got up.
"I guess I'll have to give some thought on my key strengths just like you advised."
"I'm cheering you on."
Ho Sung Lee shook hands with Ji Yoo Kim and left the office.
***
The attention of the entire world shifted from Min Sung Kang to Min Sung Kang's tree.
Central Institute began studying the tree in his yard, and they shared some of the processes to the world.
The updates went viral all over the world, eliciting a reaction similar to that of religions.
Countless people from all over the world came to visit the tree, but Central Insitute made sure no one got inside.
They received requests to help with the analysis from all four directions.
But since Central Institute didn't need money from all over the world, they just requested
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that they analyze the tree together.
Central Insitute recruited the best scientists who went ahead and began analyzing the tree in Min Sung's yard.
And during the process, a surprising phenomenon began to take place.
The tree in Min Sung's yard began to grow at a faster speed.
It was much faster than ever before.
The tree was growing so fast that it looked like a footage of it was being fast-forwarded.
And meanwhile, Min Sung stayed in his second home in the Grand World Tower.
***
Ding!
The elevator stopped and the doors opened.
Ho Sung Lee straightened out his jacket. He buttoned it up and went inside where Min Sung was reading a newspaper on the sofa and bowed.
"I'm here, Sir," Ho Sung Lee said as he finished bowing.
"How's it going?" Min Sung asked without looking up.
"They haven't found anything unique besides some difference in the cells of the tree, but they said the tree is growing so fast that it can't be explained. They said it's growing faster than before."
Min Sung closed his newspaper and looked at Ho Sung Lee.
"Is it really something special?"
Ho Sung Lee smiled awkwardly and tilted his head.
"I'm not sure."
"Anything else?"
"No, Sir."
"Let's go eat."
Ho Sung Lee looked around.
"Where's Woong Jang and Sia?"
"How would I know?"
Min Sung got up from the sofa and got his jacket.
"Never mind. Let's go."
"What's on the menu for brunch?"
"We're going to go to a Korean beef restaurant."
"Beef for brunch? You're kidding, right?"
Ho Sung Lee shook his head with a smile.
"Not at all. It's a restaurant that sells Korean beef, but they also have lunch options as well. That lunch menu changes every day at the price of 6 thousand won, but compared to the cheap price, the quality is amazing."
"I'm sure there's a reason."
"I think it's their way of advertising. They reel you in with cheap lunch so that you come back for their Korean beef."
"That makes sense."
"But compared to your power and reputation, it's a very ordinary meal. Is that okay?"
When the elevator doors opened, Min Sung looked at Ho Sung Lee with cold eyes.
"What kind of question is that?"
Ho Sung Lee smiled.
"I should've known. Just because your environment changed doesn't mean your taste buds changed. Let's go."
Min Sung scanned Ho Sung Lee from top to bottom.
"You seem to have baseless confidence ever since you changed your look."
"It's not baseless confidence. Like I said, I'm trying to serve you better from now on."
"Did something change?"
Min Sung asked as he got into the elevator.
Ho Sung Lee followed him in and pressed the button for the 1st floor.
"Of course. You'll see," Ho Sung Lee said confidently with his chest puffed.
"Let me escort you to the restaurant. Once we're finished with our meal, I'll tell you more about my new plan."
"I don't need to hear it."
"Please do."
Min Sung sighed.
They arrived at the underground parking.
Ho Sung Lee waved his hand in front of a lineup of supercars.
"Which one should we take?"
"Something comfortable."
"Then I'll take you in the large sedan."
Ho Sung Lee opened the door to the back seat.
Clack-!
The door made a large opening sound.
Min Sung sat in the back seat, Ho Sung Lee got into the driver's seat, and they took off to the restaurant.
***
They arrived at the restaurant.
The parking lot wasn't big, but there was enough room for Min Sung and Ho Sung Lee to park.
Ho Sung Lee handed Min Sung his sunglasses, but Min Sung gestured for him to take it away.
[Ching Jung Korean Beef Restaurant]
The Korean beef restaurant was neither luxurious nor shabby, but it was quite large.
When Min Sung entered, the adults who were eating jolted their eyes open as they stared at both Min Sung and Ho Sung Lee.
They even rubbed their eyes out of disbelief as they continued to stare.
Min Sung sat down first.
And soon afterward, the owner recognized both Min Sung and Ho Sung Lee.
"Please allow us to have a peaceful meal," Ho Sung Lee requested respectfully.
In response, the surprised owner and customers contained their surprise and continued their quiet meals.
There was nothing they could do about the glances, but Min Sung didn't care.
"We'd like 2 lunch specials, please," Ho Sung Lee ordered.
Meanwhile, Min Sung looked through the menu.
The menu was concise only listing the lunch menus and the Korean beef choices.
And like Ho Sung Lee said, the price of lunch was only 6,000 won.
It was very cheap.
Min Sung caught his breath and waited for the food to come out.
As soon as he arrived at the restaurant, his hunger immediately caught up to him.
He was so hungry that his stomach grumbled.
A moment later, the owner placed the side dishes on the table.
Chapter 195: Chapter 195
There were many different types of side dishes.
There were stir-fried anchovies, kimchi, fried fish cakes, and many more on the table.
And not long afterward, the main course of the lunch special came out.
The unique aspect about it was the fact that they continued to bring out dishes that were normally eaten for lunch.
At first, soybean stew and Bibimbap came out.
However, when they thought that that was it, they brought out egg rolls, lettuce and garlic, and Bulgogi with hot peppers.
And that still wasn't it.
Curry came out afterward, and inside the curry was a lot of Korean beef.
Min Sung looked at the dishes with surprised eyes and tilted his head.
"Why are they giving us so much? No way…"
"No, it's not because they know you. They normally give you this much."
"For 6,000 won?"
"Yes. They're famous for being surprisingly cost-effective."
When Ho Sung Lee said that, a crowd of company employees came in for lunch.
And every single one of them froze up as soon as they saw Min Sung and even screamed.
Ho Sung Lee immediately brought them under control so that Min Sung would not be harmed.
Meanwhile, hot rice came out.
Ho Sung Lee came back to his seat. He handed Min Sung a spoon, and Min Sung began eating.
He put a spoonful of rice in his mouth followed by some Kimchi.
It was good.
The sweet yet salty scent of the Kimchi made his tastebuds very happy.
It almost felt like his stomach was setting off fireworks.
He then put Bulgogi, garlic, and pepper into a leaf of lettuce and put it into his mouth.
Om nom-!
He enjoyed the flavors of the wrap in his mouth as he spooned up some of the soybean stew.
The soybean stew tasted very strong.
The famous flavor of the soybean stew was a work of art.
After that was the curry.
He placed some curry on top of his rice. He mixed it around and then put it into his mouth.
Since the curry contained beef, it tasted different from other curries.
The Korean beef made the curry taste so luxurious that it was hard to believe that the lunch special was only 6,000 won.
On top of that, the steaming egg rolls were so yellow that they looked adorable.
Min Sung picked up a piece of the cute egg rolls and put it into his mouth.
Min Sung, who chewed on the egg roll and then swallowed down another spoonful of the soybean stew, thought about just how much he respected Korean food.
No other country could copy the traditional flavors of Korean food.
It had a special trustworthy quality that couldn't be replaced by anything else.
That was what Korean food was.
Min Sung smiled as he ate more of the soybean stew.
***
Once they finished their meal, they went to a café nearby.
The price of an iced Americano was 2,000 won.
Since it wasn't a franchise, the coffee was cheap.
But the inside of the shop was large. The interior was modern, and it was decorated in a simple manner.
The only downside to the shop was that its coffee lacked in quality due to its cheap cost.
Min Sung tasted the coffee that Ho Sung Lee delivered and expressed his surprise.
Despite its cheap price of 2,000 won, the Americano was strong.
It was so strong that even after the ice melted, the flavors were still very much alive.
The owner of the coffee shop must have been a generous person.
While he experienced the surprisingly deep flavors of the Americano.
"Sir," Ho Sung Lee called.
"About what we talked about before our meal."
Min Sung looked at Ho Sung Lee, and Ho Sung Lee continued, "About my change."
"I'm not interested."
"Please hear me out."
Min Sung put down his coffee cup and looked at Ho Sung Lee.
That was his way of saying keep going.
"I thought about what you said about how I'm not even worth 1 person."
"So?"
"I couldn't come up with a solution."
Min Sung knitted his brows, but Ho Sung Lee continued without pausing,
"I decided I don't have enough
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potential right now to satisfy your expectations, so I thought I had to change myself first. I was a really bad human being. I was just trash in a dark alley. How can a person like that shine brightly? On top of that, my light wouldn't even shine beside a person as bright as you."
"So you're just going to despise yourself?"
"No, I'm saying I won't be swayed anymore. No matter what you say, I won't let myself get caught up in the past and just move toward the future."
"How?"
"I decided to change my ways. Trying to get stronger to assist you would just be like hitting a rock with an egg, so I decided to change paths. I'm just going to give it my all at being your best supporter."
Min Sung smiled and picked up his coffee again.
Ho Sung Lee continued, "I received compensation from Central Institute. They gave me money for losing my weapon and fighting with my life. I don't know if I deserve that money, but she said I had no reason to refuse it, so I accepted it, and I used that money to change my special skill."
"To supporter?"
"That's right."
"So you've given up. You gave up because you decided you can't overcome a limit."
"No, I thought about this carefully and made the right decision. I acknowledged my limits, accepted it, and devised a new strategy for my next step."
"Okay, but there won't be much of a difference even if you changed your special kill to supporter."
"But there's the weapon of a changed mindset."
"Changed mindset?"
"Yes. The power of a changed mindset will help you more than you think."
"…"
"I didn't know this, but General Kim of Central Institute told me that I'm pretty smart, and that's what made me realize that if I used my brains, it could actually become a fairly sharp weapon."
"You think you can make better decisions than me in terms of combat?"
"Even for you, it's impossible to always make perfect decisions. In the skill change that I've made are also those kinds of abilities. Let me become your shortcuts and your new direction."
"Where is this confidence coming from?"
Ho Sung Lee laughed.
"At first, I thought you only brought me around for meals, but I later realized why you actually picked me. I don't think you would've picked me just for food recommendations. I know you're not that kind of person."
Ho Sung Lee continued, "And something else I realized was that no matter how lacking I am, I have to have confidence in order to reap the results that you want."
"Baseless confidence will only bring upon harm."
"I know, so I'm going to prove to you that I've grown. You'll see it soon enough."
Min Sung slowly got up and looked down at Ho Sung Lee with cold eyes.
Ho Sung Lee confidently accepted the gaze unlike before.
Min Sung grabbed his coffee and smirked.
"I guess you won't have to sleep in the yard anymore. Congratulations on becoming a human being."
Right as Ho Sung Lee smiled…
"But."
Min Sung cut off Ho Sung Lee 's smile.
"…"
"If you choose to use that sharp weapon of yours, don't make a mistake. If you do, that'll only prove that what you just said is all a lie."
Ho Sung Lee sprung up. He breathed in and out and then smiled.
"Yes, Sir."
***
While Woong Jang and Sia Jang unpacked their clothes and groceries from their enjoyable shopping run, Min Sung and Ho Sung Lee arrived at the penthouse of Grand World Tower.
Woong Jang and Sia Jang greeted them, and after Min Sung gave them a short nod, he immediately went to his room.
"Where did you go?"
In response to Ho Sung Lee's question, Woong Jang and Sia Jang didn't answer. They checked out Ho Sung Lee's outfit and exclaimed in awe.
Ho Sung Lee put his hand on his chin. He stuck out his hip and struck a nice pose.
"Don't I look good?"
Woong Jang smiled and patted Ho Sung Lee on the shoulder.
"Nice suit, but it looks expensive," Woong Jang said.
"I decided to go for it. This is my way of implementing my new mindset."
"What's more important than your outfit is your actual heart inside. You know that, right?"
"Haha, of course."
Sia Jang bit down on her lower lip and kneed Ho Sung Lee on the butt.
"You only bought nice things for yourself? What about us? Do you have a gift for Grandpa and me?"
Ho Sung Lee looked at Sia Jang in shock and laughed.
"Why would I do that for a stranger? If you want a gift, maybe you should start dating me," Ho Sung Lee said casually.
Woong Jang quietly approached Ho Sung Lee and grabbed him by the throat.
"How dare you say such a thing?"
Woong Jang showed a threatening face that he had never seen before, making Ho Sung Lee avoid his gaze immediately.
Woong Jang then let go of Ho Sung Lee's throat. He laughed and hit Ho Sung Lee on the back.
"I'm just kidding. Hahahahaha!"
But when he saw Woong Jang walking off, he knew he wasn't joking.
"Do you really think I'd date you? I'd rather not get a present then."
When Sia Jang elbowed him on his side, he got a text message.
Ho Sung Lee took out his phone and checked the message while still getting hit by Sia Jang.
At that moment, Ho Sung Lee's face was overcome with shock.
Chapter 196: Chapter 196
Ho Sung Lee looked at his text and gulped.
A website address linking to a blue homepage was sent to him by text.
And when he clicked it, it was even more shocking.
It was a fact that had yet to be revealed to the media, and it was top secret information sent from Central Institute that not even Shadow Guild new about.
The information pertained to the mysterious tree growing in Min Sung's yard.
"What's wrong?" Sia Jang asked as she looked at Ho Sung Lee's serious expression.
Ho Sung Lee shook his head to let Sia Jang know that it was no big deal.
"What is it? You look so serious. Did something happen?"
Sia Jang's face was overcome with fear.
Just like the citizens all over the world, Sia Jang was just an average person who was fearful after the appearance of the dungeons, towers, and devils.
"It's nothing. Really. Min Sung's telling me to start training again. Haha, I really like it out here though. Damn it. Looks like I'll be going into caves and eat garlic there. Sigh."
In response to Ho Sung Lee's annoying act, Sia Jang looked a little more relieved.
"Oh, you startled me. You always overreact about the smallest things."
"Hey, do you know how difficult training is?"
"I don't want to know."
Sia Jang stuck out her tongue and ran into her room.
After confirming that she was okay, Ho Sung Lee immediately headed to Min Sung's room.
As soon as he knocked, the door opened.
"What is it?"
Min Sung asked as he walked out of his room.
"I have something to tell you. Can we go to the terrace?"
Ho Sung Lee asked while looking back at Sia Jang's room.
Min Sung checked Ho Sung Lee's facial expression and headed to the terrace.
Since it was a penthouse on a very high floor, they could see all of Seoul within one glance from the terrace.
Min Sung sat down on a metal chair while enjoying the cold breeze, and Ho Sung Lee remained standing getting ready to brief him.
Min Sung enjoyed the view while waiting for Ho Sung Lee to speak.
"Sir, this has to do with the tree in your yard."
"Just get to the point."
"You know how fast that tree's been growing, right?"
"Yeah."
"As fast as it's growing… It's also absorbing a crazy amount of nutrients."
Min Sung knitted his brows and looked at Ho Sung Lee.
Ho Sung Lee continued, "According to the experts, it won't be long before it harms the crops, causing the ground to be destroyed."
"So are you saying that tree in my yard is swallowing this earth whole?"
"Yes, but that's not all. If that happens, the citizens won't look upon you favorably, and it'll cause quite the commotion."
"I don't care about my image, but it's a problem if it harms the crops."
Min Sung's gaze made Ho Sung Lee a little tense.
"What do we do, Sir?"
"What do you think? We'll have to chop it down."
Min Sung walked off the terrace.
Ho Sung Lee sighed and followed from behind him.
***
Ho Sung Lee held the steering wheel with Min Sung sitting in the back.
He continued to check on Min Sung through the back mirror and then…
"Um, Sir… Will it be resolved just by cutting down the tree?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, the citizens are pretty attached to the tree growing in your backyard, and if they see you cutting it down so suddenly, they'll definitely be shocked…"
"There are only two choices."
"Since they're still researching, what if we take a different turn instead of making such an extreme decision?"
"No, if there's a problem coming our way, we have to chop it down. That's how I do things."
Ho Sung Lee nodded and caught his breath.
"Yes, Sir."
When Ho Sung Lee focused back on the road…
Drip! Drip!
He saw raindrops falling on the window.
The sight of the raindrops made Ho Sung Lee's heart pound.
As soon as he saw the raindrops, it reminded him of the towers and devils, and that made his heart sink.
But he reminded himself that it was just an ordinary raindrop and attempted to stay calm and keep his eyes on the road.
He told himself nothing was going to happen.
That was what Ho Sung Lee
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believed.
That was what he wanted to believe.
***
Screech!
As soon as the car stopped, Min Sung got out and walked at a fast pace.
There were reporters and cameras flashing from all directions.
Min Sung entered his house while getting photographed, and the house was filled with researchers and hunters keeping guard.
Both the hunters and researchers greeted Min Sung.
When he got to the yard, he found the researchers as well as General Ji Yoo Kim of Central Institute.
"You're here," Ji Yoo Kim greeted brightly.
Her face looked as stiff as the situation.
Min Sung showed a stiff look on his face as he looked up at the problematic tree.
The tree was even bigger than the last time.
It was so big that he saw it on his way to the house.
At this rate, it was going to pierce through the clouds.
"Let's just cut it down."
In response to Min Sung's remark, Ji Yoo Kim and the researchers were shocked.
"But Min Sung, it's not that simple…"
"You said this tree is killing the earth. At this rate, it's going to harm the crops on this land, leading to the destruction of this land. You want to let that happen?"
"That's true, but there's something we haven't confirmed yet. We informed you of the negative impact, but…"
"Is there an upside?"
"We haven't found that yet…"
Min Sung showed his stiffened face to the researchers.
"If they're so crazy about research, they probably want to research rather than giving up on it, but how do you expect to keep your job by letting them have their way?"
In response to Min Sung's criticism, Ji Yoo Kim frowned.
Kaboom!
Ji Yoo Kim was startled by the sudden sound of lightning, and even the researchers flinched and stepped backward.
It was the sound of Min Sung's Durandal.
The researchers, who had never seen Min Sung with a weapon before, trembled in fear.
The researchers wanted to stop Min Sung due to their desire to continue their research, but not a single one stepped up.
"That tree might look okay on the outside, but it's just a parasite that's leaching off of this land. Don't get so attached."
Min Sung never got swayed in front of the choices he was given, and that made Ji Yoo Kim and the researchers grow pale.
They couldn't stop Min Sung.
Min Sung's eyes sparkled as he swung his Durandal so quickly that it couldn't be seen.
For those who were just watching, all they could hear was the sound of thunder followed by lightning.
They felt like they could be hit.
But in contrast to their worries, the magic power from Min Sung's Durandal disappeared without a trace.
Min Sung looked at the mysterious tree in fascination.
There wasn't a single scratch on the tree.
And it wasn't just Min Sung who was surprised.
Ji Yoo Kim and Ho Sung Lee were the most surprised while the researchers and the hunters were surprised as well.
"What's going on? Why isn't it getting damaged?" Ho Sung Lee asked as he looked at the tree in shock.
Meanwhile, Min Sung walked forward and touched the tree.
It felt like a normal tree, but it could absorb magic power?
Min Sung smiled and used his Aura in his hands to try to push the tree over.
No matter how big the tree was, the amount of power he used was strong enough to knock it over, but the tree in his yard didn't budge.
How was it possible for his power, which worked in the Demonic Realm, to not work on this tree?
Min Sung laughed bitterly.
Ji Yoo Kim and Ho Sung Lee cautiously approached Min Sung.
"What's going on here?" Ho Sung Lee asked while Ji Yoo Kim looked at the tree with many thoughts going through her head.
"That's what I want to ask too."
Min Sung clicked his tongue at the tree.
"What kind of tree is this?"
Min Sung let out his frustration on the tree while Ho Sung Lee looked at Min Sung in surprise.
Ho Sung Lee had never seen Min Sung like this before.
"Move," Min Sung said while holding his Durandal.
In response, Ho Sung Lee and Ji Yoo Kim flinched back.
Min Sung jolted his eyes open and stabbed the tree with his Durandal.
The Durandal smoothly pieced through the tree, but that was it.
The magic power that came from the Durandal got sucked up by the tree like a vacuum cleaner, and then it wriggled and began to grow even faster.
Min Sung took out his Durandal and squinted his eyes.
"Look at this thing. You eat magic power?"
Min Sung smiled and looked up at the tree.
The way Min Sung saw it, this magical tree was no ordinary tree.
This tree didn't only suck up the resources around it, but it was powerful enough to swallow the earth whole.
He sensed it as soon as it absorbed his magic power.
That this tree was dangerous.
It was nothing like its image, which was a guardian angel.
This dangerous tree was going to infect the earth, and it was bound to swallow the earth whole sooner or later.
It had rooted deeply into the earth.
But the question was why it appeared in the first place?
At a time like this, there had to be a reason.
'What's the reason?'
After much thought, Min Sung came up with one hypothesis.
"The Demonic Realm," Min Sung said.
At that moment, Ho Sung Lee and Ji Yoo Kim stared at Min Sung.
And that was when Min Sung was certain.
"It's because of the Demonic Realm."