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Chapter 7
Countless gazes could be felt from beyond the fog.
The branches twisted on their own, even though there was no wind.
[Local Economic Activation Rate Rising Rapidly!]
[Imbalance in the Surrounding Ecosystem Detected]
- Monsters drawn in by the smell are heading toward Se-hee’s Supermarket.
Se-hee’s expression immediately hardened.
“Wait a second. You said the local economy was being activated, right? Then what’s this about an imbalance?”
At that moment, the wolf suddenly raised its head.
It lowered its body, keeping its tail pressed against the ground.
Until just a moment ago, its gaze had been cautiously scanning the entire forest. Now, it was fixed in one particular direction.
Grrrr―
This time, it was a warning.
Cassian’s brows drew together slightly.
Only then did Se-hee realize.
This wasn’t modern society.
Cassian, too, had already gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and was staring into the forest.
Despite his injuries, the killing intent radiating from him was sharp.
“Something is coming. Have they lost their reason after being intoxicated by the smell of the meat?”
Se-hee clenched her teeth as she looked back and forth between the sizzling grill and the darkness of the forest.
The dreams of countless gold coins and points she had been imagining only moments ago were suddenly turning into a survival story.
Then, a sound came from the other side of the forest.
The sound seeped through the damp fog.
Rustle, thud.
It was the sound of a tree branch being crushed.
“They’re coming.”
Cassian muttered briefly as he adjusted his grip on his sword.
A cold aura settled over his pale face, made even paler by his injuries.
But Se-hee, who should have been standing behind him, was doing something completely unrelated.
She carefully packed the remaining pieces of pork belly into an airtight container and closed the lid of the ssamjang with a satisfying click.
“Seriously, they all came because they smelled the pork belly?”
The tips of Se-hee’s fingers trembled slightly.
“Hey, you definitely said it earlier, right? That the local economic activation rate was going up. But what kind of economic activation is this?”
She deliberately straightened her back and stood up.
Fortunately, Cassian did not notice her legs trembling.
The system remained silent for quite a while after Se-hee spoke. Then, glowing with a cold blue light, it displayed its answer.
[An explosive increase in demand raises the value of a region.
The current Monster Forest branch is emerging as the most valuable landmark within the forest.
“Don’t give me that landmark nonsense!”
Se-hee gritted her teeth and stared beyond the fog, lowering her voice as much as possible.
“Do these look like customers coming to try a popular restaurant?! They’re predators coming to eat me!”
In response to Se-hee’s objection, the system’s letters appeared slowly, one character at a time, almost as if it were mocking her.
[Protecting the store owner is recommended, not mandatory.]
“What……?”
Se-hee felt as if she had just been hit hard in the back of the head.
“No, seriously. This thing has absolutely no sense of business ethics.”
Se-hee frowned deeply as she muttered.
“If you recommend it, shouldn’t you actually do something about it?”
Cassian, unable to hear what Se-hee was saying, was momentarily stunned by her reaction.
The monsters were surrounding the tent, yet she was getting irritated while closing the lid of a sauce container.
‘She doesn’t even blink.’
Cassian’s eyes wavered.
There were very few beings who could remain this calm in a situation like this.
In reality, Se-hee was screaming internally.
‘Aaaaaah! Damn system!’
It was all thanks to the poker face she had developed during her three years on the sales support team.
To her, the potential loss was more important than fear.
Just then, as if it had been waiting for the perfect moment, a system window appeared in her field of vision.
[System Upgrade Mission: Convenience Store Stage]
Completion Rewards
• Unlock New Functions (Including Security System)
• Greatly Increased Store Operation Efficiency
• Expansion of Civilization Level
※ Detailed conditions cannot currently be confirmed.
“An upgrade? In the middle of this mess?”
Se-hee’s eyes happened to land on the word “security system,” and her expression changed.
Right now, she only had this shabby tent, so there was nothing she could do to stop those troublesome monsters from coming right up to her.
But if she got a proper security system, she might be able to take strong measures, such as banning them from entering.
“Fine, then hurry up and give me the conditions!”
She shouted toward the empty air.
Her tone was almost angry, but she was also desperate.
When Se-hee shouted into the air, Cassian shuddered again.
It looked as if she were speaking to some invisible Great Spirit.
And then—
Something burst out of the fog.
BOOM―
The ground shook as an ogre appeared.
It was three times the size of an adult man and was charging straight toward the tent.
The wolf lowered its body, preparing to leap forward.
But before it could—
Cassian swung his sword at an invisible speed.
Slash― CRASH!
Only a faint black aura remained behind, like a fading afterimage.
The wolf stopped in the middle of its leap and landed back on the ground.
Its golden eyes turned toward Cassian.
Cassian sheathed his sword and looked back at Se-hee.
“Sei, I know that you are not an ordinary person.”
Cassian spoke seriously.
“But protecting you is still my responsibility.”
“Ah… thank you.”
She meant it sincerely.
When the ogre had suddenly appeared earlier, she had screamed internally.
For the first time, she felt a little relieved.
‘What romance?’
Se-hee shook her head inwardly.
‘He’s just protecting me.’
But for some reason, she couldn’t immediately take her eyes off him.
Se-hee shook her head once and looked away.
Cassian silently finished putting away his sword and looked toward Se-hee.
“You are not frightened. You truly have remarkable courage.”
“Huh? I was really scared. It just doesn’t show on the outside.”
“You are honest.”
“What’s the point of pretending I’m not scared?”
After saying that, she pointed with her chin toward where the ogre had fallen.
“By the way, do you think more of those things will come?”
“Ogres usually act alone. They are not a species that forms groups.”
Se-hee nodded and looked toward the tent.
‘I can’t let this man leave right now.’
She had no intention of spending the night alone in this forest either.
At least until morning, it would be much safer for them to stay together.
“Duke, considering the situation in the forest right now… I think it’ll be safer for both of us if we stay together tonight.”
Cassian’s heart dropped with a thump.
“Stay here… and sleep? Do you not understand the need for caution?”
“Yes. The tent is a little cramped, though.”
Se-hee stopped and glanced inside the tent once more.
“You did give me quite a lot of money earlier, too.”
Considering how much she had already received, she could easily include this level of service.
“Just think of it as a service that includes the lodging fee.”
Then, as the final blow, she added,
“If you refuse, I’ll feel a little embarrassed.”
Cassian’s face instantly turned red.
For the Imperial Duke, known as the strongest swordsman, this was the first time in his life he had ever received such a bold proposal.
‘Does this mean she trusts me?’
In the end, Cassian nodded.
“If you insist that much… then I have no reason to refuse.”
When he stepped back, Se-hee lifted the cloth covering the entrance of the tent.
The inside was even narrower than she had expected.
Once they arranged their places and lay down side by side, their shoulders were almost touching.
“If you’re uncomfortable, let me know.”
“This is sufficient.”
Perhaps because of everything she had gone through that day, Se-hee’s eyelids became heavy the moment she lay down.
In a sleepy voice, she murmured,
“Tomorrow morning’s menu… I’ll think about it after checking my points.”
Before she could even finish speaking, Se-hee’s head tilted slightly toward Cassian, and the sound of her steady breathing soon followed.
Cassian quietly looked at Se-hee’s sleeping face for a while.
His heartbeat sounded unbearably loud.
Watching the faint firelight fall across her apricot-colored cheeks, Cassian murmured very softly.
“Sei, you truly are an impossible person to understand.”
His gaze remained on Se-hee’s sleeping face for a long time.
“That’s why… I want to know you even more.”
The night deepened, filled with a mixture of tension, excitement, and an inexplicable sense of relief.
The early morning light filtering through the tent fabric tickled Se-hee’s eyelids.
Cassian was outside the tent, preparing to leave the forest.
“You’re awake.”
Cassian looked much more energetic than he had the day before.
“Did you sleep well? Your back must hurt from how cramped it was.”
“No. It was the most peaceful night of my life.”
His voice trembled slightly because he had barely slept at all.
“Thanks to you.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
The corners of Cassian’s lips lifted very slightly.
For some reason, that brief change remained strangely vivid in Se-hee’s mind.
Feeling awkward for no particular reason, Se-hee avoided his gaze, quickly tied up her hair, and stepped outside the tent to see him off.
“Be careful on your way down.”
He was the first person she had met in this unfamiliar world.
For some reason, seeing him leave felt much more disappointing than she had expected.
‘I hope he comes again.’
And seeing the color return to his face made her feel strangely proud.
“You remember, right? Next time, you have to come with your knights.”
“I will.”
After a brief pause, he continued as if calculating something.
“I’ll decide about the group discount after seeing how things go, but I’ll make sure to give you proper service.”
“I promise.”
Cassian nodded seriously.
After gazing deeply into Se-hee’s eyes one last time, he turned and headed down toward the lower part of the forest.
How much time had passed after Cassian left?
The wolf, which had been lying near the tent, suddenly raised its head.
It took one step forward and positioned itself exactly between the tent and the forest.
“…Uh, uhh?”
Se-hee, who had been checking her inventory, unconsciously held her breath.
“Hey, why are you suddenly doing that?”
More signs of movement appeared behind it.
The sound of leaves brushing against each other.
The dull footsteps of something walking over the soil.
Shapes gradually became visible through the fog.
There were deer-like beast monsters, rodents with numerous eyes, and small goblins crouching at the edge of the forest.
“……Are they lining up right now?”
