The man hesitated before sitting down at a table in the corner.
No one paid him any attention.
He raised his hand to ask for water, but then he saw the “self-service” sign in front of the kitchen.
The man awkwardly got up, went to the kitchen, and poured himself a glass of water.
A girl, who looked to be about ten, smiled and spoke to him.
“What would you like to eat?”
“Well, can I see the menu?”
“It’s on the wall.”
The man looked at the wall.
The menu was written in large letters on the first line.
– Rice
Usually, what was posted like that was the restaurant’s signature dish.
As he had heard, rice was the star of this restaurant.
– Stir-fried Pork (New Menu)
Only two menu items, and one of them was new. That meant they had only sold rice before.
The rumor that it was a restaurant that served plain rice with water and kimchi was true.
It was a fitting reputation for the so-called “drug rice.”
The man carefully scanned his surroundings and ordered.
“Do I have to order the rice and stir-fried pork separately?”
“The stir-fried pork comes with rice.”
“Then I’ll have the stir-fried pork.”
Wait. Does it only work if I eat just the rice? He was momentarily lost in thought but quickly came to his senses.
What did it matter what he ate it with? And how could he eat just plain rice after seeing the stir-fried pork?
He decided to order first and think later.
Satin turned to the kitchen and confirmed the order.
“Sister! The last customer is having stir-fried pork.”
“Good job, Satin. Go and get some rest.”
“I’ll stay here. The restaurant is more fun.”
Audrey looked up at Satin.
She was a strange child.
Had she ever seen such a bright and always-smiling child in the kingdom?
Audrey glanced at the new customer. He had a secretive look on his face. There were people with that kind of expression in the royal knights.
They had been on secret missions for so long that they unknowingly exuded a suspicious aura. That’s why some people on secret missions ended up revealing that they were secret agents themselves.
Just like the man now.
The man, pretending to look at the wall, read Audrey’s gaze. Is she trying to figure me out? She’s no ordinary woman.
It’s possible for a woman working in a rough place like this.
The man briefly checked his appearance. He looked like an ordinary office worker.
There’s no way I’ll get caught.
I’m a top-class agent recognized by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Raiding a restaurant like this is child’s play.
The man slowly looked around the restaurant.
It was indeed a restaurant in Jongno 3-ga, known as the crossroads of dimensions. The customers were all veteran hunters.
They looked rough.
Their levels seemed high.
They were the kind of people who would have given him a headache if he had met them at the management agency’s civil service office.
But surprisingly, their voices were gentle.
“Satin, is the rice a little soggy today?”
“Just eat it!”
“But I like my rice firm.”
“I said, just eat it!”
If he had responded to them like that in the civil service office, the building would have collapsed.
A burly hunter, who looked like he could crush three or four goblins with one hand, was beaming at the girl called Satin.
“Alright, I’ll just eat it. Actually, soggy rice is delicious too.”
“I’ll make it firm for you next time.”
“Really? Thank you, Satin!”
It’s confirmed.
They put drugs in the rice.
Otherwise, there was no way that kind of expression would appear on the face of such a burly hunter. But he was confused.
Was it normal for the effect of the drug to be becoming kinder?
Wasn’t it a side effect?
Even if it was a side effect, if it could turn rough and rude hunters into meek lambs, shouldn’t the government be encouraging its use?
A beautiful blonde woman approached with a tray.
It was indeed a suspicious restaurant. She was so beautiful that she could be a model.
But she was carrying food?
In this bleak restaurant in Jongno 3-ga?
Audrey placed the rice and stir-fried pork on the man’s table.
“Enjoy your meal.”
“Thank you.”
The man replied politely and watched Audrey’s back as she returned to the kitchen.
It was clear that she was an Awakened.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to withstand the mana of this rough neighborhood for even a day.
Then she must have a role. What was it?
The man looked at the table. It was a neat bowl of rice. The rice grains were glistening.
The stir-fried pork was very intense.
He could smell the smoky flavor and a mysterious scent.
Was there any food as familiar as stir-fried pork? But it exuded such a strange aura.
The man nodded, as if he understood.
This restaurant must have used a forbidden ingredient or a dangerous ability in its food. What did they hope to gain by doing so?
The man looked around again.
There were piles of rice bowls on most of the tables.
Many hunters were eating two or three bowls. It was definitely addictive.
The man carefully observed the kitchen.
The little girl and the beautiful blonde woman were both busy cleaning the kitchen.
The problem was the person at the counter.
The Hunter Who Carried a Baby.
He could make as much money as he wanted.
Wasn’t this a world where you could get rich just by regularly raiding dungeons? But he was picky about dungeons.
He only went into dungeons where there was a problem with the dimension. And he didn’t even take a fee.
Carrying a baby into a dungeon in the first place wasn’t normal.
The man stealthily took out a stick from his pocket. He pulled the pin and stuck it into the rice.
After checking his surroundings again, he looked at the stick’s display.
‘No harmful substances’
– None?
‘100% identical to ordinary rice’
– Just rice?
The man swallowed.
So he had used an unknown ingredient. He slowly picked up his spoon and scooped up some rice.
He stuck out his tongue and gently touched the rice grains.
He still wasn’t sure.
He mustered his courage and put the rice in his mouth.
His tongue was stiff with tension.
He gently bit the side of his tongue. He let out a yelp but managed to hold it in.
The man slowly rolled his tongue, examining the rice grains.
It was savory.
The moment of courage had come. The man steeled himself and chewed the rice.
He chewed and swallowed, checking his body’s reaction.
It was strange. There was nothing.
He looked around again.
No one was paying attention to him.
The man turned his neck from side to side to relieve the tension.
A cracking sound was heard.
His neck had been particularly stiff lately. It must be from overwork.
He hadn’t earned the praise of being the Hunter Management Agency’s best field agent for nothing.
Was he being too slow? Then he would chew properly.
If something happened to his body, it would be evidence, so it wasn’t a bad thing.
As long as he didn’t die.
If he felt anything strange, he would immediately take an antidote and press the emergency button.
Then the support team would come running.
The man took a large spoonful of rice and put it in his mouth. He chewed forcefully. The rice grains broke down, savory and sweet.
He began to feel something.
His senses of taste, smell, and even sound expanded delicately.
It felt as if every strand of his hair had become a tongue. He felt like he could lick the whole world.
He took another large spoonful. He greedily stuffed it in his mouth and chewed.
His eyes closed on their own. The stir-fried pork was out of sight. The rice was what was important. He had to feel this rice more actively.
He wanted to understand.
What was this rice telling him?
The man stuffed his cheeks with rice and chewed. And it began.
The fantastic roller coaster that sucked him in.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Kang Gyeol closed his eyes and sensed the flow of ether.
The calm flow was fluctuating in the Mapo dungeon. It was a simple dungeon change.
He didn’t feel any signs of a portal opening.
But the level had changed quite a bit.
For ordinary dungeons, it was right to leave it to the hunters’ individual abilities and choices.
That was how they could create opportunities for growth. But this kind of dungeon was a different story.
It was a situation where there could be a large number of casualties.
The number of Awakened was decreasing.
Even one hunter was precious if they wanted to get rid of all the dungeons, prevent the appearance of portals, and finally close the Sahara Gate.
Kang Gyeol opened his eyes.
There were only two customers left in the restaurant.
If there was a decent hunter, it would have been good to take them, but the timing was off.
Wait.
What’s wrong with that person?
One of the customers was acting strangely.
He was trembling and slumped over the table.
Kang Gyeol approached the man and grabbed his shoulder.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Someone grabbed his shoulder and shook him.
“Hey. Are you okay?”
The man opened his eyes and looked to see who it was.
It was the restaurant owner, who had been sitting at the counter.
The world called him the Hunter Who Carried a Baby.
The owner looked at the man’s face and helped him up.
“Wake up. What are you doing, falling asleep while eating?”
The man’s eyes shot open.
The world turned bright white and then gradually regained its color.
“Did I lose consciousness?”
“Yes. You should go to the hospital. That’s a serious condition.”
He could feel a breeze from his voice. It was a cool breeze.
Looking closely, his eyes were as cold as his voice.
The man opened his palm. It was flushed with blood. It was strange.
His usually stiff neck was soft.
He turned his head, and there was no sound.
Normally, there would have been a cracking sound.
The customer sitting at the table across from him grinned and looked at him.
“You slept well. It’s your first time eating this kind of rice, isn’t it?”
“Ah… Yes.”
“My head was spinning when I first ate it. Most people feel good and their bodies heal, but I was a bit different.”
“It must be different for everyone.”
“It’s different depending on your condition. The more stressed you are, the stronger the reaction. It seems to be a kind of counteraction to healing, but no one knows the details.”
“Stress?”
“Hey, owner. Why don’t you explain in detail? Are you discriminating against him because he’s not a hunter?”
“This customer won’t be coming back.”
The customer across from him let out a sigh and looked at the man.
“Dungeons are tough. It’s not easy to make a living as a hunter. But when you come back here and eat a spoonful of rice, you feel relaxed. You also feel a sense of accomplishment. By the way, you also got a good dose of the drug, didn’t you? Are you overworked? What do you do if you’re not a hunter?”
The man looked back at him.
The truth of the restaurant was finally revealed.
Drug?
This was a confession of a crime.
“Did you just say ‘drug’?”
“Of course. It’s a killer drug. Did you come here without knowing that?”
Look at this.
The man stealthily put his hand in his pocket and touched the special forces call button.
He hadn’t brought a recorder, just in case, but if he raided the place now, he could find evidence.
Above all, wasn’t he himself, who had lost consciousness after eating the rice, the evidence?
And the confession from that customer.
Drug.
The man looked at the customer across from him.
“A drug. Could you tell me more about it?”
