Chapter 1432: Side Story 41
Chapter 1432 - Side Story 41
Omegitteok was Jeju Island’s specialty.
The memory was still fresh in Minhyuk’s mind. His father took him on a trip to Jeju Island. On that trip, they had stopped by a market and ate nothing but omegitteok. The omegitteok that he had eaten was the one made with chajo powder and had whole red beans as fillings. The taste of the sweet red bean and the chajo met and created a shockingly divine flavor that burst in his mouth with every bite. To this day, he still could not forget the sweetness that the omegitteok left in his mouth.
“CHO-RONGGGGG!!!”
“Grrrrrr!”
King Alrak was very delighted to know that no one on the continent would be able to look down on their kingdom anymore.
‘I’ll be able to get hundreds of platinum just by plucking this brat’s fur and selling it!’
Then, his eyes met with Minhyuk. A man whom he had never seen before was looking at him with disgust and contempt. This was the very same man who helped him and Cho-Rong.
Yet why would a stranger look at him with those eyes?
Of course, it was only natural that Alrak did not know who Minhyuk was. After all, Minhyuk had skipped entirely that part of the quest. “Hnggh. Brother, I’m going back home with my children.”
It went the way he expected it to! Alrak giggled to himself.
Cho-Rong knew full well that Alrak had been using her. Nonetheless, she seemed to be happy after she realized that his getting close to her was not necessarily just because he wanted to continue using her. Wasn’t it enough as long as Cho-Rong was happy?
[Your favorability with Cho-Rong has reached MAX level.]
“Hnggh. Thank you, human.”
Furthermore, Cho-Rong seemed to be truly happy that she had awakened her powers as one of the Three Sacred Beasts.
Meanwhile, Alrak glanced at his aide and said, “Aide. Let’s build a statue of Cho-Rong right away! And let’s also build a temple for her! Once people start to donate to Cho-Rong’s temple, then… Fufu…”
‘This man never changes.’
Minhyuk stared at the smiling Cho-Rong. He did not say anything. Perhaps it was because he realized that the reason why Cho-Rong was happy, having regained her powers as one of the Three Sacred Beasts, was because she could protect Alrak and the Valkain Kingdom that her brother cared about and cherished the most.
“Here. This is my gift for you. Hnnghh.”
[You have acquired the Four-Colored Omegitteok.]
The omegitteok that was divided into four small squares greeted him when he opened the wrapping cloth.
‘Wow! There are four kinds?’
The omegitteok had followed the ages and had also been developed by the people. Over time, various kinds of omegitteok appeared in the market. These were the four kinds of omegitteok that he acquired: whole red bean omegi, mixed nuts omegi,injeolmi omegi, and black sesame omegi.
What was surprising was the permanent increase in stats. The whole red bean one could increase the consumer’s STR by 1.4%, the mixed nuts one could increase one’s AGI by 1.5%, the injeolmi one could increase INT by 1.5% and the black sesame one could increase DEX by 1.3%.
Of course, these effects would not be applied to Minhyuk. After all, he would send these to Philos, too. The good thing was, he could still eat it!
[You Eat, I Eat has been triggered.]
Minhyuk applied the effects of the skill on the omegitteok before grabbing a piece. He could still feel the warmth from the piece of whole red bean omegitteok. It was so warm that it felt as if it were just freshly made.
‘Wow…’
Minhyuk was in awe at the system. It allowed him to eat the dish when it was at its most delicious state. He immediately tried the whole red bean omegitteok. He could not help but close his eyes and hum to himself as the sweetness of the red beans spread inside his mouth with every chew.
After gulping down the piece, he turned to eat another piece. This time, he picked the injeolmi omegitteok. Unlike the piece earlier, this one was covered with bean powder. A different kind of sweetness spread in his mouth the moment he took a bite of it.
The third omegitteok he ate was the mixed nuts omegitteok. When he took a bite, the crunchy texture of the mixed nuts immediately greeted him.
Finally, he picked the black sesame omegitteok. Taking a bite, the unique flavor of the black sesame spread in his mouth.
Minhyuk, who finished all four kinds of omegitteok within minutes, was left in both awe and admiration.
‘I think this is the best omegitteok that I have ever tasted in my life?’
He was sure that Philos would like how it tasted, too.
“Hnngh. This is a gift from me, as one of the Three Sacred Beasts.”
[The Three Sacred Beasts’ Blessings.]
[Many of the predators and ferocious beasts of the Grania Continent will view you favorably.]
[All of your stats will increase by 3% whenever you’re up in the mountains.]
“Thank you.”
Cho-Rong, who had once stared at him with vigilance, was now looking at him with genuine friendliness and kindness. Seeing this, Minhyuk cautiously asked, “By any chance… do you know if the rest of the Three Sacred Beasts have ingredients or dishes with them?”
“I don’t know all of them, though I know the ingredient that one of them possessed.”
Minhyuk’s eyes sparkled. “What’s that?”
“I heard that it’s whole belt fish?”
“...?!” Minhyuk’s mouth dropped open. “Who… Whole belt fish…?”
“From what I heard, it’s different from your regular whole belt fish. I heard that it’s a fat and meaty whole belt fish?”
That was much better! That just meant that it was heavy and had a lot of meat.
Jeju Island’s whole belt fish was usually spread out on the table, whole and without any cuts. Minhyuk already imagined himself scooping up some of its meat, putting it on his rice, and taking a bite. The thought alone was enough to leave him drooling.
“Which of the two has it?”
“It’s with Grania’s Sea King, Leviathan.”
“The Sea King? What kind of animal does she resemble?” Minhyuk asked, already envisioning a shark. After all, if they were talking about the ruler of the sea, it should be a shark, right?
“She’s a dolphin.”
‘Ah!’
Minhyuk had forgotten in that brief moment that the Grania Continent was modeled after Jeju Island.
“Of course, she’s not like any ordinary dolphins. Unfortunately, that’s all I can tell you,” Cho-Rong said, a flash of sadness appearing on her face.
This man was her benefactor. Nonetheless, as one of the Three Sacred Beasts, she had several restrictions placed upon her, and she could not say everything that she wanted to say.
Then, Cho-Rong’s expression turned grave as she said, “Be careful of the Immortals.”
“Immortals?”
Cho-Rong had regained all her memories when she awakened.
“The Mountain King Clan awakened the Mountain King by killing ten thousand tigers and sacrificing them. As far as I know, only the Three Sacred Beasts and the Immortals knew of the method that they used.”
Minhyuk frowned. “Are you saying that the Immortals deliberately gave away the method of awakening the Mountain King?”
“I think they wanted to awaken the Mountain King and use that as an opportunity to kill me. Those bastards have been hellbent on killing us in the past. It’s because they believe that they can gain power that goes beyond gods if they can take the power of the Three Sacred Beasts for themselves.
“You have to look out for yourself. The biggest problem with them is their level of martial arts and skill proficiency. Their standards are very high. I believe they can be considered to be on par with the gods if they descended on earth.”
Minhyuk nodded. He turned to look back at Rayden, the Master of Barriers, whom he had killed earlier.
“Did I kill him earlier? Just like that?”
Minhyuk had dealt with the enemies lurking behind the scenes before he came to save King Alrak and Cho-Rong from the Mountain King.
“Hnggh. There’s no helping it.”
“Alright. Then, can you tell me where Leviathan is?”
“I cannot disclose her exact location. But if you go to the east sea, there will be someone among the haenyeos[1] who knows about her.”
Minhyuk nodded.
“Benefactor, you’re free to come back to our kingdom anytime. If you come back, I promise to treat you generously and welcome you with great hospitality!”
King Alrak also thanked Minhyuk. After saying his goodbyes, Minhyuk left the Valkain Kingdom and headed toward the sea. While on his way, he called for the Mythical Bird.
“Chirp?”
The Mythical Bird, who alternated between Minhyuk and Philos’ sides, surprisingly had a good function.
‘It’s a very convenient feature! I can send money, artifacts, or items to someone far away with his help.’
Minhyuk sent the black pork samgyeopsal, the red banded lobster, and the omegitteok to Philos through the Mythical Bird.
‘Have a good meal, Philos.’
He hoped that Philos, who had run away from home, would be able to relax and enjoy herself after eating these things.
***
A man stood above the clouds. This man, Tae-Hoo, was hailed as the king and the ruler of all of the Immortals. He listened to his servants' and subordinates’ reports.
‘Originally, the Mountain Monarch should not have been able to awaken.’
The intervention of someone from another continent had created a variable that helped the Mountain Monarch awaken. If that man had not interfered, the Mountain King would have been able to devour the Mountain Monarch and turn into a stronger and evil Sacred Beast.
Even with this slight hitch in their plans, Tae-Hoo believed that there was no need to kill the Mountain Monarch right away. It would not be too late to kill her after they had killed the other two of the Three Sacred Beasts.
‘It seems like the foreigner is just searching for Grania’s dishes.’
Tae-Hoo did not know how the man awakened the Mountain Monarch, but he believed that he was no threat to them. Every single one of the Immortals possessed power that was comparable to the gods of the other continent.
“Who’s on the beach right now?”
They had deployed an Immortal to deal with and capture Leviathan.
“It’s the First Sword Won-Hoo.”
“Won-Hoo?”
Won-Hoo was one of the Immortals’ Five Skies and was called the First Sword of the Grania Continent. He was initially a celestial dweller, but he went to the Grania Continent with just a single sword and became one of the Immortals.
‘That guy has one eccentric hobby.’
If he were faced with an opponent carrying a sword, he would instantly ignore the realm of the sword that the opponent had reached and just go straight to mocking. Once he had mocked the opponent, he would then kill them.
‘That foreigner is going to be left in a pitiful state.’ Tae-Hoo smirked.
***
No matter how much she thought about it, Haenyeo Ok-Chun still found it ridiculous. She had gone on a trip to a village that was farther away from the sea. Because it was far, the trip had left her hungry. She had just sat down and cooked seafood ramyeon with the octopus, scallops, squids, and other seafood that was leftover from what she had sold in the village.
That was when a vivacious and cheerful man suddenly appeared and looked at her with lines of drool dripping down his chin.
–Kghhhk! You really know how to eat! Truly! Seafood ramyeon should be eaten in such a scenic place!
Ok-Chun intended to ignore the man and take a bite of her food.
–How is it? Is it good? How does the soup taste? Is the seafood ramyeon delicious?! Does it taste amazing?!
The words, ‘Please! Just one bite! Please just give me one bite! Just one bite! Just one!’ was clearly written on his face. Funnily enough, the man was kind and courteous and did not overstep his boundaries. Haenyeo Ok-Chun wondered if the man had been starving for days, given how he was acting.
–Please have some.
–Ey! How can you say that? You haven’t even been able to take a single bite of your seafood ramyeon!
Regardless, the man was already tasting the soup.
–This is so refreshing! As expected, seafood ramyeon has the most refreshing taste! It seems like you have added some Cheongyang peppers here, huh?
The man emptied the seafood ramyeon that she had made hurriedly as if someone would take it from him, licked it clean, and even handed back a spotless bowl.
–Thank you for the meal, Lady Haenyeo. I will definitely repay this favor someday.
Ok-Chun should have been offended, but as mentioned before, the man was polite. She could not just treat someone so polite harshly.
–Where are you going? I’m actually on my way to the sea! Can I go with you? I actually have something to ask you, Lady Haenyeo!
Ok-Chun spoke chicly.
–Can you return the favor now? Do it by not following me.
–Yes? What kind of wish is that? That’s a precious favor though…
–Just don’t follow me.
This much kindness was enough. There was no need for her to get involved with strangers any further.
Haenyeo Ok-Chun shook the memories off her head. Ok-Chun, who reached her neighborhood, suddenly stopped in her tracks. Her pupils shook as she stared at the beach in front of her.
“What… What is this…”
The bodies of dozens of haenyeos were floating on the sea.
“S… Sisters…? Sisters!”
These women were the ones who helped Ok-Chun, a wandering orphan, on her feet and taught her how to be a human being. It was not just the haenyeos’ bodies floating on the sea; tens of thousands of underwater creatures were also floating alongside them.
The beautiful sea that she had grown up on was no more. It had been dyed red with the blood of her beloved sisters and the countless sea creatures floating above it.
“You’re back, Haenyeo’s Child.”
A cold and sharp voice echoed in Ok-Chun’s ears. When she turned to look in the direction from which the sound came, she saw a man wearing a linen robe sitting atop a tree. The man jumped down from the tree, his sword dripping with blood.
“I… Immortal…?”
The Grania Continent’s Immortals were beings who were close to gods. However, they weren’t worshipped or praised. There was one thing that was confirmed about them. They were people who honed their skills and abilities until their power grew beyond common sense.
“Haenyeo’s Child.”
Haenyeo’s Child was the name that he called Ok-Chun.
Ok-Chun possessed a very special power. She had the power to gather all living creatures under the sea in one place. It was a power that was similar to a dolphin’s ultrasound. Once she sent this power, she could communicate and bring any living beings under the sea to one place.
“Call your friends. Once I kill all of those things, the Sea King will appear.”
“You… You’re slaughtering tens of thousands of underwater sea creatures just to meet the Sea King? Why… Why… Why did you have to include my sisters!!!”
Tears welled up in Ok-Chun’s eyes. These women were the sisters who cared for her and raised her. What did her sisters do wrong for him to kill them?
“Ah? Well, the reason’s simple. I was so bored waiting for you to come. When I asked them about you, they stubbornly kept their mouths shut. So, I killed them one by one.” Won-Hoo cackled. “Even though I killed them one after another, not a single one of them let a single peep, you know? It was such a tear-jerking scene. But it was so much fun! I wondered how long they would keep their mouths shut, so I killed them one by one. In the end, I killed them all.”
This person was the devil. He derived pleasure from the pain of others. Ok-Chun vowed never to call for the children of the sea for such a bastard. She knew that he would just kill them.
‘I have to run.’
Alas, Won-Hoo was already in front of her before she could even turn around. He grabbed her by the hair and laughed.
“It’s alright, child. When humans fall into extreme fear and terror, they tend to give in and follow my instructions. I killed your sisters just like that. You? You’re different. I will cut you up, b*tch. I will cut your arms and legs and let you float at sea with nothing but your head and body.”
Won-Hoo’s eyes, devoid of fluctuation, proved that he would do what he said.
“Let’s start with your legs first.”
Swoosh!
Won-Hoo, who was grabbing Ok-Chun by the hair, swung his sword at her legs. At that moment, before his sword could land, blood spurted out of Won-Hoo’s legs. He was forced to let go of Ok-Chun as he collapsed on the ground.
Spurt!
“Are you talking about your legs?”
Won-Hoo’s face grew ugly. He glared at the man, who appeared right in front of Ok-Chun.
‘The man who stole my seafood ramyeon earlier?’
The man smiled at Ok-Chun and said, “Your grace and kindness when you gave me that bowl of ramyeon? I will pay it back by offering you this man."
1. 해녀 - Female divers in SKr’s Jeju Province. They are representatives of the semi-matriarchal family structure of the island. ☜