The Returnee Wants to Live Comfortably

Let's go for 10 bowls!

Hwasan Town, the neighborhood where the headquarters of the Hwasan Guild was located.

Even though it was a neighborhood in the middle of Gyeonggi High, it gave off a distinct rural vibe.

As soon as vacation started, Sang-ah and I arrived at this Hwasan Town right away.

"So your house is in this town, and your father's workplace too?"

"Yeah. Though, I've never really thought of it as home."

To Sang-ah, it was like her family house, though it held not a single good memory.

Others might think differently, but Sang-ah could never see this place in a positive light.

Even so, there was a reason we had to set foot here.

"The church was built somewhere over there, right?"

"It's quite far. It'll take at least 30 minutes on foot."

Since Sang-ah's metamorphosis was approaching, she needed the help of the church people.

We'd already contacted them in advance and let them know we'd be coming, so by now, they were probably waiting for us.

"But we'd better not run into the Hwasan Guild hunters if we can help it."

"Why?"

"Because about half of them have personalities just like my brother."

Apparently, even as a child, Sang-ah hadn't been treated well by the guild members.

The ringleader was undoubtedly Kang Yongjun, and the guild members who trusted and followed him likely picked up his bad habits too.

"But there are a lot of people here today."

"It's the day those fruits ripen."

"Oh, do you mean the High Heat Fruit?"

The reason this area gave off a rural image—

At the same time, it was why the Hwasan Guild had developed such strong distribution operations among the four major guilds.

Not only was it used as an ingredient for spicy food, but it was also suited as a strengthening item for fire attribute gear.

Even in winter, fruits like those would ripen in this town.

"It's really amazing that such fruit ripens in winter."

"That's why this season always attracts crowds. Just like now."

Sang-ah pointed at the scenes of the festival happening in town.

It was only natural to draw a crowd when such a precious fruit was ripening.

Spotting a souvenir shop nearby, I bought a Hahoe mask and put it on my face.

'They're even having a food-eating contest.'

In the center of the festival grounds there was a massive tree.

Looking between its branches, you could see red fruits hanging in abundance.

Perhaps to guard the tree, numerous hunters surrounded the festival area.

"Huh? Hey! Aren't you Kwon Sang-ah?"

Then, one of the hunters called out to Sang-ah.

The other hunters who heard the shout rushed in our direction.

It was only natural for the guild's young lady, home for vacation, to be greeted upon her return.

Yet, there was a sadistic desire mixed in their expressions.

"Let's go, quickly."

Sang-ah grabbed my arm and tried to take me elsewhere to escape.

Judging by their looks, I could guess why she was eager to run.

Without glancing back, Sang-ah pulled me along as she walked away.

"Hey, how's your mom doing these days?"

But at those words that one of them shouted, Sang-ah stopped in her tracks.

****

"It's been a while, son."

"It's been a while for me too, father."

A VIP reserved seat in a gigantic Korean restaurant.

A spacious table for only the most honored guests, at which two men sat across from each other—a father and his son.

Hwasan Guildmaster Kwon Yongha, and his son, Kwon Yongjun, arguably the number two of the Hwasan Guild.

Meeting after a long time, the two men wore cordial smiles.

"Things felt a bit empty at headquarters while you were away from the Hwasan Guild."

"Was my presence really so impactful?"

"Of course. No one in the guild is as noisy as you."

"I guess you're right!"

There was no awkwardness in their warm, familial exchange.

No matter how rough things had been lately, the mood between family remained harmonious.

"So, how have you been?"

When Kwon Yongha asked, his son lifted the corners of his mouth and replied.

"You mean the Hunter League? If you saw, father, you'd probably be shocked."

"..."

Hyping up expectations, Kwon Yongjun shrugged his shoulders and continued.

"It's been an absolute hit! I'm already on a 10-win streak this time!"

"..."

"Isn't it amazing? Thanks to me keeping up the wins, people are starting to invest in the Hwasan Guild!"

It was quite a coup.

Thanks to Kwon Yongjun's winning streak, the guild was reaping huge benefits.

Not a few must have been captivated by his performance.

He even had a fan club now, and was treated almost like a celebrity.

It was clear that his time in the league, since last summer, had brought great fortune.

"It would've been nice if Father could've seen me fight there in person."

"Sorry about that. Lately, there have been more and more people I need to contend with for the sake of the guild."

Kwon Yongha hadn't been able to watch his son's matches live.

He'd only managed to catch some broadcast clips online here and there.

"But I could at least figure out what kind of people you were fighting."

"Yes! They were prodigies from all over the world."

The opponents across those 10 victories were far from pushovers.

Ahrim Bent, who had single-handedly wiped out a horde of mutated monsters in Europe.

Gustos Treville, who supposedly turned a snowy Russian mountain and a monster army into a sea of fire and forest.

Nellie Douglas, infamous for collecting all sorts of blood wherever she went.

That's just three from the list.

To string together wins against 10 such big names, and not become famous, would be stranger.

"What do you think, father? Compared to that 'girl from wherever,' it's practically heaven and earth, right?"

Suddenly, Kwon Yongjun's eyes glazed with agitation as he spoke.

His face was filled with a desperate plea for recognition, a longing to be seen as greater than that girl.

Seeing such massive expectation from his son, Kwon Yongha let out a laugh.

"Hahahaha! Yes...compared to you, Sang-ah is nothing but a larva."

"Right?! I, after all, have elevated the mighty Hwasan Guild. Honestly, could Kwon Sang-ah ever accomplish such things?"

"..."

"Of course, she does have some powerful abilities—but compared to that brat, I was always far more stable. Just look at her! How many times did she lose it and go around smashing things up?!"

Words poured from Kwon Yongjun's mouth like a torrent.

When he looked at his son's eyes, which had shifted from desperation to madness, the laughter disappeared from Kwon Yongha's face for the first time.

"I must be better than that girl who loses control at every turn, right, father?!"

Yongjun missed the change in his father's expression and kept rambling loudly.

He was better than Kwon Sang-ah, so don't look away from him.

It wasn't hard to guess as much, but as for what Kwon Yongha really thought, it was impossible to know.

Still, at least his son's feelings were clear.

'Is it because of that boy, after all.'

The boy called Ma Seongjin, whom he'd first met in the hospital room.

He thought the boy was just a school friend of Sang-ah.

But there was something between those two that went beyond a simple friendship.

After meeting that boy, Sang-ah's power had grown to a degree that was incomparable to before.

The pace of that growth was so abnormal it couldn't have come about from a 'Hand's' teaching alone.

'Of course, it's hard to believe.'

A mere middle school boy made Sang-ah that strong?

Even Kwon Yongha knew that if you wrote something like that in a modern novel, the comments would be full of curses.

It was a situation with zero plausibility.

Yet, that situation had become reality.

To prove it... Kwon Yongha recalled shaking hands with that boy.

'Kukukuku... Even among hunters, that boy had power you'd call monstrous.'

A monstrous being like that was sticking close to Sang-ah's side.

How must Yongjun feel, seeing that?

Up to now, Yongjun had constantly tormented Sang-ah, enjoyed himself with girls or bullied Sang-ah whenever he was stressed out.

The Sang-ah he'd looked down on as a bug had suddenly outgrown him.

Perhaps the fear that she might even surpass him was taking hold inside him.

"Yes, you really are excellent right now."

"I knew you'd say that!"

"But, let me ask you something."

At that, Kwon Yongha lowered his voice and asked quietly.

"Why did you enter the league?"

"Excuse me? Well, that's...."

To keep watch over Sang-ah as she climbed higher and higher.

That had been the true purpose.

"But for someone joining with that in mind, you seem very relaxed."

"What do you mean, all of a sudden...?"

To his son's confusion, Kwon Yongha continued.

He said there were no signs that Yongjun had suffered any hardship.

"I wasn't able to watch your matches, but I do know about your opponents."

"Well, yes. They're all S-rank."

S-ranked, just like Yongjun himself.

Anyone would naturally see him as exceptional for claiming consecutive wins over such people.

"Technically true. They are all S-ranks... who have been away from the front lines for over a year."

"Huh...?"

"You understand what happens to a hunter—or, rather, an awakened person—when they go months without obtaining any karma, right?"

Without enough karma to sustain their awakening system, their strength erodes and regresses.

If an S-ranked hunter is sidelined for over a year, they'll have weakened to an A-rank level.

So, in reality, they only looked S-rank on the surface, and any achievements gained by beating them were little more than smoke and mirrors.

"You undoubtedly joined the league to train yourself. It's only natural, since I pressured you by comparing you to Sang-ah all the time."

Kwon Yongha had said this in front of his wife, Kang Minji.

If Yongjun lost to Sang-ah, his own position would become hers.

Hearing such news, Yongjun likely panicked.

So, it would have been normal for that fear to drive him to focus on even more rigorous training.

"But as for the current you... You haven't changed at all."

"What are you...?"

"Just what I said."

Kwon Yongha sensed the magic power from Yongjun's body.

Even now, he was still stronger than Sang-ah.

But for someone who was supposed to have devoted himself to training, there was no sign of real change.

In fact, it was more like he had regressed.

"You haven't gotten any stronger."

"N-no! I worked so hard!"

"Can you call playing with people weaker than yourself 'hard work'?"

"No, I... was just looking for proper opponents...."

The moment he began to pick and choose "enemies", he'd already stopped making an effort.

Realizing that, Kwon Yongha revealed his profound disappointment to his son, and Yongjun's face hardened, his body trembling.

Despite saying he'd acquire strength, the only thing he'd actually done was easy-mode bullying with no adversity at all.

Claiming to have tried his best despite that, was the height of foolishness.

"F-Father, I really apologize. From now on..."

"No need to apologize. I'm just giving you some advice. I never forced you."

"..."

"Besides, thanks to your league activity, the guild's position did improve quite a bit."

He was very disappointed with Yongjun's effort, but as a matter of profit, the outcome wasn't bad.

So, he was in a rather ambiguous position when it came to getting angry.

"No wonder there've been TV crews hanging around our guild lately."

"Most of them are here because of me, I think."

Those seeking exclusive interviews or aiming to film variety shows clustered around.

It looked like they'd be lingering around the guild for the next several days.

"Oh, by the way. Thank you for returning at just the right time."

"What's the matter?"

"This might be a chance for you to grow stronger, Yongjun."

Kwon Yongha's words contained a vague sense of foreboding.

And as soon as he heard what was coming, Kwon Yongjun's jaw dropped.

"A... full-blown war with China's Sura Guild?!"

"They're eyeing our territory constantly. Lately, it's gotten so bad they're invading outright. They'll bring their top officers soon, no doubt."

"If it's their officers..."

"Congratulations, Yongjun. They're all your rivals."

Kwon Yongha was happy that an opportunity for his son to grow stronger had appeared.

Although Yongjun himself seemed to shiver at those words, it didn't matter.

As the Hwasan Guild's number two, he would have to face this trial.

Crrk—

Just then, someone who was not a restaurant worker entered the room.

He was a Hwasan Guild hunter who served at Kwon Yongha's side, holding up his smartphone as he spoke.

"I have an urgent report, sir!"

"What is it?"

"This, this...!"

A broadcast was playing on the smartphone.

It was a variety show exploring local alleys, currently being aired live.

The setting was Hwasan Guild's territory, the festival streets of that very neighborhood displayed on screen.

"Wh-what the...!"

"...??"

Yongjun recoiled in shock after glancing at the screen, while Yongha let out a snort of disbelief.

But what they had in common was their dumbfounded reaction.

****

― Hello! This is Seo Gisoo, host of the Eating Alley program! Today we're in the energetic streets of Hwasan Town, a city as lively as lava!

The host on screen handled the broadcast with a skill rivaling that of top streamers.

Thanks to Kwon Yongjun's recent winning streak in the Hunter League, public interest in the Hwasan Guild had soared.

Not wanting to miss the flood of attention, the network worked hard to capture it.

With current trends as the topic, ratings were sure to be high.

― It's vacation season and quite cold, but we're here to bring you Hwasan Town's warmth!

Host Seo Gisoo led the cameraman toward their destination.

Even after broadcasting since dawn, he showed no sign of fatigue.

Every year around this time, Hwasan Town held its High Heat Fruit festival.

As so many came to try foods made from the fruit, the streets were packed.

― What exactly is the High Heat Fruit as an ingredient?

― It's a rare heat-element food that only grows in certain places. Fifteen years ago, our Guildmaster personally transplanted an S-rank Gate biome here.

At the host's question, a passing Hwasan Guild hunter replied.

It was also said to be a favorite ingredient of the guildmaster's wife.

― Why did the guildmaster bring that biome over?

― I don't know about that myself....

Information an ordinary guild member wouldn't know.

As they walked, a giant tree came into view—the very tree where the High Heat Fruit grew.

Events and contests were being held around the tree.

But then...

― Enough! That's enough, stop feeding me!

Apparently, a food-eating contest was being held, but the atmosphere was tense.

Turning the camera carefully, a platform was revealed, with a young girl atop it, scarfing down food.

A girl with deep red hair and horns on both sides of her head was gobbling food as if she had a black hole in her stomach.

― More, more! I'm going to clean you out!

The girl, beside herself with excitement, demanded more as if venting her stress.

A mountain of bowls stacked beside her shocked the cameraman and the host.

And then...

― Please stop! My stomach's going to burst...!

― What's wrong? You said you wanted to participate, so why quit now?

Below, Hwasan Guild hunters lay sprawled, enough that there could be more than two teams.

One boy was forcing food into their mouths.

― I'm sorry! I can't eat anymore, please have mercy!

Crying, one hunter pleaded, and the boy—wearing a Hahoe mask—grinned devilishly and replied:

― What, tongue getting heavy all of a sudden? It flapped like it had wings when you were badmouthing her mom.

Pointing to the girl gluttonously eating on stage, the boy continued.

Every hunter collapsed on the ground was a direct subordinate of Kwon Yongjun, all clearly influenced by him.

It looked like they'd been gossiping about the girl's mom and wound up in this mess.

― What's that? Mother and daughter—both vulgar lizards? In that case, let's see how cute the little lizard between your legs is, shall we?

― Stop! Please, stoooop!!

Their leader screamed in agony, as the boy once again stuffed food into his mouth.

― Kehehehehe! Let's go for 10 bowwwwwwwwwls!!!

It was a pandemonium of bizarre laughter and screams.

With no understanding of the real situation, the cameras simply filmed the terrifying culinary torture scene in all its misery.