Chapter 26 : The Taste of Negotiation

“Alright, I’ll be there soon. I’ll wait for you in the reception room. Pilapple? So there’s still some left, huh? Here you go. Nobody else really eats it anyway.”

Park Mi Sun ended the call like that.

“Kids these days are really bold, I tell you.”

Baek Yuseong’s sudden request was surprising even to her.

But there was a smile lingering at the corner of Park Mi Sun’s mouth as she spoke.

It was an irresistibly charming request.

The main reason was that last time, she had sent a box of fruit and a letter to the hospital where he was admitted.

This information deal was likely to turn into a significant achievement.

Back in the office, Seong Jeokpyo sat with a serious expression.

Park Mi Sun quickly managed her expression.

She erased any hint of a smile and put on a look of sincere regret mixed with helplessness.

“Yes, Mr. Jeokpyo. To reiterate, I’m unable to give you an answer on that matter at the moment. I will report to the higher-ups… but the chances are high it will be rejected again, just like last time.”

“…Damn it! How am I supposed to get the information then?!”

Jeokpyo’s face twisted in frustration.

His desire to obtain the location of the Parama Camellia Colony was not out of personal greed.

It was to help raise Red Eye from a gang into a respectable guild so they could live openly and with pride.

“The only way to get them officially registered as a guild corporation is through this method…”

It was Jeokpyo who transformed the gang called Jeokanpa into the guild Red Eye ten years ago.

He had purged those with bad records and those unfit for the explorer life.

But despite such painstaking efforts, it was still difficult for Red Eye to lead a proper life.

Not only their criminal past, but society’s perception of them remained unchanged—they were still seen as gangsters.

“Anyway, we have to get the prosecution and judiciary to approve this deal.”

Jeokpyo, who wanted to give his people a new start, had negotiated with the prosecutors and judiciary to erase the criminal records of all guild members and officially register Red Eye as a guild corporation.

Their rival guild, Seven Stars, was extracting narcotic substances from the Parama Camellia.

The price for that deal was to find evidence at Seven Stars’ drug manufacturing site and burn down their colony.

“I really can’t tell you anything right now.”

“Damn it!”

Jeokpyo regarded his subordinates as younger siblings.

He couldn’t give up, not even for those younger siblings.

“I’ll come back again.”

“Yes.”

Eventually, Jeokpyo left the office, leaving behind a trail of concern.

Park Mi Sun let out a deep sigh.

“Why do I feel so guilty about this?”

The information about the Parama Camellia Colony, which she had firmly rejected from Jeokpyo, was exactly what Yuseong had asked from her.

***

“Squeeze harder!”

“Uraaah!”

Jang Dojin’s face turned red as he gripped tighter.

In his hand was a Pilapple wrapped in a white cloth.

Yuseong cheered him on, his neck veins bulging.

Just one more.

Eventually, even the tough flesh of the Pilapple and the thin white cloth tore under the pressure.

The fruit crumbled neatly from just the force applied from the side.

Cleanly crushed into pulp.

“Good job. Just two more times.”

“Ugh… my hands hurt.”

Jang Dojin obeyed silently.

Soon, all three glasses in front of them were filled with Pilapple pulp and juice.

Yuseong took out some sugar from his pocket.

Unlike sodium carbonate, which was still easy to get, sugar was relatively expensive.

He generously put the costly sugar evenly into all three glasses.

“Ugh cha.”

Then Yuseong took out a uniquely shaped machine from the living room.

It was about the size of a person’s forearm, and he inserted a metal cylinder into it.

“Ah, and please give me a bottle of water.”

Park Mi Sun sat in disbelief in front of him.

“Um, what exactly is that…?”

“As you can see, this is carbon dioxide. See, it says 002 here.”

“No, I mean… what are you doing with it?”

“Of course, I’m making carbonated water. To make an Aid.”

Park Mi Sun felt her head spinning.

What on earth were they doing here?

(Revision)

As a former physical enhancement-type explorer and a mother of two sons, she had come to this position.

That meant she had passed through the ranks of the Nareumdae.

But among the many strange people Park Mi Sun had met, Baek Yuseong was the most unique.

Upon arriving at the Record Information Center, she headed straight to the center where Yuseong was waiting.

She heard that Yuseong was eating Pilapple while waiting.

When she hurried into the reception room, the first-time meeting with Yuseong was greeted with a warm welcome.

Then he offered her a taste of the Aid he was making.

Caught up in his enthusiasm, she unknowingly nodded.

“I thought there would be more Pilapple, but I didn’t expect this much. Haha.”

As Yuseong started making the Aid, he looked genuinely happy.

Though usually a bit blunt, his personality softened when it came to food.

Shuuuuuush.

Park Mi Sun inserted the water bottle she had brought into the machine, and carbon dioxide started pumping in.

In no time, a bottle of sparkling water was complete.

“This carbonated water maker was 1.5 million won well spent.”

“That costs 1.5 million…”

Whether Park Mi Sun scoffed or not, Yuseong carefully poured the sparkling water into the glasses.

He added some pre-sliced Pilapple pieces, then mixed in sugar and juice well with a stir.

“All done.”

Yuseong handed a glass to Park Mi Sun like a professional bartender.

She stared at the glass with a strange expression.

It wasn’t that she suspected poison.

Thanks to Yuseong, she had tasted Pilapple a few times and knew its flavor well.

It was just the passion for food she saw nowadays seemed foreign.

“It might be a little sour, but I added sugar, so it should be fine.”

“You’re the guest here. We should be the ones treating you.”

“No, it’s fine. Thanks to you, I’ve been able to eat Pilapple as much as I want.”

It was the first time Park Mi Sun drank directly with Baek Yuseong.

Confident in her ability to read people, she still couldn’t penetrate the young man’s true intentions.

From his passion for food, he seemed just the right age.

But there was an indescribable aura difficult to grasp.

It was an otherworldly atmosphere rarely found in young, talented, and handsome men.

“Well then, I’ll enjoy it.”

As the conversation progressed, she would understand more about her counterpart.

Without much thought, she raised the glass and took a sip.

And…

Ting! Clink.

The clear sound of ice cubes clinking together as the Pilapple Aid flowed into her mouth.

The drink was filled with the fresh scent of Pilapple.

Chrrrttt.

It sounded as if a fresh breeze was passing through a forest or waves breaking on a clear day by the sea.

The sparkling bubbles popped in her mouth, delivering a tangy and sweet taste that stimulated her tongue.

Some people drank carbonated water for their health, but this was an unfamiliar texture for her.

Gulp.

Was it cool or sharp?

Even swallowing it felt vivid.

Park Mi Sun muttered absentmindedly while holding the glass.

“Delicious…”

She was surprised at herself for saying that.

When was the last time she said “delicious”?

Probably after sharing the last remaining food with her family post-Great Cataclysm.

[Stone Resistance has slightly increased.]

[Stone Resistance has slightly increased.]

[Stone Resistance has slightly increased.]

Yuseong also happily emptied his glass.

They made three servings of Pilapple Aid and enjoyed its exploratory effects for three people.

Stone Resistance, which was hard to raise in Duktak, had risen considerably.

“Thank you, Yuseong-nim.”

“It’s nothing much.”

Park Mi Sun’s eyes were already quite emotional.

Though Yuseong had brought the carbonated water maker himself, the main ingredient, Pilapple, had been sourced from the exploration team.

After all, nothing was sweeter than spending someone else’s money.

Now it was time to get to the main topic.

“I’m requesting information on the Parama Camellia Colony this time.”

“Ah, yes.”

Park Mi Sun was taken aback.

Was it the taste of the Pilapple Aid? Or Baek Yuseong himself?

She had almost forgotten that the very reason she came here was for that information deal.

“As you’ve probably heard from the center, that information is locked. In principle, it cannot be given to you, Mr. Yuseong.”

“In principle.”

“…Do you know why the location of the Parama Camellia Colony is locked?”

“Because the flower has hallucinogenic effects. I know there are people who abuse it.”

“Could you tell me where you heard that?”

“I have no obligation to tell you.”

Park Mi Sun looked up, but Yuseong didn’t push further.

Since Yuseong was a Returnee, he couldn’t answer either.

Park Mi Sun sighed, suspecting that Yuseong had obtained the information through Cheonghwa.

“Well then. At least this I need to know for sure. Why are you looking for Parama Camellia?”

Yuseong bit into the ice in his glass, then answered.

“It’s the root that tastes good.”

“…Excuse me?”

“You know potatoes, right? The Parama Camellia root tastes just like potatoes. A bit softer than domestic potatoes, but that actually makes it perfect for frying.”

“You need the Parama Camellia root?”

“Yes. The flower has narcotic poison, so it can’t be used, but the root is amazing even if you just steam it roughly.”

There was something about Yuseong’s rapid words that overwhelmed people silently.

Park Mi Sun was left speechless.

“So, to get this kind of information deal, it’s to harvest and eat that…?”

“Not eat, dig it up. Once you dig it up and preserve it, you can eat it whenever you want.”

If someone else said this, she would have dismissed it as a joke.

But Park Mi Sun trusted Yuseong’s words.

She had felt his passion for food through the Pilapple Aid just a moment ago.

And more importantly, she desired the reward Yuseong had proposed.

“And if we give you that information, what reward do you offer?”

“Yes, the method to defeat the 10th floor Hidden Boss Serpent and the Medusa Rat’s stone healing method.”

Those two pieces of information were what had brought Park Mi Sun all the way here.

First, the strategy for the Serpent.

The 10th floor was a floor that had caused huge despair among explorers.

Explorers could kill the bosses and advance to the next floor, but one day a hidden boss appeared that could not be defeated.

Many talented explorers lost their lives to that monster.

Therefore, all explorers quickly rushed through the 10th floor like a disaster.

Although explorers’ skills have improved over time, Korea still hasn’t defeated the Serpent.

The reason is not that the monster is ridiculously strong, but because it cannot be drawn out.

The 10th floor, composed of lakes and islands.

The Serpent freely moves through the water and continues hunting.

No matter how skilled the explorers are, they cannot catch a monster hiding underwater.

“I know exactly how to draw the Serpent out. I can put my entire fortune as a deposit.”

If the deposit was proven false, all of it would be seized.

Moreover, he could face judicial action, but Yuseong was confident.

“Honestly, it’s tempting information. Why would anyone give such valuable info?”

“That thing chases away all the small fish, so the 10th floor ecosystem is a mess. I can’t catch it alone. And more than anything…”

“Hm… More than anything?”

“That Serpent… I bet it tastes really good.”

Saying so, Yuseong licked his lips.

Park Mi Sun didn’t know, but Yuseong had already tasted Serpent meat once before returning.

There was only one specimen, so if you caught it once, you couldn’t eat it again.

Last time, he bought a carcass and grilled it, but this time, he was determined to catch it himself and eat it sashimi style.

“And what about the stone healing method for Medusa Rat?”

Park Mi Sun asked about the second piece of information.

Medusa Rats were another headache the explorers couldn’t solve.

They were small demon-like creatures living in groups.

One or two were not dangerous, but if you encountered a group, you would turn to stone in an instant.

Stone Resistance was the hardest to raise compared to other resistances, and unlike poison or burns, there was no healing method.

Stone was the number one cause of explorer deaths on the lower floors of the 10th floor.

“That, I can tell you now.”

“R-Right now?”

“Yes, it’s nothing special, but please consider my proposal positively.”

“If you share that information, I’ll stake my position and make sure the deal goes through.”

Park Mi Sun’s enthusiasm surprised even Yuseong.

“Well then, great. What you just drank is the remedy.”

“…What?”

“Pilapple Aid.”

Park Mi Sun’s head spun rapidly.

But she concluded she couldn’t understand.

“Can a petrified person drink Aid…? They’ll need a lot of carbonation.”

She immediately realized how absurd her words sounded.

Yuseong retorted as if it was obvious.

“How can a stone person drink a liquid? Of course, you crush Pilapple and apply it on the petrified person.”

Park Mi Sun blushed and tried hard not to break the glass in her hand.