Bright red tomatoes bursting and dancing on the tongue, crisp green lettuce, the spicy scent of white onions, and the tangy kick of jalapeños.
The colorful vegetables looked like a painting, whetting the appetite.
He warmed the corn tortilla that would wrap all of it together. The soft, heated tortilla gave off a gentle aroma of grains.
Sang-woong piled spicy, glistening meat generously on the tortilla, then arranged the vibrant vegetables on top to look as appetizing as possible.
For the final touch, he drizzled a zesty, spicy Salsa Sauce, completing the masterpiece.
The moist red Salsa Sauce soaked into the Taco, boasting a truly heavenly visual.
Today again, the people of the land lined up in an orderly fashion to receive their Tacos.
Waaang! The moment someone couldn’t resist and took a bite of the freshly made, steaming Taco right there, their mouth exploded with diverse flavors and aromas.
The soft texture of the tortilla, the juicy and spicy flavor of the meat, the crisp freshness of the vegetables, and finally, the tingling finish of the Salsa Sauce.
This harmony of all these flavors made smiles naturally blossom on the faces of both tribesmen.
Especially when enjoyed with a refreshing carbonated drink, the Taco was the perfect combination.
“Fuka!”
The Kahuka Tribe’s boisterous exclamations erupted everywhere, and the Ahoa Tribe also shouted with joy, falling completely for the charm of the Taco.
The Tacos Sang-woong made with care became a delicious medium that further deepened the unity between the two tribes.
“Sang-woong, the Taco is really delicious, Fuka!”
Aruga, who had just become Chieftain, gave a big thumbs up.
“Haha, enjoy it. Today is a day for everyone to celebrate together.”
Sang-woong answered with a bright smile.
The festival continued late into the night.
Under the starlit sky, the Ahoa Tribe and the Kahuka Tribe became one, centered around the new Unified Chieftain, Aruga.
A night of competition and harmony, laughter and emotion, deepened as the festival went on, filling the faces of both tribes with hope and anticipation.
Like the taste of the Taco Sang-woong had so carefully prepared, their future would surely become richer and warmer as they respected, understood, and walked together.
The long story of the two tribes was greeting a new chapter, and only bright, shining sunlight awaited their path ahead.
***
After sunset, deep within a dim alley, damp and chilly air lingered as Heo Dongsik opened his last remaining bottle of soju and downed it.
The cold liquid slid down his throat, and the sharp burn spread through his body.
With a dirty, low sleeve, he weakly wiped his mouth.
His sagging shoulders and deep wrinkles silently spoke of his hard life. A short, lonely groan escaped like a pack animal.
Once, in the Underground Market, Heo Dongsik had built his own power, secretly trading Detoxification Potion with Sang-woong.
Now, his appearance was no different from a common vagabond on the streets.
The flashy self he used to be was gone, leaving only a pitiful figure barely scraping by, soaked in alcohol each day.
After trying to seize Sang-woong’s Detoxification Potion recipe with force and having his Mana Circuit shattered and his ankle crushed in a gruesome injury, he lost everything and fell into ruin.
The rumor that his Mana Circuit was destroyed spread like wildfire throughout the Underground Market.
Those who once bowed their heads or showed him favor turned away as if they’d made a pact.
Those who held grudges didn’t miss the chance—they pounced on him like a school of piranhas.
He lost all his wealth, and nearly lost his life several times.
Surviving this long wasn’t a miracle—it seemed more like a cruel trick of fate to make him suffer even more.
“Damn it…”
Staring emptily into the air, he muttered in a low voice.
His voice was full of deep despair and surging rage.
He, who had believed he would only prosper after gaining a foothold in the Underground Market, now wandered the streets in misery, ruined by a moment’s greed.
Heo Dongsik downed the remaining half-bottle of soju in one go, then, feeling unsatisfied, shook the empty bottle upside down, but not a drop came out.
His mouth tasted bitter, and his throat was parched and dry.
Irritated, he threw the empty bottle to the ground.
With a sharp shatter, glass shards flew past his cheek.
A stinging pain was followed by red blood trickling down.
“Damn!”
He roughly wiped the bleeding with his coarse hand.
The damp, sticky sensation only made his mood worse.
His eyes turned even darker and more menacing.
“All of this is because of that bastard.”
He let out his resentment through clenched lips.
Heo Dongsik cursed and resented Sang-woong every night.
All he felt in his heart was deep hatred toward Sang-woong.
Whenever something went wrong, he would, as if it were natural, blame Sang-woong for everything.
That seemed to be his only justification and comfort for his ruined life.
He searched his pockets for money to buy more soju, but all he found was a few coins.
The pitiful sum made his face contort even more.
Despair and anger, tangled in complex emotions, flickered in his eyes.
“Damn it!”
He muttered weakly.
If only his legs had been fine, he could have found a way to get money.
His life was ruined anyway—he would have stolen or robbed if necessary.
But with his ruined ankle, it wasn’t easy.
He had no confidence he could escape quickly if caught.
The only choice left was begging, which would completely crush his last shred of pride.
Even the cheap soju he just drank was bought with the few coins he’d barely managed to get.
But nowadays, with the economy so bad, even after begging on the street all day, the money he got was pitifully little.
His shoulders slumped even more as a deep sigh escaped him.
He used to spend money freely and be the object of everyone’s envy.
But the more he remembered those glamorous times, the more acutely he felt his wretched reality.
His pride felt shredded, and his insides twisted.
“Damn it all…”
Heo Dongsik gripped the few coins in his hand.
His hands were rough, and his fingernails were caked with black dirt.
It wasn’t even enough to buy a bottle of soju.
In the past, he wouldn’t even have looked at such spare change.
Now, unable to even buy a single bottle of soju, he let out a deep sigh at his miserable state.
The more he thought about it, the more something hot and fierce welled up in his chest.
He didn’t know whether it was uncontrollable anger or endless self-pity—it was a complex emotion he couldn’t identify.
His eyes turned moist.
“That bastard…”
Once again, Sang-woong flashed through his mind.
The start of all his misfortune.
If only he’d never met that guy, his life would be completely different now.
With his Mana Circuit and legs intact, he would have ruled the Underground Market and scooped up money.
He’d have walked a solid road to the future, but that guy destroyed everything with a single, cruel blow.
His fists clenched so tightly they turned white.
His shattered Mana Circuit could never recover.
His crushed ankle might get a bit better over time, but it would never move freely like before.
He was fated to live the rest of his life limping with a painful, crippled leg.
He shuddered at the bleak reality.
“Revenge!”
That single word burned in his empty mind like a red brand.
His dead eyes suddenly shone with vicious light.
But how? In his current state, he couldn’t even walk properly—he was a powerless cripple who could do nothing.
He felt even more despair at his miserable reality.
How could a limping cripple like him take revenge against a cold and powerful hunter?
No realistic plan for revenge came to mind, and deeper despair and helplessness washed over him.
He let out a long sigh.
“Damn it, even so, I can’t just die miserably without taking revenge.”
Heo Dongsik gritted his teeth, barely holding on to his shattered pride.
His bloodshot eyes revealed all his fierce emotions, tangled in anger and despair.
He was sick of barely scraping by, living off begging.
Sometimes he thought dying might be better, but deep inside, the fire of revenge hadn’t gone out.
To inflict the same pain on that guy, to take everything from him and cast him into the pit of despair.
He believed that was the only compensation for his ruined life.
Even though he couldn’t do anything right now, he couldn’t give up.
At that very moment, a brilliant idea flashed through his empty mind like a faint ray of light.
It was a perfect plan—one that could earn him money and drag his enemy Sang-woong into a hellish abyss.
A cold smile crept across his lips.
Dragging his injured leg, Heo Dongsik limped straight out of the dark alley.
His eyes darted sharply around like a starving beast.
He wandered from place to place, limping and searching through the darkness for a working public phone booth.
His steps were unsteady, and his breath came up to his throat.
At last, he found an old public phone booth and staggered inside, gasping for breath.
He carefully took out his tattered notebook and turned the faded pages, desperately searching for a certain name.
His hand trembled slightly.
Lee Dojin.
He was infamous even in the black market for being a vile and ruthless trader.
Just hearing his name made people around shudder.
For his own benefit, he would not hesitate to commit any vile deed; he was a cold-blooded man.
If he handed over Sang-woong’s information, Lee Dojin would undoubtedly try to seize the Detoxification Potion recipe by force.
And once he got the recipe, he would definitely kill him.
He would surely kill Sang-woong to monopolize the evidence and the recipe.
That way, Heo Dongsik could get his revenge without even dirtying his hands.
“Hello.”
A low, heavy voice came through the receiver.
Even in that brief word, Lee Dojin’s unique arrogance and cold cynicism oozed out. There was something so snake-like and sinister about it that Heo Dongsik shivered involuntarily.
“Dojin hyungnim, this is Heo Dongsik.”
As soon as he gave his name, a silence followed.
It was clear the other party wasn’t pleased to receive this call.
A humiliation he wouldn’t have tolerated in the past, but now he had no choice but to bow his head.
“Hyungnim, I have some good information for you.”
“Information?”
When Heo Dongsik explained his purpose, Lee Dojin finally responded.
Yet, even then, his voice was laced with a thin arrogance, as if looking down on him.
“It’s about one of the Detoxification Potions I was trading. This one’s really something.”
“Really something? What do you mean?”
“You know how Detoxification Potions usually taste like hell, right? But this one actually tastes good. Not just good, it’s like a concentrated meat broth. I sold it for six million won, and it was really popular. I know the alchemist who makes it.”
Sang-woong didn’t know this, but Heo Dongsik actually knew the location of his restaurant.
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