Chapter 78: A Special Customer

The achievements Sang-woong had shown were nothing short of miraculous.

It meant he was even stronger than Kyung Taeyoung, the Guild Leader of the top 10 guilds, and Myungja, the so-called God of the guilds.

“An alchemist who can create incredible potions and is ranked among Korea’s strongest?”

In an instant, Sang-woong inspired a deep sense of awe in Kyung Taeyoung’s heart.

He made up his mind to never let this connection fade, to keep it going for a long, long time.

***

The Gentle Breeze Restaurant was bustling with customers as usual today.

The spicy aroma of stew and the savory scent of oil mingled in the air, teasing the tip of the nose.

The energetic conversations of customers and the constant tik! sound of hot bowls being placed on tables filled the restaurant.

Sang-woong moved tirelessly.

In the kitchen, he skillfully prepared food, and in the hall, he cleared empty dishes and served new ones.

Even at the counter, he never lost his smile while greeting the customers.

First-time guests couldn’t take their eyes off Sang-woong’s extraordinary movements.

His quick and precise actions were so impressive, it was as if he were using Clone Technique.

Today, Sang-woong closed up the dinner service an hour earlier than usual.

It was because he was expecting a special guest he had invited.

He had invited Kyung Yoon-seul, who had recently helped him clean up the mess from Lee Do-jin’s group.

Now that they were practically like family, he felt there was no need to hide this place from her anymore.

As the appointed time approached, the chime on the door rang as Kyung Yoon-seul stepped inside the restaurant.

“Wow. So you really are the restaurant owner. Honestly, I wasn’t sure until I got here.”

Kyung Yoon-seul widened her eyes and glanced around the interior of the restaurant.

“Welcome, Yoon-seul. Thank you for coming all this way.”

Sang-woong, wearing his apron, greeted her with a bright smile.

“Oh, no, thank you for inviting me to such a precious place. Here, this is a small gift.”

Kyung Yoon-seul held out a bottle of Whiskey she’d brought in her arms.

“Thank you. You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Please, sit wherever you like.”

“Yes.”

While Kyung Yoon-seul found a seat at the table, Sang-woong headed into the kitchen.

As he started cooking, she was drawn to the scenery outside the window.

“This really is such a beautiful place. And the air is amazing.”

The restaurant, set against the mountainside, was blessed with exceptionally clean air.

She enjoyed hiking and always preferred places with fresh air, but here it felt on another level.

It was as if her lungs were being thoroughly purified.

If she could, she would have bottled up as much of the air as she could to take with her.

While she was admiring the scenery and the air, Sang-woong was busy moving in the kitchen.

The dish he had prepared for her tonight was Sanggye-tang.

He had selected the best Fierce-Horned Chicken, lovingly raised by the Kahuka Tribe.

The Fierce-Horned Chickens of the Kahuka Tribe possessed remarkable properties.

Strengthening the immune system and relieving fatigue were only the basics; these chickens even improved one’s constitution, increasing Mana Affinity as a special effect.

To have increased Mana Affinity meant one could absorb mana more efficiently and raise their Mana Slot faster.

Into this special Fierce-Horned Chicken, Sang-woong added Solaris Plant, which was known for its superb effects on skin beauty, and carefully simmered the Sanggye-tang.

As it simmered with a bubbling sound, the savory aroma filled the kitchen.

A little while later, Sang-woong brought a steaming Bowl of Sanggye-tang, along with some side dishes, and placed it in front of Kyung Yoon-seul.

“Wow… Sanggye-tang! I really love Sanggye-tang.”

Inhaling the aromatic steam rising from the Bowl, Kyung Yoon-seul beamed with happiness.

“This is a Sanggye-tang I made especially for you, Yoon-seul. I hope it suits your taste. Please, try it.”

At Sang-woong’s words—“I made it especially for you”—Kyung Yoon-seul’s eyes sparkled.

The thought that such an amazing person had gone to all this trouble just for her made her feel like a truly special customer, lifting her spirits sky-high.

Kyung Yoon-seul scooped up some broth and tasted it first.

The moment the hot broth spread across her mouth, a deep, rich flavor enveloped her tongue.

Then she tasted the chicken.

As soon as it entered her mouth, the tender meat and sticky glutinous rice melted together in perfect harmony.

This was no ordinary delicious Sanggye-tang.

From deep within her body, a warm energy seemed to rise up—a flavor with a distinctly special effect.

“Wow…”

Kyung Yoon-seul felt as if she were experiencing a whole new world of Sanggye-tang.

It made her think that all the Sanggye-tang she’d eaten until now hadn’t been the “real thing.”

A sigh of delight and amazement unconsciously escaped her lips.

“Sang-woong, this Sanggye-tang is really… truly delicious! Out of all the Sanggye-tang I’ve ever had in my life, this is by far the best!”

She showered him with praise, giving him a big thumbs-up.

“I’m glad I went to the trouble to make something special. I’m relieved you like it.”

Sang-woong smiled warmly, truly pleased by her heartfelt compliments.

Kyung Yoon-seul, forgetting her manners, raised the Bowl with both hands and drank every last drop of the broth.

Her face flushed red from the heat, but she didn’t care, focusing on finishing even the very last drop.

Setting down the empty Bowl, she let out a satisfied sigh and patted her stomach.

“Ah… that was wonderful.”

Her eyes were still sparkling with the lingering delight of the Sanggye-tang’s enchanting flavor and its special effect.

After the meal, Sang-woong brought out a box containing a hundred glass bottles and placed it on the table.

“Here, I prepared this as a token of my thanks.”

“What’s this?”

Kyung Yoon-seul’s eyes widened as she asked.

Inside the glass bottles was a clear liquid.

“It’s a Healing Potion.”

Sang-woong had simmered down the fruit of the Coral Tree—which had even cured Gu Eun-woo’s heart disease—into a jam-like substance.

This Healing Potion was quite rare.

There were only 1,000 Coral Saplings that could be bought to expand the land, and even with points, you couldn’t buy more.

On top of that, the fruit couldn’t be harvested continuously like mushrooms, so it wasn’t something that could be produced steadily like Detox Potions.

“Its effects are pretty good, so if you use it in an emergency, it’ll help a lot.”

Because he’d personally used it and confirmed its effects, Sang-woong spoke with confidence.

At his words, Kyung Yoon-seul was startled.

A Healing Potion.

For a Hunter, the importance of a Healing Potion went without saying.

There were few Hunters who returned safely from a Dungeon without the help of a Healing Potion.

The problem was that existing Healing Potions were only effective for first-aid.

They could quickly stop bleeding and help wounds heal a little faster, that was all.

But if Sang-woong’s Healing Potion was far more effective than that, it meant it could heal even severe injuries that existing Potions couldn’t treat.

This could dramatically increase Hunters’ survival rate in dangerous Dungeons, and play a decisive role in securing quick mobility.

A superior Healing Potion offered more than simple survival; it gave Hunters a strategic advantage.

“Th-thank you!”

Kyung Yoon-seul, moved, expressed her gratitude.

It was a gift far too great for simply helping with the cleanup.

“No need for thanks. This is also a very important transaction for me, so this much is only natural.”

At Sang-woong’s words, Kyung Yoon-seul was once again touched.

After all, the incident had clearly been partly her group’s responsibility.

But instead of blaming or rebuking them, Sang-woong had understood the situation and strengthened his ties with them even further.

“It’ll get hard to drive if it gets any darker—maybe I should start heading back now?”

She glanced at the clock with regret.

“It’s such a shame. If only I didn’t have to drive, I’d love to have a drink with you.”

She gave him a playful wink, expressing her regret.

Sang-woong carried the box of Healing Potions to her car.

“Thank you, Sang-woong. I’ll come by often from now on. Even aside from you, the scenery and air here are so good, just being here feels like healing.”

“You’re welcome anytime. I’ll even set up a house where you can stay comfortably, Yoon-seul.”

After opening the restaurant, some friends had visited, but since there wasn’t a convenient place to stay nearby, they’d always just eaten and gone home.

Sang-woong was thinking of turning one of the buildings into a Guest House just for guests.

With such nice scenery, a Valley, and a Pond, he wanted to make it a place people could stay at like a villa, not just to visit him.

“Really? Then let’s have a drink together next time. Taking a break and relaxing at such a wonderful place sounds perfect. I should get going now.”

“Yes, drive safely.”

Kyung Yoon-seul, filled with happiness from the meeting and her amazing gift, started her car.

After driving for several hours, she arrived home.

But something was odd.

She’d driven for so long, at night no less, yet her body didn’t feel tired at all.

And there was another strange sensation. She could feel her Mana Circuit gently vibrating.

It wasn’t an uncomfortable feeling.

Rather, it felt as though her Mana Circuit was expanding smoothly.

And that sensation soon gave way to a sense of peace.

At that moment, Kyung Yoon-seul instinctively understood.

The Sanggye-tang she’d eaten earlier hadn’t been ordinary food.

The food itself had possessed the powerful effects of a potion.

“This is impossible…”

She couldn’t believe it and checked her own Mana Circuit again.

It was now much softer and wider than before, and the sensation of abundant mana flowing through it was clear.

Her fundamental abilities themselves had been enhanced.

Kyung Yoon-seul was overcome by a strange feeling.

Just a single meal given out of kindness had unlocked her potential.

It was as if she’d encountered some great, hidden power unknown to this land.

***

The morning of the Kahuka Tribe began with the sound of Fierce-Horned Chickens crowing, as if all the world’s cheerfulness had been condensed into their cries.

Especially the “Overlord,” the large-combed rooster, who belted out high-pitched crows every dawn, disturbing the sleep of the tribe but, for some reason, was impossible to hate.

“There he goes again! His voice is even louder than usual today, Huka!”

Woken by the chickens’ crowing, Chesko yawned and got up.

The Kahuka children, still rubbing the sleep from their eyes, raced off to the chicken yard.

In their small hands were, as always, colorful Invincible Rocks.

“Hey, Kkokkoya! Bbyak! Today I’ll give you an especially pretty stone, Huka!”

The children held out their sparkling stones to the chickens instead of real food, and the chickens cocked their heads in confusion.

But once the adults brought out real feed, the chickens instantly abandoned the stones and pecked away at the feed with reckless energy.

With their bellies full, some of the braver chickens attempted to escape.

“Oh, that one! It’s running away! Catch it, quick! Huka!”

The children darted off like arrows, but the chickens were masters of escape.

They were incredibly fast, and at the very last second would change direction and outmaneuver the kids.

“I’m going to catch you for sure, Huka!”

Frustrated but determined, the children chased after the chickens with all their might.

Eventually, one child finally managed to catch a chicken.

Unable to contain their joy, the child raised their hands in a victorious pose, while the other kids, full of envy, gave them hearty applause.