Minky and Leon were both not only very cute and handsome, but also remarkably smart and had a unique charm that captured the viewers’ attention in an instant.
Of course, Lee Ji-an’s lively and witty hosting and Gu Eun-woo’s excellent filming and editing skills also played a major role.
“Ah… well, you see. Uncle has been quite busy lately…”
Sang-woong made an excuse.
“What do you mean busy! Aunt Miju is doing all the restaurant work, and Sister Su-a is helping too!”
Lee Miju, Choi Su-a, and the children, who lived in the same building, had quickly become close.
Choi Su-a was also influenced by Lee Ji-an and Gu Eun-woo and was learning everything from editing to general YouTube Channel management.
Since there was no place as scenic and nature-friendly as this Earth, she was preparing a camping YouTube.
It was clear that if she could get help from the ‘Ttua and Leon’s Happy Story’ channel and worked hard, she would be able to grow quickly.
“Uncle. I’m disappointed…”
Gu Eun-woo, who had entered the restaurant and was listening to the conversation between Sang-woong and Lee Ji-an, spoke with a dejected expression.
His face was sunken like a lump of lead.
“Ahem, cough. That… it’s because there’s been a lot of work lately besides the restaurant. I’m sorry! Okay? I’ll watch it diligently from now on, so don’t be like that. Now, now, aren’t you hungry? Uncle will make you something delicious.”
Sang-woong desperately attempted a reconciliation while watching the children’s reactions.
Sang-woong seated the two at a table and, without even taking an order, hurried into the kitchen.
It was just then.
The door opened and two customers entered the restaurant.
Looking for an empty table, they spotted a table with a reserved seat sign and sat down in that spot without hesitation.
Seeing this from the kitchen, Sang-woong let out a small sigh and went out to the hall alone.
After changing it to reserved seating, there were customers like this several times a day.
He spoke to the customers with the most benevolent and kind face possible.
“Customers, I’m sorry, but this seat is already reserved.”
However, one of the two customers frowned and replied bluntly.
“No, there’s clearly an empty seat here. Just let us sit. We don’t have time. Are you telling us to wait until the reserved guests come or what?”
Sang-woong maintained his composure and explained politely once more.
“I am truly sorry, but this seat is operated as a reserved seat for children in need in the neighborhood. If you wish to dine, please wait a moment for another seat to become available, or please come back next time.”
The customer made an even more unpleasant expression at Sang-woong’s words and had no intention of getting up from the seat.
“What? Is that any way to talk to a customer who specially came from far away because they heard it was delicious? Do you have any intention of doing business or not? Don’t talk nonsense and just bring the menu!”
A voice full of arrogance and irritation echoed through the restaurant.
Sang-woong had a way to instantly suppress such unreasonable customers without a complicated scuffle.
It was by releasing the Hunter’s Aura.
As Sang-woong caught his breath and released an overwhelming Hunter’s Aura even very slightly into the space, the faces of the customers who were causing a disturbance turned pale in an instant.
Their bodies froze and they couldn’t say anything more, and soon, with trembling hands, they got up from their seats and fled out of the restaurant as if running away.
Watching this whole scene, Lee Ji-an and Gu Eun-woo’s eyes sparkled.
“Look at that! I knew our Uncle wasn’t ordinary!”
Since the recent school incident, they looked at Sang-woong like some kind of hero or superhuman.
In this way, the backlash from some customers regarding the reserved seats continued.
There were customers who openly hurled insults saying he had become arrogant, customers who intentionally picked fights, and even customers who threatened to ruin the restaurant’s business by writing bad reviews on the internet.
But Sang-woong didn’t care at all.
The Gentle Breeze Restaurant was a restaurant for the children who needed his help and for the nearby regulars, not a place to be concerned about the reputation of such transient customers.
If he had intended to run a restaurant for such transients in the first place, he wouldn’t have opened the restaurant at all.
However, Sang-woong did not know that this would actually act as a boon later on.
***
As the notoriety regarding the ‘Gentle Breeze Restaurant’ spread, the visits from customers who came blindly and caused a disturbance stopped as if it were a lie.
The power of the internet was indeed great.
As soon as he entered the Earth, Sang-woong felt his entire body’s senses change.
As if transcending time and space, the air was clearer and more refreshing than before, and the sunlight seeped softly into his skin, conveying a subtle warmth.
Every living thing in the forest was exuding a calm vitality and joy.
Each leaf shone vividly, and the energy of the Earth was transmitted to his whole body from beneath his feet.
The Elves who had settled here were spending peaceful days as if they had become completely one with the Earth.
Their dwellings were nestled in the embrace of the forest.
The forms, made by weaving the branches and vines of giant trees or naturally situated between roots, were more a part of the living forest than artificial buildings.
When morning came, they opened the day by playing string instruments with clear sounds in the sunlight or practicing piercing the air by pulling bowstrings.
The trajectory of the flying arrows was like a piece of art.
During the day, Elf alchemists collected the Earth’s abundant plants and crafted brilliantly colored potions.
The delicate mana emanating from their skilled fingertips further amplified the effects of the potions.
Elderly sages shared wisdom while spreading out ancient books and passed down the providence of nature and ancient knowledge to the young Elves.
As the Earth expanded, new vitality dwelled in the increased vacant spaces.
The Elves did not hesitate to plant the seeds they had obtained from the Ahoa Tribe and began farming.
Although Sang-woong provided sufficient food, they considered farming themselves a natural thing to do to live and an important act that contributed to Sang-woong’s Point acquisition.
Though not as much as the Ahoa Tribe, the crops grown by the hands of the Elves, who were no different from a part of nature, grew quite wonderfully.
The children ran between the trees like fairies, bursting into laughter.
Aria hovered around them, scattering clear laughter, and the children followed Aria with curious eyes, chattering away.
At mealtime, they gathered in one place and shared food made with ingredients prepared by Sang-woong.
Their conversation was not loud and was as peaceful as calm ripples.
In the sight of them leaning on each other’s shoulders or sitting with hands held, the deep sense of relief from finally finding a safe haven after long hardships and the sincere gratitude and trust they felt toward Sang-woong, the master of the Earth, were conveyed intact.
At the center of the Earth, the transparent Nucleus of the Land was still glowing faintly.
The peaceful life of the Elves and all their activities communicating with nature made the energy of the Earth even more abundant.
The calm vitality and life force billowing throughout the forest was a landscape more precious and beautiful than any gem.
Away from the threat of the Demon Tribe and the world contaminated by Magi, the Elves of this Earth were regaining their true selves that they had lost and were nurturing new hope together with Aria and Sang-woong.
After confirming the successful settlement of the Elves, Sang-woong attempted the expansion of the Earth which he had been putting off.
ã…¡ The conditions for expanding the Earth have been met. Would you like to expand the Earth? Expansion requires 300,000 Points. ã…¡
“Yes. I’ll expand it.”
As soon as Sang-woong’s words ended, the ground writhed as if it were alive.
The Earth began to expand secretly and at a noticeable speed.
“This expansion is quite large.”
The Earth grew so massive that it couldn’t even be compared to before, to the point where an exclamation naturally escaped Sang-woong’s lips.
But it was just at that moment.
A heterogeneous sensation that he had never felt before jolted Sang-woong’s nerves.
While the Earth was expanding, it was stubbornly blocked by something artificial, as if it had hit a giant invisible wall.
“What is this?”
It was a sensation he was feeling for the first time.
The life force of the Earth could not spread out naturally and seemed to be repelled by hitting a giant force.
Sang-woong took Leon and Aria and ran at full power toward the direction where the expansion had stopped.
Only after running through the lush forest for a long time could they arrive at the boundary of the Earth and the point where the expansion had stopped.
And the moment he stood there, he could know intuitively.
That his Earth had been blocked by someone else’s land.
The energy felt at the encroached boundary was not that of familiar nature.
It was a heavy, ominous, and cold Magi that seemed to suffocate everything living.
Before Sang-woong could even grasp the identity of that energy, the sound of horse hooves was heard from afar.
Thud, thud, thud…!
The sound rapidly grew closer, and soon several black shadows on horseback revealed themselves in his sight.
The leading mounted figure was wearing black armor, and several subordinates followed behind him.
They slowed down and approached when they discovered Sang-woong.
Sitting atop the horse, he tilted his head curiously upon discovering Sang-woong.
It was a gaze mixed with curiosity at encountering an unexpected existence and the coldness of observing an unknown target.
He looked down at Sang-woong from atop the horse.
His massive height reaching 2 meters and a muscular build that seemed like it would burst out even from the black armor allowed one to guess his overwhelming strength.
A gaze filled with a sharp yet unbridled aura, a charismatic face, and small horns sprouting from both sides of his forehead clearly revealed that he was not a human but a member of the Demon Tribe.
“So that… is the Demon Tribe.”
The moment he saw him, the name he had heard from the Elves flashed through Sang-woong’s mind.
The beings who had seized control of this world and established their own kingdoms, the Demon Tribe.
His Earth had directly touched one of the Demon Tribe’s territories.
Zrakan lightly jumped down from his horse and walked toward Sang-woong.
His footsteps were oppressive, as if weighing down the earth.
In every light gesture and every nonchalant gaze, there was a thick power and arrogance that instinctively intimidated the opponent.
It was an overwhelming aura that the existence itself emanated.
“This is surprising. I thought that ‘Earth’ had already disappeared a long time ago. It seems it was hiding somewhere and maintaining its tenacious vitality.”
Zrakan said as he scanned Sang-woong’s Earth as if it were interesting.
An absurdity and a slight unpleasantness, as if coming from between the memory of the past and the reality of the present, flickered in his expression.
And soon, the look of interest disappeared from his face.
Turning cold and serious, he stared straight at Sang-woong.
His gaze, filled with thick bloodlust, seemed to pierce through Sang-woong.
“Are you the new owner of the Earth? Hmm. You look very different from the humans I used to know.”
Zrakan showed a momentary look of curiosity as he saw Sang-woong’s short hair and the modern clothes he was wearing, but soon cold contempt filled those eyes again.
To him, humans were merely inferior beings, slaves that they commanded.
The unfamiliar atmosphere Sang-woong gave off brought him a sense of heterogeneity and unpleasantness rather than curiosity.