The quest was, as expected, about a chance encounter.
It asked him to awaken the potential of Boyeon, a close older sister to Wansoo.
The reward was [???].
A slight smile formed on my face as I looked forward to what would come out this time. To awaken her potential, I first needed to understand Boyeon’s situation, and for that, we needed to get a little closer.
Is there anything better for getting closer than delicious snacks and alcohol?
While the spirits, who had deactivated their invisibility in the park, and Byeoli ran around eating pizza and cider, I gulped down some beer. Alton, being a demon categorized as a spirit, was also playing with Byeoli.
“Kyaha — !!”
Having downed the beer in one shot, I beamed. It was truly, honestly delicious!
I used to occasionally have canned beer with snacks for a late-night treat or dinner, but after drinking this beer, I didn’t even want to look at a can. It was that much of a masterpiece.
the nuttiness of the barley and the refreshing carbonation were perfectly preserved, and the unique smoothness of the beer foam was maximized. It was so sweet that one might wonder if sugar had been added to it. Yet it wasn’t thick or heavy; it was crisp and cool…
(Anonymous 1): “It is truly the ultimate beer. This is insane. This is truly insane.”
I nodded at the Constellation’s words. When I took a gulp of beer just as my mouth felt salty from a bite of savory pizza… ah, I felt like I was in heaven. The draft beer made by the dwarves was that delicious. It was beer that complemented ingredients made with top-tier materials and top-tier cooking tools.
“…This is the best. It’s the first time in my life I’ve tasted beer like this.”
“It’s really delicious. Brother Jinwoo, it’s truly amazing.”
Eric called me “Brother.” He couldn’t exactly call me “Lord” out in public. In reality, I was the younger one, so it would be more accurate for me to call Eric “Brother,” but Eric insisted today that he would be the younger brother.
The look in his eyes when he said it was so intense that I just nodded along.
While Baekcheon and Eric were so possessed by the beer that they inhaled the pizza in one hand and the beer in the other, I looked at Wansoo and Boyeon.
The two of them were also in a daze after eating the pizza and drinking the beer.
“…This is incredible.”
“I’ve never eaten food this delicious in my life. Wow… this is a hit. It’s unbelievable, really.”
Wansoo marveled, saying he had never tasted such delicious beer and pizza. Everything from the flour in the pizza dough to the cheese used as a topping was personally crafted by the Father of Crops.
Since those top-tier ingredients were cooked in a kiln provided by Yulian, the pizza could only taste heavenly.
***
(The Last Cook): “The beer is one thing, but the pizza is also truly excellent. The balance of flavors is perfect.”
The salty and chewy taste, along with the clean flavors of the ingredients, mixed as they filled the mouth. Following that with a drink of beer was pure paradise.
Boyeon spoke while covering her mouth as if it were truly delicious.
“I love visiting famous restaurants, so I go out with my friends often, but this is seriously amazing! If you opened a shop, I think customers would spend their entire lives waiting in line.”
It was a compliment mixed with exaggeration, saying it was so good they would wait for a lifetime.
(Father of Crops): “It might not be an exaggeration.”
(The Last Cook): “Mm, the flavor is that excellent. In fact, in my hometown, there were people who waited ten years just to try my food and still couldn’t.”
(Anonymous 1): “Are you really at that level?”
(The Last Cook): “I’ll treat you to a meal sometime.”
(Anonymous 1): “Good. I’ll look forward to it.”
As a Hunter, Boyeon’s activity level was high, making her quite a big eater. Despite that, she maintained a slender figure, to the point that Wansoo, who often ate dinner with her, wondered how she didn’t gain weight. Boyeon was delighted to have found delicious alcohol and snacks.
“I made plenty, so please eat as much as you like. There’s still a lot in the camper.”
“Heok — ! Thank you!”
She smiled more brightly than anyone at the fact that she could eat a lot. She was someone who originally relieved stress through eating.
“You said you were a Spirit Summoner, right?”
Boyeon had asked Jinwoo if he was a Spirit Summoner while watching the pets playing with Byeoli. Almost no one would keep a fox as a pet, after all.
“That’s right. I have double traits as a Spirit Summoner and a Swordsman.”
“Ah… Wow, that’s incredible! What about your guild?”
“I’ve retired as a Hunter. I’m just playing around now.”
“Whoa, what a wonderful life. Haha.”
Wansoo was focused on eating pizza with Eric and Baekcheon. Boyeon also drank the beer like water while listening intently to Jinwoo’s story.
“When I retired, I was a C-class Hunter. Originally, I just had the Swordsman trait.”
“…What? Really?”
“Wait, really?”
Wansoo and Boyeon were greatly surprised. They looked hopeful at the fact that Jinwoo hadn’t been a strong Hunter from the start.
Jinwoo figured out what the quest meant by “awaken Boyeon’s potential.”
‘Her potential as a hunter literally hasn’t burst yet.’
This time, Jinwoo asked a question first.
“You said you were a Hunter, right?”
“Yes, I’m a B-class Hunter, but I’ve been active as a B-class for seven years. Specifically, I’ve been at Tier 5 for seven years, haha.”
Usually, Hunters grow at least one rank from the level they awakened at. Growth typically happens within half a year.
In Jinwoo’s case, even after several years passed, he never even made it to B-class and stayed at Tier 5 of C-class. That was why he retired.
‘Well, I had to retire for my health anyway.’
Regardless, even though Jinwoo was a C-class Hunter, he had little mana, no potential, and couldn’t even grow. He had retired for those reasons, but as a B-class Hunter, one had some mana and an acknowledged position, so there would be no reason to retire.
‘However, she’s probably feeling the pressure. If a Tier 5 B-class Hunter hasn’t grown for seven years, her position in the guild must be stagnant, and she has to watch her juniors surpass her.’
Even though B-class was a rank where one could earn a lot of money and be valued as a Hunter, the lack of growth caused self-doubt and made her conscious of others. Jinwoo understood that feeling.
“What is your trait?”
“I’m a Martial Artist. It doesn’t really suit me, does it?”
Baekcheon stopped drinking his beer and looked at Boyeon for a moment.
“Haha, it doesn’t suit me?”
Boyeon chuckled slyly and leaned her face in. Baekcheon, who had no experience with such things, cleared his throat a few times before speaking.
“You are indeed different from the Martial Artists I know. You are prettier and more slender.”
(Martial Artist Who Lives Death): “To think the Heavenly Demon could say such a thing. How unexpected.”
No one dislikes a compliment. Especially if the person giving the compliment is attractive.
“Thank you. Your way of speaking is interesting. I don’t mean that in a bad way at all.”
“I appreciate it. I came from abroad.”
Baekcheon spoke exactly as Eric had taught him. Eric had told Baekcheon to say he was from abroad if he wanted to explain the difference in his speech and appearance. The two of them had shared more than just swordsmanship lessons.
“Ah, you’re from abroad! Then the person next to you as well?”
“Yes, my name is Eric. This friend is Baekcheon.”
“Wow, you both speak Korean really well. Your names are pretty, too!”
With the delayed introductions, Boyeon sheepishly introduced herself as well.
“I’m Lee Boyeon.”
“I’m Kim Wansoo.”
“I shall remember it.”
“Those are lovely names.”
The two guests grinned at Baekcheon and Eric’s words. Their gazes turned back toward Jinwoo.
“Because I have the Martial Artist trait, I eat quite a lot. I move around enough that I don’t gain weight, though. I’ve tried various martial arts and trained every day to improve my skills, but even if my combat skills get better, my rank doesn’t actually go up.”
“I know that feeling. I tried kendo, too. I did everything I could to make money, but I even squeezed in time to learn kendo.”
“Did you see any results?”
Jinwoo answered with a bitter smile instead. It meant he hadn’t seen any results.
“Then, by any chance, how did you become an A-class Hunter?”
In reality, A-class was just the rank he told others; Jinwoo had already long surpassed S-class. He was an Irregular Hunter and the being closest to a Constellation. In a way, since he was already using the powers of a Constellation, he could practically be considered one. His strength was also at the level of a Constellation.
“…How did I grow?”
Jinwoo pondered for a moment on how to answer. Should he start by saying he was diagnosed as terminally ill and then awakened as a streamer broadcasting to Constellations? That as he traveled with the Constellations, he somehow became the Hunter closest to them?
If he spoke like that, he would surely be treated as a lunatic.
(Anonymous 1): “Thinking about it like this, Jinwoo’s life has been quite dynamic.”
(God of Rain and Sunlight): “There were many ups and downs. He experienced many things that an ordinary person would find hard to encounter even once.”
(Father of Crops): “Abandoned by his parents and forced to fend for himself from a young age, becoming a Hunter, and not only that, but becoming terminally ill and meeting us. He fought with Constellations, lived as a martial artist and a Regressor… and now he walks the path of a Constellation.”
(Anonymous 1): “Wait, putting it that way, you’re incredible. Jinwoo, what are you?”
(Martial Artist Who Lives Death): “His experience alone has already transcended humanity. In fact, one could say he has even transcended the Constellations.”
Jinwoo nodded briefly so that only the Constellations could see, then opened his mouth. Boyeon and Wansoo were asking with expressions full of anticipation. It was the story of someone who had suffered the same pain and overcome it. Wansoo was especially more expectant than Boyeon. To him, Boyeon was like a real older sister.
“You have to take a step away from being a Hunter.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ve realized recently that no matter what it is, sometimes things resolve themselves when you take a step back.”
“Pardon?”
They wore expressions as if they couldn’t understand.
“When you’re hanging onto one thing and it just won’t work, why not take a step back and try something else? I also ended up awakening the Spirit Summoner trait and meeting the spirits after I retired as a Hunter and started traveling.”
Many things were omitted, but in the end, it was the truth.
“Ultimately, this also requires gaining enlightenment, but enlightenment doesn’t just pop out because you’re clutching onto it. If you take a little time away from martial arts and put it into swordsmanship or find another hobby, there’s enlightenment that comes from the connections found there.”
“….”
“That’s how it was for me.”
Jinwoo took a short breath and spoke again.
“Your daily life is exactly the same, right?”
“Pardon?”
“Handling office work, going to gates or training, responding to emergencies, and training again if nothing happens. After work, you eat, go to the gym, and do your personal workout. Isn’t that how your life is?”
“…That’s exactly it.”
“Because your life is the same every day, you might have become so used to it that your growth is blocked. When doubling or tripling your practice doesn’t work, it might be good to cut your practice in half and try something else.”
“What if I still can’t grow?”
“Then you have to go back and grab onto it again. Since you’ve had some breathing room while doing something else, you’ll be able to try even harder.”
It was a new perspective. She had never thought this way even once in seven years. In other words, it meant she had lived the exact same life for seven years.
“…I see. Thank you for the advice.”
“If you’re still uneasy, shall we have a sparring match?”
“Pardon?”
“I thought it might be good to do a light session.”
Jinwoo wanted to help Boyeon. He had the quest as well, as a bonus. If they had a light sparring match, the Constellations would naturally point out her problems, and Jinwoo planned to help her improve based on that.
He had told her to take a step away, but Jinwoo was pushing Boyeon to become closer to it than anyone else.