Chapter 31: I am back!

Korea was still challenging the fifty-two floor.

Park Gi-beom was currently inside the labyrinth.

Jeong Sang-myeong, who had been put in charge of the support rear guard, brought out a special snack for the team members.

Plump, appetizing ears of corn were placed on the table, one for each member.

“Before we go in, everyone try one. Inside the labyrinth, you can only eat it in dried form, so this is the only time you can eat it like this.”

Strictly speaking, the one supplying the goods was not the Saeron Guild itself, but Saeron’s Guildmaster, Park Gi-beom.

Everything that had been brought in so far had been consumed by the Saeron Guild’s research lab, so this was effectively the first time anything had been distributed to the members.

Just as everyone was reaching out for the fragrant corn,

someone muttered a complaint under their breath.

“Corn is just corn. I do not even like it. And why is it so big?”

In that instant, the corn that had been left for her vanished.

“You do not have to eat it.”

Jeong Sang-myeong had retrieved it with his telekinetic ability.

“Vice Guildmaster!”

The complaining hunter, Park Ha-na, shouted, but Jeong Sang-myeong ignored her completely.

He was too busy eating himself.

‘It is delicious! Really, unbelievably delicious!’

In truth, Jeong Sang-myeong was grateful that Park Ha-na had refused to eat the corn.

Since Kim Jae-won had been carrying corn back and forth to the guild laboratory several times, anyone who needed to know the source already knew.

Because of that, she would have tried to pick a pointless fight.

To think it would turn out like this was a pleasant surprise.

He could set it aside as the Guildmaster’s share, or keep it as his own snack. Two birds with one stone.

Park Gi-beom realized its effect before he even finished eating a single ear.

It raises mana?

That was only half the story.

The deeper hunters go into the labyrinth, the more pressure they experience.

The increased mana density affects both their bodies and minds.

Hunters called this labyrinth sickness.

It was also the wall of the deep layers, something only encountered after the fiftieth floor.

Yet this corn weakened that sickness.

The deeper one goes, the more even minute differences in condition affect combat power.

Because Park Gi-beom was more sensitive to mana resonance than anyone else, he noticed the effect immediately.

If they could continuously supply food like this,

then not only the fifty-two floor, but even higher floors would no longer be a wall.

‘Tsk, tsk, and they do not even know that.’

Moreover, there was even more astonishing news.

It was something that had to be reported to Park Gi-beom separately, so it could not be revealed to anyone right now.

Jeong Sang-myeong felt he could not bow enough in gratitude to Kim Seong-hye and Kim Jae-won for thinking ahead like that.

But since he could not show how pleased he was, he instead hardened his expression and said,

“Anyone whose combat power falls short is out immediately. Understood?”

“Yes!”

The guild members’ response was loud and clear.

They still did not know the corn’s true value, but in terms of taste, it was truly the best.

Secretly, they clicked their tongues in pity for Park Ha-na.

Outwardly, the Saeron Guild was the top-ranked guild, but internally it was being heavily shaken by a factional split.

This was because a current of doubt had formed around Park Gi-beom’s qualifications after he kept failing on the fifty-two floor.

The one who created that current was none other than Park Seong-beom, a senior executive who held the second-largest share of the guild and was Park Gi-beom’s younger brother.

Park Ha-na was Park Seong-beom’s daughter.

“Hmph, I am going on ahead!”

Park Ha-na kicked away her chair and stormed out.

The princess of the Saeron Guild.

Arrogant as ever.

Several members frowned at the sight, but today Jeong Sang-myeong was different.

What would happen if they conquered the fifty-two floor?

Would the justification Park Seong-beom put forward still hold power then?

‘Go ahead and act up as much as you want.’

Jeong Sang-myeong grinned.

“Mom, are we making kimchi?”

“Silly girl, how could this be kimchi-making?”

Even so, the piles of napa cabbage and radishes stacked in one corner of the shop looked exactly like kimchi season.

If Go Nam-tae had known how large the shop was, he probably would have sent even more.

“Do you want to help too?”

“Of course I should help, Your Majesty!”

At the sight of her daughter rushing over with a nasal whine, Go Mi-young let out a small laugh.

In the past, Kim Seong-hye would have recoiled in horror at the idea of making kimchi, but now she was efficiently soaking cabbages in brine and stacking them neatly on her own.

‘Is it because she is an awakened? Our daughter is better at work than I am.’

“Honey, what is it?”

Kim Gu-bok, who was trimming fist-sized garlic cloves nearby, looked up.

“Oh, nothing. Honey, after this, can you trim the green onions too?”

Each stalk of green onion was as thick as a forearm, yet tender, and the flavor was even better.

What was more, both the green onions and the garlic were yellow-grade labyrinth crops.

Aside from things like fermented seafood, which Go Nam-tae did not produce, everything they were using was yellow-grade or higher labyrinth produce.

“Mom, what should I do next?”

“Pour the chili powder over the seasoning here.”

Softly.

Go Mi-young’s gaze as she watched the chili powder pour down was resolute.

No one in the world would be able to use ingredients this precious so generously to make kimchi.

They were probably in the middle of creating the most expensive kimchi in the world.

Go Nam-tae had said he would send enough to justify building a factory in the future.

No, he had insisted that they absolutely build one.

Still, they politely refused the idea of building a factory with Go Nam-tae’s profits alone.

After discussion, they decided to receive investment from the Saeron Guild.

Partly because Kim Gu-bok and Go Mi-young wanted to take responsibility themselves, and partly because investment from the Saeron Guild would create synergy.

Today’s kimchi would be the starting point.

The response to this would determine whether the factory moved forward.

At this moment, this kimchi would be the ‘most expensive’ kimchi, but Go Nam-tae did not want that.

He wanted to supply kimchi in larger quantities, so that more people could eat it.

As the family of three chatted while making kimchi, Kim Jae-won returned.

Kim Seong-hye, who had been washing radishes, sprang to her feet.

“How did it go?”

Kim Jae-won’s face looked oddly dazed.

Anxious, Kim Seong-hye grabbed him and shook him.

“What is it, how did it go? Did Seong-yeon… eat it?”

Even under her pressure, Kim Jae-won still looked stunned.

It seemed like a failure, and Kim Seong-hye’s face gradually twisted.

Kim Gu-bok and Go Mi-young watched their son and daughter with concern.

They had heard the rough story from them.

What kind of connection ‘Seong-yeon’ had with the siblings, and what he was going through.

‘His’ name was Park Seong-yeon.

He was a low-rank hunter the same age as Kim Jae-won.

When the siblings first met Park Seong-yeon, they thought that was all he was.

After all, they met him when he was nearly killed after being surrounded by low-level monsters.

They saved him, and that was how their connection began.

But later they learned that he had originally been a candidate to inherit the Saeron Guild.

Park Seong-yeon was Park Gi-beom’s nephew.

Of course, they grew close without knowing that background.

If not for that incident, they would probably have remained ordinary friends.

The siblings joined the Saeron Guild because Park Seong-yeon told them about its unofficial recruitment.

After that, the three became close companions and friends as lower-tier awakened in similar circumstances.

Then one day, Park Seong-yeon stepped on a curse flower.

The result was fatal.

From that day on, Park Seong-yeon became unable to eat anything.

Originally, curse flowers were monsters that only appeared on floors above the thirtieth.

The probability of encountering one below the tenth floor was practically zero.

Could this really be dismissed as simple bad luck?

Because of that, the siblings ended up learning about the dirty power struggles within the guild that they would rather not have known.

If you think about it, was it not strange that someone like Park Seong-yeon had been working as a menial on the lower floors and nearly lost his life?

Even if they knew the cause, there was nothing they could do.

All they could do was pray that Park Seong-yeon would get better.

Park Seong-yeon was truly a good person.

Even if his combat strength was weak, he was quick-witted, easy to talk to, and kind.

No, none of that mattered.

He was their friend.

They simply, desperately wished that he could eat again, smile again, and ‘live.’

‘Even if it is anorexia, this should work.’

Go Mi-young had said it as a joke, but Kim Seong-hye was struck as if by lightning.

‘This might really work!’

Fortunately, Jeong Sang-myeong had not dismissed the idea and said he would try it…

“Mom, Sis…”

Kim Jae-won finally opened his mouth.

Before Kim Seong-hye could press him again, he nodded vigorously.

“Yes, he ate. Even though it was made into porridge, he finished a whole bowl.”

“Really…? Really!”

“Yeah…!”

Tears welled up in Kim Jae-won’s eyes.

It was because he had seen Park Seong-yeon’s condition with his own eyes.

A living corpse.

There was no other way to describe how Park Seong-yeon looked now.

Seeing him, who had rejected even the smell of food and barely clung to life through an IV line, open his mouth for porridge like a thirsty child was moving beyond words.

“Seong-yeon… he lived!”

Kim Seong-hye collapsed weakly to the floor, tears streaming down her face.

Kim Jae-won was in the same state, so he could not even tease his sister.

“Oh my goodness!”

Kim Gu-bok and Go Mi-young covered their mouths in amazement.

Though they were ordinary people, they knew how curses worked.

The year before, it had become a major issue when two small and mid-sized guilds collapsed due to curses.

Yet now they were hearing that a ‘curse’ had been shaken off with nothing more than corn.

And not just any curse.

Kim Jae-won suddenly realized something and hurriedly added,

“Ah, Mom, Dad! This has to be an absolute secret!”

“Do not worry. Do you think we would not understand?”

“Of course. Do not worry.”

Even as they said that, the couple felt uneasy.

If this got out, would Go Nam-tae be safe?

Could they protect this thing themselves?

“…Yes? Me personally? …Yes, I understand.”

Kim Jae-won hung up the phone with a dazed expression and looked at his family.

“The person who just called was the butler taking care of Seong-yeon. He asked me to come in person from now on.”

Kim Seong-hye frowned.

“Meeting Seong-yeon probably will not look strange. But would it not look strange if you bring corn with you?”

It would not just look strange. They would obviously be caught right away.

What happened to Park Seong-yeon was clearly a terror attack.

Would whoever did it just sit by and watch him recover?

“That is easy. I will just cook it before going. If I put it in a container, who would know what is inside?”

“Oh, Mom, you are a genius!”

At Go Mi-young’s answer, the siblings cheered and raised both thumbs.

Kim Jae-won spoke again, carefully.

“But Mom, can you do it right now? Seong-yeon says he wants to eat more.”

“Do not worry, I will make it right away!”

“Mom, besides corn porridge, could you make something else too?”

“Of course!”

Without hesitation, Go Mi-young picked up two ingredients.

Beans and rice.

“This will do!”

“Wait, do not tell me…?”

“Yes, bean porridge!”

Gulp.

Just hearing the words made even healthy people swallow.

Bean porridge was delicious even normally. Made with Go Nam-tae’s crops?

Still, it was possible that only corn had been spared by the curse.

Go Mi-young began cooking the two kinds of porridge.

The generously prepared porridges were poured into old plastic containers that Go Mi-young had been using often lately.

These containers, which Go Nam-tae had used to send tofu, somehow kept any food fresh for longer.

About two hours later.

“I am back!”

Kim Jae-won smiled and noisily shook the empty bowls.