A black van exited the highway and turned onto a quiet rural road.
‘Ugh, my stomach feels unsettled.’
Kanghun’s ability was to hide within the shadows.
But during that time, he had to maintain constant focus, which continuously drained his mana.
Trying to remain completely still and silent, hidden inside a moving car for hours, was making him feel nauseous.
At times, it was a struggle just to keep himself from losing consciousness.
‘Still, there’s some benefit.’
Though his mind was far from clear, he distinctly caught that one thought.
“Minjun oppa, I’m really curious about Minho oppa’s place~”
“Minho oppa?”
“He’s an oppa too, so of course Minho oppa is an oppa.”
Han Suyeon’s squealing gave him a headache.
Now that he was at his limit, the tips of his fingers and toes kept slipping out of the shadows and then pulling back repeatedly.
Just when he thought he couldn’t hold on any longer, the car finally stopped.
“We’re here. Let’s get out.”
At Domo Minjun’s words, the hunters stepped out of the car.
As soon as Kanghun confirmed the hunters were moving away, he slipped out of stealth.
‘Phew. I’m saved. But where exactly is this? Chilcheon-ri? So, Gangwon Province. Alright, that settles it. The Domo Minho who registered items at the auction is definitely Minjun’s older brother.’
He wanted to get some fresh air, but if he stepped outside now, he’d be caught right away, so he slowly took deep breaths inside the car.
Kanghun took out his smartphone and let out a small sigh.
‘The only comrade I can contact is Junhyeok Lee. Can’t be helped.’
If Junhyeok had any sense, he would have followed.
After all, Kanghun allowed him to install a location tracking app for exactly that reason.
The hunters, including Minjun, were completely mesmerized by the mysterious and beautiful appearance of Kasia, the Elf.
She raised her chin and chuckled softly.
- So, you’ve all fallen for me, huh.
Kasia’s confident tone was backed by solid grounds.
No one disputed her words.
If anything, even Han Suyeon glanced at Kasia with a hint of admiration, proving the point.
“Alright, alright. Let’s not dawdle here. Come on inside.”
Since I’m the host, I took the lead to lighten the mood.
“Today, I’ve specially put in some effort. Introducing… Domo Minho’s Omakase!”
Their eyes, mixed with expectation and curiosity, fixed on me.
Heh heh, I’ll surprise them all.
Sizzle~
“Hmm~ Haa. That smells delicious.”
The pleasant sound of frying and the aroma of oil stirred everyone’s appetite.
It’s no wonder ASMR became popular.
“Anyone want tendon?”
“Me! Me!”
“Then Suyeon, tendon for you~”
I carefully lifted the crispy fried items and placed them on kitchen paper towels for a moment.
If the oil isn’t drained, the fried food can feel greasy, so the towels soak it up, letting you enjoy the pure crispiness.
Kabocha squash, cabbage leaves, perilla leaves, sweet potato, egg, shrimp—all arranged by type on plates and handed out to the guests.
Han Suyeon especially piled the fried items onto her rice and drizzled a sweet soy sauce to make tendon.
“Wow, awesome! It looks so good! I have to take a picture and post it on SNS. Minho, you must be good at cooking!”
- Fried food is delicious. Crispy yet tender.
“But was cabbage always this tasty? It’s the best part.”
The positive reaction was exactly what I expected.
There’s a saying that even frying shoes tastes good, after all.
Hearing their praises from behind, I cheerfully prepared the next dish.
“Next up is sushi! If anyone prefers sashimi instead, just let me know!”
“I’ll have sashimi, please.”
The polite voice belonged to Park Janghyeon.
Just as his face was neat, his tone carried courtesy.
“Yes, understood. These were caught just an hour ago. Flounder, rock sole, flatfish, mullet! A nice variety!”
“Minho, you’re good at fishing too!?”
I almost did a little shoulder dance, thrilled by all the compliments.
Kasia’s gaze seemed to have shifted too, probably because the food tasted good.
I shaped the seasoned rice with my hands, dabbed a bit of wasabi, and placed a slice of sashimi large enough to cover the rice completely.
I prepared three pieces per type on a plate.
“Wow~ Put some on mine too!”
“Suyeon noona is addicted to SNS, addicted.”
“Better than you being addicted to games.”
“Wh-what? I’m not addicted to games!”
Han Suyeon and Bae Jinsu bickered.
Seems like this was a regular occurrence.
For Park Janghyeon, who requested sashimi, I went the extra mile and plated it nicely before serving.
“The sashimi is so thick; it tastes even better.”
“I’m glad everyone’s enjoying it. If you want more of a certain part, just say so. I’ve got plenty.”
I felt proud.
But it wasn’t time to settle yet—there were still many dishes prepared.
I poured special broth into the mille-feuille nabe hot pot and began heating it.
“Oh! Minho hyung, mille-feuille nabe? That’s a very labor-intensive dish. Your skill is impressive!”
“It was prepared together with Kasia.”
Bae Jinsu, curious about the mille-feuille nabe, came closer to watch.
Wait, did he just say ‘hyung’?
His social skills are seriously impressive.
“Alright, nothing goes better with soup than alcohol. I brought a bottle of liquor that can’t be found nowadays.”
“Huh? Oppa, that one!”
“Boss, I’ve been waiting impatiently for this day to come! So glad I came!”
“Awesome! You’re finally opening it?”
I had never seen this liquor before, but it seemed the others knew what it was.
“Oh! Really? I only know soju, beer, and makgeolli… Is this some kind of limited edition??”
“The Association President gave it to us as a congratulatory gift for our promotion to S-Grade.”
- Hmm.
I wondered how expensive the president’s gift must be.
I discreetly asked Minjun about the price, but even he didn’t know.
Apparently, it’s not something money can buy.
“Hehe, yes. Dad said he got it from a dungeon he went into early in his Hunter days.”
Han Suyeon added this explanation.
I don’t know much about alcohol, but things from dungeons are always considered precious.
So liquor that even civilians can enjoy must be even rarer.
“Is it okay to open such a rare liquor here?”
“It was saved for a moment like this.”
Just then, Bae Jinsu, who had been showing off his boundless friendliness since earlier, was waving his chopsticks as if ready to devour all the food.
“Everyone, if you don’t eat quickly, I’m going to finish it all? Nom nom. Look at this sashimi, it’s so fresh it looks like it might start moving.”
They were enjoying the food, but what I was really curious about was the liquor.
A drink that can’t be found anymore.
I usually don’t drink much, but the label ‘unobtainable special liquor’ piqued my curiosity.
“When are we going to drink this? Soup or hot pot goes so well with alcohol.”
“Hyung, you open it.”
I glanced around, waiting for opinions, and Bae Jinsu, impatient, urged to open it right away.
Everyone’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
Pop~
As I pulled the cork, a cute sound echoed and a clear fragrance filled the air.
It wasn’t harsh or piercing like strong spirits.
Instead, a fresh and pure aroma tickled the tip of my nose.
“Wow… The scent is amazing. Kind of like floral perfume.”
“Mmm~ So nice. We’ll drink it well.”
“Phew! I can’t believe Dad saved a liquor like this. Let’s drink quickly!”
Minjun poured a glass for each person with care.
The bottle must have been made with great attention because not a single drop spilled as he quietly filled the cups.
The liquid was a pale sky-blue color, radiating luxury.
“I feel bad drinking such a fine liquor when I don’t really know about alcohol. I wish I knew the name.”
“Yeah, Dad said he doesn’t know the name either.”
“Hyung! There are letters and patterns here! But it’s a language I’ve never seen before.”
Kasia glanced at the bottle and casually remarked.
- Thousand-Year Brew. Brewed in Aragon Calendar 1872. Must be opened and consumed after 2872. It’s dwarven liquor.
“Dwarven?”
- Short, stocky, drunken blacksmiths hammering away. Looks like the Association President visited their world.
I had heard that description somewhere before.
This race, also called dwarfs in this world.
“Is it true that dwarfs and elves don’t get along?”
- That’s right. They’ve been at odds since ancient times. If you ever meet those guys, don’t engage with them.
When I explained Kasia’s words to those who didn’t understand, their reactions exploded.
“Wow! Kasia unnie even knows the dwarven language! Amazing!”
“Thousand-Year Brew… I’m curious how well it’s aged.”
“Let’s taste it already! It sounds incredible.”
Ahem!
Encouraged by Bae Jinsu’s push, I cleared my throat.
It’s a celebration, so a toast is necessary.
“To the full recovery of Hunter Han Suyeon, Hunter Bae Jinsu, and Hunter Park Janghyeon!”
“Living alone in the countryside, you’ve become like an old man.”
At Minjun’s remark, everyone burst out laughing.
These days, apparently, it’s trendy to just clink glasses without a toast.
It had been so long since I’d had a drink with this many people that I had no idea.
Embarrassing, haha.
Taking a sip of the Thousand-Year Brew, the floral scent from when the bottle was opened lingered in my mouth.
Is this what peach wine from the Peach Blossom Land would taste like?
Closing my eyes, the surroundings seemed to transform into a paradise.
The aroma alone was fantastic, making me reluctant to swallow.
But if the scent was this good, I was curious how it would taste going down.
Glug.
A refreshing sensation spread from my mouth through my throat to my stomach.
There was no alcoholic sting; it was so clean and fresh I couldn’t believe it was liquor.
As I savored the aftertaste, a tingling sensation began from my chest and spread, causing goosebumps all over my body.
“Ugh? What’s this feeling? I’ve felt this somewhere before…”
I muttered unconsciously and opened my eyes, but the other hunters were too absorbed to hear me.
They silently waited while everyone savored the flavor, then gradually opened their eyes.
It started with Han Suyeon.
Gone was her chattering earlier, replaced by a quiet expression as if not to disturb the others’ concentration.
Next was Bae Jinsu.
True to his personality, he opened his eyes with a delighted expression.
When Han Suyeon shushed him with her finger, he nodded and stayed silent.
Then Park Janghyeon, followed by Domo Minjun.
As they all opened their eyes, they finally burst out with the words they had been holding back.
“You guys felt it too, right?! The mana is surging like crazy!”
“I felt it. How about you guys?!”
“Phew. Yeah, it’s been a while since I’ve felt this.”
I felt it too.
A sensation of my veins pounding as if they would burst.
They said it was the feeling they got when using mana.
That’s why they instinctively closed their eyes and managed their mana.
Because of that, both I—who had never used mana even after becoming a superhuman—and Kasia, who used spirit communication, just sat there blankly.
“As expected, mana stat increased.”
“Mana?! Really?! Then mine must’ve increased too, right?!”
“Yes! There’s no way to raise mana normally, but it went up after just one drink?”
Minjun, who could see the Status Window, apparently checked it.
Maybe mine increased too?
< Status Window >
Name: Domo Minho
Strength: 16
Agility: 15
Stamina: 16
Mana: 5
Unique Ability: Sympathy
Special Abilities: Communication–Chicken (+), Communication–Elf (+), Communication–Peanut
Unchanged.
I must not have used mana, which is why.
Thinking I was the only one unchanged made me feel strangely down.
Ah, whatever. It wasn’t like I had any use for it anyway!
Just then, someone patted my shoulder.
It was Kasia.
I had tried not to show it, but she must have noticed.
I smiled gratefully and stood up.
Since this was a gathering for good reasons, I quickly fetched the next dish—the mille-feuille nabe.
“Ah~ The broth tastes amazing, hyung. It’s addictive, like some kind of drug. Once you take a spoonful, you can’t stop. Especially this cabbage! What is this cabbage? It’s the crispiest and sweetest cabbage I’ve ever had. So delicious!”
With a little alcohol in him, the awkward hyung voice was becoming familiar.
We sipped the liquor slowly.
Mana only increased after the first glass, not after, which was disappointing, but the flavor and aroma had a seductive charm that didn’t get old.
“I want to drink more. Kasia, is there any way to get more?”
- You could go to the short-stout folks’ world. But the Portal can’t be opened often or for long. I left it open for a while waiting for your return to Earth, so it won’t be easy to open again soon.
Well, it was only a short time here, but she said two years had passed in Eliya, so it had been open a long time.
- Don’t expect the short-stout guys to treat you well. Also, we’ll have to open the Portal again when our tribe moves over. You haven’t forgotten, right?
“Ah, right… Oh, no, I haven’t! I’ve been waiting impatiently.”
The Portal can only be opened by elves with strong spirit power.
That means it’s not an easy task.
- Once our tribe fully migrates to Earth, I’ll consider it depending on how you handle things.
“Depending on how I handle things? Haha. What should I do?”
- It wouldn’t be fun if I told you. Think about it yourself.
Kasia’s eyes held a certain desire, but I wouldn’t know unless she said it.
I didn’t get it.
I’d think about it when the time came.