When I crossed over to Earth through the portal, the person waiting for me was someone I hadn’t expected.
It was Bae Jinsu from Minjun’s party—the same party that celebrated my recovery.
“Huh? What brings you here… hey…?”
I was about to speak formally, but then remembered we agreed to drop honorifics since we were drinking.
“Oh! Hyung-nim. You were in the storage, huh. The boss sent me here.”
“Boss? Minjun? Why?”
“Well… you know, there was that attack last time. But we still haven’t figured out the culprit, and we tried to predict what the last guy might do. The boss was worried.”
Ah, he must be talking about that Yeongjin Jeon or whoever.
But isn’t this a bit much?
“Is it okay to use someone as skilled as you for something like this?”
“Something like this? Hyung-nim, you’re the boss’s hyung-nim. I think you underestimate your own worth.”
“Underestimate? Well, I do produce some pretty special crops….”
Thinking it over, Bae Jinsu had a point.
Right now, not just in Korea but worldwide, I’m the only one who can grow crops that raise stats.
And I’ve brought other races hidden behind the veil into Earth.
‘Now that I think about it, I guess I really am important. I need to be more self-aware from now on.’
I’m the only one on Earth.
That means I can’t be replaced by anything else.
That’s why Bae Jinsu came personally to protect me.
So, until things are resolved, it looks like Kasia, Bae Jinsu, and I will be living together for a while.
While I was lost in thought, Bae Jinsu scratched his head and bowed.
“And… I’m sorry, hyung-nim. I still haven’t repaid you for saving my life, and yet, because I was slacking off, I let the attacker in.”
I remembered his expression and words when he apologized that night.
The sincerity in his eyes and his promise to pay me back someday.
“Alright. Since we’ll be living together, I guess I should introduce you to the family?”
“Family? I heard you lived alone. No, you live with Kasia-nim….”
- I’ll go inside first. I can’t understand the language anyway.
“Yeah, sure. Kasia already knows, so go on in.”
Who should I introduce first…
Of course, the first priority is already decided.
I brought Bae Jinsu along to the chicken coop.
“Here, these are my first family members.”
“Isn’t this a chicken coop?”
“Right. These guys were the first family I found here.”
I looked around inside, but only a few hens were there.
“Hey, where’s Goldie?”
(He went out to play with Little Pepper earlier.)
Say hello. This is Bae Jinsu, who’ll be staying with us for a while. These are our hens.
(Nice to meet you~)
“Uh… um… hi?”
It’s not easy greeting chickens when you can’t communicate with them.
With Bae Jinsu looking a bit awkward, I took him to the Gochu Field, where Goldie was supposed to be.
In the middle of the field, I saw Goldie, head down, doing something.
“Goldie, what are you up to~”
(Master, you’re here. Little Pepper is roasting bugs for me. It’s a delicious treat, cluck.)
(Good day, master!)
Turns out Little Pepper was slicing up a bug with his sword and lightly scorching it to make it just right.
“Little Pepper is showing his skills? Good idea. I’m glad to see you two getting along.”
(Of course! Goldie is great!)
When I turned to introduce Bae Jinsu, his expression…
Was that the look you give a lunatic…?
“Ah.”
The moment our eyes met, Bae Jinsu’s face returned to normal.
But he’d already seen everything…
He smiled cheerfully at me, but I could tell what he was thinking.
Since earlier, I’d been talking to chickens, introducing him to strange creatures—he must think I’m crazy.
(Who are you? Are you master’s friend? Nice to meet you! I’m Little Pepper-chu!)
Little Pepper approached first, but unfortunately, Bae Jinsu couldn’t hear him.
Still, since I brought him here, I couldn’t just leave now.
I had to see it through.
“Jinsu, he’s saying nice to meet you and asking who you are.”
“Huh?”
“You know, I told you there’s a guardian who watches over the field. The one who subdued Lee Junhyeok outside.”
“Ah…?”
Of course he’s confused.
I get it.
At that moment, Little Pepper extended his thin arm and offered a handshake to Bae Jinsu.
Bae Jinsu absentmindedly took the hand, then pinched his own cheek hard, as if he couldn’t believe it.
“Ouch!”
He pinched so hard it left a red mark.
(Nice to meet you, cluck.)
“This is Goldie. He’s the leader of the chickens. You can think of Goldie as handling everything related to chickens.”
Goldie spread his wings.
To Bae Jinsu, it must’ve sounded like a regular chicken clucking, but despite the confusion of the serious situation, he gripped Goldie’s wing.
“Wait, hyung-nim. What’s going on? Can you talk to chickens?”
“Didn’t I tell you? I can talk with any creature I bond with.”
It’s not something easy to believe.
But if a chicken offers a handshake and a pepper moves around on its own, you can’t help but believe it, can you?
There are so many skills out there still unknown to the world.
These days, you need to be able to think outside the box.
“So… this chicken is Goldie, and this pepper(?) is Little Pepper?”
“That’s right. Want to meet the other guardians?”
“Ah… okay.”
Why is he reacting like that?
Dakgong is right next door in the Peanut Field, so we didn’t have to go far.
Before awakening, he used to be buried underground with only his helmet sticking out, but now that he’s grown to the size of a child, he sleeps with dirt piled over him like a blanket.
“Dakgong~”
(You called for me!)
With an energetic face, he burst out of the dirt and snapped a salute as if he’d been waiting.
Was he really asleep?
“Hey, don’t be so formal all the time.”
“Is this the Dakgong?”
“Yeah. Remember the gunshots that day?”
“This little guy subdued a B-rank Hunter….”
Surprising, right?
Dakgong looks no older than five or six.
“Even this little one was on guard and caught the intruder, but I just dozed off on duty….”
“It’s fine. Nothing happened anyway.”
Bae Jinsu looked troubled.
Maybe his pride was hurt.
“Hyung-nim, is there anything I can help with while I’m here?”
“Help? Hmm. There’s not really much to do. Since you’re out in the countryside, just relax, enjoy the fresh air, and head back when you’re ready.”
“I’m not the type to just sit around. Can I help with farming?”
“Farming? It’s not exactly easy… but sure, want to give it a try?”
Where should I even start teaching him?
While I was planning a curriculum in my head, Bae Jinsu started asking Little Pepper all sorts of questions.
That guardian called Little Pepper, he’s got a sword at his waist. Does he use it as his main weapon?
“Yeah, you noticed? He uses a special sword. It’s like a giant Pepper Sword….”
Bae Jinsu seemed to make up his mind about something and nodded, then muttered quietly.
“I’d like to… teach him.”
“Hmm?”
What did he say?
“Little Pepper. He’s a guardian, right? So he’s supposed to protect you, right?”
“Yeah…?”
“I’ll have to go back when my assignment’s over. But Little Pepper will keep protecting you, right?”
“Guess so…?”
“Then, while I’m here, I’ll teach Little Pepper swordsmanship.”
He wants to teach him swordsmanship.
Passing on his sword skills, essentially becoming a master.
I’d heard that those who reach the top with their own skills rarely share their techniques, since it’s part of their very identity.
“Are you sure it’s okay to teach your unique sword style to someone else? Is that alright?”
“Yes, it’s fine. I owe you my life, hyung-nim. Teaching the sword that’ll protect you isn’t a waste. Besides, I think Little Pepper and I have something in common.”
“Something in common?”
Bae Jinsu said I’d understand when I saw for myself, then waited for my response.
Seeing the usually playful guy suddenly get serious, there was a new weight to his words.
“If Korea’s top Hunter trains him, I’ve got nothing to complain about. Take good care of Little Pepper. But… what about the language barrier?”
“You don’t need words when practicing swordsmanship. When you cross swords, you can communicate and convey your true feelings.”
It’s nice he’s gotten serious, but it feels a bit cringy too.
Bae Jinsu just asked me to relay to Little Pepper that he’d be teaching him swordsmanship.
We moved to the Gochu Field together.
“Little Pepper, this guy wants to teach you swordsmanship. He’s the best swordsman in the country, so make sure you learn well, okay?”
(I have no intention of learning from anyone weaker than me! A duel! The stronger one becomes the master-chu!)
“Huh?”
Unexpectedly, Little Pepper drew his sword and aimed it at Bae Jinsu.
“Hyung-nim, what did Little Pepper say? Is he pointing at me?”
What is this situation?
Can I really just translate that directly?
“Ha! No need to explain. A true master should be able to gauge an opponent’s strength at a glance. Time to show this cheeky disciple who’s boss.”
“Wait, hold on….”
In a flash, Bae Jinsu drew his sword and faced off against Little Pepper.
Things were going so well—what’s happening…?
The two kept their distance, swords raised at each other.
But I couldn’t let them fight here.
“Stop!”
I stepped in between to break them up.
“Go over there and fight. This is a field for crops! If you fight here, you don’t get dinner!”
At the last part, Bae Jinsu flinched, then signaled to Little Pepper to move to the empty lot.
“Little Pepper.”
When I quietly called his name, he nodded.
Then, without lowering their swords, the two sidestepped together to the open area.
Are they crabs or what.
‘Still, this could be fun.’
Where else can you watch an A-rank Hunter fight outside of a Dungeon?
Plus, it was a chance to see the power of the Pepper Guardian, Little Pepper.
A rare experience.
Before the match started, I hurried to get a folding chair and sat down.
Too bad there’s no popcorn.
Like a senior letting a junior make the first move, Bae Jinsu motioned with his hand in provocation.
Little Pepper, seeming worked up, even started to grow in size.
(Hmph. I’ll make you regret giving me the first move! Hiya!)
Little Pepper leapt high and brought down his massive Pepper Sword.
Thud!
Bae Jinsu dodged lightly and counterattacked.
Before Little Pepper could recover his greatsword, Bae Jinsu swung his sword diagonally at Little Pepper’s side.
Clang!
Little Pepper quickly pulled his sword from the ground and blocked vertically.
After stepping back, he charged in and swung his sword.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Whether it was real swordsmanship or just wild swinging, just watching made my skin crawl.
Should I stop them now?
“Oh, not bad? Good. Let me show you why they call me the Fire Swordsman.”
With a tone of admiration, Bae Jinsu ignited his sword with flames.
‘A flaming sword?’
Little Pepper’s sword was always burning.
The flame felt warm, never hot, at least to allies.
But the heat coming off Bae Jinsu’s sword was intense.
(Huh?! A flaming sword like mine!)
“Here I come. This is your first lesson!”
Bae Jinsu dashed in, clearly not planning to hold back.
Thus began Bae Jinsu’s swordsmanship lesson.
Normally lighthearted and mischievous, he looked completely different when wielding his sword.
With every clash, Little Pepper was pushed back bit by bit.
He may be a guardian, but going up against an A-rank Hunter was too much.
(Ugh. I can’t lose! I am my master’s sword!)
“Hey, little pepper friend! Aim for the gaps, be sharper!”
After several exchanges, Little Pepper suddenly stopped, hanging his head.
(I lost… Losing in front of master is unthinkable… I’m disqualified as master’s sword.)
His self-esteem had clearly taken a hit.
But what he needed now wasn’t comfort, but encouragement.
“You don’t have to think like that. You did great. Your opponent was just way too strong. If you learn and grow, you’ll surpass him someday.”
Maybe reading the mood from my words and Little Pepper’s demeanor, Bae Jinsu came over and patted Little Pepper on the head.
“You’re amazing, little pepper friend. I gave it my all and barely won. Let’s work hard together from now on.”
Little Pepper glanced at Bae Jinsu, who was holding out a handshake just as he had earlier, then took his hand.
I’m looking forward to seeing just how much Little Pepper will grow from here.
While passionate training continued in Chilcheon-ri, chaos was erupting abroad.
As news about the Elf Immigration Act in Korea spread around the world, stories about elves appearing and rumors of a Secret Dungeon began surfacing overseas.
Han Sangsoo, President of the Association of Superhumans, was swamped with the Elf Immigration Act, secret organizations, and talk of the Secret Dungeon, leaving him no time to even catch his breath.
“So, Dwarves are appearing in the Secret Dungeon?”
“Yes, according to rumors circulating online.”
“No reports of them appearing in Korea yet?”
“None so far.”
“What are they doing when they appear? They wouldn’t be able to communicate, right?”
“They say you can communicate. According to them, if you share information about Thousand-Year Brew, they’ll reward you.”
“Thousand-Year Brew…?”
Thousand-Year Brew.
It was the name of the liquor the President received when he cleared one of the early Dungeons.
Until recently, he didn’t know its name, but thanks to the information from the Elf living with Minho, he learned it was called Thousand-Year Brew.
“What information do they want? And what’s the reward?”
“Did you not read the report I submitted…? They want to know who obtained or drank Thousand-Year Brew. The reward is an Item—the sample they showed was at least A-rank, some even S-rank.”
S-rank Items have only been heard of once before.
There’s hardly even time to read reports. Sorry about that. Thousand-Year Brew, huh… If that’s the Item’s grade…
These days, how likely is it the information or Items are exaggerated or fake?
“Five Hunters have already claimed to have entered the Secret Dungeon, and their stories are consistent, so we judge it to be true.”
The secretary finished the report and left, and only then did the President’s expression relax.
“Whew. What am I supposed to do? I found that box buried underground, and now they’re looking for it?”
He decided to call everyone who might have had Thousand-Year Brew, including Do Minjun.
Since the Dwarves might hold a grudge, he had to be careful with information leaks.
Like with the Elves, little is known about the Dwarves.
So it’s safest to be cautious, since nobody knows what abilities they have or what they might do.