I headed toward the Gate to gather ingredients for dinner. Earlier, I had heard from some people I met at the campsite that Gangneung has a mysterious place called the Event Gate.
I had never heard of it during my time as a Hunter, so it must have appeared recently.
(Anonymous 1): Isn’t that the one called the Beach-type Gate?
“Yes, that’s right.”
Inside the Gate, there’s an ocean where you can fish and catch monsters directly. The monsters are not strong—they’re fish-type E or D-rank monsters. It’s difficult to catch them with a fishing rod, but it’s satisfying and the taste is quite good, so the fish corpses sell well.
Because of that, Hunters come to this Gate under the pretext of going on hunts but secretly go fishing here without their wives knowing. Today, I planned to catch some fish here myself.
They say if you have the Magic Detox skill, you can even eat sashimi made from these monsters, so I thought I’d try the monster fish sashimi in Gangneung.
‘They said these fish-type monsters only appear in Gates located on beach areas, so this is essentially a delicacy you can only enjoy here.’
While Dongkyum was talking with Junhyun about dreams, I entered the Gate carrying a fishing rod I bought nearby.
(Anonymous 1): Fishing’s not something you’re good at like swimming, right?
‘You tried the fish I caught last time, didn’t you?’
This was a matter of pride.
Carrying the fishing rod over my shoulder, I bravely stepped through the Gate. The area was full of beaches and a bit humid, but the gentle breeze was pleasant.
(Last Night Campfire): Jinwoo, if you can’t catch anything with that rod, I’ll make you one myself.
(Anonymous 1): Hey hey, Yulian, hold on. If you can’t catch fish with the rod you made, Jinwoo will be seriously embarrassed.
… They’re really having fun with this.
I chuckled softly and sat down. Sorry, but I’m really good at fishing.
‘You’ve never had to catch invasive species by the river because of money troubles, right? I have.’
I had experience assembling a cheap fishing rod for 20,000 won using cheap parts from the local supermarket due to lack of food money.
In a place where you can buy almost anything for a thousand won, I managed to get a fishing rod for 20,000 won.
‘You’ve never had to swallow your tears while catching bass in the nearby dam, right?’
Catching freshwater fish infested with parasites, cleaning and grilling them was my daily routine. Fishing wasn’t a pastime for me but a way to get food.
Swoosh—!
The fishing rod I was using now was a sturdy one from a large supermarket and quite expensive.
It was strong enough that I wouldn’t have trouble catching E-rank monsters.
(Anonymous 1): Tried to tease you a bit after a long time, but you went all out again.
(God of Rain and Sunlight): We’re sorry. Since we’re sorry, let’s stop bringing up the old stories.
(Father of Crops): You sure know how to kill the mood.
(Endless Waiting): These constellations are digging into someone else’s painful wounds.
(Liberated Swordsman): Anonymous 1 is a truly mean fellow.
(Last Night Campfire): That’s what I’m saying…
(Celestial Messenger of Cheongha): ….
(Anonymous 1): Sorry. Please stop.
Whirr—!
For the first time, I pulled the line and caught a fish. It was about the size of a person’s forearm, and its teeth were unusually sharp. It tried to bite me, but I easily used a Water Shield to catch it.
I stunned it with the back of my knife and put it into the container.
‘It’s nice to enjoy a leisurely moment like this after a long time.’
Billy and Baekgu were still playing at the campsite, so I was alone at the Gate.
‘Anonymous.’
(Anonymous 1): Hmm?
‘Does Merik like fishing?’
(Anonymous 1): He does. I went on adventures with him before, and he acted cocky about fishing… Well, he likes it but isn’t very good, kind of like your swimming skills.
Good. Eric hasn’t been able to eat properly lately and has been pressed for time, so today I thought we’d fish together.
Since there were hardly any people at the Gate right now, I moved to a spot with no one around, carrying the container holding the fish.
I also laid out the extra fishing rod I brought just in case, then summoned Eric.
“My lord, did you call… huh?!”
The moment he saw the fishing rod laid out and the ocean inside the Gate, his mouth dropped open.
“How about fishing together once?”
“… That sounds wonderful. Really, very wonderful!”
“Good. Use this fishing rod.”
Merik and I sat down on the ground and cast our lines.
Fishing is the art of waiting.
We talked about various things while waiting for a bite. Mostly, it was about Junhyun and Dongkyum.
“The father of the person named Dongkyum is impressive.”
“Isn’t he?”
“Yes, as a summon, I have some information about the world my lord lives in. It’s hard to explain in words, but information about that world just enters my mind. I’ve also been a summon in a parallel world similar to Earth.”
“Yes.”
“I’m especially knowledgeable about a country called the Republic of Korea. Isn’t there a lot of rote learning? There’s severe pressure to study, and many people believe happiness is determined by grades.”
I nodded in agreement.
“I actually somewhat agree with the saying that happiness is based on grades. In the dimension where Anonymous and I lived, happiness was based on achievements. After all, knights prioritize skill and results. Skilled knights win battles and earn achievements, which bring them honor and money. Isn’t it the same here?”
“Exactly.”
Those who study well get into good universities, and those who get into good universities get good jobs.
Good jobs are connected to money and honor.
Of course, some succeed in other ways, but most people live like this.
“I believe the reason happiness is based on grades is not because it’s a quick way to obtain money and honor.”
“Then why?”
“Because it broadens the range of choices. Most young students don’t have dreams. That’s why they have to study hard. When they develop dreams, they have more options. Basically, in the Republic of Korea, there aren’t many jobs you can get without studying well. University is the shortcut to employment.”
“That’s true.”
I admired Merik’s insight.
He understood the essence perfectly.
“So when the young man Junhyun said he wanted to sing, others told him to try because he had good grades. He proved his diligence and competitiveness. Even if he fails as a singer, he can go back to studying and find new dreams.”
“Eric, that’s amazing.”
“Haha, you flatter me, my lord.”
“Please continue.”
Skillfully reeling in, I caught another fish, and Eric continued.
“Dongkyum did sports and studied, so he could quit swimming now and go to hotel culinary school. Is that right, hotel culinary school?”
Not knowing much about Earth’s universities and departments, Eric sought confirmation.
I nodded.
“Yes, that’s right.”
Cooking is also a field where the reputation of the university you graduated from can open many doors.
Since Dongkyum has already studied, his options have widened. He can go to hotel culinary school, or if that’s not right, he can transfer and get a job.
“However, since he made a name for himself in swimming nationwide, his parents probably aren’t happy about it. They might want him to enter a physical education university and double-major in hotel culinary arts, like others told Junhyun to stay in college and join a band club.”
“Yes.”
Sports has its prime time, so they’d want that even more.
“But Junhyun doesn’t want to continue college, and Dongkyum doesn’t want to swim anymore. They absolutely refuse. That’s why they keep worrying… I think it’s right for them to choose what they want. Regret is their own to bear. Following others’ opinions only leads to regret and later blaming others.”
Do what you want, regret if you fail, return to your original life if you do, or live on if you succeed.
That was Eric’s choice.
“And since Dongkyum wants to cook, we should bring him the best ingredients so he can do well.”
(Anonymous 1): Why is this guy getting so deep in his thoughts?
(God of Rain and Sunlight): He’s articulating everyone’s thoughts well.
(Father of Crops): Yeah, regret is one’s own. You have to do what you want.
I smiled wryly and nodded in agreement. Of course, my broadcast wasn’t a dull discussion but a chance to focus more on the dull fishing.
Swoosh—!
Swoosh—!
At some point, Eric and I began competing to see who could catch more fish, and after about an hour, the match was decided.
Merik caught two; I caught four.
Even without counting the one I had already caught, I’d caught three, so I won. Eric, who usually followed me unquestioningly, looked a bit stung by the loss and sat still for a while.
“My lord, you are indeed incredible. I’m good at fishing too, but…”
“Haha, I really enjoyed fishing with you. It wasn’t boring, thank you.”
“I enjoyed it too, thank you.”
“Shall we go now?”
“… My lord, how about one more cast? It’s been so long that I can’t help myself. I don’t mind missing a meal.”
“Haha, okay then. How about we eat some sashimi here?”
“Eh?”
“There are plenty of fish anyway. We can just slice one and eat it.”
I had the Magic Detox, and for any parasites, I could ask the Father of Crops.
[Common-tier Constellation, Father of Crops has sponsored an item!]
[D-rank item, Parasite Herb acquired!]
– Description: Medicinal herb directly grown by the Father of Crops.
– Effect: Completely removes parasites from the body.
As expected, the Father of Crops had everything.
I smiled brightly, tucked the green Parasite Herb into my pocket, and began preparing the E-rank monster. I separated the head and body of the one with unusually sharp teeth, expertly peeled off the scales, and removed the innards.
Focusing my Magic Detox skill on the flesh, I started slicing sashimi. Using the sword Yulian had made for me, the slices came out better, and I could feel the sashimi plump up in real-time.
(Anonymous 1): You’ve got to give him credit for his butchering skills. This guy’s talent isn’t ordinary.
“Excuse me, my lord. I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Are there no boss monsters here?”
“Well, as the name Event Gate suggests, you could say there are basically no bosses. Occasionally, A-rank monsters appear, but none have been caught in the past five years.”
People carry return stones just in case, though.
At that moment—
“… I think I just caught a boss monster.”
Merik had caught an A-rank monster.
(Anonymous 1): Draw your sword!!
(God of Rain and Sunlight): This is a real festival!