Chapter 88: Chapter 88

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

The table was not too big or small. When the chef offered him the tea, Ho Sung took a seat next to him and drank it.

‘I wonder what kind of tea this is?’ Ho Sung wondered as he savored the deep, subtle aroma of the tea, followed by a soothing sensation.

“So, to what do I owe the pleasure?” the chef asked. Putting the cup down, Ho Sung sat up nervously and replied, “I’m currently serving under a master and I wanted to know if you would be interested in cooking for him as a private chef.”

“A private chef, huh? You’re not part of the Institute as far as I’m aware. Who is this man you’re serving under? A man of wealth, perhaps?” the chef replied. Then, with a hardened expression, he put his cup down quietly and added, “My plan is to spend what’s left of my life studying cuisines I’ve yet to familiarize myself with. That being said, I have no intention of working, earning more money or fame.”

Smiling bitterly, the chef kept on, “I’m not sure who this master of yours is, but I’m starting to find your presence invasive.”

After the chef’s emphatic reply, Ho Sung stared intently at him with heavy eyes and said, “Do you have children, Mr. Jang?”

“Why do you ask? You’re not gonna try to threaten me, are you?” the chef asked, chuckling as if he found Ho Sung’s question strange.

“No, sir. So, Mr. Jang, do you have children?” Ho Sung asked again.

“I have a granddaughter.”

“There will be a catastrophe soon,” Ho Sung said, and the chef’s face hardened.

“What do you mean? Tell me more.”

“I’m afraid it’s classified, so there isn’t much I can tell you, but I can tell you this much: there will be monsters incomparably stronger than the ones that currently live within the dungeons.”

“So, that’s what brought you here?”

Locking eyes with the chef, Ho Sung smiled subtly and replied, “Yes, sir.”

“And remind me how they’re related?”

“Because the master I’m serving holds the future of not only this country but humanity in its entirety.”

Staring intently at Ho Sung, who had a look of complete certainty in his face, the chef remained silent. Then, shortly after, he broke the silence by asking, “And what does that have to do with me?”

“Because my master values eating above everything else.”

“…”

“…”

“I don’t see how my cooking could be valuable to someone who holds the future of humanity in his hands.”

“Frankly, he just doesn’t give a damn about the future of humanity… Unless it has something to do with eating,” Ho Sung said, clenching his lips tightly and realizing that he had said too much. Hearing that, the chef scoffed and said, “I can tell that this man has a deep appreciation for food. That’s a good thing in my book.”

After taking another sip, the chef put the cup down, leaned his head back and immersed himself in deep thought. After a while, he broke the silence by saying, “But, I don’t see why I should be the one to cook for him. There are plenty of talented chefs out there.”

“It’s an important task, so I couldn’t pick just anyone,” Ho Sung replied.

“Seems to me that you came to me as a last resort. Let me guess, they were all busy?” the chef asked.

Pricked in the heart, Ho Sung looked away in a hurry. After regaining his composure, Ho Sung replied, “Ha! Haha! Now, what would make you say that?”

At Ho Sung’s nervous remark, the chef chuckled and said, “All right. I’ll meet with him, but don’t get your hopes up. I’m very picky when it comes to whom I work for.”

“Great! We’ll head out right this moment,” Ho Sung said while checking the time on his watch.

“You mean now?”

“Haha! Better sooner than later.”

“It just feels so sudden…”

“Mr. Jang, this is a far more serious issue than you perceive it to be,” Ho Sung said.

Laughing as if dumbfounded, the chef replied, “I just don’t see how my cooking can contribute to the future of humanity.”

“Please, Mr. Jang,” Ho Sung said in a serious tone. “There will be a calamity, and we don’t have much time.”

Seeing the serious look on Ho Sung’s face, the chef sighed a deep sigh. Then, with a brief nod, the chef smiled subtly and replied, “OK, you win. Give me a moment to get ready. You can do that, right?”

“Of course. I’ll be waiting outside,” Ho Sung said, bowing to the chef politely.

Staring intently at that, the chef said, “You’re different from all the other hunters I know.”

“Sir?”

“Most hunters are privileged and tend to look down on people. I’m not getting that vibe from you.”

“Haha… If only,” Ho Sung said, smiling bitterly.

“What does that mean?”

“You’ll see once you meet him.”

Confused, the chef chuckled and replied, “Well, I’ll be out in a minute.”

“Yes, sir.”

Although the chef hadn’t fully agreed to come on board, Ho Sung felt a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

—

Looking at the house of the man who held the future of humanity in his hands, the chef couldn’t help but be caught by surprise by the sheer size and majesty of the place, which was comparable to that of a CEO of a conglomerate.

“After you, sir,” Ho Sung said, leading the way. Not too long after he rang the bell, the front gate opened, revealing a wide, open front yard. Following Ho Sung through it, the chef arrived at the door and went inside. It was then that a man came into view, sitting on the couch while watching TV and drinking his coffee.

Looking at the champion, the chef’s eyes sparkled with interest. Having met countless people in his lifetime, the chef’s life experiences made him far more than just an experienced cook. His instincts were telling him that there was nothing ordinary about the aura exuding from the champion, who was sitting completely still, without moving a muscle. It was an astounding experience, even for someone as experienced as Chef Woong Jang.

“Sir?” Ho Sung called out to the champion. At which point, Min Sung looked back while remaining on the couch. Then, locking eyes with the champion, the chef was struck by the strange sensation of his heart skipping a beat as if it had been struck by a rock. There was unfathomable grandeur in the champion’s eyes, and the chef couldn’t dare approach the champion. With that, the chef greeted the champion by bowing to him, convinced that he was meeting the future of humanity.

“Woong Jang. Pleased to meet you.”

Rising from the couch, Min Sung walked up to the chef and said, “Min Sung Kang,” reaching out for a handshake. Looking down at the champion’s hand, which was covered in scars and calluses, the chef grabbed it and shook it politely. After that, the champion handed the empty mug to Ho Sung, who took it quietly and made his way out after studying the two cautiously. Meanwhile, the chef looked straight into the champion’s eyes.

“Ho Sung told me that you were going to decide if you wanna cook for me or not after we’ve met. So, what’s it gonna be?” Min sung asked, locking eyes with the chef, who smiled warmly and said, “I’ll see to it that your meals are as satisfying as the last.”

At the chef’s confident reply, a subtle smile appeared on the champion’s face.

“You can discuss the pay with Ho Sung. If there’s anything you want, don’t hesitate to let me know.”

“Of course. If you don’t mind, I’d like to start tomorrow. I have some preparations to do beforehand.”

“As you wish,” Min Sung said, and the chef responded with an affirmative bow. After that, the champion made his way to the front and walked about the yard while enjoying the Sun.

Looking at that, the chef let out a long sigh, and at that same moment, Ho Sung came up to him and said, “I didn’t think you’d come to a decision this soon. Thank you, Mr. Jang.”

“We all come to a crossroads every now and then. I learned to be quick in those moments early on. I felt that this was one of those moments. I knew what I had to do as soon as I saw him.”

Tilting his head in confusion, Ho Sung chuckled and said, “Well, that’s very admirable, Mr. Jang. I sure wish I could be as bold and decisive as you in life. Do you have any advice?”

“I have a granddaughter who means the world to me. How’s that for an answer?” the chef replied, smiling bitterly.

“More than enough,” Ho Sung said, scoffing.

Patting him on the shoulder, the chef said, “Looking forward to working with you.”

—

“Ready?”

“Yes,” the man in the robe replied, looking up at a skyscraper.

“As soon as the power cuts off, you’ll have five minutes.”

“Should be plenty.”

“Good. We’ll start in five. Five… Four… Three… Two… One… Go.”

At that moment, the man in the robe took his bluetooth receiver out of his ear, put it in his chest pocket, and bolted across the street, causing the cars to come to an abrupt stop. While the cars blared their horns, the man kicked the ground. The ground quaked, and a crater formed on the ground from the impact. At which point, there was a tremor in the air, and the blaring horns stopped abruptly. Having reached the middle point of the skyscraper, the man broke the window and entered through it, catching all the office workers within it by surprise. At that moment…

‘Click!’

The power went out and swallowed the office in darkness. Then, without hesitation, the man in the robe tossed the bag of explosive enchanted stones toward the center of the office. After rolling across the floor, the bag came to a stop with five seconds until the explosion. After that, the man jumped out the window through which he came, and just like that, all hell broke loose. The papers in the office fluttered about the office from the gust of wind coming in through the broken window, and the bomb threw the office workers into a terror-induced panic, causing them to scream and run for their lives. Soon, while the office workers were rushing to the exit, beams of light shot out from the enchanted bomb.

Unable to withstand the blast, the building collapsed to the ground, and the people around the building started to run away in a panic. Standing in the fear-stricken street, the man in the robe removed his hood, staring up at the building quietly, with his eyes visible, while it fell to pieces with thunderous roars.

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