abcnovels
Chapter 53:
Chapter 53:
Chapter 53:
Chapter 53
Gong Joo understood the intention behind Seomun Yongneo's gaze. Given her character, it was obvious she would approach Seo Gangrim in some way. He changed the topic tactfully.
"Really, Team Leader Seomun, there's no need for you to meet the trainee. Don't you have more important matters to attend to?"
With that, Gong Joo pulled a nearby chair and sat down. He gave her a pitying look.
"It's going to be a big problem, Team Leader Seomun. Zone One trainees set fire to the orchard. It's quite troublesome."
Although his words sounded like words of consolation, there was a hint of mockery behind them. Seomun Yongneo probably knew that Gong Joo was aware of the facts, but she simply responded with a smiling face.
"Thank you for your concern, Team Leader Gong. I don't think you came here just to worry about me. Did you come to make a wish or something?"
The two had made a bet on doing whatever the winner wished. Gong Joo could demand one thing unconditionally from her.
With his glasses pushed up, Gong Joo said, "Well, there's nothing I urgently need right now. I'll take my time asking for things later."
He considered the advantages of having an ace up his sleeve, knowing that he had found Seomun Yongneo's weakness after a long time.
Seomun Yongneo looked at Gong Joo with an appraising gaze and smiled. "You must be quite content. I heard that the trainee on your side has an immortal Qilin. Did you have something to do with it?"
"...A Qilin?"
At the mention of a Qilin, Gong Joo looked confused. Seomun Yongneo sighed lightly. "To say the least, you even revealed the method how to hatch the Qilin. Did you want to defeat me that badly?"
"Well, I don't really know what you're talking about."
"You've really become skilled at lying."
However, Gong Joo still seemed genuinely bewildered. Seomun Yongneo tilted her head slightly. "Do you really not know?"
"What... Well, I just came to inform you of the news. I won't bother you any longer."
"Alright, let's meet again next time."
Gong Joo got up from his seat and hurriedly left the office. After he left, Seomun Yongneo's expression turned cold. She asked her assistant, "Seo Gangrim has a Qilin, right?"
"Yes."
"Despite enhaling the poisonous scent of the Ten Thousand Fragrance fruit, they were perfectly fine"
"Yes."
Seomun Yongneo clenched her fist and fell into thought for a moment, tapping her index finger against her lips.
"I thought Gong Joo had something to do with it. But it doesn't seem that way. So Seo Gangrim found an unknown egg and hatched the Qilin himself..."
At the same time when Seomun Yongneo was questioning the Qilin's hatching, Gong Joo, who had returned to his office, had similar doubts. He opened his messaging window.
[Annaby, come to my office immediately.]
Not long after, Annaby arrived. She greeted politely, "Did you call me, Team Leader?"
"Yes. Have we received any reports that an unknown egg has hatched in our zone?"
"No, we haven't received any such report. But considering the time when the unknown egg was obtained, there is a possibility that it has hatched."
In Destiny Protection Bureau, they couldn't observe the situation inside the Demon World. They only received information related to clearing the stages. Gong Joo furrowed his brows in thought, then looked at Annaby.
"According to Seomun Yongneo, there's been a report that someone from our zone has hatched a Qilin."
"A Qilin? That's highly unlikely. The chances of a Qilin hatching naturally are close to 0%."
As Annaby pointed out, the natural hatching of a Qilin was almost impossible. However, Seo Gangrim had somehow managed it.
Gong Joo leaned his forehead on his hand and said, "Has Seo Gangrim been given additional rewards?"
"No, not yet."
"In that case, don't send them. It might be better to change the rewards."
Gong Joo placed both of his hands on his desk. His tone indicated that this was a significant decision.
"This is a chance to test Seo Gangrim."
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Part 8 - The Sixth Stage
For the past week, the training facility had been exceptionally quiet. Most people had entered the Fifth Stage, leaving few behind. Finally, the sound of human voices could be heard in the otherwise still training facility. The temporary closed-down cafeteria had been bustling with activity since yesterday.
"I'll have a kimchi fried rice!"
"I want a kimchi stew!"
"Me too!"
"Oh, oh!"
The customers crowded around, and the staff members rushed around, trying to keep up with the orders. Those who had returned to the training facility were all deeply engrossed in their meals. One of the trainees sighed with relief.
"Ah, I can finally eat properly now. I thought I was going to die in that place..."
"We barely made it out alive. If it weren't for Gangrim, I think we would have died for real."
Amid the commotion of people enjoying their meals, Seo Gangrim's name was mentioned repeatedly. It was no surprise because many had returned safely thanks to Seo Gangrim.
"Seo Gangrim, he seemed a bit cold at first, but he's actually a nice guy."
"Yeah, thanks to him and the Thousand Fragrance fruit he shared, everyone made it back."
While there had been quite a few casualties in Zone One, everyone from Zone Two had survived. In contrast to their previous lives, Zone Two had casualties. If it weren't for Seo Gangrim's help this time around, it was impossible to know how many would have failed. As people expressed their gratitude to Seo Gangrim, an unpleasant voice suddenly interrupted.
"Heh, Seo Gangrim is just a swindler anyway."
Choe Sangwon, who had been listening to the conversations around him for the past few days, couldn't hide his irritation anymore. He had been in a terrible mood because he had been continuously hearing good things about Seo Gangrim. Choe Sangwon's companions glanced at him and said cautiously, "No, well, he's still amazing. He was the first to conquer the highest difficulty..."
"But am I not a first conquerer, too?"
"That's true, but Choe-ssi, it was the lowest difficulty. Uh, no, you're incredibly amazing."
As Choe Sangwon glared as if he wanted to kill someone, the other person quickly changed the subject, and talked negatively about Seo Gangrim.
"What's so great about that guy? He's just good at fighting, and he's nothing more than a commoner."
"Wow, Seo Gangrim is here!"
Startled by the voice, Choe Sangwon looked towards the entrance. Indeed, Seo Gangrim was entering the cafeteria.
"Hello, Gangrim-ssi!"
Several people greeted Seo Gangrim warmly. Everyone in the cafeteria was looking at him with friendly eyes. Seo Gangrim responded with a nod, his expression unchanging.
'What a hassle. Life was much easier when I was ignored.'
Seo Gangrim found their kindness distasteful. He knew how quickly people could change their attitudes. However, he didn't regret saving them. After all, he had gained rewards from changing the fates of those who were meant to die.
'Your Destiny Class has risen to Human Third-class.'
After saving the people and conquering the Fifth Stage at the highest level, his destiny rank had increased. He had changed the fates of those who were supposed to die and altered his own destiny.
Choe Sangwon approached Seo Gangrim when he was about to buy some food and leave.
"Hey, Seo Gangrim, it's been a while, hasn't it?"
Facing Choe Sangwon, who was standing off to the side, Seo Gangrim raised an eyebrow in response.
Choe Sangwon muttered with a mocking tone, "Is my watch still working well? The one you traded for food."
"Are you asking for the watch back?"
Seo Gangrim looked at him in annoyance. Choe Sangwon flinched under that gaze, and quickly changed the subject.
"You think I would do that over something so trivial?"
"Then why are you bothering me?"
"I thought you might be interested in me since we're both the first to clear the stage in different levels of difficulty."
Seo Gangrim's expression conveyed his annoyance. However, Choe Sangwon nonchalantly rolled up his sleeves.
"I was the first to conquer the stage at the lowest difficulty."
"...?"
"I mean, it's not a big deal or anything. Just, you and I might get along well. How about having a drink together? Hey, can I have a drink?"
Choe Sangwon glanced at Tou and asked, "Can I have a drink?"
[Current Owned Coins: 0]
After buying food from Seo Gangrim, Choe Sangwon was left with nothing. Choe Sangwon expressed his annoyance to Tou.
"Don't you have any sense? Just give it to me for now! I'll pay you back double later."
Tou protested vigorously, displaying the message "No Credit". Choe Sangwon's face turned red.
"Unbelievable! Hey, do you even know who I am?"
Tou just raised his head and looked away as if it didn't matter who Choe Sangwon was. In response, Choe Sangwon became more agitated.
"Just a mere earth puppet like you dares to ignore me? You little..."
Seo Gangrim, who had been watching this scene, found it pitiful. He finally spoke up, "If you don't have money, don't make a scene. Just leave."
"I just don't have it right now!"
"I'll buy you a drink, so don't be a bother."
Seo Gangrim said it as if he was talking to a child. In fact, he was very close to talking down to him. The intention was clear: eat and leave.
Ignoring Choe Sangwon, who had a disgruntled expression on his face, Seo Gangrim ordered something from Tou.
"A glass of liquor, and give me 12 packs of ginseng extract."
The Tou was surprised when it heard the request for ginseng extract. Then, it once again displayed the "No Credit" message.
Seeing Tou's reaction, Choe Sangwon sneered. "Heh, you pretended to be so impressive, but now you're broke too..."
However, when Choe Sangwon looked at the prices on the menu, his face froze.
[Ginseng Extract (1 pack): 1000 spirit pearls]
The ginseng extract was the most expensive item on the menu. Buying 12 packs would cost more than 10,000 spirit pearls.
Seo Gangrim calmly opened the transaction window and said, "I'll pay in full."
When Seo Gangrim paid all the spirit pearls in one go, Choe Sangwon was in shock. Meanwhile, Tou, like a diligent servant, brought over the ginseng extract, along with several additional dishes as a courtesy.
"Tou, Tou!"
Tou bent his waist at a 90-degree angle and thanked Seo Gangrim. Then, Seo Gangrim quietly took his belongings and left the restaurant, leaving Choe Sangwon staring blankly.
"Argh..."
At that moment, Tou offered Choe Sangwon a glass of alcohol as if feeling sorry for him.
"Damn it! Are you trying to mock me now?" Choe Sangwon yelled in frustration and threw the glass on the ground, shattering it.
Leaving the sound of broken glass behind, Seo Gangrim headed to his room. As he entered, the Qilin, who had been lying on the bed, suddenly sat up.
"Are you awake?"
"Wong!"
The Qilin pranced excitedly around Seo Gangrim. Although they had met each other just a while ago, Seo Gangrim felt the warmth of a genuinely welcoming gaze from the Qilin. Seo Gangrim sat down, and with a sense of satisfaction, he opened the bag of ginseng extract. The dried ginseng extract emitted a bitter aroma.
'Is one piece of this worth around 100 spirit pearls?'
He stared at a piece of ginseng extract. It was an expensive item, with about ten pieces in one bag.
'I've accumulated more spirit pearls than I expected.'
Thanks to the item that automatically collected spirit pearls, he didn't need to pick them up manually. Seo Gangrim's gaze remained on the ginseng extract.
'In my previous life, I couldn't even dream of this.'
Seo Gangrim, who couldn't afford to eat properly in the past, not even a 10 spirit pearl meal, was now spending 12,000 spirit pearls at once. However, he had no regrets. Seo Gangrim poured a bag of ginseng extract into a large bowl, and then set it on the floor. Seeing this, the Qilin's eyes sparkled with delight.
"Here. It's your meal. Enjoy."