CHAPTER 35

035 - If Only Nothing Happens

In truth, there was no way to know if a Gate would really open in a month.

But it wasn't like he could suddenly start searching for dimensional travel magic, so waiting for a Gate to open was the first thing to do.

‘I could just hold out in this mountain for a month or two.’

Living outdoors for over a month was inconvenient, but not impossible.

He had plenty of food and water, so if he just found a decent sunny spot, it would be easy to endure.

‘I don’t have to decide right now… For now, I should find a place to sleep tonight.’

With the thought of holing up in the mountains if necessary, Jinwoo began to climb.

Walking through an unfamiliar forest like this reminded him of when he first entered a Gate.

Back then, he knew nothing and rejoiced at a single berry, a single fish.

At that time, his eyes had been so fixed on food that he was truly oblivious to everything else.

In fact, not much had changed now; Jinwoo was still searching for things like berries and mushrooms here.

‘Oh? This looks similar to an apple.’

He found a round, ripe red fruit. The shape of the stem was a bit different, but at a glance, it looked exactly like an apple.

He wiped it with his sleeve and took a crunchy bite, but the taste was different. It was very juicy with a crisp texture, a flavor closer to a pear than an apple.

‘Nice.’

Since starting to earn money from the Gate, Jinwoo had eaten various fruits. Not only ones he had gathered himself, but if he saw a new fruit at the supermarket, he always bought it to try.

He liked apples, but he preferred pears a little more. So, the fact that the first fruit he picked and ate tasted like a pear put him in a good mood for no reason.

‘I was so tense during my first Gate, but thinking back, I kind of miss it.’

Of course, this was just memory being romanticized. If you asked Jinwoo now if he would go back to that time, he would absolutely refuse.

It had been genuinely tough back then, a time when he would jump at the sound of a single insect.

Still, as time passed, only the good memories remained, and he would inevitably get lost in nostalgia.

‘Huh? A stream.’

He then discovered a stream. He had been walking in search of water anyway, but he had found one luckily early.

‘Back then, I was so obsessed I was catching fish like crazy, then I ran into Rona and fled.’

He was friends with Rona now, but not back then. He remembered running for his life after encountering an Elf, the very thing his handler had warned him so much about, right from the start.

Learning from that lesson, this time Jinwoo caught only two fish. Now that he could see the Blue Flame of the fish, it was much easier to catch them.

His physical abilities had also improved, so he could easily catch them with his bare hands without a net.

Crackle—

He built a campfire and grilled the fish he had caught. He scraped off all the scales with his fang dagger, removed the guts and bones, and sprinkled a generous amount of salt.

He skewered them in an S-shape on a branch and grilled them. The fish oil dripped down, making the campfire crackle.

‘This one looks a bit like a saury. The taste will probably be different, though.’

Just like the fruit that looked like an apple but tasted like a pear, this fish would likely taste completely different from a saury.

What would a fish from the world where Elves live taste like?

He picked up a well-grilled fish and broke through the skin. White, cooked flesh was revealed, and steam billowed out.

Jinwoo took a hearty bite of the piping hot, freshly cooked fish.

‘Th…!’

He was moved. The taste of the grilled fish he couldn't eat back then.

Of course, after returning home, he had grilled and eaten fish. He had also boiled it to make spicy stew and steamed it, eating it in various ways.

But the fish he was eating now was more special.

‘I was so upset that I had to abandon all that fish and run away.’

During his first Gate, he had caught over ten fish with great anticipation, only to have to leave them all behind. He couldn't describe how much he had lamented that.

He was now tasting the flavor he couldn't have back then. A dish seasoned with nostalgia was bound to be much more special, even if it was the same dish.

‘No, but even without the nostalgia, this is just delicious.’

In fact, even without the filter of nostalgia, it was simply a delicious fish.

The well-grilled, crispy skin had a cracker-like texture, and the meat inside was full of aroma.

Though it was the scent of fish, it wasn't fishy at all; rather, it felt fragrant and refreshing. Even though he hadn't sprinkled anything like yuzu or lemon, he could sense a fruity aroma.

That aroma didn't clash with the taste at all and harmonized well. He had only sprinkled salt and grilled it, but it tasted like a dish served at a high-end restaurant.

‘Is it because the water and air are good?’

He devoured the two fish in an instant and, on a whim, caught and grilled three more.

If he had his way, he could have eaten twice as much, but he held back. Jinwoo's ironclad rule inside a Gate was to always eat only half.

This wasn't a Gate, but it was an unfamiliar place, so here too, Jinwoo strictly controlled his meal portions.

‘Phew, that was a good meal.’

He wasn't full, but he felt a moderate sense of satisfaction.

The fruit and fish were all delicious, and the breeze was refreshing. The stream water also had a fragrant feel, and even though there was no alcohol, he felt like he could get drunk.

‘This is the life of an immortal.’

Was this the forest of the Elves? It had a completely different atmosphere from the forests and primeval forests of Earth.

Normally, a forest is a very cold and cruel space, not a place of rest but something straight out of a horror movie.

But the Elven forest was a little different. It felt warmer, like it was embracing him.

It was such a satisfying space that he thought if heaven existed, it would be a place like this.

Perhaps because it was right after a major incident, he was very grateful for such a space.

Basking in the warm sunlight, Jinwoo fully enjoyed a rare moment of rest.

…There's something here.

About two hours later.

It was time to move.

‘One flame? It’s flower-shaped, so it must be an Elf.’

The fact that it was an Elf wasn't surprising. He already knew this was an Elven forest.

The flame was strolling through the mountain as if on a walk, and it showed no sign of having noticed Jinwoo, nor any hostility.

Only after following the flame and getting closer did he realize.

"Aah! A-a human!"

The source of the flame was a child.

She looked to be about nine or ten years old. She was a pretty child who looked like a doll. A hairpin made of flowers was pinned in her wavy, light blonde hair.

Seeing Jinwoo, the child was so startled she dropped the fruit basket she was holding. It seemed she had been gathering berries.

The child was wary of Jinwoo with her entire being, stepping back as if ready to flee at any moment. She looked as if she had just spotted a bear in the forest.

Jinwoo crouched down and picked up the fallen fruit. One, two, three… He gathered all the fruit near him and held it out to the child.

He didn't approach rashly, just extended his hand holding the fruit. So that she could approach on her own.

If she ran away, it couldn't be helped. If she didn't, maybe they could become friends, like with Bulkar.

"Y-you're not going to do anything?"

"I won't."

The child's wariness was very strong, so it didn't seem easy.

If necessary, should he show her a wind spirit with the power of the Ego Sword, or activate Chartia's flower amulet to show her the power of an Elf?

He was pondering this when…

The child cautiously approached and took the fruit Jinwoo offered.

"What? His survival report hasn't come in yet?"

"No. I will check again, but are you certain that you passed through the blue portal with Hunter Kang Jinwoo?"

"I'm certain! I'm sure Hyung-nim entered the portal!"

Bang! The one who slammed the desk and shouted was Cheon Juhyeok, who had returned from the Gate.

Upon returning to Earth, the first thing he did was send a text to Jinwoo. He had gotten his contact information before leaving the Gate.

But there was no reply. At that point, he hadn't thought it was particularly strange.

He figured Jinwoo might be passed out asleep after going through such an ordeal and finally returning home.

But when there was still no reply the next day, and he didn't pick up even after several calls, Cheon Juhyeok realized something was wrong.

So he went to the Bureau and asked Jinwoo's handler, only to be told that his survival report had still not come in.

The handler also took this seriously and went to Jinwoo's house and contacted all the nearby hospitals, but Jinwoo was nowhere to be found.

What in the world happened?

"P-perhaps…"

"Perhaps what, handler-nim?"

"You said he fought with a warlock, right? Perhaps, and I hate to think this, but…"

"What is it!"

"He was already dead…"

"!"

A lightning bolt struck in front of Cheon Juhyeok's eyes.

The handler's words struck a blind spot he had never considered.

Because he was already dead, he couldn't return even if he passed through the blue portal. The reason he seemed alive was because he had been fighting the warlock.

In other words, had Jinwoo actually been defeated by Johann? Had he been in a state like an undead, being controlled after death?

"That can't be…"

He didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to, but it explained everything.

At the very least, it was far more realistic than the idea that an E-class had defeated an S-class. Because of that, he had no choice but to believe it.

Cheon Juhyeok covered his face with both hands and bowed his head. As if that wasn't enough, he bent his waist deeply and buried his face between his legs.

In contrast to him, who looked like he was having a complete mental breakdown, the handler was calmer. Though her breathing was becoming ragged, she knew exactly what needed to be done.

"To his family… ah, Hunter Jinwoo-nim didn't have any family. I'll report to the Mayor first. And to Hunter Chartia-nim as well. She asked to be contacted immediately if anything happened."

Thanks to the handler, who managed to state what needed to be done despite her trembling voice, Cheon Juhyeok was barely able to pull himself together.

He also had something he needed to do.

"I… I didn't want to ask for help, but I have to contact my grandfather. I have to report that bastard Johann."

"Yes. If the Chairman steps in, it will put a lot of pressure on New York."

"I don't know if he'll move for the sake of one good-for-nothing grandson, though," Cheon Juhyeok said with a self-deprecating laugh as he left the Bureau.

And the next day.

A single article that started in Seoul rocked the entire world.

—Cheon Juhyeok, youngest grandson of the Cheonok Group, attacked by a New York Hunter.

—The brutal atrocity of New York's S-class Hunter, Johann Capote!

—Cheon Juhyeok files a complaint against New York's S-class Hunter.

The attention of the entire world was instantly focused on the incident, and every nation held its breath, watching the cold war unfold.

It was the moment the relationship between Seoul and New York, which had been on a hair-trigger since Chartia's naturalization, finally exploded.

In a small house in an Elven village.

A young Elf child secretly entered her parents' food storage and began to put things like fruits and mushrooms into a basket.

Then, she looked around and tried to sneak out…

"Mari! What's in that basket?"

"Oh, Mom!"

No matter what mischief a child gets into, it's impossible to escape a parent's eyes.

"Don't tell me you've picked up another lost wild animal?"

"N-no. This is… for when I get hungry!"

"That whole basket?"

"Yeah."

Her mother sighed.

It was obvious she was lying, but it wasn't a bad thing, and she wasn't a child who would listen anyway.

She was a child who always made a fuss about taking care of injured birds or lost animals whenever she found them.

"Alright. Be careful, and always take care of yourself."

"Okay."

"If you see any dangerous Elves or humans, you must not go near them. Got it?"

"O-okay."

"Alright, off you go, my little one."

Her mother straightened Mari's messy clothes, smoothed her hair, and re-pinned the flower clip.

Mari awkwardly accepted her mother's touch, then quickly ran off into the mountain.

The place Mari headed for was one of her five secret bases in the mountain.

"Jinwoo! I brought food."

"Food? I told you I have plenty, I don't need any."

"Still, look. I brought lots of mushrooms. You said you wanted to eat mushrooms, Jinwoo. Hehe."

"Oh, really? I couldn't eat the mushrooms because I was worried they might be poisonous."

While Earth was in an uproar over the Johann incident.

The person at the center of it all, Jinwoo, was enjoying a comfortable and well-fed life in the quiet countryside.

No matter how complicated the situation on Earth was, no matter how cold the relationship between Seoul and New York became, it had nothing to do with Jinwoo at the moment.

It would become a problem when he returned, but he could think about that then.

"Let's grill them."

"Yeah! Are you going to take that out? The portable heater."

"It's not a heater, it's a portable stove."

It was an item he had happened to find and buy while stocking up on various cooking utensils. It had a nice atmosphere and was perfect for a leisurely meal.

He took out the portable stove, lit a fire, and grilled the mushrooms and fruits Mari had brought. The fragrant aroma of the mushrooms and the sweet scent of the fruits mixed, whetting their appetites.

Jinwoo focused all his attention on achieving the perfect level of doneness, while Mari was preoccupied with examining the portable stove from all angles, fascinated by it.

Eating the well-grilled mushrooms and fruits with Mari, Jinwoo enjoyed a leisurely country life.

‘If nothing happens, a month will fly by.’

It wasn't a difficult thing at all.

Jinwoo's gaze turned beyond the secret base.

There, a giant tree that grew past the clouds was visible, like a mirage.