NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8
“Ah, damn.”
When I opened my eyes, my whole body was sore.
Maybe it was because I fought too fiercely last night. It felt like my muscles were torn apart.
Still, I’ll be getting paid soon.
Let’s see, it’s late dawn. The sun is slowly rising, and the darkness is lifting. I slept more soundly than I expected. But the warehouse air isn’t great; my throat is itchy, and my mouth feels dry.
And I didn’t have anything to cover myself, so I was cold.
At least I didn’t feel like this when I slept at the inn… Staying at an inn is definitely worth the investment.
“Whoa.”
I got up, strapped the Strike Staff to my waist, and went outside the warehouse.
The corpse of the Soseongui I killed yesterday was still there. Eight in total. This is enough to go boast about.
As I was lingering, someone approached. It was another person, different from the elder yesterday, but upon closer inspection, looked like a kid.
Now that I think about it, they said someone would be sent in the morning. Must be a helper from this farm.
“Look here. I took care of the Soseongui.”
“Oh! I’ll go get the manager!”
So the elder was the manager, huh.
“When is the manager coming?”
“Usually, they start moving around this time, so they should be here soon.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
After a moment, the kid brought the elder.
“Here. I’ve exorcised the Soseongui.”
“Oh, you’ve caught quite a lot!”
The elder exclaimed as he looked at the corpses.
This feels good.
“There were so many, they all came at once, so it was tough to catch them. But I managed to take them all down.”
“Well done! These guys are really bothersome!”
Feelings are good.
But will the money be fair?
“Here’s the promised reward!”
—Clink!
“Oh!”
The elder presented me with a bundle of coins strung together!
I quickly received it and began counting the coins. I’m quite good at counting. After tallying, it’s certain. 200 coins.
“Thank you very much!”
Unbelievable!
I earned 200 coins in just one day!
Is it even possible to be this happy?
An overwhelming joy engulfed my thoughts, along with a constructive realization. Yeah, manual labor isn’t the answer.
Hunting these demons is the way to go.
I fought a grueling dog fight last night, but in return, I now hold 200 coins in my hand—a sum impossible to achieve through manual labor.
I’m about to explode with joy.
“Right. If there’s another job like this, I’d love to come back. Will you call me?”
“Hehehe, of course. Ah, but I do have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Can we eat these Soseongui?”
“What? Eat a demon?”
Seems like that’s a no-go?
The elder had a look of disbelief on his face.
“Are you thinking of eating a demon?”
“Are there any poisons in it?”
“No… The Soseongui doesn’t have any, but if you wanted to eat it, you could. But why would you want to eat demon meat with all the good food out there?”
Probably because I can’t afford food.
“Something tasteless like that. Even beggars wouldn’t go for it. Eating demon meat is seen as a bad omen.”
“Is that so?”
I organized the information.
No poison.
But it also tastes awful.
Yet beggars do eat it.
So, it seems that eating demon meat is considered a quirky behavior, associated with bad luck.
Guess it’s a superstition.
But I’m Kim Geunhyeop, a modern man. Would I fear such superstitions? If I can save on my food costs, eating demon meat is definitely an option!
Sounds good!
I’ll try it next time!
“Thank you for the information.”
“Well, it’s nothing much…”
“Anyway, what about the Soseongui corpses?”
“Take them away. Whether it’s leather, skulls, or nails, it’ll sell for money.”
“Oh, really?!”
I can sell these things!
When I asked where, he mentioned there’s a general store in the merchant district where they deal with such items. With that information in hand, I bowed and thanked the elder, then grabbed the Soseongui tails to lift them.
“Whew.”
The smell isn’t too bad.
The blood has dried, so it won’t drip.
But carrying around the carcass of an animal that’s been dead for a few hours is quite unpleasant.
“Then, I’ll come again if there’s a request for Soseongui appearing at Daeil Farm.”
“With how many you killed, they shouldn’t show up for a while. Safe travels.”
Shall I head out?
I stepped outside Daeil Farm.
“…”
As I walked out, I felt people subtly glance at me as they passed. But it wasn’t long, nor did it seem like they were very interested.
I guess they think I just returned from hunting a demon.
I realized that carrying around a demon corpse has become somewhat of a daily norm.
“Whew.”
Still, I feel great.
So, let’s head straight to the merchant district. If I sell this, it’ll be pure profit. One could say it’s a kind of bonus.
The risk I took paid off big time.
I was somewhat tired and my clothes were muddied and torn, but hey, a little bloodstain is something anyone would have walking around. Besides, mending clothes isn’t that expensive after all.
And I had a nice deep sleep in the warehouse. I’m tired, but not overly exhausted.
In many ways, this is a win.
A hundred times better than manual labor.
“Hmm.”
But why don’t other workers do this kind of stuff? Is it too risky? Well, the locals probably don’t feel the need to take on such risks as I do.
Lost in thought, I arrived at the merchant district.
“Oh wow.”
With various shops lined up, I scanned the street looking for a general store that deals with demon by-products.
As I scanned, I spotted a sign that read “Myoil General Store.”
Shall I check it out?
“Hello there, owner.”
Upon entering.
“Oh, Soseongui? You’ve come to sell those?”
The gruff-looking owner approached and spoke.
“That’s right. Fresh ones caught just a bit ago.”
“Let’s see. Ah, eight of them, huh.”
The owner squatted down, placing the corpses on the floor.
“Wow, you really had a rough fight.”
“I did put in a lot of effort.”
“Heads smashed, bones shattered, and entrails all ruined. The skin here? For this condition, I can only offer 5 coins for these eight.”
What? Only 5 coins?
“Can’t you give me a little more?”
“I’ll give you more if you bring a decent one next time. So either take it or leave it for 5 coins.”
I feel a bit taken advantage of, but what can I do? This was a freebie to start with. I didn’t even know I could sell it. And it’s true, the quality isn’t great anyway.
“Alright then.”
I decided to accept the 5 coins and hand over the corpses.
“Oh, if it were in perfect condition, how much would it be?”
“That would’ve fetched around 30 coins, but in my experience, you’ll rarely find someone who brings a Soseongui in mint condition. Things get damaged during the fight.”
“I see… Ah. Can this meat be eaten?”
“The innards seem spoiled, and some parts are already decaying. Maybe it could be used as dog food. Oh, do you enjoy demon cuisine?”
“I’m starting to get curious.”
The owner’s face brightened as if he found it amusing.
“There’s a demon cuisine restaurant right next door. If you bring usable meat in decent quality, they’ll prepare dishes for you as payment for the leftovers.”
“Oh, really?!”
So I can exchange leftovers for a meal?
What a score!
“My name is Kim Geunhyeop! I’ll be back often!”
“I’m Song Omin, the owner. Take care.”
After parting with the owner, I stepped outside.
“Hehehe!”
Next time, I’ll be more careful when catching demons. This time, I completely ruined the state of the meat, so it went to waste. If I had fresh ones, they’d cook it for me, allowing me to save on a meal.
“Ah.”
Now, I felt an extreme hunger.
—Grrr.
My stomach was rumbling like crazy.
If I don’t eat something now, I might starve.
Gongbo Estate call?
“Call!”
I immediately dashed to the inn.
*
“Server!”
As soon as I entered the inn, I confidently called out to the server.
“Yes!”
Right now, I’m overflowing with confidence.
And why wouldn’t I? I have over 200 coins in my pocket! With that much money, no one would bat an eye if I ordered a main dish!
“Here! One Gongbo Estate and one dumpling!”
Chicken with meat dumplings!
The combination seems a bit strange, but this is central China. There’s no need to adhere to culinary norms. Today, I’m going to treat myself to a hearty meal.
“One Gongbo Estate and one dumpling! That’ll be 80 coins, sir!”
“Here you go.”
But wow, that’s really expensive.
The Gongbo Estate is 60 coins, and the dumpling is 20 coins. I just burned my entire day’s wage in one meal, but I don’t feel the least bit regretful.
Enjoying gourmet food after battling demons.
I plan to engrave this experience in my mind. By doing hard work and enjoying delicious food, I’ll seal the memory in my brain.
If I want to live well in this Martial Arts World, I must take risks and plunge into demon hunting.
Only then can I live like a person!
Thus, this isn’t just a regular meal. It’s a sacred rite to commemorate my survival in this Martial Arts World, something steeped in significance.
Typically, such rites come at a high cost.
“Gongbo Estate and dumpling! Here it is!”
While I was lost in thought, the dish arrived.
“Oh…!”
As soon as I opened my eyes, I couldn’t help but admire it. No, it wasn’t just admiration; it was as if my brain froze at the struggle to comprehend what lay before me.
“Ahh!”
Chicken…!
Well-fried chicken drenched in spicy sauce releasing hot steam…! Look at this maddeningly brilliant dish! Even vegetables and nuts are sprinkled atop!
“Aahhh!”
I couldn’t hold back the sounds escaping my mouth.
—Drip.
Tears were streaming down my face.
Chicken!
I can eat chicken!
Can anything make me happier than this?!
And it wasn’t just chicken. There were eight beautifully grilled dumplings as well…!
“Here. Enjoy with some tea.”
“Tea…? Now that you mention it?”
Tea was served too.
“This is green tea that comes with the Gongbo Estate. Enjoy.”
“I will eat well!”
I immediately grabbed my chopsticks.
My mouth was watering!