Chapter 25: An Unexpected Encounter (1)

"We'll send the C-rank player ID to the specified address tomorrow."

"Hmm... You can't give it to me right now?"

"Correct. From C-rank onwards, there's a special identification device created with mana stone encrusted into it, so it's impossible to issue it immediately."

"Understood."

The next morning...

KangWoo went to the player management office and requested a C-rank player ID.

He had already surpassed the amount of mana stone sales needed long ago.

KangWoo went to the level assessment device and received the confirmation that he had finished the third awakening, and then he walked toward the entrance to receive the ID.

But the answer he received was different from his expectations—they said that they would send it to him the next day.

'I wanted to go to the C-rank gate immediately.'

His original plan was to take a few days off after reaching the third awakening.

But that plan had changed after meeting the demon worshippers.

They'd received teachings from a member of an organization called the Demon Cult. He wanted to become as strong as possible before he knew the details of what that organization was, what they were aiming to do, and how strong their forces were.

"Hmm."

KangWoo wondered if he should use the Authority of Blind to bypass the gate control.

Because his demonic energy had increased a lot recently, he was sure that he would be able to pass through even stricter control.

'I shouldn't do that.'

After thinking about it for a while, KangWoo shook his head.

It wasn't like the Demon Cult was actively moving at the moment. Not only that, but finding information about them was going to take time.

He couldn't stay while doing nothing, but there was no need to move as if he were being chased by something.

'Should I follow my original plan and rest for a bit?'

Since he had some unexpected free time, he thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to take a day off and enjoy life on Earth.

'I haven't taken a day off since returning to Earth.'

There were many things he wanted to do, but he hadn't taken a proper break since returning.

KangWoo began feeling excited at the unexpected day off.

"But..."

In front of the player management office...

KangWoo was in the middle of a city where hundreds, thousands of people walked hurriedly, alone. He swallowed a small silence.

"What should I do?"

KangWoo scratched his forehead in confusion.

In the first place, he was someone who wasn't used to leisure.

In the past, because he'd lived in poverty, the only forms of entertainment he had were eating out and reading manhwa or novels.

Not only that, but he used to read only the free chapters.

When he went to Hell, things only worsened.

He had been dreaming about returning to Earth, but he hadn't thought about what he wanted to do.

He couldn't miss doing things he had never done.

"Hmm..."

KangWoo sat down on a nearby bench and immersed himself in his thoughts.

'Now that I think about it, I really lived a boring life while on Earth.'

He tried to think about what he used to like doing, but since he'd never really had any hobbies, nothing came to mind.

"Hmm... Should I go eat fried chicken?"

KangWoo thought about the fried chicken and beer he had recently eaten.

Because Han Seol-ah's food was too delicious, he hadn't been eating anything else.

'But it's too early.'

He'd gone to the player management office in the early morning.

—That's why it wasn't lunchtime yet.

There probably wouldn't be a place where they sold chicken and beer so early.

"Ah!"

Suddenly, a place came to his mind.

He had never visited one, but he'd really wanted to visit it when he was a kid.

"Yes, I should go there."

Excited, KangWoo stood up.

He looked around. If he remembered correctly, he should be able to find one easily.

'I found it.'

KangWoo's eyes shone after finding a sign.

KangWoo quickly walked toward it.

[Yaions Internet Cafe~ The Death is Just Like Me Since It's Always Around Me~]

"I'm finally going to visit an internet cafe!"

KangWoo said loudly while looking up at the sign.

When he was a kid, he'd always felt envious of the kids who got to visit internet cafes.

When he became an adult, he had never gotten enough time to visit one since he had been busy working.

'I should experience things one by one.'

For the last ten thousand years, he'd gone through a lot of pain.

He had been close to dying more than a thousand times.

Because he had returned to Earth, he should reward himself for everything he had gone through.

KangWoo was planning to experience and enjoy everything he hadn't had the chance to do.

"Let's go."

KangWoo said it with a voice resembling a warrior about to go to war.

The door opened while the sound of a bell resonated.

"Let's see... I should register like this, and then I need to go and charge some money?"

Considering that it was his first time in an internet cafe, he finished the registration process smoothly.

Just like someone from the countryside who had visited Seoul for the first time, he couldn't help but let out an exclamation while looking around.

While looking at the monitor, he pressed on a file called 'order food.'

* * *

"Woah... I can also order food?"

The clean menu reminded him of a restaurant.

After thinking about it for a while, KangWoo selected the A set menu.

'I guess that, in an internet cafe, you need to order ramyeon.'

He had often heard that the ramyeon you eat in an internet cafe was delicious.

"Then..."

After ordering food, KangWoo looked out for a game to play.

But since he'd never played a pc game, he didn't know what to choose.

'How can I choose if I don't know anything?'

After thinking about it for a while, he just chose a game in the popular game folder.

He pressed on a game whose logo consisted of a capital L and created a new user.

"Hmm?"

After completing the registration process, he got an window.

[Startup Package - 5 Rune Pages, 100K IP, increase to level 30!]

"Oh."

It was publicity where it mentioned the benefits of that package and how much money it cost.

'If I'm going to start playing, I guess it's better to start at level 30.'

He didn't understand what levels meant in that game, but he thought there was nothing to lose by starting at a high one.

After buying the startup package, he began playing the game.

He touched a button called 'Ranked Play.'

"Support... There are other jobs?"

While tilting his head, KangWoo chose a character.

The character he had chosen was a wind magician.

'Should I go there first?'

KangWoo moved down along the screen with a cute-looking blonde boy character.

1 minute 30 seconds after the game began, monsters started to come out at both camps, and a 2 vs. 2 match began.

"Ah. So if I hit a monster, I get money."

After playing for a little while, KangWoo understood how to play the game.

After realizing that, if you hit the monsters, you get money, KangWoo began moving the mouse and hunting the monsters down.

Then, he received a chat window notification from the user behind the blonde character.

[It's Real: Why are you doing the killing blow?]

KangWoo tilted his head and answered.

[Channa: If you hit this, you get money.]

[It's Real: You don't have to eat the minion, you crazy dumb f***.]

[Channa: Hit it, you too. You'll get more money.]

[It's real: You m***** f*****.]

He didn't understand why, but the other person seemed angry.

"A set, that would be $4 USD."

"Ah, thank you."

As the ramyeon he had ordered came out, he paid the employee.

His eyes shone as he looked at the ramyeon.

"It smells great."

When he was poor, it had been the thing he'd eaten the most.

He had eaten it so much back then that he had absolutely hated it, but smelling it there in the internet cafe made him droll.

"Slurp!"

KangWoo grabbed the chopsticks and began eating the ramyeon.

The spicy smell and the unique flavor of the ramyeon spread through his mouth.

'Delicious!'

Soon, the game became a second priority to him. He moved his character to the side and focused on eating.

"I would've never imagined that picked radish went so well with ramyeon."

KangWoo let out an exclamation in surprise after tasting the yellow radish that had come out with the ramyeon.

Although it couldn't be compared to kimchi, the yellow radish was also good in its own unique way.

While smiling, KangWoo ate the kimbap that had come out with the ramyeon.

[It's Real: Hey, move!! Please!! I'm about to rank up!!]

Although his partner desperately wrote, KangWoo didn't notice it since he was too busy eating.

"The internet cafe isn't as good as I thought."

Was it because he had never played video games? He didn't understand what made internet cafes so popular.

"As expected, eating is better."

Rather than playing video games, he enjoyed eating the food that came out more.

He thought going to an internet cafe would be worth it just because of the food.

After finishing the ramyeon, he emptied the beverage can. The taste of the carbonated drink spread through his throat.

It was at that moment...

Slam-!

"AARRGG!! THIS FUCKER!!"

KangWoo heard an angry shout coming from behind his back.

He turned around and saw a girl with short red hair wearing a baseball hat get up angrily.

She had thick eyebrows, lips, a sharp nose, and white skin.

Although she was wearing a tracksuit, that wasn't enough to hide her beauty.

Her eyes met KangWoo's.

She looked at him angrily.

"What are you looking at? Do you have any problem with me? I'm angry right now, so you..."

She was speaking angrily when she looked at KangWoo's game screen.

"Huh...?"

She alternated between looking at KangWoo's screen and her own.

While looking at both screens, the tips of her lips went up.

"Woah. So coincidences like this do happen, huh?"

A strong energy came out of her body.

"You better step out right now."