Have a Meal Before You Go Chapter 1.2

The Strange Restaurant (1)

It’s been 30 years since monsters have appeared on Earth.

Around the same time people had awakened supernatural abilities and were being called the Awakened. There was no specific reason behind why these had happened, however the sky had split open and the monsters had suddenly appeared.

Nowadays it has been decided that it is to be called a “dimensional gap”. A pa.s.sage which had appeared from a world from another dimension and so that world’s monsters had trespa.s.sed onto Earth.

Anyway.

The Awakened were what could face the monsters.

The world shattered and nations collapsed. A lot of people died and under such circ.u.mstances time pa.s.sed.

The Awakened combined their strengths, and responded by laying down roots of a new civilisation and thus Earth entered a new era.

During that process the world became more and more stable and regained some semblance of peace.

As it became bearable to live the culture of the past came back. Cafes, pubs, motels, markets and……

Another example is a restaurant.

[A Rank 4 monster, the Velto Muli, has appeared at the Seodaemun intersection!]

[It’s an emergency warning!]

[The current dispatched Awakened is sir ‘Kim SangHu the Magic Spearman’ together with team ‘Zenkark’.]

The radio told the news loudly.

If it was a Velto that meant it was a giant ostrich-type monster. Its size was really big and extremely ferocious and so it was a monster that  even Awakened had difficulties with.

Tatatatatak!

In the group of Awakened running towards Seodaemun, there was a male who was in the lead rushing and holding a long spear. He was one of South Korea’s five Rank 2 Awakened, Kim SangHu.

Oooong-!

As the spear he was holding got covered with a strange heat, the spear grew  to ten times its previous size at least. Like that he looked towards the Veltos.

Above the buildings, long heads showed their face.

One, two, three …… a total of 10. An ostrich head with a long neck that couldn’t be mistaken could be seen from afar. Although the problem was that it was excessively big.

Ten Veltos.

“d.a.m.n, why is there suddenly a Velto.”

Kim SangHu spit out curses and deeply sighed. Then he gathered his strength to throw the spear held in his right hand.

Suddenly.

Gilululululuk!

A roar sounded out. At the same time the Veltos’ heads in the distance disappeared one by one.

“Oh?”

One of the Awakened following behind cried out.

“Uh…… Boss! All the Velto b.a.s.t.a.r.ds died?”

“What?”

Kim SangHu and the raid team Zenkark defended Seodaemun.

They hadn’t heard anything about any stronger Awakened being deployed at Seodaemun.

Then who dealt with the Veltos?

Kim SangHu who hastily ran towards where the Veltos had fallen couldn’t help but have his mouth wide open.

They were dead. They were certainly not breathing. Also, each of their bellies were cut out.

“……”

It was unbelievable. All 10 of the Veltos were dead but the person who killed them couldn’t be seen. Besides, looking at the speed in which they were killed, at least a military unit of ability users must have been deployed.

However, there was no one.

“Isn’t this that Blade Queen? I think she wreaked havoc in other people’s area to get some achievements under her name?”

“If it’s her she got placed near Hongdae. And also she’s this strong? That makes no sense.”

“Yeah.”

The Awakened a.s.sociation attach a code name to each person once they’re a Rank 2 ability user. It could kind of be seen as nickname, but Blade Queen and Kim SangHu were Rank 2 ability users who were always squabbling.

Kim SangHu chewed on his lips.

“What shall we do Boss?”

Right away he shook his head.

“Put up the achievement that we killed it. There’s no other alternative as whoever killed it didn’t say anything and left.”

“Yes.”

Kim SangHu carefully examined the fallen Velto corpses.

At the top if each of their heads there were traces of a deep blow.

‘One blow.’

That meant one blow was used to kill the Velto. In his thoughts, no matter the method, there was no Awakened who could do this.

‘Exactly…… Who is this?’

The ranks of the Awakened go from Rank 10 to Rank 1.

You could see it as having awakened a stronger ability as the number grew smaller. In Kim SangHu’s thoughts, even Awakened cla.s.sified as Rank 1 could not deal with Veltos this quickly.

Existences that have awakened abilities above Rank 1s were declared as ‘Rank 0s’ but the meaning of that was that the amazingness of the ability could not be judged.

However, a rank 0 has yet to appear.

‘s.h.i.t.’

That was not the only suspicious thing.

Near each monster’s heart there was a thing called a ‘Magongsok’. That Majongsok was a product that sold at a high price due to its usage as energy.

These Veltos definitely had Majongsoks but the Majongsoks were untouched. Why was the belly flesh cut out? Was there a reason for it?

“For now…… Collect the Majongsoks and contact headquarters to call for the Corpse Disposal Squad.”

“Yes Boss.”

The Majongsoks would go to headquarters and the monster corpse would be slaughtered and go to the markets. Domestic animals such as cows and pigs were hard to come across these days so monster meat was quite the excellent cooking ingredient compromise.

Somehow a gloomy wind was blowing.

Anyway.

Kim SangHu looked a the surrounding buildings. The buildings were partially destroyed and collapsed but luckily the area where the Veltos fell was where there were no residents.

He let out a breath. But suddenly, his attention went towards a shabby shop.

[Restaurant]

A restaurant. That’s absurd.

He smirked and shook his head left and right.

“The owner is lucky.”

If the Veltos had fallen in the opposite direction  the restaurant would’ve been completely destroyed by the corpses of the Veltos.

He gave the work to his lackeys and left via an alleyway. He had no thoughts about eating. All he had was the mind to drink some beer.

Jek Jek

The man opened his closed eyes at the sounds of the sparrows’ chirping. While yawning lazily and scratching his belly, he took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. In no time the morning sun had risen.

Seodaemun alleyway.

This place still had the smell of the past. That’s why the man liked it

Giiiik

After opening the door he lifts his neck towards the sky and closes his eyes slightly. Being warmed by the sun, the sleepiness went away and vitality gradually filled him up.

The man turned his vision away and looked at his store.

[Restaurant]

He lit his cigarette during that time and went back inside his store and stood in front of the kitchen.

On top of the rectangular board, a stove embedded with 4 pinky nail sized Majongsok.

This was one of the new kitchen utensils made out of Majongsoks. The man put a frying pan on top of it. After pouring a little bit of oil, heat came up with a -Chiiik- sound

The Majongsok was an object that could easily change the current structure of society.

It was only recently that all things in the world running off ‘fuel’ was being subst.i.tuted by Majongsoks but it was clear that this would accelerate.

It was 10 in the morning in no time.

It was time to eat breakfast

The man went towards the refrigerator silently. The refrigerator, which had a fist sized Majongsok embedded in it, had its characteristic of cold air being carefully maintained. It was an amazing thing

Inside the refrigerator, there were 10 large pieces of meat packing it full.

The pieces of meat were full made up of lean meat.

It was purely lean meat without any feeling of fat on it whatsoever. The lean meat was sliced once into two big thumb width pieces.

The meat, which was around the size of two hands put together, was earnestly cut with a kitchen knife.

After that he sprinkled on salt and pepper and then applied on the oil evenly.

Chiiiik-!!