Have a Meal Before You Go Chapter 3.1

A Visitor And Soju – Part 1

This time he was thinking of buying an egg.
If the meat of monsters were used as food ingredients, what about their eggs?
Of course it was used as an ingredient. Generally, it was similar to the eggs of birds. Because of the chickens and their eggs which were hard to find, monster eggs became a brilliant subst.i.tute.
The market.
In front of Seodaemun a large traditional market was open. That was because Seodaemun was a region of Seoul, that was not as destroyed by monsters.
In general, the market sells food ingredients, Magic Stones, and daily necessities; And the place that CheolHo was at sold monster eggs.
Monster eggs were being displayed on the display stand. Their appearance seemed almost identical and though they looked the same. However, the monster species were definitely different.
By looking at the monster eggs, was it possible to cla.s.sify the monsters?

Of course it was possible.
It was only possible if you had a Special Artifact like CheolHo.
“Detect Eye.”
Quietly saying the initiation phrase, a transparent membrane covered CheolHo’s eyes like a lens. Originally the owner of the artifact was the Northern Mountain Range Empire’s Silver Dragon, Kanaseu.
Are you asking why is it currently with CheolHo?
Because while he was going to kill the Devil King, he took it.
If Kanaseu had obediently handed it over, CheolHo wouldn’t have beaten him up but that guy didn’t do that. No, whenever he told them to provide him with their Artifacts, all the Dragons showed the same reaction. It was a situation where if words didn’t work, he had to solve it with his fists. At that time he meant.
Anyway, at the time if there were people that you couldn’t use communication on in the world, he wanted to use the expression that the person was like a Dragon.
Back to the present.
This Artifact called Detect Eye was very convenient because it showed the essence of objects. The strength that the existence holds, and the disposition of that strength.
To sum it up, if he looked at a human he could see the numerical value and disposition of the energy the human has.
He could see it all including if they were lying or telling the truth! That’s why CheolHo tried to not use it on a human if possible. After he saw them only regrettable things would happen.
In that state, CheolHo skimmed over all the monster eggs on display.
‘Velto, Velto, Ataho, Tuleekellops …….’ (TL note: jeezus that last monster name…)(ED note: sounds like what I had for breakfast…)
For sure he could know what existence was sleeping in the eggs.
Ah, why don’t they hatch?
Fundamentally, monster eggs hatched when they match frequencies with their family. Therefore it was impossible for the eggs rolling around in the market to hatch, or in other words they were no different from unfertilized eggs.
CheolHo mainly picked the Velto eggs from those gathered eggs. Five eggs and their size as similar to two fists combined.
Right before he was about to turn around because he thought that it would be enough.
‘Hm?’
At the corner of the display stand. There was one egg that had no special trait.CheolHo asked the owner of the store who was leisurely yawning.
“That egg, what type of egg is that?”
The owner glanced at the egg and then shrugged his shoulders.
“I don’t really know. I only know that the egg has finished its inspection at the Awakened a.s.sociation. As sir would know the monster egg’s appearances are so similar that you can’t differentiate between them. Wouldn’t that be why they have a flat price?”
Detect Eye told this message.
-Truth.
The store owner was speaking the truth.
“I see.”
CheolHo tilted his head, thought briefly and then nodded his head. It was because of a strange curiosity.
“Give me that as well.”
***
CheolHo broke a Velto egg in silence.
A Velto egg had a way thicker and stronger egg sh.e.l.l than an ostrich egg but CheolHo broke it as simply as if he was breaking a chicken egg’s sh.e.l.l.
The egg white and yolk spilled out heavily. In terms of chicken eggs the amount was approximately five eggs.
Chiik-!
In that place he poured in ‘Cow Hol’ milk. It was easy if you saw the Cow Hol milk as a subst.i.tution for cow milk.
When monsters were first being used as ingredients many people showed repulsion. However when monsters appeared the weak livestock disappeared as feed for all of them, and it was just as difficult to get fresh vegetables.
If there’s no teeth, it’s the gums. So biting the bullet, the monster meat that was used instead as an ingredient tasted better than expected and was okay.
Well, now with artificial cultivation it is possible to moderately supply ingredients but still monster meat was quite the popular item. Because the taste wasn’t really that bad. Above all it was really cheap. Monsters were what were killed all around the Earth.
Chiiiiiik-!
The egg white and yolk clumped up, and the Cow Hol milk combined was transforming into a scrambled egg with a soft feel. He seasoned it with salt and gently sprinkled pepper.
This should be fine, Velto Scrambled Egg.
While CheolHo was giggling, with a fork he scooped up the scrambled egg and put it in his mouth.
Velto eggs had a much stronger and savoury flavour than chicken eggs. Using the milk of a Cow Hol on top of that made it feel like a heap of cheese was put into his mouth.
The scrambled eggs that had entered his mouth slowly stimulated his tongue and went down his throat.
CheolHo, took a bite and breathed out through his nose. While fully enjoying the savoury after taste, he smiled.
It was delicious
For quite some time, CheolHo appreciated that taste with his eye closed.
When he was younger he thought eating a lot of tasty things was all there was to life.
However, not anymore.
Unlike his past he didn’t have any thoughts to eat a lot and only wanted to appreciate while enjoying the taste.
At the peak of when he went around the battlefield, the time of when he ate food felt wasteful. He thought it was a luxury to eat one delicious meal. However as time went by all that was left was delicious things.
It was said that food and its fragrance was a good medium to bring back thoughts of locations.
This food was the food CheolHo ate together with his allies in the battle a long time ago. When he closed his eyes, thoughts of those times came up. Faces that he wanted to see but couldn’t see popped up and vividly got stuck in his head.
“Did I turn from a middle aged man to a grandpa?”