By default, food was scarce in the Deep Realm. This was also a common reality across the various floors of the Core. Monster meat, regardless of whether it was grilled or washed, remained toxic and inedible except for a select few species. This forced the residents to rely on natural fruits, tree bark, sap, or weeds for sustenance. On the Plains of Despair, there was a spot known as the “Ark of Stone.” Imfelheim sat on a massive rock formation resembling a ship half-buried in the ground, narrowing his eyes as he surveyed the plains below. What kind of situation is this? He wondered as he watched three residents hunt the Headless Knights. “I’m hungry. Let’s take a snack break and rest for a bit,” one of them suggested. They slipped into a thicket for cover, then each of them opened their backpacks and started pulling out items. Though Imfelheim had spent a significant amount of time in the Deep Realm, it was his first time seeing the items in their hands. “Was it ten minutes?” asked one of the residents. “No, it was one minute, I think.” “You’re both wrong! It’s three minutes,” said the third resident. “That’s the perfect time to make the noodles firm and springy. How could you forget something so important when this stuff costs so much?” Even from three hundred meters away, Imfelheim’s heightened senses allowed him to clearly see what they were holding. The residents had brought Yukgojang Cup Noodles. Of course, Imfelheim, who couldn’t read Korean, was left thoroughly confused.[1] Regardless, the residents peeled the lids halfway open, poured hot water inside, and closed them again. “Done. That’s three minutes.” After waiting what felt more like three years, they finally opened the lids. Steam billowed out, and the residents tore open disposable wooden chopsticks, starting to slurp up the noodles. “Ugh, this is so, so good!” “Yukgojang is the best.” Watching them eat, Imfelheim swallowed hard with an audibly loud gulp. For the residents of the Deep Realm, eating was just a way to stave off hunger. The food here was notoriously flavorless. Moreover, those living in the Deep Realm had bodies far superior to ordinary humans and rarely experienced hunger. Where in the world do they get that stuff? Imfelheim thought. Occasionally, while wandering the Deep Realm, he would spot residents eating strange, unfamiliar foods . Though he typically wasn’t very interested in food, a growing curiosity began to take root in his mind. “Ugh...” Kiriel pouted, his lips poking out in a sulky expression. In the single room of a straw-thatched house, he lay on the floor, having abandoned the pen he was using to write a reflection paper. “This is all because of that damn lizard. If he hadn’t dared to provoke me, none of this would’ve happened.” He sighed heavily, recalling the incident. “You shouldn’t have broken that wall,” Wei Zhongqi said, clicking his tongue in exasperation. During a scuffle with Hakase, Kiriel accidentally broke one of the walls of the Changshin Villa complex, where Do-Jun lived. Although it wasn’t intentional, Do-Jun was still displeased, and as punishment, both were ordered to write one-hundred-page reflection papers by the end of the week. “I could help you, you know,” Wei Zhongqi hinted at something. “Writing reflection papers.” Kiriel stared at him incredulously, then retorted, “Do you even know how experienced I am at this?!” Wei Zhongqi replied, “Not even a year, I’d wager.” “Not eeeeeven a yeeeear?!” Kiriel shouted, taken aback by the unexpected sneer. “You’re a fledgling.” Wei Zhongqi smirked. Back in the Heavenly Demon Sect, during his days in the martial world, writing reflection papers had been a regular occurrence. Grinding ink with an inkstone and carefully writing each word with a brush had been an excruciating task. He would’ve preferred enduring tenfold training sessions over it. Now, he completely avoided getting on Do-Jun’s bad side, but in the past, his hands had more calluses from brushes than swords. “I could teach you how to write them quickly,” Wei Zhongqi offered. “Really...?” Kiriel’s curiosity piqued, and he sat up straight. “But only if you help me out during your vacation.” “I came down to the Deep Realm because I needed a break from the food stall. If I have to cook, clean tables, and wash dishes here, it defeats the purpose of a vacation.” Originally, Wei Zhongqi had built himself a thatched-roof cottage on Mount Yeongryunsan to enjoy a peaceful, leisurely life. However, the recent influx of Deep Realm residents flocking to sample Earth’s food had disrupted those plans. Of course, he could relocate to a secluded spot or outright refuse to provide food, putting an end to the hassle. However, the sheer amount of purple stones the residents brought in exchange was staggering, so he decided to continue for the time being. Thanks to this, his culinary skills were improving by leaps and bounds every day. Kiriel was diligently taking orders while wearing the apron uniform of the food stall. “Wei Zhongqi, two rolls of kimbap for table three,” he said. “You have to keep your promise, alright?” Kiriel said to Wei Zhongqi. “Don’t worry. Have I ever lied to you?” Perhaps writing a hundred-page reflection paper had been more burdensome than expected. Regardless, Kiriel found himself lending a hand to Wei Zhongqi, tempted by this “guide” to write reflection papers faster. “Hello, boss!” A cheerful greeting came from a dark-skinned woman with pointed ears. The Deep Realm was home to many species, and she was a Dark Elf from the northern Forest of Death. Wei Zhongqi greeted her warmly with a smile. “Ah, this is for my tab from last time.” The Dark Elf pulled out three thousand purple stones from her pouch of mastery stones. “And...” “A salad to go?” Wei Zhongqi asked her. Dark Elves particularly enjoyed salads, with their favorite being a tofu salad that contained lettuce, cherry tomatoes, baby greens, and tofu. Every ten days, they would make the long journey from the Forest of Death to stock up on large quantities of these salads. “These fresh vegetables... you get them all from Earth, right?” the Dark Elf asked. “Yes, that’s correct.” Most of the customers who visited what had now become Wei Zhongqi’s restaurant were aware that he sourced his ingredients from Earth. Although some residents thought about gathering ingredients from Earth themselves, acquiring the pages of the Book of Transfer was no easy task. More importantly, Earth was gradually gaining a reputation as a place far more dangerous than the Deep Realm, discouraging all but the most daring. “I envy you. If I were a Ranker, I’d have tried going to Earth at least once. Oh, speaking of which, I heard you’re acquainted with Earth’s king...” the Dark Elf remarked. “I was one of his disciples.” After their short, friendly chat, Wei Zhongqi quickly started making the salad. He opened a bottle of balsamic dressing he bought from the market and drizzled it generously over the vegetables. The Dark Elf watched the process with wide-eyed curiosity, a bright smile lighting up her face. “I’ve thrown in some extra for you today,” Wei Zhongqi said, handing her a large container filled with tofu salad. Smiling with gratitude, the Dark Elf bowed deeply. “Thank you so much!” The Dark Elf cheerfully returned to the Forest of Death with her newly purchased salad. The cost of the salad was one thousand purple stones. She had to pay off her debt with every stone she had, which meant that she had to accrue even more debt. Still, thinking about enjoying the delicious salad at home erased any regrets. To the Dark Elf, who had been living her days without meaning, salad had somehow become her happiness in life. Huh? She suddenly noticed a shadow flying toward her in the distance. Feeling uneasy, she activated her skill, Catch Eye. Her pupils turned a vivid red as the shadow's identity came into focus. It was none other than one of the supreme beings of the Deep Realm. Imfelheim, the most powerful among the already-feared Transcendents, was flying toward her at a terrifying speed. The Dark Elf’s face turned pale, and she faltered. She was far from a Ranker—there was no way she could handle someone like him. Please, just pass by... she prayed to herself. Her wish was quickly shattered when the shadow landed right in front of her with a loud thump. Then, Imfelheim started walking toward her. The Dark Elf closed her eyes tightly, resigning herself to her fate. She braced for her neck to be sliced off, thinking she would soon become part of Imfelheim’s mastery points. Imfelheim broke the terrifying silence. “I have a question.” “Pardon...?” The Dark Elf opened her eyes and saw Imfelheim pointing at the transparent container in her hands. Inside the container was a salad, with its fresh greens and toppings visible through the plastic. The Dark Elf realized that Imfelheim didn’t seem to have any malicious intent. “T-this? I bought it.” “I’m obviously asking where you bought it.” “From Wei Zhongqi the Transcendent...” “What kind of food does he sell?” Imfelheim asked. “I... I don’t remember exactly, but many people seem to enjoy the combination of cup noodles and kimbap. They say it’s a great pairing.” Without another word, Imfelheim blasted off the ground and soared away. The Dark Elf could only hope that nothing bad would happen. After another busy day of business, Wei Zhongqi and Kiriel sat on the wooden platform in their yard. A stack of one hundred clean sheets of paper lay between them. As repayment for labor, Wei Zhongqi had promised to teach Kiriel how to write apology letters more quickly. “So first...” Wei Zhongqi began but trailed off as massive energy approached from the entrance of Mount Yeongryunsan, heading their way at an alarming speed. Startled, both stood up and assumed defensive stances. A shadow landed in their yard. Recognizing who it was, both Wei Zhongqi and Kiriel lowered their weapons. “Imfelheim? What are you doing here?” Wei Zhongqi asked. Imfelheim, known for roaming the Deep Realm in search of “trials” to become stronger, rarely interacted with his peers, even those of the transcendent ranks. “I heard you’re selling food,” Imfelheim commented. “Ah, yes. Are you interested in trying some?” “I’m just curious about the food. Nothing more, nothing less.” “That’s quite a long way of saying you want to eat.” “I... heard cup noodles and kimbap make a good pairing.” Wei Zhongqi chuckled and headed to the kitchen, relieved that Imfelheim wasn’t here to fight. The cup noodles and kimbap were indeed delicious. Though Imfelheim internally marveled at the taste, he refused to show it outwardly—it would be too damaging to his pride. This update is available on novelꞁire.net “If you’re done eating, you can leave now. I need to learn how to write reflection papers faster from Wei Zhongqi,” Kiriel said. “Reflection paper? What’s that?” Imfelheim asked, tilting his head. Once Kiriel explained what it was, Imfelheim frowned deeply and muttered, “To think you’re writing those for the king of Earth. How pathetic.” If it were up to him, he would have killed that so-called king of Earth in an instant. The very idea that a mere human would dare impose such “demeaning” tasks on a Transcendent was laughable. However, it wasn’t his concern. “Hmm? Imfelheim, what’s that...?” Wei Zhongqi called out to him as he was about to leave. He pointed to the laminated strip of paper Imfelheim wore around his wrist like a bracelet. The paper had characters written on it, which were clearly Hangul consonants. “ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ...” “What is that on your wrist?” Wei Zhongqi asked again. “It’s a talisman,” Imfelheim said. Imfelheim explained its purpose. The Prophet’s Demise once predicted he would die within three years. However, wearing this talisman changed the prophecy—he would not die in that time frame. Wei Zhongqi scratched his head, deciding not to reveal that the symbols were actually Hangul, the Korean alphabet. 1. Yukgojang is just a wordplay on a famous noodle brand in Korea, “Yukgyejang.” ☜