~Chapter 7~
Best Business Partner
A short while later, at the fire rabbits’ habitat.
Fwoosh—!
A cute-looking rabbit opened its mouth wide, and flames burst out from within.
The hunter who had tried to catch the fire rabbit flinched and rolled to the side in surprise.
“Uwaaagh!”
A spectator nearby clutched his belly in laughter.
“Ahaha! Are you seriously struggling with a fire rabbit? Hurry up and get it! Those things are squishy. But hey, don’t underestimate their strength—they’ve got a mean headbutt and kick.”
“Ugh, can’t I just go hunt pig-nosed lizards instead?”
“They don’t attack, so they’re useless for actual combat practice. Plus, with your agility? No way you’d catch them. Those things are super fast. Yo, the rabbit’s breathing fire again!”
“Yikes!”
Panicking, the rookie hunter swung his hand. A sharp, intangible blade formed from his outstretched fingers.
Slash!
Before the fire rabbit could spew flames again, its head was cleanly sliced off.
Several loot items dropped on the ground. The rookie picked up everything except the rabbit meat.
“Ooh, front paw! That’s a good one, right?”
“Hang on to it. If you collect ten and bring them to the crafting Hunter, they’ll make a necklace. Increases your luck when you wear it.”
“Nice!”
From a distance, Lee Seojin quietly observed the scene.
There were quite a few Hunters hunting fire rabbits in the area.
Some complained about being hungry, others grimaced as they forced down monster meat.
‘Looks like the perfect setting…’
Seojin took out a fried egg and was about to start selling, but…
“…”
He couldn’t bring himself to speak.
Though he had worked in many kitchens, he had never tried hawking food before. It was far more difficult than he’d imagined.
“I’m so useless.”
Seorina was an Awakened.
But the skill she awakened was so trivial, she couldn’t even be used as a porter.
Her skill: Sculpting.
After spending more than half of her 25 years dreaming of becoming a sculptor, it was natural she’d awaken this skill.
But its utility? Abysmal.
[Sculpting]
Allows you to sculpt wood or stone into desired shapes.
That was it.
She had hoped for something like “Sculpting monsters apart.”
But no, this skill couldn’t deal any damage, nor could it carve monster materials—just wood and stone.
And the trees in the Field emitted toxins when broken, making them unusable.
That left only rocks and boulders.
At best, she could join parties and carve a stone bed for others to sleep on.
She’d even tried that once.
But cold, hard stone beds were no one’s preference. Most preferred laying monster hides on dirt.
Even the small tools she could sculpt had become obsolete now that blacksmith-type Awakened appeared who could craft from monster parts.
“Why the heck did I awaken such a lame skill…”
Seorina sighed and watched the fire rabbits hopping around.
She picked up a nearby stone and used her skill.
The rock transformed into a cute fire rabbit sculpture.
“Reality or the Field, it’s all the same.”
In real life, Seorina had majored in sculpture, but never gained recognition.
Sometimes her work appeared in obscure art magazines, but that was it.
Until last year, she kept grinding to make it as a sculptor… until poverty forced her to give up and take part-time jobs.
Then she awakened.
For a brief moment, she was elated. But when she saw the skill, her excitement deflated.
The skill was so mundane it perfectly mirrored the lack of success in her sculpting career.
And since she couldn’t even protect herself, no parties wanted her.
So she decided: if she couldn’t fight, she’d at least make money as an Awakened.
There are two types of Awakened in the world:
Government-registered Awakened managed by the Association.
Unregistered Awakened who operate in secret.
Seorina joined as a registered Awakened but decided to work as a broker—reselling loot for unregistered Awakened.
Turns out, there were more unregistered Awakened than she expected, and the commission was decent.
So she’d started the job yesterday.
She’d enter the Field occasionally and just observe people. It helped clear her mind.
But the bitterness never left her.
“Everyone else is out there fighting monsters… huh?”
Her gaze locked onto a man fidgeting nervously with a fried egg in hand, awkwardly trying to sell it—his face hidden behind a shabby mask.
‘He looks… familiar?’
Curious, Seorina approached.
“Excuse me, what are you doing?”
Lee Seojin flinched but quickly recited the line he’d prepared in his head.
“Would you like to buy a fried egg?”
“Eh?”
“Fried… egg.”
She looked between the masked man and the egg.
“Did you make it yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Wait, from pig-nosed lizard eggs?”
“They taste good.”
“No way.”
Seeing is believing.
Seojin shoved the fried egg into his mouth and devoured it enthusiastically.
Seorina’s eyes widened.
‘He’s eating it like it’s delicious?’
He looked so happy eating that egg, the joy almost leaked through the mask.
“See? It’s good.”
“Well… you do look like you’re enjoying it.”
She still seemed doubtful.
Seojin knew exactly what to do in such cases.
He offered her a fried egg.
“If you don’t believe me, try one for free. If you like it, then buy more.”
She quickly pulled a small stone plate out of her inventory—something she’d sculpted earlier for fun.
“Put it on this, please.”
Receiving the egg, she hesitantly sniffed it.
No stench—only a mouthwatering aroma.
The slightly crisped edges made it even more tempting.
She took a tentative bite.
“…Huh?”
It was good.
Gaining confidence, Seorina took a bigger bite.
Chomp, chew… gulp.
“How is it?”
“It’s… delicious.”
Who would’ve thought one could eat proper food in the Field?
Feeling encouraged, Seojin asked, “Would you… like to buy some?”
Seorina hesitated.
As a non-combatant, she didn’t really need food in the Field.
Just as she was about to refuse, Seojin added quickly, “If you’re not interested, no pressure.”
He turned around, ready to leave, but she stopped him.
“Wait… haven’t we met before?”
“Huh?”
His voice… it wasn’t unfamiliar.
Seorina prided herself on remembering voices, and she finally placed it.
“We traded in Shinbuk Safe Zone alley, didn’t we? You sold me loot. That was you, right?”
Seojin had gone through a lot to hide his identity—shabby mask and all.
Anyone else would deny it.
“…Yes.”
But he was too honest.
“Knew it! Why the mask though?”
“I don’t want my identity exposed.”
“Then maybe disguise your voice too?”
“…Good idea.”
Watching him sigh deeply, Seorina felt a strange sense of camaraderie.
“It’s kind of fun, running into someone I traded with in the Field.”
“How did you make this food anyway?”
“I cooked it in a frying pan.”
“No, I mean—normally food from Field ingredients turns out disgusting.”
“Oh, I have a skill that makes ingredients edible.”
“…That’s insane!”
It was a game-changer.
But Seojin didn’t realize how revolutionary it was.
Meanwhile, Seorina’s mind—sharp and money-hungry—was already doing mental calculations at light speed.
She asked, “Do you have anything besides fried eggs?”
“Omelets and grilled lizard tails.”
He pulled them from his inventory… and placed them awkwardly on his palm.
“No plates?”
“No.”
She grinned, placed a hand on a nearby rock, and activated her skill.
[Sculpting!]
The rock transformed into a dozen beautiful plates.
“Handing food over like that isn’t very hygienic.”
“You’re right.”
“So… wanna go into business together?”
Seojin paused. He’d been scammed before, so he was wary.
“How would we split profits?”
“I’ll make all the plates. You handle sales. Just give me 10%.”
‘Mass-producible, can’t be easily copied…’
10% seemed fair.
He had no serving solution before—this was a good deal.
“Alright, let’s do it.”
“Great! We have a deal.”
She grabbed his hand and shook it energetically.
Then shouted:
“Fresh, tasty food in the Field! Fried eggs, omelets, grilled meat—get it here!”
Her voice echoed through the area, catching the attention of every nearby Hunter.
“This is amazing!”
“How is this even possible in the Field?!”
“Fried eggs are insane!”
“Try the omelet too—so good!”
“This lizard tail tastes just like chicken!”
“Yeah! Like thigh meat. Almost like salt-grilled chicken!”
“Wait… is there even salt in this?”
Lee Seojin’s food was selling out like wildfire.
A line formed in front of him.
“How much for a fried egg?”
Before Seojin could answer, Seorina stepped in.
“Ten thousand won!”
₩10,000 for a fried egg.
In the real world, that would’ve gotten him stoned.
But this was the Field—good food was scarce.
To Seorina, the price was justified.
Fried egg: ₩10,000
Omelet: ₩30,000
Grilled lizard tail: ₩50,000
Despite the steep prices, no one complained. Hunters happily handed over their loot to buy.
In just 30 minutes, everything was sold out.
“That was the last one,” Seojin announced.
The remaining Hunters collapsed in despair.
“No way…”
“My fried egg…”
“Mister! You’ll be here tomorrow, right? Same time?”
“Please, if you’ve got any stashed, I’ll pay extra! I’m heading into a dungeon with my party!”
Seorina stepped in to hold them off.
“If you keep harassing him, our chef might not come back tomorrow!”
Deflated, the Hunters backed off, hoping for another chance tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Seojin looked at the pile of monster loot in his inventory, beaming with joy.
Thanks to Seorina, his Field sales had turned into real business.
“I make a pretty great partner, huh?”
Seorina winked, and Seojin nodded in agreement.
