Chapter 90

The three of them headed to a renowned restaurant in Seoul.

If there was one new phenomenon that emerged after the Mega Shock, it was the transformation of culinary culture. With the trend of cooking using plants and monster byproducts discovered within dungeons, the culinary landscape had undergone a massive shift.

This new culinary trend was first championed by Hunters and Porters.

When stranded and out of provisions, they resorted to cooking and eating dungeon plants and monster flesh out of necessity. To their surprise, they discovered the food was remarkably delicious and subsequently introduced it to the world.

Since then, new restaurants specializing in dungeon ingredients quickly rose to prominence, and it has now become a commonplace part of daily life.

“I’ll have this.”

Gil Ji-yeon settled into her seat and placed her order.

Her choice was quite unexpected.

“Curry… rice? There are so many other delicious dishes though…”

As Kang Yuseong gazed at her, Gil Ji-yeon smiled shyly and nodded.

“Yes. It’s a dish my mom used to make for me often when I was little. I really want to eat it right now.”

At her words, Gil Hyeok-jun’s face tightened, and Kang Yuseong slowly nodded.

He smiled and said,

“I see. I like curry too, so shall we order two of these?”

“I wouldn’t mind some curry after all this time.”

Gil Hyeok-jun suddenly spoke up.

Kang Yuseong stared at him for a moment. Then he nodded.

“Excuse me, three curry rice dishes, please!”

He ordered three curry rice dishes, and the food arrived quickly.

The three of them ate their curry in silence.

Gil Ji-yeon put a spoonful of curry into her mouth and smiled brightly.

“It’s delicious! It tastes so good after such a long time.”

Gil Hyeok-jun looked at her and smiled.

“Indeed. We used to eat it a lot when you were little…”

Gil Ji-yeon also smiled brightly.

“But eating this… makes me miss Mom. How about you, Dad?”

At her innocent words, Gil Hyeok-jun’s expression momentarily clouded over.

But he swiftly wiped the look from his face, nodding with a smile.

“Yes, Dad misses Mom too. Your mom’s curry was truly the best.”

“I know… it would have been nice if Mom were here.”

Then she shook her head and smiled.

“No, it’s fine. I have you, Dad. Dad, your food will get cold, eat quickly!”

With that, Gil Ji-yeon continued to scoop spoonfuls of curry into her mouth.

Gil Hyeok-jun watched her for a moment, falling silent.

“Ah, I’m hungry! Team Leader Gil, can I order more after this?”

Just then, Kang Yuseong, who had been eating his curry with gusto, spoke up.

When Gil Hyeok-jun looked at him, Kang Yuseong gave a grin.

“I’ve been so hungry lately… hehe!”

Gil Hyeok-jun chuckled and said,

“As much as you like.”

Kang Yuseong wore a satisfied expression and began eating his curry.

However, his mind had been preoccupied with other thoughts for some time.

‘Hmm… she hasn’t shown any particular symptoms yet…’

It was because of Gil Ji-yeon.

Her MRI scan results, showing Chakra Force concentrated solely in her head, had been a constant source of worry for him.

While Chakra Force had bestowed near-miraculous gifts upon humanity, it had also, conversely, unleashed tremendous disasters.

One of them was a terrifying symptom known as Force Reverse Flow.

Just because one awakened Chakra Force didn’t mean they could use it indefinitely.

Once Chakra Force is awakened, a vast energy is bestowed upon the awakener, who can then transform and utilize it in various ways.

If it manifests as physical abilities, they become a Chakra User. If it manifests as magic, they become a Magic User. If it manifests as an enhancement of pre-existing psychokinesis, they become a Psychic User.

However, a critical point of caution was the act of drawing upon Chakra Force beyond one’s inherent limits.

The human body is remarkably enigmatic, and one such mystery is that when any part of it is pushed beyond its limits, adverse side effects are inevitable.

Simple pains like muscle aches or stretched ligaments were examples of this.

Furthermore, conditions like heart attacks or cerebral hemorrhages due to overexertion also fall into this category.

Chakra Force was no different; if it surpassed its limits and experienced a reverse flow, it would turn against the awakener.

Chakra Force, which naturally flowed in a cycle from the inside of the human body outwards, would, upon reversal, burrow inwards from the outside, destroying everything, including the internal organs.

In Kang Yuseong’s previous life, extensive research had been conducted on this phenomenon.

‘Hmm…’

Recalling the memories of that time, Kang Yuseong’s expression stiffened.

The process of Chakra Force Reverse Flow is simple.

In the case of a Chakra User who emits it throughout their entire body, their entire body is attacked.

On the other hand, for a Magic User whose Chakra Force is concentrated in their heart, their heart bursts first, followed by their entire body being torn apart.

A Psychic User has Chakra Force concentrated in their brain, and in that case, their brain explodes.

Immediately before, a peculiar phenomenon was observed: a dense concentration of Chakra Force, as if immense power had condensed.

Gil Ji-yeon’s current state was strikingly similar to the third type: a Psychic User undergoing Chakra Reverse Flow.

But he couldn’t be certain, which was precisely why Kang Yuseong was accompanying the father and daughter.

‘Certainly, this phenomenon didn’t appear back then.’

In the past, when he cured Gil Ji-yeon with the same medicine, there was no such phenomenon.

She had undergone the same examinations back then, and there had been no Chakra awakening, nor was Chakra Force concentrated in her head in such a manner.

It was a rare sight, one that even the highly experienced Kang Yuseong had never witnessed before.

‘Hoo…’

Yet, Gil Ji-yeon was eating heartily now, and unlike the somber mood from earlier, she was chatting animatedly with her father, Gil Hyeok-jun.

This was a different form than typical Chakra Reverse Flow.

If she were truly experiencing Chakra Reverse Flow, her brain might have already burst.

And the extreme pain preceding it was not something a human could endure.

‘I can’t figure it out.’

He didn’t know why such a phenomenon was occurring with Gil Ji-yeon, but for now, he needed to be vigilant.

It was definitely not a normal situation.

Kang Yuseong, lost in thought, scooped curry into his mouth.

But at that very moment.

Thump—

‘…?’

He felt a faint vibration.

Was there construction nearby?

Thump—

But after a slight delay, another vibration resonated.

Kang Yuseong put down his spoon and looked around the restaurant.

The many people inside the restaurant seemed to feel nothing, each eating with a peaceful expression.

Just then, Gil Hyeok-jun looked at him with a gravely stiff expression.

“Looks like you felt it too, Captain.”

He, too, had felt it.

Kang Yuseong quickly cast his gaze out the window.

Thud— Thud— Thud—

The vibrations grew increasingly intense, and the intervals between them shortened.

At that moment, a deafening siren suddenly blared, splitting the air.

WEEEEEOOOO—

CRASH! BOOM! BANG!

The world outside the window instantly erupted into chaos.

“Aargh!”

“W-what’s going on?!”

The people inside the restaurant screamed.

CRASH!

A large car suddenly flew through the air, shattering the restaurant’s window, and crashed inside.

And following it, something appeared.

“KROOOOAAARGH!”

The creature that appeared, casting a massive shadow.

The creature, with a colossal body reminiscent of a Tyrannosaurus and terrifyingly sharp teeth, let out a thunderous roar.

Kang Yuseong’s expression changed instantly.

‘No way!’

CRACK! CRASH! BANG!

But then, right behind it, countless hordes of monsters were seen smashing through buildings and tearing up roads as they charged forward. Before them, countless people were being torn to shreds by the beasts, screaming and fleeing in terror.

Some were ripped in half by monsters, others devoured alive…

It was utter pandemonium, a living hell.

As he watched the horrifying spectacle, Kang Yuseong’s eyes trembled violently.

This hellish scene unfolding now was something he knew all too well.

‘The Second Shock!’

He stared blankly outside.

The worst disaster, starting much earlier than expected!

Humanity had already been inoculated by the Mega Shock, but this sudden ambush by the Second Shock became the catalyst for its complete collapse.

It was the era when national distinctions blurred, people revealed their primal natures, and a hell where murder, arson, and plunder became daily occurrences was unleashed.

The ultimate tragedy: all dungeon gates burst open, and the monsters within poured out, slaughtering humanity!

CRASH!

At that moment, the restaurant’s windows shattered, and smaller monsters leaped inside.

“Aaaaaargh!”

“Aaagh!”

The people who had been peacefully dining turned deathly pale, scattering wildly in every direction.

“KWOOORGH!”

CRUNCH!

But the monsters did not leave those people alone.

They seized people, either tearing them in half or severing their limbs with sharp teeth, then gnawing on them with sickening crunching sounds.

As if retaliating for their long confinement within the dungeons, the monsters’ assault was utterly relentless.

“Get out of the way!”

Among the patrons were a fair number of former Hunters who attempted to fight back against the monsters, but they naturally hadn’t brought weapons to a restaurant, not a dungeon. Some, in a desperate attempt, grabbed kitchen knives and grappled with the monsters, but it was futile.

Whoosh—

CRACK—

At that moment, Kang Yuseong moved.

He dashed across the restaurant, slamming his fist into the jaw of a monster that was lunging at a young girl.

CRUNCH!

“KYAAANG!”

Chakra, Iron Fist!

Struck by that attack of immense, condensed power, the monster’s jaw shattered, and it was sent flying.

Whoosh!

Simultaneously, Kang Yuseong’s body spun mid-air.

CRACK!

The next moment, his kick, slicing fiercely through the air and dropping sharply, smashed the skull of an adjacent monster, cleaving its brain in two.

Thud!

The monsters, unable to react to his movements, instantly collapsed into bloody pulps.

Hearts burst, necks twisted, spines snapped, and lungs ripped.

The chaotic restaurant was swiftly brought under control by Kang Yuseong.

And then, another individual, a man with a massive physique, nearly two meters tall, sprang into action.

THWACK!

He, too, carried no weapon, yet was relentlessly pummeling monsters with his bare fists. He plunged his hands into monsters’ jaws and ripped them apart, gouged out their eyeballs, and smashed their heads with downward blows—a sight that sent shivers down one’s spine.

“L-let’s fight!”

“Let’s fight too!”

Inspired by the two men’s actions, the former Hunters shouted, emboldened.

“Die!”

Stabbing monsters wildly with razor-sharp kitchen knives and smashing their heads with nearby iron pipes, they too began to join the fray.

But at that very moment.

“KWOOOOOOOORGH—”

Rumble—

CRASH!

“Aargh!”

“Urgh!”

A massive roar echoed throughout the restaurant, shattering every glass object.

People covered their ears and cowered, while the monsters rampaged triumphantly.

The colossal roar.

It was let out by the colossal, Tyrannosaurus-like monster.

Its two blood-red eyes glared into the restaurant.

However, it couldn’t move further.

When people looked closely, they saw someone standing in front of it.

Flap—

As the wind swept in, the hem of his clothes gently fluttered.

“This is as far as you go.”

Kang Yuseong. It was him.

Cold killing intent surged from his eyes, and that was precisely what paralyzed the monster.

Gulp—

People watched him, swallowing dryly.

Facing such a colossal monster alone, what did he intend to do?

At that moment, the man moved.

And a storm, poised to quell this immense chaos, began to rage.