Obtained End-Game Gear for a Bowl of Ramen - Chapter 41

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 41. A Second Time
I was cooking ramen when I picked up a bird.
More precisely, I didn’t pick it up—I hatched it. I never expected that the item the Liar gave me in the Tower of Heroes would turn out to be an egg.
Chirp? Chirp?
A chick smaller than my palm trembled, shaking itself free. The cracked eggshell it had been wearing like a hat tumbled away.
—Phoenix Original (Legendary): The living flame itself. An eternally resurrecting bird. The highest spirit of fire. It can grow infinitely and burn endlessly hot.
‘This thing was a Phoenix? Wasn’t there that one Phoenix that escaped from an S-rank Gate two years ago and nearly destroyed Japan?’
It was two years ago, wasn’t it? A Phoenix emerged from an S-rank Gate that opened at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan. And what happened?
It burned through forests, soil, and stone alike, turning the entire region into hell. It took seven S-rank Hunters just to capture that single Phoenix.
Japan couldn’t handle it alone, so they swallowed their pride and rushed to request reinforcements from the United States and China. Mount Fuji barely survived, but Japan was branded as a weak Hunter nation.
‘So Living Flame was a Phoenix egg. Isn’t the Liar’s sense of humor a bit much?’
Chirp!
The baby Phoenix laughed—if that’s what you could call that sound. What on earth should I name this thing? I was just cooking ramen when I hatched a Phoenix egg. What kind of situation is this?
“Right. Gas burner? How about I take it from ‘burner’ and call you Bana?”
Chirp-chirp!
“Good. From today on, you’re Bana. Bana! First of all…….”
I unfolded the Perfect Parenting Guide.
[Item Used: Perfect Parenting Guide]
[You will be able to raise the creature you nurture perfectly well. Now that you’ve given it a name, feed it!]
‘What does this thing eat?’
[The Phoenix eats anything well! Except water.]
The Perfect Parenting Guide was kinder than I expected. I quickly scooped some of the ramen I’d just finished cooking onto a small plate.
Chirp?
“You eat anything, right? Want to try some ramen?”
Chirp!
Bana pecked at the noodles with her beak, then sucked them up with a slurp. Chirp-chirp! She flapped her small flame wings and danced.
“Tasty? You little rascal. If you develop a taste for it this early, you’ll ruin your palate entirely.”
I gently stroked Bana. The baby Phoenix smiled back at me and nuzzled her face into my hair. Warm. Soft. Adorable.
Better yet, she cooked the ramen perfectly. True to her nature as living flame, her fire control transcended perfection—it was almost supernatural.
‘But is it okay to raise a Phoenix at home? Won’t the smoke alarm go off?’
* * *

“A Phoenix. I picked her up on the way.”

That sounded vaguely accusatory. I felt a little wronged myself.
“I picked her up without thinking. The Liar stuffed the egg in my pocket on the fifth floor of the Tower of Heroes.”

Dae Young wagged a tentacle at me like a stern teacher scolding a student.

“I just used her as a burner for my ramen, and she hatched.”
Dae Young’s eyes narrowed. Why are you looking at me like that?

“Huh? Really?! Bana! You can’t just burn everything carelessly!”
Chirp!
Bana fluttered her small wings and nodded. This little thing turned out to be way scarier than I thought! Is it really safe to raise her at home?

“Ah, I see. So you can adjust the fire like a gas burner, right?”

I fumbled to pull out the Perfect Parenting Guide. My eyes met the cute illustration on the cover again.
“About this—Dae Young, I’ve always been curious. What exactly is this Parenting Guide?”

Dae Young leaned forward suddenly, her dark shadow engulfing my face.

“A flame that cooks ramen well.”
Dae Young pressed a tentacle to her forehead. What? That’s actually convenient. What’s wrong with a good ramen flame?

In other words: give it the occasional chance to play with fire. Playing with fire is forbidden in twenty-first-century modern society, but there’s exactly one exception.
“Bana, want to go close a Gate?”
Chirp! Bana hopped about excitedly, fluttering her tiny wings. Jung Ho activated his Gate Guide Authority. There happened to be an A-rank Gate opening in four hours.
* * *
Cho Jae Hyung had always been second. Even after Shin Geon Woo’s disappearance, still ranked second. He’d worked tirelessly to fill the void left by Korea’s missing number one, yet he remained stuck in second place.
Time passed, and Shin Geon Woo was officially pronounced dead. Jae Hyung had finally dared hope for first—then an EX-rank Hunter materialized out of nowhere. And what was this about Ronald, America’s top Hunter?
Worse, Ronald was treated as effectively first under the title “America’s top Hunter.” Jae Hyung, who’d sweated and bled for Korea’s sake during the crisis, remained second.
“We’ve come here for someone like you.”
Jae Hyung sat on a bench beneath the dim glow of a street lamp. Behind the bench’s backrest, a shadow spoke.
“Hunter Cho Jae Hyung. Those Who Welcome extend our greetings to people like you—sacrificed by injustice.”
Injustice. Jae Hyung’s teeth ground together. After Shin Geon Woo vanished, I should’ve been first. I worked hard. I threw my life on the line blocking Richie’s Dark Aura during that S+-rank Gate last time. So why does everyone ignore me?
“Hunter Cho Jae Hyung. Don’t you wish to be properly compensated for everything you’ve done?”
“I want to be clear—I love Korea. I’ve never hated Korea. I just want recognition that matches my effort.”
The words were one thing, but Jae Hyung’s voice trembled. The shadow of Those Who Welcome had found his weakness precisely.
“We understand completely. Those Who Welcome—we understand. But Korea has forgotten the grace Hunter Cho Jae Hyung has shown. How heartbreaking! Your efforts deserve compensation. How shall we compensate you?”
Jae Hyung hesitated for a long moment, then whispered quietly, as if afraid someone might hear.
“One Legendary item.”
“Just one Legendary? How modest! My goodness, is there truly someone so free of greed? Hunter Cho, are you an angel?”
Those Who Welcome spoke louder still. Startled, Jae Hyung looked around nervously and lowered his voice.
“Shh! Keep it down! If anyone hears—”
“What if they do? Is there anything wrong with what’s being said? Hunter Cho Jae Hyung—think of your dedication! Your sacrifice! Your blood, your sweat, your tears shed. What compensation have you received for any of it?”
“Well, no, but—”
“Years of hardship that money and power cannot repay! And yet you ask for nothing but a single Legendary item. I’m deeply moved. And I hate Korea. To abandon someone so good, so unappreciated?”
“Wait. Can you really give me a Legendary item?”
The shadow of Those Who Welcome laughed—a sound like the smile of a cat from a fairy tale, white teeth like a crescent moon gleaming through the darkness.
“We can. We’ll give you the Legendary item—Aegis Shield. But Hunter Cho Jae Hyung, there’s one small thing we need from you.”
The shadow slipped the shield halfway out of the darkness. Jae Hyung’s eyes flashed as a status window opened.
-Aegis Shield Replica (Epic): A counterfeit of the invincible shield that instills terror in enemies and courage in allies. Its very existence can shift the tide of battle.
If a replica existed, the original existed too. Even without it, the replica alone was Epic-rank. Korea had never given Jae Hyung a single Unique item.
“Hunter Cho Jae Hyung. In two hours, an A-rank Gate will open. Go inside and flip your Aura. Then the Aegis Shield is yours.”
“Flip my Aura? Mine’s only for buffing. What do you mean—”
“It can debuff too, can’t it?”
The shadow of Those Who Welcome let out a low chuckle. Jae Hyung felt ice crawl down his spine.
‘How did they know?’
Jae Hyung’s unique skill was Aura. A skill that radiated effects across a certain radius centered on himself.
Until now, he’d only cast buff-type Aura for the other Hunters, but the reverse was possible too. Debuff. Ability reduction. He could unleash a wide-ranging curse like a living plague.
“I know everything, Hunter Cho Jae Hyung. You flip your Aura in A-rank Gates. You seek revenge on Korea for their coldness, on the injustices that ruined you. In exchange, I’ll give you a Legendary item.”
“If I do something like that, I’ll become an enemy of Korea…”
“We of Those Who Welcome will embrace you. What’s the problem?”
Jae Hyung hesitated, but the temptation dangled by Those Who Welcome was far too sweet.
“Fine. I’ll do it. But you have to come pick me up right away.”
“Welcome home.”
The shadow of Those Who Welcome vanished. Jae Hyung exhaled deeply and made his way to the location where the Gate would open. Hunters had already gathered in considerable numbers.
Thanks to the Korea Hunter Management Bureau discovering it beforehand and circulating an official notice to the major Hunter guilds. Even that felt like a scheme orchestrated by Those Who Welcome.
‘If I flip my Aura in a place with this many people, they’ll all die or get hurt. Once I start, there’s no turning back.’
If he became one of Those Who Welcome, Korea would be an enemy—along with Ronald and the EX-rank Hunters. But what did it matter? They were just Hunters in the end, no matter how strong. Jae Hyung steeled himself.
“What kind of monster is this one?”
“A Spirit, they say. A Water Spirit! Watch out for ignore-defense attacks and Ice Magic!”
“Isn’t that Hunter Cho Jae Hyung over there? If Cho Jae Hyung’s here, we’ll cruise through this A-rank Gate.”
“Yeah. Fighting alongside Korea’s number two, we’ve got this.”
That last remark pushed Jae Hyung’s heart right off the cliff’s edge.
After trying so hard, if he was still second, he’d rather go somewhere that acknowledged him. Even if it meant abandoning being a Hunter. Even if it meant making enemies of Hunters.
“The Gate is opening!”
Crack! Through the fissure poured Water Spirits, fluid and gelatinous like liquid monsters. Spirits had no intelligence. Which meant they were merciless.
If he flipped his Aura here, it would be the start of a horror movie. And Ronald wasn’t even here—who would stop him?
Whoosh!!
A pillar of crimson flame swallowed the Gate whole.
[Lower Water Spirit 51/51 Eliminated]
[Intermediate Water Spirit 26/26 Eliminated]
[Upper Water Spirit 2/2 Eliminated]
[A-rank Gate Clear!]
[Contribution: ???(100%)]
The pillar of flame faded. Jae Hyung and the Hunters alike stood stunned, blinking wordlessly at what had just transpired.
“That was EX-rank, right?”
“Wow. I’ve never actually seen EX-rank before!”
“See what? We didn’t even see the back of their head. Just fire whooshing and then it was over.”
“What? EX-rank is this strong? Way more than the rumors!”
“Isn’t fire weak to water? The Water Spirit got wiped out in one hit?”
“Hey, they’re an EX-rank Hunter. Throw common sense out the window, man. How many times do you come across EX-rank anyway?”
Jae Hyung watched the dying embers crackle and came to a decision.
‘Just stay number two.’
Got an ultimate item for a single bowl of ramen.
Author
White Persimmon
Publisher
Kim Seok Hwan, Choi Se Ra
Publishing House
Grae Publications
Inquiry Email
[email protected]
Publication Date
August 24, 2026
UCI
G720:N+A327-20260423069
※ This e-book is protected under copyright law; unauthorized reproduction and duplication are prohibited, and violations may result in criminal and civil legal liability.
※ Pentagram welcomes your precious manuscripts.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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