A Mysterious and Formidable Adversary

"Ah, my waist hurts so much," Dae-gun murmured softly as he opened his eyes, placing a hand over the injury as he tried to sit up.

"Oh, you're awake! I thought you wouldn't be able to get up today," said a relatively large man with several scars on his forehead, noticing Dae-gun trying to sit up.

I immediately recognized him—his name was Yeongcheol Kim, the Deputy Department Head of the White Tiger Job Centre. He was also a king from the First Generation, although I couldn't quite remember which place he ruled over.

I pretended not to know him. "Hey, old man, who are you? Does this place only hire old people? And where's that nasty big guy who almost killed me?" I replied with slight annoyance.

"I'm not as old as you think," he said, his tone calm. "Anyway, Manager Kim has gone to work. Before leaving, he asked me to make sure you eat something. So, what would you like to eat?" he asked with a cool expression.

"First, fix your face. I don't like that cold look of yours," I said, irritated.

"This is just my natural face. There's nothing I can do about it," he replied in a somewhat helpless tone.

"Then for me:—"

"1. Bibimbap - from South Korea

2. Chana Masala with Puri - from India

3. Palak Paneer - also from India

4. Margherita Pizza - from Italy

5. Falafel - from the Middle East

6. Masala Dosa - also from India

7. Hummus with Pita - also from the Middle East

8. Kimchi Cheese Pancake - from South Korea

9. Fettuccine Alfredo - from Italy

10. Guacamole Tacos - from Mexico.

Bringing just these items will do. They're highly nutritious, and eating them will help me recover from my injuries faster," I said after thinking for a moment.

Hearing my list, Yeongcheol Kim seemed a bit taken aback.

"Kid, can you really eat all this? Why is everything vegetarian? Will you even survive on this?" Yeongcheol Kim asked, surprised.

"Well, it's not that I'm a vegetarian," I said with a slight smile. "It's just that vegetables are easier to digest and these are nutritious foods that will help my recovery."

But then my smile turned a bit mysterious. "And as for surviving, until I get the chance to fight Gapryong Kim or Shingen Yamazaki, no one can take me down."

"Kid, that much confidence can be a reason for death. I'm telling you, too much confidence isn't good," Yeongcheol Kim said with a mix of jest and amusement, heading off to get the food.

"We'll see about that in the future. Anyway, please bring my food. By the way, what time is it? And how long was I unconscious?" I asked, leaning back on the sofa, closing my eyes, and stretching my arms.

"You've been asleep for around three hours, 35 minutes, and 38 seconds. Manager Kim will return soon. Ask him the rest of your questions," Yeongcheol Kim replied without looking back, leaving to get the food.

I just sat there quietly, eyes closed.

About ten minutes later, all the food was laid out before me. Seeing such delicious food, I dug in immediately, and soon enough, every last bite was in my stomach, leaving it a bit full.

"Kid, how old are you? And how long has it been since you last ate?" Yeongcheol Kim asked.

"I'm twelve years old. And at this age, my growth is happening so fast that it's clear I need a lot of nutrition. So my hunger is ten times greater than an average person's," I said, washing my face.

"As expected from the son of a legend. You're truly like a monster," Yeongcheol Kim said without thinking much.

"Sir, has Dae-gun regained consciousness yet?" Manager Kim asked with a hint of concern as he entered through the door. "In a little while, I'll need to go pick up my daughter from school, and I've invited my old friends over tonight. Actually, I want to hold a small gathering to confirm the relationship between Dae-gun and Minji."

"Manager Kim, where have you been, and why did it take so long?" Yeongcheol Kim asked

Without saying anything, Manager Kim silently handed over two red invitation cards to Yeongcheol Kim. One had his name on it, and the other bore Tom Lee's name.

Yeongcheol Kim opened his card and began to read the message: "There's a small gathering at my place, so I'd like to invite you and the boss to come over. I was just preparing the food. Please don't mention this to Dae-gun."

"Don't worry, I'll be there, and I'll let the boss know too," Yeongcheol Kim replied slowly, understanding something.

"By the way, where's the boss? I don't see him around," Manager Kim asked, thinking. for a moment.

"I'm not sure. He received a call suddenly, argued heatedly on the phone for a while, and then stormed out..."

Boom!

"That blond-haired kid-I'm going to kill him!" someone yelled as they burst through the door, cursing loudly.

Hearing the commotion, Manager Kim and Yeongcheol Kim turned to look in that direction. But opposite them, Dae-gun, who had been lying on the sofa, still weak, was startled awake by the noise and fell face-first onto the floor, clutching his stomach in pain.

But no one noticed him. Their attention was fixed on the cloud of smoke. Out of the smoke emerged Tom, his face filled with fury.

"Manager Kim and Yeongcheol Kim, come with me. I have something urgent to tell you, Tom said, his expression still angry, as he headed into a soundproof private room.

Yeongcheol Kim and Manager Kim exchanged glances before following Tom Lee inside.

"Hey, help me up! I'm still injured!" I called out, raising one hand and lying face down with my back up, but no one paid any

attention to me.

In the private room.

"What do you want to discuss, Boss?"

Yeongcheol Kim asked first.

"Yeongcheol Kim, I want that boy found by the end of the day. And make arrangements for us to go to Qinglian," Tom said, his voice filled with anger.

Yeongcheol Kim, worried, began to respond. "That boy... but you know he's no ordinary kid. We won't be able to find him so easily…"

Before Yeongcheol Kim could finish, Tom Lee cut him off.

"And, Manager Kim," Tom continued with concern, "there's been a huge bounty placed on Dae-gun by an underground criminal organization."

Hearing this, Manager Kim also looked surprised and concerned.

"So, what do we do now?" Manager Kim asked, a bit anxiously.

"Don't worry," Tom replied, pausing briefly. "When you joined us, I promised to keep your family safe. I'll use my influence to hold them back." Hearing this, Manager Kim felt a bit relieved.

"But…"

This "but" made Manager Kim's face harden.

"But there's one person I'm unsure I can stop. I don't know if I can hold him back," Tom said, rubbing his temples. "But if he does appear before you, I trust that you'll be able to handle him."

(End of Chapter)