Chapter 72

72 Coconut Family's Entrance Exam

Cheon Dowoon took Dodak out of his bag.

Dodak, who had been desperately giving him a massage, looked up at him, feeling the touch that enveloped him.

-Hoo-oong?

"Yeah, it's okay now."

-Hoo-oong!

I'm glad my massage is effective. Dodak spread its leaves wide.

It looked like it was enjoying the satisfaction.

"Mo... Monster, right? That's a monster, isn't it?"

Lee Baek-ho asked with a flustered face.

What's scary about a plant the size of a palm, but everything looked bizarre to Lee Baek-ho, who hadn't crossed the Gate many times.

"It's a monster. We've picked enough grapes, let's go."

As Cheon Dowoon slung his bag, Kim Nari jumped down first. Lee Baek-ho followed, looking confused.

Before jumping down, Cheon Dowoon looked up at the grape tree.

The growth of that small seed told the passage of time.

"You've grown a lot."

As always, the grape tree didn't answer.

"I'm sorry about this. Our little one isn't very good at controlling her strength."

He said, touching the part that Kim Nari had broken when she tried to strike Lee Baek-ho's neck.

Still, the tree didn't answer. Instead, a bunch of grapes fell in front of Cheon Dowoon as if to make up for it.

It was a bunch of grapes with larger and plumper grapes than the ones they had picked.

Look at my size. That level doesn't even count as a scratch. It didn't even tickle, so don't worry about it.

The tree conveyed its thoughts with the bunch of grapes. Cheon Dowoon's lips curled up as he received the grapes.

"Okay. I'll enjoy them. I'll come again when I have time. Take care."

Cheon Dowoon smiled and jumped to the ground. Despite the absence of wind, the leaves of the giant tree swayed.

Cheon Dowoon turned away, receiving the greeting of the tree that had now grown as large as the World Tree.

---

Lee Baek-ho, the grandson of the Hunter Association's chairman.

He couldn't hide his bewilderment as he followed Cheon Dowoon and Kim Nari.

He knew this wasn't a hallucination. But he couldn't get used to the fact that there was a child in the Demon Realm.

'Could it be the Mechanical Creature that was on the news?'

That seemed more realistic than being an Awakened at such a young age.

But what were the chances of encountering a Mechanical Creature that had gone missing in this vast Demon Realm?

'Is it more likely that she's an Awakened after all? Someone who Awakened early due to a unique constitution or something.'

He didn't know. He didn't know the identity of the young man standing next to him either.

The fact that he was walking around the Demon Realm in such casual clothes was too absurd.

'Could it be that I'm seeing a hallucination mixed in due to the influence of the grape scent right now? He's actually wearing all his equipment, but it only looks like that to me...'

He even had such strange thoughts.

After walking for a while, he heard the sound of a waterfall in the distance. At the same time, a savory smell wafted over.

'This is... the smell of soy sauce. I can smell sesame oil too.'

The smell of freshly cooked rice made his mouth water. At the same time, his confusion deepened.

Why was there the smell of home-cooked food in the Demon Realm?

"Oh, Big Bro. You're here? The Chimera are all gathered already. I guess they followed the smell."

Nam Ki-seok, who was standing in front of a large pot at the waterfall valley, waved his hand.

"Just a little more stir-frying and it'll be done... Um? Who's that behind you?"

He paused when he saw Lee Baek-ho. When their eyes met, Lee Baek-ho quickly bowed.

"Ah, hello! I'm Lee Baek-ho. I was being chased by a monster and received help. I'll be in your care for a while!"

Even as he greeted them, Lee Baek-ho was unsure if this was reality.

'What is this? Why is there a campsite in the Demon Realm?'

Tents, makeshift tables, cooking utensils in the distance. A pot placed over a bonfire and a person stir-frying rice.

The bald man was even wearing a pristine white apron.

At this point, his hypothesis that he was seeing a hallucination along with the grape scent gained strength.

"A new person has joined us. Well, we made plenty. Everyone, please sit down. You too, the new person."

Lee Baek-ho sat down, feeling dazed.

Cheon Dowoon scanned Lee Baek-ho.

"You said you're the grandson of the Hunter Association's chairman?"

"Yes, yes! That's right."

"What's the current chairman's name?"

Cheon Dowoon asked, remembering what Guu had said.

He wondered if the man he had saved had become the chairman. Curious, he asked, and Lee Baek-ho immediately opened his mouth.

"The chairman's name is Lee Woon-su. He's my grandfather."

"Lee Woon-su...? Lee Woon-su... Ah, right. That was the name. I can't believe he actually became the Association's chairman."

"Do you know my grandfather?"

"I know him. Unless it's someone with the same name. Isn't he the person who's been the chairman since the Association was provisionally established?"

Lee Baek-ho nodded at Cheon Dowoon's words.

"That's right. My grandfather is the first chairman."

"It's amazing that he's still active at that age."

"Ah. My grandfather is also an Awakened. He's a rare case who Awakened in his 30s, so he's still going strong."

Lee Baek-ho replied with a hopeful face.

Who knew he would meet someone who knew his grandfather in a place like this.

This was a Fated Encounter / Opportunity he had come across when he thought he was going to die after losing his Return Stone.

So happy was he that he didn't notice that Cheon Dowoon was treating his grandfather like a contemporary.

At that moment, a large shadow fell over his head. Startled, Lee Baek-ho looked up and fell off his chair in horror.

"Mo, monster...!"

The Yoo-beom siblings were descending from where he looked up.

Both of them had changed back into their original attire to take out their wings.

Yoo Ji-ah was wearing a bone helmet, and Yoo-beom had returned to his bird head, making them look like monsters.

"Everyone's here. I was wondering where you were since you weren't home. Were you trying to eat something delicious without us?"

"How could we do that? Please sit down. We made plenty, so there's no problem!"

Nam Ki-seok greeted them with a bright face.

Cheon Dowoon looked puzzled at their quick return.

"Why are you back already? I thought you were going to look around more."

"We were going to. But when we actually went around, there wasn't much to see. It's not like it's a tourist spot. Looking around from the sky was enough."

"You flew?"

"We flew."

"It'll be on the news."

"Maybe. Are we going to become celebrities now?"

The siblings looked at each other and laughed. Everyone was in a friendly atmosphere, but only Lee Baek-ho, who was rolling on the floor, couldn't laugh.

'What, what is that? They know monsters? What is this place? What are all these people doing?'

Perhaps he was seeing a reality mixed with hallucinations.

Lee Baek-ho couldn't bring himself to sit down and hid behind the table leg, peeking out.

"By the way, I heard something interesting after you guys left. Gold City is planning to demolish the slums."

Cheon Dowoon paused at Yoo-beom's words.

"Demolish the slums?"

"Yeah. It still feels like a rumor, but if it's true, wouldn't you be angry? They've never given us any support, but who do they think they are, getting rid of the slums?"

Yoo-beom said with a frown. Yoo Ji-ah's eyes also darkened behind her bone helmet.

"Definitely. It doesn't feel good."

Cheon Dowoon muttered.

He didn't have good memories of the slums, but it was the last place where the siblings and Cheon Dowoon had lived as people.

No one would be happy that even those traces were disappearing.

"I, I've heard that rumor too."

Lee Baek-ho, who had been listening quietly, raised his hand and spoke.

He flinched as attention focused on him, but he cautiously sat down and opened his mouth.

"I, I've had many opportunities to meet high-ranking people through my grandfather's connections. They said they would demolish the slums and build a new city within a year or two. I heard that at a party at the end of last year, so... it wouldn't be strange for the rumors to be circulating now, given the timing."

"Ooh, a new city! Isn't that a good thing?"

Kim Nari asked with a gleam in her eyes. But Lee Baek-ho shook his head.

"It would be good for the people moving in after about 10 years. But not right now."

"Why?"

"I only heard it in passing, so I'm not sure. But it sounded like they were going to forcibly demolish it."

"Forcibly? Then what happens to the people living there now?"

Kim Nari asked again. Should he be telling a child this? Lee Baek-ho hesitated before speaking.

"They'll be kicked out without receiving any compensation. The slums are kind of... an area where the law doesn't reach. And the image of it being a city of criminals is strong. So maybe there won't be many people who strongly oppose it."

Lee Baek-ho looked at Cheon Dowoon and continued.

"But since there's such a thing as public opinion, it seemed like they were going to lay the groundwork first. The central part of the slums is a particularly dangerous neighborhood, right? Around districts 10 to 13. They were going to film that area and broadcast it on the media. To dominate public opinion by saying that this is a dangerous place, it's dilapidated and dirty, and we can't leave it like this..."

Cheon Dowoon laughed. If that was the case, it would be enough if the city became clean.

"The Space Family will have a lot to do."

Road repairs, street lamp installation, building repairs, etc.

There were many parts to touch besides cleaning, but there was no problem.

He could provide unlimited financial support for renovating the entire city.

He could just pick up a few rare materials, give them to Kim, the manager, and tell him to sell them to the Alchemist Association.

"Well, if things get tough, we can find the guy who's trying to demolish the slums and step on him. It'll be clean if we demolish the guy who's trying to demolish it first."

The siblings nodded at Cheon Dowoon's words. If they got tired of everything, there was that method too.

There was nothing for them to worry about.

"Anyway. Who's that little one? Is he a candidate for joining our family?"

Yoo-beom asked, looking at Lee Baek-ho.

Lee Baek-ho flinched under the gaze that scanned him up and down.

The siblings weren't showing any hostility, but Lee Baek-ho was sweating from the pressure he felt from Yoo-beom.

That's an unbelievably strong monster. Even if dozens of A-Class Hunters ganged up on him, they wouldn't be able to win. He couldn't help but think that.

"This isn't a place where just anyone can come. Did he take the entrance exam?"

"E, entrance exam?"

"Yeah. If you want to join our Coconut Family, you have to take the entrance exam."

Yoo-beom began to spout nonsense with a serious face.

Yoo Ji-ah also nodded in agreement without stopping him. Lee Baek-ho, who took their joke seriously, became very nervous.

"Wh, what does the Coconut Family do?"

Instead of answering, Yoo-beom looked at Lee Baek-ho with lowered eyes.

Lee Baek-ho's fingertips trembled finely at that cold gaze.

'D, did I ask something I shouldn't have?'

Coconut Family. It was a group name that somehow made it seem like they should be making crafts out of coconut shells.

But judging from the ominous atmosphere, it was definitely not a cute place.

"If you join... you'll find out what we do."

Yoo-beom said in a quiet voice.

The Coconut Family, an organization that makes gangsters clean. It was somehow exuding the atmosphere of a secret society.

Yoo-beom pointed to Cheon Dowoon.

"This is the family's boss. Cheon Dowoon."

Cheon Dowoon paused at the sudden introduction.

So that's it. I was the boss. Cheon Dowoon nodded with a serious face.

"I'm the boss."

He decided to play along with the siblings' banter.

"Y, you're the boss after all. I thought there was something special about you. Then those two are..."

Lee Baek-ho looked at the siblings, who looked like avian monsters.

The siblings exchanged glances and then spoke.

"I'm Yoo-beom, the organization's right-hand man. I'm in charge of the advisor."

"Yoo Ji-ah, the left-hand man. I'm the leader of the assault team."

The two, who were over 70 years old, were excited to tease the twenty-year-old youth.

"Th, then what about that person? Is that person also a member of the family?"

Lee Baek-ho asked, looking at Nam Ki-seok. Should I say something too? Nam Ki-seok racked his brains.

He couldn't break the atmosphere by saying something like, "I'm Nam Ki-seok, a B+-Class Hunter."

The advisor and the leader of the assault team were already taken. The right-hand man and the left-hand man were also taken. What else was there?

The siblings were in charge of combat, so he needed an important position that couldn't be left out in other fields.

"I'm Nam Ki-seok, the Coconut Family's... number one chef."

Nam Ki-seok said, stirring the egg drop soup with a ladle.

He was wearing a white apron because he was cooking, so his professionalism stood out.

"Number one chef Nam Ki-seok...!"

They even have a separate chef. This family is somehow systematic. Lee Baek-ho's eyes wavered.

Kim Nari, who had been watching, stepped forward.

"I'm Kim Nari!"

Kim Nari shouted as it was. Cheon Dowoon, who was enjoying the situation, took out Dodak and placed it on the table.

"This guy is the strategist."

"E, even a strategist..."

Dodak immediately recognized Lee Baek-ho. Wasn't that the one who tried to recklessly harm his helper?

You sly thing. You still haven't come to your senses. Dodak stood up abruptly.

It spread its leaves as wide as possible to make itself look bigger, and then struck the table with its Rootlets.

-Hoo-oong!

"Rookie, do well in the future. I'll be watching you. That's what he's saying."

Cheon Dowoon gave a fake translation with a serious face.

Was that short "Hoo-oong" such a long sentence? He was momentarily doubtful, but Lee Baek-ho nodded.

He thought it was possible if it was a monster's language.

"Those Chimera are hellhounds that guard this place."

Cheon Dowoon said, pointing to the Chimera huddled together on the floor.

The Chimera, who were waiting for Nam Ki-seok's soy sauce egg rice, were instantly transformed into hellhounds.

"H, hellhounds. Indeed. They all look scary."

The Chimera, who were sitting with sparkling eyes, looked scary to Lee Baek-ho.

"And the Space Family is a subordinate organization."

"Even a subordinate organization."

Where have I come to? What is this Coconut something that I might be joining?

Lee Baek-ho looked at Cheon Dowoon with trembling eyes.

"Th... then where is the headquarters?"

"Headquarters?"

Cheon Dowoon thought of his fluorescent log house.

"The headquarters is... that's right. I'll tell you if you pass the entrance exam."

An entrance exam that didn't even exist had just been created. Lee Baek-ho looked at Cheon Dowoon with a nervous face.

'This is no ordinary place. What happens if I say I won't take the test? Could it be that I'll be... disposed of to keep my mouth shut?'

The only reason they told him the boss's identity and the organization's members so easily was that. He had no choice.

Lee Baek-ho swallowed hard. He hadn't been this nervous even when taking the Hunter promotion exam.

Cold sweat dripped down his forehead.

'Ah, that was fun.'

The siblings and Cheon Dowoon, who had teased the young man, waited for the soy sauce egg rice with joyful hearts.